Writing a story about Buckethead is like trying to do an expose on the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. People know Buckethead exists and that he has a real name, but he hasn’t done an interview in a decade and doesn't talk to many people in general. I knew a phone or Skype interview would […]
Bend Music
Posted inMusic
Park Parties
Munch and Music returns for its 26th season
Munch and Music is like that relative you only visit for a few days out of the year, but don’t realize how much you miss until you know they’re gone for a while. The weekly summer event has become a Bend institution in the 26 years it has been going with carefully curated bands, food, […]
Posted inMusic
Kicked It in the Sun
Built to Spill avoids the time trap
If you’re looking for impartiality, you won’t find it in this article, because Built to Spill is one of my favorite bands of all time. I’m biased. I was 20 the first time I heard “Perfect From Now On,” the band’s 1997 album. It helped me through many dark days, exposed me to what a […]
Posted inMusic
Ladies Night
k.d. lang, Neko Case and Laura Veirs
What happens when three of the most incredibly talented women in songwriting combine goals and dreams to create an album together? A self-titled album called “Case/Lang/Veirs.” It all started with an email sent years ago from k.d. lang to Neko Case and Laura Veirs, suggesting that the three make an album together. The successful, soulful […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
2016 Summer Events Guide
It is officially summer and the there is plenty to do in Central Oregon! We broke it down into four categories to help plan out your summer of adventure. Click the categories below to see summer events in that area. Have fun out there! Summer Events Guide: -Food & Drink Events -Film & Theater Events […]
Posted inCulture
Mt. Bachelor Riverhouse Jazz
Putting Bend on the music lover’s map
With Mt. Bachelor and Smith Rock just a short drive a way—and an excess of lakes, hiking trails, and high desert forest areas to explore—Bend is a dream come true for the active, athletic, and outdoorsy. While nature enthusiasts flock to the area from all over the U.S. for camping, climbing, and skiing, Bend has […]
Posted inCulture
Picks 6/22-6/29
Wednesday 22–Saturday 26 Outside Games GREAT OUTDOORS—Subaru of Bend is putting on an event that couldn’t be more Bend if it tried. This five-day fiesta with food and music will be held in varying parts of town, from Riverbend Park to the Deschutes River. You can run, jump, play, or swim with a group, by […]
Posted inMusic
Never the Same Show Twice
Widespread Panic keeps innovation alive
I’ve never seen Widespread Panic live, but apparently that’s the only way to really experience what they’ve got going on. Like Phish or the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic’s music is more complex than the average jam band and the sound is just as playful and digressive. According to guitarist/singer John Bell, they never play the […]
Posted inMusic
Persistence Pays Off for The Receiver
It shouldn’t be this hard to sell music
The Receiver, a synth-pop-centered duo from Columbus, Ohio, had to go quite a ways to get a stalled career restarted: all the way to England, in fact. Things got off to a reasonable enough start when brothers Casey Cooper (vocals/keyboards/bass) and Jesse Cooper (drums/vocals) started out a decade ago as The Receiver. Signed to a […]
Posted inMusic
All Stars
The return of Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth came on the scene in 1997 with the album “Fush Yu Mang,” which is the noise you make make while screaming expletives at the person that just smashed your mouth. With that album, the San Jose, Calif.-based band jumpstarted a resurging Ska craze almost single-handedly, becoming totemic to the idea of a “Summer […]