Mumford and Sons Mercury Staff Let us now praise the humble touring musician—those sometimes nameless, sometimes completely obscured souls that a famous artist hires to help beef up the sound of their music so as to better fill the air inside a big venue. Go to enough arena or stadium shows and you’ll see some […]
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 inMovies & TV
Interview: Filmmaker Rick Alverson Discusses the Real-Life Inspirations Behind The Mountain
Rick Alverson Susan Worsham “I’m done with men.” Rick Alverson isn’t just offering up a great mantra for our modern age. The Virginia-based filmmaker was, during our email interview, announcing that after making three features centered on broken men and exploring various facets of masculinity, he is ready to expand his purview. It’s an exciting […]
Posted inMusic
The Mercury’s 12 Must-See Acts at Pickathon 2019
Mt. Hood Stage Erin Riddle This year’s Pickathon lineup is the definition of stacked. In addition to touring acts like Makaya McCraven, Khruangbin, Damien Jurado, Ibibio Sound Machine, and Lido Pimienta, the weekend-long fest is rounded out by locals like Help and Laura Veirs. The best part: Festivalgoers get two chances to see each artist. […]
Posted inMusic
A Who’s Who of Pickathon 2019
Before you wander aimlessly into the dusty wood (and remember to grab your Klean Kanteen cup!), read the Mercury’s 12 must-see acts for Pickathon 2019.
Posted inFeature
“What’s Your Problem, Portland?” Rude Baristas and Bar Keeps
Dig if you will this picture: You cozy up to the bar at one of Portland’s 9,563 coffee shops or liquor establishments with a mind toward that first blast of caffeine to help get you through your miserable day or that first sting of booze to help wash away the memories of your miserable day. […]
Posted inMusic
Night Heron & Martha Stax Share New Tunes from Upcoming Split Cassette Release
Night Heron Austin Barone There’s a tendency among modern musicians to overshare, especially online. The logic being to keep themselves and their work constantly in the easily distracted minds of today’s fans. That’s how we wind up with artists venting their spleens on Instagram, sparring with folks on Twitter, and, especially, digitally sharing every last […]
Posted inTheater & Performance
Portland Opera Invokes Horror with the Sadly Relevant In the Penal Colony
Ryan Thorn and Martin Bakari Cory Weaver/Portland Opera Sadly, ashamedly, disappointingly, there never seems to be a wrong time for In the Penal Colony. In 1919, when Franz Kafka’s brutal, allegorical short story In the Penal Colony was first published, it felt like a stark reflection of the ugliness of World War I—a conflict which […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love Reminds the World About Marianne Ihlen
Roadside Attractions Marianne Ihlen was a free spirit of the ’60s. A Norwegian expat living on Hydra, a sun-soaked island off the coast of Greece, she joyously juggled several simultaneous sexual relationships, imbibed whatever drink or drug was passed her way, and lived out the kind of perma-vacation that, these days, is only an option […]
Posted inVisual Art
Warren Kanders Finally Resigns From Board of the Whitney Museum
Allison Kanders and Warren Kanders attend 2012 Whitney Gala Getty Images / Ben Gabbe / Stringer After months of protests and artists withdrawing from the 2019 Whitney Biennial as part of an organized boycott, Warren Kanders, the owner of weapons manufacturer Safariland, has finally stepped down from the board of trustees of the Whitney Museum […]
Posted inMovies & TV
The Sword of Trust Review: Lynn Shelton’s New Comedy Lets Marc Maron Be… Marc Maron
IFC Filmmakers and producers took long enough to figure out that the only thing to do with Marc Maron is to let him be Marc Maron. GLOW lets him do that, much to that show’s benefit, and so does Lynn Shelton’s inviting new comedy Sword of Trust. Maron, in another slight variation on his actual […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Movie Review: The Art of Self-Defense, and the Allure of Toxic Masculinity
Bleeker Street The current cultural discourse has, of late, become filled with stories of aimless, lonely young men who, feeling they’re being ignored and left behind, find direction and a kind of community through toxic and bizarre means. It’s part of what has fed the growth of hypermasculine extremist groups like the Proud Boys and […]