The Bend Roots Revival — a long-running celebration of local music and arts — isn’t till September, but there does seem to be a roots revival (not the lowercase R) happening in the area over the next week.
Several shows rolling through Central Oregon in the coming days could be classified somewhere in the blurry regions between folk, country, Americana and roots music. So we’ve grouped them together below to give you an overview of what’s happening. If this is your particular corner of the musical universe, enjoy exploring!
On Thursday, Volcanic Theatre Pub (70 SW Century Drive, Bend) will host Big Richard, a Colorado-based quartet of women who play what they call “bluegrass with a side of lady rage.” That may be true, but their string-band sound is hardly aggressive, and their skilled pickin’ and sweet vocal harmonies were a hit at last year’s Sisters Folk Festival. AF & the Riveters open. 8 p.m. Thursday. $12.
The Belfry (302 E. Main Ave., Sisters) just keeps getting busier, with good folk-leaning acts up and down the summer calendar. First up: The great Caleb Caudle, a Southern singer-songwriter who has been putting out excellent albums of tuneful Americana for nearly a decade. On his latest, “Forsythia,” he was joined by some big-time Nashville session players (including Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush) and vocalists (Carlene Carter, Elizabeth Cook) for recording sessions at the legendary Cash Cabin under the watchful eye of producer John Carter Cash. The result is a record that sounds incredible and accentuates Caudle’s mastery of his craft. Micah Peterson opens. 7 p.m. Friday, $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
As half of the wonderful Oregon-based duo Fellow Pynins, Ian George makes folk music that is deeply connected to the traditions of the genre. On Friday, he’ll play at Silver Moon Brewing (24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend) without the other half of that group (his wife, Dani Aubert) but with a band of “particularly gentle, beautiful and thrashing men,” he said. His solo work is still folksy, but with a more modern, more ethereal feel, a la Sufjan Stevens. 8:30 p.m. Friday, doors open 8 p.m., $12.
Sometimes it’s hard to write about a band because there’s just not much more to say besides they’re a good band. There’s no angles, no talking points, no funny backstory or whatever. Drunken Hearts are one of those kinds of bands. Led by a sharp songwriter named Andrew McConathy, the Colorado-based combo plays rock-solid country-rock that really soars when their frontman gets his big ol’ voice going on those long, drawn-out notes in the choruses of his tunes. See ‘em at Silver Moon Brewing (24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend). 7:30 p.m. Saturday, doors open 7 p.m. $13.
Of all the different musicians and musical styles represented in this article, Ward Davis is the most pure country of the bunch. He comes from the outlaw branch of the genre, and his story is not uncommon: He moved to Nashville to write songs for other artists, and while he did see his tunes cut by big names like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Trace Adkins, his style was a little too raw and real for modern-day Music Row. So he decided to focus on singing his own songs, and he’s been growing in stature ever since. Fans of Cody Jinks may recognize Davis as the guy who co-wrote “I’m Not the Devil” with their guy. Anyway, Davis comes to Volcanic Theatre Pub (70 SW Century Drive) at 8 p.m. Saturday. $20.
As you may know, the summer concert season has kicked off at Hayden Homes Amphitheater (344 SW Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend), and Sunday night’s show features Los Angeles-based Lord Huron, a band that sounds like it was created in a lab specifically to write sweeping, cinematic roots-pop for cool, colorful indie films set in the American Southwest. They also sound like a Tex-Mex Fleet Foxes. These are compliments, by the way: Lord Huron’s songs are undeniably likable. Be sure to get there on time to catch Allie Crow Buckley, whose new album, “Utopian Fantasy” is good! 7 p.m. Sunday, doors open 5:30 p.m., $39.50.
Finally, Wednesday brings the return of Bombadil, a quirky folk-pop group that has played in Bend several times. Previously, the band came to town from its home base in North Carolina, but now, at least one member lives in France. They just released their ninth album, “In Color,” and while there are guitars and bass involved, there’s also lots of flute, drum-machine beats and synthesizer parts. What matters, however, is not the instrumentation but the songwriting, which is reliably catchy and compelling. Catch ‘em at McMenamins Old St. Francis School (700 NW Bond Street, Bend). 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, June 7. Free.