Celebrating 40 years, Seattle’s annual Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival takes place at the Seattle Center over Labor Day Weekend–September 4th through 6th. As Seattle’s longest-running music and arts festival, the festival provides a forum for hundreds of artists to gather under a creative bumbershoot, meaning umbrella, in front of more than 150,000 visitors who will come to see and hear the confluence of music, film, theater, comedy, dance, spoken word, visual arts, and kids activities.
With 35+ musical performers each day, Bumbershoot’s 2010 lineup features artists spanning more than four decades of music with headliners like Bob Dylan, Weezer, Hole, Billy Bragg, and Mary J. Blige playing alongside indie rock talent like Surfer Blood and Atlas Sound and the up-and-coming MTV-class of Drake, J. Cole, and LMFAO. International flavors are provided by niche-industry mainstays like Balkan Beat Box, The Budos Band and Ozomatli, while Oregon talent will be represented by The Decemberists, The Dandy Warhols, Loch Lomond, The Thermals, Laura Veirs, and Horse Feathers.
OMN’s Chris Young and Brandon Ellison will be providing live coverage from Seattle but until then, check out their 2010 Bumbershoot picks.
Saturday, September 4
LA’s abrasive, electro-noise rockers HEALTH starting grabbing attention in 2007 when they put out their shared debut single with Toronto’s Crystal Castles. The track, “Crimewave,” flew up the UK indie singles chart and exposed their punky DIY spirit and idiosyncratic nature to the world–just about everyone in the band plays a zoothorn (a permutation of microphone and guitar pedal) or some other weirdo noisemaker. Plus they’ve got hands down the creepiest music video of the past year for “We Are Water,” produced by Eric Wareheim. Freak your ears out on the Center Square Stage from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
For their 2009 release, The Hazards of Love, Portland favorites The Decemberists got heavy. The album is a 17-song suite of melodramatic, bookish rock that draws equally from British folk and prog (with occasional forays into sludgey, stoney metal). According to their website, the band is well underway in recording “what will no doubt be our SIXTH record at a barn in an undisclosed location near Portland.” Bumbershoot and MFNW are (so far) the only NW dates scheduled for the Decemberists through the end of the year, so from 5:30 pm to 6:45 pm on the Bumbershoot Mainstage is the place to catch them.
Come to Jamie Lidell’s set expecting to shake your ass off to some electronica infused neo-soul. On the title track of his newest release, Compass, Lidell blends classic Motown elements with programmed beats and acoustic indie-folk textures. “I Wanna Be Your Telephone” sounds like an ode to Prince–quirky, glitchy electronics pulsing with an infectious dance-y groove. He can get as funky and experimental as Stevie Wonder, but as much as he may reflect these influences, Lidell is the real deal. Not content to simply imitate the greats, Lidell is making his own unique contribution to the great canon of soul. He plays 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm on the Broad Street Stage.
Neko Case is a busy woman. Her 2009 release Middle Cyclone debuted at number three on Billboard’s Top 200 and earned the smokey songstress her first two Grammy nominations. This year Case is back with Canadian indie-pop supergroup the New Pornographers. The band released the critically acclaimed Together in May, and has been touring steadily since. Case comes solo to Bumbershoot this year, and you can catch her earthy, complex, Americana-inflected pop from 7:15 pm to 8:30 pm on the Bumbershoot Mainstage.
Like a hippie, indie folk savior Edward Sharpe leads his Magnetic Zeros into pastures greener and venues bigger. He’s been continually leading them, all ten members including himself, across the country in their revamped school bus since the 2009 release of their debut, Up From Below. The messianic figure of Sharpe, played by lead singer Alex Ebert, is a bit of an act, but when combined with sultry, subdued vocals of Jade Castrinos, the stomping, janglin’ tunes are captivating with their free-spirited whistles, claps, horns, and bouncy choruses. Watch the crew rollick through a “40 Day Dream” on the Broad Street Stage from 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM.
The self-proclaimed Legendary King of Rock & Soul, Solomon Burke has been preaching soulful, gospel blues for more than 55 years. Never as universally popular in the mainstream as some of his contemporaries, Solomon Burke has had several rebirths over the years, specifically from movie soundtracks–his biggest hit “Cry To Me” was revived in 1987 by Dirty Dancing and both The Stones and The Blues Brothers took on “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”–not to mention a Grammy in ‘03 for Don’t Give Up On Me. Surrounding himself with love, the man has 21 children and at least another 90 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Celebrating 70 back in March, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer took his act to Japan for the first time ever this year as well as returning to Europe. But mind you, the only scheduled North American date is on the Starbucks Stage from 8:45 PM to 10:15 PM.
The great American troubadour may get more gravely with time but like a fine wine, his tales are just as potent as ever. Bob Dylan plays the Bumbershoot Mainstage from 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM and also shares Portland’s Edgefield stage with John Cougar Mellencamp on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
The cacophony of sound that is Ozomatli impressed the Northwest World Reggae Festival in Marcola, Oregon two weekends ago with “boundless energy and passion” for a socially consciousness society, and they’ll again bring their big band, Latin, hip-hop, world fusion full of horns to the Fisher Green Stage from 9:30 PM to 10:45 PM.
Sunday, September 5
Have you ever wondered what Nirvana’s “Drain You” would sound like re-imagined by an indie-folk act? Horse Feathers apparently did, and a version of it will be released this November as the b-side to a 7-inch with the new song “Bonnet of Briars.” The band gives “Drain You” a chamber-folk makeover–soft acoustic guitar, sweeping strings and sensitive vocals. Horse Feathers plays 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm on the Starbucks Stage.
Seattle natives Hey Marseilles play the kind of symphonic pop that draws easy comparisons to bands like Devotchka, Matt Pond, PA and the Decemberists. The septet brings a host of influences and instruments to bear on their just re-released debut To Trunks and Travels. On “Rio” strummed, classical-sounding guitars blend with strings, percussion, handclaps, and trumpet. Hey Marseilles plays 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm on the Broad Street Stage.
Seattle-staple David Bazan has been bumping around the Northwest since 1995 with his tales of conflict and spirituality. Going at it solo since the dissolution of Pedro the Lion in ‘06, Bazan released a solo album under his own name in 2009, Curse Your Branches, but Bumbershoot will feature Bazan + Band, the first time he’s had a full band in almost five years, on the Broad Street Stage from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
From upstate New York, indie rocker, chamber poppers Ra Ra Riot just released their second, string-filled album The Orchard, which the band said is “so poppy you will want to throw up on yourself,” this week with nine of the ten tracks mixed by Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla. The six-piece includes a violinist and a cellist to create playfully poppy yet romantically impassioned tunes. You’ll be sure to hear their latest single “Boy” (and download it in exchange for your email here) on the Broad Street Stage from 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM.
After thirty years as a musician and activist, Billy Bragg is still kicking. Like Bob Dylan and Woodie Guthrie, Bragg is a songwriter with immense staying power. He’s a folk singer-songwriter with a punk sneer, a protest musician still dedicated to changing the world after all these years. Bragg is playing 8:30 pm to 9:45 pm on the Starbucks Stage.
Weathering the turbulent ’90s and now the first decade of the 2000s, Portland’s The Dandy Warhols may have been mentioned less frequently in the pop-cultural lexicon of recent years but one listen to their new “greatest hits” release, The Capitol Years: 1995-2007, will remind you that The Dandys’ garage rock has been consistent over the years. The album, out last Tuesday, features 14 past singles and one new track (“This Is The Tide”). Recently returned from Europe, Bumbershoot is their only announced West Coast date (so far). Catch them on the Broad Street Stage from 9:15 PM to 10:30 PM and leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of The Capitol Years.
For we children of the ’90s, Weezer’sBlue Album was one of the most important rock records of their decade. But their legacy has lived on far beyond “Undone” and “Buddy Holly” (even if some of us choose to forget that there are any Weezer records post-Pinkerton). Weezer remains a radio staple and a modern rock tour-de-force. The new single “Memories,” off the forthcoming album Hurley, may not cover any new ground, but Rivers Cuomo keeps churning out pop that is as guitar heavy and catchy as ever. They play 9:15 pm to 10:30 pm on the Bumbershoot Mainstage.
Monday, September 6
Loch Lomond’s lead singer/multi-instrumentalist Ritchie Young is a tremendous presence. His delicately thunderous songwriting and distinct, powerful voice are perfectly fleshed out in the chamber pop sextet in Loch Lomond. Folk and classical instruments, from mandolin to clarinets to ukuleles, bring depth and passion to their music. Live they’re stunning, and they’ll be playing 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm on the Northwest Court Stage.
Canadian heavy metal that’s been kicking ass since ‘81 regardless of who has been paying attention, Anvil toured the world with some of the biggest bands of their day but has spent the last two decades in relative obscurity… until the 2008 documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, by Sacha Gervasi brought them back into the public’s consciousness as one of hard rock’s original hard-working bands who has stuck it out over the years–against all odds. Now they’re back touring the US and taking the Center Square Stage from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
We recently interviewed Seattle’s Kirk Huffman when his gorgeous pop outfit Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground last came through Portland. Wild Orchid Children is the Mr. Hyde to that placid project. Gone are the lilting, old-timey pop textures and in their place is a hard-hitting shout fest in the vein of The Mars Volta with hints at classic rock, hip-hop and dub. Their new album, The Wild Orchid Children are Alexander Supertramp, is due soon and the jammy 18-minute epic “Black Shiny FBI Shoes” is streaming online. The Wild Orchid Children play 7:45 pm to 8:45 pm at the EMP Sky Church.
She’s back on the road after giving birth to her “bouncing baby boy” Tennessee in late April, sharing her lovely folk pop with the world again. And Laura Veirs’ long-time collaborator, and her baby’s daddy Tucker Martine who has also produced her last six albums including January’s July Flame, has been enjoying their time in Europe as well. Returning to the NW for the first half of September, Portland’s Laura Veirs arrives at Bumbershoot with her band The Hall of Flames performing on the Northwest Court Stage from 8:00 PM to 9:15 PM.
Portland’s favorite jangly pop-punk outfit The Thermals have had a busy couple years. They signed with Kill Rocks Stars in 2009, pumping out the full-length Now We Can See, as well as three singles and two splits with The Cribs and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. Their fifth studio album, Personal Life, is out September 7 and their new video for “I Don’t Believe You” is streaming below. The Thermals play 9:15 pm to 10:30 pm on the Broad Street Stage.
Grinding out soul, blues and rock for himself and others since the ’60s, Booker T. has created his own musical movements and musical moments for many other musicians. A recipient of the Grammy Award for lifetime achievement, Booker T. released his first solo record in 20 years, Potato Hole, in April 2009 with the Drive-By Truckers playing as his backing band on the recording and featuring guitar accompaniment from Neil Young. The album features a cover of Andre 3000’s (Outkast) “Hey Ya!” and went on to win a Grammy for the Best Pop Instrumental Album. The man plays many an instrument but listen up for his distinctive Hammond B3 organ on the Starbucks Stage from 8:30 PM to 9:45 PM.
Known to us Yanks as The English Beat, the 2 Tone ska revival band picked up their instruments again in the mid-2000s… but as two separate groups. Songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Dave Wakeling’s US version of band will be stopping at Bumbershoot while the UK version, The Beat, retains two original members but keeps their distance. As long as you’re no purist, the music is definitely still ripe for skanking in front of the Fisher Green Stage from 9:30 PM to 10:45 PM.
Portland has a new streaming source of local music – the PBX system at Portland City Hall. Yes – City Hall has nixed the generic crap force-fed to on-hold callers in favor of music by local artists.
Through an arrangement with Rumblefish Music Licensing, the City offices will now play a selection of folk, hip-hop, classical, rock, jazz, electronic and more, all recorded by local talent. The programming switch-over is a natural for an administration dedicated to regional art and commerce, and holds promise for an interesting new promotion vehicle for Portland Musicians.
Selection of the quarterly playlist is done by a community listening panel. Participation requires responding to a small set of questions via email, and then being chosen from the (sure-to-be) thousands of applicants. Once chosen, participants are asked to vote on a pool of forty songs, pre-screened for appropriate content. Local musicians can participate by working with Rumblefish – be sure to note that you’re interested in participating in “Listen Local.”
Rather than calling City Hall and asking to be put on hold, listening to the current playlist can be done at the “Listen Local” website. This quarter, the playlist includes:
Portland is town populated by creatives that wear many hats. Your barista is a screen-printing comic book maker. The webmaster at your office is a videographer by night. The server at your favorite bar is a freelance graphic designer whose band is playing this week.
The Penny Jam is where all those creative forces meet; a mix of graphic designers, sound engineers, web developers, and videographers capturing local music. Starting in 2008 a troupe of friends who in their words, “just love the music scene in Portland and want to use our respective skills in documenting it,” began a video podcast of some of Portland’s finest musicians playing in unorthodox performance spaces.
They’ve covered neighborhoods all over Portland– Grey Anne playing in front of mannequins at Portland Store Fixtures, Reporter on Metro’s Ecoroof. The newest video pairs indie-folk Nick Jaina and his band with the “spacious, bright office space of Portland Incubator Experiment, located in the Weiden+Kennedy building on NW 12th and Davis.”
This week the Penny Jam released their 30th video. They’re also hosting The Penny Jam Vol. 3 at Holocene this Friday, July 2, with a screening of their ten most recent videos and live performances from Loch Lomond, Tango Alpha Tango and DoublePlus Good. 8:30pm, $5 at door, 21+
Portland is apparently getting it’s Inaugural folk festival – and although some might argue about the “inaugural” portion of the title, nobody would argue about the broad spread of talent initially booked for the festival. The Portland Folk Festival is slated for August 20th through the 22nd, venues will be announced in July. Tickets are $45, and available through BuyOlympia.
The Woods, one of Portland’s most interesting venues — and that’s meant on many levels, which we’ll explore in the following interview — is turning one year old this weekend. Hooray!
Owners Vivien Lyon, Yonatan Shpak (the two of whom were interviewed for this story) and Ritchie Young (who is on tour with his band, you may have heard of them, Loch Lomond) know that the success of The Woods has hinged on community.
Friends, family, local musicians and production companies, along with regular patrons have helped contribute to the venue’s success by believing in it, and pitching in when needed. Vivien’s husband built the first stage, their friend build a custom bar out of re-purposed wood, and many musicians who play The Woods also take shifts bar tending and working the door. For this collaborative effort, the owners, all close friends, are grateful, and that’s why the birthday bash they’re throwing this weekend at The Woods can be considered a celebration of community just as much as it’s a celebration of the venue itself.
Both shows are just $7.00. Doors open the party at 8:00 PM and the music begins at 9:00. Come celebrate The Woods’ one year anniversary this weekend.
In order to get a better understanding of The Woods, I sat down with Vivien and Yonatan (Yoni) over coffee, and the life story of the venue was revealed. The story goes something like this:
How did The Woods begin?
VL: It was actually kind of an epiphany. There was a Starbucks in the neighborhood (SE) that went out of business in the Fall of 2007, and that was great because the neighborhood possessed a co-op, community oriented feel, and Starbucks didn’t fit in at all. I thought, people like me and my friends should take it over and put something in worth while.
I had been becoming friends with my roommate Ritchie of Loch Lomond, and we were always throwing out crazy business ideas, of things we could do together. I have a law degree and have produced theater events here and there, and he’s been in the music world for forever, and has also worked in catering and bars. I thought, we could open a performance venue.
One night I came home, and he was hanging out outside with his friend, and we were all smoking and I said, “Uh, we should open a music venue.” And, it was kind of a joke. I mean, since we became friends, we were always thinking about business ideas that would support our schedules, and offer us a change of pace. So, we’d been talking about going into business together, but most of the ideas we’d had for businesses were jokes.
When I said this, I kind of expected him to say, oh yeah right. But, he said yeah, I wanna do this. And after that it was kind of like a game of chicken, to see who was more serious about it. We kind of egged each other on, and the more we talked about it, the more it seemed like something we could take on.
The first place I looked into was the Starbucks space, because I thought it would be really cool to have a music venue in SE that wasn’t like the Aladdin. But the Starbucks space of course was quite small, and for being small it was very expensive. Soon, I started working with a realtor, who pretty quickly said he had a space in mind, an old funeral parlor in Sellwood. I was immediately interested. This was in December 2008, when we had that snowstorm, so when we went to go see it, it was really hard to get there. We walked in the back doors, and instantly for me, and I think Ritchie too, we could see the potential so clearly.
We got a proposal together, and talked with some friends and family who might be able to put some money up, and in April of 2009 we signed a lease. By that point, Yoni joined us as an investor, and partial owner. By June, we were frantic getting ready for our opening weekend, which was an invite-only charity event, sponsored by PDXSalon, and featuring a line up of amazing bands.
Do you get any weird vibes, being in a funeral parlor?
VL: I really don’t. I had never been to a funeral parlor for a funeral, I’d been a part of memorial services but they’d been in different, more intimate places. So I don’t even connect this place with death. Which is interesting, because the whole building was dedicated in dealing with that. It was a family owned business from 1929-1993 when it sold to Michael Ash, who owns the big funeral business, Portland Memorial, which is just a few blocks from The Woods.
We do have an area that used to be the embalming room, and we have a corpse elevator where we store band equipment while they’re on stage — it’s really handy.
I’m sure it is.
And we have what used to be the crematorium, which we just use for storage, and we’ve talked about having a haunted house, but to be honest, I don’t really feel like disrespecting the building like that. It’s not spooky, it performed a very valuable community service for a very long time, and I think American’s views on death can be pretty juvenile.
The point is, I’ve never been spooked out by the fact that it was a funeral parlor. Ritchie kinda was. He’s seen ghosts in his life, he’s had experiences, he’s had experiences there. I never have. All I know is I’ve never felt anything genuinely scary there, but I have felt a weight of sadness, in the beginning. It was more the psychic vibrations and echos of so many people having grappled with the loss of people they loved there. There’s inevitably going to be some kind of echo of that.
That’s why last year when we had our first event in June, we wanted to honor that, and we brought music into all the rooms. Whatever kind of echos or spirits that might still be lingering… we wanted to kind of express that we respected that. And, that night was really quite beautiful.
So, the community has been pretty supportive of you guys, right?
There were a few concerns in the beginning, like there are with any new music venue, especially because we’re in a semi-residential area. But, by in large, there was a lot of excitement and a lot of energy around it. Especially among people in our age, in their late 20s through their early 40s, who want to go out and enjoy music, but don’t want a smokey, deafening place. And we really haven’t had any complaints. It’s surprisingly sound proof.
Speaking of that, how are the acoustics?
We really lucked out. Under the pile carpet, there were original unfinished Doug fir floors, which we ended up restoring. It could have been echo-y, it could have been like a box, but it wasn’t. People comment frequently that the sound is good. It isn’t muddy or tinny, like some venues in town.
<Enter Yoni.>
Describe a typical day at The Woods.
YS: All three owners are co-managers, so we rotate shifts. We also all tend to be bar tenders. We’re not very good bar tenders. I’m not really good at cleaning up after, either.
VL: That’s why we have a bar manager. Yeah, we manage on any given night, so that’s getting there early, making sure the bands are set up, the sound person’s there, setting up the space, just overseeing it all.
What time do you normally show up for that?
5:00 or 6:00 PM, depending. But, the day starts early from home, answering e-mails, making orders, all of that behind the scenes stuff. And shows generally start at 8:00 or 9:00 PM. Then we help close it all down too.
What was one of the best shows you’ve had in the last year?
YS: I was really impressed with Musee Mecanique, that was a really beautiful show.
VL: Yeah, that was beautiful. That night was opened with Billygoat, a new Portland band, and they do a lot of stop-motion animation films that go along with their sonic landscapes, and we just fell in love with them.
YS: We’ve adopted them.
VL: Yes, we’ve adopted them, Nick works at the bar and David works the doors. So yeah, they were great, and Musee Mecanique played and — there are a lot of bands who have a very specific aesthetic vision — and Musee brought 3 or 4 projectors along with them, and projected all these beautiful images on the walls. It was really special and a lovely that evening.
In the beginning, The Woods hosted a selection of acoustic and indie rock groups, along with some chamber music. As they explore what’s available, they have begun to move in the direction of hosting more ambient electronic music that blends art, film, and sound, as well. Another new direction soon to be explored is world music. Both genres, electronic and world, need more support in Portland, so their expansion can only be a positive one.
In addition to regular shows, The Woods hosts a soul dance party the first Wednesday of the month with DJ Cooky Jar, karaoke the last Wednesday of each month, as well as comedy nights and film screenings. The space is available to rent for private events, and has hosted several weddings, including Vivien’s in May.
For more information, including a list of upcoming shows, visit The Woods, and don’t forget to join in the anniversary celebration this weekend.
In honor of their brief, seven-date West Coast tour that kicks off in June, PDX chamber pop rockers Loch Lomond revealed that the next single from latest release, the five-song EP entitled Night Bats, will be “Ghost Of An Earthworm” and you can download it here for free. Not even the ubiquitous email is required!
Get a vibe for their live set with some free acoustic tracks from friends at Daytrotter–also featuring “Ghost Of An Earthworm,” recorded in December 2009.
Friday night at the Roseland Theater was proof that Bohemian music is alive and well. DeVotchKa, as part of the Soul’d Out Music Festival, stormed through the place, giving a performance that stunned the packed house. Vocalist Nick Urata’s unique, powerful, and haunting voice can probably still be heard by those who attended.
The quartet-composed of Urata (guitars, piano, theremin, trumpet, bouzouki), Tom Hagerman (piano, accordion, violin), Jeanie Schroder (sousaphone, upright bass), and Shawn King (drums, percussion, trumpet) blew through the Roseland playing sixteen songs, including a two song encore.
DeVotchKa played for over two hours, spanning its entire decade-old catalog. Their set included “The Clockwise Witness” (a new defining piece), “Head Honcho,” “Basso Profundo,” “We’re Leaving,” and “Undone” from their latest work of art A Mad and Faithful Telling, “Queen of the Surface Streets” and “Ocean of Lust” from their 2003 release Una Volta, “I Cried Like a Silly Boy” from their 2006 EP Curse Your Little Heart, and, of course, “How It Ends,” “The Enemy Guns,” and “Too Tired” from their 2004 masterpiece How It Ends.
The band’s performance was greeted with fervency. Arms raised and clapping throughout the night, the audience stomped feet, jumped up and down, swung arms and booties while pretend drumming and shouting “woos,” “owws,” and even “yee yee yees.” You would have thought DeVotchKa was playing at the Crystal Ballroom as the dance floor physically shook and bounced, as if there were springs underneath the floor.
Urata introduced himself and the band before playing the lively, raucous “Queen of the Surface Streets,” clearly appreciating the turnout: “Good to see you all, beautiful Portland,” he said with a smile. In fact, the band was beaming the entire night. They played with the kind of passion and heart that they are known for, and by the way King was banging on the drums all night, you could have mistaken the atmospheric smoke behind the set as steam rising from his back.
The crowd, after a good few minutes of making as much noise as possible, was treated with “How It Ends” and “Too Tired” for the encore. One girl was so excited about “How It Ends” she threw her underwear onstage… right at the feet of Hagerman. Hagerman hesitated, then shrugged, smiled, and went back to playing.
At the end of “Too Tired” (complete with accordion, bouzouki and cowbell), Urata went back and forth with the audience, singing “Yo, yo, yo yo yo.” And, yes, the rumors are true: Urata does drink an entire bottle of wine at the end of his performances. After quickly swigging it at the start of the encore, he took one final gulp towards the end and proceeded to press the bottle against his guitar strings while he strummed furiously to bring the show to a dramatic close.
Young opened the show as the crowd filtered in, playing for about half an hour with three accompanying vocalists from Portland’s Brothers Young as well as a member of Gingerbread Patriots, who backed up Young’s acoustics with melodica, xylophone, shakers and effects.
The crowd sat quietly, cross-legged in front of the stage as Young played Loch Lomond songs including “All My Friends are Smiling,” “The Trumpet Song,” “Nelson Family,” and “I Love Me.”
Young’s floating vocals echoed throughout the not-quite-filled venue amid the instruments, adding more intimacy to the performance. After the crowd sang along with Young during “Elephants and Little Girls,” he finished the performance with “Ghost of an Earthworm.”
Explaining the song, Young said, “I had a dream I was an earthworm and I swallowed a skeleton… [smiling] I sniff a lot of glue.” The song culminated with the entire cast onstage repeatedly singing, “We are the same,” leaving the audience warm for more.
But the biggest surprise of the night for many in the audience was Vagabond Opera. The Bohemian sextet-fresh back from a trip to Poland was a perfect lead-up to DeVotchKa–infusing cabaret-style, jazzy, swing-y, Ukrainian folk into the crowd. Dressed in red and black vests and striped pants and donning top hats and feathered hats, the group instantly brought the level of excitement to a peak. Lead singer Eric Stern introduced the band one by one with bravado as they played “Chimaeras Be Met” to start their set, a piece you could imagine hearing in a swing club in the 1920s.
Each member contributed to the circus atmosphere: Stern with his booming, operatic voice, Robin Jackson on the saxophone, Jason Flores on the standup bass, Skip vonKuske with his captivating cello solos (met with grand applause every time), Mark Burdon on drums, and the lovely Ashia Grzesik from Poland (cello, vocals) capturing the audience with her sexy swaying and shaking.
Grzesik had many sets of eyes on her throughout the performance, and she knew it. From her sultry voice to her strip teases (pulling numerous things from her undergarments, including necklaces, blindfolds, and fake teeth), Grzesik knows how to work an audience.
After the romance-tinged “Kabbarista Farewell”–a song for skipping in a park with your lover–Vagabond Opera brought the crowd to its feet with “The Transformation into Marlene,” a tribute to the 1920s German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich. Those still sitting cross-legged on the floor amid people dancing in a circle around them each got up, one by one until everyone was dancing to the bopping, quick-paced gypsy swing piece.
Stern, adapting his lyrics a bit, sang, “I wish I was Marlena Dietrich, I’d dress as airport security on my way to Poland and you’d take me in your arms and you’d slap me.” This led to an interlude where Grzesik pretended to slap Stern as the band provided a quick explosion of sound when she connected. Stern, unimpressed, said, “Look, you’re Polish, pretend I’m Hitler.” (Something he later mentioned he regretted saying.) To this Grzesik brought out a belt and gave Stern a thwacking. Stern extended the end of the song with his never-ending, opera-trained voice as band members spun their top hats on cello sticks and Jackson looked surprisingly at his watch.
After Stern did some “Tom Chi” (Tom Waits Tai Chi), they proceeded to play a magnificent cover of “Whiskey Bar,” a German opera song written in 1929 made popular by The Doors. As an extra swigged a bottled of whiskey and drunkenly fell off the stage, the band continued into a beautiful, quiet, floating version of the song, exploding into a frenetic pace at the chorus parts, and then transitioning back to a serene pace when the chorus ended.
The set culminated with a cello piece by Grzesik called “Pay to be Loved.” Grzesik showed she could hold the audience on her own, going from quiet, finger-picking to aggressive swinging of her musical wand. The band joined her at the end. At one point Jackson sang mournfully, “Will they find me hanging by dawn?” (pulling his tie upwards). To this, the music suddenly stopped. “This is our last song,” Stern said. “Stop bringing everyone down.” Jackson shrugged and the band quickly went into a furious thunderstorm of sound as Grzesik pulled Flores close to her with a red scarf and band members locked arms and kicked their legs out in swinging fashion amid red rose props flying around the stage. As the song ended, the crowd roared with delight and laughter yelling “Bravo!”
Those who attended Friday night’s extravaganza witnessed an unforgettable performance as DeVotchKa continues on its worldwide tour alongside the legendary Gogol Bordello for the next two months.
Oregon Music News is happy to be a sponsor of the Soul’d Out Music Festival.
When all is said and done DeVotchKa will go down as an influential contributor to the revival of a genre of music that OMN puts in the “Melting Pot” category. They will be playing on Friday, April 16 at the Roseland Theater, 9pm, all ages $25, 21+ balcony reserved $40,Ticketshere, as part of the Soul’d Out Music Festival with local favorites Vagabond Opera and Ritchie Young of Loch Lomond.
The band describes itself as a “four-piece multiple instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Slavic, and Bolero music with American punk and folk roots.” And although this music has been around for centuries, DeVotchKa has helped continue a rebirth that traces back to such greats as Gogol Bordello as recent as the 1990s.
Watch “How It Ends”
Denver-based DeVotchKa features Nick Urata (vocals, guitars, piano, theremin, trumpet, bouzouki), the grandchild of a Sicilian and a Gypsy. Shawn King (drums, percussion, trumpet) was raised by Lithuanian polka musicians and lived in Mexico before moving to the U.S.
Experienced in a variety of instruments, King studied mariachi horns. Tom Hagerman-who plays piano, accordion, and a violin he calls “Juan Pablo”- is a trained classicist. Jeanne Schroder plays the upright bass and sousaphone. And Urata brings it all together with his experience as a multi-instrumentalist.
The band’s name, derived from the Russian word “little girl,” is a fitting description of DeVotchKa: innocent and pure.
Urata’s unique defining voice is powerful and haunting and explosive at the same time. As with many of the the current Bohemian bands DeVotchKa includes accompanying entertainers, many of the circus variety. From trumpeters appearing out the crowd and hanging from balconies, to the band playing in the center of the audience, to scantily clad female trapeze aerialists suspended from the ceiling, you never know what to expect at a DeVotchKa performance. This, of course, is very familiar to Portland audiences. Noah Mickens has been doing such stuff for a long time.
The band visits Portland on an international tour in support of its latest work of art A Mad and Faithful Telling.
Vagabond Opera, a six-piece extravaganza of Bohemian cabaret, jazz, swing, tangos, and Ukrainian folk-punk ballads, is a perfect addition to the show. They’re getting ready for the premiere of Eric Stern’s new opera in May. You may remember that Skip vonKuske, their cellist named our Melting Pot genre.
Siblings Peter and Heather Broderick have been at the core of Portland’s vibrant indie folk scene for nearly six years. Between them they’ve played with M. Ward, Norfolk and Western, Loch Lomond, Laura Gibson, She and Him, and the Portland Cello Project as well as developing names for themselves as solo musicians.
In the last couple years, both musicians have spent significant time overseas. In 2007, at age 20, Peter found a new home in Denmark playing with the band Efterklang. For the last three years he’s been touring Europe and the US as a band member and solo artist, splitting his time between tours in Copenhagen, Berlin and (occasionally) Portland. Between official releases, he blogs and posts free music/photos on his Flickr stream.
After gradually filling in for Efterklangs’s other keyboard player, both in the US and abroad, Heather too became of full touring member, and both Brodericks contributed to the band’s most recent release Magic Chairs. Sadly, when they finally came back to the States to start their 2010 tour, it was without Peter. He was recuperating from knee surgery in Denmark when the band played the Doug Fir on March 13th.
He’s since returned to convalesce, only days after the show, and will be here until June 1st when he returns for a handful of concerts in Berlin. The Brodericks took time during their brief stay in Portland together to talk about their busy last year, plans for 2010, and healing.
The siblings hail from Carlton, OR, a small town outside McMinnville in Oregon’s wine country. “Years ago when I first moved to Portland, Peter and I played in a band [Blackbird Red] together,” said Heather. Peter was only 17 at the time, and barely out of high school. Since then, the Brodericks have worked separately and together, especially in Horse Feathers where they were core members for the band’s first two albums.
Heather says, “I think it’s pretty natural for us to collaborate for many reasons. It’s nice to play with people that sort of hear music and harmonies in the same way as you do.” Growing up around the same music and influences “[we] have similar musical tastes as adults, it works really well to play together. ”
A couple of years ago, Heather and a friend were travelling around Scandinavia visiting Peter, and she “sort of eased into playing with [Efterklang].” She got invited to play piano with the band at a festival, and in the weeks leading up to it, “my friend and I were taking the Trans-Siberian railroad through Russia, so I spent hours and hours on the train listening to the songs I would play, and trying to learn them the best I could without having an instrument to play on.” She played on some short tours and festivals but was “still living in Portland, and just traveling to tour with them when they needed.”
The band spent most of 2009 in Europe, touring with a European keyboardist, but when the band came to the US, it made more sense to have Heather join them. For the last couple years she’d been playing/touring with several bands but “beginning in 2009, I decided to scale down a bit and only play with Efterklang,” said Heather.
Both her and Peter contributed to the bands most recent release, and in January, she moved to Copenhagen to join the band as a full-time touring member. They rehearsed through February in anticipation of US and European tours that will last the rest of 2010.
Peter sustained a knee injury in 2007 the night before he left for Denmark while trying to grab a pen for a final Scrabble game with friends. A detailed letter about the injury was published by the Portland Mercury.
Peter sought treatment, but an initial MRI didn’t show a long-term injury, and he was told the swelling should subside. It didn’t. After months and months of pain, Peter went in for a second opinion and there was “damage that didn’t show up in the first MRI,” said Peter. He decided then to get surgery to take care of it. “I had free healthcare in Denmark, but it didn’t really work with the coming and going [of touring],” especially when he had to schedule appointments months in advance. Instead he had to resort to paying thousands for a private doctor. “In December, the surgeon said three or four months [to heal],” said Peter. He hoped to heal in time for the tour but is still a struggling.
It’s been a dark and frustrating couple months for Peter. After spending the early part of 2010 rehearsing for the tour, the band collectively decided Peter wouldn’t be able to join them. He was becoming too exhausted just getting up and going to the kitchen to even think about dealing with the rigors of touring.
For now he’s, “Devouring books and films and anything about science, politics, the state of the world, etc.” and living with family out by the “snobby little wine towns” near McMinnville. He’s recuperating and receiving free physical therapy at a local clinic from his mother who is a physical therapist, massage therapist and yoga teacher.
Peter’s grateful now for the forced down time. “I’m trying not to make plans for the first time in years. Taking a break and not telling myself when I’m gonna start up again… I’ve devoted my entire being to music these last few years, so I feel very behind on everything else.”
Meanwhile, Heather continues to tour with Efterklang. They ended the US leg of the tour with multiple shows at SXSW. “It’s a crazy festival; always really busy, but a good time too.” Their last show was cancelled because the venue was flooded. But at the last-minute, they were thrown on to a bill at a 4AD party at a small bar, “but [it] turned out to be a really great show. We all had so much fun, and it was a really nice concert to end the US tour,” said Heather. The band is back in Europe and will be on tour for the remainder of 2010.
Both the Brodericks were busy last year. For Heather, “it went by so fast it’s hard to remember everything that went on.” She released a compilation called Portland Stories assembled from songs “I collected from friends and fellow musicians around Portland in the summer of 2009.” The project was recorded on her 4-track “in various living rooms/porches/basements around the city… the whole project has a pretty laid back, folky Portland summer type of feel.
She also finished a solo record, From the Ground, released on the Australian label Preservation. It’s something she’d been working on for a couple of years. “Peter recorded it, as well as playing a lot on it, so we just worked on it every time we got a chance. Sometimes it was when he was back visiting in Oregon, and other times while I was overseas touring with Efterklang.”
Heather doesn’t yet have plans to tour in support of From the Ground, but “the nice thing is that I will be opening most of the European tour with a solo set.” She’d like to play the US as a solo musician as well, “but I’ll just have to see what the next months bring and take it from there.”
Peter’s been active in Efterklang and elsewhere making music for compilations, film and contemporary dance as well as collaborating with other artists and touring as far as Israel, Turkey and China. “Copenhagen, Berlin [they're] really not that much different than Portland… totally different, but still totally the same. But if you compare it to China, Turkey…”
He won’t be able to join Efterklang on tour, “at least not in the next few months,” said Peter. After putting off his knee treatment for so long, “I don’t know how long it’s gonna take, [and I] don’t want to play the guessing game.” He’ll be here until the 1st of June, when he goes back to play a handful concerts in Berlin, but there’s “no plans to travel/tour,” and he may wind up back in Portland at the end of the summer. Peter has collaborated with a number of musicians in Berlin including producer/composer Nils Frahm. Early in 2008, Frahm founded Durton Studio and some of Peter’s work now comes through them.
Until he returns to Berlin, he’s content to “put some energy into other areas finally” getting into Tom Waits and Laurie Anderson and “listening to them while I do my knee exercises.” Peter’s also finding inspiration in odd places. In February, he heard a radio show with scientist David Anderson about the real possibility of time control technology–in other words time travel. “Right now this is my biggest inspiration, and I’m in the process of creating several musical works based around this issue and the work of David Anderson.”
He also continues work on a solo album he began in 2008, which is a long time for this prolific musician. The almost completed album is “very dense, with all kinds of instrumentation and tons of layers. I would say it’s just as much about the production as it is about the music.”
For now, Heather’s listening to Eluvium, Dragging an Ox through Water, The xx and more on the long drives between shows. “I’m really happy with what I’m doing now… Efterklang is a really stimulating band to play in and a really special group of people.” And even though they can’t be playing together right now, Peter says, “We continue to grow and grow, sometimes separately and sometimes together. But I think now our relationship is stronger than it ever has been, and that feels very good.”
Portland band Hurtbird is releasing their sophomore album on Friday, February 29th at The Woods.
Vocalist, sampler, and writer Ryan Hayes has a lot to say about the new project, Nature Vs. City, life in Portland, and the freedom of music.
What does this record represent to you?
The record represents a love for the creative process! It’s a tribute to throwing the rules out the window and doing exactly what you want to do!
The title, Nature Vs. City, is ripe with implications.
When picking a title for the album I wanted to find a phrase that summed up the lyrics as a whole and I felt like Nature vs. City did that. As an individual I have always juggled with the idea of living in the woods vs. living in the city. Over time I began to realize that most of the things I write about usually fall into this same struggle, the idea of the natural life vs. city life. I guess that’s why I chose Portland; it’s the best of both of my weird little worlds!
The lyrics are philosophical-political, with a good deal of whimsy. What’s your storytelling intention?
The intention is to present clues the listener can choose to relate with once they truly investigate the words and what they mean to them. For example, the chorus for Dirt, “one by one we dug in the dirt” was something I was singing to myself at home while working in the garden, but by the end of the song it turned into a story about time capsules.
In junior high I found a tape case full of tapes and other items and believed it to be a time capsule. I began making my own time capsules, reading about time capsules, and even started hunting for other hidden time capsules. So with that chorus I feel like people can relate to the idea of dirt, whether they dig in their garden, bury time capsules, or even just simply make a connection with the idea of digging.
As a poet in school I constantly got creatively criticized for being too abstract and not letting my audience know exactly what was going on. With music I feel like I can present things in an abstract manner yet still deliver a message to those who are willing to take the time to relate.
Are you trying to reach a certain audience?
Although I have no specific audience in mind while writing music, I am trying to reach people that take the time to listen and relate to the music.
Tell us about your use of samples.
I have always been a big fan of movies and the feelings a movie can evoke. When I was a kid I was completely blown away by the fact that I could watch a movie like The Shining and afterwards be left in a mental state that I rarely, if ever can re-create. Samples seem to have that same effect; especially once you combine them with music!
Watch them at the Aladdin:
Are you bike commuters? (In reference to the track “I like my bike” on Nature Vs. City.)
We all love riding our bikes! Our drummer and bass player both race road bikes and cycle cross. The song’s chorus “I like my bike, it’s fast” was actually written by Ritchie Young from Loch Lomond, he wrote it with our drummer for a punk band they were both in about 13 years ago. I loved the song so much that I used it in our tribute to the bicycle!
Who is Hurtbird? Tell us about your history, band members, instruments, and generally, how you roll as a group.
(We are)…
Ryan Hayes: Vocals, Samples
Michael Young: Keyboards, Singing
Brian Gumpert: Drums, backing vocals
Joel Holly: Bass Guitar, Keyboards, backing vocals
Trevino Brings Plenty: Guitar, backing vocals
Rob Oberdorfer: Guitar, Keyboards
We have all been friends for a very long time; we started the band based on an idea that Brian and I came up with while attending college in Tuscan. Brian and I knew almost no one and definitely did not know anyone to play music with so we made a hip-hop album. Brian made all the music with a Yamaha keyboard and a drum kit; we both spent our breaks between classes cranking out lyrics and would meet up at the end of the day and record vocal tracks.
At the time Ritchie was playing with some friends of ours in a couple different Indie rock bands here in Portland. After listening to the music he was playing we had an idea that involved mixing the two genres. To make a long story short we called Ritchie, told him about the idea, moved to Portland, and wrote and recorded our first record.
Ritchie eventually moved on with his own project Loch Lomond so we enlisted the voices of his younger brothers. Chantelle Hylton helped us with booking a few shows early on, which helped us break onto the scene and from there we recorded a split 12” record with Loch Lomond, and this week we release our new full length, Nature vs. City!
What does Portland mean to you?
I love this city with all of my heart! Being close to camping and hiking is something I grew up with and can still take full advantage of around Portland! I also love how bike friendly the city is! Portland is a work of art; the freedom to be yourself and pursue your dreams is undeniably awesome!
And besides pursuing your dreams, what do you do for fun?
I love to ride my bike, camp, and go to Blazer games! But most of all I really enjoy spending time with my friends and my lovely lady friend!
Awesome. So, what can folks expect at your release gig on Friday at The Woods?
A whole lotta fun of course! We will be offering a sonic, drum-heavy wall of sound, which I think we could all use a bit of in the Portland music mix. We will also be premiering a video projection I have been working on over the last month. It is made up of found footage shot in and around Portland Oregon between the 20’s and 60”s!
That sounds cool! Will we be able to buy your album at the show? If not, when and where is it available?
You will be able to purchase the album at the show! You can also purchase the album on our website and iTunes.
On Thursday night at the Doug Fir, fans packed the dance floor and Loch Lomond didn’t disappoint, continuing to create magic off the release of its newest EP, Night Bats.
The band is a cross between DeVotchKa and Arcade Fire, with vocalist Ritchie Young’s dynamic, poppy voice echoing over an assortment of harmonics and melodies that build and fade at the right times.
Loch Lomond’s music is thoughtful and quiet at times, but can ascend into powerful, booming crescendos the next…the transition is seamless. There are few bands that can switch from folk to chamber pop so effortlessly, but Loch Lomond is one of those bands.
On Thursday night, the crowd bobbed and weaved, fixated on the stage. Loch Lomond’s music isn’t dancing music. It is the kind of music you listen to in quiet admiration. Loch Lomond won’t elicit rock and roll style raucousness on the dance floor, but it isn’t needed nor even appropriate. The band’s melodies are a treat for the ears and keep the audience riveted. From the backup vocals of Jade Eckler (whose strong voice accompanies Young’s perfectly) to the acoustics to the clarinet to the harmonic sounds of the vibraphone (like a xylophone but more magical), fans heard everything Thursday night.
Every song Loch Lomond performed on Thursday night was greeted with grand applause and an encore was granted amid widespread delight. The band left the crowd with one of its latest songs, “Northern Knees Trees and Lights,” a folky melody that sent off the crowd in a state of contemplative wonder.
The band also made sure to leave some time to talk to the crowd. Young appeared on stage with his customary shirt and tie, except with a slight touch.
“I bleached my shirt because it was dirty,” Young told the audience. “In all my photos I’m in the same shirt.”
If there was one gripe about the show it was that the band didn’t play “Wax and Wire” despite some calls from the audience for it. Frankly, it was a little odd that the band would leave out such a solid song, especially because it is Loch Lomond at their most brilliant. It is everything Loch Lomond encompasses, with Young’s voice put to the test amid an endless assortment of instruments and harmonics. It is quiet at times and ends with piano building up to a huge crescendo. It should be a staple for every Loch Lomond show.
It would be remiss leaving out the other two bands that played before Loch Lomond at the Fir.
The night opened with Billy Goat (friends of Loch Lomond), a two-piece band that played before a projection of lights and stars. Billy Goat’s music was the kind of music you could imagine hearing if floating in space. It was mood music that drifted you off to another planet, quiet and melodic and surreal at times. It was a good opening for the magic that was to come.
Shelley Short played next and was a complete surprise. Her voice is beautiful, folky and calming at times, but can also be sultry and bluesy. Her voice alone takes you to a different place, perhaps to a tranquil meadow or bubbling brook. But the finger-picked acoustics, harmonic vocals, quiet drums, tambourine, and organy keyboard also add a dreamy quality.
In fact, anyone who heard the three bands at the Doug Fir Thursday night may still be dreaming.
Chamber pop sensation Loch Lomond will be visiting the Doug Fir Lounge on Thursday night, and with the way the quintet has been shattering venues for the last two years, it should be another rousing live show guaranteed to instill their magical music into anyone in the vicinity… and stay there well past the show.
Vocalist Ritchie Young is the driving force behind the band with his high-pitched, poppy falsetto echoing above a proper orchestra. Loch Lomond takes you to a place, and then one-ups that place, continuing to build upon the sound with a vast array of instruments throughout each song. Instruments include: guitar, percussion (Young); clarinet, bass, ukulele (Scott Magee); keys (Dave Depper); vibraphone, banjo, and various other sounds (Jason Leonard).
Lomond’s latest release, the five-track EP Night Bats, is a sign of the band evolving. As Young put it talking to OMN in November, it is a cross between their old recordings and a full-length album they hope to release sometime this year.
Over a year ago, Loch Lomond opened for The Decemberists for a month. Young said it was an eye-opener to play in front of that many people. But Loch Lomond already has people opening their eyes and ears to the wonderful world of chamber pop, and before long, grand crowds will be a regular occurrence for the Portland band.
Listen to “Wax and Wire” on their MySpace page and you will have a good idea of the breadth and beauty of Loch Lomond’s music.
Sunday’s PDX Songwriters in the Round at Rontoms was an experiment in collaborative presentation, one with mixed results. Each of the eight featured songwriters played a single song in each of the four rounds that spanned the course of the night.
There were excellent moments throughout. Kyle Morton, of Typhoon, gave consistently standout performances. His songs had a flair for the dramatic, accompanied by hand-clapping friends singing backup vocals. Kelly Blair Bauman also opted for accompaniment, and his lead guitarist’s tasteful solos gave Bauman’s set a Band-era Bob Dylan vibe. Leonard Mynx likewise succeeded in channeling Dylan. Grey Anne’s a capella duet with Ryan Giles was a highlight–experimental, beautiful and playful.
Rontoms was rough for the songwriters who performed acoustic and solo. The setting, with the songwriters almost sitting in the audience and playing in front of a fireplace, was warm, personal, and inviting. Unfortunately, the large crowd drifted in and out of attentiveness.
Conversation drowned out the more sensitive performers like Sean Battles. His Name Shall Breathe was also an act that suffered. His tender, honest, and unassuming performance was frustratingly unmatched for the crowd in the back.
It was interesting, though, to see seasoned performers like Grey Anne interact with, and play through, the talkers. Her performance was beautiful and engaging, with a charming awkwardness to her lovely songs. Bud Wilson, of Aan, was also bluesy and ear-catching.
PDX Songwriters in the Round was a good, if imperfect, introduction to some of Portland’s song masters. Grey Anne, His Name Shall Breathe, and Kyle Morton are acts to keep an eye out for. To see Morton play in the sprawling band Typhoon, check out “Spin the Wheel Night” at Holocene, for another unorthodox show from Portland labels Tender Loving Empire and Bladen County Records, January 21st, 8:30pm (21+).
PDX Songwriters in the Round this Sunday night at Rontoms looks like a great chance to see some of your favorite PDX songwriters playing intimate, solo sets. It should be a good opportunity to watch some of Portland’s best playing stripped-down, familiar favorites and trying out new material.
Ritchie Young, of Loch Lomond and The Brothers Young, will be one of nine featured songwriters. His solo performances are gems, events that rival his full band’s flair for drama and passion.
Leonard Mynx, Bud Wilson (Aan), and Kyle Morton (Typhoon) will also be playing sans band, along with some particularly fantastic solo acts, namely Grey Anne, Kelly Blair Bauman, and His Name Shall Breathe. It’s a long, holiday weekend, and this showcase is an excellent excuse for staying up late on a Sunday. Doors at 8 pm, performances begin at 8:30 pm. Plus it’s FREE.
Portland has a new streaming source of local music – the PBX system at 
Through an arrangement with 
Portland is town populated by creatives that wear many hats. Your barista is a screen-printing comic book maker. The webmaster at your office is a videographer by night. The server at your favorite bar is a freelance graphic designer whose band is playing this week.
Portland is apparently getting it’s Inaugural folk festival – and although some might argue about the “inaugural” portion of the title, nobody would argue about the broad spread of talent initially booked for the festival. The 
The Woods
The first place I looked into was the Starbucks space, because I thought it would be really cool to have a music venue in SE that wasn’t like the Aladdin. But the Starbucks space of course was quite small, and for being small it was very expensive. Soon, I started working with a realtor, who pretty quickly said he had a space in mind, an old funeral parlor in Sellwood. I was immediately interested. This was in December 2008, when we had that snowstorm, so when we went to go see it, it was really hard to get there. We walked in the back doors, and instantly for me, and I think Ritchie too, we could see the potential so clearly.
We really lucked out. Under the pile carpet, there were original unfinished Doug fir floors, which we ended up restoring. It could have been echo-y, it could have been like a box, but it wasn’t. People comment frequently that the sound is good. It isn’t muddy or tinny, like some venues in town.
In the beginning, The Woods hosted a selection of acoustic and indie rock groups, along with some chamber music. As they explore what’s available, they have begun to move in the direction of hosting more ambient electronic music that blends art, film, and sound, as well. Another new direction soon to be explored is world music. Both genres, electronic and world, need more support in Portland, so their expansion can only be a positive one.
In honor of their brief, seven-date West Coast tour that kicks off in June, PDX chamber pop rockers 
The band’s performance was greeted with fervency. Arms raised and clapping throughout the night, the audience stomped feet, jumped up and down, swung arms and booties while pretend drumming and shouting “woos,” “owws,” and even “yee yee yees.” You would have thought DeVotchKa was playing at the Crystal Ballroom as the dance floor physically shook and bounced, as if there were springs underneath the floor.
At the end of “Too Tired” (complete with accordion, bouzouki and cowbell), Urata went back and forth with the audience, singing “Yo, yo, yo yo yo.” And, yes, the rumors are true: Urata does drink an entire bottle of wine at the end of his performances. After quickly swigging it at the start of the encore, he took one final gulp towards the end and proceeded to press the bottle against his guitar strings while he strummed furiously to bring the show to a dramatic close.
When all is said and done 
Peter’s grateful now for the forced down time. “I’m trying not to make plans for the first time in years. Taking a break and not telling myself when I’m gonna start up again… I’ve devoted my entire being to music these last few years, so I feel very behind on everything else.”
Portland band 
Chamber pop sensation 
PDX Songwriters in the Round this Sunday night at 
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