A typical Rod DeGeorge concert set list is a trip: a blend of classic blues-rock guitar virtuosity — paying tribute to some of the greatest guitar gods in history — and nuanced textures of classical, fusion and world music.
The stage is familiar territory for DeGeorge, who has spent more than three decades touring, recording, producing, and teaching. But in Bend, where he’s lived since 2014, the music isn’t just about performance — it’s about connection.
“It’s an infinite feedback loop. The more the audience gets into it, the more I get into it and the better I play. And the better I play, the more the audience engages. The energy builds on itself,” DeGeorge says. “And when you get that going, the connection has power.”
Falling in Love with Guitar
DeGeorge was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia. He grew up surrounded by the hum of vinyl records and the lure of guitar riffs. He remembers the moment he heard Kiss’s “Destroyer” at age 9 — distorted guitars spilling out of his sister’s record player — and how it changed him. “I always loved music,” he says, “but hearing those guitars with that energy really excited me. I started begging for a guitar — every holiday, even Halloween and Easter.” At 13, after years of persistence, he got one: a plywood Kmart special with a modest amplifier. “It was bad,” he laughs, “but it was something to get me started.”
By his early 20s, DeGeorge was gigging regularly and teaching guitar full-time. Teaching, initially a way out of landscaping work, became a calling. “You develop relationships with students, and you see how music affects them,” he says. “It’s about confidence, self-worth. Those things ripple into all areas of life.”
From Landscaper to Performing in Front of 65,000
That grounding in mentorship would follow him through years of stage work, including high-profile appearances at NFL and MLB stadiums, two U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, and shared stages with legends like Paul Stanley of KISS, Earl Slick (guitarist for John Lennon and David Bowie), and members of Foreigner and Bad Company.
Yet not every gig fed his artistic side. For nearly a decade, he toured with a successful East Coast “party band” — a job that paid well and provided stability for his growing family but lacked the creative depth he craved. “My music has always had deeper meaning to me,” he says. “I want to play what’s in my heart, what I hear in my head.”
A serious car accident in 2009 forced him off the road and into a long recovery, both neurological and physical. He slowly returned to playing — first the simpler pop-rock tunes, and eventually the intricate, technical pieces from his solo albums. By the time he was fully recovered, he and his wife, Renea, were ready for a change.
‘Bend Suits Our Lifestyles and Our Personalities’
The East Coast had been home, but also home to high crime rates and a pace of life that didn’t match their vision for raising children. After a 2001 Oregon vacation left a lasting impression, the couple began exploring the possibility of moving west. In 2013, they visited Bend with their children — son Braedon, now a commercial pilot, and daughter Marciana, who recently graduated from Caldera High School and is headed to COCC this fall. The family’s decision was unanimous.
“Bend suits our lifestyles and our personalities,” DeGeorge says. “When I came out here, people warned me that making a living as a musician would be a struggle. But I’d heard that my whole life. I knew I could make it work.”
He did. At first, teaching was the backbone of his Bend career, supplemented by regional gigs and occasional tours. He also co-led the Cascade Rock Ensemble, mentoring teenage musicians and guiding them through the collaborative process of building a band. The groups performed at the Volcanic Theatre Pub under professional lights and sound — a formative experience for the young players. “It was amazing to see them grow,” DeGeorge says. “Negotiating song choices between Disney ballads and Iron Maiden, learning to respect each other’s styles — that’s real collaboration.”
Pandemic a Setback … with a Silver Lining
When COVID-19 hit, live performances came to a halt. DeGeorge shifted entirely to online lessons, keeping his roster full and embracing the unexpected silver lining of more family time. “It was terrible what was happening in the world,” he says, “but for us, it brought us closer.”
In recent years, he has started to edge back into more live performances, though still selectively. “I like the idea of not being gone more than four days at a time,” he says. “If my wife can travel with me, touring becomes much more attractive.”
For DeGeorge, who has spent years in front of arena-sized audiences, crowd size matters less to him than the intangible connection between artist and audience. “I need to be connected to my music and I need my music to connect to the audience, no matter how big the crowd is,” he says.
That emotional and spiritual connection threads through everything DeGeorge does, whether it’s a solo composition or a lesson with a teenage guitarist struggling through their first scales. “I can relate to a kid longing to play an instrument,” he says. “It takes work, but when you provide someone with the right tools, you can make their path a little easier.”
‘I Couldn’t Ask for a Better Job’
His own compositions, he admits, have a niche audience: instrumental, rock-based pieces infused with classical, fusion, and world influences. That niche, however, is fiercely loyal, with DeGeorge’s YouTube channel drawing over 215,000 subscribers and millions of weekly views. The platform has become a vital part of his workday, hosting performance videos, lessons, and the occasional cover. “I spend more time on the business side than I’d like,” he says, “but I couldn’t ask for a better job.”
He’s currently writing material for a new album — half of it complete — and performing new originals during live sets. Like past projects, it will draw on a rotating cast of musicians from Nashville, Los Angeles, Japan, and beyond, recorded and mixed in his home studio. “Scheduling is tricky,” he says. “But once I have the songs I’m happy with, it’s just a matter of time before it comes together.”
Whether it’s a packed festival stage or an intimate Bend venue, the goal is the same: play with authenticity, to connect through music, and to keep exploring the instrument that first lit up his imagination at 9 years old.
“I’ve talked with some of the best guitarists in the world,” DeGeorge says. “We all feel the same — there’s always something you could have done better. But this time around, I’m really trying to enjoy the gigs. That’s the reward.”
Rod DeGeorge
Fri., Oct. 10, 8 pm
The Commonwealth Pub
30 SW Century Dr. #100, Bend
https://www.youtube.com/@roddegeorge
This article appears in the Source August 21, 2025.
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