A local favorite: Summer nights at the Les Schwab Amphitheater

Kicking of our shoes to listen to Sigur Ros across the river from the Amphitheater.

I found a moment of true happiness last Saturday evening. A good friend and I had kicked off our Birkenstocks and were lounging on a blanket in the grass across the river from the Les Schwab Amphitheater. As we caught up over some Ida’s gourmet cupcakes (red velvet and coconut cream is to die for), we could hear Sigur Ros jamming out on stage after coming straight from the Sasquatch Music Festival the night before. The sounds of the guitar reverberated about the landscape. I could see the sun setting behind the Cascades on the clear, brisk, 60-degree evening. Kayakers and paddle boarders enjoying the music interrupted the flow of the Deschutes. As if this scene could not get any more sublime, I watched the sunlight glint off of the water as a mother and her ducklings swam by.

Did I mention that on the previous night, I had been rocking out to Cake at the same Amphitheater? Or that on the same day I skied down “Thunderbird” in a tee shirt to live music at Mt. Bachelor? Or what about how I had a mountain biking excursion planned at Phil’s Trail about five minutes from PointsWest the next day?

I guess if I could find one complaint about Bend, it would be that there is simply too much to do. But no matter what, I always find time to enjoy the concerts at the Amphitheater. Every summer, they offer a number of first-rate shows. Past shows have included Coldplay, The Shins, Norah Jones, Modest Mouse, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Bob Dylan and one of our more popular shows, Tenacious D. So far this year, the lineup features Steve Miller Band on June 28, Pink Martini on July 12, and Michael Franti & Spearhead on August 11. In addition to these headliners, they offer free concerts by up-and-coming artists every Sunday afternoon throughout the summer.

Whether you prefer to sprawl out on a blanket in the grass at the Amphitheater, on the grass across the river, or to paddle on the river, summer concerts at the Amphitheater are sure to bring fun times into your jam-packed summer itinerary in Central Oregon.