WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLAND’S NEWSWEEKLY
Oil train catches fire in the Gorge.
P. 7
Don’t drink from the school sink.
P. 9
the salmonberry trail doesN’t exist yet. we hiked it anyway. by aaron mesh page 12 wweek.com
VOL 42/32 6.8.2016
We ate 25 bowls of chowder on the coast to find the best. P. 16
one woman’s story of moving from portland to astoria. P. 19
how spruce beer became oregon’s first native style. P. 25
2
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
JODIE BEECHEM
FINDINGS
PAGE 20
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM READING THIS WEEK’S PAPER VOL. 42, ISSUE 32.
Republican Senate candidate Mark Callahan fell a wee bit short of his fundraising goal. 6
Ted Wheeler’s greatgrandpappy owned 70,000 acres of prime timberland. 12
After decades of decline, cigarettes are back, baby. 7
If you love kjøttkaker, you might be a Norgie. 23
The guy who said Portland schools should be “marking every freaking sink” to warn about lead in the water is on leave. 9
We’re finally getting a Carlos Danger action flick. 46
“Baller Dan” Staton isn’t the only guy at the sheriff’s department taking taxpayers for the proverbial ride. 10
ON THE COVER:
Remember when Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were in a movie together? Some goth kids do, and they will be hanging out Friday night to talk about it. 49
OUR MOST TRAFFICKED STORY ONLINE THIS WEEK:
Salmonberry Trail photo by Aaron Mesh.
Pine Street Market: Not That Awesome.
STAFF Editor & Publisher Mark Zusman EDITORIAL News Editor Aaron Mesh Arts & Culture Editor Martin Cizmar Staff Writers Nigel Jaquiss, Rachel Monahan, Beth Slovic Copy Chief Rob Fernas Copy Editors Matt Buckingham, Maya McOmie, James Yu Stage & Screen Editor Enid Spitz Projects Editor Matthew Korfhage Music Editor Matthew Singer Books James Helmsworth
Visual Arts Jennifer Rabin Editorial Interns Grace Culhane, Russell Hausfeld, Jenna Mulligan, Ben Stone CONTRIBUTORS Mike Acker, Dave Cantor, Nathan Carson, Peter D’Auria, Alex Falcone, Shannon Gormley, Jordan Green, Jay Horton, AP Kryza, John Locanthi, Mark Stock PRODUCTION Production Manager Dylan Serkin Art Director Julie Showers Special Sections Art Director Alyssa Walker Graphic Designers Rick Vodicka, Xel Moore Illustration and Design Interns Jodie Beechem Photography Interns Henry Cromett, Clifford King
Our mission: Provide Portlanders with an independent and irreverent understanding of how their worlds work so they can make a difference.
Willamette Week is published weekly by
Though Willamette Week is free, please take just one copy. Anyone removing papers in bulk from our distribution points will be prosecuted, as they say, to the full extent of the law.
Main line phone: (503) 243-2122 fax: (503) 243-1115
City of Roses Media Company 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210.
Classifieds phone: (503) 223-1500 fax: (503) 223-0388
ADVERTISING Director of Advertising Iris Meyers Display Account Executives Michael Donhowe, Kevin Friedman, Bruce Greif, Rich Hunter, Sarah Mason, Kyle Owens, Matt Plambeck, Sharri Regan Classifieds Account Executive Matt Plambeck Advertising Coordinator Alie Kilts COMMUNITY OUTREACH Marketing & Events Manager Steph Barnhart Give!Guide Director Nick Johnson
DISTRIBUTION Circulation Director Mark Kirchmeier WWEEK.COM Web Production Brian Panganiban OPERATIONS Accounting Manager Chris Petryszak Credit Manager Shawn Wolf AR/Credit Assistant Kristina Woodard Accounting Assistant Kelsey Young Associate Publisher Jane Smith
MUSICFESTNW Operations Director Matt Manza General Manager Jane Smith Willamette Week welcomes freelance submissions. Send material to either News Editor or Arts Editor. Manuscripts will be returned if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. To be considered for calendar listings, notice of events must be received in writing by noon Wednesday, two weeks before publication. Send to Calendar Editor. Photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Questions concerning circulation or subscription inquiries should be directed to Mark Kirchmeier at Willamette Week. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Willamette Week, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Subscription rates: One year $100, six months $50. Back issues $5 for walk-ins, $8 for mailed requests when available.
Willamette Week is mailed at third-class rates. Association of Alternative Newsmedia. This newspaper is published on recycled newsprint using soy-based ink.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
3
LEAD IN SCHOOLS’ WATER
CITY ZONING IS “KAFKAESQUE”
Well done, WW, on investigating this and giving parents at least a basic level of information. Thank you! —“Civil Lynn”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: mzusman@wweek.com.
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole The real issue here is the stupid ways we fund Smith has an annual salary of $247,000, and is public schools [“Against the Grain,” WW, June so incompetent or uncaring that over a six-year 1, 2016]. So, let me get this straight. The David period she cannot ask the staff she supposedly Douglas School District needs more capacity supervises to check on the safety because more people are moving there, of water at the schools one single because they can’t afford the rent in time? [“Failing the Test,” WW, inner Portland. June 1, 2016.] But because the district is lowIf she has any integrity, she income, they can’t afford to build new would proceed to resign and turn schools. So, once again, some children down whatever severance she are more equal than others. might have coming. She should You can’t move to inner Portland be immediately terminated and because the rent is too high. You can’t a criminal investigation initimove to East Portland because, though ated. the rent is low enough, the school is full Schools are supposed to be and we won’t build more housing. about helping children grow in “If Carole There’s some Kafkaesque logic here. their intellectual development. Where, exactly, are people supposed to go? Smith However, Smith and her col—“froggy16187” leagues’ inaction, indifference has any and incompetence may have per- integrity, PINE STREET MARKET’S ISSUES manently stunted the potential she would I work a block from Pine Street Market, and for full intellectual development was discussing many of these same flaws in some of Portland’s schoolchil- resign.” with a colleague [“A Dull Thud,” WW, June dren. 1, 2016]. I appreciate your candid review, and Instead, Smith’s first public reaction is to look would add that it’s unfortunate there is no seatfor someone to blame. Look in the mirror! ing along the windows. Instead, people walking —“nicalibre” by get to see the back of kitchen equipment. Also, Pine Street is so loud and cacophonous PPS personnel’s approach—testing for a well- during peak times that one is prompted to yell known health threat and then doing nothing at companions. effective to mitigate—is official negligence and Maybe it’s not intended to be a place to linger reckless disregard for the health and well-being over food, and I get that. However, the noise and the other reasons listed in your review mean I of children. What was the point of testing for lead levels if won’t be frequenting it as often as I’d hoped. —Jaime Ausborn Merrill not to lower high lead levels? —“NE Mom”
Q.
The running joke is that sailors of the Rose Festival fleet have come up the river to spawn. Has there ever been any evidence to support this? Like, for example, an increase in births in the Portland-Vancouver area in February of the following year? —Old Salty Sailor
You can get numbers to confess to anything if you torture them long enough, Sailor, so take the following with a grain of the salt that so festively encrusts your nether regions. First, let’s get a sense of demographic scale. Judging from the crew numbers associated with 4
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
ships we’ve seen here in the past, Fleet Week usually brings roughly 1,000 presumably horny sailors to our shores. That’s not a ton, but February births in Multnomah County are only about 600 to 1,000 per year, so 10 or 15 little Popeyes could really move the needle. Now, let’s compare February births (as a percentage of total births) in the county to February births in the rest of the state. If there’s a spike locally that’s not matched statewide, it’s at least possible that a generous helping of Fleet Week seamen made the difference. As it turns out, we do have a little baby bump. There’s been only one year post-2010 when Multnomah County and/or the tri-county area didn’t beat the rest of the state in February births. That year was 2014—and the previous year, 2013, just happened to be the year Fleet Week was canceled because of the government shutdown. It does seem we’ve been getting at least a few more babies conceived around Fleet Week than the rest of the state. That said, we’re talking differences of perhaps 3 percent to 5 percent, probably well within the margin of error—all we’ve really shown is that sailors don’t render women sterile. If there is a genuine effect, it’s more likely a result of the general party atmosphere surrounding the Rose Festival than the legacy of unstoppable Navy dick. Still, that’s not for lack of trying on the sailors’ part. Say what you will about their morals, you’ve gotta admire their spunk. QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
5
426 SE GRAND AVE. PORTLAND, OR. 97214 NEXTADVENTURE.NET 503.233.0706
MURMURS
school’s out camp out! Items Under $20
BUY OF tHe WeeK
$999
sAVe 75%
sAVe 45%
LIST PRICE $39.99
$9
99
sAVe Up tO 75%
COMPARE AT $18.00
Men, women, and children’s sunglasses! Assorted styles.
Multiple colors!
sAVe 29%
Wilderness Technology Paracord
50’ hanks in assorted colors.
$2199
LIST PRICE $40.00
LIST PRICE $36.00
sAVe 39%
sAVe 28%
Lightweight trekking pant that converts into shorts!
$14
99
sAVe 63%
$39
sAVe 43%
COMPARE AT $39.99
Tulah Brielle Capri Perfect for yoga or outdoor activities!
Lightweight breathable short for your summer activities!
$99
99
99
COMPARE AT $69.99
$499
COMPARE AT $19.99
Next Adventure Headlamp
$2899
LIST PRICE $55.00
$99
99
sAVe 41%
COMPARE AT $199.99
COMPARE AT $169.99
sAVe 50%
sAVe 40% Mountain Hardwear Canyon SS Shirt Wrinkle resistant, quick drying hiking shirt!
$29
99
sAVe 50%
sAVe 75%
COMPARE AT $7.99
Men’s and Women’s White Sierra Convertible Hiking Pant Jr White Sierra Rock Ridge Short
Durable cargo shorts in multiple colors!
LIST PRICE $55.00
$199
sAVe 75%
LIST PRICE $20.00
$3899
COMPARE AT $39.99
Boys Cargo Shorts
$32
$1199
Edelrid HMS Strike Slider
$1499
sAVe 63%
99
sAVe 40%
LIST PRICE $39.99
Assorted Sunglasses!
Yoga Mat
GOAL ZERO SWITCH 8 RECHARGER POWER UP ON THE GO!
$999–$1999
COMPARE AT $59.99
Wilderness Technology Double Parachute Hammock
Wilderness Technology T Petroglyph W Wilderness Technology Downlite 300 20 Sleeping Bag Sleeping Bag
Boys Board Shorts
Multiple styles of youth river shorts at a great price!
Sleep in comfort for less!
$34
99
sAVe 22%
sAVe 50%
LIST PRICE $44.99
Cosmetic blems never hurt anybody! Save!
$699
Super light summer bag that packs up super small! Bring an extra friend!
$34
99
$999
COMPARE AT $24.99
Next Adventure Pack Towel
$999
sAVe 38%
$599
sAVe 76%
COMPARE AT $44.99
Great lightweight towel for all your camping needs
Ace Camp Folding Camp Pad
Tall savings on a short pad!
LIST PRICE $13.99
$2499
sAVe 44%
COMPARE AT $70.00
Wilderness Technology Starlite Sleeping Pad 48”
Thermarest Z-Lite SOL Irregular
Wilderness Technology North Trio Tent
$7499
sAVe 38%
LIST PRICE $16.00
$7999
sAVe 38%
LIST PRICE $120.00
LIST PRICE $130.00
sAVe 29% Ben’s Clothing and Gear Insect Treatment Protect yourself against the Zika virus.
$84
99
sAVe 39%
LIST PRICE $140.00
Hoka Speedgoat
Ben’s Home and Field Deet Combo Pack Protect yourself against the Zika virus.
SAVE BIG ON sAVe MONTRAIL 35% CLOSEOUTS Montrail Footwear
Men’s and Women’s
La Sportiva Jeckyl
Black Diamond
Good for the gym or outdoor, unlined leather, vibram XS Edge Rubber
Posiwire 18cm quick draw
$99
Hoka Challenger ATR Men’s and Women’s
99
sAVe 31%
LIST PRICE $145.00
$999
sAVe 50%
LIST PRICE $20.00
sAVe 40%
$3299
LIST PRICE $55.00
Salomon Women’s XA PRO 3D WP
Men’s and Women’s
Waterproof, good traction, great hiker.
Stohlquist Excursion Duffle
An easy way to keep all your water sports gear organized. Mesh allows for wet Waterproof sleeve for maps, books, or tablets items to breathe and dry.
Cowlitz Casino Expected to Hurt Oregon Lottery
For years, Oregon tribes and private casino promoters have warned that the state is vulnerable to competition from a Native American casino in a bordering state. The omens are getting more dire. Last week, the state put a dollar figure on the expected lost business when the Cowlitz casino opens next spring in La Center, Wash., 16 miles north of Portland. State officials expect lost Oregon Lottery revenue of $65 million a year. To put that number in context, state video lottery revenues are a little over $1 billion a year—so it’s not a disaster but still a big impact. Tribal casinos will feel the pain, too. Justin Martin, a spokesman for the Grand Ronde tribe, whose Spirit Mountain Casino is currently the closest tribal casino to Portland—77 miles away—says the tribe’s analysis suggests the Cowlitz casino will cost Spirit Mountain more than $100 million a year. “That’s a problem for us,” Martin says. “As a responsible government, we’re looking at all types of ways to minimize the impact.”
Dry Doc Map Pocket
$17500
$1999
LIST PRICE $249.99
LIST PRICE $50.00
$150
LIST PRICE $385.00
sAVe $400
Blemish Models, set ferrul.
sAVe $500
$1,19900
LIST PRICE $1,699.00
Approved PFD with lots of pockets
$779
00
LIST PRICE $1,179.00
sAVe 50%
$1499
Necky Eliza
COMPARE AT $30.00
sAVe 61% AT Fishstix Carbon Paddle
LIST PRICE $749.99
Stearns Fishing Vest PFD
Sized for paddlers from 30-50 lbs
00
$57999
sAVe 75%
Extrasport Volks Child’s PFD
2015 Green color only.
LIST PRICE $59.99
sAVe 60%
sAVe 30% Astral Green Jacket
$1500
In stock only- without rudder.
sAVe $170 Liquid Logic Stomper 90 Limited availability.
Dragon River 15L Rip-Stop Dry Bag With clear viewing window, assorted colors.
Bic Dura-Tec 9’4” SUP
NEW TO THE AREA? OUR OUTDOOR SCHOOL AND KAYAK SCHOOLS HAVE A SUMMER SCHEDULE FULL OF GUIDED HIKES, QUICK START PADDLING, FREE INFORMATIONAL CLINICS, AND MORE! CHECK THEM OUT AT NEXTADVENTURE.NET 6
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
Portland Lowers Garbage Rates
Those extra nickels in your pocket? They come courtesy of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which starting in July will lower monthly garbage rates for the third time in four years. Don’t get too excited. The monthly charge for weekly recycling and compost pickup and every-other-week pickup of a 60-gallon trash can will be $35—down from $35.65. For the largest group of residential garbage customers—the
43 percent who use 35-gallon cans—prices are going down 20 cents, from $29.35 to $29.15. A combination of factors is driving the decrease. More Portlanders are discarding food and yard waste in their compost bins, which are cheaper to dump. “It doesn’t hurt that fuel costs are down,” says Bruce Walker, who oversees Portland’s garbage haulers. “Haulers have become more efficient, and we’re passing the savings to customers.”
Senate Candidate Mark Callahan Raises $10
Mark Callahan, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), is off to a slow start after his primary victory over betterfinanced competitors. On June 5, Callahan established a GoFundMe page, an unusual step for a candidate. “My team and I learned of a meeting we need to attend in Washington D.C. on 6/13/16, regarding: The Collapse of the EU and Its Impact on America, being M A R K C A L L A H A N F O R U . S . S E N AT E
Deals gooD through 6/13
Callahan
held by the American Conservative Union Foundation,” Callahan wrote. “Please help us and Empower Oregon by Investing in Freedom.” His request for $2,500 for travel expenses met with a muted response: He raised $10 before suspending the effort. Another problem for Callahan: He hasn’t filed the mandatory financial disclosure required of all U.S. Senate candidates, which triggers a $200 fine. Callahan says the GoFundMe page was a “mistake” and he’s returning the $10. He also says he plans to submit his financial disclosure form immediately.
NEWS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
“We apologize to the residents of Mosier, the state of Oregon and the broader Pacific Northwest region for any inconvenience this incident may be causing.” —Justin Jacobs, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad, at a June 3 press conference on the Oregon oil train fire
Columbia Burning THE OREGON OIL TRAIN FIRE, INDEXED. 503-243-2122
ANDREW MOIR
BY BE N STO N E
Oil railcars that run through the Columbia River Gorge on an average week: 1,450 Cars carrying crude oil on the train that crashed June 3 in the Gorge town of Mosier: 96 Train cars that derailed: 16 Number of cars that caught fire or exploded: 5 Hours the fire burned: 13 Approximate distance, in feet, of the crash from an elementary school: 1,320 Altitude, in feet, the flames reached, according to witnesses: 100 Gallons of crude oil spilled: 42,000 Gallons of oil collected in the town’s wastewater system: 10,000 Feet of boom deployed in the Columbia to contain oil slick: 1,000 Approximate number of residents evacuated from Mosier: 100 Number of firefighting crews deployed to the blaze: 16 Days after the crash that Union Pacific Railroad pledged to temporarily suspend running oil trains through the Gorge: 3 Miles of realigned and expanded tracks Union Pacific wants to add to its rail line on either side of Mosier: 4 Date in July when a public hearing will be held to discuss that request: 5 S O U R C E S : U . S . E N V I R O N M E N T A L P R O T E C T I O N A G E N C Y, W A S H I N G T O N S T A T E E M E R G E N C Y R E S P O N S E C O M M I S S I O N , O R E G O N O F F I C E O F S TAT E F I R E M A R S H A L , O R E G O N D E PA R T M E N T O F T R A N S P O R TAT I O N , U N I O N PA C I F I C R A I L R O A D , WA S C O C O U N T Y P L A N N I N G D E PA R T M E N T.
14,588 14,222 13,776 13,273 13,630
W W S TA F F
TRENDING
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
PACKS SO L D I N THOUSANDS
Cigarette sales in Oregon have declined steadily since at least 1985, but state figures released last week show a big bounce for 2015: Smokers bought 357,000 more packs in 2015 than in 2014, a 2.7 percent increase. That’s still only about half the number they bought 30 years ago. A state economist says the increase is part of a national trend, and may reflect greater disposable income and a rejection of e-cigarettes. NIGEL JAQUISS.
S O U R C E : O R E G O N O F F I C E O F E C O N O M I C A N A LY S I S
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
7
8
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
w w s ta f f
NEWS
IN HOT waTer: a student uses a sink at King School in Northeast Portland. Portland Public Schools has had guidelines for three years against drinking water from school sinks, but few teachers or parents were aware of them.
That Sinking Feeling PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS DIDN’T WANT STUDENTS DRINKING OUT OF SINKS. BUT THE DISTRICT FAILED TO TELL PARENTS. By rachel monahan
rmonahan@wweek.com
For at least three years, Portland Public Schools has had a districtwide prohibition against drinking from school sinks to avoid water that might contain elevated levels of lead. Yet emails reviewed by WW show top school officials decided not to publicize the guideline, apparently preferring to let children drink contaminated water rather than alarm parents and teachers. Last week, following WW’s revelation of elevated lead levels at dozens of Portland Public Schools buildings, school officials told parents the district has a guideline against drinking from school sinks. Sinks may be less safe because many sinks were not tested for lead in 2001, when fountains were, documents show. The prohibition came as a surprise to parents. “That is unbelievable,” says Beverly Cleary School parent Emily Petterson, whose child attends class in the Rose City Park building, where elevated lead readings were found this spring. “I am 100 percent sure that if teachers and staff had truly known, there is no way they would be letting our children fill their water bottles daily, and there is no way they would be filling their own coffee makers with that water.” Since at least 2012, when an extensive
round of lead tests was completed, the district has had the sink guideline in place, and yet a dozen parents and staff contacted by WW said they didn’t know about it before this spring, if ever. Wilson High School social studies teacher Hyung Nam says he didn’t know about the guideline until this spring. “They didn’t give us any specific results,” he said. “The effect is that all of us neglected it, didn’t think it was a big deal.” The quiet sink prohibition is the latest example of the school district struggling under Superintendent Carole Smith to
in February 2015 in response to a public records request, yet until WW asked questions about the tests late last month, the district did not tell parents or teachers. Smith has placed two top administrators on leave, but has struggled to explain which of the lead problems have been fixed. The district declined to discuss the lead tests or its sink guideline with WW, saying through a spokeswoman that it won’t discuss policies subject to the investigation by the law firm of Stoll Berne, which is expected to take 30 days.
“they weren’t doing anything to stop it.” —Standard Shaefer, PPS parent communicate vital information, even when withholding it might compromise children’s safety. It follows furor over PPS’s failure to disclose the results of lead tests that were apparently conducted between 2010 and 2012 at all but a few schools, serving kindergartners through high school seniors (“Failing the Test,” WW, June 1, 2016). WW obtained a PPS document with results
“That’s all part of the investigation,” says PPS spokeswoman Courtney Westling. “Our hope is we are also going to get answers.” School Board Chairman Tom Koehler said he didn’t know about the sink guideline until WW contacted him. “If we don’t expect people to drink out of sinks, we better make that very clear and consistent in our communication,” Koehler said.
Regardless of what the district’s top officials did or did not know about test results from 2010 to 2012, they decided at least to write a guideline warning students and staff not to use sinks for drinking water. “Portland Public Schools asks students and staff not to drink from the sinks in our classrooms,” the guideline says on the district website. The guideline notes that “If building staff ‘flush’ the sinks (letting the water run at the start of a day for approximately 10 minutes or until cold), then the faucet may be used for drinking water,” but it doesn’t make clear how students or teachers would know if that had been done. The district’s current daily task list for custodians includes a requirement to flush every fountain but not any sinks, according to a copy of the checklist shared with WW. If water sits in the pipes, it can pick up contaminants. In environmentally friendly Portland, students carrying a reusable water bottle from home and refilling from the faucets at school is a common occurrence. Emails reviewed by WW show top district officials in 2012 discussed placing warning labels on sinks across the district, but decided against it, fearing it would frighten parents. On Oct. 24, 2012, PPS senior communications manager Erin Barnett sent an email to district officials, including thenfacilities director Tony Magliano, discussing whether to place warning stickers on school sinks throughout the district. Barnett wanted to know if the message could be scaled back. “Can custodians have the lead test results and ONLY put stickers on sinks that really can’t be used for drinking water?” emailed Barnett. “How do we avoid undue alarm among staff and parents?” (The district declined to make Barnett available for comment on this story.) PPS ultimately placed warning stickers at Rigler School in Northeast Portland— but not across the district. Magliano, who became the district’s chief operating officer until he was placed on paid leave June 2, admitted to WW that the district failed to sufficiently warn teachers and parents, noting there has been a notice on the PPS website “for ages.” But before Smith placed him on leave last week, Magliano told WW the district should be “marking every freaking sink” until the message was clear. “If we’re not going to make sinks lead-free, they need to be posted clearly not to drink from,” he said June 1. Parents are now outraged that their children have been drinking from the sinks for three years after the district created a guideline against it. They say the district still hasn’t done enough to stop drinking from sinks—even after taping off water fountains May 27. “Yesterday, they weren’t doing anything to stop it,” said Standard Schaefer, father to a Beverly Cleary fifth-grader, speaking after water fountains at the school were taped off but sinks were unattended. “There’s access to them.” Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
9
tyler gross
NEWS
Milking the Baby A JAIL DEPUTY SAW A LUCRATIVE OPPORTUNITY IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY’S NEW FAMILY LEAVE POLICY. By N IGEL JAQU ISS
njaquiss@wweek.com
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office’s overtime spending has long been controversial. Since 2009, when Sheriff Dan Staton took office, MCSO overtime has averaged about $7.5 million a year, most of that for corrections deputies. That has been a recurrent point of contention between Staton and county commissioners. Now, one corrections deputy has exploited a new county benefit—paid family leave—to earn overtime during a stretch when he was supposed to be home with his wife and new baby. Last November, Multnomah County adopted an aggressive new family leave policy, giving the county’s nearly 5,000 employees six weeks paid leave upon the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a dependent child. That made the county the first local government in Oregon to offer such a benefit. “This new policy will make kids healthier,” County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury said then, “and will allow mothers and fathers to develop meaningful bonds with their child at a critical stage in their new baby’s life.” It didn’t take long for one county employee, Jason Lowe, a 15-year MCSO corrections deputy, to spot a financial opportunity in the new policy. Lowe’s wife, Jessica, also a corrections deputy, gave birth to a baby, and Lowe went on family leave beginning March 20. Lowe stayed on leave through April 30, getting paid for 40 hours a week at his regular rate of $37.32 an hour. That meant because of the county’s new policy, Lowe got paid $8,956 of regular salary to stay home with Jessica and their new baby. He was paid for not working, as the policy intended. But during the six weeks Lowe was being paid to take parental leave, records show he also worked 72 hours of overtime—raking in more than $4,000 in extra pay on top of his salary. No other county employee has worked overtime while on paid parental leave. Lowe declined to comment, but Sgt. Catherine Gorton, president of the Multnomah County Correc10
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
tions Deputy Association, says what he did was fine. “Deputy Lowe’s overtime was approved by the County and within their policy,” Gorton writes in an email. “Deputy Lowe did nothing wrong.” Sheriff’s office spokesman Capt. Steve Alexander also says Lowe followed MCSO guidance on parental leave. “He was authorized to work the overtime shifts,” Alexander says. Kafoury disagrees. “I’m shocked that the deputy thought it was OK and his manager would sign off on it,” she says. “It doesn’t pass the smell test.” The disagreement over the parental leave policy is the latest chapter in a struggle between the sheriff’s office and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners about overtime costs at the jails. The sheriff is independently elected, but the MCSO budget—$135 million for 2015-16—is set by the county chair and approved by the board. For years, an annual review of the jails by a grand jury has highlighted high costs and overtime in particular. A 2013 county audit found that overtime could be as cost-efficient as hiring new staff, but Staton angered commissioners by continuing to overspend his overtime budget significantly. Finding a balance between overtime and additional staffing will be one of the first challenges faced by former Portland Police Chief Mike Reese, who succeeds Staton as sheriff Aug. 16. Chronic staffing shortages at the jail in recent years have meant corrections deputies such as Lowe can get as much overtime as they want. Records show that while Lowe was on paid family leave, he also worked nine eight-hour overtime shifts, receiving time-and-a-half payment for seven of them and double-time for the other two. The extra shifts gave Lowe an additional $4,329. When the parental leave policy went into effect Nov. 1, the sheriff’s office added conditions: Deputies taking time off to “bond” with babies were not eligible for overtime. They could only work overtime if subpoenaed to appear in court (Lowe was not), if attending training (Lowe did), or if caring for a spouse with a post-pregnancy disability. Alexander, the sheriff’s office spokesman, says Lowe was caring for his wife, rather than bonding with their baby, and therefore was eligible for overtime shifts. He acknowledges that although it complied with MCSO guidance, Lowe’s use of overtime could raise eyebrows. “It’s a new policy,” Alexander says. “We knew from the start it would add to overtime because people would be out. We’re going to have to take a look at how it’s working.” Kafoury says no review is necessary. “It’s just obviously wrong and not what we intended,” she says of Lowe’s overtime. “It’s mismanagement. He shouldn’t have been allowed to do it.”
Bringing It All Back Home AMANDA FRITZ WANTS TO REVIVE PUBLICLY FINANCED CAMPAIGNS. HERE’S HOW THREE OTHER PLACES DID IT. bslovic@wweek.com
You may be buying the next round of Portland City Council candidates. If Commissioner Amanda Fritz gets her way, public financing of City Council campaigns could return, possibly as soon as this year, for elections in 2018. Fritz says she hasn’t decided whether to put the question to voters directly or the City Council. Either way, she will have to overcome skepticism to resurrect what was once known as “voter-owned elections.” “We’re going to be looking very closely at the details of what she proposes,” says Jim Blackwood, senior policy director for Commissioner Nick Fish. Portland experimented with public financing of city campaigns for five years, beginning in 2005. The system was optional, meaning candidates could raise private funds. Launched under then-Portland Commissioner Erik Sten, the public financing system gave City Council candidates who collected signatures and $5 contributions from 1,000 registered voters an additional $145,000 for the primary. Mayoral candidates could get $200,000 for the primary, and more for the general election. The system was marred by scandal early on, when City Council candidate Emilie Boyles was caught having submitted fraudulent signatures to qualify via her campaign manager. “I’m very popular in the Slavic community,” Boyles told WW in 2006, explaining the preponderance of Slavic surnames on her nominating petitions. (She also
used campaign funds to pay household bills and her teenage daughter. Boyles has repaid $145,000 of the $245,000, including penalties and interest, she owes.) The city spent about $2 million on public campaigns before 2010, when voters defeated the taxpayer-funded program. Fritz, who used the program successfully in 2008, says she is undeterred by the 2010 vote and past abuses—public financing lost by just 1,600 out of 210,000 votes. She’s vowing stepped-up enforcement, stiffer fines and criminal penalties for cheaters. She says the fact that the spending measure failed amid a nationwide financial crisis gives her hope that voters could be persuaded to try it again. “That wasn’t a ‘Not ever,’” Fritz says of the 2010 vote. “That was a ‘No, not now,’ in my opinion.” Fritz ’s proposal is still taking shape, with plans for public forums in the wings. As a result, she doesn’t yet have an estimate of how much it would cost. Until then, she says she’s holding off on figuring out how to pay for it, although she’s ruled out tapping revenue from a pot tax aimed at the November ballot. Fritz says Portland’s model would draw inspiration from public financing systems in New York City or Montgomery County, Md., rather than Seattle, where last year Washington voters approved publicly funded “democracy vouchers” to give candidates. Here’s a look at the public financing programs other places developed or maintained while Portland took a break: W W S TA F F
BY BE T H S LOV I C
Seattle What it does: In 2015, Seattle voters overwhelmingly approved “democracy vouchers.” Voters each get four $25 vouchers to send to city candidates of their choosing. How they pay for it: Voters agreed to raise property taxes by $30 million over 10 years—or $9 per year for a $450,000 property, according to estimates in The Seattle Times. Fritz’s take: Seattle hasn’t had time to show the system works. In any case, Fritz says she’s not convinced. Public campaign financing is supposed to make it easier for lesser-known candidates to spread their message, she says. Seattle’s system “still gives incumbents and better-known candidates a head start.”
*
SEATTLE
* *
NEW YORK
MARYLAND
New York City What it does: The Big Apple matches private donations by city residents with public money at a rate of 6 to 1, meaning every $100 in private fundraising gets a candidate $600 in taxpayer money. There’s a cap of $175 on the amount of donation the city will match, providing up to $1,050 in public money per donor. There’s also an overall cap on matching funds, depending on the race. And candidates agree to abide by spending limits. The program has been around since 1988, but the city gradually increased the matching rate up to 6 to 1 and also lowered the cap, to emphasize small donations.
How they pay for it: It comes out of the city’s general fund. In the 2013 election, the city spent $38.2 million on campaigns—a tiny fraction of its $70 billion annual budget. Fritz’s take: New York City’s program also comes with rules that qualifying candidates must follow, including frequent reporting of campaign contributions and audits to thwart fraud. Fritz says she likes those requirements, as well as the concept of matching funds. “We haven’t settled on what the numbers would look like for Portland,” she says.
Montgomery County, Md. What it does: The program won approval in 2014, but won’t be in place until the 2018 elections. Like the one in New York City, Montgomery County’s system will offer matching funds, but it will follow a graduated approach. Smaller donations to candidates for county executive are matched at the highest rate of 6 to 1, meaning a $50 contribution would get a $300 match. The next $50 of a donation to that candidate would be matched at a 4-to-1
rate, and the final $50 of a donation—there’s an overall cap of $150 on matched contributions—would get a 2-to-1 match. That means three $50 donations would net a candidate an additional $900, while one $150 donation would draw only $600. By accepting public campaign dollars, a candidate would have to agree to decline contributions from unions, corporations or political action committees.
How they pay for it: The county council appropriated money for the program in each of the past two budget cycles. It now has $6 million in the fund—out of a $5.3 billion annual budget. Fritz’s take: She sees value in matching smaller donations at higher rates. “This approach is more favored by community advocates,” Fritz says, “as it provides more incentive for less affluent donors to contribute.”
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
11
Confluence
Foss Rd. Miami Foley Rd.
Enright Round Top Rd.
Brighton
Cochran Pond
Rice Rd. NW Scofield Rd.
NW Scofield Rd.
N
Beaver Slide Rd.
Wheeler
Timber
Buxton
Manhattan Beach
0 Manning TH
Rockaway Beach
Banks BY AA R ON MESH
Garibaldi
THE SALMONBERRY TRAIL DOESN’T EXIST YET. WE HIKED IT ANYWAY.
Bay City
Latimer Rd. Wilson River Loop Tillamook
Tillamook Airport
N 0
3
6
Miles
H
Segment Terminus Emergency Access Point Hiked Segment Salmonberry Trail
Banks
amesh@wweek.com
T
he man in the silver pickup warned me: If I hiked down the hill to the old railroad tracks, I wouldn’t come back. My buddy and I were 11 miles west of the town of Timber, standing at the junction of two jagged logging roads, as deep as you can get into the Oregon Coast Range without ditching your car. We were looking for Beaver Slide Road, the gateway to one of the Northwest’s most dramatic and isolated day hikes—an unauthorized 6-mile stretch along the abandoned tracks of the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad. They call this the Salmonberry Trail, but it doesn’t really exist yet. And unless the state can come up with tens of millions of dollars, it might never exist. That would be a huge missed opportunity, as the Salmonberry could someday be among the region’s biggest backpacking and cycling attractions—86 miles of trail, stretching from Portland’s western suburbs to the coast. For now, the trail is an open secret shared by word of mouth and hiking websites. I’m only a casual hiker, but I couldn’t resist the lure of a deserted railroad in the middle of a rain forest. So I set out to hike the trail’s most rugged and scenic 6.5 miles, getting dropped off at the top of Beaver Slide Road, with a scheduled pickup five hours later at Cochran Pond. At least one person thought this was a very bad idea: the man in the silver pickup, who rolled in on the gravel road as if on cue from a lowbudget, backwoods horror flick. He knew the spot. But I shouldn’t go down there, he said. Beaver Slide Road was too steep to climb back up. The tracks were so overgrown with brush, nobody could get through—I’d be trapped in the ravine. He stared at me, pityingly. “You might make it,” he slowly conceded. “But you might wind up having a long, cold night.” The dashboard clock on my buddy’s Saab read 3 pm. It was far too late in the afternoon to be looking for a trailhead, and clouds promised a May downpour. I did what the city folk you read about in the newspaper always do in these situations—I threw on a backpack and started gingerly down to a trail that doesn’t yet exist. CONT. on page 14
2016
WILLAMETT
FREE
E WEEK
T N O R TH COA S TO O R EG O N ' S YO U R G U ID E
OUR 2016 OUTDOOR GUIDE TO OREGON’S NORTHERN COAST IS OUT NOW. L I S T O F L O C AT I O N S AT W W E E K . C O M .
LE SEVEN INCREDIB VALLEYS HIKES TO LUSH AND ROCKY CLIFFS
OUR FAVORITE SPOTS FOR CRAB AND CHOWDER
GROWN D B E E R , C O A S TSHOPPING, WIL PLUS: RECORD
12
FROM AWESOME STAYS, MS TO ARTSY AIRSTREA RESORTS HIPSTER BEACH
RTS DRIFT WOOD FO CANNABIS AND
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
Miles
Segm Eme Hike Salm
JOSHUA THOMAS; AARON MESH AUSTIN ANTRICAN
MAKING TRACKS: The Salmonberry Trail runs 86 miles through rugged timber. Highlights include (clockwise from upper right): Big Baldwin Trestle, washouts along the Salmonberry River, sheared tracks at Kinney Creek, abandoned tunnels like this one, Tunnel 27.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
13
At the bottom of Beaver Slide Road, I spotted the abandoned railroad tracks, gliding past a Salmonberry River swimming hole and into a tunnel. It was the stuff of movie-house nightmares: pitch-black, seemingly endless. But inside, lit only by my iPhone, the tunnel was peaceful and silent, with little debris and a smattering of hot-pink graffiti. Out the other side, the tracks ran east, crisscrossing the river on small bridges. The air was perfumed with creosote, the pungent tar used to seal the wooden rail ties. Soon, evidence of the 2007 storm appeared: The hillside dove out from beneath the tracks, leaving them twisted in midair like a kiddie-park roller coaster. That meant scrambling along the ravine to skirt the washouts, each one bigger than the last. At a place called Kinney Creek, the tracks had snapped off completely, shearing the metal 20 feet above the water. Getting around the wreckage meant scrambling down to the creek along a plume of mud. Someone had tied a heavy rope to a tree at the top of the hillside, with knots along every 3 feet of its length. I grabbed the rope and slid down the muddy, 20-foot hill, caking the seat of my jeans in dirt. The plunge didn’t feel like a feat of wilderness endurance. It felt like being Huckleberry Finn. I yelled the on ly thi n g i n my head: “Wheeeeeeee!”
BIG BAD BALDWIN: Workers finished building the Pacific Railway & Navigation line in 1911. One of the final projects was the Big Baldwin Trestle—520 feet long and 167 feet high.
I’M YELLING TIMBER: Workers pose in 1910 with the first trainload of logs shipped on the PR&N line. Six years later, timber baron Coleman Wheeler was shipping as many as 14 carloads of logs a day from the Coast Range.
14
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
c o u r t e s y o f wa s h i n g to n c o u n t r y h i s to r i c a l s o c i e t y
than 70,000 acres of prime timberland around Nehalem, according to Paul M. Clock’s book Punk Rotten & Nasty: The Saga of the Pacific Railway & Navigation Co. Wheeler used the new line to bring massive quantities of timber into Portland, building a fortune and a lasting legacy—Coleman Wheeler is the great-grandfather of Portland Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler. The line carried logs and cattle feed until December 2007. That’s when a winter storm whipped into the Oregon Coast, delivering 20 inches of rain in two days, and destroying large portions of the track then operated by the Port of Tillamook Bay. “Oregon’s little railroad that could doesn’t know if it can anymore,” The Oregonian reported. “Landslides and washouts have left sections of track hanging in midair. One tunnel is packed full of thousands of cubic yards of mud and trees.” Federal officials pledged to find $26 million to restore rail service. They never did. Instead, a railway through a gorgeous stretch of remote terrain between a major port city and the coast was abandoned and left to rot.
courtesy of tillamook pioneer museum collection
F
or more than a century, visitors have underestimated the Coast Range. The 200-mile mountain range on the west edge of the Willamette Valley lacks the dramatic, snowcapped volcanoes of the Cascades. These mountains have the wettest weather in Oregon: The ravines are emerald-green rain forests, where Douglas firs grow massive on the ridges. It’s rugged country. Beaver Slide Road, the start of my solo hike, drops abruptly off the side of a mountain that smells of freshly logged fir trees. Hiking guides say the road’s grade exceeds 40 percent—steeper than the Guinness world record for a residential street. It’s a mudslide with a name. Even if you’ve never heard of the Salmonberry Trail, you’ve probably seen it: Every car traveling to the coast on U.S. Route 26 passes beneath the Port of Tillamook Bay tracks. The railway’s 150-foot wooden trestles are Pinterest shorthand for #authentic Oregon adventuring. Building those trestles was an epic struggle. “The Salmonberry is a rugged, remote canyon,” says Ross Holloway, a former state forester who now directs the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust. “It always has been. I guess you could call it one of the last vestiges of manifest destiny, building that railroad through the canyon.” Elmer Lytle, a Portland railroad promoter, started building the Pacific Railway & Navigation Co. line in 1905. Japanese, Polish and Hungarian immigrants dynamited the tunnels and erected the trestles, then among the tallest in the world. (At least two workers died on those trestles—killed by a runaway train car.) Engineers dealing with blind curves, Oregon fog and nauseated passengers gave the railway another name: “Punk, Rotten & Nasty.” The railway opened in 1911, offering daily passenger service from Portland to the coast. But its main use was hauling logs from Coast Range old-growth forests. Before the PR&N line was completed, a local timberman named Coleman H. Wheeler purchased more
The Salmonberry Trail dangles a tantalizing prospect in front of hikers and cyclists: a route from Portland to the coast that doesn’t use a highway. “It would mean a really beautiful ride,” says Alison Graves, executive director of Cycle Oregon. “You’d literally be riding down memory lane, and seeing what built this state. For people who want to try longdistance cycling without having to compete with cars, it would be a huge draw.” Less than two months after the 2007 storm destroyed the Port of Tillamook Bay railroad, people started suggesting the tracks should become a trail. That’s not a novel idea. The rails-to-trails movement is more than 50 years old in America. The Salmonberry Trail would be the 22nd stretch of railroad turned into a bike path in Oregon. The most famous is the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, which runs along 22 miles of modest Washington County hills. The longest is the OC&E Woods Line State Trail outside Klamath Falls: a 109-mile ride through ponderosa pine and sagebrush along the rail bed of the Oregon, California & Eastern Railroad. But none of those trails runs through territory as rough and isolated as the Salmonberry. In the past five years, the plan has become an official state project, with all the tedious trimmings: its own intergovernmental agency, bimonthly stakeholder meetings, and a 125-page concept plan that charts the fixes needed to develop each mile. If you catch planners at the right moment, you can hear them whisper about the “Infinity Loop”—a figure 8
AARON MESH
I YELLED THE ONLY THING IN MY HEAD: “WHEEEEEEEE!” of bike paths stretching from Timberline Lodge to Haystack Rock, with the Salmonberry Trail at the center. The chances of the Salmonberry Trail becoming reality are strengthened by a formidable backer: Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose), who represents this coastal district and sits on the Oregon Legislature Ways and Means Committee, which dishes out state dollars. “I don’t wear a lot of spandex or spend much time on a bike,” Johnson says, “but this is an area of spectacular vistas and amazing terrain. I think we are creating something that will have national, if not international, cachet for bicyclists.” Still, there are obstacles: Most obviously, money. Cost estimates range from $18 million to $54 million, and that’s not counting the price of reinforcing the tunnels and trestles so they won’t fall on tourists. The Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental
Agency has raised just $1.1 million. Parts of the construction job will be in a remote canyon with few access points for vehicles—the same problems that faced Elmer Lytle more than a century ago, but with new environmental constraints. Already, project supervisors are conceding that paving the trail with asphalt through the Salmonberry River canyon probably isn’t feasible. Hard-packed dirt may have to suffice. And all of this will take time—which is something advocates might not have. “One of the biggest challenges is keeping the passion alive through a very bureaucratic process,” Holloway says. “Gosh, it’s been four years since people started talking about this, and we’re still about two years away from serious trail-building.” Already, the forest is reclaiming the Punk, Rotten & Nasty line. The trestles appear in good condition—
BOXCAR CHILDREN: The forests along the Salmonberry Trail are littered with abandoned railroad cars.
give or take a terrifying plank wobble—and exactly as breathtaking as their many Instagram glamour shots suggest. At least one tunnel is starting to collapse, leaving a dripping skylight in a mountain. As I walked toward the trestles, the train tracks disappeared under raspberry brambles and huge maple leaves. It was at times impossible to see I was on a trail at all, except by sweeping away the overgrowth to find the twin metal rails below. Yet there was never any danger of tumbling off the tracks. Every time the railway approached a washout, a well-trod dirt pathway would dogleg to safety well in advance. I was being guided through a storybook forest by the people who had read
the landscape before me. By the time I reached Cochran Pond, it was nearly dusk. The man in the truck had been wrong: The walk was painless, except for the tick attached to the back of my neck. The lure of the Salmonberry Trail is a chance to walk through Oregon’s past—a world of railroad engineers and lumberjacks. But on the hike, I caught a glimpse of the future: a state where people can hop on a bike in Banks and ride to the coast while passing more steelhead than cars. That future is no sure thing. But the Port of Tillamook Railroad is a place where Oregonians meet vast challenges. The tracks are ready for the state’s best trail. We’re going to make it.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
15
Clams Up, Chowder Down!
ASTORIA
Baked Alaska
30
SEASIDE
CANNON BEACH
Dooger’s Buoy’s Best
WE TRIED 25 LAUDED OREGON COAST CHOWDERS FROM ASTORIA TO YACHATS. HERE ARE THE BEST.
Driftwood
BY MATTHEW KOR FHAGE
If you’re a restaurant on the coast, you serve clam 26 chowder. That’s just the way it is. Like saltwater taffy
NEHALEM
Buttercup ROCKAWAY BEACH
Old Oregon Smokehouse
6
5
22
18
DEPOE BAY
NEWPORT
1.
Blackfish Cafe
Gracie’s Sea Hag
Chowder Bowl Georgie’s Beachside Grill
16
and fudge and ice cream, it pervades the beachfront because tourists expect it. This despite the fact that, as it turns out, our clams don’t make good chowder. When it comes to chowder, Oregon’s razor and butter clams are delicate and mild, less suited than the East Coast’s much brinier sea clam. Or so I learned after eating at 25 chowder spots along the Oregon Coast while working on Going Coastal, our glossy 2016 outdoor magazine. This may hurt my pride as an Oregon native, but most of the best chowders in Oregon are made with imported East Coast clams. Our mollusks’ subtle nature probably also inspired the West Coast habit of adding extremely unsubtle bacon. Nonetheless, 100 years of grab-bag chowder tradition has also made for some beautiful soup. I ate every bowl of coastal chowder between Astoria and Yachats that somebody said 99W was “the best,” be it another food writer, friend or even convincing internet advocate. I graded on three equally weighted criteria: general clamminess (bacon soup wins bacon chowder contests, not clam ones), texture, and depth of flavor. Improvisation is appreciated, but classic chowders are considered beautiful, and Manhattan is ignored entirely. Here are the 10 best.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
rather than West Coast clams, peppered to a light bite, cooked with a host of spices, including basil and thyme, and thickened with a light roux of flour, milk and butter. Each bowl is given a dollop of fresh butter, parsley and paprika—it’s an old cook’s trick, but it works. The soup is spiced just to a tickle, deep with herbs and potato and plenty of clam, and leaves behind an unctuous depth that lingers long after each spoonful. Gracie died in February, but both restaurant and chowder survive beautifully.
PORTLAND
101
LINCOLN CITY
mkorfhage@wweek.com
20
Gracie’s Sea Hag, Score: 95 58 N Highway 101, Depoe Bay, 541-765-2734, theseahag.com.
Rich, peppery New England chowder with a dab of paprika and parsley at a casual, well-worn seafood spot with a salad bar in the back and stained glass above each booth. Gracie wasn’t a cook. At the 53-year-old Sea Hag, Gracie was an entertainer, a consummate hostess, and a player of the bottles. “She made everyone at the restaurant feel like it was their own,” says Clary Grant, who bought the Depoe Bay restaurant 10 years ago with her husband, Jerome, after serving as its manager for 10 years, where it sits alongside multiple ice-cream shops and a place serving saltwater taffy from an ancient puller. Turns out nobody quite knows which cook in the Sea Hag kitchen came up with the chowder recipe, but it’s been featured in The New York Times Heritage Cookbook as one of the best in the country. Nonetheless, says Grant, the recipe has remained unchanged for at least 40 years. The chowder is made fresh daily from scratch, with East Coast
SALEM
EUGENE
2.
Driftwood Restaurant, Score: 94
179 N Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, 503-436-2439, driftwoodcannonbeach.com.
A decades-old, beautifully authentic chowder recipe from a New England import, served in a 70-yearold restaurant with a beautifully preserved, dimly lit old-man bar with a fire pit on the patio. This Cannon Beach spot very nearly unseated Gracie’s. The restaurant and bar picked up its chowder recipe about 30 years ago from a New Englandborn chef named Kirk Anderson—it’s been cooked for the past 19 years by Eddy Morales. Again, he uses East Coast clams, and keeps making the soup base hour after hour throughout the day so it’s consistently fresh: celery, onions, roux, sea clams and clam juice, with no bacon. This thing’s all clam, and deep with it. It’s a splendid, almost archetypal New England-style chowder.
3.
Buttercup, Score: 92
35915 N Highway 101, Nehalem, 503-368-2469, buttercup101.com.
A hearty chowder with a huge volume of garden-fresh local veggies and a surprising richness of clam flavor beneath it, in an almost hidden chowder shop that doubles as one of the best icecream parlors in Oregon. If you ask owner and chef Julie Barker, you really shouldn’t get the Northwest Spring Clam Chowder at her ice-cream and chowder shop tucked away up some stairs and past an antique store. “It’s my least favorite on the menu,” she says. She far prefers her Thai Chowder to that one—and indeed, the spring chowder we tried has already been swapped out for a summer version. But Barker has high standards, it turns out. Her ridiculously rich, flour- and glutenfree base is a mix of halibut stock, clam juice, sherry, lemon juice, a proprietary bay seasoning blend, and pureed potato and bacon—and into the mix she throws just about every vegetable you can think of. It’s a chunky, hearty, rich chowder that is nonetheless deeply redolent of clam. And she makes ice
W W S TA F F DANNY BRUGAN
COURTESY GRACIE’S SEA HAG
GRACIE’S SEA HAG
4.
Georgie’s Beachside Grill, Score: 90
744 SW Elizabeth St., Newport, 541-265-9800, georgiesbeachsidegrill.com.
A bougie Newport spot famous with old ladies for its view, it serves some of the most lovely French-rouxed clam chowder we’ve ever had. This bayview Newport restaurant adjunct to a Hallmark Inn resort is selfconsciously fancy in a 1980s way that makes it popular with 60-year-old ladies of the landed gentry, a place to take mom for Mother’s Day. But the chowder? It’s maybe the most beautiful, classically French roux we tasted—a rich soup made for conquering Normans. While most of the soups rotate, this one sticks—a bacon-and-onionrich broth with peeled potatoes diced small enough they serve to thicken the soup rather than distract from it.
5.
Blackfish Cafe, Score: 88
2733 NW Highway 101, Lincoln City, 541-996-1007, blackfishcafe.com.
A well-esteemed bistro-style seafood restaurant from the former Salishan Lodge chef, with a terrifically balanced New England-style chowder. Blackfish’s chowder is murderously good. Chef Rob Pounding’s 17-year-old Lincoln City restaurant is modeled after a French bistro, but the broth here is heartily classic American, with huge clam chunks, plenty of potato and beautifully dispersed clam flavor. The menu lists it simply as the “best chowder on the Oregon Coast,” a title it won back in 2009 in a cook-off. It’s not far from it.
6.
10.
1800 S Roosevelt Drive, Seaside, 503-738-2722, bellbuoyofseaside.com.
An unpretentious, extremely delicious chowder from a bare-bones, blue-collar fish house and market that packs most of the razor clams on Oregon’s north coast—but still augments its chowder with East Coasters. Buoy’s Best is proof positive that fancy doesn’t always equal best. Despite the fact that the fish market next door, Bell Buoy, is one of the only places approved to clean and sell razors—which means most restaurants up and down the coast are using its clams—the cook sheepishly admitted to augmenting the chowder’s flavor with East Coast clams. And it also uses a potatobacon stock from a purveyor, a fact the cook laughingly said he probably shouldn’t tell me. But the secret that makes the chowder so rich, aside from the wealth of razor and sea clams? Buoy lets the broth sit overnight in the fridge until that clam flavor pervades every part of the soup. It’s rich as all get-out, and tasty.
7.
BUTTERCUP
Buoy’s Best, Score: 85
Dooger’s Seafood, Score: 83
505 Broadway St., Seaside, 503-738-3773, doogersseafood.com.
An Oregon Coast classic with three locations on the north coast—a no-nonsense, no-bacon, milk-and-creamand-potato chowder that’s both simple and beautifully hearty. Dooger’s, which has expanded to three locations, including Warrenton and Long Beach, is the simplest soup on the whole list. It’s milky and bacon- and flour-free. It’s pretty much half-and-half, East Coast clams, and potatoes peeled and diced like you’d serve them for breakfast. It’s chowder for Grandma and for our news editor, Aaron Mesh, who loves it to a degree he knows to be unreasonable. But its simplicity also amounts to eloquence.
8.
Baked Alaska, Score: 82
1 12th St., Astoria, 503-325-7414, bakedak.com.
An oh-so-buttery chowder from the fanciest restaurant in notoriously unfancy Astoria. Baked Alaska—a fancified, almost comically well-mannered seafood spot along the river in Astoria—serves the chowder Julia Child would have made. “Oh, just a little bit of butter!” she’d say, while jamming a whole damn salted stick in there. It’s almost cheating, but holy hell: sooo rich.
9.
Chowder Bowl, Score: 81
728 NW Beach Drive, Newport, 877-433-9881, newportchowderbowl.com.
Where Newport locals eat chowder— as well they should—with a fine, balanced New England-style bowl with a little fresh butter on top. In Newport, the locals don’t go to Mo’s. They go to the Chowder Bowl. Ask them where you get good chowder, and they almost all say Chowder Bowl, on Nye Beach, next to the little bar where all the locals drink late at night. Georgie’s was the best fancy chowder in Newport, but for the ungussiedup version, I’d also go to Chowder Bowl. It’s not overly potatoey, it’s not overly buttery—it’s not overly anything. It ’s good chowder served, like Gracie’s, with parsley and a fresh pat of butter melted on top.
Old Oregon Smokehouse, Score: 80
120 N Highway 101, Rockaway Beach, 503-355-2817.
A tiny, ramshackle dive that looks like the hideout in The Goonies and seems also to be run by the Fratelli family, with a sweet and buttery bread bowl that’s comforting and addictive. This seafood dive serves what’s apparently Portland Food Adventures organizer Chris Angelus’ favorite bowl of clam chowder on the coast. I don’t know if I agree about the chowder itself; it’s a bit salty. But it’s by far my favorite bread bowl. Where others use sourdough, the Old Oregon Smokehouse—a fish chain founded in Scappoose, believe it or not—uses bread that tastes exactly like a dinner roll at a roadside diner, all sugar and butter. It’s trashy, and amazing, and a comfort far beyond proportion. I love it so much. Also visited, in order of preference: 11. Dory Cove (Lincoln City), 12. Roseanna’s (Oceanside), 13. The Schooner (Netarts), 14. Pacific Way Cafe (Gearhart), 15. Buoy Beer Co. (Astoria), 16. Luna Sea (Yachats), 17. Norma’s (Seaside), 18. Pelican Pub (Pacific City), 19. The Fish Peddler (Bay City), 20. South Beach Fish Market (Yaquina Bay), 21. Ocean Bleu (Newport), 22. The Ship Inn (Astoria), 23. Charlie’s Chowder House (Astoria), 24. Mo’s (Newport), 25. Sam’s Seaside Cafe (Seaside). W W S TA F F
cream that’s just as good as her chowders— especially a ridiculously rich marshmallow. Hell, she might make the best ice cream I’ve tasted in this state.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
17
18
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
ANDREW MOIR
The Churn WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I LEFT PORTLAND AND MOVED TO ASTORIA. BY TAN I SH A C A R AV E LLO
Before I moved to Astoria, I’d never heard of the Columbia Bar. Two years later, I know the graveyard of the Pacific is the point where the Columbia River meets the open ocean, where 2,000 ships have sunk since they started counting— a place so treacherous that commercial ships are required to employ a licensed bar pilot to navigate them. Now, when I look out to the choppy river during a storm, I worry about the people crossing the bar. When I see a helicopter flying above, my heart stops. I suppose you could say this town has worked its way under my skin. The full story of why I moved from Portland to Astoria is too much for today. The short version is that the city where I’d lived for nearly a decade was rejecting me like a splinter in its skin. After leaving my husband and career, I was up to my ears in credit-card debt and working at a food-cart pod that’s now being developed into bourgie senior housing (see page 24). So I did what so many Portlanders dream about, and moved out to the coast. In some ways, Astoria is still the little river town it’s been forever—the state of Oregon’s population has quadrupled in the past century, as has the size of most of its major cities, but Astoria’s population has remained a steady line, with no major dips or bumps. That doesn’t mean the landscape can’t change overnight. When I first moved here, I lived in an apartment overlooking the river. Directly north of me, a large ship named Ocean 21 was anchored. As I drank my morning coffee, I watched as tiny pilot boats crossed the Columbia, lights piercing the morning fog, all dwarfed by the monstrous ship. To me, it was as much a part of the landscape as the mountains across the river, and nearly as large. One day Ocean 21 was gone—back out to sea. Life feels fleeting here, and sometimes that brings calm. I run along the river to the sound of water and birds singing, and the scent of malt and hops. A chilly coastal wind reminds me how small I am. The river existed long before me, and will exist long after, and I am in awe of its power. Looking down the hill at the sun dancing on the water, my chest fills with something that feels like love. But when you actually live somewhere, you start to see certain things differently. When I lived by the river, I awoke every morning to the maddening cacophony of barking sea lions. The barking seemed only to grow more intense as it moved up the hill, as though they were running after you, all blubber and whiskers, flippers and stink. If you come out to the coast just for the day, you gawk and take photos. But while tourists snap pictures of sea lions swimming gracefully or shifting from flipper to flipper as they bellow, the fishermen tell stories of being attacked by the bulls—the largest, loudest and ugliest of them all—monstrous beasts that can kill a human in seconds. In Portland, I remember hearing people talk about the piles of money you could make working on a commercial fishing boat. No one I knew had actually done it—and now I know why. The boat doesn’t need just a guy willing to work hard and maybe die, the captain needs someone he
The barking seemed only to grow more intense as it moved up the hill, as though they were running after you, all blubber and whiskers, flippers and stink. can trust with his own life. If one cocky deckhand decides to question the captain at the wrong moment, everyone on board is at risk. And if a deckhand doesn’t do what he’s told, there’s always another one to take his place. Commercial fishers work only three months out of the year and make enough to live on for the other nine months. If they survive. For those three months, they don’t drink, they don’t fuck, they work when they’re not sleeping, and sometimes they don’t sleep. Every fisherman I’ve met has come close to dying at least once, both on land and out at sea. There’s a tavern I go to sometimes in logger country, about a half-hour drive from Astoria. Out there, the story is similar. The men start work early in the morning and are in the bar by noon. They take pride in their work and tell stories of the good men who died on the job —sometimes just weeks before. They are family men who drive pickup trucks and drink Olympia and cheap whiskey. Risk is part of their daily life. As much as these fishing and logging bars remind me why I came here, the truth is, I’m still just a city girl with a truck—a glorified tourist. I don’t bring up religion or politics, and I let the racist jokes slide. I drink my whiskey and listen to their stories, and then go home to write about it. I belong to those downtown Astoria bars where artists and writers and local politicians meet, the places where bearded, tattooed service-industry hipsters drink. The fishers, loggers and old men who work at the mill complain about the downtown crowds, assuming they’re visiting from Portland. The truth is, most of the hipsters were born and raised here, too—just in a different era, and by parents who lived different lives. Downtown is abundant for those who can afford it or are willing to live on credit, full of sensuous and briny raw
oysters, some of the best craft beer in Oregon, muddled cocktails with fresh squeezed juice, and the sounds of a drag show or live bluegrass music. Hedonism is part of Astoria’s sordid history. It was the town where hard-working men came to drink and gamble in the early days. Tourism has always been an industry here, as necessary to our economy as fishing or logging, but without the pride. You hear the same conversation these days—growing fear that after a century of stasis, Astoria could lose its soul. If that were to happen, it would no doubt be the fault of outsiders like me who come here demanding the quality and conveniences of the city. I saw it happen to Portland, when all the things that made the town unique became just another marketable brand. Passive-aggressive militant liberalism became the norm. Wealth flooded in, and many of those who lovingly crafted the city’s reputation could no longer afford to live there. Yes, Astoria has a long history of class disparity—Chinese cannery workers were buried in unmarked graves and Italian masons worked for months without pay, while the wealthy built towers to look down upon the city. The legacy of those who made it big lives on, along with scandalous stories of their eccentric lives. “Progress” might create a few jobs, but the wealthy benefit the most. Those who struggle call progress by a different name. Still, there’s magic in this town. And there’s still freedom to be accepted for who you are, whatever it may be, so long as you do the same for everyone else. Here in this old fishing town, we’re hard workers, reliant on the sea and the trees, prone to degeneracy—like those who came before us, like those who are buried beneath us, like those whose spirits churn in these waters. Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
19
PRIDE I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J O D I E B E E C H E M
killer burgers at Bar Bar are a good alternative to sweating at Stag. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 8 pm. $12 advance, $14 at the door. 21+.
FRIDAY, JUNE 17 Rare Vintage Burlesque: Love and Pride Crush, Portland’s love-for-everyone bar and burlesque venue, is going all out for Pride. The show features Fannie Fuller—an oldschool glamour maven who made her start in a wet, white slip in San Francisco—and Portland’s longest-running burlesque MC, Zora Phoenix. Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison St. 9 pm. $10 advance, $12 at the door, $15 VIP table. 21+.
SATURDAY, JUNE 18 Portland Pride Festival
Your LGBTQIA Is Showing OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST EVENTS AT PORTLAND PRIDE.
Portland has a lot of pride—like that guy in corduroy pants waving a rainbow umbrella outside Powell’s in the past week. That’s fucking passion. This week, Portland’s Pride season kicks off and continues with 11 days of events across the city. “It’s about gay-straight alliance and everybody fucking everybody,” says Alicia J. Rose, creator of the comedy series The Benefits of Gusbandry. You can binge-watch Rose’s show Saturday at WW’s Pride party, or check out these other events. Don’t forget your rainbow umbrella. ENID SPITZ.
THURSDAY, JUNE 9 Key Bank Kickoff Party An extravaganza of food carts, drinks and the drum-heavy punk raps of Bomb Ass Pussy start Pride season, with Sir Cupcake’s troupe of transgender and queer circus performers in a retro variety show with curled mustaches and pinstripe trou-
20
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
sers. My Bartender, 2305 SE 9th Ave. 8 pm. $10 advance, $15 at the door.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Queer Comedy Showcase Headliner DeAnne Smith (of HBO’s Funny as Hell) is a Canadian comic who strums a ukulele, sports the style of a Green Day fanboy and joked about abortion on Craig Ferguson. Portlanders Belinda Carroll and Whitney Streed will back her up. Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 7 and 9:30 pm. $15 advance, $20 at the door.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11 The Benefits of Gusbandry Screening Party Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times just called out Portlander Alicia J. Rose’s comedy series, and you could watch the Broad City-esque show for free on
YouTube. Or you can join WW, Belinda Carroll, Rose and the show’s cast for a free binge-watch party. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St. 8 pm. Free. 21+.
THURSDAY JUNE 16 Frisky Whisker Let your beard frolic unwaxed, and sprinkle glitter on your cellulite for the most body-positive dance party of the Pride season. Stag—the best gay party spot in Portland, according to my Whole Foods clerk—features 15 dancers of all shapes, sizes and grooming patterns for a night of sweaty go-go dancing. Stag, 317 NW Broadway. 8 pm. $8 advance, $10 at the door. 21+.
Slant: Live Queer Storytelling Slant gives you a more mellow and heady way to enjoy Pride, with seven-minute talks from six speakers. The patio and
This is it, folks. Like a state fair with fewer sheep and more flair, Saturday offers the most fun, including the Trans Pride March (3:30 pm at 744 SW Ankeny St.) and the Dyke March (6 pm at Tom McCall Waterfront Park). Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Southwest Naito Parkway between Pine Street and the Morrison Bridge. Noon-6 pm Saturday-Sunday, June 18-19. $7.
Gaylabration When New York passed marriage equality legislation in 2011, Portlanders, living in a state where same-sex marriage was still illegal, launched Gaylabration in protest. Now the biggest official dance party of Pride season, it’s nonstop dirty pop radio edits and onstage dancers from Lyfe Dance Company, some of whom have backed Britney herself. Crystal Ballroom, 332 W Burnside St. 10 pm-2 am. $19.90-$49.99. 21+.
SUNDAY, JUNE 19 Happy Ending The rainbow season ends in Portland’s dark and dirty basement dance club with a Blow Pony party hosted by Trixie Mattel and her epic eyelashes. Dance with the Homo GoGo’s, bearded men in sequined crop tops, and a crowd wearing fox tails or striped spandex. Don’t cry because it’s over—take a selfie with Trixie to prove it happened. Euphoria Nightclub, 315 SE 3rd Ave. 7 pm. $12-$25. 21+.
STREET
JUGGALOS OUTSIDE THE INSANE CLOWN POSSE SHOW. P H OTOS BY TH O M AS TEA L www.wweek.com/street
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
21
“I grew up wanting to be the first Muslim president. Barack Obama beat me to it.” page 41
COURTESY OF CHEF NAOKO
STARTERS
BITE-SIZED PORTLAND CULTURE NEWS.
FANCY BENTO: Tiny, unassuming West End bento-style restaurant Chef Naoko is getting a major makeover and expansion designed by one of Japan’s most famous architects. Chef Naoko Tamura—well-known in her home country for literally writing the book on Japanese organic cooking— met architect Kengo Kuma while he was working on the “Cultural Crossing” expansion of the Portland Japanese Garden. He’s now best-known for his controversial woodenlattice stadium design chosen for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The expanded Southwest Jefferson Street restaurant will seat 50 in the same location starting this September, with a striking array of organic wooden shapes descending from the ceiling, a stone garden and wood-lattice walls. MILLER TIME: Amy Miller and Kill Rock Stars announced there will be a live recording of her show at Alberta Street Pub this summer. The Oakland-to-Portland-to-L.A. comedian, who won WW’s inaugural Funniest Five poll in 2013, will perform two shows July 7. >> Meanwhile, local comedian Curtis Cook is moving to L.A. after his girlfriend of four years was accepted at UCLA. “If you don’t wanna say goodbye, then just know that I never liked you anyways and I once took a beer from your fridge without asking,” Cook posted on his Facebook. Cook’s last big show was at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, and he’s now touring Cleveland and San Francisco. He’ll return to Portland in August for a final Earthquake Hurricane show with Bri Pruett and Alex Falcone at Velo Cult. Don’t get too attached to Pruett or Falcone, though—both have said they plan to move to SoCal in the next year or so. “Every one of us dreams of getting good enough that we can forget all the people we came up with,” Falcone says. “Curtis just got there before me.” BOAT BEERS: This summer, the people behind BackPedal Brewing and BrewCycle—the drunken party train of pedalers that cruises through Northwest Portland—will again run their beer-filled BrewBarge, a 14-person pedal boat that paddles down the Willamette. But there will be a new feature useful to boaters in general. The company is opening a BrewStop growler fill station at the Southwest Waterfront’s public marina, across from the restrooms. So boaters on weekday afternoons or all day on weekends can grab beer growlers or wine in cans. “We’re gonna have ice, which is something that’s desperately needed down there,” says owner Andrea Lins. “We need ice, and we’re going to sell it.” REUNION: Portland’s yoga community is back in harmony. Last month, Yoga Union disagreed with its building owner that it shouldn’t host yoga celebrity Leslie Kaminoff, after he made misogynistic and victim-shaming comments in a previous lecture called “Yogis Behaving Badly.” Last week, however, Yoga Union canceled Kaminoff ’s visit and replaced it with an “Intro to Non-Violent Communication.” Kaminoff declined to reimburse his speaker’s fee and airfare, says Yoga Union co-owner Todd Vogt, leaving the studio with about $4,000 in expenses. 22
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
Headout
THURSDAY JUNE 9
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK IN ARTS & CULTURE
Sweeney Todd
JAMES MACKENZIE
[OPERA] Portland Opera has been killing it lately, pun intended. This flamboyant drama features sets from the original Broadway show, and former New York City Opera music director George Manahan in the pit. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 503-248-4335. 7:30 pm. $28$250.
Pulse
[NEW PDX MUSIC] The second installment of Willamette Week’s quarterly showcase of emerging artists features future-forward singerrapper (and Best New Band finalist) the Last Artful Dodgr, electro-disco duo Pleasure Curses and Wine & Coffee, a collaboration between two of the most adventurous voices in local hip-hop, Ripley Snell and Grape God. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 503-2397639. 9 pm. Free. 21+.
FRIDAY JUNE 10 Portland Fruit Beer Festival
BY R U SSE L L H AUS F E L D
[BEER] The first and almost certainly best fruit beer fest in the country returns for its sixth year. Expect apricot ginger beer from Dogfish Head, cactus beer from Ex Novo, Apricot IBUsive from Fat Head’s, and lots of cider. North Park Blocks, Northwest Park Avenue and Davis Street, fruitbeerfest.com. 11:30 am-9 pm. Through June 12. $25 for 12 to 15 drink tickets. All ages.
rhausfeld@wweek.com
Scandinavians are often lumped into one big group of Vikings-turnedVolvo drivers. This weekend, Portland Scandinavians will celebrate their heritage at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival and a separate Viking Breakfast. But look closely and you may notice some small but important differences between Swedes, Norwegians and Danes. Which Scandinavian nationality should you identify with? Take our quiz to find out.
What foods are you most excited about?
1. Kjøttkaker, kjøttkaker, kjøttkaker! Give me more meat cakes! 2. Crepes with lingonberries and coffee are really all I need. 3. I’m not excited about anything until I start seeing liver paste, pickled beetroot, mushroom and fried bacon— mmm, leverpostej! 4. I subsist mainly on lichen and moss.
How do you prepare for a first date?
1. We’ll probably meet at my place and ski down my mountain. 2. Check my dating app to see if I have any better matches for the night, slap on some red running slacks and check myself out in my full-body Isfjorden mirror. 3. I stuff blankets in every corner of my room to muffle the sound, dim the lights and brew some ginger tea to better create that perfect hyggelig moment. 4. Wake from a deep slumber, feel an overwhelming urge in the pit of my stomach to copulate, head-bash the living crap out of my buddy, and run off to claim my mate.
It’s Friday night and all of your friends are busy. How do you spend your time?
1. Rock out to some classic Burzum while looking over my town, which notably has no burning churches. 2. Crack open an old copy of Pippi Longstocking to remind me of a childhood that seems so far away. 3. Troll Iceland’s Reddit page arguing with people about how my people have bigger dicks than they do. 4. My herd has abandoned me. I crumple into a mound of snow and slowly die.
You’ve just had a baby. Congratulations! What do you do now that you’re a parent?
1. Decide between 10 months of 100 percent-paid parental leave, or a year of 80 percent-paid parental leave. 2. My partner and I will bask in 480 days of paid parental leave. 3. Put that little bugger out in the cold and let him or her fall asleep. It’s good for the immune system. 4. It’s that 10-day period in June again! Little babies are dropping out of all the ladies around here. Personally, I just want to move on to a better feeding area. All these kids are hogging my grass.
When was the last time you had a run-in with the law?
1. Some cop tried to arrest me for prostitution, but I know my rights. I’m a legal prostitute. 2. Long story. I released too many pigs into my acorn wood—which wouldn’t matter so much, but I own it with my neighbor. I exceeded my quota of allowed pigs and had to pay a fine for each extra pig digging around the acorn wood. 3. I called the cops when a customer at my restaurant refused to pay. When the cops came, they let him go without having to pay because he wasn’t completely “full.” 4. I was one of the first of my kind to work alongside Russian police in Siberia, and I bit off a thief’s ear. If you answered mostly 1, you are Norwegian. If you answered mostly 2, you are Swedish. If you answered mostly 3, you are Danish. If you answered mostly 4, you are a reindeer. GO: The 88th annual Scandinavian Midsummer Festival is at Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, scanheritage.org, on Saturday, June 11. 11 am-6 pm. $7, under 12 free. June Viking Breakfast & Children’s Nordic Story Time are at Norse Hall, 111 NE 11th Ave., norsehall.org, on Sunday, June 12. 8:30 am-1 pm. Children’s Nordic Story Time at 10 am. $7, $4 ages 5-12, under 5 free.
Adia Victoria
[COUNTRY NOIR] Adia Victoria’s brooding take on roots music boasts dark, gothic elements, with murky guitars and sharp storytelling. Acting as an extensive swan song to her 20s, her debut, Beyond the Bloodhounds, serves up glum wit with a side of disheartened realization. Consider her country’s Chelsea Wolfe. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave., 503-328-2865. 9:30 pm. $10. 21+.
SATURDAY JUNE 11 Bowie vs. Prince Pedalpalooza Ride
[ENCORE] It’s the 10th and final team ride. Pick your hero and join hoards of bikers as they pedal through the streets with faces painted and hearts on their purple sleeves, blasting “Ziggy Stardust” or “Purple Rain.” Sewallcrest City Park, Southeast 31st Avenue and Market Street. 7:30 pm. Free.
SUNDAY JUNE 12 BarFly 17th Anniversary
[DRUNKENNESS] Local bar tour company BarFly celebrates its almost-legal anniversary with a concert featuring And And And and the Minders, a VD cake walk (Voodoo, not venereal), a stripper petting zoo where strippers do the petting, a mini-bike joust and a beard-shearing station. White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th Ave., whiteowlsocialclub.com, 3 pm-1 am. $6. 21+.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
23
FOOD & DRINK REVIEW MARTIN CIZMAR
= WW Pick. Highly recommended. By MATTHEW KORFHAGE. Editor: MARTIN CIZMAR. Email: dish@wweek.com. See page 3 for submission instructions.
Traditional taste, contemporary nourishment. The only all gluten-free, Middle Eastern lunch buffet in town. Delicious vegan and meat dishes. Signature cocktails with Middle Eastern herbal infusions. Join us!
THURSDAY, JUNE 9 P.R.E.A.M. + Georgian Wine
320 SW Alder St. darsalamportland.com M-F 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sat. 12:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Simple ApproAch
Bold FlAvor vegan Friendly
open 11-10
everyday
500 NW 21st Ave, (503) 208-2173 kungpowpdx.com
Georgia and the Balkans are invading somebody else, for once. The natural wines of this region are the oldest and second-largest wine tradition in the world, deeply unlike French and Italian, and mostly unknown in America. And Portland’s premier pop-up natural wine bar, Ardor, is bringing some heretofore unavailable wines for you to try by the glass at Portland’s premier hip-hop-themed pizza restaurant. Gagimarjot! P.R.E.A.M., 2131 SE 11th Ave., 503-231-2809, preampizza.com. 5-10 pm.
SUNDAY, JUNE 12 BarFly 17th Anniversary
Local bar tour and promotion company BarFly celebrates its almost legal anniversary with a concert featuring And And And and the Minders, a VD cake walk (that’s Voodoo, not venereal), a stripper petting zoo where the strippers do the petting, a mini-bike joust, discounted drinks, a beard-shearing station, an airbrush booth, and Aaron “Who’s the Ross?” Ross as emcee. White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th Ave., whiteowlsocialclub. com. 3 pm-1 am. $6. 21+.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11 Toffee Club Block Party
Starting at 10 am, English-loving soccer/football bar Toffee Club will celebrate its official grand opening with a full block party, with screens showing Euro 2016 and Copa America games, street futsal, barbecue, DJs and bar specials. The U.S.-Paraguay match is at 4 pm, incidentally. The English play the Russians at noon. Toffee Club, 1006 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 971-254-9518. All day.
accepting reservations for Father’s Day brunch
I
Shandong www.shandongportland.com
1. Hat Yai
1605 NE Killingsworth St., 503-764-9701. Hat Yai offers the fresh, earthy, complex flavors you want from a place like Pok Pok—but in a fastcasual setting. Like, say, Pok Pok circa 2008. $$.
2. Laurelhurst Market
3155 E Burnside St., 503-206-3097, laurelhurstmarket.com. Near-perfect, spicy parking-lot chicken is served up with equally wonderful slaw and pickles every lunch but Tuesday. $.
Shandong 3. O-Bros Osteria www.shandongportland.com Southwest 10th Avenue and
Alder Street. Our new favorite spicy Italian— the Platonic version of sandwichhood. $.
4. Roost
1403 SE Belmont St., 971-544-7136, roostpdx.com. Tuesday through Friday, lunchtime gives you a beautiful fried-chicken sandwich out the side door. Don’t look for a menu. Just ask for a sandwich. $.
5. OP Wurst
126 SW 2nd St., 503-939-9449, opwurst.com. Best. Hot dogs. Ever. $.
24
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
IN THE HOUSE: The $8.75 T-bone steak.
Curry, Brazilian Style If you’re like me, when you hear “Brazilian food,” you think of a guy with a red silk scarf slicing pallid slabs of oversalted meat at a Trumpy, all-you-can eat restaurant that calls itself an “experience.” What I didn’t expect was the moqueca ($8 with chicken) at Brazilian House Order this: Moqueca ($8 with chicken). food cart, which moved across the street to the Bite on Belmont pod along with its neighbors after its previous pod became upscale senior housing. The bright-yellow dish looks and tastes like someone made a Thai curry out of a backyard vegetable garden. The backbone flavors of coconut and cilantro are prominent, but the pungency of fish sauce and chili is replaced with earthy, herbaceous undertones of tomato and bell pepper. Brazilian palm oil pushes the moqueca over the edge, providing a gentle richness that makes the broth silky on the tongue and turns the plentiful slices of poached chicken into mini-bursts of something like cacciatore. The dish was well complemented by its sides, tender long-grain rice topped with fresh tomato salad that provided a bright companion to the vegetal tones in the main course. If there is a line to be drawn from those rodizios to Brazilian House, it is that the people of Brazil sure do love meat, and they love a lot of it. But here they won’t charge you $50 for the pleasure. Our T-bone-like Brazilian steak ($8.75) probably weighed about a half-pound and was served with another half-pound of stewed black beans, collards, fried onions and white rice. It tasted like what you imagine an $8.75 steak tastes like, tough as leather and swaddled in gristle. The feijoada ($8)—a black bean stew packed with bacon, tender braised beef and squeaky kielbasa-style sausage—was on the same page. The textures were all there, but the flavor was muddled in the way that “meat lovers” dishes often are. Unless you’re looking for a huge, cheap hit of iron, stick with the moqueca. WALKER MACMURDO. EAT: Brazilian House, 4255 SE Belmont St. (The Bite on Belmont food-cart pod), 503-660-7556. Noon-8 pm daily.
DRANK
Anián
(DE GARDE)
With fruit beer, you have to manage expectations. When you print the word “cherry” on the label and it doesn’t taste like pie, people whinge. Which is why De Garde Brewing’s new Anián gets a vague description. The beer has small amounts of peach and passion fruit, but the effect is supposed to be subtle. “Once you say it’s a peach beer, if it’s not intensely peachy, people will think it’s a low quality,” says De Garde brewer Trevor Rogers. Most of Anián’s fruit character comes from the fermentation, Rogers says, and it is indeed subtle. This is the mildest sour flavor I’ve ever tasted from the cool ship where De Garde makes its wild beers. (See my feature on the brewery in our new Going Coastal guide magazine.) The tartness is restrained, and the fruit blend is reminiscent of apricot. Buy a couple bottles. “I rarely suggest aging beer—it rarely gets better, but it always changes,” Rogers says. “But this is one of the rare beers I’ve made where I think it will be better in six months.” Recommended. MARTIN CIZMAR.
ANNELISE CAPOSSELA
Just the Tips HOW SPRUCE BEER BECAME OREGON’S ORIGINAL NATIVE STYLE. BY PAR K E R H A L L
phall@wweek.com
Before diesel-fueled cargo ships sloshed their way across the world’s oceans, beer dictated the distance the Western world could travel by sea. Enough ale, and you’d make it where you wanted to go. Too little, and you might settle for an inauspicious site like Plymouth Rock. And when you ran out? Well, you stopped and made more. In 1792, red-coated Capt. George Vancouver was mapping the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest when his crew found itself depleted of barrel-aged stock. The shipmates dropped anchor, brought their brewing kits ashore, and set about replenishing their supply. Unfortunately, they were out of hops. And so the first beers brewed in the New World’s greatest hop-growing region were made with something else. They improvised, using an ingredient recommended by famed British explorer Capt. James Cook: spruce. “Any brewer knows, you’ve got to make beer with what you’ve got,” says Jack Harris of Fort George Brewery in Astoria. “Spruce buds were one of the things they knew they could use instead of hops.” Spruce tips are the small, soft chutes that emerge from Northwest-native Sitka spruce in late spring. These buds are citrusy and candy-sweet—a perfect substitute for hops. By the late 1700s, sailors worldwide were singing the praises of spruce ales, and recipes containing spruce can be found dating to well before America’s first cry for independence. Modern historians theorize that spruce ales have certain benefits. Their high vitamin C content may have warded off scurvy, and the preservative qualities of spruce may have helped the beer keep well despite constantly rolling decks. But explorers had a more important reason to brew the stuff: Spruce beer, especially the kind brewed with fresh tips in spring, tastes bloody awesome. In fact, it might just be the best style of beer you’re not drinking. “It’s hard to put into words just how amazingly refreshing a good spruce beer is,” says Harris, whose brewery has been boiling up a fresh batch of Spruce Budd Ale each year since it opened in 2007. “It wasn’t like they were really out looking for scurvy prevention.” Like many classic beer styles that have seen a resurgence
in the American consciousness, spruce beer was fairly well forgotten in the Northwest for a long time after Vancouver and his men brewed their last batch. Today, there’s an evergrowing number of farmhouse breweries and sour-beer apothecaries, but Fort George is among the few breweries in the Northwest that actually makes a beer with spruce tips. “I don’t want [people] to think that I just pulled this out of my ass,” Harris says, laughing. “I make sure that they know it’s an old recipe.” Harris rediscovered the style by accident. When he was “dragged” to a naturopathy conference by his wife years ago, he heard a speaker named Stephen Buhner, who talked about various historic herbal brews. It sparked an idea in Harris, who at the time was brewing at Bill’s Tavern and Brew House in Cannon Beach. “I was just really blown away by his whole thing [with herbal beers], but the spruce seemed really doable,” he says. “Sitka spruce is native to here, and that inspired me to brew a locally sourced, locally wild-harvested beer.” For the rest of his tenure at Bill’s, Harris offered patrons a free pitcher of brew for every pound of spruce tips they brought him in spring. Then he’d gather the tips and boil up a fresh nine-barrel batch of the stuff. For those who knew about it, the beer was a seasonal delight that was well worth some foraging. But that spruce beer largely went unnoticed until Harris moved up the coast and opened Fort George. He brought his recipe, and has brewed it every spring. The contemporary Spruce Budd Ale is a deliciously pale brew with a clingy white head and fruitcake nose. It’s a single-malt ale made with English-style yeast and no hops. That helps showcase the spruce’s fruity taste, and is a gentle nod to the beer’s roots. It has slowly developed a cult following. “There are people who plan an annual trip to the brewery to get their spruce beer,” Harris says. “It has really gotten onto people’s radars now.” Fort George needs 500 pounds of spruce tips to make a 60-barrel batch that lasts about a month. There’s no commodity market for such a thing, so the brew crew takes a case of cans to the woods and harvests the tips by hand, just like Vancouver’s men did. The beer is on tap now, though the season is fleeting. “I love when I get the brewers out to pick raw ingredients and bring them back the brewery, and kind of nurture it and put them in the beer,” Harris says. “It really brings the whole thing home.”
PORTLAND BEER WEEK PICKS THURSDAY, JUNE 9
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
Beer Week Kickoff
Randallized Beer Fest
Snacks and beer on a Pearl District rooftop bar with a garden. Hell, yeah. The beerbrat, cheddar and mustard pizza they’re serving is probably our favorite Hotlips pizza we’ve had, and there will be beers aplenty from Breakside, Hop Valley, Hopworks, Deschutes, Portland Brewing, Double Mountain and others. EcoTrust Building rooftop, 721 9th Ave., pdxbeerweek.com. 6-10 pm. Free admission.
Ecliptic Beer Belly Dinner
EastBurn returns with yet another of its remarkably lowcost, $40, five-course beer pairing dinners—this time with five Ecliptic brews including a pinot apricot sour and Belgian dubbel, and five meal courses including quail confit and duck breast. EastBurn, 1800 E Burnside St,, 503-2362876. 6 pm.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Rye Beer Fest
The Rye Beer Fest will feature 20 rye beers from Breakside, Culmination and others, plus rye whiskeys and a rye whiskey-beer cocktail by bartender Jacob Grier. Ten dollars nets a glass and four tickets. At 10 pm, a Cure cover band plays for an event benefiting the Children’s Cancer Association (get it?). Eastburn, 1800 E Burnside St,, 503-236-2876. All day. $10.
Portland Fruit Beer Festival
The first and almost certainly best fruit beer fest in the country returns for its sixth year—Japanese tourists come, at this point—and now it’s bigger, on the North Park Blocks. Expect apricot ginger beer from Dogfish Head, cactus beer from Ex Novo, Apricot IBUsive from Fat Head’s, strawberry basil sour from Ruse and lots of cider. $25 nets 12 to 15 drink tickets. North Park Blocks, Northwest Park Avenue and Davis Street, fruitbeerfest.com. 11:30 am-9 pm. Through June 12. $25.
No, it’s not a beer fest for some dude named Randall. A randall is a special chambered filter that lets you infuse a keg with different flavors—beans, rhubarb, whatever. And so Imperial Bottle Shop will be using randalls to make special versions of beers, whether a Fort George three-way infused with Galaxy hops and guava, or a Culmination Sour Flower Power randallized with chamomile, ginger, rose hips and some dried fruit. Imperial Bottle Shop, 3090 SE Division St., 971-302-6899. All day.
MONDAY, JUNE 13 New Oregon Brewers Showcase
This is one of the can’t-miss events for anyone who gives a shit—especially this year. Ruse Brewing, Alesong, Freebridge, the just-barely minted Ancestry, Public Coast and Wolves & People will be on hand, with the brewers available for chats and the beers available for drinking. Bailey’s Taproom, 213 SW Broadway, 503-295-1004. 5 pm.
Roscoe’s and Miyamoto Beer and Sushi Pairing
Roscoe’s and partner sushi joint Miyamoto will pair four courses of sushi with limited release beers from Pfriem Family Brewers (Oude Kriek), Crux (Apricot Wild Farmhouse Ale), the Commons and Breakside. At a mere $25, this is pretty much amazing. Roscoe’s, 8105 SE Stark St., 255-0049. 4:30-8:30 pm. $25.
TUESDAY, JUNE 14 The Pfriem Dream
At Bailey’s Taproom’s upstairs Upper Lip in the Ankeny alley, a fucking dream team of barrel-aged Pfriem: Flanders Red, Flanders Blonde, Pêche, Oude Kriek, Frambozen and BarrelAged Imperial Stout. Drink it. Bailey’s Taproom, 213 SW Broadway, 503-295-1004. 4-10 pm.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
25
26
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
MUSIC FEATURE
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
C O u R T E S Y O F R YA N B E L L
Prices listed are sometimes for advance ticket sales. At-the-door increases and socalled convenience charges may apply. Event lineups are subject to change after WW’s press deadlines. Editor: MATTHEW SINGER. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, go to wweek.com/ submitevents and follow submission directions. All shows should be submitted two weeks or more in advance of event. Press kits, CDs and especially vinyl can be sent to Music Desk, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Please include show or release date information with all physical mailings. Email: msinger@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115.
Al Di Meola
[SLICK STRINGS] At first blush, Al Di Meola is the quintessential New Jersey guitarist. A quick-fingered chain wearer who loves distortion, black Les Pauls and occasional extended bouts of finger tapping, the 61-yearold jazz-fusion pioneer first rose to prominence in the long-collared days of the ’70s. But because he’s a deepfeeling and personable instrumentalist of the highest order— Di Meola performed with Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and others in their bellbottomed heydays— the musician’s blend of Jersey aesthetic and deep-jazz music make him something of an enigma, a guitarist of Italian heritage who is also a pioneer of Latin jazz, and a bandleader whose genre-defying
electric outfit, performing tonight, appeals to both Slash-loving pomade aficionados and world-music dreadheads alike. PARKER HALL. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave. 8 pm. $45. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
Rabbit Quinn, Ed Haynes
[SINGER-SONGWRITER] Pianist singer-songwriter Rabbit Quinn
ToP
5
CONT. on page 32 BRIAN CRIPPE PHOTOGRAPHY
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8
BEacHED Boy: Jackson Boone during recording sessions for Natural Changes at cannon Beach.
Good Vibrations FOR PORTLAND MUSICIANS, THE OREGON COAST HOLDS A MAGICAL ALLURE.
quarry
FIVE ESSENTIAL STYLSS TRACKS BY CORY HAYNES, AKA QUARRY “Omniscient, They” by Eastghost
It’s as unexpectedly mind-blowing as it is emotionally powerful while pushing the envelope of “electronic music,” whatever that means. If you listen to anything from STYLSS, I would recommend giving Eastghost’s “Omniscient” a listen in full.
2 “Mashdi” by Onhell If Shlohmo and DJ Mustard worked together on a track, I would imagine it would sound similar to “Mashdi.” The perfect vibes for cruising down any West Coast city street on a sunny day—or a rainy day, for that matter. 3 “Ice Cold Eyes” by Bleep Bloop & Quarry A track from the recently released STYLSS Loves You: Volume 3 compilation, where everyone had to work with another person from the collective. Even the cover art was created in collaboration by Natalie Hands and Molly Brooks. 4 “Remain” by Shmuck the Loyal Recently released as part of our growing STYLSS Single Series, “Remain” represents the heavier post-trap sector of STYLSS. We are very excited to be bringing Shmuck, who’s from Nashville, out for his Portland debut. 5 “Huffin & Coffin” by Jvnitor From the ashes of Portland witch-house trio Bruxa rises Jvnitor, a two-piece rap project from remaining members SaintMichael Lorenzo and Kill Lustig. They released their haunting debut, Thank You Would Mean Nothing, in late spring, and “Huffin & Coffin” is a standout track from that release. Cory Haynes is the founder of STYLSS, a Portland label and artist collective specializing in various genres of electronic music. SEE IT: Verified: STYLSS Takeover, featuring Eastghost, Onhell, Shmuck the Loyal, Jvnitor, Quarry and more, is at Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., on Saturday, June 11. 9 pm. $8. 21+.
“A lot of creative, sensitive people are drawn to the restorative power of the ocean,” says psychedelicfolk songwriter Jackson Boone, who made his latest album, Natural Changes, while staring out at the Pacific from the windows of his family’s beach house. BY MATTHEW SIN GER msinger@wweek.com “One thing I love about the Oregon Coast is, it’s broody and ancient-looking, with beautiful, temperate oldWhen Matt Sheehy discusses writing and record- growth forests, a lot of dead logs and tall trees.” ing music on the Oregon Coast, he gets a little Clearly, there’s not a lot of “Surfin’ Safari” knockembarrassed. offs coming out of this particular coastline. At his “It’s hard to talk about without sounding super- studio, the Sparkle, in Pacific City, composer Pete cliché,” says the Alaska-born musician, who fronts Broderick has produced albums for the likes of Corrina the Portland band Lost Lander, “but being by the Repp, Loch Lomond and his sister, Heather Woods ocean, you’re on a threshold between one universe Broderick—as well as artists from Belgium, France and another universe. It makes you think and Ireland—many of which are imbued with about bigger-picture things.” a certain natural ghostliness. In several Sheehy knows the coast well. cases, the moody landscape has seeped Working as a technician for into the recordings in the form of “Being by the Northwest Forestry Services, he textural found sounds, from the ocean, you’re on spent extended periods in citgentle pulse of the sea, a babbling ies like Wheeler and Oceanside, creek bed or a chorus of frogs. a threshold between where he wrote his first solo But Broderick says the main one universe and album, Tigerphobia. So when it draw of recording at the coast is another universe.” came time to record the debut a bit more obvious. of his Lost Lander project, DRRT, “I do think people love to get —Matt Sheehy in 2011, he and producer Brent out of town to work on a project, to Knopf headed to the beach. For an leave their normal hometown worries album whose analog-digital mix reflected behind and go somewhere they can focus,” themes about the collision of nature and techhe says. “And in a town like Pacific City, there nology, the setting just made sense. “I think the feel- simply aren’t a million incredible coffee shops and ing you get when standing on the sand, with more microbreweries to distract yourself with, and no sand behind you, it feels like you’re at a doorway,” friends around either, so I think the environment Sheehy says. “In front of you is a place you can’t really fosters a focused creativity.” go, and behind you is your world. It’s that feeling of Sheehy agrees. “The coast is this beautiful place to being big but small at the same time.” go to, not a cool, hip place to go to necessarily,” he says. So yeah, it’s a little heady. But plenty of inde- “It feels real, in a way.” pendent Portland artists have felt a similar pull. Of course, there are some drawbacks to all that Recent albums by Laura Gibson, Radiation City chill. If you’re not careful, the vibe can consume you. and Aan, among others, have all been recorded, in “We tracked [one song] way too slow, because it whole or in part, in tiny towns along the coast. It’s was too vibey,” says Boone of a recent session back not because there’s a secret glut of cheap recording at his beach house, in which his band got caught studios out there: Most work in rented cabins or up gazing into the inky blackness at the lights of beach homes, using portable equipment. Often, ships dotting the horizon. “It actually took away it’s something less pragmatic, something that’s dif- from the song, because we were too entranced.” ficult to pin down. What you might call “the vibe.” Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
27
28
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
29
30
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
MUSIC COURTESY OF PLEASURE CURSES
INTRODUCING
Pleasure Curses WHO: Jahn Alexander Teetsov (vocals, synths), Evan Maxwell Grice (synths, programming). SOUNDS LIKE: If Suicide decided to make a run at Top of the Pops in the ’80s. FOR FANS OF: Depeche Mode, Hot Chip, Phantogram, Factory Floor, Johnny Jewel productions. Jahn Alexander Teetsov and Evan Maxwell Grice had to leave Washington, D.C., and if you talk to them long enough, they’ll tell you all the reasons why. Shitty venues. A music scene too in thrall to its past. Their discontent with being the go-to local support for whatever buzz act happened to be passing through town, and the feeling that they’d never break out of the Opening Band Zone if they stuck around. “Also,” Teetsov says, “we were attracting a crowd of people who like goth music.” In the early days of Pleasure Curses, which Teetsov started as a experimental synth project in 2012, the duo tamped down their pop inclinations in favor of a harsher, more willfully “difficult” sound. It won them a supportive fan base, but one which, after a while, they weren’t sure they wanted. “They actively, angrily disliked other music—like, of the bands we’d be playing with,” Grice says. “So we had an angry group of friends going, ‘You guys did great, but the other bands sucked.’ And we were like, ‘Hey, we like those guys!’” A year ago, Teetsov and Grice packed their synthesizers into a van and drove to Portland, a city they only really knew about from reading interviews with Glass Candy’s Johnny Jewel. It was a change of scenery reflective of the band’s changing sound. Looking to shed the elements that attracted its cult of ghoulish snobs, Pleasure Curses underwent a period of “un-darkening,” smoothing its jagged edges and folding bits of hip-hop, disco and ’80s R&B into its synth-pop base. It has been a gradual process, but the handful of tracks released so far are polished productions, powered by buoyant, streamlined four-on-the-floor rhythms, pulsing bass and romantic lyricism. They haven’t left the children of the night hanging completely, though: “Under the Moonlight,” its most recent single, featuring guest vocalist Christen Cappello, is wrapped in enough whispered mystery that it could still fill the dance floor at the Lovecraft. It’s a sound harking back to Portland’s electro-pop heyday, when the likes of Glass Candy, Chromatics and Yacht were getting national attention. While all those groups eventually left for Los Angeles, Teetsov and Grice say they still feel the sense of freedom and open-mindedness that nurtured them here, even amid the rising rents and shifting cultural landscape. At any rate, it’s better than the city they left behind. “We pretty actively tried to not have expectations,” Grice says of their first year in Portland. “It’s easy to get very romantic about your expectations, or you can get very pessimistic. By not doing that, we’ve been pleasantly surprised in many moments.” MATTHEW SINGER. SEE IT: Pleasure Curses plays Pulse at Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., with the Last Artful Dodgr and Wine & Coffee, on Thursday, June 9. 8:30 pm. Free. 21+.
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
31
GRANT CORNETT
MUSIC
Battles plays Wonder Ballroom on Tuesday, June 14. evokes early Joni Mitchell on her debut, Lost Children—specifically, Mitchell’s For Your Roses album, which was sandwiched between Blue’s emotional fragility and Court and Spark’s pop move. Quinn’s delivery is heartfelt but not heartbroken, her tunes accessible but not poppy. Other clear influences include Kate Bush and Tori Amos—the liner notes even specify Quinn’s use of a Bösendorfer grand piano, an Amos trademark. Lyrically, Quinn resembles those latter two artists more than she does Mitchell, offering hazy imagery more than lived-in specificity, but her beautifully supple singing evokes all she might leave unsaid. JEFF ROSENBERG. Laurelthirst Public House, 2958 NE Glisan St. 9:30 pm. $5. 21+.
Chuck Ragan, Michael Dean Damron, Kris Orlowski
[BOSS MEETS BUCK] Spirited Florida punk band Hot Water Music was so influential in its burgeoning late-’90s stage that after graduation, several of my high school friends actually elected to move from Miami to Gainesville specifically to devote themselves to full-time fandom. Seriously. Gainesville. Hot Water Music frontman Chuck Ragan has since mellowed, and his current mellifluous, impassioned output spans folktinged country to tense, vibrant modern rock—more Southern Springsteen than college-town gutter punk with a Bukowski jones. With four solo albums to his name, there’s plenty to entice new devotees looking for someone to pick up a cross and follow. CRIS LANKENAU. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave. 9 pm. $16. 21+.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Voivod, King Parrot, Child Bite, Weresquatch
[SPACE METAL] Portland welcomed Voivod back last year with a sold-out show at Hawthorne Theatre. It had been a long wait: The progressive-metal pioneers had not graced our city since 1999. The current lineup, featuring original vocalist Snake and founding drummer-conceptualist Away, proved that a band 35 years into its career could still play with enthusiasm and draw from a catalog spanning thrash-metal roots, major-label high points and elder-statesman artistry. In February 2016, Voivod released the Post Society EP, which is, incredibly, one of its finest releases to date. These five songs touch on every facet that has made Voivod such an anomaly—interstellar metal, psychedelia, politics, emotion, virtuosity, songcraft, it’s
32
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
all there. Voivod is clearly firing all boosters, lifting into hyperspace with a wry smile on its face. NATHAN CARSON. Dante’s, 350 W Burnside St. 9 pm. $18. 21+.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11 Møtrik, Blesst Chest, No Parts
[KRAUTROCK] Portland’s Møtrik is the kind of band that wears its influence on its sleeve and in its name. It’s a clear reference to motorik, the 4/4 beat most associated with early-’70s German experimental rock. For fans of krautrock or anyone who gets bored with verse-chorus-verse structure, Møtrik does not disappoint. Its instrumental songs are lengthy and far-reaching journeys, all held down by the control and precision of that underlying rhythm. The band hasn’t released any new material since 2014’s selftitled album, but according to social media the musicians have been doing some writing. Perhaps they’ll be looking to test out some of the new stuff live? SHANNON GORMLEY. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave. 9:30 pm. $5. 21+.
New Zoos, Santiam
[COUNTRY] Since its inception in 2013, Portland trio New Zoos has been quietly treating the local bar circuit to its sturdy brand of countrified rock ’n’ roll. The band’s waltzing, twangy sound, thickened by a love for classic vocal harmonies, reminds of A.A. Bondy and Denver. It is currently applying the finishing touches to its first proper EP, due out sometime before the end of the year. Portland fixture and gifted multi-instrumentalist Lewi Longmire voted for New Zoos in Willamette Week’s Best New Band poll last year—high praise from somebody with such a tight grasp on Americana. Fellow rootsy Portland act Santiam joins the bill, ensuring plenty of bang for your 5 bucks. MARK STOCK. Laurelthirst Public House, 2958 NE Glisan St. 9:30 pm. $5. 21+.
Wilkinson Blades, the Redeemed, Monica Nelson with John Alan Naylor
[ROCK] Portlanders Wilkinson Blades’ name puns on leader Steve Wilkinson’s name, but while Wilkinson’s lyrics and Grant Cumpston’s guitar lines are occasionally incisive, the band’s muscular delivery suggests less a razor than a blunt instrument. The band’s new sophomore album, Home, offers earnest, straightforward American rock ’n’ roll à la, say, the Gaslight Anthem, though it reminds me most of ’80s rockers the Del-Lords. There are moments of humor in the lyrics, but Wilkinson’s deadpan delivery
doesn’t make them obvious, and the overall tone is urgent and foreboding. His voice has rough edges, cosmetically speaking, and his songs are somewhat melodically limited, but he hits the notes head-on. Differentiating the tunes falls largely to cumpston, a chameleon of an axeman, lending different textures and tones as needed, from the coruscating, Byrdsian lines of “Highway Sign” to the Stonesy swagger of “Watch the World Go By,” with stops at Velvets and creedence along the way, and the penultimate “Heaven Stuck” lends the whole album a welcome catharsis. JEFF RoSEnBERG. Secret Society, 116 NE Russell St. 9 pm. $10. 21+.
lick and mandolin-flanked aside. While the album’s playful nature and lack of ornamentation may play to Shur’s innate strengths as a songwriter, he still offers plenty to mull over if you look past the plainspoken acoustics. BRAnDon WIDDER. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 8 pm. $5. 21+.
TUESDAY, JUNE 14 Secret Drum Band, Golden Donna, Double Plus Good
[PERcUSSIVE PoWWoW] Secret Drum Band is a collective composed of Portland’s most seasoned party-percussionists and improvisational experimental musicians. Led by Lisa Schonberg, formerly of Explode Into colors and founder of Tom Tom Magazine, the group will be performing a loosely scripted piece in advance of a West coast tour, and will bring out the works for this gala event, with video art and colorful costumes as part of the pageantry. Also on the bill is Golden Donna, which recently set Holocene ablaze with an all-hardware set of sequenced synthscapes and drum-machine marvels. WYAtt ScHAFFnER. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St. 8:30 pm. $10. 21+.
The Body, R.I.P., L.I.A.R.
[HEAVY non-MEtAL] the Body’s 2016 album, No One Deserves Happiness, is not a metal album, and the Body is not a metal band. It plays an extremely heavy mix of pop, post-punk, electronic, industrial and choral music, usually overlaid with chip King’s haunting shrieks, at times so high-pitched and distorted they sound like actual industrial machinery. No One will probably be the best heavy album released by a Portland band this year, but don’t call it heavy metal. WALKER MAcMURDo. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St. 8 pm. $10. 21+.
Tokyo Police Club, We Were Promised Jetpacks
CLASSICAL, JAZZ & WORLD The Bad Plus
[FUtURE JAZZ] A trio of forward-thinking jazz performers as quirky as they are genius, Bad Plus generated a sweltering jazz-
cont. on page 35
PREVIEW coURtESY oF BILLIonS
[InDIE RocK] For its latest release, toronto’s tokyo Police club departed its hometown, relocating to the U.S. in search of perspective and change. After five years of shaking up routines, the dudes reconvened to record Melon Collie and the Infinite Radness, a pair of EPs whose first half saw release in April. It’s a solid effort that finds its sound simplified but expressive. Its bouncy, angular punk enjoys a synthy studio polish, veering into pop territory without coming off as anything so simply categorized as “pop punk.” opener We Were Promised Jetbacks evoke early Strokes if fronted by Arab Strap’s Aiden Moffat and harboring a deep, abiding love of the cure’s Disintegration. cRIS LAnKEnAU. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St. 9 pm. $20 advance, $24 day of show. 21+.
Battles, Chanti Darling, Máscaras
[EXPERIMEntAL AcES] Battles is an example of absurdity at its best. over the course of multiple EPs and three albums—including last year’s excellent La Di Da Di—the new York outfit has developed a style that sounds like the musical equivalent to HtML programming, crafted with electric guitars and an onslaught of loop pedals. the resulting music is complex and layered, with repetitive structures giving way to colorful rhythms that are at times as frantic as they are taut. Sometimes it’s hard to decipher the sound of a guitar from a keyboard or bass, yet therein lies the beauty: the ambiguity of the instruments is what often makes the band’s glitchy instrumentals so inventive, impressive and just plain mind-boggling to see in the flesh. BRAnDon WIDDER. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St. 8 pm. $12 advance, $3 with RSVP at redbullsoundselect.com; $12 day of show. All ages.
SUNDAY, JUNE 12 Mattress, NRVS LVRS, Reptaliens
[WEIRD StUFF] Mattress is weird. out here in Portland, that’s a serious compliment. For starters, there’s Rex Marshall’s voice, somehow sounding like a mix between an ’80s post-punk crooner and a doommetal overlord. then there’s the anxious synths and rhythms that manage to be sparse and minimal while also sounding chaotic and claustrophobic. Mattress’ new single, “Fuck the Future,” maintains all that good stuff while cleaning up the project’s sound by dialing down the lo-fi signatures and pushing Marshall’s voice to the front of the mix. It’s a promising sign for his new album, due this summer. SHAnnon GoRMLEY. Rontoms, 600 E Burnside St. 8 pm. Free. 21+.
MONDAY, JUNE 13 Future Historians, Bevelers, Lee and the Bees
[ELEMEntARY FoLK] Portland’s Future Historians make a special brand of bubblegum folk. there’s both sorrow and shimmering hope embedded in Dave Shur’s lyrical whimsy and direct mannerisms, which he often places beside a catchy medley of “doo-da-doos” and enough nostalgia to power an old-school Spielberg film. the group’s latest release, Portrait of Self, opts for pastoral folk over sci-fi textures, though, and in doing so, culminates in a collection of mellow rockers that shuffle and shake with every lingering guitar
Adia Victoria, Blossom [DARK COUNTRY] Consider Adia Victoria the Chelsea Wolfe of country music. Victoria’s brooding take boasts dark, gothic elements amid murky guitars and a sharp sense of lyrical storytelling. Her religious Southern upbringing provoked a desire to tell her story through a personal gospel, and her debut album, Beyond the Bloodhounds, serves as the window into a young woman’s journey through youthful discontentment and confusion toward self-actualization and satisfaction. Acting as an extensive swan song to her 20s, Beyond the Bloodhounds is a poetic diary entry serving up glum wit with an extra side of disheartened realization. Musically, Victoria creeps into a void that hasn’t immediately appeared empty, yet is refreshing to have filled. Her Southern twang should be graciously welcomed into our Northern atmosphere, offering a different perspective on the ails all of us have experienced, with a stage presence demanding pure, undivided attention. Having already earned glowing praise, it’s clear Victoria and her doleful novella aren’t going anywhere. CERVANTE POPE. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave., 503-328-2865. 9:30 pm Friday, June 10. $10. 21+. Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
33
34
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
MUSIC world heat that has diminished to an ever-burning flame since the band burst onto the scene 13 years ago. Compelling sonic nerds of the highest order—the band’s virtuosic keyboardist Ethan Iverson’s speaking voice sounds just like Toby Radloff—the Bad Plus weaves intricate sonic curiosities out of simple melodic bits, placing sonic thoughts into heavily rhythmic pockets. The results are mesmerizing, whether they’re transforming slacker-rock classics like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” into nu-jazz masterpieces or reimagining Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. PARKER HALL. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave. 7:30 pm Thursday, June 9. $30 advance, $35 day of show. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
African Children’s Choir
[SINGING FOR AFRICA] As much a social cause as a musical event, this free concert features the choir’s parent organization, Music for Life. It has used proceeds from the shows for education, development, care and relief programs in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, which has reportedly helped tens of thousands of African children. BRETT CAMPBELL. Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, 1535 NE 17th Ave. 4:30 pm Saturday, June 11. Free, donations accepted.
Fred Hersch & Anat Cohen
[LYRICAL JAZZ] Way back when, pianist Dave Brubeck and longtime alto sax partner Paul Desmond cut some duo recordings that felt lighter and more liberated than the famous work they’d done together in Brubeck’s mighty quartet. Half a century later, American pianist Fred Hersch and Israeli-American saxophonist-clarinetist Anat Cohen— both multiple winners of all the major jazz awards for their respective instruments, both renowned for combining ear-friendly lyricism with contemporary vision—undertake a similar collaboration. Easily one of the finest and most popular jazz pianist-composers of his generation, Hersch has released three dozen albums, and earned eight Grammy nominations and the admiration of critics and fans, while Cohen blends trad and modern jazz, classical and, lately, Latin American sounds. They are simply two of jazz’s finest players, aesthetically similar enough to complement each other, yet different enough to challenge each other to achieve new, spontaneous creative summits. BRETT CAMPBELL. The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave. 7:30 pm Sunday, June 11. $25 advance, $30 day of show. All ages.
Anthony Strong
[JAZZ VOCAL] Hyped as the next Harry Connick Jr. and as the next big jazz-pop star to come out of Britain since Jamie Cullum, 32-yearold singer-pianist Anthony Strong, with his light, cool style, also sometimes channels early Mel Tormé or John Pizzarelli. Boasting neither a big, rich voice nor extensive rococo scatting skills, the onetime Jerry Lee Lewis understudy built his European reputation as a scintillating live performer. With American songbook standards like “As Time Goes By” and “What Is This Thing Called Love?” as well as more recent Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson covers and concise original ballads, Strong’s determinedly retro new big-band album, On a Clear Day, will please fans of both the originals and latter-day imitators. But his relatively understated swinging approach should work even better here in this more intimate quartet setting. BRETT CAMPBELL. Jimmy Mak’s, 221 NW 10th Ave., 503-295-6542. 6:30 pm Tuesday, June 14. $15 general admission, $20 reserved seating. Under 21 permitted before 9:30 pm.
For more Music listings, visit
DATES HERE ALBUM REVIEWS
Ural Thomas & the Pain,
URAL THOMAS & THE PAIN (Mississippi) [NEW OLD SOUL] Only a singer as joyful as Ural Thomas can truly convey the wounds of love. On his debut full-length with the Pain, the young backing band that came together three years ago to elevate the 75-yearold soulman from lost relic to local living leg end, the hurt runs deep. Cop r o d u c e d by L . A . musician Nick Waterhouse, whose own records are a West Coast analogue to Daptone Records’ vintage productions, the album is dominated by sublime ballads aching with romantic betrayal. Thomas’ graceful croon sounds right at home among the weary horns and classic arrangements of “Here Comes the Hurt” and “Feeling Bad (Since You’ve Gone Away).” And the bluesy “Now You Love Me,” subtle Afro-Latin groove of “When I Get This Feeling” and twist-and-shout re-recording of signature weeper “Pain Is the Name of Your Game” help vary the mood musically. But Thomas doesn’t get a chance to show off the grittier edges of his voice until closer “I’ll Be Gone,” a clap-along stomper in the mold of “Land of 1,000 Dances.” (If you really want to hear him holler, a limited-edition bonus LP of remastered singles from his ’60s heyday is included with the vinyl.) Not giving Thomas more opportunities to let loose is a misstep. We’ve heard the pain. Next time around, we’ll hopefully get more of the pleasure. MATTHEW SINGER. SEE IT: Ural Thomas & the Pain play Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., with Lewi Longmire & the Left Coast Roasters, on Saturday, June 11. 8 pm. $17.50 advance, $20 day of show. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
Bed., KLICKITAT
(Bug Hunt)
[SLO -FI] With Klickitat, Best New Band finalist Bed has effectively written the soundtrack for not wanting to wake up in the morning. On their debut EP, husband-and-wife duo Sierra and Alex Haager offer lethargic, pillowy sounds, with prominent guitar riffs that sway in place like a pendulum in slow motion. It’s a bit like Luna, with palpable ’90s rock leanings reflective of the faint, distant glimmer of a coin at the bottom of a pool. Opener “The Rule” is a balanced, casual duet, while “Wayward” feels like an antique pop song, warm and recognizable. The pace might be slow, but the intensity varies, creating a changing climate within each song, especially in the softly crackling “Fremm.” The effervescent surface guitar and vocal harmonies that are the band’s calling card are often matched by a subtly distorted underbelly. It’s the sort of tit for tat that probably stems from sharing a home and life together. Soft-spoken and comforting, the five tracks come off as habitual without being humdrum. But don’t expect Bed to rile you to your feet. MARK STOCK. SEE IT: Bed plays Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., with Genders and Little Star, on Sunday, June 12. 9 pm. $8 advance, $10 day of show. 21+. Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
35
!A PLACE FOR FRIENDS AND FUN!
No Cover Charge
Karaoke nightly till 2:30am www.chopstickskaraoke.com
(503) 234-6171 3390 NE Sandy Blvd 535 NE Columbia Blvd
SUNDAY AUGUST 28 SATURDAY AUGUST 27
21+
TICKETS ON SALE AT
36
DURAN DURAN ICE CUBE
/ /
NATHANIEL RATELIFF STRFKR / & THE NIGHT SWEATS A$AP FERG / ANDREW W.K. / LIZZO THE COATHANGERS / KYLE CRAFT
TAME IMPALA WEEN //DRIVE LIKE JEHU
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA PARQUET COURTS / SHEER MAG HOP ALONG
/ DIARRHEA PLANET / TENEMENT
PORTLAND.PROJECTPABST.COM WATERFRONT PARK PORTLAND, OR
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
MUSIC CALENDAR WED. JUNE 8 Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave Al Di Meola
Alberta Street Pub 1036 NE Alberta St KMUZ Radio Local Roots Live Series
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St. Falling Doves, Great States
Landmark Saloon
4847 SE Division St, The Davenport Brothers
LaurelThirst Public House
Ash Street Saloon 225 SW Ash St Grumbler
2958 NE Glisan St Lewi Longmire & the Left Coast Roasters, Rabbit Quinn, Ed Haynes
Corkscrew
Mississippi Pizza
1665 SE Bybee Blvd Eddie Parente Trio
Dante’s
350 West Burnside Gaea
High Water Mark Lounge 6800 NE MLK Ave Hands of Thieves, Chrch, WILL
Jimmy Mak’s
221 NW 10th Ave. Mel Brown Quartet, The Christopher Brown Quartet
Landmark Saloon
4847 SE Division St, Jake Ray and the Cowdogs, Miller and Sasser’s Twelve Dollar Band
LaurelThirst Public House
2958 NE Glisan St Balto, King Twang, Lynn Conover & Gravel
Mississippi Pizza
3552 N Mississippi Ave Tallulah’s Daddy
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave. Chuck Ragan, Michael Dean Damron, Kris Orlowski
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. On Drugs
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St Shafty
The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Ave The 6th Annual World Mandolin Concert 2016; Arcadia PDX String Quartet
White Eagle Saloon
836 N Russell St GLASYS, The Variants, Garanzuay
3552 N Mississippi Ave Mo Phillips, Johnny & Jason; Temporary Lesbian Bar
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 Teresa Topaz
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Light Creates Shadow, Era Coda, Bazil Rathbone
The Firkin Tavern 1937 SE 11th Ave Firkin Songwriters: Evan Knapp, Lucio Barbarino, Megan Betley
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St Henhouse Prowlers, Cascade Crescendo
The Know
2026 NE Alberta St Squarecrow, Fools Rush, 48 Thrills
The Secret Society 116 NE Russell St Thursday Swing featuring Hot Club Time Machine, The Pepper Grinders feat. Ralph Carney
Twilight Cafe and Bar
1420 SE Powell Faithless Saints, Coyote Bred, Sitting and Waiting
Valentines
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave The Bad Plus
Alberta Rose
3000 NE Alberta St Carrie Rodriguez
Corkscrew
1665 SE Bybee Blvd Adlai Alexander Trio
Dante’s
350 West Burnside Silver Wedding
Duff’s Garage
2530 NE 82nd Ave John Cleghorn Celtic Band
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St. Willamette Week presents PULSE with the Last Artful Dodgr, Pleasure Curses, Wine and Coffee
Jimmy Mak’s
221 NW 10th Ave. Mel Brown B3 Organ Group
426 SW Washington St. #ARTOFALLFORMS
Kenton Club
2025 N Kilpatrick St Where Lovers Rot, Mane of the Cur, Die Like Gentlemen
Landmark Saloon
4847 SE Division St, Redwood Son
LaurelThirst Public House 2958 NE Glisan St Tommy Alexander, Jay Cobb Anderson; Woddbrain
Mississippi Pizza
3552 N Mississippi Ave Kathryn Claire, Robin Jackson, Jonathan Binkley; Pilar French, Reina Collins
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen
Roseland Theater 8 NW 6th Ave Blue October
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave. Walter “Wolfman” Washington
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. School of Rock Adult Program; The Velveteins, Happy Dagger, Silver Ships
The Firkin Tavern 1937 SE 11th Ave My Siamese Twin, Rocket 3
The Know
2026 NE Alberta St Grey Waves, Dogheart, Stange Wool, Goth TV
The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Ave Friday Night Live with Julianne Johnson
FRI. JUNE 10
White Eagle Saloon
3000 NE Alberta St Joe Purdy with special guest Garrison Starr 1036 NE Alberta St Dylan DiSalvio Band, Scratchdog Stringband, Ky Burt
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St Cool Nutz & DJ Fatboy
Bunk Bar
1028 SE Water Ave. Adia Victoria, Blossom
Dante’s
350 West Burnside Voivod, King Parrot, Child Bite, Weresquatch
Disjecta
8371 N Interstate Refuge: A Concert for Syrians in Exile
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St. Jacob Miller & The Bridge City Crooners
Duff’s Garage
2530 NE 82nd Ave Ken DeRouchie Band
High Water Mark Lounge
6800 NE MLK Ave KIND, Salem’s Bend
LAST WEEK LIVE
Kelly’s Olympian
The Secret Society
Alberta Rose
[JUNE 8-14]
221 NW 10th Ave. Soul Vaccination
232 SW Ankeny St Consumer, Amenta Abioto, Volcanic Pinnacles, Don Gero
Alberta Street Pub
THURS. JUNE 9
Jimmy Mak’s
For more listings, check out wweek.com.
HENRY CROMETT
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
Editor: Matthew Singer. TO HAVE YOUR EVENT LISTED, send show information at least two weeks in advance on the web at wweek.com/ submitevents. Press kits, CDs and especially vinyl can be sent to Music Desk, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Please include show or release date information with all physical mailings. Email: music@wweek.com.
116 NE Russell St Pete Krebs and his Portland Playboys, The Faints 836 N Russell St Max Gomez
Wonder Ballroom 128 NE Russell St. The White Buffalo
REIGNITION: Maybe it’s unfair to compare a band to its younger self, but At the Drive-In is asking for it. If any group could truly be said to have captured “lightning in a bottle,” it’s the Texas quintet, whose combustible yet radio-ready brand of post-hardcore seemed like the antidote to post-millennial nu-metal, before the exhaustion of touring in obscurity for six years caused it to implode just as it caught fire. With the band together again 15 years later, sans founding guitarist Jim Ward, it seemed impossible the group could pick up where it left off. But at a sweaty and sold-out Crystal Ballroom on June 6, At the Drive-In made a go of it anyway. Barreling through most of 2000’s near-commercial breakthrough Relationship of Command, the band sounded tighter and more muscular than in its heyday, stretching out instrumental sections to give guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez room for the proggy solos he began deploying during the intervening years with the Mars Volta. At age 41, wearing a couple extra pounds, singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala didn’t move with the chaotic litheness he once did, but he remained a blur of perpetual motion, crawling over amps, whipping the mic around like an Olympic baton twirler and leaping off the bass drum. Pausing between songs to reminisce about growing up in El Paso and waxing emotional about drummer Tony Hajjar’s two small children back on the tour bus (and give a shout-out to the late Andrew Loomis of Dead Moon and the X-Ray Cafe), his affection for what the band has represented to his life justified the reunion more than anything else. And then he flubbed the first verse of “One Armed Scissor,” the closest At the Drive-In got to having a hit. Lightning doesn’t go back in the bottle. Sometimes, though, catching a tingle of that old electricity can be enough. MATTHEW SINGER.
SAT. JUNE 11 Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave Ural Thomas & The Pain
Alberta Rose
3000 NE Alberta St The Mystery Box Show
Bunk Bar
1028 SE Water Ave. Møtrik, Blesst Chest, No Parts
Camelia Lounge 510 NW 11th Ave Women With Standards Sextet
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St Caravan Palace
Duff’s Garage
2530 NE 82nd Ave Gary Bennet, Oregon Trailers, Warthog Stew
Grace Memorial Episcopal Church
1535 NE 17th Avenue African Children’s Choir
Jimmy Mak’s
221 NW 10th Ave. Soul Vaccination, “Soul Sensation II”
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St. Matthew Lindley Band, The Low Bones, Johnny and the Bells
Landmark Saloon
4847 SE Division St, The Oregon Trailers
LaurelThirst Public House 2958 NE Glisan St New Zoos, Santiam; Kris Deelane & the Hurt; Billy Kennedy
Mississippi Pizza
3552 N Mississippi Ave Lorna Miller; Down Home Music
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave. Shafty
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Superheaven, Creepoid, Spirit Of The Beehive; The Adio Sequence
The Firkin Tavern
1937 SE 11th Ave No Mountain, Spirit Lake, Stubborn Son
The Know
2026 NE Alberta St The Body, R.I.P., L.I.A.R.
The Secret Society
116 NE Russell St Wilkinson Blades, the Redeemed, Monica Nelson with John Alan Naylor; The Jenny Finn Orchestra; Pink Lady Presents The Cat’s Meow
The Venetian Theatre
253 E. Main St., Hillsboro Tony Starlight Music and Comedy Variety Show
Wonder Ballroom 128 NE Russell St. Tokyo Police Club, We Were Promised Jetpacks
SUN. JUNE 12
Mississippi Studios
Al’s Den at Crystal Hotel
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Bed., Genders, Little Star
Corkscrew
600 E Burnside St Mattress, NRVS LVRS, Reptaliens
303 SW 12th Ave Beach Fire
1665 SE Bybee Blvd Aarun & Jonathan
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave. The Afterlife Revival
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St. Up Is The Down Is The, Paper Gates
Landmark Saloon
4847 SE Division St, Ian Miller and Friends
LaurelThirst Public House
2958 NE Glisan St Open Mic hosted by Taylor Kingman; Freak Mountain Ramblers; The Hollerbodies
Mississippi Pizza
3552 N Mississippi Ave Andrew Abaria, Liv Yui
Rontoms
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Jasmine Jordan, Current Personae, Habit Blcx; Scru Face Jean
The Embers Avenue
100 NW Broadway Rocky Rhodes Karaoke
The Know
2026 NE Alberta St Jaill, Mope Grooves, Marcy’s Band, Surf Stoned and the Sun Drunks
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St, Honey Noble, Seance Crasher, No Lala
The Old Church
1422 SW 11th Ave Fred Hersch & Anat Cohen
Twilight Cafe and Bar
1420 SE Powell The Rocketz, Symptoms, The Brass, Davey Deathray
MON. JUNE 13 Dante’s
350 West Burnside Karaoke From Hell
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd. American Head Charge & Motograter at Hawthorne Theatre 6/13
High Water Mark Lounge
6800 NE MLK Ave Airport, Panda Riot, A Certain Smile
CONT. on page 38 Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
37
MUSIC Dig A Pony
THOMAS TEAL
Mississippi Pizza
736 SE Grand Ave. Happy Hour w/ Cali Mike (soul, hip hop, jazz); Maxx Bass (boogieoogieoogie)
3552 N Mississippi Ave Baby Ketten Karaoke; Evan Knapp
Panic Room
3100 NE Sandy Blvd Medicine Moon, Horse Cult, Joy Shannon and the Beauty Marks ,Gwydion Sun
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Ultra Magnetic
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Bazooka Zoo, Mad Arrow, Jazz Heroes, The Hood and the Lyre
1001 SE Morrison St. Jason Webley, Oddjob Ensemble, Johanna Warren
Jimmy Mak’s
221 NW 10th Ave. McMinnville High School Jazz Band; Dan Balmer Trio
LaurelThirst Public House 2958 NE Glisan St Kung Pao Chickens; Portland Country Underground
38
3552 N Mississippi Ave Mr. Ben
The Liquor Store
Mississippi Studios
3341 SE Belmont St, Soft Kill, Underpass, Spirit Host
The Goodfoot
1420 SE Powell Daikaiju, Pushy, Audios Amigos
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Future Historians, Bevelers, Lee and the Bees 2845 SE Stark St Sonic Forum
The Know
2026 NE Alberta St Mercy Ties, Throes, Dead Witch, Muzzle
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
Twilight Cafe and Bar
TUES. JUNE 14 Ash Street Saloon 225 SW Ash St Eye Rock, Nousis
Duff’s Garage
2530 NE 82nd Ave Hi-Fi Mojo
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St. Secret Drum Band, Golden Donna, Double Plus Good
Jimmy Mak’s
221 NW 10th Ave. Anthony Strong; Mel Brown Septet
LaurelThirst Public House 2958 NE Glisan St Jackstraw; Sawtooth
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave. Marti
Euphoria Nightclub
3267 SE Hawthorne Blvd. DJ Joey Prude
Killingsworth Dynasty 832 N Killingsworth St Dynasty Dance Night: Moonwave II w/ DJs D, Slay Me, & Stellar Luna (post-punk)
The Goodfoot
Ground Kontrol
Panic Room
The Know
Panic Room
The Liquor Store
Mississippi Pizza
412 NE Beech Street DJ Eldorado
Moloko
2026 NE Alberta St Satanarchist, Wretched of the Earth, Dead Cult
Holocene
Beech Street Parlor
Gold Dust Meridian
315 SE 3rd Ave GRAVES at FAK Wednesdays
2845 SE Stark St Yak Attack
SODA STREAM: Insane Clown Posse at the Hawthorne Theatre on May 31. Read our review at wweek.com.
East Burn
WED. JUNE 8
3341 SE Belmont St, Mini Blinds, Toxic Slime, No Aloha
511 NW Couch St. TRONix (electronica)
Star Bar
Star Bar
The Embers Avenue
639 Southeast Morrison St. DJ Malibu Sandy
The Embers Avenue
100 NW Broadway Knochen Tanz w/ DJ Tibin
White Eagle Saloon
421 SE Grand Ave Event Horizon w/ DJ Straylight and Miss Q (darkwave, industrial)
836 N Russell St Grant Farm with Kellen Asebroek
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St. Battles, Chanti Darling, Máscaras
3100 NE Sandy Blvd Tetsuo: Rescue, TreyZilla & More (house)
3100 NE Sandy Blvd Wicked Wednesday 2Mex Benefit
Twilight Cafe and Bar
1420 SE Powell Bobbyrock (Feat. Justin Bobby Brescia from MTV The Hills)
3967 N. Mississippi Ave. NorthernDraw
The Lovecraft Bar
THURS. JUNE 9 Beech Street Parlor 412 NE Beech Street DJ Nunya Business
Beulahland
118 NE 28th Ave Bad Wizard
Dig A Pony 736 SE Grand Ave. A Train and Eagle Sun King (vintage cumbia)
639 Southeast Morrison St. DJ CJ 100 NW Broadway Thursday Electronic
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave Shadowplay w/ DJ Carrion (goth, industrial)
FRI. JUNE 10 Beech Street Parlor
412 NE Beech Street DJ Danny Glover’s Kid
Beulahland
118 NE 28th Ave Atom 13 & Nym
Black Book
20 NW 3rd Ave The Cave w/ Massacooramaan
Crush Bar
1400 SE Morrison Show of Tomorrow! w/ DJ Aurora (spacey jams)
1800 E Burnside St. Rhythmic Shock w/ DJ’s Kryptic & Brainfood (oldschool, funk, breaks)
Gold Dust Meridian
3267 SE Hawthorne Blvd. DJ A-Train
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St. Dance Yourself Clean (modern dance)
Killingsworth Dynasty
832 N Killingsworth St Electric Dreams w/ DJ Acid Rick & DJ Savage (new wave, italo disco, Hi-NRG)
Moloko
3967 N. Mississippi Ave. Diamond Stylus w/ King Tim 33 1/3
Spare Room
4830 NE 42nd Ave pdx or 97218 Aaliyah x Outkast: A Tribute (90s-2000s hip hop, R&B)
Star Bar
639 Southeast Morrison St. DJ Smooth Hopperator
The Embers Avenue
100 NW Broadway Friday Night 80’s & Top 40 w/ Dj Jens
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St Soul Stew w/ DJ Aquaman (funk, soul, disco)
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave NecronNancy (queer dance party)
Where to drink this week. 1. Lardo
1205 SW 12th Ave., 503-241-2490, lardosandwiches.com. All during Portland Beer Week (see page 25), Lardo’s westside location might as well be a Breakside brewpub, with 16 taps of common and rare brews, including Breakside’s Fitzcarraldo Barrel-Aged Reserve Blend and bourbon-barrel Aztec chili beer.
E M I LY J O A N G R E E N E
BAR REVIEW
2. Toffee Club
1006 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 971-254-9518, toffeeclubpdx.com. Where else can you eat bangers and mash and down a Fuller’s while watching a backroom projection of an Everton game with a soccer ball bigger than any human head? Also, it has a block party this weekend.
3. Old Gilbert Road Tavern
5501 SE 72nd Ave., oldgilbertroad.com. The spirit of Mount Scott resides in this rough-andtumble dive with “classy as fuck” Champagne cocktails, “chicken stripper” sandwiches and a damn good tap list, not to mention a stage housing bizarro nights co-hosted by a lady in a monkey suit.
4. Skyline Tavern
8031 NW Skyline Blvd., 503-286-4788, skytav.com. Skyline Tavern, our 2016 Bar of the Year, is a singular mountain vacation within Portland city limits— an old roadhouse dive with a back patio looking out on trees and more trees, a barbecue out back and, lately, a credit-card reader and a great beer list.
5. Shift Drinks
1200 SW Morrison St., 503-922-3933, shiftdrinkspdx.com. Shift Drinks is a very smart bar, with very strong drinks, very good service and very idiosyncratic wines. It is, perhaps, the only westside drinkery we can trust to keep its cool, even on a Saturday.
SPIN CITY CONTINUED
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St Surface Noise Vinyl Invitational Happy Hour (B.Y.O. records)
SAT. JUNE 11 Beech Street Parlor 412 NE Beech Street Rhonnie Two-Shakes
Beulahland
118 NE 28th Ave Roane Namuh
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St Come As You Are 90s Dance Flashback
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave. Montel Spinozza (funk)
Gold Dust Meridian
3267 SE Hawthorne Blvd. DJ Green Fuzz
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St. Verified: STYLSS Takeover
CITY-BLOCK CELLAR DOOR: North Portland’s Jan-Marc Wine Cellars has been humbly crushing grapes out of a two-car garage off Killingsworth Street since 2003, making Jan-Marc Baker one of the few literal garagiste winemakers amid the city’s increasingly professionalized urban wine scene. Although he remains under the radar, Baker has quietly moved his wine out of the garage—and into a new bar called Garagiste (1225 N Killingsworth St., 503-954-3959, janmarcwinecellars.com). Along with Barbara, his wife and partner, Baker has crafted a lovely, intimate bistro space where wine is the focus, offering a restrained, minimalist take on urban winemaking. About 12 Jean-Marc wines are available by the glass at Garagiste, ranging from $9 to $13. His bone-dry Sunnyside Vineyard riesling was my favorite, along with a memorable “smoked” merlot from a Columbia Valley vineyard that received a dose of residual wood smoke from a nearby forest fire. But it’s the food here that threatens to steal the scene. Garagiste offers a focused menu with hyper-fresh local ingredients, much of it sourced from the couple’s network of collaborators and friends. My Oregon steelhead trout with wine-sauteed onions and fennel ($14) was unexpectedly deft and composed. An order of chevre ($8) from a little goat herd in Ridgefield, Wash., was similarly on point, served with good bread, radishes, pink peppercorns and herbs. Outwardly a wine bar, this is quietly one of the best new restaurants to open in foodstarved North Portland this year. JORDAN MICHELMAN.
Moloko
3967 N. Mississippi Ave. DJ Cuica
Panic Room
3100 NE Sandy Blvd DJ Deeon (ghetto, house)
Sandy Hut
1430 NE Sandy Blvd. DJ Gypsy Roller
The Embers Avenue
100 NW Broadway Saturday Top 40 Remixed w/ Dj Jens
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St Tropitaal Desi-Latino Soundclash w/ DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave Musick For Mannequins w/ DDDJJJ666 & Magnolia Bouvier (eclectic vinyl dance)
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St Devil’s Pie w/ DJ Wicked (hip-hop, R&B, feel-good jams)
SUN. JUNE 12 Beech Street Parlor 412 NE Beech Street Troubled Youth
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave. Sunday Selects (throwback rap, R&B)
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave Glam Rock Trash Bash
MON. JUNE 13 Beech Street Parlor 412 NE Beech Street DJ Cuica
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave. Bad Wizard (50s & 60s soul, rock)
Ground Kontrol
511 NW Couch St. Reagan-o-mix (80s new wave, hip-hop, soundtrack)
Star Bar
639 Southeast Morrison St. Metal Monday
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave Murder Mass (industrial, 80s, spooky)
TUES. JUNE 14 Beech Street Parlor 412 NE Beech Street DJ Nate C.
Black Book
20 NW 3rd Ave Turnt Up Tuesdays w/ DJ Ronin Roc & DJ Automaton
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave. Lowlife (garage, rockabilly, doo wop)
Star Bar
639 Southeast Morrison St. DJ Robert Soxx
The Embers Avenue 100 NW Broadway Recycle w/ DJ Tibin (dark dance)
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave. Tubesdays w/ DJ Jack
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
39
40
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
PERFORMANCE = WW Pick. Highly recommended. Most prices listed are for advance ticket sales. At-the-door increases and so-called convenience charges may apply, so it’s best to call ahead.
Theater Openings & previews American Idiot
Summer is here: ‘Tis the season for campy, hormonal teen dramas (see Post5 Theatre’s Stupid Kids). The final show of Triangle’s 26th season is the 2011 Broadway version of Green Day’s 2004 album, which revived the nasally “punk” soundtrack of everyone’s deplorable middle school years. The Three Stooges here are Johnny, Tunny and Will, who try to remedy their angst by fleeing to drugs, the military and beer, respectively. Sing along to the age of paranoia at this flamboyant Sandy Boulevard theater, known for giving away Corn Nuts at Heathers and making Liza Minnelli-themed cocktails for Liza! Liza! Liza! The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza, 1785 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-239-5919. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, June 9-July 2. $15-$35.
Motown the Musical
Motown founder Berry Gordy started out as a featherweight boxer, then launched heavy-hitting talents like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson into stardom. Broadway in Portland presents this spectacle of nonstop song and dance with neon backdrops and bell-bottom pants. Relive the Jackson 5’s top hits, if you can handle a two-and-a-half hourplus run time with the inevitable families in the audience. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., portland5.com. 7:30 pm Tuesday-Friday; 2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 1 and 6:30 pm Sunday, June 14-19. $30-$105.
The Mystery Box Show
Sex talks from local storytellers, like She Bop educator Stella Harris, and The Daily Beast writer R. Tod Kelly. Roleyplay, mistaken oreintation snafus and extra-maritcal affairs are the fare of the night. For The Moth fans who like to venture into the public and have a stomach for naked truths. Alberta Rose Theater, 7 pm Saturday, June 11. $20.
Our New Girl
Irish theater is back in Portland, thanks to director Gemma Whelan of the oneand-only contemporary Irish company, Corrib Theatre. For this psychological drama about the downside of being a perfect London parent, Whelan has an amazing cast, including Portlanders Nikki Weaver, Paige A. McKinney and the infallible Todd Van Voris. The man performed a riveting wannabe Elvis impersonation on a kitchen tabletop in The New Electric Ballroom this spring. Here, Van Voris is Richard, a plastic surgeon who leaves his pregnant wife with a failing business and terrible child while he does charity work in Haiti. The Irish nanny who arrives to help is more suspicious than comforting in this Northwest premiere of Nancy Harris’s modern play. Portland Actors Conservatory, 1436 SW Montgomery St., corribtheatre.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Sunday, June 10-June 26. $25.
Stupid Kids
Welcome to Joe McCarthy High School in Anytown, America, circa 1980-something. It’s a petri dish of drama, where two gay friends struggle with their budding hormones. Neechee is a recluse who falls for the town rebel. Kimberly is loud and proud and in love with the “it” girl. This staging of John C. Russell’s off-Broadway satire comes from Post5’s new management, including Rusty Tennant, who also oversees the LGBTQdedicated OUTwright Theatre Festival.
It’s the MTV generation’s view of coming out, staged in an old Sellwood church. Post5 Theatre, 1666 SE Lambert St., 7:30 pm Friday-Sunday, through June 25. Extra show 7:30 pm Thursday, June 23. $20.
Urban Tellers
The Portland Story Theater is a testing ground for local storytellers to imagine audiences in their underwear and test whether their anti-anxiety pills are working. The unscripted stories are new each week. In between each 10-minute, there’s drink and jazz music. Alberta Abbey, 126 NW Alberta St., 8 pm Saturday, June 11. $18. 21+.
“Uh, I grew up in socal.”: Negin Farsad.
Weekend at Bernie’s
feature
Also Playing
Muslim-American Comedian Negin Farsad went from Hillary Clinton’s intern to doing standup.
Not that Bernie. This might the the longest-running summer show in Portland, but the comedic buddy tale won’t last until election night. Instead, Portland’s top improv talents stage the bumbling tale of two guys trying to convince the world that their boss is not dead. Think Office Space with 1980s Hawaiian shirts, mob bosses and super hot babes, inside Portland’s best new comedy venue. After the show, enjoy the fragrant Old Town scene outside. The Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis St., weekendatberniespdx. com. 10 pm Friday-Saturday, June 10-July 30. $16-$24.
Francesca, Isabella, Margarita on a Cloud
In Carol Triffle’s latest eccentric musictheatre piece, three Southern sisters spill their fame-shame moments, from backstage at a Tiny Miss pageant or accidentally naked on camera. Francesca, the smart one, inherited her childhood home for playing the loser in her parent’s pageant scam and now begrudgingly rents rooms to her sisters. Like a wornout dollhouse, the set features faded pastels, protruding corners, painted appliances and uncanny doors good for revolving entrances and exits. The Portland-famous Megan Skye Hale keeps her considerable energy contained for this role, the stump to her sister’s swinging branches. Isabella (Elizabeth Fagan) returns from Albuquerque where she acted in an art film, or a “sensitive scene,” or yeah, porn. She flops and flails, dropping polaroids and fishing for praise. She is no match for Margarita (Anne Sorce), who has endless energy for self-aggrandizing, often using the top of the kitchen table as her pedestal and dishing scornful affection to her admirer, Bob the Weatherman (Sean Bowie), who dedicates each bizarre broadcast to her beauty. Exposition drags the play down, but its exaggerated physicality and quirky humor earns the applause. JESS DRAKE. Imago Theatre, 17 SE 8th Ave., 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, through June 19. $15-25.
The Skin of Our Teeth
Thornton Wilder’s 1943 Pulitzer-winner is a farcical, fourth-wall-breaking rumination on the endless cycle of human suffering. Each member of the the Antrobus family represents a key aspect of humanity—whether it be the “secrets only known to women” or the roots of anger and war. If all of this sounds a tad convoluted, that’s because it is. The actors (particularly Sara Hennessy’s sassy character, Sabina) hilariously break character throughout the play to let the audience know that they think so too. Still, they forge on, miraculously
cont. on page 42
Multitalented, Ultra-Hyphenated With the rise of “call-out culture,” do you find that Muslims are a part of this conversation about cultural integrity? I think that, because the word “Muslim” is such a polarizing term, one that people can use on the campaign trail to rile people up, that people have a hard time associating Muslim people with anything positive. Even shows like Homeland show one-dimensional images of Muslims as terrorists. We used to see buck-toothed, cross-eyed Oriental characters in movies, but that would never happen now. We just haven’t gotten there yet for Muslims.
Negin Farsad is a former public policy adviser with two master’s degrees from Columbia University, so her ethnic background is only a small part of what distinguishes her from most comedians. The Iranian-American filmmaker-actor-writer is multitasking on the road, promoting her book How to Make White People Laugh and her film 3rd Street Blackout, a romcom about a techy “I know Do you ever get exhausted by couple who get separated during more about hyphens? the Hurricane Sandy blackout When people ask me why I identify in New York City. flip-flops as something other than American, After noticing that telling I tell them that I spoke multiple than jokes was more fun than readlanguages at home, ate different ing her book out loud, Farsad sleeper cells.” food and had different rules in my turned her book tour into a home, so why should I erase all that? —Negin Farsad comedy tour. Before her show at People identify themselves as Powell’s Books, she talked with WW Patriots fans or bookworms. Many about over-hyphenation, Homeland comedians start sets with, “I’m from Bosand becoming the second Muslim-Ameriton.” I don’t think we should care. can president. LAUREN TERRY. WW: Have you visited Portland before? Negin Farsad: My best friend lives in PDX, and I visit her, so I’m familiar with the blend of very liberal, progressive attitudes here, as well as the fact there aren’t many black people. She’s black, so when my friend shows me around Portland, we are the diversity wherever we go. With more diversity on comedy club marquees, are you seeing a more multiracial audience? It’s interesting seeing how other states respond to booking their first Muslim-American act. Recently, I was in North Carolina, and everyone kept asking me, “Is this weird for you?” I said, “Uh, I grew up in SoCal. Nothing different is going to happen at this show. I know more about flip-flops than sleeper cells.”
You said you want to run for office in New York City? This isn’t really out of the blue; it would be finishing my dream as an 11-year-old. I grew up wanting to be the first Muslim president. Barack Obama beat me to it. Your book is called How to Make White People Laugh. Is that different from what makes Muslim-Americans laugh? What makes Muslim-Americans laugh is what makes the rest of Americans laugh. That’s the secret. see it: Negin Farsad appears at Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 503-228-4651. 4 pm Saturday, June 11. Free. Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
41
courtes y of neginfarsad . com
Editor: ENID SPITZ. Theater: ENID SPITZ (espitz@wweek.com). Dance: eNID SPITZ (dance@wweek.com). TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, submit information at least two weeks in advance to: espitz@wweek.com.
PERFORMANCE saved each time by the skin of their teeth.Extra show 2 pm Saturday, June 11. RUSSELL HAUSFELD. Artist’s Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St., 503-241-1278. 7:30 pm Wednesday-Saturday; 2 and 7:30 pm Sunday, through June 19. $25.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Demetrius Grosse, a gargantuan column of muscle definition and sweat-licked skin, dominates Portland Center Stage’s A Streetcar Named Desire as theater’s most wellknown abuser, Stanley Kowalski. The entire production is a perfectly cast and detail-oriented take on Tennessee Williams’ classic. As one of our wealthiest theaters, PCS can afford Equity talent, extras, a warehouse of costumes, and sets by award winners like New York’s G.W. Mercier. Streetcar brings it all. But too many theatrical tricks distract
from the show’s biggest asset—the cast. Alongside Grosse’s monolith of masculinity, Kristen Adele is the ideal Stella—a wide-eyed young wife frosting cakes and tidying. She looks at home in lace-collared pinafores, bare feet and a hairstyle like Dorothy’s in Oz. The addled Blanche, on the other hand, is an explosion of manic energy as played by NAACP awardwinner Deidrie Henry, Like sardines, the characters pack into the two-room set, a dilapidated French Quarter apartment with crumbling plaster. There’s always an extra to watch, a costume change to judge, a jazz riff punctuating dialogue or a prostitute lighting up in the wings. Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., 503-445-3700. 7:30 pm Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday; noon and 7:30 pm Thursday; 2 and 7:30 pm Saturday-Sunday. Through June 19. $25-$75.
The Udmurts
The coffee line at intermission was buzzing after a startling bit of bloody Udmurtian horse magic just before the break (Udmurtia is a region of Russia, if you were wondering). Then, a perky Southern lady says: “I’ve just never seen nothing like that before. Two boys kissing! But that’s just real life, even if it ain’t mine. That’s why I love Defunkt.” It’s hard to resist enjoying the lazy seduction of a shining, virginal gay boy by a smooth-talking, trustfund dude and his fierce, thieving girlfriend. They pass a joint around the pullout couch bed with rainbow afghan in the apartment filled with eclectic treasures, or junk, depending on your eye. Then the seduction turns sinister, to edgeplay with sexual violence and straight-up scams.
COURTESY OF MARY AGNEW
REVIEW
STRAIGHT OUTTA LONDON: Susannah Mars and David Pittsinger.
Bloody Brilliant THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY SETS SLAY AT PORTLAND OPERA’S SWEENEY TODD. Sweeney Todd is the greatest story about revenge, young love and cannibalism ever told. Inspired by penny dreadfuls from the 19th century, Stephen Sondheim turned the legend of a murderous barber—and popular 1973 stage play—into this darkly comic musical. Portland Opera’s performance, onstage at the Keller, uses the same set from the original 1979 Broadway production. It’s dark, bloody and a ton of fun. The tale begins with the eponymous Todd and Anthony Hope, a young sailor, arriving in London. The jaunty opening duet, “No Place Like London,” is interrupted by a filthy beggar woman singing, “Wouldn’t you like to push me crumpet?” Instead, Todd (David Pittsinger) announces his plans to open a pie shop on Fleet Street. As Todd’s landlord and future business partner, Mrs. Lovett (Susannah Mars), breaks into “The Worst Pies in London” in a thick cockney accent, the bloody tale is underway. Sets and costume design here create a dingy, grungy London straight out of the first half of the 19th century. This London is the sort of place where an old beggar could alternate between asking for alms and “a little jig-jig.” It’s the sort of place where you could go to an insane asylum to get hair from the inmates. It’s 42
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
the sort of place where a judge can profess his love for his ward while striking himself with a cat-o’-nine-tails. Sweeney Todd is perhaps Sondheim’s most operatic work. Nearly every line is sung, with most of the male roles filled with bass and baritone voices. It’s deep is what I’m saying. The low, rolling boom of Todd’s voice is an ideal match for Mrs. Lovett’s cockney soprano. The accents, slang and broken English—“to shave-a the face!”—established Sweeney Todd’s reputation as a show full of bad singing. While Tim Burton went out his way to emphasize this in his film adaptation starring Johnny Depp, the music here is exemplary. This is an earnest, loving revival of the original Broadway production, right down to Adolfo Pirelli’s frighteningly flamboyant swings with the straight razor while singing “The Contest.” A barber murdering clients is terrifying. (Hell, just using a straight razor is scary enough.) A man trying to bang the young woman he’s taken as his ward is despicable. A pie-maker grinding humans into pie filling and then serving those meat pies to a hungry public is revolting. And yet, Sondheim and the capable Portland Opera make it a fitful, funny romp through London town. JOHN LOCANTHI. SEE IT: Sweeney Todd is at Keller Auditorium,
222 SW Clay St., 503-248-4335. 7:30 pm Thursday and Saturday, June 9 and 11. $28-$250.
Apartment owner Mrs. Huff (Jane Geesman), a former actress and last of the Udmurts—pagan redheads whose land was stolen by the USSR for chemical warfare factories—takes in a renter, Nate (Samson Syharath), who has fled his abusive Florida megachurch family. This play elegantly shifts between vulnerability, violence, arousal and betrayal, raising the question ”Who can be trusted?” JESS DRAKE. Defunkt Theatre, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503974-4938. 7:30 pm ThursdaySunday, May 13-June 18. Pay what you will Thursdays and Sundays, $15-$25 Fridays and Saturdays.
DANCE Anything Goes Burlesque
It’s the second anniversary of the long-running, scandalous variety show from Dee Dee Pepper and Wanda Bones, where feather boas, slinky black silk and pin-up acts take over the clown-themed Funhouse Lounge. Special guests include redheaded Portlander Sophie Maltease, who looks like Disney’s Ariel and runs the circuit of local shows like Rue Royale and Bechdel Test Burlesque. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., pepperandbonespresents. com. 9:30 pm Saturday, June 11. $12. 21+.
Summer Splendors
Three world premieres, two with original scores, and all by lady choreographers, launch Northwest Dance Project’s summer programming. Artistic director Sarah Slipper’s “Woolf Papers” tries to translate Mrs Dalloway into dance, and Slipper, with her style that mixes ballet-like extensions and contorting duets, might nail it. The other works come from Reed College dance department chair Carla Mann and New Yorker Yin Yue. Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 SW Park Ave., nwdanceproject.org. 7:30 pm ThursdaySaturday, June 9-11. $34-$58.
COMEDY The Brody Open Mic
Twice-weekly, Portland’s most prolific improv venue opens its stage to everyone for 3-minute bits. Sign up online day of before 1 pm. Brody Theater, 16 NW Broadway, 224-2227. 8:30 pm Tuesday-Wednesday. Free. The Brody, 16 NW Broadway Portland OR 97209. Tuesday. Free.
Chris D’Elia
Known to be Justin Bieber’s favorite comic, Chris D’Elia is a veteran of shows like Whitney and Undateable. He’s a staple on Comedy Central and a regular in the Hollywood comedy club scene. After three seasons as castmates, there’s a good chance D’Elia has an embarrassing story or 10 about Ron Funches. MIKE ACKER. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 971-808-5094. 7:30 pm Friday-Saturday, June 10 & 11. $30. 21+.
Curious Comedy Open Mic
Sign up start at 7:15, and every comic gets a tight three minutes onstage in this weekly show hosted by Andie Main. Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 8 pm Sundays. Free.
Earthquake Hurricane
Some of WW’s favorite funny Portlanders showcase famous and not-so-famous, local and not-so-local comedians. Hosted by Curtis Cook, Alex Falcone, Anthony Lopez and Bri Pruett inside a pretty epic bike shop. Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd Ave., 922-2012. 9 pm every Wednesday. Free, $5 suggested donation. 21+.
Extra Cheese
Brodie Kelly’s weekly pizza party/ comedy showcase gives locals a tight 5 for standup, and coincides with happy hour: $2.50 pints. Hotlips Pizza, 2211 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 234-9999. 8 pm Mondays. Free.
Lachlan Patterson
Canadian import Lachlan Patterson has been making the rounds. From Last Comic Standing to Tosh.0, Patterson’s unique joke-telling style has earned him a reputation as a comic on the rise. With a threenight, five-show Portland engagement, there’s no reason not to see one more hilarious neighbor from the north. MIKE ACKER. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Thursday, 7:30 and 10 pm, Friday-Saturday, June 9-11. $15-$31. 21+.
Open Court
This weekly, long-form improv show combines performers from many Portland theaters and troupes. Newbies are welcome and teams are picked at random, then coached by an improv veteran before taking the stage. Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 7:30 pm Thursdays. $5. Curious Comedy, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. Thursday. Free.
Portland’s Funniest Person Preliminary Rounds
The latest search for Portland’s most hilarious individual rolls on. Closing out the contest’s first week, Wednesday night’s lineup includes heavy-hitters such as Ali Reingold, perennial finalist Gabe Dinger and Jon Washington. The second week features two jampacked lineups. Former finalist Jason Traeger will be joined by the likes of Barbara Holm, Whitney Streed, Kate Murphy, Robbie Pankow and Milan Patel. MIKE ACKER. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 7 and 10 pm Wednesday June 8 and Tuesday June 14. $10. 21+.
The Ranger Station Open Mic
Sign ups start at 8 pm for a weekly open mic night hosted by Victor Johnson, set in the whiskeyheavy bar WW once compared to “a Roosevelt-era public works cabin.” The Ranger Station, 4260 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 894-8455. 8:30 pm Wednesday. Free. 21+.
Sunday School
Workshop students, veteran crews and groups that pre-register online perform long form improv every Sunday. Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 6 pm Sundays. $5 suggested donation.
Supernova
Brody’s students showcase their improv, sketch and standup skills— a different class each week. Brody Theater, 16 NW Broadway, 2242227. 7:30 pm Thursdays. $5. The Brody, 16 NW Broadway Portland OR 97209. Thursday. Free.
Thursday Night Throwdown
Curious’ twice-monthly competition pits teams that apply in advance online against one another for a chance to compete in Friday Night Fights the next week. It’s first come, first served, and every groups gets 17 minutes. Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 9:30 pm every second and fourth Thursday. Free.
HEADOUT P.23
For more Performance listings, visit Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
43
= WW Pick. Highly recommended. By JENNIFER RABIN. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, submit show information—including opening and closing dates, gallery address and phone number—at least two weeks in advance to: Visual Arts, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: espitz@wweek.com.
2016 Student Thesis Exhibition
Going to see student work can be a great way to scout out diamonds in the rough. This time around, two pieces of conceptual sculpture by Hannah Hertrich steal the show. Exploring the realities of being torn between two cultures, Hertrich constructs a bench with blond, un-ornamented wood on one side and dark, lathe-tuned wood on the other—and then pulls them apart like taffy, with material-defying threads in between. In another piece, the backs of two off-kilter chairs are joined in a twisted arch high above them, creating a beautiful but strained bridge in between. Hertrich’s conceptual premise and the meticulous craftsmanship she employs to bring it to fruition are more impressive than work I’ve seen at bluechip galleries. Someone please give this woman a show. PNCA, 511 NW Broadway, 503-226-4391. Through June 17.
Album
Photographer Joe Rudko creates a series of assemblages out of photos he found in an abandoned shed. Sorting through thousands of images which were taken over 100 years, Rudko bridges the expanse of time by working with visual commonalities— water, shadows, sky—to create new compositions that speak to the universal human experience. The title of the series, Album, suggests that by culling elements from photos taken over a century by different people, in different parts of the world, one can create a photo album that includes everyone. In the hands of another person, the collage assembly might have fallen flat or have been, at best, uninspired, but Rudko’s masterful understanding of rhythm, negative space and composition makes the work moving and transcendent. PDX Contemporary Art, 925 NW Flanders St., 503-227-5111. Through July 2.
Land Ohne Eltern (Country Without Parents)
Due to economic hardship, it is a common practice for parents in the Republic of Moldova (formerly part of the Soviet Union) to leave their children behind while they seek work in other countries. Photographer Andrea Diefenbach follows some of these parents abroad to document their hard labor. Her series Land Ohne Eltern gives us both sides of the heartbreaking story, by showing images of parents alongside intimate portraits of the children back in Moldova who are being raised by family, friends or, in some cases, no one. Blue Sky Gallery, 122 NW 8th Ave., 503-225-0210. Through July 3.
Or Fact a Formal Treatment
Artist Robert Schlegel and his son Rob Schlegel, a poet, collaborated on a series of visual and textual works on paper. Using dictionary pages as his canvas, the elder Schlegel drew acrylic and charcoal figures against a wordy background that his son scoured for the building blocks of his poems. The resulting work, shown as limited-edition archival prints, shows form interrupted by language and language obscured by form, causing us to look at both more critically and with greater curiosity. Roll-Up Photo Studio + Gallery, 1715 SE Spokane St., 503-267-5835. Through June 30.
Reactive Matters
This might be the first time you see a photo show in which one of the photographers never touched a camera. Newspace’s thoughtful exhibition, Reactive Matters, features the work of three photographers about the effect of nuclear energy on our environment. Shimpei Takeda exposes photo-sensitive paper to soil samples from Fukushima, capturing latent images of radioactivity that look like the night sky—his camera nowhere in sight. Abbey Hepner photographs nuclear waste facilities using a vanished processing technique involving uranium that lends an acid-orange cast to her images. Jeremy Bolen buried his film near nuclear reactors before unearthing it to document the surrounding landscapes. The work of these three artists is a powerful testament to conceptual photography. Newspace Center for Photography, 1632 SE 10th Ave., 503963-1935. Through July 23.
Sharon Bronzan
Sometimes we find treasures where we’re not looking. If you bypass the two main exhibitions at Augen Gallery (we’re going rogue here), you will find a series of figurative paintings on panel by artist Sharon Bronzan. Bronzan’s female subjects stand triumphantly in treetops and consort with foxes and antelope, all while wearing clothes that match the forms of nature around them. The magical quality of the work makes it feel as though it was created by a fine artist who got her start illustrating children’s books. So unless you’re hard-hearted or have lost your sense of wonder, Bronzan’s paintings will carry to back to a sweeter more innocent time. Augen Gallery, 716 NW Davis St., 546-5056. Through July 2.
Stupid Man
Ty Ennis’ series of grayscale paintings are rough and loose. Images of a heron, a cowboy in shadow and a man skinning a deer are rendered with few assertive brush strokes, conveying worlds with little gesture. With Stupid Man, Ennis set out to make a body of work that would return him to an earlier time—when he first started
COURTESY OF DAMIEN GILLEY
VISUAL ARTS painting—with fewer materials, expectations and obligations. The simplicity, joy and freedom of that time are evident in the work, folded in with autobiographical references to his life as a new father (think Looney Tunes characters). He successfully uses the visual language and techniques of youth to question the expectations and obligations of adulthood. Nationale, 3360 SE Division St., 477-9786. Through June 18.
Subduction
When you walk into Upfor to survey the exhibition as a whole, there is a vanished and unknowable quality to the work. You tell yourself that if you get closer, each piece will reveal itself to you. But strangely, surprisingly, gloriously, that never happens. Even when you look at the materials list for each of the 2-D pieces—which range from lithographic plates to pigment prints to wax paper— it’s impossible to tell how the images were created. And this feels entirely freeing. Upfor’s ambitious mission to show time-based and new media work that often centers around technology, can cause its exhibitions to feel disjointed. But with Subduction, a threeperson show featuring the work of artists Sharon Koelblinger, Harold Mendez and Ronny Quevedo, Upfor has created a beautifully cohesive show that will sink into your bones if you let it. Upfor, 929 NW Flanders St., 503-227-5111. Through July 9.
Tooth & Claw
The front gallery of Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art is teeming with life. Cross sections of tree trucks hang on the far wall. Large steel carbon chains wait to be stepped over. A dark form on a white canvas could be a taproot or a dendrite. Artist and designer Brian Borrello uses wholly unnatural materials like fiberglass, epoxy and motor oil to create a series of sculptures and paintings that represent the building blocks of life and make a powerful statement about man’s relationship to and effect on the natural world. Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art, 2219 NW Raleigh St., 503-544-3449. Through June 18.
The United States v. Tim DeChristopher
Some artists devote themselves to creating objects, others to creating awareness. Andrea Bowers, an artist and social activist, falls into the latter category with her documentary short The United States v. Tim DeChristopher. The film, projected in the back gallery at Elizabeth Leach, tells the story of DeChristopher’s protest of an oil and gas auction in Utah’s untouched Red Rocks region. In an attempt to prevent drilling, DeChristpher bid on 22,000 acres of land totaling $1.8 million dollars and, upon winning, refused to pay. There are setbacks and triumphs to how things turn out—and I don’t want to spoil it—but Bowers shows us how the average person can take on powerful forces to change great swaths of our country. Elizabeth Leach Gallery, 417 NW 9th Ave., 503-224-0521. Through July 16.
For more Visual Arts listings, visit
SPECTACULAR: A screenshot of Damien Gilley’s Specular.
REVIEW
VR Art
Put on Specular’s goggles, and Hap Gallery turns into Tron.
When you arrive at Hap Gallery this month, the space will be completely empty save for a pair of enormous black goggles hanging on the wall, trailed by a long cord. Donning them transports you into an immersive virtual reality installation, designed by artist Damien Gilley, that resembles the digital future promised to us by sci-fi films of the ’80s (think Tron). Neon green and fuchsia lines, like laser beams, define the planes of the room, giving you the impression of being inside a three-dimensional blueprint drawn by an architect on hallucinogens. The virtual space extends 40 feet below the floor you are walking on, so you may have the sensation at certain points that your next step will plummet you into the abyss. Look up to find that the room continues upward for many stories. The 2-D screen grab you can see on this page will give you a hint of what the installation looks like but, not unlike a photograph of a sunset, it fails to capture the sensory marvel of the experience. When you have reached the boundary of the virtual environment, a gridded wall materializes in front of you, commanded by tiny black sensors around the gallery, signaling you to turn. Gilley developed the installation, titled Specular, during a residency with the interactive software company Dotdotdash, which coded the program so that Gilley could draw and edit the environment himself, in three dimensions, using wireless remotes in both hands. Gilley, whose work is devoted to “investigating perception of space,” designed what he calls five “events” throughout Specular, which include tunnels, clouds of cosmic star dust, and a wall that disappears after you screw up the courage to walk through it: Look back at it and it doesn’t exist anymore. Gilley’s aesthetic sophistication and his understanding of dimensionality is apparent in his level of restraint. Given access to this level of technology, most artists would be tempted to create an over-the-top environment, filling out every corner with objects or creatures or ornament. Gilley employs such economy of gesture, giving us so much to navigate with so little. If there is a line of people in front of you at the gallery, consider it part of the show. Almost as staggering as the experience of being inside the goggles is watching other people wander around an open space bumping into walls that don’t exist. JENNIFER RABIN. SEE IT: Specular is at Hap Gallery, 916 NW Flanders St., 503-444-7101, hapgallery.com. Through July 9.
Portland Nonprofits! It’s time! Apply for the 2016 Give!Guide and Nominate someone for the Skidmore Prize.
LIVE UNTIL JULY 30 AT GIVEGUIDE.ORG. 44
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
BOOKS = WW Pick. Highly recommended. By JAMES HELMSWORTH. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, submit lecture or reading information at least two weeks in advance to: WORDS, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: words@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 Civil War II Signing
For a second time in a decade—the first being the subject of a current summer blockbuster—the superheroes of the Marvel Universe are at war with each other. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Marquez will be on hand to sign copies of Civil War II. Things from Another World (Hollywood), 4133 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-284-4693. 6 pm. Free.
THURSDAY, JUNE 9 Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics
Ari Rabin-Havt has devoted his life to an exhausting cause: calling out lies in media. As former executive vice president of watchdog Media Matters and current host of a show on Sirius XM, he’s spent years banging his head against a wall of press releases and smear tactics from across the media. In their new book, Rabin-Havt and Media Matters examine how bigbusiness influence in politics has distorted the truth. Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 800-878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Alexis M. Smith
A Seattle ecojournalist returns to her island hometown after leaving in the wake of an environmental disaster that killed her father. She finds its inhabitants led by the demagogic Sister Janet and engaged in experimental rehabilitation methods. It’s Marrow Island, Alexis M. Smith’s second novel after the Ken Kesey Award-nominated Glaciers. She’ll be speaking with Peter Rock of Klickitat fame. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11 Negin Farsad
Negin Farsad (see interview, page 41) has made a career of making white people laugh. The Iranian-American comedian has performed standup on Comedy Central and written for shows on MTV and PBS. Her documentary, The Muslims are Coming!, examined growing up as a stranger in a strange land. In How to Make White People Laugh, she discusses humor, race and semiotics—hey, she has two master’s degrees. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323. 4 pm. Free.
SUNDAY, JUNE 12 Lydia Millet with Willy Vlautin
Anna’s husband Ned is awful, so she leaves their home in Alaska with their small child and moves to Maine. But when Ned decides to run for office— as sociopaths are wont to do—he wants a family to do photo-ops with and begins the hunt for them. Oh, also she’s hearing voices. It’s Sweet Lamb of Heaven, Lydia Millet’s literary thriller. She’ll be speaking with Willy Vlautin of Lean on Pete fame. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.
MONDAY, JUNE 13 Terry Tempest Williams
A hundred years ago this year, ol’ Woodrow Wilson and his chums founded the National Park Service in hopes of preserving our nation’s natural life and history. Terry Tempest
Williams’ The Hour of Land explores our relationship with land through a series of poems, stories and essays about various national parks and monuments. Williams is a nature writer whose greatest claim to fame is, arguably, co-editing a book that helped convince President Clinton to establish the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.
TUESDAY, JUNE 14 Claudia Casper
In 30 years, all of the countries and one-third of the world’s population are gone, thanks to climate changeinduced world wars. In Claudia Casper’s The Mercy Journals, the titular Mercy mourns the loss of his
family, until his brother shows up with word that his children might still be alive. Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Highway, 503-246-0053. 7 pm. Free.
The Brothers Toutonghi
In the spirit of such famed performing brothers as Van Halen and Knopfler, the brothers Toutonghi unite for a reading. In brother Steve’s Join, a future U.S. is plagued by environmental disaster and economic inequality (still), and also the elites have merged consciousnesses in groups of five (which I don’t think happens today). In brother Pauls’ Dog Gone, a missing dog stirs a community into action. Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, 503-284-1726. 7 pm. Free.
KICK OFF PORTLAND PRIDE WEEK...
WILLAMETTE WEEK AND CLINTON STREET THEATER PRESENT
For more Books listings, visit
REVIEW
Jennifer Robin,
DEATH CONFETTI One of these days, people will utter Jennifer Robin’s name in the same breath as Walt Curtis or Katherine Dunn. Among a self-selecting set of Portland literati, Robin’s ecstatic, meloThe future laureate of dramatic readings are already Old Portland. legendary. No one comes close to her prowling theatrics. Her new book, Death Confetti (Feral House, 220 pages, $19.95), lingers at the crossroads where memoir, creative nonfiction, bizarro reality, and stream of consciousness meet. It reads much as she speaks—full of pregnant pauses and poetic descriptions of a life lived in run-on sentences that end in ALL CAPS epiphanies. Though the book’s fragmented Portland vignettes aren’t arranged chronologically, Robin’s own story begins with a reclusive childhood as the daughter of a paranoid shut-in mother. Raised instead by overprotective grandparents, she rebelled with a thirst for the exotic. The stars in Robin’s stories are invariably misfits as well—the “pickers, punks, and transit ghosts” of Portland. Robin takes in banal scenes from bus stops, Goodwills and stale apartment hallways, with an object and fashion fetish that borders on psychometry. In Robin’s Portland, methheads lurk on every corner, and damaged characters writhe on the page. The obese, the publicly flatulent, and old women with sunken faces share top billing. The characters remain nameless and fleeting in memory, just as they were for the few moments she shared with them. For a local, there is joy in reading an abstract passage and solving its riddles. In a chapter titled “Ouija/Bored” Robin writes: “The minute you walk in, you sense something institutional about the place. The pitted concrete floor, the high ceilings, the strips of unadorned fluorescent lighting, the smell…like a hamster cage filled with spilled shaving cream…these are the qualities that make you feel as if you have descended into a zone outside of space as we know it.” Two paragraphs deeper, I recognized the Goodwill bins, though it’s not clearly identified until paragraph 15. Non sequiturs and tangents abound, but the prose remains razor-sharp. Each vignette spans a page or three, the perfect length for the attention-deficit-challenged or a crosstown TriMet ride. Postmodern writer Mark Leyner’s kitchen-sink approach to unlikely juxtaposition intersects with Henry Miller’s escape-velocity freak-outs. Though it’s not for the sensitive at heart, Death Confetti connects the dots between Old Portland nostalgia and the city’s bullet-train future collision course. Robin watched it all go down, and she took notes. NATHAN CARSON. GO: Jennifer Robin is at Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., on Monday, June 13. 7:30 pm. Free.
THE BENEFITS OF GUSBANDRY SEASON ONE MINI-BINGE PRIDE PARTY HOSTED BY BELINDA CARROLL MIX AND MINGLE WITH THE CREATRIX AND CAST OF PORTLAND’S BEST LOCAL WEB SERIES FINALIST, WW’S 2016 BEST OF PORTLAND POLL
SATURDAY, JUNE 11 CLINTON STREET THEATER 8 P.M. (DOORS AT 7:30 P.M.) 21+ FREE THEBENEFITSOFGUSBANDRY.COM RAFFLE BENEFITING Q CENTER
RSVP AT: BIT.LY/TBOGRSVP Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
45
Editor: ENID SPITZ. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, send screening information at least two weeks in advance to Screen, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: espitz@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115.
York intellectual class replete with NPR mugs, The Paris Review, Zizek, the New School and multidisciplinary degrees. The hitch in Maggie’s Plan is Maggie’s plan. As Gerwig’s character plays matchmaker and plot-hatcher, the tonally confused movie tees up a screwball comedy that’s best moments are unexpected drama and character study. R. CHANCE SOLEMPFEIFER. Cedar Hills, Clackamas.
OPENING THIS WEEK
Now You See Me 2
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
3rd Street Blackout
C+ For tech-savvy yuppies, Hurricane Sandy was a life-changing experience. Not because they lost their homes, but because they had to return to strictly analog interactions. Written and directed by and starring Negin Farsad and Jeremy Redleaf, the story follows Mina and Rudy, a couple who have just moved in together but get separated during the blackout. While you may not know what a “two-Roku household” means, everyone can relate to their confused adaptation to a week without cell service. Mina is a refreshing take on brilliant, pottymouthed heroines, terrified of “accidentally taking a dump onstage” during her TED Talk. As Mina and Rudy play cards with neighbors and rap freestyle by candlelight, there’s enough warm fuzziness to light up the East Coast, but the sentiment drags down the comedic timing of Farsad’s snappiest jokes. NR. LAUREN TERRY. Living Room Theaters.
The Conjuring 2
B- First thing’s first: The Conjuring 2 is often very scary. The story of a downtrodden British family in Enfield tormented by the vengeful spirit of an old cockney man ups the voltage slowly but steadily. Never mind that the true story is reportedly a hoax: Scary’s scary, and for at least its first hour, C2 delivers an old-school haunted-house experience of the Poltergeist variety. Thing is, we’ve seen this before. In between creating the Saw series and launching Vin Diesel off a skyscraper in Furious 7, director James Wan has more or less been revisiting the same funhouse during the course of the Insidious and Conjuring films, which are essentially interchangeable except for Conjuring’s ’70s setting. Still, Wan seems content painting over the same canvas, adding flourishes that are richer and scarier with each pass. If he wants to keep tinkering, we’ll keep coming, because when Conjuring 2 is scary, it’s in a class of its own. R. AP KRYZA. Bridgeport, Lloyd, Pioneer Place, City Center, Vancouver, Division, Cedar Hills, Eastport, Clackamas, Tigard.
Dark Horse
B At first, Dark Horse is deceptively whimsical, what with scenes of horses frolicking in the lush Welsh countryside. The charmingly sappy film hovers between inspirational equine tale and The Full Monty—the latter mostly due to its portrayal of eccentric, dentally challenged personalities. Louise Osmond’s documentary-drama centers on barmaid Jan Vokes, who assembles a syndicate from the working men’s club to breed a racehorse, a sport typically reserved for the elite. Though rendered a “feel-good” movie, this underdog saga escapes banality when syndicate members share their life stories, revealing the stark reality that comes with living in a washed-up mining town. PG. MICHELLE DEVONA. Cinema 21.
Maggie’s Plan
B As evidenced in Frances Ha and Mistress America, Greta Gerwig’s go-to acting move is convincing us of her character’s unbearable superficiality before letting the humanity surface. Playing a chronically single woman who falls for a wannabe novelist, she pulls off a similar feat in Maggie’s Plan with the help of a terrifically severe performance from Julianne Moore as the novelist’s wife. From writer-director Rebecca Miller, the film’s ambience is the heir to ’70s Woody Allen, right down to the gypsy jazz. It mocks and meditates on a New
46
COURTESY OF IFC FILMS
MOVIES Jesse Eisenberg tries to out-magic the boy who lived through Harry Potter in this follow-up to the 2013 magical heist blockbuster. Three years after the Four Horsemen—Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan— pulled off a socialist redistribution of wealth by masking their antics as a magic show, they’re back onstage. Daniel Radcliffe, here a heartless tech entrepreneur, does his best to blackmail the “men” into abandoning their Robin Hood act. Screened after deadline. See wweek. com for Michelle DeVona’s review. PG-13. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Living Room Theaters, Lloyd, Tigard, Vancouver.
Warcraft
From Duncan Jones, whose Moon and Source Code are testaments to the director’s ability to tell a character-driven story in fantastic settings, this week’s summer monolith, Warcraft, shows promise. If he can do the same thing— craft science-fiction drapery without overwhelming the souls of his characters—on a much larger scale, we will be very happy. But it’s probably going to be a giant pile of CGI bullshit. When is the Ultima Online movie coming out? Screened after deadline. See wweek. com for Mike Gallucci’s review. PG-13. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Pioneer Place, Tigard, Vancouver.
STILL SHOWING 10 Cloverfield Lane
C+ The gist of J.J. Abrams’ latest thriller is, basically, don’t text and drive. Also, don’t break up with your fiance, or else you’ll get in a terrible car accident, be abducted by a Lolita-inspired murderer and watch your whole family die in the alien apocalypse—in one night. PG-13. SOPHIA JUNE. Academy, Avalon, Laurelhurst.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
D James Bobin has turned down the quirk from Tim Burton’s atrocious predecessor—viewers are mercifully spared another Johnny Depp dance number— but the basic problems remain. Alice is a bland action hero. Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen is ear-piercingly obnoxious. Depp’s Mad Hatter just plain sucks. Time (Sacha Baron Cohen, with a thick German accent) provides an occasional laugh here and there, but they’re surrounded by a mess of lame attempts at wit, faux profundity and unearned emotional resolutions. It’s bad, and everyone involved should feel bad. PG. JOHN LOCANTHI. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Living Room Theaters, Lloyd, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
The Angry Birds Movie
Perhaps the greatest Finnish-American collaboration this decade is this movie based on a game based on anger management therapy and avian flu. When green pigs take over Red’s island paradise, the vitriolic bird and his buddies take matters into their own hands. Birds don’t have hands, but these do have eyebrows to rival Scorsese’s. PG. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
D The new Warner Bros. Superman is classically boring, overpowered and out of place in the 21st century. Batman,
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
smile for tHe cAmerA: Anthony Weiner.
REVIEW
Weiner: A Hard Truth AN ANTHONY WEINER DOC GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
rented office, as if from a crouch in the corner, we see a marriage go into nuclear meltdown. It’s tense and awkward, but the weirdest part is that Weiner would allow the moment to be Whether or not the disgraced politician practic- caught on film. Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg ing lines behind the lectern is actually contrite is almost beside the point. His name is warn us, lest we grow sanctimonious, that Anthony Weiner, and he’s been busted Weiner is just one member of a political for dick pics (again). Weiner shifts ecosystem that rewards spectacle over real news. (A Google search of his posture and raises his chin, “Donald Trump” yields about 250 imagining how all this will look at the upcoming press confermillion results.) ence. “And for that, I am pro“Of course, the media played a foundly sorry,” he says over role, Anthony played a role, and we as consumers, we all played a and over, trying to affect the perfect tone of sincerity. role,” Steinberg says. So how has the man known He knows how important it is —ANTHONY to get the optics right. for his contentious relationship WEINER Weaving together clips from with the press reacted to this honest and spin-free evaluation of his cable news shows, YouTube videos, and footage filmed onsite at crucial career? “We offered for him to see it a couple times many months ago, and he’s not moments, the new documentary Weiner shows the rise and eventual implosion of Wein- wanted to see it yet,” Kriegman said in an interer’s 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City. view with MSNBC. It’s the unprecedented level of access to You can believe Weiner has ignored the film the subject that makes Weiner a necessary and and will remain silent if you want. Or, like many unflinching look at how the sausage of modern of us, you can wait for him (or Trump, or whopolitics gets made. During a moment when he ever comes along next) to step up to the lectern, has just learned of a second wave of allegations fix a prodigious stare at the camera, and give us about his digital infidelities, Weiner asks his tomorrow’s headline. ZACH MIDDLETON. closest advisers ( but not the cameraman) to A see it: Weiner is rated R. It opens Friday at leave the room so he can talk to his wife, Huma Cinema 21. Abedin. Viewed from across the blank, newly
“FOR THAT, I AM PROFOUNDLY SORRY.”
on the other hand, has been reinvented as a huge dickhead. Played by Ben Affleck with a characteristic lack of gravitas, Batman walks around in a silly metal suit killing people. You know how Batman never kills people? He does now. Despite the rare bright spots—like Jesse Eisenberg’s intriguingly outlandish Lex Luthor and Amy Adams as a strong international war reporter version of Lois Lane—I left feeling bored and slightly concussed from giant men punching each other into buildings for no reason. PG-13. ALEX FALCONE. Avalon, Jubitz, Valley, Vancouver.
Everybody Wants Some!!
A- Richard Linklater’s newest film
doesn’t have a plot. But you’ll hardly realize it and you probably won’t care. The filmmaker who stunned the world with Boyhood’ brings his “fuck it” attitude to a film about a college baseball team in 1980s Texas. R. SOPHIA JUNE. Academy, Laurelhurst.
Eye in the Sky
C+ The year’s first movie on the
ethics of drones and the last film featuring Alan Rickman, misses its mark. British Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) tracks infamous terrorists to
A Bigger Splash
Francofonia
B- Patience helps where fine art is concerned, and Aleksandr Sokurov’s documentary about the Louvre is no different. Feeding history and war
CONT. on page 48
Captain America: Civil War
A- Captain America: Civil War, though,
is proof you can jam pretty much every superhero in your roster into one film and still let individuals shine. In pitting team Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) against Team Cap (Chris Evans) over a suspiciously fascist registration law for “enhanced humans,” directors Joe and Anthony Russo could have just put the heroes in a big-ass sandbox and let them duke it out. They do that, and it’s spectacular. But there’s nothing redundant in the action here, from a Bourne-esque opening chase to closecombat thrills reminiscent of The Raid to a surprisingly subdued and heartfelt finale. The Russos have heard your complaints about universe-building at the expense of story. Civil War is fun. It’s smart. It’s coherent. And, most importantly, it allows its heart to beat strongly amid the chaos. Your move, DC. PG-13. AP KRYZA. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Cine Magic, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Tigard, Vancouver.
Deadpool
B Within the first 10 minutes. the titular “merc with the mouth” slaughters a baker’s dozen of goons to a soundtrack of “Shoop,” breaks the fourth wall by talking to the audience, punches multiple scrotums, drops more f-bombs than Tony Montana and takes a bullet directly up the butthole while giggling about it. Deadpool doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But it does teabag it. And sometimes that’s enough. R. AP KRYZA. Academy, Avalon, Kennedy School, Laurelhurst, Valley, Vancouver.
The Divergent Series: Allegiant, Part 1
D Undistinguishable from its counter-
parts, Part 1 ’s excessively dull proceedings are punctuated by generic action scenes in which the Bureau of Genetic Welfare uses a bunch of weirdo army shit to kidnap little kids and wipe their brains clean. PG-13. MIKE GALLUCCI. Vancouver.
BEER WINE PIZZA 4 SCREENS LAURELHURSTTHEATER.COM
2735 E BurnsidE st • (503-232-5511) • LaurELhurstthEatEr.com
REVIEW
The Boss
B- This time, McCarthy stars as Michelle Darnell, a self-made tycoon whose confidence is rivaled only by the height of her turtlenecks. R. Academy, Jubitz, Kennedy School, Laurelhurst, Valley, Vancouver.
sta rts Fri day Jun E1 0th
COURTESY OF FILMWEST STUDIOS
B+ Luxuriate in the sexiness of director Luca Guadagnino’s (I Am Love) hypersensual images of island love, before diving into the waves of its characters’ lives, fraught with regret and lies. A rock star (Tilda Swinton) and her boyfriend vacation on the island of Pantelleria, sunbathing and having sex in silence. Unexpectedly crashing the party is Ralph Fiennes as a wild, hard-living music producer intent on winning back the rock star he palmed off years ago on her current lover. While the film is billed as a suspenseful, erotic thriller, it’s more of a character study that builds to a surprising climax. Then, the film dances around, like Fiennes frolicking to the Rolling Stones’ “Emotional Rescue” in one of the most memorable scenes. R. EZRA JOHNSON-GREENOUGH. Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Fox Tower.
a house in Nairobi, Kenya. The plot arc is more of a plot sine wave, with the withering Lt. Gen. Frank Benson (Rickman as a wandless Professor Snape in olive drab) throwing up his hands and staring down the people who just refuse to blow things up already. R. ZACH MIDDLETON. Living Room Theaters.
VANDAVEER
A Bug’s Life
ROAD HARD: The Bug.
The first year Volkswagen’s Beetle was available in the U.S., it sold only two units. The second year, it became a sensation. The Bug: Life and Times of the People’s Car relates the vehicle to every “part of the human story,” including the pleasing shape of a curvaceous breast. Even cutting to a woman breastfeeding, there’s more than one freed nipple shot in this full-length documentary mostly filled with scenes of driving and wrenching. Documentarians talk with hobbyists, pros and, surprisingly often, Ewan McGregor, tracking restorative efforts and what gave the classic Bug its famous smell. The car was promoted notoriously by Hitler and the Nazi regime, even though the original prototypes were designed by a Jewish automotive journalist, Joseph Ganz. When a few entrepreneurs who fell in love with the little car brought it to America, it spawned a popular film franchise, starting with The Love Bug, but by 1974, Japanese cars were putting a major dent in Bug sales. By 1977, imports were halted altogether. As The Bug’s documentarians pad the film’s run time, we learn that the Bug remained a big hit in countries like Mexico, where they pulled out the front seat to turn them into taxis and eventually perfect vehicles for passenger kidnappings and rapes. A junkyard full of rusty Beetles is treated here like a concentration camp. Like Al Gore talking about climate change, Bug enthusiasts lament: “The sad truth of this whole thing is, you don’t see them anywhere. Worldwide they are disappearing at an alarming rate.” This doc treats the fad with epic seriousness, relating the Bug to life and death and the rise and fall of empires. The final somber yet hopeful chapter includes lines like, “Somehow this car was able to get into our heads, to touch our soul.” Though technically well made, The Bug won’t hold your attention unless you are an automotive or cultural history buff. It would make a good 40-minute news special or CBS Sunday Morning segment. EZRA JOHNSON-GREENOUGH.
Life and Times of the People’s Car relates the Beetle to Nazis and naked breasts.
C SEE IT: The Bug: Life and Times of the People’s Car is not rated. It opens Saturday at the Hollywood Theatre.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10TH AT 6PM The album’s title is an apt allusion to the musical explorations therein, fluid and bright, reaching from the traditions of Americana into modern pop soundscapes. The end result—a set of songs honest and wry, personal yet utterly relatable.
REDWOOD SON SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH AT 3PM
Redwood Son’s newly released EP titled, Westicana, is fresh and tailored by a complex past that reveals warmth and an intimate connection to honesty.
NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE MONDAY, JUNE 13TH AT 6PM
Critics have praised the group’s worldly blend of rock, hiphop, and altfolk, calling the group “empowering” and “powerful,” and declaring Nahko a “musical prophet” in the vein of Bob Marley.
CASE/LANG/VEIRS
Record Release Q&A Session Moderated By Patterson Hood TUESDAY, JUNE 14TH AT 6PM case/lang/veirs, a true collaboration between three phenomenal, self-driven artists: avant-rock icon Neko Case, legendary musical nomad k.d. lang, and indie folk star Laura Veirs. The women wrote all 14 songs and shared lead vocals equally, sometimes even within the same track. Full of stunning harmonies and spellbinding rhythms, case/ lang/veirs travels through aches and eras, torch songs and tributes to the undersung. Join Neko Case, k.d.lang and Laura Veirs at Music Millennium in Portland for a Vinyl Tuesday Record Release/ Signing party, including a live Q&A session hosted by Patterson Hood (of Drive-By Truckers) on Tuesday, June 14th at 6pm. Pre-buy “case/lang/veirs” at Music Millennium today to guarantee admittance!
ELI ‘PAPERBOY’ REED
My Way Home NEW ALBUM RELEASING ON JUNE 10TH $11.99 CD, also available on Vinyl
Eli “Paperboy” Reed is a survivor. He’s been making Soul-inspired music since before it was cool and tearing up stages all over the world with his heart-stopping falsetto screams for close to a decade. His new album, My Way Home, incorporates a deepening respect and admiration of the Gospel sounds which laid the foundation for Soul.
*sale price valid 6/10-7/8
WWEEKDOTCOM Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
47
COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
MOVIES
DARK HORSE
FILM SCREENINGS
through the lens of art, Sokurov gives us a platter of food for thought. After the first 10 minutes, which is a slogging slideshow of low-quality images, we meet the men who saved Paris’ art from German occupation and learn about a period when the Louvre was Le Musée Napoléon to house Napoleon Bonaparte’s spoils of war. NR. RUSSELL HAUSFELD. Laurelhurst.
THIS WEEK�JUNE ����
All shows held at the Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Avenue Thursday, June 9
7 pm North South East West
dir. Vanessa Renwick, Oregon, 2016 Visit Renwick’s exhibition Next Level Fucked Up at the Portland Art Museum, APEX gallery, floor 3 starting at 6 p.m.
Friday, June 10
5:30 pm Persona — Special Admission $5
dir. Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1966 Screening is accompanied by a post-film discussion led by Film Center staff and Art Museum docents
8 pm Late Spring
Saturday, June 11
4:30 pm Late Spring 7 pm Late Spring
Sunday, June 12
Green Room
4:30 pm Late Spring
B+ Patrick Stewart plays the big bad
24th Portland Jewish Film Festival
Coming June 15-29
Summer adult filmmaking classes + Film Camps for Kids & Teens — Enroll now!
dir. Yasujirō Ozu, Japan, 1949 WATCH. LEARN . MAKE .
NWFILM.ORG
leader of a backwoods gang of white supremacists. The punk-rock band that falls into his clutches is loosely led by Anton Yelchin (Scotty in the new Star Trek films), and the band is on an unsuccessful tour, taking a detour to play a paying gig at a neoNazi compound. There, the band witnesses a murder that these guys won’t let them walk away from. The outcomes are unpredictable, shocking, grisly and really fun. PG-13. EZRA JOHNSON-GREENOUGH. Academy, Kiggins, Laurelhurst, Vancouver.
Hail, Caesar!
B+ The Coens’ funniest film since The
Big Lebowski combines a zany caper, a communist plot, ’50s studio politics and a touching story about one man’s calling in life into a cohesive, lighthearted and quip-heavy comedy. PG-13. JOHN LOCANTHI. Laurelhurst.
Hello, My Name is Doris
B Doris is a whip-smart comedy that pokes fun at the ultra-curated youthful lifestyle, while avoiding the recent trope of seniors finding a place amid the nostalgic fascination of millennials. You can almost feel John trying not to laugh as he offers customblended artisanal cocktails to Doris during Friendsgiving at his place. PG-13. LAUREN TERRY. Living Room Theaters.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
B It’s been called an unnecessary
sequel. And it may be, but as a steadfast lover of swords and sorcery films, I must steadfastly protect it like the Citadel Guards of Gondor. This sequel functions as both a prequel and sequel to the first film, and it actually does a competent job of completely leaving out Snow White. Snow White’s absence is more than made up for by a very game Jessica Chastain as the huntsman’s feisty partner, who is a lot of fun as a badass warrior, and Chris Hemsworth does Hemsworth well as the over-cocky, macho title character. PG-13. EZRA JOHNSONGREENOUGH. Avalon.
Keanu
B- The movie is named after the adorable escaped pet of a Mexican drug lord, and the poster is of said kitten, but the film’s real draw is clear: Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, Key (the bald, tall one) plays neurotic family man Clarence, while Peele plays Relle, his desperate, recently dumped cousin. Relle finds Keanu, only to have the cat stolen in a Lebowskian drug mixup. It’s essentially a movie
48
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
extrapolation of that bit about “White Sounding Black Guys,” which leads to some hilarious moments. At the same time, it’s a skinny framework for carrying a movie. R. JAMES HELMSWORTH. Fox Tower.
L’Attesa
C- If you can make it through a painful introduction of sad people quietly staring past the camera, you will be treated to some impressive camera work. While visually impressive, L’Attesa struggles to earn your attention, despite Juliette Binoche starring and the assistant director of The Great Beauty, Piero Messina, behind the lens. The story—a mother grieving her son’s death and unable to break the news to his girlfriend— might be better in the form of a book. NR. RUSSELL HAUSFELD. Fox Tower.
The Lobster
B The Lobster is one of those dystopian sci-fi movies that needs to spend the first 30 minutes laying down the ground rules of the setting. David (Colin Farrell) is single, which is outlawed, so he goes to a singles retreat. But there is one catch: If you don’t find a mate within 60 days, you will be turned into an animal. On the plus side, you get to pick your animal. David chooses the lobster. Interesting concept, but this vision of the future mostly involves Farrell, John C. Reilly, Rachel Weisz and the rest of cast lurching through their lines in a dull, passionless monotone. When this Greco-Irish feature screened at the Portland International Film Festival in February, it had more star power than almost anything on the roster. Now, it’s Colin Farrell as a lobster. R. JOHN LOCANTHI. Bridgeport, Cinema 21, City Center, Clackamas, Hollywood, Lloyd.
Love & Friendship
B+ To call this adaptation of Jane Austen’s early novella Lady Susan “a breath of fresh air” would not do justice to director Whit Stillman’s vicious comedy of manners. Kate Beckinsale stars as Lady Susan Vernon, an accomplished flirt and recent widow who guilts her sister-inlaw into hosting her and then brings a maelstrom of drama into the household, mainly in the form of wouldbe suitors and a runaway daughter. Lady Susan may have no shame, but Beckinsale plays up her character’s propriety, always pronouncing her witty, backhanded comments with a composed pout. Anything besides another Pride and Prejudice remake would feel radical, but Stillman manages to play with the text’s catty eloquence in a modern way, reminding us of Austen’s audacity and sense of humor, as well as why this author has made us blush for centuries. R. LAUREN TERRY. Bridgeport, City Center, Clackamas, Fox Tower.
The Man Who Knew Infinity
C+ Indian mathematician and autodi-
dact Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) struggles through racism and cultural bigotry along his way to solving the secrets of fancy theorems with for-
mally trained English mathematician G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) in writerdirector Matt Brown’s second feature film. While math may be a glorious concept that binds us all to the fabric of the universe, chalkboards full of algorithms are not particularly cinematic. PG-13. CURTIS COOK. Cedar Hills, Clackamas, Fox Tower.
Me Before You
D Take me back to before I witnessed the train wreck that is Me Before You. Based on Jo Jo Moyes’ bestselling novel, it’s no surprise the film’s broken and unclear message is already suffering backlash ranging from angry twitter hashtags to picketing outside film screenings. Spontaneously ditzy Lou (Emilia Clarke) is hired to care for Will Turner (Sam Claflin), a job that includes trying to convince Turner he shouldn’t end his life because of a disability he suffers from since an accident years ago. From her facial expressions to her line delivery, Clarke painfully overacts, making Lou as a sputtering mess. Meanwhile, Claflin relies on his good looks to carry his paralyzed character through the film. PG-13. AMY WOLFE. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Fox Tower, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
The Meddler
C Just as her thick eyeglasses turn her brown eyes into saucers, Susan Sarandon magnifies all angles of her worrywart mother character, the titular Meddler. From writer-director Lorene Scafaria (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist), the script’s bones are a meaningful reversal of motherdaughter grief and recovery, but they’re forced to support Blues Traveler cameos, a weed-eating gag and a clique of Angeleno bridesmaids. PG-13. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Fox Tower.
Money Monster
C- George Clooney stars as a financial TV show host in the vein of Mad Money’s Jim Cramer, with Julia Roberts as his capable director and Jack O’Connell as the gunman who takes the studio hostage during a live broadcast. The gunman, an average joe seeking revenge for the savings he lost when Clooney’s character promoted bad stocks, is fed up with the 1 percent screwing the little guy. Like a good Bernie Bro, he’s out to expose it all. But like Jon Snow, he knows nothing, and the plot devolves into an unbelievably absurd investigation into the nefarious management of a stock that went tits up, treating the audience like the same fools the rich and powerful think we are. R. EZRA JOHNSON-GREENOUGH. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Clackamas, Division, Living Room Theaters, Tigard, Vancouver.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
B- Following classic stories of friendship and sexual fumbles like Harold & Kumar and Revenge of the Nerds, Neighbors 2 is a dumb comedy that captures freshman year 2016 from a feminine perspective. Continuing the story of cool parents Seth Rogen
The Nice Guys
A- The Nice Guys exists in some weird,
hyperviolent mirror image of Los Angeles—one that looks a lot like Atlanta. It’s like Roger Rabbit’s Toontown, but populated with cartoons that bleed. The Nice Guys plays like a 1970s spiritual sequel to writer-director Shane Black’s 2005 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a winking landmark of self-aware grit that revitalized Robert Downey Jr.’s career. And it’s kind of perfect. The plot is inconsequential, involving a dead porn star, a bunch of gangsters, a missing student, some more gangsters and the auto industry. But all of that is just an excuse to get its perfectly cast stars lobbing insults. Showing comic chops that belie his fuckhead reputation, Russell Crowe is hilarious as a broad-bodied bruiser. He’s paired with Ryan Gosling’s shrill, alcoholic PI, whose Buster Keaton-esque clumsiness adds “physical comedy” to the résumé of one of our generation’s biggest powerhouses. Investigating murder and missing persons, they fire off staccato quips as they rocket between scenes—including a crackerjack centerpiece at a mermaid-themed porn party. This movie starts at full speed and never stops. R. AP KRYZA. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Fox Tower, Lloyd, Moreland, Tigard, Vancouver.
Popstar
C Even if it doesn’t bring to screen a Wayne Campbell or a Blues Brother, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is an SNL movie. From the music parody trio the Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer), the mockumented rise and fall of famemongering musician Conner4Real is a sketch’s sensibility spread thinly, or simply repeated, across a film’s length. The comedic rhythm of Popstar may be telegraphed like bass drops in a banger, but its giddy irreverence and excessive talent pose a simple question: “What if this thing you once liked was a movie?” It features a dozen new Lonely Island songs, 30 celebrity cameos and the SNL Digital Short pioneers understanding what they always have: Their imitation and ludicrous exaggeration of radio rap is somehow both appealing satire and joyful tribute. R. CHANCE SOLEMPFEIFER. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Fox Tower, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
Presenting Princess Shaw
A Samantha Montgomery (aka Princess
Shaw) is a struggling, middle-aged singer-songwriter searching for her big break. Ophir Kutiel (aka Kutiman) is an Israeli YouTube star who makes viral video mashups unbeknownst to the videos’ stars. When Kutiman uses Princess Shaw’s original songs as the cornerstone of his next masterpiece, it’s the beginning of an unlikely but delightful partnership. Cutting between professional footage and pre-existing YouTube clips, this documentary deals with issues of poverty, sexual assault and the persistence of hope. R. CURTIS COOK. Hollywood.
Sing Street
A A New Wave rock-’n’-roll fairy tale set
in early-’80s Dublin, for fans of quality nostalgia fare like Freaks & Geeks. A 15-year-old boy (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) seeks to escape the harsh reality of his brutal schoolmasters and splintering home. Under the tutelage of his hashsmoking, dole-surfing older brother, he discovers Duran Duran videos and Cure albums. The story is about as believable as Almost Famous or School of
Rock, but that’s not the point. This film fondly recalls John Hughes, tips its hat to Wes Anderson, and repeatedly nods to Back to the Future and “Thriller.” PG-13. NATHAN CARSON. Fox Tower, Kiggins.
AP FILM STUDIES COURTESY OF GEFFEN PICTURES
and Rose Byrne, and their poor decision to live so close to campus, the focus shifts toward the newly established antisorority on the block, headed by Chloë Grace Moretz. Nicholas Stoller returns to write and direct this sequel, making smart use of millennial ineptitude and letting the comedic tone get weirder. While a handful of scenes approach John Waters levels of obscurity, you’re going to need to get properly stoned to roll with a version of feminism that empowers girls to bro out. R. LAUREN TERRY. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, St. Johns, Tigard, Vancouver.
Sunset Song
B Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s 1932 novel presents an unobscured portrait of a young Scottish woman’s journey through education, labor, marriage, sex and childbirth. If you’re a devotee of deepcut BBC literary adaptations, then, aye, proceed. Otherwise, it’s a quiet slog through the tight-lipped tragedies of World War I, bucolic isolation and familial abuse. R. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Fox Tower.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
C Adults nostalgic for old toys and unconcerned with plot will delight in this sloppy, unapologetically campy trip to Michael Bay’s multimillion-dollar sandbox. There, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo rampage around the world trying to stop interdimensional monster Krang, a talking alien brain that cruises around in a robot’s stomach and is voiced by Brad Garrett. He’s aided by Tyler Perry as a sniveling mad scientist who is also instrumental in getting nerds to cream their pants when punkrock mutants Bebop and Rocksteady (a warthog and a rhino) start smashing shit and driving tanks. There’s a lot going on here. It doesn’t matter. This is a Ninja Turtles movie. It’s what it needs to be. The characters—especially the heroes—are grating as hell, but look great. The action is messy, but also kind of surreal. This is, after all, a movie about man-sized turtles fighting ninjas, a rhino and a big-ass alien brain. R. AP KRYZA. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, St. Johns Pub and Theater, Tigard, Vancouver.
Viva
B Jesus, a gay hairdresser with dreams of breaking into Cuba’s underground drag scene, confronts his machismo father, Angel, when the absentee dad gets released from prison, shows up and punches Jesus in the face in this Irishmade, Spanish-language Oscar nominee. When there are emotional moments, they are punctuated by dramatic drag performances. After a particularly intense breakthrough, a sobbing Jesus takes to the stage, lip-syncing his heart out as mascara streams down his face. R. CURTIS COOK. Fox Tower.
X-Men: Apocalypse
B+ The latest in the X-franchise proves that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not the only home for A-grade superhero fare. With Apocalypse, writer Bryan Singer has finally steered the ship back on course, crafting one of the greatest comics pictures to date. The film opens in ancient Egypt, introducing the titular villain as the first mutant. Oscar Isaac portrays the blue-skinned Apocalypse then, aping Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender return as Mystique and Magneto, respectively, and Hugh Jackman makes a brief but satisfying cameo as the pre-Wolverine Mutant X. Factions on the internet will inevitably find reasons to hate this movie. The Egyptians will be too pale for some. The question is: Do you want to have fun and enjoy a comic book turned into a quarter-billion-dollar feature film or would you rather stay home reading Proust? PG-13. NATHAN CARSON. Bagdad, Beaverton, Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Cinema 21, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Roseway, St. Johns 1 & 2, Tigard, Vancouver.
Zootopia
B Every dynamic, doe-eyed character
in this animated adventure brings laughs for the kids, and hope for adults that their children won’t adopt Donald Trump ideals. There’s a lesson under every hoof, inside every snout, and behind every bubbly buttocks. PG. AMY WOLFE. Academy, Avalon, Empirical, Kennedy School, Valley, Vancouver.
For more Movies listings, visit
Dear Lestat INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE GETS THE ROCKY HORROR TREATMENT. BY A P KRYZA
apkryza@wweek.com
When most people think of audience-participation screenings, Rocky Horror comes to mind, with costumed fans taking the stage, playing games, performing and generally soaking in all the camp glory. Or maybe they think of a screening of a terrible movie like The Room, where everybody bathes in the glorious horribleness of Tommy Wiseau’s magnum opus, flinging spoons and saying lines in unison. But what happens when the movie itself often feels ready to buckle under the weight of its own seriousness, when the protagonist is a depressed immortal and the film itself is drained of humor as quickly as a femoral artery turned into a Slurpee straw by some blouse-wearing undead aristocrat? Turns out, superfans aren’t just the legions of camp or kitsch. This Friday, the 1994 version of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire gets the audience-participation treatment at the Clinton. So…how does this even work? This is, after all, a faithful and dour—though rather enjoyable— adaptation narrated by Brad Pitt’s downer of an immortal, who passes the decades navel-gazing amid the carnage. There’s fun to be had—Tom Cruise’s performance as the vampire Lestat is a sadistic delight, poodles get their comeuppance, and it’s always nice to see Christian Slater get his ass kicked—but this isn’t exactly the kind of movie that has people dancing in the aisles, Guns N Roses’ cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” notwithstanding. According to organizer Laura King—who cut her fangs designing costumes for a Long Beach, Calif., Rocky series and gave a similar treatment to Interview back in 1995—it’s not so much about getting crazy as it is about presenting a place for fans to talk about everything from their attachment to the film and the Rice novels to the upcoming Vampire Chronicles reboot courtesy of the director of The Fault in Our Stars. “It doesn’t really lend itself to this sort of thing, being not a big splashy musical, being narrated by a depressed character,” says King, purposely evading details with the finesse of a centuries-old undead film programmer. “These characters have a viscerally emotional response in the readership. I think I’m about to
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
tap into a great deal of pent-up audience demand.” So, no, don’t expect people to fling blood at the screen every time adolescent predator Kirsten Dunst chomps into a chambermaid, or the unfurling of doilies each time Pitt chokes back tears. What’s fascinating here is that it represents fandom at its most dedicated. Under the banner of cinema, fans can work out their frustrations with the way the material has been treated. They can talk openly about their attachments to Louis and Lestat and Claudia. They can cheer at the demise of poodles and aristocrats. And, of course, they can come together to watch a movie they’ve probably seen 1,000 times and feel free to engage with it without annoying the shit out of people who haven’t. As with Rocky, it’s audience participation steeped in genuine love, and while there’s no “Time Warp” to fall back on, King assures that the screening—like the one she held to a sold-out crowd 20-some years ago—will be steeped in joy and appreciation of the material, not mockery of an underappreciated piece of horror drama that has entranced audiences for two decades. “I think there’s a perception in the world that audience-participation screenings are about mocking whatever’s on the screen,” King says. “This isn’t about mocking the characters— although, yes, there will be some gentle ribbing—it’s about providing a forum for people to express their love and affection. If it was just about mocking them, I’d be using Twilight.” SEE IT: Interview With the Vampire screens at the Clinton Street Theater. 9 pm Friday, June 10. ALSO SHOWING:
The absolute best stoner movie of the past decade— and one of the best of all time—Pineapple Express is a film that deserves a permanent place on Portland screens. If you’re not hooked the minute “Electric Avenue” kicks in, there may be no hope for you. Pix Pâtisserie. Dusk Wednesday, June 8. In a drastic change of pace from his pouty Interview With the Vampire performance, Brad Pitt’s unhinged, twitchy, manic turn as a pretty-boy mental patient in 12 Monkeys is a psychopath for the ages. Considering he stands out from everything else in Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi bug-out, that’s really saying something. Hollywood Theatre. 9:30 pm Friday, June 10. With Suspicion, Alfred Hitchcock took Cary Grant’s charming and comforting demeanor and squeezed out of it some sort of smooth, toxic extract. Unsurprisingly, the mystery stands as one of the best films either artist put forth. Hollywood Theatre. 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, June 11-12. Kung Fu Theater rolls out a rare print of 1980’s Snake Deadly Act, which introduced audiences to “lobster style,” which has nothing to do with a paunchy Colin Farrell. Hollywood Theatre. 7:30 pm Tuesday, June 14. Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
49
E M I LY J O A N G R E E N E
BUY ANY $25 EIGHTH AND GET
end roll
A 1 GRAM SHISHKABERRY PRE ROLL FOR $1!
1979 NW VAUGHN ST. SUITE B PORTLAND, OR 97209 HOURS: 11-7, 7 days a week Just North of the Pearl District.
WWW.VESSELPDX.COM
All prices include sales tax.
The Three B’s
NORTH FORK 53 IS A BED-AND-BREAKFAST WITH BUD. BY TYLER HU R ST
Street P.21 50
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
@tdhurst
When it opened last year, North Fork 53 had no plans to cater to cannabis users. This postcardready B&B in an old-timey red house with lattice gates and a manicured path lined with stones wanted to be “a very wholesome place.” “We were still under the stigma of cannabis ourselves,” says Brigham Lee, who moved to the property across the street in 2014 to live with his now-wife, Ginger Edwards, after meeting on OKCupid while he was living in Portland. Edwards, who started R-evolution Gardens in 2008, was already established as the leader of a now 65-member community-supported agriculture service and organizer of the Oregon Coast’s longest-running farmers market. Lee’s background in herbalism prompted him to continue experimenting with remedies for various maladies, often using cannabis-infused tinctures, eventually founding PNW Potions. When the North Fork 53 property became available across the street, 20 minutes from the beach between a winding mountain highway and the Nehalem River, they both knew they wanted to incorporate their garden-grown food. North Fork 53 opened in October 2015, without any plans to integrate weed. Financed by friends and community loans, this isn’t a cannabis cafe masquerading as a bed-and-breakfast. There are no hippie bead doorways. No weed posters on the walls. No cannabis-infused meals. But, thanks to a cannabis tourism buy-in from local officials and new support from coastal growers, it’s safe to call North Fork 53 one of Oregon’s top cannabis oases—something it has over any of the very nice lodging options in our new Going Coastal magazine, which comes out this week. While smoking and tobacco use aren’t allowed inside, guests are free to use cannabis vaporizers in rooms or any other equipment on the property. Thanks to current legalities, North Fork 53 can’t offer or even give away cannabis, so it does the next best thing: gives you everything needed to consume and directions to buy from local dispensaries, along with a custom-made serving tray, a vape-leftover receptacle, a grinder
and a top-of-the-line PAX 2 portable vaporizer. “It works just like pairing wine or beer, or any of the great things that come out of Oregon,” says Lee. Current law allows for a full-house rental, where eight adults are given the run of the house and property, along with a three-course paired dinner, a complimentary PNW Potion custom infusion upon request, and another paired meal in the morning. Just under eight months ago, weed events were no more than a joke. That changed Oct. 1, when Edwards played drums at Oregon Coast Cannabis to celebrate the first day of legal adult recreational sales. “This was going to be a movement in rec cannabis, that we can use to pair with our food and provide a whole experience for guests at North Fork 53,” says Lee. “We were going to do a million things at North Fork, and now we’re focusing on cannabis.” This isn’t North Fork 53’s first attempt at cannabis events. Previous happenings included a High Tea, Stoner Easter Egg Hunt, a New Year’s Eve Moroccan pairing, and several bud brunches. Lee says he hasn’t heard anything negative so far. “Working with the county on events is still so new, no one knows what to do with it,” says Lee. “The community has either been supportive or silent.” This month, they’ll be hosting a solstice event dubbed “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” pairing Geek Farms buds with R-evolution Gardens goodness. Over the summer, they’ll be building a clay oven for s’mores and pizza. During the next decade, there’s plans to permaculture the landscape to create a walkable garden. Guests can interact with chickens laying eggs for breakfast, pick fruit for a snack, or check out the lettuce in the front yard to see if it’s ready for that evening’s dinner. “It’s going to be a great place to get stoned,” says Lee. GO: North Fork 53, 77282 Oregon Highway 53, Nehalem, 503-368-5832, northfork53.com/cannabis.html.
BY N at e Wag g o N e r
Cat and Girl
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
51
52
Willamette Week JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
53 54 55
CLASSIFIEDS
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
WELLNESS
MATT PLAMBECK
WELLNESS, JOBS, SERVICES, JOBS, BULLETIN BOARD, MUSICIANS MARKET, REAL ESTATE, PIXIE PETS CHATLINES, ADULT, JONESIN’ FREE WILL ASTROLOGY, INSIDE BACK COVER
JUNE 8, 2016
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com
JOBS
SHAMANIC MEDICINE
COUNSELING
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FUN JOB? How about a job driving new cars? Men and Women 18 yrs & up Immediate start. North Portland Call 360-718-7443
GENDER IDENTITY COUNSELING B.J. (Barbara) SEYMOUR Enjoy all that you are,
BULLETIN BOARD
Be all that you want to be.
503-228-2472
WILLAMETTE WEEK’S GATHERING PLACE
MUSICIANS MARKET FOR FREE ADS in 'Musicians Wanted,' 'Musicians Available' & 'Instruments for Sale' go to portland.backpage.com and submit ads online. Ads taken over the phone in these categories cost $5.
REAL ESTATE
INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE TRADEUPMUSIC.COM Buying, selling, instruments of every shape and size. Open 11am-7pm every day. 4701 SE Division & 1834 NE Alberta.
MUSIC LESSONS
NON-PROFIT DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE.
CLASSES
SERVICES
CLASSES AT BEE THINKING Meadmaking, Beeswax 101, Beekeeping, Honey Recipes, and more!!! Now Enrolling (877) 325-2221 www.beethinking.com Visit our retail space at 1551 SE Poplar.
LESSONS BUILDING/REMODELING
CLASSICAL PIANO/KEYBOARD
Play what you want to play.
LEARN PIANO ALL STYLES, LEVELS Beginners welcome.
With 2-time Grammy winner Peter Boe 503-274-8727
ALL AGES. STANDARDS, CLASSICAL, MUSICALS. EUROPEAN TRAINED. PORTLAND 503-227-6557
NEWS • ARTS • CULTURE • BEER • WEED
MISCELLANEOUS MURDER! BLOOD! BLOOD! It defiles the land, and it cannot be cleansed but by the blood of him that shed it. For, if you shed man’s blood, then by man must your own blood be shed. So, walk our streets and see how many skeletons and dead men’s bones defile our Land! (Then, join us in prayer that God’s Hand will come and clean-up Portland.)
MASSAGE (LICENSED)
REL A X!
INDULGE YOURSELF in an - AWESOME FULL BODY MASSAGE
call
Charles
503-740-5120
lmt#6250
PHYSICAL FITNESS
BILL PEC FITNESS Personalized Training
PETS
CHATLINES
HAULING/MOVING
Changing the image of rescue, one animal at a time... Interested in adopting from the Pixie Project CALL 503.542.3433
LJ’S HAULING ANYTHING Removal of Metal/Cars free 503-839-7222
TREE SERVICES STEVE GREENBERG TREE SERVICE Pruning and removals, stump grinding. 24-hour emergency service. Licensed/ Insured. CCB#67024. Free estimates. 503-284-2077
WANTED
CREED
$$$$ WE PAY CASH
FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS Also Lanclets Up to $50 per box Call Becky 503-459-7352
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
503-252-6035
WWW.WEEK.COM
DIABETIC TEST STRIPS GET CASH in 24hrs Up to $50 Portland Metro 503-477-3101
DANI CALIFORNIA
ERNY
SPO N SO RE D BY
S P O NSO R ED BY
www.fetcheyewear.com
www.antoinettejewelry.com
www.petsonbroadway.com
OLIVER
SMALL PAUL
SP ONSOR E D BY
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
WE PAY CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS WE’VE GOT THE JOB FOR YOU!
ALSO LANCLETS
Up to $50 per box Call Becky 503-459-7352 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
SP ONSOR E D BY
www.furryfrenzypets.com
SPO N SO RE D BY
SUZY S P O NSO R ED BY
naturalpetfoodsolutions.com 7639 SE Milwaukie Ave.
Willamette Week Classifieds JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
53
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
MATT PLAMBECK
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com
CHATLINES
JONESIN’
by Matt Jones
“Crosswords: Dial Ext. 2468” –we appreciate your patience. 64 They create commercials 65 Yellow, as a banana 66 Director Burton 67 Mike of “The Love Guru” 68 Indian restaurant basketful
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
Try FREE: 503-416-7098 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000
Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+
Across 1 Scratch (at) 5 First-rate 10 “EastEnders” network 13 Tony winner Neuwirth 14 “Mop” 16 Top-down ride from Sweden 18 It comes between nothing and the truth 19 Put away some dishes? 20 Crater, e.g. 21 “Batman” sound effect 24 Sits up on two
legs, maybe 26 “No worries!” 27 Mode opener 28 “Am ___ longer a part of your plans ...” (Dylan lyric) 29 Second-busiest airport in CA 31 Gets way more than a tickle in the throat 38 2015 returnee to Yankee Stadium 39 The Teamsters, for one 40 Norse letter 41 Statement from the immovable?
44 Degree of distinction 45 551, in Roman numerals 46 The “G” of TV’s “AGT” 47 Bar buys 51 Eric B. & Rakim’s “___ in Full” 52 Biblical suffix after bring or speak 53 Phnom ___, Cambodia 54 Homer Simpson’s exclamation 56 Locked in place 58 Vulcan officer on “Star Trek: Voyager”
Down 1 Colbert’s current channel 2 Thompson of “Back to the Future” 3 Org. of attorneys 4 “Dragnet” creator Jack 5 Calligraphy tool 6 “Two thumbs way up” reviews 7 “Aha moment” cause 8 “Mad” cartoonist Drucker 9 Commonly, to poets 10 Cakes with a kick 11 Master sergeant of 1950s TV 12 Small stream 14 Taunt during a chili pepper dare, maybe 15 Sword handle 17 Like a 1980s puzzle fad 21 Religion with an apostrophe in its name 22 Smartphone clock function 23 Bricklayer 25 French composer Charles whose music was used as the theme for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” 26 Tiny charged particle 29 “Grey’s Anatomy”
creator Rhimes 30 They’re in the last round 32 “And now, without further ___ ...” 33 Two-handed card game 34 “Despicable Me” supervillain 35 Sweet panful 36 Bar from Fort Knox 37 Gear features 42 Pranks using rolls? 43 European bathroom fixture 47 Bug-smacking sound 48 Swiss miss of kiddie lit 49 When some fast food drive-thrus close 50 Hired goon 51 “Whip-Smart” singer Liz 54 Just say no? 55 “Falling Slowly” musical 57 Revolution 59 President pro ___ 60 “Duck Hunt” platform 61 Through, on airline itineraries 62 ___-Locka, Florida 63 “Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse” character last week’s answers
©2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #JONZ782.
Strike a LiveMatch!
FREE CHATROOMS 24/7
FREE 1on1 8-9PM daily
ALWAYS FREE to chat with VIP members
(Unlimited VIP membership $15/week. No worries about minutes.)
Portland 503-222-CHAT Vancouver 360-314-CHAT
Salem 503-428-5748 • Eugene 541-636-9099 • Bend 541-213-2444 Seattle 206-753-CHAT •Albany (541)248-1481 • Medford (541)326-4000
or WEB PHONE on LiveMatch.com
MAN to MAN
Free Live chatrooms & forums! 503-222-6USA 54
Willamette Week Classifieds JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
matt plambeck
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com ©2016 Rob Brezsny
Week of June 9
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Mythologist Joseph Campbell analyzed fairy tales for clues about how the human psyche works. For example, he said that a fairy tale character who’s riding a horse is a representation of our relationship with our instinctual nature. If that character drops the reins and lets the horse gallop without guidance, he or she is symbolically surrendering control to the instincts. I bring this to your attention because I suspect you may soon be tempted to do just that that -- which wouldn’t be wise. In my opinion, you’ll be best served by going against the flow of what seems natural. Sublimation and transcendence will keep you much stronger than if you followed the line of least resistance. Homework: Visualize yourself, as you ride your horse, keeping a relaxed but firm grasp of the reins. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) I will provide you with two lists of words. One of these lists, but not both, will characterize the nature of your predominant experiences in the coming weeks. It will be mostly up to you which emerges as the winner. Now read the two lists, pick the one you like better, and instruct your subconscious mind to lead you in that direction. List 1: gluttony, bloating, overkill, padding, exorbitance. List 2: mother lode, wellspring, bumper crop, gold mine, cornucopia. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) In his poem “Interrupted Meditation,” Robert Hass blurts out the following exclamation: “I give you, here, now, a magic key. What does it open? This key I give you, what exactly does it open?” How would you answer this question, Gemini? What door or lock or heart or treasure box do you most need opened? Decide today. And please don’t name five things you need opened. Choose one, and one only. To do so will dissolve a mental block that has up until now kept you from finding the REAL magic key. CANCER (June 21-July 22) The following excerpt from Wendell Berry’s poem “Woods” captures the essence of your current situation: “I part the out-thrusting branches and come in beneath the blessed and the blessing trees. Though I am silent there is singing around me. Though I am dark there is vision around me. Though I am heavy there is flight around me.” Please remember this poem at least three times a day during the next two weeks. It’s important for you to know that no matter what murky or maudlin or mysterious mood you might be in, you are surrounded by vitality and generosity. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) A half-dead blast from the past is throttling the free flow of your imagination. Your best possible future will be postponed until you agree to deal more intimately with this crumbled dream, which you have never fully grieved or surrendered. So here’s my advice: Summon the bravest, smartest love you’re capable of, and lay your sad loss to rest with gentle ferocity. This may take a while, so be patient. Be inspired by the fact that your new supply of brave, smart love will be a crucial resource for the rest of your long life. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Five times every day, devout Muslims face their holiest city, Mecca, and say prayers to Allah. Even if you’re not Islamic, I recommend that you carry out your own unique version of this ritual. The next three weeks will be a favorable time to cultivate a closer relationship with the inspirational influence, the high ideal, or the divine being that reigns supreme in your life. Here’s how you could do it: Identify a place that excites your imagination and provokes a sense of wonder. Five times a day for the next 21 days, bow in the direction of this treasured spot. Unleash songs, vows, and celebratory expostulations that deepen your fierce and tender commitment to what you trust most and love best. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) “The road reaches every place, the short cut only one,” says aphorist James Richardson. In many cases, that’s not a problem. Who among us has unlimited time and energy? Why leave all the options open? Short cuts can be valuable. It’s often smart to be ruthlessly efficient as we head toward our destination. But here’s a caveat: Ac-
cording to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re now in a phase when taking short cuts may be counterproductive. To be as well-seasoned as you will need to be to reach your goal, you should probably take the scenic route. The long way around may, in this instance, be the most efficient and effective. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “Truth is like the flu,” says poet James Richardson. “I fight it off, but it changes in other bodies and returns in a form to which I am not immune.” In the coming days, Scorpio, I suspect you will experience that riddle first hand -- and probably on more than one occasion. Obvious secrets and wild understandings that you have fought against finding out will mutate in just the right way to sneak past your defenses. Unwelcome insights you’ve been trying to ignore will finally wiggle their way into your psyche. Don’t worry, though. These new arrivals will be turn out to be good medicine.
The Ultimate Sports Bar
Buy More For Less 7am/2:30am Everyday
All Sports Packages • All Lottery Games • Free Ping Pong Table Internet Jukebox • Live DJ Fri/Sat • Over 20 HD TVs • Big Buck Hunter HD Check Out Our Facebook Page for Give Aways
1735 W Burnside • 503-224-1341
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) According to Guinness World records, the most consecutive hours spent riding on a roller coaster is 405 hours and 40 minutes. But I suspect that during the next 15 months, a Sagittarian daredevil may exceed this mark. I have come to this conclusion because I believe your tribe will be especially adept and relatively comfortable at handling steep rises and sudden dips at high speeds. And that won’t be the only rough talent you’ll have in abundance. I’m guessing you could also set new personal bests in the categories of most frequent changes of mind, most heroic leaps of faith, and fastest talking. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us have acted like puppets. Bosses and teachers and loved ones can manipulate us even if they’re not in our presence. Our conditioned responses and programmed impulses may control our behavior in the present moment even though they were formed long ago. That’s the bad news. The good news is that now and then moments of lucidity blossom, revealing the puppet strings. We emerge from our unconsciousness and see that we’re under the spell of influential people to whom we have surrendered our power. This is one of those magic times for you, Capricorn. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) A few weeks ago you undertook a new course of study in the art of fun and games. You realized you hadn’t been playing hard enough, and took measures to correct the problem. After refamiliarizing yourself with the mysteries of innocent joy, you raised the stakes. You began dabbling with more intensive forms of relief and release. Now you have the chance to go even further: to explore the mysteries of experimental delight. Exuberant escapades may become available to you. Amorous adventures could invite you to explore the frontiers of liberated love. Will you be brave and free enough to meet the challenge of such deeply meaningful gaiety? Meditate on this radical possibility: spiritually adept hedonism. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Poet Sharon Dolin compares artists to sunflowers. They create “a tall flashy flower that then grows heavy with seeds whose small hard shells you must crack to get to the rich nut meat.” As I contemplate the current chapter of your unfolding story, I see you as being engaged in a similar process, even if you’re not literally an artist. To be exact, you’re at the point when you are producing a tall flashy flower. The seeds have not yet begun to form, but they will soon. Later this year, the rich nut meat inside the small hard shells will be ready to pluck. For now, concentrate on generating your gorgeous, radiant flower.
Homework Psychologists say that a good way to eliminate a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Do that! Testify at Freewillastrology.com
SERVICES OFFERED • Pap smears and annual exams • Sexually Transmitted Infection testing • Contraception including IUD insertions • Irregular bleeding • Menopause Management • Herbal Consultations both western and traditional Mayan herbs • Nutritional counseling Referrals and coordination of care as needed
check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes & Daily Text Message Horoscopes
freewillastrology.com
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at
1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 Willamette Week Classifieds JUNE 8, 2016 wweek.com
55
BACK COVER
Feel Beautiful Everywhere
BANKRUPTCY
Labiaplasty surgery is life transforming for women suffering from discomfort, embarrassing asymmetry or diminished sexual function.
Stop Foreclosure, Garnishment, Lawsuits. I can help. Scott M. Hutchinson, Atty. Call today at 503-808-9032 FREE Confidential Consultation. Affordable Payment Plans. Visit: Hutchinson-Law.com
• Learn about our innovative technique
$$$ CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS $$$
Paying up to $30/box. Help those who can’t afford insurance. Free pickup in SW WA and Portland Metro. Call 360-693-0185 ext 500
• Discreet consultation with one of Portland’s Top Plastic Surgeons
A FEMALE MALE FRIENDLY LLY SEX TOY BOUTIQUE
Atomic Auto atomicauto.biz 2510 NE Sandy Blvd. (503) 969-3134
for every body SWITCH LEATHER MEET & GREET / SUN, JUNE 12 - 7:00 - FREE (RSVP FACEBOOK) SWINGING & THREESOMES & ORGIES, OH MY! / THURS, JUNE 30 - 7:30 - $20 EXPLORING BURLESQUE: STRIPTEASE SALON / WED, JULY 6 - 7:30 - $20 MODERN DATING: A SAFE, PRACTICAL, & FUN APPROACH / SUN, JULY 17 - 7:30 - $15 PLEASURE, POWER, & PAIN: AN INTRO TO BDSM / THURS, JULY 28 - 7:30 - $20 JADE EGG: INCREASE YOUR VITALITY, HEALTH & PLEASURE / WED, AUG 3 - 7:30 - $15
Before-and-After photos and consultation request at BensimonCenter.com
Workshops can be ASL INTERPRETED upon request
3213 SE DIVISION ST AND AT 909 N BEECH ST. PORTLAND. AND SHOP ONLINE AT SHEBOPTHESHOP.COM
Guitar Lessons
Personalized instruction for over 15yrs. www.portlandguitar-lessons.com 503-546-3137
LAS VEGAS GAMBLING TRIPS Qualified Players ONLY You pick dates Criteria info 305-360-6685
Comedy Classes
Improv, Standup, Sketch writing. Now enrolling The Brody Theater, 503-224-2227 www.brodytheater.com
WHERE SINGLES MEET Browse & Reply FREE! 503-299-9911 Use FREE Code 2557, 18+
HIPPIE GODDESS
Models Wanted. Females 18+. Natural/ Hairy/Hirsute, Fit Bodies. Hippiegoddess.com. $300. 503-449-5341 Emma
Can I Help You?
I am experienced, compassionate attorney who can help you find the right solution for you. Stop garnishments, stop foreclosure, deal with tax liabilities and rid yourself of debt. Let me help you find your path to financial freedom. Call Christopher Kane at 503-380-7822. www.ckanelaw.com. “
$$$$ WE PAY CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS Also Lanclets Up to $50 per box Call Becky 503-459-7352
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Top 1% Portland Agent
Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor Home Selling Specialist 13+ Years Experience 4.5% Max Commission Stellar service and marketing. Broker in OR at Premiere Property Group. 3636 NE Broadway St. 503-975-6853. RealEstateAgentPDX.com
$Cash for Junk Vehicles$
Ask for Steven. 503-936-5923
AA HYDROPONICS
9966 SW Arctic Drive, Beaverton 9220 SE Stark Street, Portland American Agriculture • americanag.com PDX 503-256-2400 BVT 503-641-3500
CASH for INSTRUMENTS Tradeupmusic.com SE - 236-8800 NE -335-8800 SW - Humstrumdrum.com
Non-Profit Law Firm Garnished? Eviction? Foreclosure? We can help. Call 503-208-4079 Bankruptcy - Tenant - Sliding-Scale www.communitylawproject.org
OMMP CARDHOLDERS GET 25% DISCOUNT!
Quick fix synthetic urine now available. Kratom, Vapes. E-cigs, glass pipes, discount tobacco, detox products, Butane by the case Still Smokin’ Glass and Tobacco 12302 SE Powell 503-762-4219
SO, YOU GOT A DUI. NOW WHAT?
Get help from an experienced DUI trial lawyer Free Consult./ Vigorous Defense/ Affordable Fees David D. Ghazi, Attorney at Law 620 SW Main St, Ste. 702 (503)-224-DUII (3844) david@ddglegal.com
Marijuana Store & More *971-255-1456* 1310 SE 7TH AVE
NORTH WEST HYDROPONIC R&R
4911 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97213 503-384-WEED (9333)
We Buy, Sell & Trade New and Used Hydroponic Equipment. 503-747-3624
WWEEKDOTCOM
MEDICAL MARIJUANA Card Services Clinic
New Downtown Location! 1501 SW Broadway www.mellowmood.com
4119 SE Hawthorne, Portland ph: 503-235-PIPE (7473)
503 235 1035
503-384-WEED (9333) www.mmcsclinic.com 4911 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland Mon-Sat 9-6
Pizza Delivery
Until 4AM!
www.hammyspizza.com