A busy week at the Tower: Naturally 7, Diane Schuur and more
Published 10:20 am Wednesday, February 15, 2023
- Vocal group Naturally 7 performs Saturday, part of the two-day Bend A Cappella Festival at the Tower Theatre in Bend.
A cappella music. Contemporary jazz. Southern hip-hop. Japanese taiko drumming. It’s just another eclectic seven days at the historic Tower Theatre (835 NW Wall Street, Bend).
Here’s a roundup of what’s happening on the Tower’s stage this week. For more information, visit towertheatre.org.
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On Friday and Saturday, the Bend A Cappella Festival will fill the theater with unaccompanied human voices making beautiful music together.
The headliner of the event is Naturally 7, a long-running New York City septet that uses their voices to simulate the sounds of instruments. They call their unique style “vocal play.” Naturally 7 performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $37-$52, or you can buy a two-day festival pass for $89, which includes a free ticket to the band’s performance.
Sunday sees the return of Diane Schuur, one of the most accomplished vocalists in contemporary jazz and a skilled pianist, too. Born in Tacoma, Washington, and blind from birth, she possesses a voice that’s as nuanced as it is sturdy. About her 2020 album, “Running on Faith,” the music website Allmusic wrote: “A virtuoso singer, Schuur’s warm, amiable style brings an infectious joy to these songs.” 7:30 p.m. Sunday, doors open 6:30 p.m. $47-$67.
On Monday, Lil Buck’s “Memphis Jookin’” show hits the Tower, and while it’s really a dance performance and this is the Music section, we’re including it here because of the strong ties between Lil Buck’s choreography and the hip-hop that booms throughout the streets and clubs of jookin’s namesake city. In case you think that doesn’t sound like something you’d be interested in, know that the centerpiece of the show is a guy who has toured with Madonna and appeared in an Apple commercial. You’ll dig it! 7:30 p.m. Monday, doors open 6:30 p.m. $27-$47.
Finally, on Wednesday, the Yamato Drummers return to the Tower to showcase their thunderous percussion and intense live show. It is difficult to describe what’s special about watching a handful of people hit drums hard and dance around, so I would suggest searching “Yamato Drummers” on YouTube and preparing to be dazzled by the highly kinetic spectacle. “This is the epitome of the Japanese spirit,” the Tower’s website says, “a roaring sound that will make you experience new exciting adventures.” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, doors open 6:30 p.m. $32-$52.