We’re in it nowโand by “it,” I mean the resurgence of live music and touring musicians/bands. While last year both the music industry and music fans took a hit (the last concert I attended was March 8, 2020), this summer looks to be different, and my recently purchased tickets to two shows at the Les […]
Bend Concerts
BOO! Halloween Shows Are Everywhere
The scariest possible thing I can think of is no live musicโ and for the most part Central Oregon has defeated that idea this year, and will continue to do so over this Halloween weekend. The best part of it is that there are shows all over the region! Whether you’re in Bend or Prineville, […]
With a Fraction of Its Usual Crowds, Amphitheater to Host Cultural Events
As far as local theatre, live music and the arts in general goes, adaptation has become the name of the game. Last week, we detailed the struggles local theater community members were facing when it came to finding outdoor performance space. This week, persistent and creative community members shared how the cultural community is successfully […]
Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss and Brandi Carlile headed to Bend
Monday morning Les Schwab Amphitheater announced two more shows for the month of AugustโWillie Nelson headlining with Alison Krauss and Brandi Carlile. Country Music Hall of Fame-er Willie Nelson is headed back to Bend this summer during a break between two legs of his 2018 Outlaw Music Festival Tour. Nelson will be sharing the stage […]
Full Nelson
Lukas Nelson has been releasing music and touring for nearly a decade now, but he’s treating the recently released self-titled album from his band, “Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real” as if it’s a second beginning to his music career. There’s plenty of logic to that thinking. The past few years have seen the […]
They All Float
Pennywise didn’t just make up most of the anthemic punk rock I listened to in high school. They had my middle school years covered also. In the early 1990s, Epitaph Records was already legendary for releases of Bad Religion and NOFX records, single handedly saving the slowly dying Southern California punk rock scene. By 1993, […]
Blast from the Bordello
Born in the Ukraine, Eugene Hutz formed bands there before coming to the United States, creating a distinctive global music sound with his band, Gogol Bordello. The musician has also acted in movies and even lived in Brazil. Not surprisingly, Hutz has been encouraged to retell his story in a memoirโand has tried and failed […]
Behind the Scenes: Inside Pickathon
Where unknown bands become old friends, all in the span of a weekend It was 2006 and I was a total noob to the force that is Pickathon. I distinctly remember Scott and Seth Avett playing in the smallish Galaxy Barn, their hair bouncing as they belted out the tunes that would hurl The Avett […]
First Concerts
Local musicians reflect on what started it all, their first concert experiences Matthew Finfer, Downhill Ryderโ”So, I was in high school and was a Black Sabbath fan as a kid. After he was fired from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne resurfaced with his own band. My first concert was “Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz” in […]
Picks of the Week: May 25-31
Wednesday 24 Downhill Ryder CD Release Show ALBUM RELEASE โ Local roots-rockers Downhill Ryder celebrate the release of their second album, “The Big One.” Expect a full evening of powerful vocals, strong basslines and a fond farewell to lead singer Kim Kelley. // 7-10pm. McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 NW Bond St., Bend. No […]

