SYMPHONY VS. QUEENSRลธCHE… WHO YA GOT?!?
DEAR MERCURYโWow.ย Your music previews last week
were truly exhaustive, incredibly including both Holcombe Waller
and Queensrรฟche. Let me simply state that the show to catch
last weekend took place at the SchnitzโPortland’s original local
band the Oregon Symphony took on three pieces guaranteed to blow minds
and break hearts. The set began with Rainbow Body, a work
composed way back in 2000 by then 33-year-old Christopher Theofanidis;
this masterpiece was a resounding “Suck it” directed right at those who
may ignorantly think the symphony’s shows are nothing but stodgy and
irrelevant musical filler. What followed was hands down the thrill of
the night, when keyboard superstar Garrick Ohlsson executed Beethoven’s
revolutionary fourth piano concerto with unsurpassed technical command
and emotion. To be clear, having musicians of Ohlsson’s stature play
with the Oregon Symphony on a regular basis is analogous to having
Bjรถrk sit in with Menomena, or perhaps Tom Waits dropping in to
play a few tunes with Weinland every other week. The second half of the
program featured Sibelius’ dramatically modern Symphony no. 1โ40
minutes with 60 musicians you can’t find anywhere else in town. All of
this in one night and you fucknuts don’t even have the decency or
intelligence to put a tiny recommendation star next to the live music
listing.
-Brian H.
FREE SINCE 2000
That is some lame-ass insight and analysis [“Second Season,” Blazers
playoff column, April 23]. Apparently the Mercury is too hip to
be into professional sportsโso instead of adding insight and
analysis, they pooh-pooh the entire team. Thanks for wasting five
minutes of my life. I want a refund.
-Posted by HDragon on portlandmercury.com
I’LL SHOW YOU SCARY
It’s scary [“Don’t Be So Dense,” News, April 23]? People need to
stop using that phrase in association with clearly non-scary stuff. I
thought Portland was all about progressive urban planning, density,
mass transit. I thought the reason you live close in on the Eastside is
because it is close in, dense, thriving. If you want CC&Rs
[covenants, conditions, and restrictions], if you want restrictions on
the free expression of style, if you want to hamstring dense
development… move to the ‘burbs. Scary. LMFAO.
-Posted by Demondog on portlandmercury.com
THE PORTLAND PLAN
DEAR PORTLAND MERCURYโIn your April 23 issue, you
published my vision for Portland’s future [“Welcome to ‘Wow Town,
USA!'” New Column! April 23]. However, your list was incomplete,
because I aim to make Portland the wow-iest town in the entire world.
To accomplish this, I plan to: repaint the Portland Building with
chalkboard paint and invite the community to leave public comment.
Build a commuter zipline across the Columbia River. Build a Major
League Roller Derby stadium. Reinforce our sustainability rep by dyeing
the Willamette River green. Select one person to serve as “the voice of
the public” and invite him to task force meetings, etc. I nominate
myself. Attract Cat Fanciers’ Association annual meetings, by building
a pet hotel next door to the convention center. Put a neon “We heart
Estacada” signโwith a blinking heartโon top of Big Pink.
Swap the decks of the CRC, so bikes, pedestrians, and transit is up
top, where the view is.
-Sam Adams, Mayor, City of Portland
SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN, “Sam.” You win two tickets to the Laurelhurst
Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, where the fish sandwiches are
the wow-iest around!
R.I.P SASHA CLAPPER
Early on the morning of Saturday, April 25, Sasha Clapper died from
injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. The Mercury sends
our condolences to his family and many friends. Rest in peace,
Sasha.