tonight « Frequency blog: Music news and reviews from Bend and Central Oregon, by Ben Salmon

Archive for the ‘tonight’ Category

Tonight: Ozomatli/Rubblebucket, Cash’d Out, Brandi Carlile, MMR and more

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Time for a math lesson, kids:

Cinco de Mayo + this awesome and long-awaited weather x one of the most robust weeknights of live music I can remember around here = downtown Bend is gonna be bananas tonight.

Here’s a quick roundup of what’s happening:

–The biggest party appears to be Amalia’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, which will shut down part of Wall Street and feature music by the kaleidoscopic pop band Rubblebucket (4:30 p.m.), Bend’s own Todd Haaby & Sola Via (6:30 p.m.) and Latin/hip-hop/rock giants Ozomatli (8:30 p.m.). There’ll also be Mexican food, dancing, a low-rider demo and other fun stuff, all for free. Here’s my story on Ozomatli plus all the details on the event. Listen:

Ozomatli

Rubblebucket

–While the party swirls outside, Seattle-based singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile will be wowing a packed house inside the Tower Theatre. Carlile is a terrific performer, which is why this show (like her previous three appearances in Bend) is sold out. If you’ve already got your ticket, enjoy!

Brandi Carlile

–Just down the breezeway and a little later into the night, MadHappy Lounge will celebrate Cinco de Mayo electronically with NorCal techno kingpin DJ G.A.M.M.A., plus DJs Rada and Huff. That one will get going around 9 p.m. and is free.

DJ G.A.M.M.A.

–Meanwhile, up on Greenwood Avenue, the astoundingly authentic Johnny Cash tribute band Cash’d Out will transform the Domino Room into a big ol’ time machine to the 1950s and ’60s. The San Diego quartet has the look and sound of early Cash (and his band, the Tennessee Three) down pat. More info is here, and for this one, you need visuals.

–Finally, if you’d prefer your Cinco de Mayo tunes to have a little more local flavor, considering hitting The Summit Saloon & Stage around 9 p.m. for one of Bend’s most popular party bands, the Moon Mountain Ramblers. Or shimmy up to McMenamins Old St. Francis School at 7 p.m. for Brothers in Achord, a new bluesy/folksy collaboration between local singer-songwriters Josh Hart and Leif James.

Have fun out there, folks, and be safe.

Tags: Brandi Carlile, Brother in Achord, Cash'd Out, Cinco de Mayo, DJ G.A.M.M.A., Moon Mountain Ramblers, Ozomatli, Rubblebucket
Posted in tonight | No Comments »

Concave Perception Chamber sums up the incredibly imprecise nature of live-music start times…

Monday, April 25th, 2011

…on this poster for their show tonight at MadHappy Lounge, spied recently on Parrilla Grill’s bulletin board.

Truer words, etc., etc.

If you’re interested, here’s what I wrote about the show in last Friday’s GO! Magazine:

Good news for fans of atmospheric psych-rock: We have a Concave Perception Chamber sighting. The long-standing (but sometimes hard to find) Bend combo will play Monday at MadHappy Lounge (850 N.W. Brooks St., Bend), draping the cozy bar with gentle waves of lush, chiming guitars and experimental pop know-how. 9 p.m. Free.

Tags: Concave Perception Chamber
Posted in ramblings, tonight | No Comments »

Busy night in Bend: Ice Cube, Christabel & the Jons, The Dangerous Summer, Linda Purl and Lee Lessack

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Ice Cube at the Midtown Ballroom, yes. But I suspect that one may already be on your radar. So I’m going to point out a few other options tonight that would work if (a) you’re not a rap fan, or (b) you can’t afford the Cube ticket, or (c) you’re looking for something to do before hitting the Midtown.

First up, Christabel & the Jons, a fine little Tennessee swing combo with a sound that goes down as easy as good Southern sweet tea. They’re playing for free at 7 p.m. at McMenamins Old St. Francis School. Read my story here.

Second, The Dangerous Summer, a group of young, fresh-faced fellows that play big, loud, catchy pop-rock in the vein of ’90s emo/pop/punk heroes like The Get Up Kids and Saves The Day. Along with a bunch of other similar bands, they’re at the Pilot Butte Event Center at 7 p.m., and it costs $8-10 to get in. Read my story here.

Finally, if veteran stage/screen performers singing the songs of legendary composer Johnny Mercer are up your alley, then you need to head to the Tower Theatre, where Linda Purl and Lee Lessack will be, uh, singing the songs of legendary composer Johnny Mercer. Click here for tickets and more info. I can’t find any video of Linda Purl and Lee Lessack singing the songs of legendary composer Johnny Mercer on the internet, so instead, here’s Purl’s first encounter with Michael Scott on “The Office.” Made of real apes!

Leave a comment and let me know your plan for the evening!

Tags: Christabel & the Jons, Ice Cube, Lee Lessack, Linda Purl, The Dangerous Summer
Posted in tonight | No Comments »

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style with Five Pint Mary

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

The smiling faces of Five Pint Mary.

There are lots of options for going out tonight to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But if it’s a genuine Celtic sound you’re looking for, you’re not going to do much better than catching Five Pint Mary and the Bend Fire Pipes and Drums Band at the Domino Room.

In Bend, bands like Flogging Molly, Young Dubliners and the Clumsy Lovers do just fine, thank you very much, drawing good crowds every time they roll through town. So if you’re jonesing for some of that Celtic-meets-punk-rock sound — or if you love The Pogues, as you should — you definitely want to hit the Domino Room tonight. The show will start at 7:30 p.m., and it costs $5 to get in unless you’re a member in good standing of the Harp Hall group that’s throwing the party.

Here’s some tasty Five Pint Mary action to help you pass the time at work and get you in the spirit for tonight.

Tags: Bend Pipes and Drums Band, Five Pint Mary, Harp Hall, St. Patrick's Day
Posted in tonight | No Comments »

[MP3] Tyler Fortier (playing tonight at portello)

Saturday, February 19th, 2011

It’s kind of late notice, I know, but if you’re looking to head out tonight but don’t want to freeze or fight the crowds at WinterFest, consider hitting portello winecafe at 7 p.m. to hear Eugene-based (but Bend-rooted) singer-songwriter Tyler Fortier.

The guy writes really good songs that fall into the dusty, downcast Americana/folk ballpark, and he’s prolific; he’s planning on releasing three albums this year, including the one he’ll celebrate tonight — a lo-fi concept record about the old West with a looooong name. You can hear the whole thing by clicking here, or you can stream or download the track below.

I wrote a bit more about Fortier and the record (including which classic album it reminds me of) in Friday’s GO! Magazine, and you can find that piece — plus all the details for tonight’s show — right here.

Download Tyler Fortier, “Waiting For Evelyn”

Tags: Tyler Fortier
Posted in mp3 download, tonight | No Comments »

Tonight: X-Ray Press

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Michael Pasuit, left, and Paurl Walsh are the core members of X-Ray Press.

Tonight marks the end of Empty Space Orchestra’s four-Friday residency at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom, and one of the cool things about the run has been the opening acts: four different bands, all very different, all good.

This evening’s opener is my favorite of the four. X-Ray Press is an experimental rock band out of Seattle with a brand new album called “UVB-76″ that takes me right back to working in college radio in the middle of the country during math-rock‘s heyday. “UVB-76″ is a complex chunk of punk/rock/jazz/etc., where time signatures switchback more than the road over Mackenzie Pass. It’s not easily digestible music, but it’s built to challenge ears and kick down genre walls.

All that said, these dudes also have a knack for building up twisty, turning tension, and then breaking it with a sliver of totally accessible melody. Like, check out the song below; the first 1:50 or so sounds like weird, robotic worms writhing in a bed of guitar strings and effects pedals, devouring each other in unorthodox time. Right around that point, though, X-Ray Press shifts into Grizzly Bear mode, singing a capella harmonies for a spell before one of the guys takes over with soaring lead vocals. Play or download it:

Download X-Ray Press, “The Terms (In the Colors of Our DNA)”

To find out a little more about this band, I sent ‘em a few questions, and they were nice enough to send back a few answers via e-mail. Here’s that interview, slightly edited:

(more…)

Tags: X-Ray Press
Posted in interview, mp3 download, tonight | No Comments »

I was gonna remind you about the Dawes show tonight, but …

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

… instead, I’m just going to introduce you to the opening act, Jonny Corndawg, after my whirlwind bromance with the guy this morning.

Listen to his music here, and check out his really cool leatherwork here. Then, do like I’m going to do and be at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom on time tonight (that’s 9 p.m.) to catch Jonny and then Dawes. More details here.

Corndawg sez: Keep your body happy through exercise!

Tags: Dawes, Jonny Corndawg
Posted in cool stuff, tonight | No Comments »

Tonight: Boy Eats Drum Machine

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Empty Space Orchestra’s four-week residency at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom (24 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend) continues tonight, and this week’s opening act is a good one: Boy Eats Drum Machine, which is the alias of Jon Ragel, a one-man fun-times attack out of Portland who’s been making records on his own terms since 2001.

Ragel’s sound is a funky and chunky mix of indie rock, jazz, hip-hop and electronic pop that’s excellent and compelling but also … well … it’d also be a sweet soundtrack to your next all-night sweat-soaked basement dance party. Imagine a battle of the bands featuring DJ Shadow, Menomena, That 1 Guy, Morphine and The Smiths, except you let all of them play at the same time and it sounds totally organic and seamless. That’s Boy Eats Drum Machine.

And Ragel’s live show is renowned; he’s a multitasking blur on stage, jumping back and forth between samplers, turntable, drums and a saxophone to whip up a sonic cyclone. In other words, if you’re heading to Silver Moon tonight, don’t be a dummy and show up late. Get there by 9 p.m. to ensure you see Boy Eats Drum Machine. (Cover is $5 in advance or $7 at the door.)

In the meantime, here’s the title track of one of the two albums Ragel released in 2010:

And, of course, you can hear (and download) much more at BEDM’s website and bandcamp.

Tags: Boy Eats Drum Machine
Posted in tonight | No Comments »

Tonight: Boneyard Beer’s Cross Kultural Carnival

Saturday, December 11th, 2010

Boneyard Beer‘s throwing an eclectic, artsy shindig tonight at Century Center, with live music, comedy, spoken word, and other fun stuff. I don’t know much about a couple of the acts, but I do know that Seattle’s Corespondents are a pretty cool, atmospheric, instrumental band, and they alone are worth the price of admission (which is a suggested donation of $5). Read more about the whole event by clicking here.

Tags: Boneyard Beer, Cross Kultural Carnival
Posted in flyer, tonight | 1 Comment »

Tonight: Lucero, Drag the River, I Can Lick Any SOB in the House at the Domino Room

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Here’s a little secret about me: I’m an old alt-country nerd from way back. I own every record Gram Parsons played on. I still kick myself for skipping an Uncle Tupelo show in my home town. I spent much of the late ’90s obsessed with bands like the Bottle Rockets, Old 97s, Whiskeytown, The V-roys, and on and on. Singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks called us “Roots Rock Weirdoes.” (“Starved for a Tele or a B3 — any out-of-fashion sound” and “dressed up like it’s 1951.”) As usual, Robbie was spot-on, and brilliantly so.

Alt-country isn’t dead, but it’s been on life support for years. Still, some bands are out there flying the flannel flag, and tonight, three of them will bring their shredded throats and blue-collar Southern rock to the Domino Room. The headliner, Lucero, is one of the genre’s runaway success stories in recent years (their 2009 album “1372 Overton Park” is excellent), while both opening acts — Drag the River and I Can Lick Any SOB in the House — live comfortably at the intersection of punk, rock and twang.

All three are worth hearing, so be sure to get there on time; doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16 at the door. The Domino Room is at 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., in Bend.

In the meantime, here’s a primer: