Yesterday, an unfortunate message appeared on the MySpace blog of Charleston, SC band The Explorers Club: As it so happens, misfortune has struck The Explorers Club. Just outside of Forsyth Montana (which is in the middle of nowhere) our big green monster of a van came head to head with a 250 pound deer… We […]
Ned Lannamann
Ned Lannamann is a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. He writes about film, music, TV, books, travel, tech, food, drink, outdoors, and other things.
Posted inArtsy
Holly Andres at Quality Pictures
Untitled, from Sparrow Lane A few years ago, Holly Andres’ lush photographic series, Stories from a Short Street, seemed to be a ubiquitous presence in Portland galleries. For good reason, too: Andres’ laboriously staged, strangely evocative images at once conjure the supercharged narratives of Gregory Crewdson and the stylized surfaces of fashion spreads. Her new […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Please Explain the Name of this Restaurant to Me
Spotted at 32nd and Hawthorne, in the old house that once was Chef Tucker’s Patisserie, and before that, Calendula: Belly Timber “Belly Timber“? What kind of name for a restaurant is that? Is that a term loggers use for food? Someone enlighten me. I’m not from Oregon. Is it actually a common, everyday phrase that […]
Posted inMovies & TV
The Squid and the Whale Tonight
If you like your humor dark and biting, with a glorious side helping of Jeff Daniel’s beard, this is the movie for you. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, who helped Wes Anderson with The Life Aquatic, it’s a glimpse of an intellectual New York family collapsing on itself as the parents try to extricate […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Stealing a Car Will Bring You Love
Just Make Sure You Steal it from Zooey Deschanel
Mercer White is one lucky guy. Sure, his long-absent older brother is a scumbag and crook, and his sort-of girlfriend is making porn videos with her cousin. Oh, and his mom just died after a long and awful illness. But when Mercer steals a Volvo station wagon at a Eugene, Oregon carwash, the car’s owner […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Jacko Meets the Pope
Mister Lonely Sticks Some Shit to the Wall
A Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) befriends a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (Samantha Morton) who takes him to live on a commune in Scotland populated by other celebrity impersonators: the Pope, Charlie Chaplin, James Dean, etc. We’re treated to images of Abe Lincoln tending sheep and Buckwheat cuddling with chickens. Meanwhile, in an unrelated parallel story, […]
Posted inMusic
Tanks and Space Stations
Oh, and Some Seriously Good Music
During World War II, the German Tiger tank was so colossally destructive that Allied soldiers developed a psychological fear of it, refusing to engage it in open combat. And while Matt Sheehy claims he just likes the sound of the word, the title of his first solo album, Tigerphobia, is a perfect analogy for the […]
Posted inPortland
The Famous Mysterious Actor Returns
The Famous Mysterious Actor is back! The indescribable talk show phenomenon takes the stage tonight at Berbati’s for his talk-show-slash-spoof-of-talk-shows. If you’ve never seen Famous, he’s kind of hard to describe without sounding like utter nonsense. He wears a ski parka and a Mexican wresting mask, talks in a high-pitched squeak, and guzzles pixie stix […]
Posted inMusic
Rhythm of the Night
The Mercury‘s Dance Party Field Test
We spill a lot of ink on these pages devoted to music, but with bands coming and going through town it’s sometimes easy to forget the resident nights of DJ-ed entertainment that actually get you through the week time and time again. And while it used to be a joke that “Portland doesn’t dance,” the […]
Posted inMusic
SASQUATCH HO!
A User’s Guide to the Furriest, Funnest Music Fest Around
For the seventh year in a row, the Gorge Amphitheatre will host the Sasquatch! Music Festival, and this year is bigger than last year, extending to a third day. Music of all kinds—with a generous dose of indie rock—will be represented, but despite all the talent on hand, it’s unlikely there’ll be any crossovers or […]
Posted inNews
Tears, Cheers, and Beers
A Recap of Tuesday Night’s Election Results by the Mercury‘s Election Squad
IT WAS A PRIMARY ELECTION season marked, from the Democratic presidential contest on down, by excruciatingly close races—at least according to the pre-election day polls and punditry. According to poll numbers, Sho Dozono was holding Sam Adams under the 50 percent mark in the race for Portland mayor, and Steve Novick was consistently neck and […]
Posted inMusic
Creatures and Comforts
The Golden Bears’ Storybook Rock
You won’t find the Golden Bears’ incredible first album on CD. “Vinyl is about all we listen to,” says guitarist Seth Lorinczi. “Also, we wanted to highlight Julianna’s art.” Wall to Wall, just released through Viva Voce’s Amore!Phonics label, comes on thick, sumptuous vinyl with drummer/vocalist Julianna Bright’s beautiful cover illustrations in full splendor. Bright, […]