On Stage

Quite different from the flash, glam and bravado presented by most rappers, San Francisco rapper Andre Nikatina doesn’t like to be in front of the camera—except, maybe, to talk about sports. Somewhat elusive, he rarely gives interviews—and when he does, he gives just enough information to keep you wondering. But that reserved demeanor all changes […]

The keg of GoodLife Brewing Compnay’s special edition honey porter—made from a recipe used by chefs at the White House—was tapped at 5 p.m. Friday night. Fifty minutes later, it was empty. But the dining room of GoodLife remained packed for the next hour plus as Bend’s indie-alt-pop-rock band Wilderness absolutely killed it. Yes—all those […]

A few weeks back I wrote about some bands I really want to see in Bend. They were bands Bendites would love and turn out for. To my delight, the good folks over at Les Schwab Amphitheater were apparently listening. They booked Tumbleweed Wanderers to play one of Sunday Free Music shows this summer. Big […]

I, for one, hate applying labels to bands. After all, these days, almost no band follows in the footsteps of a singular genre. Typically, bands are a mash of sounds they’ve fallen in love with or have been exposed to dating back to the time they were kids. That can lead to an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach […]

Back to the old school.
Zion I
The Bay Area group Zion I is known for infusing hope and positivity into old school flow and live instrument sampling. The group is touring in support of their latest studio offering Shadowboxing—an album that brings dark sci-fi inspired electro-beats into the mix with MC Zumbi’s Q-Tip inspired vocals.

For lead singer Johnny Solomon of Minneapolis rock band Communist Daughter, having two songs in one episode of ABC’s hit drama Grey’s Anatomy, came with some mixed feelings. In between gulps of Diet Dr. Pepper from a mason jar, Solomon, who named the band after a song by Neutral Milk Hotel, talked about those emotions and the results of getting sober.
Solomon was living in Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center when those two haunting songs about discontent and struggling to change were featured on Grey’s Anatomy. As a result, he is often reminded of that time when he plays those songs in concert and likely will be again when his band appears at The Horned Hand on Sept. 27.

Zoe Muth is a rare and rustic musical goddess. A beautiful blonde woman with a guitar who writes cowboy ballads about broken dreams, stiff whiskey drinks and lonely hearts.
Muth twists those themes into a vintage, Nashville-drenched twang for a sound that feels like the smooth country folk of yesteryear.
If her songs tell her life’s story, it’s been a rough go for the Seattle native. Muth says her lyrics are a combination of personal experience and telling other people’s stories that make her music convincing.
“I’ve never been terribly down and out, but I’ve had a lot of pretty crappy jobs and a lot of heartbreak, stupid ex-boyfriends and stuff. Kind of the same as most people,” said Muth, “It’s something that’s easy for me to write about.”