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ESO residency continues; White Orange out, Cadence in

Friday, December 16th, 2011

For some reason, Saturday’s show by local post-rock faves Empty Space Orchestra at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom didn’t run in our live-music listings in today’s GO! Magazine. Not sure why.

But the show is definitely happening, although the previously announced opener — Portland’s White Orange — had to cancel to deal with a family situation. Instead, local pop-rock band Cadence will open the show, which will get underway around 9 p.m.

Tickets are $5 in advance here, or $7 at the door. Apologies to both bands for not getting the gig in the paper. As penance, here’s the poster for ESO’s ongoing December residency at Silver Moon!

Tags: Cadence, Empty Space Orchestra
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This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

Friday, December 16th, 2011

This week’s music section is like a giant, gaudy neon sign flashing the word “CHRISTMAS!” two feet in front of your face!

There are a bunch of holiday concerts in town this week, and we feature six of them:

–Jazz fusioneers Spyro Gyra at On a Lite Christmas Nite
–Throwback harp-guitarist John Doan does his Victorian Christmas show
–Broadway star Gary Morris plays A Starry Nights Christmas in Sisters
–Blind Boys of Alabama have already sold out the Tower Theatre
–Smooth jazz pianist Tom Grant is at The Oxford Hotel
–Bill Keale and friends do the holiday Hawaiian-style at The Old Stone

Elsewhere: PoetHouse Art hosts a benefit for paralyzed snowboarder Tyler Eklund tonight, Brandi Carlile’s back but tickets are long gone, a group of Sisters songwriters play at The Barn, and Bobby Lindstrom’s back in town, plus the Josh Hart Project, Little Black Dress, DSkiles Band, Bloodlust and Embrace the Fear. Again, it’s all right here.

Tags: Bill Keale, Blind Boys of Alabama, Bobby Lindstrom, Brandi Carlile, Gary Morris, John Doan, Josh Hart, Sisters Starry Nights, Spyro Gyra, Tom Grant
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Buck 65, MarchFourth Marching Band, The Coup playing 2012 Bend WinterFest

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

More specifically, headlining WinterFest and playing the WinterFringe after-party at Century Center. Per the website:

I don’t know a ton about Buck 65, other than the fact that he’s got plenty of fans around here. MarchFourth and The Coup are both rad.

Great lineup this year. Er … next year.

Tags: Bend WinterFest, Buck 65, MarchFourth Marching Band, The Coup
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Midtown Ballroom and Floater robbed over the weekend

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

You may have seen this already, but it’s worth posting to make sure as many people see it as possible and are keeping an eye out. Copied directly from a post on Random Presents’ Facebook:

This is our first official MANHUNT brought to you by Random Presents and Midtown Music Hall!

Sometime between the end of Floater’s set on Friday (midnight) and sound check Saturday afternoon (5pm) the building was robbed. Whoever it was hit our sound company (Sonic Solutions) for roughly $4000 worth of Mics and DI’s and Floater for their two electric acoustic guitars. Come on party people of Bend let’s not leave one rock unturned and find the soulless bastard that did this.

Midtown management has put an $800 reward on the guitars and an $800 reward on the audio gear for its safe return. Here’s a list of equipment that was stolen from the venue /

AUDIO GEAR: AKG 451 Stereo Pair, Shure KSM137 Stereo Pair, Two Sennheiser 421’ DI Boxes: Two Radial JDI Radial JDI Duplex.

FLOATER’S Guitars: Takamine Electric Acoustic Guitar (Peter has had this guitar since he was 12 years old) and Michael Kelly acoustic bass, jumbo body with custom abalone inlays.

Now let’s go find them!!!

Seriously lame. If you see or hear anything at all, contact Random Presents immediately.

Tags: Floater, Midtown Ballroom, Random Presents
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Music this week in Central Oregon

Friday, December 9th, 2011

When you fill the first 13 page of GO! Magazine with a review of the year in music in Central Oregon, as we did today, you don’t leave much room to talk about all the music that’s happening in the area this week.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth talking about! Here’s a roundup of what’s happening … think of it as you regular music section in GO!, except you can’t start a fire with it after you’re done reading every word.

Floater, chillin' on a bench, pioneering a new genre: "bus-stop rock"

Floater returns for two nights

Oregon’s indestructible rock trio, Floater, has been through Bend so many times, there’s nothing else to say. I mean really. I have nothing to say.

Go read my April 2010 interview with frontman Rob Wynia here. Then click here and sample the band’s sound, a throwback blend of prog, grunge, metal and funk that’ll make you wonder where the past 15 years of your life went.

Floater (electric), with Jones Road; 8 tonight, doors open 7 p.m.; $15 advance, $18 at the door, ticket outlets here; Domino Room, 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; www.randompresents.com.

Floater (acoustic); 9 p.m. Saturday, doors open 8 p.m.; $13 advance, $16 at the door, ticket outlets here; Domino Room, 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; www.randompresents.com.

Briertone, Rural Demons at The Horned Hand

The solid, left-of-center roots music just keeps flowing through The Horned Hand in Bend. Saturday, the newish art space and music venue will host Briertone, a California band with DIY spirit and a gritty twang to their ominous “outlaw rock.”

Opening will be a likeminded Bend band, Rural Demons, whose Western gothic doom-country sound is making serious noise on the local music scene. You can hear the Demons’ excellent “Ghost Lights” album here.

Briertone, with Rural Demons; 9 p.m. Saturday; $5; The Horned Hand, 507 N.W. Colorado Ave., Bend; www.facebook.com/thehornedhand.

Larry and His Flask, Necktie Killer play benefit show

Uh … Larry and His Flask and Necktie Killer at Players Bar? Yes, please. It’s gonna feel like 2007 in there.

Bonus: The show is a benefit for Johanna Olson, a friend of the bands who has undergone four surgeries on a brain tumor. Go, party, rock out. The cover is $5, but give more for Johanna.

Larry and his Flask, Necktie Killer: 8 p.m. Saturday; $5; Players Bar & Grill, 25 S.W. Century Drive, Bend; 541-389-2558.

Empty Space Orchestra residency continues

Local post-rock prodigies Empty Space Orchestra are making this a December to remember that doesn’t involve a Lexus in the driveway with a giant bow on top. The band is playing four of five Saturday nights at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom this month, with a different set and a different opening act each time.

This weekend’s opener is Water & Bodies, a fine Portland-based band that includes Beau Kuther, who grew up in Bend. In March, I described the quartet’s “Light Year” album as a “tight, glossy collection of songs that blend the hooks of 1980s New Wave with the heft of 1990s emo/alternative, plus a healthy portion of spectacle that flies in the face of so many shoegazing indie rockers.”

Empty Space Orchestra, with Water & Bodies: 9 p.m. Saturday; $5 plus fees advance here, $7 at the door; Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom, 24 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; www.silvermoonbrewing.com.

Chicks With Picks benefits Saving Grace

I’m swiping this from the paper:

“These gals are playing for a good cause: Saving Grace, a Bend provider of services to survivors of domestic violence. Saturday’s “Chicks with Picks” show at the Astro Lounge will feature four female-fronted bands showcasing the skills of local musicians such as Stacie Johnson and Lilli Worona of Broken Down Guitars, Jamie Houghton of The Dream Symphony, Stephanie Slade of Death of a Hitman and Hannah Costa of Tentareign.”

Chicks With Picks: 7-11 p.m. Saturday; $5; The Astro Lounge, 939 N.W. Bond St., Bend; 541-388-0116.

Josh Gracin at Maverick’s

Swiping this too. Swipe-fest ’11!

“Josh Gracin finished fourth on the second season of “American Idol” and now he sings country music. On Thursday, he’ll play at Maverick’s Country Bar and Grill in Bend as he tours behind his new album ‘Redemption.’”

Josh Gracin: 9 p.m. Thursday; $25; Maverick’s Country Bar and Grill, 20565 Brinson Blvd., Bend; www.maverickscountrybar.com.

Portland Cello Project at McMenamins

All hail the Portland Cello Project, a collective of adventurous cellists who play not only beautiful classical music, but also super-fun, YouTube-friendly covers of indie rock and pop hits by folks like ABBA, Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

Helmed by Douglas Jenkins, PCP will return to Bend Wednesday to play a free show at McMenamins. Last time I saw the band there, the place was packed, so consider getting down there early and getting a seat. Maybe have some tater tots. You know … live a little.

Portland Cello Project: 7 p.m. Wednesday; free; McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond St., Bend; www.mcmenamins.com.

Other highlights this week include Voodoo Highway at Silver Moon and Shade 13 at The Horned Hand tonight, the Holiday Brewgrass Jamboree Saturday in Sisters, reggae night with MC Mystic at The Astro Lounge on Wednesday, and Cadence at The Summit on Thursday. Find all the details and lots more in our online nightlife calendar.

Tags: Briertone, Chicks With Picks, Empty Space Orchestra, Floater, Josh Gracin, Larry and His Flask, Necktie Killer, Portland Cello Project, Water & Bodies
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This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Timothy B. Schmit has done a lot in his music career.

Most famously, he plays bass and sings in The Eagles. He also was a member of the ’70s country-rock band Poco. He replaced the same guy in both bands!

And get this: While playing in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, Schmit coined the term “Parrotheads” for Buffett’s fans! For that alone, he’ll always have a place in pop-culture history.

With The Eagles on a break, Schmit will come to Bend Thursday for a show at the Tower Theatre. My colleague David Jasper called him up last week and spoke with him about his solo work, The Eagles as “The Mothership” and how he feels about his long, roller-coaster career.

… being a Coral Reefer, even temporarily, “was a big change for me,” Schmit added.

“(Buffett) is a friend of mine … and he just asked me to go out for a couple of weeks,” he said. “He wanted to know if I wanted to go out, play some music, have a little fun. I ended up doing it, I don’t know, on and off for a couple of years.

“The main difference is that I was used to being one of the main people,” Schmit said. With Buffett, “I was definitely just a bass player in that band, and a background singer. It was humbling, but it was fun. And honestly, I like to work, and I’m no different than anybody. I need to work.”

Then along came “Hell Freezes Over,” as The Eagles called their 1994 reunion, which Schmit said was a “godsend.”

Coincidentally, it occurred just as Schmit was making his personal peace with his career.

“Really, my whole lifestyle had really humbled me,” he said. “Just about the time I changed from being a little bit angry about my lifestyle change, and I started to accept it and look at all the great things in my life — because I have many great things in my life — about that same time is when we got back together.”

I thought Schmit was pretty honest and interesting in this story. I hope you’ll click here and read it.

Also worth highlighting are a couple of find Portland-based indie-pop bands that are headed this way. The Ascetic Junkies play Silver Moon Brewing tonight, and The Dimes are at McMenamins on Wednesday. Each will have you tapping your toe, bobbing your head and sloshing your beverage, so check ‘em out.

Elsewhere in this week’s music section: Empty Space Orchestra begins its December residency at Silver Moon, Cloverdayle raises funds for its new recording, RoboLiquidPop honors Steven Rock and the Renato Caranto Quartet plays Jazz at Joe’s, plus Todd Haaby, Blackflowers Blacksun and One Way Station. And last but not least, friends and family of Richard Marshall — father of Larry and His Flask’s Jamin and Jesse Marshall — will gather Sunday for a memorial. Details are here. Marshall died Nov. 22 after a long battle against cancer. Sincere condolences to Jamin, Jesse and the rest of Marshall’s family.

Tags: Blackflowers Blacksun, Cloverdayle, Empty Space Orchestra, One Way Station, Renato Caranto Quartet, Richard Marshall, RoboLiquidPop, Slipmat Science, The Ascetic Junkies, The Dimes, Timothy B. Schmit, Todd Haaby, VTRN
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This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

Friday, November 25th, 2011

Last winter, the Jazz at the Oxford series had a terrific inaugural season, bringing a handful of regional jazz veterans to Bend and selling out each of its 13 shows.

Tonight, the series kicks off its second season, which features an expanded schedule and headliners with higher profiles, including award-winning jazz-pop vocalist Diane Schuur, who’ll play three shows at The Oxford Hotel over the next two days.

Here’s Schuur doing “Today I Started Loving You Again” from her new album “The Gathering,” a collection of country covers.

Shuur’s show tonight is sold out, but there are still tickets available for both Saturday performances. Last week, I got her on the phone and spoke with her about her own artistic freedom and the session for “The Gathering.”

“I think the consensus is that people have confidence enough in me and in my direction to give me their blessing and say … ‘If this is what you want, girlfriend, go for it,’” Schuur said. “I’m glad I’ve got the versatility and the voice to be able to do that because a lot of people unfortunately get stuck in a rut where they’ve got one style and that’s basically what they’ve got. I consider myself very fortunate.”

Even with dozens of albums under her belt, the “Gathering” session was the quickest in Schuur’s career, she said. It took one day to record and another day to polish up with overdubs and other tweaks. That was it.

“Once I got going, I just kept going, like the Energizer Bunny,” she said with a laugh. “(These songs) just really got into my soul.”

I hope you’ll click here and read the whole thing. Be sure to read about Jazz at the Oxford’s origin, success and upcoming schedule on the right side of the page!

The L.A.-based funk/soul band Orgone brings their cool, retro vibe back to town Monday night. My colleague David Jasper spoke with a couple of the band’s members about Orgone’s upcoming plans.

“We had a break in September and October, and we finally grabbed some time to work on some new material,” he said. After playing on the annual Jam Cruise in January, Orgone plans to use the shore leave to record a new album. “We’ll have a record done for March. We’re real excited about that.”

The band played the Volcanic Funk Festival in Bend last summer, but the recording break may mean it’ll be a while before Orgone brings its energy back to Oregon. And though it may be cold outside, it’s likely to get hot in The Annex.

“It’s 110 percent adrenaline-fueled dance party,” Rios said. “The band’s definitely going to get sweaty; it usually carries over into the people. It’s basically high-energy, no holds barred. We just kinda come full force and come to take no prisoners.”

You should read the whole thing by clicking here.

Elsewhere in this week’s music section: Jerry Joseph plays his gritty rock ‘n’ roll at gritty Players Bar, Calling Morocco blends pop, rock and twang at The Sound Garden, a bunch of DJs and MCs gather at the Domino Room for Orbital: A Journey Through Sound, and local experimental cellist Third Seven plays at The Horned Hand before taking off on tour till spring. Plus Allan Byer, Harley Bourbon and lots more in our “Going Out” listing.

Tags: Allan Byer, Calling Morocco, Diane Schuur, Harley Bourbon, Jazz at the Oxford, Jerry Joseph, Orgone, Third Seven
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This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

Friday, November 18th, 2011

I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I’m some High on Fire superfan or whatever. But I have to say: I’m as stoked for their show at the Domino Room Saturday night as I have been for any show ’round here in a long time.

Why? I’m not 100-percent sure. I think, mainly, I’m just looking forward to being sonically pummeled for more than an hour. It’s not something we get in Bend all that often, really.

Anyway, be jealous metal nerds … I interviewed Matt Pike!

On Monday, I spoke with Pike about High on Fire’s new material (they’re playing some), the current metal resurgence (he thinks it’s great, obvs) and the burden he feels when making an album. An excerpt:

“We get a little bit nitpicky because of what we’ve put out already,” he said. “It’s like … how do I top the last one? And I can’t put out a bunch of s–t that doesn’t sound quite as good, so … it’s a little more of a pain.”

For all High on Fire’s booming brawn, the trio has its sights set on a lofty long-term goal while also dealing with the same kind of indecision and self-doubt faced by mere mortals like you and me.

“You wanna achieve as much as you can in one lifetime, but at the same time, sometimes it’s harder than it seems, even if you’re a very intelligent person and you know what you’re doing,” Pike said.

“There’s still these moments where you’re like, ‘I don’t know if that’s good enough or not. I can’t tell,’” he said. “And you second-guess yourself.”

I hope you’ll click here and read the whole thing.

Also, be sure to check out the back of today’s GO! Magazine for our alternate High on Fire cover! (But only if you like awesome, evil demon-goats playing guitar with their foot perched on Pilot Butte as the Cascades erupt in the background.)

Elsewhere in this week’s music section: Sisters singer-songwriter Anastacia celebrates her new CD with a show at the HarmonyHouse, Christian Kane brings country to Maverick’s, Hellbound Glory brings a decidedly different kind of country to The Horned Hand, the Homegrown Reunion show gathers a bunch of local talent for a good cause, Tony Smiley returns to town, 2nd Hand Soldiers play Silver Moon, and much more.

Tags: 2nd Hand Soldiers, Anastacia, Christian Kane, Hellbound Glory, High on Fire, Homegrown Music Showcase, Tony Smiley
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This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

(Note: Oops, I meant to post this yesterday. Apologies to the Friday events that have now already happened.)

First of all, if you love music, Central Oregon, music in Central Oregon, or you just love having things to do in Central Oregon even if they’re not related to music, you should check out this week’s GO! Magazine, where we celebrate today’s date — 11/11/11 — by recognizing 11 people, places and things that have shaped the regional arts and culture scene over the past 11 years.

It’s a fun package of stories and photos. (There’s a photo of Ben Harper at the Les Schwab Amphitheater that is a must see.)

Anyway, you can find it right here. Now onto the music:

–Wednesday brings a strong progressive bluegrass bill to Bend when Greensky Bluegrass and Hot Buttered Rum play GoodLife Brewing Company.

–The Maiden Bend Bluegrass Fest showcases the talents of six female musicians with local ties.

–The Horned Hand hosts a couple of local faves: The White Buffalo on Monday and Great American Taxi on Thursday.

–Provo, Utah’s The Brocks are coming to Bend, and for 60 percent of ‘em, that means a trip home.

Elsewhere in this week’s music section: The return of Warm Gadget, Mars Retrieval Unit lands at Silver Moon, The Church of Neil is in session, Shawn McDonald plays at Journey church, Brothers Young headline an alt-folk bill, and a slew of heavy bands are playing around town this week.

Tags: 11/11/11, Brothers Young, Great American Taxi, Greensky Bluegrass, Maiden Bend Music Fest, Mars Retrieval Unit, Shawn McDonald, The Brocks, The Church of Neil, The White Buffalo, Warm Gadget
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This week in GO! Magazine’s music section

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Pause.

Playback, rewind.

Pause.

Collie Buddz’s music isn’t normally my thing, necessarily, but I am addicted to this song. It’s hypnotic!

On Wednesday night, Buddz will drop into the Domino Room in Bend for a night of reggae-infused club-pop. My colleague David Jasper spoke with him and his alluring Bermudan accent last week. Here’s an excerpt of the resulting article.

Buddz has been called the Eminem of dancehall, and it’s a pretty apt comparison given his skin color and choice of genre. Like Eminem’s Detroit roots, his childhood in Bermuda, where the Jamaican influence is high, lends Buddz a credibility you can’t manufacture (see: Vanilla Ice).

Either way, he seems perfectly capable of bringing in fans like moths to the flame, even if Bob Marley might roll over in his grave (dreads permitting) if he knew this is what people are calling reggae in 2011. Buddz’s sound is slick and worldly, and the production value on “Playback” is set at 11.

Phoenix New Times, an alt-weekly in Arizona, sums up this sound quite well: “Buddz rarely sounds like a traditional reggae singer — songs like ‘World A Girls’ from his new record, ‘Playback,’ owe as much to Marvin Gaye soul and early G-Funk ambiance as … dancehall heaters.”

Jamaica’s become a regular stop for Buddz, who says that to Jamaicans, “it’s not about the color, it’s about the music, and Jamaicans know their music. Like, you go dancing down there, you don’t know what tunes you’re gonna hear.

“But it’s definitely harder” to earn acceptance there as a white reggae artist, said an undeterred Buddz. “You just have to work that much harder.”

You should read the whole thing by clicking here.

Elsewhere in this week’s music section: Sapient’s new record is dope, Scott Fisher returns to town, Excellent Gentlemen get funky, Tyler Fortier presents his third album of the year, and Archeology might be the next big thing out of Portland. Plus Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, The Young Lions of Jazz, Hoedown for Hunger, a High & Dry Bluegrass Festival benefit with master mando man Radim Zenkl, and details on Sunday’s memorial for local metal guitarist Don Adams.

Tags: Archeology, Collie Buddz, Don Adams, Excellent Gentlemen, Hoedown for Hunger, Nicki Bluhm, Radim Zenkl, Sapient, Scott Fisher, The Young Lions of Jazz, Tyler Fortier
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