Gordon Smith is tacking hard toward the center as he seeks his third senatorial term from increasingly blue Oregon, and that has at least some of the state's Republicans grumbling.
It’s Dangerous in the Middle of the Road
Posted inCulture
Thrusting With Scissors: And other stylin’ tricks gleaned from the Zohan
Sandler stars in Teen Wolf IIWho knew that cutting hair could be so gross? Or that co-authors Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow (seemingly in a professional freefall from triumphs such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The 40-Year-Old Virgin) could create any relationship at all between a Mossad agent and the gyrating hair stylist in New York City he morphs into? If you think the previews look bad, the movie proves downright nasty. Director Dennis Dugan (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) delivers a movie that even made a grown guy sitting next to me cover his eyes more than once.
Sandler combines every disgusting pelvic gesture imaginable with sticky, icky hair crรจmes, as he pours, squirts, and spurts various liquids on the manes of middle-to-older aged women in a hair salon. And unfortunately those aren't the only things spurting in this film. For some reason, he then feels compelled to escort these by now willingly wanton women, fairly panting into the back room in order to facilitate their youthful imaginings. Uck. Whatever happened to just bestowing an exaggerated compliment, like "Boy Mrs. Wilson, you look at least thirty years younger with those new gold highlights and spikes?"
Posted inFood & Drink
Happy Hour-Fireside Red: An American Tapas Lounge
Contrary to skeptics’ beliefs, not all establishments serving up tapas and fine wine are packed with haughty patrons and service that caters to the richest-looking diners. Though the atmosphere is classy at Fireside Red, it’s still comfortable for those of us who prefer to hit happy hour without running home after work to redesign our day’s outfit.
Posted inFood & Drink
Happy Hour-Fireside Red: An American Tapas Lounge
Contrary to skeptics' beliefs, not all establishments serving up tapas and fine wine are packed with haughty patrons and service that caters to the richest-looking diners. Though the atmosphere is classy at Fireside Red, it's still comfortable for those of us who prefer to hit happy hour without running home after work to redesign our day's outfit.
Posted inFood & Drink
Goin’ To A Hukilau: Laying the theme on thick at Bungalow
BungatimeTheme is king at the Bungalow Tropical Bar and Grille, a new no-holds-barred tropical fusion restaurant in north Bend, where cabana boys greet outside the front door. “Aloha,” they crooned to our group, while shivering in Hawaiian shirts, and directing us to the stairs that led up to the expansive second-floor.
Once inside, we were greeted with more “Alohas!” this time by young women in print sundresses who asked us if we want “formal” or “casual.” Peering around a wall of water, we saw half of the restaurant outfitted with high-backed chairs and white linens with rain forest sounds piped in for that extra tropical boost.
The other side is split between the “Sand Bar,” which is covered with the requisite grass shack roof, headquarters for “Bungatime” (otherwise known as happy hour) and a dining area with booths decorated in mini surfboards. At the Bungalow there’s no skimping on atmosphere-enhancing props. A soundtrack marked by Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” resonated from overhead in the Sand Bar as surf films played on the big screen TV. There’s also a large tropical fish tank to help set the ocean tone.
Posted inFood & Drink
Goin’ To A Hukilau: Laying the theme on thick at Bungalow
BungatimeTheme is king at the Bungalow Tropical Bar and Grille, a new no-holds-barred tropical fusion restaurant in north Bend, where cabana boys greet outside the front door. "Aloha," they crooned to our group, while shivering in Hawaiian shirts, and directing us to the stairs that led up to the expansive second-floor.
Once inside, we were greeted with more "Alohas!" this time by young women in print sundresses who asked us if we want "formal" or "casual." Peering around a wall of water, we saw half of the restaurant outfitted with high-backed chairs and white linens with rain forest sounds piped in for that extra tropical boost.
The other side is split between the "Sand Bar," which is covered with the requisite grass shack roof, headquarters for "Bungatime" (otherwise known as happy hour) and a dining area with booths decorated in mini surfboards. At the Bungalow there's no skimping on atmosphere-enhancing props. A soundtrack marked by Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville" resonated from overhead in the Sand Bar as surf films played on the big screen TV. There's also a large tropical fish tank to help set the ocean tone.
Posted inMusic
Liner Notes: Super Freaks
Nylon is always in style
David Bowie and Dennis Rodman face new extra-terrestrial competition in the form of Taboo (guitar), Intellijamus (bass), Otto E. Roticize (drums) and their adopted father Dr. Wonder Bred (keys) of Seattle's Super Sonic Soul Pimps.
According to the band's Website (which we take as gospel, as we do all Websites), the three "humaliens" were adopted by Dr. Bred after the death of their pimp father in the heat of "cruel alien passion" with the triplet's alien mother. The three hybrid triplets and their adopted mad scientist father have managed to keep under government radar long enough to release three CDs and gather quite the following of fans.
While their ancestral planet is unnamed, it's probably somewhere near whatever galaxy Parliament and George Clinton hail from. Super Sonic Soul Pimps spin out a blend of funk, rock and even some metal-sounding songs that are unlike anything you've ever heard. From weird Axl Rose-style screams and Beavis and Butt-head voices to funked out guitar riffs and beats, SSSP never fails to surprise their human listener. And they do it all in skin-tight leotards because whatever planet they're from they clearly believe that spandex is a right not a privilege.
Posted inMusic
The Sound Check Fitness Program
Get Your Stomp On
Sound Check's legs are tired after this weekend and here's why: We were out running our not-so-in-shape bodies around town lending our ears to whatever free (or at least affordable) music we could find. With the mercury stretching its neck into the mid 60s and the sun peeking out for more than it has in weeks, Bendites emerged from their homes, shedding winter jackets and pretending that summer has finally arrived.
Once we arranged our sweatbands properly, we jogged down to the Mirror Pond Plaza for the first-ever Downtown Sound gathering. We caught an earful about the horn section attack of Necktie Killers from a loyal fan while we watched a retooled Empty Space Orchestra (now with guitar and vocals!) play a well-received set to a swirl cone mix of 150-or-so local heads and curious fanny packing tourists.
With our heart rates in the 140s and anti-chafe cream applied liberally to our thighs, we strode to the Old Mill District for the Balloons Over Bend festival where Leif James' Springsteen-esque voice was melting nicely into his folk-rock strumming. He even tossed in bluesy takes on American traditionals (made famous by the Dead) like "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad" and "I Know You Rider."
Gatorade be damned, we slammed a couple pints (needed the carbohydrates) and returned to Downtown Sound where the sun was setting, beanies were topping heads and the stage featured hip-hop artist Benzo hyping a depleted crowd and one terrifyingly confident and vodka-soaked young woman dancing in front of the stage with a toddler in one arm and a middle finger extending from the other. Gary Busey-style partiers aside, Sound Check did nonetheless give Downtown Sound a passing grade for its first time out.
Posted inMusic
Rising Up: Roots of Creation are out to save the world and your faith in reggae
Jah Man!On a freezing cold Friday night on the last day of November, my friend and I throw back our margaritas, bundle up and head out into the snow to make our way to Armadillo's Burritos in Keene, New Hampshire to see a band called Roots of Creation. Even though we get there early, the bar is already filled and the beer line goes almost to the door. I'm skeptical about the band, but by the second song, I'm sold. Roots of Creation has that sort of effect on people. Seven months and one cross-country move from Vermont to Bend later, it seems like the band has followed me across the continent for two Central Oregon shows.
The New Hampshire reggae-fueled jam band is set to light up Les Schwab Amphitheater this Sunday for a free Summer Sundays gig, then return just a week later to play the Bite of Bend. The band has perfected a mix of intelligent lyrics (think a less political Rage Against The Machine) and a laid-back reggae feel (similar to Sublime) but no two songs are exactly alike. Whether it's the infectious pop tune "That's How Strong My Love Is," the smooth Marley-esque crooning about utopian society in "Babylon" or straight-up guitar-driven rock jam in "(A) Peace, Love and Music," this band keeps the listener interested. And just when you think you might have their sound pigeonholed they burst out with a soul-infused "Breathe It > Exhale" and "Made for Me," a quiet little rock song with a tinge of twangy country guitar. The band, which cites everyone from Sublime to Paul McCartney and Operation Ivy as influences, manages to tie everything into a cohesive unit with consistent vocals and beats.
Posted inMusic
The Devil and the Burrito Explaining The Devil Makes Three through hypothetical metaphors
Okay, so which one is the devil?The Devil Makes Three is used to inspiring confusion. When the Davis, California-based trio played one of the last shows at the Grove about a year ago, there were a lot of people excitedly talking about the "bluegrass band" playing that night.
But as guitarist and lead singer Pete Bernhard, as well as anyone who's ever seen the drummer-less, almost acoustic trio knows, The Devil Makes Three is not bluegrass at all.
"Most of the time when people see the stand up bass, they immediately think bluegrass. But that's not what we do," Bernhard says.
To explain the Devil Makes Three conundrum, let's propose a hypothetical scenario. You're at a wedding reception where you know hardly anyone, so you spend a considerable amount of time strolling through the buffet line where you see what appears to be a platter of burritos. The tortillas are rolled with the ends tucked in, adhering to proper burrito folding prototype and they're warm to the touch, just how you like your burritos. So you, as a casual burrito enthusiast, excitedly bite into the tortilla, only to find that this isn't a burrito at all, but rather some sort of spinach, turkey and cream cheese wrap. You're disappointed because you wanted a burrito, but you eat it, not wanting to be seen spitting fake burrito into the garbage can. But as you eat, you realize that you like spinach, turkey and cream cheese wraps and proceed to devour the remainder of the platter in a display of unbridled gluttony.