Corn Fed: A look at America’s most planted, processed and subsidized crop

Posted inCulture

Corn Fed: A look at America’s most planted, processed and subsidized crop

Eric Flowers

Stuffing their cornholes.You might think twice about devouring another McDonald's Quarter Pounder after watching Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis' eye-opening documentary, King Corn. The film won Best Documentary at the 2007 Bend Film festival and will screen again on April 22 at the Tower Theatre as part of the Indie Reels series. Co-producer Curt Ellis will be on hand for discussion.
 
Best friends Ian and Curt moved from Boston to Greene, Iowa after college to find out where their food really comes from. The film follows them as they plant an acre of corn in the heartland and attempt to navigate modern agribusiness. Remarkably, both Ian and Curt's great-grandfathers were from Greene, and the two also trace their family histories throughout the story. They assimilate into the community and learn how to drive tractors and drink Budweiser. On the way, we-along with the filmmakers-learn everything from what a grain elevator is, to the fact that corn is present in about 60% of the American diet.

Posted inFood & Drink

Quick Bites: On To The Big City

Eric Flowers

It’s a fact of life in Central Oregon that many of your friends will move away to the big city (i.e. Portland) at some point to chase things like romance, nightlife and living wages. Next month one of Quick Bite’s best “friends” is making the move to the big city. Deschutes Brewery launches its new Portland location May 2. The brewery is hosting a media event April 25, allowing a sneak peek at the new digs. The brewery is located in swanky Pearl District and will offer a similar selection of craft brews and pub food that has made Deschutes famous. Unlike other friends who don’t write or call, Deschutes will stay connected to Central Oregon. In fact it’s not really leaving at all, just branching out. Take care of her Portland. She’s one of our best friends.

Posted inFood & Drink

Quick Bites: On To The Big City

Eric Flowers

It's a fact of life in Central Oregon that many of your friends will move away to the big city (i.e. Portland) at some point to chase things like romance, nightlife and living wages. Next month one of Quick Bite's best "friends" is making the move to the big city. Deschutes Brewery launches its new Portland location May 2. The brewery is hosting a media event April 25, allowing a sneak peek at the new digs. The brewery is located in swanky Pearl District and will offer a similar selection of craft brews and pub food that has made Deschutes famous. Unlike other friends who don't write or call, Deschutes will stay connected to Central Oregon. In fact it's not really leaving at all, just branching out. Take care of her Portland. She's one of our best friends.

Posted inFood & Drink

Shaken and Up: Bendistillery Martini Bar and Tasting Room (AKA: The Martini Bar)

Eric Flowers

As I sit at my little round table at the Martini Bar waiting for the rest of my party, my cell phone rings.
My friends are at the Old Mill Martini Bar. “Aren’t we eating dinner?” they ask.
“Do they even serve food at the Downtown Martini Bar?”
Like many other diners, my friends didn’t know that behind Bendistillery’s velvet curtain sits a tiny kitchen from which 16 different dishes appear. This is a common misperception about downtown’s spot for locally brewed spirits and custom crafted adult beverages.

Posted inFood & Drink

Shaken and Up: Bendistillery Martini Bar and Tasting Room (AKA: The Martini Bar)

Eric Flowers

As I sit at my little round table at the Martini Bar waiting for the rest of my party, my cell phone rings.
My friends are at the Old Mill Martini Bar. "Aren't we eating dinner?" they ask.
"Do they even serve food at the Downtown Martini Bar?"
Like many other diners, my friends didn't know that behind Bendistillery's velvet curtain sits a tiny kitchen from which 16 different dishes appear. This is a common misperception about downtown's spot for locally brewed spirits and custom crafted adult beverages.

Posted inMusic

American Music Club – The Golden Age

Eric Flowers

The critically acclaimed Bay Area band has been making music since the mid-80s. The songs come quietly and deliberately from leader Mark Eitzel as he prods through curious subject matter. Past releases include song titles like: "What the Pillar of Salt Held Up", "How Many Six Packs Does It Take to Screw in a Light", "The Amyl Nitrate Dream of Pat Robertson" and my favorite, "In My Role as the Most Hated Singer in the Local Underground Scene". On The Golden Age, AMC drops in some very catchy almost-pop songs like "Decibels and Little Pills".

Posted inMusic

Northwest String Summit

Mike Bookey

Get YonderEven after Sunday's show at the Midtown Music Hall, we know you haven't had enough of Colorado's Yonder Mountain String Band. And how in tarnation do we know that, you ask? Well, see, it's just in the nature of a band that's so darn good it warrants its very own three-day, outdoor music festival in the glorious Willamette Valley.

Posted inMusic

Storm Brewing: New Monsoon set to drop at Summit Saloon

Eric Flowers

the fleet fingers will be out in force at new monsoon. If you're a fan of open-ended electric jams and happened to miss New Monsoon at last year's inaugural 4 Peaks Festival in Tumalo, here's your chance to totally redeem yourself and strike a blow for sustainable living at the same time.
San Francisco's jammin' rock quintet will play a special benefit show for 3E Strategies next week at the Summit Stage and Saloon. New Monsoon has been transforming audiences across the country into dedicated fans with its inventive musical exploration and straight up down home rock-n-roll that is served up on a relentless touring schedule.
The band just released a new album, New Monsoon V, and is a staple on the summer festival circuit, from Bonnaroo to Summerfest, including a stop in Tumalo last year where they headlined the 4 Peaks Music Festival. They can also hold their own on a solo bill, which they proved in January '07, when they played to a sold-out Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Unfortunately the band has a schedule conflict and won't be able to return to 4 Peaks, so fans will have to strike while the iron is hot next week at the Summit.

Posted inMusic

Department Store Party: Blue Turtle Seduction take you from lingerie to hardware

Mike Bookey

proper robot technique. Blue Turtle Seduction is about to release a new record called 13 Floors and after drummer Adam Navone describes the idea behind the title, it seems that this album's heading may be the most accurate description of the South Lake Tahoe band that you're likely to stumble upon.
"It's got 13 songs on it. Each song is its own floor of a building; there's payroll, and the mailroom and all this different stuff. One floor is hardware, the next is lingerie, ya know. It's a cool analogy," Navone says.
What Navone is getting at here is that Blue Turtle Seduction is a band that one could spend the better part of a fortnight attempting to classify, and still come out with nothing to show for it but a migraine. I knew of people who were advised to go see "this killer bluegrass band called Blue Turtle Seduction," only to head out for what turned out to be a night of funk-filled rock, left wondering what trunk the aforementioned bluegrass band had been stuffed into. The thing is, however, that BTS can play bluegrass, and they can play it well, but they're not a friggin' bluegrass band, or a rock band, or a funk band, which is something Navone thinks fans up and down BTS' tour trodden West Coast path (Navone is visiting friends in Florida when he calls into the Source, describing his vacation as his "first week off the road since Christmas") are starting to grasp.

Posted inCulture

Our Picks for the Week of 4/19-4/23

Eric Flowers

Trashformations
saturday-sunday 19-20
Every year Parents, Students, Kids, Amateur Artists and Artists come from all over the country to participate in this event. Participants can work as a team or as individuals. Kids teams are especially encouraged. All materials for the creations are supplied by Pakit Liquidators. Participants are required to bring their own fastening material and imaginations. Art created during the event will then be shown in the Central Courtyard of The Old Mill through May 4th. An Artists reception will take place on May 2nd. Camping accommodations available. For more info/to register call 280-9301 or email sacredbuffalo@gmail.com. You can start at any time. 7am Saturday-7pm Sunday. Pakit Liquidatirs, Corner of 9th and Armour. 389-7047.

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