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Robert Ham

Robert Ham is the Mercury's former Copy Chief. He writes regularly about music, film, arts, sports, and tech. He lives semi-consciously in far SE Portland with his wife, child, and four ornery cats.
Posted inMusic

Album Review: Slowing Down with elijah jamal asani

,,, as long as i long to memorise your sky ,,, explores both inner and celestial heavens.
Robert Ham

To truly appreciate the art of elijah jamal asani, it helps to slow down and match his pace. The music released by the young ambient artist is patient, measured, and beautiful—like watching grainy super-8 footage of a flower opening to the sun, played back in slow motion.  “wetradedmauveforthelasttimesomewherebeforeourtearscouldreachthemouth…,” a piece from his 2022 cassette memento{us}, […]

Posted inMovies & TV

Misericordia Is Sexy, French, Unpredictable

Knowing that, do you even need to read this review? [smolders in French] Do you?
Robert Ham

Alain Guiraduie’s latest film Misericordia is a mystery, a comedy, a drama, or some combination of the above tags. But that label still don’t quite hit the mark. That’s the sneaky power of this French director’s work to date. Even his most celebrated previous film, the thrilling masterpiece Stranger by the Lake, avoided easy categorization […]

Posted inTheater & Performance

With Tootsie, Stumptown Stages Leans Into Gender-Bending Roles and Progressive Themes

Robert Ham

Though unintentional, the 20th anniversary season of Stumptown Stages couldn’t be more perfectly timed for a repudiation of our current anti-trans, “ah yes, the two genders” political climate. Three of the productions undertaken by the local theater company are musicals that involve characters or portrayals that fall into that wonderfully fluid spectrum of sexuality. Kiss […]

Posted inMovies & TV

This Horror Double Feature Is the Exploding-Head Crown Jewel of March’s Women in Film Series

The star of Chopping Mall and Night of the Comet, Kelli Maroney discusses the films at Clinton Street Theater.
Robert Ham

In this current boom time for horror films, let us once again praise the work of the city’s movie theaters that offer repertory showings—for providing access to both classic films of the form (education for recent converts to the genre, like myself) and some gristle for the longtime fans to gnaw on. The calendars for Hollywood […]

Posted inSpring Arts 2025

Tootsie Answers the Call

With a lineup featuring gender-bending roles and progressive themes, Stumptown Stages leans into timely conversations.
Robert Ham

The Mercury covers culture & art because we think all its various forms are—quite plainly—how people understand one another. Conversations about food, music, performance, and “weird” installation art provide touchstones to deepen friendships, create new connections, and better understand one another. If you appreciate the Mercury’s interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making […]

Posted inMusic

Pickathon Hopes To Raise $1 Million by March

Survey shows attendees prefer the farm fest indie and eco-friendly, but will they support with their wallets?
Robert Ham

News from Pickathon HQ over the past year has been almost entirely positive. The 2024 edition of the festival was another success thanks to killer performances from another impressively diverse lineup that included Bonnie “Prince” Billy, jazz explorers Irreversible Entanglements, psych rockers JJUUJJUU, and folky singer-songwriters Jess Williamson and Joanna Sternbert. Additionally, the fest’s organizers […]

Posted inMusic

Portland’s Folk Festival Breaks Down the Genre’s Walls

Acoustic in Lola’s Room, bands in the Crystal Ballroom, and your plans for the weekend—all set.
Robert Ham

For all our complaints about music streaming platforms, you could argue that they deserve a little credit for revealing the flimsiness of our once-rigid borders around music styles. The breakdown of those genre walls has been felt far beyond playlists and record collections and now ripples even deeper into the lineups of genre-specific events like […]

Posted inMusic

Portland Opera Makes
History Come Alive

Our Oregon debuts commissioned work about poet and advocate Shizue Iwatsuki.
Robert Ham

Portland Opera’s 60th season finds the eminent arts institution at a fulcrum. In recent months, it sold the Hampton Opera Center, the organization’s homebase for over two decades, and now it’s deeply embroiled in ongoing discussions about the future of the Keller Auditorium. It’s little wonder then that the company has kept its impressive anniversary […]

Posted inMusic

Portland Opera Makes the Forgotten Resistance of Shizue Iwatsuki Come Alive

Robert Ham

Portland Opera’s 60th season finds the eminent arts institution at a fulcrum. In recent months, it sold the Hampton Opera Center, the organization’s homebase for over two decades, and now it’s deeply embroiled in ongoing discussions about the future of the Keller Auditorium. It’s little wonder then that the company has kept its impressive anniversary […]

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