Definitely Fall

They are picking the grapes in the Willamette Valley this week. I know because I had to drive down to the federal prison on the first really truly gray and windy day. The September segue is finished. And so tonight is all about walking home from work while the sun was long gone, wishing I had a heavier jacket, roasting a chicken in my apartment, and listening to Mount Eerie in one ear, and calling my friends with the other.

Flaming Home - Mount Eerie, Julie Dorion, Fred Squire


Stone's Ode - Mount Eerie




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Benefits

My mother is in town and so I have not had much time to write this week. What I can tell you is that my parade of fun continues, I finished another brief for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a habeas case, and a huge plastic horse now keeps watch over my apartment from atop the china cabinet. And I went to a bunch of benefits this weekend for P:ear, Siren Nation, and Ecotrust's Farm to Schools program. More later, I swear.

This is your government

Arresting a protester at Pittsburg G20.

and the rock did not stop

Wow! So much excitement! I was clearly overstimulated, such that I dropped my phone into pieces while running across MLK. I was trying to catch the bus to see Mariachi El Bronx, but sadly, missed them because I was standing in the middle of MLK looking for parts of my blackberry. I heard the car horns instead of the mariachis. I eventually gave up and made my way to see Sallie Ford and Sean Flinn play at Rontoms in separate, respective and outstanding sets. And there was just enough time to scarf down some noodles at Biwa before we went rushing off to Slabtown for Rachel Blumberg playing as Arch Cape. I wasn't dressed for just any rock show though. No, I was in a purple plaid shirt because Team Dresch and Erase Errata were playing at Rotture later and I pretty much had the best time ever. First off, Erase Errata is One Tight Band. I just got their record because it is never too late. As for Donna's team, it's not so often that I can sing along to all the songs and it is even more fun when done at the top of one's lungs at a punk show. I can still holler out the lyrics to #1 Chance Pirate T.V. like a baby dyke in 1995. That's how it was.


Erase Errata - Tax Dollar

and then at MFNW

and on Friday night, the cavalcade of great music kept rolling: I saw Tara Jane O'Neil do a very fine set at Back Space then popped next door to hear Jared Mees and The Grown Children. Exceptionally entertaining. Wish I could have stayed. But I had to take the bus across the river to see Explode into Colors. And then Pink Mountaintops. And then to a late-night party at 17th NW and Overton where The Thermals played a special set and Dj Safi played my favorite song about sandwiches. Way fun.

Jared Mees & The Grown Children - The Tallest Building in Hell

Detroit Grand Pubahs - Sandwiches

MFNW continuing

So I made my decisions like so: I went to the shows that I thought were the toughest tickets. So if the band was from a foreign land (like Austrailia or Scotland) or otherwise too crazy for me to want to go to another time, then that's what I picked. SO MUCH DAMN FUN. Girl Talk first. Was definitely one of the oldest people in the room and watched a guy climb all over a table with laptops taped to it while girls weilded leaf blowers rigged to shoot toilet paper into the audience. Absolute dance party mayhem.

Then I went and saw Dirty Three. They are a dirge-y sort of instrumental band from Austrailia who make you want to take a quart of whiskey onto a sailboat on a cloudy day. Just super emotive, soaring stuff. A friend recently saw them perform with Nick Cave at All Tomorrow's Parties in New York but it was just the three of them this time.

THEN I got to see Frightened Rabbit, a dear bunch of Scottish guys. I can't explain why I go so bonkers for Frightened Rabbit but they are so great and unassuming live. (and sweaty).

I'm going to post some music later on this evening to go with this post, but I suppose I should practice law just now.

Update: Here's the first batch...

Dirty Three - Distant Shore

Girl Talk - Bounce That

Frightened Rabbit - The Modern Leper

Too Much Rock Thursday

MusicFestNorthWest is on, my people. I am running from show to show all weekend (or probably riding my bike if you must know). Tonight I have to PICK, I can't believe I have to PICK between Dirty Three, Girltalk, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Explosions in the Sky, Frightened Rabbit and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. They are all playing at the same damn time in different clubs.

Idiocy on Parade

For those of you who could not make it to the tea-bagger march on Washington this weekend, here are some protest signs to make your head explode.

Road Trip to the Mountains

Went on a little roadtrip to a wedding yesterday and got to see a new part of Oregon. West of Corvallis in the Coastal Range, down that way. My friends Heidi and Stephen got married and so a buddy and I loaded mix cds and a change of clothes and hit the road for the three hour drive to Alsea, Oregon. Because we would be passing through Oregon wine country and because my friend is a genius, she made reservations for a private tasting at Natalie's Estate, a small little winery near Newburg. After viognier, tasty cheeses, nerdy talk of the char on new oak, and purchasing a couple of bottles for safekeeping, and we were back on the road. The trip down 99W was a pretty extraordinary who's who of Oregon wine production, but no more stopping because The Thyme Garden in Alsea, Oregon beckoned. It was a lovely little herb farm in a high mountain valley far away from the world. Everything about it was perfect and I met a lot of Alaskans and smarty-pants scientists that do things with the atomic clock and radar and pharmaceuticals and so forth. Fun.

Kids today

So I'm hanging out at this resale shop on E. Burnside called Rad Summer. They have what the kids want today and I fear my tastes haven't caught up just yet to the cutting edge of Portland fashion. I'm not saying it isn't cool. It's cool, okay? It's just that I haven't figured out how to rock a yellow neon hoodie and wedgie nurse shoes yet. Yes, it is funny to watch me try.

So I'm going through a carousel rack of clothing that reminded me of what Shaun Cassidy might have worn to a charity bicycle race to raise money for the band Cameo. Two very skinny 20ish guys with long beards and head bands are sitting in the back near the shop's vinyl selection which includes Kay Gardner records on prominent display. The albums hover in the shop like a life preserver of Something I Can Understand. Kay Gardner is an old school lez feminist musician who's been associated with the Michfest that I go to. I cannot be considered a fan, but I know my music herstory and know she's a crystal-lifting, moon goddess gown wearing new age music composer. So I walk over and pick up the record and the two bearded dudes start talking to me about it. Because that's the kind of vinyl that the kids today seek. That's where we are at right now. Whoa.

My crush on Hot Lava continues unabated.

Awesome New Band Alert

I get to say they are new because I just heard them. It's my blog and I make the rules. Anyways, WHERE in the world is there a cuter band than this??? Hot Lava!





Hot Lava - Mummy Beach


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Time Based Art

Sure did see a neat show last night. It was everything I like: contemporary dance, excellent understated costuming, video and super interesting rock and roll. Explode into Colors collaborated with a very interesting dancer/choreographer who goes by the name Janet Pants. It is impossible for me to aptly describe the show, but there was a lot of moving around and it sounded good.

I also ate grasshoppers! No, really.

I plan to spend the next several days slogging between all the great Time Based Art performances. Tonight is Ten Tiny Dances. I love Portland.