Frequency blog: Music news and reviews from Bend and Central Oregon, by Ben Salmon | The Bulletin

Sounds from Central Oregon and beyond

Posts Tagged ‘Shireen Amini’

November 6 in GO! Magazine

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Man, it’s windy outside as I write this. Fall is finally, really here. Or maybe that’s winter.

Whatever, the seasons may change, but the local music scene churns on. This weekend’s lineup is highlighted by some Canadian hip-hop, some Irish punk rock, and a benefit for the folks in our own community who need it most.

Hey … if you go out and see some music and snap a few pictures, why don’t you add them the Frequency’s Flickr pool?

-Two years after Flogging Molly packed the Midtown Ballroom, their fellow Irish-punk rockers Dropkick Murphys are visiting the same venue on Sunday. Read Al Barr’s take on the band’s success and what it has meant for their fan base.

-Swollen Members ought to consider just renting a place in Bend, perhaps. They’re back tonight, just a couple months after opening for Kottonmouth Kings at Midtown Ballroom. This time, though, the Canadian rap quartet is touring behind its brand new album, “Armed to the Teeth,” and will headline the Domino Room.

-For the fourth year in a row, a lot of local folk/bluegrass/Americana bands are gathering at Bend’s Community Center for Hoedown for Hunger, where proceeds will benefit the center’s Feed The Hungry program.

-California’s softcore ska dudes the Mad Caddies played at Mountain’s Edge bar in Bend on Sunday. I dug it.

-Elsewhere in town this week, Dana and Susan Robinson play a house concert, Shireen Amini settles into Jackson’s Corner, The Snag will do a free show at a church, and Cloaked Characters and The Bayliens will light up the Bendistillery Martini Bar.

As always, not all those stories will be available to everyone. If you run into a paywall, you’ll need to subscribe to The Bulletin’s online edition or, better yet, pick up a print copy of today’s paper.

Tags: Cloaked Characters, Dropkick Murphys, Hoedown for Hunger, Mad Caddies, Shireen Amini, Swollen Members, The Bayliens, The Snag
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August 21 in GO! Magazine

Friday, August 21st, 2009

It was an insanely busy week at my desk, so I didn’t get to do as much blogging as I would’ve liked. And I’m wiped out. But here are (some of) the fruits of my labor:

-Moonalice guitarist Roger McNamee talked to me a lot more about the music industry than music, and it would seem he knows what he’s talking about. Anyone with an interest in the business of music in 2009 — I’m talking to you, local musicians — should read this article. Moonalice performs tonight at Silver Moon brewery.

Oh, and you can follow Moonalice’s Twitter here. And hey, while you’re there, follow Frequency, too!

-David Bowers has had a great run as a singer-songwriter living in Bend over the past decade, but it’s time for him to move on, south to California. I asked Bowers to reflect on his time here, the local music scene, and his future as a performer. Read what he had to say here.

-Clear Summer Nights has two solid singer-songwriters performing on Sunday. The headliner is Jackie Greene, but you want to make sure you get there in time to catch local dude Eric Tollefson, who’s also opening for G. Love early next month. Kinda makes you wonder if Tollefson is heading for big things, doesn’t it?

-The Staxx Brothers play heavy, booty-shakin’ soul music. There is no other way to say it.

-Get all the details on shows by Po’ Girl, The Honey Trees, Wesley Jensen and The Pack, as well as Moon Mountain Ramblers, The JZ Band and Shireen Amini. Also, there’s a benefit party for lost dogs in Chile tomorrow night.

Some of those links are available to everyone, and some only to subscribers. To get it all, pick up a copy of The Bulletin and look for GO! Magazine, where we also have coverage of local plays, visual arts, restaurants, movies, DVDs, video games, and just about anything else you can do to entertain yourself.

Tags: David Bowers, Eric Tollefson, Jackie Greene, JZ Band, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Moonalice, Po' Girl, Roger McNamee, Shireen Amini, The Honey Trees, The Pack, The Staxx Brothers, Wesley Jensen & The Wildcats
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Central Oregon musicians pay tribute to Michael Jackson (Part I)

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

It’s been a week now since the unexpected death of Michael Jackson, and the man, his life and his legacy is still a hot topic of conversation. Whether you think he should be remembered as a pop-culture icon or that his latter-day legal troubles overshadowed his chart success (or both), there’s no question the guy had an enormous influence on music.

To get an idea of the influence he had on Central Oregon’s music scene, Frequency asked a bunch of local musicians to talk about Michael Jackson’s role in their development as artists, to reflect on his life, or just to share their memories of his music, and so many responded, I’m going to split this up into two posts. Click below to read their thoughts, watch a video tribute, and see some themes — “Thriller” and sadness — unfold. Then check back in the next day or two for the rest.

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