Gossip Should Have No Friends

[May 24th, 2006] PIXAR OF P-TOWN? Local animation studio Laika Entertainment (the phoenix that arose from the ashes of Will Vinton Studios) is poised to go big time with the new film Coraline, based on the bestselling book by Neil Gaiman . The film (which won't be released until 2007) will be directed by Henry Selick (James and the Giant Peach) and feature the voices of Dakota Fanning and (according to The Oregonian) Teri Hatcher . Laika also recently announced that Focus Features will distribute Coraline, guaranteeing the flick a global audience. Even though Laika is located across the street from WW's own offices in an industrial pocket of Northwest Portland, we were referred to the studio's Los Angeles-based PR firm for comment. See, they really have gone big-time.

BLOCK ROCK Stephen Malkmus . M. Ward . LKN . Have we got a gig for you all. Portland's "living room," Pioneer Courthouse Square , past host of tame legions of tuba players and banjo enthusiasts, is amping up for an Extreme Guitar Orchestra . The square rocks out this year as PICA's fourth Time-Based Art Festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 7, with a performance by a 50-member electric guitar group led by avant-garde composer John King . Here's the deal: Anybody can audition to play along, so long as they can provide a guitar and amp (so leave your air guitar at home, loser). Bonus: Players get $200 TBA artist passes if they're picked. Email guitars@pica.org for info and audition dates. And don't forget your earplugs.

DRAG OUT The forces behind queer grind party Booty and Holocene's lesbian get-together, TART, have joined to sponsor Total Drag 2006. According to co-organizer DJ Puppet this is Portland's "first-ever national-level drag competition ." Pitting local drag queens against kings and whatever falls in between, the cross-dressing spectacular is slated for Friday, June 16, at the Wonder Ballroom —which, of course, coincides with P-Town's Pride Fest. If you think you've got what it takes to channel Cher (or Prince, for that matter) get a move on. Wednesday, May 31, is your last chance to apply to be a contestant (all ages and genders welcome). Check out totaldrag.com for all the glittery details.

MY BUDDY Portland's frustrated and friendless called, and WW has answered. After receiving a flood of feedback from readers obsessed with Carin Moonin's "FriendSearch" story we ran last month (see WW, April 12, 2006), we're throwin' a big, fat "FriendSearch Meet & Greet" party. It's tonight, 7 pm Wednesday, May 24, at Doug Fir. We're not promisin' you'll find your soul mate, folks, but we do guarantee a few potential BFF candidates.

CONDUCTOR KUDOS Dispatch from the Big Apple: So, James DePreist leaves the Oregon Symphony and now he's hanging out with Philip Glass? The laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony will be honored for his advocacy of young American composers at the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers concert awards in New York City on Thursday night, May 25. DePreist is first in line to get his plaque (before Mr. Glass, another honoree) because he also has to conduct the Juilliard Orchestra the same evening. Luckily, the ceremony and the concert both take place within the friendly confines of Lincoln Center.