Portland is my kinda people. My first time in the rose city was the July before last. What I remember most was that I didn't have to deal with 'uptight' the entire time I was there. Having lived in Chicago for so long, it just seemed commonplace to always have my guard up. It never hurts to front, because you just may need to do some extreme posturing in order to evade whatever madness gets thrown in front of you. In Portland, there's just no need for it. In fact, if you do that, somebody will most likely approach you in a calm manner and ask if something is wrong and offer their assistance. It's just that kind of place.
The air is clean, as is the water, which is also delicious. The trains are super clean and quiet. And the transit stations are devoid of turnstiles because it's free to ride through the downtown area and otherwise exists on the honor system. Many of the city's public trash receptacles sit adjacent to recycling bins. It's a very progressive city. And its citizens reflect that notion. Tattoos, piercings, loudly dyed hair, and bearded weirdos. And that all seems less of a non-conformist stance and more of a celebration of individuality.
I kinda regret not making into this place as it seems it's my style
Portlanders are a friendly bunch. And the relaxed vibe gives way to instant conversations. This is especially true if you run into the same person more than once. And it's not a taxing situation where you HAVE to talk to the person, but if you do, you'll have made a friend. Just about every time I stepped out of a bar or cafe for a smoke, I met somebody and had a nice chat. And I never once endured a hard luck story that ended with, "Can I have a dollar?" It's truly a refreshing change of pace being in a city that embraces the Bill & Ted ethos of being excellent to one another.
Did I mention that I was staying with musicians?
Lizzy and Cam were both working as much as they could before they left on tour down to SXSW the following week. So I didn't get to see much of them aside from morning and late evening pow-wows. However, I did have the privilege of hearing an advance copy of the new EP, Cool Nightmare, that's coming out on April 10th. It did not disappoint in the least. I was also invited to a pre-tour rehearsal, where I was witness to a brand new song that was so full of win. OMG - It was like the Feelies were covering the Turtles, but with gorgeous female harmonies.
Lizzy on bass, rockin' it in the "rehearsal space."
Radiation City practices at the bass player's house that he shares with 5 or 6 other people. They actually rehearse in his bedroom in the basement - without a PA. Lizzy mentioned that if people knew how they existed and how they do what they do, they wouldn't believe it. But this too speaks to another facet of Portland, and that's its' DIY ethic. In fact, the night I was at the rehearsal, somebody was doing a photo shoot upstairs for another local band. They couldn't seem to get enough light on the band, and there was a shortage of lamps around the house. So somebody went and dug up an old overhead projector and shined that on the band. It was harsh as hell, but they figured out a way to work with it. It's what they had, and nothing was going to stop the shoot from happening. That's the Portland way.
Above the sink in the band house.
Most days, I just roamed around their neighborhood in North Portland. Cafes, Thai food, record stores. But I kicked around downtown on a couple afternoons. I ended up having lunch with an old friend who grew up down the street from me in South Bend. The last time I had seen him was 10 or 12 years ago when were both home for the holidays. He helped push my van out of the snow. Otherwise, it had been over 2 decades since we had an actual conversation. It just so happened that this year he sent my folks a Christmas card and my mom informed me he was living in Portland. So I figured why not? We had a nice lunch at a somewhat upscale place called, Veritable Quandary. We ate at the bar, which made me feel more comfortable in my ironic t-shirt and shitty cardigan. We caught up over burgers, and I was pleased to learn that he was in the arts as well. Although, now that I think about it, I wonder why we didn't just get some street meat, seeing as he's as poor as me and most artist types. I guess maybe he just thought I had turned out normal and you know, had money, and wouldn't want to eat from a food cart. Anyway, he had to get to a meeting afterward, so I headed over to Ground Krontrol and played some pinball. Somewhat ironically, I did very well playing a game called Theater Magic. Then it was onto a French bakery for some of the most scrumptious pastries I've every tasted.
I wanted to get out of Cam and Lizzy's hair while they were prepping for tour, so I headed a little further north for the last few days to stay with my friend, Phoebe. It's always good to see her. She's super cool, and simultaneously super dorky. To know her is to love her. And this visit, I finally got to spend some quality time with her man, Andrew, in a nice little house they bought in the Kenton neighborhood. He's pretty awesome too, and they make a great couple.
We all went to see some music on Friday night at a weird little venue called, the Bunk bar. Once the sound douche sorted things (without me punching him - seriously, 10 seconds of full blast insane feedback is like 9 seconds too many), we were treated to some good old time foot stomping railroad, and heartbreak songs by an older gentleman that I'd imagined lived above a diner in crappy little pad he rented by the week. His name is Michael Hurley, and he's kinda the real deal. Not only does he have the endorsement of Phoebs and Andrew, but his fans also include Lucinda Williams and Yo La Tengo. The praise was not unjustified. Then the headliners took to the stage, and that was totally worth it too. A trio called, Breathe Owl Breathe, who were all multi-instrumentalist and sounded larger than life in the most quiet and intimate way.
Phoebs took me to a pub on that Sunday called The Laurelthirst, to see the Freak Mountain Ramblers. It's a standing gig for them and Phoebs said people referred to it as church. And if I ever find myself living in Portland, this is the church I would attend. Cheap beer, great music, and good vibes. If I'd been harboring any blues, they certainly got shook loose that evening.
The Freak Mountain Ramblers preaching to the choir
The next evening brought Alden into town. (Phoebe's old college roommate and my ex-girlfriend.) She'd been having a rough go of things and it felt great to give her a big hug. We all sat around and drank and smoked into the night. The next afternoon we all went out for Thai food, and then Alden and her sister took off. The following day Phoebs dropped me off at the airport and I made my way down to Florida. (Not before a layover in what might be the shittiest airport I've ever experienced, Kansas City.)
And now I'm down in Cape Canaveral, where the weather is gorgeous. But it's also extremely pleasant weather-wise in Chicago. And I think that may be a result of me not being there. So take that into consideration for next year. You wanna have a nice winter? Send my ass out of town. Start saving your money now…
(New Rad City song. It's my favorite at the moment from the new EP. Listen or be stupid...)
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