December 17 The Trail Band MUSIC—Celebrating its 25th year, The Trail Band is an eight-piece ensemble of talented singers, including Quarterfalsh’s Rindy Ross, and musicians playing brass and string instruments. With influences of country, folk, bluegrass, blues and early jazz, The Trail Band encompasses the holiday spirit in a more traditional Oregon style. Book these […]
Bend Concerts
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A Little Less Alone: Find joy in the music of Caitlin Anne Webster
Caitlin Anne Webster’s voice was born for the blues. While her music ranges from country to blues to pop to some lovely hybrid of the three, there’s a twang to her that gives each word an air of playful sadness that swells the heart. Her debut EP, “Black Moon,” includes five songs that only resemble […]
Posted inCulture
Picks 11/30-12/7
Friday 2 Danny Barnes & Cascade Crescendo BANJO—When someone is acknowledged by (fellow banjo player) Steve Martin as one of the best banjo players in the USA, then you know you’re getting something special. Banjo player extraordinaire Danny Barnes is a big draw all by himself, but add in the lively “jamgrass” sounds of Cascade […]
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Album Review: Moon Mountain Ramblers, “A Little After Midnight”
“A Little After Midnight” is the first Moon Mountain Ramblers album since 2010’s “Live at the Tower” double album. Just like their live shows, “A Little After Midnight” is a freewheeling and eclectic bit of music that dances between genres without a care in the world. Every track on the record takes Jenny Wasson’s violin, […]
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High Up On the Moon Mountain
Bend’s best band returns with a new album
I’ve lived in Bend since the last century, and there are very few things that have stayed consistent for me since those early years: the After Mountain Special at Pizza Mondo; The Wrap of Khan at Parrilla; and the brilliance of The Moon Mountain Ramblers. One of the first shows I saw as a newly […]
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Remembering the Master of Space and Time
A tribute to Leon Russell
As I came of rock ‘n’ roll age in southeast Kansas in the early 1970s, Leon Russell became the first rock ‘n’ roll artist to whom I felt any kind of a connection. That’s because he was an Oklahoma boy who happened to be from Tulsa, a mere 90 miles south of the small town […]
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The Usual Suspect: Riff Raff Show Preview
Riff Raff is an enigma wrapped in a cornrow
There are far worse rappers on the radio and definitely more annoying personalities that take up our airwaves, but why exactly is Riff Raff famous? Is it simply the idea of a white gangster rapper trying desperately to become a mixture of Scarface and Master P that makes us want to watch? Riff Raff was […]
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Gung Ho For Shows 11/23-11/30
Book these tickets now so you don’t miss out
December 14 MarchFourth MUSIC—Portland’s own MarchFourth brings 20 musicians, dancers and artists to the stage for some body-moving good tunes that are hard to resist. It’s the 10th anniversary of Central Oregon musical production company Parallel 44 Presents, and owner Gabe Johnson’s 44th birthday party all combined in one evening of high-energy music. // Domino […]
Posted inCulture
Picks 10/16-10/23
Thursday 17 Hypnotic Brass Ensemble FAMILY AFFAIR—These seven brothers started playing music with their musician father Kelan Phil Cohran (of Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan and Sun Ra fame) before they even started kindergarten, so you can expect some masterful musicians who really know how to put on a show. Expect a fun brass […]
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The Impossible Kid
Aesop Rock ushers in his 40th year with a new album and a new tour
As a rapper who’s now 40, Aesop Rock doesn’t have much company in pursuing his goal to stay relevant, grow his audience and continue to progress musically. “I have very few role models in rap that are still not only going, but really trying to push what they’ve done somewhere new,” Aesop (real name Ian […]
