The Bend Theater | West Bend, WI

San Andreas (2015 - PG-13)
2022-07-29 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Donate
After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning. And when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

Thanks for making plans to attend a movie at The Bend.
A few things to keep in mind:

All sales are final. No refunds.
It’s general admission seating; the second floor is only accessible by stairs
Doors open 30 minutes prior to the advertised start time. Please arrive early to select your seats and visit concessions or the bar
We offer limited selection of concessions and a full bar (and Coke products)
Your tickets are electronic (and we usually check you in by last name on the order).

If you or someone in your household does not feel well STAY HOME – your ticket will be good for another day.
A note about parking in Downtown West Bend:

Parking fills up quickly on Main Street on show nights, but there is free parking available just across the river at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (205 Veterans Ave, West Bend, WI 53095) with quick access to The Bend via pedestrian bridge.

See you at the show!

Farmers' Market Open House
2022-07-30 09:00 - 11:00 | Donate
It’s Farmers’ Market Season!
Come join us at The Bend every Saturday from 9-11 AM for popcorn, a mimosa or Bloody Mary from our full bar and a tour!
It’s the perfect (and free) way to come and see all of the work that our nonprofit organization has put into our community.

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993 - PG-13)
2022-08-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Donate
When unemployed dad, Robin Williams, loses custody of his three children, he transforms himself into an elderly British nanny so he can spend more time with them. As “Mrs. Doubtfire” Robin Williams becomes the perfect mate – until his ex-wife finds out.

Thanks for making plans to attend a movie at The Bend.
A few things to keep in mind:

All sales are final. No refunds.
It’s general admission seating; the second floor is only accessible by stairs
Doors open 30 minutes prior to the advertised start time. Please arrive early to select your seats and visit concessions or the bar
We offer limited selection of concessions and a full bar (and Coke products)
Your tickets are electronic (and we usually check you in by last name on the order).

If you or someone in your household does not feel well STAY HOME – your ticket will be good for another day.
A note about parking in Downtown West Bend:

Parking fills up quickly on Main Street on show nights, but there is free parking available just across the river at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (205 Veterans Ave, West Bend, WI 53095) with quick access to The Bend via pedestrian bridge.

See you at the show!

Stand Up Comedy: Chastity Washington
2022-08-05 19:30 - 21:30, 2022-08-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Donate
Comedian Chastity Washington has a performance history over twenty years. In that time, she has performed in clubs & colleges across the nation, worked in radio and has been a middle high school teacher. She has appeared on BET Comic View and Coming to the Stage. Chastity has also been featured at The TBS Just for Laughs festival 2009-12 and was the only female finalist of The 2011 Bay Area Comedy competition. She has been featured at Jokes & Notes in Chicago, Milwaukee’s Comedy Cafe, Madison Comedy Week, the Helium in Philadelphia, the Shaq Comedy All-Stars tour. Through 2013-14, she was named one of the 50 Hot Women of Comedy by AfterEllen.com, featured at the Montreal’ Just For Laughs Festival, appeared on a new season of BET’s Comic View, was NBC Diversity Finalist and a participant in the NBC college tour. 2015 brought an appearance on the Urban Movie channels Comedy Underground and a first place win at the ABFF HBO Comedy Wings competition. Most recently Chastity has taken part in the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage, was the 2018 Last Comic Sailing winner on Festival at Sea cruise and has 2 appearances at the Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest. She was also the winner of the Keenan Thompson NY Experience. She’s also Headlined Zanies Chicago and Comedy On State.

POP UP Vinyl & Video Games
2022-08-10 17:00 - 20:00 | Donate
SURPRISE!
Time to bust out your vinyls once more, and join us for our pop up
Vinyl & Video Games event on August 10th!

Grab your wax from The Beat Goes on Records and More and head on down to listen to music on our state of the art sound system.

Our friends from Respawn Retro Gaming West Bend will be bringing the best retro video games to play on our big screen as always! Be sure to talk to Tony and see what cool retro treasures he’s got at his store!

In the spirit of encouraging the support of our local partners, we’ve crafted the following promotions:
– Bring in a record for 50% off your first drink and 50% off while your record plays
-If that record is accompanied by a receipt from The Beat Goes On Records & More (from within the past 14 days) your first drink is free and you get 50% drinks off while your record spins

The goal of this series is to continue to bring life and entertainment to Downtown West Bend. There will be no cover charge and all ages are welcome.

Regner Rocks The Bend: Jesus Villa and the Unrulies
2022-08-11 21:00 - 23:00 | Donate
The Bend is the perfect venue for showcasing local musicians and is proud to welcome Jesus Villa and the Unrulies to our historic stage. Presented with support from the HomeTown Foundation and the Regner Rocks summer concert series, we are excited to showcase Jesus Villa and the Unrulies and their rock country sounds.
If there’s a dive bar at the corner of Country and Rock, The Unrulies would be the house band. The Unrulies are a motley crew of experienced musicians that assembled in early 2022 as the backing band for Jesús Villa.
Jesús Villa is a Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter whose songs speak to your heart before getting stuck in your head. He has performed regularly around southeastern Wisconsin for over ten years, and his songs have been featured on local independent radio.
The concert starts about 9 p.m. Doors open at least one hour prior. FREE General admission seating.
This artist is the opening act for the Regner Rocks concert series.
Downtown West Bend is quite busy on Thursday nights in the summer. We recommend arriving early. Enjoy a meal or a pre-show beverage at one of our downtown establishments and enjoy the weekly free music festivals in downtown West Bend. And then enjoy this encore performance as a perfect end to a wonderful night of FREE LIVE MUSIC IN WEST BEND!

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
2022-08-12 19:30 - 22:30 | Donate
In Chicago, a city overflowing with unrivaled blues talent, world-renowned Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been standing tall for over 30 years. The band’s big sound, fueled by Lil’ Ed’s gloriously rollicking slide work and deep blues string bending, along with his rough-edged, soulful vocals, is as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets. The Chicago Sun-Times says, “Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials are the hottest purveyors of bottleneck boogie to come out of Chicago since Hound Dog Taylor.”

Lil’ Ed Williams comes to the blues naturally. His uncle, Chicago slide guitar king and master songwriter J.B. Hutto, taught him how to feel, not just play the blues. Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed is now universally hailed as a giant of the genre. Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials —bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton— have remained together for over 30 years —an extraordinary feat for any group—, the band fueling Ed’s songs with their rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship.

With The Big Sound Of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, the band continues to bring their blistering Chicago blues to “Ed Heads” new and old. Their infectious energy, joyful showmanship and masterful playing have been honed to a razor’s edge by their many years together. Lil’ Ed, Pookie, Mike and Kelly have seen sports stars and presidents, musical fads and fashion trends come and go.

Meanwhile, their fiery music has more than stood the test of time. “We’re not band members,” says Williams, “we’re family, and families stay together.” Night after night, gig after riotous gig, the musical family called Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials bring their big, dynamic Chicago blues sound to fans across the country and around the world.

Main Street Sounds - Free Live Music!
2022-08-14 12:00 - 14:00, 2022-08-21 12:00 - 14:00, 2022-08-28 12:00 - 14:00 | Donate
In partnership with the Downtown West Bend Association,
The Bend Theater will be featuring FREE live music on our historic stage
Sunday afternoons from Noon – 2pm through August.
Come Stroll Through Downtown West Bend and
listen to some amazing artists as they fill the streets with music.
SHOP, DINE & BE ENTERTAINED!

Rosie & The Rivets
2022-08-20 19:30 - 22:00 | Donate
Rosie & The Rivets: The Premier Retro Rock & Roll Show perform an electrifying female-fronted retrospective tribute to the first ten years (1954-1964) of Rock & Roll. Along with early Rock & Roll favorites, you’ll hear Girl Group, Rockabilly, R&B, Surf, and British Invasion featuring Rosie’s powerful and versatile voice and backed by a band with extensive theater/tribute/roots music experience (members of the Rivets have worked in The Million Dollar Quartet, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, and The Fab Four: Beatles Tribute).
​Make no mistake, this is not your typical ‘oldies playing oldies’ band. Rosie & The Rivets are a high-energy stage show that’s fresh and fun for all ages. Audiences have a hard time staying in their seats and concerts often turn into dance parties!
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Sticklers for detail, much research went into their stage production; period-correct wardrobe, hair, and makeup along with vintage guitars, drums, and even microphones assure you’ll be in for a truly retro-cool experience. While shows are pure Rock ‘n’ Roll, they pride themselves on keeping them family-friendly.

CANCELLED: Regner Rocks The Bend: Sun Silo
2022-08-25 21:00 - 23:00 | Donate
Unfortunately, tonight’s Sun Silo show has been cancelled. We will do our best to bring them back for a future show, and will keep you posted when that happens!
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Sun Silo is a four piece art rock group based in Kenosha Wisconsin. Combining elements of psychedelic rock, jazz, and dream pop, the group maintains to write and release music with an explorative spirit and lighthearted creativity.
Formed in March of 2018, the group has recorded and released one single entitled “Easy Now” , a three track EP entitled “Three By Four”, and a two track single entitled “Oddly Even”. The band takes a hands on approach to every aspect of their output. From writing, recording, mixing, mastering, visual artwork, and design, the group produces and arranges all of their own work.
“The visual elements that go hand in hand with releasing music are important to us. We do take it seriously but at the same time we have a very relaxed approach to how we produce our artwork. I think this allows us to stay productive and healthy.” AWJ
Sun Silo continues to write original music, perform, and record. With a full length’s-worth of material already written, they intend to begin recording, releasing, and touring this material. Click here to learn more about Sun Silo.
This artist is the opening act for the Regner Rocks concert series.
Downtown West Bend is quite busy on Thursday nights in the summer. We recommend arriving early. Enjoy a meal or a pre-show beverage at one of our downtown establishments and enjoy the weekly free music festivals in downtown West Bend.

Full Metal Jacket (1987 - R)
2022-09-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Donate
Join us for for our Thursday night September movie series featuring Stanley Kubrick’s directorial masterpieces.
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue. A two-segment look at the effect of the military mindset and war itself on Vietnam era Marines.
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Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM

Vinyl & Video Games
2022-09-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-09-21 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-10-05 17:00 - 20:00
We have good news for you West Bend!

🎧 Vinyl & Video Games 🎮
CONTINUES AT THE BEND!

Our partners for this event still include Beat Goes On Records & More and Respawn Retro Gaming West Bend!

Respawn Retro Gaming will be bringing the best retro video games to play on our big screen every other week through September & October.
Be sure to talk to Tony and see what cool retro treasures he’s got at his store!

In the spirit of encouraging the support of our local partners, we’ve crafted the following promotions to run for Vinyl & Video Game Wednesdays:

– Bring in a record for 50% off your first drink and 50% off while your record plays

-If that record is accompanied by a receipt from The Beat Goes On Records & More (from within the past 14 days)
your first drink is free and you get 50% drinks off while your record spins

The goal of this series is to continue to bring life and entertainment to Downtown West Bend. There will be no cover charge and all ages are welcome.

A Clockwork Orange (1972 - R)
2022-09-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Donate
Join us for for our Thursday night September movie series featuring Stanley Kubrick’s directorial masterpieces.
Being the adventures of a young man… who loved a bit of the old ultra-violence… went to jail, was brainwashed… and came out cured…or was he?
In a futuristic welfare state, Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a vicious young hoodlum, sleeps all day and spends his nights roaming the city with his droogs (friends), assaulting innocent people in the streets and in their homes. Finally captured by the police, Alex undergoes rehabilitation in the form of aversion therapy as brutal and horrifying as any of his offenses. Based on the novel by Anthony Burgess.
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Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM

Stand Up Comedy: Mike Green
2022-09-09 19:30 - 21:30, 2022-09-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Donate
Quickly becoming one of the top and most requested National headliners Mike has a natural likeability. With original jokes and the knowledge to make it all look made up every time… clever “Clean Comedy is what he brings to the table. With a strong improv background, he takes you on an hour long “Comedy Vacation.”
While developing his own show he was lucky enough to work with such luminaries as Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Titus & Ellen DeGeneres, now Mike has a polished act that he has performed in 48 states. He headlines the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana in both Las Vegas and Atlantic city, The Comedy Castle in Detroit, Funny Bone South Bend, & countless other clubs and colleges from New York’s Comedy on Broadway to L.A’s Ice House. Whether a college, club or corporate audience, if you haven’t seen Mike Green, you just aren’t very cool!

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 - G)
2022-09-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Donate
Join us for for our Thursday night September movie series featuring Stanley Kubrick’s directorial masterpieces.
An imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future in this enigmatic adaptation of a short story by revered sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke.
When Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and other astronauts are sent on a mysterious mission, their ship’s computer system, HAL, begins to display increasingly strange behavior, leading up to a tense showdown between man and machine that results in a mind-bending trek through space and time.
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Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM

The Shining (1980 - R)
2022-09-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Donate
Join us for for our Thursday night September movie series featuring Stanley Kubrick’s directorial masterpieces.
Academy Award® winner Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall star in director Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s disturbing blockbuster horror novel.
Writer Jack Torrance (Nicholson), a former alcoholic, accepts a job as the winter caretaker for a hotel high in the Rocky Mountains, isolating him, his wife (Duvall) and their psychic young son until spring. But when the first blizzard blocks the only road out, the hotel’s stored energy from evil past deeds begins to drive Jack insane… and there may be no escape for his family in this haunting story of madness, memory and violence.
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Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM

Smells Like Nirvana ft. Kovalence
2022-09-24 19:30 - 22:00 | Donate
Smells Like Nirvana’s live tribute to Nirvana is a haunting episode of grunge filled angst and rock prowess played without click tracks or backing tracks a trait that is rare in today’s contemporary musical landscape.
Composed of seasoned pros and DIE-HARD FANS of Nirvana, Smells Like Nirvana’s live tribute to Nirvana is a haunting episode of grunge filled angst and rock prowess played without click tracks or backing tracks a trait that is rare in today’s contemporary musical landscape, a trait and philosophy that Nirvana lived by.
Celebrate the legendary sounds of Nirvana & Kurt Cobain with national traveling Nirvana tribute ‘Smells Like Nirvana’ as they will perform songs from Nevermind, In Utero, Bleach, and more (b-sides/rare songs).
Make this show special by submitting a song request via smellslikenirvanatribute.com. Over 220,000 likes on facebook.com/smellslikenirvanatribute.

Hocus Pocus (1993 - PG)
2022-09-29 19:00 - 21:00
Kick off “spooky season” with The Bend:
Come watch the original ‘Hocus Pocus’ film on the big screen the day before ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ starts streaming on Disney +.
After moving to Salem, MA., teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.
Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM

Stand Up Comedy: DeAnne Smith
2022-09-30 19:30 - 21:30 | Donate
DeAnne Smith, a Canadian Comedy Award winner, has performed at Just for Laughs, JFL42, JFL Northwest, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Austin’s Moontower Comedy Fest, the Limestone Comedy Fest, San Francisco Sketchfest, and the Iceland Comedy Festival, just to name a few. They have also been on TV all over the darn world, including appearances on Last Comic Standing and The Late Late Show in the U.S., as well as comedy shows in Canada, Australia and the UK. Their video Straight Men, Step Your Game Up has over 46 million views. Their new special, The DeAnne Smith EXperience, just debuted on Canada’s Crave TV.

Final Destination (2000 - R)
2022-10-06 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for our Halloween Movie Series at The Bend featuring:
Final Destination (2000 -R)
Death doesn’t take no for an answer. Death is coming. And Alex Browning is cursed with knowing when, how and where the grim reaper will take his next victim to the Final Destination. After boarding a plane to Europe with his fellow French club members, high school student Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) has a premonition of the aircraft exploding moments after takeoff, killing every on board. Alex panics, insisting that everyone get off the plane. In the melee than ensues, seven people, including Alex, are forced to disembark–saving them from a fiery death when the plan explodes as Alex foresaw. But as, one by one, each of these seven who cheated fate meets an untimely end, Alex and his remaining friends band together to try change destiny and outwit the untamable forces of death.​
Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM

Chicago Farmer and The Fieldnotes ft. Listening Party
2022-10-08 19:30 - 22:00 | Donate
The son of a small town farming community, Cody Diekhoff logged plenty of highway and stage time under the name Chicago Farmer before settling in the city in 2003. Profoundly inspired by fellow midwesterner John Prine, he’s a working-class folk musician to his core. His small town roots, tilled with city streets mentality, are turning heads North and South of I-80.

“I love the energy, music, and creativity of Chicago, but at the same time, the roots and hard work of my small town,” he shares. Growing up in Delavan, Illinois, with a population less than 2,000, Diekhoff’s grandparents were farmers, and their values have always provided the baseline of his songs.

He writes music for “the kind of people that come to my shows. Whether in Chicago or Delavan, everyone has a story, and everyone puts in a long day and works hard the same way,” he says. “My generation may have been labeled as slackers, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t work hard – many people I know put in 50-60 hours a week and 12 hour days. That’s what keeps me playing. I don’t like anyone to be left out; my music is for everyone in big and very small towns.”

He listened to punk rock and grunge as a kid before discovering a friend’s dad playing Hank Williams, and it was a revelation. Prine and Guthrie quickly followed. The name Chicago Farmer was originally for a band, but the utilitarian life of driving alone from bar to bar, city to city – to make a direct connection to his audience and listener, took a deeper hold.

Opening the show, Listening Party, a 2018 Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) nominee for Bluegrass/Americana, have found a place in the original music scene around the Midwest with their soulful stage presence and infectious melodies. The trio out of Milwaukee, WI present a fresh brand of Americana music that feeds from folk, classic rock, soul and bluegrass.

Local Movie Screening: IKÉ BOYS (2022 - PG)
2022-10-09 17:30 - 19:30
Don’t miss this exclusive theatrical screening of IKÉ BOYS at The Bend Theater!
Join us for this exclusive local movie screening of IKÉ BOYS. This film was co-written and produced by West Bend’s own Jeff Hammer. After the screening, local Media/Film Historian Chris Yogurst will host a special Question & Answer discussion about the film. This will be one of IKÉ BOYS only theatrical screenings during its release.
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Doors open at 5:00 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar! Show begins at approximately 5:30 PM.
Check out this selected film from the film:

West Bend Community Memorial Library Adult Spelling Bee
2022-10-10 19:00 - 21:00
IT’S BACK and BETTER! We are happy to announce the rescheduled Adult Spelling Bee, taking place at The Bend Theater, with a bar and concessions and a family-friendly interactive intermission. And librarians in bee costumes. REGISTER TODAY!

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 - R)
2022-10-13 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for our Halloween Movie Series at The Bend featuring:
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 – R)
In Wes Craven’s classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams — which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends’ parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it’s too late?
Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to pick your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!
Show begins at approximately 7:00 PM
