Check out the 12th annual program of cinema under the stars. Doors open at 7 pm with food and beverages available for purchase from Gracie’s, Aladdin’s Café, Brass Tacks Sandwiches, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Music begins at 8 pm and films begin around dusk. Entry for advance ticket holders is guaranteed until 8:30 pm. Advance tickets ensure that you will not have to wait in the ticket purchase line but do not guarantee entry after 8:30 pm. A limited number of chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so feel free to bring a chair, pillow, or blanket, along with a light sweater or jacket. Advance ticket holders who arrive after 8:30 pm but are not admitted to the screening (in the case of a sell-out) may exchange their tickets for another Top Down screening. There are no refunds or exchanges for arrivals after the film begins (c. 9 pm) or for entirely missed screenings. Please, no pets or outside food or drink.
Advance tickets are available at nwfilm.org: $10 general; $9 student/senior/PAM member; $7 Silver Screen Club Friend. Tickets at the door are $12 general; $11 student/senior/PAM member; $9 Silver Screen Club Friend.
Download a printable PDF of the Top Down schedule
Want a series pass to Top Down? Join the Silver Screen Club at the Supporter level or above before June 30th and bring along a guest for free! Learn more
Films:
The 13th Annual PDX Pop Now! Festival July 22-24 at AudioCinema with performances from 44 Portland bands!
Taking place under the Hawthorne bridge at AudioCinema, the festival will feature two outdoor stages, a record fair, street fair, food carts, and the annual band on band basketball tournament Rigsketball—carrying on the tradition of being one of the most interactive and community focused festival experiences.
w/
1939 ensemble
A Volcano
Ali Muhareb's Mujahedeen
Andrew Endres Collective
Antecessor
Arlo Indigo
Blow Out
Bobby Peru
Cat Hoch - band
Cilantro
Consumer
Coronation
Dead Cult
Disemballerina
Dragging an Ox through Water
Eyelids
Force Publique
Fossa Club
Fur Coats
Gold Casio
Jenny Don't And The Spurs
Landlines (Portland)
Lithics
Little Star
Loch Lomond
Lola Buzzkill
Love Cop
Maze Koroma
Mic Capes Music
Mr. Bones
Old Grape God
Sabonis
SAOLA
Sleeping Beauties
Snowblind Traveler
Speaker Minds
Summer Cannibals
The Tamed West
Tender Age
The Living Skins
The Scribes
Tiny Knives
Wooden Indian Burial Ground.
Festival artwork by Glenn Henrickson
LAST SUNDAYS: Join XRAY DJs as we create the soundrack at the Portland Flea. April 24 / May 29 / June 26 / July 31 / August 28 / September 25 / October 30 / November 27
Portland Flea + Food is a gathering place for the best of Portland’s makers, food purveyors and curators of vintage to sell their wares and grow their businesses. The monthly event takes place on last Sundays of the month from 11-4pm at Rejuvenation and Jacobsen Salt Co. The market consists of 4 sections:
Decor + Furniture: Rejuvenation’s back lot will play host to home wares both new and vintage. You’ll find ceramicists, re-furbishers, re-upholsterers, woodworkers, letterpress and some good old junk.
Apparel + Accessories: In the lot across 6th Ave. you will find everything you’ll need for your wardrobe & body. Show stopping vintage pieces and new handmade digs from designers in town.
Collaborators + Showcase: Inside Rejuvenation’s store you can find a collection of top local designers who have inspired collaborations on exclusive product lines with the store. There is also a guest showcase featuring artisans and workshops dedicated to progressing creative business.
Food + Drink: In Jacobsen Salt Co’s lot you will experience the best of our local food and beverage scene. Dine on a select group of rotating food trucks and pick up artisan food/drink stuffs from local producers.
The 15th annual Portland Zine Symposium is happening on Saturday, July 18th and Sunday, July 19th at the Ambridge Event Center. Both days run from 11am-5pm and are free to attend!
There will also be a kick-off event Friday, July 17th and a Saturday night after-party, both happening at the Independent Publishing Resource Center.
About: The Portland Zine Symposium is a free conference and zine social exploring facets of independent publishing and DIY culture. It consists of two days of workshops, panels, discussions, games, and over 150 tablers from around the world selling their zines and handmade wares.
*****EVENTS*****
Friday, July 17th @ IPRC, 7pm, Free
PZS Kick-Off with guest speaker Cindy Crabb!
www.facebook.com/events/604803356289303/
Saturday, July 18th @ Ambridge Event Center, 11am-5pm, Free
All day tabling and workshops!
Saturday, July 18th @ IPRC, 7-11pm, $3-5 Suggested Donation
PZS Saturday Afterparty w/ readings from Dave Roche, Blair Bogin, Vicky Lim, and Jim Joyce and music from Golden Hour and Freeform Portland DJs.
www.facebook.com/events/1631060113827366/
Sunday, July 19th @ Ambridge Event Center, 11am-5pm, Free
All day tabling and workshops!
Sunday, July 19th @ Turn! Turn! Turn!, 5pm-7pm
Cool Down Cocktail Hour
Chill out after a long weekend of zine trading with some cold beverages, an in-house zine collection, and record shopping at this eclectic spot. And stick around after for a free show from Grand Style Orchestra.
*****WORKSHOP SCHEDULE*****
SATURDAY
12-1pm: How to Write a Novel in a Month
Jayna Ostler
Come learn the basics of hashing out bare-bone outlines and character building for writing your book ideas out in the span of a month. We’ll discuss different tactics for planning and different ways to pace yourself in order to accomplish this challenge.
2-3pm: Making QPOC Space in Zine-ing and Art (and Life)
Anna Vo, Nia King
Where certain identities are de-legitimized in mainstream media and alternative media; how do we make spaces for QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR to survive and thrive, and be supported in their craft? Hosted by Anna Vo of Fix My Head zine and Nia King of Queer and Trans Artists of Color.
3-4pm: Creative Nonfiction for Zinesters
Joshua James Amberson
Looking to take your writing further? Join us as we play with techniques from personal essay, hybrid nonfiction, and experimental memoir to find new ways to tell our stories. Led by zinester and Portland Community College writing instructor Joshua James Amberson.
3-4:30pm: Podcasting 101
Julie Sabatier
Julie Sabatier, host of Rendered (formerly Destination DIY) and author of the How to Make Radio zine series talks about what it takes to start and sustain your own podcast, plays some clips, and takes your questions!
4-5pm: Mending Your Dress:Coping with Trauma through Writing
Neelybat Chestnut
Presentation on sharing, oversharing, and not sharing. Host NeelyBat Chestnut (Mend My Dress Press) will offer her insights on the formidable task of writing about deeply personal and vulnerable topics, such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as the balance between sharing and oversharing.
SUNDAY
12-1pm: Writing as a Tool to Strengthen Critical Consciousness
Cindy Crabb
Cindy Crabb, the author of long-running Doris zine, and editor of Support, Learning Good Consent, Filling the Void, and Masculinities, will be hosting a writing workshop led by on using personal/autobiographical writing as a tool for strengthening critical consciousness.
1-2pm: Art and Trauma Through Exploration of 90’s Riot Grrrl Zine Movement
Amber Dawn
Art and Trauma: An examination of the Riot Grrrl ’90s confessional zine movement. This panel discussion offers a rare glimpse at marginalized zine makers addressing issues of race, transgendered identity, and parental violence.
2-3pm: Essential Tools for Coping with Sadness, Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
Sage Liskey
The Rad Cat Press and Sage Liskey, author of The Happiest Choice: Essential Tools for Everyone’s Brain Feelings will present the best techniques for coping with and preventing mental forms of suffering such as anxiety, sadness, stress, and depression… With pictures of cats!
2-3pm: Books: Publishing and Self Publishing
Alex Wrekk, Martha Grover, Adam Gnade, Sage Adderley, moderated by Joshua James Amberson
Join a panel of publishers talking about publishing books from zinester perspectives. Representatives from Pioneers Press and Sweet Candy Press plus zinesters that have self published and had their work published by others. What does the process look like? What does the press expect from you and what does the author expect from the publisher are only a few of the topics that will be covered.
3-4pm: Comic Jam 101
Katy O’Brien
Cartoonists of any age and skill level are invited to join us for an exploration of jam comics – improvisational comics made in collaboration with multiple artists. We will take a look at some finished jam comics, discuss different approaches to collaborating and then break out the pens & pencils and make some jam comics on the spot!
4-5pm: ZOE (Zine Event Organizers) Support Group
Alex Wrekk
Do you work on a zine event? Do you sometimes struggle with things like fundraising and promotion? Do you have questions to ask or great ideas to share? Come to this workshop and share you joys and woes of event organizing whether you host zine readings, teach zine workshops, or organize a zine fest. Let’s talk!
Every even year, Disjecta Contemporary Art Center presents the Portland Biennial, a major survey of Oregon visual artists who are defining and advancing the state’s contemporary arts landscape.
Thirty-four artists and artist teams have been selected by Curator Michelle Grabner for Disjecta Contemporary Art Center’s Portland2016 Biennial exhibition.
Michelle Grabner, co-curator of the 2014 Whitney Biennial, reviewed over 400 artist submissions and conducted more than 100 studio visits across the state—perhaps the most extensive outreach to Oregon contemporary artists to date—prior to finalizing her choices. As a result, Portland2016 includes 13 artists from outside the Portland metro area, more than all previous biennials combined.
“From La Grande to Ashland, I was looking for work that addressed global realities as much as it embraced radical regionalism. By listening attentively to the language that frames artists’ imaginations while witnessing the space of making, my 105 studio visits yielded a treasure of exhilarating work. It was a privilege to transverse the state of Oregon and to meet with artists and arts professionals who are enthusiastically committed to fostering a spirited culture in the region,” Portland2016 curator Michelle Grabner says.
The thirty-four artists selected range from emerging to mid-career and work in a variety of media from installation, film/video, painting, craft and social-based practices, to site-specific works that challenge the viewer’s contemplation of space. They include:
Avantika Bawa, Portland
Carla Bengston, Eugene
David Bithell, Ashland
Pat Boas, Portland
Mike Bray, Springfield
Bruce Burris, Corvallis
Julia Calabrese & Emily Bernstein, Portland
Cherry / Lucic, Portland
David Eckard, Portland
Tannaz Farsi, Eugene
Jack Featherly, Beaverton
Howard Fonda, Portland
Julie Green, Corvallis
Midori Hirose, Portland
Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Portland
Colin Kippen, Portland
Anya Kivarkis, Eugene
Michael Lazarus, Portland
Charlene Liu, Eugene
Giles Lyon, Portland
Ellen McFadden, Portland
Whitney Minthorn, Pendleton
Donald Morgan, Eugene
Brenna Murphy, Portland
Julia Oldham, Eugene
Rebecca Peel, Portland
Lisa Radon, Portland
Jon Raymond, Portland
Jack Ryan & Chi Wang, Eugene
Heidi Schwegler, Portland
Rick Silva, Eugene
Storm Tharp, Portland
Weird Fiction, Portland
Ryan Woodring, Portland
“Michelle is an artist advocate. She places preeminent value on the studio practice—and conversations in, and about, the studio inform her curatorial interest,” says Disjecta Director Bryan Suereth. “Portland2016 will undoubtedly reflect the candid and engaging process Michelle favors.”
In addition to those artists selected for the Biennial, the 71 artists who also received a studio visit have been invited to participate in Salon: Portland2016 Biennial, The Studio Visits, a curatorial index that celebrates the broad spectrum of art-making in Oregon and illuminates the research and selection process of the curator.
Portland2016 is the fourth Biennial presented by Disjecta, and, for the first time, the exhibition will extend beyond Portland, activating locations around the state and making the exhibition available to a larger and more diverse audience. Confirmed sites are in Pendleton, La Grande, the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Bend, Madras, McMinnville, Astoria, Roseburg, and Ashland, with more venues planned.
Portland2016 is supported by the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Robert Lehman Foundation, as well as our partnering venues.
ABOUT MICHELLE GRABNER
Incorporating writing, curating and teaching with a studio practice grounded in process and productivity, Grabner has created a multi-faceted and dynamic career. She is founder and co-director, along with her husband Brad Killiam, of three artist spaces that embody new models for facilitating and presenting artists’ projects: The Suburban, in both Riverwest and Walker’s Point, WI; and The Poor Farm, a year-long exhibition space at the former Waupaca County Poor Farm in Little Wolf, WI. Her criticism and essays are published in Artforum, Modern Painters, Frieze, Art Press, and Art-Agenda, among others. In 2014 Grabner was one of three curators for the prestigious Whitney Biennial.
As an artist, Grabner works in variety of mediums including drawing, painting, video and sculpture. Over four dozen solo exhibitions of her work have been organized by galleries and institutions including the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; INOVA, The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ulrich Museum, Wichita, KS; and University Galleries, Illinois State University. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Milwaukee Art Museum; DaimlerChrysler Collection, Berlin; Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg; Mudam Museum, Luxembourg; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Grabner joined the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996, becoming Chair of its Painting and Drawing department in 2009. She has taught at Yale University, Bard College, The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the University of Wisconsin, the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania. Grabner holds an MA in Art History and a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and an MFA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University.
As David Norr writes in the introduction to her solo exhibition at MoCA, Cleveland, “All of Grabner’s activities are driven by distinctive values and ideas: working outside of dominant systems, working tirelessly, working across platforms and towards community.”
ABOUT THE PORTLAND BIENNIAL
A major survey of work by artists who are defining and advancing contemporary art practices, Portland2016 will include exhibitions, events and performances in multiple locations from July 9 through September 18, 2016. Disjecta’s 6,000-square-foot exhibition space in north Portland’s diverse Kenton neighborhood will be the central venue for Portland2016. And for the first time, Portland2016 will include venues across Oregon in addition to satellite locations in all five “quadrants” of Portland. A full list of partner locations and the artists exhibiting at each will be released in April.
Portland2016 continues the tradition of the Oregon Biennial, begun by the Portland Art Museum in 1949. With the end of the Museum’s Biennial in 2006, Oregon artists lost a longstanding platform for career advancement. In 2010, Disjecta reintroduced the Biennial, curated by then-Linfield College Gallery Director Cris Moss. The exhibition spanned nine venues throughout Portland and included 19 Oregon artists. Portland2012 presented the work of 24 artists at five venues and was curated by Prudence F. Roberts, former curator of American Art at the Portland Art Museum. Portland2014 was curated by Amanda Hunt, Associate Curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and included 15 artists.
For Biennial artists, Portland2016 offers opportunities for critical response from media and peers, and exposure to new and national audiences and patrons. This use of multiple venues will allow artists the space and flexibility to develop work specifically for this opportunity. A catalog with essays by visiting and local writers will support the exhibition.
ABOUT MICHELLE GRABNER
Incorporating writing, curating and teaching with a studio practice grounded in process and productivity, Grabner has created a multi-faceted and dynamic career. She is founder and co-director, along with her husband Brad Killiam, of three artist spaces that embody new models for facilitating and presenting artists’ projects: The Suburban, in both Riverwest and Walker’s Point, WI; and The Poor Farm, a year-long exhibition space at the former Waupaca County Poor Farm in Little Wolf, WI. Her criticism and essays are published in Artforum, Modern Painters, Frieze, Art Press, and Art-Agenda, among others. In 2014 Grabner was one of three curators for the prestigious Whitney Biennial.
As an artist, Grabner works in variety of mediums including drawing, painting, video and sculpture. Over four dozen solo exhibitions of her work have been organized by galleries and institutions including the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; INOVA, The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ulrich Museum, Wichita, KS; and University Galleries, Illinois State University. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Milwaukee Art Museum; DaimlerChrysler Collection, Berlin; Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg; Mudam Museum, Luxembourg; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Grabner joined the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996, becoming Chair of its Painting and Drawing department in 2009. She has taught at Yale University, Bard College, The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the University of Wisconsin, the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania. Grabner holds an MA in Art History and a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and an MFA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University.
As David Norr writes in the introduction to her solo exhibition at MoCA, Cleveland, “All of Grabner’s activities are driven by distinctive values and ideas: working outside of dominant systems, working tirelessly, working across platforms and towards community.”
ABOUT DISJECTA
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center builds ambitious programs that promote artists and engage communities.
These programs present forward-thinking work from visual and performing artists, provide crucial resources so that artists can realize their best work, and fuel collaborations between artists, curators, and viewers. Disjecta exacts equal rigor from local and national artists, while keenly recognizing and supporting the talent of the region.
Press List
- March 9th, 2016 | Writer Jon Raymond’s 20-Year Portrait of the Portland Art Scene, Willamette Week
- February 3rd, 2016 | Disjecta Announces Artists For 2016 Biennial, Oregon Public Broadcasting
- February 3rd, 2016 | Artist List Announced for Portland2016 Biennial, Artforum
- November 30th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner at PNCA, Temporary Art Review
- November 19th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner gave a talk at PNCA. Here is a recording.
- June 15th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner Named Curator of Portland’s Contemporary Art Biennial, Artforum
- June 15th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner Announced as Portland2016 Biennial Curator, Artnews
- June 15th, 2015 | Disjecta Recruits a Distinctive National Curator for its Biennial, Oregon Artswatch
- June 15th, 2015 | Disjecta Announces Big Deal Curator for Portland2016 Biennial, Portland Mercury
LETS CELEBRATE 10 AWESOME B-SIDE YEARS!! WE'RE BLOCKING OFF 7TH AVE.
B~SIDE BLOCK PARTY!! OUTDOOR STAGE, AND BARS.
GET HERE EARLY. THIS WILL SELL OUT!
SAT. JUNE 25TH NOON-10PM
RED FANG
BIG BUSINESS
HELMS ALEE
RABBITS
GAYTHIEST
COUGAR
THORNES
SUICIDE NOTES
FRUIT OF THE LEGION OF LOOM
FULL CREATURE
Sponsors
PBR
POINT BLANK
XRAY FM
Important info:
21 and over. Bring ID.
Doors at noon.
Music ends at 10.
Tickets at the door day of event only, no pre-sale.
GET HERE EARLY.
Cash only. (we have an ATM)
This is a block party on 7th ave, enter through the bar.
B-Side Tavern
632 E Burnside St
This is going to be fun, y'all.
The 6th Ever Quiet Music Festival of Portland
On June 24th and 25th, 2015, Chris Johanson’s sixth annual Quiet Music Festival of Portland will
once again transform contemporary art space Disjecta into a tranquil cave of sonic serenity. Tuning
in and zonking out are equally encouraged as this year’s line-up takes you through soft sets
tailored to the festival’s ethos while you float on a sea of plush surfaces.
Celebrating the power of turning the dial down, the lowest-key festival in the land spans two
nights in Portland. Valet, Larry Yes, Sun Foot and Bouquet will all perform and Mary Gaitskill will do
a reading. The full list of artists will be released in April.
Mississippi Records’ Eric I returns to helm the festival’s DJ booth and spin copious amounts of medicinal vinyl.
The festival will be recorded by Seth Lorinczi (2-Track Mind Studio) using a vintage 2-track 1/4” tape
deck. Past recordings can be found at quietmusicfestivalofportland.bandcamp.com. The technology is
old, clunky and obsolete, but the recordings capture the special hush and tranquility of the QMF.
About Chris Johanson
Chris Johanson established the Quiet Music Festival of Portland in 2011 as a community listening
experience. His recent exhibitions include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Malmo
Museum, SFMOMA, and UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Johanson’s work has been included
in the Whitney Biennial, the 8th Istanbul Biennial, and the 4th Berlin Biennial. In 2013 publishing
house Phaidon released his monograph as part of its Contemporary Artists Series. Johanson created
the record label Awesome Vistas which produces limited edition vinyl records and publications, and
the creative enterprise J and C Arts in collaboration with his partner, Johanna Jackson.
About Disjecta Contemporary Art Center
Founded in 2000, Disjecta Contemporary Art Center builds ambitious programs that promote artists
and engage communities. These dynamic programs showcase new work and fuel collaborations
between artists, curators and viewers that impact and intervene in the larger contemporary arts
dialogue. Disjecta’s reach extends far beyond the arts and encompasses the true essence of a cultural
facility: a place where ideas, dialogue, creativity, and diversity flourish.
Images are here https://www.flickr.com/photos/disjectapdx the first section is last year— Photo credit is Sean Ongley/THRU Magazine.
And these are from previous years https://www.flickr.com/photos/disjectapdx/collections/72157651361195357/
The music of The Growlers is unmistakable.
Sure, you can hone in on some influences baked into the work of this California-bred band. Heck, even they’d cop to a few, like Ricky Nelson and The Clash. But once those same RIYL tags have been filtered through the minds and hands and voices of this five-piece, there’s simply nothing else like it.
The Growlers took the phrase “Beach Goth” as an apt descriptor of their music. Sunburned and salty, that term perfectly describes their distinctive melding of reverb heavy surf guitar and Bakersfield-style honky tonk with ‘80s post-punk.
This is especially true of Chinese Fountain, The Growlers’ fifth full-length set to be released on September 23rd via Everloving Records. The 11 songs found on it are some of the strongest that they’ve committed to tape yet; a byproduct not only of eight years in the trenches together, but finely honing their gypsy folk dirges and psychedelic sea shanties to fans at close to 150 shows each year. The connection between vocalist Brooks Nielsen and guitarist Matt Taylor (the principal songwriters of the group) has only grown deeper.
“The band played better than they’ve ever played,” says Nielsen. “We’ve got the process down now. There’s less screwing around to get the songs laid out and we weren’t waiting around for take after take. We knew it and we played without much time to spare.”
That confidence bleeds through every track on Chinese Fountain, with the band assured enough to layer in shades of many new influences: the loping ska beat of “Dull Boy” and “Going Gets Tuff,” the playful disco beat behind the title track, or the Teardrop Explodes-like agitation of “Good Advice.”
Not that the band left themselves much room to second-guess anything. The five spent about three weeks writing the tracks, and about half that time in the studio recording them. That may sound rushed, but it’s not as if you can hear any strain on the finished product; Chinese Fountain is as rock solid and watertight as anything in their still-growing discography.
There’s evolution to be heard in Chinese Fountain as well, courtesy of some of Nielsen’s most pointed and poignant lyrics to date. He takes our obsession with the online world to task on the funky title track. When he drops the bomb that obliterates that most famous of Beatles’ claims with "The internet is bigger than Jesus or John Lennon” he re-contextualizes Marshall McLuhan's "the medium is the message" in the same breath. He urges positivity no matter the obstacles (“Going Gets Tuff”). Too, he reveals a tattered heart to the world on tracks like “Rare Hearts” and “Love Test.”
“This is my chance to let it all out,” Nielsen says of these songs. “I kind of bottle things up and don’t really get emotional. But I think if I don’t open up, I’d be a really stale person.”
All Ages | Bar w/ ID
SONG OF LAHORE
Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30pm | $9 | Buy advance tickets here.
A soul-stirring profile of Pakistani jazz band Sachal Studios as they venture to New York City to perform their sitar-and-tabla reinterpretations of jazz standards with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center.
With its ancient palaces and stately gardens, the Lahore of Pakistan’s 1947 independence was a haven and a muse for musicians, artists, and poets. The city came alive to the beat of a tabla drum; with a musical culture passed down over centuries and a thriving film industry, opportunities were great for the legion of musicians that called Lahore home.
Today, this vision of Lahore exists only in myth. Islamization, ethnic divisions, war and corruption have torn apart the cultural fabric of Pakistan, and the sounds of the tabla no longer drift through the old city’s bazaar.
In 2004, Izzat Majeed founded Sachal Studios to create a space for traditional music in a nation that had rejected its musical roots. After convincing a number of master musicians to pick up their instruments again, they quietly released some classical and folk albums. But it is an experimental album fusing jazz and South Asian instruments that brings Sachal Studios worldwide acclaim. Their rendition of Dave Brubeck’s Take Five becomes a sensation, and Wynton Marsalis invites them to New York to perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. After a groundbreaking week of rehearsals fusing the orchestras from Lahore and New York, the musicians take to the stage for a remarkable concert.
Despite their rising international acclaim, Sachal Studios remains virtually unknown in Pakistan. The ensemble is faced with a daunting task; to reclaim and reinvigorate an art that has lost its space in Pakistan’s narrowing cultural sphere. Watch trailer here.
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/sonic-cinema/#sthash.PIDsXw7a.dpuf
AS I AM: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DJ AM
Sunday, June 12 at 7:00pm | $9 | Buy advance tickets here.
A retrospective look at the life and work of influential electronic music DJ, Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM.
DJ AM experience meteoric success through raw talent and sheer determination, overcoming what for others might have been staggering adversity, before tragically succumbing to the demons that dogged his life and career. The film’s pacing and style captures the frenetic speed and dynamism of DJ AM’s life as well as introspective moments of candor and insight. Watch trailer here.
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/sonic-cinema/#sthash.PIDsXw7a.dpuf
M
SAT JUNE 4, 2016
Back Fence PDX: MAINSTAGE | Flirting With Disaster
DOORS 7:00PM | SHOW 8:00PM |21+
ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE | 3000 NE Alberta St
FEATURING returning crowd favorites Actress/Writer MOON ZAPPA(LA) and Financial Advisor, Upcoming United Solo Theatre Festival Performer ROBERT KATSUNO (VANCOUVER), along with soon-to-be-favorites: Award Winning Poet, NuYoRican Poet’s Café Grand Slam Champion XAVIER CAVAZOS (Ellensburg), Technnologist, Completed 4-Year Philosophy Degree in 15 Years, KARL MIDDLEBROOKS (PDX), and Veterinary Technician, Animal Rescuer & Caregiver KAHLIE TOWLE(PDX)!
For a special price we offer a limited number of VIP tickets, reserved until 7:50pm, on the front rows of the main floor.
*Storytellers subject to change without notice. Stories may contain explicit language and/or subject matter.
We Out Here Magazine and XRAY.FM present
THE THESIS | June 2nd, 2016
celebrating our photographer Renée Lopez's birthday
our line-up this month features...
Mic Capes Music
Maze Koroma
STRAY
SamuelThe1st
with guest DJ TROX Diesel
+ a special guest
$5 at Kelly's Olympian in Portland, OR for First Thursday. 21+. Make sure to get out there early, as The Thesis tends to sell out quickly!
Performers and Shows Announced!
"We’re proud to present the preliminary lineup for the ninth installment of the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, taking place June 1-5, 2016. With performances from recent Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award-winner Rachel Bloom of CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Oscar nominee Aimee Mann, rock legend Ted Leo, long-form improv from alums of SNL, Best in Show and The Office, and standup from greats including Eddie Pepitone, Martha Kelly, Matt Braunger, Baron Vaughn and Karen Kilgariff, this year’s fest is not to be missed. Tickets go on sale soon, with festival passes and select individual show tickets available for purchase.
Stay tuned for more lineup announcements over the coming weeks, and in the meantime browse our list of performers and shows to see what’s in store for this year’s Bridgetown, and we’ll see you in June!" -Bridgetown
Discogs and XRAY have joined forces to bring some of our favorite DJs together for one night at Dig a Pony. They'll take turns selecting from their crates (playing nothing but rare vinyl) all night long. Come hang out with Discogs and XRAY and hear sets that sound like no others:
Cuica (Missisippi Records)
DDDJJJ666 (Hipsters Suck, Crossroads Records)
Morning Remorse (Blind Dates with Morning Remorse)
Rev Shines (Lifesavas, Today's Good News)
Drink Specials for XRAY Members (Bring your Membership Keychain!)
FREE
In April 1985 Valerie Day, John Smith, and their band Nu Shooz, released the five-song EP ‘Tha’s Right!’. Acting on a dare from a local music writer, Gary Bryan of Portland Oregon’s KKRZ put the song “I Can’t Wait” on the air. Listener reaction was strong and immediate- the kind of response known in radio jargon as ‘Instant Phones.’
But this was no overnight sensation. By the time the whole world heard about the Soul band from Oregon, they’d spent seven years onstage, four hours a night, four or five nights a week. So, when their spotlight moment came, the Shooz could get up and play.
By the end of the year “I Can’t Wait” was a regional hit. But the song really took off when it was remixed by Dutch DJ Peter Slaghuis. Atlantic Records signed the band in January 1986. “I Can’t Wait” eventually reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other hits followed. Nu Shooz was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 1987.
What a long, strange, beautiful trip it's been.
Fast forward to the present…
After a lengthy hiatus from the world of pop/funk and soul, (to raise a family and play other styles of music,) Valerie and John revive the Nu Shooz sound. The husband and wife team are back on the road as part of the Super Freestyle Explosion Tour and the live eight piece band, Shoo-Horns and all, are playing shows for the first time in 25 years.
$ 20.00 General Admission
$45 VIP Tickets: Limited quantity. Ticket includes band meet & greet at sound check, signed CD, drink ticket, and special VIP area seating. Only available on the Nu Shooz ‘Bagtown’ Pledgemusic page:
www.pledgemusic.com/projects/bagtown
Not in Portland but would like to see the show?
Nu Shooz is excited to be partnering with Portland's own local event streaming company Audioglobe.
$5 Livestream on Audioglobe:
http://www.audioglobe.com/event/254/1026
Age Limit:
21+
Bayou Maharajah explores the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker, the man Dr. John described as “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” A brilliant pianist, his eccentricities and showmanship belied a life of struggle, prejudice, and isolation. A wild genius with a style that combined elements of rhythm-and-blues, jazz, ragtime and classical music, he gained the nicknames “Piano Prince of New Orleans”, “Black Liberace” and “Bayou Maharajah”. Illustrated with never-before-seen concert footage, rare personal photos and exclusive interviews, the film paints a portrait of this overlooked genius.
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/bayou-maharajah/#sthash.9vg7EB1h.dpuf
$9 | Buy advance tickets here.
When guitarist and composer Robbie Basho died in 1986, he was so little-regarded that all his records were out of print. In the 30 years since, a small but fervent cult has coalesced around Basho’s mystic air; his masterful synthesis of country-blues picking with classical and global influences; and his keening, otherworldly voice. Liam Barker‘s doc seeks to unravel the mysteries of this cryptic artist’s music and mind with help from a Basho fan himself, Pete Townshend, and fellow acolyte of the Sufi spiritual master Meher Baba.
See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/voice-of-the-eagle-the-enigma-of-robbie-basho/#sthash.8k539aCz.dpuf
$9 | Buy advance tickets here.
Sonic Cinema is back with MAD TIGER!
Friday, April 15 at 9:30pm | $9 | Buy advance tickets here.
Yellow and Red have been best friends, band mates, and business partners touring the United States in a performance-art punk band called Peelander-Z for the last fifteen years. When Red decides to quit, their relationship is tested by life beyond the band.
Part of our Sonic Cinema Festival which presents the best in new and classic music documentaries on the big screen… with big sound! A feast for the eyes and ears, the festival explores a wide range of musical artists, genres and styles.
Sonic Cinema Sponsored by:
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/mad-tiger/#sthash.9co9aexk.dpuf
Design Week Portland is a week-long, city-wide series of programs exploring the process, craft, and practice of design across all disciplines. Our mission is to increase appreciation and awareness about design and its far-reaching effects on matters of cultural and social relevance, including community development, education systems, and the economy.
Portland has always been a bit different. And within the last decade or so, the rest of the world has taken notice. Forever pushing forward, our compact city continues to emerge as a dynamic center of creativity, composed of a vital community of designers and makers at its core. We create. We collaborate. We try new things. We grow. And so, to best reflect the culture here, Design Week Portland stitches together the events and happenings that will connect, educate, and inspire.