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 […]
Bend Oregon Concerts
Posted inMusic
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 […]
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“Swayve” Is Way More Than Standard Hip-Hop
Tory Lanez brings his multi-genre style to the C.O.
If you want to know Tory Lanez, give a listen to “I Told You,” his major label debut. On it you’ll hear the music he calls “Swavey,” a blending of styles that incorporates hip-hop rapping, R&B singing and melody and drive from pop to Jamaican raggae. The songs are autobiographical, telling the story of his […]
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Beautiful Simplicity
Darlingside expands as the lineup shrinks
Sometimes when I set up an interview with a band coming through town, I’m not remotely familiar with their music. Obviously, before you interview them, you research the group and listen to as much music of theirs as you have time for (or can stand). Every once and a while I’m not a fan of […]
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Have You Seen These Boys?
The Milk Carton Kids have returned
Just hearing the name of this band you might imagine a pop-punk band along the lines of Cloud Nothings, who never have a song longer than two and a half minutes—but The Milk Carton Kids offer something unexpected. I certainly didn’t expect an indie-folk duo that sounded more like Simon & Garfunkel than NOFX. Kenneth […]
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When Country and Metal Share a Creative Brain
Fans of Staind’s Aaron Lewis may be catching onto the musician’s new-old style
Aaron Lewis encountered his share of naysayers when he first dipped his toes into country music with his 2011 EP, “Town Line.” As the lead singer of Staind, Lewis was a star on the metal scene, and plenty of people dismissed his foray into country as a vanity project. With the arrival this month of […]
