Portland Mercury

To Whom it May Concern

Anonymous — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:47:00 -0700

You know that one person who, who meant everything to you? That one person who drove you to feel everything? Every day at 8:30am, on their own?
They feel so perfect because everything they say, they say everything you could only have ever dreamed of? Their selfish, convinces your feelings, that’s it’s okay, and you do it?
And then one day, they just walk away?

Over a full year later, I still do not forgive you!

Sincerely,
I just wanted a hug. (You fucked my shit up)

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Witchburn, Alela Diane, Speck Mountain & More

Ned Lannamann — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:20:35 -0700

HURT, WITCHBURN, CELLAR DOOR, ELEMENT 57, MOHAWK YARD
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Read our article on Witchburn.

ALELA DIANE, VIKESH KAPOOR, BARNA HOWARD
(Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott) Churches are an entirely appropriate place to experience the tears-inducing loveliness of Alela Diane's ever-so-slightly-trance folk, replete with poignant lyrics about family, nature, and lovers. It's the latter that's the focus of the forthcoming About Farewell, due out next month. Here's your chance to preview it in the formerly holy confines of Portland Playhouse. MARJORIE SKINNER

SPECK MOUNTAIN, ANDREW GRAHAM AND THE SWARMING BRANCH, THE SLIDELLS
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Fans of Opal, Kendra Smith, Mazzy Star, and Hope Sandoval should devote some quality headphone time to Speck Mountain. The Chicago band's lazed, glazed rock locks into the same time-stopping beauty-mongering of those artists' mellowest meanderings. On albums like Summer Above, Some Sweet Relief, and Badwater, Speck Mountain eke out gorgeous, laidback melodies marked by Marie-Claire Balabanian's consolingly downcast vocals and her and Karl Briedrick's dewy, bejeweled guitar textures. Easy does it, over and over, for Speck Mountain—who are promising a cover of Alex Chilton's jaunty "Hey! Little Child" on this tour. DAVE SEGAL

The Art of Being Pulled Apart by Jellyfish Brigade

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIP-HOP: LUCAS DIX, EVVNFLOW, RUFUS SMALLTOWNZ
(Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi) Hungry Hungry Hip-Hop is a free monthly event created and hosted by Portland native Elan Eichler, AKA rapper Mighty Misc. That he's been doing this monthly since September 2011 speaks volumes in illustrating how much he cares about the local hiphop community. In addition to his infectious perseverance and tenacity, Eichler also has a great ear for talent, giving unproven up-and-coming artists the chance to perform alongside some hiphop heavyweights. Tonight's headliner is Lucas Dix, formerly of Hives Inquiry Squad and currently of Jellyfish Brigade. Dix's day job as an elementary school teacher prevents him from performing around town as often as he'd like, so this glimpse into his new project Diving Lessons is a rare treat. The fact that this month's show is part of the canned food drive Food Wars is all the more reason to attend. RYAN FEIGH

BRAHMS' FIRST SYMPHONY: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Achtung, procrastinators: Did you promise yourself you'd finally catch at least one Oregon Symphony concert this classical season? If so, heads up that tonight, tomorrow, and Monday mark the very last shows of 2012/2013, so get your skinny-jeaned asses in gear and grab some tix before the band embarks on their richly deserved summer vacay. Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the gang kick off this glorious program with a rousing seven-minute overture from Franz von Suppé before turning things over to guest soloist Jennifer Koh—a globally acclaimed fiddler who I guarantee will dazzle the crowd with a brilliant Hungarian violin concerto by Béla Bartók. Following Ms. Koh's gypsy virtuosity, Stumplandia's ultimate cover band will soar with the old-school sounds of Brahms' massive Symphony No. 1. Jesus H. Christ, people, pass up the PlayStation and nix the Netflix for just one goddamn night. It's high time for some fucking culture... unplug and get you some at the Schnitz! ANGRY SYMPHONY GUY

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Open Season Day 4: Immaculate Martin

Marissa Sullivan — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:22:00 -0700

Wow, what a fun way to end 2013's Open Season! And talk about good luck: The one show with an all-indoor runway just so happened to be on the day this week it really started to rain. Inside Portland's über hip bar Dig A Pony was a collaboration between two of Portland's finest: Elizabeth Dye and Adam Arnold. God, it's hard not to play favorites, but this line—while a little all over the place, like the show itself - Adam was in fishing waders and there was a man in a black onesie and mask jumping and dancing around like some sort of rhythm gymnast... Well, there wasn't one thing I wouldn't wear. What we saw were well-tailored trousers and maxi dresses. Brightly colored rompers and color-blocked minis.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight: Meet Disjecta's Newest Curators

Matt Stangel — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:43:00 -0700

A few weeks back, Disjecta announced its lineup of curators for the 2013/2014 season— Curator-in-Residence Summer Guthery and Portland2014 Biennial Curator Amanda Hunt— and tonight you'll have a chance to meet the ladies themselves and learn more about their Portland plans (6 pm, 929 NW Flanders, right by PDX Contemporary).

While this evening's event will feature a presentation and Q&A from the new-to-town curators, here are some quick highlights to get the introduction rolling: Both Guthery and Hunt have ties to Los Angeles' LAXART, an independent nonprofit art space where Hunt acts as curator and Guthery organizes one-off events. When I think of Hunt, I think of shows like Meg Cranston's Emerald City, a recent exhibition at LAXART that explored the construction of trends by examining Pantone's color of 2013, emerald green. Guthery has made splashes with The Canal Series (and its precursor, The Chrysler Series), a monthly series of "single evening readings, screenings, and performances," and she was recently announced as a contributing curator to this November's performance art biennial, Performa, in New York.

Though the above introduction doesn't do justice to the careers of these very busy curators (I've included bios from the official PR after the jump so you can check out their credentials), it does set me up to say one thing: Disjecta appears to be solidifying a focus shift with the announcement of this recent crop of curators. In the Cris Moss-curated Portland2010 and the Prudence Roberts-curated Portland2012, we saw Disjecta looking within city limits for a curatorial angle, bringing on the aforementioned local educator/curators to make the big calls. But when Disjecta imported Oakland's Josephine Zarkovich as curator-in-residence of the current 2012/2013 season, they set the tone for what now seems like an investment in outsider perspectives. It's probably a good move: Portland's stock of curators can feel insulated at times— a lot of the same people focusing on, if not the same artists, the same types of art— and I'm excited to see what folks outside this city are wowed by, and what they'll decide to include in Disjecta's future programming.

Anyway, more details on tonight's event can be found right here.

Aaaaand, some big-kid words about Hunt and Guthery:

Amanda Hunt is a graduate of the Curatorial Practice Program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She has worked at galleries and institutions including Whitechapel Gallery, London; Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York; the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2012, Hunt worked on two major arts initiatives in Los Angeles: Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, co-produced by LAXART and the Getty Research Institute, and Made in L.A. 2012, the first Los Angeles biennial organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART. Hunt also served as Curatorial Assistant at the Los Angeles City Pavilion produced by Walead Beshty as part of the 9th Shanghai Biennale, and most recently curated Steffani Jemison’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.

Summer Guthery is an independent curator and writer based in New York City. She has been in Los Angeles since February to program a series of events at LAXART and attend the Mountain School of Arts. Guthery will serve as a curator with Performa, the performance art biennial in New York, this November. Other recent projects include The Chrysler Series and The Canal Series, both formulated as single evening readings, screenings and performances, from 2010-2013. Prior to accepting the Curator-in-Residence role at Disjecta, Guthery curated at Artists Space, School of Visual Art, NY and the Hessel Museum among others. Her writing has been included in ArtForum, Frieze, Performa Magazine, Pastelegram and Art In General Production Notes. In 2009 she was the Curatorial Fellow with Performa. She has been a visiting critic and lecturer at Columbia University, New York University, The Living Art Museum (Reykjavik), U-Turn Quadrennial (Copenhagen) and Parsons School of Design. Guthery holds an MA from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

To whomever splattered my girlfriends cat Friday.

Anonymous — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:01:00 -0700

Hopefully now you'll decide to stop driving a car and get a bike for so many reasons including the amazing benefit of likely not killing anymore cats. That sweet and brilliant little fuzzball changed how I feel about animals as pets, and showed me the immense love and kindness that my girlfriend had for the world and its inhabitants. It especially sucks that we have to ride past the place where she became kitten soup every time we leave our home. I hope that you're not as devastated as we are, because that would be awful. But I do hope that in some small way this motivates a change in your life because it really doesn't make sense for so many people to drive these huge vehicles around everywhere when most of the time they're just going to a mini mart, or post office or something. Get a bike and break free. Oh and by the way, if you haven't ever scooped up a splattered animal from the road with a shovel, it's a pretty emotional experience that I hope you never have to go through. She's buried at the bluffs if you'd ever like to go let her know that you're sorry.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Cooter Flashing Mini Skirts

Anonymous — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:00:00 -0700

Mini-Skirt Wearing Ladies of Portland (I'm assuming ladies of America at this point, really): CROSS YOUR LEGS!

I am sick of sitting on public transit and having your cooter shoved in my line of sight. I'm sure all the dudes on the train are checking you out because you're just so cute. Or maybe it's just your cooter hanging out.

I guess our generation wasn't taught how to sit like a lady. Google it on your smartphone, skank!

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Good Morning, News!

Dirk VanderHart — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:35:00 -0700

We don't have a lot of time with each other in this life, everybody. Let's keep it brief today.

Powerball. You're not going to win, but it will be thrilling for a minute (if you win, e-mail me!).

Sometimes trains collide head-on. It happened in Connecticut yesterday. It makes no sense.

North Korea's firing missiles again. But it's not a big deal.

MOON EXPLOSION.

France is cool with gay marriage. Oregon still is not.

Uh oh. Crazy ants trump fire ants every time.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has yet to address allegations he smoked crack on camera.

The Weather Widget tells is like it is. No two ways about it.

Also, you'd think astronauts would be dismissive of Bowie's "Space Oddity," detailing, as it does, astronaut death. Not the case.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: I Can Lick Any SOB, Mic Crenshaw, Fruit of the Legion of Loom & More

Ned Lannamann — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:05:47 -0700

I CAN LICK ANY SONOFABITCH IN THE HOUSE, SEPARATION OF SANITY, JACKRABBIT, MATT WOODS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) "They don't make men like Andy Griffith anymore," sings I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House's grizzled frontman Mike Damron on his band's new LP, Mayberry. It could be argued that they don't make guys like Damron anymore either. The band's long been a staple of the Northwest's Southern-fried punk underground, sharing stages with such touring acts as Drag the River, Two Cow Garage, and more. On their new album, ICLASOBITH treads familiar territory: Mike D's ongoing fuck you to conformity, spliced with tender, anthemic diatribes on family values, government, and religion. The energy of the band's beginning stages remains very much alive, which you can chalk up to the consistency in their lineup, from the rhythm section of Mole Harris and Flapjack Texas, to the fantastic harpist Dave Lipkind, to lead guitarist Handsome Jon. This release show will be a rocker. RYAN J. PRADO

MIC CRENSHAW, REDRAY FRAZIER, FINGERPAINT AFRO JAZZ, DJ DEFF RO
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Local emcee Mic Crenshaw may choose to call Portland home, but it's abundantly clear that his musical influence extends far beyond the borders of our town. A recent trip to six cities in Africa as part of the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan found him touring with the likes of political rappers Dead Prez, who then found time to record the track "Superheros" with Crenshaw, featuring production by Maestro of D-12. Tonight marks the release of a new EP for Crenshaw, titled Bionic Metal. The resulting effort is an ode to his Midwestern roots, with prominent shoutouts to Minneapolis. It also finds him in the precarious position of rapping over rock production, a move which thankfully ends up sounding more like the Judgment Night soundtrack than it does Limp Bizkit. RYAN FEIGH

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

DON AND THE QUIXOTES, FRUIT OF THE LEGION OF LOOM, THEE HEADLINERS, GHOST TRAIN
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) It took 10 years for Portland's own Fruit of the Legion of Loom to release its first album, but Humandatory Genocide is now an actual thing, and one that will surely burn up the hit parade. After all, nothing says chart success like "instrumental concept album," and Legion of Loom's zooming, gonzo shredding is the sort of thing that makes music writers type words that wouldn't otherwise exist in the English language, like "frenetic" and "skronk." There are three acts to the sci-fi themed Humandatory Genocide, and the story itself is all laid out inside the CD booklet, although I doubt it will help much to get your bearings. Instead, sit back and let the instru-mental (sorry, another bullshit music critic tactic) trio's mathy, metal-tinged, progressive delirium work you over. Tonight's CD release is also the release show for Teflon Don, album number two from surf-rockers Don and the Quixotes. NED LANNAMANN

BRAHMS' FIRST SYMPHONY: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Achtung, procrastinators: Did you promise yourself you'd finally catch at least one Oregon Symphony concert this classical season? If so, heads up that tonight, tomorrow, and Monday mark the very last shows of 2012/2013, so get your skinny-jeaned asses in gear and grab some tix before the band embarks on their richly deserved summer vacay. Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the gang kick off this glorious program with a rousing seven-minute overture from Franz von Suppé before turning things over to guest soloist Jennifer Koh—a globally acclaimed fiddler who I guarantee will dazzle the crowd with a brilliant Hungarian violin concerto by Béla Bartók. Following Ms. Koh's gypsy virtuosity, Stumplandia's ultimate cover band will soar with the old-school sounds of Brahms' massive Symphony No. 1. Jesus H. Christ, people, pass up the PlayStation and nix the Netflix for just one goddamn night. It's high time for some fucking culture... unplug and get you some at the Schnitz! ANGRY SYMPHONY GUY

HARRY SMITH TRIBUTE
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Music archivist Harry Smith—responsible for Folkways' classic Anthology of American Folk Music—was born in Portland almost 90 years ago. Tonight Portland musicians (Ural Thomas, MidLo, W.C. Beck, more) pay homage with covers of songs from Anthology. Need more Smith? On Thursday, there's a screening of his animated films at the Hollywood—along with a séance to speak with Smith's ghost... ooooookay. NED LANNAMANN

PAINTED PALMS, PHONE CALL, BEAT CONNECTION
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme grew up on the same block in Lafayette, Louisiana, but didn't start making music together until they were separated by a few thousand miles in college. That sweetly Southern origin story belies the brainy complexity of Painted Palms' two efforts so far—their Canopy EP and the more recent "Carousel" 7-inch. Resounding vocals set against transcendent electronic textures make their music as pleasurable as it is interesting and even, yes, uplifting. Phone Call, the improbably handsome offshoot of local dance outfit Strength, will likely strike a more decadent note as they nail the atmosphere of a sexually aggressive '80s disco. Both of these bands will benefit from a crowd primed by a DJ set from Seattle's lauded Beat Connection. They are that unicorn of a synth band that inspires uncontrollable dancing while resisting every temptation to be campy. REBECCA WILSON

New Light by Little Sue.

LITTLE SUE (3 PM); RADIATION CITY (7 PM)
(Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside) New Light, the new album from longtime Portland songwriter Little Sue, summons an impressive lineup of collaborators to flesh out her equally impressive quiver of folky tunes. Produced and recorded by Mike Coykendall, Sue's saloon-steeped compositions bounce with peppy pianos, ukulele, and an especially unusual addition of clarinet, courtesy of Jill Coykendall. Guest musicians include Decemberists/Black Prairie accordionist Jenny Conlee-Drizos, as well as fellow Black Prairie member Annalisa Tornfelt on vocals/violin for the excellent "Energy: Love Song for West Virginia." This afternoon show at Music Millennium is totally free, as are downloads of Sue's album from Bandcamp. In lieu of charging for the record, Sue is requesting that people contribute to various Portland charitable organizations; a list of Sue's recommendations can be found on her Bandcamp page as well. RYAN J. PRADO Later this evening at Music Millennium, Radiation City also do an in-store performance, anticipating the Tuesday release of their excellent new Animals in the Median album.

CANNIBAL CORPSE, NAPALM DEATH, IMMOLATION, CRETIN, WORLD OF LIES
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) The first time I saw the cover of Cannibal Corpse's debut album Eaten Back to Life—which shows a zombie feasting on its own intestines—I thought it was a joke. Song titles like "Bloody Chunks" and "Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains" added to that notion. Of course I wanted to hear it. That was 23 years ago. Since then the band has successfully topped itself with each release, writing songs whose titles I'm even afraid to print here... in the Mercury... okay, they have a song called "I Cum Blood." It's silly stuff. But Cannibal Corpse's B-movie horror metal has outlived many of its contemporaries, proving they've probably eaten themselves back to life on more than one occasion. MARK LORE

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Friday Cheer with Janelle Monáe

Courtney Ferguson — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:11 -0700

Sigh. Everyone went to see Star Trek into Darkness and I'm stuck Googling the correct spellings of various dried Italian meats. I'm going to watch my own futuristic space opera with Janelle Monáe's new song "Q.U.E.E.N." from her upcoming album Electric Lady. That'll cheer me up. It'll work for you too, I bet. She has that effect.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Friday Cheer with Janelle Monáe

Courtney Ferguson — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:07 -0700

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Professor Blastoff Live at Mississippi Studios

Alison Hallett — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:29:12 -0700

You'll be able to listen to the Portland-taped episode of Professor Blastoff soon enough, so I'm not going to bother recapping the entirety of the show. In brief: It was a lot of fun, and some guest-related awkwardness.

Highlights:
-An extended CCR gibberish singalong featuring the refrain "Cows Wanna Know"
-the suggestion that air quotes are actually "finger bunnies," and subsequent bunny punning
-the first law-themed heckle I've ever heard (I think it was "You're blowing standards!" Does that make sense?)
-A bracing round of "Name That Punky"

Lowlights:
-The evening's guest was a third-year law student from Willamette University (hence the lawyer heckle) who... how to put this... didn't seem familiar with the podcast? It was pretty awkward and boring for a while there.
-No non-gigantic T-shirts for sale. Which happens EVERY TIME I try to guilt-buy a shirt at comedy shows. (Something you should do if you get into shows for free for whatever reason, BTW.) Consequently my boyfriend has WTF, Dork Forest, and now Professor Blastoff shirts, how nice for him.

Mississippi Studios kind of rules as a comedy venue, yeah? The show was a bit oversold (thanks to people like meeeee) and a bunch of folks had to stand in the back, but it's a good size and no one forces you to buy overpriced well drinks. Looking forward to seeing Natasha Leggero there in a couple weeks.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Video Vriday! Scout Niblett, Wampire, the Parson Red Heads, Youthbitch & More

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:59:53 -0700

Oy vey, it's Video Vriday!

Just in time for the upcoming Rose Festival, here's a new video from Scout Niblett, which must have been filmed at last year's Rose Fest. Niblett is no stranger to wearing wigs, but here she goes one step further with full Snow White regalia. She fits right in, while the slow-burning, seething undercurrents of the track "Gun" provide a bizarre and hilarious counterpoint. Scout Niblett's new album, It's Up to Emma (her first name is indeed Emma), comes out this Tuesday, May 21, on Drag City.

• • •

Here's Wampire, whose new album just came out on Tuesday. This video for "Orchards" shows the two fellows on a long drive through what looks like Eastern Oregon. Naturally, a little hot-boxing is bound to happen, but then of course shit gets weird. This same exact thing has happened to me on every single road trip I've taken. Wampire just played their record release show, but they'll play a hometown show again at Holocene on July 3.

• • •

The Parson Red Heads have a new EP coming! It's called 6, can you guess how many songs are on it? It comes out June 4, and here's the video for "Times," which was shot while the band recorded the track at Type Foundry Studios with Scott McCaughey and Adam Selzer in spring of last year. The EP is just a taster of the Red Heads' forthcoming full-length, Orb Weaver, which will come out in the fall. The group has two upcoming shows scheduled for the Doug Fir: Saturday, May 26 in which they open for Beachwood Sparks, and the EP's release show on Tuesday, June 4.

Videos from Youthbitch, Barry Brusseau, and Sara Jackson-Holman after the jump!

• • •

This new Youthbitch video for their super-duper "I Don't Mind Losing Mind" is packed with bright, flashy colors. Along with the band themselves, it stars Betsy Breakfast, and Latoya Johnson, and it was shot by Brian Echon and edited by the infamous Uncle Funkle. Forget the 5-Hour Energy Drink, this is the best damn way to kickstart this Friday night. It's like drinking 10 liters of soda all at once! You guyssss!!!!

• • •

If that clip got you all worked up, this video for Barry Brusseau's "Til the Wind Blows Everything" will cool you down. Like the song, it's a slow-moving, minimal piece in which images are drawn out to abstract extremes. The song comes from Brusseau's beautiful, overlooked 2012 album The Royal Violent Birds, about which I said: "With acoustic guitars, brushed drums, bowed strings, and Brusseau's hushed baritone (and his just-as-hushed falsetto), these watercolor tunes communicate in delicate, naturalistic patterns."

• • •

We'll end today with the new video from classically influenced singer/songwriter Sara Jackson-Holman, for her song "Freight Train," which was featured on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy earlier this week. Shot at Portland's Old Church and directed by Dawn Jones, it depicts the song's story—Jackson-Holman wrote it in memory of her grandfather, who was a big supporter of her musical endeavors while she was growing up. "Freight Train" appears on Jackson-Holman's recent second album Cardiology.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Video Vriday! Scout Niblett, Wampire, the Parson Red Heads, Youthbitch & More

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:35:13 -0700

Oy vey, it's Video Vriday!

• • •

Videos from Youthbitch, Barry Brusseau, and Sara Jackson-Holman after the jump!

• • •

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Introducing Yahoomblr?

Paul Constant — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:29:00 -0700

On Monday, Yahoo is holding a press conference, according to TechCrunch. This comes after the company's recent buying spree, and it closely follows rumors that Yahoo is considering spending a billion dollars to buy Tumblr:

On Monday, it seems that we may get a better sense of what Yahoo plans to do with all these new acquisitions, as CNBC is reporting that Yahoo will be holding a “product-related” news event on Monday in New York City. Marissa Mayer will reportedly be speaking at the press conference, but that’s all we know about the contents of the event at this point.

I do get the sense that Tumblr could be a bigger deal than it already is—it's about one-third of a social network and two-thirds of a blogging platform, which seems like a good position to be in—but I'm not sure that Yahoo is the company to bring it to its full potential. But new CEO Marissa Mayer has accomplished what seemed like the impossible a couple years ago: She's got people talking about Yahoo again.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

RE: Open Season. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:14:00 -0700

Those of us who took the whole ride through this year's four-night series of Open Season fashion shows are probably still convalescing—I know I am, and so is Marissa Sullivan, whose last recap of each night of shows over on MOD is a tiiiny bit delayed. But while it's still top of mind I wanted to get in a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came, selling out every single night (holy crap)!

It takes a village to accomplish these shows, and most of the people who busted their asses to make this happen did so as volunteers. It literally would not have happened without them, and it really would not have happened without the (mostly) local businesses who stepped in as sponsors: Eastside Distilling, Bishops Barbershops, Gilt, Imelda's & Louie's, Viso, Crossroads Trading Company, and 220 Salon all deserve huge props for pitching in, not to mention the venues, designers, models, hair and makeup stylists, co-producers, rope light/pipe 'n' drape/riser installers, flag makers, musicians and DJs, ticket takers, dressers... you get the idea.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

RE: Open Season. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:14:00 -0700

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Are Voter Owned Elections Mounting a Comeback?

Dirk VanderHart — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:07:00 -0700

Portland's voter owned elections died a convincing death at the hands of the people in 2010, when Portlanders roundly rejected the system. But there are tenuous signs of life in the old girl yet.

This sign was posted on the ground floor of the Board of Trade Building (310 SW 4th) this afternoon.

The meeting was closed off to the public, but revolved around how supporters might revive publicly financed elections, an attendee said. As killed by voters, the system allowed candidates for city council and mayor to gather 1,000-1,500 $5 contributions to receive $150,000 in public funding from the city.

The process was enacted in 2005, and has a bit of a spotty past. Former council candidate Emilie Boyles ran off with the public money in 2006, for example. But City Commissioner Amanda Fritz won election to council her first time around using public funds. It's been a pet issue of hers ever since.

Fritz' office confirmed she attended today's meeting, calling it a "brainstorming session." The meeting was arranged by Common Cause Oregon.

Reviving voter owned elections, by the way, has been oft-discussed since its demise. Whether this nascent push has legs remains to be seen.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The I, Anonymous Blog Quote o' the Day!

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:59:27 -0700

Dear Scrabble players of Portland...

What part of "We'll be closing in 10 minutes" made you think starting a Scrabble game was a good idea? There is an alarming trend in Portland with people thinking it's okay to sit in a restaurant 30 minutes after close. Who does that?

Apparently thoughtless Scrabble players do! Do you have a word of advice for Scrabble players—or any other similarly thoughtless person? Send it to the I, Anonymous Blog—where Scrabble players put the "a" in "a-hole."

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Slate: What's the Matter with Portland?

Dirk VanderHart — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:44:01 -0700

No that anyone's paying attention to the growing body of cogent arguments for water fluoridation in Portland, but here's another.

Slate writer Jake Blumgart's piece takes a long look at the fight over fluoride here in town. If you've spent the last several months debating this issue (or vandalizing your neighbors' yards for their stand on the issue), not much will come as a surprise. If you've been meaning to learn about the fluoride debate but haven't gotten around to it, first read our story. Then read Slate's.

Oh, and if you haven't voted, VOTE! Ballots are due next Tuesday.

From the piece:

America is a fluoride nation. Beginning in 1945, when Grand Rapids, Mich., became the first city in the world to add the stuff to its water supply, the practice has spread across the United States. In most areas it is simply understood that ingesting minuscule levels of fluoride is good for dental health. As of 2010, almost three-quarters of Americans drink fluoridated water from community water systems, and the nation’s 30 most populous cities consume it.

With one weird exception: Portland, Ore., whose water system, sourced from the Bull Run River, serves 900,000 people.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

It's Happening Tonight!

Alison Hallett — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:27:00 -0700

COMEDY—While he's a Tony-nominated actor (most recently for his role on Broadway in Porgy and Bess), author, and comedian, David Alan Grier will always be beloved for his multifaceted characters in the groundbreaking TV show In Living Color—and yes, he's still hilarious. Check out his high-energy, infectious stand-up tonight at the Bagdad. WSH
w/Tristian Spillman; Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 9 pm, $25

BIKING!—If you don't already bike to work, you've got your reasons. Put them all aside for Bike to Work Day, the one arbitrary day out of the year when you're REALLY encouraged to give bike commuting a go. Feeling adventurous? Ride to work all week! Like how that feels? Cast off your vehicular chains for good! DVH
Your home to your workplace, whenever you work, FREE

SPACEY SURF MUSIC—One of the most prolific bands of the '90s, Man or Astro-man? is still successfully blurring surf punk with spacey synth to produce an entirely original sound. Their latest release is called Defcon 5... 4... 3... 2... 1, and while still sporting their trademark space surf vibe, they seem to be heavier and goofier (in a good way) than ever. WSH
w/Audacity; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $16-17

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

My Least Favorite Piece of Misogyny This Week: Girl Friendship Edition

Barbara Holm — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:00 -0700

Recently I made a new friend (not out of playdoh!) and I was telling a straight male comedian about her and he said, "That's weird. I didn't think girls liked being friends with girls prettier than them."

So hilarious, right? I think the assumption that I'm a bad friend offended me so much that I didn't even hear the part where I was called unattractive. My least favorite piece of misogyny this week is the stereotype that women can't be friends with other women.

I've heard a lot of men make jokes about it. It's weird that this idea exists; it's so sexist to insinuate that simply because of our gender we're incapable of doing something. (Unless your gender is male and that something is childbirth, having a period, or riding a griffin—then suck it, dorks!) Additionally, it's so demeaning to suggest that we're incapable of something as intrinsically important to the human condition as friendship. It's like saying, "Hey, because of your chromosomes you're incapable of genuine sexless love!"

Women definitely can be friends with other women. I'm friends with some women; I'm not friends with all women, because I'm not friends with all HUMANS. That is just one difference between humans and puppies. I don't feel like I'm in competition with women for straight male attention. Can I be in competition for quiet Netflix and pizza attention? Then everyone's a winner! Except the pizza, RIP: rest in pizza.

Whenever I hear a girl say, "I just don't have any girlfriends. I get along better with guys," I'm like "stay the hell away from her because underneath her skin face is an evil demon that'll suck out your soul." Be friends with other girls. It's fun, like a trampoline for your heart.

The idea that women can't befriend other women is a notion concocted by straight men in a lab of dark sciences. It's an implement to keep us apart, to keep us from uniting and combining our powers to overthrow them (or in other words, to collaborate and make art that may puncture the glass ceiling). Molly Lambert wrote an amazing article titled In Which We Teach You How To Be A Woman In Any Boys' Club, where she asks, "Why do dudes think you're in competition with the other girls? Because if you're in competition with the men, you might be better than they are."

Recently I was out at a comedy club and I heard a male comic call women "catty." That adjective gets under my skin. Mrs. Merriam Webster defines it as "biting sharpness of feeling or expression," but it just seems like such a gendered insult. How come whenever men call each other horrible names or insult each other laughingly, no one says "oh, they're just being catty"? I think this stereotype is super insulting, to women and to cats. But if I can leave you guys with one message or thought, it's that I made a friend! High five!

That's been my least favorite piece of misogyny this week. Tune in next week to find out what normal household product could be committing muuuuurder!

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

This Week's Mercury Film Section

Erik Henriksen — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:29:00 -0700

Here's a fun fact: the Mercury editorial team is leaving work early today so we can all go see Star Trek into Darkness. (We did the same thing for Skyfall, because we have PRIORITIES.) Wheee!

Aside from my delight about the fact that I work at a place where I get to leave the office and go see the new Star Trek movie with a bunch of my friends/coworkers, I'm looking forward to seeing it again: Like anyone who's watched waaay too much Star Trek, I've got a few issues with it, but the fact remains: Like J.J. Abrams' first 2009 Star Trek, It's one of the best Star Trek movies that's been made. Take that as you will—YMMV—but it's funny and fun and exciting, and that perhaps justifies why we have not one but two reviews of the goddamn thing:

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS—Former Mercury newsman Matt Davis saw it. He did not care for it.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS—Current Mercury newsman Denis C. Theriault saw it. (He and I traded many an elbow jab during the screening. "Did you see the NX-01?" "Did they just mention Section 31?" "Eeeeee!") He did care for it. Quite a bit.

CITY BABY—Alison Hallett saw the local film that puts Portland in the spotlight, warts and all—and does so a far more entertaining manner than a certain TV show we could mention.

EXPERIMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL PORTLAND—This thing doesn't really kick off for a little while, but since there are some pre-festival events, I figured it was best to get Matt Stangel's take on it sooner rather than later. He didn't disappoint, giving you all his best picks for the fest.

QDOC: PORTLAND'S QUEER DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL—Vince Mancini talked to Buck Angel, the star of Mr. Angel, and it's a must-read interview:

"When I get asked to do appearances or be on shows like Tyra, I'm not that worried about being sensationalized," Angel tells me. "I am gonna be sensationalized, or an oddity. I am. But for myself, I know I'm going to go on there and flip it. Because I'm really good at doing that. I know who I am, I know what I'm doing, and that changes the way people think about me. Because what does that mean, to be an oddity? They don't even know what that means anymore."

Don't miss our Film Shorts, where we've got more on QDoc, plus reviews of The Source Family, At Any Price, Black Rock, The Iceman, and more. And here are your Film Times.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Some Questions and Answers About the New Lord Dying Album

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:59:18 -0700

Who is Lord Dying?
They are the doomy Portland metal band who recently signed with Relapse Records.

When does their first full-length album come out?
July 9, 2013 in the year of our dark lord.

What is it called?
Summon the Faithless.

What does the cover look like?
Cast your eyes upward to the top of this post.

What are the titles of the eight tracks contained within?
1) In a Frightened State of Gnawed Dismemberment
2) Summoning the Faithless
3) Greed Is Your Horse
4) Descend Into External
5) Dreams of Mercy
6) Perverse Osmosis
7) Water Under a Burning Bridge
8) What Is Not... Is

What formats will the album take?
Long-playing vinyl record, compact disc, and digital download.

Is there a very short album trailer I can watch?
Yes.

Where can I pre-order the album?
From Relapse's site, or on Lord Dying's Bandcamp.

Will this album destroy us all?
Undoubtedly.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Onstage this Weekend: The Children's Hour, Match.Com Monologues, Crooked, and More

Alison Hallett — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:27:00 -0700

Opening tonight over at the CoHo, a show about a mom and kid who move to a conservative small town, called Crooked, co-produced by local theater power couple Philip Cuomo and Maureen Porter. I've found myself prioritizing seeing shows at the CoHo lately: Their co-production model means you're seeing a variety of work; it's typically very well produced; and it's such a great little space, easily the most professional-seeming of the city's small blackbox theaters (and bonus, unlike the Back Door Theater, I'm not super-allergic to it. Does anyone else have that problem? I've sneezed through a lot of defunkt shows).

Speaking of! defunkt has some cool stuff going on right now—so cool that I will forgive them for calling their current program "History/Herstory". They're running two shows in repertory: Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, which an early onstage depiction of lesbianism; and The Boys in the Band, which was—you guest it—one of the first onstage depictions of male homosexuality. Both are directed by Artist Rep's Jon Kretzu, which is a big deal for tiny defunkt. The Children's Hour opens tonight at the Back Door Theatre, and The Boys in the Band opened last weekend at a private home on E. Burnside; both run Thurs-Sun at 7:30 pm. More details here.

The Left Hand of Darkness, the collaboration between Hand2Mouth and Portland Playhouse—with a little help from Ursula Le Guin—has been extended through June 9th. Has anyone else seen that show? I was harder on it than any of the other reviewers in town; curious to hear what audiences thought.

Let's jump in the Mercury wayback machine for a sec: Remember former Managing Editor Phil Busse? Ran for mayor? He wrote a one-man show called The Match.Com monologues, based on his own experiences in the online dating world, which is currently running at the NW Dance Project Theatre. Tickets here.

And it's more comedy than theater, but tonight at the Jack London, the inspirational self-help spoof Lance Banks and the LanceLife Comprehensive Total Life System.

Those are just some highlights—there's plenty more to do, our performance listings are full of it.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Odessa S/S '13

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:59:00 -0700

It tends to keep a low profile, but never forget: Odessa is—and has been for longer than most—one of the most sophisticated boutiques in the city. They recently put together a lookbook for the spring season featuring stunning new pieces from Tsumori Chisato and Isabel Marant, modeled by their own Bree Goertzen (remember Fleshtone? She was one of the backup dancers, and has also been featured in those awesome Miracles Club videos).

And, objectively speaking, you cannot tell me that this sweater won't improve my life:

Check out the whole thing on their tumblr.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]