Song of Sunset has always been the little train that could. After our October 23–24 premiere weekend in Bend, we’re taking the next step: bringing Song of Sunset: Underground to Seattle’s Rabbit Box Theatre on November 15, 2026, and Portland’s historic Clinton Street Theater on February 5, 2027.
Before we head out, I want to share what made our Bend weekend special and thank the people who helped bring it together.
Our goal was to give people from around the Northwest a reason to spend a weekend in Bend with us. We began with the Cosmic Heirloom Speakeasy at Waypoint Hotel’s Hosmer Bar, then gathered at Silver Moon Brewing on Saturday for an evening of films, live music and conversation.
We screened three films produced by Ghost of Brian Craig: Song of Sunset: In My Day, Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years, and Salvaged Reverb: Inside the Legendary Robert Lang Studios. We also shared a short produced by Warm Springs hip-hop artist Sho Rilla before he took the stage.
That was a highlight for me. It was amazing to share his film, see his connection to Warm Springs through his eyes, and celebrate his music that same night. I was proud to give his short film its first screening.
We had some wonderful partners behind the evening. Drop Thesis supported the film screenings, Oregon Film presented the panels, and 92.9 FM presented the live music. HÚE Hearts Unknown joined us to talk about its creative wellness programs for Central Oregon youth, and we donated 5% of door proceeds to the nonprofit.
Support from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund, a project of Visit Bend, helped us get the word out to Portland and Seattle audiences. Our main regional advertising campaign reached 42,719 people, and Waypoint Hotel documented six room nights associated with the event.
The free drawing for a guitar I donated also helped us learn where people had traveled from. Entries identified 20 attendees from outside Bend. That’s a partial count, based on those who entered, but seeing people make the trip and book rooms was encouraging.
A lot happens before the lights go down in October. Our production cycle begins with filmmaking in winter, followed by festival submissions and, hopefully, recognition that helps introduce the films to new audiences. Then we build the live show, inviting musicians and panel speakers to help bring those stories into the room.
Bend is where we put it all together and learn from the audience. With our promotion already reaching Seattle and Portland, taking the show to those communities felt like a natural next step.
Seattle’s advance ticket sales have been strong, and we’re already seeing early sales for Portland, our first large theater show. I’m excited to share what we’ve built and see how the experience grows in each city.
Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, traveled to Bend, performed, spoke on a panel, or helped make the weekend happen. You’re helping this little train keep moving.
Join us in Seattle on November 15 or Portland on February 5. Tickets and event details are at songofsunset.com.
