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WRITING ABOUT PDX POP NOW! gets a little tougher every year, and it becomes difficult not to regurgitate the festival's own mission statement. On the other hand, that might just be testament to PDX Pop Now!'s consistency and unwavering value to the all-ages community here in Portland. For kids who like music, it's a three-day oasis in a calendar year that's otherwise low on quality all-ages shows. And it's cool for everyone else, too, assuming you aren't a fucking scrooge. But considering it's free, scrooges can appreciate it, too.

Not a lot has changed in the 11 years since PPN!'s inception, and that's a really good thing. It's still nonprofit, and everybody is able (and encouraged) to become a participant in the booking process. And amazingly, admission's still totally free. The popular criticisms that have been leveled against the festival over the years—that marginalized styles aren't being represented (this has improved), that the fest's philosophy is too provincial and narrow in scope (this isn't the point), that there's been a moderate drop-off in the number of underage performers in the last five years (to this I am absolutely sympathetic)—are fair to varying degrees, but they're outweighed by the benefits that an annual music festival like this provides in the first place.

This weekend, PPN! will once again be held at AudioCinema, probably the comfiest space the festival's ever had in its slightly nomadic history. This year's lineup is also one of the best and most diverse it has ever been. What follows is the Official All-Ages Action! Field Guide to PDX Pop Now! 2015.

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