We’ve heard whispers for several weeks and, while we still haven’t gotten official confirmation from the current owners, it appears that Players Bar and Grill is ending its long run as a destination for fans of live metal, rock, hip hop. Players is apparently putting on its final shows over the next few weeks, winding down its live music by the end of the month as the new ownership takes the reins at the hard drinking and hard rocking nightclub, according to one local bandleader who has been working with the club recently.

No official word on what will become of the bar, which is being acquired by the same ownership group that controls The Mountains Edge and the Timbers locations, but one rumor is that Players will be supplanted with a restaurant.

While the loss of any venue is never a good sign for the local music scene, there are indications that Century Drive is thriving. In addition to the recently completed Show Us Your Spokes Series at Parrilla, the Hump Day Hash series at the new Century Center, formerly Brightwood mill, is generating a solid buzz. Next month the Century Center will host the Bend Roots Festival, which is moving from the area around Victorian Café and Parrilla Grill where it has outgrown its makeshift festival grounds.

Word is that the Century Center will debut a new stage at Roots that could position the multi-use complex as one of the new go-to venues for local bands and smaller traveling acts.

It’s an American tradition for political candidates to show up at Labor Day picnics, and John Kitzhaber and Chris Dudley both upheld the tradition – but in different cities.

Republican Dudley put in an appearance at a picnic in Bend sponsored by the Central Oregon Labor Council. His Democratic rival John Kitzhaber attended one put on by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council in Portland’s Oaks Park.

Oregonian political blogger Jeff Mapes reports that Dudley got an invitation to the Portland picnic, but with a string attached:

“Bob Tackett, executive secretary-treasurer of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, said he told someone from the Dudley campaign that the Republican candidate was welcome to show up - but that he'd have to debate Kitzhaber on stage if he did. Tackett said it quickly became apparent this wasn't going to be acceptable to the Dudley campaign.”

“[I]t makes sense that [the Dudley] campaign would not see much advantage in appearing on the same stage with Kitzhaber before a hostile audience,” Mapes comments.

The Dudley and Kitzhaber forces have wrangled over the debate issue ever since the start of the campaign, with the Democrats accusing Dudley of trying to avoid debating the more experienced and savvy Kitzhaber. A televised debate sponsored by The Oregonian and Portland’s KGW-TV is set for Sept. 30, and at this point it looks like it will be the only head-to-head showdown between the governor candidates.

The Thermals, probably one of my favorite rock bands of the past decade is playing the Tower Theatre. Yes, that's right, an awesome rock and roll band is playing at our nicest indoor venue!

The show, part of the PDXchange Program, kicks off at 8pm tonight with an opening set from another rock trio -- our very own Autonomics. Tickets are just $15.

Just yesterday, the Thermals released a new album, Personal Life, which, as I wrote about last week, may be the band's most solid full-length recording to date. To celebrate the release, the band is planning on rocking your face off...just like they did to the crowd at Bumbershoot over the weekend. Here's some video of that performance. Watch it, and then go to this show.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD542RrGAPM 600x355]