Nearly 10 years ago, the city of Portland first committed to a Vision Zero plan, setting a goal to eliminate all traffic crash fatalities and serious injuries on Portland’s streets by 2025. That year, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reported 35 traffic crash deaths in Portland. City officials said at the time they didn’t take the rising traffic crash death toll lightly, and were strongly dedicated to the Vision Zero goals. 

It’s now 2024, and traffic crash deaths in Portland are at a 30-year high. According to PBOT’s report on deadly traffic crashes for 2023, 69 people died on Portland’s streets last year. Though fatal crashes have been rising in Portland over the past several years, 2023 was the deadliest year in recent history. This isn’t how the trend is supposed to go—especially not in a city committed to Vision Zero. 

Yesterday, Portland City Council accepted last year’s deadly crash report and adopted the first update to the Vision Zero Action Plan since 2019. Right off the bat, PBOT leaders got ahead of the elephant-in-the-room question on everyone’s minds: Considering how traffic crash deaths are rising so significantly, is Vision Zero working? 

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see The Mission UK on May 1 at the Mission Theater!

In late 1985 Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams left The Sisters Of Mercy and, after enlisting the talents of Simon Hinkler and Mick Brown, formed The Mission. They have a reputation as one of the best and most exciting live bands in the world. Their 2016 album "Another Fall From Grace” has been described as a lost link between The Sisters of Mercy's "First and Last and Always” album and The Mission's own first album, "God's Own Medicine." The album has received unanimous critical acclaim and was the band's first UK Top 40 album in over 20 years! Get your tickets now, or enter to win free tix here!

Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Wed May 1, 8 pm, $35-$40, 21+

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see CONVERSATION on April 23 at the Mission Theater!

CONVERSATION are an emerging post hardcore band from Toronto, Ontario. Their sound contains the echoes of early Underoath and Deftones, while still carving out its own punk rock attitude with pop sensibility. CONVERSATION strikes a balance of thoughtful post-hardcore and melodically measured alternative rock, and their ravenously energetic live show is a force to be reckoned with, resulting in anyone seeing them for the first time leaving as new fans. Get your tickets now, or enter to win free tix here!

Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Thurs April 23, 8 pm, $15-$20, all ages

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Steel Panther on April 25 at the Crystal Ballroom! 

Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock 'n' roll in all its debauchery and glamour, Steel Panther has established themselves as the world's premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks. Get those tickets now or enter to win here!

Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Thurs April 25, $30-$45, 21+

GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday. Check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!

HOWDY-DO, SMARTY TROUSERS! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And this week, your brain will be tested on the latest Nike scandals, even more Nike scandals... and oh shit... how can Nike have SO MANY SCANDALS? (Lucky you, you love scandals. 😍)

But first, how did you do on the previous quiz? Wow, you guys are SO smart! And I especially liked the majority response for last week's "Subjective Question." (Mayor Wheeler, the people have spoken!)

OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It's Thursday, April 18, and HOW MANY SLICES OF PIZZA HAVE YOU CRAMMED IN YOUR MOUTH THIS WEEK? Since there are more than 50 local pizza joints participating in the Mercury's PIZZA WEEK (happening right now, but only through Sunday), I hope you've eaten at least 32 of those deee-licious $3 slices! If not? Girrrrrl, you best get to work! And while you're at it, get to work on today's NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Power-famished Commissioner Rene Gonzalez is at it again! This time the wildly unqualified mayoral wannabe (and poster child for Portland's richest and meanest shitheads) wants to put the city's "time, place, and manner" ordinance (AKA the one the city used to unsuccessfully criminalize homelessness) under the complete power of the future mayor... which he thinks will be him! Oh, and he also added this little cruel nugget to his dastardly plan currently under consideration: If the US Supreme Court overturns the Martin v. Boise decision (which rightly restricts camping bans when cities refuse to supply ample shelter), then people who violate his revised ban "could face a $500 fine or up to six months in jail." Fellow business puppets, Commissioners Dan Ryan and Mingus Mapps, are reportedly "considering it." Here's your weekly reminder to VOTE THEM ALL OUT OF OFFICE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE.

• Very much related 👀...

Follow up from this previous report:

“Less than a week before Doyle was charged in the pornography case, Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez’s campaign, “Rene For Portland,” had put out a social media notice, saying it was proud to announce that Doyle had endorsed” https://t.co/26W2SQpTKF

— Portland for All (@PDXforAll) April 17, 2024

• Welp, the Portland Police are costing the city taxpayers another cool $1.6 million after Portland was forced to hire an independent monitoring firm to make sure the cops adhere to the DOJ's required "use of force" rules which were put into place after years of police abuse toward those with mental illness. There were a number of firms considered to take over the DOJ's watch—but is the one Portland picked up to snuff? Read our Courtney Vaughn's excellent article and find out for yourself!

Ten years ago, the US Department of Justice intervened to help reshape and monitor the Portland Police Bureau’s use of force policies. Now, a private firm will be the arbiter of whether police are following the federal government’s guidelines. 

The mayor’s office announced Monday that MPS & Associates was jointly chosen by the city and DOJ to serve as the independent monitor of a settlement agreement between the DOJ and the city of Portland. The arrangement is estimated to cost the city $1.59 million. 

The settlement agreement was approved by a court in 2014, following an alleged pattern of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) using excessive force on people with mental illness. The DOJ said PPB’s behavior violated the civil and constitutional rights of Portlanders. While the city denied the characterization, it agreed to adopt new training related to PPB’s use of force, its crisis intervention tactics and mental health services, as well as “officer accountability and community engagement.”

The democratization of culture thanks to cheap technology and crowdfunding has long promised a wave of passion projects that might, against all odds, catch fire on a global scale. But to date, that’s only happened sparingly, as such self-produced works either die on the vine or only capture the attention of supporters, loved ones, and folks who find them through pure happenstance. 

It’s a fate that could easily have befallen The People’s Joker. Filmmaker Vera Drew’s poignant, surreal, and hilarious debut feature set in a warped version of the DC Comics Universe was set to make its public debut at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival but was only allowed one screening due to pressure from Warner Brothers Discovery. 

The intent may have been to stifle this creative vision, but the opposite occurred. The buzz surrounding People’s Joker grew, lead to a hot ticket screening at last year’s Outfest in LA and a deal with Altered Innocence, a LGBTQ+ film distributor bringing Drew’s work to theaters around the US—including our very own Hollywood Theater starting this Friday. 

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! The sun is (supposed to be) shining, tax season is over, and, oh yeah, PIZZA WEEK is here. If you need some ideas for where to go, here are a few pies that look delectable to me personally: The "Chicken Shawarma!" at Baby Doll, the "So What, No F*ckin' Ziti Now?!" (yes, I'm a fan of pasta on pizza. Sue me, Italy) at Scottie's, the "Butcher's Bolognese" at Assembly Brewing, and many more. But before you go grab some delicious slices, read these important headlines. (The restaurants probably aren't open yet, anyway.)

Juxtaposed with the nearby bustling commercial centers on SE Hawthorne Blvd and Division Street, Portland’s Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood feels quiet and residential, even suburban. 

Residents south of Foster Road between SE Cesar Chavez Boulevard and SE 92nd Avenue have enjoyed relatively low housing prices compared to parts of Portland closer to the city center. But the neighborhood quaintness and single-family housing affordability have come at the expense of other important amenities, like transportation infrastructure and convenient, accessible grocery stores. 

With the Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan, led by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), the city wants to course-correct. The plan, which primarily focuses on the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood as well as parts of Woodstock, Mt. Scott-Arleta, and Lents, aims to reshape land use and transportation in areas of Portland. The goal is to provide opportunities for neighborhood businesses, create more multi-unit affordable housing complexes, and make it easier and safer for people to get around and access what they need. 

Mike Norris is out as Portland Thorns head coach just four games into the 2024 NWSL season, the club announced on Tuesday. 

Norris, who served just over a year as head coach, is being moved into a new role as the club’s technical director. Rob Gale, one of Norris’ assistants, will take over as interim head coach while the club searches for a permanent replacement. 

“After an in-depth review, we have decided to start to reorganize our soccer operations department to better serve our club and our athletes,” Karina LeBlanc, the club’s president of soccer operations, said in a club statement. “Thorns FC have set the standard for excellence in the league. These changes will help us maximize our strengths as we continuously pursue championship-level success.”

The removal of Norris from the head coaching position comes in the midst of the Thorns’ worst-ever start to an NWSL season, with the club mired in last place having picked up just one point from their first four games. It represents a decisive move from the club’s new owners, the Blathals, who took the reins at the beginning of the year. 

Are you looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)?

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town: TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide between TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely! 

Plus, this time around we'll be welcoming special guest comedian ZAK TOSCANI! SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: Wednesday, April 24, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!

My boyfriend wants my permission to see sex workers. He did this quite a bit before we were together. He goes to Canada, where it’s legal and supposedly safer. He says he’s just trying to be open and honest about his desire for variety and that I should be glad he doesn’t want to cheat. To me, that sounds like a thinly veiled threat to cheat with or without my permission. He says it’s not like that. Ideally, he — a 56-year-old man — would prefer a sexually open relationship, while I — a 48-year-old woman — would prefer more of a monogamish situation.

We were friends for twenty years before we started dating, we have great sex (though not as much as I would like), get along wonderfully otherwise, and have a lovely time together. This is definitely our biggest issue. Am I being closed minded, and prude to deny him the variety he desires? I consider myself pretty open minded, but I am triggered by this. I’m not closed to adventures. I’m open to threesomes, sex parties, etc., but those are scenarios where we are doing something together. I’ve been in non-monogamous relationships in the past — consensual ones — but I don’t have the energy for that at this point in my life.

Safety concerns aside, I have moral hang-ups around sex work. All I can think is, “What self-respecting woman would put up with this?” The other thing is that he has a long history of dating much younger women, sometimes as much as twenty years younger. I may be the first “age-appropriate” girlfriend he’s ever had. While I know I am still very attractive and sexy and I get hit on all the time, the reality is that I will never be young and firm again. The ones he hires are both of those things. Are we doomed? Can we both find fulfillment in this relationship? Or should we let each other go?

Verklempt In Vermont

A particular phrase came to mind as I read your letter, VIV, but it won’t come as a comfort: irreconcilable differences. 

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! The weather forecast can no longer be trusted. Spring is unpredictable, like an emotionally detached, fickle lover. It brings us flowers, but it does what it wants, doesn’t really care what you want or need, and it can’t always be relied on. Probably safe to expect a toss-up of sunshine and clouds today, as weather.com predicts, but don’t get too comfortable. 

Yesterday was tax day. Everybody good?

 

 

 

 

 

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Let’s delve into the world of discomfort and wonder that is current events.

In LOCAL NEWS:

• Portland-based indie band Sleater-Kinney has been around for 30 years. Archetypes of the riot grrrl scene of the 1990s, the band refined their songwriting over the years, leaning heavily into post-punk and rock’n’roll influences, while garnering praise from music critics along the way. In the Mercury’s new "Say Nice Things About Portland" issue, we caught up with Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney, to talk about their history, their future, and why they still call Portland home.

  Don't miss this interview with Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney in which they reflect on 30 years as a band, and why they're still proud to call Portland home. (It's part of our SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND issue, on the streets now!)https://t.co/iL6T7V9XbI

  — Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) April 15, 2024

  Continue reading »

MONDAY

COMEDY

Bianca Del Rio: Dead Inside Comedy Tour
"Well, well, well! I hope you bitches are ready!"RuPaul's Drag Race season six winner Bianca Del Rio is also a legend in her own right, dominating the New York scene and popping up with legends like Lady Bunny. That said, your girl is back on tour and feeling dead inside, so show up to give her a reason to reanimate. LC
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Southwest Portland, $41.75 - $52.47)

The Ladds 500 is an annual bicycle relay race around a traffic circle in Southeast Portland's Ladd's Addition. But it's really so much more than that: As the first big bike social of the year, the ride is a chance to come out of winter hibernation, see pals from last summer's Pedalpalooza, and show off zany outfits and bikes. 

The event's organizer, David Barstow Robinson, started Ladd's 500 in 2016. Its name refers to a stated goal of the relay—to bike 500 laps around Ladd Circle Park. That distance ostensibly adds up to 100 miles, though the exact measurement is in dispute and being nitpicky about mileage really isn't the point. Besides, it can be hard to keep track of all the laps, especially with all the baton-passing going on. (The "batons" at the Ladds 500 are typically Rainier cans, or sometimes hot dogs.)