The Trash Report Today 11:00 AM

THE TRASH REPORT: George Santos on Taylor Swift, Me on Oprah, and Cops on Hot Mics

All the latest gossip... sterilized for your protection.

Hello, and welcome back to The Trash Report! I'm Elinor Jones, writing this on a Sunday afternoon with a margarita in my hand and no fucks to give. Will the column be worse than usual? I don't know that, but I do know that I was absolutely blotto on Vitamin D while I wrote it. I hope every last one of you also enjoyed the first of the three weekends of Portland spring when you think that this will be the year that you get good at gardening. 

Now, onto the gossip!

1989 > 2024

The conversation about whether Taylor Swift will endorse Joe Biden has dimmed somewhat in recent days, but disgraced former New York congressman George Santos wouldn't let that messy fire go out. On Saturday he tweeted the following: 

This is a cheap grab at headlines which shows a fundamental misunderstanding of Swift's songwriting. In this column, I will (loud chainsaw sounds cut with music box melodies cut with growling tigers cut with an a capella children's chorus singing a funeral song slowly and offkey) which proves that Swift's lyricism is not inherently that of a scorned lover, and why "invisible string" off folklore is a clear analogy for her cautious yet overtly leftist public political stances. Thank you. *accepts PhD.*

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EverOut Today 9:54 AM

The Top 35 Events in Portland This Week: Mar 18–24, 2024

Ian Karmel, Portland Tartare Tour, and More Top Picks

There's a lot to do and see this week and no time to waste—we've done the heavy lifting by compiling the very best things to do, with events from Ian Karmel to the Portland Tartare Tour and from The Moth Presents: The Portland GrandSLAM to the opening weekend of the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.

MONDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Fear No Music: Iran/America - Common Themes, Different Worlds
In honor of Women's History Month, chamber music ensemble Fear No Music has joined forces with the Iranian Female Composers Association (Niloufar Nourbaksh, Aida Shirazi, and Anahita Abbasi) and Black American composers Brittany J. Green, Jordyn Davis, and Shelley Washington, to compare and contrast the themes of their respective compositions. AUDREY VANN
(The Old Church, Downtown)

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!  If you loved this weekend's gorgeous weather, you're gonna get it for TWO more days, with sunny skies and highs in the mid-70s. And then? It all goes to shit again starting on Wednesday. 😭 Looks like it's back into the drawer for you, impossibly short shorts! 😭 And now for some impossibly short descriptions of today's NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Hundreds of Portland Public School district students walked out of class and to the district's headquarters on Friday to protest the continuing war against Gaza and remember the more than 30,000 Palestinians who have been killed thus far. They also demanded that school officials create a curriculum to teach all grades about settler colonialism and Palestine, to openly denounce Israel's murderous war, and to cut ties with companies who are complicit in continuing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

• According to a new report, Portland's Office of Community and Civic Life did a crap job  managing the historic Kenton Firehouse—which for years has served as a community arts hub—and neglected to collect rent from tenants for the past two years, including state Rep. Travis Nelson (D—44) who apparently has not been paying rent for his offices in the building. Our Courtney Vaughn has more on this sticky wicket!

• If you're looking for a new building to house your roller skating rink/concert venue (that's my idea, but you can have it), you may want to take a peek at the old Sears building that's on the east end of the Lloyd Center Mall, which is currently for sale after the Texas company that owns that particular part of the building filed for bankruptcy. (And apparently there's no minimum bid! 🤑)

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 4:00 AM

The Mercury's 2024 Spring Arts Preview: Spotlight On!

Portland's premiere bingo queen and the soon-to-arrive avant garde sneakers show are ready for their close up.

It's nice out, Portland. That nuclear fusion baddie up above is shining a seasonal spotlight on our hemisphere. And in that spirit, we at the Mercury are focusing our view on projects worthy of your sprung-forward time—in our 2024 🌸Spring Arts Preview 🌼!

It may seem cutesy that we're profiling Peachy Springs. But if you know about the sparkling, sassing Springs, you're probably shouting, "It's about time!" Her drag name may be on brand for our guide, but Springs' penchant for insult crowd work has made her one of Portland's premier drag performers. Andrew Jankowski's profile opens with her cussing out a baby.

You may be familiar with the concept of a listening bar—there was plenty of noise about one opening in Seattle last fall—but did you know we have TWO such establishments in the Portland-area? Robert Ham compares the overall audiophile vibes.

But what's opening this spring? Our EverOut calendar team profiled events that you should put in your calendar—or you can just use that function on our calendar where you ❤️ something you're interested in, and we'll email you when it's time to go!

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 3:58 AM

Peachy Springs Is Portland's Premiere Hard-Working, Foul-Mouthed Bingo Drag Queen

They play for two tight hours and cash prizes. They stay for Springs’ delightfully abusive crowd work.

Peachy Springs cusses out a baby, at her Tuesday night bingo game at the Alberta neighborhood bar Bye and Bye.

“Is that a fucking baby?!” she asks the packed bar through her bedazzled mic. “Are you leaving? This is a family unfriendly show.”

However, as it turns out, the game Springs is hosting started at 7 pm, so the baby is—for the moment—allowed. And the baby turns out to be the son of her friend. 

Upon realizing this, Springs cackles, lighting up the room with her braying register; it's somewhere between a Mark Hamill Joker and Trixie Mattel. Cheers from the heated patio come across muffled to the cavernous main room, but it's obvious she's working the whole space. Her fans have come to expect this kind of lightly offensive humor from one of Portland’s hardest working bingo hosts. 

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 3:56 AM

Five Laurie Anderson Songs That Aren’t “O Superman”

There’s more to this trailblazing musician than the TikTok-famous track; let us guide you.

Laurie Anderson has made an awe-inspiring mountain of music across her 40-year career as an experimental, trailblazing artist. You can attach multiple creative practices to her name, but her most well-known song—thanks to radio play from famed BBC DJ John Peel and an unexpected gen-z resurgence that landed her on the TikTok Billboard Top 50—is “O Superman.”

If you scroll, you’ve heard the sample of Anderson’s track; she modulates her voice to an eerie, disembodied being, flatly singing: “Well you don’t know me / but I know you.” She’s questioning justice, safety, power, and technology, but while “O Superman” conceptually floats somewhere in outer space, much of Anderson’s catalog is grounded, warm, and passionate.

Later this month, Anderson is set to perform in town as part of her Let X=X tour and alongside the NYC jazz ensemble Sexmob. The show is set to be a multimedia performance, showcasing her multi-hyphenate status while breathing new life into her extensive catalog.

If you’re new to Anderson, or just looking for a refresh, join us on this crash course primer of songs to add to your queue that aren’t “O Superman.” 

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 3:54 AM

Portland Has Two Great Listening Bars, Both Alike in Dignity

We compare Sonder Listening Bar and Decibel Sound & Drink, and recommend they swap names.

The arrival of listening bars—meticulously designed haunts built around the playing of vinyl records on high-end stereo equipment—in the Portland metro area was inevitable. A mainstay of Japanese musical culture since the ’50s (an estimated 600 audiophile cafés and bars are currently in operation there), the concept has been imported to the US over the past few years, with a recent arrival being Shibuya, a hotspot in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood that opened last fall. 

It was around that same time that Sonder Listening Bar arrived in our neck of the woods. A similarly themed bar Decibel Sound & Drink has been operating in our area since 2019. Both are tucked into somewhat unexpected locales. Sonder can be found in a small Hollywood District strip mall between two resale clothing stores—a block away from the neighborhood’s namesake movie theater. Decibel, meanwhile, is wedged into a corner lot in Milwaukie, close to an Orange Line MAX Station, on the outskirts of the downtown core.

Both spots stick to the basics, plying denizens with craft cocktails and small bites while engulfing their bodies with music. The similarities end there.

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 3:52 AM

Future Now at Portland Art Museum Unboxes the Future of Sneakers

Get comfy, folks; the future of sneakers is heady as all hell.

On March 30th, the Portland Art Museum will raise the curtain on Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, a new exhibit about the various futures imaginable for the world’s most versatile sporting footwear. Our city is the touring exhibition's first stop following its premiere at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.

This feels appropriate since Portland—the birth home of Nike and the American home of Adidas—made the sneaker as we know it today: the omnicultural all-use-all-color-all-people footcage that drives the sneaker-man wild and dominates the field, court, and street alike.

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 3:50 AM

EverOut's Guide to Spring 2024 Arts Events in Portland

If you’re looking for upcoming films, dance, talks, or live music the Mercury has you covered—better than your sunblock.

Cherry blossoms aren’t the only feast for the eyes this season, as Portland’s springtime arts scene is blooming with more upcoming delights than your favorite floral sundress. If you’re hoping to cry from joy —not just seasonal allergies—consider screening The People’s Joker. Or keep it weepy as indie mainstay Death Cab for Cutie marks the 20th anniversary of Transatlanticism. And no Portland picnic will be complete without a copy of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, the latest Everybody Reads pick. Spring is here, and if you’re looking for upcoming films, dance, talks or live music the Mercury has you covered—better than your sunblock. 


FILM

Nostalghia 4K restoration

When presented with the opportunity to see a film by director Andrei Tarkovsky in a movie house, you should take it. In this case, a new 4K restoration by Italian national film school Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia provides a great opportunity to see Tarkovsky's first film made outside of the Soviet Union. Nostalghia isn't his boldest work, but it's the one where you perhaps get the best feeling of the director's self, as he uses his signature dream sequences and long takes to wrestle with his alienated feelings about leaving Russia—shortly after Nostalghia was released, he vowed he would never return. SUZETTE SMITH

Cinema 21 (starts March 29)

Tag! Queer Shorts Festival 2024

This international festival is celebrating its 11th year of spotlighting the best in queer and trans filmmaking with 51 original short queer films on the lineup. Four intriguing blocks of programming allow viewers to watch films within specific themes, including "Queer Fam," which focuses on families of origin and of choice, "Acting Up," which centers queer resistance efforts, "Ensemble," which includes everything from animation to musical flicks, and a West Coast film block. LINDSAY COSTELLO

Hollywood Theatre (Apr 6–7)

The People's Joker
In many ways, the true diva of The People's Joker has been Warner Bros. Discovery. The massive media giant sent a letter that shut down all but the indie comedy spoof film's premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. Those who have seen The People's Joker—co-written and directed by comedian Vera Drew—say it's as much or more a trans coming-of-age story than a DC Comics-inspired satire, but we must admit the chance to see Maria Bamford as a (nude?) Lex Luthor-like Lorne Michaels, Tim Heidecker as an Alex Jones-adjacent political chaos personality, and Bob Odenkirk as Bob the Goon is certainly a draw. SUZETTE SMITH

Hollywood Theatre (starts Apr 19)

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Spring Arts Preview 2024 Today 3:48 AM

Spring 2024 Gallery Shows in Portland: A Chorus of Art About Work

Great curations from Jeremy Okai Davis and Morgan Ritter, and the upside down server case we all can't stop talking about.

Looking at this season of spring gallery shows, we are reminded that art is all at once political, speculative, and personal. At the top of our list are interesting curations: Jeremy Okai Davis presents work by his contemporaries at Nationale, and Morgan Ritter pairs up painstaking hand-punctured cotton abstracts by Ash Wyatt with Jean Isamu Nagai's textured landscapes at ARTspace. The interdisciplinary cohort show of past and current gallery workers at PDX Contemporary feels full of subdued and idiosyncratic connections. Solitary shows, that caught our eye skewed more conceptual, like Ido Radon's suspension of computer server parts from the ceiling of ILY2. And there's so much more to say about what we saw:


Work After Work 

Too often we shy away from the reality that artists have day jobs or work in the art sector behind the scenes. Between shifts and sleep, many employees who work in the arts are also artists themselves. This group show brings together past and current gallery workers at PDX Contemporary—showcasing their talent, vision, and creativity, via painting, photography, and sculpture. (PDX Contemporary, 1881 NW Vaughn, through March 30, pdxcontemporaryart.com)

California, Ido Radon

Modern technology collides with the natural realm, all across Ido Radon’s solo exhibition. Using materials such as solar panels, recycled PC cases, and cabinets, Radon forged sculptures intertwined with organic substances like rabbit fur. There's a sculpture dangling from the gallery ceiling above a mirror, like an inverted city of Kandor or a miniature Castle Said to Hold Eternity. Is the mirror the way to view "Server," stuck starkly above? An installation of nylon ropes, wires, and bamboo beads intermingle and dangle suspiciously on the wall nearby as if you're invited to climb up there for a closer look. (ILY2, 925 NE Flanders, through Sat March 30, ily2online.com) 

MÊlange, curated by Jeremy Okai Davis 

Accomplished illustrator and graphic designer Jeremy Okai Davis has been guest curating a group exhibition of his contemporaries in Nationale's project room for a week in February and all of March. His introductions include: Rebecca Boraz’s woodcut prints of figures embracing, Maria Britton's cascading watercolor draperies that hang suspended in motion, Anthony R. Grant's bold graphics, text, and photos in dynamic collage, and Chris Lael Larson’s ambiguous paintings, which still manage to conceal representational elements within their vivid kaleidoscopic shades. (Nationale, 15 SE 22nd, through Sun March 31, nationale.us)

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GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)


• City, County Leaders Unveil Plans to Cut Homeless Count By Half. Not Everyone Is On Board.

Local leaders are heralding a “comprehensive and ambitious plan” to open 1,000 more shelter beds and provide roughly 2,700 unhoused people with housing or shelter over the next two years. One county commissioner calls the plan “absurdly unrealistic.”

Courtney Vaughn

• Auditors: Future of Historic Kenton Firehouse in Jeopardy After Mismanagement

A fraud hotline report details a Portland bureau's failure to follow city contracting guidelines for management of the Historic Kenton Firehouse. State Rep. Travis Nelson has been using the building as his district office, rent-free.

HISTORIC KENTON FIREHOUSE/CITY OF PORTLAND

• Film Review: Love Lies Bleeding Is a Bold Newcomer to the Erotic Thriller Canon

Director Rose Glass’ second film tells the sleazy, sexy story of two star-crossed sapphic lovers.

 A24
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EverOut Fri 12:29 PM

This Week In Portland Food News

Rangoon Bistro Expands, Sebastiano's Moves to Sellwood, and Bar Norman Says Goodbye

We've got major spring fever this week and are ready to sip Negronis on the outdoor patio at Sebastiano's new home in Sellwood. Plus, Rangoon Bistro's opened a second restaurant, Bar Norman bids adieu, and a new bar plans to take over the Sweet Hereafter space. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.

NEW OPENINGS 

Rangoon Bistro
The locally sourced Burmese spot Rangoon Bistro, which got its start as a farmers market stand and opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Richmond in March 2022, unveiled a second location on North Mississippi on Sunday. The outpost plans to offer a new specials menu with rotating seasonal dishes like keema palata and satay skewers.
Boise

Read on EverOut »
Movies & TV Fri 11:30 AM

Film Review: Problemista Is a Bizarre, but Surprisingly Honest, Movie About US Immigration

The comedy genius behind Los Espookys and that SNL "Papyrus" sketch, Julio Torres' first feature is queer, surreal, and over the top.

Problemista takes place in a universe where a call to customer support can spiral into a telenovela-style showdown, where bureaucracy traps people in infinite loops of Escher-like offices, and where Craigslist takes the seductive form of actor Larry Owens—who knowingly whispers “Bowflex” from within a web of trash. 

In this way, this first feature from writer-director Julio Torres is to be expected. Torres is behind some of the most queer, surreal, and over-the-top sketches in the history of Saturday Night Live—eg. "Wells for Boys," "Papyrus,"—and the most fairytale plot lines of Los Espookys. But Problemista is also a remarkably honest account of what it’s like to live in the US as a certain kind of immigrant.

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EverOut Fri 10:39 AM

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Portland This Weekend: Mar 15–17, 2024

St. Patrick's Day Celebrations, Secret Room's Opening, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $15

It's your lucky day—you've found your way to the corner of the internet that's gonna give you the best intel on how to spend your weekend. Peruse solid gold events from All-Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon's 83rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration to a weekend-long St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Kennedy School and from Jenny Don't & the Spurs with Jacob Weldon to Secret Room's Opening.

FRIDAY

COMMUNITY

Secret Room Opening
Fans of local comic haunts like Floating World and Books with Pictures will dig Secret Room Press’s new shop wedged between Bollywood Theater and Salt & Straw on SE Division. The team is taking over the lease from Little Otsu, who will transition their sales of my favorite fancy notebooks to an online format. (Secret Room Press will also serve as a pick-up location for Little Otsu orders.) You might have spied Secret Room Press during their Lloyd Center pop-up last year—they hawk very cool risograph-printed books and zines. Their new space will have a rotating RISO art gallery and a “curated selection of books, creative tools, notebooks, handmade toys, cassettes, vinyl, VHS, and more.” Stop by their opening to scope out Creature Comforts, the first RISO art show. LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Secret Room, Richmond, free)

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland: I know you're just entertaining these news bits until we get to the funny video—BELIEVE ME, SO AM I. Let's be serious for a sec.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• There's trouble in the Historic Kenton Firehouse! Portland City Auditor's Office says that Rep. Travis Nelson (D—44) has been using the city-owned space rent-free for the past two years. Yiiiikes dude. People were going to notice eventually. Mercury news editor Courtney Vaughn has the story.

• One of the great enduring ironies of Portland's brand new exclusive luxury club Soho House is that the club markets itself as a place for creatives to mingle... when construction of the clubhouse dozens of artists of lesser means had been displaced from studio spaces in the building (pre-renovation) due to rent increases, just a few years before the club began renting the property. Props to OPB for reporting that story in 2016 and Eater who got on the Soho side-eye train last year. Axios should be fucking embarrassed about the completely unexamined look they gave the members-only club yesterday. The New York Times published a nice long profile on the Portland Soho House yesterday, as well.

• BUT ABOUT PLOVER NESTING. The nests of western snowy plovers are back in action, so Oregon State Parks and the US Forest Service ask anyone visiting Oregon beaches in the "plover zone" (my term) to keep an eye for roped off plover-only areas. Honestly, the hypocrisy of me, right? It's okay for plovers to have roped off areas but not wealthy humans? Being so serious again, for a sec: Keep your dog from going in the "plover zone" too. Dial in the recall for these puffy little threatened smol bird bad bois.

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