My Rock n Roll Fantasy Fundraiser and screening at Clinton St. Theater! Screening of BUTTERFLY WITCH, a documentary about KEMBRA PFAHLER - Singer of the band The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, feminist icon and creator of The Anti-Naturalism movement, known for extreme transgressional performance art involving her most private parts: http://cstpdx.com/show/fundraiser-my-rock-n-roll-fantasy Event is a fundraiser for Local Portland filmmaker Amber Dawn's portrait of Molly16, My Rock n Roll Fantasy, a "filmed zine" documentary hybrid using animation, interviews and b-roll from early 90's Portland music era, to tell Molly's story -- Watch the trailer! : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/30958590/my-rock-n-roll-fantasy
Jon Fine spent nearly 30 years performing and recording with bands that played various forms of aggressive and challenging underground rock music, and, as he writes in his memoir, Your Band Sucks (Viking), at no point were any of those bands "ever threatened, even distantly, by actual fame." With backstage access to many key characters in the scene, Fine's memoir affectionately yet critically portrays an important, heady moment in music history. Fine will be joined in conversation by Douglas Wolk, author of Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean.
"It’s hard to remember the times when if you wanted to hear your favorite song, you had two choices: you could get yourself to a record store and buy an overpriced album or you could sit by the radio and wait for it to come on. Later you could also try to find it on MTV, if you were one of the fortunate even to have MTV.
But what if you didn’t like the kind of popular music they played on the radio? What if you yearned for music that was a little more edgy?
Jon Fine’s upcoming memoir YOUR BAND SUCKS: What I Saw at Indie Rock’s Failed Revolution (But Can No Longer Hear) is a loving chronicle of his time in the indie rock scene from an insider who played the circuit, helped build a unique sub‐culture, and witnessed its downfall. Early reviewers have already proclaimed that the book deserves a spot among the best books about indie rock. Publisher’s Weekly has placed the book on its list of Best Summer Books of 2015. The Atlantic champions YOUR BAND SUCKS as the most evocative portrait of the underground music scene any wistful, graying post-punk could wish for.
Jon Fine, a young, aspiring rocker in suburban New Jersey was one of those teens who hated pop music. He hated MTV almost as much as he hated the hair metal cover bands that his high school friends played in. It wasn’t until he made it to college at Oberlin, a haven for progressive attitudes and the arts, where he began to meet other people like him; people who aspired far higher than the brain dead and desperately mediocre music that dominated the pop scene. It was there where he met and formed a band with two other musicians, Sooyoung Park and Orestes Morfin. They called themselves Bitch Magnet.
They were loud, aggressive and anything but formulaic. In the beginning, touring was a challenge but they persevered along with a whole network of like‐minded bands and their fans who were building an indie rock network for themselves. Bands like Mission of Burma and Jesus Lizard as well as Sonic Youth and Nirvana, all traveled through the same towns and played the same clubs. They booked their own shows and hauled their own gear. And their fans learned about gigs through a network of samizdat: photocopied zines, record store Paul Reveres, and handmade flyers pasted around town. Most of these indie bands were outsiders – with no threat of actual fame – but they created their own subculture where they were kings.
The success of Nirvana and the handful of other bands that broke through and secured recording deals with major labels also, ironically, hailed the end of the era. While Nirvana sold millions of records, most of these bands were not money makers. They broke up, grew up, or moved on. The internet gave many of them, including Bitch Magnet, a brief and sweet revival, when they geared up for one last tour or some festivals. But, for the most part, the scene – the record stores, bookstores, and dive bars they frequented – was gone. YOUR BAND SUCKS is a love letter to the birth of the indie rock scene and the misfits that found their home in it by an award‐winning journalist who was there when it happened." Press Release
With the help of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, this screening marks the beginning of an exciting new project: to establish a small permanent library of representative works made by past visiting artists. This program includes our inaugural selections from Dani Leventhal, Jonathan Schwartz, and Saul Levine, three American artists with whom we shared memorable screenings in the last two years. The acquisitions will be screened alongside newer work from each filmmaker. Leventhal's Hearts Are Trump Again is a playful montage of familial images, edited with such skill that the autobiographical becomes universal. Schwartz’s If the war continues, with its images of ski jumpers mid-air, is a film that froze our hearts when it screened last year. And perhaps most personal is Levine's Falling Notes Unleaving, which shows the funeral of super-8 filmmaker Anne Robertson along with footage from his 2012 visit to Portland. For Levine, this film offers an opportunity to reflect on, grieve for, and reason about the passing of a friend and a generation of filmmakers. In it he asks, "Is there anyone left? Is there anyone who cares about film the way we do?" As we close our 24th season, Cinema Project seeks to answer the question with programs like this that directly support the artists and filmmakers we aim to champion.
Following the screening, please stay and join us for an end-of-season celebration!
XRAY FM is proud to sponsor Velvet Mood featuring Reva DeVito and Solestruck, and fundraiser for Girls Inc. Come to the night where style meets sound, a free event, June 6th at White Owl Social Club. Artists performing are Reva DeVito, Savings featuring Heartspace plus Cool Trips, Blossom, DJ Deena Bee, and DJ Roane. Fashion will be brought to you by Solestruck. And a top notch raffle to benefit Girls Inc. Find more info athttps://www.facebook.com/events/1426719084297676/
The Gritty Birds Podcast goes behind the music of the Portland community with the grittiest of the industry, profiling the personalities and the unsung heroes running the game.
Come down to TLE for a free, all-ages day party celebrating the release of the first season of The Gritty Birds Podcast with music from:
3:30pm Krist Krueger (Southerly)
4:15pm MIkey Fountaine
5pm Alameda
Hosted beer from Montucky Cold Snacks. Presented by Vortex Music Magazine.
Stream the first episode here: https://soundcloud.com/grittybirds
Doors at 6:30 show at 8!
On Friday June 5th -- XRAY is proud to sponsor the BACK FENCE PDX Mainstage show at Alberta Rose Theatre! True, never-been-told 7 Deadly Sins stories from returning crowd favorite LAUREN WEEDMAN -- Doris from HBOs Looking and creator and star of two sold out runs of People's Republic of Portland. JASON ROUSE -- Announcer for Live Wire Radio! Former nun MAURA DOUGHERTY, Moth GrandSLAM winner DAVID ALEXANDER and more! Advance tickets and more info at Back Fence PDX dot-com.
Featuring live performances from Modern Funk powerhouses: K-MAXX (Sweater Funk), TURQUOISE SUMMERS (Omega Supreme Records), BRIAN ELLIS (Voltaire Records)
ALL VINYL DJ SETS BY
GWIZSKI
REV. SHINES
MAXX BASS
BOBBY D
KING TIM 33
SEOUL BROTHER #1
DJs IN TWO ROOMS ALL NIGHT
Sat, MAY 30th 2015
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont
DOORS AT 9PM
$7.50 PRE-SALE $10 DOOR
Thursday, May 28 – Monday, June 1 | Festival Pass: $80, available here
Lie back, close your eyes and enter a world of half-sleeping/half-dreaming—a world of uncanny valleys and video streams, a world of Harmontowns and states of anarchy, all surrounded by mountains of VHS. That’s right, Everything Is Festival–if not the world’s greatest, then at least the world’s most completely indefinable festival of fun—is coming to Portland. We’ve embarked on a mission to find the greatest gonzo found footage, the most accidental movie masterpieces, the weirdest alternative comedy experiments and awesome art/video installations that exist in any dimension.
Here’s this year’s amazing lineup:
Thursday, May 28 – Sunday, May 31, 24/7:
Ace Hotel Arcade
Thursday, May 28:
7:00pm – Everything Is Terrible! Legends
9:30pm – Salute Your Shorts Cast & Crew Reunion
11:30pm – Opening Night Party with DJ Douggpound and Brent Weinbach at Nemo Design
Friday, May 29:
7:00pm – Lil Bub & Friends LIVE!
9:30pm – B-Movie Bingo presents OMEGA COP with Ron Marchini in person!
11:00pm – PowerPoint Karaoke hosted by Andrew Michaan featuring Brent Weinbach and Friends at Bunk Bar
Saturday, May 30:
12:00pm – Lil Bub Meet & Greet
12:00pm – She Shreds presents: What is a Woman: Feminism, Punk, and the In-Between with Kate Nash
5:00pm – Found Crap with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab
7:00pm – HOUSE PARTY with Kid N’ Play in person
9:30pm – House Party Pajama Jammy Jam with performances by Kid N’ Play and Mix Master Mike at Star Theater
Sunday, May 31:
12:00pm – Hip Hop & Comics: Cultures Combine
2:00pm – Just Between Us with Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin
5:00pm – Wham City!
7:00pm – Harmontown LIVE!
9:30pm – Lance Bangs Presents (Keynote Speaker)
Monday, June 1:
8:00pm – Greg Barris’ “Mind Warriors” with special live interview guest Andrew W.K. at Star Theater
- See more at: Hollywood Theater's Website
For more information about Milagro Theatre and the Fiesta Milagro: Art of the Community event, visit
http://www.milagro.org/
Don't Miss Kevin Berry's Memorial Day Weekend Old School Party Sunday May 24TH At The TAO Event Center. With Midnight Star Live In Concert. And Featuring DJ Michael Morris & DJ George Playing All Old School Cuts. Get Your Tickets Online At Tickettomato.com Or At A Step Above Men's Clothing Store On MLK.
HUTCH AND KATHY
XRAY.FM PRESENTS HUTCH AND KATHY OF BELOVED PDX BAND THE THERMALS
SATURDAY, MAY 23RD
DOORS: 8:00 PM / SHOW: 9:00 PM
On May 21, NW Natural is screening the locally produced documentary "Black Girl in Suburbia" followed by a discussion with filmmaker, Melissa Lowery.
"Black Girl In Suburbia is a 55 minute feature documentary that looks into the experiences of black girls growing up in predominately white communities. This is a different look into suburbia from the perspective of women of color. This film explores through professional and personal interviews the conflict and issues black girls have relating to both white and black communities.
There are many girls out there who have stories to tell about struggle and triumph, but have never had an outlet to share. That’s why this film is so important!
Black Girl In Suburbia intends to spark an open dialogue about race, identity, and perspective among all people. In hopes that these discussions will allow us to look at perceptions of ourselves, others and the community we live in as a whole."- blackgirlinsuburbia.com
To reserve tickets, click this link
For more information on this documentary, please visit:http://www.blackgirlinsuburbia.com/.
Additional screenings in the Portland area:
Centennial High School (Open to Public) May 26, 2015 Auditorium 6pm.
3505 SE 182nd Ave
Gresham, OR 97030
(503) 762-6180
Wilson High School. (Open to Public) May 29, 2015 6:30pm.
1151 SW Vermont St
Portland, OR 97219
(503) 916-5280
Portland Public Schools Focus on Diversity, Film and Lecture series (Open to Public) June 4, 2015 4:30pm.
501 N Dixon St,
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 916-2000
Human Solutions July 9, 2015 2pm.
12350 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97236
"Meet three inspiring leaders who saw a need and took a bold action to make a difference!
Join us for a lively and thought-provoking evening of stories to spark curiosity, ideas that inspire, and an introduction to the powerful changemakers addressing some of our world’s most pressing problems.
Enjoy a drink and delicious appetizers on us!"
More Info:
The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, Japanese American History Museum is featuring local artist Motoya Nakamura’s year-long photography and video project documenting the flowering of the cherry blossoms at the Japanese American Historical Plaza and Bill of Rights Memorial in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The project is on display until June 14, 2015. For more information, visit http://www.oregonnikkei.org/exhibits.htm
PDXAGE II is On the Way!
Event info:
About PDXAGE:
PDXAGE is Portland, Oregon's newest board gaming event focusing on all styles of tabletop gaming including board games, role playing games, miniatures, and deck building games. PDXAGE's goals are simple: Grow the event, build a great community, and do good in the world through charity.
Event Information:
Date: May 15th-17th, 2015
Location: Portland, Oregon – Holiday Inn by the Airport
Expected attendance: 300 People
Tons of prizes
More information: www.pdxage.com
Special Events happening this year at PDXAGE:
Vendor booths, BIG Jenga – Bamboleo – Frag Tournament – Marvel Dice Masters mini sealed tournament – MTG Mini Masters Tournament – Cards Against Humanity – Yikerz! Tournament – Star Realms – Table Panels – D&D Adventures League, Try unreleased games from many developers!
It's Body Parys with XRAY DJs Nathan Detroit and Freaky Outy!
The mega-fun dance party for those of you looking to start your weekend early! Spearheaded by Holla 'n' Oates, aka residents of two of the most popular dance nights (Nathan Detroit of Booty Bassment and Freaky Outy of Snap!), they bring you the finest in hip-hop, r&b, dancehall, and club jams with plenty of edits/remixes.
$3
10pm
21+
Los Porteños presents POETRY FROM THE INTERIOR: William Stafford & Miguel Hernandez
FREE
(April 16, 2015) "Poetry from the Interior: William Stafford & Miguel Hernandez" is an evening of original prose and poetry inspired by the words of American poet William Stafford and Spanish poet Miguel Hernandez, produced by Los Porteños at Literary Arts May 12th.
Award winning poet William Stafford (1914-1993), taught for decades at Lewis & Clark College and served as Oregon’s Poet Laureate from 1975 to 1990. His writing is often deceptively simple, focused on everyday things. Yet this examination reveals the complexity and depth hidden in the commonplace.
Miguel Hernandez (1910-1942) is one of Spain’s most beloved poets, a man from the countryside who embraced Madrid’s intellectual sophistication. His poetry is filled with regional themes, vegetation, animals, inspired by the heightened style of 16thand 17th Spanish literature.
Both writers were born in very humble circumstances and found inspiration in the natural world. Because of their strong political beliefs, both poets were incarcerated by their own countries. Stafford was a conscientious objector of WW II and Hernandez opposed Franco’s fascist leadership. Hernandez died in prison of tuberculosis.
“Poetry from the Interior” creates a cross cultural literary experience by celebrating Stafford while also shining light on Miguel Hernandez, regarded as "the people's poet" of Latin America.
The reading will feature Los Porteños members Joaquín López, Octaviano Merecías-Cuevas, Enrique Patlan, Ivonne Saed, Olga Sanchez, byroN José Sun and Juan Antonio Trujillo. In the spirit of a traditional tertulia, the featured readers will be followed by audience participation. Audience members are encouraged to bring their favorite Stafford or Hernandez poem to share.
This reading is sponsored by Literary Arts and Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, a project of the Oregon Cultural Trust.
About Los Porteños:
Los Porteños is a well of Latino writers dedicated to raising their voices in the Portland community and to raising awareness of their diverse languages, canons, stories, and cultures. The group was founded in January of 2006 by three members of Los Norteños—Seattle’s Latino writing circle—who had migrated south to Portland. Since its inception, Los Porteños has presented annual readings at El Centro Milagro for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and in 2011, they began hosting a William Stafford Birthday Reading featuring multi-lingual poetry and prose written in response to Stafford poems. In October of 2014, they presented their debut production Words That Burn: William Stafford, Lawson Inada, and Guy Gabaldón in Their Own Words.
Sunday May 10, 2015 8:00 PM
Hawthorne Theatre
21 & Over Only
"Join Sir Cupcake, veteran circus performer/director Jack Stocklynn, in his inaugural convening of the best of Portland's queer circus community in a ridiculous, vaudevillian exploration of our queer past. "Sir Cupcake's Queer Circus Goes Back in Time" is an immersive delight with fresh, campy and hilarious acts. Tickets ($15) are available now at www.sircupcake.com and Brown Paper Tickets for performances on May 8-9 at Echo Theater at 8 p.m. Performances will be ASL interpreted and are wheelchair accessible.
Sir Cupcake, always running late, tries to use his magic pocket-watch to make it to his show on time but finds himself and his queer circus back in the 1930s instead. Luckily, they are just in time for his ancestor's, queer singer ER Martin's, own show! Circus queers past and present join together for a once in a lifetime performance with aerialists, acrobats, clowns, burlesque, and more. Neighboring acrobatic couples find love across the fence, a magician's assistant gets her revenge, a handsome marathon swimmer finally finds true love and ER Martin gets a life changing telegram. Featuring cupcakes (of course!) and special guest performances by renowned burlesque artist Pidgeon von Tramp (Seattle) and world traveling hand balancer Brittany Walsh (May 8, only).
Sir Cupcake's Queer Circus celebrates queer and trans identities with storytelling and performances by queer and trans people and their allies."- Brown Paper Tickets
To purchase tickets, visit Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1340011
For inquiries about the show, contact thesircupcake@gmail.com
1. The record was partially recorded in a barn in a beautiful pastoral setting in rural Oregon
(true, but hasn't everybody done this now?)
2. The band lives in Portland, OR
(also true, and they are consciously and unconsciously living breathing stereotypes just like the
ones portrayed in Portlandia)
3. Horse Feathers last album charted on Billboard by selling fewer records than they had in the past
(true, but maybe more a comment on the music industry as a whole?)
4. For this album, the band was influenced by the following: Pentangle, Talk Talk, Paul Simon, The Band, Van Morrison, John Wesley Harding era Bob Dylan, Desire era Bob Dylan, and Abner Jay (not what you would have guessed, right?)
Justin Ringle, the man behind all ten years of Horse Feathers, has the following to say about the making of this album, and the current state of his band:
"I wanted to stop. I did all the touring for my fourth record – "Cynic's New Year" – and ended the year 2012 disillusioned and defeated. I didn't touch my guitar for months, which was the longest I had gone in about 15 years. I thought that my career in music was over and wondered if I even wanted to do it anymore. After an arduous period of self-doubt and discovery, I finally arrived at the enlightened idea that maybe it should just be a little more fun. I had grown weary of talking to people after shows who said that my last record "helped them through their divorce". I have always been flattered by that sort of thing, but I realized what I wanted to hear was how my last record helped them "have a great weekend". If you have heard any of my previous records you will realize that this transformation from "divorce" band to "weekend" band would be a tall order. And it was! I wouldn't say we've become a "party band" overnight, but I certainly tried to change things a bit.
I enlisted friends to play with me that I trusted and had known for years. Along with longtime bandmates Nathan Crockett (strings/mandolin) and Dustin Dybvig (percusion/drums/keys), I threw Justin Power (bass/vocals) into the mix to have an honest to god rhythm section for the first time. With Lauren Vidal on cello and Brad Parsons singing harmonies, we played an impromptu show at Sasquatch and people liked it. We liked it, and the unusual feeling that I had after that show – which I think is referred to as "joy" – became something I wanted to experience again. I shared more. I stopped editing myself as much. The joy of playing live became its own reward, and I dared myself to allow that joy to shape the songwriting. In the end, I was able to let it go, and I don't own it anymore. Which also feels like joy. That's the way it was, and so it is with us."
Now home, Thanks has immediately set to work on new material. They are currently recording two new singles and a music video for each. Last week's video shoot for "Bad Tattoos" brought the band to iconic Chinatown dive Magic Gardens. Stay tuned for its release in early 2015.
Thanks is no stranger to their local Portland music scene. The band is made up of members from myriad former musical endeavors, which ranged from folk-twinged ballads, to dance electronic, to girl group garage punk. While keeping these eclectic influences close to heart, Thanks has carved out its niche as a distinct new voice within Portland indie music. Elements of soul, R&B and early rock'n'roll blend seamlessly with catchy indie-pop hooks and modern dark synth tones.
Portland Mercury music editor Ned Lannamann raves, "I'm not the first to point out how six-piece Portland band Thanks incorporates soul into their decidedly black-hearted indie rock. Thanks' music is vital, gripping, and different. Indeed, Blood Sounds is an apt name for this terrific, fiery collection, as the music is bloody and bruised, forming tightly controlled tantrums of melody and rhythm, marshaled by Jimi's commanding voice. Consider Thanks' Blood Sounds the first great Portland album of 2014."
The success of their earlier 2014 tour, which included a performance on Balcony TV Vienna, airplay on Austria's hit-making radio station FM4, and glowing reviews from various European music magazines, prompted the band's return overseas. Schwarzataler-Online asserts, "The band Thanks is THE HOT newcomer from the US." Austrian magazine Subtext calls the album, "a work that goes immediately into the bloodstream while listening. Blood Sounds is a multi-faceted release with the best voice I've heard in recent months. I can't recommend this album enough!" Kronen Zeitung predicts, "The future belongs to the soulful indie rock sextet, Thanks. With their debut album, Blood Sounds, they did a great job creating an interesting mixture of traditional American rock'n'roll, southern soul, and modern electro references. [Blood Sounds] will keep your ears asking for more."
More information at Revolution Hall