Sean Daley (AKA Slug) changed my life when I was 21 years old. I was a rock kid, mostly into Built to Spill, Nirvana and Radiohead, but when I heard Atmosphere’s “Lucy Ford” (2001) for the first time I knew that hip-hop music was the gospel and I wanted to spread the good word. Daley […]
Central Oregon Concerts
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In All The Right Ways
The inimitable Sara Watkins comes to Bend
When Nickel Creek broke up in 2007, fans were devastated that Chris Thile, along with Sara and Sean Watkins, wouldn’t be dropping any more country-tinged progressive bluegrass earworms. While the individual members were always prolific in other super groups, it was Nickel Creek that brought the musicians most of their fanbase. I discovered the Watkins […]
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Needing to Try
Thana Alexa has jazz in her bones
Thana Alexa isn’t just a jazz musician. For one, she’s staggeringly beautiful—but that is easily the least interesting thing about her. Her debut record, “Ode to Heroes” is filled with some of the finest players of modern jazz and her voice dances between them like stardust. Her husband/producer/drummer Antonio Sanchez brings his unmatched skills to […]
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So Many Keyboards
Headwaves is coming for us all
You probably haven’t heard of Seattle’s Headwaves, but you will. The four-piece’s mix of dreamy fuzz pop and synth-heavy, vocal-driven soundscapes will nail the pleasure points of fans of acts like “Portugal. The Man,” and “Beach House.” Their debut record will be released in October after they tour the West Coast spreading their delightfully modern, […]
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Not Folking Around
The 21st Annual Sisters Folk Festival arrives
The Sisters Folk Festival has come a long way since its inception in 1995. For one, the number of bands and popularity of the acts has grown considerably. Eleven venues from all over Sisters participate—and this year included—the festival sells out weeks before the event. Central Oregon might have several music festivals throughout the year, […]
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Big Venues and Band Squabbles
Crossover Christian rockers Needtobreathe face the same issues that plague other popular bands
Success, obviously, has its perks—but it also brings a few challenges. Needtobreathe discovered that firsthand in touring for its 2014 album, “Rivers In the Wasteland.” As the venues got bigger, the group’s show and performing style had to change with it. “The struggle or the difficulty of the last tour was, as the venues got […]
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Gangster of Love
After five decades, Steve Miller keeps on rocking
Since a dozen of their songs have been floating around in my head for most of my days alive, I’ve always felt like I must know a lot about The Steve Miller Band. But when I sat down to write this piece, I realized I actually knew next to nothing about them except the weird […]
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A Rock and Roll Heart
Trampled By Turtles slowly and steadily win the race
Trampled By Turtles has a bluegrass surface with rock and roll infused in every note. Straight out of Duluth, Minn., the band has released eight albums since 2004 and continues to evolve with each one. The band's most recent record, “Wild Animals” (2014), is more relaxed and haunting than what came before, and easily the […]
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This Dog and Pony Show Doesn’t Play on Repeat
Band Of Horses plays a new show, every time
Band Of Horses singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell can promise a couple of things to people who come to see the group in concert Aug. 22 in Bend. First off, expect the unexpected. ”One thing that I do like about this band is, I don’t know that we’ve ever played the same set list twice,” Bridwell said in an early August […]
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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Turns 50
John McEuen and crew have been producing influential music for half a century. #NGDB50
“If anyone is curious about how we’ve been a band for 50 years, come see us play,” said John McEuen, founding member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) found its name in Long Beach, Calif., in the summer of 1966. They are often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement […]