Eleven PDX Magazine September 2015

INSIDE: DR. DRE | BEAR & MOOSE | WOOLEN MEN | JACKSON BOONE | COLLEEN GREEN | EMPRESS OF

ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE - VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4

COMPLIMENTARY

creative space performance/event venue albertaabbey.org

contents

ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE VOLUME 5

THE USUAL 3 Letter from the Editor 3 Staff Credits

ISSUE NO. 4

FEATURES Local Feature 13 Jackson Boone

Cover Feature 17 new music 4 Aural Fix Colleen Green Oberhofer Deradoorian Empress Of

Toro y Moi

Mini Feature 23 Decibel Festival Director Sean Horton

7 Short List 7 Album Reviews Woolen Men Bear & Moose Dr. Dre Dâm-Funk

COMMUNITY Neighborhood of the Month 24 NE Glisan Street

Literary Arts 25 LIVE MUSIC

Amanda Cochran Helstrom-White & Curtis B. Whitecarroll

9 Know Your Venue Mississippi Studios

11 Musicalendar

Visual Arts 27 Portland painter Jenny Jo Oakley

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! Music, Community and Culture. That's what it says on the cover of this publication, and that's what we're about! I'll speak for all of us here at ELEVEN PDX when I say that we feel such gratitude Photo by Mercy McNab towards this city and the people that make it what it has been, what it is, and what it will become.

Perfect examples: we had such a wonderful time meeting so many new friends at our Live Art booth at MusicfestNW this year! It was a highly enjoyable weekend all around. I'd also like to give a special shoutout to the two-and-only Papi Fimbres and Shana Lindbeck, dear friends to all of us, who have temporarily transposed to Germany, altering the destiny of approximately eighteen local music projects. Viel spaß und bis bald!

While there will always be voids left from friends that flutter on, I'm sure our serendipitous city will provide a modicum of magic to assuage the gap. So here's to staring directly into a bright future for all of us, Portland, even as the sun receeds! »

- Ryan Dornfeld, Editor in Chief

3 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

EXECUTIVE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Dornfeld ryan@elevenpdx.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Mills dustin@elevenpdx.com SECTION EDITORS LOCAL FEATURE: Brandy Crowe LITERARY ARTS: Scott McHale VISUAL ARTS: Mercy McNab graphic DESIGN Dustin Mills Alex Combs COVER PHOTO Andrew Paynter CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brandy Crowe, Eric Evans, Donovan Farley, Veronica Greene, Casey Hardmeyer, Sophia June, Kelly Kovl, Travis Leipzig, Samantha Lopez, Ethan Martin, Erin Mastoras, Scott McHale, Aaron Mills, Gina Pieracci, Tyler Sanford, Victoria Schmidt, 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 mailing ADress 126 NE Alberta Suite 211 Portland, OR. 97211 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

COLLEEN GREEN SEPTEMBER 11 | THE KNOW

Experimental pop-punk artist Colleen Green brings the vibes of our favorite '90s tracks, pairing them with heavier riffs and warm, textured production. Beginning her career in 2010, Green ​ recorded her first two a​lbums, ​Milo Goes To Compton (2012) and S ​ ock It To Me​ ​( 2013), entirely on her own.​Playing and mixing all of her tracks by herself, Green created her music far from the studio –whether that was in her bedroom, in a friend's living room, or in a basement. Her past offerings have been purely her, serving as a testament to her self-sufficiency and perhaps trepidation.

Green’s anticipated studio album ​I Want To Grow Up​ premiered in February of 2015, sharing her story of the inevitable, yet gruesomely draining concept of growing older.

As a prospect, growing up can be terrifying and ultimately depressing, but Green reminds us that we do not have to do it alone. This most recent collection of songs follow the newly 30-year-old Green as she navigates through a minefield of emotion. ​To make her third full-length album, she traveled from her native Los Angeles to work alongside Diarrhea Planet’s Casey Weissbuch and Jeff The Brotherhood’s Jake

Photo by Colleen Green

Orrall ​at Sputnik Sound​in Nashville, Tennessee. Having toured together over the years and developing a strong appreciation for each others styles, the trio composed a soundtrack that l​ eaves the listener with no choice but to feel the sympathetic growing pains of revelatory maturation, and the anxieties that come along with it.

Green disembogues a series of intimate, self-reflective monologues in the ten tracks on the album, exploring the question of why growing up at the age of 30 seems just as challenging as it did turning 18. » - Victoria Schmidt

Oberhofer has owned a drum set, bass, guitar, keyboards, vibes, piano, clarinet, violin, and theremin for many years.

Oberhofer writes all the music and plays all the instruments because he fears himself more than he fears others, and fear is key. Oberhofer worries that his album isn’t right so he writes 106 albums. Oberhofer listens to himself and cringes. Oberhofer plays the music of his dead grandmothers.

Oberhofer sees the future. Oberhofer plays the chorus of a song within the first twenty seconds. Oberhofer composes one thousand piano pieces, each named after a friend or a fan.

Oberhofer only believes in the mantra “I write a song for the next song.” Oberhofer cries when he sings. Oberhofer dents the microphone’s mesh with his teeth. Oberhofer has said his

2

OBERHOFER SEPTEMBER 15 | CRYSTAL BALLROOM

own last name so often the “o” vowel has become a permanent shape in his throat.

Oberhofer is spinning, circling about the diamond in his mind as he is flung far and wide by fame. Oberhofer has gone to NYU to study composition; but never mind that. Oberhofer

Oberhofer is the brooding, quiet kid you’d never expect

is the French Kicks, The Killers, Death From Above 1979, and

to see get up on the mic and lose his shit. Oberhofer is the

Animal Collective. Oberhofer isn’t any of them. Oberhofer

earnest seventeen-year-old at the dance who doesn’t dance

wants to remember a love at first sight. Oberhofer is so self-

with any of the girls though has more sex appeal from the

absorbed that it feels like he’s singing about us. Oberhofer

water fountain than the entire basketball team. Oberhofer

is no giver. Oberhofer will play all his instruments for us.

believes in his guitar frantically, knowing that without it he’ll

Oberhofer will carry on without us. » - Ethan Martin

become faithless and wander about in search of a church.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 4

new music aural fix Photo by Bennet Perez

It’s pretty useless to compare Deradoorian's solo work with David Longstreth’s frenetic kookiness or the freakiness of her work with David Portner in Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks; on her own, she is a soft-spoken poet-cosmonaut who digs shadow and dream, and this comes across strongly in the richly-layered mixes she constructs. However, whereas someone like Noah Lennox’s approach to production goes heavy on the phaser in order to create a wavy, syrupy wall of sound, Deradoorian just wants to etch in the dark corners of a psych-rock soundscape enough to give you interesting things to chew on beneath the melody. The multitude of weirdly beautiful instrumental details in these songs, whether they be the krautrock heartbeat of “The Invisible Man” or the rippling synths undercutting “The Eye,” point to her as an extremely sensitive and imaginative producer. Even a seemingly trivial interlude like “DarkLord”

3

DERADOORIAN SEPTEMBER 25 | DOUG FIR

Angel Deradoorian made her solo debut in earnest six years ago with Mind Raft, an EP of neo-psychedelia that surprised fans of Dirty Projectors for its departure from the rambunctious art pop of Bitte Orca. The spacey, pensive impressionism of Mind Raft was just a laid-back primer for The Expanding Flower Planet, an LP of an almost epic sonic scope.

On her full-length debut, Deradoorian makes the wise choice not to play things safe—she subsequently reveals herself as a top-notch psychedelic chemist.

5 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

pushes all the right buttons at the peripheries of one’s mind; Deradoorian’s multi-tracked vocals harmonizing on a mantra, a lumbering bassline, and oddly processed drums–these elements all come together to form something really aurally delicious.

Lyrically, Deradoorian is a mystic who uses seemingly vague metaphors to relate people and places back to qualities of mind.

On the titular track, she poses the question of whether we already know more than we are aware, if we perhaps already possess the keys to fix our home. It’s not every songwriter that can express a sentiment like that without their sincerity coming into question. » - Matthew Sweeney

new music aural fix

1 OVER THE RHINE 4 ON AN ON ELIOT SUMNER DOSH

16 TOKYO POLICE CLUB THE DOMESTICS

5 NATHANIEL RATELIFF 17 NATASHA KMETO & THE NIGHT SWEATS THE BLUE RIDER

4

EMPRESS OF SEPTEMBER 27 | HOLOCENE

After listening to 25-year-old Lorely Rodriguez for five minutes, you’re convinced she can be the Empress Of whatever she wants.

The dreamy electro-pop artist will release her second album Me on September 15 via Terrible Records (Twin Shadow, Chairlift), featuring ten tracks she wrote while living alone in a house an hour outside of Mexico City on a pseudo-silent artist’s retreat.

Rodriguez was born to Honduran immigrants, grew up in L.A. and dabbled in jazz singing before moving to Boston to attend music school. Here, she created “Colorminutes,” one-minute YouTube recordings of rough tracks against a single color backdrop. This aesthetic minimalism is still apparent in Me’s album art, her song titles (“Standard,” “Icon”), and even in her music, which doesn't over-do beat drops or any tired EDM tropes. Even her voice is light and pure, without vibrato.

In “Kitty Kat,” Rodriguez uses staccato beats while showcasing her high register, which explodes into an electronic yodel. Her political lyrics expose the invasive feeling of being cat

called as a woman, as well as demonstrates her clever lyrics: “I’m fending for myself when you still call me pretty/ Let me walk away,” she sings.

“Don’t kitty kitty cat me like I’m just your pussy.”

Many of her lyrics are political, but masked by dreamy avant-garde electronic beats and harmonies. Listening to her is like floating on a cloud in the middle of a club, where what’s being said isn’t always apparent, but is impactful nonetheless. » - Sophia June

QUICK TRACKS

6 PICKINʼ ON SUNDAYS

3PM FREE

FEAT. ANDREW DUHON TRIO

6 MICK LEARN BENEFIT 7 MICK LEARN BENEFIT 8 DAM-FUNK BOBBY D

9 BIG SCARY BABES

11 SASSPARILLA

CASEY NEILL & THE NORWAY RATS

HEARTS OF OAK

13 ARC IRIS

COCO COLUMBIA JENNIFER HALL

Oozing with a slimey, driving rhythm that turns into a classic club beat against the background of Rodriguez’s ghostly “ahh ahhs,” the dreamy track explores the idea of privilege, pitting clean water against college students: “Water is

18 GIN WIGMORE PATRICK PARK

19 FEDERALE

THE LOWER 48 SOUVENIR DRIVER

21 SAY LOU LOU PHOEBE RYAN

22 COUER DE PIRATE 23 THE DEAR HUNTER CHON GATES

24 LITTLE HURRICANE RIN TIN TIGER

25 LAETITIA SADIER DERADOORIAN

ON 14 RHETT WALKER BAND 26 RAMBLE PSEUDOBOSS 15 MAC MCCAUGHAN + THE NON-BELIEVERS 27 JESS GLYNNE MIKE KROL FLESH WOUNDS

A “water water”

SARA JACKSON-HOLMAN SWAHILI

FRANCESCO YATES

29 OH LAND

PANIC IS PERFECT

OCTOBER SHOWS ON SALE NOW 10/02: THE SHEEPDOGS 10/06: SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION 10/11: THE DISTRICTS 10/12: GANG OF FOUR 10/20: VIET CONG 10/21: WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS

10/22: SEAN HAYES 10/24: RUBBLEBUCKET 10/25: GIVERS 10/27: ALBERT HAMMOND JR. 10/29: NATALIE PRASS 10/30: JOHN GRANT

a privilege/ Just like kids who go to college.”

B “no means no” This song incorporates an '80s dance sound into her otherwise distinctly modern beats, while proclaiming an important reminder of consent: “No means no/ Don’t cross the line.”

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 6

new music album reviews

ALBUM REVIEWS This Month’s best R Reissue

L Local release

Short List Lou Barlow Brace The Wave Painted Palms Horizons Wand 1000 Days Youth Lagoon Savage Hills Ballroom Beirut No No No Ben Folds So There Shannon And The Clams Gone By The Dawn

L Woolen Men

Temporary Monument Woodist Records

How does a record this retro sound like a new beginning? Temporary Monument, the new album by local faves Woolen Men, is one of the most important records of 1980; It stands tall and proud next to it’s forbearers The Jam, The B-52s, Violent Femmes, and The Ramones, yet is as different from them as they are from one another. Accomplished but not overpolished, it’s a 12-song sprint on a highwire that announces the band as familiar yet unique and full of lo-fi charm.

Opener “Clean Dreams” is both proclamation and challenge, expanding a two and a half-minute song into a 5:26 manifesto of high-tuned bass guitar, half-spoken vocals, and post-punk pop attitude. It's a perfect microcosm of the album: hooks to burn, no-frills production, and most importantly a tone of morning-after sobriety borne not so much of rage as open-eyed resignation.

“Alien City” (Ramonesy, 1:02), "University" (the chorus of “I know not everybody goes” seems like a guy trying to convince himself as much as a declaration, 1:24), and “Untitled” ("Step back till you fade away, that’s the way to save yourself” 1:15) get their points across without frills yet don’t sound truncated or cheated. “On Cowardice” functions as both memoriam to and condemnation of Spalding Gray and other creatives who suicide, with a guitar line that sounds as sincere as the lyric: nuanced but uncomplicated.

Temporary Monument voices powerlessness in the face of modern society—a protest album without a movement that finds its voice by ignoring the last 35 years of pop history. If that’s not punk, what is? » - Eric Evans

Battles La Di Da Di CocoRosie Heartache City Metric Pagans In Vega CVRCHES Every Open Eye Kurt Vile B'lieve I'm Going Down Peaches Rub Buy it

Steal it

Toss it

L Bear & Moose

Obstacle Self-released

facebook.com/elevenmagpdx @elevenpdx

7 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Back with their third studio efforts, on September 15 Portland slacker/ psych group Bear & Moose self-releases Obstacle, the band’s strongest album to date. Engineered by Justin Higgins at Old Standard Sound, Obstacle was recorded live onto a vintage 4-track Teak tape machine that was handed down to guitarist/singer Eric Mueller by his father.

In the time since the group released their 2013 sophomore album Inside The Eyewall, the duo became a trio, adding bassist Stephen Moore (formerly of Mufassa). That shift in dynamics allowed Mueller to reinvent his songwriting and ultimately the sound of the band as a whole. They traded in their use of noisier psychedelic guitar effects and midi samples that were present on the band’s first two albums, for heavier hooks and grooves, in what evolved into a set of 14 short and sweet songs with a heavy throwback feel of '70s post-punk.

Throughout Obstacle’s 33 minuteand-change runtime, a few bangers jump out. On “Yesterday,” a hypnotic rhythm (woodblock and all) and driving bass line demand one’s head to bob, while Mueller bids adieu to the days of past with his classic use of alto and baritone vocal harmonies. “New Years Eve” offers a playful reincarnation of the sounds of The Modern Lovers and Television. Title track “Obstacle” boasts perhaps the most traditional Bear & Moose sound on the album, with Mueller’s twinkling guitar bursts popping out on upbeats between Moore’s chooglin’ bass groove. » - Travis Leipzig

new music album reviews

Dr. Dre Compton Aftermath/Interscope Dr. Dre has long acted as a godfather to the hip-hop scene, and to the younger generation of hip-hop fans he has existed as more enigma than entity; lurking in the shadows, promoting hot young talent from time to time (most notably Kendrick Lamar). Absent from albums for 16 years, he quickly reminded everyone of his place in history with his third studio album Compton: A Soundtrack.

Dâm-Funk Invite The Light Stones Throw Records We hear a lot of mixed-genre funk kicking around these days; new styles built upon the backs of the greats like James Brown, George Clinton and the like.

The nature of funk is bombast, groove, a juicy bass line and a heavy boom/ bap style beat, so innovators across a broad range of musical influences have taken this “formula” and transformed

As strange as it sounds for a career 23 years in the making, we still don’t know what a Dr. Dre album is supposed to sound like. He popularized the classic West-Coast G-funk sound we’ve all come to associate him with, but he’s proven on Compton that he can mix it up on a whim, and provide us with these lush, dense, almost cinematic instrumentals that flesh out the album and, like his past work, don’t necessarily follow popular trends in hip-hop. Dre has always said more with his production than his words, and Compton is no different.

One thing I didn’t realize with Dr. Dre’s work until Compton is that he’s always been strangely political. The intro track sets the tone with a brief history of the city of Compton, and it transitions perfectly into “Talk About It” where Dre proves he still belongs in the rap game, while Justus sings about the dreams of the children in the city. “It’s All On Me” details Dr. Dre’s sacrifices on his path to stardom, and on closing track “Talking to My Diary” we see Dr. Dre open up to his audience like never before.

A large part of Dr. Dre’s legacy comes from the talent he’s brought up; guys like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar. Dre really brings the best out in the artists he features, and surprisingly, Compton brought life to Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube as they proved they can still spit like it’s the '90s if they need to, not to mention three more breathtaking Kendrick verses and a handful of features from up-and-comers Anderson .Paak, Justus, and King Mez. Compton might be the most consistent album front-to-back he’s ever released, as no track stands head and shoulders above the rest the way “Still D.R.E.” and “Forgot About Dre” did on 2001, or “Nuthin But A ‘G’ Thang” did on The Chronic. Each song tells its own story, all are produced and mixed wonderfully, and there isn’t a single feature that disappoints. Dr. Dre has announced Compton as his final album, and it stands as a remarkable bookend to the legend’s discography. » Tyler Sanford

it into something wholly unique, in many instances. Dâm-Funk is a bit of an exception. His sound is rooted in ‘80s “Boogie” funk, with strong flavors of early Prince and some Barry White groove for good measure.

Dâm-Funk is a throwback in a strong sense of the word: utilizing recording techniques and gear like drum machines and analog synths, his tracks harken to late-era chill funk, the like of which could be compared to early G-Funk instrumentals. While his earlier work, like 2009’s Toeachizown and other singles, were a little more closely tied to the big sounds of the early funk, DâmFunk’s upcoming Invite the Light is an intergalactic production of those sounds in a Boogie environment.

In 2013, Dâm-Funk collaborated with Snoop Dogg (alias: Snoopzilla) to create 7 Days of Funk, which set the stage for his latest musical iterations. Much like 7 Days, Invite the Light is full of wobbly bass, tinkling synthesizers and deepcut beats. Throughout, it’s clear that his main skill falls into the production side

of things. Invite the Light is immaculate.

The instrumentals are consistently clean, balancing the ethereal synth tones with earthy beats. He fuses together these ideas with sprinklings of R&B and vocal assists from guests like JimiJames and Nite Jewel.

At times, it feels like Dâm-Funk lacks some of the vocal charisma to float an album that clocks in at an incredibly robust 96 minutes, but he manages to bring in enough additional voices to keep things interesting. Appearances from Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip and Kid Sister, among others, offer great changes of pace that buoy the record when it threatens to drift off into the Mothership netherworld.

Dâm-Funk is a compelling figure.

His projects are numerous, and although he’s never broken into the mainstream vernacular, his fingerprints are visible on a wide range of funk and hip-hop production throughout the industry.

Invite the Light is, in some ways, his Magnum Opus: a fully imagined, intricate realization of Boogie Funk in the 21st Century. » - Charles Trowbridge

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 8

live music

KNOW YOUR VENUE Mississippi Studios

Photo by Todd Walberg

I

f it makes sense to run a country for the people, by the people, then it makes sense to run a venue for musicians, by musicians. Mississippi Studios is the Portland venue that prides itself on that kind of principle, and in the words of

founder Jim Brunberg, “Musicians need day jobs too” when they’re not the ones filling concert halls with fans of their own.

This wasn’t always the case though. When Brunberg bought the old church 10 years ago, it was located on a street that didn’t have much going for it yet.

Since then, Mississippi Avenue has undergone a huge transformation and has a lively hustle and bustle to call its own. The property that the avenue knows now started out with an upstairs recording studio back in 2003.

Though it only lasted a few years, it was the building’s initiation into a life of music.

9 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

The goal was to create an intimate space with a homemade feel and host solely music events with acts that were relevant but not yet exhausted. Construction began with the remnants of the church, salvaging as much as possible. With wood being the primary treasure, beams are still visible reaching all the way to the venue's ceiling and then from wall to wall. The panels built were accommodated to the church’s lofty structure and you’ll find that none of the wall panels are exactly parallel. Each panel slants at a range of 2-5 degrees, which oddly enough enhances the room’s acoustics.

2010 was Mississippi Studio’s next biggest renovation, with the addition of the burger joint, Bar Bar. Though it adds a different vibe to the place, traffic flows seamlessly between the two establishments and is an extra opportunity to display their friendly hospitality. The two cozy back patios provide even more space to make memories during at least one of the 500 shows hosted each year.

live music

MISSIS SIPPI STUDIOS S

H

O

W

C A L E N D A R S E P T E M B E R 2

1. TUE

Extending the Portland welcome to artists that come through, Mississippi Studios is big on equal treatment, treating the superstars and the rookies the same. Their biggest service to the talent is making them sound good

LOCH LOMOND EDNA VAZQUEZ

BABES IN TOYLAND FEA

WILDLING

throughout the year by hosting one half local acts and the other half national. To “keep it Portland” and showcase locals, they prefer to have national acts opened by bands from the area.

HEY MARSEILLES

19. SAT

MOON DUO 20. SUN

LULUC

KEVIN LEE FLORENCE

5. SAT

MIKAL CRONIN THE CAIRO GANG LITHICS

21. MON

SEOUL

YOUNG EJECTA

9. WED

JACKSON BOONE WAMPIRE CAT HOCH

22.TUE

RISK!

23. WED

RISK!

CLIVE CARROLL

24. THU

TURQUOISE JEEP

11. FRI

DIRTY REVIVAL REDRAY FRAZIER DJ WEATHER

RASHEED JAMAL NEKA & KAHLO

25. FRI

12. SAT (early show)

LATE NIGHT ACTION WITH ALEX FALCONE (late show)

MRS. PRESENTS QUEEN DJ BEYONDA

COLIN STETSON SARAH NEUFELD DUO RYAN ‘LONE WOLF’ SAWYER

27. SUN (at the old church)

JOE ELY DUO 27. SUN

13. SUN

BEARCUBBIN’ RAGS AND RIBBONS GAYTHIEST 14. MON

MINT MILE

JOEL RL PHELPS THE DOWNER TRIO ZEBRA HUNT

28. MON

THE WOOLEN MEN

SHINYRIBS

LANDLINES / HONEY BUCKET

BIG E

29. TUE

15. TUE

CHASTITY BELT

When local bands hit the stage, it’s a big deal to the

AN EVENING WITH

NURSES SPECTRUM CONTROL

10. THU

Local band Grandparents take the stage. Photo by Todd Walberg

18. FRI

CARBON LEAF

3. THU

both fans and artists. Mississippi Studios’ senior talent buyer, Matt King, books talent pretty evenly proportioned

HEAVENLY BEAT SMALL SKIES

2. WED

on stage, which is an amenity not always guaranteed to

5

TEEN DAZE

WRESTLERS RAP CLASS

4. FRI

1

17. THU

DAN DEACON One of Portland's favorite patios. Photo by Todd Walberg

0

MISSION SPOTLIGHT

PINECONES

ROSELIT BONE GHOST TO FALCO

16. WED

30. WED

SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS

HOLLY MIRANDA GRACIE AND RACHEL

venue’s community because occasionally those on stage are their very own employees. During off nights, members of Typhoon, Genders, Magic Mouth, Box Set, Federale, and more are found handing out drinks, setting up stage, or just floating the floor. Though both acts and employees might not always be recognized, Mississippi Studios knows

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

how to keep the good music and guests flowing steady. » - Gina Pieracci

mississippistudios.com

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 10

live music SEPTEMBER crystal ballroom

1

2

8 nw 6th

SKIDMORE ST.

TA VE

15

.

NORTH WEST BROADWAY ST.

14

5

5

PEARL OLD TOWN 2

BURNSIDE ST.

22

1

405

26 18

7

23

9

10

30

GRAND AVE.

11 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

MLK BLVD.

128 ne russell 4 The White Buffalo | Israel Nash 7 The Melvins | Big Business

RUSSELL ST.

ON

MLK BLVD.

wonder ballroom

WILLIAMS AVE.

3939 n mississippi

FR

23RD AVE.

mississippi studios

VANCOUVER AVE.

MISSISSIPPI AVE.

28

830 e burnside

Dan Deacon | Wrestlers | Rap Class Loch Lomond | Edna Vazquez Babes In Toyland | Fea Hey Marseilles | Wildling Mikal Cronin | The Cairo Gang | Lithics Jackson Boone | Wampire | Cat Hoch Clive Carroll Dirty Revival | Redray Frazier | DJ Weather Bearcubbin' | Rags & Ribbons | Gaythiest Shinyribs | Big E Chastity Belt | Pinecones Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds Teen Daze | Heavenly Beat | Small Skies Carbon Leaf Moon Duo | Nurses | Spectrum Control Luluc | Kevin Lee Florence Seoul | Young Ejecta Turquoise Jeep | Rasheed Jamal | Neka & Kahlo Colin Stetson Sarah Neufeld Duo | Ryan Sawyer Mint Mile | Joe RL Phelps The Downer Trio | Zebra Hunt The Woolen Men | Landlines | Honey Bucket Mission Spotlight | Roselit Bone | Ghost To Falco Holly Miranda | Gracie & Rachel

5

4

Doug fir

Pickin' On Sundays (every Sunday at 3:00PM) On An On | Eliot Sumner | Dosh Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats D창m-Funk | Bobby D Big Scary | Babes Sassparilla | Casey Neill & The Norway Rats Arc Iris | Coco Columbia | Jennifer Hall Rhett Walker Band mac McCaughan & The Non-Believers Tokyo Police Club | The Domestics Natasha Kmeto | Sara Jackson-Holman | Swahili Gin Wigmore | Patrick Park Federale | The Lower 48 | Souvenir Driver Say Lou Lou | Pheobe Ryan Couer De Pirate The Dear Hunter | Chon | Gates Little Hurricane | Rin Tin Tiger Laetitia Sadier | Deradoorian Ramble On | Pseudoboss Jess Glynne | Francesco Yates Oh Land | Panic Is Perfect

4 1 2 3 4 5 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 27 28 29 30

ALBERT

Roseland Theater

Yellow Claw Social Distortion | Nikki Lane | Drag The River Machine Gun Kelly | DJ Fatboy Hopsin | Dizzy Wright | Jarren Benton | DJ Hoppa Ben Folds & yMusic Ratatat Flux Pavillion | 12th Planet | Diskard Audien & Jauz Beth Hart Thievery Corporation | Sonny Knight & The Lakers

3 4 5 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29

16

INTERSTATE AVE.

4 5 9 12 15 16 17 19 26 28

1332 w burnside

Psychedelic Furs | The Church Circa Waves | Oberhofer Hollywood Undead | I Prevail | Crown The Empire O.A.R. You Who! Kid's Rock Variety Show

DOW NTO WN

2 15 18 26 27

live music SEPTEMBER wONDER BALLROOM (continued)

13

TA ST.

12

ALBERTA ARTS PRESCOTT ST.

15TH AVE.

11TH AVE.

Wavves | Twin Peaks | Swimmers Jackie Greene | Lauren Shera The Cribs Old 97's The Growlers | The Pesos Neon Indian Distroyer | Frog Eyes Blonde Redhead | Day Wave Hum + Mineral Clean Bandit Vintage Trouble Citizen Cope The Oh Hellos | Joseph Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats | Ruby The Hatchet Mew | The Dodos

holocene

FREMONT ST.

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And And And | Eyelids | Boone Howard 2 Billygoat | Pregnant | IBQT 7 Lane 8 9 Golden Retriever | Visible Cloaks | MSHR | DJ Jason Urick 10 Teengirl Fantasy | Dylan Stark | Miracles Club DJs 16 Jasmine Jordan | Current Personae | JoyTribe 17 Superhumanoids | Rush Midnight 18 The Acid | Lusine 21 Autechre | Cygnus | Rob Hall 23-24 Empress Of 27 Fog Father | Small Skies | Salon 30

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Cambrian Explosion | Ice Queens Fanno Creek | Old Age | Joel Magid Resurrection Records Showcase

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Bunker Sessions Open Mic | Eye Candy VJs(Mondays) Rose City Round | Late Tunage with KPSU DJs (Tuesdays) Blood Owl | Seven Inches Mic Capes | Grape God | D3 | Verbz The Rocketz | Enemy Proof | The Von Howlers Elton Cray & the Pariahs | Addvert | Tribe Mars Bibliothek | The Lummox | Dungeon Bros. | Kelli Schaefer Garlic Man & Chikn | The Toads | Daisy Deaths The Ronz | Blood Hot Beat | Supersun Leo | Miracles of Modern Science | Dr. Something The Collection | Lowland Hum Fire Nuns | Teleporter 4 | 10 Million Lights Demented Carousel | WNBA Jam Rilla | Kulululu Chris Lee w/Stray Music Group | Myke Bogan | Bigmo Sadistik | Sapient | Ceschi | Early Adopted The Hugs | Dogheart Wicked Man | Bike Thief | Old Wave

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MacDougal Weekend Assembly | DJ Magnus Cagney Eric John Kaiser The Hillwilliams Erotic City DJ Doc Roc | Harper Abalone Grey DJ Kenny | Yak Attack Castletown Desi & Cody Goldfoot | DJ Blas

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features SEPTEMBER bunk bar (continued) 5 11 14 16 28

Monk Parker The Mynabirds | Bad Bad Hats Magic Giant Natural Child | Super Hit Crooks On Tape

hall 11 revolution 1300 se stark 13 XOXO 19 Toyo Y Moi | Astronauts, Etc.

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Be Calm Honcho | Fanno Creek | Moon By You Megan Burtt | Kiki & The Dowry Keeper Keeper | The Get Ahead | Stubborn Son Zax Vandal | Ike Fonseca | Chad Bandit Rogue Giant | Small Leaks Sink Ships | Rainbow Electric The Weather Machine Soul Progression | Little Hexes Melville | Beach Fire Moniker | Johanna Warren | Absent Iris

THE SECRET SOCIETY 14 116 NE RUSSELL 11 12 13 18 20 25 27

Jacob Jolliff Trio | Dean | Taylor Kingman The Reverberations | Kinked | The Silver Fox The Delirians | Irie Idea | The Sentiments Paleo | Hip Hatchet | Jordie Lane Karyn Ann | Stephanie Scelza | Pretty Gritty The Get Ahead | Redray Frazier | DJ Klavical The Jackalope Saints | Run Boy Run

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13 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Photo by Mercy McNab

LOCAL FEATURE

J

ackson Boone is not a Portland band anymore.

From one of his poems, he is “the Oregon Coast Wind and Nothingness.” The Portland native realized his calling early on, exploring realms of a rock n' roll fast life before slowing down and finding strength in a connection to the natural world. Although he is set to travel and share his art, his home has been made with his family on the calm Oregon coast, where the sounds of wind and water have opened up musical portals.

We too, needed to escape the city.

We drove through the forest and found ourselves overlooking a sparkling ocean from Boone’s dining room, where we discussed crystals, magic, and his latest release Natural Changes, before packing up and heading to Shortsands beach for an afternoon of surf.

Jackson Boone

ELEVEN: So the ocean calls to you?

Jackson Boone: I was raised in this area, and have innately been visiting here every summer. The grandiosity of the Pacific Ocean and especially this coastline is so inspiring. My wife and I had always discussed that we would move here later in life. But when my daughter was born, it became very clear that we needed to be here now.

I also surf, and that is a big part of it, too. It’s a healthy and harmonious way to stay healthy and be connected to the ocean. It’s really good for the soul, like music is. Being near that and living that lifestyle is what I was hoping to manifest by moving here. I am in recovery for addiction, I have been sober for almost two years. The city has a lot of toxicity in that regard. I am a really sensitive guy, and my wife is a very spiritual person and painter, so it made sense to

11: Who are some of your influences?

features SEPTEMBER turn turn turn

16

JB: A lot of music being made by 8 ne killingsworth young people now is picking right up from Dad Works Hard | Surf Stoned & Sun Drunks | Manx the '60s and '70s. Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Waffle Taco | Alan Bowen | Yankee Gaucho WL | Media Jeweller | Ointment | Branch Walker Eric Burden and The Animals, Jimi, Janis, Toyboat Toyboat Toyboat | Terry Robb | RLLRBLL The West Coast Pop Art Experimental The Pink Tiles | Mister Tang Band, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks, Jesse Mandarin Dynasty | Mommy Long Legs | Golden Hour Colin Young, Captain Beefheart and blues Alto | Volcanic Pynnacles | Faxes Rabbits | A Volcano like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. I’m reading an amazing autobiography on hawthorne theatre 1507 se 39th Frank Zappa. I had no idea he was such a Stronger Than All | Agnozia | Strength Keeper composer, he literally wrote orchestral P.O.D. | Islander | Amerakin Overdose | When Vanity Kills music everyday. He wasn't just a freak Eligh | Dem Alas | Bad Habitat | Ugly Tarantino rocker, and he was sober.

4 Years Strong | Defeater | Expire | Speak Low If You Will

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11: Were you a part of other musical projects before going solo?

JB: I went to art school in Denver where I studied painting and music and was in a band back in called Tantric Picasso. Then back in Portland a lo-fi art rock band called Big Girls.

11: Why did you title your new record Natural Changes?

move here with our daughter to slow down and become our highest potential as creative people, in a place beaming with pristine beauty. It’s so nurturing.

This place–Haystack Rock and this long, very ancient coastline has a really unique positive energy that is almost otherworldly.

11: You have a song called "Haystack Rock-n-Roll?"

JB: I think i'm moving away from the rock n' roll paradigm, and moving more towards emotional, big, deep, heavy celestial folk music. But I still play electric guitar and use fuzz pedals, so it’s still in that realm of rock. When I was heavily in addiction, as a young rocker kid, I was always devoted to music, it’s been clear from my inner sense of self that I wanted to be a musician and a songwriter. I really identified with rock, even the delusional aspects like substance abuse. I used to buy into that lifestyle to the point where it became unhealthy. But the music was ultimately what was important. The songs were my lexicon, as Bob Dylan would say.

JB: It sounded timeless to me. I had just become a father. The alteration of perspective in a man’s brain when he has a daughter is a natural change.

Getting sober. The whole bigger picture.

It’s pretty universal. Change is the only constant, as they say.

11: How did you come to have your albums produced by Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Riley Geare?

JB: I had been playing in bands for a while, newly into sobriety, newly married, and my wife was pregnant. I was just way in over my head. It seemed a little too good to be true, meeting Riles, the drummer of UMO, on Craigslist. When I met him I was in an emotionally unstable place. But the inner calling of creation was like a fire that cannot be tamed. He is awesome. The music becomes so cool and clear due to healing and transformation.

We recorded the first album, Starlit, in Riley’s home studio. For the new record we got to use nicer gear, and escaped to my family's beach house. My grandfather left a big open home facing the water to my entire family. We cut the record and it turned out so well. Go some place beautiful, make something beautiful. We are going to do it there again for the next record.

Bowling For Soup | The Dollyrots | Walt Hamburger Man Man | Shilpa Ray One-Eyed Doll | Stiched Up Heart | Run 2 Cover | Particle Son Arkona | Heidevolk | Helsott Greg Graffin Le Butcherettes | Sister Crayon Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers | Buffalo Jones Goatsnake | Black Breath | Battalion of Saints | Obliterations Chelsea Wolfe | Wovenhand Godflesh | Prurient

VALENTINES

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MERCY MCNAB PHOTOGRAPHY

Band Photos Artistic Portraits Event and Live Music Coverage Product Shots THE MCNAB LAB 126 NE Alberta St 317-402-5026 www.mercymcnab.com

ALADDIN THEATER 3017 SE MILWAUKIE

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Elephant Revival The Revivalists | Balto Everyone Orchestra Conducted by Matt Butler Destroyer | Frog Eyes Marc Broussard Dave & Phil Alvin w/The Guilty Ones | Dead Rock West Youth Music Showcase PDX Marty Friedman | Exmortus | Spellcaster

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Sonic Forum Open Mic (Mondays) Farnell Newton & The Othership Connection (Tuesdays) Shafty: Portland's Phish Tribute (Wednesdays) Soul Stew w/DJ Aquaman (Fridays) Spiritual Rez Life During Wartime Asher Fulero Band | Achilles Wheel Skerik-Erskine-Coe-Abouzied | Happy Orchestra Mike Love Takimba Wamba | 1000 Fuegos Polecat | Brad Parsons & The Local Talent

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21 star THEATER 13 nw 6th 22 club 21

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Lee Scratch Perry | Cherimoya 5 Cult Of Luna | Minsk | Subrosa 7 Grandparents | Minden | Talkative | Is/Is 10 Desert Dwellers & Kalya Scintilla | Eve Olution 11-12

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features SEPTEMBER star theater (continued) 13 14 15 16 18 19 23 25 26 27 28

Vulfpeck | Dove Driver A Place To Bury Strangers | Grooms Alpine La Santa Cecilia | Laura Rebolloso y Ensemble Marinero The Chameleons | Softkill | Shadowhouse | DDDJJJ666 The Skull | Author & Punisher | Muscle & Marrow Zella Day Mick Jenkins & STWO Blackalicious | Lateef The Truthspeaker | Lifesavas Black Lodge Shamir

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Scar After Scar | Helldorado | Veio | Alliance The Streakin' Healys | Thundering Asteroids | WWIV Mother Crone | Year Of The Cobra | Swamp Devil theGoodSons | Donerail | Hutson | The Dark Backward The Wilds | Sawtooth Stochastic Mettle Union | Dwight Dickinson | Ras Mix Jungle Mountain | The Burner Phones | Bolts & Conversation

The Knowle Roars | Mister Seahorse Ice Princess | Aerial Ruin Amos Val | Wellwalker | Orchards Motion Trap | Turner Jackson Eduardo Knifehando | Chrysalis | Robots of the Ancient World

Keeper Keeper | The Want Ads | Clawfoot Slumber The Vibrators | All Out | Dirty Lowdowns | Bomb Squad Ghost Motor | Element A440 | Pill Brigade | Particle Son Neon Culpa | Mask & Marrow | Whyknow?

Sausage Slapper | Hillbilly Bitch Splitter Amy Bleu | The Rojacs | Rosebud Slim

liquor store 24 the 3341 SE Belmont 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

PANIC ROOM 25 THE 3100 NE SANDY 2 3 4 5 6 12 23 25 26 27

Draft Week | Ruffhausen | The Stein Project The Atomic Bitchwax | Mos Generator | Billions & Billions

Pat Travers | Factor V | Bullet Train RKC | Nescient | Snakes | Truculence The Letters Home | Dorado | Herrick Nightingales | Surplus 1980 | COMM | Spirit Host Ill Lucid Onset | Strange Hotel | Keeper Keeper | Last Giant Potbelly } BlastFemur | MDC Acoustic | Asprin Feast The Shams | Paste | Cascadian Grooves Lion's Mouth | Happy Otherwise | Salvo Idly

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Randy Rogers & Wade Brown | Sam Outlaw Rebirth Brass Band | Royal Jelly Jive Island In The Sun | 89 Vision | The Fashion Nuggets Jimmy Smith & The Hard Pans } Michael Dean Damron Whiskey Myers | John David Kent Red Elvises Rob Daiker | Berahmand | Emotitron Joe Buck Yourself | Pillowfight Plush | Jar Of Lies | Liquidlight The Lighthouse & The Whaler Prom Queen | Mishka Shubaly | Alexa Dexa Everlast (acoustic) Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band And And And | Calisse | Times Infinity

15 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Photo by Todd Walberg

11: What about recording live tracks?

JB: We recorded live tracks. We overdubbed a lot. We did basic tracking of rhythm guitar and bass and drums live.

11: And harp?

JB: Wolfgang Warneke is one of my bandmates and a very gifted multiinstrumentalist. He plays a little bit of everything really good: clarinet, saxophone, piano, violin, viola, cello, and harp.

11: It sounds like you have already begun writing material for your next album?

JB: I’ve been writing batches of songs every 6 months or so since I was 15.

11: You call yourself a wizard songwriter. There are a lot of cosmic and magical elements in your songs.

JB: I’m totally going for coastal wizard folk music. I just put together a cool montage/collage/video with a videographer friend to project at the album release. We were watching a lot of clips from cartoons from the '60s: aliens, pyramids, tribal dancing, and then we came across an interview of a guy being interviewed about magic. He said white magic is any kind of expression to make the world a better place. It’s selfless,

for the collective. It can be art, music, a plumber, a mother. Dark magic is for the self.

11: Portland is full of white magic then.

JB: And dark magic. I’ve been both myself.

11: Your other job is at a crystal shop?

JB: I work for a Reiki master and a healer and I sit behind a counter with crystals, jewelry, and wind chimes. It’s a perfect day job.

11: So if I need a crystal for clarity, to make a huge life decision, what crystal do I need?

JB: Fluorite brings mental clarity and is good for indecisiveness. It can help with clearing the channel of the Third Eye for people with clairvoyant tendencies.

11: What is your connection with the very large realm of spirituality?

JB: I get so caught up wanting to be a musician and to be a success, that it becomes stifling. I think spirituality and slowing down and health help to keep me humble and grounded, when I find myself getting lost in the realms of idea and thought. Intention and hope and ambition are a good thing to keep

me going, the drive is good. But it’s also good finding a holistic approach.

I had been talking to this guy I know that is a surrealist painter and crystal healer. He blew my mind by saying “Yes, past lives are true, but all of your past lives are happening right now at the same time.” Like what Eckhart Tolle says in The Power of Now. The past and the future don’t exist and the present moment is all we will ever have. I don't know, and I don't need to know or understand the mysteries of endlessness, the great spirits, consciousness. I like to talk about it because it’s so confusing and challenging to put into simplicity or find truth. I like what the Dalai Lama said “Kindness is my religion.”To practice empathy, to try to find stillness and peace.

11: Why do you think the dolphin turned into a cat?

JB: Because the witch said that was that! That's just a fun lyric. That song

L Jackson Boone

Natural Changes Self-released

Recorded on the coast facing the “endlessly mysterious Pacific Ocean,” Jackson Boone’s second record Natural Changes is found as a Fluorite crystal-green colored vinyl emblazoned with his wife Eryn’s sacred geometry art, holding nine magical songs. It opens with the sounds of waves and strums lapping at “LaLa.” Don’t expect to hear every word in this phantasma, just feel it. Like first album Starlit, the songs on Natural Changes present themselves in atmospheric lo-fi comfort,

[“Dolphin Turned Into A Cat”] turned out really well, especially with the string arrangements.

11: How excited are you to tour?

JB: This is my third or fourth tour, but only my second as a solo artist. I’m very excited. It’s totally what I want to do and how I want to make a living. I want to build this thing and do it, we are beginning to break out nationally. We have been doing this thing DIY, my bass player and me booked the tour ourselves without a booker. This is what I have always wanted to do with my life. Meet new people, stay open, sing, and open portals of positive energy. » - Brandy Crowe

JACKSON BOONE CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OF NATURAL MAGIC THIS MONTH SEPTEMBER 9 AT MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS with a constant fuzz relaying ocean sounds. Vintage funk and playful rhythms are brought in by producer and local magician Riley Geare. There is certainly a lot of texturing folk melody with celestial instrumentation, like combining twelve string acoustic guitar with harps and cosmic synths. “Runaway” and “Stawberry Vibes” jaunt along, while there are gritty undertones and tempo changes on “Moonbeam” and the heavy “Secret Capricorn,” which seems to describe characters of an Age of Aquarius crew, and finishes with plenty of guitar effects.

“Dolphin Turned Into A Cat” is a sea tale of a witch and a cat, including Cat Hoch, made dramatic with beautiful string arrangements. There is also the element of calm, such as the pining love and wire brush jazz of “Lovely Low,” and the slow moving harmonies and vastness of “Open.”

The beauty and truth are in the title track: guitar, strings, and the deepness of Jackson Boone’s voice tell of next lives and next dreams, gently reminding that “Natural changes are all around, and the mysteries of the unknown don’t need to be shown.” » - Brandy Crowe

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28 Laurelthirst pub 2958 ne glisan 29 2120 n williams

Jackstraw Ezza Rose | Lary Yes & Nate Lumbard | Dave Dondero Scratchdog Stringband | Golden Country Yogoman Burning Band | Baby Gramps Jenny Don't & The Spurs | Kory Quinn & The Comrades Here & There Band | King Pao Chickens Jackstraw | The Oh My Mys Ezza Rose | The Sweet Lillies | Sarah Gwen Easy Leaves | Power of Country Joe McMurrian & Woodbrain | Kalida Kris Deelane & The Hurt | Garcia Birthday Band The Hollerbodies | Freak Mountain Ramblers Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | Honeybaked Hamm & The Choice Cuts Ezza Rose | Corner Lewi Longmire & Left Coast Roasters | The Tara Novellas The Low Bones | The Tumblers Redray Frazier | Jimmy Boyer Band Jack Dwyer | Freak Mountain Ramblers Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | The Oh My Mys Ezza Rose | Ronnie Carrier | Travis Hayes & Liam Cahill Thin Rail | The Wilds Old Flames | The Student Loan The Angel Band | Catfish John | The High Lonesome Sound Pagan Jug Band | Freak Mountain Ramblers

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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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Obsidian Tour Grizzly | Trophy Lives | Hollywise Garcia Birthday Band Tribute To Anita Baker Keeper Keeper | Noise Complaint | Daisy Deaths The Home Team | Tonight We Fight | Search/Party Boy On Guitar | Stepbrothers | Earth ANchor School of Rock Young Empires | Swimm Cattle Decapitation | King Parrot | Black Crown Initiate

Inflammation Broken Arrows | The Shrike Young Roddy Revocation | Cannibis Corpse Blackbear Mayday Bollywood Dance Party The Defected Drones | Raw Dog & The Close Calls | Skoi Battle For Knotfest (5 bands)

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PORTLAND’S MUSIC MAGAZINE SINCE 2011

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 16

features national scene

W

hen you take an individual who was

As an artist fascinated and disciplined in the art of

born and raised in South Carolina, add a

production with no desire or personality for complacency (or

comfortable move to Berkeley, California,

maybe just music ADD), Toro y Moi moved on and produced

a BA in graphic design, and the ability to

an album in the indie-electronic realm of sound. 2013’s

flawlessly rock transparent round rimmed

Anything in Return yielded songs like “Say That” and “Rose

glasses, you get and idea of Chaz Bundick. Combine that

Quarz” that reveal touches of deep house and loads of

persona with a bedroom laptop project turned bi-continental

synthesizers. It’s an album that makes it easier to

tour, five full-length albums in five years with EPs on the

believe that Chaz keeps a strictly electronic side

side, the occasional remix, and a major part in the rise of the

project running successfully along his focal

chillwave stint; you start to scratch the surface of the artist

career as Toro y Moi.

better known as Toro y Moi. Though his initial release as Toro y Moi occurred in 2009, he had been producing music under that moniker since 2001. Since then, not only has his discography grown almost exponentially, but the collection of live instruments on his recordings throughout the years has too. Now Toro y Moi is more than a lonely laptop, incorporating guitar, piano, and drums with live performances in mind. After a year of touring alone, he decided it wasn’t for him and added a full band of old friends to his live performances in 2010. As dudes who have known each other for some time, it wasn’t an anxious decision to make. Chaz plays guitar and keyboard himself live, with his other four members taking up bass, drums, backing vocals, and additional guitar and keyboards.

2011 saw the release of the hearty and rather funky Underneath the Pine, which served to further solidify his presence in the indie world and prove his versatility in production techniques. From then on we heard Chaz dabble in a few genres, but whether or not they’re legitimate doesn’t exactly matter as long as people are paying attention. It was his lo-fi bedroom production aesthetic that gave him a running in the charm of the chillwave craze that lasted maybe two years. Even though the concocted genre is a better representation of a lax lifestyle told by polaroid pictures than a pattern of '80s influenced synth beats, it’s where Toro y Moi earned the ongoing comparisons to bands like Washed Out and Neon Indian.

Without slowing down, in between LPs Toro y Moi came out with his Freaking Out EP (also 2011) that showcased five songs of some electro-funk. A year later, he comes out with June 2009, which were songs literally written and recorded in June 2009 that either didn’t make it onto his 2010 debut album Causers of This or embodied a different vibe entirely. Regardless of the reasons, it’s a good place to realize what Toro y Moi started as a solid break, however short, between brand new material.

17 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Les Sins is an electronic dance music production that Chaz officially announced mid 2010 along the release of a couple singles titled “Lina” and “Youth Gone.” It went the direction that Chaz wouldn’t have been able take without losing fans as Toro y Moi. So the desire to produce distinctly different sounds and genres came in the form of two separate monikers.

Les Sins keeps relatively quiet under the

shadow and preoccupation of Toro, but the tracks that did

production of his songs than the actual lyrics. Going back to

get released were far from it. A handful of singles emerged

his archive, Anything in Return was the first release after

between 2012 and 2014 that introduced UK house beats to

his move to sunny Berkeley, California for his girlfriend’s

funky R&B and hip-hop. He announced an LP for Les Sins

academic career. The lyrics revolve around themes like

along with a small national tour. Michael dropped in 2014

patience and moving away with a track that literally speaks

and though not as successful as his main projects, still launched pretty well for what seemed like just a

to the whole ordeal of studying. The opening track, “Harm in Change,” reads: “It’s only one more day/ ‘til we leave this state/ and I know she thinks I’ve changed my mind.” Chaz’s lyrical

hobby.

All of this played out with no break in

influences come from his daily life, and he speaks about

stride for Toro y Moi, who steadily released

them fairly nonchalantly, putting breezy vocals over musing

albums year after year. He released his

compositions. The directness of his words leaves nothing to

most recent full length, What For?, in the spring of 2015. What feels like his most playful album unfolds as his most psychedelic, but guitar-heavy tracks draw the label of indie rock. It’s an album on which the vocals ring clearer and more predominantly than some of

the imagination and allows listeners to stay absorbed in what he loves most about music.

But when Chaz isn’t making music for Toro y Moi or Les Sins, he’s making the merchandise for it. He graduated with a degree in graphic design and these days he puts it to use by creating his own album covers, t-shirts, the occasional music video, and is beginning to branch out his talents to other types of agencies. The cover for Underneath the Pine is literally a close up picture of his face with fruit hanging out of his mouth, which he said he edited to look like a drawing.

his previous

He started playing around with directing for Toro this year

releases.

with the release of the music video for “Empty Nesters,”

He’s a

which is basically a compilation of short DIY-quality clips of

musician who

Chaz singing into the camera and messing around on a hilltop

would rather

with some friends. Again this year, he took his designs a step

be engrossed

further when he created the label for a bottle of wine by

in the

Frequency Wine Company. And of course the experience of drinking the wine would not be complete without a swanky playlist provided by Chaz himself that includes sounds of The Chi-Lites, The New Birth, and The Persuaders. Maybe if you want even more insight you’ll drink the wine and listen to the playlist while wearing the sunglasses and one of many t-shirts he designed for Toro.

Right now, Toro y Moi is heading out on a fall tour, with a stop at Portland’s Revolution Hall this month. With each and every one of his albums coming out between the months of January and April (minus the Freaking Out EP), maybe the beginning of 2016 will hold a new release. ELEVEN recently caught up with Chaz to talk about the group of guys behind him, his graphic design projects, and where he does or does not go to for lyrical inspiration.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 18 Photo by Andrew Paynter

features national scene ELEVEN: In the beginning, Toro y Moi was sort of a bedroom project. Can you talk about how you broke out from that and started to gain traction?

Chaz Bundick: I’m actually in my studio now. It’s just a room–like a bedroom with some gear in it. So it still feels kind of like a start-up. It’s just now I’m touring more, have more listeners. I guess really the main thing I try to keep in mind now is that I know I’m gonna be performing some of these songs live, so I have some of those live aspects in mind. Whether it be a song’s mood, or a song’s composition, a song’s type of instrumentation.

That’s kind of the only main difference. I guess I’m always constantly making music and trying to find new things to go forward.

11: So even though Toro y Moi is still all you, what’s it been like reconciling a full band behind you when you’re live?

CB: It’s nice. I mean the guys that are in my band, I’ve been with some of them since third grade, some of them since

19 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

college. We’ve all played in bands together so it’s not like they’re hired guys or anything. We get along really well and it’s nice to finally be on stage with dudes. But I’ve had these guys with me pretty much since 2010 so it’s kinda been them the whole time too, so it’s nice to have that. I only did one year of touring solo. I knew immediately that I wanted to not just do solo on stage.

11: What For? isn’t nearly as electronic as Anything in Return. What went into that decision when you were producing? Or was it even a conscious one?

CB: Well, somewhat. I kind of like to go back and forth between electronic and nonelectronic-type sounds. I kind of just wanted to make it a rock album. I think people would still consider it whatever genre, whether it be electronic, or R&B, or chillwave or whatever. It’s funny, I could probably make like country songs and people would call it electronic. I’m just fascinated to see people’s reception.

"I don’t look to pop music really for lyrics or anything.

I look to pop music more for production."

Photo by Andrew Paynter

features national scene 11: You also have Les Sins right? Do you see yourself drifting from that style of dance music?

11: The video for “Empty Nesters” was pretty rad. It had some super DIY vibes.

CB: Not necessarily. I definitely can see myself doing another electronic album like that, that’s heavily electronic. I tend to go from pop to electronic but it’s nice to just do electronic music still.

CB: Yeah, I did do it by myself–me and a couple friends. It was just fun cause I really appreciate the song and some of the qualities that it has. If I had more time I would do a lot more things myself.

11: You have a BA in graphic design right?

Yeah.

11: How does that play into your career as a musician?

CB: I mean I do all of my merchandise and my album covers. That’s pretty much it. I’m kind of starting to branch out as far as making other types of merch items.

You know shirts with my drawings on them. I’m not really diving into it yet.

11: I saw that wine bottle that you designed for Frequency Wine Company.

CB: Yeah, that was just a label. But yeah, that's an example of things that I’m sort of getting into.

11: Like what?

CB: Like make more music videos, or do more visual art. That kind of stuff. I mean I’m doing that stuff now; it’s just kind of slow.

11: I saw your Instagram, which is pretty entertaining and kind of random. You’ve said before that you’re always looking for things that most people don’t notice. How does that mentality work its way into your creative process?

CB: That Instagram is kind of just a joke/it’s like my take on sort of “dada photography.” It’s kind of just making fun of art. I don’t know, it’s just fun to look at different things that people write off in their every day travels.

圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㨀 䈀䰀伀伀䐀 伀圀䰀簀匀䔀嘀䔀一 䤀一䌀䠀䔀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀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 㤀⸀㌀㨀 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 䴀䤀䌀 䌀䄀倀䔀匀簀䜀刀䄀倀䔀 䜀伀䐀簀䐀㌀簀嘀䔀刀䈀娀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㐀㨀 吀䠀䔀 刀伀䌀䬀䔀吀娀簀䔀一䔀䴀夀 倀刀伀伀䘀簀吀䠀䔀 嘀伀一 䠀伀圀䰀䔀刀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㔀㨀 䔀䰀吀伀一 䌀刀䄀夀 ☀ 吀䠀䔀 倀䄀刀䤀䄀䠀匀簀䄀䐀䐀嘀䔀刀吀簀吀刀䤀䈀䔀 䴀䄀刀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㘀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㠀㨀 刀伀匀䔀 䌀䤀吀夀 刀伀唀一䐀㨀 䐀䄀嘀䤀䐀 匀䠀唀刀 ⠀䘀唀吀唀刀䔀 䠀䤀匀吀伀刀䤀䄀一匀⤀簀䰀䔀伀 䰀伀一䐀伀一 ⠀吀䠀䔀 䐀伀䴀䔀匀吀䤀䌀匀⤀簀 䴀䄀吀吀 䈀唀䔀吀伀圀 ⴀ 㜀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 䴀䄀吀吀 䈀唀䔀吀伀圀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㤀㨀 䈀䤀䈀䰀䤀伀吀䠀䔀䬀簀吀䠀䔀 䰀唀䴀䴀伀堀簀吀䠀䔀 䐀唀一䜀䔀伀一 䈀刀伀吀䠀䔀刀匀簀䬀䔀䰀䰀䤀 匀䌀䠀䄀䔀䘀䔀刀簀 倀䄀唀䰀 匀䔀䔀䰀夀 吀䤀䴀䔀匀 䤀一䘀䤀一䤀吀夀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀ 㨀 䜀䄀刀䰀䤀䌀 䴀䄀一 䄀一䐀 䌀䠀䤀䬀一簀吀䠀䔀 吀伀䄀䐀匀簀䐀䄀䤀匀夀 䐀䔀䄀吀䠀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㄀㨀 吀䠀䔀 刀伀一娀簀䈀䰀伀伀䐀 䠀伀吀 䈀䔀䄀吀簀匀唀倀䔀刀匀唀一 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㈀㨀 䰀䔀伀簀䴀䤀刀䄀䌀䰀䔀匀 伀䘀 䴀伀䐀䔀刀一 匀䌀䤀䔀一䌀䔀簀䐀刀⸀ 匀伀䴀䔀吀䠀䤀一䜀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀唀一䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㌀㨀 吀䠀䔀 䌀伀䰀䰀䔀䌀吀䤀伀一簀䰀伀圀䰀䄀一䐀 䠀唀䴀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㔀㨀 刀伀匀䔀 䌀䤀吀夀 刀伀唀一䐀㨀 䈀刀䔀一䐀䄀一 䴀䌀䌀刀䄀䌀䬀䔀一 ⠀一䔀䤀䜀䠀䈀伀刀 圀䄀嘀䔀⤀簀吀䈀䄀 ⴀ 㜀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㔀㨀 圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㘀㨀 䘀䤀刀䔀 一唀一匀簀吀䔀䰀䔀倀伀刀吀䔀刀 㐀簀㄀ 䴀䤀䰀䰀䤀伀一 䰀䤀䜀䠀吀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㜀㨀 䐀䔀䴀䔀一吀䔀䐀 䌀䄀刀伀唀匀䔀䰀簀圀一䈀䄀 䨀䄀䴀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㠀㨀 刀䤀䰀䰀䄀簀䬀唀䰀唀䰀唀䰀唀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㄀㤀㨀 䌀䠀刀䤀匀 䰀䔀䔀 圀䤀吀䠀 匀吀刀䄀夀 䴀唀匀䤀䌀 䜀刀伀唀倀簀䴀夀䬀䔀 䈀伀䜀䄀一簀䈀䤀䜀䴀伀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㈀㨀 刀伀匀䔀 䌀䤀吀夀 刀伀唀一䐀㨀 䘀伀刀刀䔀匀吀 嘀䄀一吀唀夀䰀 ⠀䄀䴀䔀刀䤀䌀䄀一 䘀伀刀䔀匀吀⤀簀一䔀嘀䄀䐀䄀 匀伀圀䰀䔀 ⠀䴀䤀匀䔀⤀簀 䌀伀伀倀䔀刀 吀刀䄀䤀䰀 ⠀䴀䤀匀䔀⤀ ⴀ 㜀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㐀㨀 匀䄀䐀䤀匀吀䤀䬀簀匀䄀倀䤀䔀一吀簀䌀䔀匀䌀䠀䤀簀䔀䄀刀䰀夀 䄀䐀伀倀吀䔀䐀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㐀㨀 䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㔀㨀 吀䠀䔀 䠀唀䜀匀簀䐀伀䜀䠀䔀䄀刀吀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 匀唀一䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㜀㨀 圀䤀䌀䬀䔀䐀 䴀䄀一簀䈀䤀䬀䔀 吀䠀䤀䔀䘀簀伀䰀䐀 圀䄀嘀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀 吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀 㤀⸀㈀㤀㨀 刀伀匀䔀 䌀䤀吀夀 刀伀唀一䐀㨀 刀夀䄀一 䈀䄀刀䈀䔀刀 ⠀倀伀一夀 嘀䤀䰀䰀䄀䜀䔀⤀簀 一䄀吀䠀䄀一 䈀䄀唀䴀䜀䄀刀吀一䔀刀 ⠀伀䘀 䄀一䐀 䄀一䐀 䄀一䐀⤀ ⴀ 㜀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 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 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 䴀伀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀

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

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 20

features national scene Photo by Kimberly Lawson

11: What are some of your lyrical influences? Can you talk about your writing process?

CB: I just kind of write about my experiences. I’m not very much influenced by anyone in particular. I’m not too big on lyrics myself when I listen to music. I like lyrics that are kind of straightforward and bland, but not too poetic, and they’re not too predictable. I like Elliot Smith. I like Yo La Tengo’s lyrics. Those are the people I grew up listening to in high school. My music is definitely not representative of that but I don’t look to Kanye West for lyrics. I don’t look to pop music really for lyrics or anything. I look to pop music more for production. I guess I just kind of like that more singer/songwriter background. If anything, you know, The Beatles are a big one.

11: So you have a show coming up in Portland, how do you feel about the Portland scene?

CB: I’m pretty excited. It’s been a while since we’ve played Portland. Yeah it’s gonna be a fun show for sure. »

TORO Y MOI PLAYS LIVE IN PORTLAND THIS MONTH SEPTEMBER 19 AT REVOLUTION HALL

21 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 22

features

MINI FEATURE

Decibel Festival director Sean Horton

that I'd say represents anywhere from like mid-20s to mid40s, but it has been interesting and inspiring to see a younger audience getting into underground and experimental forms of electronic music. I think a lot of it has to do with the conference, which we really promote heavily towards high school and college. It's a free opportunity for people that want to learn how to produce, and learn how to DJ, and learn how to market their music, [which] they will not get in public schools. Even college education doesn't teach a lot of this stuff, so I think that the conference and the educational side of what we do is a big reason why we've consistently been able to bring in a younger, more vibrant audience. We've [also] gotten a lot more adept at curating the visual art and making the venues feel and look different each night. That's a crucial part of any electronic music event, I think.

I'd say at least the past five years there's been a much more increased focus on visual art as part of the Decibel experience.

11: That's an evolution too, e.g., projection mapping and such?

I

photo by Mercy McNab

f it is your favorite genre or not, you’re at least loosely familiar with the concept of electronic music. In 2002, it was neither widely known nor an appreciated style. In Seattle, WA, Sean Horton has seen it all when it comes to that world, starting with Ableton 1 and simple light shows to the current stage magic being performed today. As his team celebrates twelve years of innovative music, art and technology, we caught up with the wizard behind the curtain of dBFestival.

ELEVEN: What can you tell us about the origins of dBFestival?

Sean Horton: When I moved to Seattle in 2002 for a job, there wasn't really much going on in terms of electronic music at all, whether it be underground or mainstream… so I started a production company called Dreaming in Stereo and started booking smaller shows, more on the weekday kind of fit. That grew pretty quickly over about a year, year and a half. It wasn't until going to MUTEK in 2003 and seeing what MUTEK in Montréal was doing in terms of venue-based urban festival, that it gave me the idea to attempt something similar in Seattle.

11: What has changed in 12 years of doing it and learning each year how to do something a little different?

SH: One, we had 2,500 people, and literally over the past four years now we've been averaging over 25,000. Though the format is similar in terms of it being multiple venues, and having a daytime conference, and after-hours, the format hasn't really changed much, but the size and scope certainly has. We've moved out of smaller club-based venues into larger theater spaces and warehouses. The other thing that has changed dramatically I'd say is the audience.

We're seeing a younger influx of millennials that have gotten into Decibel and that we're seeing come out for events, so consistently every year it gets a little bit younger in terms of the audience. You still have your traditional Decibel core audience

23 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

SH: Absolutely. It's more about technology than it is about electronic music, and the technology extends to the education programs that we're bringing to front. It extends to the way that we're ticketing the event. It extends to the visual art. It extends to the way that people are performing. A lot of times with visual art it's also interactive, so I think for me the technology is such a key component in how people perform the music and how the audience experiences the music.

11: Can you tell me more about the educational side?

SH: Absolutely. Every year we've hosted an educational component that takes place during the day Wednesday through Friday as part of the festival program. It is branded as dB Conference. This year we're collaborating with CreativeLive, which is an online school of sorts based out of Seattle, and collaborating with them on building what is probably our most extensive dB Conference program to date. It's free. It's open to the public, and it happens during the day, so it's not competing with any of the evening events that take place as part of the festival.

11: Can we get a dB Portland?

SH: Right after Decibel, actually, I'm moving to Portland to live with my fiancée, Anna. Obviously, Decibel being sort of my baby, something that I've financed and curated and founded, the goal is to definitely keep Decibel going. I want to keep Decibel going in my city, and if Portland is going to be my place of residence obviously trying to do things with Decibel there is going to be part of that equation.

We already have events lined up there in September. We're hosting one with PICA as part of the Time-Based Art Festival, and another event at Liquor Store on September 18th, so there's already some activity happening in terms of Decibel events being produced in Portland, which is exciting. I love the Portland community. I love the size, and the feel, and the energy of Portland. I'm excited to be a resident there once again, and depending on how things go with this year's program and how the Portland community develops from an electronic music standpoint, absolutely there's an opportunity for Decibel to find a new home in the Portland community. » - Richard Lime

8 Urban Farmacy 9 Wise Counsel & Comfort 10 Los Taquitos 11 Fred Meyer

community

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE MONTH NE Glisan Street

11

6

2. HOMESTYLE COOKIN'

Sweet Cream Cafe - 6014 NE Glisan St

BEST OF NE GLISAN ST

Location photos by Mercy McNab

NE 66TH AVE

3. DEEP SPACE DISH

UFO Pizza - 6024 NE Glisan St

NE 65TH AVE

1. GETTIN' BIDDY WIT IT

Biddy McGraw's - 6000 NE Glisan St

NE 63RD AVE

8

NE 62ND AVE

9

1 2 4 3 5

NE 61ST AVE

7

NE 60TH AVE

NE 58TH AVE

10

NE GLISAN STREET

4. COLORFUL DECOR AND GIFTS The Purple Pear - 6016 NE Glisan St

5. TRADITIONAL TATTOO

Electric City Tattoo - 6026 NE Glisan St

6. SPORTS HOLE

A & L Tavern - 5933 NE Glisan St

7. RIGHTEOUS CAFE

Seven Virtues - 5936 NE Glisan St

8. YES WE CANNIBUS

Urban Farmacy - 420 NE 60th Ave

9. AFFORDABLE THERAPY

Wise Counsel and Comfort - 423 NE 60th Ave

10. MUY DELICIOSO

Los Taquitos - 5832 NE Glisan St

11. ALL OF THE THINGS Fred Meyer - 6615 NE Glisan St

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 24

community literary arts recording poetry bumpers for XRAY.fm. Basically Amanda was a last minute addition because we had three cancellations.

Amanda: Yeah, I think everybody writes when they're teenagers, but up until that point I had never really considered myself a writer. When Curtis and I started dating, he was doing Ink Noise. I would go with him to the shows. After hanging out at the shows it just happened after being bombarded with everyone's talent. The next thing I know I'm writing again.

11: Could you tell me more about the two shows?

CW: Ink Noise was a spin off of Stone Soup Reading Series, which is something I started in mid- 2011. You invite a poet and they bring two invitees with them. With Stone Soup I made it so you Photo by Mercy McNab could have 2 to 5 invites. With a particular focus to have poets find people who are fairly new, haven't been featured, and are underrated. The features would start inviting people who had never been featured before, and then we would have people who'd never read live before. That started happening at the very first show. I didn't notice it then, but at about six months in I started to see it more and more frequently.

By the end of Ink Noise, which ended September of last year, I'd ask the features and they would start asking their friends to Portland Poets Amanda Cochran Helstrom-White start writing poetry to come read. and Curtis B. Whitecarroll AW: I started doing New Poets Challenge because I was once a new writer/reader person. I liked that experience and I wanted to see what other people could do. I felt if we could take ortland is a great place for people to come into their established poets and convince them to bring their friends with own. The urban skyline, with a backdrop of Mt. us to a safe space to read in front of other people, and if they Hood painted in a vast array of pinks and oranges liked to do it then we could help them do it. on a mild summer evening, is an open invitation to CW: The way New Poet Challenge works, we usually invite 3 the world. What many people don't expect when to 5 people who already have a place in the poetry scene, those they move here is to open up parts of themselves which had are our challenger poets. They're responsible to find people who been lost. Childhood dreams of becoming writers, painters, and have either people who had written poetry but have never read musicians come alive in all corners of this urban hub. Something live, or people who haven't done anything and are being asked to many have discovered is the power of the spoken word. The write, and read it live. They are the new poets. poetry scene here has always been something awe-inspiring and remarkable. Poets, such as Amanda Cochran Helstrom-White 11: So people who never wrote any poetry at all? and her husband Curtis B. Whitecarroll, who both moved here in the early 2000's. They were able to find something inspiring in AW: It depends, we've had anyone come to read. Of course, themselves through the poetry scene. Now their current mission we ask our friends if they know musicians, since it would be is to impact the poetry scene from the ground up in a unique way. easier to transition their lyrics into poetry. With New Poets The dynamic duo strive together to help the unheard voices find Challenge, if they like it, they can go onto Word Warriors, which the beauty of the spoken word by encouraging newbies to read has multiple sections. for the very first time. They host two poetry reading series: New Poet Challenge and Word Warriors. Both provide a chance to 11: It's a little above an open mic? experience people doing what they love: exposing themselves in the most profound ways. Âť - Erin Mastoras AW: Yes, Word Warriors is above an open mic. The poets are

LITERARY ARTS

P

ELEVEN: What's your story, so we have it?

Curtis: Well I got into town about 14 years ago, and starting writing, and hitting open mics as soon as I started writing.

Amanda sort of has a more comical story of how she got into reading and writing. Her first reading was part of the buzz poems thing that happened in Glyph. It was when we were

25 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

assigned and they're announced in advanced. The new poets read first, then we have our established poets featured.

CW: Another aspect of the feature invite, we get people who have some standing. Then we ask them if they want to be challenger poets for New Poets Challenge. It feeds into each other.

11: How do you think the Word Warriors is progressing?

community literary arts AW: It's progressed a lot. At the beginning it was a little shaky.

CW: We changed the format a lot. Originally, I wanted to experiment having 4 to 6 poets, like other people were doing, but it wasn't something we were comfortable doing. So we formatted it into sections.

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

11: What type of poetry styles are you looking for?

CW: They can have anything from refrigerator magnet poetry to a haiku. We just want them to write something.

AW: Our last show in July we had a man who read a story about how he met his husband when he was an assigned female. It was a funny and fantastic story. He had never read live.

The Patio is Open!

11: So you're trying to take the raw element of someone's thoughts out there?

AW: Yeah, we want somebody who isn't published. We want new poets. What I wanted of this reading series is to introduce new blood into poetry because I wasn't seeing it at any other series. I go to other readings in Portland and I see the same faces over, and over again. What I want to do is to introduce new poets to the world because I may not be the world's greatest poet, but some of these new poets are. Another things we are doing, if people want help publishing a chapbook, it's pretty easy to do it yourself, but some of them don't have the knowledge to do it.

We're also starting a press series to help these poets. We've made four chapbooks so far.

9am-2am Weekends

11: What’s that called?

AW: Ink Noise Press.

CW: It's a way to introduce people to publishing. I think people always feel better when someone offers to make a book of their work. I think it feels more validating than self publishing. I think people just feel better when we ask them if they want help putting out their chapbook. It gives a people a start. Instead of the rat race, where people swim upstream like salmon to get attention, if you give people a chance at the beginning, they start to grow really fast.

LOCAL LITERARY EVENTS

NEW POET CHALLENGE 1 SEPTEMBER 1 | 6PM | PAIRINGS PORTLAND WINE SHOP | 455 NE 24TH Come check out brand new poets read for the first time at this intimate venue. Hosted by Amanda Cochran HelstromWhite.

11: What's important to you as a poet, and a host?

CW: The things that benefit you are always going to stay in your motivations. When I first moved to Portland, poetry was one of the things I was able to do through open mic which, by the way, I have mixed feelings about, but I've personally never had a problem. Most don't with having to earning their potential.

The problem with open mics is you might have 15 spots, and 12 regulars. Those 12 are going to ignore the 3 they don't know. I wanted something more systematic, where people have a chance to grow. A sillier way to look at it reminds me of my childhood on the farm where I used to raise birds. It was my favorite thing. It's the same feeling from watching a new poet grow as watching quail eggs hatching.

AW: It's great to find people, like myself, who once you discover reading and you want to do it again. I want people to find their voice, and be able to show it, and express themselves. Âť - Scott McHale

WORD WARRIORS 2 SEPTEMBER 2 | 7PM | COMMON GROUNDS | 4321 SE HAWTHORNE Several poets, including Nancy Dear, Amber Christensen and Christa Hickey will be reading, as well as the luminously talented Heather Hawkins.

NATIONAL BEAT POETRY FESTIVAL PDX 2 SEPTEMBER 6 | POST 134 | 2104 NE ALBERTA Bring on the Beats! The National Beat Poetry Festival chose the right town to hold its event. Camille Perry will host a night chock full of Beat writing and the contemporary writers inspired by it.

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community visual arts

VISUAL ARTS Portland painter Jenny Jo Oakley

ELEVEN: What do you enjoy about painting?

Jenny Jo Oakley: I like how tactile painting is. I like stretching my own canvas, the smell of the oils, the physicality of it. I like the endless possibilities of painting, being able to illustrate whatever is in your head.

11: How did you discover that oil painting is your preferred style of work?

JJO: A lot of trial and error with different mediums, but overall I love how versatile oils are. I like how they can be applied like watercolors by diluting them with turpentine or linseed oil, layered over a pencil drawing using a medium so they take on a sort of encaustic effect, or applied thick with a palette knife.

11: What other types of art have you done in the past? JJO: Sculpture, pottery, theater, and music.

"Self-Portrait" (oil on canvas)

11: How has your art changed recently?

JJO: I don't think my painting style has changed much over the years. The mood of it pretty much stays the same regardless of the medium I'm using. However, I've been focusing a lot on creating stop motion films using little creatures created out of clay, fabric, wire, hay, twigs... whatever I can get my hands on.

11: What direction do you see your work heading?

JJO: I see myself focusing heavily on film projects, which will allow me to combine three things I love: art/ painting, music, and stop motion.

27 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

"The Monkey Lady" (oil on canvas)

community visual arts 11: Is there a story or theme you like to convey in your artwork? Who are the people in your paintings?

JJO: I don't intentionally start off with a theme or story in my artwork, but it often tends to be darker in nature. Usually an idea will be sparked by a dream, somebody I meet on the street, a song or line of poetry.

Most of the stories and people in my paintings are symbolic of things I've experienced in my own life.

CHAIN — M AILLE . c o m

"Late Night" (oil on canvas)

11: Who are some of your favorite artists and why?

JJO: Nan Goldin, Gregory Crewdson, Sally Mann, Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville... these are just some of them.

Probably these are some of my favorite artists because their subject matter tends to be a bit unsettling. Nan Goldin would photograph her friends in the '80s. They would generally be drug addicts, prostitutes... those living outside of accepted society. She was able to show

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community visual arts beauty in something most people would find disgusting.

Gregory Crewdson builds elaborate sets where he poses people in sometimes mundane but always unsettling positions, usually as a depiction of American homes and neighborhoods. If asked for a comparison, I'd say I find his photography something akin to a David Lynch film.

As for Lucian Freud and Jenny Saville, I like their subject matter but am most impressed with their loose and drippy oil paint application.

11: How do you stay inspired to create?

JJO: Good question! Some days I'm not inspired at all, honestly. I find having more than one artistic outlet has helped tremendously in the inspiration department, though. If I get tired of making art, I know I can switch over to music. Being able to switch between the two keeps me inspired to create. » - Veronica Greene

FIND THIS ARTIST ONLINE FLICKR.COM/EMPTYVESSELART SOUNDCLOUD.COM/EMPTYVESSELMUSIC "Naughty Boy" (oil on canvas)

Please enjoy Jenny's piece "Erika In The Bathroom" decorating our inside back cover this month.

9/04: 9/05: 9/09: 9/10: 9/11: 9/12: 9/18: 9/19: 9/24: 9/25: 9/26:

MacDougal 10pm Weekend Assembly 10pm Eric John Kaiser 8pm The Hiillwilliams 8pm Erotic City (Prince Tribute) 10pm Harper 10pm Abalone Grey 10pm Yak Attack 10pm Castletown 8pm Desi and Cody 10pm Goldfoot 10pm * “Eat Off Your Banjo” Bluegrass

9/05: DJ Magnus Cagney 10pm 9/12: DJ Doc Roc 10pm 9/19: DJ Kenny 10pm 9/26: DJ Blas 10pm

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