Oregon Music News

For the first time ever, downtown Portland’s Lotus offered a night of live music Saturday featuring three outstanding, up-and-coming native bands. Locals took advantage of the nice weather and showed up in swarms, making friends with strangers in order to find a place to sit amidst the masses.

Christie Bradley

Opening the evening, the Bradley Band offered an array of brand new music, their first show playing exclusively singer Will Bradley’s original songs. His sister Christie rocked out on the drums and lent her powerful voice both as back-up for Bradley as well as when she took center stage at the end of their set to belt out a few songs, showing off her amazing vocal range. In an instant, her intonation went off the charts, carrying across the room–a commanding voice rivaling that of Aretha Franklin, Christie could even go without using a microphone at all.

With both parents musicians, their genetic musical talents were inevitable and their abilities only developed further by starting at a young age. Will began with playing drums and has played every instrument in between, finally devoting himself completely to guitar at age 13. Christie picked up a pair of drumsticks in middle school and has never looked back. Their mentor Danny Ard jammed with them on bass guitar, but preferred to leave the spotlight on the Bradleys.

They won’t hesitate to remind audience members that they are “not a couple” and have gotten in the habit of announcing that fact when they play because it is such a common assumption due to the intimacy of the lyrics on many of the songs. Writing from real life experience, mostly about love or finding oneself, a few of Bradley’s songs were written about encounters with various people who don’t always have an open mind, including a former co-worker. So watch your actions or you may just have a song written about you!

Will and Christie Bradley of the Bradley Band

Positivity and happiness spilled over into Will Bradley’s music, creating an upbeat, Jason Mraz-style sound, although his range went well beyond the pop sound he often plays. Incorporating all his influences from reggae to blues, pop to heavier rock and everything in between, Bradley actually worries that he has not defined the band enough by focusing on just one particular genre, and that it may inhibit marketing. It doesn’t seem to be hurting too much as they received an invitation to audition for America’s Got Talent when they come to Portland on March 1st thanks to their many devoted fans posting videos on YouTube.

The Bradley Band performs every Tuesday night at Rock Bottom Brewery and are in the process of recording a CD they hope to be released soon.

The four members of Goodbye Harrison were all separately passionate about music before meeting and discovering their strong common bond while they all were attending the University of Oregon. Although singer/songwriter Jeff Mott and guitarist Tom Smith grew up together playing instruments, the band did not form officially until 2008. For several years, the group was a trio that included drummer Kevin McElroy until they met Garrett Kravitz last year, who has now become the quartet’s permanent bass player.

Smith and Kravitz of Goodbye Harrison

Playing a variety of covers from many genres as well as Mott and Smith’s original work, their style is what they call “Limestone rock”: a blend of rock, pop, soul, and R&B. During their rock pieces, the music develops hints of punk and heavy metal undertones, but they say that mainly just happens when they play live. After one these songs, Mott described the song as their “attempt at a dance song.” Attempt, he said, because most of Goodbye Harrison’s songs are tranquil and soulful.

Taking us back to when we were kids, they performed Genuine’s Pony, reminiscing right along with us about listening to the song on Z100 growing up. What started out as a fun joke covering Lil Wayne’s Lollipop has turned into one of their trademarks songs. What would be funny–four white guys singing a rap song–is not at all. The song is becoming quite beautiful with their version, other than the vulgarity of the lyrics.

Goodbye Harrison performing at the Lotus

During the set, Mott called for “all the f-book users out there” to check them out on Facebook. He added, “We’re on MySpace too, although it’s not quite as cool….” Though they are still unsigned, Goodbye Harrison is quickly getting their name around Portland, and it’s only a matter of time before they are playing alongside Lil Wayne himself… a year from now.

Though Jordan Harris has only been in the music scene seriously for about a year, you wouldn’t know it from the crowd that formed inside the Lotus scouring the room for an empty crevice.

Jordan Harris

Only recently deciding to begin playing with a band, Harris’ style is still rooted in the acoustic sound from his roots. His versatile voice lends well to covering every genre, adopting a unique tone for each song from Tom Petty to the Foo Fighters.

Without knowing the words to the popular song, one would never realize Harris was singing “Hey Ya”–transforming the song into an impassioned and meaningful piece, the audience grew very quiet to listen to his rendition of the normally upbeat and out-of-control-paced Outkast music.

In the middle of his set, a group gathered and made announced that they were starting a “dance party” at the base of the stage. Harris kept the pace lively as his fans danced at his feet until the end of the night, and they thanked him by throwing their hands up in enjoyment. As he finished his last song, the crowd was abuzz with excitement. Unable to believe the quality and range of his voice, everyone walked out praising his talents. When Harris finishes his first album, hopefully within the year, he will already have fans awaiting the release.