BRING ON THE SNOW! P. 7
PORTLAND’S BEST SUSHI P. 26
ESPERANZA SPALDING COMES HOME P. 29
WILLAMETTE WEEK PORTLAND’S NEWSWEEKLY
“THAT WOMAN LOOKS LIKE THE TICK!”
Cryptocurrency miners are flocking to Oregon for cheap electricity. Should we subsidize their efforts?
P. 37 WWEEK.COM
VOL 44/17 02.21.2018
BY KATIE SHEPHERD PAGE 12
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Christine dong
FINDINGS
tHE dallES, paGE 12
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM READING THIS WEEK’S PAPER VOL. 44, ISSUE 17.
Don’t hate the snow. 7 It’s harder to get an internet connection in Oregon than in 44 other states. 9 One Bitcoin miner uses enough electricity to power the Oregon town of Sisters. 13 The national director of American synchronized skating has seen some shit. 23 Want wondrous rice? Go to Hawthorne Boulevard. 27
ON THE COVER:
The East Coast jazz scene is much more sexist than Portland’s, says Esperanza Spalding. 29 K.d. lang used to not like her biggest song, but she likes that it made her rich. 32
It’s not easy to find a venue that will display photographs of vulvas. But try the Ace Hotel. 39 America’s sick obsession with guns has nothing to do with bears. 40
OUR MOST TRAFFICKED STORY ONLINE THIS WEEK:
Coin mine, painting by Joanna Gorham.
the day after a school shooting, the oregon House passed a gun control bill.
MASTHEAD 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, Bridget Roddy Music Editor Matthew Singer Projects Editor Matthew Korfhage Stage & Screen Editor Shannon Gormley Style Editor, Cool Stuff Walker MacMurdo
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DIALOGUE Last week, WW wrote about House Bill 4145, a piece of gun control legislation championed by Gov. Kate Brown that would take guns away from stalkers and abusive partners (“One in the Chamber,” WW, Feb. 14, 2018). The measure passed the House last week, with three Republicans voting yes. It now goes before the Oregon Senate. Here’s what our readers have to say about the bill. Lisa Hannah, via Twitter: “What happens when Republicans stand up to the NRA.” Jeremiah William Johnson, via Facebook: “A history of domestic violence should definitely keep you from owning automatic weapons or getting a concealed carry permit. Period.” Shara Holmen, via Facebook: “Yes! This makes a lot of sense. About time. Now to actually listen to those who have been abused domestically and given the help they need to escape and survive.”
Darby Marioth, via Facebook: “I don’t understand how anyone could be against this.” Dan Taylor, via wweek.com: “Waste of time. It’s already against the law for [some] people charged with a domestic abuse case to own firearms, and people that have a restraining order against them cannot have firearms. Good job, Salem, on deflecting from real problems we have.” Shannon Bearman, via Twitter: “Every state should follow in Oregon’s footsteps.”
“All the laws they can write don’t mean a damn thing if not enforced.”
Matt, via wweek.com: “All the laws they can write don’t mean a damn thing if not enforced.” Hackworth, via Twitter: “Reminder that while we’ve been calling Congress on federal issues all year, there’s work to be done at the state level too. Sanctuary cities, protecting women’s rights, and this currently germane example: gun control.”
Kent Wright, via Facebook: “I agree with this [measure]. Even though I am a gun supporter.” Karen Holmstrom, in response: “Bravo, Kent! It’s really sad when gun supporters feel it’s all or nothing. I feel like responsible gun owners wouldn’t have an issue with this.”
Kimberly Kosa, via Facebook: “Glad to hear this passed and that some lawmakers are developing a spine. However, this ongoing sentiment that ‘This bill won’t solve the ENTIRE problem, therefore I’m voting no’ is 100 percent garbage. Incremental change is still change.” 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
Dr. Know BY MART Y SMITH
Remember how Pioneer Courthouse Square was fenced off for a face-lift last year? Remember how you hoped for water slides and a goat petting zoo? Well, now it’s “done”—except nothing’s changed. Did we just pay millions to rent construction fencing for a year? —Feeling Fleeced
IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK! Now ServiNg BreakfaSt! 8:00am-2:30pm (every Day) 3159 Se Belmont Portland, or 97214
cricketcafepdx.com
It wasn’t the fencing that cost all that money, Fleeced, it was the yearlong, drug-fueled bacchanal that took place inside it. Surely you remember? How we diverted the entire 2014 parks replacement bond to an offshore account? And then spent all $68 million on a 5-foot statue of the elephant god Ganesha made out of pure MDMA? And all the city’s political and media figures had that huge rager, and swore not to tell the public because… Oops, never mind. (The fucked-up thing is that now there’s some dude on Breitbart who thinks that really happened.) Anyway, here’s the real story. I don’t know if anyone close to you has ever had a face-lift, but if so, you may have noticed that it’s not a process of outfitting the face with flashy new features, like antlers or brushed-aluminum eyebrows. Instead, they take a face that’s pretty gnarly and busted and try to restore it to its former glory. So it was with Pioneer Courthouse Square.
You might not have noticed, since you’ve probably been getting pretty gnarly and busted yourself, but the square was kind of falling apart. Those terra-cotta columns to nowhere were crumbling, the waterproofing under the bricks was failing, and some of the bricks themselves needed to be replaced—more of a headache than you might imagine, since most of them have people’s names on them from the long-ago “buy a brick” campaign that funded the square in the first place. The whole schmear came in under $10 million—not terrible for a public works project—and officials claim that each and every named brick that got removed was replaced with a new one bearing the same inscription “in a similar location.” If Breitbart guy wants to fact check that assertion, he’s welcome to do so. Given that there are more than 80,000 of these bricks, I’m inclined to take their word for it. QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com
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MURMURS The most likely obstacle for the bill now would be a costly fiscal impact estimate, which killed a similar bill in 2017.
Republicans Add New PAC BROWN
Oregon Lawmakers Move to Protect Domestic Violence Victims
Legislators appear willing to address weaknesses in Oregon laws protecting victims of domestic violence. After passing the House last week on a 37-23 vote, the “boyfriend loophole” bill— designed to take guns away from those convicted of domestic violence or subject to stalking orders—appeared poised to pass out of the Senate Judiciary Committee at press time. That would set up a Senate floor vote on Gov. Kate Brown’s top priority for the short session. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1562, which broadens the definition of strangulation and increases the penalty for that crime from a misdemeanor to a felony, won unanimous approval by the Senate on Tuesday and now moves to House.
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Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
Although Democratic dominance of the Oregon Legislature and most statewide offices looks set to continue, Republican funders are doing their best to fight back. The latest entrant: ActionPAC, a new entity formed by GOP political consultants Jim Pasero and Bridget Barton, whose Oregon Transformation Project funded a brief GOP takeover of the Clackamas County Commission in 2012. Now with a $250,000 initial contribution from Hank Swigert, the 87-year-old scion of the family that founded the Portland steel foundry Esco Corp., Pasero and Barton will seek to “promote a stronger Oregon economy and a more business- and job-friendly atmosphere.” ActionPAC hasn’t begun spending its money yet.
Proposed Business Tax Draws Legal Challenge
Wheeler Adds Support for Increasing Car Theft Convictions
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has added his voice to a chorus of support for a bill that would make it easier to convict people arrested behind the wheel of a stolen car. In written testimony submitted to the House Rules Committee on Feb. 20, Wheeler said the legislation would “help address the growing problem of car theft in Oregon, the impacts of which are acutely felt within the city of Portland.” He noted the skyrocketing number of vehicle thefts in Portland disproportionately impact low-income residents whose most valuable possession is often a car. House Bill 4161 has support from prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement leaders and many legislators, including committee chairwoman and House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson (D–Portland).
MCCORMICK
A proposed Portland ballot initiative to impose a tax on large retailers to pay for renewable energy projects faces a technical and legal challenge. The initiative, backed by environmental advocates, would institute a 1 percent tax on Portland sales by retailers with at least $1 billion in sales nationally and $500,000 in Portland. On Feb. 13, Pat McCormick—a Portland public relations consultant and spokesman for the successful campaign to defeat Measure 97, which also would have imposed a tax on large retailers—sued in Multnomah County Circuit Court over both the ballot title and whether the initiative is constitutional.
Let It Snow
324.7 in
A meager snowpack in Oregon’s mountains this year is bad news for the water supply. BY E L I S E H E R R O N
211.7 in.
91.9 in.
178.1 in.
108 in. 71.4 in.
303.9 in UMATILLA, 154.7 in. WALLA WALLA, WILLOW GRANDE RONDE, POWDER, 115.3 61.3 in. BURNT, in. IMNAHA
122.5 in
eherron@wweek.com
Alarmed by the snow dumping on Portland this week? Don’t complain: Oregon needs this. The state has seen a mild and dry winter—leaving the Cascade mountains with a much smaller snowpack than they collected last year. Maps compiled by the National Water and Climate Center show the “snow water equivalent” in the Willamette Valley is around 122.5 inches—43 percent of what it normally is. It’s also much less than last year, when the SWE in the Willamette Valley was 324.7 inches—143 percent of normal. That meager snowpack could have lasting implications, says Evan Bentley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “Most of the reservoirs that provide water to the population of western Oregon are filled primarily from winter rain and snow melt,” he says. “In particularly meager years, drought and water availability can be concerns.” But don’t start fretting about wildfires just yet. Bentley says unrelated weather patterns, not the snowpack, have the biggest effect on fire danger. Here’s a look at the wimpy snowpack around the state:
243.9 in.
HOOD, SANDY, LOWER DESCHUTES
386.4 in.
JOHN DAY
WILLAMETTE
316 in.
UPPER DESCHUTES, CROOKED
156.3 in.
44.4 in. 111.1 in.
135.9 in.
40.5 in.
OWYHEE, MALHEUR
117.2 in. 105.8 in.
2017 2018
43.5 in. HARNEY
ROGUE, UMPQUA
KLAMATH
LAKE COUNTY, GOOSE LAKE
DATA P R O V I D E D B Y U S DA / N R C S N AT I O N A L W E AT H E R A N D C L I M AT E C E N T E R . M A P B Y R O S I E S T R U V E .
NEWS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
Inches of SWE (snow water equivalent) by water basin region, as of Feb 1.
Kitz Fesses Up
Three takeaways from former Gov. John Kitzhaber’s ethics hearing. BY NI GE L JAQ UI SS njaquiss@wweek.com
Former Gov. John Kitzhaber appeared before the Oregon Government Ethics Commission in Salem on Feb. 16 to respond to an investigator’s findings that Kitzhaber had probably committed 11 violations of state ethics laws. The appearance marked the first time that Oregon’s longest-serving governor, who resigned less than two months into his fourth term in 2015, has publicly addressed allegations of influence peddling related to first lady Cylvia Hayes’ private consulting contracts. Here are three takeaways from the hearing: He’s still got it. In brief statements since he resigned, Kitzhaber, 70, has come across as defensive and unrepentant. Last week, however, both in his opening statement and in his unscripted responses to commissioners’ questions, Kitzhaber appeared thoughtful, humble and deeply apologetic. “If I’ve made violations,” he told the commission, “I want to be held accountable.” He acknowledged neglecting to monitor Hayes. “I failed to stay personally engaged and informed about the nature of the contracts and professional activities,” Kitzhaber said. “I erred.” Even when commissioners made it clear they weren’t buying his argument that he’d never used his office for personal gain, he schmoozed with them after his hearing ended.
Hayes poisoned the well. The commission held a similar hearing Jan. 5, 2017, on an investigation into Hayes’ contracts. Neither Hayes nor her attorney showed up for that hearing, which irked commissioners. “It would have been nice to ask some questions,” said commission chairwoman Alison Kean. The commissioners voted unanimously to find Hayes had committed 22 ethics law violations and clamored for the maximum possible fines—recommending an unprecedented $5,000 per violation. That raised the degree of difficulty for Kitzhaber. “My recommendation,” Kean said Jan. 5, “is that the governor be treated with a much higher standard.” He’s willing to admit she lied. Kitzhaber and his attorney, Janet Hoffman, revealed something new last week: a divergence between Kitzhaber and Hayes. In the 23-page letter Hoffman submitted to the commission and in the remarks she and Kitzhaber made, the message was loud and clear: In her efforts to obtain work from potential contract partners, Hayes repeatedly misrepresented her role in Kitzhaber’s administration. Hoffman blistered Hayes in her letter, saying the first lady misrepresented her role in the governor’s office without his knowledge. “[Kitzhaber] was not aware that Ms. Hayes reported to nonprofit organizations, for instance, that she convened governors’ offices or reinvigorated the Pacific Coast Collaborative or spearheaded Oregon’s adoption of the [Genuine Progress Indicator]—all of which is inaccurate.” The commission will decide Hayes’ penalty in March. She’s scheduled to give a TEDx talk in Bend on March 31.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I can’t believe that the first time we had to practice hiding in a closet and we started our active-shooter drills that we all didn’t become outraged. And every single one of us didn’t just say, ‘This is ridiculous and we shouldn’t do it.’ I’m ready to dedicate my time to making sure kids don’t get shot in schools anymore. This has to be the last one.” —Suzanne Cohen, president of the Portland Association of Teachers. She is a 1994 graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. A gunman killed 17 people at the school Feb. 14. Cohen tells WW the shooting has spurred her to make gun control a priority for the teachers’ union. Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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G R A N T K R AT Z E R
NEWS
Off the Information Superhighway Oregon’s effort to bring fast internet to “digital dust bowls” has hit a roadblock. BY NIG E L JAQ UI SS
njaquiss@wweek.com
Alex Petit’s first gambit to fix Oregon’s woeful internet service worked. On his second try, he awoke a slumbering yeti. Petit is Oregon’s chief information officer—essentially the state’s top IT guy. Last year, alarmed at state government’s “ridiculous” $11 million internet bill, he teamed up with the state’s research universities to buy nearly 2,300 miles of fiber optic cable, hoping to create a faster, substantially cheaper public network running across the state. Two weeks ago, Petit doubled down, asking lawmakers for permission to open that network to rural schools, public libraries and tribal reservations, and create public-private partnerships to increase connectivity. “The more of us that use it, the more efficient for all of us,” says Petit. But when he tried to extend his reach, in amendments to a pending bill in the Oregon House, rural telecom providers hit the roof. Petit’s proposal has touched off a legislative donnybrook, pitting the state’s hope to roll out its new broadband network against the telecommunications industry’s desire to keep its markets fenced off from a government-funded internet provider. The disagreement raises important questions about how deeply government should insert itself into an arena—broadband—dominated by private providers. It will also test of how hard Gov. Kate Brown is willing to push back against a telecom industry that has traditionally supported her, in order to fulfill a pledge to help revive rural Oregon. “This is not only about better, cheaper service for us,” Petit says. “I feel strongly it’s about digital equity.” The industry disagrees. Michael Weidman, president of LS Networks, which is owned by five Oregon electric co-ops and the Coquille Tribe, says Petit is correct that the state could pay far less for internet service. But Weidman says it’s unfair for the state to undercut industry. “It just doesn’t make sense to use public dollars to compete with private investment,” he says. In Portland, where a WiFi hot spot is rarely more than a block away, this debate may seem arcane. But internet
connectivity in rural Oregon is dismal—and how Oregon addresses that imbalance could have big ramifications in a state where the gap between haves and have-nots is widening. A nonprofit group called Education Superhighway, which uses federal funds to hook up rural schools to the internet, gave Oregon poor scores in its 2017 State of the States Report. The state ranks 45th in connectivity, 42nd in fiber needed and 41st in affordability. “The most persistent barrier to digital equity is the lack of fiber optic connection to the Internet,” says Andrew Kenny, state engagement director for Education Superhighway. “Without that, kids are going to get left behind.” In amendments Petit offered to House Bill 4023, which relates to rural connectivity, he proposed to use the state and university system’s new network to con-
“ IT J US T DO E S N ’ T MAK E S EN S E TO US E P U B LI C DO LL ARS TO CO M PE TE WITH PR IVATE I NVE S TM ENT. —MICHAEL WEIDMAN, P R E S I D E N T O F L S N E T WO R K S
nect rural Oregon, where 43 school districts still lack a fiber optic connection. Brown jumped on board. Before the session began, she had pledged to make development in rural Oregon a priority but wasn’t making much headway. The governor’s spokesman, Chris Pair, says cheaper, faster internet service for rural areas is a must. “Increasing broadband for rural communities,” he says, “is one way to encourage economic equity across Oregon.” Two groups disagree. One consists of so-called “middle mile” suppliers such as LS Networks, which connect internet hardware to “last mile” providers. They worry the new state network would compete directly with them. Last-mile providers also object to the proposal. They supply the off-ramps that connect fiber optic networks
to office buildings, schools and homes, and they fear another part of Petit’s request: that the state be allowed to form public-private partnerships that could build such off-ramps. The Oregon Telecommunications Association says Petit’s proposal threatens its members, including a couple dozen small telecom companies such as Frontier Communications, which serves Eastern Oregon, and Molalla Communications, which serves rural Clackamas County. Petit says the focus should be on outcomes, such as providing better service to the 95,134 Oregon students who the Education Superhighway study says lack access to bandwidth that meets minimum requirements. But Brant Wolf, a lobbyist for the OTA, says he’s skeptical about those numbers and claims rural Oregon is not so underserved as Petit and others suggest. “It’s easy for a witness in a hearing to say a school or county or city doesn’t have access,” Wolf says. “Those claims are often demonstrably false. Almost everywhere in Oregon, you can get service if you ask for it.” Wolf says there are other reasons to be wary of the desire for a new, publicly owned network. He says government-led technology projects often fail or produce unintended results. He says mission creep is a risk and cites a recent example: Clackamas County built a sophisticated broadband network in 2010 with federal stimulus dollars and promised never to compete with industry providers for business or residential customers. Late last year, though, county officials sought permission to do just that. Pushback from industry representatives, including Weidman and Wolf, stopped Petit’s bill after three sessions before the House Economic Development and Trade Committee. But with Brown’s backing, House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) then moved the bill to the Joint Committee on Information Management and Technology, where it awaits a hearing. Brown’s spokesman says the governor is optimistic about its chances. “The governor is encouraged by the support she’s seeing from rural communities and rural lawmakers,” Pair says, “and she hopes that this Legislature can support rural economies.” Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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P H I L I P TAY L O R
NEWS
CELEBRATE OREGON CRAFT BEER
Free Parking Property magnate Jordan Schnitzer has a scofflaw parking garage. The city knows but hasn’t shut it down. BY R AC H E L M O N A H A N
rmonahan@wweek.com
Parking in the U-Park garage at Northwest Broadway and Flanders Street isn’t cheap: Posted rates range from $4.50 an hour to $14.50 a day. But the spaces aren’t supposed to exist at all. The garage’s owner is operating it in defiance of city zoning code—paying $1,400 a month in fines rather than follow city rules and shut the garage down. The scofflaw garage is owned by Harsch Investment Properties, the real estate empire run by Jordan Schnitzer. The fines seem barely to dent the profits Harsch garners from renting parking spaces. “It appears the monthly code-enforcement fees have become the cost of doing business,” says Michael Liefeld, who runs enforcement at the city’s Bureau of Development Services. Harsch is exploiting a loophole in city policy. Portland usually relies on the threat of fines to force property owners to follow the rules. But if a company has deep enough pockets, it can simply treat the fines like a speed bump. And unless officials at BDS receive more complaints from the public, they rarely increase the financial penalties beyond doubling them after three months. City rules say that parking garages can’t expand their operations except under limited exceptions. Yet Harsch expanded parking at the garage from eight city-authorized parking spaces to more than 50 by 2015, according to bureau records. City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly says it’s a tough call how BDS should approach the problem, given that the violation isn’t a safety hazard. But she described Harsch as operating as if it were above the rules. “We see this a lot in different arenas,” Eudaly says. “Businesses just flout the rules and write off the penalty.” The scofflaw garage is defying Portland rules intended to limit car traffic downtown. In the late 1970s, Portland restricted parking in the central city as part of an effort to improve air quality.
Restrictions on parking persist for other reasons, too: encouraging commuters to take public transportation and creating a walkable downtown, both of which have put Portland on the map of desirable small cities. Watchdogs of city parking policy say the city’s rules are designed to reduce cars clogging downtown streets. “They call for reductions in single-occupancy vehicles,” says Tony Jordan, founder of Portlanders for Parking Reform, a group trying to reduce car use. “Adding any parking is allowing for more traffic that will make it harder to meet our goals.” The city allows new parking to be added in the central city if developers build housing or commercial space. Harsch did neither. A company spokesman claims it is trying to address the problem. “We have been working closely with the city and GBD Architects on the parking permitting process in an effort to be fully compliant with all city regulations,” says David Shane, who declined to comment further. City officials have known the garage was breaking the rules for more than two years, and in 2016 they started levying fines, now totaling $28,380.74. Harsch paid the fines and continues to cash in on the garage, whose posted rates suggest it could have brought in more than $360,000 over that period. The bureau has the authority to take property owners before a city hearings officer and begin levying fines of $1,000 a day. But it hasn’t done so with the Harsch garage—in part because it was waiting to hear more public complaints, and nobody else complained. Liefeld says such fines are usually reserved for situations that pose an immediate risk to health or safety or for other high-priority reasons. But when WW presented him with details about the Harsch garage, Liefeld acknowledged the case may qualify as a “gross” violation. “We don’t track every case that’s being assessed,” he says. “We only figure out these things if someone calls.”
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FEBRUARY 28 6PM REVOLUTION HALL Tickets on sale now:
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COIN
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RU SH
1100 IN RENCY IN I N RI NE N C Y R E NRCEYN C Y
CRYPTOCURCRYPTOCURC R YCPRT O YP C TUORC- U R 01010001010
//////////
IN N C R Y P T O C U R R E N C Y W E TR U S T .
Cryptocurrency miners are flocking to Oregon for cheap electricity. Should we subsidize their efforts? S T O R Y B Y K AT I E S H E P H E R D
kshepherd@wweek.com
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE DONG
D e e p in the Colu mb ia Rive r Gorge is a parking lot that never freezes. Not a single snowflake sticks. The source of this artificial summer in The Dalles, a town of 13,000 people 85 miles east of Portland where February temperatures can dip to 16 degrees, is a nearby warehouse, a cream and green concrete building with no windows and no signs. The reason for this banana belt? Air pumped from exhaust vents in the warehouse bathe the parking lot with a warm sauna-like breeze—heat coming from the 2,750 computers that hum inside. You read that right. Two thousand, seven hundred fifty computers, each the size of a shoe box. This is Terrence Thurber’s cryptocurrency mine. Thurber, a boyish, 33-year-old college dropout with a pompadour of blond hair, a perpetual five o’ clock shadow and a gambling habit that sent him jetting off to Vegas this week, moved to The Dalles from Costa Rica three years ago. He once hawked diet pills online. Now, he is mining for Bitcoins. “This is the future,” Thurber says. “The sooner people get on board, the better off they’ll be. It’s a ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’ situation.” Cryptocurrency is the talk of the tech and financial world. The most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has made paper billionaires of some, as speculators drive the value of each coin up and down. But mostly up—Bitcoin increased in value more than 1,100 percent last year. All told, there is more than $168 billion in Bitcoins around the globe, and it’s just one of hundreds of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is being used to buy cars and houses, and book first-class flights (as well as for darker purchases, like opioids and guns). Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says the speculative frenzy is a sham, and warns that eventually the cryptocurrency craze will be viewed as another tulip fever, when irrational enthusiasm for flower bulbs crashed the 17th-century Dutch economy. But for the moment, miners like Thurber are gripped in a mania, using thousands of shoebox-sized computers to solve the complex math problems that produce cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. That effort uses extraordinary amounts of computing power and electricity to run a highly sophisticated algorithm— last year, Bitcoin miners consumed as much power in one year as the nation of Portugal did in the same period. Thurber says he moved to The Dalles for one reason only: cheap hydroelectric power. It costs 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than half the U.S. average. Thurber’s mine constantly draws three megawatts of power per hour. That’s enough electricity to power a town the size of Sisters. And Thurber says his 15-employee company, called OregonMines, is now the third-largest consumer of ROLL ON: Columbia River electricity in The Dalles. His hydropower has monthly power bill is $75,000. drawn the eye of While Thurber’s OregonMines cryptocurrency miners. A dozen of is the only industrial-sized crypthem are seeking tocurrency mining operation to open industrialin The Dalles, and one of fewer sized mines in The Dalles, Ore. than a dozen in Oregon, more are coming. C O N T. O N PA G E 1 4
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COIN
RU SH GAMBLING MAN: Terrence Thurber brought his Bitcoin mining operation to The Dalles in 2014. “If you could give me a great strategy game, a couple growlers of good craft beer and a weekend with my dogs,” he says, “I’d be pretty content.”
I HA D 1 0- T I M E SE D M Y M O N EY B Y T H E END OF T H E NI GH T . AT T H A T P O I N T , I HA D EF F E CT I VE LY T A K EN T H E R ED P I L L . ANY CA U T I O N, ANY H EED W A S J U S T OUT TH E WI ND O W. ” “We may well become the center of cryptomining in the world,” says Robert McCullough, an energy consultant who once set power rates at Portland General Electric. “We may find our burgeoning surplus of energy will make us quite a capital for useless servers solving useless puzzles. It’s not as if we have a huge amount of employment attached. It’s not as if you’re going to have a big staff and a lot of smart people working on it.” The Bitcoin boom poses a challenge to small towns like The Dalles. Electricity here may be cheap, but it isn’t endless. Dams kill endangered salmon. And the more hydropower is used by Bitcoin miners, the more the rest of the state must rely on electricity generated by fossil fuels, including coal. “I wouldn’t blame a [utility] for being skeptical,” Thurber says. “Cryptocurrency would gobble up as much power as it could, if we didn’t have a bunch of measures in place that are holding us back.” I t i s d i f f i c u l t t o s a y w h e t h e r Bitcoins have made Thurber rich. He and his father, Tom Thurber—his business partner—won’t discuss their revenue. Terrence Thurber says he has mined thousands of Bitcoins but won’t disclose an exact figure. They do claim that OregonMines is in the black. Given that the company’s expenses total at least $2 million a year, that means Thurber is running one of the largest companies in The Dalles. (Oregon Business magazine first reported on Thurber’s mine earlier this month.) What is clear is that Terrence Thurber is a gambler. He actually purchased his first Bitcoin while playing online poker tournaments in Costa Rica. It was 2012, and Thurber was working for a company that created web ads for diet pills. Thurber grew up in suburban Connecticut tinkering with computers and playing video games. By 27, he was a globe-trotting online salesman. 14
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In the nine years since he dropped out of the University of Connecticut, the diet-pill marketing job took him around the world—first to Manila in the Philippines and then to Central America. He married and divorced—leaving his family, including two young daughters, back in the States. Settling in Escazú, Costa Rica, he bought two pit bulls named Mia and Q from a friend there. His 67-year-old father and business partner, Tom, says Thurber was always impatient and eager for risk—qualities that fueled his gambling hobby and his business ventures. “His games are poker and blackjack, which are, as you probably know, the two games of some skill,” Tom Thurber says. “I think that’s what attracts him.” One day, a Bitcoin ad that popped up on his computer caught his attention. He decided to poke around. He bought and traded a few coins, each worth just dollars at the time. “I had 10-timesed my money by the end of the night,” he claims. “At that point, I had effectively taken the red pill. Any caution, any heed was just out the window.” He had always been chasing money. Now, he could literally manufacture it. But creating Bitcoin wasn’t as easy as trading it. He began by going on a shopping spree. “I went online and found every piece of that hardware that I could and I bought it,” he says, “until I couldn’t find any more hardware.” Thurber bought four ready-made specialized computers—and when he couldn’t find more, he started buying the chips he needed to build his own. He first plugged the machines into a space he shared with a Chinese car-part manufacturer in the Shenzhen province of China. After two months, he moved the computers to a designated cryptomine further inland. For eight months, his computers hummed in China while he enjoyed Costa Rica. But the restrictions of renting space in someone else’s warehouse, in another country with increasing internet regulations, began to weigh on Thurber. Bitcoin miners are an odd bunch. Most of them are men, and they are motivated not just by money but by a libertarian philosophy—a desire to be free from government intrusion. Thurber is no exception. “It’s hard to put a quantity value on freedom,” he says. “Cryptocurrencies will liberate your personal money flow.” He needed a new mining spot. He picked Oregon.
C O N T. O N PA G E 1 6
WTF IS B ITCO IN? Here’s how it works, and how it could change the world. The workings of Bitcoin remain mysterious to most outsiders, replete with jargon and confusing concepts. (We made a glossary. It’s on page 19.) But like all currencies, it depends on some standard to assure users that the money has value. The U.S. dollar relies on the authority of the Treasury Department. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies instead rely on complex mathematical equations. There are a finite number of Bitcoins, and every time a new one is mined, bought or sold, that information is recorded using a digital ledger called the “blockchain.” It’s as if every dollar bill had a chip inside it that could tell you each time it changed hands. New information gets added to the blockchain by computers “mining” for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. They solve a complicated math problem to validate that each Bitcoin trade really happened. So these computers, like the ones at OregonMines, are in a race. They’re competing against other machines spread all over the world, in pockets of the Midwest, Puerto Rico, Iceland and China. The first ones to solve a somewhat random mathematical puzzle—and in so doing, verify previous transactions—are rewarded with new Bitcoins. (Other cryptocurrencies, with names like Ethereum and Litecoin, work similarly.) As more computers join the race, the puzzle gets harder to solve. When a computer successfully solves the problem, cryptocurrency is released and the computers move on to the next puzzle. “In the early days, you could actually mine it using your home computer,” Frank Nagle, a University of Southern California professor who studies economics, said in a Council on Foreign Relations podcast. “But today the problems have gotten so hard and so complex that if you tried to use a regular laptop or desktop, you probably wouldn’t have a chance.” “So people are designing super-powerful computers that are purely used for helping to solve these problems in hopes of finding the next Bitcoin,” Nagle says, “and if you do so, then immediately you are $10,000 richer.” In fact, the puzzles have become so complicated and there is so much competition to be first to find the answers, that miners are now teaming up in “pools” of super-powered computers that all work together to find a new block. The miners split the profits among the members of the pool. To create scarcity, and therefore value, the Bitcoin algorithm limits the total number of coins to 21 million. Miners have found about 16 million of those coins since 2009, but because mining gets more difficult over time, it could take 50 years to find the remaining 5 million. But eventually, the coins will run out and many cryptocurrency mines will be abandoned. Bitcoin entrepreneurs respond to this ticking clock with a utopian vision. They say digital money could change the world. “There’s a lot of predictions,” says Leif Shackelford, who mines Bitcoin and Ether in his Portland basement and has begun selling cryptomining equipment to others. He believes in the blockchain technology, but has doubts whether it will succeed as a currency. “I think the biggest potential for good that any of this could bring,” he says, “is in finding a path to people owning and being responsible for their own data.” As for Terrence Thurber, the founder of OregonMines? He sees cryptocurrency as the answer to a variety of problems that the dollar creates in the online and global marketplaces. It will make trade easier, faster and more secure, he says. But that only works if people trust the tech. “We should probably wonder why these things are framed so negatively from the get-go,” Thurber says. “The internet was not well-received in the ’90s. It was going to ruin your kids. It was going to turn them into zombies. Fast forward 20 years, everyone and their mother can’t help but use the internet every part of the day, no matter where they turn, and most of them love it.” KATIE SHEPHERD.
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COIN
RU SH
Inside the headquarters of O r e g o n M i n e s , it sounds like riding in a convertible flying down the freeway. That’s the sound of 2,750 computer fans spinning ceaselessly to keep the machines cool. Four-foot-high industrial fans whir even louder to keep fresh air flowing over the equipment. Thousands of computers called AntMiners, each no larger than a loaf of bread and looking a lot like 8-track tape players, are stacked in room-length cabinets that create hallways in the cavernous warehouse. The machines cost Thurber well over $5 million. The AntMiner computers require immense amounts of electricity to solve complicated puzzles. Thurber says The Dalles is the perfect place for a Bitcoin mine. “This location is really special,” he says. “It’s close to a major metro. It’s got good weather patterns. When it’s hot, it’s dry, which is good for our cooling systems. And, of course, the power is reasonable out here.” Thurber says he was looking for affordable, reliable power—which meant setting up shop somewhere that wasn’t already inundated with Bitcoin mines. Experts estimate tens of thousands of Bitcoin mines are operating worldwide, but no one knows for sure. The Dalles had plenty of available power. (Its big customers were a Google data center and one aluminum processing plant.) And it was closer to interstate freeways and a major airport than the rural Washington counties where power was even cheaper. Thurber packed up his belongings, put the pit bulls on a plane, and arrived in The Dalles in February 2014. He hired his father, who was buying property for Mrs. Fields cookie franchises, to oversee the construction project. He bankrolled the operation with money he made mining Bitcoins in China and from selling ads for diet pills. Thurber says he invested $6 million in the business before he switched the computers on. That would require mining 600 Bitcoins to make up the cost. But he actually makes the bulk of his regular income from dozens of other miners who rent space in OregonMines to run their own AntMiners. Thurber also pulls in cash from transaction fees paid by Bitcoin users when they buy or sell something using the cryptocurrency— think of it as a bank fee that adds up with each transaction. The fees can ultimately be worth thousands of dollars to Bitcoin miners. He has 15 employees, 11 of them working full-time jobs engineering, programming and repairing the computers. “The Dalles was not exactly popping with activity when I got there,” Thurber says. “My jobs are all new jobs with new money that’s come in.” 16
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POWER SUCK: Thurber says he plans to double his cryptocurrency mine's electricity use within the next year, to draw 6 megawatts every hour.
M o s t p e o p l e i n T h e D a l l e s don’t know a changed. The value of Bitcoin spiked to more than wave of cryptocurrency is headed toward them. $20,000—and Titus started getting a new inquiry every That includes city leaders. “I’m not familiar with the week from prospective miners. issue,” Mayor Stephen Lawrence tells WW. WW “It was constant,” he recalls. Most of them, he The one exception: city councilor Taner Elliott, who says, had inquired first in Washington’s Chelan, also happens to be the electrician who installed the Douglas and Grant counties—and were told those wiring at OregonMines. grids had no vacancy. While he was glad to have the work, he is conIn 2017, nearly 200 miners applied for access to cerned about the stability of the cryptocurrency electricity in those rural counties in Washington business. “I just worry about the longevity of Bitcoin state—just across the river from The Dalles. As Washmining and whether or not it’s ington’s power grids fill to going to be something that’s capacity, miners are moving sustainable,” Elliott says. “You on to rural Oregon. The Wasco hear all the rumors about what PUD now has 12 inquiries on the price is doing. I worry that file—with the largest of those it’s a fad more than anything.” miners asking for an amount The man in The Dalles who of electricity each month that gets to decide if he’ll dole out could otherwise light up 700 power to miners is Paul Titus, high schools. lead engineer at the Northern “They are going to the leastWasco County People’s Utility cost provider first,” Titus says, District. “and then working their way The PUD is a nonprofit down the list.” electric company that gets In Washington, public 85 percent of its power from utility districts have responded hydroelectricity generated by to overwhelming requests for dams on the Columbia River. power by restructuring rates to On a recent Wednesday, raise prices for cryptocurrency Titus sat at a round table in his mines. The Northern Wasco office, in a blue button-down County PUD is considering shirt, jeans and New Balance adopting similar measures, sneakers, thumbing through Titus says. a set of forms that he created “Unless you are monitorspecifically for people hoping ing the issue,” he says, “they T H E Y A R E G O I N G to open up data centers in The could unexpectedly use the TO THE LEAST-COST Dalles. existing capacity.” Fo r y e a r s , T h u r b e r ’s A single AntMiner can use P R O V I D E R F I R S T , OregonMines was the only the same amount of power each AND THEN WORKING cryptocurrency mine Titus month as a single-family home. had approved—because it was And most data centers hold T H E I R W A Y D O W N the only application he had hundreds or even thousands of THE LIST.” received. computers. L a st N ov e m b e r, t h a t C O N T. O N PA G E 1 9
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AFTER MATH: Jeffrey Henry opened a data center in Bend, renting out space to both Bitcoin miners and government agencies.
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G LO S SA RY O F T E RM S
W E K NO W WHAT OR E GO N C AN D O FOR BI TCO I N. BUT W H A T C AN BI TCO I N DO F O R OR E GO N?
“At some point, you’re no longer able to give stable power to the customer base who came there for the stable and cheap power,” Thurber says. Environmental advocates are far more alarmed. They warn that an increased demand on hydropower dams, which have a limited capacity, will require power users to turn to other sources. The secondlargest source of power in Oregon is coal. “It’s not like there’s a bunch of hydro megawatts sitting out there unused right now,” says Brett VandenHeuvel, executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, an environmental group. “ We’re already using all of it. If one company comes in and uses hydropower, that load is being replaced by some other generation somewhere else.” And the continued dependence on hydroelectric dams is a controversial question. The dams block the spawning runs of salmon—and Gov. Kate Brown has proposed reducing hydropower to keep the fish populations from dropping further. “We’re at a real fork in the road here where if we continue business as usual with the hydropower system, salmon will go extinct,” Columbia Riverkeeper’s VandenHeuvel says. Some runs of salmon could die off completely within the next 30 years, he adds. And all of this leads to a more philosophical question. We know what Oregon can do for Bitcoin. But what can Bitcoin do for Oregon? And what happens when the coin rush is over? O n e h u n d r e d t h i r t y m i l e s s o u t h of The Dalles, in Bend, Jeffrey Henry says he’s found an answer. Henry, a former engineer and manager for cable TV companies such as Cox and Time Warner, opened his data center, Cascade Divide, in 2014 as a kind of shared space renting out computers to Bitcoin miners. (He won’t say how many, citing security risks.) His building feels like a bomb shelter: concrete floors reinforced with copper wire, 18-inch-thick walls, and an onsite backup generator with 2,200 gallons of diesel. “When the zombies attack, they won’t be able to get over the mountains,” Henry says.
c r y p t o c u r r e n c y Any of the hundreds of digital currencies that use code-solving to create units of money and securely verify transactions. B i t c o i n The first and best known
cryptocurrency, created with what has become known as “blockchain” technology.
bl ockch a in This technology
O PIONEERS: The Dalles, a two-hour drive east of Portland, has seen its economy buoyed by Google bringing a server farm to town.
He’s kidding: His real concern is earthquakes and tsunamis that could knock out the power and internet connections. That’s good for the cryptominers stacked in Henry’s sophisticated data halls: The computers will never stop, giving them an edge in the race to find the remaining Bitcoins before time runs out. “Some of these cryptocurrency miners just bought old warehouses—that’s what we’d call a ‘retrofit,’” he says. But his center is different. “Literally the whole world outside could shut down, and we could keep running for four days like nothing happened. That’s what’s important for state and local governments and companies.” O r e g o n ’ s e c o n o m i c h i s t o r y i s f i l l e d with examples of the exploitation of natural resources: fish, timber and, more recently, cheap hydropower. For years, aluminum companies lined the Columbia. In more recent decades, tech companies have settled in Oregon for cheap land and, more importantly, cheap electricity—see Washington County’s chip plants and the server farms Google, Facebook, Apple and others have plunked down along the Columbia. But the latest industry to exploit Oregon’s cheap electricity isn’t producing jobs or economic growth on a similar scale. McCullough, the energy consultant, calls Bitcoin his “favorite scam.” He says cryptocurrency mines offer little benefit to Oregon in exchange for power use. “It will get bigger as our [energy] prices continue to decline—until it all crashes,” he says. “Building a server farm uses the same equipment and the same electricity, but produces something of use to society." Thurber says that’s far too glum a prediction. Once people get used to the idea of Bitcoin, he says, they will start to see its advantages. One day, the digital currency may feel as intuitive and natural as the internet itself. “To some degree it might be a battle for minds first,” he says. “And then it becomes a battle for hearts.”
creates the method by which you can create and transfer currency around the world without banks or governments, in a legal manner that is also secure and highly decentralized. It’s often called a publicly shared digital ledger. Think of it as a kind of digital quilt, in which each new block is like a fabric square, embroidered with the receipt of Bitcoin transactions and sewn into an ever-growing blanket. Literally speaking, a block is a record stating the location and amount of cryptocurrency. Once a block is completed, it’s added to the chain of other records, creating a blockchain.
m i n e r A person who uses computers to solve the complicated math problems that verify transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain. On average, a new block is added to the Bitcoin blockchain every 10 minutes, releasing 12.5 new Bitcoins to the miner or miners who are first to solve the puzzle. Bitcoin miners are also compensated with transaction fees every time they find a block. p o o l s Groups of miners who combine their resources to unlock new blocks and share the profits. A n t M i n e r The product name
of a popular Bitcoin mining computer built by hardware company Bitmain. All the specialized computers used to mine Bitcoin are often called AntMiners—even if they aren’t really made by that company.
k i l o wat t- h o u r A measure of
electricity that equals consuming 1,000 watts for one hour. You could watch 29 movies on DVD with one kilowatt-hour of power.
m e g awat t- h o u r The equivalent of 1,000 kilowatt-hours. An industrial-sized cryptocurrency miner can use anywhere from 2 to 100 megawatt-hours per hour.
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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STREET PRESENTED BY
“We wouldn’t read to anything but our poodle Zorro.”
PHOTOS BY SAM GEHRKE @samgehrkephotography
WHAT KIND OF DOG WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ TO?*
“I’d probably want to read to a French bulldog. Although they aren’t the most attentive dog breeds, Frenchies are my favorite, and any extra time I can spend with one the better!”
OUR FAVORITE LOOKS THIS WEEK. “A St. Bernard, ’cause I’d just want it to slobber all over my lap while I read to it. Probably gonna be an unpopular sentiment in this town, but I’m not a dog fan. I like St. Bernards a lot, though.”
*Nobody showed up to read to a greyhound at a Minnesota public library this week, and it made the internet sad.
“I’d want to read to literally any dog, because I don’t have one!”
“Our dog chills hard, so obviously her.”
“I’d want to read to a wire-haired fox terrier. It probably wouldn’t even listen, though, ’cause they generally like to do their own thing.” 20
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“A chubby shiba iInu. They’re usually really hyper and rowdy, but I feel like the chubby one would just want to be cozy and warm and sit still to be read to.”
SATURDAY MARKET’S 45TH SEASON OPENS MARCH 3, 2018
C O U R T E S Y O F A L E X A S TA R K
STYLE
Beautiful, Because We Are Here A conversation about fashion and gender with Portland designer Alexa Stark. BY WA L K E R M AC M UR D O
wmacmurdo@wweek.com
The American fashion industry’s largest party and networking event, New York Fashion Week, came to a close Feb. 16. WW spoke to Portland designer Alexa Stark, who is currently in New York to hawk her fall-winter 2018 collection to buyers from around the globe at the market week that follows it. You can read the full interview at wweek.com. How does market week work? This is my fifth season selling, and I do a showroom in a group of 12 designers. For a whole week we’re in a space, and we make appointments to meet with buyers from different shops from all over the world. They come in, and I show them a collection, and they take pictures. You go with your fingers crossed, and you don’t know anything until a month later. That sounds really scary. There’s a lot of risk involved and a lot of hoping and praying. I’ve been lucky, my first collection that I wholesaled was actually to Stand Up Comedy in Portland. It was very organic, and then I got picked up by another store in New York, and another store in Boston emailed me based on my work through Instagram. So it’s a networking thing. Totally. It really is about who you know, and it just takes time to build those relationships. I met with the buyers of one of the Japanese stores I sell to maybe three or four times before they actually started buying from me. Once I meet with a buyer and they place an order, I start producing the collection. I’ve worked with Portland Garment Factory, but I also work with local seamstresses in Portland that are also freelance. I’m pretty small, but I’m definitely at a point where I’m experiencing some growing pains. If I go a little bit bigger, it might be a little bit easier to produce. Even though I do the two seasons a year, I’m on the sustainable side of fashion. Your new collection is titled “Beautiful, Because We Are Here.” What does that mean?
I started that collection thinking a lot about gender and gender fluidity. A person who was genderfluid at the time came and interned with me from Central Saint Martins in London, and they really inspired me. My personal style is a mix of feminine and masculine, but definitely more masculine, and I’m definitely embracing more of myself in this collection, more of what I like to wear. So I made this collection thinking about that, and this was right after Trump was elected. There’s a lot of frustration that I was expressing with that collection. I was visiting with my grandfather, who is 89, before I finished the collection. He said, “I’m going to tell you why we’re here.” He started literally with the Big Bang, and talked about how human life was made, and the fact that we’re actually here is incredible. He told me that if people realized that it’s so beautiful that we’re even here, then we would find peace, everyone would be in a state of zen. I loved that he said “beautiful.”
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You have some of the clothes in the collection worn by male-presenting models. What was the impetus for presenting the collection in that way? Those are two friends of mine, and they are both on the gender spectrum. I felt like I wanted models who would represent that. In hindsight, I think that I could’ve gone with people who are a little less of the “model” body type. But they’re my friends, and a lot of my work gets done because I have friends here who do that. It’s all one big collaboration in the end. In an ideal world for me, I’d just make clothes. There wouldn’t be a season and there wouldn’t be a gender. This is happening more and more, and we’re seeing men walk in women’s fashion shows. I realized I need to make more clothes that are genderless. There are a lot of unisex clothing brands out there that are basically men’s clothes for women. I’m trying to do women’s clothes for men. SEE IT: Shop Alexa Stark Spring/Summer 2018 at Stand Up Comedy, 511 SW Broadway. PS: Our style writer is leaving Portland, so WW is looking for a new one. Send an email and writing sample to wmacmurdo@wweek.com.
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FIND YOUR FEEL GOOD MOMENT 100% Additive-Free Natural Cannabis No Pesticides, No Fillers, No Flavorings AVITASGROWN.COM/WW Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the inuence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. 22
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ALÉ CARDA
⁴8
S E D A BL Y R O L OF G
THE BUMP
THE OLYMPICS, IN G IN T A K S D E IZ YNCHRON RTLAND. YOU WON’T SEE SAMPIONSHIPS ARE COMING TO PO BUT THE U.S. CH THING YOU NEED TO KNOW. HERE’S EVERY BY M ATTH E W S I NGE R
msinger@wweek.com
At the moment, 14 of America’s best figure skaters are in South Korea, competing against the rest of the world on the grandest stage in sports. Meanwhile, the other 1,600 are going to be in Portland this week, competing against each other in a dilapidated sports arena. Although considered one of the five official disciplines of figure skating, synchronized skating—in which teams of up to 24 skaters perform elaborately choreographed routines, often at breakneck speeds—is the only one not yet represented at the Olympics. It’s hard to imagine why. If two people flinging each other around the ice is worthy of medals, shouldn’t two dozen skaters doing it at the same time be 12 times as worthy? Leslie Graham thinks so. The senior director of synchronized skating for U.S. Figure Skating understands why it’s the odd sport out—it’s still a fairly new form. Still, how much longer can the Olympic committee deny a spectacle that combines the grace of figure skating with the speed (and occasional bloodshed) of hockey? Ahead of the U.S. championships happening in our backyard, we spoke to Graham to find out more about what the Olympics have been missing. WW: Is it fair to say synchronized skating is the black sheep of the ice sports world? Leslie Graham: It’s definitely the youngest sheep. It’s a fairly new discipline. Back in 1956, Dr. Richard Porter had this idea to put a bunch of cheerleaders, essentially, on the ice during intermission at a hockey game. So the first “precision team,” as it was then called, was named the Hockettes. But we’ve only had a national championship since 1984, and we’ve only had a world championship for 18 years.
What’s stopping it from becoming an Olympic sport? I think the newness of it, and the sheer numbers. Teams can have up to 24 skaters on them. That’s a lot of people the Olympics would have to accommodate. I think that’s one of the biggest obstacles we have to overcome—just the sheer number of athletes who participate in the sport.
Have you seen anything grisly like that happen during a routine? Our hope is that everyone skates clean—that means everyone stays on their feet, basically. Unfortunately, things happen. Skaters are trained from a young age how to protect their fingers and hands, and get in a ball and roll away if you have to, so if there is a fall, it’s the least disruptive it can be.
So what exactly goes into it? Obviously, it’s a team sport, and what makes it so special is these athletes are skating as one. They have great unity, but they’re skating with a lot of speed and a lot of edgework. We say it’s actually a combination of all the different disciplines. You have the jumps and spins of singles. You’ll see the intricate footwork of an ice dancing team. You’ll actually see, in our senior division, the lifts. So it’s really a combination of all our different disciplines—just times 16 skaters.
Who are the legendary figures in the sport? The Haydenettes are a senior team out of Lexington, Mass. They are 25-time national champions. They’ve also won multiple world medals. I’d say they are the leaders in our country for this sport. They compete in the senior division, which is our top division, kind of the cream of the crop. I’d say they are favorites this year just because of their past competitive experiences.
Is synchronized skating popular in other countries? It’s definitely grown in popularity across the world. Russia has won the last two world championships. The Swedes, the Finns, the U.S. and Canada—those are the five countries who have embraced synchronized skating. I do think we’re a leader in our discipline due to the sheer number of teams. We have over 620 registered synchronized skating teams in the U.S. What’s the most difficult move in synchronized skating? I think the group lifts are pretty remarkable. You’ll only see them in the senior division because of the risk involved. Think about it—in synchronized skating, if you have 16 people on the ice, that’s 32 blades, that’s a lot of fingers. It can be a dangerous sport. So those lifts are a pretty unique but exciting piece of a program.
Is there anything close to a Tonya Harding figure in the synchronized skating world? Because of the nature of the sport, the athletes are part of a team, and the team is greater than the individual. How important would it be if synchronized skating ever becomes an Olympic sport? I think if it was to become an Olympic sport, we’d find a lot more skaters would be interested in it, because right now we don’t have that opportunity. There’s the opportunity if you’re a singles skater or ice dancer or pairs skater that you can eventually compete at the top competition in our world. The World Championships are something our teams strive for, but there’s not that carrot of the Olympics. GO: The 2018 U.S. Synchronized Figure Skating Championships are at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 N Winning Way, on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 22-24. See rosequarter.com for schedule and ticket prices.
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STARTERS
HENRY CROMETT
B I T E - S I Z E D P O R T L A N D C U LT U R E N E W S
Sunday March 18th, 7pm Revolution Hall Revolutionhall.com 503-288-3895 #wweek
y p p a H Hour
RANCH HOME: Muchloved former pop-up Ranch Pizza’s toppings-loaded deep-dish Sicilian pies will soon be all over Northeast Portland. Its owners signed a lease on a Woodlawn brick-and-mortar at 1760 NE Dekum St., where they hope to be open by July. The new RANCH PIZZA spot will add cheese-free vegan pies loaded with red sauce and veggies. They’re crowdfunding the new spot on Indiegogo, with a bizarre motley of incentives that include a gallon jug of ranch sauce. Ranch Pizza will also be served at Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s forthcoming bar, Poison’s Rainbow, when it opens in early spring at 28th Avenue and Flanders Street. >> In other news, the city’s best barbecue cart, Matt’s BBQ, must find a new home after landlords declined to renew the lease. Owner Matt Vicedomini says he plans to move to a new location within the month, and this will mean a temporary closure of the cart.
O R E G O N B E E R AWA R D S
WORLD STAGE: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s artistic director is moving on after more than a decade of shaping Oregon theater. Next year, Bill Rauch will leave Ashland to become the first artistic director of the World Trade Center Art Space in Portland. The space has been in the works since 2003, but there was no clear plan for management or funding until this past year. During his tenure at OSF, Rauch has helped to establish the festival as a renowned platform for innovative new theater. Many plays that have premiered on his watch have gone on to Tony Award-winning stints on Broadway and have set a standard for promoting diversity in theater. Rauch will stay with OSF through summer 2019. The festival’s current season opened last weekend with an adaptation of Othello that’s directed by Rauch. PORTLAND BEARDOS: The semifinalists were announced Feb. 15 for the James Beard Awards honoring restaurants nationwide—and Oregon restaurants’ 17 nominations are the most we’ve ever received. Most notably, Le Pigeon’s Gabriel Rucker is up for the national award as best chef in America, while Mae’s Maya Lovelace is in the running in the career-making “Rising Star” category. For other national awards, Castagna’s Monique Siu and Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom of Paadee and Langbaan are nominated among the nation’s best restaurateurs. In the Northwest regional category, eight Portland restaurants were nominated, but only five from Seattle. Because suck it, Seattle. BEST OF THE BEST, SIR: On Saturday, Feb. 24, Portlanders will get a chance to pick the best IPA brewed in the city. From 1 pm until the beer runs out, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (1813 NE 2nd Ave.) will host a public IPA taste-off of the top 10 finalists, which were selected after a blind taste test of 107 IPAs by a panel of eight beer experts. The tasting flights are $20 for 10 beers; the winner of the taste-off will be announced in the Feb. 28 issue of WW, the same day as the Oregon Beer Awards at Revolution Hall, which grants honors to the best beers made in Oregon.
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GET BUSY SHAMIR P L AY S S TA R T H E AT E R ON M O N D AY, F E B . 26 , AT
Feb. 21–Feb. 27 WHERE WE'LL BE STUFFING PIZZA I N O U R M E AT S AC K S A N D B U R G E R S IN OUR EARHOLES THIS WEEK.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21
THURSDAY, FEB. 22
ALL YOU CAN EAT PIZZA
MIGUEL
Yeah, you read that right. A cool $15 at Natian’s tasting room will get you a pint of beer and every slice of Sizzle Pie you can cram into your meatsack. Natian Tasting Room, 1306 E Burnside St., 503-719-6994, natianbrewery.com. From 2 pm till the lights go out.
PIFF SHORTS: DISTANT TALES The third night of shorts at the Portland International Film Festival is a microcosm of this year’s lineup. There’s one about a conversation between a young Iranian woman studying abroad and her parents, stop-motion polar bears and an Irish Catholic priest driving his nephew to prison. NW Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., 503-221-1156, nwfilm.org. 6 pm. $12.
He’s got some cringe-worthy lyrics, to be sure, and his stage presence sometimes resembles a kid mimicking Prince in his bedroom mirror. But Miguel is one of R&B’s most captivating polymaths, whose less-than-stellar moments are still interesting, and whose stellar moments are downright jaw-dropping. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033, roselandpdx.com. 8 pm. Sold out. 21+.
MACBETH Shaking the Tree is once again staging Shakespeare’s shortest, bloodiest and most quotable tragedy. It’s a perfect fit: The contemporary theater company thrives with macabre source material, and has a knack for making classics surprising with abstract, offbeat staging. Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St., 503-235-0635, shakingthe-tree.com. 7:30 pm. $30.
P O L E S A PA R T , P I F F
FRIDAY, FEB. 23
SATURDAY, FEB. 24
CONFIGURE
BURGER-A-GO-GO
For its next show, PDX Contemporary Ballet collaborated with Portland sculptor Michele Collier. Not only is the new choreography based on Collier’s work, but it will be performed in the round amid her dramatic clay forms. New Expressive Works, 810 SE Belmont St., pdxcb. com. 7:30 pm. $10.
TYPHOON Every time it seems Typhoon couldn’t get any bigger, they up the ante. After a five-year break, Portland’s indie-pop orchestra is back with Offerings, a four-movement epic about mental illness whose swelling strings, luscious guitars and sense of grandeur manage to make heavy subject matter sound like bliss. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 503-225-0047, crystalballroompdx.com. 9 pm. $25 advance, $30 day of show. All ages.
SUNDAY, FEB. 25
TUNE-YARDS
California’s Burger Records is home to a lot of rambunctious garage-rock brobands, but this two-day showcase starting Friday puts the spotlight on the label’s female artists. Georgia punks the Coathangers and the Cambodian-inspired psych pop of Dengue Fever are among the highlights. Dante’s, 350 W Burnside St., 866-777-8932, danteslive.com. 9 pm. $20 per night, $35 weekend pass. 21+.
PORTLAND IPA TASTE-OFF Last week, a panel of eight beer experts tasted damn-near every IPA brewed in the city of Portland. Now you get to drink the 10 best and vote for your favorite. A cool $20 gets you tastes of all 10 beers plus a ballot—the winning IPA will be featured in WW next week. Rev. Nat's Hard Cider, 1813 NE 2nd Ave., 503-567-2221, reverendnatshardcider.com. $20 for a taste of all 10 best IPAs in Portland.
Tune-Yards’ oddball pop has always had a political undercurrent, but new album I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life comes at you hard. With her unbridled, powerful voice, singer Merrill Garbus reckons with her privilege, her status and the reality of racism in the age of Trump, while maintaining the left-field sensibilities that made the band break out in the first place. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 503-284-8686, wonderballroom.com. 7:30 pm. $28.50 advance, $29 day of show. All ages.
DIM SUM POP-UP Tiny reFRESH Cafe is hosting a meal currently unavailable anywhere else in the center of town—dim sum. For $18 you get four dumplings and khao soi or congee, or you can just try your luck with the a la carte menu. reFresh, 2860 SE Gladstone St., Suite 102, 503-477-4196. 11 am-1:30 pm. $18.
MONDAY, FEB. 26
TUESDAY, FEB. 27
THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE
BLACK PANTHER
Filmed in the ’60s by Swedish filmmakers determined to subvert the American government’s anti-black propaganda, The Black Power Mixtape is an impressionistic compilation of intimate, often touching interviews with the leaders of the Black Power movement, including one that Stokely Carmichael conducts with his mother. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, hollywoodtheatre.org. 6:30 pm. $9.
SHAMIR Shamir Bailey arrived in the public consciousness making eclectic, eccentric electro-pop with a wryly queer perspective, but last year’s Revelations is a dramatic recalibration—a set of lo-fi home recordings placing his dazzling voice over murky guitars and cheap-sounding keyboards. Somehow, it works. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave., startheaterportland.com. 9 pm. $17.50. 21+.
KIKAGAKU MOYO
In director Ryan Coogler’s Marvel-ized, Afrofuturistic vision, camo is replaced with kente cloth and the king’s guard is a team of bald female warriors with spears that collapse like light sabers. It’s not just the first Marvel movie about a black superhero, it’s one of the most spectacular movies the studio has ever created. Various times and theaters. See feature on page 41.
KIKAGAKU MOYO Translated loosely to “geometric patterns,” Japanese psych band Kikagaku Moyo creates vast sonic landscapes fluid in structure and always engaging. In 2016, the band reached new heights with House in the Tall Grass, a dormant volcano of a record that is composed on the surface but has plenty of tension bubbling underneath. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895, mississippistudios.com. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.
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FOOD & DRINK C J M O N S E R R AT
REVIEW
Augering Well The former Fukami chef’s new Nimblefish is already serving some of the best sushi in Portland. BY MATTHEW KOR FHAGE
mkorfhage@wweek.com
At Nimblefish, you can eat mackerel that will make you cry. In a compact Hawthorne Boulevard space formerly home to Boxer Sushi, framed by a massive shared table made of old-growth cedar and lighting slung through repurposed barn beams, chefs Cody Auger and Dwight Rosendahl expertly slice some of the most excellent fish you’ll ever find in Portland, cured individually for up to 12 days in the ancient Edo style. If you order from the tiny fresh menu, which may rotate as many as half its options between visits the same week, it’s possible the fish you receive will be a cut rarely seen anywhere in the United States, let alone Portland. On my most recent visit, an uni (sea urchin, $9) grown in the famously frigid waters of Hokkaido was the finest I’ve eaten outside Japan—bright, crisp and mineral, as if God had distilled the sea to its vital essence and then somehow made it creamy. A previous visit featured a meltingly rich toro fatty tuna ($7) from Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market, not to mention a wildly complex king mackerel cured and aged in-house for days. That second visit also featured a four-deep dish ($9) of Japan’s prized katsuo (skipjack) sourced from the southern bay of Kyushi, home to some of the country’s most prized seafood. This arrived as skin-on sashimi sliced so thin it was both a diaphanously silky wonder and a tableside demonstration in knife skills, its 26
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
rich umami accented with herbal mizumi and smacked into brightness by a bright wafu chimichurri. Each bite of nigiri is delivered singly across the blue-pine sushi bar that dominates the space, and each is dressed individually with the house glaze—maybe accented by slivered scallion or mizumi microgreens, with wasabi tucked demurely between fish and rice. Auger’s former restaurants Hokusei and Fukami were already some of our favorite meals we’ve had in Portland. But with Nimblefish, Auger has threaded a difficult needle, merging the techniques of Fukami’s bespoke two-day-aweek pop-up menus with the demands of a fullservice restaurant. Nimblefish is an exercise in both obsessiveness and restraint, with a pareddown menu attended to with meticulous detail and respect for tradition. Auger and Rosendahl serve four things and four things only: nigiri (fish on rice), the occasional sashimi (fish with no rice), chirashi (fish in a rice bowl) and cigar-sized temaki handrolls containing fish, rice and pickled veg—with ingredients ranging from impossibly funky fermented-soy negi to toro to bright pickled plum. The fish is, of course, the star at Nimblefish, routine in its excellence, with all but the salmon and amberjack caught wild. But if you really want to understand what makes Nimblefish the best day-in, day-out sushi restaurant in Portland, watch Auger make the rice.
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
Three times a night, Auger spreads out Tamanishiki rice—containing some of the most exquisite and sought-after sushi rice available in America—across a 3-foot-wide cypress bowl called a hangiri to cool it to body temperature. He then swipes his seasoned vinegar mix across the rice in a sweeping motion and “cuts” the rice with a paddle. Very few others in town use the traditional, very expensive hangiri, but it is essential. Not only does the rice’s moisture breathe better into the porous wood than metal or plastic alternatives, but the six-yearseasoned bowl also imparts its particular flavor to the rice. The result is some of the most wondrous rice in Portland—glutinously sticky and chewy, with a depth almost unparalleled in Portland. It shines best in the chirashi rice bowl ($28), which also includes pretty much every piece of fish advertised on the standard nigiri menu, from tender boiled octopus to smoked sake. When you dig beneath to the rice, the bowl becomes near-symphonic in its pleasures. I could eat a bowl of that rice, topped with nothing, and be happier than with most salmon plates served in Portland. The sake glass menu is small but tightly curated, notably featuring a rarely seen kimoto sake—an ancient, funky and yeast-forward style made by laboriously churning the sake like it’s butter. But think very hard about pairing your sushi with wine instead, on a list curated by Davenport’s Kurt Heilemann, also a co-owner at Nimblefish. Heilemann has one of the best wine-pairing palates in town, and the $10 house selections of Crémant de Bourgogne and muscadet are mineral and complex, uncommonly wonderful pairings for sushi. Those wines also offer the best price-to-deliciousness ratio on the drink menu, which also includes a rare Japanese schwarzbier and a wealth of Japanese whisky. Of the menu’s main components, the cigarsized, single-serving handrolls are a weaker link; though they remain very good, they’re much more diffuse as a vehicle for those truly excellent ingredients. Your meal also won’t come cheap. Even if you keep yourself to a few rare nigiri off the seasonal menu, split a chirashi bowl and order a couple handrolls, your bill per person might still top $50 before tips and drink. It will also be worth it. And the restaurant is still working out some kinks, especially in managing waits for the already packed restaurant. Upon arriving one night, the host said she had absolutely no idea how long the wait would be, whether 30 minutes or two hours. (I was texted to return within 15 minutes.) But those will probably iron out over time: What will almost certainly remain is the deft and attentive artistry paid to even the smallest details. Even the tamago egg nigiri—often outsourced by many midrange sushi spots—is here a euphoric experience. It is, in fact, the best I’ve had in Portland— delicate, sweet squares of egg brined in housemade dashi and seasoned with soy, sugar, salt and sweet sake. That tamago should be the final bite of every meal. Though a humble square of egg, it’s as rich and airy as the loveliest of French confections. GO: Nimblefish, 1524 SE 20th Ave., 503-7194064, nimblefishpdx.com. 5-10 pm TuesdaySaturday.
By MATTHEW KORFHAGE. Email: dish@wweek.com. See page 3 for submission instructions.
SATURDAY, FEB. 24 Top 10 IPA Taste-Off
Last week, a panel of eight beer experts tasted damn-near every IPA brewed in the city of Portland—110 beers in all—and narrowed the field to the 10 best. Now you get to drink all 10 of Portland’s best IPAs in the neutral space of Rev. Nat’s Cidery, and vote for your favorite. A cool $20 gets you tastes of all 10 beers plus a ballot—the winning IPA will be featured in WW next week. Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, 1813 NE 2nd Ave., 503-567-2221, reverendnatshardcider.com. $20 for a taste of all 10 best IPAs in Portland.
Brewstillery Fest
At StormBreaker, 20 breweries pair their beers with liquor from 20 distilleries—a taste-matched drunkfest of epic proportions. Hopworks is paired with New Deal, Cascade pairs with Stone Barn Brandy, and in truly characteristic fashion, Rogue pairs only with Rogue. StormBreaker, 832 N Beech St., 971-703-4516, stormbreakerbrewing. com. Noon. $25 for 10 tasting tickets. $45 for 15 tickets and early VIP entry.
fetcheyewear.com | 877.274.0410 814 NW 23rd Ave., Portland OR
Fillmore Trattoria
Italian Home Cooking Tuesday–Saturday 5:30PM–10PM closed Sunday & Monday
Hillsdale Brewfest
Once a year, the brewers from all the many McMenamins get together and compete to see who makes the best McMenamins beer in town. We’re predicting Edgefield’s Lord of Misrule, Kennedy School’s IPA or Crystal’s Kush. McMenamins Hillsdale, 1505 SW Sunset Blvd., 503-246-3938, mcmenamins.com. All day.
1937 NW 23RD Place Portland, OR 97210
(971) 386-5935
TOP 5
HOT PLATES Where to eat this week.
1.
People’s Pig
3004 E Burnside St., 503-233-8941, peoplespig.com. $-$$. The new Burnside Street location of People’s Pig has a new exclusive item—a seriously good porchetta that somehow tastes exactly like our mom’s spice rub, except secretly sorta better.
2.
Bar Casa Vale
3.
Sammich
4.
Clay’s Smokehouse
5.
Pot N Spicy
215 SE 9th Ave., 503-477-9081, barcasavale.com. $$. Our 2017 Bar of the Year has expanded to brunch on weekends, with some seriously good house-fermented yogurt with apricots, chocolate toast loaded with pistachio, and seriously excellent cazuela dishes—particularly the lamb.
@wweek
2137 E Burnside St., 503-477-4393, sammichrestaurants.com. $. Maybe you’ve had the Chicago-style sandwiches by now. But have you had the pastrami-topped zombie fries? Alongside La Panza’s, they’re the best dirty fries in town. 2865 SE Division St., 503-327-8534, clayssmokehouse.com. $-$$. Clay’s makes some of the best saucy barbecue in town alongside killer wings, pulled-pork nachos and homestyle desserts like pineapple upside-down cake, baked each day by Grandma Jean Slyman.
8230 SE Harrison St., No. 345, 503-788-7267, potnspicy.com. $. Pot N Spicy is making deep-fried skewers, jja jiang mian noodles, spicy Szechuan classics and hot pots both dry and brothy in Portland’s best Asian food strip mall.
S W E N Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
MUSIC
Rose Queen Jazz phenom Esperanza Spalding returns to the city where her career first bloomed. BY PAR K E R H A L L
CARMEN DANESHMANDI
HOTSEAT
Kandinsky Effect The French-American sax-bassdrums trio is named after one of the most famous 20th-century abstract artists, yet doesn’t really traffic in abstraction. Their restrained, concise and evocative sound paintings should appeal to fans of modern jazz-rock fusionists like Kneebody or even the Bad Plus. Jack London Revue. 9 pm Wednesday, Feb. 21. $10. 21+.
@pwhall
Portland native Esperanza Spalding might have jumped onto the national radar by winning the infamously snake-bitten Best New Artist Grammy in 2011, but to this point, her career hardly seems cursed. Since first shocking the music world at large and pissing off a nation of Beliebers seven years ago, the 33-year-old bassist and singer remains a prominent composer, band leader and educator, with six studio albums to her name and a gig as professor of the practice of music at Harvard. She’s also crossed over to nonjazz audiences, starting with her 2016 funk-rock opus Emily’s D+Evolution and continuing with her ambitious new album, Exposure, which she wrote and recorded in just 77 hours, live on the internet. With Spalding returning to her hometown as part of the PDX Jazz Festival—where she’ll play as part of a special tribute to late pianist and educator Geri Allen, alongside drummer Terri Lynne Carrington and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane—we reconnected to ask her about Exposure’s whirlwind recording process, the passing of her mentor, Thara Memory, and her undying love for the Rose City. WW: Your most recent album, Exposure, was written and recorded over three days while people watched a live video feed of the process. What drove you to make a record in this way? Esperanza Spalding: To expose whatever creative potentialities were lying unrealized inside of myself, and to expose the creative process as a performative art. How did you come out of that session compared to finishing other records? I felt a much deeper sense of camaraderie with my co-creators. Anybody watching could tell we were really depending on each other. We would each walk away from our own creative offerings and come back 12 hours later and discover how it had been changed by the other people in the room. And there wasn’t time to undo that, so we would just pick up creating and responding to what we found. You’re performing at the PDX Jazz Festival as part of a tribute to late pianisteducator Geri Allen. How has her passing affected the way you perform and think about her music? You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, they say. That’s really true in the case of Geri. I feel like, goddamn, there were so many things I could have talked to her about and asked her about and picked her brain about. And I didn’t, because it just seems like you have all the time in the world to do that with
Top Picks for the PDX Jazz Festival’s Final Week
George Colligan Trio, Ethan Iverson Bad Plus founder Ethan Iverson will play a virtuosic solo set following a set from fellow hypercreative pianist (and Portlander) George Colligan, whose hardswinging trio includes legendary bassist Buster Williams and equally vaunted drummer Lenny White. Winningstad Theatre. 9:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 22. $33-$45. All ages.
Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio
a great mind like hers. It’s really changed the way that I use time with the masters that I have the privilege to work with. Now when I’m with these greats, I’m asking them all kinds of questions. How did Portland’s jazz scene prepare your for the leap to bigger, more saturated cities like Boston and New York? That’s kind of a myth about New York and Boston—just because there are more jazz musicians in number doesn’t mean that the culture is more supportive to the experience. Except for a couple teachers in Portland that said some dumb shit to me about being a girl playing the bass, it was the first time that people were making a big deal about my gender. I started in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon, and the two directors were women, and most of the people in the orchestra were women, and the teachers were women. It felt very co-ed. It was a culture shock to hear teachers and colleagues just calling out the fact that I was a girl all the time. I was like, “You guys have never seen a woman before?” Do you still feel a deep connection to Portland? We just don’t even have time to see each other, that’s the sad thing. Last time, I was doing some talk at Reed [College] and [pianist] Dan Gaynor came down with his family, and we were just talking shit about everything in the world, and about how we used to play together. I never see [local saxophonist] Mary-Sue [Tobin], either, but it’s always like time hasn’t passed. Before Thara [Memory] passed, every time I came to town I’d go hang with him and we’d talked about who was doing what. Everybody’s busy. Memory died last summer, shortly after being accused of sexual abuse by some
of his former students. How did that affect you? He was always a very close friend and mentor, so I was really upset, and I felt really devastated that that behavior didn’t go addressed and healed earlier, whatever the seeds of that inappropriate behavior were in his life. From where I sit, I don’t know all the details. I had a really positive, nourishing experience with him. I just hope that he can be a lesson to all of us to call things out and to help people understand what’s appropriate and inappropriate. Have you been to Portland since Jimmy Mak’s closed? Yeah. Everybody’s in search of the upgrade. What do you do when you can’t commodify something anymore? How can you make [ jazz] available to audiences? How can you create a space audiences can come engage with it if they don’t already love it? We have kind of a brand-name overhaul to do, I feel. Do you feel that’s possible? Anything’s possible. I think people need to go investigate it more. If you think it’s impossible, it’s because you’re not listening to all that’s out here. Most businesses lead with the product that they’re most sure will sell. Even at that level, any audience getting music that’s titled “jazz” is hearing a very thin slice. That doesn’t mean that’s what’s actually happening in the music. I think it’s branding. [Jazz] requires an investigative art on behalf of the audience. That’s part of what makes it fun. I just don’t feel like that message is being clearly propagated. SEE IT: Carrington-Coltrane-Spalding: Celebrating the Legacy of Geri Allen is at the Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, as part of the PDX Jazz Festival, on Thursday, Feb. 22. 7 pm. $39-$69. All ages.
The 75-year-old wizard of the jazz organ performs his soulful, groove-oriented works with a guitar-drums trio featuring two of New York’s finest accompanists, guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Johnathan Blake. Winningstad Theatre. 9:30 pm Friday, February 23. Sold out. All ages.
Miles Electric Band An 11-piece large ensemble featuring numerous Miles Davis alumni takes the stage at Revolution Hall, offering audiences a live glimpse of the late trumpet legend’s bombastic (and underappreciated) final era. Revolution Hall. 7:30 pm Saturday, Feb. 24. $25-$55. All ages.
BANDA MAGDA
Snarky Puppy, Banda Magda Ever-changing, Grammy-winning, beat-jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy gets even larger tonight, as the dynamic group of virtuosos is joined by the multiethnic sounds of New York’s Banda Magda quintet. Roseland Theater. 8:30 pm Saturday, Feb. 24. Sold out. All ages.
Jazz by 5 The closest thing to a supergroup at this year’s PDX Jazz Festival features revered figures who gained wider fame not as band leaders but as sterling ensemble players. Jazz by 5’s pedigree includes members of the Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’ legendary Kind of Blue band, and stands a better chance than most all-star bands of achieving the integrated interplay so crucial to memorable jazz. Revolution Hall. 7 pm Sunday, Feb. 25. $29-$59. All ages.
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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JEN SQUIRES
MUSIC
RAMBLIN’ ROSE: Whitney Rose plays Bunk Bar on Friday, Feb. 23.
Why?, Florist
= WW Pick. Highly recommended. Prices listed are sometimes for advance ticket sales. At-the-door increases and so-called 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, FEB. 21 Gogol Bordello
[GYPSY PUNK] It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since Gogol Bordello first brought their unique brand of “gypsy-punk” into public consciousness. Musically, not much has changed for the group over that time, but that’s not a bad thing in their case. In fact, that consistency is precisely what’s earned Gogol Bordello their substantial cult following. The band’s latest album, Seekers and Finders, does include some new developments, leaning heavier on the punk elements and bringing in singer Regina Spektor for a guest appearance, nuzzling her way right into the group’s niche sound. SETH SHALER. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-2300033. Sold out. 8:30 pm. All ages.
THURSDAY, FEB. 22 No Age, Flesh World, Brin
[DYNAMIC DUO] Since exploding out of LA’s DIY scene in 2007, No Age has run the gamut of stylistic turns a guitar-and-drums duo can undergo. Rather than outgrowing their stripped-down setup after hitting paydirt with their 2008 breakthrough Nouns, Randy Randall and Dean Spunt’s affinity for layers of scummy samples and dissonance crested on 2013’s An Object. The pair has made a slight return to the anthemic punk energy they came roaring out of the gates with on this year’s Snares Like a Haircut, which shows their dedication to being weird and poppy in equal measure is as strong as its ever been. PETE COTTELL. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave, 503-288-3895. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Real Estate, Bedouine
[YOUNG ADULT YACHT ROCK] Though their whimsical daydream rock is a safe distance from the jam-band circuit, the members of Real Estate have never been shy about their love of the uncool
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sounds of Steely Dan or the Grateful Dead. On its fourth album, last year’s In Mind, the suburban New Jersey indie-pop outfit is just a few cheesy synth presets away from becoming a hipster’s answer to the Moody Blues. But their predilection for shimmering lattices of guitar and carefully stacked vocal harmonies is not to be faulted, considering the ambience and scenery such a simple formula can still evoke. PETE COTTELL. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. #110, 503-288-3895. 9 pm. $25. 21+.
Miguel, SiR, Nonchalant Savant
[R&B PLUS] See Get Busy, page 25. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033. 8 pm. Sold out. 21+.
FRIDAY, FEB. 23 Whitney Rose, Chuck Westmoreland
[OL’ COUNTRY] Canadian country artist Whitney Rose has taken a liking to Texas, and the Lone Star State seems to like her back. With a residency at Austin’s famed Continental Club to her name, Rose has been compared to a young Dolly Parton. Now in Nashville, a stop that typically cements greatness for Americana musicians on the rise, Rose is bringing old-time country and rockabilly back for good. Her newest record, Rule 62, is about as twangy and analog as it gets, with Rose soulfully crooning atop bubbling Gibson guitar lines and bleary-eyed waltzes. MARK STOCK. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave, 503-328-2865. 9:30 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.
Burger-a-Go-Go Night 1: The Coathangers, Death Valley Girls, the Flytraps, the Feels
[GARAGE ROCK] See Get Busy, page 25. Dante’s, 350 West Burnside, 503-226-6630. Friday. $20 per night, $35 weekend pass. 21+.
[PODCAST RAP] Why? sounds like the music project Ira Glass would start if he grew up listening to hiphop. Vocalist Yoni Wolf’s quietly nasal, carefully controlled voice would make him a perfect co-host for This American Life. The experimental, hard-to-define indie-rap act is known for their hyperpersonal, obsessively confessional lyrics and defiantly genre-fluid sound. Last year’s Moh Lhean stays true to the Why? sound, but it signifies a sea change in the band’s tone. While Wolf switches up from his signature deadpan rapping to singing infectious harmonies with incredible ease, and the project doesn’t have the damning, defeatist feel of songs like “The Hollows” and “Good Friday.” It’s as if, after years of inner battles, Why? has finally found some calm. JUSTIN CARROLL-ALLAN. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St #110, 503-2883895. 9 pm. $17 advance, $20 day of show. All ages.
Girlpool, the Hotelier, Special Explosion
[FEELINGS ROCK] Reach into your chest, rip your heart out and place it on your sleeve. Now you’re ready for the finest emo show in town this week. Headlining is Girlpool, the L.A. two-piece that added a drummer to the mix on last year’s sophomore offering, Powerplant, beefing up their fragile sound without overshadowing the raw lyrics and two-part harmonies that are their calling cards. Preceding them is the Hotelier, champions of the so-called “emo revival,” that between 2014’s direct Home, Like No Place Is There and 2016’s more sprawling Goodness have two of the genre’s best recent albums to their name. And as a bonus, you get young Seattle “dreamo” band Special Explosion. PATRICK LYONS. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St, 503-284-8686. 9 pm. $15 advance, $18 day of show. 21+.
SATURDAY, FEB. 24 Burger-a-Go-Go Night 2: Dengue Fever, Winter, Summer Twins, Patsy’s Rats
[GARAGE ROCK] See Get Busy, page 25. Dante’s, 350 West Burnside, 503-226-6630. Friday. $20 per night, $35 weekend pass. 21+.
Mike Doughty
[IRRESISTIBLE BLISS] Since the
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Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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MUSIC MIC CHECK CO U R T E SY O F PA R A D I G M
acrimonious implosion of his iconic slacker-jazz outfit Soul Coughing, Mike Doughty has mostly dabbled in AOR and trad rock with the intention of getting as far away from the ’90s as possible. After touring the U.S. a few years back with a set of retooled Soul Coughing hits in his repertoire, it’s likely Doughty has embraced the fact that he’ll forever be remembered as “the Soul Coughing guy”—which explains why this current jaunt will feature the group’s gloriously idiosyncratic 1996 album Irresistible Bliss being played in its entirety. PETE COTTELL. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave, 503-288-3895. 7 and 10 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Despise You, Escort, Macho Boys, Acracy, Displaced
! S U PICK Advertise with WWEEK!
[POWERVIOLENCE] Music doesn’t get heavier or more extreme than Inglewood, Calif.’s Despise You. The long-running band brings classic ’80s hardcore into the new millennium with their cultivated approach to powerviolence aesthetics. Starting in the ’90s as a mysterious recording project, Despite You reunited in 2007 to begin performing live and releasing albums and split 7-inches with regularity. Their latest offering is a single from 2017 that features vocalists Cynthia Nishi and Chris Elders trading verses over cascading drums and pulverizing guitar riffs. Seeing Despise You live outside of SoCal is a rarity—come find out why they’ve earned the reputation of “the angriest band in the world.” NATHAN CARSON. The Know, 3728 NE Sandy Blvd, 503-473-8729. 8 pm. Call venue for ticket prices. 21+.
SUNDAY, FEB. 25 Bully, Melkbelly
[NEO-GRUNGE] Alicia Bognanno’s distinctive howl is the perfect kind of bloodcurdling battle cry to complement her band’s prickly, angular momentum. Imagine Kim Deal impersonating Frank Black while backed by a dream team featuring members of the best bands Steve Albini recorded in the ’90s. After a startlingly strong debut, the band signed to Sub Pop for their recent sophomore effort, Losing. It’s equal parts Fugazi, Jawbox and Babes in Toyland blended with enough fourfour backbeat to keep a paraplegic bouncing. CRIS LANKENAU. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave, 503-234-9694. 9 pm. $18 advance, $20 day of show. All ages.
Tune-Yards, Sudan Archives
[POLITICAL POP] See Get Busy, page 25. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St, 503-284-8686. 8:30 pm. $28.50 advance, $29 day of show. All ages.
MONDAY, FEB. 26
k.d. lang In 1992, k.d. lang bit the hand that fed her. With its graceful, understated arrangements and introspective songs about love and desire, Ingénue, the Canadian singer’s fifth album, doesn’t sound much like a kiss-off. But up to that point in her career, lang had made her name as a country artist, and a damn fine one. Her previous album, 1989’s Absolute Torch and Twang, won a Grammy and established her in the mainstream as a nextgeneration Patsy Cline. Issuing a set of torchy ballads just three years later was a risk, but one she felt she had to take: As an out lesbian and—gasp!—vegetarian, she already had the conservative Nashville establishment clutching their collective pearls. If she didn’t turn her back on them first, how long would it be before they did the same to her? The gamble paid off: Ingénue was a multiplatinum hit, with the single “Constant Craving” earning her another Grammy and proving to be her most lasting moment. Now, lang—a proud Portland transplant and vociferous Blazer fan—is revisiting the album live, in full, for its 25th anniversary. WW spoke to lang about looking back on the album, what it meant for her career, what she would’ve done differently and her conflicted feelings toward her greatest success. Read the full interview at wweek.com. MATTHEW SINGER. WW: Ingénue is your most successful album, but is it your favorite? k.d. lang: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I definitely have a good relationship to it. I think it was a vulnerable, honest record. I was writing really from the heart on that record, and it happened to become a success. Now, “Constant Craving,” maybe, is the song that resonates in a slightly different way. I didn’t like the song at the time. It stood out as a pop song, and it was obviously going to be the single. I didn’t like it for that reason at that time. Obviously I like it now, because it’s allowed me a lot of in-roads as far as my career and financially. But that one particular song was the one I had a tumultuous relationship with. SEE IT: k.d. lang plays Ingénue at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, on Tuesday, Feb. 27. 8 pm. $35 and up. All ages.
Bahamas, The Weather Station
[ANTI-YACHT ROCK] Afie Jurvanen, the singer-songwriter known as Bahamas, just released his fourth studio album, Earthtones, and by the sound of it, he’s looking to solidify himself as a household name. On his previous records, Jurvanen has worked hard to prove that he won’t be boxed in by “singer-songwriter” tag. His songs are instrumentally dynamic and heavy on groove, with particularly infectious guitars. After a career-validating tour with Jack Johnson, Bahamas seems poised for a breakthrough—and the fact that he is headlining his own international tour is a good start. SETH SHALER. Alberta Rose Theater, 3000 NE Alberta St., 503-719-6055. 8 pm. Sold out. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
Shamir, Pardoner, Michete
[LO-FI SOUL] See Get Busy, page 25. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave. 9 pm. $17.50. 21+.
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Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
Superchunk, Bat Fangs
[PUNK FOR ADULTS] Even more impressive than Superchunk’s staying power is their ability to sound both grown-up and insolent across their 30-year career. On their latest record, What a Time to Be Alive, frontman Mac McCaughan brings the fury of a punk kid decades his junior to a collection of anti-Trump anthems with hooks that are just sweet enough to cut through his trademark piss-andvinegar delivery. How McCaughan, now 50 years old, finds the time to crank out one righteously raucous power-pop album after another while also managing the venerable indie label Merge is one of rock music’s greatest mysteries, but it doesn’t look like the ‘Chunk will be slowing down any time soon at this rate. PETE COTTELL. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave, 503-288-3895. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.
TUESDAY, FEB. 27 Kikagaku Moyo, Don Gero
[TOKYO PSYCH] See Get Busy, page 25. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave, 503-288-3895. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Ty Dolla $ign, 24hrs, TC Da Loc, Dre Sinatra
[LOTHARIO&B] It’s fitting that this LA crooner named his current tour “Don’t Judge Me.” Since he began his Beach House mixtape series in 2012, Ty has sung about the dilemma of spotting two sexual partners in the same club, his refusal to be “Captain Savea-Hoe” and the importance of having plenty of “horses in the stable.” He’s not easy to despise, though. Because of his smoky vocals, lush arrangements and lesser-seen genuine side, you can understand why many have given in to his charm. The third edition
DATES HERE of Beach House, which dropped last fall, might be Ty’s most luxuriant and chivalrous offering yet, full of warm-weather-friendly jams dedicated to romantic interests. PATRICK LYONS. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave, 971-2300033. 8 pm. Sold out. All ages.
Tiny Moving Parts, Mom Jeans, Covet, Oso Oso
[MINNESOTA MATH PUNKS] Combining the open-tuned noodling of American Football and the urgency of pop-punk isn’t an entirely original endeavor. But the ability of Minnesota’s Tiny Moving Parts to tow the line between ragged fury and razor-sharp precision is exactly what makes them one of the most exciting new bands the genre has seen in years. Their recent record, Swell, continues their hot streak with pitstarting anthems about anxiety and unease in a world filled with fake happiness, which hits pretty hard considering how easy it is to pretend everything’s OK these days. PETE COTTELL. The Analog Cafe, 720 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 206-7439. 6:30 pm-11:30 pm. Sold out. All ages.
CLASSICAL JAZZ AND WORLD Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony
[CLASSICAL] By the time Jean Sibelius debuted his Fifth Symphony, he was 50 years old, and his birthday was a national holiday in his native Finland. This half-hour masterpiece of modern classical music was informed by Sibelius’ proximity to the First World War, but its finale was inspired by a majestic flight of 16 swans, musically depicted by timpani rolls and dramatic
horns. Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi is visiting this weekend to deliver two shorter pieces, César Franck’s Symphonic Variations, and Burleske by Richard Strauss. The program begins with Samuel Barber’s Second Essay for Orchestra, written on the eve of World War II—yet another reminder of the unending violence humanity seems unwilling to evolve beyond. NATHAN CARSON. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 503-248-4335. 7:30 pm Saturday and Monday, 2 pm Sunday, Feb. 24-26. $24$115. All ages.
Resonance Ensemble
[SINGING MY RELIGION] As America has grown more divided, Portland arts organizations have responded more explicitly to social divisions. Resonance Ensemble, comprised of some of Portland’s most accomplished choral singers, has devoted this season to programs that confront racial conflicts and gender issues. Sunday’s concert is focused on religious divisions, featuring music from the mystical traditions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The centerpiece is Portland composer Theresa Koon’s Where Everything is Music, a cycle of 12 Sufi pieces for choir with soloists. Like the other concerts, this one also includes poetry by S. Renee Mitchell and visual art from Ed Labadie that includes questions posed by the Muslim Educational Trust and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, which will be discussed in a post-concert talkback session. BRETT CAMPBELL. First Presbyterian Church, 1200 SW Alder. 2 pm Sunday, Feb. 25. Free. All ages.
ALEX JOHN BECK
PREVIEW
Rostam, Joy Again [ART POP] Known primarily for his work with Vampire Weekend, Rostam Batmanglij has a thriving solo career of his own. The former Columbia University music major has a keen understanding of melody and composition, proven in his own work as well as in collaborations with the likes of Hamilton Leithauser, Carly Rae Jepsen and others. Rostam’s own sound is best described as art pop, a clever mix of orchestral indie rock and the foot-stomping Eastern flare of his parents’ native Iran. His first solo full-length, Half-Light, is an intriguing amalgamation of pop balladry, sampling, tight programming, bedroom R&B and percussive rhythms. With the chant-along accessibility of his beloved former band and the complexity and free-spirited noodling of a true solo effort, Rostam seems even more at home on his own. In a lot of ways, it comes off as a grown-up version of Cayucas, shimmering and playful yet sophisticated and nuanced. And quite frankly, heady pop from an openly gay musician whose family hails from the Middle East is precisely what America needs right now. MARK STOCK. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-231-9663, dougfirlounge. com. 9 pm Wednesday, Feb. 21. Sold out. 21+. Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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MUSIC ALBUM REVIEWS
Typhoon OFFERINGS (ROLL CALL) [ORCHESTRAL MANEUVERS] Typhoon’s Kyle Morton must compose bombastic rock symphonies as easy as most of us breathe. For his band’s fourth proper LP—and first in five years—he’s written a four-act epic following a protagonist throughout a mental breakdown, from the onset of psychosis to resolution. As fans have come to expect, it’s a vigorously pummeling experience. From the moment the Fellini-quoting chants on opening track “Wake” fade out, an onslaught with little reprieve begins. Plaintive, desperate vocals and manic downstroke strumming start “Remember,” a tune encapsulating all of Offerings’ best moves into one key track. String sections swell, luscious guitar arpeggios twinkle and euphoria sets in just as Shannon Steele’s feminine soprano safely places you back on terra firma. The strings are particularly sweet throughout, woven into the sprawl with a grace that perfectly reinforces some of the subtler melodic shifts that would otherwise get drowned out by sheer volume. The best example of just how ingratiating Typhoon manages to be comes at the close of “Adriadne,” when Morton dryly recites the tail end of the song’s lyrics in an earnest deadpan, sounding like he’s reciting dialogue to a movie no one’s ever seen. It’s a bit confusing, but it gets a pass because it’s bookended by a masterpiece on both ends. That’s the kind of album this is—you end up shrugging off what you don’t immediately understand, because the bulk of what you’ve heard has already catapulted you into rapturous bliss. CRIS LANKENAU. SEE IT: Typhoon plays Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., with Wild Ones and Amenta Abioto, on Friday, Feb. 23. 9 pm. $25 advance, $30 day of show. All ages.
WIBG WINNIE & THE NIHILIST (EXAG’) [GARAGE RAWK] Between a pair of albums from Thee Oh Sees and a stagg ering five full-lengths from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, 2017 was the year the floodgate finally burst for psych punk. This won’t stop someone with an insatiable thirst for supercharged garage rock from enjoying Winnie & the Nihilist, the latest from WIBG (formerly known as Wooden Indian Burial Ground). Winnie bursts to life with an eight-minute title track that weaves frantically between krautrock, freaked-out psych and mellow surf pop. The end product resembles Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug steering the group through a maze of Dungen and Wooden Shjips send-ups. Instead of drifting further into space, “Sunshine” hits the gas and careens toward the beach; if you can forgive the uncanny resemblance to Devo’s “Uncontrollable Urge,” it’s a strong contender for a new genre classic. Aside from “Sunshine” and the cover of Dead Moon’s “Dead Moon Night”—transformed here into a spiraling jam track—the majority of the record is mired in a sameness that won’t do much to excite anyone who’s already tired of this type of thing. But the songwriting is solid, and WIBG plays with reckless conviction, so you can’t fault them for throwing another piece of quality work on top of the heap. PETE COTTELL. SEE IT: WIBG plays Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd Ave., with Surfs Drugs and Penny Mart, on Thursday, Feb. 22. 8 pm. $8. 21+. 34
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
MUSIC CALENDAR 3000 NE Alberta St Meet Portland Opera’s Resident Artists
Alberta Street Pub
1036 NE Alberta St Aw’ Mercy!; Andrea & the Enablers
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St Rostam, Joy Again
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd The Holdup
Jack London Revue
529 SW 4th Ave PDX Jazz Festival: The Kandinsky Effect
Justa Pasta
1336 NW 19th Avenue Anson Wright Duo
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St Red Forman, Sunsout, New Not Normals
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave Jacob Jolliff Band, Front Country
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 PDX Jazz Festival: Abdullah Ibrahim’s Ekaya
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave Gogol Bordello
The Goodfoot
Newmark Theatre
1111 SW Broadway PDX Jazz Festival: Carrington-ColtraneSpalding Celebrating The Legacy of Geri Allen
116 NE Russell St Wednesday Night Zydeco
Turn! Turn! Turn!
8 NE Killingsworth St Eaton Flowers & Sea Moss
THURSDAY, THU. FEB. 22 Agnes Flanagan Chapel at Lewis and Clark College
0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time”
Alberta Street Pub
1036 NE Alberta St Freddy Trujillo; James Low
Black Water Bar
4830 NE 42nd Ave WIBG, Surfs Drugs, Penny Mart
1001 SE Morrison St Jerry Folk x SAINT WKND
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave No Age, Flesh World, Brin
3000 NE Alberta St Bahamas, The Weather Station
8218 N.Lombard St Quincy Davis, Mic Crenshaw, Randal Wyatt
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony
The Know
3728 NE Sandy Blvd ThirstyCity 116 NE Russell St Thursday Swing featuring The Hot Lovin’ Jazz Babies, 12th Avenue Hot Club
Tonic Lounge
3100 NE Sandy Blvd Dark/Light, Bothers, The Lightheads, Fins
Turn! Turn! Turn!
1420 SE Powell Blvd Skulk, Hvnger Moon, Berator
Winningstad Theatre
1111 SW Broadway PDX Jazz Festival: George Colligan Trio & Ethan Iverson
FRI. FEB. 23 Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave The Dollop, Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds
Alberta Street Pub
1036 NE Alberta St Madgesdiq meets Elite Beat; Underground Revival feat. Easy There Tiger, Salvatore Manalo, Brizzleman
Bunk Bar
1028 SE Water Ave Whitney Rose, Chuck Westmoreland
Crystal Ballroom
350 W Burnside Burger-a-Go-Go Night 1
Holocene
Alberta Rose Theater
The Fixin’ To
Crystal Ballroom
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd Grace VanderWaal
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave Shovels & Rope
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd The Body Rampant, Ghost Parade, Chemical Rage, Nicholas Franchise
1332 W Burnside St Typhoon
Hawthorne Theatre
MON. FEB. 26 Aladdin Theater
The Analog Cafe and Theater
835 NE Broadway Songs From Under the Floorboard Showcase 1332 W Burnside St Mat Kearney
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St Tune-Yards, Sudan Archives
Spare Room
Twilight Cafe and Bar
The Secret Society
1420 SE Powell Blvd Lo’ There, New Brighton, Marrowstone, Waterfronts, Jon Dunne
Roseland Theater
The Know
6 SW 3rd Ave Twista
Twilight Cafe and Bar
8 NW 6th Ave Miguel, SiR, Nonchalant Savant
8 NE Killingsworth St Tom Brosseau, Tomo Nakahama, and Shelley Short
The Paris Theatre
8 NE Killingsworth St Gulch, Alternative Milks, Ana Lungs
1300 SE Stark St #110 Real Estate, Bedouine
2845 SE Stark St Steve Swatkins and The Positive Agenda 3728 NE Sandy Blvd Doug Tuttle, Sam Kogan
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Revolution Hall
The Secret Society
Dante’s
Doug Fir Lounge 830 E Burnside St The Blasters
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd 40 Oz. To Freedom; Mr. Pickles Thrashtacular with Exodus, Municipal Waste
High Water Mark Lounge
6800 NE MLK Ave Ice Princess, Spacebeast, Meterse
Jack London Revue 529 SW 4th Ave
[FEB. 21-27] The Not-So-Secret Family Show feat. Mo Phillips & The Spaghetti Pants Dance Band, Johnny and Jason
THOMAS TEAL
Alberta Rose Theater
For more listings, check out wweek.com.
LAST WEEK LIVE
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
WEDESDAY, WED. FEB. 21
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.
THURSTON MOORE
SONIC REDUCER: Aside from Friday night’s metal-centric lineup, this year’s Sabertooth Micro Fest—held over three nights at Crystal Ballroom—felt more like a lesson in rock-’n’-roll history than the “psychadellicstonerrockmicrofest” it was advertised as. Saturday night functioned as a showcase of the present and future of indie rock, with a keynote spot from Parquet Courts uniting disparate eras of post-punk. Across their 75-minute set, the Brooklyn-via-Houston quartet made good on the praise from old-guard music critics for their brisk and biting distillation of peppy Buzzcocks energy and shitkicker twang. Sunday was a more somber affair, with poor ticket sales relegating Thurston Moore’s appearance to the much smaller Lola’s Room downstairs from the Crystal’s main hall. The former Sonic Youth frontman’s new group—featuring SY drummer Steve Shelley, My Bloody Valentine’s Deb Googe and English guitarist James Sedwards—delivered an ambling set of lush melancholia and bristling noise that pulled mostly from least year’s Rock n Roll Consciousness, but the environs seemed to drag on Moore as catcalls and requests from fanboys cut through the silence between songs. Moore’s dour post-Youth solo work indicates that indie rock’s elder statesmen is losing traction since his infidelity to then-wife and -bandmate Kim Gordon abruptly ended the band’s historic run in 2011. Hopefully, Moore can take bummer shows like this in stride, but it’s becoming clearer as time goes on that the torch was passed long ago. PETE COTTELL. Tinsley Ellis; Hornswogglers Brass Band
Pete Krebs and his Portland Playboys
Kelly’s Olympian
8 NE Killingsworth St Similar Fashion, Dreckig, Luke Wyland
426 SW Washington St Farrago, Centaurs of Attention, Millstone Grit
Kenton Club
2025 N Kilpatrick St Lovesores, The Viles, The Sadists
Lombard Pub
3416 N Lombard St Ethereal Sea, Stone Sky, Big Breakfast
Mississippi Pizza
3552 N Mississippi Ave Korgy & Bass, PartyGoers, Surrealized, The Wilder
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave Theo Katzman
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 Why?, Florist
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave Ha Ha Tonka
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd Mac Sabbath, Galactic Empire, with guests
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd The Magic Beans
The Fixin’ To
8218 N. Lombard St Fantastic 4: Mic Capes, Rasheed Jamal, Glenn Waco and Gifted Gab
The Old Church 1422 SW 11th Ave Amy Shark
The Secret Society 116 NE Russell St
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Winningstad Theatre 1111 SW Broadway PDX Jazz Festival: Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St Girlpool, the Hotelier, Special Explosion
Zarz On First
814 SW 1st St Robbie Laws Band; Carey Campbell
SATURDAY, SAT. FEB. 24 Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave DAIMH
Alberta Street Pub 1036 NE Alberta St Weske
Alberta Street Pub
1036 NE Alberta St The Loved Album, The Minders, Bitches Of The Sun
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St Party Favor
Sean Hayes
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd Dorothy; Caleborate
Jack London Revue
529 SW 4th Ave Yak Attack; Devin Phillips Trio
116 NE Russell St The Newport Nightingales
Tonic Lounge
Kelly’s Olympian
McMenamins Mission Theater
8 NE Killingsworth St Black Fruit, Mood Beach, Pat Moon, Another Afternoon
426 SW Washington St Mobilities, Childspeak, The Von Howlers
1624 NW Glisan St Garcia Birthday Band
Mississippi Pizza
3552 N Mississippi Ave The Alphabeticians
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave Mike Doughty
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 PDX Jazz Festival: Miles Electric Band
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave PDX Jazz Festival: Snarky Puppy, Banda Magda
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave Zach Deputy
The Fixin’ To
8218 N. Lombard St Bitch School, Monumental
The Goodfoot
Dante’s
Doug Fir Lounge
The Know
830 E Burnside St
The Secret Society
3100 NE Sandy Blvd Ill Camille, Fritzwa
2845 SE Stark St Goodfoot 17th Anniversary Show with McTuff
350 West Burnside Burger-a-Go-Go Night 2
Despise You, Escort, Macho Boys, Acracy, Displaced
3728 NE Sandy Blvd
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Twilight Cafe and Bar 1420 SE Powell Blvd Toxic Kid, Switch Blade Romeo, Weep Wave, Typesetter
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St Theory Of A Deadman
Zarz On First
814 SW 1st Portland Nica’s Dream
SUN. FEB. 25 Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave Bully, Melkbelly
Alberta Rose Theater 3000 NE Alberta St The Mammals, Caleb Klauder/Reeb Willms
Alberta Street Pub
1036 NE Alberta St Dr. Sass and the Medicine; Silver Lake 66
Al’s Den at Crystal Hotel
303 SW 12th Ave Metts, Ryan & Collins
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony
First Presbyterian Church
1200 SW Alder St Resonance Ensemble
Jack London Revue 529 SW 4th Ave CJ Mickens
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave Grails
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave Yotam Silberstein, Trio Subtonic, Dan Balmer
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 PDX Jazz Festival: Jazz by 5, Domo Branch Quintet
Rontoms
600 E Burnside St Rontoms Sunday Session: Jared Mees, New Move
Star Theater
13 NW 6th Ave Kontravoid, The Secret Light
The Know
3728 NE Sandy Blvd Chain, Canadian Waves, Worrydoll
Hawthorne Theatre
1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd Starset
Mississippi Studios 3939 N Mississippi Ave Superchunk, Bat Fangs
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 Margo Price
Star Theater 13 NW 6th Ave Shamir, Pardoner, Michete
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd Icon For Hire
The Fixin’ To
8218 N. Lombard St Kulululu, Similar Fashion, The Crenshaw
TUE. FEB. 27 Alberta Rose Theater
3000 NE Alberta St An Evening with Tom Russell; Two-Step Tuesdays feat. Pete Krebs & the Rockin’ K Ranch boys
Alberta Street Pub 1036 NE Alberta St Karyn Ann
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway kd lang, Slava Gigoryan
Doug Fir Lounge 830 E Burnside St Skinny Lister
Mississippi Studios 3939 N Mississippi Ave Kikagaku Moyo, Don Gero
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St #110 Lenore., Wonderly (Sunset Room)
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th Ave Ty Dolla $ign, 24hrs, TC Da Loc, Dre Sinatra
The Analog Cafe
720 SE Hawthorne Blvd Tiny Moving Parts, Mom Jeans, Covet, Oso Oso
Wonder Ballroom 128 NE Russell St Betty Who
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St Tango Alpha Tango, Quiet Type, L Ø V E J ØY
The Secret Society 116 NE Russell St
CONT. on page PB Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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M4XIMUS
MUSIC
WOOOOOO! PEGBOARD NERDS PLAY 45 EAST ON FRIDAY, FEB. 23. Killingsworth Dynasty 832 N Killingsworth St Switch. Dance Party
Lay Low Tavern
6015 SE Powell Blvd DJ Dad Rock
WED. FEB. 21 Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave Honest John (soul, garage)
Elvis Room
203 SE Grand Ave Portland, Or 97214 DJ ‘Ol Sippy
Ground Kontrol
511 NW Couch St TRONix: Proqxis (electronic)
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St KPSU DJs: DJ Gray (funk, soul)
Killingsworth Dynasty 832 N Killingsworth St Final Report
Maxwell Bar
20 NW 3rd Ave Wu-Tang Wednesday
Sandy Hut
1430 NE Sandy Blvd DJ Joey Prude
Tardis Room
1218 N Killingsworth St Riddim Revolution (edm)
The Firkin Tavern
1937 SE 11th Ave Firkin Full of Eye Candy
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St Spend The Night : Ben UFO (Hessle - UK)
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)
Killingsworth Dynasty 832 N Killingsworth St NU SKIN (dark fetish dance night)
Maxwell Bar
20 NW 3rd Ave Ascension
Moloko
3967 N. Mississippi Ave Salad Nights w/ Benjamin (international disco, synth, modern dad)
Night Light Lounge
Sandy Hut
1430 NE Sandy Blvd DJ Miss Eggs & DJ Mr. Please
The Goodfoot
2845 SE Stark St DJ Logic, Klozd Sirkut with Motherlode
The Lovecraft Bar 421 SE Grand Ave Shadowplay (goth, industrial, 80s)
The Paris Theatre 6 SW 3rd Ave Eidolon: Subdocta, Benjah Ninjah
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave DJ Jack
FRI. FEB. 23
Crystal Ballroom
736 SE Grand Ave A Train & Eagle Sun King (vintage cumbia)
Double Barrel Tavern
2002 SE Division St DJ Philadelphia Freedom
3967 N. Mississippi Ave D Poetica
Night Light Lounge 2100 SE Clinton St Jesse Sugar Moore
No Vacancy Lounge
235 SW 1st Ave, 97204 Pan-African Gala (Mandela’s Legacy)
Quarterworld
4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd DJ Bad Wizard
Spare Room
The Goodfoot
6 Southwest 3rd Avenue Eidolon Presents: Subdocta, Benjah Ninjah and MiNORITY
Whiskey Bar
Dig A Pony
Moloko
Paris Theatre
315 SE 3rd Ave Pegboard Nerds
315 SE 3rd Ave Elderbrook
20 NW 3rd Ave Chi Duly
4830 NE 42nd Ave pdx or 97218 The Get Down
45 East
45 East
Maxwell Bar
2100 SE Clinton St DJ Maxx Bass
18 NW 3rd Ave Dubblife
THURSDAY, THU. FEB. 22
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
203 SE Grand Ave Portland, Or 97214 DJ A-Train
Tube
31 NW 1st Ave Hairitage, Gold Standard
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Elvis Room
1332 W Burnside St 80’s Video Dance Attack: Madonna
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave Jimbo (funk, rap)
Ground Kontrol
511 NW Couch St DJ Nate C. (anthem rock, hair metal)
Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St Snap! 90s Dance Party
Kelly’s Olympian
426 SW Washington St DJ Happy Hour with DJ Hair Farmer
2845 SE Stark St Soul Stew (funk, soul, disco)
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St BootyBump Boogie w/ Uproot Andy
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave DoublePlusDANCE (new wave, synth, goth)
Toffee Club
1006 SE Hawthorne Blvd Old Skool (boogie, disco, funk)
Twilight Cafe and Bar 1420 SE Powell OneDrop Soundsystem All Stars
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St DJ Crum
Whiskey Bar
31 NW 1st Ave Kevin Anderson (Desert Hearts)
SATURDAY, SAT. FEB. 24 Bit House Saloon
727 SE Grand Ave NoFOMO: Massimiliano Pagliara
Bossanova Ballroom 722 E Burnside St Blowpony
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St 2000’s Dance Flashback
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave Freaky Outty (floor fillers)
Double Barrel Tavern 2002 SE Division St DJ Malty Stag
BAR REVIEW SAM GEHRKE
TOP 5
BUZZ LIST Where to drink this week.
1. Modern Times
630 SE Belmont St., 503-420-0799, moderntimesbeer.com. Maybe it costs a buck extra a beer, but you’re going to find your way in to try the new hot beer in town. Make it a coffee stout or a sour, both of which are great.
2. The Nerd Out
3308 SE Belmont St., 503-233-1225, thenerdoutpdx.com. The Nerd Out is the nerdiest nerd bar that ever geeked—a nest of comics wallpaper, action figures, elf ears, bright blue drinks, a four-foot-tall Batman and a library of comics.
3. Small Bar
919 NW 23rd Ave., 971-712-3016, functionpdx.com. From Tuesday to Thursday through March at pop-up bar space Function, Small Bar is turning out excellent classic cocktails. The tacos are gone—replaced now by Japanese fare from Yoshimasa Ikeda.
4. Brothers Cascadia
9811 NE 15th Ave., Vancouver, 360-718-8927, brotherscascadiabrewing.com. The North ’Couv’s Brothers Cascadia is a marker of how far our beeriest suburb has come: There’s not a dud on the menu, from a trio of IPAs to an excellent brown spiked with coffee.
5. Garrison Tap Room
8773 N Lombard St., 503-780-6914, royalebrewing.com. Royale Brewing’s St. Johns taproom has transitioned into the pleasant cocktail haunt the ’hood had been missing for years.
W I L D T O N Y: If Tony’s Tavern was the well-read drunk of the West Burnside neighborhood surrounding I-405, Scooter McQuade’s was the old party girl. So it makes sense they just got married. After Tony’s nearly passed into oblivion, longtime owner Tony Kassapakis decided to consolidate to his Parkrose location, selling the place to Kevin Kilgore and Scooter’s owner Debbie Boone. Now, it’s called Wildwood Saloon (1955 W Burnside St., 503-228-8527), with no resemblance whatsoever to the former iconic fine-dining restaurant of the same name. The old wood and deep booths from Tony’s are intact, and so is the juke: Kilgore got hold of an old flip-book Rock-Ola jukebox full of Willie Nelson, the Boss and the Beatles. Three of the bartenders stayed on as well. “Debbie’s not the sort of person who would come in and clean house,” our bartender told us. “That’s not her style.” But a few things have changed. The newspaper clippings have been replaced by black-and-white photos of times gone by—like that one time the Blazers won a championship. The 16 beer taps have been fixed and filled with old-timers like Widmer and Deschutes, but also newer-comers like Gigantic and 10 Barrel. It’s a bit brighter and cleaner, and there are more TVs. The window now sports an old-time, county fair-style rotating hot dog and corn dog cooker next to a bag of peanuts—and hot dogs are always a dollar. Scooter’s being Scooter’s, Boone couldn’t help but bring in Jell-O shots (grape and lime on our visit.) A stiff gin-and-tonic, a Jell-O shot and a hot dog rang in at a cool $6.50. At those prices, it’s pretty easy to hang out all day, like the man next to us on an early evening visit who’d watched perhaps the entire Olympics from his stool. “That woman looks like a miniature version of the Tick!” he shouted to the room, before being told he’d gotten the color of the comics hero’s outfit wrong. “Oh well,” he said. “I’m really stoned.” MATTHEW KORFHAGE.
Eastburn
The Lovecraft Bar
Holocene
The Paris Theatre
Killingsworth Dynasty
Whiskey Bar
1800 E Burnside St Soulsa! (merengue, salsa, bachata, cumbia) 1001 SE Morrison St Main Squeeze Dance Party 832 N Killingsworth St Strange Babes Soul Night
Moloko
3967 N. Mississippi Ave Blue Moon (deep house, various rhythms)
Night Light Lounge 2100 SE Clinton St DJ NYM
No Vacancy Lounge
235 SW 1st Ave, 97204 Croatia Squad
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Ave The Disco Ball: An After Hours Dance Party
The Liquor Store
3341 SE Belmont St Subsensory – Shawn Rudiman
421 SE Grand Ave Electronomicon (goth, darkwave) 6 SW 3rd Ave Sucio Saturdays
31 NW 1st Ave Boogie t. and SQUNTO Strike Back
SUN. FEB. 25
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave Sunday Funday
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave OOPS (synth pop, new wave, post punk)
Elvis Room
203 SE Grand Ave Portland, Or 97214 DJ Montel Spinozza
Ground Kontrol
Kelly’s Olympian
Sandy Hut
426 SW Washington St Party Damage DJs: DJ Dave Cantrell
Maxwell Bar
20 NW 3rd Ave Dubblife
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave VCR TV (synth, new wave, soundtrack)
736 SE Grand Ave AM Gold
Elvis Room
MON. FEB. 26
Dig A Pony
736 SE Grand Ave Do Right Sunday (hip hop, r&b)
Dig A Pony
511 NW Couch St Reaganomix: DJ Robert Ham (80s) 1430 NE Sandy Blvd DJ A.M. Gold
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave Reggie: A tribute to Altered Beats and the memory of Reg E. Alan
TUE. FEB. 27
203 SE Grand Ave Portland, Or 97214 DJ King Fader
Maxwell Bar
20 NW 3rd Ave Quaz
Sandy Hut
1430 NE Sandy Blvd DJ Montel Spinozza
The Lovecraft Bar
421 SE Grand Ave Night Society (minimal synth, cold wave, italo)
The Secret Society
116 NE Russell St Son Latino presents Salsa Social
Tube
18 NW 3rd Ave Tubesdays w/ DJ Jack
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St FREQ(uency) 004 ft Vakkuum
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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PERFORMANCE 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.
REVIEW
PAT R I C K W E I S H A M P E L
= WW Pick. Highly recommended.
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 Macbeth
Shaking the Tree is once again staging Shakespeare’s shortest, bloodiest and most quotable tragedy. It’s a perfect fit: The contemporary theater company thrives with macabre source material, and has a knack for making classics surprising with abstract, offbeat staging. Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St., 503-235-0635, shaking-the-tree.com. 7:30 pm. $30.
ALSO PLAYING The Clark Doll
When Portland Actors Conservatory grads Tyharra Cozier and Monica Fleetwood started making the rounds during casting season, something didn’t feel right. The pair found that despite the moderate selection of local productions featuring actors of color, there’s still a disconnect between the storytelling and the actual experiences of black audience members. So Cozier and Fleetwood decided to create SydeIde Collaborations. Syde-Ide is equal parts collaboration hub for minorities to get their art produced and a springboard for new talent to develop the skills in acting, directing, engineering and design that they weren’t getting the opportunity to cultivate elsewhere. Their first play is The Clark Doll, a play written by Liz Morgan about the internalized experience of black womanhood. Directed by Victor Mack, Shareen Jacobs joins Cozier and Fleetwood as three women who are stuck in a room, each representing different shades of psyches society has imposed upon black women. They flip through a book of fairy tales and act out parables of femininity and blackness for each other, struggling to learn a way out when they don’t see themselves in any of the stories. The sparse set holds only the props necessary for the play, like a jump rope that Cozier spins faster and faster as she struggles to sing a nightmarish lullaby in time. LAUREN YOSHIKO. Performance Works NW,
4625 SE 67th Ave., sydeidepdx. com. 8 pm and Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, through Feb. 21. Additional 10 pm shows Saturday, Feb, 17. $20.
The Pride
The Olivier Award-winning play tells parallel stories of a relationship between the same two men set in two different time periods: 2008 and in 1958. It’s the kind of play that requires both boldness and tenderness from a
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production team, which Defunkt Theatre are more than capable of providing. Defunkt Theatre, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd., defunkttheatre.com. 7:30 pm Thursday-Sunday, through March 17. Pay what you will, $20 suggested.
COMEDY Becky With the Good Jokes
Becky Braunstein’s monthly comedy showcase is decidedly upbeat. Along with a well-curated lineup of local and touring standup comedians (this month, it’s Shane Mauss, Arielle Norman, Brandon Lyons and Sam Miller), there’s a band, usually some kind of video or other multimedia and, of course, Braunstein herself, whose sense of humor somehow manages to seem both earnest and biting. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., beckybraunstein.com. 10 pm. $8 in advance, $12 at the door.
DANCE Alice (in wonderland)
Oregon Ballet Theatre’s winter show is usually its most ornate—last year, it was an ambitious new version of Swan Lake with elaborate sets. But this year, the company is promising a show that’s particularly visually dramatic: the West Coast premiere of Septime Webre’s Alice (in wonderland), complete with trippy, modernist sets and bold costumes. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., obt.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Saturday, Feb. 24-March 4. 2 pm Sunday Feb. 25, and noon Sunday, March 4. $40-$118
Configure
For its next show, PDX Contemporary Ballet collaborated with Portland sculptor Michele Collier. Not only is the new choreography based on Collier’s work, but it will be performed in the round amid her dramatic clay forms. New Expressive Works, 810 SE Belmont St., pdxcb.com. 7:30 pm. $10.
Pepperland
Mark Morris’ Sgt. Pepper tribute is coming to Portland after making its U.S. debut in Seattle. The city of Liverpool commissioned the show in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ theatrical psych-pop opus. Set to an orchestral score inspired by the album, the choreography comprises boppy, balletic modern dance. To make it even more peppy, the dancers wear brightly colored mod dresses and checkered suits. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, whitebird.org. 7:30 pm, Wednesday, Feb. 21. $30-$48.
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
CANDID CAMERA: Lena Kaminsk, Kelly Godell and Ryan Tresser.
Love in Snapshots Kodachrome is a living album of romantic vignettes. BY B EN N ETT CA MPB ELL FER GU SON
The first line of Kodachrome is “I have loved.” It’s spoken by the play’s mysterious heroine, a woman known simply as “the Photographer” (Lena Kaminsky), and it marks the first of many times she will speak directly to the audience, as if inviting you into the story’s vortex of sweetness, sadness and wit. It’s a fitting beginning for a play that is essentially a living photo album of romances, but it’s also deceptive. Kodachrome—written by Adam Szymkowicz and having its world premiere at Portland Center Stage—may be an ensemble love story, but it is also a mischievous comedy and a supernatural dream. Kodachrome’s many genre fragments don’t always cohere. Yet thanks to sumptuous scenic design and a paralyzingly realistic performance by Kaminsky, the play transports you to a world brought to vivid life by Rose Riordan’s imaginative and impassioned direction. The play is set in Colchester, Conn., the cozy New England town where the Photographer lives. She is our tour guide, a narrator who leads us to Colchester’s modest landmarks, from a lonely public library to a restaurant called Harry’s Place. She draws our attention to a variety of romantic vignettes, which include a goofy tale of a perfume maker (John D. Haggerty) lusting after an apathetic waitress (Tina Chilip) and a moody subplot about a hardware store-owning widower (Ryan Vincent Anderson) tormented by his resurgent longing for his high school girlfriend. The Photographer is enmeshed in a tormented love affair of her own, but her greatest romance is with Colchester itself. Riordan and her gifted crew make the town palpably alluring. Even a graveyard, complemented by projected silhouettes of gracefully twisted tree branches, is suffused with
poetic grandeur. A swirl of lights and the sound of Peter Gabriel belting out “In Your Eyes” instantly teleports you to a tender, slow dance at a prom. What Kodachrome can’t do is overcome some occasional passages of grating dialogue. Scenes that should have been played straight—like a daughter discovering that her parents are getting divorced and the widower’s encounter with an eccentric gravedigger—are milked for jokes that feel intrusive in a story that cries out for more sincerity. Equally problematic is the homogeneity of the play’s love stories, many of which cling to a tired trope: the shy outcast fretting over the inability to master the art of flirting in complete sentences. But none of that detracts from Kodachrome’s entrancing imag es or Kaminsky ’s boundless charisma. Even after the Photographer is revealed to be the linchpin of a fantastical plot twist involving ghosts, what you remember most are her fourth-wall-breaking interactions with the audience. When she announces at one point that she has become so overwhelmed with traumatic memories that she needs to exit the scene, Kaminsky makes her pain feel so present that you wonder if she’s isn’t acting. It’s an illusion, of course. But the intimacy that Kodachrome invites you to share with the citizens of Colchester feels entirely real. When the Photographer turns her camera to the audience in a late scene, it’s a poignant reminder that just as the people of Colchester are bound together because they have lived and loved in the same place, everyone in the audience has shared an imperfect but transcendent journey. SEE IT: Kodachrome is at Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., pcs.org. 7:30 pm TuesdaySunday, 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, noon Thursday, through March 18. $25-$42.
VISUAL ARTS JET EVELETH
PREVIEW
Pussy Riot An exhibit of vulva photography attracted unexpected controversy. BY S HA N N O N G O R M L EY
sgormley@wweek.com
In front of Pushdot Studio’s large, Southeast Division Street-facing windows, Arkady Brown opens a portfolio almost a year in the making: four glossy pages, each covered in a grid of close-up shots of 48 different vulvas. It’s the first time Brown has seen the art, and she’s practically giddy. “They’re very powerful all side by side,” Brown says. “You still see the vast colors of the vulva and variety of shapes. “That’s mine,” she adds as she enthusiastically points to a vulva on the fourth page. “I’m very proud of it.” Brown, who works as a boudoir photographer, began taking the photos for the Vulva Art Project almost a year ago after posting an open call for models on her Facebook page. Since then, she’s been struggling to find an art space willing to display her work, not to mention a printer willing to print it. “The labs that I normally use for boudoir, they equate this with pornography,” says Brown. It’s a familiar paradox: Nudity is permissible as long as it’s sexualized, but if an image depicts sex organs instead of sex, it becomes a problem. Ultimately, Brown brought some sponsors on board and booked the Ace Hotel. The photos are cropped so that no legs or stomachs are visible, only fleshy vulvas removed from any kind of context. Still, Brown’s work appears more reverent than clinical. She made a point of shooting the photographs in soft but defining natural light. Each vulva is distinct enough that Brown says she can recognize each one. “In some of these photos, you only see the outer labia,” she adds. “Sometimes, when you sit all day, your labia stick together, they don’t open to the world. So I had to ask myself, ‘Should I have them manu-
CLOSE-UP: Arkady Brown at a photo shoot for the Vulva Art Project.
ally open their body to me?’ No, that’s exactly the antithesis of this project.” The only cosmetic edit Brown allowed herself to make was to remove any clinging scraps of toilet paper, since the women will each get a copy of their photo. “This photo right here, if you look closely, that’s actually a bubble of discharge,” says Brown, pointing to a slick, dark dot between the folds of one woman’s labia. Still, Brown acknowledges there are ways in which the project lacks diversity. “I’m very aware that there’s a lot of white women in the show,” she says. That, and there are no trans women. A week before the project reveal, the latter fact prompted a backlash on social media. The controversy somewhat outgrew its small group of crusaders, led by a cis woman who is a student at Portland State. Regardless, the dissent led to the loss of a sponsor, and touched on a genuine concern: The type of sexual empowerment Portland art spaces are comfortable with isn’t exactly intersectional, and the concept of trickle-down rights is based on a conservative, fallacious logic. After viewing the vulva photographs for the first time, Brown sits at a cafe next door to Pushdot with two of the participants, Jana Hodgins and Amy Hall. For both women, their decision to participate in the Vulva Art Project was deeply personal. “I was sexually molested as a child, and that led me into this abusive relationship when I was an adult,” says Hodgins, who is 25. “I think a lot of women in this group have experienced the opposite, of losing control, and this is their form of control.” Hall, 56, says that her experience was similar. “I was sexually assaulted by a clergy person, and recovering from that is a lifelong journey. I’ve had PTSD from the memories, back in the last two years,” she says. “If you don’t speak out, it’s going to continue.” Brown say she hopes to expand the Vulva Art Project and potentially do a series entirely dedicated to trans women. “I don’t know where this is going,” she says, “but I’m open to conversations.” SEE IT: The Vulva Art Project is at the Ace Hotel, 403 SW 10th Ave., thevulvaartproject. com. 6:30 pm Saturday, Feb. 24. Sold out.
! S U PICK Advertise with WWEEK! Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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THOMAS GOOD / NLN
BOOKS HOTSEAT
Gun Club
DUNBAR-ORTIZ
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz charts the genocidal history behind America’s love affair with guns. BY M ATTH E W KO R F H AG E
mkorfhage@gmail.com
A
t 2:21 pm on Valentine’s Day, a Florida man named Nikolas Cruz walked into his former high school with a gas mask and an AR-15 rifle. A half-hour after the first gunshots, 15 people were dead. Two more would soon join them. The school’s students clustered in the grass, cordoned from a wall of cameras by a wall of police. The strangest thing about the event was how familiar it had become, in a country with a near-monopoly on school shootings and nearly twice as many guns per capita as any other country in the world. Feminist and historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, 78, is best known for her 2014 book, An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, and her 2009 memoir about growing up Okie. Her newest book, Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment (City Lights, 236 pages, $15.95), takes on the militaristic and white-supremacist origins of our country’s unhinged love affair with guns. Before her appearance at Powell’s Books this Friday, we talked with her about mass murder, the cult of the Constitution and the takeover of the National Rifle Association. Does it seem to you that each mass shooting brings the same conversation, and the same results? People are just lost right now. When a shooting like this happens, when there are so many victims, when they’re babies—you almost don’t want to bring up the fact that we have to look deeper for the causes. You want an immediate solution. A mother yesterday asked Trump and Congress: “You have to stop this. Make it so children don’t get guns.” I was on the phone all day with reporters, and I hesitated: Is this the time to talk about history? But there’s no better 40
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
time for people to say, wait a minute, there must be some deeper cause. What are people getting wrong about gun violence? The left blames white nationalism. The right blames mental illness. Neither explains that it happens often here and nowhere else. But mass shootings account for a very small number of gun deaths: Many more women are killed in their home by guns. Men used to just knock women around, but rarely did death result. But with a gun on hand, there’s a death. Half of the gun deaths are suicide. The proliferation of guns is a huge problem, but its cause is not lack of regulations. There were lots of regulations in the ’70s when this started; going postal and school shootings started in the ’70s. But why not just pass gun regulations? Seventy-five percent of the U.S., in every age group, some more than others, want to have gun regulations. But those same 70 percent, when asked about whether the Second Amendment means they have the right to bear arms, they support it. They always say, “I support the Second Amendment.” Until the ’70s, the Second Amendment wasn’t seen as very important—the gun lobby hadn’t interpreted gun ownership as an individual right. The NRA was previously more about recreation and target shooting. The [far right] took over the NRA in 1977, and in the 1980s, under Reagan, you had a flowering of these different sovereign citizens groups. In the ’90s, you have the rise of the militias. These are white nationalist groups. The reverence for the Second Amendment is not only a useful tool for gun nuts addicted to having guns. When you understand why it’s in the Bill of Rights, you understand this constant regeneration of violence.
Why was it in the Bill of Rights? The Second Amendment has to be understood for what it’s for. There was no debate about the Second Amendment with militias. These things were already in the state constitutions and the Declaration of Independence. In the state constitutions, in particular in Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson insisted on this bill of rights which he had written into the state constitution, to provide for already existing citizens’ militias. Militias had existed since the 17th century. In 1642, in Massachusetts, 12 years after settlement by Puritans, they issued an order that every man—this meant white men— had to carry a weapon everywhere in public. Virginia did the same thing about 20 years later, even more extremely: You had to have a gun inside church, in the fields. Were we worried about crime? Bears? You have this parallel genealogy of the militias covered in the Second Amendment—to kill Indians to take their land, and slave patrols. They were on land they’d forcibly taken from native inhabitants—burning down their villages, killing people, raping the women, killing everything that moved, destroying their food stores, burning their crops and then squatting on the land. Carved out of these existing militias to kill Indians and keep them from coming back were the slave patrols, introduced in South Carolina. Slave owners there came from the very brutal slave society in Barbados. What became of those militias after that? This history isn’t different from new Zealand, Canada and Argentina. Later, Spaniards were copying the United States on the subject of ethnic cleansing. They did the same in Argentina. During the armed occupation [of the South], immediately the slave patrols became illegal. But they reorganized themselves as the Ku Klux Klan when the Union pulled out. They formed rifle clubs. They didn’t take the guns away from these white Southerners. So if our history is similar, what made us so wild about guns? The Second Amendment matters. Since it’s a white right, a white supremacist right, it gets inscribed in the culture. I don’t think it’s any accident, and I’m not the first person to point out that not all but practically 99 percent of mass shootings are carried out by white men. This goes back in part to the military. A good percentage of the white men who own guns—and 61 percent of gun owners are white men—a good percentage of them are combat vets. That’s who’s likely to have more than one gun: The average is eight. Not every man woman and child owns a gun. But they are hoarded. So do we just have violence inscribed in our DNA? With mass shootings, I think you have to look psychologically at how the civil rights movement affected white people, especially the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that desegregated schools in 1953. This was like an earthquake for white supremacy. I grew up in a rural farming community, I was 15 years old by then. I remember our neighbor bringing home an Ebony magazine and showing us what was going to happen. This is the period when white nationalist organizations start popping up. The first was [the] John Birch [Society]— one of the Koch brothers was a charter member. This rise of the Second Amendment is almost a time bomb that was planted in the Constitution. A mandate for the legality of settler violence and settler sovereignty. What’s that right about? It’s about taking all the property. They’re a vestige, but they’re very powerful. They have a voice in the presidency and in the Congress. SEE IT: Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz appears at Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 503-228-4651, powells.com, on Friday, Feb. 23. 7:30 pm. Free.
MOVIES P I CKS
The Black Power Mixtape (2011) Filmed in the ’60s by Swedish filmmakers determined to subvert the American government’s antiblack propaganda, The Black Power Mixtape is an impressionistic compilation of intimate, often touching interviews with the leaders of the Black Power movement, including one that Stokely Carmichael conducts with his mother. Hollywood, Feb. 26.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Stanley Kubrick’s satire about government idiots was always a masterpiece, but lately, it’s also a masterpiece that seems more relatable. “It’s funny because it’s true” with every new cycle. Academy, Feb. 21-22.
SCREENER
On Sight The Rape of Recy Taylor
Black Panther is a rare blockbuster that balances spectacle with meaning. BY L AU R E N YOSH I KO
@LaurenYTerry
In the Marvel-ized Afrofuture of Black Panther, camo is replaced with kente cloth. There are sub-Saharan villages along with glossy skyscrapers, and the king’s guard is a team of bald female warriors with spears that collapse like light sabers. It’s a well-crafted Marvel flick. It’s a satisfying sci-fi story. But Black Panther eschew s g enre conventions where it counts. Two minutes into the film, we’re immersed in a dazzling web of mythology about warring tribes that worship the cat goddess Bast. The tribes fight over a meteorite of vibranium, a limitless alien metal, until one warrior ingests a heartshaped herb to become the first Black Panther, uniting the tribes. Since then, the nation of Wakanda has thrived in isolation. Hidden in plain sight, the high-tech metropolis appears a Third World country to the rest of the world, and its lucrative vibranium resources are a secret. In the present day, the king of Wakanda has just died. His son, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) must assume the throne as king and resident Black Panther, negotiating the loss of his father while keeping Wakanda in harmony. The weight of ancestral duty weighs upon Boseman’s furrowed expression as he struggles to decide what kind of king he ought to be. The decision is compounded by
the mysterious arrival of Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a militant American from Oakland, Calif., with a keen interest in Wakanda’s firepower. Killmonger, raised amid 1990s-era police violence toward African-Americans, believes vibranium weapons are the answer for liberating the oppressed. Motivated by an eye-for-an-eye moralism, he assumes the methods of the oppressors. Director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) takes Wakanda’s tech savvy to Star Trek proportions, complete with a morphing, vibranium-laced panther suit and glowing weaponry. Black Panther manages to satisfy the expectations viewers have of a visually spectacular superhero movie while still offering something more. T’Challa’s ego is constantly punctured by his tech- guru little sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), as he works to fulfil his destiny. In one of Black Panther’s defining scenes, Killmonger faces off with Okoye (Danai Gurira), T’Challa’s right-hand woman and a physically superior warrior who uses measured application of force to maintain freedom. After that epic battle, the final showdown with T’Challa ensues, and the winner relies on the help of Shuri’s technological prowess. It’s the kind of intersectional makeover the genre needed. Lupita Nyong ’o shines as Nakia, an outlaw princess of a different Wakandan tribe (and T’Challa’s former love) who beats up ivory poachers and encourages the
new king to use Wakanda’s resources to do good in the world. The car chase and fight scenes pack an exhilarating punch, hugely due to Gurira. As Okoye, Gurira smolders with the confidence of a seasoned warrior, ready to inspire the king to action or calmly discourage unnecessary violence while observing 3-D displays on the command deck. Along with the film’s references to colonialism and the dutiful bounds of blood and heritage, Nakia’s humanitarian motivations and Killmonger’s vengeful approach to revolution act as reminders of the suffering of the African diaspora. When, Wakanda’s true, extravagant form is revealed, the illusion of the desolate landscapes and starving villages dissolve to reveal a space-age skyline powered by vibranium, a mass of reflective spiraling windowed towers and sleek flying trains. It’s an awe-inspiring moment that’s almost a metaphor for the movie itself. Black Panther is a larger-than-fiction experience that challenges audiences to see the difference between diversity as a numbers game and the splendor of a piece of art that was created for everyone by everyone. SEE IT: Black Panther is rated PG-13 and now playing at Bagdad, Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Lloyd, Milwaukie, Moreland, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Roseway, St. Johns Twin Cinema & Pub, Tigard and Vancouver.
(2017)
In 1944, Taylor, a young black mother, was raped and abducted by six white men. Nancy Buirski’s documentary looks back at the assault—and the quest for justice Taylor undertook with the aid of the NAACP and Rosa Parks. Fox Tower, Feb. 24.
Mo’ Better Blues
(1990)
Spike Lee’s fifth film isn’t exactly his most acclaimed, but it is one of his most ambitious: Starring Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes, its dual plots depict ambitious New York jazz musicians and one trumpeter’s fraught love life. It’s sometimes tragic, sometimes downright weird. Laurelhurst, Feb. 23-March 1.
Straight Outta Compton
(2015)
N.W.A. is as eternal as “Bye, Felicia.” Clinton, Feb. 26. ALSO PLAYING: Academy: Idiocracy (2006), Feb. 23-March 1. Clinton: Church of Film: Psychedelic Canada (various), Feb. 21. More Than Only (2017), Feb. 23; Straight Outta Compton (2015), Feb. 26. Hollywood: Brother From Another Planet (1984), Feb. 24; Cleopatra (1963), Feb. 25; Streets of Fire (1984), Feb. 27. Kiggins: Child’s Play (1988), Feb. 23. Mission: The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Feb. 26-28; Legally Blonde (2001), Feb. 25-26.
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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CO U R T E SY O F I M D B
MOVIES
A FANTASTIC WOMAN Editor: SHANNON GORMLEY 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: sgormley@wweek.com. : 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 A Fantastic Woman
When Marina’s partner, Orlando, dies of a sudden aneurysm, she’s forced to face a gauntlet of indignities. In this Chilean drama from Sebastián Lelio, Marina, a transgender woman, is met at every turn with police, doctors and Orlando’s family who have probing questions and dark assumptions. It’s an affecting examination of posthumous rights and privileges for LGBT partners. But it never feels like a parable fashioned from headlines. Lelio aims deeper, imbuing his film with spectral hallucinations and apparitions of rage, disfigurement and grief. As Marina, Daniela Vega’s nearly unshakable composure renders the story one of specific emotional injustice: She never had to fight for legitimacy during her loved one’s life; why should she have to in his death? Scene to scene, Vega is masterful at maintaining an expression that absorbs and parries people’s barbs until the explosive moments she no longer can. Ultimately, this sparse script shares very little about Marina’s life up to this point, but her well-practiced resilience tells the tale. She’s dealt with a lot in her life. This tragedy will have to be no different. R. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Cinema 21.
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The new romance from director Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love, A Bigger Splash) follows the love affair between Elio, a teenager summering in Italy with his scholarly parents, and Oliver, a grad student studying with Elio’s father, smolders for the better part of this novelesque character study. Though its backdrop couldn’t be more different, there’s a chance Guadagnino’s excellent film could follow in the awards-season footsteps of Moonlight this winter—a highly acclaimed queer love story in which feelings of foreboding are personal and emotional, not societal. R. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Fox Tower, Kiggins, Lloyd.
Coco
In 1973, oil billionaire J. Paul Getty was the richest man ever to walk the planet. All the Money in the World follows the kidnapping of his grandson, which was a tabloid sensation in its day—despite his wealth, Getty wouldn’t pony up a ransom, allowing his grandchild to languish for half a year with his captors. The stakes could scarcely be higher, but none of it is particularly thrilling to watch. The characters here are merely chess pieces in a plot you could just as easily read about on Wikipedia. R. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Academy.
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
All the Money in the World
wweek.com
Call Me By Your Name
Pixar’s transcendent fable follows a young boy named Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) who lives in Mexico and dreams of becoming a musician like his long-dead idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Miguel’s family disapproves of his guitar-filled dreams, but Coco isn’t Footloose for musicians—it’s a Dia de los Muertos odyssey that sends Miguel on a trippy trek to the afterlife, where he seeks validation from de la Cruz’s fame-hungry ghost. Nestled beneath the film’s cheery mayhem, however, is an overwhelmingly powerful meditation on memory, mortality and familial love. Miguel may make some extraordinary discoveries in the great beyond, but the most beautiful thing in Coco is his realization that the only place he wants to journey to is the home he left behind. PG. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Academy, Avalon, Empirical, Kennedy School Theater, Valley, Vancouver.
STILL SHOWING
MORE MOVIE REVIEWS
to add about how technology blurs our sense of self and soul. 2049 seems less concerned with tiny moments of emotion than big reveals from a twisty plot that seems to define 2049’s imaginative boundaries rather than expand them. Still, it’s one hell of a spectacle. R. SHANNON GORMLEY. Empirical.
With an overwhelming dissonant, bassy score by Hans Zimmer, 2049 looks and sounds spectacular. But as a testament to the influence of the original, there isn’t much 2049 has
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
If this fussy, grandstanding biopic is to be believed, Winston Churchill’s crusade against Adolf Hitler consisted primarily of shouting and smoking his weight in cigars. That’s the narrative
that director Joe Wright (Atonement) tries to sell with help from Gary Oldman, who glowers and yowls mightily as Churchill. Their enthusiasm yields not a humanizing portrait of the venerated prime minister, but a history-book myth that treats him more like a statue to be dusted off from time to time than a human being. PG-13. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Living Room Theaters, Lloyd.
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
Based on the real-life romance between faded Hollywood starlet Gloria Grahame and an unlikely Liverpool thespian 30 years her junior, this drama is clouded by dread. Director Paul McGuigan shapes his movie around the requisite flashbacks of Gloria (Annette Bening) falling madly in love with Peter Turner (Jamie Bell). On the present timeline, a bedridden Gloria grows sicker. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool has no hope of living up to its own star. Annette Bening exacts a brilliant hybrid of breathy Doris Day and intransigent Norma Desmond in a movie that can’t match her creativity or range. Even more, the script constantly gestures to stories on its margins—about pansexuality, industry sexism and a stepson-turned-husband—that are more interesting than the physical and emotional decay at its core. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. R. Cinema 21.
Lady Bird
In Greta Gerwig’s writerdirector debut, Christine, who insists on being called Lady Bird, is a high school senior growing up in Sacramento, which she loathingly refers to as the Midwest of California. Desperate to break free from mediocrity, Lady Bird slowly abandons her theater-kid friends for a group of rich kids. Gerwig has crafted a sprawling story in which every character is subject to Gerwig’s absurd humor as much as her deep empathy. What makes the movie so uniquely touching is Lady Bird’s tense interactions with her mom—it’s rare to see a relationship between two complicated women portrayed with such care and empathy. Still, Lady Bird is endearing because of her boldness, not in spite of it. R. SHANNON GORMLEY. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Fox Tower, Lloyd, St. Johns Pub and Theater.
Phantom Thread
Reported to be Daniel Day-Lewis’ final film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie is his gentlest yet. A love story of sorts set in London during the 1950s, we are immersed in the House of Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis), a quietly eccentric couturier known for his daring and unique designs. Alma (Vicky Krieps) is his latest muse, a sweet-natured country girl who catches his eye and doesn’t
want to let go. After a half-hour worth of needles pulling thread and three bumpy shots of them driving down a country road, it’s clear that Anderson didn’t make a period piece; he made a movie that looks like it was made in the 1950s. Although easily counted as another standout transformation by Day-Lewis into a persnickety, avantgarde dressmaker, if this is truly his last film, it is perhaps too mild an adieu from such a fierce actor. Maybe I’m just not ready to say goodbye without one more vein-bursting monologue. R. LAUREN YOSHIKO. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Fox Tower, Lloyd.
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) has created a film that is beautiful but cluttered, visionary but formulaic and sympathetic to its kind, lonely heroine, but unwilling to let her spearhead the story the way that men have driven del Toro fantasies like Pacific Rim. That heroine is Eliza (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor who works in a Baltimore laboratory where she cleans restrooms and, on occasion, the chamber where a dark-eyed, waterdwelling creature (Doug Jones) has been imprisoned. Eliza and her slimy but beautiful prince, fall in love, but del Toro seems skittish about lavishing their romance with too much attention, so he stuffs the film with subplots about Cadillacs and Russian spies. R. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Cinema 21, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Eastport, Hollywood, Living Room Theaters, Lloyd.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
A year ago, Mildred Hayes’ (Frances McDormand) daughter Angela was raped and murdered. Now, the case has stalled for the hotheaded Ebbing police department. So she decides to rent billboards that display three messages: “Raped While Dying”; “And Still No Arrests?”; “How Come, Chief Willoughby?” The residents of Ebbing are forced to choose between the mother whose daughter was brutally killed and the popular police chief (Woody Harrelson), who’s dying of pancreatic cancer. It would be easy to imagine the premise as a seriously dark and thoughtful drama. But in the hands of writer-director Martin McDonagh, what emerges is a seriously dark and thoughtful comedy. R. R. MITCHELL MILLER. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division, Fox Tower, Lloyd, Tigard, Valley.
For more Movies listings, visit
POTLANDER
Willamette Weed A shopping list that smokes all the weed so you don’t have to. BY M AT T STANGE L
Welcome to Flower Picks, our new monthly cannabis feature that smokes all the weed so you don’t have to—because, let’s be honest, there’s a ton of herb in Oregon and it’s not all worth your money. These days, the Beaver State is host to more than 900 recreationally licensed cannabis farms and another 1,100 or so that currently await the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s green light. With dispensaries dotting the landscape and
BANANA CREAM OG
> Blue Dream x Banana OG x Ocean Beach OG > Grown by Vagrant Hill Farm and bred by Sour Seed Co.
27.97% 0.49% 4.0%
THC CBD TOTAL TERPENES
About the farm: Over the past year, Vagrant Hill Farm has taken the micro-batch, no-till model of organic indoor gardening from the basement to the warehouse. The five-member, owner-operator team has managed to scale up a six-plant medical grow into a 500-square-foot commercial facility while maintaining a level of care and quality control that’s usually reserved for personal-use gardens. They harvest between 8 and 10 pounds of herb every two weeks, ensuring always-fresh releases of their carefully curated and delicately expressed cultivars—those selected and crafted with the flower fanatic in mind. Aroma and flavor: Vagrant Hill’s Banana Cream OG is a sativa-leaning hybrid with a creamy, banana-andtanned-leather scent, folding Blue Dream’s sweetness into the wood and fuel of its dueling kushes. These flowers burn smooth and clean, tasting of sugared rose water and diluted honeysuckle that lingers in the back of the mouth for a wet-bamboo finish. Effects: A red-eyed, psychedelic hybrid high takes after the haze and kush branches of Banana Cream OG’s parentage. It’s a heavy-hitting creeper, opening with subtle euphoria—restoring and enhancing a sense of well-being—before ballooning in intensity to incorporate that classic OG body stone. At its peak, the high is foggy and giggly, a potentially day-erasing experience in large doses. I found it best for alone times, as it’s more an introspective or consumptive high, and quite strong.
WESLEY’S WISH
> Purple Hindu Kush x Pineapple Tsu > Grown and bred by East Fork Cultivars
4.49% THC 12.72% CBD 3.5% TOTAL TERPENES
About the farm: East Fork Cultivars is a CBD-focused sungrown operation in Cave Junction. The farm splits its time between the production of classic, cannabidiol-rich strains and the development of new, medicinally relevant cannabis varietals. The very finest of the yearly outdoor harvest makes its way to market as trim-to-order flower, and the rest is processed for the CBDs that power a growing number of extract, edible and topical manufacturers, like chocolatiers Grön, cartridge makers O.penVAPE and tincture tinkers Cascadia Herbals.
more product options coming to market by the day, you can afford to be choosy when it comes to the contents of your pop top. To help you parse the bouquet, each month we inspect hundreds of flowers— sampling scores of unique cultivars and shortlisting only the most decadent and efficacious of the pack. And then we pick three to tell you about. Think of it as a filter for forgettable fuego. A podium for the best trees cash can stash. Your new monthly shopping mission, should you choose to accept it. Aroma and flavor: Wesley’s Wish, named after East Fork founders Aaron and Nathan Howard’s late brother, is the farm’s flagship strain: a happily weathered, lavender- and emerald-hued flower that smells like cherry cough syrup served in an overripe orange. When smoked, it sheds the medicinal, syrupy elements for a flavor both spiced and herbaceous. Disparate elements bound by a nebulous, everyfruit opening and hashy backdrop. Effects: If you’re looking for a clear-headed, feel-good experience of the mellow variety, I’d strongly recommend Wesley’s Wish (or its sister strain, Pineapple Jager). Experienced consumers and patients probably won’t notice much intoxication from the strain, as it containst less than 5 percent THC by weight—the psychoactive impact of which is in part ameliorated by the nearly 13 percent CBD concentration. The traceable effects are uplifting, conversational and anxiolytic—well-suited for the treatment of conditions like social anxiety and depression—making for an exceptionally functional high.
PORTLAND’S
TOP 10 IPA
TASTE-OFF We tasted damn-near every IPA brewed in Portland city limits—107 in all—in an epic blind taste test. We're tapping the top 10 at the neutral ground of Reverend Nat's. The beer drinkers of Portland decide the ultimate winners. Try a blind flight with all 10 best IPAs in Portland for $20, then vote for your favorite.
BLACK LIME RESERVE X LIMEPOP
> Grown by Liontree Farms and bred by Mean Gene from Mendocino
18.72% THC 0.12% CBD 6.66% TOTAL TERPENES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24
REVEREND NAT’S
HARD CIDER, 1813 NE 2ND AVE.
About the farm: Taking a page from wine country, Liontree Farms is located on a fully exposed, southfacing Applegate Valley slope, where the days get hot, the nights cool and the weed terpene-rich. Terpenes, aromatic compounds responsible for the wide spectrum of scents—and, in part, effects—expressed throughout the cannabis kingdom, are in uncommonly high concentrations across Liontree’s 2017-18 lineup, topping out at an 11.2 percent Lemon Head. And while Liontree’s numbers are impressive, it’s the farm’s exotic cultivars that will captivate connoisseur attention—cultivars like the Black Lime Reserve x Limepop.
1 PM TILL THE BEER RUNS OUT
Aroma and flavor: Black Lime Reserve x Limepop has a wild nose: an unmistakable Tiger Balm—cool, camphorous and minty—that accurately translates to flavor when smoked. At the pipe, secondary notes are detectable in a gustatory territory shared by lime and copper—a metallic, citrus quality that weaves in and out of the VapoRub, licorice and menthol façade for a flavor profile that’s anything but common. Effects: Find here in this Tiger Balm weed an indicaleaning experience composed of drowsy mood enhancements and mild cognitive stupifications. BLR x LP delivers relief from muscular inflammation and body aches, while stopping short of the sedative slouch. In small doses, the cultivar pairs just fine with low-energy social activities, and in larger servings provides a gateway to restful sleep.
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
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Riddles. 1. Alone, I am 10. With a friend, I am 20. With yet another friend, I am dirty. What am I? 2. You are climbing a mountain and you come across a cabin. Inside there are two dead bodies. How did they die? 3. What 5-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
ANSWERS ON PAGE 44 NEXT TO THE THREE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!
44
Willamette Week FEBRUARY 21, 2018 wweek.com
CLASSIFIEDS
TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
MATT PLAMBECK
503-445-2757 • mplambeck@wweek.com
JOBS
REAL ESTATE
HOSPITALITY/RESTAURANT
ENERGY HOME SCORE MCMENAMINS GRAND LODGE IS
NOW HIRING
LINE COOKS, PREP COOKS, DISHWASHERS, SERVERS, HOSTS, BARTENDERS Come to our Hiring Event Date & Time: WEDS. FEBRUARY 21, 11am to 4pm Location: McMenamins Grand Lodge 3505 Pacific Ave, Forest Grove, OR 97116 ***Come fill out an application. Managers will be available to talk to interested applicants!*** We have seasonal and long-term opportunities! McMenamins offers opportunity for growth and great benefits - including many company perks like discounts on hotel rooms and retail purchases of gift shop items. Qualified applicants must enjoy working in a busy customer service-oriented environment, a willingness to learn, and an open/flexible schedule (days, evenings, weekends, holidays, and open summertime schedule). Previous experience is a plus! E.O.E If you are unable to attend, you can also apply online at www.mcmenamins. com or pick up a paper application at the Grand Lodge(or any other McMenamins).
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
LEGAL NOTICES
DRIVE NEW CARS !!
get paid weekly - North Portland M-F day and swing positions open part & full time men & women 18 yrs up must drive stick shift immediate openings call 360-718-7443
SALES/MARKETING ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE WANTED
Want to work with local businesses, be part of a dynamic media company, and represent the WW brand? Willamette Week is looking to hire a new account executive. This position involves offering businesses opportunities to engage with our readers via digital, print, and social platforms as well as our events. Candidates need sales chops, organizational skills, and a shared passion for our mission to be the best local source of news and entertainment in Portland. We are an equal opportunity employer. Email resume and cover letter to mzusman@wweek.com.
SUMMONS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR MULTNOMAH COUNTY CASE NO. 14040
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff vs. REID MARTIN ANDERSON and ERICA C. ANDERSON; INTERLOCK INDUSTRIES, INC.; UNKNOWN PARTIES IN POSSESSION, OR CLAIMING A RIGHT TO POSSESSION, Defendants. TO: Defendants Reid Martin Anderson and Erica C. Anderson EXPLANATION OF THE RELIEF
REQUESTED. Defendant Interlock Industries, Inc. (Interlock), filed CrossClaims against Defendants Reid Martin Anderson and Erica C. Anderson (the Anderson Defendants) seeking: (1) a money award and judgment in favor of Interlock against the Anderson Defendants in the total amount due and owing under a Retail Installment Contract for installation and financing of a roofing system on their residence located at 214 SE Vista Ave, Gresham, OR 97080 (the Subject Property), together with collection fees and interest at the contract rate of 24% per annum; (2) a money award and judgment in favor of Interlock against the Anderson Defendants for Interlocks’ reasonable attorney fees, in-house counsel expenses, collection fees, and costs pursuant to contract; (3) foreclosure of Interlock’s duly perfected security interest in the Subject Property and that the Subject Property be sold by the Sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon, in the manner provided for by law and that Interlock’s security interest and/or money award(s) on cross-claims thereon should be paid prior to the satisfaction of any interest possessed by Plaintiff US Bank National Association or other lienholder pursuant to the Stipulated Supplemental Judgment entered on January 9, 2018, herein; and (4) that Interlock be permitted to appear at the sale and credit bid up to the amount of the Court’s money award(s) to Interlock without advancing any cash except money required for the Sheriff’s fees and sale costs. The Subject Property is more fully described in Plaintiff’s Complaint at page 2, paragraph 5, on file herein. IN THE NAME OF THE STATE OF INDULGE YOURSELF OREGON: You are hereby required to appear and answer the Cross-Claims in an - AWESOME filed against you in the above-entitled FULL BODY MASSAGE case within 30 days from the date of first publication of this summons, and if you fail to answer, for want thereof, Interlock will apply to the Court for the relief demanded therein. NOTICE TO THE ANDERSON lmt#6250 DEFENDANTS: READ THESE PAPERS CAREFULLY! You must appear in this case or the other side will win automatically. To appear you must file with the court a legal document called a STEVE GREENBERG motion or answer. The motion or answer TREE SERVICE (or reply) must be given to the Court clerk Pruning and removals, stump grinding. 24- or administrator within 30 days of the date hour emergency service. Licensed/Insured. of first publication specified herein along CCB#67024. Free estimates. 503-939-3211 with the required filing fee. It must be in proper form and have proof of service on Interlock’s attorney or, if Interlock does not have an attorney, proof of service on Interlock. The date of first publication is PRISTINE PAINTING January 31, 2018. If you have questions, 503.516.7715 ccb#111849 you should see an attorney immediately. If Interior/Exterior you need help in finding an attorney, you Mark, Since 1997 may contact the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer A good job, done right at a fair price. Referral Service online at
WELLNESS
REL A X!
call
Charles
503-740-5120
TREE SERVICES
PAINTING/WALLPAPERING
RARE PIECE OF HEAVEN $779,000
BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2018, SELLERS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES MUST OBTAIN A HOME ENERGY REPORT, estimating the energy-related use, associated costs, and ways to improve the home’s energy efficiency
Harmony Mountain is a magical 288 acre mountain paradise outside of La Grande, Oregon. 4800sf home, 60’x40’ horse barn (greenhouse), excellent well, organic fruit trees, half forested, half meadows, medicinal herbs growing everywhere. Spectacular abundant wildlife. Great local community. This is a truly sacred, completely private, absolutely stunning view property. Wilderness retreat or year round home. FB “Harmony Mountain Sanctuary for Sale” for pics and videos 503-880-2025
Here are the names of reputable companies that can raise your energy score and increase the value of your home.
ENHABIT: RELIABLE, QUICK & PROFESSIONAL Home Energy Scores.
25% off with Coupon Code WW25. ccb#214106 HomeScoreNow.com (971) 544-8710
HOME ENERGY SCORE ASSESSMENT SERVICES
$.10 per square foot Includes: •Registration with MPLS and the City •Printout of USDoE report •Energy Report Analysis Additional Related Energy Services available: •Leakage, Ventilation, Indoor Air Quality Testing •Full Energy Modeling Infared Analysis •Consulting on Energy Trust, and LEED standards. David Leatherwood Certified Energy Manager and Auditor, HES Assessor dleatherwood@intelepoint.com CCB 151052
CLATSKANIE COUNTRY HOME FOR RENT
3 bedroom, 1 bath home, large family room, large kitchen dining area. Two smaller bedrooms upstairs with a large landing in between. Dormer windows. Master bedroom and bath on main floor, living room with pellet stove, kitchen and family room on main floor. 1 small entry deck into living room. I larger entry deck into kitchen/ family room. Large view deck on Kitchen side of house. Laundry room opens to deck. Southwest facing, views, sloping 2 acres, nice garden area, some fruit trees, circular drive. Insulated cement floor garage near the house. Smaller old sauna house outbuilding. 4 miles from Clatskanie town center. The house was built in 1915, is charming and well maintained.
MUSIC
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.
Play what you want to play.
LEARN PIANO ALL STYLES, LEVELS Beginners welcome.
With 2-time Grammy winner Peter Boe 503-274-8727
Offering:
Home Inspections Sewer Scopes Radon Testing 203k Consulting Home Energy Scores
CLASSICAL PIANO/ KEYBOARD
ALL AGES. STANDARDS, CLASSICAL, MUSICALS. EUROPEAN TRAINED. PORTLAND 503-227-6557
INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE
Book online:
www.inspectekwest.com
TRADEUPMUSIC.COM
Call or Text: 503.310.2612
Buying, selling, instruments of every shape and size. Open 11am-7pm every day. 4701 SE Division & 1834 NE Alberta.
LEGAL NOTICES (CONT.) www.oregonstatebar.org or by calling (503) 684-3763 (in the Portland metropolitan area) or toll-free elsewhere in Oregon at (800) 452-7636.BLACKWELL LAW, P.C. Of Attorneys for Interlock Michelle A. Blackwell, OSB No. 002070 Email: mblackwell@blackwell.law PO Box 10326, Eugene, OR 97440 T: 541-345-8800
CLEANING
MISCELLANEOUS WISDOM:He that gives gifts [tax breaks]to the Rich and robs the poor [no social services] is not wise! For THE CRY OF THE POOR BECOMES THE CURSE OF GOD! Join us in Prayer that God will come and meet the needs of the poor of the Portland Area.
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TO PLACE AN AD CONTACT:
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JonesiN’
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by Matt Jones
“It’s All Downhill”--make a run for it.
Portland 503-222-CHAT 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
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MAN to MAN
Free Live chatrooms & forums! 503-222-6USA
Sylvia’s PLAYHOUSE
expert at sliding out? 45 $, for short (well, not really, being three characters) 46 Disregards 47 “There Will Be Blood” actor Paul 48 Many corp. logos 51 A, in Berlin 52 Hockey players, slangily 54 Trail follower 56 Not significant 58 Julia of “Addams Family Values” 59 Request to a supervisor to avoid
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granddaughter Paris 31 Love, in Le Havre 32 Take the stage 34 Reproductive rights pioneer Margaret 35 Palindromic formality 36 On one’s own 37 Stocking stuff 39 Ugandan dictator Amin 43 Indie rocker DiFranco 44 Foolhardy 47 Word after roller or Kentucky 48 Pulsate 49 Home of the Heat 50 Mammal with a defensive spray 53 Hotel room extra 55 Peace Nobelist Wiesel 56 Actress Sorvino in 2016’s “Exposed” 57 Device with the Nano discontinued in 2017 59 Hang down 60 Actor Penn 61 “That’s gotta hurt” 62 ___ Lanka 63 Masters and Johnson research subject last week’s answers
©2018 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.
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22 “Ad astra per ___” (Kansas’s motto) 25 Furor 27 Crisis responder, for short 28 Radar reading 29 1950s nostalgia group with a TV show in the 1970s 33 “That’s right!” 34 Just briefly reads the rules to a classic arcade game? 38 Early photo color 40 Reed or Rawls 41 Slovenia neighbor 42 Someone who’s an
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Across 1 Bread that may or may not have seeds 4 Unit of heat energy 9 Copier problems 13 Mall entrance features 15 Cartoon dad who’s had over 100 jobs 16 Musk of SpaceX 17 Poet who excels at short comedy scenes? 19 Queen abandoned by Aeneas, in myth 20 “Wabbit” hunter Fudd 21 Red or Yalu, e.g.
something? 64 Prefix for present or potent 65 “___ Burr, Sir” (song from “Hamilton”) 66 Days of long ago 67 Ten-speed, e.g. 68 Air freshener brand 69 Predicament Down 1 Apt. ad count 2 Hairy Himalayan beast 3 Prefix for dermis 4 Jim Carrey movie with the catchphrase “Smokin’!” 5 Dig this! 6 Ruler in Abu Dhabi 7 “Can’t Fight This Feeling” band ___ Speedwagon 8 “The A-Team” regular 9 “Star Wars: The Last ___” 10 Still in the game 11 Wi-fi device 12 Derisive sound 14 High-priced 18 35mm camera option 21 Repair, as a loose board 22 Bottomless depth 23 Streamlined 24 Longstocking of kiddie lit 25 Provide coverage for 26 Grammy category division 30 Hotelier Conrad, or his great-
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Week of February 22
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
When you’re playing poker, a wild card refers to a card that can be used as any card the cardholder wants it to be. If the two of hearts is deemed wild before the game begins, it can be used as an ace of diamonds, jack of clubs, queen of spades, or anything else. That’s always a good thing! In the game of life, a wild card is the arrival of an unforeseen element that affects the flow of events unpredictably. It might derail your plans, or alter them in ways that are at first inconvenient but ultimately beneficial. It may even cause them to succeed in an even more interesting fashion than you imagined they could. I bring this up, Aries, because I suspect that you’ll be in the Wild Card Season during the next four weeks. Any and all of the above definitions may apply. Be alert for unusual luck.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
If you gorge on ten pounds of chocolate in the next 24 hours, you will get sick. Please don’t do that. Limit your intake to no more than a pound. Follow a similar policy with any other pleasurable activity. Feel emboldened to surpass your normal dosage, yes, but avoid ridiculous overindulgence. Now is one of the rare times when visionary artist William Blake’s maxim is applicable: “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” So is his corollary, “You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough.” But keep in mind that Blake didn’t say, “The road of foolish, reckless exorbitance leads to the palace of wisdom.”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Have you ever had a rousing insight about an action that would improve your life, but then you failed to summon the willpower to actually take that action? Have you resolved to embark on some new behavior that would be good for you, but then found yourself unable to carry it out? Most of us have experienced these frustrations. The ancient Greeks had a word for it: akrasia. I bring it up, Gemini, because I suspect you may be less susceptible to akrasia in the next four weeks than you have ever been. I bet you will consistently have the courage and command to actually follow through on what your intuition tells you is in your best interests.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
According to British philosopher Alain de Botton, “Maturity begins with the capacity to sense and, in good time and without defensiveness, admit to our own craziness.” He says that our humble willingness to be embarrassed by our confusion and mistakes and doubts is key to understanding ourselves. I believe these meditations will be especially useful for you in the coming weeks, Libra. They could lead you to learn and make use of robust new secrets of self-mastery.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
During the next four weeks, there are three activities I suspect you should indulge in at an elevated rate: laughter, dancing, and sex. The astrological omens suggest that these pursuits will bring you even more health benefits than usual. They will not only give your body, mind, and soul the precise exercise they need most; they will also make you smarter and kinder and wilder. Fortunately, the astrological omens also suggest that laughter, dancing, and sex will be even more easily available to you than they normally are.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The little voices in your head may have laryngitis, but they’re still spouting their cracked advice. Here’s another curiosity: You are extra-attuned to the feelings and thoughts of other people. I’m tempted to speculate that you’re at least temporarily telepathic. There’s a third factor contributing to the riot in your head: People you were close to earlier in your life are showing up to kibitz you in your nightly dreams. In response, I bid you to bark “Enough!” at all these meddlers. You have astrological permission to tell them to pipe down so you can hear yourself think.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
“There is no such thing as a failed experiment,” said inventor Buckminster Fuller, “only experiments with unexpected outcomes.” That’s an excellent guideline for you to keep in mind during the coming weeks. You’re entering a phase of your astrological cycle when questions are more important than answers, when explorations are more essential than discoveries, and when curiosity is more useful than knowledge. There will be minimal value in formulating a definitive concept of success and then trying to achieve it. You will have more fun and you will learn more by continually redefining success as you wander and ramble.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
During World War II, British code-breakers regularly intercepted and deciphered top-secret radio messages that high-ranking German soldiers sent to each other. Historians have concluded that these heroes shortened the war by at least two years. I bring this to your attention, Leo, in the hope that it will inspire you. I believe your own metaphorical code-breaking skills will be acute in the coming weeks. You’ll be able to decrypt messages that have different meanings from what they appear to mean. You won’t get fooled by deception and misdirection. This knack will enable you to home in on the elusive truths that are circulating -- thus saving you from unnecessary and irrelevant turmoil.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
home, Mattingly and Charlie Duke did a space walk. When they opened the hatch and slipped outside, they found the wedding ring floating in the blackness of space. Duke was able to grab it and bring it in. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will recover a lost or missing item in an equally unlikely location, Virgo. Or perhaps your retrieval will be of a more metaphorical kind: a dream, a friendship, an opportunity.
In April 1972, three American astronauts climbed into a spacecraft and took a trip to the moon and back. On the second day of the 11-day jaunt, pilot Ken Mattingly removed and misplaced his wedding ring. In the zerogravity conditions, it drifted off and disappeared somewhere in the cabin. Nine days later, on the way
Paleontologist Jack Horner says that developmental biologists are halfway toward being able to create a chickenosaurus -- a creature that is genetically a blend of a chicken and a dinosaur. This project is conceivable because there’s an evolutionary link between the ancient reptile and the modern bird. Now is a favorable time for you to contemplate metaphorically similar juxtapositions and combinations, Capricorn. For the foreseeable future, you’ll have extra skill and savvy in the art of amalgamation.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“Be stubborn about your goals but flexible about your methods.” That’s the message I saw on a woman’s t-shirt today. It’s the best possible advice for you to hear right now. To further drive home the point, I’ll add a quote from productivity consultant David Allen: “Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind.” Are you willing to be loyal and true to your high standards, Aquarius, even as you improvise to uphold and fulfill them?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In her novel The Round House, writer Louise Erdrich reminisces about how hard it was, earlier in her life, to yank out the trees whose roots had grown into the foundation of her family’s house. “How funny, strange, that a thing can grow so powerful even when planted in the wrong place,” she says. Then she adds, “ideas, too.” Your first assignment in the coming weeks, my dear Pisces, is to make sure that nothing gets planted in the wrong place. Your second assignment is to focus all your intelligence and love on locating the right places for new seeds to be planted.
Homework
Is it possible there’s something you really need but you don’t know what it is? Can you guess what it might be? Go to Freewillastrology.com and click on “Email Rob.”
check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes & Daily Text Message Horoscopes
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