Our Mission: Powder River Music Revue is dedicated to the enrichment of Baker and surrounding counties through the development and production of family-friendly music, arts, entertainment, and educational events.

The function of PRMR is to organize, promote, facilitate, and solicit funding for free, or mostly free, events that enhance the livability of our community, serving local residents and those who are visiting the area. We specialize in targeting at-risk and underprivileged community members who may not be able to afford to attend events like these. We also partner with the tourism industry and other local businesses to promote and encourage event participation by people from out of the area to grow tourism locally.

How Baker City Events came to be: Powder River Music Review began as a weekly music event held at the Baker courthouse mid-week during the lunch hour where people could come enjoy local live music while eating lunch on the lawn. This event was sponsored by Historic Baker City, Inc. (HBC) and organized by Bob Evans with the help of local musicians. Marilyn Shollenberger, owner of Marilyn’s Music and member of Salt Lick #39 band, named the event “Powder River Music Review.” After Bob Evans passed away, Marilyn continued live music and jam sessions at her store.

Years later, when Lynette Perry was involved with fundraising to build a bandstand in Geiser-Pollman Park, she went to HBC to see if the name could be used for a weekly concert series to raise awareness about the bandstand project, selling tiles and bricks to help fund it. Local musicians donated their time and talent performing for this local fundraising effort. 

The original founders of the bandstand project were Al Durgan and Phyllis Badgely, with the assistance of local businesses and musicians, who laid the groundwork for gaining support for the project. In the 2010’s, with both of the founders stepping down due to health issues, a slump in the economy, and with most of the other committee members stepping away, only Marvin Sundean, Lynette Perry, and Cindy Endicott remained on the committee. With money already collected for the bandstand project, they felt they had to forge on. Phyllis Badgley’s daughter, Joyce Hunsaker and her husband Dave had moved back to Baker City and Lynette invited them to get involved to carry on Phyllis’s dream. Thanks to their contacts and Joyce’s ability to write grants, the remaining funds were raised to build the bandstand. The bandstand committee held many meetings with Larry Able, the architect, and the builders, the Sid Johnson Company. Larry Able came up with the name Powder River Pavilion/The Heart of the Park. Baker Soroptimist was involved as the 501(c)3 financial holder of the funds. Building of the new bandstand was completed in 2015. 

Powder River Music Review continued and the musicians actually got paid, but that required funding. Local businesses were invited to be sponsors to cover the cost of the music. The Baker City Herald donated ad space to promote the concerts for many years until Lynette's retirement from the paper.

By that time local non profit, Baker City Events (BCE) had been set up by volunteer co-founders Cristi Vega and Lynette Perry. This was done when a local government entity dissolved that had handled the financials for Community Night Out. Cristi and Lynette had been volunteering for years to help the Baker City Police Department in organizing that event.  So when the pavilion was built and funds needed to be raised to continue the events those, funds were included in the BCE account. The Easter Egg Hunt, Kids parade, fundraisers for other local non-profits, including  a special concert for a local teen who needed an epilepsy seizure warning dog, and the tile and bench project  for seating in Geiser-Pollman Park, all fell under the BCE projects account. Local businesses and individuals were contacted by BCE to donate funds and raffle items to keep these projects going. Without the volunteer efforts and donations from all these people and the volunteers who served on the BCE board  through the years, these projects would not have happened. The Easter Egg hunt was turned over to the Rotary Club in 2019.

How Powder River Music Revue came to be: At the end of the 2022 season of events, and with a new board in place under the leadership of Marilyn Shollenberger, BCE board president, the direction of the new Powder River Music Revue board decided to place their focus on the music portion of the organization, expanding where possible while keeping the popular Sunday concert series intact.

Deanna Davis and Lynette Perry worked many hours reviewing  the books to separate the funds and disperse funds as needed prior to turning the books over to Guyer and Associates, who donated their time to be the accountants  for the group moving forward. Funds went to the Lions Clubs for Community Night Out which will continue under the organization of the Baker City Police Department and the Baker Lions Club. Funds from the bench and tile project will be turned over to the City of Baker City to be earmarked for the replacement of any broken tiles on the pavilion.

After the funds transfer was complete Cristi Vega, Lynette Perry and Deanna Davis stepped down from the BCE board. The new non-profit will be Powder River Music Revue, which will have some exciting new directions and changes, but still continuing the summer concert series, providing music for Miners’ Jubilee and the Saturday Jubilee street dance, with plans to expand to offer other events throughout the year.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we rely on grants, the generosity of community members and local businesses, and our event raffle drawings to fund our events. Individuals or families may support PRMR by way of sponsoring a particular performance, or by simply donating any amount they feel comfortable giving. Local businesses may promote their business as a concert sponsor for PRMR, or donate gift certificates or other incentives for weekly or seasonal drawings. All donations at any level are tax deductible.

We are a proud member of the Baker County Chamber of Commerce. We carry liability insurance coverage at each event we promote. We encourage families to join us to make memories and enjoy these entertaining events with us. Future goals include extending the summer concert series to offer other events throughout the year which may offer: organizing and promoting songwriting circles, jam sessions, and other musical events.