The HomeGrown Music Festival has rolled a super-fatty for Central Oregon music fans this 4/20 weekend. Now in its third year, the local music showcase spans four days, bringing together three dozen bands across five stages, beginning Thursday, April 17 at the Volcanic Theatre Pub.
Central Oregon staples — bluegrass and jam bands — are in heavy rotation at this year's festival, with local stalwarts Jeshua Marshall & The Flood and Call Down Thunder, our preeminent Grateful Dead tribute band, holding court. Reggae players Rubbah Tree and Ukedoob round out the HomeGrown sound amongst many other talented acts.
While HomeGrown exclusively featured local bands since its 2023 debut, festival organizer and local musician Scottie McClelland has done something unprecedented this year: He booked bands from outside of Central Oregon.
Indie rock funksters Left on Tenth and psych jammers Bodhi Mojo will truck in from Portland, for example, while Blü Egyptian will venture from Chico. Additional out-of-town bands include folkies Eli Howard & The Greater Good from Molalla and Dadweed, a bluegrass trio from Portland.
Bend scenesters, don't fret: Local music remains front and center at this year's fest, with about 30 regional bands. Melodic punkers Cptn Over — who give heavy NOFX vibes on their 2025 song "Modern Times" — and chill-waver Palo Sopraño are two biggies holding down the fort.
McClelland says he hopes to further support Bend's music scene while kick-starting connections with simpatico bands outside the area. Initially, McClelland heard some locals-only gripes about the festival's broadened scope. Yet he remains adamant: Cross-pollination is a good thing for Bend's music scene.
"When you involve touring bands from out of town, that encourages collaboration with local bands," McClelland says. "It helps the Bend musical network grow. Maybe local bands will get invited to play in Portland or a music festival," such as the Mojo Family Fest, which Bodhi Mojo members organize each summer near Oregon City. No presh.
McClelland, for his part, will be busy this weekend. Beyond running the festival, the percussionist will play with the newly formed Spencer Marlyn Band at the Domino Room on Saturday, April 19. (The eponymous Spencer Marlyn is also HomeGrown's in-house curator.) McClelland will also perform with Billy and the Box Kid on the Oregrown Stage at the Domino Room on Friday, April 18.
That the HomeGrown Festival has netted wider bands speaks to the interconnectivity of Bend's music community — and Bend in general — in a post-COVID, digital world.
"There's been a big influx of artists and younger people moving here," McClelland says. "That created a higher demand for music. We kind of felt a renaissance after the COVID restrictions were lifted."
Post-pandemic locals returned to show-going. New bands formed, he says. Fast-forward to now: Those nascent bands are launching tours in support of new albums. McClelland credits this jump-start, in part, to Bend transplants, who flocked here during the pandemic. Originally from Illinois, McClelland counts several Midwesterners as bandmates. This come-as-you-are spirit attracted him to Bend in the first place.
"Bend is really inviting to musicians, especially ones just getting started," he says. "In places like Seattle or Portland or these bigger towns, it's tougher to gain access and start doing shows. In Bend, it's easier to get involved and become a part of the community."
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