Eleven PDX December 2013 by Scotty Scott Media

contents

ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE ISSUE NO. 7

THE USUAL 3 Letter from the Editor 3 Staff Credits Columns

VOLUME 3

FEATURES Local Feature 13 Swahili

Cover Feature 16 Talib Kweli

5 Aural Fix Bastille Escondido The Mowgli's

FILM Watch Me Now 19

new music 7 Short List 7 Album Reviews Bombs Into You Dâm-Funk + Snoopzilla Fanno Creek Genders

Film Editorial: John Waters, Cristmas Angel Instant Queue Review Film Events

COMMUNITY Neighborhood of the Month 21 SE Belmont

The Local Biz 22 LIVE MUSIC 9 Musicalendar An encompassing overview of concerts in PDX for the upcoming month. But that’s not all - the Musicalendar is complete with a venue map to help get you around town.

11 Previews

ELEVEN’s favorite local business directory

Visual Arts 23 Portland artist Colby Dahlstrom

more online at elevenpdx.com

HELLO PORTLAND! Generally, this time of year, I preach the value of doing your holiday shopping locally. While that still rings true, I'm less enthusiastic about said commerce. While I may be getting older,occasionally grinchy, fret not for I ain't humbugging. In addition to shopping locally (as necessary) why not put that ole' brain to the test and craft your loved ones something truly unique, something from the heart. It could really be anything, a drawing, a handmade card, a song, a wind chime, or whatever you and they are into! Wouldn't that be nice? Anyhow, here's what we made (from the heart!) for y'all this month: Talib Kweli provides some wonderful insight into the life of an under-the-radar rap legend [p.16], we get far out with local outfit Swahili [p.13], tide some Yule with John Waters [p.19] and all the usual stocking stuffers! From all of us at ELEVEN, have a safe and fantastic holiday season and a rippin' new year! Âť

- Ryan Dornfeld, Editor in Chief

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EXECUTIVE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Dornfeld CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Mills SENIOR STAFF SENIOR WRITER Wendy Worzalla FILM SECTION Bex Silver VISUAL ARTS Mercy McNab graphic DESIGN Dustin Mills COPY EDITING Megan Freshley COVER PHOTO Anna Sian CONTRIBUTORS Brandy Crowe, Billy Dye, Elizabeth Elder, Eric Evans, Gabriel Granach, Ashley Jocz, Kelly Kovl, Scott McHale, Rachel Milbauer, Aaron Mills, Kela Parker, Rob de la Teja, Charles Trowbridge photographers Justin Cate, Michael Herman, Amy Kettenburg, Mercy McNab, Aa Mills research assistant Katherine Benedict DISTRIBUTION / PROMO The Redcoats

eleven magazine mail us stuff!

P.O. Box 16488 Portland, OR. 97292 get involved getinvolved@elevenpdx.com

GENERAL INQUIRIES info@elevenpdx.com ADVERTISING sales@elevenpdx.com online www.elevenpdx.com twitter.com/elevenpdx facebook.com/elevenmagpdx online editor Kim Lawson kim@elevenpdx.com eleven west media group, llc Ryan Dornfeld Dustin Mills SPECIAL THANKS Kev, Jim, Steph, Matt, Tali, Vargas fam, EastBurn fam, M.W., Tixie fam, Meeses, PLA, Vince, Skot and Karla, Phil and Corrie, PH+BG, Will+Opie, Treefort, our partners, families and friends!

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columns

503-236-2876

AURAL FIX

(Every month, our expert team seeks out the newest and most exciting musicians in the world. After searching high and low, we’re proud to bring you the result of our concentrated efforts.)

1800 E BURNSIDE

MUSIC CALENDAR

12.4: Jazz w/ The Jim Prescott Trio

ft. Brian Myers and Luke Bonham at 7pm

12.5: Live Bluegrass at 8pm 12.11: Jazz w/ Linda Michelet at 7pm 12.12: Live Bluegrass at 8pm 12.13: A Mile to Go at 10pm 12.14: The Keplers at 10pm 12.18: Jazz w/ Amorus at 7pm 12.19: Live Bluegrass at 8pm 12.20: Saucytown at 10pm 12.21: Side Street Reny at 10pm 12.26: Live Bluegrass at 8pm 12.31: NYE Party! w/ Milky Justice and DJ Jesse Espinoza

DJs in the Tap Room 9pm

12.7: DJ Jesse Espinoza 12.13: DJ Ilko 12.14: DJ Kenny 12.21: DJ Zimmie 12.28: Impact Sound! Reggae

ALL SHOWS ARE FREE

AND START AT 10PM (DJs 9PM) UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED FOR BOOKING PLEASE CONTACT PLAY@THEEASTBURN.COM Hours: Mon-Fri 4p-2a, Sat-Sun 10a-2a Happy Hr: Mon-Fri 4p-6p, Sat-Sun 3p-6p

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BASTILLE

Dan Smith was born on Bastille Day. As front-man of the UK outfit Bastille, he asks a lot of questions in the songs he composes. “How am I gonna get myself back home?" "How am I gonna be an optimist about this?" "Are you going to age with grace?” These inquiries are part of the depth of Bastille’s debut Bad Blood. The band has become a radio darling, gaining airplay with the familiarity of emotive ballads. But there is more, particularly in the embellishment of bonus material on a special re-issue album titled All This Bad Blood. Strings and classical elements abound, particularly in the Abbey Road Sessions “Things We Lost in the Fire” and the theremined “Laughter Lines.” Many tracks have multiple takes, such as “Flaws” and “The Weight of Living” (parts I and II); it’s interesting to compare the electronics with the work that goes into the acoustic versions. Then there is the whole “Of The Night” business—the dance-track mash-up of “The Rhythm of the Night” by Corona and “Rhythm Is a Dancer” by Snap. There are a lot of heart-felt harmonies and festive undertones. If you can’t make it to the sold-out December-toRemember show, Bastille is a great play for wrapping gifts, making an overabundance of toasts, and dancing in the warmth of your living room. » - Brandy Crowe

ESCONDIDO

Are there too many indie-folk duet acts in the world today? Probably, but you have to admit that it's a formula that works. Nashville, Tennessee residents Jessica Maros and Tyler James add their own special blend of eleven herbs and spices to the old recipe, and cook up something mighty tasty. If they err on the side of country, it's definitely "bat country." Think Django Unchained starring Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash. Their debut album The Ghost of Escondido was recorded live in one day in October 2011, and is well worth the listen. Maros and James have great chemistry, and the pairing of their voices matches the bittersweet and borderline dirty sexual undertones of the lyrics. Most of the songs are about the usual love and loss and right and wrong, but Escondido is clearly not without a sense of whimsy. The album has a certain sheepish quality about it, like it's apologizing for something it did after drinking to much the night before. Country pop that isn't really lame is double A-ok in my book. As a whole, Escondido is a super fun band with a positive vibe. They are one of those rare bands that aren't too serious about not taking themselves too seriously. They have a natural sound that is easy to listen to, but that is not without a certain amount of soul and flavor. We look forward to hearing more from them in the future. » - Aaron Mills

columns

THE MOWGLI'S

The Mowgli’s are eight human beings who have bound together a genuine and consistent compilation of sound, relationships, and politics with an obvious, clear theme that doesn’t take a music critic to penetrate: love and joy. Anyone who has worked with a group of people knows that with more members comes a more complicated and convoluted vision or message. This does not seem to be the case with this band. The songs on this summer’s album Waiting for the Dawn contain seamless harmonizing, which—for me—reveals a unique dedication to each other that is not only rare in the music industry, but seems increasingly more rare in the day-to-day world. A dedication, upon further research, was verified by the last condition in their record contract rumored to say, “We love each other." Bravery is mixing love and business. The band’s pop indie-folk isn’t quite so rare. Their single “San Francisco” is one of the more radio-friendly

songs in recent memory—a sound consistent with other widely loved indie-folk bands like Of Monsters and Men, Mumford and Sons, and so on. If you subscribe to the notion that The Mowgli’s have a greater scheme in mind by saying things in “San Francisco” like, “I’ve been in love with love / And the idea of something binding us together,” and “Yeah that heart that beats as one / It’s collectively unconsciously composed,” or “Do you feel the love? I feel the love / C’mon c’mon, lets start it up! / Let it pour out of your soul,” combined with the way they say it, i.e. the popular indie-folk is accessible and inviting to a great majority of listeners, then you are starting to realize the band’s true motivation as conspirators to get us all to love each other. Furthermore, the gospel aesthetic of the songs invoke the listener to sing along, and a single like “San Francisco” is so contagious that it’s justifiably brain-washing. » - Billy Dye

QUICK TRACKS

A “LOVE IS EASY” letting you know in a straight forward melody that even in a world of cynicism and high divorce rates, love can be simple if you let it.

B “THE GREAT DIVIDE” a great single that has been present on both their early EPs, and that interestingly deviates from the path of the rest of the songs on the new full-length record to create refreshing diversity on the album.

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reviews

NEW MUSIC This Month’s best R Reissue

L Local release

L Bombs Into You

Shake Self Released

Short List Black Flag What The... Boston Life, Love & Hope Toy Join The Dots R. Kelly Black Panties

Portland’s Bombs Into You, the self-described “basement electro rock” group, knows what to do. Their latest album, Shake, is engaging and startlingly beautiful. The trio of Jared Jensen, Gage Choat, and Kevin Woodruff has put together a thorough album with, frankly, no noticeable weak spots and many outstanding strong points.

The opening track, “Dizzy Air,” opens with some fuzz and a pounding beat before easing into the vocals. It’s the kind of song that calls out for a catchy hook—only that hook doesn’t come, and you realize they knew exactly what they were doing. As with most of the album’s tracks, “Dizzy Air” grows organically but never goes over the top. The restraint is admirable, and is an obvious testament to the group’s understanding of its strengths. “Kamikaze” careens and drives through thrashing chords and distorted vocals, making it one of the more dynamic tracks on the first half of the album. The second half of Shake is markedly subdued, highlighted by the excellent “Sucker”—a haunting piano/ vocals piece. The piano sounds dusty and worn, only adding to its raw beauty. It is a fitting bookend. Shake could be a lot of different things in the hands of less capable and thoughtful musicians. Instead, we are left with yet another gem from the PDX music scene. » - Charles Trowbridge

Glen Hansard Drive All Night Jake Owen Days Of Gold

and fuzzy synths. “Faden Away” is

Leona Lewis Christmas, With Love

another strong retro funk track. The

Childish Gambino Because The Internet

feel of the album, with Snoop rocking

video perfectly sums up the overall a Jheri Curl in a smoked out club filled with jean-jacketed, headband-wearing

Britney Spears Britney Jean

women. Dâm-Funk has been underground

Buy it

Steal it

Toss it

for a long time, but with the 20 track Toeachizown from ‘09, it seemed that Dâm was given the mission of 'keeping the funk alive' by the Mothership

Dâm-Funk + Snoopzilla 7 Days of Funk Stones Throw Records

itself. So along comes Snoop Dogg to make the ultimate funk album, but 7 Days sometimes feels more like a reproduction of the old funk than a progression of it. Not that bringing back that old school sound is a bad

Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion has

facebook.com/elevenmagpdx @elevenpdx

balance of that classic Snoop Dogg

repertoire—Snoopzilla—and he’s back

swagger and Dâm-Funk’s post-funk

rapping again, G-funk style. Snoopzilla

stylings. Overall, the collaboration

is a sort of spawn of the Bootsy Collins

succeeds in paying homage to the

"Bootzilla" alter ego from the late '70s.

pioneers of funk while still producing

The album opens with “Hit Da Pavement,” with an infectious beat

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thing, and this album has a nice

added yet another moniker to his

something original, even if it’s a throwback. » - Scott McHale

reviews and energetic acoustic rock sound, but this is worlds beyond

L Fanno Creek

Monuments SoHiTek Records

tentative about this music. Fanno Creek has struggled with

what you've heard from them:

categorization; describing what they

expansive soundscapes, layers of

do musically has been a challenge,

instrumentation around their dual

owing to their range. In a post-

guitar & drums lineup, and most

Monuments world, why not call their

importantly hooks on top of hooks.

sound what it is? Classic rock. Not

At first I struggled to reconcile

guilty pleasure/ironic classic rock

what I was hearing with what I

either. This music would sit very

knew of the band from their shows

comfortably alongside The Hollies

and earlier EPs, but ultimately

and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on

just surrendered to the songs.

any playlist. The writing is strong,

And what songs! They present a

the performance passionate and

cycle of themes both personal and

powerful, the production rich and

cosmic in scope, from the singalong

nuanced, and the tracks trendless

immediacy of "How Long" to the

and timeless. » - Eric Evans

slow-burn bluesiness of "Body, Brain," to the ethereal beauty of "Green Stones." The range the band By "Trilithon," the third track

displays is staggering, yet the songs

on Fanno Creek's debut album

all work together to form a cohesive

Monuments, my jaw had literally

whole. It's easy to call Monuments

dropped. The local trio is well

one of the most confident, assured

known on the live circuit for

debut albums from a Portland band

their effortless harmonizing

pretty much ever. There's nothing

L Genders

Get Lost Self Released

Genders has been quick to climb the PDX music ladder. Spawning from the ashes of another great music project, Youth, Genders entered the arena last year and has quickly become a staple in the PDX scene. This garnered attention from indie-legend Doug Marsh, who landed a copy of

their excellent self-titled EP, which boasts several tracks that appear on their first full-length, Get Lost. Marsh dug what he heard and invited them to zigzag across the country with his kind of popular band Built To Spill. The opportunity almost came to a screeching halt when the band collided with a deer on the way to their Daytrotter session in Illinois. Both Bambi and the van didn’t fare so well, and in supportive Portland fashion, friends and family reached into their pockets and helped the band afford a rental. Get Lost’s opening track, “Something To Get You By,” is a sixminute emotional masterpiece. It begins with a wave of chimes and guitars which abruptly cut to allow singer/guitarist Maggie Morris’ poignant vocals to take the stage. The song builds upon itself and, by the end, turns into one of those tracks you get lost in. If you’ve ever seen Genders live, you know the destruction Katherine Paul causes on drums

Fanno Creek celebrates the release of Monuments December 4 at Mississippi Studios

during the last two minutes. The album is diverse and packed with emotive buildups, breakdowns, and honest songwriting. Get Lost shows its range with sentimental tracks like “Atlas Moth,” and brighter tracks like “Golden State,” which features delightfully sunny guitars. “Oakland” is a sexy track that opens like a Spaghetti Western. The song is quick to drop into darkness as it ends, with a harrowing scream and the band chanting “you know how I like it.” Get Lost is an album that tugs at you as it alternates between explosive chaos and desperation, all the while staying optimistic. It’s a focused album that has obviously been carefully labored over. Genders is selfreleasing the album at Mississippi Studios on Sunday December 8 with fellow shredders The We Shared Milk and The Ghost Ease. It’s easily one of the best shows before the year's end. Make sure you're there. » - Elizabeth Elder

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live DECEMBER crystal ballroom

2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 15 16 19 20

1332 w burnside

Third Eye Blind Rockabilly Winter Ball An Evening With 1964 - The Tribute 27-28 Beats Antique 31 NYE w/ Pink Martini | Chervona

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20-21

8 nw 6th

3 1 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19

Roseland Theater

Doug fir

830 e burnside

27 The Quick & Easy Boys | Acorn Project | Moorea Masa 29 Reignwolf 31 Weinland's NYE Supergroup | Old Light

mississippi studios 3939 n mississippi

1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

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live DECEMBER wonder ballroom 128 ne russell

holocene

1001 se morrison

rontoms

600 e burnside

2 3 6 7 8 11 13 14 20 21 27 31

3 4 5 6 7 10 12 13 14 16 18 19 20 21 27 28

Ural Thomas & The Pain | Y La Bamba 8 Sara Jackson-Holman | Melville 15

eastburn

1800 e burnside

Live Bluegrass (Thursdays) The Jim Prescott Trio Linda Michelet A Mile To Go The Keplers Amorus Saucytown Side Street Reny NYE Party w/Milky Justice | DJ Jesse Espinoza

bossanova ballroom 722 E Burnside

4 11 13 14 18 20 21 31

Swing DJ (every Wed) Raw Artists 5 Harlem Nights w/Irving Brown 7 NYE Party w/ DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid 31

kelly’s olympian 426 sw washington

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live DECEMBER bunk bar

11 1028 se water 4 Escondidio | The Verner Pantons 7 Mrs. Magician 12 Erin McKeown's Anti-Holiday Spectacular

12 2026 NE Alberta the know

4 5 6 7 8 11 14 19 28

Tiger House The Gutters | Hornet Leg | Rockoon

knock back 13 the 2315 ne alberta 5 Boing | The Shivas

backspace 14 115 nw 5th white eagle 15 836 n russell 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 30 31

SLABTOWN 16 1033 NW 16TH

3 6 7 9 12 13 17 20

Want to have your show listed? E-mail listings@elevenpdx.com

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PREVIEWS 1. GHOSTIES

WITH

MOON HONEY, JUDSON CLAIBORNE, BEARCUBBIN'

DECEMBER 6 | KELLY'S OLYMPIAN

2. MRS. MAGICIAN

DECEMBER 7 | BUNK BAR

If you listen to the eleven-person Oregon group Typhoon, you should know that four of their members (Jennifer Hufnagel, Shannon Rose Steele, Pieter Hilton, and Devin Gallagher) make up the Portland band Ghosties. They’re into making a great grungy yet folky noiserock sound with a certain appeal that most music lovers should appreciate. Base instruments include: not one, but two drummers, a guitar, and a ukulele. Join them for an evening of experimentation in somewhat angsty/stressed vocals over simple yet big-sounding instrumentals with an equally matched energy. » - Kelly Kovl

San Diego based Mrs. Magician is returning to PDX. Their songs are soaked with California vibes and feature plenty of reverb and lethargically fuzzed-out guitars. Mrs. Magician manages to combine classic surf rock riffs with sedated drums and hazy vocals. If you have ever wondered what a less annoying, more stoned version of the Beach Boys sounds like, this might be it. It falls under the umbrella of pop, but adds a pinch of punk and a true garage vibe. Get out of the house and let California brighten your December, Portland. » - Elizabeth Elder

3. THE FEATURES

4. MEAN JEANS

DECEMBER 7 | CRYSTAL BALLROOM

DECEMBER 8 | THE KNOW

WITH

FITZ & THE TANTRUMS

About once a month I hear a band doing a new thing that I haven’t heard before and I get excited. This month, that band is this band—a southern indie rock band from Tennessee. When I caught a link to their official web page and listened to their single “The Disorder” while the video played in the background, I immediately knew I was onto something upon the opening groove. Then, as the song progressed and evolved, I was standing on my feet. If this band is as good as I think they could be, this could be easily in the top five performances you’ve seen all year. » - Billy Dye

WITH

AUDACITY, SODA JERK

Known for their soaring guitar solos, sing-along choruses, and energetic shows, this Portland threepiece sure knows how to party! Billy Jeans, Jeans Wilder, and Junior Jeans successfully summon the ghosts of the Ramones era time and time again. With their fun party anthems and ridiculously catchy power-pop chords, the trio devours their influences and spews out a spirit and style all their own. If you’re looking for a damn good time, all you need to do is put your mean jeans on and get ready to rock and roll. » - Wendy Worzalla

5. PERE UBU

DECEMBER 12 | DOUG FIR

Pere Ubu is one of the more bizarre bands to populate the fringes of avant-garde/progressive rock. Behind the tireless and utterly unique vocal stylings of David Thomas, the group has existed on and off since the ‘70s. Back on tour once again, Ubu is bringing its space odyssey sound to PDX. Due to the group’s natural experimental tendencies, it is safe to say that no two viewing experiences are alike. And as pioneers in the underground garage rock vein, it is also safe to say that this is an experience not to be missed. » - Charles Trowbridge

live

6. MC YOGI WITH

DJ DREZ

DECEMBER 13 | ALHAMBRA THEATRE You'll find MC Yogi & the Sacred Sound Society on the chillwave end of the hip-hop spectrum, all smooth Hindu-infused vibes with scratches and beats dropping in the mid-tempo range. Fresh off the success of Pilgrimage— the travelogue CD documenting Yogi's transformative trip to India, which topped iTunes' World Music chart— the MC is touring on his message of positivity and enlightenment, stopping at the Alhambra Theatre on December 13. Be prepared to shake your booty and possibly achieve a state of funkified bliss. » - Eric Evans

8. OH MERCY WITH

TOMMY & THE HIGH PILOTS, RARE MONK

PREVIEWS

7. GREATEST TOY DRIVE EVER

WITH COOL NUTZ, MISTAH FAB, GRAYSKUL, MAZE, KOROMA, STEVO, SERGE SEVERE, OMNI ALIEN, ZOO?

DECEMBER 14 | ASH STREET

DECEMBER alhambra theatre 4118 se hawthorne

Christmas means different things for everyone—bringing loved ones together, rewards for another year gone by, and eggnog. Do you remember being a kid at Christmas? It's about the toys! Some hawthorne theatre parents want to humbly provide, but it's 1507 se 39th hard. If you want to be a part of something Happy Beggars | Family Night | Hesh Hard meaningful, and perhaps attend a American Bastard | State of Balance legendary hip-hop soirée, I'm going to Royal Concept | American Authors | Misterwives High on Fire | Kvelertak | Windhand suggest The Greatest Toy Drive Ever III. Smily Empty Soul | ACICDIC | First Decree It's put on by local mogul Cool Nutz. He's a Winds Of Plague | Impending Doom | Bragging Rights giver, putting together an annual concert Fate's Warning | Artizan | Earth To Ashes | Never Awake series featuring the best of Portland's rap Blood On The Dance Floor | Farewell My Love PDX Battle of the Bands and hip-hop to benefit local families and Paint Me Perfect | Ghost Town Grey hopeful children. » - Brandy Crowe PDX Battle of the Bands

9. HOLOGRAMS

WITH

TV GHOST, ARCTIC FLOWERS

5 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 19 22 Years End Hip Hop Showcase ft. Stewart Villain 26 Poison'us | Same Ol' Situation | Sir Psycho Sexy 31

19 ALADDIN THEATER 3017 SE MILWAUKIE 20 VALENTINES

232 SW ANKENY

DECEMBER 15 | MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

DECEMBER 16 | HOLOCENE

Alexander Gow and his three bandmates make up Oh Mercy, an Australian group making lots of waves everywhere. After taking a hiatus to come to Portland to write and record, Gow knocked out 2012’s Deep Heat, writing from a new perspective that opened up their musical palate. This show will flaunt their quirky alternative pop rock: think Bob Dylan, Fleet Foxes, and The Shins. Gow’s self confidence makes for an entrapping stage presence that will have you moving and shaking your hips to what comes across as wholesome music—refreshing in this day and age. » - Kelly Kovl

Holograms are a raw rock/post-punk band out of Sweden with a dark yet triumphant sound. They went all out with Forever, put together after coming home from tour broke and desolate. There’s an empty angst in lead Andreas Lagerström’s voice that only a sunless Stockholm winter can produce. Songs like “Flesh and Bone” and “Meditiations” have that foot stomping, fist pumping energy that should be well received here this winter. » - Scott McHale

11. DJ ANJALI & THE INCREDIBLE KID NEW YEARS EVE PARTY

10. ICONA POP

DECEMBER 31 | BOSSANOVA BALLROOM

DECEMBER 20 | WONDER BALLROOM

When you do something long enough, it's hard not to get good at it. DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid have been dropping the jangly Bollywood beats in Portland for the last thirteen years. Thirteen years? So TIGER BAR yeah, they're pretty good at it. Known for 317 NW BROADWAY bringing cutting-edge music to virgin ears, Groovy Movie Triple Feature (Tuesdays) they are guaranteed to throw you a good Karaoke From Hell (Thursdays) time. If you don't have fun, it's probably STAR THEATER not their fault—and you probably need 13 NW 6TH to lighten up a little bit. Maybe you can Church of Hive (Sundays) make it your New Year's resolution. Wave Jahai | Separation of Sanity | Othrys | Mursa | Driezehn School of Rock: Winter Preview 2014 (3pm) goodbye to unlucky number 13, take some The Long Winters w/ Special Guests dancing lessons, and go help them blow up El Vez & Rosie Flores Merry MeX-mas Show Incubator Bossanova Ballroom for the third year in a Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons | Water Tower row. Happy New Year. » - Aaron Mills

WITH

K. FLAY, SIRAH

The Swedish music scene is hot right now, and Icona Pop is a good example of that. The electro-pop duo combine heavy house basslines with super catchy anthemic choruses. The result is a dance party that will leave you wondering what happened the night before. You might remember their ear-worm track “I Love It” from the episode of Girls where Hannah snorts ecstasy, wears a mesh top without a bra, and dances until she’s a sweaty mess. Yeah, it’s kind of going to be like that. Get your sequined outfits ready! » - Elizabeth Elder

4 6 6 7 10 13 13 14 19 31

DavidBrombergQuintet|JaimeLeopold&theShortStories 4

Ed Kowalczyk | Callaghan A John Waters Christmas The Lone Bellow | Ivan & Alyosha | Paul Basile Popovich Comedy Pet Theater - Holiday Circus!

5 6 8 12

Holidays with the Trail Band | Stephanie Schneiderman 13-15

Christine Lavin & Uncle Bonsai 20

#NoFilter w/ Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart & Mamrie Hart 22

21 THE GOODFOOT 2845 SE STARK 22 EAST END

203 SE GRAND

Drink And Draw (Sundays) Sonic Forum Open Mic (Mondays) Radula (Tuesdays) Soulstew w/DJ Aquaman (Fridays) Klozd Sirkut | Yak Attack 4 Blue Cranes | Dylan Ryan Sand | The Kandinski Effect

5 6 7 11 12 14 18 19

23 24 6 7 7 16 17 31

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features DECEMBER ash street saloon

25 225 sw ash

Featured DJ Night (Mondays) PHREAK: Electronic Mutations (Tuesdays) 3 Down and Dirty: A Dark Comedy Showcase 4 Lew Jones | Missi & Mister Baker | American Dada 5 Muffaluffagus | Danny Christ | Rebel Scum

6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 18 19 20 21 22 27 28 29 30 31

theGoodSons | Stumblebum | Machine | Leonhardt

Galatea | Die Like Gentlemen | Cast DowN

TheHeartfordDefiant|ForeignTalks|MagneticHealthFactory

The Iron Works | The 63 Fremonts | Mouthbreather

Chronic Vitality Raise the Bridges | Big Bang

26 315 SE 3rd

Rum Rebellion | Hammered Grunts Toxic Zombie | Amerakin Overdose Phutureprimitive | Unlimited Gravity Blowpony Leftover Crack | Juicy Karkass

LOUNGE 27 TONIC 3100 NE SANDY

Beard Night in the Lounge (Mondays) Weekly Humor Night w/ Whitney Streed (Weds) Geeks Who Drink Trivia in the Lounge (Weds) 1 The October Sky | Matt Lande | Matt Beltz 5 M.D.C. | Dirty Kid Discount | Barbarian Riot Squad

6 7 13 14 15 19 28 29

28 dantes 350 w burnside 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 20 28

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SWAHILI

Simple Tricks & Nonsense | Damn Glad To Meet You

ROTTURE/BRANX

7 13 14 28 29

LOCAL FEATURE

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld

ELEVEN: Can you provide a brief history of the band? Xua [Synth]: Ryan and Troy and I have been playing together for about ten years now, and Van and Johnny joined in 2006-7 and we started going by Swahili in 2008. Our first record came out last year on Translinguistic Other (in early 2012) and we are wrapping our second record now [and mixing at Type Foundry Studio]. 11: How were the songs for the new album written, what was the creative process? Is there an individual that does a bulk of the songwriting? John Griffin [Bass]: I think the songwriting is pretty collective in terms of everybody writing their own parts or feeding off of each other, there's not really a [designated] songwriter. We wrote a lot of this record on the computer, so recording it and figuring out parts that way, bringing them back into the room, that's the general process for this one. Troy Micheau [Guitar]: When we did the last record it was a lot of more freeform jamming, and then things would kind of congeal out of that, but timing wasn't always a specific thing, it would be like, "Oh, Josh did this thing, Van did this thing," and then we would move on. Going into this [album], we wanted to try and tighten it up a little bit, and that process eventually took us to a point of taking jams, recording them into the computer, cutting them up, getting real specific about what happens when, and

then bringing it back out to the room to finalize everything. 11: There are many aspects or genres that could be associated with Swahili's music, where are the influences drawn from? T: I guess we all grew up [being] into different kind of things. I played in indie-rock bands, punk bands, those kind of things all happened, but the common ground for all of us is definitely music and art in general that has kind of stood the test of time, things that have really had a long time to really grow and have a certain energy to it that keeps drawing you back in. After a while, it occured to me that I really wanted to make something like that, that is part of a history, but doing our own thing with it. I don't think any of us have ever been interested in just being in one kind of band, like we're just a this or just a that, that's always seemed like the most boring thing possible. X: We've never had a discussion about [Swahili's] genre, ever. All: Yeah. X: There's never been anything remotely close to that. We do like to move asses. T: It's really just been about what we're collectively into. These are musics that we've been into for a long time. 11: Would the music be any different if you lived elsewhere? All: I don't think so. No. Not really. Van Pham [Vocals/Synth]: Our

collective experience is quite eclectic, as far as our tastes and I think a lot of our sound comes from reinterpreting (or remixing in a sense) a lot of esoteric art in terms of what we study and read and even just our fondness for pop culture and fusing those together. It's not really place specific, because Reno is really, I suppose, a dearth of culture in some senses. T: We started in Reno, NV, so it was kind of a beautiful womb to start in where there's not a lot of influence coming from elsewhere. 11: Do Reno or Portland play as a character in your music? X: I would say more than that, it would be something like the city that Blade Runner takes place in. Singapore, things of the future, this retrofitted future that we play with a lot. We're trying to incorporate a sort of world-view mentality of all these different types of groovy musics into a sort of retrograded future music. It's much more sci-fi. We've created our own little environment to make stuff in-I hope. I mean, that's what we're trying to do, you know? That's a little more specific. As far as Portland is concerned, it's just a really nice place to live. I mean, I grew up here, so it's my home, but there's not a lot of Portland in our music. I grew up with Hazel and Elliott Smith and The Wipers, classic Portland stuff, but I don't hear any of that in our music at all. *laughs*

11: So where did Swahili's name originate? J: It came from Makeshift Swahili which is a song by This Heat. We were looking for a name, and we didn't want to be called "Makeshift Swahili" but we were all really into that band at the time. I think that's kind of where we first saw the name and we were like, "let's just get rid of 'Makeshift'" and it just kind of stood as this really interesting [concept], there's something slightly exotic about it. 11: Any current Portland bands that you're into? All: Golden Retriever. T: Cloaks, I really love them. Miracles Club. My favorite music, at least right now from this town is definitely the more experimental and electronic things that are happening, like, if there’s one comparison that I can ever draw to Reno from here is there’s a really awesome community of people that are not necessarily recognized nationally but are doing really incredible stuff in their basement, and really interesting things that I don’t think are necessarily drawing on Portland’s history but are drawing on a wider experimental scene and adding something new and awesome to it. X: Yeah, we pal around a lot more with the experimental guys, it might not sound like that so much any more, but we definitely come from that scene. » - Richard Lime

features DECEMBER FIRKIN TAVERN 1937 SE 11TH

6 7 12 13 Stein Project | Too Long Sparks | Coloring Electric Like 20 Not From Brooklyn 27

30 Laurelthirst pub 2958 ne glisan 31 the waypost 2120 n williams

Freak Mountain Ramblers (Sundays) PortlandCountryUnderground|KungPowChickens(Mondays)

Jackstraw (Tuesdays) Lewi & The Left Coast Roasters (Thursdays) NYE w/ Tree Frogs 31

analog cafe & Theater 720 se hawthorne

Gothique Blend Burlesque (Mondays) S.Y.N.T. Weekly Dubstep Night (Tuesdays) The Mad Marquis' Sip N Strip Happy Hour (Weds) Cloud City Circus (Thursdays) A Burlesque Nightmare Before X-Mas (Sundays) Sir Mix-a-Lot | Bad Habitat | Amerikan Overdose Godenied | Nemesis | Grim Ritual | Parietal Delirium: A Benefit For A Child In Crisis The Legendary: Deacon X Fetish Night 7th Annual Toys in the Hood Benefit w/ Tradegy Mangled Bohemians | Atlas and the Astronaut A Very Trap Christmas (EDM) Major D Night NYE w/ Otis Heat | Speaker Minds

5 6 7 14 15 20 21 27 31

Swahili performs live DECEMBER 19 @ Mississippi Studios Photo by Ryan Dornfeld

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TALIB KWELI

features national scene Photo by Anna Sian

WRITTEN BY AARON COLTER

Talib Kweli is a name many interested in hiphop and music in general likely know. However, for all of his career highlights, Kweli is too often mentioned in reference to Kayne West, Mos Def, or a line in a Jay-Z verse. This fame-by-association, as you'll read, is too convenient to fall into for press. Reading through the various profiles of Kweli in the media, a pattern of critics wondering why he isn't selling out arenas starts to form, and begins—unfortunately—to define him as an artist. Exploding onto the scene as one half of Black Star alongside Mos Def after cutting his teeth with Hi-Tek in Cincinnati, Kweli has since remained a proudly Brooklyn rapper with a pedigree of guest appearances too long to list. If you can think of an influential musician in hip-hop within the last 20 years, Kweli has likely worked with them. Maybe it's his vast contributions

TK: Well, I mean, every song is recorded differently. I

that have made it difficult for outlets and the traditional music

recorded the album over four years. So there were all different

industry machine to pigeonhole him into easily digestible bits for

types of recording processes that we used.

a constantly distracted consumer market. For better or worse, the one defining characteristic that has

11: You start the album with a recording from when you

followed Kweli throughout his career is that he is a "socially

spoke at Occupy Wall Street on Oct. 6, 2011. How important was

conscious" rapper, an activist in-step with Bay Area's The Coup

that movement to you? How do you feel about the progress of

or Chicago's Lupe Fiasco. His latest album's title, Prisoner of

activism in America since then?

Conscious, is a play on that narrowness—one that he refutes in a

TK: I think Occupy was a beautiful example of how a protest

way, feeling sorry for other rappers who can't see the forest for

can change the nation. The fact that you're even asking me two

the trees.

years after means it had an effect on the media. The media can

ELEVEN got the chance to speak with Talib Kweli as he

no longer get away with ignoring that fact that a large group of

continued his relentless tour schedule (including opening

people came together—a large group of people affected by the

for Seattle's breakthrough Macklemore & Ryan Lewis) and

banks and by the, you know, policies of our government that we

preparing for a brand-new, full-length album called Gravitas,

aren't often privy to or don't have control over.

coming out just sixth months after Prisoner of Conscious. 11: How do you balance working with the capitalist ELEVEN: How did you get connected with Big K.R.I.T., along with with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for this tour? Talib Kweli: I think that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were very

system with art that promotes revolutions? What would you recommend to other artists trying to find that balance? TK: It's all about communities and like-minded communities.

savvy in the acts that they chose to open for them; they chose

You find a group of people who are online or in-the-flesh that

independent, underground acts. K.R.I.T. is a newer artist, and

think like you, and you start bouncing ideas off of them. And

I'm a little more established. But, you know, I had been paying

whether it's an artistic community or an activist community, it

attention to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' album since he made

always works the same.

the XXL cover, and I really enjoyed his performance at the XXL freshman show. So we've been cool since then.

11: Do you think the next generation, people like Macklemore for example, are going to come in and have more

11: What was the recording process for Prisoner of Conscious like? Was it different than previous albums?

socially conscious lyrics, or are these artists "diamonds in the rough" we're just lucky to have now?

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features national scene TK: I think the evidence shows that the vast majority of

11: You're selling Gravitas directly from your own

hip-hop that's being created is being created with some sort of

site,what made you want to sell it directly, and how is it going

honesty, purpose, and a sense of self. But the stuff that's vapid

so far?

and empty is the stuff that makes it to the charts. I would venture

TK: It's going great. I was excited by the platform—to be able

to say that that stuff does not represent the majority hip-hop

to sell music directly to my fans, and it made me want to put it

that's being created. It does represent mostly stuff that's being

out quickly. Ryan Lewis gave me the platform to work with, and

pushed by corporations, but it doesn't represent most of the hip-

I hope people go out and get it—KweliClub.com—and I hope they

hop that's being created.

are going to be excited and impressed by the music.

11: If you could change one thing about the music industry

11: On the site, you talked about wanting to be more

today, either by creating something or removing something,

directly connected to fans, even "see them on your iPhone."

what would that be?

Can you talk about how KweliClub does that and helps you

TK: I think artists need to have a better sense of history: better history of the world, better history of the music.

interact more with fans? Well, it's the same platform that, you know, some other place that sells music would use. But this time I can have access

11: Speaking of music history, your new album Gravitas is set to come out in December with production from Q-Tip? TK: That's not accurate. I know that's come up. I did a

to the email addresses, and that's not something that's usually been available for artists. You know, I don't plan on totally removing myself from the industry at this point, but this project

session—a session. And it turned into a story on the internet

is definitely in the direction of—well, if people have said and

that he's producing my whole album. I don't quite know how that

if fans have said, "We don't value buying music from corporate

happened.

entities," then it's on you as the artist to invent or die, to come up with a new way for us to support you. And I think I've done

11: Sorry about that mistake. So, who else did you do sessions with for the album? TK: Oh yeah. J-Dilla has a beat on this album, rest in peace.

that here, and I'm challenging fans to support what they say they wanna support. I would never put it on the fans to put money in my pocket

Oh No, Rich Kidd, Lord Quest... The album features Gary Clark Jr.,

and food on my table. But, if fans claim that they wanna support

Raekwon the Chef, and The Underacheivers. I'm excited about it.

me, then I want to make it as easy as possible for them to support me directly. 11: With so many people just getting their music for free, how do you support yourself? Is it primarily touring? Is it a variety of avenues? TK: Yeah, touring is my chief source of income, but I don't think any artists can solely live on tour. So you have to find new sources of income. And to speak to the point about buying music: when I create art, I want to create the highest quality art. You know, I could just record something on my computer and not mix it down properly, and just send everybody an MP3 for free. But I'd rather go to a professional studio with the right quality sound equipment, work with an engineer who knows what he's doing, and work with professional musicians who play it right. And that costs money. So, however empowered fans feel when they download music for free, it's not just about the artist—it's about everyone who comes together to make a song happen. There's a lot of work that goes into that, which I think the fans really need to acknowledge. 11: With the new KweliClub platform and the new Radionomy online channel you have now, are there other ways you're going to try and reach out to fans and explain to them how much effort and dedication goes into making albums and going on tour? TK: Uh, yeah, nobody wants to hear someone they consider to be a celebrity, or someone they perceive to be more well-off

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features national scene than them—whether they're accurate about that or not—no one wants to hear that person bitch or moan or complain. So, you know, I try to lead by example. Everything I say regarding fan engagement, regarding supporting artists—I put out enough content to back that up. I give you enough ways to be able to back up what I say. So I focus not just on complaining or mentioning what's wrong with it, but actively trying to do things about it. 11: When do you think you'd go back into the studio? TK: Being in the studio doesn't change. I've got a studio set up in my hotel room right now. I just finished cutting vocals. When I'm done talking with you I'll go back to doing that. The studio is mobile in 2013. 11: You mentioned you only want to work with professionals and talented people. Are there any studios or engineers or others you work with that deserve more credit? TK: At this point a studio is a studio, because it's really about your preference of an engineer. You can pretty much go into any studio and come up with something great. On the road I have my man Fredrico with me—he's sick. Lopez. Chris Tumell. My man Dave Dar who worked with me on the Black Star stuff. I definitely have a select number of people across the country I trust with my vocals and recording for me. 11: How do you go about the process of finding people to work with and finding guest stars, beats, things like that? TK: The tracks come first. The music comes first. The music will always ask for what it wants, whether it's a guest star or subject matter, depending on how it sounds. On this new album, I wanted to work with someone newer and younger, but also from Brooklyn, bringing in sounds like what The Underacheivers are doing. So it's really about the music. The music comes first. 11: This is an odd question, but feel like I have to ask: since you helped bring her into the music scene, do you think we'll see a reappearance of Jean Grae anytime soon? TK: Jean hasn't gone anywhere. You can go to jeangrae. bandcamp.com right now and support her. She has a great new album out right this second that you can go and buy. She's doing the same thing I'm doing, only on Bandcamp. And Jean just directed my video for "Favela Love" featuring Seu Jorge from Prisoner of Conscious, so that'll be out shortly. 11: You've done hundreds if not thousands of interviews in your career. Is there something you wished more people would ask? Or is there anything you want to convey to fans? TK: Well, I feel like you've asked some pretty good questions. I'm more interested in questions about the music. I think people sometimes focus on maybe the perception of me—things like "Oh, you hang out with Dave Chappelle and Kayne," or "I hear you're an activist," or "What do you think of Obama?"—stuff like that. But I love it more when people focus on the actual music. »

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film

WATCH ME NOW FILM EDITORIAL

JOHN WATERS: A CHRISTMAS ANGEL

Welcome to the beautifully cynical time of year where you personally struggle to sort

out your feelings on Christmas. If you work retail your take is: fuck we’re busy, I’ll just give into the blur of Yuletide and enjoy my overtime pay and visit my family after the shit storm’s over. If you work a 9-5: fuck the mall is going to be crowded after I get off work, better order EVERYTHING online. The answer to your Christmas woes is John Waters. Yes, the Pope of Filth, the King of Trash, everybody’s favorite pencil mustache champion LOVES Christmas. This is really nothing new. Of the fondest Christmas memories, Waters writes this in his book Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters: “By December I'm deep in Xmas psychosis, and only then do I allow myself the luxury of daydreaming my favourite childhood memory: dashing through the snow, laughing all the way (ha-ha-ha) to Grandma's house to find the fully decorated tree has fallen over and pinned her underneath. My candy-coloured memories have run through the projector of my mind so many times that they are almost in 3-D.” Since 1966, John Waters has had an annual Christmas party that has grown from an intimate get-together of the old Dreamland gang (friends that have been part of his films since the early days) to an all-out affair where the halls are decked from top to bottom (including twinkle lights on the electric chair that fried Divine in Female Troubles), and you can rub elbows with an elite company of the finest from Baltimore and beyond. Not invited to the party? Then perhaps you have received one of Waters' now famous Christmas cards that have featured his son Billy (a petulant baby doll), Waters' own mugshot in a Santa hat, and a rubber cockroach in a Christmas ball. In essay, song, and lecture, Waters has very publicly espoused his love for the holiday over the last decade. His full length Christmas album is a gift to those of us with a slightly more disillusioned vision of the holidays. Tunes like “Here Comes Fatty Clause” and “Santa Clause is a Black Man” retain a classic R&B/Johnny Mathis goodness and mock the habitual Christmas muzack of department stores and

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Hallmark albums. Baking gingerbread or tearing apart wrapping paper is slightly more festive when you’re shouting the lyrics: “Oh, here comes fatty with his sacka shit. Here comes fatty with his sacka shit. Here comes fatty with his sacka shit. And all them stinkin' reindeer." Touring the country every holiday season, Waters delivers a deadpan and perfectly timed monologue at break-neck speed. Covering all of his favorite holiday memories, from shoplifting season in Baltimore to sexually arousing stocking stuffers, hearing Waters pontificate on his obsession is like hearing a prophet rap. The ferociousness and hilarity with which Waters champions Christmas is equal parts childlike adoration and crazed fanaticism you could only expect from the man who brought us cult classics that glorify the filthy, unreal underbelly of society. It is easy to sardonically write off Christmas as a trite money making endeavor of our capitalist society—anyone who works retail will tell you that. So thank Divine that John Waters is here to ease that tension and get you excited for the holidays this year. As he says: "If you don't have yourself a merry little Christmas, you might as well kill yourself. Every waking second should be spent in Christmas compulsion: career, love affairs, marriages, and all the other clutter of daily life must take a backseat to this holiday of holidays. As December 25 fast approaches, the anxiety and pressure to experience 'happiness' are all part of the ritual. If you can't maintain the spirit, you're either a rotten Communist or badly in need of a psychiatrist. No wonder you don't have any friends." » - Bex Silver

John Waters performs December 6 at Aladdin Theater

film Instant Queue Review To prepare for Waters' engagement at the Aladdin on December 6 (or if you are reading this post date), I suggest you delve into some classic Waters to remind yourself that he is wonderfully talented in exploiting all things grotesque. » - Rob de la Teja

FEMALE TROUBLE

(1974)

This is a fabulous place to start, as it is as early, dirty, and dare I say, Divine. It has the best Christmas scene ever imagined: Dawn Davenport is a cigarette smoking, hair spray using, cha cha heel lusting bad girl who runs away from home, has sex in a dump, and lives a glorious life of grime and lechery.

PINK FLAMINGOS

(1972)

Divine is the queen of a twisted caravan of misfits who revel in their own vileness and debauchery. When her title of "Filthiest Person Alive" is threatened by Baltimore deadbeats Raymond and Connie Marble, Divine will do anything to stay on top.

CRY-BABY

(1990)

A more palatable mixture of Elvis movies and 1950’s teenage delinquent films. Cry-Baby Walker (Johnny Depp) is a bad boy with a sensitive side, who is determined to break class lines to get the good girl Allison (Amy Locane).

EAT YOUR MAKUP

(1968)

John Waters' first film shot on 16mm (though never commercially shown). It follows a demented nanny who kidnaps children and makes them ‘model themselves to death’ before a bizarre group of her deranged friends.

THIS FILTHY WORLD (2006) Jeff Garlin’s documentary chronicling Waters' career. Full of anecdotes, stories, and gossip as told by Waters himself, it is a fascinating look at Waters' filthy mind.

A DIRTY SHAME

(2004)

Chaste Sylvia Stickles (Tracy Ullman) is a repressed housewife with an agenda to keep North Baltimore decent and virtuous... until she is accidentally hit on the head with a lawnmower and becomes a depraved and wanton sex addict.

DECEMBER FILM EVENTS HECKLEVISION: JINGLE ALL THE WAY DECEMBER 7 | HOLLYWOOD THEATER

The Governator terminates Christmas... I mean Arnold Schwarzenegger saves Christmas. Fodder for an excellent heckling, Jingle All the Way demonstrates how far a father will go to get that unattainable Christmas present: the deluxe Turbo Man action figure “with the arms and legs that move and the boomerang shooter and his rock’n roller jet pack and the realistic voice activator that says five different phrases including, ‘It’s Turbo time!’” See your japes, jabs, and jests on the big screen as this non-classic lights it up.

RERUN THEATER: CHRISTMAS IN SPACE DECEMBER 21 | HOLLYWOOD THEATER

DECEMBER 2013

12.1 • CRAFTY UNDERDOG Shop ‘til you drop, locally of course (11am - 5pm) 12.3 • NERD NITE #10

Using science to win friends and influence people

12.11 • NAUGHTY LISTED

Stories of holiday misbehavior

12.12 • PDX JAZZ George Colligan plays the music of Horace Silver 12.13 • HOMEGROWN DOCFEST 12.14 • DINNER WITH THE DANDY WARHOLS 12.15 • CRAFTY UNDERDOG 12.27 • COLDEST & DARKEST TIME OF THE YEAR COMEDY SPECTACULAR with Matt Braunger, Ron Funches, and Iam Karmel 12.29-31 • BUILT TO SPILL with SLAM DUNK • THE APOSTROPHES See mcmenamins.com for complete schedule of events

Intergalactic holiday specials from 1978, complete with vintage holiday commercials from the 70’s and 80’s, will be sure to get you in the holiday spirit. » - Bex Silver

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community

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE MONTH:

SE BELMONT 1

37TH AVE

34TH AVE

30TH AVE

29TH AVE

27TH AVE

26TH AVE 3

SE MORRISON ST 11

SE YAMHILL ST

35TH AVE

33RD AVE

32ND AVE

31ST AVE

28TH AVE

SE BELMONT ST.

2. VEGAN HEAVEN

1. RECORD STORE

Sweet Hereafter - 3326 SE Belmont

Sonic Recollections - 2701 SE Belmont

1. Hookah: Pied Cow Coffeehouse- 3244 SE Belmont St 2. Biscuits and Gravy/or When in PDX: Pine State Biscuits-3640 SE Belmont 3. Arcade!: Avalon Theater- 3451 SE Belmont St 4. Record Browse: Hall of Records 3342 Southeast Belmont Street 5. Basement Jazz: Blue Monk 3341 Southeast Belmont Street 6. Coffee and Study: Bare Bones Cafe- 2908 Southeast Belmont Street 7. For the Kids: Saint Cupcake-3300 SE Belmont 8. Unique Boutique: Noun- 3300 SE Belmont (same building as Saint Cupcake). 9. Tea Date: Tao of Tea- 3430 SE Belmont 10. Authentic Slices: Straight From New York Pizza 3330 SE Belmont 11. Fruit Smoothies: Sound Grounds- 3701 SE Belmont

3. GET POKED PROPER

Adorn Tattoo & Body Piercing - 2535 SE Belmont

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BEST OF SE BELMONT

Location photos by Mercy McNab

4. HOOKAH IT UP

Pied Cow - 3324 SE Belmont

5. VIDEO ARCADE

Avalon Theater - 3451 SE Belmont

6. COFFEE ZONE

Bare Bones - 2900 SE Belmont

7. FOR THE KIDS

Saint Cupcake - 3300 SE Belmont

8. VINTAGE SHOP

White Rabbit Vintage - 916 SE 29th

9. TEA DATE

Tao of Tea - 3430 SE Belmont

10. DIVE BAR

Triple Nickel - 3646 SE Belmont

11. MUSIC VENUE

Blue Monk - 3341 SE Belmont

community

THE LOCAL BIZ ATELIER MERIDIAN

TENDER LOVING EMPIRE

Working print studio and artist community with 24 hour access to the presses and tools needed to create woodcuts, collographs, etchings, screenprints, letterpress and monotypes.

The TLE shop houses handmade gifts from Portland’s thriving DIY scene. It is also the record label headquarters, a screen printing studio and art gallery—fostering TLE’s love of art and music through community exchange and good ol’ conversation.

N PORTLAND 665 N Tillamook Ave. | 503.729.9013 www.ateliermeridian.com

DOWNTOWN 412 SW 10th Ave (97205) 503.243.5859 | tenderlovingempire.com

I HEART RETRO

LOUNGE LIZARD

We are a vintage furniture and home decor store located in the Hollywood District of Portland, Oregon. We have 3000 square feet of vintage furniture, home decor, LP’s, jewelry, art and lighting. There is something for everyone! NE HOLLYWOOD 1914 NE 42nd Ave (97232) 503.287.3764

BEACON SOUND

Carrying a broad spectrum of new and used vinyl including classical, folk, soul, jazz, indie rock, psych, as well as an excellent selection of contemporary electronic music. They pay well for your used vinyl (cash or trade), host in-stores, and generally rule. MAGIC CORNER 1465 NE Prescott (97211) 503.360.1268 | beconsound.net

MOLOKO

We buy and sell VINTAGE FURNITURE, LIGHTING as well as OTHER COOL CONTEMPORARY furniture and lighting. We strive to keep our prices affordable and realistic for our local market. We love what we do!

SE PORTLAND 1310 SE Hawthorne Blvd

THE FIRKIN TAVERN

Located on the west side of Ladd’s, the Firkin Tavern features an astounding selection of craft beers to enjoy inside or on our patio. Art enthusiasts will enjoy a variety of local artwork on display and sold comission-free! SE LADD’S 1937 SE 11th Ave (97214) 503.206.7552 | thefirkintavern.com

HOVERCRAFT AMPS

Taste the nightlife of Mississippi. Over 40 house infused liquors. Specialty absinthe cocktails. Open until 2am every day.

Unused, unloved music gear with great potential, rebuilt into ICONS OF TONE. Available at Old Town Music for a lot less than you’d think! Each amp is uniquely tailored with components and cosmetics to make them very special. No two are alike!

N PORTLAND 3967 N Mississippi (97227) 503.288.6272 | molokopdx.com

SE PORTLAND hovercraftamps.com info@hovercraftamps.com

BEECH STREET PARLOR

HOLLYWOOD THEATRE

A neighborhood bar

A not-for-profit organization whose mission is to entertain, inspire, educate and connect the community through the art of film while preserving an historic Portland landmark.

NE PORTLAND 412 NE Beech St (97212) 503.946.8184 | beechstreetparlor.com

NE HOLLYWOOD 4122 NE Sandy Blvd (97212) 503.493.1128 | hollywoodtheatre.org Paid Advertising

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community visual arts Photo by Mercy McNab

VISUAL ARTS Portland artist Colby Dahlstrom

ELEVEN: What’s your deal? Colby Dahlstrom: I am originally from the Bay Area, but when I was a kid my family moved us up to Humboldt County, real rural part, when I was about 3 or 5. Then I moved up here about 5 years ago. 11: When did you start doing art? CD: Like all my life I have been doing it. Before my first memory I think I was drawing. My parents grew up around a lot of artistic people, so it was always around me. 11: How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it? CD: A lot of the concept stuff I focus on involves the darker, more horrific, sci-fi style of things. If I am doing more fantasy stuff, I will go with a more classical style. I don’t really like these big-breasted woman with their tits hanging out while holding this gigantic sword. I think that’s idiotic. I like to think out how armor would actually function on people. In the comic book industry there is a lot of objectifying of women and a lot of sexism. There really is. It is pathetic. There are a lot more people talking about how it needs to change now. I tend to stay away from that. Let’s put it this way, if you look at a fantasy piece of mine and there is a group of people, they aren’t all going to be

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white, not all the badasses are going to be men, and the women won’t have their tits hanging out or their crotches exposed. The armor they are going to be wearing is going to be practical. My monster design tends to go more dark, horrifying, and with the most original ideas I can. My illustration is colorful—postimpressionistic meets realistic meets a little bit abstract. 11: Is horror an important aspect of your art? CD: With a lot of illustrations, yeah. With this children’s book I am working on, not so much. Although there are going to be some dark moments. But yeah. Monsters are my love. Actually when I was in pre-school my teacher limited me to two monsters a day because that’s all I wanted to draw. 11: What’s your limit now? CD: As many as I want. As many as I want until I have to hit the day job. My dream job—if I had to have a day job—would be to work for Guillermo del Toro doing monster design. That would be the best. 11: What kind of art are you doing now? CD: It is funny you should ask. I am in a bit of a transition at the moment. Good timing. Before, I was working on a couple of comic books, but right now I am working on a children’s book and character concept designs for illustration. 11: When you are creating a book, do you find that the story is derived from the words first or the illustrations first? CD: I have only done the one comic book where I drew and wrote it. With most comic books I have done, there has been another writer and I just provided the illustrations for it. So, honestly, it is just like story ideas—little bits that I will have to fit together. I see how many I can cram into each little thing. Maybe that seems a little too convoluted, but I am still getting a lot of practice with it. But this story I am working on now is something I have been kicking around in my head for a long time. It is pretty ironed out. 11: Are you going to focus on doing children books primarily, or are you doing some adult graphic novels? CD: It is a children’s book. I like to think it is more accessible. I’m not going to do the standardized kind of crap. Also I am not going to create this crazy masterpiece that is going to be groundbreaking. It is basically a story that is cool to me. It follows this little girl—her imagination and her cat. Maybe it is not her imagination. And it has moral issues that are important to me. 11: What are some moral issues that are important to you? CD: Oh man, now we’re starting to get into tricky territory since this is going to get published. 11: Okay, then what are some important morals for children? CD: It’s for all of us really. One thing I have always loved was from Maurice Sendak—his take on it. He said he wrote illustrated books not necessarily geared towards children, but that is how people published them. That is the way I look at it. I don’t want to pull a bunch of punches because it is a child. That is one reason why there is so much hypocrisy and bullshit going on in this country right now. I mean, it is not just this country; it is all over the world. I lived out of America for about six years. When I came back, I had been watching it change from a distance, and now I’m in it.

community visual arts

"Cookies" (acrylic paint, 2013) 11: Do you think there is a correlation between the way our country acts and how children’s books have been written over the years? CD: Sure. One example is Madonna and her book. It used to be that you’d have your little darling in the literary industry, and now you have these celebrities having other people write books for them while they put their name on it. Look at Gwyneth Paltrow recently at this literary event. She ruined the damn thing for a lot of people because she shows up with her fucking cook book. Her horde of screaming fans come and ruin the experience for everyone else. I just think people like that should

butt the hell out. Go make your money the way you make your money, and leave the rest of us alone. Jumping in like this by putting your name on something doesn’t make you an illustrator and doesn’t make you an author. It makes you a piece of shit. That’s my opinion. 11: Do you see yourself doing a book, then moving on to something else? Or do you want to focus on illustrated books? CD: It is definitely something I want to focus on and do for a while. One of my main influences growing up was a man named Jim Baber. He did a lot of post-impressionistic stuff that I have never been able to get over. I met the guy when I was like four and knew him until I was about ten. My parents hung with him quite a bit. The guy’s paintings were amazing. Just the blend of colors were, “wow.” So I try to mix that with a bit of realism— illustrating in that fashion, throwing in some abstract elements into it and letting it run away. 11: It seems like that sort of illustrating style could really stimulate children’s imaginations and abilities to do abstract thinking. CD: Yeah, don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great children's books with the photorealism type of illustrating, and photorealism is beautiful. But it bores me to do it. And like you said, I think it is better for children’s minds. They see photorealism everywhere they look, so why not give them something else to think about? 11: Did living overseas influence your art? CD: Oh yeah. I was living in China for awhile with my wife— who was my girlfriend at the time—and we took a traditional

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community visual arts Chinese art class our last term at school there. We actually were able to spend a good deal of time with my teacher for the class, and the things I learned from him influenced how I approach my own art today. Then when we moved to Japan, you know, there was art everywhere. I really started to get into comics. I had always liked comics before, but the comics there were way different than a lot of the stuff we have here. For instance, Manga. We only get one type of Manga here in the states, but there are a lot more different types of Manga that we don’t get to see here. There are comics for everybody. Here in the States, we tend to think comics are just for kids. 11: What is the comic scene like in Portland? CD: It is thriving. There is a glut of artists in this town. Actually, a wise man told me once, “It is not who you know, it is who knows you.” I have found that to be so true. From what I know of the comic scene—I am only on the edge of it —there are a lot of really great artists all over this country, and there are disproportionately more here. I think the scene is great, but I think more people could get into comics and appreciate all the different styles. It would really help the industry, because right now you can either become a house artist or get really good at doing anything you’ll see on the pages of DC, Marvel and Dark Horse—and that’s not to knock that style at all. There are many really great artists who do that sort of style, but it is not my thing. So that leaves you with the underground. There is a lot more variety there, but you also don’t have as many readers.

11: What is a way for someone to access that underground scene? CD: There are a lot of really great comic book stores here. You have Bridge City Comics, Cosmic Monkey... there are tons of them. From what I can tell, talking to the people who work at these places, they seem really knowledgeable about it. 11: What does the comic underground look like? Is it a bunch of people walking around dressed as dinosaurs, girls with blue hair, and a bunch of kitten porn? CD: Yes. Exactly. They are known as furries. No, the underground scene is very varied. One of my favorite underground comics is called Wuvable Oaf by a guy out of San Francisco. It is about an ex-professional wrestler, and he is a very gentle giant living in a city that “looks suspiciously like San Francisco.” He takes in wayward kittens and makes plush toys for a living. And that is just one thing. The underground scene is just so varied and so vast. 11: What has your hustle been like here in Portland compared to other places you have lived? CD: It has been really hard. Really fucking hard. In a lot ways, I wish I had moved to Los Angeles or New York, but you know there is this really great thing called “the internet.” I can send out resumes all I want. It is tough, but it seems like it is tough for everybody—even for those professional artists who have been doing it for a while. There has just been a change in the market. It can be rough, but at the same time I think it is important and it is what I love to do, so I’m going to stick it out. 11: Is there anything about your aesthetic that gives you an edge over other artists? CD: That is debatable. I mean, the art that I do is definitely recognizable. It is original. I have a great foundation in classical work—painting, drawing, sculpting and print making—so if I have a problem drawing an image from my head, I can draw from a photograph. So that gives me an edge. Being classically trained is huge. Photoshop is great, but I don’t need it. I don’t need Google Sketch to create the dimensions of a room for me. It seems like more and more people these days are relying on that, and I am getting old so that is probably it. 11: If you had a soapbox for your art, what would that be? CD: I’m too much of a pundit for my own good. And I get fired up. But my art isn’t one of those things. Don’t get me wrong, I love my art and I get excited to sit down and work on something. So, if I can rest on any sort of laurels, it is that I never give up. My art is good now, but it is going to get better. 11: How much time do you put into it? CD: Oh man. If I have to go to my day job that day, then probably only a couple of hours. But if it is my day off, I spend pretty much my entire day in my studio. It is hard to quantify. Some days I will sit there for six hours and draw one sketch. That doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen. I would say typically I spend somewhere between eight to ten hours if you average it out. Once I did art for three days without sleep, and I thought I was going to die. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was so tired I was hallucinating. » - Billy Dye Please enjoy Colby's piece entitled "Hitman" (acrylic paint, 2011) decorating our back inside cover this month. View more of Colby's work at www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/c/cldahlstrom

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