For people who enjoy country music, this week’s Central Oregon concert calendar holds an embarrassment of riches. There’s the Big Ponderoo festival in Sisters (we wrote about twangy headliner Silverada in last week’s issue) and other options, too, plus but here are some of the highlights:
Thursday night brings a sweet bill to Silver Moon Brewing (24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend). Los Angeles-based (but Texas-rooted) singer-songwriter makes bluesy, Southern-fried roots-rock, while his fellow Texan Ellis Bullard skips all the genres and hyphens in favor of what he calls “True Blue Honky Tonk Music.” Both are touring behind fine new albums; Bullard’s is called “Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution” — just in case the previous sentence didn’t make his musical style crystal clear. 7 p.m. $15. .
Sam Hunt
Steven Alan Worster
On Friday, Hayden Homes Amphitheater (344 SW Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend) will host , a mainstream country powerhouse whose 2017 mega-hit “Body Like a Back Road” is one of the genre’s best singles of the past decade. Blending country, pop, R&B and hip-hop is not easy, and Hunt does it as well as anyone in Nashville. Russell Dickerson and George Birge open. 7 p.m., doors open 5:30 p.m. Check for ticket prices.
Then on Saturday, throwback crooner will headline Hayden Homes Amphitheater, two years after selling out the Midtown Ballroom and one year after playing to a massive crowd at FairWell Festival. Crockett is a master mingler of country, folk, blues and soul, not to mention a smooth and skillful entertainer — there’s a reason they call him “Jukebox Charley.” Lee Fields opens. 7 p.m., doors open 5:30 p.m. Check for ticket prices.
IV and The Strange Band
Submitted photo
On Sunday back at Silver Moon, a familiar-ish face with a famous last name will come to town. is led by Coleman Williams, the great-grandson of Hank Williams Sr., grandson of Hank Jr. and son of Hank III. Coleman looks like a Williams and his tradition-minded country sound does the family tree proud, all the way down to its legendary roots. Johnny Bourbon opens. 7 p.m. $15. .
Finally, Wednesday will bring to Volcanic Theatre Pub (70 SW Century Drive, Bend) three country bands, including reliable local favorites The Shining Dimes and Jackrat, plus Country Risqué from San Francisco, which “explores queer love and latter-day disillusionment in the language of classic tear-in-my-beer honky-tonk music.” Three bands, a reasonable cost of entry and maybe you don’t have to wake up for work the next day? Sounds fun! 6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m. $15, .
Ben Salmon is a Bend-based music journalist and host of Left Of The Dial, which airs 8-10 p.m. Thursdays on KPOV, 88.9 FM and streams at . You can find him on Bandcamp and X at @bcsalmon.
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