“I SHOULD PREFER THEY NOT DRESS IN SUPERHERO COSTUMES.”
DEATH BY BITCOIN Aisha Zughbieh-Collins died at home after having synthetic opioids delivered to her door. HERE’S HOW PORTLAND POLICE CRACKED THE CASE.
P. 8
by nigel j aquiss
PA G E 11
OATH KEEPERS AS SECURITY GUARDS. P. 8
AN ANNOTATED MAP OF THE OREGON COUNTRY FAIR. P. 27
BIG’S CHICKEN MADE A GREAT THING INTO A BAD THING. P. 29
WWEEK.COM
VOL 43/36 07.05.2017
2
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
G R A N T K R AT Z E R
FINDINGS
PAGE 27
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM READING THIS WEEK’S PAPER VOL. 43, ISSUE 36.
The city is going to spend $230,000 to hire two staffers charged with persuading neighborhood association NIMBY types not to act like sociopaths. 6
Multnomah County’s top GOP official wants to restore “public morality.” He doesn’t lay out any plan on Trump. 8 Less than 5 percent of websites are available using a standard web browser. 15
ON THE COVER:
Bandon Dunes on the Oregon Coast apparently has the best par-3 golf course in the world. 18 Ken Kesey’s brother runs Nancy’s Organic Yogurt. 27
If you’d like to dine somewhere decorated in “pan-shitkicker kitsch” that feels “like the Estacada pavilion at Epcot,” there is a place. 29 Revolution Hall’s snazzy rooftop bar is finally open to the public. 37
OUR MOST TRAFFICKED STORY ONLINE THIS WEEK:
The home front in the synthetic opioid epidemic. Photo manipulation by Hilary Sander.
Naked people on bikes, again.
STAFF Editor & Publisher Mark Zusman EDITORIAL News Editor Aaron Mesh Arts & Culture Editor Martin Cizmar Staff Writers Nigel Jaquiss, Rachel Monahan, Katie Shepherd Copy Editors Matt Buckingham, Nicole Groessel Stage & Listings Editor Shannon Gormley Screen Editor Walker MacMurdo Projects Editor Matthew Korfhage Music Editor Matthew Singer
Web Editor Sophia June Editorial Interns Dana Alston, Max Denning, Elise Herron, Jessica Pollard CONTRIBUTORS Dave Cantor, Pete Cottell, Jay Horton, Jordan Michelman, Jack Rushall, Thacher Schmid, Chris Stamm, Matt Stangel, Mark Stock PRODUCTION Creative Director Alyssa Walker Designers Tricia Hipps, Rosie Struve, Rick Vodicka Photography Interns Carleigh Oeth, Nino Ortiz Design/Illustration Intern Elizabeth Allan
Our mission: Provide Portlanders with an independent and irreverent understanding of how their worlds work so they can make a difference.
Willamette Week is published weekly by
Though Willamette Week is free, please take just one copy. Anyone removing papers in bulk from our distribution points will be prosecuted, as they say, to the full extent of the law.
Main line phone: (503) 243-2122 fax: (503) 296-2874
City of Roses Media Company 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210.
Classifieds phone: (503) 223-1500 fax: (503) 296-2874
ADVERTISING Director of Advertising Iris Meyers Display Account Executives Michael Donhowe, Erika Ellis, Kevin Friedman, Matt Plambeck, Sharri Regan, Sam Wild Classifieds Account Executive Matt Plambeck Promotions Manager Alie Kilts Ad Designer Brittany Mohr COMMUNITY OUTREACH Events Director Sam Eaton Give!Guide Director Mahala Ray
DISTRIBUTION Circulation Director Spencer Winans WWEEK.COM Web Production Brian Panganiban OPERATIONS Accounting Manager Kim Engelke Credit Manager Shawn Wolf AR/Credit Assistant Rebekah Jones Accounting Assistant Kelsey Young Associate Publisher Jane Smith
Willamette Week welcomes freelance submissions. Send material to either News Editor or Arts Editor. Manuscripts will be returned if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. To be considered for calendar listings, notice of events must be received in writing by noon Wednesday, two weeks before publication. Send to Calendar Editor. Photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Questions concerning circulation or subscription inquiries should be directed to Spencer Winans at Willamette Week. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Willamette Week, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Subscription rates: One year $100, six months $50. Back issues $5 for walk-ins, $8 for mailed requests when available.
Willamette Week is mailed at third-class rates. Association of Alternative Newsmedia. This newspaper is published on recycled newsprint using soy-based ink.
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
3
DIALOGUE WW’s cover story on the fight to create a historic district in Laurelhurst (“Barbarians at the Laurelhurst Gates,” WW, June 21, 2017) was the latest chapter in a longstanding Portland debate: Should neighborhood residents be allowed to block dense development next door? Our readers kept that argument going.
the developer have to appear, or says it doesn’t matter what the neighborhood wants, the developer will do what the developer wants. [Reporter Rachel] Monahan doesn’t want neighbors, doesn’t want people to have a say in their lives, she just wants renters. The barbarians at the gate work for newspapers.”
Heather Smit, via Facebook: “It is not about ‘rich people’ keeping ‘poor people’ out of their neighborhood. This is about Portlanders who want to protect the integrity of an old neighborhood that draws you to Portland in the first place.”
Lori Delman, via Facebook: “Did this journalist mention the density of the Laurelhurst neighborhood? We are currently one of the most dense neighborhoods in Portland. We are already doing our part by living in a densely populated neighborhood.”
Rebecca Yocom Roehm, in response: “I have lived in a national registry historic district. It was a nightmare to make any renovations to our home. This is not ‘pro-developer’ fight. It is a right for a homeowner to control what happens to their property without being limited by extreme restrictions.” Heather Smit, in response: “I would much rather not be able to build a deck in my backyard than have a concrete and metal three-story monstrosity across the street.”
Gus Frederick, via Facebook: “I want to see a battle between Laurelhurst forces and the minions of the Ladd Addition.”
CORRECTIONS
Last week’s rankings of state law-
makers (“The Good, the Bad and “We are already doing the Awful,” WW, June 28, 2017) incorrectly said Sen. Lew Frederick our part by (D -Portland) was the only black living in a man in the Legislature. In fact, Sen. densely James Manning (D-Eugene), who is black, was appointed to the Senate in populated neighborhood.” December. The story also misidenti-
Allison Huang, via Facebook: “Laurelhurst shouldn’t get to say it’s fancy and special and get to opt out of urban infill. Neither should Eastmoreland. People need places to live, and the burden of infill shouldn’t belong exclusively to ‘less pretty’ or ‘less special’ areas.” Robert Greene, letter to the editor: “I’ve been to many neighborhood association meetings where the developer either doesn’t show, nor does
fied a co-sponsor of a bill to create a foster children’s bill of rights. The co-sponsor was Rep. Susan McLain (D-Hillsboro), not Rep. Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte). WW regrets the errors.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: mzusman@wweek.com
BY MA RT Y SMIT H
The insurance lobby says states with legal marijuana have had a 14 percent increase in accidents. But The Oregonian says traffic deaths are down 50 percent this year. Did last year’s drunken 100-mph maniacs morph into spacey, 15-mph fender-bending stoners? —Darrell T. The study in question was released June 22 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an industry-funded group. I’m not saying such groups have an agenda, but don’t wait for the American Beef Council to remind you to get your cholesterol checked. From the press release: “After retail marijuana sales began in Colorado, the increase in collision claim frequency was 14 percent higher than in nearby Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming.” Of course, that’s a tricky way of putting it: If your investments are up 7 percent from last year and mine are up 8 percent, my increase is 14 percent bigger than yours—but I’m not much richer. (Later in the document, IIHS acknowledges that the overall increase is more like 2.7 percent.) What if we looked at the numbers ourselves? Not at insurance claims, but at highway fatalities per 100 million miles traveled—after all, that’s what’s really important. 4
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
In 2013, Colorado’s first year with recreational weed, the state fatality factor increased by 2 percent—but in 2014 it dropped 3 percent. Washington’s first year brought a 1 percent drop in deaths, but they jumped 3 percent in 2014. Oregon’s coming-out year, however, brought a 20 percent spike in the fatality rate—pretty deadly! Even sharing a border with us was dangerous—Nevada’s rate increased by 10 percent and Idaho’s by 13 percent in that same year. It’s almost like the numbers fluctuate year to year based on random chance. Weed may be making the roads more dangerous, but it’s going to take many more years of data to glean a signal from the noise. I’ve said it before, and I’m going to keep saying it: You can make numbers confess to anything if you torture them long enough. QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
5
426 SE GRAND AVE. PORTLAND, OR. 97214 NEXTADVENTURE.NET 503.233.0706
MURMURS
Deals GooD ThrouGh 7/10
Keep Those FireworKs GoinG wiTh These BanGin’ Deals! BUY OF THE WEEK
5999
$
LIST ST PRICE:: $159.99
20th Anniversary discs, three models to choose from!
4
$ 99
Caravan 10x10 Canopy
2499
$
SAVE 58%
COMPARE AT: AT $60.00
Bright deal!
2699
$
1499
3000
$
COMPARE AT: AT $45.00
COMPARE OMPARE AT: AT $60.00
1999
$
6999
$
SAVE 25%
59
PRICE: 99 LIST $80.00
2699
$
Men’s White Sierra Convertible Pant
SAVE 29%
Lightweight UPF rated trekking pant that convert to shorts! Assorted colors.
2499
$
Waterproof, breathable jacket with stuff sack. Comes in black and purple, sizes XS-XL!
SAVE 42%
129
$
99
You don’t have to be a woodchuck to sport this rad daypack!
Batteries not included!
Girl’s Pod Rain Jacket
2499
$
SAVE 64%
COMPARE AT: AT $69.99
SAVE 57%
1999
$
SAVE 67%
Wilderness Technology Basic Double Hammock Slammin’ deal! The cooler cooler!
3
SAVE 30%
$ 99
SAVE 53%
LIST PRICE: PR $8.50
6
$ 99
Sawyer 4oz Repel Repellent with Sunblock
33900
$
LIST PRICE: $409.00
Previous year colors.
Versatility and fun to the max!
2
$ 49
10500
LIST PRICE: $6.99
Edelrid 10.2 Sidewinder
LIST PR PRICE: $13.99
74900
LIST PRICE: $999.00
1999
WOWZA!
9
7
$ 99 LIST PRICE: $18.99
Includes bag and pump.
64900
$
COMPARE AT: AT $899.00
Waterproof protection for your phone. Choose from iPhone or smartphone.
LI PRICE LIST CE: $50.00
74900
$
SAVE $200
LIST PRICE: $949.00
Old Town Guide 160 Blemish models.
Deals subject to product availability. Some quantities may be limited.
Now offering xxxxxxxx Wilderness First Aid for only $150! August 5-6 with optional CPR Module for $35. Sign up online today! xxxxxxxxxxxx Visit https://nextadventure.net/outdoor-school xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The mayor’s office agreed the meeting went well. “It’s highly possible that there’s some overlap in our agendas,” says Wheeler spokesman Michael Cox.
Soda Tax Won’t Pop Its Top Till 2018
What promised to be the biggest-dollar tax measure on a quiet November ballot will now move to 2018. That’s the decision made last week by the group pushing a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax in Multnomah County on sweetened drinks, including sodas, teas and energy drinks. Proponents, backed by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, spent $8 million to pass a similar measure in San Francisco last year. The drink industry spent $22 million trying to defeat the tax. “With the craziness of the legislative session and the lack of a state budget, we are looking to 2018,” says Christina Bodamer, a lobbyist for the American Heart Association’s Oregon chapter. She’s not sure whether the coalition will shoot for the May or November ballot. “We are keeping all options open,” she says.
President Trump Visited Portland After All
SAVE 58%
Solstice Palau Inflatable nflatable SUP
$ 99 LIST ST PRICE: $29.99
Showers Pass Cloudcover
$
Wilderness Technology Basic Single Hammock
SAVE $150
SAVE 67%
Adjustable lightweight SUP paddle.
xxxxxxxx Outdoor School! Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
SAVE 39%
Carbon
SAVE 60%
COMPARE AT: AT $59.99
Cool socks for summer, 2 packs.
Great for any climbing adventure!
11495
Keep your kids safe this summer! Fits size 30-50 lbs.
Start Your Summer with
Wigwam Gander Mountain Socks
Edelrid HMS Strike Screw
$
Extrasport Volks Child’s PFD
SAVE $250
6
9
Waterproof to 15 feet LIST PRICE: with locking lever to $189.95 prevent accidental Aqua-Bound opening. Assorted Challenge colors and styles.
$
Hit the trail in style!
$ 99
Perfect sport climbing rope!
LIST PRICE PRICE: $129.99
W’s Salomon Sense Pro 2
LIST PRICE: $149.95
Snapsights Wa Waterproof Case
SAVE 64%
SAVE 29%
$
LIST PRICE: $9.99
Stock up and get those skeeters away!
Perception Conduit 9.5
Ocean Kayak Malibu 2XL
SAVE 30%
Ben’s 100% Deet, 3.4oz
Block the bugs and the sun!
SAVE $70
Huge tent, huge deal!
Dial in your camp kitchen!
7799
$
SAVE 40%
Wilderness Technology North Six Tent
Primus Profile 2 Burner Stove
LIST PRICE: $50.00
Alite Woodchuck Pack
Alite Battery Pack
COMPARE AT: AT $299.99
Coleman 70QT XTR Cooler
3499
$
SAVE 30%
LIST ST PRICE CE: $35.00
LIST PRICE: $119.99
SAVE 51%
COMPARE OMPARE AT: AT $55.00
SAVE 67%
COMPARE OMPARE AT: AT $60.00
These lightweight pants are quickdrying, travel friendly, and UPF rated!
These pants guard against mosquitos, have sun protection, and wick away moisture!
$15-70
ONLY
Lightweight UPF rated trekking pant that convert to shorts! Assorted colors. Men’s Kavu Shorts! Great range of swim trunks, hike and travel, and casual shorts!
SAVE 25%
COMPARE OMPARE AT: AT $40.00
Kavu Big Spender Wallet
Women’s White Sierra Convertible Pant
Youth White Sierra Girl’s Trail Roll Up Pant
Youth White Sierra Boy’s Bug Free Pant
$
3000
$
SAVE 33%
19
SAVE 75%
SAVE 51%
COMPARE OMPARE AT: AT $55.00
Lightweight long sleeve flannel dress. Great for around the fire!
Spandex nylon stretch short with hip belt friendly waistband!
ONLY $ 99 With the money you’ll save on this wallet, you really can be a big spender!
Women’s Kavu Jurnee Dress Women’s Sierra Designs Stretch Trail Short
COMPARE AT: AT $19.99
$
SAVE 75%
SAVE 75%
COMPARE AT: AT $7.99
50’ hanks in assorted colors.
Next Adventure Headlamp
Unheard of savings! Perfect for Country Fair!
1
$ 99
Wilderness Technology Paracord
Next Adventure Discs
Earlier this year, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement was criticized for its plan to spend $350,000 to hold a series of community meetings on homelessness (“Talk It Out,” WW, Jan. 11, 2017). But in fact, $62,000 of that money went to a very different cause. It was spent on a $171,500 severance package for bureau director Amalia Alarcón de Morris, who was pushed out by City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly when Eudaly took over the bureau. The bulk of the disputed money—$230,000—won’t go to community meetings but will pay the salaries of two staffers tasked with persuading neighborhood associations to help homeless and poor people find housing. “We determined that this money would be better spent by hiring people who will help the city deal with the ongoing housing and homeless issues we are seeing across Portland,” ONI interim director David Austin says.
JOE RIEDL
SAVE xx% OFF 63% MSRP
ITEMS Und ndER ER $20
1999
ONLY $
Homeless Conversation Money Finds New Home
MCKELVEY
Portland’s Resistance and Mayor in Talks
Portland’s most prominent protest group had its first meeting with Mayor Ted Wheeler on June 27. Both sides expressed optimism the city will consider three criminal justice reforms: improving sanctuary-city protections for undocumented immigrants, ending racial disparities in police enforcement, and limiting confrontations between Portland police and protesters. “I think they listened and are responsive,” says Portland’s Resistance co-founder Greg McKelvey.
Over the holiday weekend, President Donald Trump revved up his rumble with “fake news” by tweeting a video of himself wrestling with a foe labeled “CNN.” That video originated from Trump’s appearance at WWE WrestleMania 23—with a lead-up that included a February 2007 stop at Portland’s Rose Garden. WW covered that event, which included the man who is now president telling Vince McMahon, “I’m taller than you, I’m better looking than you—and I will kick your ass!” We found the full report in our archives; read it at wweek.com.
TRUMP
NEWS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
CORY BAKER Popeye’s employee for one year Has he heard about the increase? Yes. What it will mean for him: “The food prices are just going up too, so it’s not like we can catch up. At Jack in the Box, they used to have the two tacos for a dollar. It’s not no more. They raised the prices before the minimum wage even went up. They get a head start— why can’t we get a head start? It’s not going to do nothing for me. These checks go straight to bills.”
DOL L A R M E NU
and
MAX DENNI NG
503-243-2122
On July 1, the fast-food crews working Portland’s Northeast 82nd Avenue got a raise. They weren’t alone, of course. Across the Portland metro area, the minimum wage jumped $1.50 an hour—from $9.75 to $11.25. The wage increase came as the first step in a series of hikes approved by the Oregon Legislature in 2016. By 2022, no worker in Portland will make less than $14.75 an hour. Last week, WW dropped by one of the places where the new wage will be immediately felt: the line of fast-food franchises clustered on 82nd near Madison High School. We asked more than a dozen minimum-wage workers what the increase will mean for them.
RODOLFO LAGUNAS Subway employee for 11 years Has he heard about the increase? Yes. What it will mean for him: “Life right now is so hard, a little bit of money or extra income is always good. It would hurt the business probably. They probably have to raise prices everywhere, which would probably be bad for business.” MAYRA LAGUNAS Subway employee for 14 years Has she heard about the increase? “No, not yet.” What it will mean for her: “Even a quarter or whatever is a big help. We have to make a lot of payments. The most important thing is the rent, because the rent is going up. Everything is going up.”
PHOTOS BY MAX DENNING
VOTER DATA HEADED TO D.C. Oregon is sending the White House some of its voter data—the same information anybody can get by paying $500. On June 30, President Donald Trump’s Election Integrity Commission requested a vast trove of voter data from every state. A day later, Oregon joined 31 states that declined to comply fully with the request, which experts say could be the first step in federal efforts to purge voters from state rolls. Republican Secretary of State Dennis Richardson told the commission Oregon will release its typical voter list, which is often purchased by political campaigns and pollsters. (It’s how campaigns know how to send you all that junk mail.) Richardson’s office added July 3 that it is seeking further clarity from the Oregon Department of Justice on what to disclose. Here’s what that data typically includes—and what it doesn’t. MAX DENNING.
KEN AVERY Popeye’s employee for 10 years Has he heard about the increase? No. What it will mean for him: “The prices go higher, the management has no choice but to raise the prices to meet their overhead, and as part of the deal they cut employee hours and maybe even lay some of us off. So, I mean, it’s just a bad idea all around. People like me need to learn to live within our means. That’s what it comes down to.”
Save the Date: JANUARY 23, 2018
RICHARDSON
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE PROBABLY WILL GET:
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE REQUESTED BUT PROBABLY WON’T GET:
• • • • • •
• • • • •
Last four digits of Social Security numbers Felony criminal records Military status Voter registration in other states Overseas citizen information
Has he heard about the increase? Yes, but “I still don’t even really know what’s going on.” What it will mean for him: “Having more money, I can put towards bills, car insurance. I know right now I’m kind of on a tight budget where money goes to bills. Working for $9.75 sometimes doesn’t feel worth it.”
BREAKDOWN
First and last names of all registrants Addresses Phone numbers Dates of birth Political party affiliation Voting record from 2006 onward
Has she heard about the increase? Yes. What it will mean for her: “It is more money for the work I am doing. [But] the prices might go up. I do have a daughter, and buying stuff for her or just grocery shopping might be more expensive.”
NICK VENTURA Pizza Guys employee
WHAT A MINIMUM-WAGE INCREASE MEANS TO FASTFOOD WORKERS IN PORTLAND. BY JE SS I C A P O L L A R D
GLORIA AGUIRRE (not pictured) McDonald’s employee
That’s the proposed date for a special election in which voters might be asked to weigh in on new taxes to fund Medicaid, passed by the Oregon Legislature this year. The special election has become one of the more contentious subjects at the end of the legislative session. Democrats say they need to call such an election quickly because Republicans are likely to send to the ballot taxes to keep 350,000 Oregonians insured under the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. Republicans plan to gather signatures to send the taxes to the ballot—but are furious at the Democratic proposal to hold the election in January. Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, a Republican, last week called the attempt to create a January special election “political shenanigans” that will suppress voter turnout and litter the holiday season with political ads. RACHEL MONAHAN. Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
7
What threat in Portland is so scary that you need to bring in a paramilitary organization? It’s been a sequence of events. The [volunteers] who were at the street fairs reported incidents that made them feel unsafe. And then we got people threatening to drag us out of the Avenue of Roses Parade, and then there were people threatening on Facebook that they were going to stab us to death if we dared to participate, and so on and so forth. So it’s been sort of a continuous escalation. It was at that point that this idea began to take on greater sense, in my mind at least.
SPEAKING FREELY: Multnomah County Republican Party Chairman James Buchal recruited new members at a June 4 “free speech” rally in Terry Schrunk Plaza.
James Buchal
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MULTNOMAH COUNTY GOP WANTS TO ENLIST PARAMILITARY GROUPS AS SECURITY. HE SAYS THAT’S NOT SO RADICAL. BY KATIE SH E P H E R D
kshepherd@wweek.com
If all press is good press, June was a banner month for James Buchal. The chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party grabbed attention June 4 when he recruited new members at a far-right “free speech” rally in downtown Portland. Buchal soon began promoting the idea that his party could use militia groups like the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers as security for future marches and events. And on June 28, the county GOP, under Buchal’s leadership, formally authorized bringing in paramilitary organizations as armed guards. The decision to turn to the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters for security immediately drew backlash on Twitter, Facebook and the county GOP’s own website. Some called the decision a move toward martial law. But Buchal sees it very differently: as a cheap way to keep an outnumbered and reviled party safe in enemy territory. Only 13 percent of county voters are registered as Republicans. The party’s volunteer ranks are even smaller: 179 members. And Portland, never a GOP stronghold, has embraced its fiercest Little Beirut reputation since the November election, with antifascist and anarchist groups marching in the streets to battle self-proclaimed neo-Nazis. But Buchal claims Republicans are antifa’s real target. Since he became chairman in 2015, the county GOP has made jarring changes—embracing rhetoric that echoes the talking points of “alt-right” extremist groups emboldened by the election of President Donald Trump. Buchal spoke with WW in his Sunnyside neighborhood office, discussing why he’s leading his party to the political fringes. 8
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
Other than the one anonymous letter before a parade in April, what threats has the Multnomah County Republican Party received? Were you really kicked out of a restaurant? I think when people call you up and they have this screaming demonic tone in their voice, it gives you some concern. Especially if it’s more than one of them. We used to hold our quarterly larger meetings at Mekong Bistro. And when we went to get the one organized for June 26, we were told that we were no longer allowed to do that. Because it was political. I heard about it all secondhand. I inferred that they had come under pressure.
WW: The Oath Keepers? What’s wrong Do you acknowledge that hate speech with regular security guards? and neo-Nazi activity has gone up in James Buchal: Because we are an all- Portland? volunteer organization with no money. So It’s a question of how you define your if we are going to get security services, we terms. [At the June 4 rally,] I saw two are going to get them from volunteers. And people carrying signs that said “Diverpeople who volunteer to provide security sity equals white genocide,” and then I saw services to Repubthem get kicked out. licans are generally I haven’t personally going to be people seen hate speech or who share the view neo-Nazi activity at that the g overnall, unless these two ment has developed people carrying the an unconstitutional signs counted. overreach of power, and that it is a reaDo you think the sonable political so-called alt-right objective to attempt groups are racist? to rein government The left and the in. right may have a MASKED AVENGERS: Alt-right somewhat differmarchers traded punches with antifascist protesters in Tom McCall These are the ent definition of Waterfront Park on June 30. same groups that racism. I have the helped seize the impression that “IF SOMEONE SHOWS UP many on the left Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. would regard any WEARING SWASTIKAS, How are they on defense of Amerithe side of the rule can exceptionalism THE ANSWER TO THAT of law? as inherently racist. IS GOING TO BE, Some reporter told I think it is possible me with respect to to defend Western ‘YOU’RE NOT STANDING the Malheur thing culture without that the Oath Keepbeing a racist. ANYWHERE NEAR US, ers down there were ASSHOLE.’” keeping the peace. Do you see a difI don’t accept the ference between premise of your defending Westquestion that the groups are inherently ern culture and defending whiteness? lawless. And we’re talking about people I look at an idea entirely independent of who are locally based here in Portland. Not the identity of the person who is advancing people who may have come from Arizona the idea. Meritocracy is color-blind. Equalor Idaho or someplace because they like to ity of opportunity should be color-blind. go from place to place participating in situations of conflict. It’s members of the local community. WILLIAM GAGAN
TOM BERRIDGE
NEWS HOTSEAT
You’ve argued that the alt-right isn’t racist. Let’s say you’re right. What ideology do they stand for other than antagonizing and provoking people? I see them as standing for a restoration of constitutional government. And some of them, like Patriot Prayer, I think also have a Christian component to them, which would say that, in addition to getting the government under control, we need a rise in public morality. How do you explain the accused MAX train killer who attended alt-right protests, then? You don’t know who is going to show up at your event. If someone shows up wearing swastikas, the answer to that is going to be, “You’re not standing anywhere near us, asshole.” What I know about Jeremy Christian is that he was registered as a Libertarian. There’s a lot of crap out there on the internet. Who knows what influenced him? But I can guarantee you that it wasn’t a Republican Party website. The conclusion I draw from the evidence I’ve seen is that he was mentally ill. And so I guess I sort of resent the notion that we’re called upon to distance ourselves from some nut who as far as I know has never been to a Republican Party meeting. You’re giving speeches next to men dressed as Captain America. Why should Portlanders take you any more seriously than a teenager with a mask and a stink bomb? I should prefer that they do not dress up in superhero costumes. I would say that this goes back to the ideal of judging an idea on its merits. If you’re in the group of people who thinks there is such a thing as objective reality, then when someone says something, then you evaluate the objective merits of what he said. Is what he said true? Not “he’s a member of a different identity group, so I’m going to discount or ignore what he says.” Decades ago, California’s Republican Party started appealing to far-right groups and white nationalists, which partly led to the party’s decline. Do you worry this will happen to you? One is always concerned when working for a political party to not take steps to shoot oneself in the foot. But in Portland, we must look at the long game. We are unlikely to be electing a [Republican] mayor anytime soon. So I would give you the counteranalogy of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Barry Goldwater was successfully demonized as an extremist, a perception that he fueled by saying that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and he lost. But the defense of these ideals ultimately gained traction and led to the election of Ronald Reagan. So I think the pendulum will swing. As people begin to get a lower and lower opinion of the leftists and the results of their disastrously counterproductive policies, a good honest defense of fundamental principles like the rule of law and limited government will eventually gain adherence. Even if it is unfashionable at the moment.
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
NEWS
IN PORTLAND, OREGON BY TH AC H E R S CHMID
@thacherschmid
Why are so many of the people sleeping on downtown streets so damaged?
MUSIC:
2pm – 5am
FIND A PAPER 6СЕ ЕК4832ЭТОЕГ О Й843ЧЕЛОВ ЖАЩ NAZI ЕГОО NEOТО FOUND48АДЛЕ 9НЕЧЕСТНЫ 846WEБЕЗ C 74КОТО МПА MUSI 7ОЧЕНЬ4424НЕ744ELECTR ЧИТICISАТЬ ’S ТРА LANDА84 D ON Ь54ПО A ОНА PORTЛЬД ЗИДЕНТ698 ЗАТ ALLEGE LETTUC ЛЬНЫЙ7ЕТ7ВЕЩ ИE О8Д . 8СД STREET02В КОД202ПРЕ 8ВАМ99СКА SHOP TIME ALBERTAЯТ2 НФИДЕНЦИА POTТО4 ЗНА 93Ч Я5МОГУBEST СЕКРЕТНЫЙ P. 9 ПЛАТ 4КОД978КО LS.Е8СТРОДЕТ MACHINE. ОМ4 44УАЙДЕН7 ДОМ ЬНО 247 BAGE РОН БОЛ 975 БЕЛ 383 8БУ 43 КРЕТНЫЙ23 P. P. 23 Н84 ЛЕНИЯ3АШУ5ГОЛОВУ38 Ы478 ИГИ396В34 94О ЖИТЕ67ЕМУЕРАЛ 9523ОФОРМ 34В 8СТЕНЫ442 ЛЕМ СКА АЮТ НОЙ 3И9 РОБ ДЕЛ СТЕ ИТЕ ФЕД Е8П РЫЕ68СМНЕ987БОЛЬШИ 8СТЕН 0ЗА777 СТА287ПОЗВОН Е5КОЗЫРНЫЕ36 АЛОГ5 ВЕРЬ74 MÉXICO36ПЛАТИТЬ ИНН43ПОЖАЛУЙ69МОЛЬНОЙ37Н 7ВЫПУСТИТ47Н КОД202П 698K СЕКРЕТНЫЙ ЕЛАТЬ5 32СЕБЯ37МАЙКЛ8ФРТ5ЯВЛЯЕТСЯ3НЕ95КОЗЫРНАЯ WEE Я889 НЫЙ23КОД978К ЕТС ИТЬ4ЗА Т608ПОЛ МАНАФОТЬ9ПОЧЕМУ346 837WILL ЫВАTTE РЕТ СКРAME ЕНИЯ39 А 5ПРИВЕ 34НАОГИ736ПЛАТИ ОЗЫРЬ235ЧТО6ЧЕЛОВЕК4832ЭТО6СЕК 34В 952ОФОРМЛ ДЕЛАЮТБОЛ ЬНЫЕ89 ЩАЕТ294ЕГО434КНЕЧЕСТНЫЙ843 З348НАДЛЕЖАЩЕГО РЫЕ68СМНЕ 987 Ь ВОЗВРАНТ6987ОЧЕНЬ4429Е744ЧИТАТЬ846БЕ А84ТРАМПА74КОТО ВЕРЬ74 XICO36ПЛАТ АЗАТЬ54ПО 5MÉ РЕЗИДЕ НЦИАЛЬНЫЙ74Н ЕЩИ О8ДОНАЛЬД 9СК КЛ ВА9 В8СДЕЛАТЬ СЕБЯ37МАЙ ОНФИДЕ4УАЙДЕН7ЗНАЕТ7В 393ЧТО74Я5МОГУ8 СТРОЯТ202 Ь4ЗА32TO МЕ8 ТИТ МАНАФОР НО4 ПЛА М4О ОН4 AT ПОЛ ОЛЬ 247 75Р ЕЛО WH94ОН848БУДЕТ МУ5ПРИВЕТ608 36П ЛАТИТ ОВУ38383Б ГИ396В34Б442 67Е Е8934НАЛОГИ7 434 ШУ5ГОЛРОБ Ы478ЛИЕНО ИТЕ ТНЫ ЛЕМ КОЗЫ КАЖ Й8С TIES ШИЕ8П ЕНУ90ЗА777СТ 87ПОЗВОНИТЕ3И9С36ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫ АЩАЕТ294ЕГО 9НЕ ЧЕС ИТЬ8СТ 43ПОЖАЛУЙТА2 7НЕ5КОЗЫРНЫЕИТ47НАЛОГ5ВОЗВРЕНТ6987ОЧЕНЬ44244ЧИТА Й74НЕ7 О8ДО 8ФЛИННЕТСЯ369МОЛЬНОЙ3 АЯ6987ВЫПУСТ КОД202ПРЕЗИД ЕНЦИАЛЬНЫ Т7ВЕЩИ 74Я Т5ЯВЛЯ МУ346НЕ95КОЗЫРНЯ889 СЕКРЕТНЫЙ Н7ЗНАЕНО4 Д98КОНФИД 393ЧТО ЕЛ Ь9ПОЧЕ ТО6837СКРЫВАЕТС 6СЕКРЕТНЫЙ234КОЯ3975РОН44УАЙДЕ 34Б ЛЕИ ШУ5ГОЛОВУ38383БОЛЬ РЬ235Ч 3ЧЕЛОВЕК4832ЭТО 8ЛИГИ396ВСТЕНЫ4 23ОФОМЮТ3 Ы47 О95 4ВА ЛЕМ ЩЕГ Й84 ОЙ8 ТНЫ ЕЗ348НАДЛЕЖА ЫЕ68СДЕЛА БОЛЬШИЕ8ПРОБ ЗА777СТЕН ОЗВОНИОЗ ТЬ846Б 84ТРАМПА74КОТОР ВЕРЬ74МНЕ987 ПЛАТИТЬ8СТЕНУ90ОЖАЛУЙСТА87П37Н Е5К НАЛЬДАВАМ99СКААТЬ54ПО ЛАТЬ5MÉXICO36 ЙКЛ8ФЛИНН43ПСЯ369МОЛЬНОЙ 7ВЫПУ 698 ЯЕТ 5МОГУ8 8СТРОЯТ202В8СДЕТЬ4ЗА32СЕБЯ37МААФО РТ5ЯВЛ346 НЫЙК 5КОЗЫРНАЯ WE RS. ANSАИТ ПОЛ МАН ОМ4ДОЕ48БУДЕТ247ПЛАТИ ВЕТWA ЕМУ НЕ9ВАЕТСЯ889 СЕКРЕТ234К 608NTS 6ПЛ 9ОЧ КРЫ ТО6СЕКРЕТНЫЙ ЛЕ 294ОН8 КАЖИТЕ67ЕМУ5ПРИ 4НАЛОГИ73 Ь235ЧТО6837С 32Э ОРМ 3 К48 3ОФ ОВЕ 952 ТЕ3И9С 6ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫЕ893ЕТ294ЕГООЗЫРНЫЙ 843ЧЕЛ АЩЕГО 68СДЕЛАЮТ ЫРНЫЕ3НАЛОГ5ВОЗВРАЩА НЬ4429НЕЧЕСТ 846БЕЗ348НАДЛЕЖ74К РЫЕ 4МНЕ98 АТЬ МПА ОТО ОВЕРЬ7 5MÉXIC СТИТ47 РЕЗИДЕНТ6987ОЧЕ 4НЕ744ЧИТ ЛЬДА84ТРА КАЗАТЬ54П АТЬ 99С ДЕЛ ОД202П ОНФИЕНЦИАЛЬНЫЙ7Т7ВЕЩИ О8ДОНА ВАМ ГУ8 202В8С ИТЬ4ЗА32СЕБ ОД978К ОН44УАЙДЕН7ЗНАЕ НО4393ЧТО74Я5МО МЕ8СТРОЯТ ЛАТ ЛОМ4ДО БУДЕТ247П ИВЕТ608ПОЛ НИ375Р ГОЛОВУ38383БОЛЬ ЛИГИ396В3 COREY4БЕ 4294ОН848 ТЕ67ЕМУ5ПР ЛОГИ736П СТЕНЫ4ОНИ 4ВАШУ5 ИЕ8ПРОБЛЕМЫ47877СТЕНОЙ8PEIN ТЕ3И9СКАЖИРАЛЬНЫЕ8934НА ГО434КО 7БОЛЬШТИТЬ8СТЕНУ90ЗА7ЖАЛУЙСТА28 ОЗЫ РАЩАЕТ294Е РНЫЕ36ФЕДЕ ИТЬ8СТ O36ПЛА КЛ8ФЛИНН43ПО ОЛЬНОЙ37НЕ5К СТИТ47НАЛОГ5ВОЗВ XICO36ПЛАТ СЕ К4832ЭТО6 ДЕЛАТЬ5MÉ Я37МАЙ РТ5ЯВЛЯЕТСЯ369МОЗЫРНАЯ6987ВЫПУ ОВЕ В8С 202 ЧЕЛ НЫЙ843 МАНАФО9ПОЧЕМУ346НЕ95К ТСЯ33ОМЕ8СТРОЯТ 429НЕЧЕСТ ВАЕ НЬ4 КРЫ ОЧЕ ЛАТИТЬ 37С НТ6987 VOL .43/27 43/17 5ЧТО68 ЗЫРVOL2 . 22Ь23 . 2017 02ПРЕЗИДЕ 5.3 2017 ОД2 ЫЙК ЕКРЕТН
TRUMP RUSSIA? “I. AM. AN.
RON WYDEN T.”
A WEIRDO.”
F.B .I. A. GEN
OF ALWAYS KIND
P. 21
TOR SPY ILOR SENA TINKER TA PAGE 10
P. 18
JOE RIEDL
5am 7am – 2pm
“WELL, I WAS
The paradox jumps out from the latest homeless- together, which one am I going to put into housing ness numbers released by Multnomah County: if I want to show success?” The number of people sleeping on the streets is Government officials disagree, saying that going down, but those people report being in far some of their programs actually prioritize the greater distress. most vulnerable. Results of the county’s “point in time” count, “I don’t think that’s a fair characterization,” released last month, found 72 percent of unshel- said Marc Jolin, director of the Joint Office of tered homeless people report a disability—a physi- Homeless Services. “The more vulnerable somecal handicap, mental illness or addiction. one is, the more likely they are to access our tarThat’s the story of “Downtown” Chris Brown— geted permanent supportive housing resources.” so much so he tries to make a joke out of it. Brown, The result? People who can’t get into housing 45, living on the sidewalk near Lan Su Chinese tend to cluster in the areas close to social servicGarden, says he’s tried to file for Social Security es—in Old Town/Chinatown, along Northwest benefits three times, but can’t make appointments. Broadway and West Burnside Street, and in the “I can’t even put a calendar on my wall,” he quips. Southeast Portland neighborhood of Buckman, “I don’t have one.” around St. Francis. Brown says he fell off a cliff as a teenager, The parish dining hall feeds 180 people six breaking three vertebrae and both legs: “Every days a week, and offers medical and other services. step I take is a grind.” Nearby St. Francis Park, long a hangout for deeply He doesn’t have housing, and doesn’t hold out fraught people, was recently razed to make way for much hope of finding any soon. “I see people fall- publicly subsidized St. Francis Park Apartments’ ing through 106 affordthe cracks,” able units. he adds, “and But that they’ve had a hasn’t chance to get changed the comfortable landscape: doing that.” The parBrown’s ish and its story fits a services are pattern in still ringed Portland: by dozens More people of tents and are finding vehicular shelter, but homes. those who “We can’t, don’t are as a society, more disfigure out tressed than how to take ever, displaycare of the SIDEWALK STORIES: People seeking most vulnering mental services often gather at the west able people illness, end of the Burnside Bridge. addiction and in our midst,” squalor that Chapman alarms and says. discomfits the rest of the city. Another center for services orbited by dozens One of the faith leaders who has worked closely of unsheltered homeless people is Bud Clark Comwith the most vulnerable people on the streets has mons in Old Town, which houses 130 people but a theory why. also serves as a day space for dozens more—often Valerie Chapman, pastoral administrator of St. the mentally ill and drug-addicted. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, says the demand Paul Bundridge Jr., 65, sitting across the street on government and social services to show hous- from the Bud Clark Commons, gruffly announced ing success stories inadvertently creates more July 2 he’d been “kicked out” of a program because drastic tales of misery for those who aren’t good of “talking loud, and anger, my mouth.” The diabets to succeed. betic Vietnam War veteran is one of the growing “If your funding is based on success, then you’re group of older, sicker homeless shown in the new not going to take the most fragile people,” says. “So county data. He suffers from post-traumatic stress, they get left behind.” manic depression and serious foot problems. Chapman retired June 30 after 29 years of He’s lost two toes, and doctors want to ampuservice. During that time, she officiated at least 50 tate his left foot below the ankle. He hasn’t let funerals for houseless people. them, yet. He’s waiting for a subsidized apartment. She says a need to show results can lead govern“If I was lucky, I’d be in a bed instead of on ment-funded programs to take higher-functioning the concrete,” he said. “It’s making me suipeople off the streets first. “If I’m looking at two cidal. I’m definitely disabled. I’m just falling people,” she says, “and one is addicted and has the apart at my age.” mind of a 12-year old, and the other is relatively
TALK:
BY
WWEEK.COM
RADIO IS YOURS
WWEEK.COM
Find all oF our WW Box locations at
wweek.com/findapaper
Alma is a place where women and their babies are liberated from unnecessary interventions. At Alma, partners are involved in the birthing process, and the babies pass from the womb to the mother’s arms without stopping at an examination table. We offer water births, privacy, relaxation, and a secure and warm environment, designed to support the way a healthy birth naturally unfolds.
Call for a Meet & Greet with a midwife and a tour of our birth center. Most insurance accepted. Nitrous Oxide available for labor. Joni Pedersen Traci Gamet Certified Nurse Midwives
Brooke Bina
Families know that giving birth is not an emergency but a journey, and that is why they are choosing Alma Midwifery Birth Center right in the center of Portland.
503-233-3001
almamidwifery.com
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
9
Provvista Specialty Foods presents
Willamette Willamette Week’s Artisan Artisan Week’s Pie Event Event Pie
of Portland’s hottest pizza & pie makers
Baby Doll Pizza Via Chicago Ex Novo Ranch East Glisan Pizza Jerk
Ecliptic Petunia’s Pasteries & Pies Baker & Spice
Deep Dish Edition!
August
5-9
1ST PM
Tickets on sale now!
$27 A PORTION OF EACH TICKET BENEFITS VILLAGE GARDENS
10
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
COURTESY OF JESSICA COLLINS
DEATH BY BITCOIN Aisha Zughbieh-Collins died from a synthetic opioid she bought online. Here’s how Portland police cracked the case. BY NIGEL JAQUISS
njaquiss@wweek.com
EVEN BY PORTLAND STANDARDS, THE WEATHER WAS DREARY on the day Aisha Zughbieh-Collins died. It was late morning Feb. 16 when Jessica Collins drove through a 40-degree drizzle to the pink and yellow townhouse on Southeast 84th Avenue, where Aisha, her 18-year-old daughter, lived. Collins drove gingerly down the rutted, dead-end gravel street. It’s the kind of street that’s often lined with abandoned shopping carts. She got out of her truck, walked into Aisha’s townhouse and climbed the stairs with a sense of dread. For the past 12 hours, Collins had been unable to reach her daughter. Just two weeks earlier, Aisha had overdosed, her life saved when a roommate called paramedics. As Collins entered her daughter’s bedroom, Aisha was sitting lotus-style on her bed. “Each step closer I could tell something was really wrong,” Collins recalls. Aisha had a syringe in her right arm, and a shoelace tourniquet tied around her biceps. She wasn’t breathing. Her skin was cold. “I know it sounds strange,” Collins says, “but a sense of peace came over me—that she’s OK now—even though she was dead in front of me.” CONT. ON PAGE 12 Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
11
RAY OF SUNSHINE While opioid overdose deaths nationally rose 57 percent from 2010 to 2015,they actually dropped slightly in Oregon over the same period. O P I O I D O V E R D O S E D E AT H S I N T H E U . S . 33,091
35 K
30 K
25 K
21,088
20 K ’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
’15
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
O P I O I D O V E R D O S E D E AT H S I N O R E G O N 350 331
300
285 270 265 251
250 ’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
262 ’15
S O U R C E : O R E G O N H E A LT H A U T H O R I T Y
T O TA L :
1,6 6 4
Drug overdoses now kill more people than firearms or automobile crashes in Oregon, according to state figures, and are the largest cause of accidental death in the U.S. As the country’s overdose death total continues to soar, Oregon officials have responded far more effectively than officials in most states (see chart at left). But even in Portland, which has slowed overdose deaths resulting from heroin and prescription opioids such as oxycodone, Aisha’s death is part of a new and dangerous development. The drug that killed her was a potent “synthetic” opioid manufactured in China—a drug so new that narcotics investigators and Portland’s public health officials had never encountered it before. “What we don’t have a lot of here yet is the synthetics,” says Dr. Paul Lewis, the Multnomah County health officer. “That could change.” When Portland Police Bureau detectives arrived at Aisha’s townhouse, they were initially stymied. Their investigation would eventually lead them across the country and into the deepest recesses of the internet: places where the common currency is Bitcoin, and where buyers and sellers are anonymous and far removed from each other. The trail would take them to a condo in South Carolina, and to one of the Dark Web’s most prolific synthetic opioid sellers. “We’d never done a case like this,” says the Police Bureau detective who led the investigation. “We weren’t familiar with the substance. And we had no idea where it came from.”
A
isha Zughbieh-Collins traveled a long way in a short life that started on the Gulf Coast of Florida. She was petite—barely 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a quick smile. She loved animals: She used to have a cat named Bebe and a Burmese python named Applejack. She liked sushi and Thai food, root beer and cream soda. She listened to Bright Eyes and Nirvana. In November 2015, Aisha ran away from a foster-care facility in Baltimore, where her mother says she’d been assaulted. Aisha reconnected with her mother, who was also living in Maryland but who had lost custody of Aisha three years earlier. Rather than return Aisha to foster care, the pair decided to head west to begin new lives. They left shortly before Thanksgiving. “We didn’t know where to go, but we wanted warm weather,” Collins says. They drove west in a sunflower-colored Nissan Xterra, using throwaway phones and paying cash at cheap motels. They feared authorities might be looking for Aisha, who was 17 years old and still a ward of the state. They arrived in Oregon in February 2016, and Collins found work as a host in a remote campground in Mount Hood National Forest.
“WE’D NEVER DONE A CASE LIKE THIS. WE WEREN’T FAMILIAR WITH THE SUBSTANCE. AND WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE IT CAME FROM.” 12
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
A MOTHER’S LOSS
HILARY SANDER
J es s ic a Collins r em ains h e a r t b r o k e n o v e r h e r daught er ’s deat h.
“YOU CAN’T CHOOSE WHETHER YOU LIVE OR DIE. IT’S LIKE RUSSIAN ROULETTE.” the imminent threat to public health and safety,” made U-47700 a schedule I substance, classifying it among the most dangerous street drugs (see sidebar, page 15). “I told Aisha U4 was suicide,” Collins recalls. “You can’t choose whether you live or die. It’s like Russian roulette.”
T
They liked the woods, but for Aisha, there was little in the way of entertainment—nobody her age, nowhere to eat, and no WiFi. “It was hard for Aisha to be without the internet,” Collins says. In May of that year, Aisha found a place to live on Craigslist and moved to the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood just east of 82nd Avenue, sharing with several housemates the townhouse where she would eventually die. Collins says her daughter had been using hard drugs in Maryland, and had started using again when Collins moved to Portland, living near Aisha. She told her mother she was using a drug called U-47700. U-47700, known sometimes as U4 or “pink,” was developed by the pharmaceutical company Upjohn in 1976 as an alternative to morphine but never received
U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. As a result, it was never placed on the FDA’s schedule of illicit drugs, so for decades there was no prohibition on its manufacture or distribution. It existed in a gray zone—neither approved for use nor specifically illegal. And while Upjohn never manufactured the drug, laboratories in China—where law enforcement officials say many synthetic opioids are made—figured out how to do so. U-47700 is also lethal—nearly eight times more potent than heroin. Records show the feds first became aware that people were using U4 to get high in October 2015, although they weren’t sure where the drug was coming from. In the next year, they recorded 46 overdose deaths, most on the Eastern Seaboard. In November 2016, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, “responding to
he day Aisha died, Portland narcotics detectives arrived at her townhouse. The lead detective is a stocky cop, with salt-and-pepper hair and, considering his job, a cheery demeanor. The detective later spoke to WW but insisted on anonymity because he works undercover. He sees a lot of dead bodies: There are about two fatal overdoses a week in Portland, most opioid-related. But this one stood out, the detective says, not only because he’d never heard of the drug that killed Aisha, but also because she was a woman, and so young—the average overdose victim in Oregon is a man over 35. Portland’s approach to overdose deaths changed in 2007, when Kraig Crow, a Lincoln High School graduate, fatally overdosed. “Our policy here is different from other jurisdictions’,” the detective says. “Before, we just walked away and let the medical examiner handle it. “After the Lincoln case,” he continues, “we started asking, ‘What can we find at the scene that can allow us to investigate further?’” When Portland detectives respond to an overdose death now, they are looking for witnesses, phones and the packaging in which drugs are delivered. In the Crow case, prosecutors won convictions of six defendants, including what’s called a “Len Bias conviction” for the top dealer. That law, named after University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, who died of a cocaine overdose in 1986 after being picked second overall in the NBA draft, became a potent tool for prosecutors because it replaced lighter sentences with a 20-year prison term for those who deal drugs leading to a death. Federal prosecutors in Oregon are recognized as national leaders in bringing Len Bias cases. CONT. ON PAGE 15 Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
13
FOU R
! OOF FANT R E ASTIC ROOMS UNDER ON
SPORTS BAR • VIDEOPOKER
sunday
Neo-Soul Sundays tuesday
tHuR juLy 6
Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group FRI juLy 14
Farnell Newton Jonny Cool w/ special guests & Friends wed june 28
Coco’s Cacophony
14
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
sat juLy 15
Kirk Green Band
Investigators try to determine how the fatal dose moved from the original source to the consumer, establishing a chain of custody. “Every person in the chain is potentially liable for the overdose death,” says Steve Mygrant, an assistant U.S. attorney who has prosecuted several dealers in fatal overdose cases. (Local and federal officials often cooperate on Len Bias cases.) A i s h a ’s m o t h e r t o l d d e t e c t i v e s s h e thought her daughter bought U4 online, and she provided them with Aisha’s email address. The detectives also found unusual materials in Aisha’s bedroom—distinctive packaging suggested someone had carefully disguised the U-47700 to send it through the mail. The drug Aisha bought had been hidden in a VeriQuick brand pregnancy test kit—sold only at Dollar Tree stores—and appeared to have arrived from an unknown seller in a U.S. Postal Service shipping envelope from South Carolina. Those were clues. But the detectives couldn’t work their way up the usual chain of delivery as they do in heroin cases. “Our calls usually come from people complaining about a neighborhood drug house,” the detective says. “This online stuff is at a completely different level.”
COURTESY OF JESSICA COLLINS
THE WAGES OF SYNTHETICS
T
he next day, the detectives asked for help from federal experts who knew how to navigate the deepest recesses of the internet. In 2013, federal agents busted Silk Road, a vast online bazaar for drugs, child pornography, illegal weapons, stolen credit cards, valuable personal information, hacking services and even contract killers. Silk Road operated on what’s called the Dark Web. That’s the term used to describe the vast array of websites that operate out of reach of the average web surfer. The internet is like an iceberg: Experts say less than 5 percent of websites are visible using typical browsers such as Safari, Firefox or Chrome. Some of what’s under the surface is benign material that is simply password-protected: legitimate financial and medical records, for instance, that are shielded for privacy reasons. But it is also used by dissidents in countries where free speech isn’t allowed—and by criminals of all kinds. Dark Web users need a couple of things to access such sites: a specialized (and easily downloadable) browser called Tor and, if they want to remain anonymous, a tool that encrypts their communications and preserves their anonymity. Aisha used what’s called a PGP (“pretty good privacy”) key to hide her activity.
BRIGHT EYES Aisha Zughbieh-Collins bought a fatal dose of U-47700 on the internet using a site called A l p h a B a y.
CONT. ON PAGE 16
The new challenge from synthetic opioids marketed over the Dark Web comes at a time when the trend in overdose deaths in Oregon is relatively positive. Opioid deaths here have declined in recent years, while the trend in the rest of the country is still sharply upward. (The New York Times recently reported deaths jumped nearly 20 percent nationally in 2016.) “When you look at the rest of the country, flat is good,” says Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Paul Lewis. There are two reasons for the good news. The first is naloxone, marketed under the brand name Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses overdoses. Under the leadership of former Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Gary Oxman, the Portland area was a national pioneer in making naloxone widely available (“Who Wants to Save a Junkie?” WW, March 13, 2013). And Oxman’s successor, Lewis, pushed large metro-area medical systems to decrease the number of opioid pain pills prescribed to patients. That number has decreased each of the past five quarters. Together, those two developments have caused the number of overdose deaths in Oregon to decline, a result most states would envy. But deaths such as Aisha Zughbieh-Collins’ highlight a new danger: synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, carfentanil and U-47700 that are not prescribed by physicians but instead manufactured and sold illegally. Lewis says there have been just two confirmed deaths in the metro area in the past 18 months in which U-47700 was the primary cause. But synthetic opioids are now the nation’s fastest-growing cause of overdose deaths. The death toll in some states is extraordinary: Last year, for instance, there were 34 deaths from synthetics in Oregon in 2015—and 949 in Massachusetts. “The synthetic thing is new to everybody,” Lewis says. “We thought heroin was the foe, but now these synthetics come along. It’s a new chapter, and we don’t know how it ends.” Cam Strahm of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration notes that synthetics such as fentanyl and carfentanil are dozens or even hundreds of times stronger than heroin. Strahm says synthetics are also less predictable than heroin, which is now fairly standard in quality and potency. The dealers who sell synthetics often mix them in nonstandard “cocktails” and also frequently misrepresent what they are selling. “When you are making illicit purchases from anonymous sources, you can’t depend on purity or that what you think you are buying is what you actually get,” Strahm says. “You really don’t know what you are purchasing. It’s like going on a vacation without knowing your destination.” NIGEL JAQUISS.
RISING SYNTHETIC TIDE Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids rose much faster last year than overdose deaths from heroin or prescription pain pills.
10,574
12,989
12,159
9,580
(+ 20.6%)
12,727 (+ 2.6%)
(+ 72.2%)
SYNTHETICS
HEROIN
PA I N P I L L S
2 015
2 014
5,544 SYNTHETICS
HEROIN
PA I N P I L L S SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
15
K
hleborod, now 28, was born in Moldova, part of the former Soviet Union. When he was in high school, records show he spent time on bodybuilder chat boards, discussing the benefits of steroid use and posting as “Arnoldismyhero,” a tribute to former California governor and champion body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger. He later studied at the University of South Carolina, where, according to his Facebook page, he was pre-med. He graduated in 2016. Khleborod lived well for a college student, records show, driving a BMW—with a vanity plate that read “TEDALICUS”— and a Ducati motorcycle. In late April, Portland detectives flew to Greenville to coordinate with local police. For three days, they staked out Khleborod at his condo. They saw his girlfriend, Ana Barrero, leave his place twice to mail dozens of parcels, with labels matching those they’d found earlier in Aisha’s room and identical to those matching labels from the drugs that investigators bought over the Dark Web from Peter the Great. They also obtained video of Barrero buying 71 VeriQuick pregnancy test kits at a Dollar Tree in Greenville. On April 26, officers arrested Khleborod as he left work at an urgent care clinic. “He was a quiet guy, contemplative,” says the Portland detective. “I don’t think he used his own product, and based on his numbers, he could have made a million bucks in the past couple years.” 16
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
INTERNET KINGPIN Te d K h l e b o r o d i s a c c u s e d o f se l l i n g s y n t h e t i c o p i o i d s o n t h e D a r k We b u n d e r t h e n a m e “ P e t e r t h e G r e a t.”
S PA R TA N B U R G C O U N T Y S H E R I F F ’ S O F F I C E
And for people who wish to buy or sell goods or services on the Dark Web, using Bitcoin or another virtual currency adds another layer of anonymity. Bitcoin, which Aisha used, allowed her to purchase drugs without creating the kind of easily traceable trail that credit or debit cards leave behind. “But once you clear the smoke,” says George Chamberlin, chief of the FBI’s Oregon Cyber Task Force, “it’s not that different from the visible internet.” When Silk Road disappeared because of the indictment and conviction of its creator, other Dark Web marketplaces took its place. One, called AlphaBay, offers a staggering array of illicit drugs. Sellers hawk their wares aggressively and encourage buyers to rate their experiences just as customers do on conventional sites such as Amazon, Yelp or Trip Advisor. But instead of rating tacos or hotel rooms, buyers are rating heroin, meth or the newest kind of illicit narcotic, synthetic opioids. “The game is changing,” the FBI’s Chamberlin says, “especially because of synthetics. They are different because of their potency and because they are trafficked on the Dark Web.” Detectives found that Aisha had written an alphanumeric code on a pad in her bedroom. That code identified her PGP key. They determined that Aisha’s PGP key had been used to buy drugs on AlphaBay. The detective learned that, using her PGP, Aisha had purchased U-47700 on Feb. 11, five days before her death, from a vendor who called himself “Peter the Great”—like the Russian emperor. A U.S. postal inspector determined the envelope found in Aisha’s bedroom had a fictitious return address but was purchased at a post office in Greenville, S.C. In April, the Portland detective bought U4 over the Dark Web from Peter the Great. The drugs arrived, wrapped in material from Dollar Tree. The person who purchased the shipping labels—presumably Peter the Great—used secure email addresses. The investigators then filed a subpoena for all records related to those addresses. They turned up a name: Ted Khleborod, a resident of Greenville. Peter the Great—who detectives now believed was Khleborod—was a prolific salesman: Figures on AlphaBay showed he’d done 9,553 transactions. The Portland detective contacted federal officials in South Carolina. “We scared the crap out the assistant U.S. attorney back there when we told him about the substance and volume of sales,” the detective says. “This guy was sending out the equivalent of bombs.”
“WE’RE FACING AN EPIDEMIC. WE CAN’T ARREST OUR WAY OUT OF IT.” Khleborod, who is now in custody, faces federal charges in South Carolina. (His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.) When officers served a search warrant on Khleborod’s condo, they wore hazmat suits to guard against the toxicity of U-47700. They hauled away 9 kilos of the drug, worth $270,000. They also found a book, written for prospective doctors, called Kill as Few Patients as Possible. The Portland detective says Aisha’s case revealed to him a new world of synthetic opioids and the Dark Web. He says he also realized that despite all the technically sophisticated tools dealers like Peter the Great employ, they are subject to human mistakes.
“Internet privacy—even with encryption—is not as great as you think,” the detective says. “People on the Dark Web still leave breadcrumbs we can follow.” Jessica Collins says she’s happy police arrested Khleborod. But she remains heartbroken over her daughter’s death. “I feel like she’s with me every day,” Collins says, “and I worry about how many other families this might happen to.” Cam Strahm, the DEA chief for Oregon, applauds the police work that led to Khleborod’s capture. But he says after 26 years of chasing drug dealers, he’s come to understand the limits of that work. “Addiction is a treatable disease,” he says, “and we’re facing an epidemic. We can’t arrest our way out of it.”
Stree t
Athens, Georgia, because it’s the perfect mix of down-home and artist-centric culture.
“Chicago, because it’s my home!.”
“Los Angeles, because of the clothing culture. Plus, the food is really good down there.”
“Maui, because weather.”
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE CITY OUTSIDE OF PORTLAND? “Anywhere blacker than here. Portland is way too homogenized.”
“Not to sound cliche, but Los Angeles. Mainly because I want to pursue my career in the fashion industry and Otis is the school I want to attend.”
OUR FAVORITE LOOKS THIS WEEK. PHOTOS BY SA M GHER KE
“Philadelphia, because it’s my hometown and I miss it.”
“Portsmouth, Maine, because of the beautiful architecture and authentic people. It’s a haven for creative souls who love the pleasures of the elevated simple life like myself.”
“London, because of the sense of style there. Also, because it’s so easy to get around there, and the city is so old but feels so modern.”
Advertise with WWEEK! Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
17
GOING COASTAL
& OR EGON E X P LO R E N ’S WAS H I N GTO T L A R C OAS S P E C TAC U
36 hours at a time guide to An offbeat • Great Hikes Best New • The Coast’s nts Bars & Restaura • Where to Stay ered • New & Undiscov Spots
OU R 2017 GU IDE TO OREGON ’ S NORTH COAST. FIND A COPY ON SELEC T NEWS -STANDS AND AT POWELL’ S BOOKS .
FREE
Mystic Spiral
This is not what I was expecting from the most famous golf course in Oregon and one of the most famous in the nation, a place where Justin Timberlake and Stephen Curry have come to play. There was a lot I was not expecting about Bandon—such as the free public practice course and driving range, or the touch of French Christian mysticism. “It’s the least-fancy fancy place you’ll ever go,” says Lang, who’s been a lot of fancy places making his documentary series Adventures in Golf, and with his ex-wife, the Australian electro-pop singer Sia. Bandon Dunes sits on the southern Oregon coast, four and a half hours from Portland. The first course here opened in 1999, with others added in the decades since, BY MA RT I N C I Z M A R mcizmar@wweek.com most recently the par-three Preserve I came to play. All the courses here are ranked in Golf magazine’s top 50 courses I’m standIng at the 13th and fInal hole at Bandon in the country, much to the chagrin of a jealous President Trump, who angrily tweeted that his tacky Trump-brand Preserve, about to drive off of a tee with my putter. Why does the course have 13 holes? courses “blow Bandon Dunes away.” “Why not?” says Michael Chupka, the pro-turnedYou don’t have to be a serious golfer to appreciate this publicist showing me around the Preserve, which has been place. It’s one of the most magical things in Oregon, a lowranked the best short course in the world. “That’s the key, self-contained world betwixt surf and forest where you may find yourself inspecting stone monoliths in the woods, number of holes that fit.” Why play with a putter? surrounded by buzzing blue dragonflies, while you try to “It’s the tradition here,” says Erik Anders Lang, a docu- determine whether the lines etched into the stones are mentary filmmaker who’s tagging along. “People who are symbols carved by humans. Part of Bandon’s fame comes from the fact that it’s an in touch with the beating heart of Bandon, they play the 13th hole with a putter.” oddity from the ground up. These non-profit public courses And why off a tee? Because I’m not a good golfer, and I were built by Chicago greeting card magnate Mike Keiser, need help with the distance while trying to play a 90-yard who fell in love with golf’s origins and sought out a suitable hole with a putter. place to build something in their image. Few American g olfers have ever played a real links course, modeled on the Scottish originals. As the story goes, Scots shepherds once let their sheep wander around grassy “Once you get to the dunes unsuitable for farming, middle you can’t just the animals digging bunkers to keep themselves warm. walk out, you have Links courses are defined by their hard and fast fescue to follow the maze.” grass, blustery winds, lack of trees and bumpy fairways.
EVEN IF YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY NOT A GOLFER, BANDON DUNES IS A HOLY PILGRIMAGE EVERY OREGONIAN SHOULD MAKE.
18
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
After a long search, Keiser found his linksland in Bandon, a coastal city founded by Irishman George Bennett, who named it after his hometown. Unfortunately, in his quest to make it like the Bandon he knew, Bennett introduced an invasive evergreen bush called gorse. Gorse is not only thorny, but spreads like kudzu and is extremely oily. During the southern Oregon coast’s hot, dry summers the oiliness is a problem. In the early 1900s, the town of Bandon burned to the ground—twice. Even today, the gorse keeps firefighters on their toes every summer. In 1993, Keiser took some of the fortune he made selling recycled-paper greeting cards and bought 1,200 acres of coastal land overrun by gorse. He cut away the thorny brush and replaced it with red fescue. It’s expanded several times, and Keiser is eyeing more land in Oregon, telling a golfing blog that he plans to build more courses “until I die or until I run out of money.” Playing Bandon Dunes is not cheap, but it’s not exactly expensive, either, depending on how you play. During the summer months, playing 18 holes on the full-scale courses costs a princely $325. But’s only $165 to play another 18. If you want to play 54, that third round is free. And if you can handle all 72, you actually get a $100 rebate. You’ll have to walk, though—there are no golf carts allowed unless you’re disabled, which may be part of the reason President Trump isn’t a fan. Playing 72 holes means walking the equivalent of a marathon. But people do it. On the summer solstice, Bandon hosts a special event where hardcore golfers play all 72 holes, plus the par-three course, logging 85 holes and 30 miles of walking before sundown. Lang has done the Bandon Dunes Summer Solstice event, and speaks of the day in spiritual terms. “I was waiting for the invitation to come back and do it this year and hoping I’d get it and when I did I almost cried—like, really, tears,” he says. (I’ve just watched him spend several minutes filming a snail slowly crawl across the green, so this could be literal.) But if you want to get in a quick 18, wait until around Thanksgiving when the greens fee drops to around $100 for an Oregon resident, with the second round running about $50 and anything else you can get in on the short winter days being free. In the winter months, the short course I played, Bandon Preserve, is just $50—not bad for playing the best of its kind in the world. Oh, and anyone can play the practice course, called “Shorty’s,” for free. There’s a driving range with balls waiting for you in pristine white pyramids and a nine-hole par-three course designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd that’s also seeded with fescue grass, which makes for greens so ridiculously fast it feels like you’re playing on marble floors. If that seems a little weird, it’s because of Bandon’s roots. Keiser wants to recreate the Scottish links courses, not sell timeshares. Everything here is designed to be “minimalistic,” Chupka says. “It wasn’t about the real estate development aspect of it,” says Chupka. “All the best real estate is the courses, and all the lodging is cut back in the forest on the eastern side of the property.” Indeed, from the course you won’t see the lodging, which has been described by the New York Times as “deliberately Spartan.” Instead, you will get sweeping views of the sea pounding against the sand, dunes spiked with tall, yellow grass and rolling fairways that give way to massive Scottish-style greens. The fences here are made of driftwood, and deer amble about everywhere. Yes, the celebrities come. The staff are instructed not to treat them any differently. You can see the appeal of this place for an athlete celebrating a championship—the courses are peerless, the grounds are beautiful and there’s a touch of the celestial.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORT
The Bump At one point, I found myself alone in the forest, sitting in the middle of a soapstone labyrinth modeled on a labyrinth from a French gothic cathedral, looking at a piece of bark decorated with a fern, some lichen and a daisy. Like that 13th hole, it’s part of the “Bandon thing.” Chupka, the publicist, had given me instructions about this—the only instruction in mysticism I’ve yet received from a publicist. “Once you get to the middle you can’t just walk out, you have to follow the maze,” he says to me with piercing seriousness. “It’s like life. There are no shortcuts.”
W H I L E YO U ’ R E I N BAN DON HOT DOGS AT LANGLOIS MARKET 48444 U.S. Highway 101, Langlois, 541-348-2476, langloismarket.com. A few miles south of Bandon on Highway 101, you’ll come across a little roadside market with a sign for “world famous” hot dogs. The extent of this fame is debatable, but the quality of the frankfurters is not. These wide, bulbous franks are made with beef and pork, and swell up in weird ways as they spin around behind the counter. They’re flavorful dogs that taste great sliced up on a “sandwich,” topped with housemade mustard and pickles. The market also has basic provisions for this tiny town and a growler-fill station in the back.
BEERS AT BANDON BREWING 395 2nd St. SE, Bandon, 541-347-3911, bandonbrewingco.com. This brand-new craft brewery had tapped some of its very first beers on our visit. The Camp 7 Coffee Porter was very nice, with a round roastiness and an appropriate heft. They also make decent pizzas in a woodfired oven.
Out ! NOw
ICE CREAM AT FACE ROCK CREAMERY 680 2nd St SE, Bandon, 541-347-3223, facerockcreamery.com. Cheese samples are part of the Oregon coast experience—the Tillamook factory is one of the state’s top tourism destinations. Down here, things are a little more low-key. Face Rock is also famous for its aged cheddar, which you can try here, at a cozy tasting room and mini-restaurant. The creamery also sells squeaky curds and Umpqua ice cream, including a fabulous flavor that pays tribute to Face Rock’s popular cranberry cheesecake.
SUNSET AT CAPE BLANCO 91100 Cape Blanco Road, Port Orford. The disputed westernmost point in the contiguous United States (and undisputed westernmost point in Oregon) is a wonderful place to watch a sunset. There’s a beautiful lighthouse on the craggy bluff and a lonely sand beach below.
An o ffb e At g u i d e to • The Coast’s Best New Bars & Restaurants • Where to Stay • Great Hikes • New & Undiscovered Spots
GOING COASTAL Find your copy at select locations including New Seasons Market and Powell’s Books. Call 503.243.2122 for more information.
L A N G O L I S M A R K E T, J U D I A A N N W O O | S U N S E T, M A R T I N C I Z M A R
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
19 19
STARTERS
ELI DUKE
B I T E - S I Z E D P O RT L A N D C U LT U R E N E W S
Washougal River
HOLE HERO: Naked Falls has reopened to the public thanks to a hero Vancouverite. Last summer, the beloved swimming hole east of Vancouver, Wash., was declared permanently closed by the timber company that owned the land. Steven Epling wouldn’t abide that. “It represents the child in me that comes alive every time I get back there,” says Epling, who grew up visiting the falls. In a victory of childhood memories over the logging industry, the 37-yearold credit union manager sold his three rental properties, took out a small loan and bought 131 acres around Naked Falls this past March. Weyerhaeuser, the timber company that owned the land, closed the site last June after they finished logging the area because it was a liability. Epling says he hopes to one day add campgrounds and open it to the public, but if parking gets too crowded, they’ll turn people away. “Maybe it’s naive, but I believe it’s more dangerous when no one is allowed to be there,” says Epling. “People are getting it back. Are they really going to risk losing it again?” OPEN AND SHUT: Two new restaurants plan to open on increasingly busy Northeast Killingsworth this year. Little Edomae-style sushi shop Daruma is moving from its tiny Cully location this summer to a new, larger space across from Podnah’s Pit at 16th Avenue. It’s also adding both grilled meats and ramen to its menu and doubling seating to 45. “You can’t walk into the old location with four people and expect to sit together,” says Daruma co-owner Andy Diaz. “We want to make more people happy.” >> Meanwhile, the owners of Radio Room plan to turn an old key shop at Killingsworth and Grand Avenue into a bar and eatery called Keys Lounge, which will have a patio and serve shareable “hearty small plates.” Two high-profile spots closed in recent weeks. Spanish spot Chesa served its last dinner July 1; owner Jose Chesa’s xurro spot 180 will remain open and perhaps expand, according to Portland Monthly. Lantern Lounge, in the former Oso space, closed after being open only seven months. On June 22, their landlord posted a sign stating their lease had been terminated for failure to pay rent. MORE BETTER DRINKING: The OLCC just dropped a decades-long ban forbidding bars from advertising happyhour drink prices. “It goes pretty far back,” says OLCC spokeswoman Christie Scott of the drink-price ad ban. “This could be one of those Prohibition holdovers.” In practice, this means you’re going to see a lot more promotions of cheap drink prices. >> Also, Oregon will soon get its first boozy cocktail in a can, after the OLCC and Oregon Senator Betsy Johnson helped push an amendment to Senate Bill 1044— signed by Kate Brown June 29—making it legal. Expect to see four-packs of Bloody Knuckles, a canned bloody mary from Astoria’s Pilot House Distilling, in liquor stores soon. ADVENTURE OVER: Action/Adventure Theatre announced last week that they’re closing their doors at the end of July. The company cited finances, saying “It’s become increasingly difficult for small arts spaces like ours to survive.” Action/ Adventure said they were “heartbroken that this city has to lose yet another venue,” in this case the small Clinton Street spot that’s been their home for five years. This past season alone, they produced over four new plays and had an uncommonly young audience for Portland theater. Action/ Adventure is still searching for a new home, but say they plan to be back on the scene as early as next year. 20
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
7/5
» LA LUZ «
W E D N E S D AY
HELIUM’S FUNNIEST PERSON
Easily the finest surf-rock outfit of the last half-decade, La Luz are the queens of the psychedelic beach. Think doo-wop according to an experimental acid-rock band from the ’60s. Mississippi Studios,
This is the last of the early rounds of Helium’s annual crowd-judged contest to determine Portland's Funniest Person. You decide whether fart jokes, innocuous ethnic foibles or Portland being so Portland wins out. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th
3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 9 pm. $12. 21+.
Ave., 888-643-8669, portland.heliumcomedyclub.com. 7 and 10 pm. 21+.
7/6
T H U R S D AY
RUSSELL PETERS For Canadian comedian Russell Peters, lampooning racial and class stereotypes is just another day at the office. He’s released two specials on Netflix, and he’ll be presenting new material at Helium. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669, portland.heliumcomedyclub.com. 7 and 10 pm. 21+. $35. Free. Through July 9.
F R I D AY
7/7
ROMEO & JULIET PROJECT
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
Get Busy
Enso Theatre Ensemble's fragmented and contemporary Romeo & Juliet Project will combine excerpts of Shakespeare's script with broadcast news in a production. It’ll be about half the length of the play you were forced to read in high school. Shaking
E V E NT S W E ' R E E XC ITE D A B O UT J U LY 5 –J U LY 11
the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St., 503-235-0635, ensotheatre.com. 7:30 pm. $25.
Shakespeare’s Trojan War tragedy is infamously bizarre and ambiguous. This production is helmed by one of Portland’s most trusted Shakespeare directors, plus, it will be performed in a cemetery at sunset. Lone Fir Cemetery, SE 26th Avenue & Stark Street, portlandactors. com. 7 pm. Free. Through July 29.
DAVID LYNCH: A RETROSPECTIVE
Feel like the only person in Portland who didn't go crazy for the return of Twin Peaks? Immerse yourself in David Lynch at NW Film Center’s retrospective, which kicks off with Eraserhead and four of his shorts. NW Film Center's Whitsell
Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., 503-226-2811, nwfilm.org. 7 pm. $9.
S AT U R D AY
7/8
NITE JEWEL
MISSISSIPPI STREET FAIR
On her new album, Real High, Ramona Gonzalez, a.k.a. Nite Jewel, sounds like she’s holding a seance to conjure the ghosts of ’90s R&B radio. The foggy grooves she traces from memory are specters worth conversing with. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-231-9663, dougfirlounge.com. 9 pm. $14 advance, $16 day of show. 21+.
The Mississippi Street Fair is probably the most iconic of such events in Portland—a world of sushi, beer, designer kiddie clothes and strange art made from bird carcasses. North Mississippi Avenue between Fremont and Alberta streets, mississippiave.com/streetfair. 10 am-9 pm.
7/9
S U N D AY
PLAYBOI CARTI
SOLOMON GEORGIO
Grumpy old-heads might dismiss him as a “mumble rapper,” but Playboi Carti is Atlanta’s freshest voice, mixing a less-is-more lyrical approach with jiggy swagger that elevates his booming, bouncing single, “Magnolia,” to Song of the Summer status. Roseland Theater, 10 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033, roselandpdx.com. 9 pm. Sold out. All ages.
This is the taping for Solomon Georgio’s first comedy album. Georgio’s material often deals with his experiences as an openly gay Sudanese immigrant, and manages to seem upbeat even as talks about how fucked up Disney movies really are. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895, mississippistudios.com. 7 and 9 pm. $10 advance, $15 day of show. 21+.
M O N D AY
7/10
JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER
BOURBON & BINGO
Jonathan Safran Foer, wunderkind and famous Brooklyn Jonathan, is the author of Everything Is Illuminated, and a weirdball letter-writer to Natalie Portman. Unlike his other books—twee things about the Holocaust, and about 9-11—his new novel Here I Am seems to be about how problems in your family life cause problems in the Middle East. Or vice versa? Maybe it’s a metaphor! Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, powells.com. 7:30 pm. Free.
Host Brian Perez's dryly witty asides are the highlight of Mississippi Pizza's weekly Bourbon & Bingo night. The prizes are mostly novelty junk, but as a man once said: “It's not whether you win or lose, but how drunk you get.” Mississippi Pizza, 3552 N Mississippi Ave., 503-2883231, mississippipizza.com. 8 pm. 21+. Free.
7/11
T U E S D AY
SILENT KINGS The world is so ungodly noisy all the time, you can barely hear the piano. Clinton Street will quiet it down for a night featuring silent film stars Max Linder, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Fatty Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin. Piano scores will be played live, newsreels and cartoons will play, and you can forget all about horrible, horrible 2017. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St.,
DETROIT PIZZA NIGHT Get Detroit pizza about as good as you can get it on Tuesdays in Portland at East Glisan Street Pizza Lounge, a fine little neighborhood pizza bar that’s twice as good once a week. East Glisan Street Pizza Lounge, 8001 NE Glisan St., 971-279-4273, eastglisan.com.
503-238-5588, cstpdx.com. 7 pm. $5-$8 suggested donation. Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
21
E XPLO R E O R EG O N & WA S H I N GTO N ’ S S PEC TACU L AR COA ST
GOING COASTAL
Find your copy at select locations including New Seasons Market and Powell’s Books. Call 503.243.2122 for more information.
22
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
ADVERTORIAL
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
23
ADVERTORIAL
“”
With a wedding on the horizon and a future family in mind, life was about to get much bigger for us both. It was time to upgrade! At first, we thought we were looking for a house. Our Scout, Alia, made sure we found a home. - Actual Scout Realty Co. clients
24
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
ALIA MARIE HAZEN, Broker 503.705.8414 alia@scoutportland.com
SCOUTPORTLAND.COM
ADVERTORIAL
FREMONT STAGE presented by Por qu No
Noon - 1:00 1:30 - 2:30 2:30 2:45 - 3:30 4:00 - 5:00
GRANDFATHER'S RIB-OFF JUDGING JAMIE LEOPOLD & THE SHORT STORIES
5:30 - 8:00
“”
Sarah’s knowledge and experience kept us informed throughout the buying process. Her confidence became our confidence, allowing us to successfully negotiate the contract on our dream house! - Anna, Victor, Angelina & Iris Actual Scout Realty Co. clients
SARAH KNIGHT, Broker 971.506.7109 sarah@scoutportland.com
SCOUTPORTLAND.COM
Vintage Pop Up Marketplace at Mississippi Street Fair Booths 148-154 / 3636 N Mississippi
wweek.com NEWS • ARTS & CULTURE • FOOD & DRINK • EVENTS • MUSIC • MOVIES • CONTESTS • GIVEAWAYS
Want to advertise? Email advertising@wweek.comfor details.
Bocce Beer Garden Great Food 4205 N Mississippi
(Right before the North Stage) Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
25
ADVERTORIAL
“”
We literally cannot believe that we own a house. At every turn and every obstacle, Stephanie became our own personal superhero. She is a force of nature! We’re so f***in’ happy! - Jon & Trini Actual Scout Realty Co. clients
Verde Cocina Missing
STEPHANIE LUNDIN, Broker 503.737.8500 stephanie@stephanielundin.com
SCOUTPORTLAND.COM
E XPLO R E O R EG O N & WA S H I N GTO N ’ S S PEC TACU L AR COA ST
26
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
G R A N T K R AT Z E R
HERE’S AN ANNOTATED
J B D
I G
A
E
F
BY S O P H I A J U N E
sjune@wweek.com
T
he Oregon Country Fair is often billed as the epitome of hippie culture. The festival in Venata, outside Eugene, is a confluence of 1960s values, a place where old hippies mingle with children who grew up eating honey sandwiches on wheat bread and going to school with their clothes smelling of patchouli. At least, that’s what it is for me. The Oregon Country Fair has shaped my worldview perhaps more than anything else—for better and worse. But for other people, OCF is an overrated, drug-fueled mob of dirty naked people in the forest. I get that—it’s hot, it’s dirty, it’s druggy. I’ve been to the Oregon Country Fair more times than I can count, so I made a map to show you the best places to sit down when that guy on ’shrooms won’t stop trying to paint your face, along with some history to better understand the Fair. A. MAIN STAGE The site of the 1972 Grateful Dead “Sunshine Daydream” show, which the Dead played as a benefit for the Kesey family’s Springfield Creamery, which made a little hippie yogurt called Nancy’s. Maybe you’ve heard of it? The benefit show is credited with saving the creamery, and is considered one of the best Grateful Dead shows of all time. It’s on video, filmed by Merry Prankster Ken Babbs, who still lives outside Eugene.
B. CHELA MELA MEADOW This is where all the hula hoops, juggling and parachutes happen. It’s also where you go once you’re full-on tripping. This is one of the only places at the Fair named after a Native American tribe that used to live on the land, the Chelamela, a tribe of the larger Kalapuya ethnic group. C. THE PATH The freeway of the Fair, which old fairgoers call “The 8.” When the volunteer crews, who camp at the fairgrounds, get tired of huge mobs of people, they’ll take a break from The 8 and go hang out in their campsites. During the winter, the entire fairgrounds flood. In 1994, Ken Kesey told the Paris Review,“The good guys, the real God, are hippies in tie-dyes out at the Oregon Country Fair, who are providing a sprinkle of mischief and chaos to keep things from becoming mud all over.” He could have literally meant mud. D. THE RITZ SAUNA AND SHOWERS The Ritz is a group who sets up an expansive bathhouse and spa, where you can lounge next to dozens of other naked people. There’s lots of castile soap and art. This year, the Ritz was under scrutiny after planning to raise a highly controversial Native Americanstyle totem pole, which they called a “Story Pole,” to honor four members of the Ritz group who were killed in a plane crash. Native Americans said this was cultural appropriation, and after a series of charged debates the fair voted to disallow the pole.
E. BLUE MOON STAGE The String Cheese Incident played a set here in 1999. F. PARKING AREA Where the refurbished Furthur bus made its public debut in 2014. G. SPRINGFIELD CREAMERY BOOTH Ken Babbs hangs out here and still gets recognized. Babbs was a Merry Prankster, along with Kesey, who traveled the country in the Furthur bus, which became the subject of Tom Wolfe’s Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. H. THE FLOW ZONE This is where people come to do yoga. I. XAVANADU The area where nobody really goes, unless you’re brand-new to the Fair. There’s solar EV charging, where nu fairgoers go to charge their phones, while old-school people let them die. J. SHADY GROVE STAGE: When everyone around you is tripping and you can’t find a place to sit, find your way to the Shady Grove Stage, under a canopy of trees and directly across from what is essentially a tiny forest with a misting hose. GO: The Oregon Country Fair is at 24207 OR-126, Veneta, Friday, July 7-Sunday, July 9, 11 am-7 pm. $27-30.
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
27
FOOD & DRINK Our Five Favorite New Summer Beers in Portland This Year. BY MA RTIN CIZMA R
I
mcizmar@wweek.com
bop bop winners winners announced! announced! RSVP: surveymonkey.com/r/BOP17
Shandong www.shandongportland.com
STIEGL ZITRONE LEMON RADLER
You know the Stiegl Radler. Everyone knows Stiegl Radler. Portland has flipped for the “La Croix of Beers,” which contains a perfect mix of light lager with bitey grapefruit soda. Well, the Austrian brewery, which has been brewing www.shandongportland.com since Columbus set sail, is sending something new this year—a lemon version made with the same base lager but sweetened with natural lemon juice. It’s lighter and brighter than the original, and maybe just a hair too sweet—think Limoncello Sorbetto, but canned.
This “sangria” is our new favorite low-cost cider. It’s not actually sangria, because the base is apples instead of grapes. But it’s also not nearly as cloying as you’d expect for a $ 6 . 5 0 2 2 - o u n ce r flavored with seven fruits. None of those fruits really introduce themselves in the sip. There’s a nice ripe berry flavor and it’s not exactly tart, but it’s also not not tart. The makers suggest food pairings, but we would not. Pour this puppy over ice, or find a shady spot in the park
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
IPAs, but no great ones readily available in cans. Until now. Hazy IPAs are notoriously brittle, so Fort George brews the beer three times a week to keep it fresh, then allocates the cans in small batches to make sure it’s as fresh as possible. I’ve been drinking about one a week—this cloudy New England-style beer always has a beautiful golden haze, a soft, satisfying citrus character and a nice bite of hoppiness on the finish.
Shandong
PORTLAND CIDER COMPANY SANGRIA
28
FORT GEORGE 3-WAY IPA Portland has a few great hazy
PFUNGSTÄDTER WEIZEN RADLER
Is Stiegl lemon a little too bracing for you? New to cans, this German radler is made with wheat malt, making it creamier than the soda-based Stiegl. Like Stiegl, it’s made with real citrus juice instead of the flavoring agents in most radlers. This year’s aluminum version traveled much better than the green glass bottles used to in years past. The bubbles are big and fat, and the citrus is soft and sugary. At 2.7% ABV, you can sip them on the porch all afternoon and still be soberish when it’s time to fire up the grill for dinner.
REUBEN’S BREWS GOSE
It feels like Oregon’s shelves and taps are being inundated with new beers from out-of-state operations. Most of the appeal seems to be novelty—we don’t really need Founders IPA, do we? Then
there’s this fantastic gose from Seattle-based Reuben’s Brews. A gold medal winner at the 2015 and 2016 Great American Beer Festival, it’s salty and sweet in just the right proportions, made with lactobacillus, salt and coriander. It all adds up to a refreshing cucumbersalad vibe. I f t h e re ’s a better canned gose anywhere, I’ve not had it.
THOMAS TEAL
REVIEW
BIG SPREAD: Big’s Chicken has a large menu. Maybe too large.
Don’t Sugarcoat It BIG’S CHICKEN IS A BIG LETDOWN AFTER LAURELHURST MARKET’S PARKING-LOT THIGHS. BY JO R DA N M I C H E L M AN
THOMAS TEAL
There is a perfect bite at Big’s Chicken, the new smoked chicken-and-jojos spot from the people behind Laurelhurst Market, Ate- Oh-Ate, Simpatica and Reverend’s BBQ. That delectable bite is a union of the restaurant’s signature smoked boneless chicken thighs, paired with a vinegar-laced Alabama-style white BBQ sauce, mixed with sweet-hot pepper sauce and some crunchy slaw. The textures and flavors dance together like a country love song—all texture and twang, sweetness and heat. It’s one of the best things I ate in Portland in 2016. Unfortunately, this is 2017, a dark timeline for America indeed. The wonderful original iteration of Big’s Chicken—which appeared last summer as an outdoor grill stand next to Burnside meathouse Laurelhurst Market, serving chicken thighs, chicken sandwiches and a selection of market sausages—has transmogrified into a new counter-service restaurant on Northeast Glisan Street. I was a huge fan of the original parkinglot chicken—I even took friends from out of town to eat there. And I’m glad to see that the remarkable chicken thigh and slaw dish is still on the menu ($12.50 with sides), with that red Fresno-pepper sauce augmented with an even better green sauce made with sarit gat Hungarian pepper. But most of the new items at Big’s are an exercise in disappointment. The interior at Big’s feels like the Estacada pavilion at Epcot, with dozens of scrapped Oregon license plates, cheap seats, wobbly tables and geographically indistinct pan-shitkicker kitsch. There is bluegrass music playing;
there is TV sports on mute. And in the going Portland style, the staff is friendly, but it’s a “get your cup over there” kind of service model. Over five trips to the restaurant, my experience varied wildly. Big’s dry-fried wings ($6.95 for 6) were dreadful on my first visit—equal parts bland and undercooked, with no crispy crunch to balance out the bone-to-meat
ratio. I was ready to write them off, but on the final visit those wings improved dramatically (thanks to a change in purveyor), nicely seasoned with a house rub and perfect golden-crunchy texture. The elotes ($4.50) were also a high point, corncobs dressed in the house rub and covered in white BBQ and Fresno chile sauces. Save for these, and the aforementioned slaw—which splits a wonderful difference between vinegary bistro slaw and the mayo-slathered picnic variety—the sides at
Big’s ($2-$5) range from bummer to woefully bad. The dirty rice is closer to sweet paella, while the dry-fried green beans are sloppy and sweetly soggy. The fried cauliflower with smoked tomato aioli reads better than it tastes, and the pickles (borrowed from the sandwich set) are unremarkable. I’d hoped the creole gravy might serve as a kind of southern—or at least southern Oregon—answer to the curry and chicken combo at Killingsworth Thai spot Hat Yai. Instead, it was a greasy, bland mess. Though it came served in a huge portion for only $1.95, this gravy is worth only a couple of bites. And then there are the jojos. I’m no jojo purist, and this is not my jojo Jihad. But while they’re already serving an astonishing 1,000 pounds of jojos here each week, I’d rather eat the jojos at Safeway than the ones at Big’s ($2.95/$4.95, included in combos). They are frozen, pre-made and starchy to the point of evoking the dreaded plantain. If you’re lucky, your portion might contain a rare micro-jo—those had enough coating and crunch to be interesting, but by then we’ve moved into fry territory. These are sad jojos, bad jojos, and if you listen to the jojo purists, they might not really even be jojos at all, but rather, an appropriation of the term for in the name of kitsch factor. They are neither battered nor broasted, bro. But the biggest problem at Big ’s Chicken is Big ’s whole chicken. The delicious signature thigh at Big’s is sliced thin, affording better access to the house marinade (the same sweet Fresno chili sauce on your table)—a contributing factor to its juicy, flavorful goodness. But a whole bird ($22.95 with two sides) is an entirely different matter. Where there should be a balance of smoke and cooked meat and rub, there is instead a bland mountain of bird sugared up with sweet sauces. Once you’re past the sauce—which, being sugar, is good—and the first bit of juicy meat underneath the skin, it’s the damndest thing. The chicken loses its flavor. It’s just protein slathered in sweet sauce, with no hint of smoke, despite its journey over oak, cherry and apple wood in the kitchen’s brand-new Cookshack electric smoker. Having gone back to try the chicken at Pollo Norte, El Inka, Podnah’s and Chicken & Guns while writing this review—I really fucking like chicken, okay?—I can attest that Big’s doesn’t offer the best chicken in town; it’s not even the best whole chicken on Northeast Glisan Street, an honor that goes to Pollo Norte. There are two cocktails on the list, a Moscow mule ($7) and some kind of bourbon sour ($8), both oversweet, undermixed and ghastly. Luckily, there are $2 Oly pints alongside $5 craft brews from Fort George and Oakshire. For dessert, there is a forgettable flabby buttermilk pie ($4) served room temperature. It’s a shame. In its original smoky parking lot, Big ’s could have become a neighborhood landmark—a beloved seasonal tradition Portlanders looked forward to each year, in part because of the immediacy of getting your chicken straight from that outdoor smoker. But by adding more stuff to the menu, and moving the concept into a restaurant, they made a great thing worse. I hope something else cool comes into that Laurelhurst Market parking lot and never, ever leaves. In the meantime, there’s still a perfect bite to be had at Big’s—thigh, slaw, sauce. GO: Big’s Chicken, 5663 NE Glisan St., 503-477-5922, bigschicken.com. 11 am-9 pm daily. Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
29
30
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
MUSIC Prices listed are sometimes for advance ticket sales. At-the-door increases and socalled convenience charges may apply. Event lineups are subject to change after WW’s press deadlines. Editor: MATTHEW SINGER. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, go to wweek.com/ submitevents and follow submission directions. All shows should be submitted two weeks or more in advance of event. Press kits, CDs and especially vinyl can be sent to Music Desk, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Please include show or release date information with all physical mailings. Email: msinger@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5 Those Willows, the Mondegreens, Astro Tan
[DREAM-FOLK] Occupying a space where melodious acoustic pop lives happily alongside synths and reverb, Those Willows’ 2016 self-titled album is the sound of a folk band that’s grown roots in the same town as Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Opting for the term “indie pop” mostly out of a struggle to pin down something more exact, the Portland band’s sound has evolved over the years into a combination of folk and art-rock. Through its stylistic twists and turns, the bright thread running through Those Willows’ sound is the magical blend of Jack Wells’ and Mel Tarter’s voices. Having expanded from a duo into a full band, there’s now even more space to marvel at their vocal harmonies as they crescendo and break off. ISABEL ZACHARIAS. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-231-9663. 9 pm. $8 advance, $10 day of show. 21+.
La Luz, Savila
[SURF NOIR] Easily the finest surf-rock outfit of the last half-decade, La Luz are the queens of the psychedelic beach. The Seattle outfit moved south to L.A. and key members have been busy with side projects, but their fuzzed-out, trance-inducing core is still very much intact. If you’re somehow unfamiliar with the quartet, simply imagine doo-wop according to an experimental acid-rock band from the ’60s. As La Luz hasn’t officially released a record since 2015’s soul-shaking Weirdo Shrine, expect— or at least hope—to hear a few new gems tonight. MARK STOCK. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503288-3895. 9 pm. $12. 21+.
THURSDAY, JULY 6 The Districts, the Spirit of the Beehive
[WOLF PUPS] Exquisite indie rock act Wolf Parade has been around long enough now that its influence can be heard loud and clear in many newer bands. One such band is the Districts, a Philadelphia four-piece responsible for hook-driven rock that meanders between brushy balladry and all-out indie rock. The wily vocals of latest single “One To Another” remind of Spencer Krug, operatic and a little off the hinges. Consider the band’s forthcoming third LP, Popular Manipulations, the official arrival of indie rock’s next generation. MARK STOCK. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-2319663. 9 pm. $15 advance, $17 day of show. 21+.
Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Lithics, Lavender Flu, Mattress
[QUIRKAPALOOZA] It’s been nearly three years since Quintron released his last full-length album, Spellcaster II— Death In Space. That set was quintessential Quintron, full of anthemic organ jams with singalong choruses set over bouncy, robotic drumbeats. Mr. Quintron proudly hails from New Orleans and imbues his music with plenty of swamp gas, voodoo and verve. He’s almost a one-man band, but for the maracas and vocal work of his partner, Miss Pussycat, whose warm-up puppet shows are always a blast. Even more lovable weirdness will be on offer thanks to an opening set from Portland’s Mattress. The baritone-voiced freakshow just got back from a West Coast tour, where he implanted nightmares into the psyches of thousands of confused Modest Mouse fans. NATHAN CARSON. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 9 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.
Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth
[ONE-MAN BOY BAND] Shawn Mendes, the newest pop prince from Canada, isn’t quite Justin Bieber, but his stuff is catchy and full of falsetto, giant drum fills and emotional crooning. The 18-year-old got his start as a Vine star at age 14, performing acoustic covers of Ed Sheeran and Lumineers songs. He caught the attention of a music producer, and in 2015 released his first album, Handwritten, featuring the crazy popular track “Stitches,” accompanied by a video in which Mendes beats himself up in a parking lot. His recently released second album, Illuminate, is a little slower and sultrier, but don’t worry, parents, it’s still tween-appropriate SOPHIA JUNE. Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct St., 503-253-8771. 7:30 pm. $19.50$147. All ages.
FRIDAY, JULY 7 Rare Monk, the Tamed West, Small Leaks Sink Ships
[INDIE ROCK] Having started as a house-party band in Eugene, Portland’s Rare Monk has gone through several stages of evolution to reach its current form, playing guitar-driven, melodyrich, big-stage modern rock. A Future, the band’s new Skyler Norwoodproduced full-length, has a trace of early Radiohead and a little bit of Local Natives in its veins, which means they should be getting spins on KNRK any day now. MATTHEW SINGER. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-2319663. 8 pm. $6. 21+.
Mutoid Man, Helms Alee, Norska, WORWS
[PROGRESSIVE THRASH] Though it was first met with harsh opposition, Cave In’s transition from punishing hardcore to introspective prog metal on their 2000 album, Jupiter, has since been recognized as one of the most bold and satisfying left turns the genre’s ever seen. With the help of Converge drummer Ben Koller and veteran bassist Nick Cageao, Cave In’s former guitarist and vocalist, Stephen Brodsky, formed Mutoid Man as an outlet for the stylistic overlap between these two eras, combining the whiteknuckled tempos of the former with the spacey ambition of the latter. This year’s War Moans excels in providing fans of modern prog-influenced contemporaries like Baroness and the Mars Volta with a melodically dense masterpiece that checks off all the boxes a headbanger could ever want, with intense breakdowns, thrash-inflected screeching and triumphant payoffs that turn out to be much smarter than their rockist delivery seems to indicate at first. PETE COTTELL. Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd., 503-233-7100. 7:30 pm. $15 advance, $18 day of show. All ages.
Destructor, Antichrist, Danava, DJ Dennis Dread
[THRASH METAL] Moving from the small town of Euclid, Ohio, to Cleveland, Destructor may not have made the biggest move when it comes to their home base, but they have gone miles with their music career. Popping up on the scene in the ‘80s, Destructor’s debut, Maximum Destruction, is still considered a study guide for all powerthrash metal to come. Though they may not be regarded as part of the “Big Four of Thrash,” founding members Dave Overkill and Matt Flammable haven’t let that stop them. Destructor has now come full circle, naming their
CONT. on page 32
C O U R T E S Y O F B A N D C A M P. C O M
PROFILE
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
Making Contact HARRIET BROWN IS THE L.A. FUNK SCENE’S NEW RESIDENT ALIEN. BY MATTHEW SIN GER
msinger@wweek.com
Before he transformed into a one-man band with eye-grabbing personal style and a gender-twisting pseudonym, Harriet Brown was just a churchgoing jazz kid with a library card. “I would often go to the public library, borrow the limit of CDs, take them home, burn them, and bring them back to get more,” he recalls over email. “There’s this Mingus song called ‘A Colloquial Dream,’ which was a bonus track on a CD I found on one of my excursions. I remember hearing that song for the first time, listening back to it a couple of times and thinking, ‘I have to play music, there’s nothing else I can do.’ “And then I applied to college as an architecture major.” Growing up in a devoutly religious home, the son of “American Dream-chasing immigrant parents” from the Philippines, Brown initially allowed himself to get nudged toward a more “practical” career. After two years of study, he eventually “came to,” and started chasing his own dream. But even then, Brown—he prefers not to “I HAVE TO PLAY MUSIC, disclose his birth name—ended THERE’S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO.” up miles from where he started, - Harriet Brown as a literal choirboy playing guitar in a high school band. musical or classical or artistic sense,” Brown says. In L.A.’s revivified funk scene, the 26-year-old Bay Area native is emerging as a “Funky, but favoring harmonies reminiscent of potential torchbearer. On his debut full-length, that era of Western classical music.” Contact, Brown triangulates early Prince, a grown, While many of the songs were written around sexy Janet Jackson and Mr. Contact himself—Carl the same time as the EP, Contact represents a full Sagan, if you’re nasty—connecting the corporeal, evolutionary leap forward. It’s an album of familiar the spiritual and the extraterrestrial through vin- grooves colored with odd sounds. Although Brown tage synths, bangin’ drum machines and the occa- wears his influences on his hypercolor sleeves, he sional ripping guitar solo. And he does it while manages to evoke them while sounding like he’s rocking a look best described as Lloyd Christmas- broadcasting from another planet—like an alien meets-new jack swing. reinterpreting transmissions of ’80s R&B radio Understandably, the transformation didn’t and beaming them back to Earth. happen overnight. Following a three-month, postAppropriately, the struggle to communicate faccollege backpacking trip through Europe, Brown tors largely into the lyrics. On the levitating ballad returned to the states with “a pretty empty, stuck “Mother,” Brown compares himself to a “super-masfeeling regarding music,” he says. He’d been play- sive black hole, pulling in the weight of our world/All ing with other people, which meant playing the because I didn’t get that call back.” A sense of Digital music other people wanted to play. He wanted the Age loneliness—that feeling of being connected to freedom to wander, to futz around and figure out everyone and no one at the same time—permeates exactly what kind of artist he wanted to be. even the album’s more playful moments. Musically, Moving to Los Angeles helped. Armed with a though, Brown says he’s content to continue going it raft of electronic instruments he’d never really alone. For right now, anyway. messed with before, Brown took advantage of “I definitely relish having complete control the city’s isolating nature, bunkering down in a over my work, and probably will continue to home studio and honing in on the Harriet Brown do so forever—this is a big part of what Harpersona. His first EP, 2014’s New Era, is the riet Brown is, by definition,” he says. “But that result of that initial tinkering, and while clearly doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t bring on a band or more rudimentary than the music to come, it something when I get the opportunity of being in showcased his shape-shifting vocals and ability a position where I can comfortably work with the to create lush worlds out of just a few elements. exact players I know I need and want to execute A friend dubbed his sound “romantic funk,” a certain vision. I’m not yet in that position.” mostly as a joke, but the blogs ran with it. “To get a little nerdy on you, I think his original SEE IT: Harriet Brown plays Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., with Nite Jewel and Geneva reasoning behind the term wasn’t so much mean- Jacuzzi, on Saturday, July 8. 9 pm. $14 advance, ing ‘romance’ plus ‘funk,’ but more romantic in a $16 day of show. 21+. Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
31
MUSIC newest album after one of their earliest demos, Decibel Casualties. The album shows Overkill hasn’t lost his powerful banshee screech or fast fingers, using both to keep the quick tempo with Flammable’s furious shockwave drumming style. Destructor still has enough vigor and energy to hold their own against any of the newer acts in the genre—though it’s not like they’ve got anything left to prove. CERVANTE POPE. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 8 pm. $16 advance, $22 day of show. 21+.
Emma Ruth Rundle, Evan Patterson
[SOFT GOTH] As a guitarist of the savagely underrated L.A.-based post-rock outfit Red Sparowes, Emma Ruth Rundle was a sorceress of tension and texture, draping hopeful and climactic melodies in an otherworldly swirl of uncertainty and reverb that served as the band’s strongest asset. Now a solo artist on the same record label as Russian Circles and Chelsea Wolfe, Rundle has built an intriguing body of work that brokers in hushed, unsettling vocals that haunt the space created by her fretwork. Well worth the comparisons to PJ Harvey or a goth-folk Kate Bush, last year’s Marked For Death is a powerful album populated with languid dirges driven by loss and longing, feelings Rundle adeptly weaves in and out of the foreground with her mastery of cavernous arrangements centered around dissonance and dread. PETE COTTELL. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. #110, 503-2883895. 7 pm. Sold out. 21+. On the roofdeck.
Clarke & the Himselfs, Sad Horse, Preakedness
[SAD PUNK] Clarke Howell hasn’t technically cloned herself, but the sad indie-punk she makes sounds like a full coterie of Clarkes in tow. At times harsh and delicate at others, Howell’s work as Clarke & the Himselfs brings a tender dynamic to her albums and stage presence alike. This mixture of sound and emotion made her sets at Treefort Music Fest earlier this year stand out, but the same can be said for newer noise-pop trio Preakedness and local love-punk duo Sad Horse. Honestly, this bill is like Treefort all over again, except the migration between cities is reversed. CERVANTE POPE. Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth St, 503284-6019. 8 pm. Call venue for ticket prices. 21+.
SATURDAY, JULY 8 Skull Diver, The Secret Ceremony, Young Hunter
[PALLBEARER POP] There is a sinister magnitude to Skull Diver’s sophomore record, Chemical Tomb. The Portland trio’s fiery, distorted guitar progressions are fanned by synthesizers replicating the ghoulish tones of a funeral organ. If there was ever a pop-rock outfit built for a sprawling graveyard, this is it. Fans of Zola Jesus and Portishead will find comfort in the band’s dark demeanor, but
CONT. on page 34
C O U R T E SY O F FAC E B O O K
PREVIEW
Playboi Carti, Young Nudy, Pierre Bourne [ATLANTA RAP] Hip-hop magazine XXL recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its annual Freshman issue, which each year attempts to predict rap’s future stars. Playboi Carti, arguably the most famous of this year’s bunch, is front and center on the cover. It’s well deserved. Carti is Atlanta’s freshest voice, mixing OJ Da Juiceman’s less-is-more lyrical approach and A$AP Rocky’s jiggy swagger. At 21, he’s already received co-signs from all your favorite high-fashion influencers, and has spent years building a rabid following on SoundCloud, dropping one-off gems like “Broke Boi” and “Fetti” before releasing his long-awaited debut mixtape. “Magnolia” is an early Song of the Summer candidate rumbling with infectious bass and a milly-rock-ready bounce courtesy of Carti’s sonic architect Pierre Bourne. When he pairs off with fellow up-and-comer Lil Uzi Vert on “Lookin” and “Wokeuplikethis,” you can almost feel the mosh pit forming in your head. Other MCs from the 2017 Freshman Class have had breakout moments— but for Carti, his rising stardom is the product of sheer confidence and flexing on haters so fans can have a good time. Dismiss him as a “mumble rapper” if you want, but his music is true to self. ERIC DIEP. SEE IT: Roseland Theater, 10 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033. 9 pm Sunday, July 9. Sold out. All ages. 32
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
X I M E N A B E D O YA
INTRODUCING
Post Moves
WHO: Sam Wenc (guitar, vocals, synth), Nathaniel Kornet (bass and synth), Julian Morris (drums, vocals and also synth). SOUNDS LIKE: The Clientele, Beach Fossils, The Sea and Cake,
Silver Jews
FOR FANS OF: If Wes Anderson asked Real Estate to score a mumblecore film about an aimless acid-damaged Harvard dropout who’s too smart for his own good. It’s not uncommon for a songwriter to create music as an escape. What’s much less common is for a band to cultivate a sound based on that escape, which in the case of Post Moves is a migration from the stodgy academia of the East Coast to the more relaxed environs of the West. Their sound is a bit too smart to land amongst the ranks of a label like Burger Records, but their sonic ambitions are more than just a coincidence “That idea is totally relevant,” says drummer Julian Morris. “Because we all came out here for a reason. That reason was to get the fuck out of Massachusetts.” Despite hailing from the same state across the country, it wasn’t until Morris, singer-guitarist Sam Wenc and bassist Nathaniel Kornet landed at Lewis and Clark that the trio bonded over artists like Townes Van Zandt, Michael Hurley and Gram Parsons—all of whom Wenc describes as falling under the blanket of “drifter folk.” “I grew up with a foundation of ’70s country rock like Neil Young, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons,” says Wenc. “There’s always been this lonesome folk-drifter kinda vibe that I always dug both lyrically and cosmically.” “Cosmic” is a better qualifier than any to describe the peculiar lyrics and the tendency to drift into the ether that make Post Moves debut record, Boogie Night at the Edge of Town, such a compelling listen. Though Wenc’s intricate web of glistening guitar work is the most immediately inviting element of the record, it’s his offbeat stories about bummed-out surfers and mysterious grifters that provide direction for Boogie Night’s many strange twists and turns. Like a Thomas Pynchon novel interpreted by one of New York indie label Captured Tracks’ many dreamy guitar bands, the album’s strongest moments have a penchant for vanishing into a haze as soon as they start to make sense. Had Post Moves met back in Massachusetts at a place like Berklee, it’s possible most of the time they devote to floating in space on songs like “Mick’s Surf Shop/Playa Pulpos” and “Reg” would be replaced with the kind of heady diversions that have drawn joyless chin-scratchers to Steely Dan all these years. When all is put to tape, the draw of West Coast Americana is far too strong with Wenc and Morris to garner any interest in going further down that road. And thank god for that. “We have that component of the heady, old school academic vibe,” says Morris. “And there are parts of that you can appreciate that you simultaneously want to push back against...those riffs are intoxicating, but with Sam the progression doesn’t end there. Lyrically, there’s a lot more to the story. Just harnessing those Steely Dan moments of excitement is not what we’re trying to do.” SEE IT: Post Moves play Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave., with Sawtooth and Gulch, on Thursday, July 6. 9:30 pm. $5. 21+. Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
33
MUSIC 17
their witchiness does not take away from the sharp pop hooks and underlying approachability. MARK STOCK. High Water Mark Lounge, 6800 NE MLK Ave., 503286-6513. 8:30 pm. $6. 21+.
Jump Jack Sound Machine One-Year Anniversary
[HOUSEQUAKE] Who says there’s such a thing as a Best New Band curse? Shortly after placing at the top of Willamette Week’s annual local music poll in 2016, Chanticleer Tru and Natasha Kmeto, of throwback-R&B supergroup Chanti Darling, launched Jump Jack Sound Machine, a monthly dance party dedicated to house, disco, U.K. garage and more. One year later, both the group and the party are still going strong. Tonight’s anniversary party features cameos from rapper the Last Artful Dodgr, electro landscape artists Waterbed and techno cosmonaut Orographic. MATTHEW SINGER. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 10 pm. $7. 21+.
CLASSICAL, JAZZ & WORLD MONDAY, JULY 10 Chamber Music Northwest: In Mulieribus
[MEDIEVAL TO MODERN] If you’ve ever struggled with demons, you’ll appreciate the 850-yearold musical dramatization of that conflict created by one of the first composers we know by name. Medieval German abbess Hildegard of Bingen’s soaring melodies have gained new popularity in recent years. Her Play of the Virtues (Ordo Virtutum) was a very early concept album that pits the devil against the virtues in a
musical battle for the soul. In this Chamber Music Northwest concert, Portland’s all-star women’s choir In Mulieribus sings all but Satan’s role—he’ll be voiced by a man, of course, Portland actor Isaac Lamb—along with contemporary music by Seattle composerconductor Karen P. Thomas and the excellent young British choral composer Tarik O’Regan, whose music incorporates minimalism and global sounds. BRETT CAMPBELL Kaul Auditorium (at Reed College), 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd.. 7:30 pm. $10-$60. All ages.
For more Music listings, visit
PROFILE CHRISTINE MITCHELL
20
DATES HERE
Twista, LC Jetson, Mr. Patron & Rush Wun, Ruso
[RHYMES ON RHYMES] Every hip-hop fan has a favorite Twista album. Just last month, Adrenaline Rush turned 20, and for older heads, it’s an undisputed classic, showcasing his famously fast, dexterous flow in full acceleration on the title track. In the 2000s, backed by Kanye West’s chipmunk-soul production, Twista became a mainstream commodity thanks to radio hits “Overnight Celebrity” and “Slow Jamz,” earning a reputation as the quickest-rhyming MC in the game. This year, the Chicago lifer is adding one more album to his legacy with Crook County, teasing the announcement with lead single “Baddest,” a strip-club-ready anthem with a thumping Zaytoven beat. Consistency is a priority in the hip-hop industry for anyone who wants to stay relevant. Luckily for Twista, all he has to do is keep his speed up. ERIC DIEP. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033. 8 pm. $35. All ages. In Peter’s Room.
TUESDAY, JULY 11 Froth, Moaning, Psychomagic
[DREAM-ROCK] Subscribers to Deerhunter’s melodic yet inventive rock ought to turn their ears towards Froth. The Los Angeles band has a knack for piecing together the gaze-y, distant sounds of some parallel universe with the charging altrock of ’90s college radio. The band recently released Outside (briefly), a worthy successor to 2015’s underrated and delightfully washed-out Bleak. Fellow Lolipop Records act, Portland’s own Psychomagic, share the bill. MARK STOCK. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-2883895. 9 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.
Thou, Cloud Rat, False, Moloch
RSVP: surveymonkey.com/r/BOP17 34
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
[SOUTHERN SLUDGE] In a valiant act of the heavy metal world snake eating its own tail, last year’s Released From Love/You, Whom I Always Hated pitted the punishing sludge of legendary New Orleans sludge powerhouse Thou against the art damaged caterwauling of Portland’s the Body, yielding dirge-like tempos spiked with abrasive noise in all the right places. Like many modern metal acts, Thou is steeped in a shroud of mystery that’s accountable to either an aversion to social media or sheer disinterest in keeping fans engaged, but the chance to catch one of their ear-splitting live sets is not to be missed for anyone who claims to have hesher cred. PETE COTTELL. Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., 503-206-7630. 6 pm. $15. 21+.
Pussy Gods
Cynics who thought that rock died weren’t betting on the new pussy paradigm. An all-woman quartet birthed in 2014 from Seattle’s foggy depths, Thunderpussy isn’t a girl band, but a rock band, snarling and jumping and pulsing with timeless leather bravado . Just as Elvis as Iggy, as classic rock as it is Delta blues, Thunderpussy sucks up all of rock music’s most romantic iterations and spits out a blood-tinged sex potion. All four of these women are lifelong musicians, and it shows. Drummer Ruby Dunphy’s loose, effortless fills betray her Cornish jazz training, while guitarist Whitney Petty will make you reconsider having used the word “shred” to describe any other guitar player—and the span of bassist Leah Julius’ vocabulary is evidenced by her as playing for Seattle soul-punk outfit Sundries. Then, of course, there’s Molly Sides. The frontwoman is most often seen folded back in half on the floor with a microphone gathering her sweat and breath. Though Thunderpussy’s fierce, label-averse independence has prevented them from starting work on a debut LP until this past September, the band’s live shows have built a cult following. Everywhere Thunderpussy plays turns into a dank, sweaty basement—whether it’s actually a basement or a sunny stage at Sasquatch. “To see live performance is to be reminded that we are alive,” says Sides. “We stand, breathe, laugh, drink, scream, fall over, get up, move on. Life performance is a path to enlightenment.” Onstage, Sides ironically finds zen within pure, muscular expression—which is, itself, something of a manifesto to the virtues of rock and roll. Sides writhes sexily in all sequins, ducks underneath Petty’s legs and howls, stage dives, and generally loses her mind, inviting the audience to do the same— it’s like if KISS had sex with FIDLAR and their child was born covered in gold glitter. Yes, Thunderpussy is indebted to several obvious spirit guides, with Sleater-Kinney the most obvious among them, but to reduce them to SK’s PNW glam rock revivalist heir is too easy. They aren’t just the next thing; they’re the new thing. Here is your new rock ’n’ roll order, one united in worship of the Divine Feminine. Leave the fate of rock and roll in these four humans’ hands; like Sides sings in the band’s first single, “No Heaven,” “You don’t have to worry ’bout heaven no more.” ISABEL ZACHARIAS. The gender-flipped cock-rock of Seattle’s Thunderpussy has the power to save rock and roll
SEE IT: Thunderpussy plays Dante’s, 350 W Burnside St., with Cave Clove, on Saturday, July 8. 9 pm. $12 advance, $15 day of show. 21+.
MUSIC CALENDAR WED. JULY 5 Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. The Wild War, Gravity Tapes, Nevayda Gunn, the Upper Strata
Catfish Lou’s
2460 NW 24th Ave. Blue Wednesday Jam with Robbie Laws
Corkscrew
1665 SE Bybee Blvd. Mike Winkle and Craig Snazelle, Bass and Face
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St, Those Willows, the Mondegreens, Astro Tan
Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St. (Troutdale) Afterthoughts live at the Winery Tasting Room
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St. Kool Stuff Katie, Risley, Arthur & the Antics
Jack London Revue
529 SW 4th Ave. Coco’s Cacophony + Shreddy Symphony of the Subterranean
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. La Luz, Savila
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St. JoyTribe + Fresh Track Party
The Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand Ave, The Blind Owls
The Vault at O’Connor’s
7850 SW Capitol Hwy, JT Wise Acoustic Trio
White Eagle Saloon
836 N Russell St. Thorcraft Cobra, the Afternooners, the Colin Trio
THU. JULY 6 Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. J. Diggs, Rydah J Klyde, Masta X-Kid, Rob Mack, MDot80
Bunk Bar
1028 SE Water Ave. Post Moves, Sawtooth, Gulch
Catfish Lou’s
2460 NW 24th Avenue. Jolie’s Jam Session
Corkscrew
1665 SE Bybee Blvd. Ben Graves Trio
Dante’s
350 W Burnside St. On Drugs, Malt Lizard
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St, The Districts, the Spirit of the Beehive
Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St. (Troutdale) The Talbott Brrothers
Jack London Revue 529 SW 4th Ave. Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group
Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Ave. Freak Mountain Ramblers
Kenton Club
2025 N Kilpatrick St. Foolish Johns, Marcy’s Band, Fools
Mississippi Studios
LAST WEEK LIVE
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Lithics, Mattress
Moda Center
1 N Center Ct St, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth
Director Park
815 SW Park Ave. Monday Soundscapes featuring Stella Augustine
2926 NE Alberta St. Michael Page Sheridan
The Fixin’ To
High Water Mark Lounge
8218 N. Lombard St. Dapper Badger, Teri Untalan
6800 NE MLK Ave. Numenorean, Wormwitch, Barrowlands, Ireshrine
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St. That Funk & Soul: pigWar + Rippin Chicken
Kaul Auditorium (at Reed College)
The Know
3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Chamber Music Northwest: In Mulieribus
3728 NE Sandy Blvd. Atriarch, Haunted Horses, Marriage + Cancer
Muddy Rudder Public House
The Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand Ave. The Blind Owls
8105 Se 7th Ave. Lloyd Jones
The Secret Society
White Owl Social Club 1305 SE 8th Ave. Briana Marela, Mini Blinds
FRI. JULY 7 Alberta Rose Theater 3000 NE Alberta St. Rodney Crowell
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. Juliet Tango, Mr. Misery, Law Boss
Catfish Lou’s
2460 NW 24th Ave, Tracey Fordice Band
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St, Rare Monk, the Tamed West, Small Leaks Sink Ships
Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St. (Troutdale) Anita Margarita & the RattleSnakes at the Winery Tasting Room
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd. Mutoid Man, Helms Alee, Norska, WORWS
High Water Mark Lounge
6800 NE MLK Ave. Laiva, TBI, Dreams
Jade Lounge
2342 SE Ankeny St, Tyler Burdwood of Bellwire, Jake McKelvie
JB’s Nightclub & Lounge
909 N Hayden Island Dr. Pacific Rhythm Band
Kenton Club
2025 N Kilpatrick St. Hair Puller, Zyl, Tallwomen, Leafminer
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Destructor, Antichrist, Danava, DJ Dennis Dread
Catfish Lou’s
1665 SE Bybee Blvd. James Clem
TC O’Learys Pub
1420 SE Powell Blvd. Skulldozer, Witch Ripper, Sarama
225 SW Ash St. Floating Pointe, Echo Pearl Varsity, the City Pines
Corkscrew
128 NW 11th Ave. First Thursday with the Jackalope Saints
Twilight Cafe and Bar
MON. JULY 10 Ash Street Saloon
2460 NW 24th Ave, Ben Rice
Portland Center Stage
116 NE Russell St. Thursday Swing! featuring Baby & the Pearl Blowers, the Pepper Grinders
[JULY 5-11]
For more listings, check out wweek.com.
HENRY CROMETT
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
Editor: Matthew Singer. TO HAVE YOUR EVENT LISTED, send show information at least two weeks in advance on the web at wweek.com/ submitevents. Press kits, CDs and especially vinyl can be sent to Music Desk, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Please include show or release date information with all physical mailings. Email: music@wweek.com.
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave. R.LUM.R with Guests
CHILLPOCALYPSE: While popular consciousness has long imagined the sound of the end of the world to be chaotic and violent, Scott Hansen has a considerably different idea of what should be playing while the final embers of civilization slowly burn out. Though there was nothing overtly apocalyptic about Tycho’s set at Edgefield on June 28, it’s hard to imagine a better distraction from the world’s slow unraveling than the group’s gentle assault of sleek techno and kaleidoscopic visuals. Originally a designer with a flair for warm, oversaturated panoramas and Kubrick-esque retro-futurism, Hansen’s spent the past decade figuring out how to translate the feelings evoked by his visual work into danceable audio sensations. Aside from an incredibly bizarre sequence inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, the meticulous pairing of sight and sound remains Tycho’s strongest point of distinction. The hour-long set featured an even spread from his four most wellknown albums. Favorites like “Montana” and “A Walk” satisfied the audience’s thirst for the dream-like ear candy that’s grown Tycho’s popularity considerably since 2014’s Awake. But newer tracks like “Source” and “Division”—which both lean heavily on interlocking guitar buildups and drummer Rory O’Connor’s metronomic rigidity and explosive jazz fills—were solid evidence of the group’s evolution from a bedroom project into a cohesive and dynamic live unit that’s successfully weaned themselves off laptops. PETE COTTELL. Plew’s Brews 8409 N Lombard St, God Bless America, The Insignificunts, Nuisance, Erik Anarchy
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St. #110 Emma Ruth Rundle, Evan Patterson
Skyline Tavern
8031 NW Skyline Blvd. Mostly Stones
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Breaker/Breaker, the Welkin Dim, Cellar Door, DND7, the Macks, Full Moon at Midnight, Stab in the Dark, Right Lane Ends
The Know
3728 NE Sandy Blvd. The Body, Bleak Cities, Ruminant, Naux
The Tonic Lounge
3100 NE Sandy Blvd. Druden, Skyeater, Urchin, Mercy Seat
Turn! Turn! Turn!
8 NE Killingsworth St. Clarke & the Himselfs, Sad Horse, Preakedness
Twilight Cafe and Bar 1420 SE Powell Blvd. My Life in Black and White, Dead Bars, Coyote Bred, Hilltop Rats
White Eagle Saloon 836 N Russell St. Dear Drummer w/ ATTTT ATS & Chelsea Tractors
SAT. JULY 8 Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. Judicator, Tanagra, Excruciator, Sanctifyre
Slim’s
8635 N Lombard St. Michael Dean Damron
The Know
Catfish Lou’s
2460 NW 24th Ave. Sportin’ Lifers
3728 NE Sandy Blvd. Needles//Pins, Low Culture, Muscle Dungeon, Girl Drink Drunks
Dante’s
The Lovecraft Bar
350 West Burnside St. Thunderpussy, Cave Clove
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St, Nite Jewel, Geneva Jacuzzi, Harriet Brown
Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St. (Troutdale) Edgefield’s 106th Birthday Party feat. the Freak Mountain Ramblers
High Water Mark Lounge
6800 NE MLK Ave. Skull Diver, the Secret Ceremony, Young Hunter
Kenton Club
2025 N Kilpatrick St. King Ghidora, the Wilder, White Wail
Republic Cafe
222 NW 4th Ave. Queen Chief, Down Gown
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave. Twista, LC Jetson, Mr. Patron & Rush Wun, Ruso
421 SE Grand Ave, Volt Divers
The O’Neil Public House 6000 NE Glisan St. Sweet ‘n Juicy
Tony Starlight Showroom
1125 SE Madison St, The Tony Starlight Show
Twilight Cafe and Bar
1420 SE Powell Blvd. Eva & the Vagabond Tales; The return of Burn the Stage
SUN. JULY 9 Adventureland Ballroom
2262 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd, Playboy Manbaby
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave. The Duke Robillard Band 50 Year Celebration Tour
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. The Fabulous Miss Wendy, Top Down, the Misfortunes of Mr. Teal, the Ransom
Corkscrew
1665 SE Bybee Blvd. Courtney Freed and Friends Present Showtune Sunday
Portland Trinity Episcopal 147 NW 19th Ave. Summer Choir
Rontoms
Dante’s
350 W Burnside St. Playboy Manbaby followed by Sinferno Cabaret
600 E Burnside St. Rontoms Sunday Sessions: Hustle & Drone, Earth World, Mothertapes
Edgefield
The Know
2126 SW Halsey St (Troutdale) Julie McCarl and Bodacious live at the Winery Tasting Room
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd. Holus Bolus, Third Seven
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St. PDX Pop Now! Compilation Release Party!
Jack London Revue
529 SW 4th Ave. Neo-Soul Sunday Feat. Tyrone Hindricks
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St. Kristoff Krane, Kill The Vultures, Jellyfish Brigade, Abadawn, Donovan Trip & Animal Nation
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Solomon Georgio, Josh Androsky
Muddy Rudder Public House 8105 Se 7th Ave. Dan & Fran
3728 NE Sandy Blvd. Caustic Touch, Interracial Sex
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St, Santoros with Kulululu + the Verner Pantons
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, Witch Bottle, Cult of Zir
The O’Neil Public House
6000 NE Glisan St. Mrs. Doyle & the Teapots
The steep and thorny way to heaven SE 2nd & Hawthorne Blvd. Oddville: A New Vaudevillian Tradition
The Tonic Lounge
3100 NE Sandy Blvd. Faun Fables, Jamais Jamais, Nick Superchi
Twilight Cafe and Bar 1420 SE Powell Blvd. Lovejoy Fountain, Fear Dog, Needle Spiders, the News Can Wait, Naturalist
TC O’Learys Pub
2926 NE Alberta St. Live Music Mondays
The Know
3728 NE Sandy Blvd., Hemingway / No Aloha / Horse Movies / Puppy Breath
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs + TK & The Holy Know-Nothings + The Dahlhearts
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, Unarm, Subversive Rite, Terminal Conquest
Twilight Cafe and Bar
1420 SE Powell Blvd. Wild Night at the Twilight
TUE. JULY 11 Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St. Dwight Church, Dwight Dickinson, JR Soapbox, Jeff Martinez, Stumblebum
Bossanova Ballroom
722 E Burnside St, Thou, Cloud Rat, False, & Moloch
Lan Su Chinese Garden
239 NW Everett St. Jazz in the Garden: David Goldblatt Sextet
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave. Froth, Moaning, Psychomagic
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Rose Room Swing Dance
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St, The English Language with Holy Moly and Manx
The Ranger Station 4260 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Bluegrass Tuesday
Twilight Cafe and Bar
1420 SE Powell Blvd. Of Feather and Bone, Vitriol, Hands of Thieves
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St. The Love Movement
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
35
MUSIC C O U R T E S Y O F A N DY WA R R E N
NEEDLE EXCHANGE
Andy Warren
Years DJing: Seven. Genres: House, disco, minimal, techno, ambient. Where you can catch me regularly: I host and DJ a monthly party at the Liquor Store with my partner Ginkgo called Believe You Me every second Friday. We also have a ridiculous daytime series in the summertime called Your Sunday Best once a month on the patio at White Owl Social Club. Other than that, I also play records at Parasol Bar once a month, and a various assortment of underground functions in town and around the country. Craziest gig: Last year I played a set inside the fuselage of a decommissioned Boeing 747 jumbo jet in Black Rock City. It was a crazy feeling to be performing and taking part in a project that took an unthinkable amount of effort, in one of the most extreme environments on the planet. I’m constantly impressed and inspired by people who are taking art, music and party experiences to the next level. My go-to records: Soulphiction, “When Radio Was Boss (Jackmate Remix)”; “Skyy, First Time Around”; Detroit Swindle, “Howsmusic”; Daphni, “Cos-Ber-Zam Ne Noya”; Mood Hut, “Fever”; Omar S, “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself ”; Chez Damier & Ron Trent, “Morning Factory”; Ricardo Villalobos, “808 The Bass Queen.” Don’t ever ask me to play…: I like to play a wide variety of music, and am always up for trying new things, but this “EDM” stuff really rubs me the wrong way. Never gonna happen! NEXT GIG: Andy Warren spins at the Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont St., for Believe You Me, on Friday, July 14. 9 pm. $10. 21+.
White Owl Social Club 1305 SE 8th Ave East Taken by Force (rock ‘n roll)
FRI. JULY 7 WED. JULY 5 Ground Kontrol
511 NW Couch St. TRONix: DJ Metronome (techno)
Sandy Hut
1430 NE Sandy Blvd. DJ Hot Lips
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, Event Horizon (darkwave, industrial)
Tonic Lounge
3100 NE Sandy Blvd. Death Throes (death rock, post punk, dark wave)
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave., Dubblife
THU. JULY 6 Black Book
20 NW 3rd Ave, Ladies Night (rap, r&b, club)
36
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
Dig A Pony
45 East
Double Barrel Tavern
Beech Street Parlor
Ground Kontrol
Black Book
736 SE Grand Ave., Gwizski (new jack swing) 2002 SE Division St. DJ Montel Spinozza
511 NW Couch St. Community Library DJs: DJ Brokenwindow & Strategy
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St., Awesome Tapes From Africa
Killingsworth Dynasty 832 N Killingsworth St Goth Nite
Moloko
3967 N. Mississippi Ave. Sappho (disco)
The Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand Ave, Shadowplay (goth)
Tonic Lounge
3100 NE Sandy Blvd. DJ Smooth Hopperator
315 SE 3rd Ave, Armnhmr 412 NE Beech Street Musique Plastique
20 NW 3rd Ave, The Cave (rap, r&b, club)
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St 80s Video Dance Attack
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave., Bobby D (funk, hiphop)
Director Park
815 SW Park Avenue, Friday Night Groove w/ DJ George
Ground Kontrol
511 NW Couch St. DJ EPOR (electronic)
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St., RnB The Holy Trinity: Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé
Where to drink this week.
THOMAS TEAL
BAR REVIEW
Taco Taco Pedaler Pedaler now serves serves now weekend weekend brunch! brunch!
1. Ex Novo
2326 N. Flint Ave., 503-894-8251, exnovobrew.com. It’s Ex Novo’s anniversary week, and that means Tres anniversary beer on tap—a sour ale with cherries that’s possibly former brewer Jason Barbee’s final beer at Ex Novo. If it’s up to the standards of Unus and Duo, it’ll be a corker.
2225 NE NE Broadway Broadway 2225 www.tacopedalerpdx.com www.tacopedalerpdx.com
2. Schilling
Cider House
Breakfast Breakfast Burritos Burritos Breakfast Breakfast Tacos Tacos Huevos Huevos Rancheros Rancheros Mimosa Mimosa Flights Flights House House Bloody Bloody Marys Marys and and more. more.
YUM! YUM!
930 SE 10th Ave., 971-352-6109, schillingciderhouse.com. Schilling’s new 50-tap cider house might be spendy, but damn, that’s a great taplist. Look for multiple Spanish, French and British ciders on those taps, plus a world of local farmhouse and specialty cider.
3. Wayfinder
304 SE 2nd Ave., 503-718-2337, wayfinder.beer. Wayfinder keeps getting more beer—including a German-style hefe loaded with banana, clove and bubblegum notes. Hot tip: If you ain’t eatin’, order at the bar and cart your beer straight to a patio bench.
1216 SE Division St., 503-APEX-BAR, apexbar.com. You never know when this classic beer patio is going to come to the end of its lease and turn into condos. Enjoy it now.
ROOFTOP SUMMER: Good news, Portland: Now there’s a place where you can drink that makes you feel like you’re in Sex and the City. The show is having a moment now that the mid-00s are back. Along with it, so is feeling posh. And, there’s nothing more posh than a rooftop bar. Let’s be honest: Portland’s rooftop bar scene has been a little lackluster. Which brings us to Revolution Hall’s Roof Deck (1300 SE Stark St., 503-2883895, revolutionhall.com), the newly opened rooftop bar sitting atop the former Washington High School in the Buckman neighborhood. We’ve been excited for this view for a long time (it was on our cover of our “Reasons to Love Portland” issue two years ago), and it doesn’t disappoint now that Rev Hall is opening it regularly, instead of just for special events. You feel fancy even just walking in, as a bouncer stamps your wrist before you take the elevator to the top. Once you’re up, it’s like being in Manhattan, only cocktails are $8.50 and there are only a few dozen people. The one downside is that it’s more of a pregame spot, or a place to go if you’re calling it early, as the bartenders start to pack up around 12:30. But, until then, you can revel in the magic as you look out onto a city skyline while standing under strands of globular string lights while sipping on sangria ($8.50) or a Commons Urban Farmhouse ($5). But remember: It’s still Portland, and you’ll still have to check online to make sure the Roof Deck isn’t closed for inclement weather. SOPHIA JUNE.
Killingsworth Dynasty
Black Book
Moloko
Crystal Ballroom
4. Night Light Lounge
2100 SE Clinton St., 503-731-6500, nightlightlounge.net. Order a batch of giant nachos, take ’em out to one of the best back patios in the city and drown the heat with a cheap PBR.
5. Apex
832 N Killingsworth St LEZ DO IT
3967 N. Mississippi Ave. Frankeee B (scandinavian synthetic funk)
Quarterworld
20 NW 3rd Ave, The Ruckus (rap, r&b, club) 1332 W Burnside St 90’s Dance Flashback
Dig A Pony
4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd Glam Night
736 SE Grand Ave., Montel Spinozza (the noise / the funk)
The Goodfoot
Holocene
2845 SE Stark St First Friday Superjam (funk, soul, disco)
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St, Uplift
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, DoublePlusDANCE w/ DJ Acid Rick (new wave, synth, hunkwave, ingsoc)
The steep and thorny way to heaven SE 2nd & Hawthorne, Brickbat Mansion
SAT. JULY 8 45 East
315 SE 3rd Ave, Skism
Bit House Saloon 727 SE Grand Ave Let Me Tell You
1001 SE Morrison St., Verified w/ Gangsigns, A Fox, Vincent De France, Francis
Jade Club
315 SE 3rd Ave, Sandra Collins
Killingsworth Dynasty
832 N Killingsworth St Electric Dreams (80’s jams)
Lay Low Tavern
6015 SE Powell Blvd., DJ Dad Rock
Moloko
3967 N. Mississippi Ave. Street Fair!
Quarterworld
4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd DJ Yolo Biafra (house, disco, boogie, funk, soul)
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St GET on UP Michael Jackson Remixed
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St, You R Real w/ Jock Club
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, Musick For Mannequins w/ DDDJJJ666 & Magnolia Bouvier (sexbeat, creep-o-rama)
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St Devil’s Pie (hip-hop)
White Owl Social Club 1305 SE 8th Ave East Life is Good Day Party
SUN. JULY 9 Star Theater
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd., A Night For Dancers: Mambo/Salsa Social
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave, Black Mass (goth, new wave)
TUE. JULY 11 Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St. Party Damage: DJ Skull & DJ Bones (death metal)
Killingsworth Dynasty
The Embers Avenue
MON. JULY 10 Ground Kontrol
511 NW Couch St. Reaganomix: DJ Nate C. (80s)
Rodney Crowell’s career has been long and multi-faceted. There’s the record-making, which dates back to 1978 and has only grown in sophistication and power since. There’s also his fiercely lyrical and personal writing, including his 2011 memoir ‘Chinaberry Sidewalks’. Now there’s a new album, Close Ties, on which Crowell both demonstrates his strengths as a songwriter and illustrates how he has learned to balance personal recollection, literary sophistication, and his profound musical reach.
The Analog Cafe
The Lovecraft Bar
1305 SE 8th Ave East The Way Out Summer Patio Party
RODNEY CROWELL SATURDAY, JULY 8TH AT 1PM
1430 NE Sandy Blvd. DJ Wes Craven
13 NW 6th Ave., HIVE (goth, industrial)
White Owl Social Club
RSVP: surveymonkey.com/r/BOP17
Sandy Hut
832 N Killingsworth St Jam the Controls (punk, reggae)
421 SE Grand Ave, Infinity Mirror (occult techno, esoteric ambiance)
bop bop winners winners announced! announced!
100 NW Broadway, Recycle (dark dance)
The Secret Society 116 NE Russell St Tuesday Salsa with Lynn and Mark
VANDOLIERS
SATURDAY, JULY 15TH AT 3PM An alt-country band with punk roots, Vandoliers formed in 2015, bringing together a group of Dallas-Fort Worth musicians led by frontman Joshua Fleming. Fiercely proud of their homeland, Vandoliers put their own spin on the Texas country tradition with their 2017 release, The Native, an album that mixed honky-tonk twang with hard-edged, rock & roll stomp.
Tonic Lounge
3100 NE Sandy Blvd. Toxic Tuesdays (goth, postpunk, spooky)
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave., Tubesdays w/ DJ Jack
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
37
PERFORMANCE KIM NEWMONEY
PREVIEW
= WW Pick. Highly recommended. Most prices listed are for advance ticket sales. At-the-door increases and so-called convenience charges may apply, so it’s best to call ahead. Editor: SHANNON GORMLEY (sgormley@wweek.com). TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, submit information at least two weeks in advance to: sgormley@wweek.com.
THEATER OPENINGS & PREVIEWS Troilus and Cressida
Shakespeare’s Trojan War tragedy is infamously bizarre and ambiguous. But this production is helmed by one of Portland’s most trusted Shakespeare directors, plus, it will be performed in a cemetery while the sun goes down. Lone Fir Cemetery, SE 26th Avenue & Stark Street, portlandactors.com. 7 pm. Free.
Lie With Me
As his clown alter-ego the Red Bastard, Eric Davis will pick on you. His interactive shows are part theater, part comedy, part social experiment. Wearing a lumpy, balloonous red leotard, he orchestrates a series of mind games intent on lowering the inhibitions of everyone in the room. Davis is coming to Portland as part of Coho Productions’ Summerfest with his new show Lie With Me, which will focus on relationships and the deep, dark secrets revealed about audience members’ own lives. It sounds terrifying, but also like a moment for solidarity—even if the Red Bastard succeeds in getting you to say something you wouldn’t normally say to a room of strangers, you won’t be the only one. SHANNON GORMLEY. Coho Productions, 2257 NW Raleigh St., cohoproductions.com. 7:30 pm Thursday-Sunday, July 6-9. $20.
Visit to a Small Planet
Gore Vidal’s 1960s TV-play-turnedBroadway play tells the story of an alien who lives in disguise with a suburban American family. Lakewood Theatre Company will stage the satirical, goofy retro sci-fi tale as the kick-off to their 65th season. SHANNON GORMLEY. Lakewood Theatre Company, 368 S. State St., Lake Oswego, lakewood-center.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, July 7-August 13. Additional performances 2 pm Sunday, July 16 and 30 and August 13; 7 pm Sunday, July 9 and 23 and August 23. $34.
ALSO PLAYING The Addams Family
The Romeo & Juliet Project
Enso Theatre’s interpretation of the first Shakespeare play everyone is forced to read in high school is cut to about half the length of the original. The Romeo & Juliet Project will sample the Bard’s script and mash it up with soundbites from network news. SHANNON GORMLEY. Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St., ensotheatre.com. 7:30 pm ThursdaySaturday, 5:30 pm Sunday, June 23-July 29. $25.
DANCE Éowyn Emerald and Dancers
Before it relocates to Scotland, Éowyn Emerald’s company is performing one last show in Portland. With a penchant for slow movements, narrative heavy pieces and dramatic lighting, the modern dance company has become a regular at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Their final show as a Portland company will include past and new works, set to everything from Tchaikovsky to Duke Ellington. SHANNON GORMLEY. Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park Ave., eowynbarrett.com. 7:30 pm Thursday, July 6. $20-$25.
COMEDY Russell Peters
For Canadian comedian Russell Peters, lampooning racial and class stereotypes is just another day at the office. He’s released two specials on Netflix, and he’ll be presenting new material at Helium July 6-9. SHANNON GORMLEY. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., portland.heliumcomedyclub.com. 7 and 10 pm. 21+. $35.
SAM ORTEGA
You can’t accuse a play of lacking sinister panache that co-stars a disembodied hand. Yet this refurbishing of Charles Addams’ freakish family by the Broadway Rose Theatre Company feels oddly lethargic, in part because it’s burdened by a blandly formulaic book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
The plot is powered by the antics of Wednesday Addams (Molly Duddlesten), who wants to marry a white-bread goofball (Colin Kane), even if it means disappointing her aptly named mother, Morticia (Lisamarie Harrison), and enlisting the aid of her bumbling father, Gomez (Joe Theissen). It’s a fairly wrote plot, and the Addams actors work overtime to enliven the story. Yet even their profoundly creepy performances can’t compensate for the staleness of the central romance and a frustrating lack of slapstick energy. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Deb Fennell Auditorium at Tigard High School, 9000 SW Durham Rd., Tigard, broadwayrose.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Sunday through July 23. Additional shows 2 pm Saturday, July 15 and Saturday, July 22. $21-$50.
ON THE RISE: Solomon Georgio tapes his comedy album at Mississippi Studios.
Booed No More SOLOMON GEORGIO ON HIS COMEDY ALBUM AND QUEER COMEDY’S RENAISSANCE.
BY JACK R U SHA LL
In his 10 years as a comedian, Solomon Georgio’s comedy career has covered a lot of ground. He’s gone from being booed off the stage at his first set to performing on Conan in 2015 and starring in Viceland’s Flophouse. He’s covered a lot of literal ground, too: Georgio was born in Sudan, and his family later resettled in Seattle’s woolen arms, where Georgio first gave comedy a proper go. He has since relocated to LA, but he’s coming to Portland to record a set for his upcoming Comedy Central album. WW talked to Georgio about his first comedy album and Seattle’s queer comedy scene. WW: How were you introduced to American comedy? Solomon Georgio: My first comedy record was one of George Carlin’s, which I heard for the first time when I was three. I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying, but I got that it’s surprising when you find something to make a roomful of people laugh. It seems like a magic trick. Do your parents follow your career? They’re happy that I’m working. My mom hadn’t seen me perform until I was on Conan. With [me] being gay, they still have hang-ups, but not as much as they first did.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 38
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
What was your first stand-up show like? I had run away to LA for five months, and I listed my elementary school bullies and said they were gay. Oh, and I took a picture of the audience with a disposable camera. I got booed and didn’t return to the stage for eight years.
Were you openly gay at the time? I didn’t come out until I was 18. It was kind of imperative for me to convey because the queer comedy scene in Seattle was so small; it was me and one other person. In general, there are those of us who manage to get pretty far by barely mentioning it. What was the Seattle comedy scene like when you did return to the stage? Even though the comedy world is maledominated and a bit misogynistic, there are pockets of it that are beautifully supportive and extremely accepting. I don’t want to say it’s easier now because I didn’t have a hard time, but now there are more opportunities. Having moved to LA five years ago, I see that gay comedians are experiencing a renaissance. Look at Erin Foley or Guy Branum. What kind of material can we expect on the album? It’s my first album taping, and it’s going to be as much social commentary and personal stories that I have as well as an introduction to me as a human being. I’ve been preparing this material for 10 years, so it’s an accumulation of everything I’ve liked so far. As someone from Seattle, describe Portland in as few words a possible. Whitest. [Laughs] It’s an audience that won’t let you get away with anything. SEE IT: Solomon Georgio is at Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., mississippistudios.com. 7 pm Sunday, July 9. $10 advance, $15 at the door. 21+.
VISUAL ARTS
BOOKS
REVIEW COURTESY OF WILLIAMSON | KNIGHT GALLERY
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
COURTESY OF WINNIEWOOHOO.COM
TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, submit lecture or reading information at least two weeks in advance to: WORDS, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: words@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115.
WENDY N. WAGNER YOUR CLOTHING IS ANIMAL HAIR, YOUR PURPLE IS FISH BLOOD, BY ALISA BONES.
Wookies and Horse Heads THE GALLERY OPENINGS WE’RE MOST EXCITED TO SEE THIS WEEK. BY S HA N N O N G O R M L E Y
sgormley@wweek.com
First Thursday is equally a celebration of Portland arts spaces as well as a reminder of their precariousness. This week, arts collective and inclusive dance night YGB (young, gifted, black) is celebrating its two-year anniversary with an impressive lineup of portrait photographers. Nationale is holding its last show in its gallery after nine years. But thankfully, in a twist on the all-too-frequent tale of Portland galleries closing, Nationale is downsizing, not disappearing entirely. Still, their lineup seems like it’s as much a testament to the gallery’s resilience as it is a reminder of what we’d miss if we lost them. There’s also plenty of weird shit to check out—exhibits with everything from glass ponies to moldy flowers and one that’s dedicated entirely to Wookie photography. Here are the five we’re most excited to see.
Collections
Since opening in 2008, Nationale has been a staple of the First Thursday circuit. Now, the gallery is downsizing. The farewell show to its Division Street space is a retrospective of works that the gallery has displayed over the years from a massive lineup of local artists. Nationale, 3360 SE Division, 503-477-9786, nationale.us. Through July 31.
Further West
Portland artist Mako Miyamoto has a strange obsession: Wookies. In his photography series, he takes pictures of people amid West Coast pastiche—in old-school laundromats, in parking garages and carrying cross bows and baseball bats, playing tennis, petting horses while wearing flower crowns. Except his subjects all wear Wookie masks. Once you get over the ridiculousness, the photos are actually quiet beautiful— they’re saturated with color and somehow melancholy. His solo exhibit will reveal the origin story of the Wookies and tales of their westward expansion. Stephanie Chefas Projects, 305 SE 3rd Ave., #202, stephaniechefas.com. July 7-29.
Your Clothing Is Animal Hair, Your purple Is Fish Blood
Alisa Bones’ expressionist paintings look like they ’re struggling to be contained. It’s not that they’re chaotic—they’re fairly minimal— but the blocks of color and texture interrupt one another on the collage-like canvas, and smudges escape from the boundaries of spray painted shapes. Williamson|Knight, 916 NW Flanders, williamsonknight.com. Through July 29.
Transformations
Bullseye’s bizarre exhibit of decorative art is an oneiric scene. The works are loosely linked by the idea of changes—which looks as broad as it sounds. Taken as a whole, it feels like some strange, baroque dreamscape. There’s Emily Nachison’s glass horse heads displayed like aristocratic busts, Ligia Bouton’s watercolor of Victorian people standing next to giant bird cages and Kate Clements’ tank of rotting flowers. Bullseye Projects, 300 NW 13th Ave., 503-227-0222, bullseyeprojects.com. Through September 30.
YBG: Two Year Retrospective
In the summer of 2015, arts collective YGB hosted its first hip-hop dance night intended to create a space that was pro-black, proqueer and pro-femme. After two years of doing just that, it’s celebrating with an exhibit of photography by Portland artists. YGB will display all its past flyers by artist Alexander Wright, whose album artwork is an integral part of the local hip-hop scene. Plus, there will be portraits by a wide range of photographers, like Miss Lopez’s joyous but subtle portraits in which the landscape seems to be an extension of the subject, and Anthony Taylor’s vibrant, striking works. UNA Gallery, 328 NW Broadway, 858-610-4269, ygbportland.com. 6 pm Thursday, July 6.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5 Jaimal Yogis
Surfer dude-turned-journalist-turned memoir writer Jaimal Yogis made waves with his first book Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea. Based on Yogis’ time spent “failing towards enlightenment” in Indonesia, New York and the Himalayas, his new memoir All Our Waves Are Water chronicles his search for the perfect ride on the water and through life. Turns out you can find God via surfboard. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 800-8787323. 7:30 pm. Free.
Monster House Showcase
Indie publishing houses are running author tours a bit like ’90s indie labels these days, sending packs of authors out in a shared van to hawk their words and wares. And so Mother Foucault’s is playing host to Indiana press Monster House authors Morgan Eldridge, poet and author of Omen Amen, and Bella Bravo, author of the apocalypic-fabulist short story collection The Uncollected Parts. Portland authors Nikki Levine, Joshua James Amberson and Tyler Meese will also read. Mother Foucault’s, 523 SE Morrison St., 503-236-2665. 7 pm. Free.
Farel Dalrymple
If you discovered three monitors displaying the past, present and future while walking through a tunnel, what would you do? Famed artist and smarmy cherub Farel Dalrymple returns to answer that question with his sequel to Pop Gun War, his acclaimed graphic novel. The second volume, titled Chain Letter, continues his street art-inspired style in a magical storyline. Great for kids! Very, very mature kids. Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St., 503 241-0227. 7 p.m. Free.
For the Turkish protagonists of Nicholas Bredie’s new novel Not Constantinople, coming home to an unknown family of Greeks isn’t exactly on the agenda. But the laws in Istanbul say they can’t evict the new occupants, so they do what any sensible couple would do: hatch a get-rich-quick scheme selling term papers to college students. All the while, Istanbul’s historic neighborhoods continue getting swallowed up by developers. Fun for the whole family. Or both families, rather. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 800-8787323. 7:30 pm. Free.
SUNDAY, JULY 9 Durable Goods: Appreciations of Oregon Poets
Durable Goods is a rare piece of
MONDAY, JULY 10 Jonathan Safran Foer
THURSDAY, JULY 6
Nicholas Bredie
poetry criticism entirely concerned with poets from around here. Six different Oregon poets—Richard Dankleff, Barbara Drake, Kenneth O. Hanson, Paulann Petersen, Clemens Starck and Lex Runciman—are featured with nice photos and folios of their work, accompanied by long essays by critic Erik Muller. Muller will appear at Powell’s on Hawthorne along with four of the poets (the ones that don’t rhyme with Schmanson or Schmankleff.) Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-288-4651. 4 pm. Free.
Jonathan Safran Foer, wunderkind and famous Brooklyn Jonathan, is the author of Everything Is illuminated, and a weirdball letter-writer to Natalie Portman. Unlike his other books— twee things about the Holocaust, and about 9-11—his new novel Here I Am seems to be about how problems in your family life cause problems in the Middle East. Or vice versa? Maybe it’s a metaphor! Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 800-878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.
Wendy N. Wagner
It happens to everybody. You’ve only been on the planet for a week and your new company has already murdered your boss, plus your corporate town is under attack by sentient dogs. What’s a girl to do? An Oath of Dogs is the third sci-fi thriller from Portland author Wendy N. Wagner (Skinwalkers, Starspawn), who says she became a reader because her hometown was so small it didn’t have a post office. Guess it must’ve had a library? See the full review on wweek.com. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 800878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.
TUESDAY, JULY 11 Big Hunger
Never mind that every year Portlanders give more to the Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank than to the Oregon Food Bank in Willamette Week’s annual Give!Guide, private food charities have become big business ever since likable Alzheimeric sociopath Ronnie Reagan cut back federal programs helping the poor. In Big Hunger—sort of a Pink Ribbons for the starving—author Andrew Fisher tracks the unholy alliance between corporate megaliths and the nonprofit hunger industry, as corporations fight to keep wages low while taking huge tax deductions for collecting customer donations. Hooo! Anyway, Fisher thinks that’s total bullshit. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 800-8787323. 7:30 pm. Free.
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
39
C O U R T E S Y O F D E L A U R E N T I I S E N T E R TA I N M E N T G R O U P
MOVIES G ET YOUR R E PS IN
Adaptation. (2002)
Though his work (mostly) isn’t nearly as weird as it’s widely believed to be, you’re going to want to limber up your mind for this Lynch thing nonetheless. Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s meta-film stars Nicolas Cage as Charlie Kaufman, who suffers through a series of personal crises as he struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s The Orchard Thief into a screenplay. Laurelhurst, July 7-13.
Amelie (2001)
Fresh off the heels of underrated goofy space horror Alien: Resurrection, JeanPierre Jeunet directed this foundational document of mid-2000s quirk. It stars Audrey Tautou as Amelie, a young woman who floats through the streets of Paris arranging serendipitous meetings of lovers. Mission, July 7-14.
LYNCHPIN: Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet.
Eraserhead (1977)
Yes, this is what Screener is about this week. But if you haven’t seen Eraserhead yet, now’s the time to catch the film that inspired more art school students than any other, screening alongside a collection of Lynch’s early shorts. A reflection on the crushing pressure of domestic life after being abandoned by his wife, Henry (Jack Nance) is left to care for his deformed child in a one-room apartment in an industrial wasteland. NW Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, July 7-8.
Chet, I’m Calling You From Portland, Oregon!
Piccadilly (1929)
The student-run 5th Avenue Cinema is back for summer school, and they’re kicking off their program with E.A. Dupont’s proto-noir about an aging dancer in West London who must compete for stage time and her lover’s (Jameson Thomas) attention with the scullery maid Shosho (Anna May Wong). 5th Avenue Cinema, July 7-9.
Jaws (1975)
The summer blockbuster that was born on the beaches of Massachusetts. A film as famous for its production delays, technical wizardry and establishment of the big-money Hollywood blockbuster business model as it is for its great white shark, Steven Spielberg’s story of an unseen terror on the beaches of New England is one of the most important films of the last 50 years. See it on 35mm as part of the Hollywood’s Spielberg on Film series. Hollywood, July 7-8.
ALSO PLAYING: Academy: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), July 5-6, The Cat Returns (2002), July 7-13. Clinton Street Theater: Morning Patrol (1987), 8 pm, Wednesday, July 5, National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985), 7 pm, Monday, July 10. Hollywood: Lady Dragon (1992), 7:30 pm, Wednesday, July 5, Something Evil (1972), 7 pm, Thursday, July 6, Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), 7:30 pm, Sunday, July 9, Jurassic Park (1993), July 8-9, Shaolin Invincibles (1977), 7:30 pm, Tuesday, July 11. Laurelhurst: To Have and Have Not (1944), July 5-6. Mission: Moulin Rouge! (2001), July 7-14, Marie Antoinette (2006), July 8-13. NW Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium: M. Hulot’s Holiday (1953), 7 pm, Monday, July 10. Kiggins: Kansas City Confidential (1952), 7:30 pm, Monday, July 10.
40
PREPARE FOR THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER’S DAVID LYNCH RETROSPECTIVE BY HAVING THE BEST LYNCH TAKES. BY WALKER MACMURDO
wmacmurdo@wweek.com
Since the return of David Lynch’s television series Twin Peaks, a grasp of the celebrated surrealist’s 40-year career as a filmmaker has never been more relevant. And this Friday, the Northwest Film Center’s kicks off David Lynch: A Retrospective: a luxuriant two-month retrospective of all of Lynch’s features, which include many of Lynch’s short films, plus key classic influences like 2001: A Space Odyssey. I watched all 10 of Lynch’s features in anticipation and created a guide to the basic takes you’ll encounter at these screenings, plus better takes to put you ahead of the pack. Memorize them and elaborate with references to “dream logic” and Angelo Badalamenti as you please.
BEST FILM
Basic: There are two defensible basic choices for best Lynch film: Blue Velvet, his career-defining tale of small-town lust and murder, and pitch-black quasi-noir Mulholland Drive. Advanced: Starring Anthony Hopkins as the tortured Dr. Treves and John Hurt as John Merrick, a tender, thoughtful soul disfigured by disease, The Elephant Man is a strikingly beautiful, visually transfixing snapshot of
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
Victorian England that transcends sentimentalism by speaking to Lynch’s early themes of industrial alienation, and without an over reliance on jarring imagery. Though it was highly celebrated in 1980, it’s since been overshadowed by Lynch’s flashier later work, making it a perfect choice to establish breadth of Lynch knowledge and appreciation for technical filmmaking.
MOST UNDERRATED FILM
Basic: Critically panned upon release, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me—the prequel to the original series that explains how Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) died—has been reappraised several times as a tense horror masterpiece. Though it features some truly unsettling scenes of psychological horror, Fire Walk With Me undermines the mythos established by the original series, souring much of its mystique and contributing little. Advanced: Draped in black silk and red velvet, Lost Highway is Lynch’s most visually striking film, a darkly sexual exploration of identity and memory punctuated by one of the best soundtracks of the ’90s. Incredible performances by Patricia Arquette, Bill Pullman and Robert Loggia are woven together by a mastery of nonlinear narrative that few filmmakers possess. Extra advanced: Even if you haven’t
seen it, refer to the controversial Wild at Heart as “Lynch’s feminist masterpiece” and argue that Pulp Fiction wouldn’t have existed without it.
WORST FILM
Basic: Lynch’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune is a dull, barely coherent sci-fi flop from which Lynch distanced himself after studio interference. Advanced: Inland Empire is an ugly, three-hour-long art school slog that indulges Lynch’s worst impulses without restraint and is a compelling argument that it should be illegal for directors to make their passion projects.
BEST VILLAIN
Basic: Frank Booth, Dennis Hopper’s profane, popper-huffing gangster from Blue Velvet. Advanced: Let’s not make this more complicated than it needs to be: It’s Frank Booth. Honorable mention to Robert Loggia’s Mr. Eddy in Lost Highway, responsible for the best not-Red Room scene in David Lynch’s career, the “tailgater beatdown.” SEE IT: David Lynch: A Retrospective begins with Eraserhead and a collection of Lynch’s shorts at Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium at 7 pm, Friday, July 7. See nwfilm.org/calendar for the full lineup.
COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Editor: WALKER MACMURDO. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, send screening information at least two weeks in advance to Screen, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: wmacmurdo@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115. : This movie sucks, don’t watch it. : This movie is entertaining but flawed. : This movie is good. We recommend you watch it. : This movie is excellent, one of the best of the year.
NOW PLAYING Despicable Me 3
Conventional Hollywood wisdom dictates that animated children’s movies must vigorously trumpet the merits of kindness (good!) and condemn the evils of selfishness (bad!). Yet that memo clearly hasn’t reached the makers of this anarchic entry in the Despicable Me franchise, in which the bulbous, reformed supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) finds his lust for mischief is stoked by his twin brother, a cheerful moron named Dru (also Carell). Among their adventures is a tussle with the mullet-sporting master criminal Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) that allows for plenty of delightfully nonsensical scenes, including a dance-off that features Gru and Balthazar busting moves to Madonna’s “Into the Groove.” Like the film itself, that scene eschews forced wholesomeness and delivers a truckload of dumb fun—which, in an age when even witless entertainments like The Mummy arrive swollen with pomposity, is a minor miracle. PG. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bagdad, Beaverton, Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Milwaukie, Moreland, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Roseway, St. Johns Twin Cinema & Pub, Tigard, Vancouver.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The second reboot in a cinematic series that’s merely 15 years old is as interesting for what it leaves out as for what it tackles. There’s no damsel in constant distress. No revisiting the murder of Uncle Ben or a radioactive spider bite. Hell, there’s not even a world-threatening conflict. Instead, director Jon Watts takes Spidey’s first solo outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and puts him up against something far more daunting: high school. Sure, Peter Parker (Tom Holland, returning after a starmaking turn in Civil War) has to face off against Michael Keaton’s snarling winged menace Vulture. But he also has to find a date to homecoming, train for the academic decathlon and deflect bullies, all while learning to control his newfound superpowers under the tutelage of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). As such, Homecoming is as indebted to John Hughes as it is to Stan Lee. There are some excellent, showstopping action sequences sprinkled across the runtime, but Homecoming takes greater pleasure in watching the gawky Holland’s trial-and-error as he navigates his sophomore year. It’s a sunny, breezy comic-book romp of little consequence. In an age of glowering caped crusaders, Homecoming reminds us that we should be having fun watching men in tights smack into walls. PG-13. AP KRYZA. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, St. Johns Twin Cinema & Pub, Tigard, Vancouver.
STILL SHOWING 47 Meters Down
In this shark thriller, a recently dumped Lisa (Mandy Moore) thinks an Instagram post during a trip to Mexico will get her boyfriend back. That gives you a pretty solid idea of the movie’s depth. Still, those seeking the heartpumping adrenaline of a summer shark flick won’t be disappointed. PG-13. LAUREN TERRY. Bridgeport, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
Alien: Covenant
Casting Danny McBride as the alien was a ballsy gamble that paid off. Sadly, nothing else in Ridley Scott’s frenetic follow-up to the underrated Prometheus comes together as it should. R. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Cinema 21, CineMagic Theatre, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Hollywood, Living Room Theaters, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, St. Johns Pub and Theater, Tigard, Vancouver.
The Bad Batch
In director Ana Lily Amirpour’s follow-up to A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Suki Waterhouse wanders around a post-apocalyptic desert inhabited by the like of cannibals and a psychedelic cult leader played by Keanu Reeves. Coincidentally, the gory, surreal horror movie features music by Portland band Federale. R. Hollywood Theatre, Kiggins.
Band Aid
Relationships on the fritz make for some of rock music’s best mythology. In a twee reversal, Band Aid asks whether a civilian Carter-Cash or Buckingham-Nicks could take up songwriting as couples therapy. Like so many premise-driven indie comedies, Band Aid crescendos with enthusiasm but has no idea how to strike a resolving chord. It settles on letting its toocute, Men Are from Mars, Women Are
from Venus garage-rock songs soak in the limelight. R. CHANCE SOLEMPFEIFER. Living Room Theaters.
Baywatch
I am pleased to report that this movie is exactly as unnecessary and idiotic as you think it is. R. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Tigard, Vancouver.
The Beguiled
Sofia Coppola’s Civil War-era tale of amorousness and limb-severing vengeance follows wounded Union soldier John McBurney (Colin Farrell) to a Southern all-girls seminary, where his hosts (including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning) both vie for his affections and subject him to ghastly torment. It’s at times beautifully haunting, But Coppola suffocates The Beguiled with monotonously pretty scenery and the tiresome spectacle of awful people doing awful things to other awful people. R. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Clackamas, Living Room Theaters.
Beauty and the Beast
Did we need this remake? Probably not. Is is pretty good? Yes. PG. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Eastport, Living Room Theaters, Vancouver.
The Book of Henry
Directed by Colin Trevorrow’s (Jurassic World), The Book of Henry tells the story of Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), a cute, dying, 11-year-old genius who lives next door to Christina (Maddie Ziegler), another cute kid with an abusive stepfather (Dean Norris). PG-13. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bridgeport, City Center, Clackamas, Eastport, Fox Tower.
The Boss Baby
Somehow, this movie isn’t a terrifying monstrosity. PG. Clackamas, Division, Vancouver.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
Giddy satire gives way to lazy bombast in this animated adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s children’s book series, which has too much of its titular under-dressed superhero and too little of its prankster protagonists, two elementary schoolers (voiced by Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch) at war with the tyrannical Principal Krupp (Ed Helms). PG. Beaverton, Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
Cars 3
Cars 3 is a tribute to the bonds shared by teachers and students, albeit with a slapstick demolition derby scene dominated by a comically sinister school bus. Yet it’s Pixar’s gift for imbuing inanimate objects with humanity that makes you care when Cruz and Lightning lean into the curves. G. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Pioneer Place, Tigard, Vancouver.
Colossal
Nacho Vigalondo’s new monster flick follows Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis drunkenly rampaging through the friend zone as down-andout yuppies whose angst somehow controls gigantic kaiju. PG. Academy, Laurelhurst.
Everything, Everything
This young adult movie about a girl (Amandla Stenberg) who lives in a bubble is just as devoid of logic, storytelling or disability rights as it sounds like it is. PG-13. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Fox Tower, Lloyd, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver.
CONT. on page 42
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
41
MOVIES Sadly, Paul Walker was the key ingredient missing in the eighth iteration of the Fast and the Furious franchise. At least there’s still a bunch of cool explosions and shit. PG-13. Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Vancouver.
Get Out
Yes, this movie is as good as everyone says it is, enough so that it makes you ask why other horror movies aren’t better. R. Fox Tower, Vancouver.
Going in Style
Zach Braff ’s Going in Style acts as a bitterly honest ode to aging, ageism and existentialism—themes that are always spry. What one might not expect is a plot that’s fairly heinous, both morally and logistically, with characters who remain justified and likable throughout. PG-13. Vancouver.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
When the first Guardians debuted, its irreverent, hilarious, bizarro tone came out of nowhere, making audiences fall in love with Marvel’s D-list heroes at the confluence of Star Wars, The Ice Pirates and Buckaroo Banzai. Vol. 2 isn’t the jolt that the first one was, but between all the action and its surprisingly poignant finale, it’s a welcome addition. We’d follow this band of charismatic assholes anywhere at this point. PG-13. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Fox Tower, Lloyd, Tigard, Vancouver.
I, Daniel Blake
An “I” precedes the name Daniel Blake in Ken Loach’s (The Wind That Shakes the Barley) 2016 Palme d’Orwinning film because its protagonist will eventually be driven to testi-
mony. But Daniel doesn’t start out an evangelist for the English commoner, and neither does the film. Played as a grouch with a heart by comedian Dave Johns, we follow Daniel through a welfare system’s circles of hell in the former industrial hub of Newcastle. You’d be hardpressed to find a more sobering portrayal of a losing streak taking over a life. R. Living Room Theaters.
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
Kong: Skull Island
One wouldn’t assume a documentary about New York Times obituary columnists would be laughout-loud funny. This dying art is practiced by an aging bullpen of wry hunters-and peckers who strive to immortalize striking details in the lives of people who made a quantifiable impact on the world—on deadline. NR. Cinema 21.
Following the original film’s blueprint, Kong: Skull Island sends a boatload of explorers past the permastorm that’s hidden the titular archipelago for millennia. The similarities end there. Shifting to Southeast Asia just after the fall of Saigon, Skull Island replaces Age of Discovery heroics with wartime ambience. PG-13. Vancouver.
The Lego Batman Movie
Fast, funny and pleasingly drunk on the joys of mockery, The Lego Batman Movie is as fun as the 2014 original but stars Will Arnett as a petulant, preening goofball who rocks out on an electric guitar and showers orphans with cool toys from a merch gun. PG. Clackamas, Vancouver.
C O U R T E SY O F FAC E B O O K
REVIEW
Logan
Turns out having Hugh Jackman and cute child Dafne Keen perform Mortal Kombat fatalities on robotarmed mercenaries is a cool idea for a movie. R. Empirical, Laurelhurst, Vancouver.
The Lost City of Z
OVER THE BOILERPLATE: Paul Guinan, who participated in the challenge.
Comics vs. the Clock
Making a documentary about comic books is like asking to be stabbed with a chunk of kryptonite. Few topics put a filmmaker at greater risk of irking their audience—if you cater too heavily to people who take their comics in plastic, you risk significantly narrowing your audience. If you pander to people who don’t know Swamp Thing from Man-Thing, you risk alienating true believers. Those perils are evident in 24 Hour Comic. Directed by Milan Erceg, it tells the story of eight people each trying to create a comic book in 24 hours. Filmed at Things From Another World on NE Broadway on May 18, 2013, the documentary sometimes strains to please too many different demographics, yet is saved by some startlingly revealing interviews that show what drove some of its subjects to embrace a challenge that tested their artistic vigor as well as their sanity. Among the tested are Jacob Mercy and Pete Soloway (Pizza Gun), Rachel Nabors (Rachel the Great), David Chelsea (Snow Angel) and his daughter, Rebecca Celsi. Much of 24 Hour Comic is devoted to footage of them working at Things From Another World, where Erceg captures plenty of flashes of barbed wit, including Nabors’ hilarious reaction when she learns that Celsi doesn’t know who Boba Fett is. Unfortunately, the film is less attentive to the creative processes of the artists, which makes you wonder if Erceg was worried too much comics-shop talk would alienate a swath of the audience. Of course, copious amounts of shop talk is exactly what comic book fans will be expecting. Yet they won’t be disappointed by the unguarded moments Erceg has captured. In one, Nabors admits that she regrets inspiring other women “to pursue writing or poetry or comics for a living.” The bluntness of both her and her compatriots makes 24 Hour Comic feel like a privileged glimpse through an industry keyhole, and is what keeps you entranced as the artists draw and the hours race by. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Eight artists try to create a comic book in 24 hours.
SEE IT. 24 Hour Comic premieres at Laurelhurst Theater on Thursday, July 6 at 7:00. 42
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
This supremely entertaining tale of exploration and obsession unfolds in the early years of the 20th century to chronicle the storied search of Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) for an ancient city he believes lies hidden deep within the Amazon. With a buildup of suspense that would have made Hitchcock crack a sinister smile, and intoxicating images—men hacking their way through foliage with machetes, ramshackle boats floating toward elusive destinations—from director James Gray (Two Lovers), the movie hypnotizes completely. PG-13. Bridgeport, Fox Tower.
The Lovers
The Lovers would be a black comedy if writer-director Azazel Jacobs pushed a tone more, but this story about sad middle-aged Californians Michael (Tracy Letts) and Susan (Lesley Fera) cheating on each other is more drab irony searching for chuckles. R. City Center, Clackamas, Hollywood, Living Room Theaters, Tigard.
As a wannabe American-Israeli fixer, this is Richard Gere’s finest performance since Chicago. If you’re into pretty compelling nonsense, call anytime day or night; ask for Norman. R. City Center, Fox Tower.
Obit
Paris Can Wait
Would a lighter version of Eat, Pray, Love even be a film at all? PG. Bridgeport, Cinema 21, City Center, Clackamas, Kiggins.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Ahoy matey! Johnny Depp is washed! PG-13. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, St. Johns Twin Cinema & Pub, Tigard, Vancouver.
Rough Night
In Lucia Aniello’s first feature film about millennial women behaving badly, five college friends reunite for Jess’s (Scarlett Johansson) bachelorette weekend in Miami. The cast is packed with America’s stoner, foul-mouthed sweethearts, including Ilana Glazer from Broad City, Jillian Bell (Workaholics), SNL’s Kate McKinnon and Zoë Kravitz. Johansson is our straight woman, the mild-mannered everygirl running for state senate and engaged to Paul W. Downs, who co-wrote the film with Aniello. Downs and Aniello are both Broad City writers, and any fan of the show will endure girls’ night tropes (like slow-motion entrances into hotel lobbies and bikini-area grooming gaffs) for the shining moments of modern female-fueled comedy pointedly accurate for 25-35 yearolds. After a freak accident results in a dead stripper, the friends make the messy situation dirtier with every scene, like when Kravitz must seduce the swinger couple next
door (Demi Moore and Ty Burrell) to obtain the tape from their security camera. Rough Night doesn’t revolutionize wild weekend movies, but it’s a smart skewering of the bro’d out black comedies that have dominated the R-rated genre. R. LAUREN TERRY. Cedar Hills, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Fox Tower, Oak Grove, Tigard, Vancouver
Snatched
Picture the worn-out gimmick of the hapless character on a mission, walking in slow motion while gangsta rap ironically scores their strut. Picture a film unimaginative enough to use that gag three separate times and you have Snatched. R. Kennedy School, Vancouver.
T2: Trainspotting
It’s been 21 years since Trainspotting turned a blackly comic druggy caper into generational touchstone, and the follow-up posits that if you can survive the first rush of freedom and weather the inevitable hangover of crashing dreams, nostalgia becomes the last true habit. R. Laurelhurst.
Their Finest
’Ello, love! It’s what seems to be the thousandth period romance this year, this time revolving around a screenwriter (Gemma Arterton) in the British film industry in 1940, marred by needless plot hiccups that make this film dissonantly depressing. R. Fox Tower.
The Wedding Plan
This pleasantly peculiar Hebrewlanguage rom-com from director Rama Burshtein (Fill the Void) follows Michal (Noa Koller), an Orthodox Jewish woman who’s abandoned by her fiancee and must find a new one by the last night of Hanukkah. PG. Living Room Theaters.
Wonder Woman
I never thought I’d get a lump in my throat watching a superhero movie but here we are. Patty Jenkins’ telling of Diana Prince’s (Gal Gadot) WWI origin deftly balances action, romance, comedy and emotional heft like no other in genre has. PG-13. Bagdad, Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Cinemagic Theatre, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Moreland, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Roseway, St. Johns Twin Cinema & Pub, Tigard, Vancouver.
Megan Leavey
With a more expressive star and a more experienced director, this Iraq War tale of a U.S. Marine and her German shepherd could have been more than what it is: a glossy, facile and TV-ready tribute to a heroic woman who deserves a much better movie. PG-13. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Tigard.
My Cousin Rachel
Spooky, sexy and gleefully menacing, this fresh rendition of Daphne du Maurier’s novel is a terrific showcase for its stars, Sam Claflin as dunderhead lord of a coastal estate in Victorian-era England who seeks vengeance against the cousin of title, and said cousin (Rachel Weisz), whose masterful performance blends anguish, toughness and terrifying rage. PG-13. Bridgeport.
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
The Fate of the Furious
The Mummy
The Mummy is a bunch of haphazard action sequences hastily constucted a one-sided romance between an Egyptian zombie princess (Sofia Boutella) and Tom Cruise’s goofy daredevil Nick Morton. Still, it’s almost wonderous in its stupidity. PG-13. BENNETT CAMPBELL. Fox Tower.
The Fate of the Furious
ELIZABETH ALLAN
end roll
REVIEW:
The Arizer Solo II DON’T THINK OF IT AS A PORTABLE, THINK OF IT AS A PARTY. BY M A RT IN C IZ M A R
mcizmar@wweek.com
It’s only been a decade since the first iPhone came out. That’s weird, because it’s difficult to imagine the world without it. I tried last week after reading a bunch of old articles predicting that the device would flop, many of which weirdly penned by people who still write professionally. Would Uber exist? Would Facebook have survived? Would we still have keyboards on our phones, like the Samsung BlackJack II I stupidly bought instead of the original iPhone? Would— Where were we? Oh, right, my review of Arizer Solo II, a new portable loose-leaf vaporizer from Canada. It’s been about half a decade since this type of vape hit the market, but we’ve not yet reached consensus on the vape’s ideal form the same way we have with smartphones. Rather than just create a Pax knock-off, vapemakers are constantly tinkering with the shape, size and format. The Solo II (about $225) is a weird one. It’s a big ’un, the size of a slimmed-down soda can. It loads from the top but doesn’t have a traditional mouthpiece. Instead, after loading your finely ground cannabis, you have to insert one of the two included glass tubes. Assembled and ready to toke, it’s about as tall as a standard paperback, but topped with a fragile glass spire that can tumble loose if you try shoving it in your pocket. The Solo II comes with a little belt carrier of the type your uncle used to carry his Motorola flip phone in, but do you really want to holster your vape when there are so many others that’ll fit in your pocket? The charger is not USB, meaning I had to find an old-school power outlet to plug it into.
So, as a portable vaporizer, this portable vaporizer is not great. And if you’re going desktop—err, tabletop—there are cheaper, more powerful options. But, after spending some time with the device, I came to appreciate the things the Solo does well. That larger size means it feels nice in the hand and gives it room for a nice, big battery. (I’m still on my first charge.) The oven is wide and large, and you won’t feel like you’re performing a root canal while working the pick on it. Obviously, that glass tube means the vapor that hits your mouth is nice and soft. The device heats up very fast, and updates you on its progress on a basic digital screen without the need for an app or Bluetooth pairing. Despite the name, the Arizer Solo II is not a device I’d use solo, or on the go. Rather, I’ve come to think of it as a very nice “porch piece.” If you’re having some friends over for a session in the backyard, this device is almost purpose-built for your needs. The smooth vapor, long battery life and large oven are all ideal in that situation. And the glass mouthpiece is not only reassuring to people who are used to a bong, it can be quickly disinfected with a lighter, the oldfashioned way. The draw comes easy—no sucking required. There’s even a water pipe attachment available for a very reasonable $15 and a session timer that allows you to specify how long you want it to keep toasting your flower. As I said, for a portable loose-leaf vape this baby leaves something to be desired. But as a party vape, it’s pretty much ideal. And since it’s large and rather ungainly, you don’t have to worry about it walking off with someone.
ARMCHAIR FAMILY BOOKSTORE FOR OVER 45 YEARS
UNDER NEW OWNER NEW STOCK OF USED THINGS BOOKS • CDS • CLOTHES • DVDS • VIDEOS AND ADULT DVDS $5.00 ARMCHAIR FAMILY BOOKSTORE 3205 SE MILWAUIKE PORT. OR MON-FRI 11-6 SAT 11-5 503-477-5446
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
43
20
17
bop bop winners winners announced! announced! from best of portland reader’s poll
RSVP: surveymonkey.com/r/BOP17
44
Willamette Week JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
45 46 47
CLASSIFIEDS
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
WELLNESS
MATT PLAMBECK
MUSICIANS MARKET FOR FREE ADS in 'Musicians Wanted,' 'Musicians Available' & 'Instruments for Sale' go to portland.backpage.com and submit ads online. Ads taken over the phone in these categories cost $5.
JOBS
LEARN PIANO ALL STYLES, LEVELS Beginners welcome.
With 2-time Grammy winner Peter Boe 503-274-8727
INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE TRADEUPMUSIC.COM
INDULGE YOURSELF in an - AWESOME FULL BODY MASSAGE
call
Charles
503-740-5120
lmt#6250
SHAMANIC MEDICINE
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY, INSIDE BACK COVER
BULLETIN BOARD WILLAMETTE WEEK’S GATHERING PLACE. NON-PROFIT DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE.
HOSPITALITY/RESTAURANT
Buying, selling, instruments of every shape and size. Open 11am-7pm every day. 4701 SE Division & 1834 NE Alberta.
SERVICES HAULING/MOVING LJ’S HAULING ANYTHING
Removal of Metal/Cars free 503-839-7222
TREE SERVICES STEVE GREENBERG TREE SERVICE
Pruning and removals, stump grinding. 24-hour emergency service. Licensed/ Insured. CCB#67024. Free estimates. 503-939-3211
PAINTING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR RESIDENTIAL PAINTING! Tasteful Paints Interior and Exterior Residential painting. Over a decade of experience. Washington Licensed, Bonded, and Insured. Call for bid! 971 344 6422
REAL ESTATE
LOST & FOUND FOUND FOUR GOLD COINS
Play what you want to play.
REL AX!
CHATLINES, ADULT, JONESIN’
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com
MUSIC LESSONS
MASSAGE (LICENSED)
WELLNESS, SERVICES, BULLETIN BOARD, MUSICIANS MARKET, EMPLOYMENT, PETS, REAL ESTATE, RENTALS
on SE 100th & Foster. Please call or write Matthew to identify by 07/04/17. 503-545-0094 Write to 933 SE 34th Ave. Portland Or 97214. MCMENAMINS OLD CHURCH AND PUB IN WILSONVILLE IS NOW HIRING KITCHEN MANAGEMENT! Current openings include, Production Assistant Assistant Manager and Execution Assistant Assistant Managers. What we need from you: An open and flexible schedule, including days, evenings, weekends and holidays. Previous cooking and Management experience is required. A love of working in a busy, customer service-oriented environment; Seasonal and Long term positions are available. $300.00 signing bonus for Line Cooks and Kitchen Management after 90 days in good standing!!! Interested in a career in the hospitality industry? We offer opportunities for advancement as well as an excellent benefit package to eligible employees, including vision, medical, chiropractic, dental and so much more! Apply online 24/7 at mcmenamins.com OR stop by the Wilsonville Old Church and Pub and fill out an application. EOE.
GARAGE/ESTATE SALES N. BONNEVILLE CITY WIDE GARAGE SALE July 7th & 8th, 8-4. Maps available at Fire Hall, City Hall and Chevron
LESSONS CLASSICAL PIANO/KEYBOARD ALL AGES. STANDARDS, CLASSICAL, MUSICALS. EUROPEAN TRAINED. PORTLAND 503-227-6557
MISCELLANEOUS LEARNING ENGLISH?
Then learn the puzzles, secrets and mysteries of Judeo-Christian Culture, too. Write ENGLISH-SPEAKING-WORLD Mission, 4230 SE King Rd. #291, Milwaukie, OR 97222 or 5nations@gorge.net
SALES/MARKETING PART TIME EVENT MANAGER WANTED scheduling, bookkeeping & marketing. Space is good for celebrations, meetings, exercising. Ps. leave resume & availability: wtesfa1@comcast.net
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES HIRING NOW
Drive New Car’s Day & Swing North PDX Men and Women 18 yrs up Must drive stick shift 971-703-4941
Matt’s Taffy Shack SIZZLIN’ SUMMER SALE!
SECURITY F.T. & P.T.
Patrol Drivers (Officers), paid training/ hiring bonus. EEO Harbor Security, Inc. (503) 262-5538. harborsec@yahoo.com
HALF-OFF ALL USED TAFFY! Just carefully clip out this coupon, bring it to Matt’s Taffy Shack, give it to Matt, and he will sell you some half-priced used taffy.
LOCALLY OWNED
APARTMENTS SE SE 81/ASH DPLX
LAWN SERVICES
Updated Upper 2bd/2baWalk to Eateries & Shops No Pets/Smoke$1,490 Inc: H20/ Garb 503-793-2970
COMPLETE YARD SERVICE BY STEPHEN SECOR
BILL PEC FITNESS Personalized Training
RENTALS
CHATLINES
Senior Discounts We do it all! Trimming, hedges & shrubs, pruning, bark dust, rototilling, gutter cleaning, leaf/debris cleaning, weeding, blackberries, staining, pressure washing & water sealing. 503-235-0491 503-853-0480
Since 1955 Open to 2:30 am 365 days a year
503-252-6035
Margie’s Pot Shop ARE YOU #WOKE?
SURF ON OVER TO WWEEK.COM AND ARGUE ABOUT LOCAL RESTAURANTS IN THE COMMENT SECTIONS!
Just for the fun of it
• POT • WAX • SHATTER • VAPE PENS
• GLASS • $30 EIGHTHS • EDIBLES • QUALITY BUDS • $5 JOINTS and so much more! • $10 GRAMS 509-493-0441
405 E Steuben /SR 14, Bingen, WA 98605
Over 30 great dancers and a friendly all-female staff 129 SW Broadway
503-227-3023
www.marysclub.com
This product may be habit forming. Do not take over state lines. For use by adults 21 and over. Keep out of reach of children.
Willamette Week Classifieds JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
45
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
MATT PLAMBECK
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com
Jonesin’
CHATLINES
by Matt Jones
“Bo Knows”--so, do you know five Bos?
Abbey”
31 1975 Spielberg hit
64 Nibble on
33 Defaulter’s risk
65 Nightmarish street
37 Middle Earth being
66 Park, Fifth, and Q, e.g.
38 Rue Morgue chronicler
67 Coldplay’s label
39 Economic start
68 Rally feature
40 Halftime fodder
69 Santa ___, Calif.
41 “Everything ___ the kitchen sink”
70 Barbie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Down 1 Sardou drama on which a Puccini opera is based 2 Another word for sea bass 3 Self-absorbed person 4 Sank your teeth into 5 Divine counselor 6 Company that’s built brick by brick? 7 Jeff Bridges’s brother 8 “Life of Pi” author Martel
Portland 503-222-CHAT
9 “Treasure Island” illustrator, 1911
Vancouver 360-314-CHAT
Salem 503-428-5748 I Eugene 541-636-9099 Bend 541-213-2444 I Seattle 206-753-CHAT Albany 541-248-1481 I Medford 541-326-4000 or WEB PHONE on LiveMatch.com
ALWAYS FREE to chat with VIP members
(Unlimited VIP membership $15/week. No worries about minutes.)
MAN to MAN
Free Live chatrooms & forums! 503-222-6USA
Across 1 Std. tee size 4 Mild cheddar cheese 9 “Cheers” and “The Good Place” network 12 Uru. neighbor 13 When some night owls go to bed 15 Dove noise 16 Overly 17 First Family of the 1980s 18 Tails do it 19 Musical subgenre for Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard
22 German magazine, with “Der” 23 Restaurant reviewer’s website 26 “___ la vie” 27 2000 World Series MVP 32 Pianist Rubenstein
programming, once 48 Gene Chandler doowop hit that starts with a solo bass voice 52 Ball of thread (whose name lent itself to a word meaning “hint”)
34 Gillette razor brand
53 Cookbook instruction
35 “That can’t be right!”
54 “The House at Pooh Corner” author
36 Exhibitions seen through a small hole
56 “Running on Empty” singer
40 “Washboard” muscles
61 “Shine On ___ Crazy Diamond”
43 Conspire
63 Beryl ___, head cook on “Downton
44 Daytime
10 Flamboyant scarf 11 Gear tooth 13 “Hamlet” genre, for short 14 Clock setting in most of AZ 20 Abate
42 Winter Olympics structure 45 Frequently over an extended time, maybe 46 Robert Galbraith, e.g. 47 Jodie of “Full House” 49 “It’s the end of an ___!” 50 Expired 51 California’s ___ Tar Pits 55 G.I. rations 57 H&R Block worker 58 Intoxicating Polynesian beverage that rhymes with something flowing out of a volcano 59 WWII submachine gun 60 Defunct sci-fi magazine 61 Nope’s opposite 62 “Bravissimo!”
21 Swirly bread variety 24 Spider-Man cocreator Stan
last week’s answers
25 Get leverage, in a way 28 Reggae Sunsplash attendee, maybe 29 Numerical suffix 30 Marvel shapeshifting supervillain, leader of the Deviants
©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #JONZ823.
Lisa occasionally fantasied about having her horizons stretched as she served men and women. It wasn’t until she was offered a chance to appear on the new reality series called Sexvivor that she decided to act upon those fantasies. At first she is begging for the action to stop, but before long, Lisa is begging for her limits to be pushed further and further. Purchase the download at : a1adultebooks.com/ebooks/a384.htm 46
Willamette Week Classifieds JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
MATT PLAMBECK
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com © 2017 Rob Brezsny
Week of July 6
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Unless you were raised by a pack of feral raccoons or a fundamentalist cult, now is a perfect time to dive in to your second childhood. Is there a toy you wanted as a kid but never got? Buy it for yourself now! What were the delicious foods you craved back then? Eat them! Where were the special places you loved? Go there, or to spots that remind you of them. Who were the people you were excited to be with? Talk with them. Actions like these will get you geared up for a full-scale immersion in innocent eagerness. And that would be just the right medicine for your soul.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
What I wish for you, Taurus, is toasted ice cream and secrets in plain sight and a sacred twist of humorous purity. I would love for you to experience a powerful surrender and a calm climax and a sweeping vision of a small but pithy clue. I very much hope that you will get to take a big trip to an intimate turning point that’s not too far away. I pray you will find or create a barrier that draws people together instead of keeping them apart.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
In Dr. Seuss’s book, Horton Hatches an Egg, an elephant assumes the duty of sitting on a bird’s egg, committed to keeping it warm until hatching time. The nest is located high in a tree, which makes the undertaking even more incongruous. By the climax of the tale, Horton has had to persist in his loyal service through a number of challenges. But all ends well, and there’s an added bonus: The creature that’s born is miraculously part-bird, part-elephant. I see similarities between this story and your life right now, Gemini. The duty you’re carrying out doesn’t come naturally, and you’re not even sure you’re doing it right. But if you keep at it till it’s completed, you’ll earn a surprising reward.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
It’s prime time for you to break through any inhibitions you might have about accessing and expressing your passion. To help you in this righteous cause, I’ve assembled a batch of words you should be ready to use with frequency and sweet abandon. Consider writing at least part of this list on your forearm with a felt-tip pen every morning so it’s always close at hand: enamored, piqued, enchanted, stirred, roused, enthused, delighted, animated, elevated, thrilled, captivated, turned-on, enthralled, exuberant, fired up, awakened.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22
Matt Groening, creator of the cartoon series The Simpsons, says that a great turning point in his early years came when his Scoutmaster told him he was the worst Boy Scout in history. While this might have demoralized other teenagers, it energized Groening. “Well, somebody’s got to be the worst,” he triumphantly told the Scoutmaster. And then, “instead of the earth opening up and swallowing me, instead of the flames of hell fire licking at my knees -- nothing happened. And I was free.” I suspect you may soon be blessed with a comparable liberation, Leo. Maybe you’ll be released from having to live up to an expectation you shouldn’t even live up to. Or maybe you’ll be criticized in a way that will motivate your drive for excellence for years to come.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Nineteen of my readers who work in the advertising industry signed a petition requesting that I stop badmouthing their field. “Without advertising,” they testified, “life itself would be impossible.” In response, I agreed to attend their re-education seminar. There, under their tutelage, I came to acknowledge that everything we do can be construed as a kind of advertising. Each of us is engaged in a mostly unconscious campaign to promote our unique way of looking at and being in the world. Realizing the truth, I now feel no reservations about urging you Virgos to take advantage of the current astrological omens. They suggest that you can and should be aggressive and ingenious about marketing yourself, your ideas, and your products.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
In 2003, the American Film Institute announced the creation of a new prize to honor acting talent. Dubbed the Charlton Heston Award, it was designed to be handed out periodically to luminaries who have distinguished themselves over the course of long careers. The first recipient of the award was, oddly enough, Charlton Heston himself, born under the sign of Libra. I hope you’re inspired by this story to wipe away any false modesty you might be suffering from. The astrological omens suggest it’s a favorable moment to create a big new award named after you and bestow it upon yourself. As part of the festivities, tell yourself about what makes you special, amazing, and valuable.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Here’s your riddle: What unscratchable itch drives you half-crazy? But you’re secretly glad it drives you halfcrazy, because you know your half-craziness will eventually lead you to an experience or resource that will relieve the itch. Here’s your prophecy: Sometime soon, scratching the unscratchable itch will lead you to the experience or resource that will finally relieve the itch. Here’s your homework: Prepare yourself emotionally to fully receive and welcome the new experience or resource. Make sure you’re not so addicted to scratching the unscratchable itch that you fail to take advantage of the healing it’s bringing you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
The best way to go forward is to go backward; the path to the bright future requires a shadowy regression. Put another way, you should return to the roots of a triumph in order to find a hidden flaw that might eventually threaten to undo your success. Correct that flaw now and you’ll make it unnecessary for karmic repercussions to undermine you later. But please don’t get all solemnfaced and anxious about this assignment. Approach it with humorous self-correction and you’ll ensure that all goes well.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Are you familiar with the psychological concepts of anima and animus? You’re in the midst of being intoxicated by one of those creatures from inner space. Though you may not be fully conscious of it, you women are experiencing a mystical marriage with an imaginal character that personifies all that’s masculine in your psyche. You men are going through the analogous process with a female figure within you. I believe this is true no matter what your sexual orientation is. While this awesome psychological event may be fun, educational, and even ecstatic, it could also be confusing to your relationships with real people. Don’t expect them to act like or live up to the very real fantasy you’re communing with.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
As a recovering save-the-world addict, I have felt compassionate skepticism towards my fellow junkies who are still in the throes of their obsession. But recently I’ve discovered that just as a small minority of alcoholics can safely take a drink now and then, so can a few savethe-world-aholics actually save the world a little bit at a time without getting strung-out. With that as a disclaimer, Aquarius, I’m letting you know that the cosmos has authorized you to pursue your own brand of fanatical idealism in the coming weeks. To keep yourself honest, make fun of your zealotry every now and then.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
The potential breakthrough I foresee for you is a rare species of joy. It’s a gritty, hard-earned pleasure that will spawn beautiful questions you’ll be glad to have awakened. It’s a surprising departure from your usual approach to feeling good that will expand your understanding of what happiness means. Here’s one way to ensure that it will visit you in all of its glory: Situate yourself between the fabulous contradictions in your life and say, “Squeeze me, tease me, please me.”
Homework
What was the pain that healed you most? What was the pleasure that hurt you the worst? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.
check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes & Daily Text Message Horoscopes
freewillastrology.com
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at
1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 Willamette Week Classifieds JULY 5, 2017 wweek.com
47
BACK COVER DEBT RELIEF NOW
Get a Fresh Financial Start! Call Today at 503-808-9032 Attorney Scott Hutchinson FREE Confidential Consultation. Affordable Payments. Go to: Hutchinson-Law.com
Atomic Auto atomicauto.biz
A FEMALE FRIENDLY SEX TOY BOUTIQUE
610 NE 102nd. Text: (503) 969-3134
Guitar Lessons
Personalized instruction for over 15yrs. www.portlandguitar-lessons.com 503-546-3137
Comedy Classes
Improv, Standup, Sketch writing. Now enrolling The Brody Theater, 503-224-2227 www.brodytheater.com
for every body LIVING WITH PELVIC PAIN / THURS, JULY 13 - 7:30 - $15 THE JOYSTHE OF TOYS! / WED, SEPTFLIRTING 7 - 7:30 -101 $15W/ ANDRE SHAKTI / SUN, JULY 16 - 7:30 - $20 DROPPING HINT, NOT THE BALL: STRAP IT2.0: TO AN ME!ORAL STRAP-ON SEX FOR EVERYBODY / SUN, SEPT 11 - 7:30 - $15 FELLATIO SEX UPGRADE! / WED, JULY 26 - 7:30 - $20 BACKEGG: THAT ASS UP!: ANAL SEX 101 VITALITY, / THURS,HEALTH SEPT 22 - 7:30 - $20/ THURS, AUG 3 - 7:30 - $15 JADE A TOOL TO INCREASE YOUR & PLEASURE EXPLORING BURLESQUE: STRIPTEASE / WED, OCT - 7:30 - $20 SWINGING & THREESOMES & ORGIES, OH MY!SALON / THURS, AUGUST 17 -57:30 - $20 ROPE BONDAGE 201IN / SUN, 27 - 7:30ASKING - $20 FOR WHAT YOU WANT / SUN, OCT 9 - 7:30 - $15 COMMUNICATION THE AUG BEDROOM: Workshops Workshops can be ASL INTERPRETED INTERPRETEDupon uponrequest request
presents
NOW TWO LOCATIONS! DIVISION ST AND AT 909 BEECH ST. PORTLAND SHEBOPTHESHOP.COM 3213 SEATDIVISION ST AND AT3213 909 SE N BEECH ST. PORTLAND AND NSHOP ONLINE AT SHEBOPTHESHOP.COM
Antique & ollectible C Shows
$$$ CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS $$$
Paying up to $30/box. Help those who can’t afford insurance. Free pickup in SW WA and Portland Metro. Call 360-693-0185 ext 500
1,300 booths of vintage treasures inside and out - our largest show!
ARE YOU BURIED IN DEBT?
July 15 & 16
Tired of creditors harassing you? I will kick their asses and help you get your financial life back on track Call Christopher Kane, Attorney at Law NOW! A debt relief agency kicking ass for 20 years. 503-380-7822. bankruptcylawpdx.com.
Public show hours: Sat. 9-6 Sun. 10-4 - Adults $8
Marijuana Shop
www.christinepalmer.net
*971-255-1456* 1310 SE 7TH AVE
Come Rain or Shine
20595 SW TV Highway. Aloha, OR 97006 503-746-4444
OMMP CARDHOLDERS
Sherlock Holmes Club will discuss A Scandal in Bohemia Monday, July 24, 6 PM Beginners welcome. All ages Thurman & NW 23rd St library
Top 1% Portland Agent
GET 25% DISCOUNT!
Quick fix synthetic urine now available. Kratom, Vapes. E-cigs, glass pipes, discount tobacco, detox products, Butane by the case Still Smokin’ Glass and Tobacco 12302 SE Powell 503-762-4219
Stephen FitzMaurice, Broker Home Selling Specialist 14+ Years Experience 4.5% Max Commission Premiere Property Group, LLC. 4300 NE Fremont St. 503-714-1111. RealEstateAgentPDX.com
BEAD FAIRE
SO, YOU GOT A DUI. NOW WHAT?
Put Your Logo on Umbrellas!
Hippie Goddess
Females 18+ wanted. Natural/ Hirsute/ Hairy Women. Photo shoots for Hippiegoddess.com Base pay is 300.00 Please call for details. Call Jen 503-449-1592
Get help from an experienced DUI trial lawyer Free Consult./ Vigorous Defense/ Affordable Fees David D. Ghazi, Attorney at Law 333 SW Taylor Street, Suite 300 (503)-224-DUII (3844) david@ddglegal.com
July 7, 8, 9 Oregon Convention Center FRI 12-6 | SAT 10-6 | SUN 10-5 Admission $7 weekend pass BEADS! BEADS! BEADS! Millions of beads from around the world! Buy direct from importers & wholesalers. (503) 252-8300 GemFaire.com
Kami Price, Broker 13+ years experience Permiere Property Group, LLC 503-773-0000
Call Jeremy today to order! 503-736-0111
Community Law Project
Top 1% Buyer’s Agent
Admission: $7 per person / Readings: $20 each
Browse & Reply FREE! 503-299-9911 Use FREE Code 2557, 18+
CASH for INSTRUMENTS
We Buy, Sell & Trade New and Used Hydroponic Equipment. 503-747-3624
Tradeupmusic.com SE - 236-8800 NE -335-8800 SW - Humstrumdrum.com
SPECIALS
437 NE LLOYD BLVD TUES–FRI 10–6 PM SAT & SUN 10–4 PM 503–954–1991
99 20
$
Ounces
$
1/8ths
5
$
Joints
Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of marijuana. Keep marijuana out of the reach of children
801 NE Broadway • (503)288-5454 • mytrucannabis.com
503 235 1035
NORTH WEST HYDROPONIC R&R
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Recreational and Medical Full Service Dispensary Serving Concentrates, Edibles, Topicals and Flower
WE CARRY ALL MAJOR BRANDS
WHERE SINGLES MEET
Non-Profit Law Firm Sliding-Scale · Payment Plans Bankruptcy · Debt · Eviction Call 503-208-4079 www.communitylawproject.org
Come Say H IGH! AS LOW AS $150 A DAY!
503-282-0877
Card Services Clinic
New Downtown Location! 1501 SW Broadway www.mellowmood.com
4119 SE Hawthorne, Portland ph: 503-235-PIPE (7473)
503-384-WEED (9333) www.mmcsclinic.com 4911 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland Mon-Sat 9-6
Pizza Delivery
Until 4AM!
www.hammyspizza.com