Minh Tran Predictably, a Portland October evening drizzle framed Lana Del Rey’s visit to Moda Center last night—contrasted by the tropical stage decor that greeted attendees inside. Opening her show with a projection of the most quotable zinger from her latest release (“Goddamn, man-child/You fucked me so good I almost said I love you”), the […]
Minh Tran
Posted inLive Review
Migos Photos and Live Review, Wonder Ballroom, Tues Feb 23
Minh Tran Minh Tran Not much to report at the recent Migos concert at Wonder Ballroom: The sound was great, the lighting was pedestrian, and Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff performed with immense swagger and confidence. As only an intermediate fan of the Gwinnett County trio, it was edifying to see them perform live to get […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Tory Lanez at Analog Cafe, Wed Nov 11
Minh Tran Minh Tran Minh Tran Along with Fetty Wap, Ty Dolla Sign, and Bryson Tiller, Tory Lanez is in the vanguard of hip-hop artists defining a new sound for the potential future of popular music—soulful yet robotic R&B vocals, combined with cutting edge trap beats. The Swavenation leader’s current single, “Say It,” is purportedly […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Gesaffelstein at the Evergreen, Tues Nov 10
Minh Tran Minh Tran Minh Tran For Gesaffelstein‘s first appearance in Portland since 2011, promoters (possibly facetiously) encouraged attendees to wear all black—perhaps riffing on the distinctly dark wave of hard techno likely to be played by the French producer/DJ. Arriving early to the show, it was endearing to see the crowd had largely complied […]
Posted inPortland
The Society Hotel Opens Today in Old Town, Offering Spartan Lodgings and a Rooftop Deck
Minh Tran Minh Tran Last week I received an email from the Society Hotel inviting me as a Portland “influencer” to spend a free night at their establishment prior to its opening, which is today (November 5). After I forwarded the email to all my friends and family as validation of my party-first lifestyle, I […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Hudson Mohawke and The-Dream at Hawthorne Theatre, Tues Oct 13
Minh Tran Minh Tran This is a tale of two performances, one by a contemporary songwriting legend from North Carolina and another by a producer of great renown from Glasgow—an odd pair, performing in an odd order, at an odd venue. Rising above this deluge of oddity, their combined efforts resulted in a satisfying evening […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Young Thug at Roseland, Wed Oct 7
Minh Tran All photos by Minh Tran. Imagine a world where you are the only rapper who has discovered the creative benefits of smoking marijuana, enabling you to deliver rhymes so distinctive that you instantly stand head and shoulders above your peers. It’s too late for this to happen now, but I have a growing […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Jamie XX at Wonder Ballroom, Sat July 25
Minh Tran Minh Tran Minh Tran Does it matter how many pictures were taken of a human selecting and playing records in a room full of other humans? Will the images bear any credence in the minds of organisms who weren’t there? If beside you there is someone checking the late night TriMet schedule, and […]
Posted inLive Review
Purity Ring at Crystal Ballroom, Wed June 17
Minh Tran Minh Tran Minh Tran Are there any live music venues left in Portland with a retractable stage curtain? The impact of an elaborate stage setup risks being dulled when the audience gets to scrutinize its details before the performance has even begun. Thankfully, once Purity Ring‘s light/visual show did kick in at their […]
Posted inLive Review
Best Coast and Bully at Alhambra Theatre, Fri June 5
Minh Tran How do you stay motivated or improve if you’re already Best Coast? What’s better than best? That was the question lingering in my mind as I braced myself for the oppressive heat and humidity that is requisite with any sold-out show inside Alhambra Theatre (which announced yesterday that it is closing its doors […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Shy Girls at Wonder Ballroom, Fri May 29
Minh Tran Fresh off a successful national tour, Portland’s prince (and king, for that matter) of R&B, Shy Girls, returned to a hero’s welcome from his hometown crowd this past Friday night at Wonder Ballroom. As I entered the nearly sold-out venue and navigated through said crowd, I noted that it was also an exceptionally […]
Posted inPhotography/Film/Production
Tame Impala at Roseland, Wed May 27, 2015
Minh Tran Minh Tran All photos by Minh Tran. The traveling Tame Impala show came to Portland this past Wednesday. Sounding not unlike a band that could have emerged from Portland’s own music scene, Kevin Parker’s songs tighten certain elements of the psych-rock formula to pop preciseness, while stretching out and expanding the others in […]