Ben Rice will ‘Wish the World Away’ in Bend

Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 14, 2019

Portland blues guitarist Ben Rice has been racking up the accolades. This year alone he snagged four Cascade Blues Association Muddy Awards (Best Contemporary Blues Act for his trio, Best Traditional Blues Act for his full band, Best Electric Guitarist and “Curtis Salgado” Male Vocalist), Blues Blast Magazine’s Rising Star award and a nomination for The Blues Foundation’s Acoustic Blues Artist award. This heavy praise would mean nothing without the music to back it up, and Rice delivers on last year’s “Wish the World Away,” a showcase for his deep, lived-in growl, gritty guitar licks and penchant for old-timey sounds and instruments (as Rice told GO! Magazine in 2017, his father, Cliff, builds cigar box guitars). After opening for Danielle Nicole at Volcanic Theatre Pub in April, Rice will bring his band back to headline the venue Saturday.

Ben Rice Band, with JB Stone: 9 p.m. Saturday; $8 plus fees in advance, $10 at the door; Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend; volcanictheatre.com or 541-323-1881.