Blogtown, PDX, Portland Mercury

Tonight: Meet Disjecta's Newest Curators

Matt Stangel — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:43:00 -0700

A few weeks back, Disjecta announced its lineup of curators for the 2013/2014 season— Curator-in-Residence Summer Guthery and Portland2014 Biennial Curator Amanda Hunt— and tonight you'll have a chance to meet the ladies themselves and learn more about their Portland plans (6 pm, 929 NW Flanders, right by PDX Contemporary).

While this evening's event will feature a presentation and Q&A from the new-to-town curators, here are some quick highlights to get the introduction rolling: Both Guthery and Hunt have ties to Los Angeles' LAXART, an independent nonprofit art space where Hunt acts as curator and Guthery organizes one-off events. When I think of Hunt, I think of shows like Meg Cranston's Emerald City, a recent exhibition at LAXART that explored the construction of trends by examining Pantone's color of 2013, emerald green. Guthery has made splashes with The Canal Series (and its precursor, The Chrysler Series), a monthly series of "single evening readings, screenings, and performances," and she was recently announced as a contributing curator to this November's performance art biennial, Performa, in New York.

Though the above introduction doesn't do justice to the careers of these very busy curators (I've included bios from the official PR after the jump so you can check out their credentials), it does set me up to say one thing: Disjecta appears to be solidifying a focus shift with the announcement of this recent crop of curators. In the Cris Moss-curated Portland2010 and the Prudence Roberts-curated Portland2012, we saw Disjecta looking within city limits for a curatorial angle, bringing on the aforementioned local educator/curators to make the big calls. But when Disjecta imported Oakland's Josephine Zarkovich as curator-in-residence of the current 2012/2013 season, they set the tone for what now seems like an investment in outsider perspectives. It's probably a good move: Portland's stock of curators can feel insulated at times— a lot of the same people focusing on, if not the same artists, the same types of art— and I'm excited to see what folks outside this city are wowed by, and what they'll decide to include in Disjecta's future programming.

Anyway, more details on tonight's event can be found right here.

Aaaaand, some big-kid words about Hunt and Guthery:

Amanda Hunt is a graduate of the Curatorial Practice Program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She has worked at galleries and institutions including Whitechapel Gallery, London; Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York; the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2012, Hunt worked on two major arts initiatives in Los Angeles: Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, co-produced by LAXART and the Getty Research Institute, and Made in L.A. 2012, the first Los Angeles biennial organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART. Hunt also served as Curatorial Assistant at the Los Angeles City Pavilion produced by Walead Beshty as part of the 9th Shanghai Biennale, and most recently curated Steffani Jemison’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.

Summer Guthery is an independent curator and writer based in New York City. She has been in Los Angeles since February to program a series of events at LAXART and attend the Mountain School of Arts. Guthery will serve as a curator with Performa, the performance art biennial in New York, this November. Other recent projects include The Chrysler Series and The Canal Series, both formulated as single evening readings, screenings and performances, from 2010-2013. Prior to accepting the Curator-in-Residence role at Disjecta, Guthery curated at Artists Space, School of Visual Art, NY and the Hessel Museum among others. Her writing has been included in ArtForum, Frieze, Performa Magazine, Pastelegram and Art In General Production Notes. In 2009 she was the Curatorial Fellow with Performa. She has been a visiting critic and lecturer at Columbia University, New York University, The Living Art Museum (Reykjavik), U-Turn Quadrennial (Copenhagen) and Parsons School of Design. Guthery holds an MA from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.

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Good Morning, News!

Dirk VanderHart — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:35:00 -0700

We don't have a lot of time with each other in this life, everybody. Let's keep it brief today.

Powerball. You're not going to win, but it will be thrilling for a minute (if you win, e-mail me!).

Sometimes trains collide head-on. It happened in Connecticut yesterday. It makes no sense.

North Korea's firing missiles again. But it's not a big deal.

MOON EXPLOSION.

France is cool with gay marriage. Oregon still is not.

Uh oh. Crazy ants trump fire ants every time.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has yet to address allegations he smoked crack on camera.

The Weather Widget tells is like it is. No two ways about it.

Also, you'd think astronauts would be dismissive of Bowie's "Space Oddity," detailing, as it does, astronaut death. Not the case.

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Friday Cheer with Janelle Monáe

Courtney Ferguson — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:07 -0700

Sigh. Everyone went to see Star Trek into Darkness and I'm stuck Googling the correct spellings of various dried Italian meats. I'm going to watch my own futuristic space opera with Janelle Monáe's new song "Q.U.E.E.N." from her upcoming album Electric Lady. That'll cheer me up. It'll work for you too, I bet. She has that effect.

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Professor Blastoff Live at Mississippi Studios

Alison Hallett — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:29:12 -0700

You'll be able to listen to the Portland-taped episode of Professor Blastoff soon enough, so I'm not going to bother recapping the entirety of the show. In brief: It was a lot of fun, and some guest-related awkwardness.

Highlights:
-An extended CCR gibberish singalong featuring the refrain "Cows Wanna Know"
-the suggestion that air quotes are actually "finger bunnies," and subsequent bunny punning
-the first law-themed heckle I've ever heard (I think it was "You're blowing standards!" Does that make sense?)
-A bracing round of "Name That Punky"

Lowlights:
-The evening's guest was a third-year law student from Willamette University (hence the lawyer heckle) who... how to put this... didn't seem familiar with the podcast? It was pretty awkward and boring for a while there.
-No non-gigantic T-shirts for sale. Which happens EVERY TIME I try to guilt-buy a shirt at comedy shows. (Something you should do if you get into shows for free for whatever reason, BTW.) Consequently my boyfriend has WTF, Dork Forest, and now Professor Blastoff shirts, how nice for him.

Mississippi Studios kind of rules as a comedy venue, yeah? The show was a bit oversold (thanks to people like meeeee) and a bunch of folks had to stand in the back, but it's a good size and no one forces you to buy overpriced well drinks. Looking forward to seeing Natasha Leggero there in a couple weeks.

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Video Vriday! Scout Niblett, Wampire, the Parson Red Heads, Youthbitch & More

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:59:53 -0700

Oy vey, it's Video Vriday!

Just in time for the upcoming Rose Festival, here's a new video from Scout Niblett, which must have been filmed at last year's Rose Fest. Niblett is no stranger to wearing wigs, but here she goes one step further with full Snow White regalia. She fits right in, while the slow-burning, seething undercurrents of the track "Gun" provide a bizarre and hilarious counterpoint. Scout Niblett's new album, It's Up to Emma (her first name is indeed Emma), comes out this Tuesday, May 21, on Drag City.

• • •

Here's Wampire, whose new album just came out on Tuesday. This video for "Orchards" shows the two fellows on a long drive through what looks like Eastern Oregon. Naturally, a little hot-boxing is bound to happen, but then of course shit gets weird. This same exact thing has happened to me on every single road trip I've taken. Wampire just played their record release show, but they'll play a hometown show again at Holocene on July 3.

• • •

The Parson Red Heads have a new EP coming! It's called 6, can you guess how many songs are on it? It comes out June 4, and here's the video for "Times," which was shot while the band recorded the track at Type Foundry Studios with Scott McCaughey and Adam Selzer in spring of last year. The EP is just a taster of the Red Heads' forthcoming full-length, Orb Weaver, which will come out in the fall. The group has two upcoming shows scheduled for the Doug Fir: Saturday, May 26 in which they open for Beachwood Sparks, and the EP's release show on Tuesday, June 4.

Videos from Youthbitch, Barry Brusseau, and Sara Jackson-Holman after the jump!

• • •

This new Youthbitch video for their super-duper "I Don't Mind Losing Mind" is packed with bright, flashy colors. Along with the band themselves, it stars Betsy Breakfast, and Latoya Johnson, and it was shot by Brian Echon and edited by the infamous Uncle Funkle. Forget the 5-Hour Energy Drink, this is the best damn way to kickstart this Friday night. It's like drinking 10 liters of soda all at once! You guyssss!!!!

• • •

If that clip got you all worked up, this video for Barry Brusseau's "Til the Wind Blows Everything" will cool you down. Like the song, it's a slow-moving, minimal piece in which images are drawn out to abstract extremes. The song comes from Brusseau's beautiful, overlooked 2012 album The Royal Violent Birds, about which I said: "With acoustic guitars, brushed drums, bowed strings, and Brusseau's hushed baritone (and his just-as-hushed falsetto), these watercolor tunes communicate in delicate, naturalistic patterns."

• • •

We'll end today with the new video from classically influenced singer/songwriter Sara Jackson-Holman, for her song "Freight Train," which was featured on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy earlier this week. Shot at Portland's Old Church and directed by Dawn Jones, it depicts the song's story—Jackson-Holman wrote it in memory of her grandfather, who was a big supporter of her musical endeavors while she was growing up. "Freight Train" appears on Jackson-Holman's recent second album Cardiology.

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Introducing Yahoomblr?

Paul Constant — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:29:00 -0700

On Monday, Yahoo is holding a press conference, according to TechCrunch. This comes after the company's recent buying spree, and it closely follows rumors that Yahoo is considering spending a billion dollars to buy Tumblr:

On Monday, it seems that we may get a better sense of what Yahoo plans to do with all these new acquisitions, as CNBC is reporting that Yahoo will be holding a “product-related” news event on Monday in New York City. Marissa Mayer will reportedly be speaking at the press conference, but that’s all we know about the contents of the event at this point.

I do get the sense that Tumblr could be a bigger deal than it already is—it's about one-third of a social network and two-thirds of a blogging platform, which seems like a good position to be in—but I'm not sure that Yahoo is the company to bring it to its full potential. But new CEO Marissa Mayer has accomplished what seemed like the impossible a couple years ago: She's got people talking about Yahoo again.

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RE: Open Season. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:14:00 -0700

Those of us who took the whole ride through this year's four-night series of Open Season fashion shows are probably still convalescing—I know I am, and so is Marissa Sullivan, whose last recap of each night of shows over on MOD is a tiiiny bit delayed. But while it's still top of mind I wanted to get in a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came, selling out every single night (holy crap)!

It takes a village to accomplish these shows, and most of the people who busted their asses to make this happen did so as volunteers. It literally would not have happened without them, and it really would not have happened without the (mostly) local businesses who stepped in as sponsors: Eastside Distilling, Bishops Barbershops, Gilt, Imelda's & Louie's, Viso, Crossroads Trading Company, and 220 Salon all deserve huge props for pitching in, not to mention the venues, designers, models, hair and makeup stylists, co-producers, rope light/pipe 'n' drape/riser installers, flag makers, musicians and DJs, ticket takers, dressers... you get the idea.

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Are Voter Owned Elections Mounting a Comeback?

Dirk VanderHart — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:07:00 -0700

Portland's voter owned elections died a convincing death at the hands of the people in 2010, when Portlanders roundly rejected the system. But there are tenuous signs of life in the old girl yet.

This sign was posted on the ground floor of the Board of Trade Building (310 SW 4th) this afternoon.

The meeting was closed off to the public, but revolved around how supporters might revive publicly financed elections, an attendee said. As killed by voters, the system allowed candidates for city council and mayor to gather 1,000-1,500 $5 contributions to receive $150,000 in public funding from the city.

The process was enacted in 2005, and has a bit of a spotty past. Former council candidate Emilie Boyles ran off with the public money in 2006, for example. But City Commissioner Amanda Fritz won election to council her first time around using public funds. It's been a pet issue of hers ever since.

Fritz' office confirmed she attended today's meeting, calling it a "brainstorming session." The meeting was arranged by Common Cause Oregon.

Reviving voter owned elections, by the way, has been oft-discussed since its demise. Whether this nascent push has legs remains to be seen.

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The I, Anonymous Blog Quote o' the Day!

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:59:27 -0700

Dear Scrabble players of Portland...

What part of "We'll be closing in 10 minutes" made you think starting a Scrabble game was a good idea? There is an alarming trend in Portland with people thinking it's okay to sit in a restaurant 30 minutes after close. Who does that?

Apparently thoughtless Scrabble players do! Do you have a word of advice for Scrabble players—or any other similarly thoughtless person? Send it to the I, Anonymous Blog—where Scrabble players put the "a" in "a-hole."

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Slate: What's the Matter with Portland?

Dirk VanderHart — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:44:01 -0700

No that anyone's paying attention to the growing body of cogent arguments for water fluoridation in Portland, but here's another.

Slate writer Jake Blumgart's piece takes a long look at the fight over fluoride here in town. If you've spent the last several months debating this issue (or vandalizing your neighbors' yards for their stand on the issue), not much will come as a surprise. If you've been meaning to learn about the fluoride debate but haven't gotten around to it, first read our story. Then read Slate's.

Oh, and if you haven't voted, VOTE! Ballots are due next Tuesday.

From the piece:

America is a fluoride nation. Beginning in 1945, when Grand Rapids, Mich., became the first city in the world to add the stuff to its water supply, the practice has spread across the United States. In most areas it is simply understood that ingesting minuscule levels of fluoride is good for dental health. As of 2010, almost three-quarters of Americans drink fluoridated water from community water systems, and the nation’s 30 most populous cities consume it.

With one weird exception: Portland, Ore., whose water system, sourced from the Bull Run River, serves 900,000 people.

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It's Happening Tonight!

Alison Hallett — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:27:00 -0700

COMEDY—While he's a Tony-nominated actor (most recently for his role on Broadway in Porgy and Bess), author, and comedian, David Alan Grier will always be beloved for his multifaceted characters in the groundbreaking TV show In Living Color—and yes, he's still hilarious. Check out his high-energy, infectious stand-up tonight at the Bagdad. WSH
w/Tristian Spillman; Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 9 pm, $25

BIKING!—If you don't already bike to work, you've got your reasons. Put them all aside for Bike to Work Day, the one arbitrary day out of the year when you're REALLY encouraged to give bike commuting a go. Feeling adventurous? Ride to work all week! Like how that feels? Cast off your vehicular chains for good! DVH
Your home to your workplace, whenever you work, FREE

SPACEY SURF MUSIC—One of the most prolific bands of the '90s, Man or Astro-man? is still successfully blurring surf punk with spacey synth to produce an entirely original sound. Their latest release is called Defcon 5... 4... 3... 2... 1, and while still sporting their trademark space surf vibe, they seem to be heavier and goofier (in a good way) than ever. WSH
w/Audacity; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $16-17

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My Least Favorite Piece of Misogyny This Week: Girl Friendship Edition

Barbara Holm — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:00 -0700

Recently I made a new friend (not out of playdoh!) and I was telling a straight male comedian about her and he said, "That's weird. I didn't think girls liked being friends with girls prettier than them."

So hilarious, right? I think the assumption that I'm a bad friend offended me so much that I didn't even hear the part where I was called unattractive. My least favorite piece of misogyny this week is the stereotype that women can't be friends with other women.

I've heard a lot of men make jokes about it. It's weird that this idea exists; it's so sexist to insinuate that simply because of our gender we're incapable of doing something. (Unless your gender is male and that something is childbirth, having a period, or riding a griffin—then suck it, dorks!) Additionally, it's so demeaning to suggest that we're incapable of something as intrinsically important to the human condition as friendship. It's like saying, "Hey, because of your chromosomes you're incapable of genuine sexless love!"

Women definitely can be friends with other women. I'm friends with some women; I'm not friends with all women, because I'm not friends with all HUMANS. That is just one difference between humans and puppies. I don't feel like I'm in competition with women for straight male attention. Can I be in competition for quiet Netflix and pizza attention? Then everyone's a winner! Except the pizza, RIP: rest in pizza.

Whenever I hear a girl say, "I just don't have any girlfriends. I get along better with guys," I'm like "stay the hell away from her because underneath her skin face is an evil demon that'll suck out your soul." Be friends with other girls. It's fun, like a trampoline for your heart.

The idea that women can't befriend other women is a notion concocted by straight men in a lab of dark sciences. It's an implement to keep us apart, to keep us from uniting and combining our powers to overthrow them (or in other words, to collaborate and make art that may puncture the glass ceiling). Molly Lambert wrote an amazing article titled In Which We Teach You How To Be A Woman In Any Boys' Club, where she asks, "Why do dudes think you're in competition with the other girls? Because if you're in competition with the men, you might be better than they are."

Recently I was out at a comedy club and I heard a male comic call women "catty." That adjective gets under my skin. Mrs. Merriam Webster defines it as "biting sharpness of feeling or expression," but it just seems like such a gendered insult. How come whenever men call each other horrible names or insult each other laughingly, no one says "oh, they're just being catty"? I think this stereotype is super insulting, to women and to cats. But if I can leave you guys with one message or thought, it's that I made a friend! High five!

That's been my least favorite piece of misogyny this week. Tune in next week to find out what normal household product could be committing muuuuurder!

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This Week's Mercury Film Section

Erik Henriksen — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:29:00 -0700

Here's a fun fact: the Mercury editorial team is leaving work early today so we can all go see Star Trek into Darkness. (We did the same thing for Skyfall, because we have PRIORITIES.) Wheee!

Aside from my delight about the fact that I work at a place where I get to leave the office and go see the new Star Trek movie with a bunch of my friends/coworkers, I'm looking forward to seeing it again: Like anyone who's watched waaay too much Star Trek, I've got a few issues with it, but the fact remains: Like J.J. Abrams' first 2009 Star Trek, It's one of the best Star Trek movies that's been made. Take that as you will—YMMV—but it's funny and fun and exciting, and that perhaps justifies why we have not one but two reviews of the goddamn thing:

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS—Former Mercury newsman Matt Davis saw it. He did not care for it.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS—Current Mercury newsman Denis C. Theriault saw it. (He and I traded many an elbow jab during the screening. "Did you see the NX-01?" "Did they just mention Section 31?" "Eeeeee!") He did care for it. Quite a bit.

CITY BABY—Alison Hallett saw the local film that puts Portland in the spotlight, warts and all—and does so a far more entertaining manner than a certain TV show we could mention.

EXPERIMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL PORTLAND—This thing doesn't really kick off for a little while, but since there are some pre-festival events, I figured it was best to get Matt Stangel's take on it sooner rather than later. He didn't disappoint, giving you all his best picks for the fest.

QDOC: PORTLAND'S QUEER DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL—Vince Mancini talked to Buck Angel, the star of Mr. Angel, and it's a must-read interview:

"When I get asked to do appearances or be on shows like Tyra, I'm not that worried about being sensationalized," Angel tells me. "I am gonna be sensationalized, or an oddity. I am. But for myself, I know I'm going to go on there and flip it. Because I'm really good at doing that. I know who I am, I know what I'm doing, and that changes the way people think about me. Because what does that mean, to be an oddity? They don't even know what that means anymore."

Don't miss our Film Shorts, where we've got more on QDoc, plus reviews of The Source Family, At Any Price, Black Rock, The Iceman, and more. And here are your Film Times.

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Some Questions and Answers About the New Lord Dying Album

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:59:18 -0700

Who is Lord Dying?
They are the doomy Portland metal band who recently signed with Relapse Records.

When does their first full-length album come out?
July 9, 2013 in the year of our dark lord.

What is it called?
Summon the Faithless.

What does the cover look like?
Cast your eyes upward to the top of this post.

What are the titles of the eight tracks contained within?
1) In a Frightened State of Gnawed Dismemberment
2) Summoning the Faithless
3) Greed Is Your Horse
4) Descend Into External
5) Dreams of Mercy
6) Perverse Osmosis
7) Water Under a Burning Bridge
8) What Is Not... Is

What formats will the album take?
Long-playing vinyl record, compact disc, and digital download.

Is there a very short album trailer I can watch?
Yes.

Where can I pre-order the album?
From Relapse's site, or on Lord Dying's Bandcamp.

Will this album destroy us all?
Undoubtedly.

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Onstage this Weekend: The Children's Hour, Match.Com Monologues, Crooked, and More

Alison Hallett — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:27:00 -0700

Opening tonight over at the CoHo, a show about a mom and kid who move to a conservative small town, called Crooked, co-produced by local theater power couple Philip Cuomo and Maureen Porter. I've found myself prioritizing seeing shows at the CoHo lately: Their co-production model means you're seeing a variety of work; it's typically very well produced; and it's such a great little space, easily the most professional-seeming of the city's small blackbox theaters (and bonus, unlike the Back Door Theater, I'm not super-allergic to it. Does anyone else have that problem? I've sneezed through a lot of defunkt shows).

Speaking of! defunkt has some cool stuff going on right now—so cool that I will forgive them for calling their current program "History/Herstory". They're running two shows in repertory: Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, which an early onstage depiction of lesbianism; and The Boys in the Band, which was—you guest it—one of the first onstage depictions of male homosexuality. Both are directed by Artist Rep's Jon Kretzu, which is a big deal for tiny defunkt. The Children's Hour opens tonight at the Back Door Theatre, and The Boys in the Band opened last weekend at a private home on E. Burnside; both run Thurs-Sun at 7:30 pm. More details here.

The Left Hand of Darkness, the collaboration between Hand2Mouth and Portland Playhouse—with a little help from Ursula Le Guin—has been extended through June 9th. Has anyone else seen that show? I was harder on it than any of the other reviewers in town; curious to hear what audiences thought.

Let's jump in the Mercury wayback machine for a sec: Remember former Managing Editor Phil Busse? Ran for mayor? He wrote a one-man show called The Match.Com monologues, based on his own experiences in the online dating world, which is currently running at the NW Dance Project Theatre. Tickets here.

And it's more comedy than theater, but tonight at the Jack London, the inspirational self-help spoof Lance Banks and the LanceLife Comprehensive Total Life System.

Those are just some highlights—there's plenty more to do, our performance listings are full of it.

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Odessa S/S '13

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:59:00 -0700

It tends to keep a low profile, but never forget: Odessa is—and has been for longer than most—one of the most sophisticated boutiques in the city. They recently put together a lookbook for the spring season featuring stunning new pieces from Tsumori Chisato and Isabel Marant, modeled by their own Bree Goertzen (remember Fleshtone? She was one of the backup dancers, and has also been featured in those awesome Miracles Club videos).

And, objectively speaking, you cannot tell me that this sweater won't improve my life:

Check out the whole thing on their tumblr.

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Help a PDX Hiphop Lover Out

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:28:32 -0700

This turned up in the ol' feedbag—I mean letterbag. (Christ, what did I just eat?)

I have been searching for weeks for an exclusive hip hop club Saturday nights here in PDX. No luck. Jones had a West Coast '90s hip hop for a while and then poof it's over. Crown Room is gone now. Where do you recommend? I'm getting the feeling PDX doesn't like hip hop very much. No radio stations either. What's happening? Do you have any recommendations for me?

Since I typically spend my evenings Settlers of Catan-ing (I have not left the house since 2002—music is so loud, you guys!), I thought I'd put out the call to you readers.

Can anyone help her out? Leave your suggestions in the comments. Where's the best hiphop dance night in town?

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Tonight in Music

Courtney Ferguson — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:59:48 -0700

Doug Fir–Man or Astro-Man?, Audacity, 9 pm, $16-17
Biddy McGraw's–Lynn Conover, 6 pm, all ages; Counterfeit Cash, 9:30 pm
East End–The Paul Collins Beat, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, The Cry, Thee Four Teens, 9 pm
The Know–Gun Outfit, Nucular Aminals, Industrial Park, 8 pm
Landmark Saloon–Hank Sinatra, 6 pm; Pete Krebs & His Portland Playboys, 9 pm
LaurelThirst Public House–The Yellers, 6 pm; Red Cotrell & the Outlaws, The New Iberians, 9:30 pm
The Lovecraft–Perforce: Ortrotasce, DJ Barry Convex, DJ Sharpie, Musique Plastique, 10 pm, $5
Mission Theater–A Simple Colony, Swansea, Ritchie Young, 8 pm, $10-12
Record Room–Havania Whaal, Ron Wayne, Silent Numbers, 8 pm, $5
Rotture–Shut Up & Dance: DJ Gregarious, 9 pm, $5
Wonder Ballroom–The Quick & Easy Boys, Sassparilla, World's Finest, 9 pm, $11-12

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Fuck Pacific Rim, Now It's All About Atlantic Rim

Erik Henriksen — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:29:44 -0700

I'd like to apologize for everything I said about Pacific Rim yesterday morning. The movie I meant to say a bunch of excited crap about was Atlantic Rim. LET'S DO THIS, GRAHAM GREENE! AND TREACH, WHOM YOU MIGHT REMEMBER FROM HIS TIME IN NAUGHTY BY NATURE!

We've written about the Asylum before, but this is the first time I've felt like theaters are totally missing out by not doing a double feature of the original film and the Asylum version. Hollywood? Roseway? Pacific Rim and Atlantic Rim? Who's gonna do it? Let's make this happen.

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And Now a Word from Someone I Wish Was Our Sponsor

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:14:00 -0700

DAMN YOU, HILARIOUS OLD SPICE COMMERCIALS! Why must you continue to be so hilarious? Isn't it enough that I post your ads for free, AND I rub you under my arms? Goddddammmmmitttt!!! BUY OLD SPICE!

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Win Tickets to See Sigur Rós in Bend

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:59:16 -0700

We're giving away TWO PAIRS of tickets to see unsurpassed, the inimitable, the unpronounceable Sigur Rós, who are playing the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon on Sunday, May 26. Click over to End Hits for your chance to win!

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Good Morning, News!

Denis C. Theriault — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:29:37 -0700

There is an apparently amazing video for sale—says Gawker, which has seen the video and broke the news—showing the conservative mayor of Toronto smoking crack-cocaine within the past six months. While in office. And his dealers, says Gawker, service a wide swath of the cognoscenti in Canada's New York. Ford's lawyer addressed the claim rather curiously in the Toronto Sun: “I think unless one has expertise in crack cocaine smoking, it is very difficult to gauge what a person is actually doing in an alleged video.”

You remember Kai, the "hatchet-wielding hitchhiker," right? He's been charged with murdering an elderly lawyer who met Kai in Times Square took him back to his home in New Jersey. The rest of the story gets really weird, though. Maybe they had sex or maybe Kai was drugged and raped and then decided to kill the attorney?

Republicans lathered up about a supposed Benghazi coverup are now accused of doctoring the White House emails they leaked out to make their case.

Russia is beefing up the fleet it has stationed at a base on Syria's Mediterranean coast, maybe a sign to NATO types to think twice before staging an intervention in a country that's coming apart at the seams, with warring factions carving it up into autonomous fiefdoms after months upon months of civil war.

A million bucks in jewels meant for the red carpet at Cannes vanished suspiciously during the screening of a Sofia Coppola movie all about teenagers stealing jewelry. "Ironic twist?" Or how about "guerrilla marketing?"

The Pakistani doctor who helped with the vaccine scam used to suss out Osama Bin Laden's compound, landing in jail for his troubles, had previously been denied asylum in the United States.

The IRS' deposed acting boss answers Congress over claims Tea Party groups were targeted for extra investigation. "We provided horrible service here. I will admit that. Whether it was politically motivated is a very different question."

Years before Arizona targeted people with darker skin by demanding they carry their immigration papers all the time, the state went after the businesses that hire undocumented immigrants. How's that 2007 law working? Hundreds of workers have been prosecuted. But only three of the state's 147,000 businesses have had a day in court.

Justin Bieber has until midnight German time—which is only hours away—to pick up the pet monkey he toured with and then left behind (and pay thousands of dollars in boarding fees) before the government transfers the sad animal to a zoo or somewhere else.

Here's a good reminder that the Pearl District, with its buildings reserved for low-income Portlanders, is not solely a playground for the wealthy.

PREVIOUSLY ON BLOGTOWN, ICYMI: Another poll on fluoridation shows a widening lead for opponents. And, in big political news, Mayor Charlie Hales and Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen struck a budget deal last night that picks up funding for about a $1 million bucks in safety net programs the city wanted to stop funding.

AFTER THE ELECTION, WE SHALL PUT ASIDE OUR FEELINGS AND WE SHALL DANCE! ALL OF US!

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Hales, Cogen Strike Deal over Crisis Center, Needle Exchange Program, Other Services

Denis C. Theriault — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:45:12 -0700

In a move that bodes well for future working ties between the leaders of the region's two most important governing bodies, Mayor Charlie Hales and Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen this afternoon set aside differences that had flared in recent weeks and unveiled a budget agreement meant to preserve a handful of endangered social services programs.

The deal reportedly came together quite rapidly—and after a great deal of pushing by city and county commissioners who had been concerned by what loomed as an awkward standoff. Some staffers hadn't even heard all the details when reached by the Mercury. It was also something of a surprise to commissioners.

"I went out for Thai food and when I came back, they had an agreement," Commissioner Steve Novick says. "I should go out for Thai food more often."

In a year that saw the two governments trade places, with the city making deep cuts (to solve a $21.5 million deficit) and the county holding its own (thanks to last fall's library district vote), the two leaders had been attempting to take tough stands in the name of principle.

"Both of us appreciate the collaborative spirit of our discussions to help the city deal with the budget shortfall it faces this year," Hales and Cogen said in a joint statement first revealed by Cogen's office on Twitter. "We are optimistic this spirit will be a model for our future discussions. The good news today is that we have reached an agreement that will benefit our entire community."

According to data provided by Hales' office, both governments agreed to split the cost of three county SUN schools the city had been paying for, but wanted to stop funding. The county is picking up a needle exchange program, senior recreation services, and helping to pay for the regions' one-stop domestic violence shelter. It's also paying the city for the city's efforts collecting business income taxes.

The city, in turn, will continue to pay $634,000 for the next year to fund its share of operating costs for the Crisis Assessment and Treatment Center—something that emerged as a lightning rod in the burgeoning budget debate, especially after Cogen fired some harsh barbs at Hales over his decision to pull funding.

The city appears to be agreeing to spend a bit more than Hales had initially proposed when he unveiled his budget last month. The two governments aren't trading money so much as they're picking up programs both prized but that had been zeroed out. Advocates for many of those programs were expected to crowd a budget forum tonight at city hall.

The City:
· Funds CATC one-time ($634,107 cost)
· Funds half of the SUN Schools pass-through (adding back 1.5 schools for $136,000 cost)
· Further reduces senior center pass-through ($141,454 savings)
· Gets County agreement for additional BIT collection ($200,000 savings)

The County:
· Funds the remaining SUN pass-through ($135,000)
· Funds the domestic violence cuts ($64,300 plus $77,000 for victim’s advocate position that was previously one-time funded, total of $141,300)
· Funds needle exchange ($65,000)
· Funds some of the senior center pass-through that was cut, but not all (about $282k

City and county relations have been hot and cold in recent years, but mostly cold. Cogen and former Mayor Sam Adams were known to have a contentious relationship, even as individual commissioners and bureaucrats got along well. The county has long kvetched about Portland's penchant for passing urban renewal districts, which wall off property tax dollars that otherwise would fill the county coffers in the short term, under the promise that improved neighborhoods will one day pay dividends.

Hales made a signature push to cozy up to Cogen—a potential political rival and former city hall insider (he was Commissioner Dan Saltzman's chief of staff) also known to have been intrigued by the mayor's race last year. It was another way to draw a contrast between himself and Adams, who did manage to work with the county on funding part of the Sellwood Bridge rebuild and on deals to give the county two new buildings downtown but failed at attempts to negotiate a grand bargain redrawing the two governments' lines.

Today's deal is a good omen for letting those deeper talks continue. The city auditor's office has called out the muddy nature of the mutual relationship and pressed the city to do more to clarify it.

The CATC stood out as the biggest sore spot in this year's discussions, though it didn't seem that would be the case when Hales took office. It wound up as part of the budget discussion after the Mercury first reported in January that, though it was built as a police resource, the police bureau hadn't ever taken anyone there directly.

Hales wound up recommending cutting it based on the word of the bureau. Cogen knew for weeks that was likely but pushed back with a fury after Hales released his budget plan. As the Mercury reported this month, the disconnect over the cops' use of the CATC has been the product of extreme miscommunication that Hales appears willing to let sift out for another year—in part because the city agreed, under Adams, to help pay for the thing.

Stopping payment would amount to a loss of beds. The CATC conversation, sources say, is also expected to change in another year after federal health care reform expands Medicaid rolls and potentially reduce operating costs at the facility.

Cogen's hardball approach puzzled some in city hall. And solving the impasse over the CATC likely opened the way to the rest of the agreement.

Novick, who helped raise CATC along with Commissioner Nick Fish, said the agreement "looks like a good resolution." And he pointed to the CATC funding in particular.

"I hope the CATC and the police will work things out and police," he says, "and will be able to start taking people there."

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KATU Poll Brings Bad News for Fluoridation Campaign

Denis C. Theriault — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:29:32 -0700

A KATU/SurveyUSA poll of some 600 likely voters—coming out just days before Tuesday's election—has fluoridation down 53 percent to 40 percent, with only eight percent over respondents listing themselves as undecided.

That's pretty much a worst-case scenario for fluoridation supporters, including the Mercury (our endorsement is here) and every other major newspaper in Portland. The same poll last week showed 14 percent of voters undecided, with 48 percent opposed and 39 percent in favor—implying that as people figure out how they want to vote, most are breaking toward the opposition.

The phrasing of a poll question is always interesting. A bad question led a lot of people to write off the arts tax when polls showed it lagging—only to win with 62 percent of the vote. But in this case, it's impossible to blame the phrasing—which is pretty straight-up:

On the ballot measure concerning the fluoridation of Portland's drinking water supply, are you ... Certain to vote yes? Certain to vote no? Or not certain?

The crosstabs are filled with good tidbits. Fluoride is up big among "affluent" voters, but doing awfully among people who aren't and people who still have land lines. But here's an even more interesting detail, especially in a low-turnout election where every ballot actually in hand counts: Among respondents who said they already turned in ballots, fluoridation is losing BIG.

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Arts Tax Update: Deadline to Pay, in Person or Online, Extended to Next Week

Denis C. Theriault — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:00 -0700

Earlier today, we told you about lingering problems with city's overloaded arts tax website (the $35 tax was supposed to be due yesterday) and the still-uncertain deadline for procrastinators who have yet to square up.

The city just sent out another update confirming that payment will now be accepted into next week, in person or online, but that the website won't be ready for another couple of days. Read it here:

Wednesday night, the City’s website experienced a problem related to the overwhelming response of Portlanders paying their Arts Tax. As a result, people were not able to pay their tax that afternoon and evening. Wednesday was the original deadline for payment.

The City has extended the Arts Tax deadline.

The online payment option will be brought back next week, as will an announcement of the new deadline. Currently, the Arts Tax cannot be paid over the Internet, but can be paid in person or by mailing in a check or money order. Forms can be found here.

The City has also extended the deadline to pay in person or by mail, simply to keep the deadlines together and to create simplicity for taxpayers.

The online payment option will remain offline for the next few days as city technical personnel implement measures to limit the number of concurrent filers on the site at any one time. This will ensure that usage does not exceed the system capacity and allow people to pay their Arts Tax online. Once implemented, when the site reaches capacity, the user will receive notification that the site is currently unavailable and to try back later. Technical staff will also be working on increasing the overall capacity of the payment site.

I've also asked, under admonishing from commenters, how this latest snafu affects collection and administrative costs that are supposed to be kept under 5 percent of collections. I'll update if and when I hear back.

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