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 […]
Central Oregon Concerts
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 […]
The Impossible Kid
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 […]
Beautiful Simplicity
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 […]
“Swayve” Is Way More Than Standard Hip-Hop
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 […]
Have You Seen These Boys?
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 […]
When Country and Metal Share a Creative Brain
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 […]
Dance Dance Evolution
The story of Niykee Heaton is an interesting one both for what it is and what it isn’t. She was discovered through her YouTube channel, where she played acoustic covers of hip-hop and contemporary hits, as well as original songs. In 2011, while she was still in high school, she started uploading videos recorded in […]
A Jazz Room with a View
Mt. Bachelor Riverhouse Jazz is on the brink of launching its new seven-month long series, which will feature the likes of Mel Brown, Ravi Coltrane, Benny Green, and the Yellowjackets. Two shows will run one weekend each month from October 2016 to April 2017, giving both visiting and local music lovers the opportunity to experience […]
Picks 10/12-10/19
Thursday 13 & Friday 14 Bend Venture Conference STARTUPS–Ready to launch your business? Need some capital to get going? You’d better not miss this one. Bend Venture is the place to be for early- and growth-stage companies who want to show off their hot ideas and connect with the angel investors who will fund them. […]

