Rally to Restore Sanity Comes to Bend
Well, not THE rally, but we will have our own version of the Rally to Restore Sanity here in Bend on Saturday. If you don’t know, the Rally to Restore Sanity is Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s event (Colbert is, however, calling the event the March to Keep Fear Alive) in Washington, D.
Wednesday’s Laura Veirs and Weinland show is the last PDXchange Program gig of the year
When you look back at 2010 — which may go down as a big year for music in Bend — one of the things we have to recognize was the arrival of the PDXchange Program, the concert series that has brought big Portland indie acts into the Tower Theatre since its inception this spring. Henry…
Enough Already: Campaign slogans and lawn signs
Chicago's late Mayor Richard J. Daly was famous for fracturing the English language.
Full Moon Party at the Century Center
The sky is probably going to be too cloudy to tell (stupid fall weather), but tonight is a full moon, which means that some of Bend’s most well known party purveyors want you to have some fun. Tonight’s Full Moon Party brings to the Century Center’s spacious dance space the DJ stylings of Swett and…
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary: Alastair Jaques brings the works of Poe to life
Central Oregon native Alastair Morley Jaques, who entertained a spellbound audience at last year's recitation of Allen Ginsberg's “Howl” and two sold-out Edgar Allan Poe shows last October, has spent countless hours preparing to bring Poe to life once more.
Mapping the Great Recession
Slate has published an updated version of its jobs map, and it’s fascinating viewing. The map – first published in the spring of 2009 and last updated about a year ago – tracks job losses and gains month by month and county by county from January 2007 through August 2010.
Central Oregon’s Last Comic Standing Round 2 Tonight
After a packed opening night, Central Oregon’s Last Comic Standing continues tonight at the Old Stone Church (157 NW Franklin Ave) with the second round of qualifying performances. Appearing tonight to perform five-minute bits in the hopes of making it on to the semi final round are Tyler Fredrickson, Johnny Delgado, Marti G, Shauna Brown,…
Bend: We Play Hard and Drink Harder?
File under “Who came up with THIS idea?”: A new advertising campaign aims to attract businesses to Bend by telling them what a great place it is to play and drink. According to a story in The Bulletin’s Business section on Wednesday, a campaign put together by Visit Bend, the city’s tourism promotion agency, hopes…
Wild Bluegrass and Americana with The Defibulators Tonight at McMenamins
You may still be recovering from last night’s White Buffalo show at the Silver Moon, but there’s another show worth checking out tonight, and this time it’s free. Brooklyn’s The Defibulators are kicking off a marathon tour at McMenamins tonight with a show that will bring you all sorts of acoustic wildness.
Another News Flash from Tax Hell
From a news item that moved on The Associated Press wire yesterday morning: “Intel Corp. on Tuesday revealed the scope of its latest infusion to keep its factories cutting-edge and push the chip industry’s pace: an investment of up to $8 billion to build a new factory in Oregon and upgrade four existing plants in…
Stiegler Is Playing Both Sides – Badly
Yet another low has been reached by the Stiegler campaign, with the ridiculous ad, “In Tune With Bend,” which aired this week. The ad has an accordion-playing Stiegler playing to the delight (?) of several young children. In the background, several long guns are propped up against a wall. In an effort to “look” pro-gun,…
Bend’s New Distillery Holds Vodka Tasting
Columbine Quillen, a Source Weekly contributor and bartender extraordinaire at The Blacksmith, alerted us to a booze-tastic sounding event this Friday. If you haven't heard, Bend has a brand new distillery, called Oregon Spirit Distillers, located on Butler Market Rd.
The White Buffalo Tonight at the Silver Moon
Now and again, Bend finds an out-of-town musician and fully embraces him or her, repeatedly packing their shows whenever they stop off in town. That seems to be the case with The White Buffalo (aka Jake Smith), a beardy Americana road warrior known for his boozy songs about, among other things, boozing.
Downtown Writing: The Nature of Words' Storefront Project gives kids a place to write
It's a warm Thursday afternoon in downtown Bend and the streets and plazas are full of young people blowing off some after-school steam, but inside an Oregon Avenue shop, there are four high school students with heads down and pens racing across the pages of composition books. There's the silly banter to be expected from…
“Jackass and Other Elected Officials”
The author is reporting from a shale formation, selling shares to suck methane. A former governor's son, former Madam, homophobic slumlord and the “Rent is Too Damn High” party candidate are all standing on a stage… The start of a hilarious joke? Nope, the New York State gubernatorial debate. I met one of these fine…
Five for Cold Weather: Mountain bike riding through late fall, winter and early spring
It's the full-finger gloves, warm tights, warm inner layers, windbreaker jackets, beanies-under-the-helmet season. It's time for mountain bike riders who don't ski, or skiers simply looking for a change of recreation pace when the snow conditions aren't that good. And during most winters, there are always trails that will be snow free and worth riding.…
Humans Say the Ducks are Number One: Oregon is on top, unless you listen to robots
This week, the Associated Press poll, as well as the list compiled by the coaches, said that Oregon is the number one team in college football. But if you listen to the BCS, which as far as I can understand is operated and overseen by robots with flashing lights for eyes and little if any…
Armed, Dangerous and Ready for a Nap: God help you if you're on the lawn of the old-timers in Red
This movie really shouldn't work, and not all of it does, but when it is working you'll have a smile from ear to ear as some of our country's most distinguished stars (and Bruce Willis) take on a government hit man. Red is loosely based on the graphic novel written by Warren Ellis and penciled…
Pissing in the Wind: Jackass 3D makes you laugh, makes you gag, and is completely entertaining
Jackass reminds me of high school. Not only because its target audience is high-school-aged boys, but also because when I was of that age my friends and I would watch the Jackass TV show for hours, laughing hysterically. Sometimes you just need a good laugh and as the guys of Jackass have learned, a guy…
For Governor: John Kitzhaber
Did Chris Dudley try to evade Oregon income taxes? Did John Kitzhaber's girlfriend get a sweetheart deal on a state contract? Such have been the “issues” in what has turned out to be, by Oregon standards, an unusually rough-and-tumble battle for the governorship. We don't know the answers to those questions, and frankly we don't…
Zombies: Oh, Die Already!
I'm gonna come right out and say it: I'M SICK OF ZOMBIES, GUYS! I know that zombies are supposed to be the “new” vampires – but I'm not sick of old vampires yet! Actually, that's not true: I am sick of pasty-faced vampires and their weak-kneed, lip-biting human girlfriends, but I'm totally still psyched about…
Music by Mom: Laura Veirs' big album hasn't kept the attention off her new baby
This year Laura Veirs put out what most have considered her most complete album with July Flame and followed it up with several successful tours, making her name even more recognizable in the indie-folk rock world. But that's not why people want to talk to the Portland singer-songwriter. Veirs, you see, had a baby about…
Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz
“Sufjan, follow the path – it leads to an article of eminent death.” “Sufjan, follow your heart – follow the flame or fall on the floor.” “Sufjan, the panic inside – the murdering ghosts that you cannot ignore.”
So goes “Vesuvius” and the mantra on The Age of Adz, Stevens most primal, explosive, and all-encompassing…
Our Picks for 10/20-10/28: The Defibulators, Warren Miller, and lots more!
The Defibulators thursday 21 This Brooklyn-based septet have the bluegrass chops of an act like Yonder Mountain String Band, but when they see fit are known to rip into a near-punk explosion of rockabilly on stage. The band is in the middle of a marathon coast-to-coast tour, but are stopping off at McMenamins for what…
The Waiting Game: As foreclosure enquiry widens, distressed homeowners take a number
According to the attorney general's office, there are 28,000 Oregon homes in foreclosure, which is probably more ranchettes, Craftsman and Victorians than there are in the entire city of Bend. It's a sobering number to be sure: the equivalent of an entire mid-sized city completely underwater, mortgage wise.
“Desperate Lies” and Unpleasant Truths
The Bulletin, whose editorial page day by day is sounding more like The Tea Party Gazette, pitched a hissy fit this morning over what it calls a “desperate lie” against Jason Conger. What has The Bulletin’s editorial board sputtering and fuming is a mailer recently sent to Bend voters by supporters of incumbent Judy Stiegler…
For House District 53: Gene Whisnant
Former President Richard Nixon once famously announced that “you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore” after losing the California governor's race. Well Gene Whisnant could easily have uttered almost those same words about his relationship with this paper. Whisnant has served four terms in the state Legislature and has yet to earn the…
For Oregon House Seat 54: Judy Stiegler
The race for Bend's House Seat has been a bruising one, to say the least. Incumbent Judy Stiegler faces a serious threat from her Republican challenger, Jason Conger, a real estate attorney and investor, who has marshaled an impressive campaign to unseat Stiegler, at least from a cash perspective. The bulk of Conger's media campaign…
For Treasurer: Ted Wheeler
The state treasurer's office is like your liver: When it's working well you don't even notice it. But the state treasurer has an important – even vital – job, overseeing more than $65 billion worth of state investments and $120 billion a year in state banking transactions, among other things. Ted Wheeler was appointed by…
Full-Moon Fever, Lars at the Tower, Intel in Oregon and more
Bend Goes Crazy Was there a full moon we missed, or did someone slip some crazy pills into the water supply? Because for some reason, a bunch of people went nuts last weekend. First off, a pretty epic bar brawl took place when two women got in a fight at Boondocks Bar and Grill. KTVZ…
Greg's Great Advice
Greg Walden was back in Bend soft pedaling his Bush-onomics and fomenting small business owners with his patented Washington-is-out-to-get-you rhetoric. This time Walden was meeting with the local chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business Owners.
Kitzhaber is the Clear choice for Governor
It’s hard to believe that the race for Oregon’s Governor has come down to a dead heat between Dr. Kitzhaber and Mr. Dudley. I think it's important to move beyond the framing and vicious attack ads of the Dudley campaign and get down to a real comparison between the candidates.
Anyone But Conger
Hello, as the son of two teachers, I want to comment on some of the recent flak Jason Conger is receiving for his right-wing social and education views. While I agree Jason’s close ties with a millennialist religious sect are worrisome, realistically, that part of his social message will not be a big factor in…
It's Easy to Vote “Yes” on Measure 76
Measure 76 makes permanent the current dedication of 15 percent of state lottery proceeds for parks, beaches, wildlife habitat and protection of Oregon’s watersheds. Of all the programs funded by this revenue, I am most familiar with the valuable work that the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council does in this region, including restoration projects on Tumalo…
Warming Up: Gathering wood for winter
{vimeo}12582621{/vimeo}
Twenty-five years ago on any given autumn weekend, Century Drive would be virtually bumper-to-bumper with old pickup trucks loaded with firewood. Firewood gathering, along with the opening of hunting and fishing season was a Bend tradition.
