Blog entries posted in The Blender

Happy 90210 Day!

Mike Bookey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:11:12 +0100

It's September 2, 2010, which translates numerically to 9/02/10, making today the most fitting day in the history of time and space to celebrate the legacy of the soap-opera-influenced teenage drama, Beverly Hills 90210.

People are actually celebrating 90210 Day.

If you're not familiar with this show, it was an ongoing saga focused on rich teenagRead More...

Video from the Bob Dylan Show

Mike Bookey — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:34:15 +0100

Let me beat you to it -- yes, John Mellencamp was probably better than Bob Dylan at the Les Schwab Amphitheater on Friday night. Everyone has been saying this for the past few days (during which I've been battling a print deadline and ignoring my blogging duties) and I'll begrudgingly agree.

People say that Dylan didn't even sing...which is partially true. They said he didn't play many hits...that's not necessarily true. Sure, he doesn't sound that great behind the mic, but his band iRead More...

Still Time to Vote for Adventure Galley in the Rock the Space Contest

Mike Bookey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:31:38 +0100

Adventure Galley, the Bend-rooted band I've blogged about and wrote this feature story about, is in the finals of the Toyota Music Rock the Space contest.

The band cruised its way out of the preliminary rounds and then made it into the finals, thanks to the success of their song "Addict" -- a track that showcases the big, almoRead More...

Joaquin Phoenix Documentary Trailer is Finally Here

Mike Bookey — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:19:33 +0100

If there's one thing I've been anxiously awaiting (Hoverboards excluded), it's the much-rumored documentary, entitled I'm Still Here, about the increasingly weird and insanely bearded Joaquin Phoenix, who gave up on his acting career in the past year to allegedly pursue a life as a rap star. Seriously.

This all became apparent when he appeared horribly unkempt and out-of-this-world despondent on the Late Show with David Letterman and made a case for the fact that he may have completelyRead More...

Mat Kearney Tonight at the Domino Room

Mike Bookey — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:20:51 +0100

Before I left on a glorious, glorious, non-blogging and out-of-the-office vacation, I chatted with Mat Kearney about his musical career and what it's like to make music for television doctors to make out to. You can read about that here.

Kearney, a Eugene native and former college soccer player at Chico State, is playing the Domino Room tonight. Chances are you've heard his easy-on-the-ears take on pop rock, but if you haven't check out the video below and you'll realize you know who tRead More...

Video of The Autonomics from the Hump Day Hash at the Century Center

Anne Pick — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:15:59 +0100

With such an awesome line up of music Wednesday night, you couldn't go wrong wherever you ended up. I hit up the Hump Day Hash featuring The Autonomics at the new Century Center, and I've got to say seeing the venue, it's got me pretty stoked for Bend Roots.

The Autonomics were spot on with their indie rock, which they blended with punk, jazz, and country influences. Lead singer Dan Pantenburg has got an insane amount of stage presence and interacted with the crowd very well. The AutonRead More...

Wednesday Night Music Preview - The Builders and The Butchers, The Autonomics and more

Anne Pick — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:01:07 +0100

What in the world happened that Wednesday is now the best day for music in Central Oregon? It seems this summer our options for music have been better on Wednesdays than on most Friday and Saturday nights. Here's a run down of the totally awesome line up in Central Oregon tonight. Check back tomorrow for video from The Autonomics show at the Century Center.

The Builders and The Butchers

McMenamins has another possible fire-code situation on its hands with Wednesday’s freeRead More...

Why we should hire Michael Franti to promote tourism in Bend

Anne Pick — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:39:29 +0100

Many people have probably already seen this video from Michael Franti's website, but for those of you not in the loop, you've got to check this out. After Franti's show at the Les Schwab Amphitheater on August 5 he recorded this short web-isode for his FrantiV series boasting about how awesome Bend is.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJpXVApvPkc&feature=player_embedded 350x290]

The internationally acclaimed musician lists off the boat Read More...

4 Peaks Jamboree Changes Venue AGAIN! Now at original festival location

Mike Bookey — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:07:56 +0100

OK, so I've written in the past few weeks about how the 4 Peaks Jamboree, featuring the music of Poor Man's Whiskey and taking place Saturday, had moved to West Wind Ranch, and then about how that event was canceled and the show would take place at the Domino Room.

WELL, now organizers have moved once again, back to the Rockin A Ranch (19449 Tumalo Reservoir Road), where the shindig was originally to take place. This was also the site of the 2007 and 2008 editions of the 4 Peaks Music Read More...

Pickathon Video Review

Mike Bookey — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:02:56 +0100

Have you checked out Source staffer Sara Roth's review of Pickathon in this week's paper? Well, if you haven't, you should, so you -- like I -- can feel incredibly jealous for not having gone to the Portland-area rootsy music fest last weekend.

But your jealously can be assuaged, albeit slightly, by this video review, edited our own by Anne Pick. Actually, it will probably just make you more jealous, but whatever, it's a super cool video.

[video:http:Read More...

4 Peaks Jamboree Hits Permit Problems: Will now be at the Domino Room

Mike Bookey — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:28:37 +0100

OK, so last week I wrote a post about how the 4 Peaks Jamboree, featuring Poor Man's Whiskey, was taking place at the West Wind Ranch near Tumalo on Saturday.

So yeah, here's the deal -- the county has decided that the 4 Peaks party, meant to be a fundraiser party of about 150 people to keep the festival going into the future, needs a mass gathering permit in order to proceed. So effectively, the outdoor event, with live music, camping and kids activity, is no longer happening.

Fall Music Preview: The Thermals, Atmosphere, Blind Pilot, Greg Brown

Mike Bookey — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:37:49 +0100

It happens almost every August, right around this time. I see a single "back to school" ad, then I see another one...and then a perfectly good Sunday is ruined by a pre-season NFL game. It means that summer is almost over, and that's depressing, especially this year. I haven't even really had a chance to get sunburned yet. Uggg. Lame-o.

But, as I was putting together music coverage for the next several issues, I realized that the fall music lineup is looking STQS (strong to quite stronRead More...

Michael Franti Video From Last Night: Because you were probably there

Mike Bookey — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:22:22 +0100

Well, that was crazy.

Last night several thousand (maybe 5 or 6?) Bendites let loose, to put it conservatively, at the Michael Franti and Spearhead show at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. It was the first time I saw everyone in the venue up on their feet, with almost 100 percent dance participation.

The show was full of the standard "How ya feelin'?!" call outs from Franti and obligatory hand-waving, and it seemed like everyone from one side of Bend's cultural spectrum was in attenRead More...

Pickathon Preview: Dr. Dog, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Langhorne Slim and more

Mike Bookey — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:50:57 +0100

As I've been saying quite a bit lately, I really believe that Pickathon is Oregon's premiere outdoor music festival. The wooded setting, the eclectic yet focused lineup, the schedule that has most acts playing multiple times, saving you the festival stress when two bands are playing at once -- that makes for a great festival.

We'rRead More...

Bend Roots Open Meeting Tonight with Music from the Mostest

Mike Bookey — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:54:31 +0100

Bend Roots Revival, Bend's quintessential local music event, is slated for September 23-26...which is actually pretty soon, considering this summer is ripping by.

As local music fans know, the location of the festival has shifted to the Century Center, an expansive indoor/outdoor space on Century Drive that's also home to the West Bend Tennis Center and other businesses. Ramping up to the festival, there's been the Hump Day Hash concert series, which this week brings in Mark Ransom's wRead More...

Poor Man's Whiskey Returns to Bend for Outdoor Show

Mike Bookey — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:22:56 +0100

One of Bend's favorite bands -- and one that keeps coming back a couple times a year -- Poor Man's Whiskey will play an outdoor show this summer. It's slated for August 14th and the location is the West Wind Ranch (home to a music festival just a few weekends back) out in Tumalo. The show was originally billed as a private gRead More...

Styx Tonight at the Fair, For Real!

Mike Bookey — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:48:25 +0100

The same river of classic rock that has brought us Steve Miller Band earlier this month continues to flow through Central Oregon, this time leading the big hair and big sounds of Styx into the Deschutes County Fair tonight for a free show (if you got a ticket from the Twins radio station and pay to enter the fair).

Styx, best known for their late 1970s, early 1980s string of hits, that included "Come Sail Away" and "Mr. Roboto," among others has been rocking steadily for the past two dRead More...

Larry and His Flask...On a Billboard?

Mike Bookey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:08:02 +0100

There's an old saying that goes "You know your band is getting huge when your name is up on a billboard."

OK, I just made that up, but it's true and something our very own Larry and His Flask realized recently when they got their collective eyeballs on this massive billboard (seen above) in Las Vegas pumping up the upcoming Dropkick Murphys show that the band is opening on Read More...

Video From the Weekend in Music: Hillstomp, Dusty Rhodes

Mike Bookey — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:56:06 +0100

As you'll see in this week's Sound Check column, there was plenty of music going on over the weekend. I know, I'm a little slow in posting this, but I caught some of the madness on video and wanted to make use of it.

Here's some footage of the raucous and exceptionally sweaty Friday night Hillstomp show at the Domino Room, as well as the massively awesome show from Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, who played their last show EVER in Bend at the Silver Moon. The band is calling it quits Read More...

Win Free Tickets to Pickathon!

Mike Bookey — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:21:10 +0100

Pickathon, the indie roots festival that takes place on a spacious farm just outside of Portland, is now less than two weeks away, in case you didn't know. Check out the lineup for this year's festival here, and you'll see that Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Dr. Dog, Heartless Bastards, Langhorne Slim and many, many others are on the bill.