portland friday 17 Dave Attell Comedian Dave Attell has built his career and his standup set on getting drunk in strange cities and chatting about his raunchy experiences. Perhaps best known for his Comedy Central television show, “Insomniac with Dave Attell” which visited random US and European cities where Attell would drink irresponsibly and take […]
Music
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Rebirth After Rebirth
Matisyahu’s continued transformation
When I spoke with Matthew Paul Miller—stage name Matisyahu—he was in Minneapolis getting ready for a show at the iconic First Avenue theater. It’s a strange coincidence that he was staying with a friend who helped him record some of the first music he ever wrote when he was living in Bend over a decade […]
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Out of Town 10/8-10/16
portland friday 10 Wanda Sykes With a sense of humor that is both smart and approachable, comedian Wanda Sykes has gone from a National Security Agency staffer doing standup on the weekend to one of Entertainment Weekly’s 25 funniest people and the first African-American woman and first LGBT person to host the White House Correspondents’ […]
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A Spoonful of Sugar
The Mad Caddies sweet swinging pop
Overflowing with horn interludes, driving upbeat drums, and pop-punk guitar, the Mad Caddies’ music, if nothing else, can always be described as fun. In keeping with the band’s reputation, 2014’s Dirty Rice is packed with some of the cheeriest, upbeat, rock, reggae, pop jams of the band’s career. The 19-year-old fusion group worked with Fat […]
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Born in the USA
The Americans are just that
Donning white cotton V-neck t-shirts with the sleeves rolled up, slicked back high-and-tight haircuts, and strumming out old-timey spirituals with a country twist, you’d be hard pressed to find a band that better embodies its band name than The Americans—unless they renamed the band Ode to Vintage Manliness. “Where we are changes the way people […]
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Source Suggests 10/8-10/16
Petunia and the Vipers Let’s start by saying Petunia is a dude. A dude that musically blends every American genre from ragtime to rockabilly. Over western ditties, Petunia yodels and croons in a sweetly ’60s country waltz. The band says they thrive on the challenge of adding Latin rhythms to a country blues tune, or […]
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Source Suggests 10/2-10/9
Kytami and Friends Mixing electronica beats and quick-paced violin instrumentals, Kytami is a unique blend of live music and laptop rock. Taking both classical and EDM to the extremes, her snowballing sound is the perfect backdrop for a digital rocket-fueled adventure through the outer-rim stars and planets, perhaps with some narration by Neil deGrasse Tyson. […]
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Irish Roots Meet Combat Boots
Dropkick Murphys make bagpipes headbang
The first time that Matt Kelly heard punk rock he was in middle school. A friend’s older sister brought over a mix tape and it only took a few bars of “Where Eagles Dare” by the Misfits to send Kelly running home to destroy his collection of heavy metal records (save, of course, he said […]
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Out of Town 10/2-10/9
portland monday 6 Luz Mendoza and Esmè Patterson Front woman of Latin-flavored folk band Y La Bamaba, Luz Mendoza, and former vocalist in Denver folk collective Paper Bird, Esmè Patterson, step out on their own to present a night of lady-centric pop. There are few women who write songs as well as these two, take […]
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Still Trucking
Matt Hopper and the Roman Candles version 5.0
“I look at bands that have four members, if those four members ever quit it’s over. If John dies, the Beatles are done,” said 35-year-old Boise rocker Matt Hopper. This has clearly not been the case for his band, the Roman Candles, who Hopper estimates has had over 100 members since the early 2000s. Hopper […]