The Lonely Hero

City Scaped...

2011-04-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

I like this video but it's almost hard to watch...

Round UP -

2011-03-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Character - A study of character development based on setting, looks, personality, etc. (cultural bias study?)

THE CHARACTER from Candice Breitz on Vimeo.

Loving on this Band, Song, Video.

Last, going to see Wye Oak tonight at Mississippi Studios. Show at 9pm, two openers, cost is $12 (includes processing fee). Stoked.

ENTER THE VOID...

2011-02-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

I watched Gaspar Noé's Enter The Void last night. At one point, my special lady, who was in and out of the apartment while the film was on, asked me why I would put myself through something like that. Needless to say, the film is intense and not for the faint of heart. Here, take a peek at the opening credits.

Yeah, and that's just the beginning. Couple that with death & despair, loss, ample amounts of screaming kids, drugs, hints at incest, a steady supply of nudity and graphic sex, transcendence, dark dreams, brutality, and hallucination, and you start to get a rounded out view of the film. Again, not for the faint of heart. Also, I had copped the directors cut which runs a total of 2h + 41m of this subject matter. That's pretty long. With all that said, I feel that it's a movie worth watching, if you really like movies. Gaspar is trying to break film making boundaries, expand visual horizons, and show us something new. After taking a day to process the imagery and storyline I can say that for me, he does just that. Sure the movie proves to be a bit sprawling, but the vision is there. Yeah, so here's the trailer...

Reaching for Meaning...

2011-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern." - William Blake

I'm not really sure what to say about this. Seems like a fairly drastic & brutal way to get past the unhappiness in life. I mean, two of these guys are fighting with knives...

Uppercut from California is a place. on Vimeo.

DOING TONIGHT...

2011-02-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

If I were free tonight in Portland, which I'm not, I would be into these two things and probably in this order, just because I love pickles so much (I even had a dream about pickles last night!).

1. The Dill Pickle Club presents the first annual Perfect Pickle over at the Ace Hotel.
- Via Dave
The Perfect Pickle is as a fundraiser and membership drive for The Dill Pickle Club, Portland’s volunteer-driven non-profit group dedicated to organizing non-traditional educational tours, program, and publication. 2010′s accomplishments and will be celebrated and 2011′s programs programs will be announce.

The main event is the Pickle Challenge, pitting chefs from Beast, Chop Butchery, DOC, Le Happy, Navarre, Olympic Provisions, Salt Fire & Time, and Unbound Pickling in a battle of pickles. Each chef will prepare a dozen jars of pickles from the same base ingredients to sell for the benefit of the Dill Pickle Club.

The celebrity judges: Dave Dahl (Dave’s Killer Bread), Tony Perez (Food Critic, Portland Mercury) and Courtney Sproule (Din Din Catering).

Guest get to sample too, before the Pickler of the Year trophy is awarded and the jars are auctioned off by AC Dickson!

To round out the evening there will be live musical performances by Marisa Anderson, Orca Team, and DJ Cuica, and Ninkasi and Coalition beers will be available.

The Perfect Pickle is free to members, $5 for everyone else – become a member at the event and receive $5 off membership. For more details visit the Dill Pickle Club events page.

PERFECT PICKLES SCHEDULE
7PM Marisa Anderson plays music
7:45 Welcome, Pickle Judges talking about pickles with first 4 chefs
8PM Orca Team plays – set 1
8:20PM Pickle Judges talking about pickles with last 4 chefs
8:40PM Orca Team plays – set 2
9:00PM Mikey Kampmann, Sarah Mirk, How Does City Work? video
9:20PM DJ Cuica – set 1, a “pickle dance off”
9:45PM Cary Clarke, Walt Curtis
10:00PM AC Dickson does the great Pickle Auction
10:15PM Award Ceremony
10:20PM DJ Cuica – set 2
10:40PM Last Call

2. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
Monday, February 7, 2011 - 7:00pm

Portland - Bagdad Theater

Via the OMSI Science Pub Page

Visionary game designer Jane McGonigal reveals how we can harness the power of games to solve real-world problems and boost global happiness.

More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young person in the United States will spend 10,000 hours gaming by the age of 21. According to world-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, the reason for this mass exodus to virtual worlds is that videogames are increasingly fulfilling genuine human needs. In this groundbreaking exploration of the power and future of gaming, McGonigal reveals how we can use the lessons of game design to fix what is wrong with the real world.

Drawing on positive psychology, cognitive science, and sociology, Reality Is Broken uncovers how game designers have hit on core truths about what makes us happy and used these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. Videogames consistently provide the exhilarating rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. But why, McGonigal asks, should we use the power of games for escapist entertainment alone? Her research suggests that gamers are expert problem solvers and collaborators, since they cooperate with other players to overcome daunting virtual challenges, and she helped pioneer a fast-growing genre of games that aims to turn gameplay to socially positive ends.

In Reality Is Broken, she reveals how these new Alternate Reality Games are already improving the quality of our daily lives, fighting social problems like depression and obesity, and addressing vital twenty-first century challenges—and she forecasts the thrilling possibilities that lie ahead. She introduces us to games like World Without Oil, a simulation designed to brainstorm—and therefore avert—the challenges of a worldwide oil shortage, and Evoke, a game commissioned by the World Bank Institute that sends players on missions to address issues from poverty to climate change.

Jane McGonigal, PhD, is the director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future. Her work has been featured in The Economist, Wired, and The New York Times and on MTV, CNN, and NPR. In 2009, BusinessWeek called her one of the 10 most important innovators to watch. She has given keynote addresses at TED, South by Southwest Interactive, and the Game Developers Conference and was a featured speaker at The New Yorker Conference.

This Science Pub is presented in partnership with Powell’s Books. Powell’s will have Jane’s books available for purchase at the Science Pub and Jane will sign them after the talk.

Shameless...

2011-01-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

I've been absent recently - over and over and over again. Did you miss me? I doubt it. I don't think anyone ever really stops by here. BUT GOOD FOR YOU IF YOU DO. Anyway, there's been a variety of reasons why I've been gone and the main one is that I've been busy. Busy with what, you ask? Well, let me count the ways for you. Please note: ALL OF THIS IS SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION.

1. I learned to type with only one space between a period and the first letter of a new sentence. 9 times out of 10 I can now type at a constantly furious pace without having to use the backspace/delete key to back up and fix my old two space down fall. Evidently we're not typing on typewriters anymore. Oh, you're a real "writer" and you've stayed loyal to pounding the keys on your Smith Corona? Then what the hell are you doing here reading this puddle of filth?

2. I launched my very own photography business.

3. I went live with a website in support of photography business. It can be found at www.matthewjasperson.com

4. I cleaned up my photo blog that also supports this venture. Peep it here: www.thebentmoment.com

5. I've continued to ride the rails (metaphorically speaking, I would hate for anyone to think of me as a skateboard rider) and do the deeds here in Portland, Oregon. A city so full of it's own gloom and self flattery that the little mice in the gutters are walking around with imported organic cheese from japan while rocking wickedly rad smirks that they pair with Funk Dr. Spock Doc Martins. Or something.

Good day.

RGBs...

2010-12-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

TimeSlots...

2010-12-09T17:40:00.002-08:00

P E R I O D P E A C E = K I D S T H O S E D A Y S . . .

NOT HEALTHY...

2010-11-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

b l a c k F r i d a y

Winter Is Coming...

2010-11-29T13:36:00.001-08:00

I am so excited. I'm also expecting - really hoping - that the 4th book will be released with the premier.

GT NEW, GT SING, GT LIVE...

2010-11-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Girl Talk just released his newest album to date. I'm listening to it now. It's good. When a friend described it to me as more of the same same, I knew he didn't mean that in a negative way. No, in fact it's same same really good. What makes give's this album, All Day, an extra mario life is that it's out there for free. There's been some speculation as to why it's completely free - not even an option to pay - rather than pay what you like, like his last album Feed The Animals was. Some say it's the licensing issue that he's always running into. Some say that he's on some next level ish like Trent or whoever else has made albums available for free - many artists have made that jump. Whatever it is, I don't really care as long as the noise is good, and this one has my feet tapping. I'm not alone, it took me 2.5 days to be able to DL All Day directly from his label's website, Illegal Art, due to system overload.

Once I finally got the album I listened to it a couple of times while at work. Just sitting and hearing his mash brought back memories of his shows I've been to. All good times; 2 in Portland and 2 in Arizona. GT's live performances can be something out of this world, an energy that I've tried to describe on here before and an energy that I likely didn't do justice. Here's rough vid of GT's last song of the night at a free(!) show we went to in Tempe, Arizona. He closed down his set by singing live to a ridiculous Nirvana remix.

It was crazy scary great and I haven't seen or heard about him do anything like this again. Anyway, I got to wondering if there were any bootlegs of his live shows out there. Turns out there are. Here's a link to a collection (10) live bootlegs you can DL, some of them recorded straight from the soundboard. I've got it on suggestion that "Bonnaroo '09" and "Girl Talk Murders Seattle" are two great options, just to get you started... Enjoy

Girl Talk Murders Seattle:
01. “Give me like, three minutes.”
02. (Crowd Noise)
03. “Girl Talk” (Radio Chatter Intro)
04. “SPOON MAN!” (Introduction)
05. “Ring The Alarm Once Again”
06. “What It’s All About”
07. “Stuntin’ By The Lights”
08. “Doin’ It Bossy”
09. “Pump This Party”
10. “Work It”
11. “Need You To Set It Off”
12. “Loving Changes, Hating Changes”
13. “What A Fool Know About That”
14. “Kryptonic Train Ride”
15. “Whoomp Wit It, Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It” [Alternate Link]
16. “Digital Hustlin’” [Alternate Link]
17. “Run This Motherfucker”
18. “Just Need To Stay Fly”
19. “Galang-nologic”
20. “Ain’t No Other Love Triangle”
21. “Bounce That”
22. “Smash Your Head”
23. “I finally feel like I’m Spoon Man!”
24. “Nuckin, Buckin, Gettin’ Some”
25. “Lay It Back And Drop It”
26. “Pump That Pussy, Don’t Back Down”
27. “Peak Out”
28. “From The Muddy Banks Of Seattle”

DMTV means? ...

2010-10-13T15:51:00.001-07:00

I think this show at Holocene looks pretty awesome. If I wasn't scouring the world for $$$ opportunities and playing in a little futsal tonight, I'd probably be there. If you go, tell me if it's good, take a picture even, I'll buy you a cup of coffee and watch you drink it.

DMTV at Holocene: "Floating World Animation Fest returns with a new name and trippier mission. We’ve dug even deeper into the vaults of psychedelic animation to curate a heroic dose of visionary video art for this year’s animation fest..." featuring music by the persona named ATOLE and another persona named Nice Nice.

Who knows, perhaps I'll end up there anyway, later.

WORDS, a connection...

2010-10-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is pretty straight forward and pretty obvious. It's also great. Created by the crew, Everynone. Is the language we share making these connections or are the connections already there, and the language is just pulling them to our river's surface, allowing for reflection?

WORDS from Everynone on Vimeo.

Dance Moves, For Life...

2010-10-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

See the video. Not only are you getting the best instruction in pop-n-lockin, but these guys are also handing down life lessons.

"There's always somebody better than you, so, you have to always keep practicing, trying to make up something different, cause if you go anywhere thinking you all tough and stuff and next thing you know someone jump out there in your face doing something you ain't never seen."
- Darrel "Boogaloo" Cooley,

Yup, that sounds about right.

Till I Get Home...

2010-10-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Speaking of which, have you heard the new Mark Ronso n (+ The Business International)? It's plenty good.

* "Don't you want to take a joy ride on my Tandem. ...on a huffy don't I look so handsome." See? It tis good.

Build My Mind-y-MAOI...

2010-10-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

"...plus there is a B-line narrative story that illustrates some of the ideas, where a computer avatar (Ramona) saves the world from self-replicating microscopic robots."

"...expressed a desire to construct a genetic copy of his late father, Fredric Kurzweil, from DNA within his grave site. This feat would be achieved by deploying various nanorobots to send samples of DNA back from the grave, constructing a clone of Fredric and retrieving memories and recollections—from Ray's mind—of his father.[10]."

Did you hear that NIN's Trenty boo is in cahoots with HBO and BBC to make a mini-series based off of the album Year Zero? Do you think Terrance M. will introduce Ray to Trent?

Darker Sides...

2010-08-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is pretty good.

A Better Moon...

2010-08-25T08:37:00.001-07:00

This morning I raised a glass of still lemon beer and ventured out into the dawn. Moon glow hung low on the horizon, pitching a soft eerie light down upon mountains west. As the moon tucked itself in, behind the white peaks, morning crescendoed all around me; not a sound was made but for the birds coming to wake. It made me smile. The next morning I woke to find two strangers in a wood. Though they had never met, they shared both pipe and porridge freely. It made me afraid that the forest might fall too quickly.

The following song is by Andrew Cedermark. It is titled Moon Deluxe and can be found on the single by the same name, pressed by Underwater Peoples.

Droping Basseee...

2010-08-19T11:06:00.001-07:00

Bang Dem Corners...

2010-07-28T13:51:00.001-07:00

Old Hoods...

2010-07-21T11:46:00.001-07:00

REmade...

2010-06-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

The last 15 minutes of 1982 world cup match featuring France and Germany.

Refait from Pied La Biche on Vimeo.

Stolen shamelessly from booooooom who stole it from somewhere else.

A couple of post below, watch it...

2010-06-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

I little further on down in this page I've posted the Nike World Cup spot. As most will attest to, it's pretty great. It's also running at or around 3 minutes which is pretty long, as far as commercial spots go. Now, here's the new spot from Adidas; it's also pretty long. While it doesn't speak directly to Adidas' stance in the soccer world, a world about to be eclipsed by the World Cup, it instead chooses to focus on their Star Wars Originals line (just look at these freaking shoes. These are sold in the toys-r-us for adults, right?). It's an interesting choice of promotion, particularly because the Star Wars line has been out for quite sometime.

Anyway, if you're getting ready to take part in the merriment that is the World Cup, which spot get's you more jazzed and ready to cheer. It's a pretty easy call as far as I'm concerned.

No Matter What You Do, It's Always Too Little And It's Always Too Late...

2010-06-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

I just caught this video over at booooooom and it stirred up all of those old feelings which come to a head once you're involved in the chase. You know, THE CHASE, when you've got a lady or lad in your sights and you're just about to throw down a gauntlet of love lessons for them, whatever it takes to make them notice and appreciate you. Sometimes it works out but more often than not, you're left with wanting.

Ramona Falls - Russia from Souterrain Transmissions on Vimeo.

Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout, Willis?...

2010-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Via DEATH.

Macho Tail Drop...

2010-05-28T14:20:00.001-07:00

Remix/Mashups get Music Vids - That's What Happens These Days...

2010-05-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Peep this music vid that's a mashup of an album of mashups between Jay Z and Radiohead. The mix was put together by an underground kid named Max Tannone. Guess what, he's got some talent above his shoulders. If you want to download the entire mix album - it's worth it - check out this LINK. He's also got an wonderful summer banger remix of Mos Def and reggae noise. Again, it's worth it so check in HERE to get it. Both remix albums are dropped for free... This will keep your head nodding all summer long. 40oz in the park, anyone?

Jaydiohead Ignorant Swan Medley from SUBVOYANT on Vimeo.

It's Coming...

2010-05-21T11:25:00.001-07:00

MIA in the UK, a very intense video:

2010-04-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you haven't caught this yet, you should. The production value on this is through the roof. They definitely spent some monies on DP, Director, Special Effects, Casting, and Choreography. The end product is something that should strike a nerve in all of us. It's upsetting, intense, scary, real, poignant and great. While it does maintain shock value (there is a wanted buzz here) I also think that it lays out an important part of our human history - and current events, if we're going to be honest - that can never be too far from discussion.

THE CLICK HERE LINK

Leaving ♥'s in San Francisco - Mayer Hawthorne...

2010-04-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

A and B...

2010-04-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

A.

B.

I Feel Better In Your Arms...

2010-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Finding IT...

2010-04-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons for disappointment. Could there also an equilibrium based on differentiating levels of joy. For all the tragedy you feel or experience, is there a joy waiting in the winds, possibly in Madrid, Spain, or perhaps Topeka, Kansas. Think about it.

Here's some shows on the horizon.

King Khan & The Shrines - 04/11/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).

SiA - 04/13/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm).

Yeasayer - 04/19/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).

Dr. Dog - 04/23/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7pm).

Abstract Earth, Desiderata & DoubleTee Present - 04/24/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
Ninja Tune recording artist - Bonobo Live Band
YPPAH
Anomie Bell

Kaki King - 05/15/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).

Broken Bells - 05/28/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).

CoCo Rosie - 06/26/2010 • 8:30pm (doors open at 7:30pm).

That's a pretty nice line up of artist, all playing at the Wonder Ballroom. Joy. All shows are between $15 and $25, most closer to the $15 range.

E & A - Congrats. Very Much Congrats...

2010-04-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today in Portland, Oregon - Google Beer “Gigabit IPA”...

2010-04-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

"What happens when you combine a passionate Portland, Oregon technology community, Google and Hopworks? You get Gigabit IPA..."

MORE.

Last Night In SE Portland...

2010-03-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

In response to the recent police shooting and killing of Jackie Collins in the Hoyt Arboretum two days ago, there was a "march" in SE Portland last night. This was part of it. Things start to escalate around the 11 second mark...

Evidently this young man is now being hit with the following: one count of Assault in the Second Degree, one count of Assaulting a Public Safety Officer, one count of Reckless Endangering, and one count of Disorderly Conduct.

Infinity Fills Eternity...

2010-03-22T14:18:00.001-07:00

Study For "A Moral Society" from russel fong on Vimeo.

26 Gigapixel + Paris...

2010-03-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

- "A stitching of 2,346 single photos showing a world-record breaking, very high-resolution panoramic view of the French capital (354,159x75,570 px)"

Via

NBA Jam's Blazer Picks. Who Ya Got!?...

2010-03-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

HEAD HERE TO VOTE FOR WHAT 3 BLAZERS WILL MAKE IT INTO THE NBA JAM 2010 ROSTER. Yup.

Vignette, The Application...

2010-03-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

It all started at a wedding in Austin, Texas. A joyous affair with drinks and cowboys, friends and family, food and dancing. It ended in a hazy drive back to the airport, sans one Beaver Believer Orange Envy (the phone). In it's place I held a headache in my hands. Not the proverbial headache that includes turning the phone off and getting all of my friends numbers - again - but the real life headache that follows a weekend consisting of too much drink and food and not enough sleep. So, in the midst of pounding aspirin and water I realized this fact: all my numbers were lost, as well as all the shitty camera pics I'd taken too. Bummer styles. Headache*2. This frustrations was further compounded by the fact that the phone was lifted (not lost, mom), with my jacket, while I was on the dance floor giving some serious lessons to the locals (which points to my theory of why it was lifted. Jealous much, tex?).

It wasn't all bad though. I spent the following 3 weeks in phone deprived bliss. Oh, you want to get in touch with me? Send an email. You want to meet up for a movie? Let's plan it out two days in advance. I was unbridled with communication and set free to wander around, doing what I wanted to at times of my choosing. It was a pretty good 3 weeks. However, this apparently could not last. My wife bubbled with growing irritation, "how could you NOT have a phone when I NEED you to pick up cotton balls at the store on your way home from work." "What are the cotton balls for?" I would reply. Her response, "for stuffing the dogs ears when she's in the shower, of course. And we NEED them." Well of course we need them. Of course we do. My mother's annoyance echoed my wife's on a seemingly daily basis. I didn't even have a phone and yet she seemed able to share this annoyance, through one vein or another, at least once an evening. I began to wonder, how similar is my wife to my mother and what does that mean for my future?

After my three weeks was up, I headed down to the Verizon store and started looking through phones. It was an easy process, as there's actually not that many worthwhile choices out there, and I made my decision rather quickly. Within a half hour I decided to put my ear to the early HTC google phone, called the Droid Eris. This is first phone I've had where applications can matter, if you want them to. I've had friends with iPhones and I've seen them snapping pictures with filter applications, or mapping out pinball machines throughout the Portland area, so I'm accustomed to this wave of info and multimedia platforming. It's something I was excited to try.

And here comes the point of this long winded story. Yes, you could have skipped to here; if only you had known. I've been trying out photo apps for the android system and I've found one that I really enjoy, Vignette. Similar to the Hipstamatic application for the iPhone, this program allows for a multitude of filter options, as well as normal film processing or no processing at all. Here, check out a couple of examples.

That there first one is some crab meat and the second one is a lemon end on a cutting board. Decent stuff, right? Who knows, I may put a gang of these together and bind it up in a nice little zine for the kiddies.

All in all, I'm still a little murked about the jacket that got grabbed up in Austin. But after three or so weeks of phonelessness, at least now I've got a happy wife and a happy mom. In addition, I get to take some cool photos with my phone. Oh, and my headaches gone too. So, thanks, Tex, I owe you one.

Current Jock...

2010-03-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hey YO, it's been a while. Right? Right. Here's some things I'm currently jocking.

1. Patty Smith writes a book and it's good, if not a little overly poetic. But she's a poet. Right? Right. It inspired me, both in a literary fashion and a photographic fashion.

2. Dead Man's Bones has been on rotation in the car. There's some love there. This isn't their best song and I like it better when I don't have to see Ryan's face, but you get the idea...

3. I just found out about Micheal Jackson smut writing. I'm not into the whole buy an erotic story or picture thing, so this completely surprised me, although I guess it shouldn't since there's something out there for everyone. Right? Right. Still, crazy. Right? Right.

4. One of two movies to peep:

5. Two of two movies to peep (but you already know I'm a Richard Kelly fan):

6. Oh yeah, this is clever: Baywatch is LOST...

Heads Vs. Not Heads...

2010-02-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

- - Not sure where this came from but I payed attention while reading it.

SPUTNIK = Madness...

2010-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

The first earth orbiting artificial satellite, sent up by ze Russians. Madness.

Sputnik from Weston Currie on Vimeo.

I just want to be your friend tonight...

2010-01-08T14:51:00.001-08:00

Someday I'll get back to writing on here. Until then, enjoy this...

HOLIDAYS (plural)...

2009-12-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

SOME GREAT HANUKKAH SHORTS OVER AT THE NEW YORKER

Winter Is The New Summer (WITNS)...

2009-12-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hello there Music Lovers, Portland Lovers, Social Lovers. There's a group of you out there who recently started the website, Winter Is The New Summer. NICE WORK.

If you're a first time visitor to the site, and you're catching this over the weekend of December 11th, click on her lower midsection/crotch; she's got a gift for you.

Again, NICE WORK.

FULLY HOUSED...

2009-12-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Newmark Theater, 8pm...

Good night, Michelle.

I live in Sector 17, Block 14, House #7. Now Bring Me My Mail, Mr. Postman...

2009-12-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

You know, I've heard that opposites attract...

The Leaking Roof...

2009-12-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

"Music is like water. It’s adaptable. It’ll start dripping in the house from raining too much outside. And eventually it’ll fill that house. It’ll never be what you want it to be; it’ll never stay contained."
- Quote from a Local Cut Interview with eMCee Tre Hardson (Interview by Casey Jarman).

Tre's been living in Portland for the last two years while focusing on being a Dad and getting down to DJing. You might know him from some group named Ozomatli, or how about as a founding member of some other group named the Pharcyde, for that matter.

Another Notable Quote:
"The thing is, success and failure is a continuum. It ebbs and flows. You’ll have high success one day, and then you’ll have that low. And during that low is when you’ve gotta be creative, you gotta do something. Because you can get depressed. But when it’s good again, ride the wave like you’re the best surfer, man. Keep your wetsuit on. The wave is coming."

I like that. I like that a lot.

I Have Many Questions...

2009-12-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

I'd like to write more on this when I have the time. Main question for evaluation: Does a sub-culture predicated on being perpetually labeled and affiliated with being "last-placed," losers," "worst," "dumb," and/or "disgusting," eventually find solace in the world only if these pretenses are kept up through parody, jokes, defamation, etc? Literally, how sad do you have to be to join in as a Juggalo? It's a self consuming cycle.

The Parody:

The Realness*:

* Watch this all the way through to really see the parody in full effect.

Lonely...

2009-12-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

LIVING BOOKS...

2009-12-01T15:21:00.001-08:00

A totally, completely awesome piece of work that doubles as an ad for the New Zealand Book Council. Word on the street is that it took 8 months of cutting and laying for this to get made. Pretty, radical, sound stuff.

StarScapes...

2009-11-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

WHEN THE WINTER HIT IT WAS HARD AND HEAVY. HEAVY HANDED. THE WINTER LEFT ME SEARCHING FOR REFLECTION. MIRRORS WERE FROSTED AND ROCKED NO IMAGE. REFLECTIONS I HAD none. GREEN SWEATERS CLOUDED GREY EYES.

http://www.chrissantamaria.org/ew.htm

She Be Tall, With Music...

2009-11-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

Now, I'm a fairly tall guy, but I LOVE this music...

Thankful-ness...

2009-11-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

I like writing letters. They come out better than I anticipate and I'm able to more fully illustrate emotions, feelings and meaning than I do when I speak. It's true that I'm wordy and that I think I'm a better writer than I am but I'm fine with that actually, and I just keep hoping that practice in writing, like practice in anything, will pay off and make me better. I like to think the same thing about soccer, basketball, photography, cooking.

I wrote this letter to a doood, a homeboy, a stallion of both grace and power. While writing it, I came to understand that I feel this way about many people. I'm very fortunate to have had my life graced by good guys and girls, interesting people young and old. I'm thankful for this. So, while this has been edited to fit a wider audience, I'm just trying to say thanks. Thanks for being a friend.

Today I was driving back across the Burnside bridge after taking a lunch with the dog. To the south, there was a beautiful scene as sunlight broke through the cloud cover, allowing rays of light to cascade down upon the tall downtown buildings. They were reaching up and the sun was reaching down. Further up in the sky, above the rays of light and the dwindling clouds, the sun had cut a solid chunk of grey out of the sky and was shining fierce, allowing any patron of earth to glimpse it's greatness. But a glimpse was all you get, because, as we learn while young, that shit is bright and it will hurt your eyes if you press your luck. All in all, it was a powerful, beautiful scene and I enjoyed it in that moment, knowing the next moment it would likely be gone. You could say that I was thankful in that moment.

I'm thankful for you and for the friendship we have. Unlike a romantic moment with sun rays and drifting light, I especially appreciate our friendship because I know it is something of several moments, something constant through the ebb and flow of time. I just wanted to let you know that.

On a side note, I'm looking very forward to Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general this year. Food, friends and fun are all good things to celebrate and I'm ready to make it happen. Only a short couple days away we'll be heading to our folks house and movies like this will be hitting theaters (the holidays always have a couple great cinematic offerings). I like music and movies and other such things. Okay, I don't want to ramble.

Glass Candy Tonight at Rotture...

2009-11-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

On the unbridled success of last nights outing to catch a good act at Holocene, I've decided to make my way to Rotture tonight in order to enjoy the glistening glittery sounds of Glass Candy. Kind of an Italian disco pop kinda thing, I've heard their live shows are where they really shine. It's around $10 at the door and there's three other bands taking the stage. You are now in the know.

Last Minute Music - This Thursday (TONIGHT) at Holocene...

2009-11-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hey, yeah, this is a late last minute notice. So take it; as in take notice.

The Lonely Hero has recently taken possession of a ~~dog~~ puppy with his not so lonely love. Her name's Addison (the puppy's) and she's one hell of a top notch dog. The puppy is a distraction, and a lot of work, so I've been very outside of hitting concerts with any regularity and actually that was okay, because nothing was really exciting me anyway. That, and I was tired of digging. Digging through websites and venues PR releases and papers. All that was making me not excited.

TONIGHT, THAT HAS CHANGED.

Real Estate (not the sunny day version that haunted MFNW this year)
Pill Wonder
Rainbow Bridge

These three groups will be letting loose at Holocene tonight. Anyone know a dog sitter?

I first blogged about Real Estate back in March and have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to catch them live. Their music is surfy beach psy-rock, cleverly balanced and recently, seemingly increasingly, often imitated. They've been in heavy rotation - even though I don't own a dedicated RE album - since the first of the year. Hailing from the New Jersey shore, they've had a long way to come and that means their likely excited to get this tour underway. Their set should be a lot of fun.

In August a good friend came to visit for reason of celebration. In his mitts he carried the Underwater Peoples Label sampler. On this compilation of glory were several Real Estate tracks and other such charming numbers from several various bands, one of which was titled Pill Wonder. That's the same Pill Wonder that will be making noise at Holocene tonight. Coming from the Seattle scene, it will be nice to see what Pill Wonder is about live and what kinds of impressions they can make in the NW industry. One thing's for sure, I'm loving their sound at the moment.

Rainbow Bridge I know a little bit less about but they also sound awesome! So much good sound in one place. I'm really looking forward to it. If you're of the same mind, I hope to see you there.

Shows at 8:30 and it's $8 at the door.

What I Watched This Morning - The backside of DEATH...

2009-11-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

I like this video and song, but it's creepy.

Weekend Movies...

2009-11-05T10:23:00.001-08:00

Well, first there's The Box, which I've previously posted about HERE, and then there's this guy, the wonderfully titled adaption to the book "The Men Who Stare At Goats*."

What will you be seeing?

*Get a little tiny bit of background before seeing this movie. It's all happening, baby.

MKULTRA

Important Dates...

2009-11-04T08:33:00.001-08:00

I'm so happy that part of my life runs through google. Because of this I know some very important dates, like the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street - Today, 11/4/09. Yeah, right there I was being funny, but seriously, there's some good stuff below*.

As per wikipedia: "The first Google Doodle was to the Burning Man Festival of 1998. The doodle was designed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin to notify users of their absence in case the servers crashed." Since 2000, Dennis Hwang is the man behind these most current "google doodles."

Also from wikipedia, some other commemorated dates are as follows... birthdays for Andy Warhol, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Rabindranath Tagore, Louis Braille, Percival Lowell, Edvard Munch, Nikola Tesla, Béla Bartók, René Magritte, Michael Jackson, H. G. Wells, Samuel Morse, Hans Christian Ørsted and Mohandas Gandhi among others. Additionally, the featuring of Lowell's logo design coincided with the launch of another Google product, Google Maps. Google doodles are also used to depict major events at Google, such as the company's own anniversary. British novelist Roald Dahl has been featured, with the logo containing characters and items from some of his books, such as Matilda. The celebration of historical events is another common topic of Google Doodles including a Lego brick design in celebration of the interlocking Lego block's 50th anniversary. The anniversary of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds has also been celebrated. On February 14, 2007, Valentine's Day, the Google doodle featured a chocolate-dipped strawberry that combined the second "g" and the "l" as its green stem. This design gave the appearance that the "l" was missing, thereby displaying "Googe". In response to several speculations the Official Google Blog, responded: "When you look at the logo, you may worry that we forgot our name overnight, skipped a letter, or have decided that 'Googe' has a better ring to it. None of the above. I just know that those with true romance and poetry in their soul will see the subtlety immediately. And if you're feeling grouchy today, may I suggest eating a strawberry." For the celebration of Earth Hour, the white background was transformed black to symbolize "the turning off of lights"

Google also featured a doodle with Mahatma Gandhi's face on October 2, 2009, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, which is observed by the UN as the International Day for Non-Violence.

On October 7, 2009, Google featured a doodle of their logo as a barcode to recognize the anniversary of its invention in 1948 by Bernard Silver. ^[11]

On October 31, 2009, the Google page displayed a 4-step Halloween logo, showing a more and more chaotic display of sweets after the first 3 clicks, before redirecting the user to the search results page.

*I'm just posting to post and that's boring. I know it.

What Does David Do...?

2009-11-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

David paints and draws Hallucinatory Patripassianist Dream Texts, landscapes and portraits of cats, spirit guides and Saints. - David, of C93.

eats...

2009-11-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

you've got a mouth full of diamonds and a pocket full of secrets.

- Phantogram

feeling lit, feeling like 2am, summer night. i don't care, hand on the wheel... i'm doing my thing.

- Kid Cudi

i said to john, do you think the girls here ever wonder how they got so prett - y? well, i do!

- The New Pornographers

cherish well your thoughts, keep a tight grip on your booze, 'cause thinking and drinking are all i have today.

- The Grateful Dead

Animal Exodus in movie form...

2009-10-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

When the illustrious Cutlass Supreme was disbanding and vacating the Arizona sun, we threw a end all party that we titled Animal Exodus. Kinda like Halloween, which is coming up, but with more purpose, we asked all of our friends to dawn their inner animal and meet us at our favorite bar - The Yucca Tap Room, like you didn't know - for a night of celebration. The idea was to have everyone embrace and illustrate what they felt their inner animal to be, just as we were taking ours and getting the hell out of sun baked dodge. I think back fondly on that night and often wish I could be there again; surrounded by good friends, in a great environment with plenty of drink on hand and loud music breaking down all different kinds of walls.

I'm digging on this video for multiple reasons but I can't lie, it reminds me heavily of that night. I hope that you like it too. I'll be looking for more from the director/production crew that created this. It also reminds me of Lite-Brite.

Return as an Animal from Bruno Dicolla on Vimeo.

Another Year Older...

2009-10-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was driving into work today - just another day but yet another year older - and this song, which I'd never heard before, came onto the radio. I'm of the belief that some serious reflection is a good thing and, well, this resonated something heavy.

Lyrics to "Everybody is free to wear sunscreen"
by Baz Luhrman - vocals by Lee Perry

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97,

Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term
benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or
reliable then my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice....now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, nevermind, you won't understand the power and
beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of
yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous
you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra
equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides
you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is
long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. (if you succeed in doing this, tell me how).

Keep your old love letters; throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people
I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of Calcium. Be kind to your knees -- you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll
divorce at 40; maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half
chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body: use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it; it's the
greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance...even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions (even if you don't follow them).

Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings: they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in
the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but what a precious few should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps
and geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you
were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old; and when you
do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children
respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse,
but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia;
dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and
recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me, on the sunscreen.

*I'm still looking for the exact mix I heard. Anyone know if this album is hard to get?

Cars and Skateboards, but NO BIKES...

2009-10-16T11:29:00.001-07:00

From the Burnside Skate Park, this AM.

Peace's Prize - A tale of two acceptance speeches...

2009-10-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

OBAMA

"This is not how I expected to wake up this morning..." "...and then Sasha added, plus we have a three day weekend coming up." Barack Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize, October 9 2009.

DR. KING JR.

"I'm mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham Alabama, our children crying out for brotherhood were met with fire hoses, snarling dogs and death," Martin Luther King, junior, accepts the same prize, December 10, 1964. Full speech here.

*Heads Nodding to the Portland Mercury Blog

The Evolution of News...

2009-10-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Print is either dying or evolving. It's either being beaten, slashed, treated with ill respect, or any other number of verbs. One thing is for sure, and has been for a long while, print is changing and this change, well, it will likely effect you. Take this memo for example, that was leaked, as memo's often are, this morning from the Oregonian. It's interesting and valuable to see how a news entity is approaching this change, from the inside.

"We will not abandon our foundation of beat reporting," the memo says, "but beats will be redefined along areas of expertise of most interest to our readers. Some beats will be eliminated because with fewer people we cannot cover everything that we have in the past."

And the bulletpoints of how these changes will happen.

"Our focus in print:

Reveal how power is used, decisions are made and the impact on citizens.

Explain how all manner of things really work.

Question and explore relevant issues in depth, and explain their substance and context.

Introduce people to others worth knowing and to new ideas and innovations.

Tell compelling stories of community.

Our focus online:

Break news.

Encourage, engage and collaborate with communities of interest (both geographic and subject).

Serve as the center and catalyst for community conversations (both geographic and subject)

Aggregate information in broad swaths across topics and provide information on topics of greatest interest/utility

Tell stories with tools unavailable for print."

Bent Moments...

2009-10-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

For a long while I've been interested in both the written word and the visual image. These interests have manifested themselves in a couple of different ways and blogs happen to be a good easy format for exploration of these interests. The Lonely Hero offers me a place to scribble down some thoughts, write up some music reviews and watch or review my general interests as they change over time, always allowing for some sort of written reflection. At the same time, and on the other hand, I've always wanted to create visual imagery but never really had the know how or, never had the guts to learn the know how. Over the past year, however, I've been trying to change that and in turn I've been working on some photography skills. For those of you who don't know, you can catch this vibe over at The Bent Moment, my photography blog.

Why the Name The Bent Moment? My feeling is that any particular moment can be seen through so many sets of eyes, that each moment of everyday, has it's own individual reality for each and every viewer. The way I see it is the way I photograph it. I'm bending my version of events, my vision of reality, my vision of every moment I capture, and allowing you to get a glimpse of that image.

Why two blogs? Well, for the time being I've decided to keep these two entities separate, so that I may focus on each in it's own, ever evolving way. So, unless there's a concert review where I might have snagged a couple of pictures, or some other event that I'd like to share with you, you won't see many original MTJ's here on this, the loneliest of sites. If you want to see images I've taken, please head on over to The Bent Moment and please, drop me a comment letting me know what you think. I'm kinda craving feedback at this time and those images are open to the public for a reason, I want them to be enjoyed. As for the Lonely Hero, I've got some ideas for what's next so please keep checking back.

Kindness out -

Craze...

2009-09-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

Reppin Mr. JK

2009-09-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

Miranda July Strikes Again...

2009-09-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

I am very much in love with the way Miranda July thinks; it's odd, somewhat topsy-turvy, singular while still being accessible and personal, and it's strong enough to carry emotion through and past the initial viewing and/or reading. I've posted in the past about her book, "No One Belongs Here More Than You" and her movie, "Me You And Everyone We Know," but she just keeps bringing the heat, and I'm talking microwave heat, candle heat, oven heat, body temperature heat, all of it.

For example, I was perusing my google reader today during lunch and as always, there were several posts form Jeff Hamada over at BOOOOOOOM!. One of them covered a series of recent photos Miranda art directed, and likely took. In each one she's posing as an extra from a classic American movie. Facial expressions, outfits, props, she gets it all and it's all pretty damn awesome. I've included the photos below but a head nod to boooooom and of course to Miranda herself.

Wee See - A Visual Introduction For All...

2009-09-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of dudes who happen to be dads came together to build the site WEE SEE. "Part art installation, part pacifier, Wee See is a collection of black-and-white animations built from basic shapes to delight both child and parent." Simple in concept, these short, well done and fun animations tease the brain while simultaneously soothing it. Visit their site and decide what mood you're in... RELAX or HURRY.

Poem By Punctuation...

2009-09-22T22:22:00.001-07:00

I broke this little dirty out the other week for one Mr. AJH.

PBP -

I’d like to run you over with a semicolon,
I’d like to put my dancing shoes on and tap my way across your apostrophes,
I’d really like to wrap myself in your parentheses, so warm, so seperate,

Can you offer me a hyphen; I have things to bond?
What you’ve done is so very worth an exclamation point.
Your ghost (I still remember you as a childe) will always haunt my use of quotations.

I promise to strike you down with a life-ending period.
I have never been so excited to see your colon!
I doubt your “underground” status with your use of those question marks.

Your Ampersand does not belong here because this is a sentence.
Your reasoning is flawed: you use too many ellipses to be that good of a writer.
Do you really think that simple use of a comma will get you off the hook?

&..., MJ.

In his now apparent absence, this shortness was inspired both by AJH's always considered and thoughtful speech as well as the following poem that I came across years ago. It's a short Poem by Mr. Frederik Pohl and I've included his description (pulled from his blog) of how it came about and how some of his friends were quite fond of it. It is titled "!"

"I wrote '!' for the very first magazine I ever edited (and published, and ran off on the mimeograph machine, and bound), a tiny semi-fanzine called Mind of Man. It is also the very first thing I ever wrote that got favorable comments from people as astute as Cyril Kornbluth and James Blish, who memorized it and was known to recite it at parties."*

!

, , &
! my frand
; $
- - . . . . . . .

* If you'd like to hear how this is supposed to be read, Frederik provides an example HERE.

Slaying the Dragon...

2009-09-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

"Simply 'sharpening the sword.' And the bigger the dragon waiting for me when I return, the better. That's all you need to know. Print it." It was signed, "Positively, RK." ~ Burger King's chief marketing officer Russ Klein, in response to critics questioning the true reason for his leave of absence. As published in Advertising Age; September 21, 2009

Flaming Lips and the Naked Bike Video...

2009-09-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

Bare Bone Facts: FL's are shooting a video in Portland this next Wednesday. It will involve naked Bikers. One of those naked bikers could be you.

As stolen from WW's Local Cut:

"The rumor is out! I heard rumblings around our office last week that the Flaming Lips—probably the weirdest rock band to ever have a street named after it—were set to film a video sometime this month in Portland. The details have emerged at BikePortland.org, of all places, and it’s actually even more strange than you can imagine: the clip will feature singer Wayne Coyne rolling around in his giant space bubble, covered in fake fox fur, with a gang of naked bicyclists riding around him.

And that’s where you come in: Coyne and the Lips are looking for extras to ditch their clothes and ride in nothing but their birthday suits. BikePortland’s Elly Blue spoke with Coyne over the phone, and he mentions deciding to stage the shoot in Portland after talking to merchandising manager Jillian Kelsheimer Sevick, a former resident and bike enthusiast, and thinking about the ending of the musical Hair:

You know how it’s a bunch of freaked out naked people climbing some mountain with blood and fire and finding some new civilization there — so I thought of Portland, right?

That’s the first image that pops into your head when you think of our lovely little town, right? I’m sure it’s what Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove thought before they flipped the coin. The video is for the Lips song “Watching the Planets,” the final track on the band’s new double album opus, Embryonic. The shoot is set for next Wednesday, September 23, from 10 am to 10 pm at the basketball courts near the top of Mount Tabor. Body and face painting are highly encouraged."

MFNW - Doug Fir - Thursday, September 17th - Live Music Review...

2009-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Venue - Doug Fir: I was told that the box office would open at 7:30. MFNW didn't drop off cash and tickets until 8:15. AWESOME. What's up MFNW? You guys need a project manager? Someone who can get the tickets and cash box to the venue prior to the event weekend? Call me, I'll hook you up. However, there was an upside to waiting in line. The pretty boy behind me, proudly wearing his anarchy patched t-shirt, was talking to another patron, who was posing as a nurse, about the stye on his eye... the entire time. I love listening to self proclaimed, very good looking anarchist talk about heading out to the doctors office to take a look at his blocked tear duct and how nice it is to have insurance. PANSY.

Anyway, the Doug Fir is a nice place to see a show. The acoustics are pretty good, the downstairs is a fun place to hang out, the bar has a mandatory close out rule with each purchase and that helps people like me from getting in trouble.

First Act - The Mint Chicks: Keyboard and synth on stage alongside lead guitar. Drummer was set in the middle of the crowd floor. I think that the idea was for the crowd to gather around him and dance a little bit. However, Portland doesn't dance. At least the kids at this show didn't and I'm guessing it might have been the skin tight pants. Instead, the crowd formed a quasi breakdance circle around him and I had memories of being at a zoo.

As for the actual set, it was great. I felt like the band wanted more audience interaction but they made it happen anyway and it was a good set to see, although it was quick. The ending song was clutch as the drummer took off and went on a slow beat through the crowd.

Second Act - Cymbols Eat Guitars: Highlight of the evening and not really what I was expecting. A 4 piecer, the keyboardist had broken his forearm falling off of a skate board earlier in the week while in Boise. The bassist reminded me of a very stoned flea and the drummer was not really memorable but kept a solid beat. What shone out of this set was the lead guitar. The dude can absolutely shred, and you wouldn't know it to look at him. Also, his facial expressions are off the chart; so fun to watch! About two songs in I decided that this is a band I'd like to play at my funeral, and that's for the facial expressions alone. They'd make people laugh. They were kicking a long set when some guy playing stage manager tried to cut them off. They played another song anyway and rocked it out. It was awesome. This is the text I sent myself mid performance.

"From song to song this is a mix of 50's rock and roll, rocky horror picture show, screaming, punk, and amazing guitar."

Third Act - Depreciation Guild: Went to the upstairs bar. I think most of the crowd did the same. Came back down and caught two songs. Could have stayed upstairs longer.

Fourth Act - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: I was disappointed in this set. For some reason I kept wanting to call them pansies and I'm thinking that I was still high on the Cymbols set and just wanted to see more of it. Their sounds were really clean and it was obvious that they were really well rehearsed. However, the album outshines this particular live set.

MFNW 2009 - Round II...

2009-09-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well, Mother F*&king North West just kicked off last night and while there are a great number of shows rotating around various venues in Portland, I’m not really that excited about many of them. The list of headliners plays more like a 90’s high school reunion than a contemporary music fest. However, memories from last summer, of malt liquor infused dance sessions, running from venue to venue and late night debates about which act had the perfect soundtrack to close out our night, still ring true in my head. Therefore, while I’ve been tentative on breaking down for a bracelet ($50) – there’s just not that many bands I want to see – I have been keeping my eyes and ears open for promising events surrounding the mania. If you’re feeling the same way, here are some suggestions on how to enjoy the MFNW weekend, without going full throttle.

1. Tonight, Thursday the 17th, the Doug Fir will be hosting a nice line up of talent. The Mint Chicks, Cymbols Eat Guitars, The Depreciation Guild, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be playing, in that order. Cost is $12.

The Mint Chicks have been making a lot of local noise recently on the heels of their very great successes in New Zealand. If you dig No Age, you might enjoy a set by the Mint chicks. Experimental rock with flavors of noise, poppy loops and live stage antics.

The other three bands are all from the NY area and run the range in terms of music. From the punk ballad stylings of Cymbols Eat Guitars to the defined sonic synthesizer feedback found in almost every song by the Depreciation Guild, there really is a lot of varied talent on this stage. Closing out the night is The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and their offerings of historically constructed layers and a very clean sound.

2. The most bang for your buck happens on Saturday at Rontoms. Stop by here for a $10 ticket and catch 16 bands, many if not all of them local. Sets kick off starting at 2:30 and run until after midnight. Or, you could just find somewhere to watch the Beaver game… I’m just sayin.

3. Saturday night, after most of the hoopla is over, is the event I’m most excited about this MFNW weekend. The WOODS, a new Portland venue will be hosting a midnight dinner and concert event. Cost is $40, almost a wristband in itself, but just take a peek at the description below. Get tickets HERE.

"Caffe Vita and One Pot are taking the midnight supper franchise on the road. For the past three years we have closed out the Capitol Hill Block Party with a completely debaucherous feast of song, heavily laden tables of food, and deep pints of distilled spirit. This year we are honored to head south to invade the halls of Portlands most profoundly beautiful new venue The Woods, a re-claimed funeral parlor and a gorgeous place to spend an evening.

The terribly handsome boys from Throw Me The Statue and the Nick Jaina Band will be offering up some late night music from the table. One Pot is joined in the kitchen by Nick Castleberry (Sitka and Spruce) and our old friend Jason French chef/owner of Ned Ludd. Doors open at 11:00pm parade of food begins at midnight music mixed in here and there. Party goes late*."

Well, that's it, that's all I've got. I would suggest buying tickets for the midnight dinner show early, as that's bound to sell out. I hope that, whatever you do, you enjoy yourselves this MFNW weekend. While it might not be my cup of PBR tall boy this time round, it certainly is something special. I'm simply waiting until next year...

*I hope my soccer coach won't mind...

WK (E?) and the Portland Music Scene...

2009-09-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Evidently Wieden Kenned y has recently launched a multimedia arm of their currently gargantuan empire. Below is a trailer for one of their first projects, a docu-style series entitled Don't Move Here that finds focus on the "underground" music scene here in city of Roses.

It seems that this new arm is a natural evolution from WK Radio, which has been rocking the digital airwaves for a while. One of their first projects is to provide coverage of TBA and give you all the details, as mentioned on their Portland based blog.

Your Week In Music – September 1st…

2009-09-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I was too busy this summer to get to many shows. Perhaps it’s just that the majority of the offerings just didn’t peak my interest. I guess, at this point, it doesn’t really matter since summer is coming to a close and fall is just around the corner. During this changing of the seasonal guards, however, there always seems to be a GREAT variety of musical offerings and I, for one, have my eye on several shows this week.

Wednesday:

This Wednesday evening brings you three great options. First off, Anamanaguchi bring the chippy noise at Ground Kontrol and this punk rocked version of chiptune should feel right at home. Sputtering bip and beeps from hacked NES and Gameboy systems, Anamanaguchi rounds out the chiptune sound with strong guitar lines and quick set percussions. They’ll be taking the stage after sets by Operation Mission and Plain Flavored. At a $5 dollar cover, it’s an easy Wednesday night to enjoy. Show starts at 9pm.

Moving up the pay scale, but keeping it on hump-day night, the Doug Fir, just over the Burnside Bridge, will be hosting the internationally renowned turntablist, Kid Koala. This dudes mastery of the 1s and 2s is pretty ridiculous and with such a skilled set of hands, mixing and matching normal beats probably gets to be something of a chore for Kid Koala. In turn, some of his tunes don’t play to the most rhythmic of listeners, however, they are often varied, usually eclectic, and always interesting. Seattle based trip hop artist Anomie Belle will be warming up the crowd. Show starts at 9pm and the going price of tickets is $15.

Last, the Kid Espi is playing in Vancouver at Captain's Sports Bar. Cost is free before 10pm and $3 after.

Thursday:

Yeah, you may have heard, Daniel Johnston is coming to town and, to be completely honest, I’m not sure what to think about it. Sure, he’s a living legend, has influenced a vast number of contemporary musicians, is certifiably looned and has created great music but now he’s old, is likely drugged to the floor and tours with a handler or two, not to mention whoever is making the cash off of this late life enterprise. I guess, just knowing his history, I don’t want to be disappointed.

Still, I think a trip to the Wonder Ballroom will likely be worth it, even if it’s just for bragging rights. Who knows, the show might just surprise me and be, well, wonderful. Cost is $20 day of show and It'll kick off at 8pm. Opening sets provided by Scout Niblett and Gregory Miles Harris (Is it just me or is it annoying that he's on the bill?).

If you're looking for something a little cheaper than Daniel Johnston, but still of legendary status, feel free to head over to Laurelthirst and catch Baby Gramps. He's sure to please and the show should be a really good time. Cost, $5.

Monday Monring Blue Birds...

2009-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

"In 1920, at 15, young Mr. Rondthaler bought a 2-cent card and addressed it to a classmate. Inside, he wrote, “The bluebirds are flying from my heart to you.” His message was written in standard orthography.

Reader, she married him." - Source: NYT Obituaries, Edward Rondthaler, 104.

Dixie...

2009-08-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

It's a type of music, it's also a dog. She lost her front left leg today and that's sad. If you were in town over the weekend of August 2nd, you might remember her owners, Adam and Emily of Arizona. Well, here's a blog that they put together for Dix. She is an awesome awesome dog and this journey into three legs will be interesting to watch. Hopefully it all goes smooth. I remember when we had her over to our house in Arizona for breakfast before heading out to a bike event. We were letting her get reacquainted with the back yard and she had been out there a while. All of the sudden we hear her tear through the brush and and gravel, so we head outside to see what's up. Dixie's waiting at the door for us, with a little kitten in her mouth, limp as dead*. She was so happy to bring us her catch, a feat of natural instinct, which she had executed perfectly. Adam was, equally to her exuberance, so upset with her and in turn, scolded her harshly. Her eyes grew doe and I just couldn't help but smile about the happiness she had just so recently had, as it was so very, very pure. I'm sure she'll rebound well, and quickly, her spirit is strong and we're pretty sure she's been through some tough times before, being a dog from the shelter. However, I hope that, if given the chance, she can feel as pure of heart, and body, for years to come, as she was that day in my back yard.

UPDATE: So, Dixie was hurting last night. They brought her home only to take her to the animal emergency hospital, in fear of not being able to care for her,. Then, they worried all night. There's a great post about it on Dixie's blog. But crazy things do happen and animals have an amazing ability to adapt quickly. Upon arriving to pick Dixie up this morning, Adam snapped this footage of her walking around. Last night she couldn't even lay comfortably! Granted, it's grainy cell phone footage, but it's pretty remarkable what one night of rest did for this dog. Talk about a trooper.

*We had alley cats who lived, surprisingly enough, in the alley behind our house. Every so often they would saunter through our back yard or have their litters within the safety of our four western facing cinder-block walls.

Morning, Grey Skies, Thoughts...

2009-08-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

It was an early Monday morning with chill gray skies casting a dull, ashen light into my mind. The bus was late while cars drove past, spinning machined wheels all about my head.

- Human Evolution -

Hunting and Gathering Model. Parasitic Symbiosis.

Agricultural Model. Parasitic Singularity.

Industrial Revolution. Parasite to Virus.

Mass Transit + Nuclear Technology. Cancer.

Tie in community models, nuclear family structures, values, life stage development, etc.

An Unlikely Weapon...

2009-08-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

Footed...

2009-08-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

For all you leg swinging kiddos, I've just come across some information about where you can get your practice on. I've long been a fan of pick up soccer sessions, or pick up sports session in general. It's a great way to meet like minded individuals, or different minded individuals, for that matter. It's also a nice way to stay in shape and get your foot on a ball. The lord knows we need to work hard in order to keep our skills up. So, for your pleasure in variety, here's two local options in the Portland area. I plan to check out both of them, soon, like the Tuesday option tonight.

1. Mondays, 5:30 - 7:00 PM, at the school on SE Belmont and 49th, Portland. Open to all, male and female, all skill levels. Games attract 30-40 players each week, divided into multiple games. I'm pretty sure this is right around the corner from the Horse Brass, and a couple of other post workout eat and drink options. Sounds like a good night to me.

2. Tuesdays, 5:30 - 7:00 PM, at the field on SE Washington and 12th, Portland. Open to all, male and female, all skill levels. Games attract 20-25 players each week, divided into multiple games. This location lends itself well to both The Hungry Tiger Too and The Slammer Tavern for post goal celebrations. Meat, Cheese, Bread is another great options from this location.

Oh, and it doesn't have anything to do with local pick up soccer but on Wednesday nights, the Hungry Tiger Too boasts one dollar, house made vegan corn dogs at the price of $1 each. Couple that with a $1 PBR pounder, some hipster extreme, and it just feels like something you want to be a part of. I'm just saying.

Late Night Bites...

2009-08-17T09:42:00.001-07:00

You're in Portland, it's late, you've been out making both good AND bad things happen, and now, you're hungry. If only you knew what your options for sustenance are.

Well, thanks to - PDX PLATE, you can now quickly browse all of the late night possibilities and make a move that will leave you feeling full of the goodness. Below is the breakdown that the good people at PDX PLATE put together. It's busted out by neighborhood and while I'm sure there are some additions to be added, it's a really good start. If you know of a late night burrito or fried chicken haunt near your hood, head over to their site and drop a suggestion in the comments box.

Have You Ever Exploded Into Color?...

2009-08-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well, if you haven't, then this weekend is your chance. On August 16th, which is this Sunday, the band Explode Into Color s will provide the musical stylings at an outdoor venue while those in attendance match and mix paints to the notes and beats. This show is put on by Lost Gospel, the guerrilla showmen, and should prove to be a pretty interesting time. Hopefully the skies keep clear and everyone who plans on showing up studies a little bit about color wheels before diving into reds, greens and yellows. Oh, and you're encouraged to wear white. Show starts at 6pm on the corner of NE 26th and Everett. Here's the press release I found on some local music blog/paper site.

There will be plastic and blank canvases laid down alongside paint and paint brushes for people to make splatter art as Explode Into Colors play. Attendees are encouraged to wear all white and show up at 6 on the dot. The event is rain or shine as there’s also a covered basketball court there in case the weather remains wacky.

If people have paint to donate or paint brushes to lend, they can contact Lost Gospel via email at: thisislostgospel@gmail.com

Lost On Moon...

2009-08-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

PDX is a Two Faced...

2009-08-13T13:51:00.001-07:00

A New Story...

2009-08-13T10:02:00.001-07:00

Julie Puts In Work...

2009-07-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

The first kisser lady will be in Oregon this upcoming weekend. I'll be getting one of those AUTOgraphs everyone in the malls have been talking about.

Love Is In The Air...

2009-07-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

And there's enough to go around for everybody. Come get some. It's in Oregon, if you didn't already know. Happy Friday to all my subscribers.

For Cereal...

2009-07-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I know, they're all videos! I don't have much time (please see the below post) and these are easy to post. Be thankful that you're getting anything at all!

Do you think that this little lady participated for a couple granules of sugar coated cereal? Something like captain crunch or fruit loops? I'm betting she was already high off her rocker on lucky charms when this video went down. Girl needs to get some help.

Hat tip to Claire for the suggestion.

A Life In Pictures...

2009-07-23T11:11:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I know, there's been a lot of videos lately. Sorry about that but I'm just too full right now to even think about getting some serious words on here. The count down to one of life's major marking points draws near for me. It's crazy and awesome and loud and busy and scary and pretty much a bunch of other adjectives as well. You name it and I've probably either thought it or felt it over the past couple of months. In reflection it's all been so good and I'm so excited for next week. Let's make it happen already! Anyway, here's a video that will speak to life changing events. I've wanted to check out this camera for a while now. After this video, that urge is stronger than ever.

Oh, and that Life changing event that's coming up. Well, it's going to be pretty special and I'm more than sure that we'd be able to put the above camera to work. However, sometimes you need more than one single frame to remember a moment. As this video shows, sometimes you have to capture it in video. Right now we don't have anything like this planned, but ideas are easily formed.

Connected...

2009-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is what music can/should do, get us connected. All I want to say is wow.

What did my last headline say?!...

2009-07-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

Since I work on a fast food account I seem to notice more than my fair share of food related spots. Whether they're coming from great agencies or lame one's, I usually give them a quick look in order to see what the competition is doing. This is, ummmm, an interesting direction to go in and I'm left wondering if it's a spoof. Can anyone tell me if this has gotten actual broadcast airtime? And, what happened to keeping it classy, as I specifically requested below?

The BOX (keep it classy, you perverts)...

2009-06-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

So, first there was Donnie Darko and that was simply magical. An amazing trip of a movie so dark and clever and torn through with metaphysical torment, it became an instant classic. Then, there was Southland Tales* and to be honest, I'm still trying to figure that one out. I can't seem to watch it without falling asleep or starting a game of checkers with myself. After three attempts of really trying to like it, the only thing I've come away with is that The Rock can make some amazing facial gestures. I ask myself, does he lift weights with his lips and eyebrows as well as his body? There was a day, several years ago, when I face danced in the mirror for several hours but I never got anywhere near his range. I digress. Now, director Richard Kelly has a new movie out, THE BOX, and it looks really really freaking cool. I'm hoping that the previously scripted twilight episode, Button (1986), will help Kelly hold the reigns tight. It might help to have a producer who does the same.

*NOTE: It's awesome to see true production notes like that on the web. Good insight into the process. You can also download the great production notes on Donnie Darko HERE.

Michael Jackson May Be...

2009-06-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

DEAD. That's big news. According to the BBC, he was found not breathing, in his Cali home. After CPR the medic team took Mr. Moonwalk down to a medical center for some sort of undisclosed medical attention. I'm guessing so much for the upcoming revival tours.

CONFIRMED: The Moonwalk is officially dead.

THE NEXT DAY, 6/26: It's 8:36am and Michael has been dead for approximately 18 hours. On my Google reader, of the 38 recent posts (since last night at 8pm) 21 of them were related to his passing and 17 of them were new or old artworks dedicated to him.

The Kid Espi, The Garden Crew, Top Shelf and The Wright Family...

2009-06-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

There's been some really good stuff coming out of Oregon hip hop lately. Portland has been making noise. The city of Bend has been making some noise. Shit, the whole sate has been making noise and putting it down on the daily. Now, fresh off several new CD releases, the Garden Crew is out on tour this week and next. Tonight, they'll be hitting up and tearing down the longest running Hip Hop show in Arizona, the Blunt Club. If you're in the area, make sure you check it out. Tell em the Lonely Hero sent you. You will not be disappointed.

Sleep is for suckers...

2009-06-01T11:37:00.001-07:00

WOOD from mc bess on Vimeo.

Short timeline of production...

What the Frugal Traveler Knows...

2009-05-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

So, I've been wanting to revisit this post. When I first viewed the article Frugal Portland, by Matt Gross, I really didn't have time to do a proper review. And while the review could practically write it's self - Matt Gross employs use of twitter through his travels in "our fair city" of Portland, Oregon and manages his normal clean, efficient and balanced writing style AND, as always, shows his knack for attempting to capture a local perspective - it's what I have stumbled across today (two days after Frugal Portland came out on the New York Times) that I find infinitely more interesting than the actual article. What exactly happens to draw my gaze, you might ask? Well, it's the reader comment section on both the Frugal Portland article AND another follow up article titled Near Portland, Ore., Golf For $1 a Hole, which was also penned by Frugal travel writer Matt Gross.

In reading the abundant note after note in the comments sections (1 and 2) it almost feels like a game of tug-A-war with certain factions pulling for an OR celebration and others condemning it to a certain death of weathered, apocalyptic skies. From what I can tell, here is the outline of reactions to these articles.

1. NW ~~aficionados~~ jackasses who hold dear their secrets of supposed hidden glories and untold stories while ruefully resenting anyone who simply attempts to shed light on a major US metropolitan city. While, if anyone were to mentally dig past the constant barrage of "it rains 9 months out of the year, beware and stay away," you would think this place is actually made of milk and honey, wild woods and the finest booze, storybook settings with the characters to match.

Example #1: "….. . . so is this kind of exposure really helping the identity of the place??First, the Pearl District is NOT cheap. It is a phony boutiquifiying of what was once a really interesting old warehouse & brewery district. Portland surely has enough real SUBSTANCE (railyards, shipyards, farmers markets, secondhand stores, & inventors) & enough real ARTISTIC & ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS (architecture, urban parks, transportation, & innovative day-to-day retail/recycle sensibility) to shrug off this kind of fluff & let the flitty flaky fashionistas sell expensive condos to each other. It just seems to me that encouraging these name-dropping trendoids is unnecessary & can only make the rents go up. Better to celebrate the SOUL. (food carts: YES) B Barnett Astoria"

Example #2: "Please, no more flattering articles about Portland. We have enough people living here already. Besides, it rains nine months of the year and the job market is almost always in the dumps. Why don’t you write about that instead."

Example #3: "Just what Portland needs…more New Yorkers cluttering up the place and devaluing some of the best of what once was before Portland became the ‘artisanal paradise’ of the northwest. Ask somebody from Portland about the old Carnival restaurant…now there was a place to write home about. Past tense. It’s gone. But my kids and I and a lot of other old Portlanders who dined there before the word ‘artisanal’ ever appeared on a Portland menu remember it fondly."

Example #3: "If we’re going on a Portland travel article kick, can I write a few? Your topics are pretty obvious to anyone living in and around Portland. Next week is “Camping in the Columbia Gorge”? How novel. How about “Windsurfing in Hood River” or “Pinots from the Willamette Valley” or “Shopping on NW 23rd”? Can you pick something that’s actually somewhat undiscovered to write about? If you’re having problems brainstorming, I can help you."

2. The proud people of left coast's Portland. Let the truth ring loud and free.

Example #1: "Portlanders, why are you telling people not to visit? We need their money! With 13% unemployment, we need more people to come and leave their money in our restaurants and golf courses, then go home. Just don’t think you can move here, ’cause seriously, there are no jobs. I wonder if people respond this violently to other locals featured on this blog? And why the anger from Maine? We didn’t do anything to you guys! BTW, Portland IS a major port city; we’re not faking it. We’re at the confluence of 2 major river systems and only 50 miles from the ocean. Believe me, we put a lot of money into ensuring the channel is deep enough for cargo navigation."

Example #2: "Yes it rains 8 months a year here in P-town…but the Summers….ahh, the Summers.
There aren’t too many places in the world that have a more pleasant Summer and early Fall. Plus, no bugs or humidity.
Regarding Portland, ME, I seriously doubt that the breweries there are a step above the local varieties in the bigger city.
You can find high quality, and often organic, breweries in every corner of town. Indeed, there are more breweries in Portland than in any other city in the world."

Example #3: "The West Coast is the best coast. I love visiting NY but its always nice to come home to puddletown. Keep up the good reporting on whats best about PDX. My friends and I enjoyed the last article and I enjoyed this. We are always happy to share the bounty of our city and in spite of the few negative comments you might see posted here everyone is welcome, rain or shine."

3. Kiddies from Portland, Maine who are acting like illegitimate step children due to their lack of attention.

Example #1: It irks me tremendously when the New York Times, and it does this constantly, headlines an article about “Portland Oregon”, whether in ‘TRAVEL’ or other sections of it’s media, never mentions the ‘State’ Oregon as an indicator of which State of the two states is meant to be referred to, yes there is another, namely “Maine” with a City named ‘Portland’.
I freely do assume the Times is read more widely in New England, where “Portland Maine” is located, then at the Northwestern Coast of the US.
So, please, editors of the NYT, add the appropriate ‘State Label’ to your articles.

Example #2: "Hey! Every time you headline a story with “Portland”, we think you’re talking about the real Portland in Maine. Please, qualify “Portland” in your next headlines. If you’re confused between the two fine cities, here are some helpful tips.
Portland, Maine is located next to the ocean. It’s not constantly fantasizing that it’s a port city. Maine’s Portland has better micro brews and better restaurants. And forget those, “Keep Portland Weird” bumper stickers that adorn a few vans in Oregon. Portland, Maine is the birthplace of weird.
We want to give Portland, Oregon it’s due. However, in the future, please add “ME” to headline if it’s a story about the real Portland. Or, add “OR” to the wannabe."

Now, I know that everyone has an opinion and that this article might not be wieghted appropriately for some. I'll be honest, I certainly have my position and it falls firmly into category number two: the people who just want to celebrate what Portland has to offer. However, I'm having a really hard time understanding the vigor used to rag on a simple and well written article from a journalist who's on assignment. He's paid to be here and he's writing from a visitors perspective for people who intend on visiting. Who knows, perhaps this article might bring in some tourism dollars which will help turn around the dreadful economy everyone in Portland keeps harping on. That is, until someone reads the comment section. Who wants to visit a city inhabited with those kinds of people? I'd be afraid they'd spit in my food.

Furthermore, change is inevitable. Actually, from what I understand it's one of the only constants we can count on. Attempting to harness the soul of a city and keep it constant for an eternity is like trying to grasp a handful of wet jello. First, it will slide through your fingers and second, you'll get pissed because that shit left your hand all sticky. Well, that's what you get for trying. A mindset focused on development is key when looking at the heart strings of a city or neighborhood and sure, boundaries need to be set up in order to maintain some sort of a continuum, but please realize that both boundaries and continuums are flexible and fluid.

I think both articles were a great touch on what Portland has to offer; well done, Matt. He seems to capture the feel of what makes this little city on the left coast so original. However, it's disappointing to run through some of the comments. They make me question just who I'm living around. The question is now out there, does the following comment ring true? I'd say at least a little bit.

"Portland is a dull, provincial, smug little place sitting under a dank sky that allows a bit of sun to shine (if you are lucky) two months of the year. Having lived there, and escaped, I can’t imagine why anyone other than Oregonians would ever want to put up with the place. Let them have it…"

But I'll fight back where I can. This is a city to love. The frugal traveler knows that.