Tom VandenAvond comes with the Larry and His Flask seal of approval, and in Central Oregon, that means something.
So why did the Flask back VandenAvond on his fifth record, 2011’s “You Oughta Know Me By Now"? Is it his perfectly gritty sandpaper singing voice? At times he sounds like post-prison Steve Earle. Perhaps it’s his lo-fi acoustic sound? VandenAvond’s music feels like it’s being played for you, only you, by a guy on your front porch. Maybe it’s his downcast tunes about ladies, liquor and a life spent traveling.
Or maybe he’s just a nice guy, though his Reverbnation profile describes VandenAvond as having a “surly, drank-too-much-last-night-and-now-I-gotta-perform attitude.
Frankly, that kind of attitude matches up nicely with his authentic folk/country barstool anthems. Hear him at www .reverbnation.com/tomvandenavond.
Tom VandenAvond; 8 p.m. Saturday; $5; The Horned Hand, 507 N.W. Colorado Ave., Bend; www.facebook.com/thehornedhand or 541-728-0879.
