Sunday night out in Portland

1. A vaudvillesque bar room musical called Curse of the Goddamned Ship about a besotted and forsaken band of sailors and prostitutes aboard the Chubby Uncle who Neptune sentences to perform songs about the constellations to the delight of Portland weirdos. Presented by the Stars and Garters Theatre Company from San Fran, I think most middling musicals would be better if performed in small bars. AND they brought a traveling snake oil salesman with them.

2. Leaving the sea shanty burlesque and walking to our car past a venue that was stacked with police officers, and flashing cruisers, all staring down all comers. The Insane Clown Posse was in town and I had no idea that they brought out the cops like that. the fans were icky, but they seemed pretty chill. Word has it that every time there's any sort of show in Portland that borders on hip hop, the police go into full alert and triple team the club. Its to the point that every time I see a massive police presence downtown I say to myself, "hip hop show" and gauge how big the act is by the number of police vehicles and horses. So disconcerting.

3. ZOOBOMBERS! sunday night around 11pm is time for the Zoobombers to come careening down the 800 ft. hill out in front of my apartment on long skateboards, kiddie bikes, and other strange bicycles. They are a loose affiliation of bicycle freaks with low regard for their personal safety and nothing makes me happier than when i find myself waiting through the green light late on a sunday when they come barreling down the sw slope. They are called the Zoobombers because they all jam their bikes onto the trimax light rail and get off at the stop where the Portland Zoo is at the tippy top of Washington Park.
There's an ad hoc monument out in front of Rocco's pizza off Burnside to commemorate the madness. And I guess its unofficially sanctioned by the city, hence the picture of the new mayor sporting a Zoobomber bike. Now that's politicking! Portland is nicer to renegade stunt bicyclers than it is to the hip hop crowd. I'm just sayin.