thursday 8
The River They Saw
FILM—In the 1860s, photography took a big technical leap forward, and amazingly some of the original photographs of the Columbia River still exist. OPB strings together the changes in its flow, its fish, and its people in documentary film to tell a great story. 6 pm. High Desert Museum, 59800 South Hwy 97. Free.
friday 9
Device Grips
HIP-HOP—Portland-based psychedelic hip-hop act Device Grips blends dreamy, jam-band intros with bluesy riffs, funky horns and a rap-styled lyrical delivery. The band claims to channel an Olympic heritage, drawing on Greek mythology to align itself with the four elements—earth, fire, air, and water—transformed by the beat to create a timeless balm. 8 pm. Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave. No cover.
friday 9
1 Man 3 Bands Benefit
MUSIC—A benefit for Central Oregon Veterans Outreach with music from Five Pint Mary, The Gentlemen Callers and Subject To Change. Dress in your most patriotic attire, (dig out the box you typically save for the Freedom Ride) and shake an eagle feather. 7:30 pm. Armature, 50 SE Scott St. $12 advance/$15 at the door.
friday 9
Woebegone
ROCK—Perhaps Bend's most successful musicians, the boys of Larry and His Flask, are on leave from the string-punk band this year. So what's a rock star to do with his free time? Why, start another band of course! This side project from singer and guitarist Ian Cook and banjo player Andrew Carew has a more rock-forward feel, and all the charm of the Flask. 9 pm. Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr. $5.
saturday 10
Tease Burlesque
STRIP TEASE—It's all about the art of the tease. These vixens from the valley will heat up the stage with strip-tease antics and elaborate costumes. From roller girls to feathered femme-fatales, their kitschy routines are silly and sexy. 9 pm. Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr. $8 advance/$10 at the door.
saturday 10
Polar Bear Run
RUN—Through wind, sleet and snow, this annual family-friendly 5k or 10k run or walk persists. The accompanying expo features local health-related businesses to support your New Year's resolutions—and food and drinks from Tate & Tate Cascade Lakes to wreck them. 8:30 am. St. Thomas Academy, 1720 NW 19th St., Redmond. Free to watch, $35-$150 to compete.
sunday 11
High Desert Poetry Cell
POETRY—The library's Second Sunday reading series plays host to men's poetry collective the High Desert Poetry Cell, including Larry Jacobs, Don Kunz, John Kvapil, Peter Lovering, and John Martin—the fellas behind the 2010 collection "The Guys' Home Relationship Maintenance and Improvement Manual." With a third collection due out this spring, expect to hear some new works. 2 pm. Downtown Bend Library, 601 NW Wall St. Free.
sunday 11
David Lindley
MUSIC—The uniquely distinct funky but bluesy sound of Jackson Browne owes a good deal to David Lindley. He truly is a melting pot of musical genres, blending Appalachian with African, and drawing as much from '60s sensibility as modern bluegrass, and applying that style to everything from banjo to bass. 7 pm. Belfry, 302 E. Main, Sisters. $20.
tuesday 13
Race & the Birth of Modern Art
ART TALK—OSU-Cascades art history professor Henry Sayre talks about the role of what author Toni Morrison calls "A dark, abiding, signing Africanist presence" in the roots of modern art, from "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to Picasso. 6 pm. Downtown Bend Library, 601 NW Wall St. Free.
wednesday 14
The Banner Days
MUSIC—With music that is as peaceful and light as soft-falling snow on a dusky night, Seattle-based The Banner Days delivers Beth Whitney's cottony soft voice accented with tinkling piano notes and easy-going drumbeats and cymbals. Like warm cocoa on a winter night. 7 pm. McMenamins, 700 NW Bond. Free.
