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.