California singer-songwriter Joe Kaplow returns to Silver Moon

Published 3:02 pm Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Back in May, when California singer-songwriter Joe Kaplow came to Bend to play a show at Silver Moon Brewing, I called him “an ace songwriter and distinctive singer whose deeply chilled country-rock sounds like a slow-motion collision between Philly rocker Kurt Vile’s ultra-laid-back vibes and classic, sun-bleached West Coast twang, with more than a hint of psychedelic exploration popping in here and there.”

That’s all still true, but here’s something new: Since writing that, his song “Rock and Roll” — the loping, mesmeric first track on his 2024 album “Posh Poodle Krystal and Toe” — has grown on me so much that (1) I find myself singing its chorus to myself on a regular basis, and (2) I now consider it one of the best songs of the year. The rest of the album is great, too, by the way. You can hear it by searching his name on bandcamp.com.

One note: Normally, we put ticket prices in that bit below with all the show details, but as of this writing, the link to buy tickets on Silver Moon’s site isn’t working, so I don’t know what they cost. Whatever it is, it’ll be reasonable and totally worth it. Kaplow’s music is perfect for that Thursday-night downshift ahead of a Friday of zoning out at work and a weekend

Joe Kaplow and Mustang County Boxing Jamboree: 7 p.m. Thursday, Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend, silvermoonbrewing.com.