Eleven PDX Magazine August 2015

INSIDE:

ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE - VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

COMPLIMENTARY

contents

ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE VOLUME 5

THE USUAL 3 Letter from the Editor 3 Staff Credits

ISSUE NO. 3

FEATURES Mini Feature 13 La Luz

Cover Feature 17 Y La Bamba

new music 4 Aural Fix Haunted Summer Wolf Alice The Black Ryder Circuit Des Yeux

FILM Watch Me Now 22 Female Pleasure: The Rise of the Female Blockbuster Comedy

7 Short List 7 Album Reviews Health Mac DeMarco Blackalicious

COMMUNITY Neighborhood of the Month 24 East Burnside Street

Literary Arts 25 LIVE MUSIC

Portland poet Walt Curtis and musician Dusty Santamaria

9 Know Your Venue Valentines

11 Musicalendar

Visual Arts 27 Portland tattoo artist Jessica Vann

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. more online at elevenpdx.com

HELLO PORTLAND! It's been a wildly torrid summer this year. Project Pabst was a Blabst, but so durn hot! We shall see if mama nature is more kind to this year's MFNW (ft. Modest Mouse, Belle and Sebastian, Beirut, & many more). Sometimes you just have to deal with the hotness.

So here we are, red hot and rolling out our newest edition, graced by Portland icon Luz Elena Mendoza. She's the driving force behind Y La Bamba, and as you will read in this month's main feature [pp.17-21], Luz is using crowdsourcing to fund the band's fourth studio album. We encourage all of our readers to support this, one of the most worthwhile causes that you will find on Kickstarter, (just behind Magbelt and launching an actual TARDIS into space).

We also have a few ELEVEN PDX co-sponsored events this month - so we'll see you there and there and there: (w/ Banana Stand Media) Aug 14th @ Bunk Bar - Fanno Creek + Sun Blood Stories (Album Release) + Still Caves (w/ Holocene) Aug 19th @ Holocene - Sutro ("Sweeten The Deal" Video Premier, Live Performance) + DJ Pan Am (w/ Self Group) Aug 25th @ Mississippi Studios - Máscaras + Mothertapes + Yeah Great Fine PS - Stay tuned for our first of many events at our brand new office space, The Alberta Abbey! Yipee! »

- Ryan Dornfeld, Editor in Chief

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EXECUTIVE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Dornfeld CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Mills SECTION EDITORS LOCAL FEATURE: Brandy Crowe LITERARY ARTS: Scott McHale VISUAL ARTS: Mercy McNab FILM: Rachael Haigh, Bex Silver graphic DESIGN Dustin Mills Alex Combs COVER PHOTO Mercy McNab CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brandy Crowe, Eric Evans, Donovan Farley, Veronica Greene, Rachael Haigh, Casey Hardmeyer, Kelly Kovl, Travis Leipzig, Samantha Lopez, Ethan Martin, Scott McHale, Aaron Mills, Gina Pieracci, Chuck Dulah, Matthew Sweeney, Charles Trowbridge, Wendy Worzalla photographers Mercy McNab, Aa Mills, Todd Walberg, Caitlin M. Webb

online Mark Dilson, Donovan Farley, Kim Lawson, Michael Reiersgaard get involved getinvolved@elevenpdx.com www.elevenpdx.com twitter.com/elevenpdx facebook.com/elevenmagpdx GENERAL INQUIRIES info@elevenpdx.com ADVERTISING sales@elevenpdx.com LOGISTICS Billy Dye eleven west media group, llc Ryan Dornfeld Dustin Mills SPECIAL THANKS Our local business partners who make this project possible.

Our friends, families, associates, lovers, creators and haters.

And of course, our city!

new music aural fix

AURAL FIX

UP AND COMING MUSIC FROM THE NATIONAL SCENE

1

HAUNTED SUMMER AUGUST 5 | HOLOCENE

Dream pop is often so sleepy that it is served best as background music to party to, or something to go to bed with.

Haunted Summer defies that notion by delivering a richly textured sound that should be listened to at high volumes to catch all the nuance. The husband-wife duo of John Seasons and Bridgette Eliza Moody collaborate with various musicians to create their uniquely lavish electronic sound. They have taken quite the departure from simply covering Animal Collective songs to creating a lush sound that is all their own. It has that magical quality of being simultaneously hazy and musically precise. The music takes on a particularly angelic feel because of Moody’s beautifully haunting voice. Like a less skittish Björk, her vocals weave in front and behind of the synthesised soundscape. This is outdoorsy music for people who don’t like folk.

Their 2013 EP Something In The Water displayed their unique talents, with the sumptuous opening track “All Around,” and the title track as highlights to the five song collection. The rest of the songs are by no means filler, with "1996" having an especially nostalgic trippiness to it. The band recently got

Photo by Jenn Five

2

WOLF ALICE AUGUST 11 | HAWTHORNE THEATRE

Wolf Alice is a band that manages to give credit to their influences while never seeming to be in love with anyone other than themselves. With both hands stretched wide Wolf Alice pulls from the past to break the idols of '90s rock into pieces over our heads. Their 2015 debut album, My Love Is Cool, aims big. But in this current climate of neo-grunge bands, where narcissistic attitudes are winning fans purely by virtue of indie-

Photo by Sarah Sitkin

together with Ninkaski Brewing to produce a 180 gram red vinyl edition of Something In The Water that will surely sell plenty of copies, and expose their music to a wider audience.

It would be a nice advancement from the cassette tape release Birth, which while trendy, really does not carry the same weight as a record. The minor resurgence of tapes will likely prove short lived, unless companies decide to start mass producing cassette players again.

A recent social media update suggests that the band is working on new material. It would be nice to see a complete album from Haunted Summer that could potentially put them on the national stage, and enable them to book some of the larger venues next summer. » - Scott McHale

rock’s self deprecating insecurity, Wolf Alice does more than just regurgitate a rebelliousness bereft of actual vision. The band plays music raw though polished, sprawling though catchy, emotionally vulnerable yet toxically indifferent. It is their ability to authentically inhabit these contradictions that makes them compelling, and reminds me of those great '90s bands that made pretentiousness a sin. Within their heavy hitting melodic folk-grunge (there are no genres anymore, only comparisons) they borrow heavily from the likes of Nirvana, The Bends-era Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, Pixies, and even electrorockers The Knife. And like these other bands, Wolf Alice is uncompromising, yet somehow keeps getting more popular.

Singer Ellie Rowsell has a flexible voice and wears several hats throughout the album, easily switching from the opening lullaby purity of “Turn To Dust” to the accusatory blankness in “You’re A Germ” where she sings “You ain’t going to heaven/cause I’m dragging you down to hell.” Her unwillingness to settle on a pegged down identity is one of her best traits as a songwriter, and shows us a human that is increasingly comfortable with complexity. That being said, her lyrics concern the everyday scenes of friendship, teenage lust, smoking menthols, and smalltown boredom. Sound familiar? Good.

These English rockers are frankly the freshest thing coming out of the British scene right now, primarily because they have a voice that, although borrowing a lot from the past, speaks from the heart. And that never goes out of style. » - Ethan Martin

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 4

new music aural fix

Photo by Kristin Cofer

3

THE BLACK RYDER AUGUST 18 | MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

The Black Ryder is shoegaze goth meets post-punk revival. They intertwine the sounds of '80s British synthpop and electronic rock (see, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Stone Roses, and The Cure) with the neo-psychedelic, alt-rock of the '90s (Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre) and lastly tie it all together with the back-to-basic guitar sounds that emerged in the early 2000s with acts like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Raveononettes and Interpol.

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The band was formed in 2007 by founding members Aimee Nash (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion) and Scott Von Ryper (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion). The Australian duo enlist the help of friends/guest players to form the live extensions of their music. They’ve had guests ranging from Leah Shapiro and Peter Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (an obvious influence),to Malia James from the Dum Dum Girls. The Black Ryder take a dark, sultry approach to shoegaze with their sprawling layers of droney, blissed-out guitars and ethereal vocals–they have a kaleidoscopic sound.

Since the release of their debut album, Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride, the band has toured and opened up for a range of notable acts, including: Prima Scream, The Black Angles, and Broken Social Scene, and have developed a cult following. With the release of their second album, The Door Behind The Door (The Anti-Machine Machine, 2015), the duo has proven they’re a band with no restriction to a certain era and a certain genre.

Their music is heavily influenced by specific and identifiable sounds from a range of different bands: the sound the band creates is something vivivd, uncompromising and sublime.

They bring new textures into their music–layers and layers of emotive and majestic guitar riffs that are accompanied by blissfully, dark and brooding vocals. They swirl together breathy post-punk intensities, mournful shoegaze melodies, and psychedelic sprawl to create an ethereal drone and deadeyed harmonies. The music is intended to be listened to as one long and overwhelming ride, and it's a very intimate one at that. » - Samantha Lopez

new music aural fix Photo by Julia Dretel

1 CHAPPO

KOOL STUFF KATIE

2 PICKINʼ ON SUNDAYS

3PM FREE

FEAT. INSECTS VS ROBOTS

4 TEI SHI

NATASHA KMETO

4

5 METZ

CIRCUIT DES YEUX AUGUST 19 | DOUG FIR

At first, Haley Fohr’s voice as Circuit Des Yeux (translating from French as “circuit eyes”) may seem digitally slowed down for dramatic effect. But it soon becomes apparent that she is a deep baritone, a rare lower register bringing to mind Nico or Icelandic contralto Hallbjörg Bjarnadóttir. She uses this unique attribute in strong operatic tones with vast instrumentation to create visceral sounds.

In recent years, Fohr has built upon meditative, experimental albums. She produced and toured past works Portrait and Overdue alone, and found herself fighting loud, inattentive rooms to be heard. Drowning in a sea of chatter as “a woman against the world with her guitar” inspired growth with her new release In Plain Speech. While she has not been a stranger to assisting other artists (Such as her work with Mind Over Mirrors), she has mostly been a solo entity, and has now armed herself by collaborating and performing with several progressive musicians out of Chicago, where she is now based.

She continues to stagger quiet spaces with fervor, using sing percussions, engaging synths, and prolonged guitar feedback.

She now intricately incorporates Whitney Johnson on viola, and loops the flute of Kathleen Baird, as well as honing the inventiveness from members of Little Scream and Bitchin Bajas. While continuing with the artistic subject matter of feminism and isolation, she has surrounded herself with supporters, creating a positive force to share the message that Circuit Des Yeux sets out to deliver though sonic intensity. Pay attention. » - Brandy Crowe

QUICK TRACKS A “do the dishes” Fohr centered the track around samples from a Laotian ethnographic record. Over manipulated sounds to resemble an organ, she creates her own harmonies to tell the audience “There’s something deep inside of you, something worth reaching into” building to a cathartic climax of strings before collapsing.

BIG UPS DILLY DALLY

6 CHICANO BATMAN DOVEDRIVER TRUJILLO

7 SHANE KOYCZAN

& THE SHORT STORY LONG

21 TWIN SHADOW: NIGHT RALLY TOUR LANY

22 BROTHERS & SISTER 23 PICKINʼ ON SUNDAYS

3PM FREE

FEAT. LEWI LONGMIRE AND THE COAST ROASTERS

23 MEIKO

SLATER SMITH

26 BALTO

THE HILL DOGS

HOUNDSTOOTH 8 BENJAMIN BOOKER 28 THEE OH SEES 9 PICKINʼ ON SUNDAYS FEAT. EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL 29 SCHARPLING & SINGERS WURSTER 14 JEFF THE 30 PICKINʼ ON BROTHERHOOD BATTLEME SUNDAYS FEAT. SCOTT LAW 18 VINCE HERMANʼS LOOSE CANNON 31 ROCK ʻNʼ ROLL STRINGBANG FLEA MARKET 19 CIRCUIT DES YEUX 3PM FREE

5PM

ALL AGES

9PM

21 & UP

3PM FREE

MARISA ANDERSON

20 NICK WATERHOUSE SEPTEMBER SHOWS ON SALE NOW 9/01: OVER THE RHINE 9/04: ON AN ON 9/09: BIG SCARY 9/16: TOKYO POLICE CLUB 9/18: GIN WIGMORE

9/19: FEDERALE 9/21: SAY LOU LOU 9/23: THE DEAR HUNTER 9/24: LITTLE HURRICANE 9/27: JESS GLYNNE

B “dream of tv” The nearly eight minute track pours volumes of plucky strings, chimes, frequencies, and white noise that embody both eeriness and enlightenment. It builds to chugging rhythms as Fohr's voice emerges as a cathartic instrument.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 6

new music album reviews

ALBUM REVIEWS This Month’s best R Reissue

L Local release

Short List Chelsea Wolfe Abyss Teen Daze Morning World The Mynabirds Lovers Know Gardens & Villa Music For Dogs Method Man The Meth Lab Beach House Depression Cherry The Lonesome Billies It's Good To Be Lonesome

L

Foals What Went Down Willis Earl Beal Nocturnes Grace Potter Midnight Yo La Tengo Stuff Like That There Rob Thomas The Great Unknown Buy it

Steal it

Toss it

facebook.com/elevenmagpdx @elevenpdx

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Health DEATH MAGIC Loma Vista Recordings On first glance at the album, DEATH MAGIC, my inner voice was yelling each track name because naturally, that’s how capital letters translate. Hit play on song number one, and my senses are still heightened because the first eighty seconds are fit for a movie trailer featuring the next natural disaster to end civilization as we know it. Now that

I’m sufficiently alarmed, what follows is not the apocalypse but Jacob Duszik’s unexpected croon across all twelve songs.

What was once a noise band has now progressed into the electro-pop spectrum, mostly attributed to Duszik’s vocal work on top of pummeling bass lines. It’s hard-hitting stuff that screams aggression at first, but loses its faÇade with lyrics like, “We fall apart/ it’s not our fault,” and “I still want you,” that come in the form of mercy.

That being said, it’s still the relentless, metal crushing barrage that dominates DEATH MAGIC, no matter how pop based Health might be these days.

With their last studio release in 2009, Health made themselves busy by coming out with the soundtrack to the video game Max Payne 3. A project of remixes, an unfinished tour with Crystal Castles in 2012, and a ton of melodic work later, the L.A. based group is already melting festival faces with songs from their album set to be released this month. » - Gina Pieracci

new music album reviews

Mac DeMarco Another One Captured Tracks Mac DeMarco may not have too much to bring to the table as a musician, but as a songwriter he has the importance of the so-called star’s duty to be honest and vulnerable in order to craft songs that will linger in memory. Maybe we all preferred the goofy scene-guy of Ying Yang and Rock

Blackalicious Imani, Vol. 1 Self-released It’s been nearly ten years since the veteran rap duo and linguistic luminaries Blackalicious put out a new album. The hiatus is over, and Imani Vol. 1, the first of a planned three-volume collection set to be released over the next two years, delivers the kind of sounds that make that wait fully worth it.

We’ve long known that Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel are a match made in hip hop heaven. Gab’s lyrical prowess

And Roll Night Club because he was so familiar to us right off the bat, but he seemed to be mostly just a persona. On 2 and Salad Days, DeMarco’s songwriting showed some signs that he was ready to start telling us more about himself. And now, on his new mini-LP Another One, we finally have an album of songs where he’s doing that from start to finish.

Another One is a “breakup album” but the songs (on the surface, at least) sound as breezy and unhurried as DeMarco’s past work—his down-tempo aesthetic remains anchored by jangly guitar riffs and warm synths. What’s more, Mac’s nasally croon doesn’t betray the personal crisis unfolding in the lyrics. Another One is defined by a sad and sweet tone that’s confessional in a gently regretful sort of way. A couple of these songs share riffs and some of the melodies are more or less forgettable, yet DeMarco’s charisma as a songwriter not only holds our attention but pulls us into the narrative. On this album in particular, it's apparent how much more

DeMarco has learned from Jonathan Richman's I, Jonathan than Rivers Cuomo's Pinkerton.

DeMarco has been criticized for swiping things here and there from his influences, but when you listen to songs like the ones here, you undeniably get a sense of a guy who has developed a pretty firm grasp on how to capture a complex feeling in a deceptively simple phrase; it’s from all of the great pop songs he has absorbed. “…Must be another one she loves” is all he needs to sigh on the title track to evoke the whole emotional world of a jealousy that’s maybe mixed with a bitter longing for a failure that’s been a long time coming.

All this is tied-up memorably, too— the woozy lo-fi instrumental “My House By the Water” has a certain mono no aware about it that segues gracefully into an invitation to come visit anytime at DeMarco’s pad in Arverne, New York.

Here’s hoping for another one like this. » Matthew Sweeney

is unmatched in both its breadth and complexity, and Xcel has managed to somehow be both celebrated and underrated as a DJ and producer.

Over the years since 2005’s The Craft, they’ve popped up here and there with appearances or one-off projects.

The upcoming three-part project, however, marks the first of a sustained Blackalicious run marked by stellar beats, inspired guest verses and expansive, diverse sounds.

Solid from bottom to top, Imani Vol. 1 is a lush mixture of instrumental layers and Gab’s typical relentless verses, which, as usual, take several listens to fully unpack. “On Fire Tonight,” the lead single featuring Myron of Myron & E, is a raucous, horn-driven excursion interspersed with heavy guitar-powered hooks. Compared to earlier Blackalicious, the track is more of an earworm than a spoken-word wonder. But, fittingly, that is the nature of Imani. The live instruments are present on nearly every track, sometimes a plinking piano on “Escape,” sometimes a doo-wop style sample, as heard on “We Did It Again,” other times industrial electric guitar (“On Fire Tonight”). These influences are

no coincidence. After years of working separate projects, Gab and Xcel have clearly made a concerted effort to take a sonically inclusive approach to all facets of the music.

Stylistically, Imani is an interesting turn. It’s got elements of smooth G-Funk noticeably juxtaposed with the brasher sounds we’ve heard recently on projects like Run the Jewels. Gift of Gab’s lyrics, while dense as ever, take on more of a melodic quality over the musically explorative tracks procured by Chief Xcel.

Imani also features several impressive guest turns. Bosko and his talk box spit out a catchy and nod-inducing hook on “Inspired By;” Fantastic Negrito’s turn on “Love’s Gonna Save the Day” marks a soulful rhythm and blues turn; and Imani Coppola is as formidable as ever on “The Sun.” There are, of course, a handful of other guests that will doubtless get their dues as well, including Zap Mama, Lateef the Truthspeaker and The Watts Prophets.

It’s difficult to listen to Imani Vol. 1 and not immediately want more in the form of volume 2, but this record continues to reward listen after listen.

Blackalicious has returned to the top of the game. » - Charles Trowbridge

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 8

live music

KNOW YOUR VENUE

Valentines This hole-in-the-wall place offers more than just a great place to see a great show, though. Because of its history as a great, local foodsplace, the dining is worth a visit in itself, and what is more important, the drinks.The menu lies in the tapas/small plate realm, relying on fresh and local ingredients (this is Portland, of course), house-infused liquors and hand-crafted beers.

Expert staff and a small hideaway upstairs make this place a returnworthy venue that’s best with a small group. If it's packed though, you can hang out in the alley, under

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld

A

Italian garden lights on original dark, easy-going, and lounge-y space with

cobblestone, in the shadow of one of two Portland high-

DIY aesthetic, located on SW Ankeny Street,

rises.

across from Berbati’s and the Shanghai

Valentines caters to the trend in Portland venues: to

Tunnel, Valentines is a “diamond in the rough

experience live music in an intimate setting. Portland is

of Old Town Portland.” Tucked away–like

often recognized as being one of the top music scenes in the

really tucked, this place is hard to find–and totally under

nation, being the home to many musicians, that you can find

the radar, it is a place for music, art, film screenings,

playing around the city in different venues every night of

poetry-readings, DJs and anything, and everything else,

the week. Valentines follows in that aesthetic–its romantic

that is painfully indie. It feels like a speakeasy, or, more

lights strung overhead in the alley, and its high ceiling are

like that cool friend you had in college–his place had a

details that add to the combination of live music, great

basement where the walls were lined with cult-classic

dining, and hip style. » - Samantha Lopez

movie posters, an ironic poster of Nietzsche hung in the corner, and he had his own makeshift bar–everything about him spoke to fun, experimentation, and idealistic thinking.

You felt, at that moment, comforted to know such a smart, interesting person. Valentines is just like that friend.

It began ten years ago as a great sandwich shop started by two youthful folks who had a passion for catering to the whole allegiance of local products and business aesthetic that is Portland dining. Over the years, and over the span of losing the two original owners, Valentines developed into an underground venue for touring and local acts from all over the Pacific Northwest, who felt connected to the intimate space. The whole venue seats maybe 40 people, and it’s a place where the live music really gets your ears excited. Estia Papaioannou the owner for the last three years, and Portland-native, describes it as “[A] vibrant community of local and touring artists. [Valentines] is an outlet for the experimental arts that is integral to the city of Portland.”

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Photo by Ryan Dornfeld

MISSIS SIPPI STUDIOS S

H

O

W

C A L E N D A R A

U

2

U

0

S 1

T 5

15. SAT

1. SAT

SUN ANGLE

JOE MANDE

SUMMER CANNIBALS / AND AND AND

HUTCH HARRIS

16. SUN

ZACH HECKENDORF

2. SUN

MY BODY

THE FOURTH WALL / DOUBLEPLUSGOOD

3. MON

17. MON

HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL GARRETT KLAHN

SNOWBLIND TRAVELER

FUTURE HISTORIANS / SUPERCROW

4. TUE

18.TUE

THE BLACK RYDER

RICK BAIN & THE GENIUS POSITION

AOIFE O’DONOVAN SOLO ANNALISA TORNFELT

5. WED

20. THU

TALKATIVE

THE TAMED WEST / GOLDEN HOUR

SARAH BETHE NELSON JASON LYTLE

21. FRI

THANKS

6. THU

JUST LIONS

JERRY JOSEPH & THE JACKMORMONS

REDWOOD SON AND THE REVELRY

7. FRI

SCREAMING FEMALES VACATION / DIVERS

22. SAT

HOMESHAKE SHEER AGONY

23. SUN

AJ DÁVILA

PSYCHOMAGIC / CHARTS

8. SAT (early show)

THE MEMORY PALACE (late show) 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㨀 䘀刀匀䠀 吀䄀䈀 倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀㨀 䴀䤀䌀 䌀䄀倀䔀匀簀䰀䄀一䜀簀䴀䤀䌀䠀䄀䔀䰀 䘀伀唀一吀䄀䤀一䔀簀刀䄀匀䠀䔀䔀䐀 䨀䄀䴀䄀䰀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㜀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㔀㨀 䠀䤀䐀䔀伀唀匀 刀䄀䌀䬀䔀吀 圀䤀吀䠀 䐀䨀 䘀䰀䤀䜀䠀吀 刀䤀匀䬀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㘀㨀 䬀倀匀唀 ⬀ 圀䔀 伀唀吀 䠀䔀刀䔀 䴀䄀䜀䄀娀䤀一䔀 倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀㨀 䜀䰀䔀一一 圀䄀䌀伀簀圀䔀匀 䜀唀夀簀䔀䰀吀伀一 䌀刀䄀夀簀嘀䔀刀䈀娀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㜀㨀 吀䠀䔀 䔀堀䄀䌀䔀刀䈀䄀吀伀刀匀簀䈀刀䔀䄀䬀䔀刀 䈀刀䔀䄀䬀䔀刀簀䠀䔀䌀吀䤀䌀 匀䠀伀䌀䬀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㠀㨀 䜀刀䔀䔀一 䰀唀䌀䬀 䴀䔀䐀䤀䄀 䜀刀伀唀倀 倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀㨀 䌀伀䐀夀 刀䄀夀䴀伀一䐀簀吀䠀䔀 䘀䤀堀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㄀ 匀唀一䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㤀㨀 䨀䄀䌀䬀匀伀一 䈀伀伀一䔀簀刀䔀䐀 䘀刀䄀一䌀䤀匀簀䄀刀䰀伀 䤀一䐀䤀䜀伀簀匀倀伀刀吀䘀䤀匀䠀䤀一䜀 唀匀䄀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㄀㨀 䘀唀一䔀刀䄀䰀 䜀伀䰀䐀簀䤀䌀䔀 䌀刀䔀䄀䴀簀䔀䄀刀吀䠀 䄀一䌀䠀伀刀簀匀䴀䄀䰀䰀 䴀䤀䰀䰀䤀伀一 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㄀㨀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㈀㨀 䨀䔀䘀䘀 䐀䄀嘀䤀䔀匀簀䰀䄀 䌀䔀刀䌀䄀簀匀䰀伀圀 圀䠀䤀吀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㌀㨀 䰀伀一䜀 䠀䄀䰀䰀圀䄀夀匀簀刀䔀䐀 䘀伀堀 刀唀一簀匀䔀䄀一䌀䔀 匀䌀䠀伀伀䰀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㐀㨀 匀䔀䄀 䜀䤀䄀一吀簀䠀䄀刀吀 ☀ 䠀䄀刀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㔀㨀 伀䠀 䴀䄀䴀䄀簀䠀䔀䰀䔀一䄀 䌀䤀一䔀䴀䄀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀唀一䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㘀㨀 䈀䄀䈀夀 䬀䔀吀吀䔀一 䬀䄀刀䄀伀䬀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㠀㨀 匀伀倀䠀伀一吀簀䌀伀一嘀䔀一䤀䔀一吀 一伀䤀匀䔀簀䐀䨀 倀䠀䄀刀伀簀䠀䔀堀䔀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㤀㨀 嘀伀吀䤀嘀䔀簀䠀䔀䔀嘀䔀䔀匀簀嘀䤀䈀刀䤀匀匀䄀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㄀㤀㨀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀ 㨀 吀䠀䔀 䠀䄀䜀唀䔀簀䈀刀䄀嘀䔀 匀䔀䄀匀伀一簀嘀嘀伀䴀䔀一簀嘀䄀䌀吀䤀伀一䔀䔀刀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㄀㨀 䰀䄀匀吀 䜀䤀䄀一吀簀䘀刀唀䤀吀 伀䘀 吀䠀䔀 䰀䔀䜀䤀伀一 伀䘀 䰀伀伀䴀簀䐀伀圀一 䜀伀圀一 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㈀㨀 䠀䔀䄀刀吀匀 䄀一䐀 吀䤀䜀䔀刀匀簀䐀䤀刀吀夀 䰀伀伀䬀匀簀䈀唀匀夀 匀䌀䤀匀匀伀刀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀唀一䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㌀㨀 吀䠀䔀 匀䠀伀䔀匀吀刀䤀一䜀䔀刀匀簀吀伀堀䤀䌀 䬀䤀䐀簀䌀䠀䄀䐀 䈀䄀一䐀䤀吀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㔀㨀 䴀䄀䴀䄀 䐀伀䰀䰀簀圀䤀一䐀伀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㘀㨀 䴀䄀䌀䠀䤀一䔀簀吀䠀䔀 䘀唀一䔀刀䄀䰀 䄀一䐀 吀䠀䔀 吀圀䤀䰀䤀䜀䠀吀簀䐀唀匀吀夀 匀䄀一吀䄀 䴀䄀刀䤀䄀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㜀㨀 吀䠀䔀 匀䤀一䌀䔀刀䔀䰀䔀夀匀簀倀伀䬀䔀夀 吀圀䤀䜀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㜀㨀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㠀㨀 吀䠀䔀 䄀唀吀伀一伀䴀䤀䌀匀簀伀圀一 䐀䤀刀吀夀 匀䠀䄀䬀䔀簀䰀伀嘀䔀 䐀䤀䴀䔀一匀䤀伀一簀䌀䠀䤀䰀䐀刀䔀一 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㠀⸀㈀㤀㨀 圀䠀䔀一 圀䔀 䴀䔀吀簀吀刀䤀䌀䬀 匀䔀一匀䔀䤀簀倀刀伀匀伀䐀夀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀唀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀 吀䠀䔀 䔀䄀刀䰀夀 䔀䄀刀䰀夀 䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀 伀倀䔀一 䴀䤀䌀 ⴀ 㐀倀䴀 䘀刀䔀䔀

G

MRS. PRESENTS QUEEN DJ BEYONDA / ILL CAMINO

25. TUE

SELF GROUP & ELEVEN PDX PRESENT:

MÁSCARAS

MOTHERTAPES / YEAH GREAT FINE

26. WED

9. SUN

SOAK

GREAT PEACOCK

10. MON

27. THU

MELVILLE

ST. EVEN

LUST FOR YOUTH

JENNY HVAL

11. TUE

28. FRI

SOFT METALS

ROYAL HEADACHE WESTERN PLAZA FIREBALLS OF FREEDOM

BRIANA MARELA

ROCKY VOTOLATO / DAVE HAUSE CHRIS FARREN

12. WED

29. SAT

SARA JACKSON-HOLMAN JOHANNA WARREN

TRAVESURA / JAKE RAY

ROBIN BACIOR 13. THU

THE LONESOME BILLIES 30. SUN

AMERICAN AQUARIUM

DUCKTAILS

MISSION SPOTLIGHT / HIP HATCHET

REGAL DEGAL

14. FRI

31. MON

WILD ONES

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD

PEARLES

MILD HIGH CLUB

圀䔀䔀䬀䰀夀 䘀刀䔀䔀 䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀 伀倀䔀一 䴀䤀䌀⸀ 匀䤀䜀一 唀倀 䄀吀 ㌀㌀ ⸀

䴀伀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀 䈀唀一䬀䔀刀 匀䔀匀匀䤀伀一匀 伀倀䔀一 䴀䤀䌀 ⴀ 㠀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀

伀倀䔀一 䴀䤀䌀 䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀 䈀夀 䰀䔀䔀 䄀唀䰀匀伀一 䄀一䐀 吀䄀䰀伀一 䈀刀伀一匀伀一⸀ 匀䤀䜀一唀倀 䄀吀 㜀㌀ ⸀ 匀䠀伀圀 㠀⸀

䴀伀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀 䔀夀䔀 䌀䄀一䐀夀 嘀䨀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 䴀伀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀

䴀唀匀䤀䌀 嘀䤀䐀䔀伀 刀䔀儀唀䔀匀吀匀 䘀伀刀 吀䠀䔀 匀伀唀䰀⸀ 匀䔀䰀䔀䌀吀 䘀刀伀䴀 䄀 匀吀伀唀吀 䌀䄀吀䄀䰀伀䜀℀

吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀匀㨀 䰀䄀吀䔀 吀唀一䔀匀 圀䤀吀䠀 䬀倀匀唀 䐀䨀밂匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 匀伀一䜀匀 䌀唀刀䄀吀䔀䐀 䨀唀匀吀 䘀伀刀 夀伀唀

圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀匀㨀 刀伀匀䔀 䌀䤀吀夀 刀伀唀一䐀㨀 一䄀匀䠀嘀䤀䰀䰀䔀 匀吀夀䰀䔀 圀刀䤀吀䔀刀✀匀 刀伀唀一䐀 ⴀ 㘀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 匀伀一䜀匀Ⰰ 匀吀伀刀䤀䔀匀 䄀一䐀 䄀 䰀䤀䰀 吀圀䄀一䜀

SHOWS you’ll remember, presented in an independently run, best-sounding music listening environment with great staff (mostly musicians), drinks, burgers, and PATIO.

mississippistudios.com

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 10

live music AUGUST crystal ballroom

1

2

SKIDMORE ST.

8 nw 6th

RUSSELL ST.

ON

TA VE

15

.

NORTH WEST BROADWAY ST.

5

OLD TOWN 2

BURNSIDE ST.

22

1

405

26 18

7

23

9

10

MLK BLVD. 30

GRAND AVE.

11 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

14

5

PEARL

23RD AVE.

128 ne russell

MLK BLVD.

FR

3939 n mississippi

The Vaccines | Holiday Friends La Luz | Will Sprott Vic Mensa Failure

WILLIAMS AVE. 28

mississippi studios

wonder ballroom

VANCOUVER AVE.

830 e burnside

4

MISSISSIPPI AVE.

Doug fir

Joe Mande | Hutch Harris My Body | The Fourth Wall | Doubleplusgood Snowblind Traveler | Future Historians | Supercrow Aoife O'Donovan (solo) | Annalisa Tornfelt Sarah Bethe Nelson | Jason Lytle Jerry Joseph & Jackmormons | Redwood Son & Revelry Screaming Females | Vacation | Divers Soak Lust For Youth | Soft Metals Royal Headache | Western Plaza | Fireballs Of Freedom Robin Bacior | Sara Jackson-Holman | Hohanna Warren American Aquarium | Mission Spotlight | Hip Hatchet Wild Ones | Pearles Sun Angle | Summer Cannibals | And And And Zach Heckendorf Have Gun, Will Travel | Garrett Klahn The Black Ryder | Rick Bain & The Genius Position Talkative | The Tamed West | Golden Hour Thanks | Just Lions Homeshake | Sheer Agony AJ Dรกvila | Psychomagic | Charts Mรกscaras | Mothertapes | Yeah Great Fine Great Peacock | Melville Jenny Hval | Briana Marela Rocky Votolato/Dave Hause | Chris Farren The Lonesome Billies | Travesura | Jake Ray Ducktails | Regal Degal King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Mild High Club

5 7 8 27 29

Roseland Theater

Pickin' On Sundays (every Sunday at 3:00PM) Chappo | Kool Stuff Katie Tei Shi | Natasha Kmeto Metz | Big Ups | Dilly Dally Chicano Batman | Dovedriver | Trujillo Shane Koyczan & The Short Story Long Benjamin Booker Jeff The Brotherhood | Battleme Vince Herman's Loose Cannon Stringband Circuit Des Yeux | Marisa Anderson Nick Waterhouse Twin Shadow | Lany Brothers & Sister Meiko | Slater Smith (of The Weather Machine) Balto | The Hill Dogs | Houndstooth Thee Oh Sees (5PM & 9PM) Scharpling & Wurster Rock 'N' Roll Flea Market

4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

ALBERT

The Kills | Baby In Vain Rise Against | Killswitch Engage | Letlive Seven Lions 3 Days Grace | Like A Storm | Otherwise Miguel | Dorothy

3 1 4 5 6 7 8 14 18 19 20 21 22 23 26 28 29 31

16

INTERSTATE AVE.

8 9 14 16 21

1332 w burnside

James Bay | Tor Miller Shawn Mendes George Ezra D'Angelo & The Vanguard Milky Chance Dawes | James Vincent McMorrow Jenny Lewis | Springtime Carnivore

DOW NTO WN

3 7 8 9 11 12 16

live music AUGUST holocene

1001 se morrison

13

TA ST.

12

ALBERTA ARTS

15TH AVE.

11TH AVE.

PRESCOTT ST.

rontoms

600 e burnside

FREMONT ST. 24TH AVE.

eastburn

HOLLYWOOD 33RD AVE.

28TH AVE.

D.

V Y BL AND

S

BROADWAY ST.

25

84

LAURELHURST

21 29

GLEASON ST.

BURNSIDE ST. 8 11 6

20

STARK ST.

BELMONT ST.

11TH AVE.

8TH AVE.

HAWTHORNE

1300 se stark

DIVISION ST.

11

Ural Thomas & The Pain | Nick Waterhouse Y La Bamba | Kyle Craft (on roofdeck) Steve Earle & The Dukes | The Mastersons (main venue)

CHAVEZ BLVD.

19

CLINTON ST.

6 7 11

14 28 28

CESAR

LADD’S ADDITION

1 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29

10

Amanda X | The Spirit Of The Beehive The Wooden Sky The Mynabirds | Bad Bad Hats

revolution hall

17

L BLVD.

426 sw washington

02 09 16

8 9

Bunker Sessions Open Mic (Mondays) Late Tunage with KPSU DJs (Tuesdays) Rose City Round (Wednesdays) Mic Capes | Lang | Michael Fountain | Rasheed Jamal Glenn Waco | Wes Guy | Elton Cray | Verbz The Exacerbators | Breaker Breaker | Hecktic Shock Cody Raymond | The Fix Jackson Boone | Red Francis | Arlo Indigo | Sportfishing USA Funeral Gold | Ice Cream | Earth Anchor | Small Million Jeff Davies | La Cerca | Slow White Long Hallways | Red Fox Run | Seance School Sea Giant | Hart & Hare Oh Mama | Helena Cinema Sophont | Convenient Noise | DJ Pharo | Hexes Votive | Heevees | Vibrassae The Hague | Brave Season | VVomen | Vacationeer Last Giant | Fruit Of The Legion Of Loom | Down Gown Hearts & Tigers | Dirty Looks | Busy Scissors The Shoestringers | Toxic Kid | Chad Bandit Mama Doll | Windoe Machine | The Funeral & The Twilight | Dusty Santamaria The Sincerelys | Pokey Twig The Autonomics | Own Dirty Shake | Love Dimension When We Met | Trick Sensei | Prosody

bunk bar

24

HAWTHORNE BLVD.

POWEL

kelly’s olympian

1028 se water

MORRISON ST.

27

1800 e burnside

4 5 6 7 9 12 15 16 20 22 28 29

7

Hustle & Drone | Fog Father Moon Honey | Us Lights | Dust Covered Carpet Aan | Regular Music | Bitch'n

KNOTT ST.

3

6

Soul Ipsum | Gardener | Ant'lrd | Don Gero & Pick Pocket Haunted Summer | Foxtails Brigade | Adventure Galley Bike Thief | Foxy Lemon | Melville Chancha via Circuito | Verano Peligroso | Sameros ARCO-PDX | John Berendzen Vinnie Dewayne | Wishyunu | Radiation City DJs Gaycation w/DJ Mr. Charming Chet Faker (DJ set) Jacques Renault | Karl Kling (DJ set) | Natural Magic Drake vs Kanye Tribute Party w/Lights & Music DJs Dr. Adam | Colin Jones | Freaky Outty Main Squeeze Dance Party w/DJs Kiffo & Rymes

PORTLAND’S MUSIC MAGAZINE SINCE 2011

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 12

features AUGUST the know

12 2026 ne alberta 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 28 29 30

Havania Whaal | Consumer | Love & Caring Graar! | Red Shadows | Sloppy Kisses Zig-Zags | Serpents Caul | Warpfire Woolworm | Northern Youth | Neighbor Wave Modern Gentlemen | Hooker Vomit Killer Ghost | Funeral Gold | Ronnie Haines Ice Cream | The Zags | Mr. BonesStriations | Terror Cell Unit | Cost/Worth | Rusalka Nopes | Sabonis | Pass The Night | Criminal Guitars Wooden Indian Burial Ground | Helvetia Moka Only Hivelords | Usnea | Shrine Of The Serpent Mascarás | Cash Pony | Blesst Chest The Minders | Vasas | Dogheart | Vernor Pantons Gladness | Temper & Hold | Wet Trident Bath Party | The Dee Dees | Melt Private Room | VX Gas Attack | Dark/Light | Numbered Hellshock | Necrot | Trenchgrinder | Witch Vomit Les Chaussettes | The Pretty's | The Reverations Dead | Prizehog | Towers Big Dick | Low Culture | High Praise Underground Railroad To Candyland | Divers

street pub 13 alberta 1036 ne alberta 11 18 19 21

Samsel & The Skirt | The Desert Kind | Zoya Dana Lyn & Kyle Sanna | Johnny B. Connolly & Casey Neill Dum Spiro Spero | 3 For Silver | Big Sid & The Wiggle Fell Runner | Alameda | Those Willows

THE SECRET SOCIETY 14 116 NE RUSSELL 7 8 14 15 19 21 26 28 29

Thursday Swing (Thursdays) Alejandro Y Maria Laura | Luz Elena Mendoza Drunken Prayer | Fernando | McDougall Cedar Teeth | Von Stomper | Renegade Stringband Errick Lewis Denver | Ellis Dodi Ken Chapple | Annalisa & The Tornhearts La Rivera | Hunter Paye | Matthew Fountain The Lucky Stars | The Barn Door Slammers Crow & The Canyon | Blackberry Bushes | Rabbit Wilde

LA LUZ

S

urf music isn’t a thing of the past, and La Luz can prove it to you. Ever since it formed in Seattle in 2011, the fourpiece group–comprised of singer/guitarist Shana Cleveland, white eagle keyboardist Alice Sandahl, bassist Lena 836 n russell Simon and drummer Marian Li Pino–has The Whiskey Darlings | Josh Nielsen Out Of Dodge | Egg Plant | Strange Language been bringing the sunny, California Anthem International Music Festival beach vibes to the rain-soaked, forest Cornmeal | Water Tower covered northwest, mixing the sunshine Garcia Birthday Band The Smokes with a their own unique dose of lyrical 2 Planets | ADDverse Efects | Elton Cray & The Pariahs rainclouds and reverb-soaked thunder.

Three For Silver | One Zero Street | Delta Halos Originally founded by Cleveland– Black Ferns | Cambrian Explosion The Fire Weeds who says she was drawn to old surf, Whiskey Shivers | The Talbott Brothers blues and rock and roll music growing Champagne Duane | Alana | DJ Jupiter Williams up because it always had a dark side Rob Johnston White Eagle Blues Jam mixed with light–the group of friends Peter Kasen came together after becoming slowly Jeffrey Martin | Anna Tivel | Justin Farren acquainted in the Seattle music scene.

Six Organs Of Admittance (acoustic)

15 2 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21

MINI FEATURE

13 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Their 2013 release, It’s Alive, won critics and audiences over with its infectious, garage pop melodies. But that same year, the group was involved in a highway collision that destroyed their van and most of their equipment. Since then, the four-piece’s music became a little more urgent, with their latest tracks more immersed in topics like running out of time and death.

Almost as much as their dueling dark side/light side songs though, the band is known for their fun and energetic live shows, encouraging crowds to dance with their own 1960s inspired dance moves (think kicks, spins and twirls around the stage while they play). In fact, they even coined a phrase for the audience participation side of their show: The “Soul Train,” which sees

Photo by Brandon Day

ELEVEN: Can you tell me a bit about Weirdo Shrine now that it’s close to coming out?

Shana Cleveland: We recorded it in February in L.A. with Ty Segall and also Cory Hanson [of the band Wand]. He kind of sat in for half the time we were there.

He’s great though, he really, really knows his stuff. Probably about half the album we’ve been playing live over the past 6 months or so, just to get the songs ready that way by just really honing them in as a group.

11: How did you get connected with Ty and Cory?

SC: We played a show together a year-and-a-half ago in Portland. We just opened that show and met him there and he just said he liked our band a lot and so we ended up going on tour with him and then we were looking for someone to record our album and asked him if he had any recommendations and he recommended himself. So he followed through on his ideas.

Marian Li Pino: Exactly. He was like “I’m going to take you on tour” and he took us on tour. “I’m going to record a record with you.”

the crowd split apart at the middle, with a continuous line of one or two people dancing their favorite moves down the line until they reach the front of the stage. They describe it as “A river of dancing” and try it at most every performance.

Their latest release, Weirdo Shrine, out August 7, is a continuation of their pre-established sound, only this time, with a little more reverb and the pointed decision to sound a lot more live, like listening to the band play in front of you in your living room.

Still a precisely crafted yin and yang of bright, jangly guitar riffs, dreamy doo-wop harmonies and booming crashes of cymbals, the 11 tracks also reveal dark, occasionally twisted lyrics covering topics about love, obsession and people’s weird quirks.

During an interview by the river at Timber! Outdoor Music Festival in Carnation, Washington, ELEVEN caught up with La Luz to learn more about their new album.

SC: He’s a good man.

11: And then you recorded it live in a surf shop, right?

SC: Yeah. It was not a live album in the sense that we were just in one take, but yeah, we didn’t separate things, we did it all together. And then if someone really fucked up, we’d do another take.

ML: Yeah, and it was a coincidence.

Alice Sandahl: Even when I showed up, I was like “What? No way…” But it was really cool.

SC: Yeah. It wasn’t planned to be in a surf shop or anything like that, it just worked out that way.

ML: We were supposed to record at Ty’s place and then the city wouldn’t let him, I don’t know what it was. I think it was zoning? And so he was in a bind and

features AUGUST white eagle (continued) Life During Wartime Rob Johnston Anthemtown Artist Showcase Heavy Gone Acoustic | Monica Nelson & The Highgates Moon | Scott Ryan

turn turn turn 8 ne killingsworth

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Smogboss | The Bricks | Strange Wool Wet Trident | Comfort Zone | Uncool Niece Dr. Something | Shoeshine Blue | Bone & Bell DRC3 | Thee Last Go Round | Animal Throat Wow & Flutter | City Pools | Hearts & Tigers The Lavender Flu | Sleeping Beauties Casting Circles | Dark Swoon No Aloha Jesse R. Berlin | Ali Muhareb | Hands In Zirakzigil

hawthorne theatre 1507 se 39th

VALENTINES

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High On Fire | Pallbearer | Lucifer | Venomous Maximus Toadies | Fuel | Vendetta Red | Land Of The Living Raise The Bridge | Bad Habitat | Ugly Tarantino Phora Wolf Alice I Prevail | Dangerkids | Fit For Rivals | For All I Am Berner | Demrick | J-Homay | Anonymous That Dude Sisyphean Conscience | Southgate | Prometheus | Increate Lil Herb | Champagne James | Ace Dough Huey Mack | Futuristic | Stevo The Weirdo | Kinetic Emcees Mutoid Man | Wild Throne Insomnium | Omnium Gatherum | Mortal Plage | IronSerpent The Protomen | Bit Brigade | Marca Luna The Crystal Method | DJ Sidestep | Benny Rox Shuggie Otis | Moon By You

232 SW ANKENY

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SPINNERET GRAPHICS

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ALADDIN THEATER 3017 SE MILWAUKIE

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Leon Russell Benyamin Fiona Apple | Sean & Sara Watkins | Don Heffington One Heart: PDX Asleep At The Wheel My Brother My Brother & Me

the goodfoot 2845 se stark

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Sonic Forum Open Mic (Mondays) Boys II Gentlemen (Tuesdays) Soul Stew w/DJ Aquaman (Fridays) Timberline Effect | Dorado L'il Smokies | Left Coast Country Erotic City (Prince Tribute) Voodoo Ladyboys | Lesser Bangs Andy Coe Band Yak Attack

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2035 ne glisan

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Criminal Guitars | Knast | Hong Kong Banana

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www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 14

features AUGUST star theater

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Ana Popovic Jaz Coleman Rasputina | Daniel Knox The Brothers Gow Corner | Dedric Clark & Social The Animals | The Senate

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Drunk Dad | Shramana | Ape Cave | SkullDozer Ongoing Concept | Sustainer | Coastlands | Noise Brigade Chamber Band | The PDX Broadsides Philophobia } Tiny Little Empire | Stein Snails | Akris | Night Of Elegance Scouts Honor | My Goldfish Ned | The Brass | Yo Adrian!

Sleep | Acoustic Minds | DJ Spark | Famous Mysterious Actors

Machine | Hot Apostles | Daisy Deaths | The Dark Backward Revolt Revolt | White Wail God Bless America The Atlas Moth | Vattner Viskar Teh Quiet Cull | Duty | Divides | Noise Brigade Super Soaked | Troll | Die Like Gentlemen Rock n' Roll Suicides | Brain Fragment | Demented Carousel Thorazine | Xiphoid Process Rum Rebellion | In Defence | Fatal Fix | The Whiskey Dickers Virtual Zero Castle | Spellcaster | Disenchanter Dorado | London Victory | Pistachio Brooding Herd Red Cloud The Misery Men | C-Average | Billions & Billions Not A Part Of It

ML: I would say there were definitely variances to how we normally play it that we allowed to stay.

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!

AS: That would be a fun thing to listen for, if you could find it on the album.

liquor store 24 the 3341 SE Belmont

1 Something I'm Proud Of | Tyler Tastemaker | Rap Class 2 Ali Muhareb | Native Eloquence | Akasha System

PANIC ROOM 25 THE 3100 NE SANDY The Dark Backward | Philophobia | Cut Cut Paste Jim Strange/Proud & Damned | Airon | GhostRadio Knelt Rote | Torture Rack | Witch Vomit David Liebe Hart | Sword Of A Bad Speller | Mr. Plow The Leeches | Piston Ready | The Lovesores Lost In The City | The SJSindicate Levity | Little Hearts | No More Parachutes Weresquatch | Hellion Prime | Gladius | Tanagra

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11: A couple of articles that I’ve read have mentioned that you’d leave in a couple moments of improv or small moments that you messed up.

Are there any moments there that people can listen for on the album?

SC: My favorite stuff that we left in that were sort of almost spur of the moment but not quite were the vocal things. Like there was one moment where we were like “somebody should scream at this part” and Ty was like “you should say ‘Nighttime.’” I don’t know why. There was no reason for that word. So she [Marian] went to the far corner of the room and just at this one part screams “NIGHTTIME!” before the guitar solo starts.

SE LADD'S 1937 SE 11th Ave (97214) 503.206.7552 | thefirkintavern.com

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his friend has a spot where he makes surfboards and so he cleared out his equipment and let us record there.

Jaz Coleman Casey Donahew Band | Jeremy McComb Texas Hippie Coalition | Red Sky Mary | 3Eighty3 Mariachi El Bronx | Sean & Zander | El Diablitos The Delta Saints Loose Mics Start Fights The Dread Crew Of Oddwood | Rainbowdragoneyes Bongzilla/Graves At Sea Mac Sabbath | Cookie Mongoloid The Freeze | 13 Scars | Long Knife | 86 Inner Circle | Sol Slippers Pentagram Dead Moon | Fireballs Of Freedom | P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. YOB | Sweat Lodge | Diesto | School Of Rock

15 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

ML: “Nighttime.” We won’t tell you what song. You’ll just have to find it. [all mimic the scream and laugh] 11: You mentioned some of the “things that you allowed to stay.” Why did you decide to let them stay on the album?

SC: Those were more of the things that were last minute ideas that we threw in. The things that we allowed to stay were just coming from that we wanted it to sound live. And live you don’t always hit the guitar solo in the way that it is in your dreams, but maybe that makes it sound more live.

That has a certain energy, you know? It not being pristine.

11: A lot of your music feels really fun and poppy when you listen to it and then has kind of a dark twist. Is that a conscious effort to you? You mentioned not really being able to write straight happy songs.

SC: It’s not really conscious I guess…

It seems sort of boring having a song that’s like “I feel great! And everything is great!” I mean, some people can do that. There’s an Otis Redding song that’s just about being happy. But a lot of really good old soul and rock and roll is really catchy but it’s just so sad and heartbreaking. You listen to it and you’re like “Oh, shit.” To me, that makes me appreciate it even more, because music, for me at least, is all about making a connection. If you can sing a song that’s more nuanced emotionally… that seems like the more meaningful connection than just being like “We’re here to fucking party!” People aren’t going to be like “oh, that song really helped me through a hard time.” You don’t always feel like partying.

11: I also read that this album was influenced by a comic.

SC: The title track, “Black Hole Weirdo Shrine” is influenced by this… have you read the comic Black Hole?

11: I haven’t, I’ll have to check it out.

SC: It’s based in Seattle. An epidemic sweeps the community that just happens to be Seattle and kids are getting infected and dying and sort of mutating and…a lot of mutated teens live in this park, Ravenna Park, which is right next to where I live and it’s kind of a creepy place. It’s a really expansive park in the middle of the city and it’s really dense, just greenery everywhere, ferns and moss. I’ve had a lot of creepy experiences in that park and, I don’t know, I was just thinking about that book when I wrote that song. But like all songs, it’s about a lot of things at once.

11: You’re pretty well known for your live shows and for making people dance. When you formed, is that something you were like “we want to be really good live,” or was that something that’s just kind of come up?

ML: I think we had the feeling that we wanted to be fun, we didn’t necessarily think that we would make people dance in the way that we did.

But it came kind of naturally. Usually it

starts with us joking about something, and then someone’s like “we should really do that.” Or we’re like “wouldn’t that be funny?” and then we do it. I mean, it happens all the time. We’re probably going to do something like that today. We usually just use inside jokes and sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.

other. It seems like the point of playing live is to make a connection with people.

One way to do that is just to encourage them to be with you. Like, we’re having fun, so you should have fun, too.

ML: We thought of this crazy thing, want to try it with us?

AS: Will you entertain us?

SC: We do this all the time now, we just play shows, and so why wouldn’t… we just want them to be the most fun that they can be. I feel like just encouraging people to have a good time. I always am a little disappointed if I go to a show and the band is just really serious and they don’t seem like they’re really interacting with each

SC: We’ll entertain you and then maybe you can entertain us? » - Kaitie Todd

features AUGUST the waypost

28 Laurelthirst pub 2958 ne glisan 29 2120 n williams

Amanda Richards | Life During Wartime Jack Dwyer | Freak Mountain Ramblers | Open Mic Rachel Mann Band | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | Worth Documentary & Songwriter Night Castletown | Jennifer Smeja Rusty Cleavers | Country Trash Coffis Brothers | Kirk Rees Band Kris Deelane & The Hurt | Ben Larsen & Friends Pagan Jug Band | Freak Mountain Ramblers Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | My Oh Mys w/Morgan Greer C. Gibbs | Matty Charles & Katie Rose Miss Lana Rebel & Keven Michael Mayfield Tommy Thomsen | FMR Family Band Redray Frazier | Paul Spring | Danny Vitali | Ezza Rose Jack Dwyer | Freak Mountain Ramblers | Open Mic Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | The SOBs Wilkinson Blades | Ron Rogers & Wailing Wind | Colin Trio Jamie Leopold & The Short Stories Malachi Graham | Mts. & Tunnels | Will St. John Dusty Boots | Zach Bryson | Kjirsten Tornfelt Pagan Jug Band | Freak Mountain Ramblers Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | The Oh My Mys Wilkinson Blades | The Tipsy Ramblers Jim Boyer | Lynn Conover | Dan Haley Band Malachi Graham | Mts. & Tunnels | Will St. John Stubborn Lovers | Cedro Willie Freak Mountain Ramblers | Open Mic Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens

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

analog cafe & Theater 720 se hawthorne

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In Urgency Toney Rocks & Raquel Rodriguez Synergy | Solution | IYA Terra School Of Rock Concert Distinguisher | A Shark Among Us | Wednesday 13 Avoid The Void | For The Likes Of You King Raam | The Muckers Care Giver | Forever Losing Sleep Fireworks Weatherbox Shane Palko | John Kohen School Of Rock Concert It Prevails } American Me The Body Rampant | 3rd Vision | Dads Work Hard The Body Rampant | 3rd Vision | Dads Work Hard School Of Rock Concert Rosedale | Trunks | Skeleton Keys | Home Bound Stolas Shai Hulud Roxbury | Rod | Red Season Nekrogoblikon No Future | Failure Pact

Photo by Brandon Day

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Want to have your show listed?

E-mail listings@elevenpdx.com

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 16

features national scene

nique is a word that is used too commonly, often inappropriately. At the heart of Y La Bamba is Luz Elena Mendoza, and she is truly a spectacular individual talent. There is a spell in her words, a magic in her song. She captivates and enthralls, inducing a swaying of the body and a dancing of the soul. Though her actions are based from her concept of staying true to herself, no audience is immune to her melodies; her hymns don’t lie.

While Mendoza has been performing “since conception,” the pieces of Y La Bamba were arranged in 2007-2008. Two years after that, debut album Lupon achieved early success and recognition, especially since Chris Funk (The Decemberists, Black Prairie) volunteered to produce the album pro-bono. Mendoza would add another fan in alt-rocker Neko Case, who invited Y La Bamba to open two tours in 2011, and appeared on the band’s 2012 follow-up album (produced by Grammy winner Steve Berlin), Court The Storm. Anchored by the beautifully haunting vocals of Mendoza, all of Y La Bamba’s albums have a consistent indie meets alt-latino vibe, including their most recent six-track album, Oh, February (2013).

17 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Luz Elena Mendoza’s two-year hiatus from Y La Bamba wasn’t really time off. She has appeared as an on-stage guest with acts including The Decemberists and has been focusing a considerable amount of energy on her visual art creations and other music projects such as Tiburones. With a renewed sense of focus, Mendoza is turning to Kickstarter to encourage fans and friends to help record the fourth studio album from Y La Bamba, Ojos Del Soul. ELEVEN caught up with Luz Elena to chat about crowdsourcing, artwork, life and influences that make this old soul unequivocally unique.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 18 Photo by Mercy McNab

features local LM: That just evolved naturally.

I moved to Portland and I was just playing by myself. Then I started connecting with people that I felt kindred to, and then some members were in and out. It's just like anything. You meet people, you hang out with people that come in and out of your life, and then the next thing you know you're totally feeding this baby. We've definitely started developing a sound together because that just happens when you have a relationship and when you're bouncing things off of people; which is a beautiful thing, I think. We need collaboration. For me, it's good to see and feel what other people are doing, like vibing, it's communication.

Photo by Katie Summer

ELEVEN: Luz, you've been playing house shows forever. You played at Mississippi Studios seven or eight years ago back when that was almost more of a house show vibe when the venue was much smaller. What do you like about that more intimate experience?

Luz Elena Mendoza: How do I answer that? I just play whenever it feels good to play, if my friends ask me to play. It doesn’t matter if it's a house show or somewhere else, it's like the vibe is good and my friends are there, it's like, "I'll do it."

That's what it's about. It's just building community, being able to express yourself on that capacity and have an audience that replenishes the same energy back to you. I feel like it's: play whenever, wherever. It's just all good. Doesn't really matter.

11: Has that always been your attitude towards playing shows?

LM: Totally.

11: What got you into music in the first place? How did this become the outlet in which you choose to express your creativity?

LM: I've been picking up instruments since I was a little kid.

I played the violin. I played the clarinet. It's just because it was just part of my makeup, I guess, I don't know. I grew up listening to Mariachi music and [being] surrounded by Catholicism and my Hispanic roots, and what's been beyond me. It's just been something that has been... For me, life is a song. That's basically the process. The process is just living life and whatever it is I appreciate through the life that I live. Definitely, whatever I create is a reflection of what it is that I'm perceiving daily.

11: When did you realize that you wanted Y La Bamba to be its own project? How did that come together and where do you see it going?

19 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

11: You're a visual artist as well.

You've done some gallery shows. Is that just all part of the same thing?

LM: I started stenciling my visual art. It really took on when I was on tour in the band. I don't even know. It just started to happen. I just started drawing and cutting paper. Then I started making big pieces and then I started to... Really, what I do with my day is I wake up, I meditate, have my tea, and then I start my routine without even knowing I have one, but it's called one.

I play my guitar. I play it for five hours and put it down. Then I start making my visual art. Then I do that for five hours and then I stop, and then I go eat, and then I come back and do it again.

For every song that I have been writing through this, (this was after I started touring just a little bit), the songs started to mirror whatever visual art, whatever piece I was making.

It's like it gave me a visual to what it was that I was writing sonically. It was a very cathartic experience. I've been doing that for the last four or five years now, just like, straight. I wasn't doing anything with it. It's cathartic. Music is cathartic for me. It's like lessons. It's like messages in other people's music. That's why I feel like I know that I'm just immune to it and do it. It's the art. It's part of that.

That's the other reason why I'm like, "Well, I need to ... If I'm doing this and this is part of everything which is a huge representation for who I am as an artist, I should record and actually put some value to what it is that I do." The money thing has always been a hard thing. I hate asking for money, so I don't... There's just so much noise with that world that I've just decided to shut that off and create. I've been so fortunate and people have been supporting me just by being who I am without having any crazy goal at the end except for it's just healing and being a human.

Now I did this and have this art show. I have this Kickstarter. That's me trying to take initiative and put some value into the art that I've been making, and allowing myself

features local to do it in a way where I'm smart about it. I didn't really understand this music industry when I was doing the Y La Bamba when it was a full force. I didn't know what the fuck was going on. I was just writing the songs. You know what I mean? I had no idea. I had no intention. We definitely weren't trying to reach a certain level. It was just happening. That's something that's really... It's cool to hear everyone else’s story, but it just is what it is. You know what I'm saying? *laughs* 11: I think so. With the industry, sometimes even if you're trying to stay really true to yourself, when you get bands with huge deals, no matter how true they try and stay to it, it starts to read as a little in-authentic or it distorts what can be a pure message sometimes.

LM: The message... no, no, no, no, this is the thing. There is so much noise out there, the music industry and everything.

Right? We're aware of it. If we get presented these certain ideals, we're going to have a certain opinion. For me, the message and when you write, that's not distorted. What the consumer and what the noise does to that message, that has been something that is at that point where you recycled or you abused. That's the problem.

The creator and the artist at their best intentions and all of that, that's the fucking message. You know what I mean? What exists, the distortion, that is just the world, at its worst. That's just like being an artist or hustling around and trying to get a job. Even if you're not playing music or you need to be doing something else, you're like, fucking hustling.

It's like, whatever good intention's behind all of that, the truth and your heart is who you are. It's who you are, but you can't help fucking getting into... living in the context of what the music business really looks like. That's been a really rude awakening for me like, "Wow, this is what's really going [on]." I still remain true to myself.

I feel like the love and the life of my community, my peers have uplifted me in a place where I feel like that speaks louder than anything else. I've heard things... this guy was like, "Oh, so you went solo and that didn't work out. So now you're using Y La Bamba brand." This guy has no idea who I am or anything.

He doesn't even know! *laughs* But that's the distortion.

That's part of it. That's part of the noise. That's part of putting yourself out there and allowing people to have opinions about the situation. You know what I mean?

11: Yeah.

LM: It's not about that. It's communication, relationships with one another, with yourself. That's the art. Because money is a huge figure and survival... obviously a lot of things are convoluted at that point. Things do get distorted, things like the value, what could be really beautiful. The world does that.

You know what I mean? There's a filter that we have, that the world has had that we go through. It's the law. It’s fucking weird.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 20

features local 11: Let's look at the other side of it a little bit. Would you describe the experience of when you're playing a show and you're lost in the moment, and everything is done with a more pure intent, and you don't have that noise? It's just you and the music, and maybe that connection with the audience. What is going through your mind, or body, or soul in that moment?

LM: *Speaking in a loving tone* Nothing, except for just a moment itself.

11: Do you feel joy, or it's exciting, or nervousness, or it's nothing and you're just in the moment like you said?

LM: I will say that in the beginning before I got up on stage or whatever, I’d get really nervous. It's a lot of energy to put out and a lot of energy to receive. It's so much energy. I feel like a sensitive person. Before I get up to the stage there's some communication that's going to happen. I just have to be present and let everything go. I feel like it's such a release. I don't know if it's happiness or sadness. It's definitely like being and feeling exactly who I am. It's just peace.

If I feel nervous and I feel like people are just being shitty and whatever, obviously, I'm real sensitive, I can feel that.

I don't know. You have to allow people to have their own experience at shows, but I usually just let the moment be exactly what it is. I don't think, or feel, or anything unless people are being shitty, a very obvious distraction.

11: What's your connection with the city of Portland?

What drew you in and kept you here?

LM: The people. Portland's been really good to me. I've grown sooo much and still growing. I feel like I've seen so many different waves, people coming in and out, and artists new and old. I feel like, I, as an artist and as the type of person I am, Portland has been a really good home for me. I know that all this, “Rent is going up!” and all this stuff is happening, but the people and the community is priceless for me.

11: Would you say that what's different about Portland is just the attitude?

LM: I have rapport in Portland. It's definitely different. I love San Francisco and The Bay a lot and I've gone to Denver twice this year. There’s something super similar [about] all those cities to me, but I go where ever the heart feels full, and light. I feel like Portland's like that. Portland is just such a good community. It's so good to me, sooo good to me in the ways that I can't even understand. I'm very grateful. There is this weight there. I feel like a really good weight. I feel like I have a good foundation there. »

Listen to an exclusive track by Luz Elena Mendoza from ELEVEN PDX and Hot Bone Records at www.elevenpdx.com and see Y La Bamba live August 28 at Revolution Hall Roofdeck

21 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

film

WATCH ME NOW

FILM AND TELEVISION

FEMALE PLEASURE: THE RISE OF THE BLOCKBUSTER FEMALE COMEDY

I

t seems laughable that the argument, "Are

ones especially–this summer will see around ten comedies

women funny?" still stokes controversy and

starring women. Nigh that's nearly a new one every week.

ire amongst the film going public. For decades

Ranging from polished studio gems like McCarthy's Spy,

female driven comedy, and for the purposes of

Pixar's (literally) emotional Inside Out, the a capella

this article–summer film comedies–have been

sleeper smash sequel Pitch Perfect 2, Amy Schumer's

simmering quietly. After years of trying to be more funny,

highly anticipated feature film and screen writing debut

more subversive, working harder to be seen and heard

Trainwreck (more on that in a moment) and two close to

(something women in film have been doing forever) it seems

my heart: It’s a symbolic fight, but an important one, as we

female driven comedies are finally getting their due. In

enter a summer overflowing with female-driven comedies.

a summer filled with the requisite bro-centric comedies

Grandma, a coming of age film featuring Lilly Tomlin as

like Entourage, we are finally seeing those formulaic male

a liberal rock n' roll grandma in her first starring role since

driven comedies eclipsed by ladies. Huzzah! I can only

1988, and Rikki and the Flash, which stars Meryl Streep

hope that one reason for this is we are finally seeing some

as a Stevie Nicks-esque mom who chose rock n' roll over

sense of outrage at the idea that women are a secondary

domesticity and goes through a secondary journey of self-

entertainment class. Relegated to victim, sex partner, "ugly"

discovery with her (albeit) square family she left behind.

best friend/foil, matron etc, women are ready to be front

There are a few more indies thrown in the mix, but for

and center in all areas of society–and none more apparent

our purposes I think discussing women in studio film-

as in their depiction on film. We are half the population and

produced comedies is important.

goddammit, give us our due on screen.

Leading the charge is Melissa McCarthy's Spy, which was

Trainwreck in particular has already left its mark on the lady-film-comedy matrix in a striking and ball-

a runaway smash. McCarthy has been a hilarious, brilliant

busting (sorry) manner. Schumer had made her name as an

light on screen for years. Deemed "too unfuckable," "too

unflinching satirist of how women are treated in popular

fat" an "too old" by the patriarchal powers that be, Spy was

culture and when I saw Trainwreck I could not help but

a total hit. And like Bridesmaids before it (which truly

think that every ounce of that fire she gives on a small

needs more commentary and props then I am going to give

screen translated to the large one. In the film she plays the

it here, it really sparked a sea change), Spy has joined the

titular Amy–a writer, who sleeps and boozes her way around

pantheon of films that proves that women deemed unfit by

unapologetically, finally meeting a guy she actually likes

the Hollywood star machine, that women of all kinds are

and fumbles along the way that can be rom-com trite but

worthy of our box office dollars. And not only that, but they

ultimately is infused with a relatibility that would have

are money makers at that.

been unfathomable a few years ago.

It’s some what of a symbolic fight, but an ever more

Much has been written about Trainwreck in the past few

pressing one, as we enter a summer overflowing with

weeks, and in a different venue–in a few more lines–I could

female-driven comedies. According to one count, the

write more about visibility and the like of the film, but I

number of comedies aimed at women to be released this

suggest you see it for yourself. In fact, see them all. We are

season actually outpaces that for men. Which for its part,

due for the time that all female experience on film is norm,

Spy was expected to trounce Vince and his boys with a

and our actresses can express all kinds of characters. Fuck,

proximate almost $40 million dollar opening weekend haul

giving women their due in all areas of cinematic arts is long,

that would leave Entourage’s estimated $20 million gross

long overdue. Thankfully, comedy is taking the reigns. »

flailing in the Axe-scented wind.

- Rachael Haigh

Years after Bridesmaids sparked the conversation about the absence of women in comedies–wide reaching

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6. Hippo Hardware 7. Old Town Music 8. Boogies Burgers 9. The Wurst 10. Sizzle Pie 11. Ron Toms

community

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE MONTH East Burnside Street

2 5

3 4

EAST BURNSIDE STREET 6 7

SE 10TH AVE.

8

SE 10TH AVE.

1

SE 9TH AVE.

1. ICONIC MUSIC CABIN

Doug Fir Lounge - 820 E Burnside

9

SE 8TH AVE.

10

SE 7TH AVE.

SE 6TH AVE.

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2. MASH MASTERS

Burnside Brewing Company - 701 E Burnside

3. HAND-MADE FOOTWEAR

Fortress of Inca - 729 E Burnside

BEST OF E BURNSIDE

Location photos by Mercy McNab

4. FROZEN COFFEE CUBES

Grendel's Coffee Shop - 729 E Burnside #107

5. MYTHICAL POKES

Jackalope Tattoo - 1001 E Burnside

6. HUNGRY, HUNGRY HARDWARE

Hippo Hardware - 1040 E Burnside

7. GEAR, REPAIR, REPEAT

Old Town Music - 55 SE 11th Ave

8. BOOGERS NOT INCLUDED

Boogie's Burgers & Brew - 910 E Burnside

9. BARCADE AND BILLIARDS The Wurst - 724 E Burnside

10. POST-BAR SLICE

Sizzle Pie - 624 E Burnside

11.PATIO PICK-ME-UPS Rontoms - 600 E Burnside

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community literary arts in his lyrics. He really puts his heart into his performance. I realized he was a real poet. His songs had truth and existential life. Dusty wrote a song “Like a Red Rose Rising.” I wrote “The Roses of Portland” in 1975. Did I inspire him?

11: How did you guys meet?

WC: We met at Sheridan’s, an Italian produce market where Dusty worked. His father had a produce stand in California. Oddly enough, I have the exact same birthday as his father: July 4th, 1941.

Dusty Santamaria: I was about to move out of town, and I met you and you gave me a copy of The Air Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller.

Photo by Scott McHale

LITERARY ARTS

A Conversation with Portland Poet Walt Curtis and Singer/Songwriter Dusty Santamaria

I

t may seem that the unofficial Poet Laureate of Portland, Walt Curtis, has been overlooked. Not true. His life and his work is legendary. He lived in Portland in the same era that Bukowski drunkenly wrote about and Bob Dylan sang about in the sixties. He recounts how Allen Ginsberg once quipped, “Who is this Walt Curtis person anyway?” while reading at an anti-war protest. Curtis lived at the bohemian Lawn Apartments on NW 18th, where bands like NuShooz and Holy Modal Rounders resided. All that creative space is now a million dollar condo, of course. Gus Van Sant filmed his first feature, Mala Noche in Walt’s room, which was based on the poet’s days as a wino grocery store clerk. Obsessed, Curtis became intimate friends with young illegal Mexicans.

Today, Walt is mentoring charismatic Dusty Santamaria, a local singer/songwriter whose passionate voice harkens back to those heady days when song lyrics mattered. Hosting The Talking Earth for forty-three years on KBOO, Walt has never stopped. I spent time with him and Dusty at the Lone Fir Cemetery. We hung out and drank wine, argued over politics and poetry. Walt read some of his recent work about death. A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the new Portland.

ELEVEN: How are poetry and musical lyrics related?

Walt Curtis: Today, young musicians are as energetic as Ginsberg, or Dylan, or Dylan Thomas. Just by being themselves.

I was impressed by Dusty Santamaria because of all the passion

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11: What’s the connection with your poetry and Dusty's music?

WC: Dusty and I have an intuitive thing when we perform together. I recite poetry, and he plays music. It’s a psychic phenomenon, I believe. Poetry is magic.

11: Dusty, can you tell me a little about yourself?

DS: I grew up in this little town called Rainbow, California. I played in this offshoot punk band there called The Commercial Rockstars. We wanted to go to Los Angeles, but we just pointed to a place on the map, and it read, Portland, Oregon. “Let’s move there!” we decided. Soon after, I wrote all the lyrics for all the songs, and a dude who was a much more schooled musician wrote the music, but quit the band. I was gonna split town, but I had this job at Sheridan's. I met Walt there. As a poet, he introduced me to an artist community which I didn’t know, but was always looking for. I started to find myself at that point.

WC: It takes time to know a city, but I have time, I own time.

Time owns me after fifty years in Portland... I know everything about this place, The Lone Fir Cemetery. The dead and forgotten writers and poets of the city. John Reed. Hazel Hall. Sam Simpson who is buried here. I collected graveyard verse at Lone Fir. Joel Weinstein of Mississippi Mud magazine who published Mala Noche. His colorful gravestone with Mexican skeletons is right here.

11: How do you feel about the development here?

WC: Our city is evolving–no it’s devolving! It’s over. The billionaires have got it.

DS: Every major city in the United States has the same complaint.

WC: Dusty is not directly political, but I am. I’ve always been a political poet since they tried to draft me in 1966 to go the Vietnam War. I was gay and I refused. I got a 1Y because my middle finger on my left hand was cut off in a sawmill accident.

When I give people the finger, they laugh.

community literary arts 11: Can you expound on the relationship between poetry and politics?

WC: I read in 1967 with Allen Ginsberg and William Stafford, the Portland peace poet. He emphasized, “In war there are always two losers.” Around 1970, there were a lot of in your face political protests inspired by poets. Eventually, we protesters and poets shut the Vietnam War down. It took a long time. In that era, I met the media critic Norman Solomon who founded F.A.I.R. and now rootsaction.org. He and I started Out of the Ashes Press. The image is based on the phoenix being reborn from the flames. Fear of nuclear annihilation drove us.

Join us for Brunch, Saturday and Sunday from 9am-3pm in the Cafe & Bar

The Patio is Open!

9am-2am Weekends

Poem from the book Angel Pussy, 1970

11: What do you think about the poetry scene as it is?

WC: It’s impossible to listen to, for a normal person. After my years of being a street poet, and a scholar of poetic history. I read with The Beats, I like Shakespeare and Gary Snyder. Theodore Roethke, the true Northwest master from Seattle. The new ones have MFAs, but I do not view them as true poets. A poet has a presence like a good musician has a presence. We’re not doing university work, we’re not doing essays in literature, calling ourselves poets. We real poets project our expressive beings, as well as show off our spoken word skill. I’m a project-or.

DS: I think the language is almost secondary to the essence itself.

WC: You say that as a musician, but I disagree. Poetry skill is a refined art, which takes years to perfect. A true poet has to find his or her own original voice. So does a songwriter.

DS: I’m not just a musician when I perform, but I become a part of the audience, engaging with them. Audience and performer cannot be separated. We are one collective unit. Words just by themselves do not carry the energy or spirit of what's behind them. The "live" performance is necessary for the magic to happen.

11: Walt, were you ever a musician?

WC: Only with Dusty. I’m known as Portland’s Unofficial Poet Laureate, but I actually was in a band called The Four

Bastards. We played at Satyricon, and other places. Two of us were poets, Michael Paul Marino and myself. Our lyrics became very political. We musical-ized them. Anyway, I wrote the song “The White Waterfall” at Oneonta Gorge. I swam naked there with friends and performed it that night. The Columbia River Gorge is now overrun with newcomers. Outsiders who possibly don’t understand the old Oregon. Here are a few lines: ”Hell hath no fury like the dream spurned / I saw a waterfall of death and purity / Which will cleanse life of its dirt / We will bathe there naked and free in the morning light of a new dawn.” I am a poetic ecologist. I am concerned with climate catastrophe and saving planet Earth. I am dubious that there is a future.

11: You have a large body of work, not easy to access. At this point in your life, how would you like your writing to be received? How would you like to be remembered?

WC: I want to emphasize I am a scholar of forgotten and neglected Oregon writers. I want a curriculum in the schools.

More importantly, I want the next generation to have a future, as I have had an extraordinary past. Who is preaching to save planet Earth? Where is the leadership to stop fossil fuels? Climate catastrophe. In 1974, I wrote on newsprint Mad Bomber’s Notebook, predicting the destruction from militarism and corporations. The destructive process is still happening. In 1994 I did the film, Salmon Poet (now on YouTube). I consider myself a spiritual ecological preacher. As a poet, I have been given the cosmic task of alerting world consciousness from the Tao, and the divine intelligence in the Universe. With the last biological years I have left, I will enlighten if I can. » - Scott McHale

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community visual arts

Photo by Mercy McNab

VISUAL ARTS Portland tattoo artist Jessica Vann

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community visual arts How long have you been tattooing?

I have been tattooing for 11 years.

First tattoo you ever gave?

A tree on my husband's leg.

Tell us about Forbidden School of Body Art. We have been open for 8 years and have placed over 100 artists into the industry in the U.S. and other countries. About 30% of our students are coming in from out of Oregon to learn.

Future plans for the college?

We are always evolving at the school to provide the most current information in the most effective way possible. We are currently pursuing National Accreditation, which should be a 3-5 year process. This will give us a chance to accept Federal funding for our program, making it more affordable for students to attend and allowing us to be very selective in our admissions. We will be approved to accept the GI Bill in November which is a big step in this direction.

Favorite style, subject matter, etc?

I love tattooing geometry, dotwork and mandalas. I really enjoy mixing this style with other more traditional imagery.

What do you do when you're not being the boss lady?

I have a husband and 3 small children that I spend my nonworking time with. My whole family does Jiu Jitsu, so we are at the gym most of that time.

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Favorite PDX tattoo shop, other than your own?

The shops that have hired graduates from our school and the shops that our graduates have opened on their own.

Least favorite body part to tattoo?

The chest, on people that I dont know. I am not comfortable being in random peoples' faces.

Most memorable tattoo?

My co-worker, Damon's face tattoo. It was very meaningful to him and I get to see it all of the time.

Favorite tattoo artists on the West Coast?

Shelly DeAngio and Violet VanStappen.

What did you do before tattoo work?

Bartender.

Any mentors?

Every artist and student that has come through my school and shop has taught me something. Whether it be positive or negative, all of this knowledge has built the business into what it is today. »

FIND THIS ARTIST ONLINE WEBSITE: FORBIDDENBODYART.ORG INSTAGRAM: @TATTOOSBYJESSVANN FACEBOOK: TATTOOS BY JESSICA VANN

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community visual arts

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MUSICFE STNW

WATERFRONT PARK

3

Days of Music

All AgEs! TiCKETs ON sAlE NOW!

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BEllE ANd sEBAsTiAN TWiN shAdOW BATTlEs TiTlE FighT CAyuCAs TAlK iN TONguEs sAlEs AliAlujAh ChOiR

ThE TAllEsT MAN ON EARTh dANNy BROWN ThE hEliO sEquENCE lAdy lAMB sTRANd OF OAKs PuRE BAThiNg CulTuRE divERs BEAT CONNECTiON