Crashing beats. Roaring vocals. Rushing melodies. People often group heavy metal music into a mixed heap of fast, thundering music. But if you listen to the five bands playing on Feb. 6 at Silver Moon Brewing, you will hear distinct styles and sub-genres, blending inspirations from hip-hop to death metal. Spina, Nerve Damage, Weapon World, […]
From Punk to GrindcoreโHeavy Metal Hitting Silver Moon
Where to Watch Your Favorite Teams in Action
So whereโs the best bar/brewery/food cart lot in Central Oregon to watch your favorite televised sporting events? There are so many that itโs like asking whereโs the best place to go for a hike, bike ride, float, swim, ski, snowshoe, well, you get the idea. Itโs no secret that Central Oregon has a plethora of […]
Snubs, Marketing Budgets and Future Classics
Hereโs how I know my brain is a giant old warehouse full of contradictions, out-of-print VHS tapes and Drew Struzan movie posters: I hold space for the two competing thoughts that the Oscars are an out-of-touch racket that only celebrates films with marketing budgets in the tens of millions, while also obsessively theorizing for weeks […]
New Year, New Look: City of Bendโs Website Gets a Redesign
On Jan. 26, the City of Bend unveiled its new website to the public.ย With big, bubbly visuals, a prominent search bar atop the homepage, and revamped menu organization across the board, the new bendoregon.gov is quite a departure from the previous iteration. The redesign project began in the summer of 2024 when the City issued […]
Dispersed Camp Sites North of Bend Will Close in June 2027ย
In a joint meeting on Jan. 20, leaders from Deschutes County and the City of Bend agreed to extend the date of permanently closing the Temporary Safe Stay Area to June 30, 2027. Thatโs 170 acres in the Juniper Ridge area east of Highway 97, north of Bend, comprised of 50 acres of county land and 120 acres of city land. In 2024, county and city officials agreed to jointly manage the TSSA […]
Oregonโs Crashing Pot Prices Put Drug Treatment at Risk
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the percentage decline in marijuana tax revenues since 2021. Since 2022, the stateโs cannabis taxes have paid for free behavioral health and addiction treatment for more than 35,000 Oregonians all across the state, a first-of-its-kind program. “But plummeting pot prices have resulted in aย significantย decline in marijuana tax […]
Courtside for CASA Pickleball Classic Returns for 2026
CASA of Central Oregon is excited to announce the 2026 Courtside for CASA Pickleball Classic, presented by Lithia Motors, a four-day indoor round robin tournament held at The Premier Pickleball Club in Redmond, OR. This tournament, set for February 26-March 1, 2026, will benefit CASA of Central Oregon, a nonprofit that trains and supports volunteers […]
Ponderosa Players Present “Spring Awakening”
Dash (he/they) and Kisky (she/her) Holwerda have been eager to do SPRING AWAKENING since Ponderosa Players was founded in May of 2023 but have been waiting for the right time to add it to their season. โWe felt strongly that when we did this show, we wanted to do it justice,โ Dash explains, โit was […]
Why Get in a Lather Over a Lilโ Olโ County Map?
Right now, county residents are up in arms about a district mapping proposal that would divide Deschutes County into five districts. If you have been following the labyrinthine path that got us to this political point, then you know none of this had to be this way. Voters said yes to a referendum in the […]
Steep Canyon Rangers and Fruition Join the 2026 Big Ponderoo Lineup
SFF Presents has announced the final eight acts for the 2026 Big Ponderoo, rounding out a powerhouse lineup for the fourth annual summer festival. Big Ponderoo returns to Sisters on June 26 and 27, bringing two days of bluegrass and Americana to Village Green Park with music on two stages. Festival headliners Steep Canyon Rangers […]

