Weird Name, Big Jams: Dangermuffin liked Bend so much, they're staying for a week
Dangermuffin isn't a radioactive muffin. It also isn't a dangerous robotic muffin that will aid other rebellious pastries in taking over the world in 2012. Rather, Dangermuffin is a self-proclaimed “Jamericana” band from Folly Beach, South Carolina that is storming the nation for the first time this summer and stopping in for a string of…
The L Word
No, this isn’t a re-issue of the excellent documentary about The Who. This Kids Are All Right is a cinematic attempt to showcase how married lesbian parents go through life's same hardships while trying make sure that the happiness of their children comes first – in other words that they're normal people. Kids starts off…
Fast Company: going for the checkered flag on the Parkway
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. It's race day and time for couch potatoes to sit back, relax and watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on television.
Pick Your Own Organic Blueberries
Summer in Central Oregon is amazing between the weather, outdoor sports, scenery, and produce! During the summer season, pick your own sun-ripened blueberries just outside of Vida, Oregon at McKenzie River Farm is a farm-to-fork (or fingers to mouth) experience not to be missed. My family and I picked 25 pounds of blueberries (@ $2.
Poor Man’s Whiskey Returns to Bend for Outdoor Show
One of Bend’s favorite bands — and one that keeps coming back a couple times a year — Poor Man’s Whiskey will play an outdoor show this summer. It’s slated for August 14th and the location is the West Wind Ranch (home to a music festival just a few weekends back) out in Tumalo.
Big Buzz: Attack of the killer Culicidae
This is a retraction of a former blog entry that noted that Bend was pretty much bug-free in summer. That's because if you haven't been living exclusively indoors with the air conditioning on full blast, you've probably noticed that there are suddenly swarms of female mosquitoes (Culicidae) out there eager to get into your skin.
Styx Tonight at the Fair, For Real!
The same river of classic rock that has brought us Steve Miller Band earlier this month continues to flow through Central Oregon, this time leading the big hair and big sounds of Styx into the Deschutes County Fair tonight for a free show (if you got a ticket from the Twins radio station and pay…
Larry and His Flask…On a Billboard?
There’s an old saying that goes “You know your band is getting huge when your name is up on a billboard.” OK, I just made that up, but it’s true and something our very own Larry and His Flask realized recently when they got their collective eyeballs on this massive billboard (seen above) in Las…
In a Tough Fight, Kitzhaber Launches Air Offensive
After letting Chris Dudley have the airwaves to himself since the June primary, John Kitzhaber has rolled out his first TV ad. Unlike Dudley’s ads, in which other people do most of the talking, the only voice heard in Kitzhaber’s 60-second spot is that of the former governor himself, speaking about how he’s going to…
When Lightning Strikes, Be Glad the Public Employees Are There
I enjoy dramatic weather, such as a good thunderstorm, but yesterday afternoon things got a little too dramatic for comfort. I arrived home around 4:15 to find my street full of fire trucks and police cars and people standing around watching the action.
It's About the Beer: Boneyard Beer has broken the mold of Bend's beer culture
If Tony Lawrence needed a sign that his new brewery, Boneyard Beer, was going to make it, he got that the moment he checked out the backside of the warehouse in which he and his partners set up shop. When he looked in the alley behind the out-of-the-way building nestled between the Bend Parkway and…
You'll still find snow, but dust rules the day
High and Dry. It is difficult to imagine that after the number of days of hot weather we've had recently there can still be snow blocking any trails, but it's true. The Metolius-Windigo trail is still blocked by snow and a few remaining downed trees that are due for cutting soon. Snow can also be…
Homeboys: Horner and Decker – Bend's best at their best
A rerun of Thursday's stage of the Tour de France was on the television behind the bar as people settled onto their barstools at Three Creek Brewing in Sisters. Sipping a beer, one patron commented that it might have been neat if Lance Armstrong at least won a stage to finish his career. The guy…
Funny Ha Ha: Up close and personal with the comedienne Joan Rivers in A Piece of Work
An article in the British Guardian newspaper recently claimed “U.S. celebrities use reality cinema to fight power of gossip bloggers,” noting that the release of the documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work will be closely followed by films focused on Carrie Fisher and Billy Joel. In the world of journalism three is, they say,…
Shark Attacks: Overrated!
For many people, this week is a lot like Christmas – unless you're Jewish, in which case it's a lot like that unpronounceable holiday you people celebrate. It's national “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel (starting August 1) – a whopping seven days of documentaries devoted to sharks and the chunks they take out of…
An Open Letter to Weird Al
Dear Alfred “Weird Al” Yankovic, You are playing at the Deschutes County Fair this weekend. I saw this on your website – you know, the one with all the bright colors and wacky photos of you confusedly looking at the camera as if to say, “Hey, what's goin' on here?” Speaking of photos, remember when…
Salt in the Wound: Generic action thriller's only saving grace is Jolie's toughness
Angelina Jolie kicks ass! Angelina Jolie chucks hand grenades! Angelina Jolie doesn't adopt any kids or grimace with Brad Pitt! There you go; that's essentially what happens in Salt. Apparently Tom Cruise dropped out of the project and the filmmakers rewrote this Salt thing for Jolie. Too bad, when a movie is this awful you…
The Bagel Stop Remix: Breakin' records at Rockin' Daves Bagel Bistro
You know how when you're looking at a car to buy, say a Honda or a Subaru, you'll suddenly notice how many people have that same car out on the road? I always find that a little curious. A similar experience led to this week's review. My friend Dave said he was coming into town,…
Bonnie “Prince” Billy & the Cairo Gang
Bonnie “Prince” Billy & the Cairo GangThe Wonder Show of the WorldDrag City Records Will Oldham (aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy) has a devoted underground following. And because of that, I thought I'd be floored by The Wonder Show of the World, seeing that it's my first experience with the man.
Video From the Weekend in Music: Hillstomp, Dusty Rhodes
As you’ll see in this week’s Sound Check column, there was plenty of music going on over the weekend. I know, I’m a little slow in posting this, but I caught some of the madness on video and wanted to make use of it.
Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?: Livestock attacks set the stage for a new round of Wolf politicking in Oregon
After tiring of bouncing around in his state parks job, Mike Hayward left Bend two decades ago and found refuge in the scenic Wallowa valley, a place of dramatic snow-crusted mountain peaks and remote valleys that’s been called the Oregon Alps. It’s a rugged place that has more in common with central Idaho than it…
American Tax Dollars and Imported Workers
If you're an American worker or taxpayer, the headline at the top of The Bulletin's front page on Sunday made your blood boil – or should have. “Stimulus jobs go to foreign workers,” it said. Underneath it, a subhead elaborated: “Oregon contractors hiring for forest work, say qualified locals unavailable.”
No, Doitchin, You Can't Get Married
So Doitchin Krasev, the dickhead formerly known as “Jason Evers” is in jail. But here's the thing: He's soooo in love with his girlfriend that he wants to marry her.
The Great Hailstorm of '10: The sky cries, WikiLeaks, Schorr dies and more!
The author is honoring the wishes of an honest reader who expressed concerns about “facts” and “pompous writing” by offering only accurate and unfunny stuff this week. Sorry to those who like jokes about South Carolina and underwear-stealing cats, we do need to set a higher standard for news- – much like the need for…
Parking Solutions for Downtown Bend
Since it's still evident that business owners and their employees like to park close to their businesses in the downtown area – using spaces that paying customers could utilize – I think I have some possible solutions. The old Mt. Bachelor lot on Simpson and Colorado is abandoned, so I would suggest that any customers…
We're Not Old – We're Seasoned
Just a quick note to all the HR managers out there who are swamped of late with applications from a record number of unemployed people, like myself. I know you aren’t supposed to ask an applicant's age and you really don’t have to when you can look at their work history and see they’ve worked…
Random Acts of Kindness
I believe I’ve seen short pieces in the Source from folks thanking others for their kindness when out and about. I hope you think this qualifies, as I want to thank this individual again and publicly: I love the Barenaked Ladies, however, buying tickets wasn’t in the cards, so I went to the concert in…
An Overpopulation of Stupidity
I think it’s great that we are all having democratic discourse regarding the geese problem across our town’s newspapers and media outlets. On both sides of the issue, all seem to agree on the fact that the geese are largely here in unnatural numbers because people feed them. Numerous articles and letters to the editor…
Locals, Be Tolerant of Summer Tourists
I just love Bend yearround. During the summer, let’s use our signals at the roundabouts, slow down passing the visiting bike tours, please keep your dog on a leash, and please try to remember this is high fire season, so use your ashtray in your car. For all the locals, remember we have two seasons…
Getting Sweaty with Dusty Rhodes, Hillstomp and Great American Taxi
Oh boy. It was a sweaty weekend in live music. We're talking Patrick Ewing, better-change your-shirt-at-halftime sort of sweaty. So here's what happened: hot temperatures collided with a migrating front of wildly awesome live bands, causing the music scene to collectively and shamelessly sweat for no less than three days. Sound Check perspired thoroughly this…
Our Picks for 7/28 – 8/5: Larry and His Flask, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Micheal Franti, the Deschutes County Fair and more
Deschutes County Fair wednesday 28-sunday 1 It's that time of year again – it's time to expand your gut, get your wallet ready to buy some new farm animals and bask in the carny goodness that is the Deschutes County Fair. Whether you go for the rides, the food or just the insane people watching,…
Get it before its gone — Riley’s Market Closes its Doors
It had been quite a while since I’d ventured up to Northwest Crossing looking for something sweet to eat. There was Sage Cafe with pastries galore, fresh baked rice krispie treats and decadent brownies, and then there was Riley’s Market with locally baked cookies and–ooh!–frozen yogurt.
Inquiring Republicans Want to Know: “Where’s John?”
John Kitzhaber isn’t getting out and pressing the flesh of Oregonians enough – or at least that’s what the Oregon Republican Party thinks. In a press release today headlined “Where’s John Kitzhaber?” the party all but accused the former governor of hiding from the people of the state.
