Blogtown, PDX

Monday, May 14, 2007

Music Menomena and the Thermals Rock Cleveland (High School)

Posted by Chas Bowie on Mon, May 14 at 11:10 AM

Last Friday night some friends and I made our way down to Cleveland High to watch the Thermals and Menomena shake some teenage booty while raising money for Portland Public School’s music departments. If you haven’t stepped inside a high school in a decade or so, you’ve got to try it soon (if it’s OK with your parole officer); it’s a little uncanny how fast it’ll take you back to being a teenager.

The bands were awesome, just as you’d predict they’d be. They played in the school auditorium, so it felt like a school assembly, with everybody climbing over chairs and shit until the bands played, when most of the crowd pressed to the front of the room. About 2/3rds of the audience were high school students, which was pretty adorable. (Since when have there been so many hip high school students? At my school there were only like 15 of us who liked good music and tattoos and smoking pot. Friday night’s concert was like Portland teenage Woodstock.)

Also of note: There was a guy who was about 60 years old wearing a Black Flag t-shirt, but who otherwise looked like a normal, balding dad in camp shorts. My friend speculated that he would have had to have been 35 when Black Flag first came out, then we decided that his kid made him wear the BF t-shirt if he was going to insist on coming to the concert. But as soon as the Thermals started, the old dude was up at the front, throwing his fist into the air and bouncing along with all the teenagers. Does anybody who was there have the scoop on this guy?

Anyway, what I’m trying to say in all of this is: You totally should have been there. It was the best day of high school I can think of.

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Comments

Cleveland RULES! The very best people came from CLEVELAND. In your FACE LINCOLN. You got NOTHING on CLEVELAND!

Posted by Dave Lister | May 14, 2007 1:30 PM

Dave, you didn't happen to be wearing a Black Flag t-shirt Friday night, did you?

Posted by chas | May 14, 2007 2:05 PM

No. Friday night I was enjoying a beer after a rousing round of golf at Glendoveer. Glendoveer, where I am taking you all for golf this summer.

Posted by Dave Lister | May 14, 2007 3:37 PM

I talked to the dudes wife for awhile. I think they are friends with Menomena somehow. I had the same reaction though: a fifty five year old Dick Cheney who is really into Black Flag.

Posted by caustic | May 14, 2007 7:59 PM

Hi, this is Brent from Menomena. Thanks to everybody who came out to the awesome show at Cleveland High. This Black-Flag T-shirt wearing Thermals fan is one of my favorite humans. His name is Bob. He's solely responsible for lending me books on DADA and DVDs on Fugazi and Thelonius Monk. He also once showed me a Devo DVD at his home which blew my mind. Bob is awesome. So is his wife, Nancy. I hope I'm as cool as them someday. Love, Brent.

Posted by Brent Knopf | May 15, 2007 1:35 PM

Please forgive spelling mistake on Monk's first name : should be "Thelonious." I was distracted by Bob Dillan on the radio.

Posted by Brent Knopf | May 15, 2007 1:47 PM

Bob is one of my best buddies at work, where we learn and write about green building and think great thoughts about changing the world for the better. We also really like Hello Kitty and Thai noodles. And Shonen Knife--Twist Barbie! Oh yeah, and I'm married to that guy, Brent.

Posted by Teak Wall | May 15, 2007 4:59 PM

That Bob guy is really cool and wonderful, a Buddhist spirit who endeavors to infuse the world with warmth and compassion. He also knows more about punk rock than, well, most punk rockers. He's kinda punk himself and has listened and even READ BOOKS about punk rock. Bob's also served on the staff of four governors over his career; he's kinda a Big Brain. He also really likes the Clash - and Hello Kitty! Yay!

Nancy, the other half

Posted by Nancy Murray | May 15, 2007 5:12 PM

Bob may have white hair, but he is way more genuine and punk rock than 95% of the kids in that room or in any other venue in Portland on any other night.

I am trying to get him to take on one of you hipsters in a punk rock trivia contest. Just, you know, to teach you not to throw Dick Cheney's name around so loosely.

Posted by Friend o' Bob | May 15, 2007 5:24 PM

I met Bob at a Thermals show a while back. I asked him if his t shirt had a picture of a Cylon on it and he replied, "Nope! It's for a really great band called the Epoxies! You should check them out!"

And then I was ashamed for getting schooled by Bob so kindly, and also for hiding out to watch the Sci Fi Channel instead of leaving the couch to enjoy the world.

Posted by AMA | May 15, 2007 5:34 PM

Thanks everyone for the fun and support.

I am a little surprised that there was such a reaction to my wearing a Black Flag shirt -- that is a good sign. Someone is awake.

Black Flag is about being angry about injustice while having a great time.

Menomena is about the dark and the light, the ebb and the flow, the circle -- kind of Taoist Jazz.

The Thermals are about the existential rebellion necessary to create or retain our humanity and develop a life of the spirit in a hostile warring world.

We are so lucky to have Menomena and the Thermals and the Epoxies and Pink Martini. Support them and walk the talk.

Posted by Bob of Bob | May 15, 2007 5:38 PM

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