Portland Mercury

Change and Tradition at OBT

Jenna Lechner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:59:51 -0700

Oregon Ballet Theatre capped their season with big news. Several OBT dancers are retiring; Anne Mueller has stepped down as the company’s interim artistic director—Kevin Irving was named the new artistic director earlier in June, and the search continues for an executive director. This weekend was the final performance of the season; they rounded out their season this year with the program Celebrating Balanchine.

The show was both rich and technical, honoring the 20th century choreorapher George Balanchine on the 30th anniversary of his death. OBT added the biblical tale of the Prodigal Son to their repertoire. The piece comes from Balanchine's early years, from his studies with the notorious Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes; the set is vivid and bold, with scenes of feasts and dramatic skies; the dancing is feverish and exciting, with an incredible and convincing performance by Chauncey Parsons as the wayward Prodigal Son. Parsons runs up an angled table, then slides down it; the piece is punctuated by intense acrobatic moves that string together the narrative of the boy's descent into debauchery. The show began however with a lithe, precise performance of Balanchine’s "Square Dance," deemed an “audience favorite,” and ended on a soft note, with "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" and impressive grace.

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New Die Antwoord Video: Yo-Landi's Ass Edition

Marjorie Skinner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:44:00 -0700

The latest Die Antwoord music video dropped today, for "Cookie Jumper," in case you missed your daily WTF.

This honestly seems like the most normal thing they've ever done. Yo-Landi infantilizing herself is kind of business as usual, and I only counted three cats in this entire video, which hurts their overall average of animal usage significantly. However, as always, there is something of a teaching moment in the opening skit, where we're delivered a little hint about South Africa's "Numbers" gang, whose mythology is impressively intricate. There's also a cameo-in-tattoo of the Cape Town Americans. Otherwise it's just kind of a rape fantasy jam that features some really nice crocheted bras.

Are we bored of them yet? I think I am, although I will say that their show at the Roseland last time they were in town was about 10 times as fun

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It's Happening Tonight!

Alison Hallett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:29:00 -0700

MUSIC—The Memories' gorgeous druggy offerings slide and chime their way to the two-minute mark before losing interest and moving on. It makes them an oddly compelling act and perfect centerpiece for the Woolen Men's perfectly crafted lo-fi and Sauna's giggling surf-pop. AR
Record Room, 8 NE Killingsworth, 8 pm, $5

FILM—The granddaddy of all superheroes has had a spotty record when it comes to movies, but Man of Steel just might be the movie of the summer. Starring some dude from The Tudors as Superman—alongside Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, and Kevin Motherfucking Costner—Zack Snyder's reboot is ambitious, grandiose, and a whole lot of fun. EH
Roseway Theater, 7229 NE Sandy, see Film Times, $7

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Gum Fucker!

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:17:00 -0700

I am going to poison your gum if you can't chew it with your mouth closed. I've asked you in the nicest way possible to not smack/slosh/pop your gum. You sound like a fucking slobbering neanderthal idiot. FUCK YOU!

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Pickathon Schedule, Single Day Passes, and an Invitation to Ben Ratliff

Andrew R Tonry — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:04:00 -0700

Reviewing Bonaroo earlier this week, the NY Times' Ben Ratliff wrote about the festival he had just attended, but also festivals at large:

I have an unrealistic fantasy of a music festival purely of excellence, with no responsibility toward any aesthetic or sound or region, only toward the principles of unity and purpose in sound. Bonnaroo is not that. But it allows you, at least, to dream in those terms.

With that in mind I'd like to formally invite Mr. Ratliff to Pendarvis Farm this August, as I think Pickathon's near-perfection might shatter such engrained expectations—or at least offer them a slight tug of re-alignment.

Indeed, entering its 15th year, Pickathon's about as good as it gets.

Part of that's about preference, of course, on things like size, texture, palate, history, etc. But a lot of what has come to define Pickathon are the very qualities Ratliff drearily wishes for: "no responsibility toward any aesthetic or sound or region, only toward the principles of unity and purpose in sound."

Last year's highlights are starting to whiz by: There was Bombino, electric and electrifying on the Woods Stage. Cass McCombs, brooding but profound on the Starlight Stage. White Denim, like a bucking bronco in the Galaxy Barn. A husky buzzing day drunk for the War on Drugs, and, nights before, kicking up dust in the inimitable Square Dance. Back in the barn, TheeSatisfaction cool things out. And McCombs once more, just for good measure. Oh, and who could forget the Barr Brothers, a tremendous, effervescent surprise after a hectic day of travel postponed and nearly derailed their set. The list goes on.

On paper, this year's lineup looks as good if not better. For the full 2013 schedule, check Pickathon.com. While you're there you can also pick up some single day passes, which are on sale now. (But seriously, do the right thing and stay the whole weekend.)

And while the ranks run deep each day, a few scheduled performances jump immediately off the page:

The Relatives burning down and building back the Barn. Sharon Van Etten in the Woods, her voice a heavy wisp of sugary sap. Kurt Vile twinkling on the Starlight. Shabazz Palaces in the Woods and in the Barn (a part of me thinks maybe those spaced-out waves would really unfurl beneath the moon at the late-night Starlight stage, but maybe that I want to see Shabazz Palaces on three stages instead of two just means that I'm really excited to finally see Shabazz Palaces, especially at this marvelous festival instead of some ol' club.)

But, as always: it's who I haven't seen or heard yet at Pickathon I'm most excited for. Over the years such unveilings have become tattooed on my musical mind. Like Bonny Prince Billy, who in person, totally clicked. Or Cotton Jones, stunning, beautiful, and hearty. Or my own personal favorite, the beacon, and shining light of my Pickathons past and (hopefully) present, the saddest sweet voice in all of country music, Mr. Sam Quinn.

Indeed, I'd be remiss to leave out yet another last-minute petition to add the Quinner to this year's festivities. One can only hope.

Nonetheless, I'll be there with bells on.

Hopefully, Mr. Ratliff, you will too.

(The whole damn schedule is also available after the jump.)

PICKATHON 2013 SCHEDULE (DOWNLOADABLE PDF)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

Mountain View Stage
1:50PM - Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
4:10PM - Yellowbirds
6:30PM - Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside
8:50PM - The Devil Makes Three
10:20PM - Pickathon Squaredance with Foghorn Stringband and Caroline Oakley

Fir Meadows Stage
12:50PM - Pure Bathing Culture
3:00PM - Leo Rondeau
5:20PM - White Fence
7:40PM - Lightning Dust

Galaxy Barn
3:00PM - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz
4:40PM - Pure Bathing Culture
6:20PM - Old Light
8:00PM - Wayne Hancock
9:40PM - The Relatives
11:20PM - King Tuff
1:00AM - JD McPherson

Woods Stage
1:00PM - The Cactus Blossoms
2:40PM - Jessica Pratt
4:20PM - Sturgill Simpson
6:00PM - Lake Street Dive
7:40PM - Vieux Farka Touré
9:20PM - Andrew Bird

Starlight Stage
11:30PM - Breathe Owl Breathe
1:00AM - Marco Benevento

Workshop Barn
7:30AM - Yoga
9:30AM - Music Together (kids)
11:00AM - Yoga
2:00PM - Cat Doorman (Kids)
3:30PM - Kids Showcase with Annalisa Tornfelt
5:00PM - Shakey Graves
6:30PM - Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms

Pickathon Café
3:40PM - I Draw Slow
5:10PM - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

Mountain View Stage
12:20PM - The Relatives
2:40PM - King Tuff
5:00PM - LADY
7:20PM - Andrew Bird
9:50PM - Divine Fits

Fir Meadows Stage
11:10AM - Bradford Lee Folk & The Bluegrass Playboys
1:30PM - Wayne Hancock
3:50PM - The Lone Bellow
6:10PM - JD McPherson
8:40PM - Vieux Farka Touré

Galaxy Barn
10:00AM - Family Squaredance with Caroline Oakley (Kids)
11:40AM - Yellowbirds
1:20PM - Tift Merritt
3:00PM - Dale Watson
4:40PM - White Fence
6:20PM - Foxygen
8:00PM - Shabazz Palaces
9:40PM - Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
11:20PM - Shinyribs
1:00AM - Parquet Courts

The Woods Stage
11:20AM - Cardboard Songsters (Kids)
1:00PM - Breathe Owl Breathe
2:40PM - Howe Gelb
4:20PM - Sharon Van Etten
6:00PM - Ty Segall
7:40PM - Feist
9:20PM - The Devil Makes Three

Starlight Stage
11:00PM - Kurt Vile & The Violators
12:30AM - The Felice Brothers

Workshop Barn
7:00PM - Yoga
9:00PM - Music Together (Kids)
10:30PM - Yoga
12:30PM - Diane Ferlatte (Kids)
2:00PM - Malcolm Holcombe
3:30PM - Jessica Pratt
5:00PM - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz
6:30PM - I Draw Slow

Pickathon Café
2:00PM - The Cactus Blossoms
3:40PM - Pharris and Jason Romero
5:10PM - Shakey Graves

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Mountain View Stage
11:20AM - Shinyribs
1:40PM - Tift Merritt
4:00PM - Sharon Van Etten
6:20PM - Kurt Vile & The Violators
8:50PM - Feist

Fir Meadows Stage
12:30PM - Old Light
2:50PM - Foxygen
5:10PM - The Felice Brothers
7:40PM - Parquet Courts

Galaxy Barn
10:00AM - Cat Doorman (Kids)
11:40AM - Malcolm Holcombe
1:20PM - Leo Rondeau
3:00PM - Bradford Lee Folk & The Bluegrass Playboys
4:40PM - Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside
6:20PM - Lake Street Dive
8:00PM - Caleb Klauder Country Band
9:40PM - Ty Segall
11:20PM - LADY
1:00AM - Divine Fits

Woods Stage
11:20AM - Diane Ferlatte (Kids)
1:00PM - Pharis & Jason Romero
2:40PM - The Lone Bellow
4:20PM - Dale Watson
6:00PM - Lightning Dust
7:40PM - Shabazz Palaces
9:20PM - Marco Benevento

Starlight Stage
10:00PM - Shakey Graves
11:30PM - Howe Gelb
1:00AM - I Draw Slow

Workshop Barn
7:30AM - Yoga
9:30PM - Music Together (Kids)
11:00AM - Yoga
12:30PM - Howe Gelb
2:00PM - The Cactus Blossoms
3:30PM - Yellowbirds
5:00PM - Tift Merritt
6:30PM - Bradford Lee Folk & The Bluegrass Playboys

Pickathon Café
2:00PM - Lake Street
3:40PM - Foghorn Stringband
5:10PM - Person, Place, or Thing (Breathe Owl Breathe)

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NW Film Center Announces Top Down: Rooftop Cinema Lineup

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:59:00 -0700

Every summer, the NW Film Center shows some movies on top of the Hotel deLuxe's parking structure; preceded by bands and with plentiful amounts of booze on hand, it's a fairly delightful way to spend a summer evening, provided you get there early enough to fight off the bluehairs and secure some good seats. This summer's Top Down: Rooftop Cinema series just got announced, and it's good, with one truly excellent selection:

July 25 – Thursday 8 p.m.
JOUR DE FÊTE
Band: Lincoln’s Beard

August 1 – Thursday 8 p.m.
DANCING OUTLAW I & II: JESCO GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
Band: Barry Brusseau

August 8 – Thursday 8 p.m.
ZELIG
Band: Jaime Leopold and the Short Stories

August 15 – Thursday 8 p.m.
BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
Band: TBA

August 22 – Thursday 8 p.m.
THE HUNGER
Band: Foreign Talks

August 29 – Thursday 8 p.m.
SWING TIME

Well okay, I guess that's fine and all, while Bill and Ted is cleary going to be the most fun, I wouldn't be surprised if The Hunger turns out to be pret—WAIT. WHAT. HOW CAN THE BAND BE "TBA" FOR BILL AND TED? Are you telling me you couldn't get every Portland band ever to do an awesome Wyld Stallyns tribute act? Are you even kidding me? How is this not happening?

Other than that, should be fun. More info's over at the nwfilm.org.

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It's a Beautiful GIF: Rihanna Slapping the SHIT Out of Michael Cera

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:44:38 -0700

Though a bit troubling in spots, This is the End is still a pretty damn good bro movie with lots of laffs. AND! As I spent a little too much time on in my review, the most glorious moment of all is when Rihanna slaps the ever-loving shit out of Michael Cera. I called it a "slap for the ages" and you can now see that slap in action in GIF form after the jump. (Note: The lack of sound takes some of the power away... but look at that wind up and follow through! I hope they shot that scene 17 times.)

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The Daily Show on Poor, Bullied Christians

Paul Constant — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:29:00 -0700

This is glorious:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Semi-related: Am I crazy, or is John Oliver a really good Daily Show host?

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Tao Lin Reading Tonight

Jacob Schraer — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:14:29 -0700

Tao Lin is visiting Powell's tonight to promote his new novel Taipei which I reviewed this week. (Full disclosure, I work for Powell's, though this review was a freelance assignment and not part of some clandestine marketing job which in my imagination pays really great but in actuality comes under a Craigslist description like: Do you enjoy ethical dilemmas and getting paid 15K/year for part time ingenuity and full time flexibility?...) I enjoyed the book and think Tao Lin is growing as a writer.

But there's always the other side. Over at The Millions, Lydia Kiesling loathed the book, and in a very personal way that Lin's work seems to inspire. She assures us that her "loathing was pure," being unaware of Lin's social media presence that has been integral to his persona since the beginning, though that does come into play later.

It's the writing itself that offends Kiesling. "I wondered why someone who hates words would take the trouble to arrange so many of them in a row." More to the point, "the novel reads as though it were the result of strict parameters imposed by a perverse contest, or the edict of some nihilist philosophy, to use as few interesting words as possible."

I understand her objections. When I reviewed Lin's last novel Richard Yates, I had also never heard of him. I viscerally hated the first twenty pages, endured the next hundred, and then accepted the rest of it. My loathing was also pure, but I found a purpose to the pain of his prose, even if in the end I didn't like the book that much.

Kiesling's review gets there, offering a grudging respect for Lin's ability to capture the mundane, but she still really doesn't like the book. The entire critical response is highly varied. The New York Observer gives Taipei excessive praise. The New York Times is positive about it but hesitant, as if not sure what to make of the book but afraid if they blast they'll seem out of touch.

This isn't to say that I have some secret key to understanding his work, but rather that such an array of varied and visceral reactions is in itself a good thing. I'd rather hate a book (or a movie or a tv show) than forget about it the week after I read it. While being bland and laconic, Tao Lin's writing is still provocative enough to bring out the most vituperative reactions people can offer. For me that's an amazing feat for a writer to pull off in 2013.

Tao Line reads tonight at Powell's City of Books at 7:30 p.m.

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The Best (Miniature) Car Chase You'll See All Day!

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:59:22 -0700

Check out this hilariously awesome car chase using Matchbox-sized cars—and three hip hoorays for whoever did the sound editing on this mini-cinematic masterpiece.

via

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NOT EVEN JOKING: Michelle Shocked Is Playing 2013 San Francisco Pride

Kelly O — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:29:31 -0700

From SF-ist:

Professional attention-seeker and onstage ranter Michelle Shocked has announced she will return to San Francisco to play a free concert on Sunday, June 30th — the closing night of S.F. Pride festivities. Adding to the already bizzarre and controversial setup, Shocked's concert will coincide with a press blitz/egotrip coordinated across the SF Examiner and SF Weekly.

While many, including ourselves, hoped Shocked's dubious relevance would fade once her tour was cancelled and the retweets died out, the alt-folk singer thrust herself back into limelight late last week. She took to Twitter on Friday to announce the free concert, the SF Weekly exclusive, a treasured spot in the 2013 Pride Guide spread and a forthcoming opinion piece in the Examiner.

Is this really necessary? Does anyone care if she tries to explain herself? Especially at Gay Pride? Especially in San Francisco, the gayest city that ever gay-gayed? I really look forward to NOT reading her interview in the SF Weekly.

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Warped Tour: A Meditation on Aging

Alison Hallett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:29:00 -0700

Okay, guys. For the first Worst. Night. Ever. of our new season, you decided to send me to Warped Tour, and so to Warped Tour I went—to the disappointment of my close friends and family, who know that nothing, but NOTHING, sounds worse to me than an "ecstatic dance DJ party." You effed the dog on that one, Internet. And I have even more bad news: It was belatedly determined that the band i was supposed to see, Falling in Reverse, was not in fact playing in Portland. So Steve and Ned picked out another band deemed suitably awful, the poetically named Like Moths to Flames.

Here's my disclaimer before we get into this: I don't know the difference between hardcore, metal, metalcore, and... whatever else. I'm sure those differences are profound and meaningful, but I'm going to use them interchangeably because I give zero fucks. Okay? Okay.

This year, Portland's Warped Tour was in the parking lot of the Expo Center. Fuck yeah, right? So I MAXed out there and got my ticket from a friendly ticket girl and underwent an almost insultingly cursory bag check from a kid who seemed certain there was no way I was trying to smuggle in drugs or booze (fine, I wasn't) and walked through the gates and this song was playing right in front of me:

And I was like, ohhhh my god, I am 400 years old, I am an Anne Rice vampire wishing she could just die already, I don't understand anything about this.

Which was the reaction I was expecting to have to the whole festival—out-of-touchness, confusion about the way the cultural touchstones of my own teen years were being reappropriated, etc. I mean, I'm 30. I don't know the first thing about what kids these days are interested in, aside from the timeless teenaged preoccupations of "finding someone to make out with" and "themselves." I figured I'd feel really old and out of place, given that Warped Tour is very pointedly targeted at teens.

That didn't really happen, though. Aside from the Cranberries cover and a disconcerting number of Pink Floyd T-shirts (really? them?) mostly it was a music festival in a parking lot. It seemed like a really good place to buy a shirt reading "Free Hugs" or "Fuck Hipsters," or to cheerfully shill for major corporate sponsors by hashtagging them on Instagram, or to get a bad sunburn because you didn't listen to your mom when she reminded you to wear sunscreen. I kept wanting to ask chubby girls if they were drinking enough water.

I did feel out of place, but it was less about age and more because I'm kind of a schlumpy hipster dork with no visible tattoos who OBVIOUSLY likes to read. There were plenty of other grownups around: Some were parent-chaperones being awfully good sports; some were middle-aged dudes with bad taste in music; some were leathery scenesters herding their own toddlers around. I took this picture, which I'm calling "Father's Day at Warped Tour":

When I was in high school, the dudes who went to Warped Tour were punk-rock jocks who dated cheerleaders and had Op Ivy stickers on the cars their parents bought them. I never really minded those guys, even if my cooler friends made fun of them for not being "real" punks. (This was in Tualatin; the entire authenticity-based pecking order rested on fairly shaky ground.) It all still seems pretty bro-y; I kept thinking, "God, these dudes with girl hair get laid waaaay too often." There weren't many women on stage—in two hours I only I only saw one, repping the Gwen Stefani big-pants-little-shirt look—and going through the schedule just now, I counted three women among about 20 randomly selected bands. Representation of women is important, even in shitty scenes.

Most of the music I saw, aside from being too damn loud—*shakes cane*—seemed vaguely self-helpy: Step one, validate their pain; step two, transcendence through hand-clapping. (There was a lot of handclapping.) "Reach out to us—put your hands forward to attest," one singer instructed. When the crowd complied, he chirped, "You guys are great, man! This is awesome!" Then the bass player did a Namaste bow. It was all kind of wholesome, really.

Like Moths to Flames WAS the worst band I saw, though not particularly memorable in their badness. The bass player was kinda hot and the lead singer sounded like a real douche. "Gimme a big-ass circle pit!" he yelled at one point. "Everyone start running in one direction and don't you dare fucking stop!"

Which was like a gift from heaven, because teenaged boys dancing in a circle pit is one of the funniest things on this earth. (I know they don't think of it as "dancing," but let's be real.) It's so fucking comical—hopping and air punching and posturing and chin-thrusting, all while enthusiastically running around in a giant circle. It reminded me of trying to start a whirlpool in my grandma's backyard swimming pool. (It also, of course, speaks to that gender problem again—the Like Moths to Flames pit was exclusively male, save for one girl on the edges who alternated between trying to dance and protecting her boobs with her elbows.)

All of the bands I saw near-constantly entreated the audience to jump up and down, clap their hands, raise their middle fingers, etc. It seemed very contrived; I imagined Like Moths to Flames getting a lecture from their social media manager on how to expand their brand: "One measure of audience engagement is whether or not they dare to fucking stop running one direction. Also, hand claps."

I think teenagers are funny and I don't really have anything too mean to say about ones who went to Warped Tour. There were lots of girls with pink hair who should've been wearing longer shorts, and lots of those skinny, probably-vegan hardcore kids with aggressively good posture. The music itself was shitty and annoying, of course, and the whole festival is so aggressively corporate-sponsored that the suggestion that anything legitimately "edgy" or "alternative" is happening under its auspices is patently ridiculous. ("Everybody give it up for the security guards!," one band yelled. It was given.)

At one point, a short blonde girl marched up to me and asked me to favorite her photo on Instagram so she could win a backstage pass. "I'm 'Mastershiznit'," she explained, adorably. She got her pass, apparently—got a little bit closer to whatever band she was dying to see, and all she had to do was get 60 likes and hashtag it #kiawarped.

So that sort of thing is where I actually did start to feel my age—it wasn't so much the music itself (barf) but how the entire thing felt like wandering through a marketing campaign. There were only two bands on the bill I'd actually heard of: Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish. I saw Reel Big Fish at the long-defunct Portland club La Luna when I was in high school—I went to the show because one of my favorite bands at the time, the Mr. T Experience, was opening. MTX slept on my friend's floor when they were in town, and we didn't have to hashtag anything to talk to them after the show; they were just around. I would be disappointed if kids these days aren't having experiences like that, but I assume some of them are. They're just not having them at Warped Tour.

IN CONCLUSION, you guys really are terrible at voting for Worst Night Ever. Most of you are probably in bands that would be worse to go see than this was. There were no baby pigs like at the fair, and no free cookies like at the sex club, but otherwise it was pretty tame. The end.

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The Internet Cat Video Fest

Marjorie Skinner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:59:00 -0700

Guess what you're doing this weekend. Ok, I'll tell you: You are going to the single greatest event the Mercury has ever sponsored, The Internet Cat Video Fest! Longtime readers know that the Merc has a colorful history with cats (remember Cat Friday? Weirdest meetings ever.), but lately we've been relegating them to Courtney's awesome "Tonight in Music" photo selections.

Well, for one night at least, we're dragging our old cat lady shame out of the closet for another outing. And lest you think this is a slacker affair, know that this program originally drew over 10,000 people when it debuted at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis:

[Warning: The following video contains huge dorks.]

The re-staging of this event is going down this Friday and Saturday at the Hollywood at 7:30 and 9:30 pm, and includes an appearance from last year's people's choice winner Henri, le Chat Noir—you can check out one of his videos after the cut, too. The poor thing.

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Tonight in Music

Courtney Ferguson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:44:34 -0700

Backspace–The Front Bottoms, Weatherbox, Lee Corey Oswald, 7:30 pm, $10, all ages
Al's Den–Casey Neill, 7 pm, free
Beech St. Parlor–Blood Beach
Bunk Bar–WL, Fake Nails, 9 pm, $3
The Know–The Gutters, Tyrants, Warm Trash, 8 pm
Mississippi Studios–The Staves, Mike Musikanto, 9 pm, $12
Music Millennium–Emily Wells, 6 pm, free, all ages
Record Room–Woolen Men, Sauna, The Memories, 8 pm, $5
Roseland–Fall Out Boy, 8 pm, all ages
Wonder Ballroom–Rachael Yamagata, Sanders Bohlke, 8:30 pm, $15-17

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Michael Cera's Shorty Film Failure Isn't at All! It's Good!

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:29:29 -0700

Check out this short—seriously, it's only four minutes long—film called Failure written/directed/starring Michael Cera and co-starring Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza. For being only four minutes long, it sure is chock-a-block with tension, atmosphere, confusion, and good-natured creepiness.

I wish I could be this good in four minutes. :(

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Why Yes, Orson Welles DID Do the Narration for the Revenge of the Nerds Trailer

David Schmader — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:59:00 -0700

Thank you, Criterion Collection Twitter feed.

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Bill Nye: The Science Activist Guy

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:44:00 -0700

There was an interesting article in yesterday's NYT about Bill Nye (the science guy!) and how he's gone from science booster to science advocate—and what the difference is. (Though he's still very booster-y.) Here's an excerpt:

[Young people] have gone from watching him explain magnetism and electricity to defending the scientific evidence for climate change, the age of the earth and other issues they have seen polemicized for religious, political and even economic reasons.

He takes on those who would demand that the public schools teach alternative theories of evolution and the origins of the earth — most famously, in a video clip from the site BigThink.com that has been viewed some five million times. In it, he flatly tells adult viewers that “if you want to deny evolution and live in your world — in your world that’s completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe — that’s fine. But don’t make your kids do it, because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future.”

Read the whole thing here—and let's be sure to ring him up the next time we have a debate on fluoride. He may be the only person we'd all listen to.

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Tonight in Music: Woolen Men, Fall Out Boy, WL & More

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:30:00 -0700

THE WOOLEN MEN, SAUNA, THE MEMORIES
(Record Room, 8 NE Killingsworth) The Memories' gorgeous druggy offerings slide and chime their way to the two-minute mark before losing interest and moving on. It makes them an oddly compelling act and perfect centerpiece for the Woolen Men's perfectly crafted lo-fi and Sauna's giggling surf-pop. ALEX ROSS

FALL OUT BOY
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Read our article on Fall Out Boy.

Impermanent by WL

WL, FAKE NAILS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) My relationship with local shoegazing three-piece WL (pronounced Well) could play out through a series of missed connections: "Sorry I wasn't able to catch you perform your original live score for René Laloux's Gandahar the other night, maybe you can do it again sometime?" or "Got to the Metz show a bit late, I'm sure that your loud and dreamy opening set would have been lovely to see. Hang out soon?" Bandcamp and Facebook stalking has deepened the intimacy. The band's 7-inch on Death Party Records surrounds you with noise. On "Impermanent," gorgeous vocals and a wall of guitar swirl together over a drumbeat that somehow manages to keep it grounded. The band is putting the finishing touches on an upcoming record, so this headlining show should be just the opportunity I need to take my affair to the next level. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

THE FRONT BOTTOMS, WEATHERBOX, LEE COREY OSWALD
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) The Mountain Goats are great, but unfortunately, most bands influenced by the Mountain Goats are considerably less so. There's more than a pinch of Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle in the Front Bottoms' vocalist/songwriter Brian Sella, but not enough to qualify as desperate emulation. As a matter of fact, Sella might be one of the only blatant Mountain Goats enthusiasts whose own talent manages to shine through his most derivative moments: "Lone Star," off the group's new record Talon of the Hawk, is the first song in approximately three months to legitimately give me chills (and I was getting worried!); "The Feud" sounds vaguely like a lost Weakerthans track; and "Skeleton" is undeniably stupid, but it's also a contender for the catchiest thing I've heard this year. Rounding out the bill are Californian indie rockers Weatherbox and Lee Corey Oswald, whose side of a new 12-inch split with Scranton-based Three Man Cannon is a beautiful, heart-wrenching eulogy to '90s (post-)power pop bands like Knapsack and the Smoking Popes. MORGAN TROPER

RACHAEL YAMAGATA, SANDERS BOHLKE
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Over the past decade, singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata has been Rachael Yama-go-to, her vocals appearing on records from an impressive list of artists including Rhett Miller, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, and Bright Eyes. Yamagata's voice always brings depth to whatever she sings on. The unfortunate byproduct of contributing to high-profile records is that it tends to overshadow her own output. Yamagata has released a handful of her own records, and there's a good chance one of her songs has appeared on a television show you've watched. There's a good reason she's sought after. Take away the big names, and you're left with Yamagata's stunning voice, which is really where the focus should be. MARK LORE

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SL Letter of the Day: The Tell-Tale Handjob

Dan Savage — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:29:36 -0700

My wife of 10 years and I have a great relationship. We make each other laugh, love to go out together when work/parenting schedules allow and have a fun sex life which includes experimentation and fantasy. While we've talked in the past about swinging and threesomes, one of the fantasy subjects recently coming up, at my choosing, has been her being with another man alone. I've been encouraging her to tell me if she ever gets attention from another man and we've talked about when things have turned her on in the past. I've always been careful to let her know that she can feel comfortable telling me these things and not throw them up in her face afterwards.

A few weeks back while fooling around she told me that shortly after we were married, and prior to my bringing up her alone with another man, that she had grabbed her trainer's dick once for a split second and pretended it was an accident. She said he was very flirtatious and "hands-on" while showing which muscle groups were being worked and she just got hot and grabbed him. I was turned on and, surprisingly, not that bothered by it.

This past weekend during sex I told her that had really turned me on. She then haltingly revealed to me that she had not only grabbed him that time, but jerked him off over his shorts for five minutes or so until he came. While I was incredibly turned on while this was going on, I felt sick afterwards. I haven't said anything to her about it since that night but I feel betrayed and cheated on, and that she stepped way over the line. I love this woman and trusted her deeply, but this has really shaken me.

How Do I Make Sense Of This?

My response after the jump...

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You can be sick about this (hopefully) isolated handjob, HDIMSOT, or you can backdate your okay to mess around with another man to cover this handjob. Choose the former and you may wreck your marriage, choose the latter—even if you have to will yourself to choose it, even if you have to fake it until you feel it—and you may save your marriage.

I'd pick the latter if I were you.

Seeing as you drew you wife out on the topic of messing around with another man, and seeing as you gave her nothing but positive feedback before, during, and after the revelation that she had previously—just that one time—kindasorta messed around with another man, your wife is likely feel violated if you turn around now and tell her that you're upset that handjob. Because if your wife is a halfway decent person, HDIMSOT, she probably spent the last decade feeling guilty about that impulsive handjob. Then you started fantasizing about her messing around with another man and suddenly she safe disclosing that long-ago-and-oh-so-far-away handjob. And hearing about it got you off! If you turn around now and tell her that the revelation made you feel sick—but only after you blew your load—she's going to feel like you tricked her into revealing something she had successfully stuffed down the memory hole a decade ago.

Grant her retroactive permission, HDIMSOT, but open up to her about your complicated, post-orgasmic feelings about that one handjob. They may be a sign that her actually messing around with another man is a bad idea. Fine as a fantasy, not something you can handle in real life. And if she has messed around with another man already—or if things went even farther with her personal trainer than she's let on—she needs to know to leave those experiences in the memory hole.

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BREAKING: Here's Portland's New Transportation Director

Dirk VanderHart — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:14:55 -0700

Portland's new transportation director describes herself thusly: "Good government gal with a passion for change in the transportation industry. A Mom to 4 smarty-pants kids and wife to an artsy, intellectual, bike fanatic."

That's the Twitter bio of Leah Treat who, after months of speculation, has emerged as Portland's choice for director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

UPDATE, 11 am: Treat inherits a transportation situation full of challenges, not least of which is dwindling funds—something Mayor Charlie Hales and Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick have signalled strongly they'll seek to fix in the near future.

"We were looking for a lot of things," Novick said in a conference call with reporters this morning. Paramount among those, he said, was someone with strong financial management experience.

Treat's experience includes nearly a decade working on finance and transportation issues in Washington, DC, according to a press release. In 2011, she moved to Chicago, and serves as a managing deputy commissioner in the city's transportation department.

In today's call, Treat described herself as an avid cyclist who'll look to increase the share of Portlanders on bikes. She confessed to having only a rough familiarity with the Rose City—she's visited a friend here five or six times—and so wasn't prepared to answer specific questions about our transportation challenges.

She did, however, paint a bleak picture of morale at the PBOT—which she conceded might not be an accurate or complete appraisal.

"I think I'm going to be able to stand up the transportation department pretty quickly," Treat said. "I think maybe it's a marketing problem."

Pressed on that, Treat said her sense is that the city's transportation workers "are not empowered or feel disenfranchised or are disgruntled, or something is missing in terms of their morale." She continued: "I want them to feel valued in the work they contribute. I want them to be proud."

Though she couldn't offer specifics—either on viable new funding sources or what her first priorities will be—Treat said she wants to establish a two-year action plan for the agency.

"I would like to see us aligned around a vision that we can talk to the community about."

Treat, 42, has four young children, she said, who had a rough time in the transition from DC to Chicago. Moving again just two years later, Treat said she plans to live in Portland for "a minimum of 10 years, if not longer. I would like to raise my family there."

UPDATE, 12:04 pm: Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein, who Treat followed to a post in Chicago from DC, tells the Mercury Portland "really scored" in the hire.

"She's been integral to the success we've had in DC and Chicago," Klein said. Among her strengths, Klein noted performance management, budgeting and finding efficiencies.

Perhaps most-important to Portland's needs, Klein said Treat's skilled at identifying new revenue. In DC, he said, she led a team that figured out how to better manage the city's parking meters. Revenue rose something like 400 percent following the changes, according to Klein.

That experience was likely music to Novick's ears. As noted in an interview with the Mercury, Novick plans to look partly to parking meters as a means of bolstering PBOT's revenue. The department is largely funded with parking fees and gas tax revenue, which has fluctuated amid the country's economic troubles.

Interestingly, Treat's most-recent tweet while the conference call was occurring declared the gas tax model "indeed broken."

Asked about the tweet, she said: "For transportation funding, it's broken. It's insufficient."

Here's Treat's résumé [PDF].

And here's the press release the city sent out:

Following a thorough nationwide search, Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick has tapped Leah Treat as the city’s new Portland Bureau of Transportation Director.

Treat will be relocating from Chicago, where she is currently serving as chief of staff to Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein.

“Transportation is something that affects us every day,” Novick said. “Portland needs a transportation leader who has the budget management background to help us address our deficit in basic street maintenance and who understands the value of sustainable modes such as biking and walking. We know we have found the right person for PBOT in Leah Treat and we are excited to have her join us in Portland.”

Treat and Klein were selected by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to join his new administration in 2011, to deliver innovative projects and to push the city ahead of the curve in progressive transportation. Treat also served as Klein's director of finance in the Washington, D.C., Department of Transportation when its bikeshare system was launched and the streetcar network was designed.

Treat is passionate about livability and her love of transportation was born out of the connection between economic development, mobility and livability.

“I have always loved Portland,” Treat said. “It is one of the most progressive cities in the country and it syncs with my personality and lifestyle. I believe Portland to be a national leader in sustainable transportation modes and know we can continue to push an aggressive agenda by developing smart, fiscally responsible budgets, focusing on efficient operations and incorporating smart planning and economic development strategies into future city goals.”

Mayor Charlie Hales said that filling the leadership role at PBOT was not an easy task. “The job requires common sense plus innovation,” Hales said. “The new leader needs to help the bureau take care of the assets we have, and help us dream about the assets we could have. In selecting Leah Treat, I think Commissioner Novick threaded that needle.”

Treat has a deep background in public budgeting and finance, as well as operations. She managed a $1 billion transportation portfolio, including both highways and transit projects, while simultaneously increasing dedicated revenue.

Treat's career began in her native state of New Mexico where she served both the governor and the Legislature. Her love of cities brought her east to work for newly elected Mayor Anthony Williams in the District of Columbia. During her eight-year tenure with Mayor Williams, helped lay the groundwork for that city to become what is now nationally considered one of the best cities to live. Williams’ successor, Adrian Fenty, retained Treat when he took office in 2009, and much of her career during his term was dedicated to innovative financing and crafting policies to balance mode share.

Novick noted that, while in the District of Columbia, Treat worked closely with regional partners in Maryland and Virginia. “It’s critically important for us in Portland to work closely with our regional partners, so that part of her experience was very important to us,” he said.

Treat will move to Portland this summer with her husband, Charles, their four small children
and a Siberian husky that likes to sing.

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A Cyborg Anthology Edited by a Cyborg

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:59:47 -0700

One of the things I look forward to every month is the new issue of Clarkesworld, a fantastic digital magazine that collects new—and, as of the past few months, old—science-fiction and fantasy stories. It also has non-fiction pieces, but the fiction is what generally grabs me—weird and inventive, it's the sort of thoughtful, diverse writing that manages to take advantage of genre (without being predictable) and push genre's boundaries (without being pretentious). Subscriptions are cheap; if you're in any way inclined toward sci-fi or fantasy, I'd recommend checking it out.

Likewise, here's something else that might be worth checking out: Clarkesworld's editor, Neil Clarke, is Kickstartering what he thinks might be a first: an anthology about cyborgs, edited by a cyborg. (Clarke suffered a heart attack last year, and as a result has a defibrillator in his chest. CYBORG!) Clarke has a couple of big-name writers already lined up to contribute—like Elizabeth Bear and Tobias S. Buckell—but if past issues of Clarkesworld are any indication, it'll be the unknown and obscure authors who'll make the anthology unique and cool. Heads up, nerds.

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FASHIONxt, the Lineup as It Stands

Marjorie Skinner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:49:00 -0700

Fall feels far off, but the city's two—count 'em two—fall fashion weeks are doing their best to get you excited about the post-summer months. FASHIONxt has been gradually rolling out announcements of their participating designers as they are confirmed, but let's take a moment to get all the way up to speed.

As has been the trend with this event, it is once again super popular with former Project Runway contestants, with a whopping eight such designers out of 13 (!). That includes the area's Seth Aaron, Michelle Lesniak, and Becky Ross, of course (Bryce Black, where are you?). I'm particularly exciting to see Michael Costello returning, whose line last year completely knocked my socks off. And yes, it's a little bizarre that Portland's become a hub for reality television fashion design stars, but why be mad at it when they are delivering some of the best designs of the entire lineup?

Otherwise, the show looks a little light on local talent, with Stephanie D Couture representing along with Atelier Exclusively Yours, and yet another emerging designer showcase in the mix (called FashioNXT Up/NXT). There's also a small uptick in international presence, including first-time participation from Hong Kong's Yane Mode, and the return of France's Ethos Paris. The event takes place at the old Vigor Industrial Shipyard stomping grounds October 9-12.

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PDX Pop Now! Announces Lineup for 2013 Fest

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:44:19 -0700

PDX Pop Now! announced the lineup for this year's festival, with over 40 local bands from great to small, from famous to less-famousish, from rock to pop to rap to electronic to metal to folk to funk to et cetera. As announced, the 10th year of the all-ages, all-local, no-cover music festival will take place in a new location this year: the Eastbank Lot at SE Water and Salmon. And in addition to the music, it will include a street fair with a shaded food court, a Rigsketball tournament, and other activities.

But back to the music—watch the video above to look at all the artists' names on a bunch of delicious cupcakes. I'll also post the full list after the jump, and it includes many familiar names, plus some excitingly unfamiliar ones. Among many others, I'm excited for Hausu, Orquestra Pacific Tropicale, Shy Girls, Sons of Huns, Richmond Fontaine, Luck One, and LOTS more. Take your clicky mouse to the jump and look at all that'll be going down.

PDX Pop Now! takes place on Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21, and is free and all ages. Miss it at your peril.

Ancient Heat
Billions and Billions
Blue Skies for Black Hearts
Cassow
Dangerous Boys Club
Dusu Mali
Fanno Creek
Gaytheist
Genders
Ghost Ease
Grammies
Hausu
Hot Victory
Like a Villain
Litanic Mask
Luck One
Magic Fades
Magic Mouth
Mattress
Memories
Minden
Mojave Bird
Natasha Kmeto
Orquestra Pacific Tropicale
Palo Verde
PWRHAUS
Ramona Falls
Richmond Fontaine
Satin Chaps
Shy Girls
Slimkid3 w/ Doo Doo Funk
Sons of Huns
Sun Angle
The We Shared Milk
Trio Subtonic
Unkle Funkle
Vice Device
Warm Hands
Witch Mountain
WL
Wooden Indian Burial Ground
Woolen Men
Y La Bamba
Youthbitch
and Special Guests!

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Good Morning, News

Dirk VanderHart — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:29:15 -0700

Lots of potential progress in Afghanistan today . The US is handing the reins in its 12 year fight against the Taliban to Afghan forces, and the Taliban's saying it wants to talk peace.

Protesting multitudes have taken to the streets of Brazil, as anger over bus fare hikes gave way to outrage over the country's widespread inequity. As is the drill with these things, recordings show police beating unarmed protestors, firing rubber bullets and tear gas, etc. It's ugly. Just imagine if the government had tried to snatch away their Free Rail Zone.

President Obama took to PBS yesterday to explain why PRISM program and other government data meddling are nothing to worry about, and we should be thankful for them. Obama says we're not getting a true picture of the situation, and that he's asked intelligence officials to look at just what else the government might be able to release about the program. Glen Greenwald, who broke the story on the programs, called interviewer Charlie Rose's questions "vapid and obsequious" on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the National Security Agency's giving out hard numbers it says demonstrate the success of the programs. NSA Director Keith Alexander says they've disrupted 50 terror threats, including plots to bomb the New York Stock Exchange and the city's subway system. "I would much rather be here today debating this,'' Alexander reportedly told lawmakers, "than explaining why we were unable to prevent another 9/11'' attack.

The new president of Iran, Hassan Rowhani, says he's open to smoothing things out with the US. He's not so sure about direct talks.

Is the body of famously disappeared Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa in a field outside of Detroit? The son of a late mob boss claims so, saying Hoffa was buried alive after he was hit with a shovel. By the way, as a Michigan native, I both revel in and cringe at the nasal Michigan perfection that narrates the video with this story.

Everybody wants peace talks to end the nasty conflict in Syria except Vladimir Putin. Or, wait. Maybe he does?

Remember the Seattle man who planned to dribble a soccer ball to Brazil but instead was struck by a truck outside of Lincoln City? Charges have been filed in the deeply depressing case.

Horses being used as bloodhounds. Sign me up.

The bleak dampness of late June approaches. Let the Weather Widget tell it.

This guy makes it look easy.

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PDX Pop Now! Announces Lineup for 2013 Fest

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:20:00 -0700

PDX Pop Now! takes place on Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21, and is free and all ages. Miss it at your peril.

Ancient Heat
Billions and Billions
Blue Skies for Black Hearts
Cassow
Dangerous Boys Club
Dusu Mali
Fanno Creek
Gaytheist
Genders
Ghost Ease
Grammies
Hausu
Hot Victory
Like a Villain
Litanic Mask
Luck One
Magic Fades
Magic Mouth
Mattress
Memories
Minden
Mojave Bird
Natasha Kmeto
Orquestra Pacific Tropicale
Palo Verde
PWRHAUS
Ramona Falls
Richmond Fontaine
Satin Chaps
Shy Girls
Slimkid3 w/ Doo Doo Funk
Sons of Huns
Sun Angle
The We Shared Milk
Trio Subtonic
Unkle Funkle
Vice Device
Warm Hands
Witch Mountain
WL
Wooden Indian Burial Ground
Woolen Men
Y La Bamba
Youthbitch
and Special Guests!

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