Hayden Homes Amphitheater Offers An Evening Like No Other
Written by Tim Neville
It’s a gorgeous summer morning in Bend, and Dean Overton is ready. There’s a concert tonight at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater and soon the tour buses and trucks will be rolling in with musicians, managers, sound technicians, lighting specialists, and all the muscle needed to get the show ready. But Overton’s job as the back of house experience manager is special. He’s there to make sure these folks have fun in between the performances. No doubt he has the coolest gig ever.
So much has changed since the amphitheater welcomed its first act, Lyle Lovett, approximately a quarter of a century ago. When our people boogied that night on June 26, 2002, to songs like “If I Had a Boat” or “That’s Right (You’re not from Texas),” the venue was but an experiment with just three ticketed shows that drew a total of 2,000 people that summer. Now it can host more than 50 shows a summer, some drawing up to 8,000 people each. What was once a relatively small stage, the smallest Dave Matthews Band could or would play on, has become a platform for large-scale productions that can hold all the lights, instruments, and backdrops for major world-touring artists.
In a way, how that came to be is a story that mirrors the values and easy living of our town itself. The amphitheater wasn’t even originally planned for the spot where it is now but rather near the Reed Market roundabout with sweeping views of the mountains and the river. Bill Smith, the late longtime Bend resident and developer behind the Old Mill District, quickly realized that putting it there would have either the artists or the fans looking directly into the sun, so he moved it to its current location for a more welcoming experience.
These days, the amphitheater is nationally recognized for its mind-boggling sustainability program. The vast majority of its waste—think more than 93 percent of its trash, up from 76 percent in 2022—stays out of the waste stream. In fact, Justin Alvarado, co-manager of the amphitheater’s sustainability efforts, told me the venue’s Green Team is so efficient with a small army of people literally hand-sifting through every scrap of garbage that they were able to return a single pair of sunglasses that ended up in the trash after a forlorn concert-goer had forgotten them.
All the while, though, the Bend-vibe has remained a major attraction. More than 40 percent of concertgoers now come to Bend from out of town. That, and bands love coming here.
“We’re kinda getting a name for ourselves as a rest-and-relaxation venue,” Overton says. Think about it: There’s grass underfoot. Backstage baskets bursting with colorful flowers hang from posts. The Deschutes slides by, cool and inviting, just beyond the stage, while a row of brightly colored float tubes sits at the ready.
“Most of these acts are going from one concrete structure to another,” Overton adds, “and then they get off the bus here and it’s like they’re in a park.”
Last summer, the Red Clay Strays came to town a day early so they could float the river. Old Dominion wanted to do that, too, followed by a session in the backstage sauna. (Yes, the amphitheater has a sauna, and a cold plunge, too.) Performing in Bend is so fun for these visiting artists that they often speak among themselves, encouraging other acts to make a stop here. When Dierks Bentley came through, Overton says it was Chris Stapleton who told him he should definitely get in the river. “Bend feels like summer camp for them,” Overton says. When Goose came last year, one of the band members summed up the Bend experience as “a really nice Vermont,” Overton told me.
Of course, there’s much more to Overton’s job than just ferrying river-soaked artists and crews around in his golf cart. “The greatest thing we can offer them is really good food and privacy,” added Marney Smith, the amphitheater’s general manager. “I think people imagine there’s a party going on backstage, but everybody is trying to stay as healthy as possible. They want peace and quiet and family time.”
That also means Overton needs to know where to find the best steak. He can arrange for them to do laundry and get their wardrobe repaired or hemmed with tailors on call. Overton even once hooked up a member of the touring Icelandic act Kaleo with a bike so that person could cruise around town hitting Bend’s vintage clothing stores.
Come showtime, it’s no wonder so many acts seem pumped to be in Bend. “Wow!” said Trevor Noah during his performance last summer. “Bend, Oregon. Who would have thought it?” Well, him, because he’s now coming back July 22.
All of this adds up to an experience that makes everyone, from the artists to the crowd, joyful.
“Being here just makes people kinder. It makes them nicer. It makes them happier,” Smith says. “It creates a moment in time where everybody’s just getting along.” And couldn’t we all use a little more of that?
Check out the full 2026 concert lineup at bendconcerts.com, join in on the celebration of 25 years of music, and if yousee Overton in the crowd make sure to offer him a big high five.
