When it comes to entertainment for a backyard BBQ or a stylish evening get-together at home, a live band beats a shuffled iPod playlist every day of the week, and twice on Sundays.
With little advertising to the general public, house concerts happen more often than most people know. Some shows end up impromptu rock concerts, thrown together just in time for a holiday weekend, like when indie-rockers Wilderness scorched a Memorial Day barbecue at a house in downtown Bend this year. Others are local charity events-for instance the upcoming mini-festival Bigstock featuring a performance by Jackson Browne in support of Oregon Adaptive Sports. And when one of Bend's many talented electronic music producers or deejays lights up a living room, an instant dance party ensues.
But some—like the local House Concerts in the Glen series in west Bend's Newport Hills neighborhood—do have Facebook pages promoting shows and inviting anyone interested to join in an intimate gathering of music lovers. Such was the case last month when former Bend singer-songwriter Chris Beland trekked up from California for a powerful full band performance among the tall trees in the backyard of hostess JoAn Mann's house.
No matter the venue or genre, house concerts attract true music fans who make for attentive listeners rather than a crowd just looking for a party. They are unique events at which the audiences as well as musicians can be more open and vulnerable.
Tips for attending a house concert:
• Bring cash to donate to the performer
• Check ahead of time for potluck needs or a BYOB policy
• Verify if you're allowed to bring a guest(s)
• Be respectful of neighbors when parking
• Seek the host(ess) out and thank them for putting on the event
Reader Submissions:
We want to see the full breadth of the local music scene here in Bend! Send the Source your photos from house concerts you attend this summer and include a short description of the show. Tweet them to us at @sourceweekly or email them to [email protected]. We'll pick the ones we like and post them to the BENT blog, and, if super impressed, throw in tickets for one of the summer's more formal concerts.
