We ve All Sacrificed. Now s the Time to Set a Course for Oregon s Live-Event Industry.
During an isolating year when many of us have described ourselves as being lanky saplings in need of a good dose of water, it is the memory of better days ahead that have kept us going When people think of Oregon, among the first things that come to mind along with our mountains, waters and trees is the cultural wealth our state provides. From festivals such as Oregon Shakespeare in Ashland, to Pickathon near Portland, to concert venues such as McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, or the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, chances are, as an Oregonian, you ve traveled to one of these landmark venues and have made lasting memories.
We re losing shows, daily : Concert venues ask state for guidance on long-term reopening plans
With COVID risk levels changing often, entertainment venues and festivals are having a tough time planning for the summer. Author: Katherine Cook Updated: 11:18 PM PDT April 5, 2021
PORTLAND, Oregon Watching a video from an outdoor concert can feel like watching something from 10-years ago. But as more people get the COVID-19 vaccine, concert venues are trying to plan how to bring back live, outdoor events. Many feel like they re doing so without the state s guidance.
“There s none of that groundwork, so right now we re losing shows, daily,” said Beau Eastes, marketing director for the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend. “People are saying, ‘We ll route our tour around Oregon because we don t know what the parameters are going to be.’”
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Actors Steven Flores and Tanis Parenteau perform in Manahatta in 2018. It s one of three shows streaming this spring on OSF’s digital platform called O!
Last week, performing arts venues from across Oregon asked state leaders for guidance on how to resume business. They say the Governor’s office ignored most of their questions, making it nearly impossible to plan for this summer.
The coalition of event producers met with Governor Brown’s office and Oregon’s state health Officer last Wednesday, hoping to draft a reopening plan for music festivals, concerts, theater, and other live performance events.
David Schmitz, the executive director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, says that what they need most are clear guidelines to be able to plan ahead.
Bend s biggest stage is getting a new look If you ve been on Shevlin-Hixon Drive in Bend recently, you might have noticed something strange as you drove, ran, walked or biked by namely, that the Les Schwab Amphitheater is completely unrecognizable. Before, depending on which way you were coming from, your eye would be drawn toward the murals on the back or front sides of the stage. Now, instead, you immediately notice giant steel beams stretching toward the sky.
Bend Concerts announced at the end of 2020 that the amphitheater would enter into a four-phase remodeling plan. Phase I is chugging right along and is expected to finish in June, while Phase II will begin this fall. Other phases will follow in the years to come.
Living in the center of town puts residents at the heart of it all The neighborhoods of Old Bend and River West contain a highlight reel of sorts of what people who don t live in Bend come to the city to do floating the river, cruising the Old Mill, sipping beer at the OG breweries and grabbing an Ocean Roll from the OG Sparrow Bakery. Comprised largely of historic homes, many of them cottages cobbled together by lumber-mill workers doing it like the protagonist in Johnny Cash s One Piece at a Time song, Old Bend gives residents a glimpse of what life was like before the mills were replaced by a mall; before people-watching the scantily clad river floaters became a prime afternoon pastime any day of the week.