Alicia Viani

Outlaw country and folk singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt would have turned 76 on Saturday. The “Pancho and Lefty” and “To Live is to Fly” songwriter, who died in 1997 at 52 due to complications from drug and alcohol abuse, may not have hit mainstream success in his life, but his influence lives on in artists such as Willie Nelson, Jason Isbell, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle (all of whom covered his songs) and many more. He’s also touched many in our Bend songwriting community, judging from the list of performers slated to play a Van Zandt tribute at The Brown Owl on Saturday: Jeshua Marshall (who now books music at Brown Owl and has brought in some interesting shows so far this year), Scott Oliphant, Jason Chinchen, Alicia Viani, Bill Powers, Victor Johnson, Joel Chadd, Caitlin Owen Kelly, Jake Soto, Nancy Terzian, Mark Quon, Justin Sinacola, Garrett Miller and Dominic Taliaferro. Come celebrate the life and music of a musical pioneer whose legacy was cut short too soon.

A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt: 3 p.m. Saturday; free; The Brown Owl, 550 SW Industrial Way, Suite 120, Bend; facebook.com/events/2510293715958189, brownowlbend.com or 541-797-6581.