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Cody Tracey

Cody Tracey is a music educator and multimedia creator blending teaching, storytelling, and performance. He fronts the Portland pop-rock band Decent Sleep, and shares creative whimsy on Instagram, Substack, and TikTok. Find more at www.codymakes.com.
Posted inMusic

Say Howdy to Portland’s Newest Country Western Bar and Venue

Switchback Saloon is giving us somethin’ to tonk about.
Avatar photo by Cody Tracey

Put on your boots, cowpoke! Honky-tonk tunes are coming back to life at 4847 SE Division, the former home of the beloved Landmark Saloon.  Shortly after the Landmark closed its doors in February 2026, two regulars rallied to resurrect it. Scott Phillips and Graham Talley are carrying on the country-western tradition from the same 4,000 […]

Posted inMusic

Curbside Serenade Makes Portland’s Street Corners More Musical

The nonprofit offers several free, weekly outdoor music performances in Laurelhurst Park, Director Park, and more.
Avatar photo by Cody Tracey

“Hey there!” David Pollack hollers into the microphone in the direction of a passing cyclist, halfway through his acoustic set. “Nice day for a ride!” he shouts before slipping back into an Elvis Costello cover.  The moment unfolds in front of a laid-back crowd on Rainbow Road at SE 28th and Ankeny where the nonprofit […]

Posted inMusic

PDX Pop Now! (More Than Ever)

Portland’s free, all-ages, volunteer-run music festival celebrated its 21st birthday!
Avatar photo Cody Tracey

Festival coordinators faced a big, silly problem the first night of PDX Pop Now! 2025: They were already running low on silly straws. “The Jurassic Sunset” and “DinoSour”—custom cocktails for  this year’s dinosaur theme—were hitting.  By the time tropical dream pop group Caicedo hit the stage at 6:30 pm, nearly every complimentary squiggly straw had […]

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