Tour Diary – Bend, Oregon (April 29, 2013)

This town is like a little slice of heaven. Perfect climate, a brew pub on every other corner, a choice of excellent restaurants of all stripes and the Deschutes River winding lazily through the center of town with a beautiful lush park running along its banks. It is also contains the Tower Theatre, which is a beautiful little venue. It was another very good night….the audience didn't seem to come alive until the second set, but we had lots of fun.

JASON LENT FOLLOWED OUR TOUR BUS BACK IN 2011 AND SUPPLIED US WITH HIS TOUR DIARY. HE WILL BE DOING THE SAME FOR THE COMING WEEK. HERE IS JASON'S BEND DIARY

Waking up in Spokane, I took the wheel from Chris and Stephen (two regulars on this west coast run for years) and pointed the car south towards Oregon. The winds of the high desert fought the car every inch of the 385 miles we had to cross before tonight's show. It was a long day, one of the tougher drives on a Junkies run, but a perfect small town was waiting when we pulled in. The weather was crisp, a gentle river wound it's way past the small shops, and everybody seemed genuinely happy wherever we went. Deschutes Brewery calls this town home and there was plenty on tap to pass an afternoon. The venue was another one of those lovingly restored theaters nestled on the main street between an actual record store and locally sourced restaurants. Apart from a Starbucks (which was competing with at least five local shops in a four block radius), corporate America seems to have spared this pleasant town.

Tonight was the type of evening that validates those 385 mile drives to reach the next show. The night didn't unfold flawlessly and the passion of the audience wasn't a continual source of electricity for the amps on stage but few would notice. The set list was arranged in such a way that every song triggered an emotional connection to a personal memory, some of joy, some of sorrow. Whatever it is you seek from Cowboy Junkies, it was there for you to tonight. As the band spread their wings on "Blue Guitar", the low tremble of Al's bass felt like the earth stirring with the spirits of Townes Van Zandt and Vic Chestnutt both of whom felt close by on this night.