Do you hear that?
That's the sound of a music scene standing on its own.
As Central Oregon's economy has dipped over the past year, so, too, has the opportunity to see big-name musicians tour through town. The Les Schwab Amphitheater staged fewer shows in 2009 than in previous years, and the Midtown complex has been quieter than usual.
So what did the local music scene do? It pumped up the volume to fill the void.
Everywhere you looked this year, area musicians were pushing themselves to new levels. Locals released more CDs and better music than ever before. They took their acts outside the region, criss-crossing the West and, in some cases, beyond. In September, they came together to elevate the Bend Roots Revival from a fun weekend of local music to an off-the-charts success.
And that's just part of the story. Indeed, as out-of-town acts have slowed their roll into Bend, locals have built higher, using their own power to rise from the scene's foundation that was established in recent years.
That foundation gave Bend its reputation as a great place to see music being made. In 2009, local musicians proved it's a great place to make music, too.
