There is a crap-ton of stuff to do tonight so grab a costume and get gone. At the Astro Lounge power-pop-reggae-rock band Strive Roots plays at 10pm. Canadian band Cornshed cranks out some alt-country, bluegrass, folk at the Silvermoon Brewery. Seattle’s own Daniel Kirkpatrick & the Bayonetes execute some pop-indie rock with alt-rock band Jacuzzi opening up at the Liquid Lounge. Ike Fonseca drops some county beats off at the Horned Hand. The Monster Ball is at Vince Genna Stadium and hosted by radio personality J-Si from the Kid Kraddick show with music by DJ Kay Rich and $1,000 for the best costume. If you’re looking for some laughs head to the Tower Theatre for the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters 15th Annual Comedy Benefit with Comedians Sharon Lacy and Kermit Apio. Rage-the-Ween is at the Midtown Ballroom and features The Acorn Project playing their own originals and covers by Ween and Rage Against the Machine.

It's Thursday night, time to start the weekend. Here are some staff picks for your perusal.

The Northwest Best concert series continues tonight with Portland’s own string band Fruition and the Dead Carpenters. Fruition has been playing inspired up-beat folk-Americana since 2008 packing dance floors and music halls up and down the coast.

The Dead Carpenters are a high energy roots-rock band from Tahoe City touring in support of their album Ain’t It Strange. Listen to Holy Moses, straight-up Americana gold and then head to the show.

Viper jazz, ragtime and country blues are the preferred flavors of the band Woody Pines. Dancing isn’t mandatory but it is strongly encouraged. The free show starts at 7pm at Mcmenamins.

Still undecided on how you’re voting come November? Here are four events dedicated to the dissemination of information on ballot initiatives, economic policies and how voting shapes the political and social landscape.

A forum will be held tonight at the East Bend Library in conjunction with the League of Women Voters. The forum is non-partisan and will focus on ballot initiatives. The event starts at 5:15 is free and open to the public.

Tomorrow morning the Bend Chamber hosts a Town Hall Breakfast Forum with guest speaker Neil Bryant. Bryant, a former State Senator and attorney with the local firm Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis, will discuss each ballot measure and the implications if ratified. The event is at 7:30am at the Bend Golf & Country Club. $30 for members and $40 for non-members.

According to Jackson Miller, Oregonians participate in the political ritual of voting on citizen initiatives with more frequency than any other group in the US and these citizen-generated measures have dramatically transformed the state’s political and social landscape. Learn more by attending his presentation entitled Know Politics: Oregon’s Controversial Ballot Initiatives at 2pm Saturday at the downtown Bend Public Library. Free.

James Foster, OSU Cascades political science professor and author of Bong Hits for Jesus discusses Keynesian v. laissez faire economic policies in the presentation Know Politics: Broccoli, Marijuana, and Commerce: FDR or Ayn Rand? Given the divergent and often polarizing philosophies of both the presidential candidates and their respective parties the discussion of Keynesian v. laissez faire policies is especially relevant. 2pm Sunday at the Sisters Public Library. Free.

Metal, country, bucket and slide, bells. We've got you covered.

The Source Weekly listed Flannel Bandana as playing tonight at Broken Top Bottle Shop. That show has been canceled and we regret the error.

If you want to insert a little hard rock and desert metal into your weekend head to the 3rd Street Pub for Halo Haven, Tentareign, Sons of Dirt, and ManX. 9pm.

Married country music duo Cloverdayle plays Mavericks. The NW couple are celebrating the release of their first album 9 Miles Down a 10 Mile Road. $8. 9pm.

Portland based Sassparilla plays jug band, folk punk, rockabilly, punk blues, cowpunk and psychobilly. Whatever you want to call it, their sound crawls under your skin and sticks in your craw long after the show is over. $5. 8pm.

The Liquid Lounge has the Keaton Collective tonight with special guest All You All. The Keaton Collective is the result of three bands combining to form one super group that generates a unique indie-rock sound with strong harmonies and thought provoking songs like Hitler Doesn’t Own That Mustache and 1800 Pounds of Fur and Thunder. $5. 9pm

Celebrate the 12^th anniversary of the Red Dragon Restaurant on Third by attending a free show by local band The Neck Tie Killers. Have some moo shu and dance to the funk, ska and rock beats that have made the Necktie Killers a local favorite. Free. 6:30pm.

The Horned Hand has ambient, new wave, orchestral indie-pop band Little Owl. Santa Barbara based Little Owl recently recorded a full length album and our touring the West Coast in preparation for the album release. RIYL Arcade Fire and Animal Collective. 8pm.

Imagine Paul Simon and Cheryl Crow had a baby. That baby (musically speaking) is Andy Hackbarth. Hackbarth mashes flamenco and classical guitar with upbeat, contemporary-folk songs to create a smooth, sweet sound that is both original and appealing and definitely worth a trip down to the Silver Moon Brewery. 9pm.

Free theater, live music and comedy to boot. Thursdays are getting better and better around here.

Local band Harley Bourbon plays a free show at McMenamins at 7pm. Harley Bourbon performs outlaw country punk and Irish folk songs with equal amounts of enthusiasm and panache.

The Source Weekly calendar had listed Boom Chick with Roscoe Bandana at the Horned Hand tonight. Unfortunately, Rosco Bandana canceled and the band formerly known as Boom Chick is now called Crushed Out. Have a listen to Crushed Out’s honky-tonk surf rock for free at 8pm.

Five Pint Mary and Jones Road headline The third annual Bakestarr Benefit concert tonight at the Silver Moon Brewery. BAKESTARR is a local non-profit that supports 18-24 year olds with type 1 diabetes. $5. 6pm Minors allowed until 8pm.

Jerry Joseph is back at it at the Astro Lounge but sans the Jack Mormons and instead joined by Walter Salas-Humara . Salas-Humara is the original founder of NYC Indie-rock band The Silos. Show starts at 9:30pm.

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

The Human Dignity Coalition hosts the 10th Annual Drag Show tonight starring celebrated female impersonator Poison Waters. The event kicks off with a happy hour that includes goodie bags and a meet and greet with Poison and friends. All proceeds benefit the Human Dignity Coalition and the LGBTQ community here in Bend. Tickets are $10-$50 at humandignitycoalition.com.

Bend Fall Fest continues today with an impressive line-up of live music. Vasu, Lino, The Artists' Runway, Flannel Bandana, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Broken Down Guitars, and Your Birthday are on the Local's Only Stage. The Peak 104.1 Main Stage has Sara Jackson Holman, The Horde and The Harem, The Artists' Runway, Leaves Russel, Tango Alpha Tango, Sophistafunk, Larry and His Flask and the Steve Kimock Band. Free and all ages.

Shop for a cause, support the local art community and check out all the live music happening in downtown Bend tonight.

October is Hunger Awareness month and local clothing company 541 Threads is launching their winter collection which includes a fundraising campaign, 5 Fed for Every Thread that will donate five meals to local food banks for every item sold. Live music, beer and wine offered from 5:30-7:30pm.

Fair Trade is a market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries by establishing better trading conditions and promoting sustainability. Support the movement by checking out the Fair Trade and Quilt Show at the Old Stone Church Oct. 5, 10-6pm and Oct. 6, 9-4pm.

The Fall Art Hop starts at 5pm. Drink wine, view art and meet artists in a casual and relaxed setting from 5-9pm in downtown Bend.

Radiation City kicks off the Bend Fall Festival on the Peak 104.1 main stage at Oregon Avenue. Sophistifunk takes over at 7pm and Mosley WOtta headlines at 9:30pm.

Celebrate Saturday by attending one of the many cultural events happening in Bend today spanning dance, film, art, literature and music.

The Warm Springs Tribe celebrate their cultural heritage with a Native American Flute performance, dancing and a salmon bake at the Lodge at Suttle Lake. 3:30-7:30pm 13300 Highway 20.

Local celebrities and their professional dance partners compete to take home trophies and awards at Swinging with the Stars the annual Sparrow Club fundraiser. 6pm Bend High School, 230 NE 6^th St.

At the Reel Rock Film Festival you can watch Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra as they establish the first 5015c, Conrad Anker ascending the Shark Fin and Tom Randall and Peter Whittaker offwidth climbing Century Crack. The event includes appearances by top climbers and swag giveaways.  8-10pm. Summit High, 2855 NW Clearwater Dr.

Robin Martinez explores how the despair of Diego Rivera’s Russian mistress, Angelina Beloff, leads her to a rediscovery of artistic independence and creative will in the presentation entitled Dear Diego: Letters From Diego Rivera’s Russian Mistress. Free. 2pm. East Bend Public Library, 62080 Dean Swift Rd.

What do you get when you combine two girls nights out, christian rock, crazy eights, eleven eyes and a brewtal breakdown? A kick-ass Friday night in Bend, that’s what.

Not one but TWO girls night out events are being held this evening benefiting two fabulous local non-profits The Central Oregon Council on Aging and Healthy Beginnings. Both events feature pampering, food, libations and silent auctions so grab some of your favorite females and indulge yourself for a good cause.

Paulina Springs in Redmond hosts The Crazy Eights Author Tour featuring Ruth Tenzer Feldman, Tawna Fenske, Sarahlee Lawrence, Naseem Rakha, Anna Keesey, Ellen Waterston, Karen Spears Zacharias and George Byron Wright. Listen to authors discuss their creative process and then have some nosh and mingle. It’s gonna get key-ray-zee.

Feelin’ funkalicious? Me too. Good thing Eleven Eyes is playing Astro Lounge tonight. Dancing shoes? Check. Funky moves? You know it. Bring five bucks and meet me at 9pm.

Christian rockers Todd Agnew & Jason Gray play the Sound garden. Can I get an A-MEN?! Tickets are $32 at Bendticket.com.