GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)
The fall season is bursting with all sorts of artistic and cultural events and happenings⌠and weâve picked the best of the best for our annual Fall Arts Guide, online now and on the streets in more than 50 locations citywide!
How much do YOU know about Portland's music, art, and film scene? Let's find out with this week's artsy-fartsy edition of the city's fave trivia game! Crank up that brain, and let's goooooo! đ§
Another one bites the dust. Nancy Congdon, a local financial planner, has withdrawn from the Portland mayor's race. Meanwhile, five more people filed paperwork to run for mayor on or just before last week's deadline.
If you're looking for a refreshing pick-me-up during this week's heat wave, treating yourself to a cold boba beverage might be just the ticket. We've gathered some of our favorite bubble tea shops in town, so you can head out and slurp chewy tapioca pearls from a giant straw ASAP. Be sure to blast Chris Fleming's "Boba Manifesto" on the way to get in the right state of mind. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.
Bubble N Tea In addition to classic milk tea flavors and seasonal specials like honey lavender and strawberry matcha, this Beaverton spot offers frosty smoothies in flavors like coconut and Thai tea, ideal for an afternoon cooler in the hot weather. Beaverton
It's too hot to turn on the oven this weekend, so why not go out for Pacific Northwest-Indian fare, crispy dumplings, revolving sushi, or Austin-style barbecue? Read on for all of the latest restaurant openings, plus where to find frozen corn blackberry cajeta custard and bĂĄnh bò nĆ°áťng inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.
NEW OPENINGS & RETURNS
Bar Asha The Sudra reopenedas the colorful cocktail bar concept Bar Asha in June, then closed temporarily after less than a month to make some changes. Last Friday, August 31, they reopened again and debuted their new Pacific Northwest-Indian menu and cocktails. Owner Sanjay Chandrasekaran is now working with Deepak Saxena of DesiPDX and Ben Preacher of Wilderand The Garrison. The spot will no longer be exclusively vegan, a change that has sparked controversy from some former Sudra fans, but will continue to offer a wide selection of plant-based options. Kerns
Kickstand Comedy In The Park Kickstand Comedy's hugely popular Comedy in the Park series hits Laurelhurst Park for its final regular show this week, although Saturday will bring the inaugural Comedy In The Park Fest. Grab your pals with a sense of humor and drop your blankets earlyâthe free stand-up show has been known to draw crowds of 4,000 or more. The plus side of the bonkers crowd is the unmatched dog-watching; I'm a fan of Laurelhurst duck-watching, too. This Friday, a lineup of much-loved funnybones will head to the stage after local laughers Rachelle Cochran and Julia Corral get the crowd going. LINDSAY COSTELLO (Laurelhurst Park, Laurelhurst, free)
The Mercury provides news and fun every single dayâbut your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
Good Morning, Portland! Last Friday, I declared Labor Day weekend the last truly hot weekend of summer. And it's true; today will be hot, but tomorrow and Sunday are high 80s so I am still technically riiiiiieeeeeghtâI can be wrong. If we can make it through the weekend next week is like a bouquet of mid-70s. Now, let us news.
IN LOCAL NEWS: ⢠Due to projected temperatures hitting high 90s today, Portland Public Schools will release students who attend school in buildings without air conditioning three hours early.
⢠Also extreme: Portland's air quality. Today the area will see ranges from moderate to unhealthy, due to a confluence of wildfires in (and north and south of) Mount Hood National Forest. Check your area's air quality here.
â˘Is the airport run by anti-urbanist-haters?! you may ask, upon hearing that Portland International Airport is offering two-hour parking vouchers to people interested in its newly revamped main terminal. [Disclaimer: You need to spend $25 at a pre-security shop or restaurant on their list to receive the vouch.] But seriously, fuck off for encouraging people to drive to the fucking airport. Trimet spent 215 million and we all spent MONTHS on shuttle buses to make Better Red go ahead, but I guess no one matters but youuuuu and your ceeeeeeillling.
⢠Oh, speaking of nothing mattering but a pet project, the Mercury's 2024 Fall Arts Guide hit stands yesterdayâyes, it's in print. It looks wonderful, which more due to our art director and cover designer than anything I did. Her lewks are also due to the deceptively simple yet surreal paintings of local illustrator Carson Ellis, whose art you'll find on the cover. It just sort of lined up that we published right as Ellis was releasing a beautiful new book and showing her work at art gallery Nationale. Taylor Griggs talked to her about the work, which captures her "bickering but inseparable friendship" with her future husband Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy.
⢠Arguably the BEST PIECE IN THE ARTS GUIDE is "Trash, But Make It Art" by Elinor Jones, wherein she describes the mascot of the Paris Games as "a weird blob that looked like a beret fucked a triangle and their baby was drunk."Â
The city of Portland gives out millions of dollars in grants every year, mostly to nonprofit organizations. But even with so much of the cityâs money going out to nonprofit contractors, Portland never had a centralized process for measuring the effectiveness or outcomes from the millions in taxpayer money it distributes.Â
Thatâs why the Office of Community and Civic Life, in collaboration with the Office of Management and Finance, has taken on the task of creating a âcomprehensive process and transparency frameworkâ for community grants the city gives out.Â
The new grant management policy, adopted by City Council on Sept. 4, will require all city grants to go through a centralized online portal, expected to go live next summer. The portal, Webgrants, will be accessible to potential grantees during the application process, as well as to anyone interested in where Portlandâs grant money is going.Â
English rockers The Vaccines will bring their upbeat anthems stateside in early 2025. DJ Pauly D is taking a cab to Portland to jump on the 1s and 2s so you can beat up the beat. Plus, the Portland Book Festival will reveal its 2024 author lineup next Wednesday. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.
Tickets go on sale at 10 am unless otherwise noted.
While looking through some old boxes a few years ago, Carson Ellis found several pages of diary entries from 2001, documenting her first week living in Portland. The journals detailed the 25-year-old Ellis new life in the city, as she moved into a âscrappy but cheap and fabulousâ Southeast Portland warehouse, smoked a lot of cigarettes, and hung out with her housemates and fellow artists, including her future husband and Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy. (In January 2001, Ellis and Meloy were âbickering but inseparable friends on the verge of hooking up for the first time.â)Â
Ellisânow an award-winning artist, illustrator, and authorâgot a kick out of the old entries, which offer a snapshot of Portland during a time of creative abundance and cheap rent. She painted 30 new pieces of art to go along with the diary entries from 23 years ago, and compiled them into a book, One Week in January: New Paintings for an Old Diary, which Chronicle will publish on September 10.Â
During a recent Zoom call, Ellis talked to the Mercury about her journaling practice, the creative process behind illustrating old diary entries, what her new book says about Portland, and more.Â
Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and eventsâour way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!
Cornelius is the brainchild of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada. Called a "modern day Brian Wilson" for his orchestral-style arrangements and production techniques, Cornelius subsequently became one of the most sought after producer/remixers in the world. Get those tickets now, or enter to win here!
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Fri Sept 27, 8 pm, $40-$55, all ages
Literary Arts presents iconic and trailblazing broadcast journalist Connie Chung in conversation about her forthcoming memoir âConnieâ in which Chung delves into her storied career as the first Asian woman to break into an overwhelmingly white, male-dominated television news industry. Select ticket levels include a copy of the book. Get those tickets now, or enter to win here!Â
That Mexican OT has a natural ability to bring his features into his world, sounding like a late night, dirt road rager in Texas. He has all the support and momentum to ascend to Southern rap royalty, and position himself as a new leader for Texas rap, and beyond. Get those tickets now, or enter to win here!
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Mon Sept 23, 8 pm, $39.50-$55, all ages
GOOD DAY, ART LOVERS! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDXâour weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And in this edition, to commemorate our terrific Fall Arts Preview, we're asking a poop-ton of quizzy Qs about the Portland arts sceneâincluding music, statues, movies, and more! đŠâđ¨
But first, how did you do on the previous quiz? Dang, you are SMART! And in our subjective question about your choice for greatest Blazer of all time, Damian "Dunkin' Donut" Lillard barely squeaked by for the win! (Sorry, Blaze the Trail Cat. đż)
OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!
If youâre reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercuryâs newsreporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we canât do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Â It's going to be a verrrryyyy hot one today, with temperatures expected to hit 102 degrees. Yeesh. But fear not, autumn lovers, as this looks to be the last summer heat wave of the year (for real). Take a look at the 8-14 day temperature and precipitation outlook, and get hyped. Get your rain jackets out of storage, too.
There are cooler and wetter days on the horizon. noaa
IN LOCAL NEWS:
⢠The election season is heating up and everybody is handling the stress in their own way. For a smart, healthy way to take the edge off, we recommend the Mercury's Fall Arts Guide, which you can find online NOW or in print VERY SOON. The Fall Arts Guide includes stories such as this interview with local artist Carson Ellis, who has a new book of old diary entries (and new paintings) coming out next week, sure to satisfy any hunger you have for old Portland nostalgia.
Yay for fall, yay for arts, and yay for this great guide!Â
⢠Portland has a thriving pickup basketball scene, but much of it is infused with a heavy dose of toxic masculinity. Not so for Dyke Hoops PDX, a pickup basketball league that consists of non-cis men and queer people who just wanna ball. The group plays pickup games twice a week at local Portland parks, and has a tournament scheduled for this Saturday at Irving Park, starting at 11 am. Check out Cameron Crowell's article in the Mercury for more on this awesome group of hoopers.Â
⢠Downtown Portland shift incoming...(will the employees prefer Gresham???)Â
"U.S. Bank leases approximately 222,000 square feet inside the tower, formally called U.S. Bancorp Tower...
"..Most of the U.S. Bank employees at Big Pink will move to Columbia Center in Gresham." https://t.co/p9UAXuYD7K
⢠Remember what I said earlier about today's HOT, HOT, HOT weather? Well, the forecast has gotten so bad that Multnomah County has declared a state of emergency, and opened two hot weather shelters countywide: one at Cook Plaza in Gresham, and one at Portland Covenant Church on NE MLK Blvd in between Prescott and Fremont Streets. It's supposed to be almost 100 degrees on Friday, too, but things will cool off this weekend. Just stay safe in the meantime!Â
⢠A poll of 419 likely voters in Oregon's 5th Congressional District reveals a neck-and-neck race between Republican U.S. Rep Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who currently oversees the district, and Democrat Janelle Bynum, who is challenging Chavez-DeRemer for the seat in November. The amount of likely voters polled is admittedly not very many, but pollsters think the numbers give a good preview into the results of the race, which could determine whether or not the Democrats keep the House this fall. Aaaah! There are going to be so many nail-biter races this November.Â
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
⢠Tragic news out of Georgia, where four people (two adults and two students) have been killed in a school shooting at a high school in Barrow County. Nine other people are injured. The suspected shooter is a 14-year-old boy who was arrested on the scene and who prosecutors plan to try as an adult. In a response from the White House, officials asked Congress to "do something," suggesting universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, prevention programs, and a national red flag law. Of course, these are the same solutions that have been suggested after each horrific instance of mass death that is so unique to the United States, and nothing has changed so far. My anger at this country aside, my heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families.Â
⢠Despite his flagrant disregard for what most people consider "Christian values," Donald Trump has historically done very well with American Evangelicals. Now, a political action committee called Evangelicals for Harris wants to change that. The PAC is running ads that insinuate Trump is a sinner and Kamala Harris is a godly woman, and its leaders are saying Jesus would vote for the party who wants to protect and defend the vulnerable, including poor people, people suffering from environmental catastrophe, and people in need of healthcare. đ I wish this group luck, but I must say they're in for a difficult task.Â
⢠I wonder who Barron Trump's roommate is at NYU...
Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron, has enrolled as a freshman at New York University in Manhattan, his father said in an interview that was published on Wednesday. https://t.co/cYne5RHauS
⢠In other unexpected Kamala Harris supporter news, former Republican Representative (and daughter of former VP Dick Cheney) Liz Cheney endorsed Harris for president. Cheney, a major critic of Trump, co-chaired the House investigation into the January 6th insurrection. She was ousted from her Wyoming House seat as a result of her outspoken criticism of the former president. Now, she said "as someone who cares deeply about the Constitution...[she] will be voting for Kamala Harris."Â
⢠Con artist Anna Sorokin (AKA Anna Delvey, her pseudonym when she was a wealthy NYC 'It Girl' in disguise) will be the next contestant on Dancing With the Stars...and she's bringing along her hefty ankle monitor! Sorokin is currently under house arrest after swindling her way to the top of New York's social scene  in the late 2010s, but apparently they're letting her out of the house to film the show. Girl boss alert!Â
⢠Enjoy this beautiful creature. And stay cool!! BYE.
For the past few years, the Mercury's Fall Arts Preview has dealt with the pandemic, bouncing back from the pandemic, if things could be normal now after the pandemic, and if the pandemic is over.Â
Is the pandemic over? Yes and no, dear readers. The World Health Organization says COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, but no one's ready to say it's not a pandemic. We're just going to have to live with complicated truths. And art will help you do that.
Furthermore, we're actually about to deal with something noisy enough to take our minds off the pandemic. We are descending into the 2024 election cycle crevasse. It's icy, cavernous, and everyone keeps acting like we can't understand ranked choice voting. You'd better believe you'll need some crampons. Art will be your crampons.Â
Hi everybody, and welcome to this Very Special Trash Report! For the uninitiated, the Trash Report is my weekly column where I make jokes about silly things that happen in the news and gossip. Iâm going to do that for this print issue, but about ~ART~ which Iâm highly qualified to do, in that I was offered the space, and I said yes. Letâs get this art-y started, shall we?
Airports, but Make Them Art
People are losing their damn minds over the new roof at PDX. This is a dramatic vibe shift for an airport that has for years been known for its beloved (but letâs be real, tacky) carpet. I, for one, like that going forward we will have a choice of whether to post our braggy travel selfie with the carpet or the ceiling. Face bloated from a flight? Shoe time. Nailed the eyeliner on your way to devastate an ex? Give us the face. (Iâm also glad that we might move away from the foot pics because Iâm sad knowing how many of you freaks will walk into an airplane bathroom in open-toed shoes. Youâre worth more than that!) Portland International Airportâs glow-up will also serve as a great flex at the haters who think our town is a flaming garbage pile. You want to come out here and talk shit? Good luck doing that under all that architectural majesty.
For nearly three decades, the city of Portland ran its grant program for artists and arts organizations exclusively through a well known non-profit, the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). Last summer, however, the city decided to change course.Â
Commissioner Dan Ryanâs officeâwhich oversaw arts programs at the timeâannounced that the city would not renew its contract with RACC and would instead seek out proposals from multiple organizations to oversee grant awards and funding disbursement.
In an email to the Mercury, Darion Jones, the deputy director of the Office of Arts and Culture, said the cityâs model of delivering its arts services exclusively through RACC âneeded to evolve.âÂ
RACC disbursed its final grant under its now-former contract this past June. However, it will still be involved in distributing the cityâs small grants of less than $5,000 to artists and organizations moving forward, and will be joined by two other nonprofits, as part of the cityâs broader push to implement a new vision for its arts and culture.
Keller Auditorium, the grand old dame of Portlandâs formal concert scene, is long overdue for renovations, both technical and cosmetic. However, revelations from the past 10-15 years, about an increasingly likely major earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone, mean that such a project will need to dig deeper than the upholstery.
The venerable venueâwhich was last updated in the late â60sâis still structurally dependent on brick masonry walls from the original construction in 1917. And so, like many of the cityâs approximately 1,600 unreinforced masonry buildings, the Keller is expected to crumble whenever the much-awaited âBig Oneâ hits.
