I begin this column with a heavy heart and the sad news that
Scott Barr Moritz, better known as the frontman and songwriter
for local Americana band Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags,
passed away at the age of 43 on September 1 after a yearlong battle
with pancreatic cancer. Though the new album he and the Slow Drags had
been working on—which may still see completion in some
form—was to be called We Will Be Forgotten, fans of his
music and of the beloved Secret Aardvark hot sauce, which Barr created,
would most certainly disagree. Four of the final five songs the band
finished together can be heard at scotlandbarr.com.

Given that, by all accounts, Barr’s two passions were food and
music, he may have been excited by the ways the musician’s
do-it-yourself creative ethos has been manifesting itself as “cook it
yourself” recently, with a number of local bands shooting
instructional cooking videos. Production company Potlatch
Presents (potlatchpresents.com) has posted a
clip of Guidance Counselor and Wampire collaborating on
some gluten-free asparagus salad, as well as one of soul-folkie
Sallie Ford crafting some crêpes (sweet and savory,
natch), with more to follow. I can’t wait to try White Fang’s
Cocoa-Puffs-and-Five-Hour-Energy-Shot Muppet satay.

Tapping into this culinary zeitgeist, new Portland label Brave
Records held its semi-private, late-August preview event in the
form of a catered concert at which food and music alike were provided
by the imprint’s roster and brain trust: promising young pastoral soul
bands the Old Believers and Congratulations (also
known as Eskimo and Sons version 2.0). The night went by the title
“Menu for the Evening,” and the Brave crew plans to hold many more
soundtracked soirees, film them, collect the recipes, and release a
music-and-cookbook twofer down the road. For now, though, Brave
Records, blushing debutante of the local label community, will be
throwing a public coming-out party on Sunday, September 13, at the Old
Church that will serve as a release show for Congratulations, the Old
Believers, and Los Angeles’ the Red River, whose split double
7-inch with Olympia band LAKE comes out that night.

Taking another step toward the audio-gastronomic surreal, we now
journey to Burgerville. The one at SE Hawthorne and 11th, to be
precise, which has apparently been hosting concerts on a regular
basis, recruiting performers by leaving notes on tables, next to
the condiments and napkin dispensers, that read “Want to play at
Burgerville? Come be a part of our Tuesday live music series!” It was
just such a sign that caught the attention of Jordan Dykstra—AKA
avant-garde violist DASH!—and led to his playing a
well-received show to post-game Little Leaguers and parents in late
July. Like experimental arts ensemble Oregon Painting Society who also brought their act to Burgerville, DASH! was fairly compensated
with a free value meal. Interested? Inquire within.

Dykstra’s been a busy margin-walker this summer, collaborating not
only in the dining room but also in the crafts room. As DASH!, he’s one
of five musical acts that local artist and ex-Rererato curator
Stephanie Simek worked with on sound/jewelry mixed-media pieces
she calls “sound lockets.” Each locket consists of a steel
pendant around which audiotape of a specially commissioned song by one
of Simek’s five collaborators—including locals DASH! and
Hexlove—is spooled. Simek explains, “I’d been interested
in incorporating sound into a piece of jewelry, and eventually arrived
on this design as a symbolic, direct way to communicate the idea of
using the body to relate to music in a conceptual, intimate, and maybe
even romantic, way.” Sound lockets are available for $45 at stephaniesimek.com and come with a CD
with all five songs.