Music Blog

Look alive, Portland, there's a rising threat to the southeast (and I don't mean Estacada)! It's the lately burgeoning metropolis of Bend, described by its official website as "an energetic city with a fast growing population of over 77,780," before going on to add that "Bend is noted for its scenic setting, year-round recreational activities and growing economy. At an elevation of 3,625 feet, the city covers 32 square miles." In other words, Bend is basically the New York City of central Oregon (we jest, we jest, but only because we care. We love our many Bend-based listeners, most notably bendlistener, whose most recent five-star rating went to Beck's "New Pollution").

Anyway, the point here is that Bend has arrived. How do we know this aside from all of that stuff its website says and the fact that OPB opened a Central Oregon Bureau there? By checking that long-regarded gauge of a city's important-ness, the Upcoming Concerts Schedule. Bend's UCS reveals performances this summer from the likes of Lucinda Williams, Wilco, The Gourds, Drive-By Truckers, B.B. King, and the aforementioned Beck (to bendlistener's likely delight)-- a none-too-shabby list most burgs would be proud of. But that's hardly it for Bend, as the summer concert season essentially kicks off this weekend with three days of impressive bills as part of the Memorial Weekend Festival. Built to Spill, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Mates of State, The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, The Breeders, The National and Modest Mouse all play the Les Schwab Amphitheater this weekend, beginning tonight with B.t.S. and Franti. Aside from doling out free beef a few times a year, this Schwab guy apparently puts on a helluva concert, too. As you may know, this poses a challenge of sorts to the bigger, more well-known festival going on up north this weekend-- after yesterday's pocket-ravaging expose, we can hardly resist breaking out the official opbmusic festival calculator for the sake of comparison.

So then, let's go! Google Maps tells us that the 175 mile one-way trip will take us about three hours. Like yesterday, we'll assume a reasonably environmentally-conscious 25 mpg, which means that fuel for the roundtrip will run us about $56. Okay, so we're in Bend, now we need to get into the venue. Unlike yesterday's Sasquatch calculations, there are no "High Roller" or "Non-High Roller" prices to chose between, but we will assume that we're going to all three bills as long as we made the drive out. Because Saturday's Mates of State-Decemberists-Death Cab bill is apparently worth exactly $2 less than the other two, the shows run $35, $33, and $35, respectively for a total of $103. Also, unlike yesterday, there's no on-site camping to be had. Unfortunately, this being Memorial Weekend rooms are going to be tough to come by, and a cursory check of the area's finer mid-grade hotels (including the one a drunkard's stumbling block from the venue) revealed nothing to be had. So, good luck with that. We'll assume you meet someone nice during tonight's Franti and Spearhead set-- an aging hippie or free-spirited college kid, perhaps-- who agrees to let you pitch a tent in their yard for fifteen bucks a night. Score! It's a showerless deal, sure, your toilet is down the street at the convenience store, and your new friend forgot to mention their dogs (they just really like people), but a deal nonetheless, bringing our pre-food and drink total to $204.

At this point, we're almost a couple hundred bucks ahead of yesterday's Sasquatch estimate. Yeah, we could splurge but we're still just a trip to the local Shari's from breaking the bank, so we'll go with yesterday's daily rations once again: a couple of cans of tuna fish, an apple, two granola bars, a couple of bottles of juice, a few PBRs (we're on the cheap here, brewheads) okay we'll splurge on the regional microbrew of your choice, and a ridiculously price-gouged emergency bottle of water per day because you forgot to bring some with you. Grand total for food and drink: $55, but with many qualifications. The Sasquatch festival boasts more than 70 acts, not that you can see them all. Still, not a lot of down time there means it's a bit easier to distract yourself from the thirst and hunger pangs you may experience based on our menu. The fact that Bend's lineup is a paltry-by-comparison eight bands (a delicious and meaty eight, but still) will most certainly increase your food spending. We'll call it $75 to be safe.

Grand Bend Memorial Weekend Festival total: $279, besting yesterday's Sasquatch out-of-pocket by a mere $151. Some more numbers: three less total driving hours to Bend; 63 fewer bands in Bend, too, but also consider that the 8 that are playing there are also roughly 8 of the best 15 playing Sasquatch. We conclude how we began: Bend has arrived.

Be safe, kids.