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Portland’s off-beat dance/pop act Starfucker has come to the realization that their band name is hindering them from getting bigger than they are. There’s the whole problem with not being on the radio or not having their CD sold in certain stores, ad naseum.

And so they have decided to change it, which means a few things: 1) fans will get to pick their new name, 2) It won’t be nearly as awesome as the name they have now, and 3) Probably best to snatch up some Starfucker merchandise before it becomes gone forever.

I get the move, but part of the band’s appeal, aside from the catchy music and great live shows, was their ambivalence towards any sort of success — they gave themselves a difficult band name, wore goofy costumes to their lives shows, etc. 

The band released a statement today explaining the plan: “The truth is we never thought we’d make it this far with Starfucker. It started as just a fun little house-show project, but now that we have the opportunity to do this full-time, travel and continue making music, we don’t feel like the name makes sense anymore.”

The band has encouraged fans to send them ideas for a new name through its MySpace page. The fan whose idea Starfucker adopts will win a Starfucker concert at his or her house.

Starfucker will be touring through the fall before heading back to the studio with its new moniker. Tour Dates are as follows:

September
12 – Morrison, Colo. @ Monolith Festival
14 – Sioux Falls, S.D. @ Nuttys
16 – Chicago, Ill. @ Empty Bottle
17 – Urbana, Ill. @ Pygmalion Festival
18 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Brillobox
19 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ Mohawk
21 – Boston, Mass. @ Middle East Upstairs
22 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Bruar Falls
23 – New York, N.Y. @ Santo’s Party House
25 – Haverford, Pa. @ Lunt Basement, Bryn Mawr College
26 – Durham, N.C. @ Duke Coffee House
28 – Nashville, Tenn. @ The End
30 – Denton, Texas @ Hailey’s

October
1 – Austin, Texas @ Mohawk
4 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Modified Arts
5 – San Diego, Calif. @ The Loft
6 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Echo
7 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Bottom of the Hill
9 – Seattle, Wash. @ Vera Project
10 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Biltmore Cabaret

Last night David Gray called me a “Cheeky straggler,” here is how it went down…

On a slow Thursday night in Portland, the Irish troubodour, David Gray, swept into town and under the radar.  After a quick stop at the Kink Live Performance Lounge, he gifted approximately 50 dedicated fans to a private set to promote his new album, Draw the Line. 

As fans sat in the lobby lounge of Hotel Monaco, David sang tunes from the new record along with the classic hits like ”Babylon.”   Although short and sweet, this intimate performance was better than any of his large scale concerts.   If anything, he should be admired for his flexibility in agreeing to play a hotel lobby.   

A few lucky raffle winners won the chance for a private meet and greet with Mr. Gray afterwards and despite my dedication of standing in line for almost five hours, Mother Karma did not shine on me and provide me with the winning numbers.  Not wanting to be left out, I charmed a crew member and was gifted with the used guitar pick and handwritten set sheet.  Yes! 

Back at the table to make the most of happy hour’s dying minutes, I was still feeling sorry for myself and decided to give it one last college try.   The magical door of the room where David was sequestered opened; this was the time to make my move!   I plead my case to the doorman who obviously felt sorry for this sad sack and let me walk through the gates of “DavidDom” with my friend as a sidekick.  Upon greeting him, he pronounced that we were “cheeky stragglers,” but humored us with signed posters and photos nonetheless. 

To get your own nickname from a celebrity musician, craft a sad story of dedication.  Or, have a nice rack.

Just a quick FYI for any Portland readers.  There’s going to be two major volunteer cleaning efforts around town on Saturday and Sunday.  Yes, it’s sponsored by Safeway, but helping to keep the city we live in clean is important regardless of who’s the driving force behind the initiative.

But also?  For any young guys or pervs out there, the Franklin High School Varsity soccer team will be in action helping clean.  So there’s that.

The Deets

• Saturday, August 8th: From 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Oregon Zoo and from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Pioneer Square
• Sunday, August 9th: From 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Portland’s Children Musuem and from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Oaks Amusement Park.

Now, obviously, cleaning is important and if it were my effort I would’ve choosen to help clean up Old Towne.  Still, you’ve got to appreciate their efforts.  If you make it out, say hey to the soccer team for me.  Otherwise, look for the Safeway Bright Green Tent or get in touch with Shanna Allen at(606)669-7392.

Menomena closed out the 2009 PDX Pop Festival with a set leaning heavily on their breakthrough LP Friend and Foe. They absolutely brought it, to the point that I was worried the people at the front of the stage were going to get crushed from the ripple beginning at the back of the audience.  It was electric in a way that few concerts are.

The band opened the set with the tune “Caught.”  It may or may not be on their upcoming new LP and if it does appear it may have a different name.  The title was something I pulled from drummer Danny Seim’s set list after the encore.  The song itself, feels very un-Menomena-like.  It’s a slow tempo, straight forward affair, with some good harmonies.

If this is on the new album, it really would work as a breather song.  Coming down off one of their more adventurous songs, a chance to catch your breath.  A good transition form the A-side to the B-side (in the parlance of the old people).

So Dave Chappelle surprised Portland by showing up for a 1 a.m. show at Pioneer Square early this morning/late last night.  There was no sound and no one could hear anything, but still.  Dave Chappelle impromptu in Portland.  By all accounts it was exciting/disappointing.

According to Entertainment Weekly, “Chappelle repeatedly praised the peaceful crowd for coming out, cracking a few jokes about the chaotic scene around him, including people (in various stages of undress) congregating up on rooftops at the square.”

Chappelle’s been MIA for five years and yet he still can draw a crowd like this at 1 a.m. on a Tuesday night in Portland.  Damn straight. Wish I coulda been there, but I was too tired to make the trek down there and it was supposedly a rumor.  Damn rumors that are true.

Here are some great photos of the night and a great account from someone who was like 10-feet away.  [via]

Turns out there isn’t much of a difference at all, according to Maud Newton, who made this realization while on his book tour stop in Portland.

As we were walking back to my hotel, it occurred to me that strippers and writers aren’t very different. Both of us demonstrate our skill for the benefit of others, never knowing exactly how we will be repai… No, no. It didn’t occur to me. That’s ridiculous. Strippers and writers are nothing alike, except for their common humanity, and their outsized expectations, and their sadness when those expectations aren’t met, and their essential fragility. I hope her finals go well.

It’s also worth reading because he manages to succinctly sum up what I love about Portland, why it’s so magical if you will.

There at the coffee shop, I heard two things about Portland that would condition the rest of my time there. The first was from an older woman talking on her phone. “It’s beautiful here,” she said, even though there it was pouring rain outside. An optimist. The second was from a young guy talking to a friend of his. “Portland has tons of strip clubs,” he said. Also an optimist.

You won’t really understand unless you live hear, but no one here in Portland really wants that.  So you’ll just have to trust us when we say this is the best city in America.

Should have wrote about this yesterday, but I got caught up in the Celtics game (they had no business winning) and then the season finale of Fringe (good but a little too Golden Compass for my liking).

Regardless, Montreal’s Patrick Watson made their first visit to Portland on Monday night and they were every bit as impressive as they were when I saw them as unknowns in 2007.  Of course it helps they had one of our favorite songs and albums from that year. It goes without saying that we’re excited they’re back on the scene, two years removed from their impressive introduction.

In fact, I’m pretty sure these guys have it in them to be considered in the same breath as Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, etc. when talking about the top tier of bands pushing the boundries of what pop music is and can be.

High praise for sure, but Monday night did nothing to dissuade me from that belief.  Their set was brief and filled with cuts off their superb second album Wooden Arms (Secret City Records), but the standouts were “Beijing,” “Traveling Salesman” and “Big Bird Small Cage.”

Surprisingly, they shied away from their Juno-winning 2006 eponymous record playing only the standout tracks “Luscious Life” and “The Storm.”  Still, despite that, the band delivered it’s trademark swooning, psychedelic jams with a plethora of offbeat instruments – kazoos, banjos, balloons, bazoukis, an octopus-like megaphone, etc.

The real instrument to hear, however, is Patrick Watson’s voice.  It’s an evocative instrument.  He doesn’t so much sing with it, rather, it’s used to swoop through songs providing a gorgeous counter-balance to the pulsing rhythm section and guitar licks.

Three things really stood out for me during the night.  One, they put on a scary good light show.  The duration of the set was basked in dark red light, or had giant shadows projected on the concrete behind them.  It was sultry and evocative of the music they play.  Secondly, I was taken aback by just how much their music is influence by early 20th Century German composition – specifically the theatricality of Bertol Brecht and Kurt Weill.  And third, I don’t recall their drummer being as top notch as he was.  Either he played off his ass that night, or the guy is something special.  He kept the whole show in check with his snappy drum fills and unique beats.

This is a guy and band who cares deeply about his audience, evidenced by playing several songs amongst the audience, even letting a girl in the audience sing the harmonies from “The Storm.”  She was good and Watson acknowledged that by essential letting her take over the song from him.  Few performers would have the confidence in themselves to do that.  When he was amongst the audience you could see how everybody would get quiet to soak it all in.

At the end of the night, after the encore, when the audience refused to leave, Watson brought his band out to the stage for one more impromptu song.  It’s a cool thing he didn’t have to do, but the tiny audience of 100 people or so wanted more.  The band had a little fun with it by doing an improv tune, taking ridiculous song-title suggestions until someone suggested they play the song “Brave Young Cowboy.” Patrick Watson and co. obliged by making the above song up on the spot.  It’s a very good little western ditty.  If you didn’t know it wasn’t made up on the spot, it would be easy to think the song was a B-side.

The Portland music scene is one of the best in the country, right there with Brooklyn, in terms of creativity and the constant flow of must see bands breaking nationally.  Since 2004, Willamette Week has been conducting a “best knew” band poll of PDX’s musical tastemakers.

As an indication past winners have included Menomena, Talkdemonic, Copy, The Shaky Hands, and The Butchers and Builders.

This year’s winner was somewhat of a surprise, as most people figured that Blind Pilot would run away with the poll.  After all the band went from little known “bicycle tour band” into a full-fledged nationally known act on the strength of its debut record 3 Rounds and a Sound. Of course, just becase they became the most talked about Portland band this past year, doesn’t guarantee anything.

Explode into Colors took home top honors in 2009, with Blind Pilot following in a second-place tie with Nurses.

So about that winning band.

Onstage, the trio’s varied backgrounds and musical aesthetics meld into one internationally informed barrage of sound. Shared influences include Japan’s the Boredoms and seminal NYC funk-hop quartet ESG, but EIC is its own animal. Meza and Schonberg make up a sludge-thick but danceable rhythm section, and Treadway alternates between giving the drums even more kick and providing melodic hooks on her various trambonies.

Portland—a city that has embraced original dance music with open arms over the past few years (see previous Best New Bands notables Starfucker and Copy)—has warmed to Explode Into Colors quickly. It’s hard to remember another act that has gained steam so quickly despite a lack of recorded material. But EIC already has a strong local following, separate label deals for three 7-inch records later this year, and a contract with Kill Rock Stars for a full-length release. They’ve been extensively blogged about, including a glowing report from an NME blogger who called the band “chubby grungey girls,” a quip they’re quick to laugh off as comically British.

Other bands to make the list include my two breakout bands from last year snotty punks White Fang and hootenanny folkie Jared Mees and The Grown Children; also making the list were Grouper, Y La Bamba, Guidance Counselor, Ah Holly Fam’ly, and finally, Old Believers.

Solid choices all around and a list that demonstrates Portland’s distinctive musical flavor.  All of those bands have a unique and appealing sound – worth keeping them on your radar.

I’m a bit sad that Bark Hide and Horn didn’t make the list and it still baffles me that their debut album National Road went so overlooked and under-appreciated.  I’m telling you until I’m blue in my face that those guys have greatness stamped all over them.

Photo by Cameron Browne.

That sound you hear is the sound of me losing my shit.  The Big Lebowski is one of my favorite comedies and every year in Louisville, Kentucky they throw a party dedicated to bowling, bands, and booze known as Lebowski Fest.  And every year I think to myself how the hell am I going to get down there so the dude will abide?

Apparently lots of people have had that thought too, a line has been drawn in the sand, and the annual festival is taking a road trip in 2009.  Lebowski’s summer plans officially kick off in Los Angeles on May 7, but the tour will stop in PDX on July 22 and 23.  The first day will be a movie party at the Aladdin Theater and then on the 23 will be the bowling extravaganza at Hollywood Bowling.

The Deets:

Wed, July 22nd – Lebowski Fest Portland Movie Party – Featuring special guests TBA. Followed by a screening of the movie. Ages 21 and over. Doors at 7pm, show at 7:30. @ Aladdin Theater – 3017 S.E. Milwaukie Ave, 97202
$20

Thurs, July 23rd – Lebowski Fest Portland Bowling Party – Bowling, costume, trivia and other contests. Ticket includes bowling* and shoe rental. All ages. 7pm @ Hollywood Bowl – 4030 NE Halsey St, 97232.
$25 Advance / $30 Day of

And if you don’t live in Portland, fret not. The party is making stops in LA, Seattle, San Fran, Portland, San Diego, Las Vegas and Oakland. Sorry east coasters, better luck next year.

Slashfood editors and their readers compiled a list of the best sandwiches in America.  It’s a bit more comprehensive than Esquire’s list, however. 

On one hand it acts as a great primer for someone who loves sandwichs – I now have many places to try in Portland (can you marry a sandwich?) – on the other hand, there are many dubious selections.  MORE »

(photo courtesy of Shetha)

Katee Sackhoff rolled into Portland on Friday night for a lengthy question and answer session dropping curse words like a sailor and nearly causing a nerd riot outside the Baghdad Theater¹.

Sackhoff, who’s originally from the Portland-area, stopped by as a thanks for the crowds showing up week after week to watch BSG on the big screen. It helped that her mother’s birthday was the next day, so it was like killing two birds.

There were lots of “Iloveyouyou’rethebest” types of moments, but Sackhoff did reveal a few interesting tidbits.  Overall, the strength of the questions were top notch.  Kudos to you Stumptown BSG audience.

You can watch the entire session, or you can read the Cliff Notes.  Such as:

• She battled through Thyroid Cancer during the taping of the final season and was so fatigued by the end of taping.

• The ending for BSG was going to be slightly different, but costar Michael Trucco (Sam Anders – one of the final five Cylons) got into a horrible car accident in December 2007 and was nearly paralyzed.  The show was still filming, when Trucco’s accident happened, and since they couldn’t delay filming, the writers had to work with his accident.  Hence, why Sam Anders is in the hospital bed, then the Cylon gloop, his flashback was him in a sports therapy tub, etc. for the final batch of episodes.

• Sackhoff didn’t reveal how the show would have ended without Trucco’s accident.

• Sackhoff luckily passed the iPhone’s Cylong detector app and was discovered to be human.  It was probably one of the funnier moments of the night.

• Everyone is tired of Eddie James Olmos chanting “So Say We All!”

• Her future plans include a just finished Dick Wolf pilot with Brian Cox titled Lost and Found. It’s a more humorous detective show set in Los Angeles, giving her the chance to flex some comedy chops.  She’s also doing the voice for Ms. Marvel, an animated project from Marvel Entertainment.

• The scenes with her mother from the episode “Maelstrom” were her idea, but it wasn’t her idea to have Starbuck killed and then resurrected.

• Apollo and Starbuck will make out one more time in the series finale.

• She sung the praises of Doc Coddle and Saul Tigh, well the actors playing those characters.

• She had to learn to play the Cylon song on the piano, but she hates the piano from years of her parents trying to make her learn the instrument.

• She revealed how her and the Chief had a friendly rivalry to see who could work less.  Whenever Sackhoff wanted to take off and visit her boyfriend she would convince producers that Starbuck wouldn’t be in the scene or talking, etc.

• The best moment was perhaps talking about Eddie Olmos’s fascination for shooting a scene on the toilet.  All throughout the show he’s been trying to convince people to film a scene while pooping on the toilet.  He finally got Starbuck to do it in the scene between her and Gaius Balter a few episodes ago.  Sometimes it helps to be the director when you want to shoot a scene with one of the actors sitting on the pooper.

• Disappointingly, she skirted the discussion about being the new lesbian feminist icon.  Probably because she isn’t a lesbian, but it was unfortunate that she didn’t run with it when one questioner said she’s the new Xena Princess Warrior.

But enough about that.  Let’s go to the video evidence.  MORE »

Katee Sackhoff, better known to you and I as Starbuck, from Sci Fi’s Battlestar Galactica was in Portland last Friday (3/13/2009) night to help Portlanders kick off the show’s three-part series finale.  Little did she know that she would get roped into singing her mom happy birthday.

Eric Johnson has always been a hard musician to pin down, whether it was the early country-psych-pop incarnation of his band The Fruit Bats or disappearing into his role as fifth member of Portland’s The Shins and sometimes member of San Francisco’s Vetiver.

Even his decision to put The Fruit Bats on hold in early 2006 seemed like a curious one – a momentum killer for a band that finally locked down a steady four-piece lineup and released an amazing nature/romantic tinged third album. Just when he decided to shelve the band, music fans realized they were one of the most compelling pop-rock groups combining great lyrics, tightly written songs and excellent musicianship.  Essentially they became The Shins, without the benefit of Zac Braff’s sloppy wet kiss.

There’s no indication as to why he wanted to put The Fruit Bats back together at this point in time.  Three years is a long time in the now and gone world of internet media. But if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say he built up some financial security playing with The Shins and missed his own creative outlet. He’s too good a songwriter and singer to be playing rhythm guitar for another band.

“I almost retired the Fruit Bats name, because this is such a different concept,” he told the Willamette Week. “But we decided not to. We couldn’t think of another band name, anyway.”

The different concept, a newly retooled lineup, rolled into the Mission Theater with a half-dozen new songs, several old favorites and proof that the most interesting aspect of The Fruit Bats hasn’t yet happened yet.  MORE »