Blitzen Trapper Connects Rock ‘N’ Roll With Theater
At Portland Center Stage, during a positioning-focused tech rehearsal for its upcoming Wild and Reckless theater production, Blitzen Trapper guitarist Erik Menteer starts gyrating his hips. His whammy bar squeaks as it dangles and bounces. During any of Blitzen Trapper’s … Continue reading Blitzen Trapper Connects Rock ‘N’ Roll With Theater
Portland Record Label Lands on Hate-Group Registry
A record label headquartered on Northeast Portland’s Alberta Street has been declared a racist organization by the nation’s leading watchdog of white-supremacist and hate groups. On Feb. 15, the Southern Poverty Law Center listed Soleilmoon Recordings among 25 new hate … Continue reading Portland Record Label Lands on Hate-Group Registry
Crystal’s ‘Trapper Keeper’ & Rent Well’s beacon for technically homeless
You could tell how seriously Crystal O’Connor was taking Joan Mershon’s Rent Well class on a recent Saturday just by looking at her three-ring binder. Impeccably organized, layered with color-colored Post-It notes, it was every bit the 2017 equivalent of … Continue reading Crystal’s ‘Trapper Keeper’ & Rent Well’s beacon for technically homeless
Media elite talks ‘blue-collar’ journalism. Their approach could make things more dangerous for US
There is nothing inherently wrong with being rich, or educated. As studies have shown forever, these two things are very closely related in the U.S. The wrongness happens when elites no longer give a crap about people who are struggling. … Continue reading Media elite talks ‘blue-collar’ journalism. Their approach could make things more dangerous for US
Retail element trimmed in new Pearl high-rise
North Pearl neighbors complain that community building benefits will be lost By Thacher Schmid A neighborhood group voted unanimously to oppose a developer’s reduction in retail space for the 21-story high-rise at Northwest 11th and Pettygrove at the western edge … Continue reading Retail element trimmed in new Pearl high-rise
Run the Jewels Deliver an Early Concert of the Year Contender at Crystal Ballroom
At the Crystal Ballroom on Feb. 6, Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike and El-P delivered an early contender for concert of the year, marching through an indefatigable 70-minute set in delirious lockstep with a riveted Crystal Ballroom crowd. Yeah. It … Continue reading Run the Jewels Deliver an Early Concert of the Year Contender at Crystal Ballroom
Portland could be getting a major new music venue
Portland might soon be getting a new large-scale music venue. Documents show that homegrown entertainment company Monqui Presents is seeking to build a 3,000-capacity concert venue where a couple of aging warehouses sit in industrially-zoned Northwest Portland, across the street from Montgomery Park. … Continue reading Portland could be getting a major new music venue
Power & Music To The People
Portland Musicians Embrace the Challenge of Making Important Political Music Pop music is the meat at the BBQ joint, says rapper Mic Crenshaw—it’ll fill you up with empty calories “and weigh you down, and slow you down.” Political music, the … Continue reading Power & Music To The People
Shy Girls’ Minimalist Electro R&B Silences Chatty Doug Fir
By Thacher Schmid The turning point of the sold-out Shy Girls show at Doug Fir Lounge on Jan. 25 came during the start of the next-to-last song, “What If I Can.” “This is one of my favorite songs on the … Continue reading Shy Girls’ Minimalist Electro R&B Silences Chatty Doug Fir
Bye Bye Birdies
Owners of a North Portland Low-Income Apartment Complex Are Kicking Out the Backyard Chickens Residents say saving the chickens is a way of preserving a sense of home, a connection to nature and a cheap, healthy food source. The effects … Continue reading Bye Bye Birdies
Lost Woody Guthrie Song Tells Story of ‘Vanport’s Flood’
In 1948, America’s greatest folk musician, Woody Guthrie — known for “This Land Is Your Land” and numerous other songs about American life and the plight of working people — penned a piercing ballad about Oregon’s worst disaster, Vanport. “Vanport’s … Continue reading Lost Woody Guthrie Song Tells Story of ‘Vanport’s Flood’
Hard working, conscientious, well groomed … and homeless
Conversations about homelessness too often devolve into stereotypes, such as “it’s their choice,” “they’re not from here,” “he needs to get a job,” “it’s not their fault,” etc. Jerry Vermillion’s story transcends paint-by-numbers talking points. Vermillion, 52, has been living … Continue reading Hard working, conscientious, well groomed … and homeless
Developers’ study finds deep support, ‘overwhelming’ need for homeless campus in Portland
A new feasibility study that looks at the idea of a “co-located, collaborative homeless campus” in Portland reveals significant support from local leaders. The study, in the works since March, includes the first in-depth look at the Oregon Harbor of … Continue reading Developers’ study finds deep support, ‘overwhelming’ need for homeless campus in Portland
No Shelter: Advocate Mubarak says agencies turn backs on Terminal 1
That’s how Ibrahim Mubarak sees it, and it’s possible nobody in Portland knows more about the topic than he. Known for strong advocacy and direct action tactics, he is once again at the center of local news after Commissioner Dan … Continue reading No Shelter: Advocate Mubarak says agencies turn backs on Terminal 1
Going deep into the Oak Leaf: Things get funky at nexus of mobile homes, affordable housing
Just a minute inside Victor Johanson’s single-wide trailer at the Oak Leaf Mobile Home Park on NE Killingsworth in Portland, Oregon, and three things became clear. First, mold spores in the air were at a level so high as to … Continue reading Going deep into the Oak Leaf: Things get funky at nexus of mobile homes, affordable housing
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