Third Street Pub in Bend will host two shows next week headlined by excellent bands from the West Coast’s growing extreme punk/metal scene.

On Wednesday night, Oakland stone-hammers Connoisseur will bring their hazy sludgecore to Bend’s primary venue for heavy music. And on Thursday night, Portland’s Night Nurse will level Third Street Pub with its crusty thrash-metal attack. Hear Connoisseur’s fine new EP at www.downloads.tankcrimes/album/stoner-justice and Night Nurse at www.nightnursepdx.bandcamp.com.

The two shows are part of a string of big-time bookings, at least as far as the region’s punk/metal fans are concerned. The hot streak started July 6 with a visit from Witchaven, a band of blackened thrashers from L.A. That happened on private property just outside city limits.

In mid-July, Third Street hosted shows by Idaho thrash band Krystos and out-of-state punk bands SuperNothing and M-Section. On July 21, a local collective of metalheads threw a party in Pioneer Park and hosted thrashgrass bands Days N Daze and Broken Bow.

Last week, it was back to Third Street Pub for Idaho metal band Eternal North and Seattle grindcore act Theories, back for its second show in Bend in a couple of months. And on Aug. 11, rising Washington death/grind band The Drip will make a stop at the pub.

There are at least a couple of factors behind the recent surge in shows by heavy bands. First, tour routing: A handful of the aforementioned gigs happened as bands made their way to large punk/metal festivals such as Deadfest in Oakland, Black Sky in Denver and even Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore. That’s far away, but if a Seattle band is going to play in Baltimore, it has to get there and it helps to make some money along the way.

Second, much of the activity in recent months has been powered by three small but active collectives: Middle Oregon Metal and Punk (MOMP), the Central Oregon Metal Alliance (COMA) and associated company Coma Bookings, and Bend Pyrate Punx, a local chapter of a national network of punk-rock supporters.

All three groups are active online, using Facebook and other avenues to organize, book bands, recruit help in putting on shows and more. They’re doing all of this despite relatively limited resources, a lack of venues interested in putting on these shows (which is why they happen in parks and private properties at times) and occasional opposition by the community. Last year, a planned MOMP show on private land in Bend by L.A. powerviolence band ACxDC was moved to Salem at the last minute after neighbors raised concerns about the band’s music, the safety of the venue and fire hazards.

The Third Street Pub, however, is all clear to let people plug in their guitars and play music, loudly. And it has been doing just that, with the help of some locals who like that kind of thing and are willing to put in the legwork.

Wednesday and Thursday are the next opportunities for the curious to show up and see what’s going on in this little sub-scene in Bend.

— Reporter: 541-383-0377, bsalmon@bendbulletin.com