Eleven years to the night, Jeffrey Foucault returns to The Belfry

The songwriter last played Central Oregon at the Sisters church-turned-venue on Nov. 11, 2015. He's back in the same room next Wednesday.

Some returns are planned to the calendar and some just land that way. Jeffrey Foucault last played Central Oregon at The Belfry in Sisters on November 11, 2015. Next Wednesday, November 11, 2026, he's back in the same room, eleven years to the night. The show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are through BendTicket. The date was announced October 27, so there hasn't been much time to spread the word.

That makes this the rare return that's literally a return: the same town, the same old church, and a songwriter who has been through a lot since he last stood under that bell.

The record he's carrying is The Universal Fire, released in September 2024 on Fluff & Gravy Records, according to Foucault's own press page. It was his first album of new material since 2018, and the press notes describe songs recorded live in one room, a record partly shaped by the loss of his longtime drummer, Billy Conway. That's a heavy thing to bring into a small space, and it's exactly why a small space suits it. JamBase files Foucault under folk, country and rock all at once. These are songs that need the room quiet enough to hear the breath before a line.

He's been on the road with it all fall. Listings show him in Missoula in mid-September, and McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica has him on November 5, the day this piece runs. Sisters comes less than a week later, a weeknight stop in a town of a few thousand that plenty of touring acts would drive past on the way to somewhere bigger.

The bell is still up there, and there's a loft with old pews looking down on the floor.

The Belfry is the reason they don't. The Bend Bulletin has described it as a century-old church that Angeline Rhett, who also runs Angeline's Bakery in town, turned into a concert hall and community space. In the fall of 2015, the same season Foucault last came through, the Bulletin ran a piece headlined "Belfry bringing more music to Sisters," and the room has kept that promise. Bend Source has named it one of its top picks for seeing shows in Central Oregon. Its reviewer noted that the bell is still up there, and that a loft with old pews looks down on the floor. The calendar leans toward folk, Americana and roots, with songwriters like Keith Greeninger and The Brothers Reed coming through. It holds about 250 people, so a show here feels like a living room with a high ceiling.

For a songwriter whose recent work is about loss and what's left after, that's about as good a setting as Central Oregon offers. Eleven years is a long time between visits. The Universal Fire is the sound of someone who spent part of that time taking stock, and The Belfry is a room that lets you hear it.

Wednesday night in Sisters in November will be dark and cold by showtime, so plan the drive from Bend accordingly. The room is small and the notice was short. If you've been waiting since 2015, don't wait for the door.

Sources: Jeffrey Foucault press – New album THE UNIVERSAL FIRE (Fluff & Gravy Records) (jeffreyfoucault.com); Jeffrey Foucault – McCabe's Guitar Shop (mccabes.com); Jeffrey Foucault — live event on Sep 17, 2026 – Ckord (app.ckord.com); Culture: Belfry bringing more music to Sisters – The Bulletin (bendbulletin.com); A big weekend at The Belfry – The Bulletin (bendbulletin.com); Ring the Bell – Bend Source (bendsource.com); Belfry welcomes back Keith Greeninger, Dayan Kai – The Bulletin (bendbulletin.com); The Brothers Reed to perform in Sisters – The Nugget (nuggetnews.com); The Belfry – Bend Source (bendsource.com); Jeffrey Foucault tickets – BendTicket (bendticket.com); Jeffrey Foucault at The Belfry – JamBase (jambase.com)