It's a shorter haul than to the good river spots, plus it's got music! This August, combine your party in the sun with some booty shakin' at the latest all ages venue in town: The Portland Pool Party! Every Sunday, local independent musicians will play while you splash around, eat good old barbecue goodies, and dance poolside. It'll be just like those crazy beach house parties you see on MTV (except without the dorky show hosts and herds of drunken frat boys)! Nothing spells summertime in Portland like listening to your favorite bands as you cling to a floating noodle!

This Sunday's kickoff party is hosted by DJ Nofader, but the lineup's gonna be a potpourri of musical tastes. Future performances will be given by Triple Swift, King Of Spain, The Carolines, and Dr. Theopolis. All of these musicians go remarkably well with veggie burgers and string bikinis. Plus, you can work up a sweat dancing to the bands, and instead of using your boyfriend's tee shirt to mop yourself up, you can just plop back into the chemical pool! Just do everyone a favor and keep the "P" out of our "OOL" if you know what I mean. MS

Montavilla Pool, 8219 NE Glisan, 823-3675, Every Sunday in August, 6 pm, $5

PDX Zine Symposium 2003

For the past two years, zine publishers from all over the U.S. have traveled here to attend the Portland Zine Symposium--a weekend-long conference of wares, a pirate party/dance extravaganza, and free workshops concerning the fertile tundra of zine culture and production. Hitting on topics as diverse as parenting, race in zines, and bike repair, the organizers chose the theme "It Takes All Kinds." According to symposium organizer Krissy Durden, "It's kind of a less cheesy way to say 'diversity;' we wanted to show that it's not just 20-year-old crusty kids. There are a lot of different people and ages and sizes and ethnic backgrounds making zines. Someone asked me if they could come even if they didn't make a zine--those are the people we want to come!"

Other compelling workshop topics attracting "all kinds" include "Zines and Prisons," "Teens and Zines," and "DIY Comics"; hands-on classes instruct on the specifics of book binding, screen printing, papermaking, and the intriguing "Fun with Paper." Repping at the tables include Blackthorn, Invisible Summer, Hip Mama, the IPRC, and zine distros from all over.

The Zine Symposium has been a tangible representative of the strong self-publishing community in Portland; if you want to help organize next year's symposium, visit the message boards at www.pdxzines.com. JULIANNE SHEPHERD PSU, Fri Aug 1-Sun Aug 3, free

Film Show on Sauvie Island

I have a crush on Portland's Super 8 Film Collective, the Tiny Picture Club. And once you see their latest show, you will, too. Recently the TPC had an epiphany: why watch movies inside when you can view them with live musical accompaniment in the middle of an island somewhere?

Thus, the Bike In Camp Out Summertime Super 8 Jamboree was born. On August 1st, the TPC will be showing 12 films based on the theme "TIME" at Punkael Ranch on Sauvie Island. The live score will be provided by Seattle band, Outside Alcatraz, with openers Thanksgiving and [[[VVRSSNN]]]. Plus there's bound to be a hipster sing-along, a game of capture the flag, and maybe even a juggler or two.

If you bike to the show, there will be a van at the Portland meeting place to shuttle your camping gear to Sauvie Island. If you drive to the venue you'll be able to park a lot closer, but everyone will think you're less cool.

There's a suggested donation of $3-$5 for the event, but plan on scraping together at least $25--because afterwards you're gonna want to buy your own Super 8 camera on eBay. J.B. RABIN

Show at 9:30 on Friday, Aug 1. For meeting places, directions, and schedule of events, go to www.tinypictureclub.org.

Purple Rain Sing-Along

Hear that squealing sound? That's the residents of Portland squealing with glee, because the most fun event of the summer has returned: the Mercury Summer Movie Megathon! That's right, the one late-night summer film series where you are invited to guzzle cold PBR, watch hilariously corny flicks, and most importantly--SCREAM AND HECKLE THE MOVIE. There's simply no other venue in town where you're allowed to behave in such an unseemly manner!

Every Friday night for the next six weeks we'll be screening the campiest of campy fare, including the creepy funny Gremlins, the Coen Bros. classic The Big Lebowski, the low-fi sci-fi gem Tron, the gay-friendly Sixteen Candles, and a special outside screening of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo with real breakdancers!

But THIS FRIDAY, get out your dancing shoes and vocal cords for the Purple Rain Sing-Along! That's right, we'll be singing along with the entire score of Prince's masterpiece (lyric sheets provided). "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby I'm a Star"and let's not forget the show-stopping "Jungle Love" by Morris Day and the Time. So come on out to sing, dance and get this Summer Movie Megathon started right! WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Guild Theater, 829 SW 9th, 221-1156, Friday, Aug 1, Doors at 9:30, Show at 10, only $6