Last Friday, Central Oregon Community College hosted the band Precious Byrd at the Bend campus athletic field. The concert was free to the community with food available for purchase and a student giveaway. The COCC Student Life department hosted the concert to celebrate 2023 COCC graduates and their hard work. 

Ryan Rhodes Wikiup Liaison and member of the student life club said, “We wanted to plan something special for the students, to celebrate the end of the year and their accomplishments.” 

As the concert started, the audience spread blankets and chairs across the COCC athletic field. Precious Byrd had the Bend community smiling and dancing the night away. According to preciousbyrd.com, the band was voted #1 party band in the Pacific Northwest for multiple years in a row and features Grammy Award winner Lonnie Chapin.  

As the show began, lead singer of Precious Byrd said to the crowd, “Feel free to do what you do and just be you, congratulations COCC graduates.”  

The crowd continued to sing along to many rock ‘n’ roll classics such as “Give Up The Funk” by Parliament. The event also featured the food truck Zorba the Greek and Bend local serving Frito pie tacos.  

Finals week can be stressful for every student, so having the opportunity to relax on a Friday night and enjoy live music can be relieving. Honoring the hard work and accomplishments of COCC graduates was the goal of the concert and it was a success! 

For more information on COCC student life and events click here.  

Kiah Albertus

Reporter

Kiah Albertus is a reporter for The Broadside. She started contributing to the COCC newspaper in January of 2023. Albertus is currently receiving her Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer at COCC and hopes to transfer to the University of Oregon. In her spare time, she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.