Gossip Should Have No Friends

[January 3rd, 2007] ABOUT LAST, LAST, LAST NIGHT The North Portland outlet of Pix PÂtisserie ran flat out of chocolate by 7 pm on New Year's Eve, leaving the shop without its raison d'Être three hours shy of the free midnight chocolate buffet of truffles, beer and about everything else that can possibly be infused with the confection. Thanks to some unexpected last-minute press the shop was swarmed most of the afternoon and evening. While on her way to a party down the street, owner Cheryl Wakerhauser got called in to save the day, kicking out enough chocolate to keep the shop going until midnight when the buffet—until then under lock and key—was unveiled . It, too, was cleaned out far quicker than expected, about 15 minutes into the new year. And again, Wakerhauser came to the rescue, standing by to refill the buffet until the chocolate orgy settled down, two hours later. >> At Northwest's Trinity Cathedral Church , organist/music impresario John Strege , finger freshly bandaged from a lost argument with a paper cutter, charmed a standing-room-only crowd of about 600 with a two-hour mega-concert of classical music and jazz, culminating in a candlelit group sing-along (with bagpipes) of "Auld Lang Syne." >> Rob Walmart , a covert Portland improv collective, showed up in Disjecta's parking lot and bumped a two-hour set of noisy, psychedelic crunk for the smokers, the claustrophobic and the curious while the Joggers and Quasi played inside. No one was hurt. Masks were worn.

XMAS SHINER 'Twas that magical hour of 2:30 am, and the time for drinking had come an end.... Oh, I'll save us some time and spare you the rhyme: Tube bartendress Sera was struck in the head with a barstool when she refused to serve a patron upon closing time. The Chinatown bar was filled Xmas night with young twentysomethings, escaping home and hearth for an impressive improv set by psych-prog group SubArachnoid and some heavy, droning metal from Thrones. Though the latter act performed a brutal set, Miguel Deleon —who brilliantly left his credit card at the bar —hadn't had enough brutality, and after allegedly striking Sera, apparently took out another bartender's arm and a TV monitor (the drink slingers are OK, not sure about the TV). Tube issued a MySpace bulletin asking for Deleon's address—for use, one assumes, in some sort of hipster back-alley justice. Happy fuckin' holidays.

WHOA, BRO Basic Rights Oregon communication director Rebekah Orr has seen this state's most visible organization dedicated to GLBTQ rights through one of its most active periods. For nearly three years, Orr was on the front lines of such divisive issues as same-sex marriage, civil unions and anti-discrimination laws. As first reported on wweek.com's WWire (Dec. 28), the 30-year-old Orr is moving on. She has accepted a position as the communications director for the House Majority Office in Salem and will start her job in the next few weeks. What does this mean for BRO, which lost its dynamic executive director, Roey Thorpe, in May 2006? Who knows, but it could be good thing for the queer crowd, considering House Speaker-elect Jeff Merkley has said that GLBTQ civil rights will be a high priority for this legislative session.

WHAT YOU MISSED AT WW'S LOCALCUT.COM THIS WEEK Jason Simms watches gore movies with Clit Ripper. >> The Local Cutters pick (and defend) their Best of 2006 runners-up >> Ryan Manhole makes his YouTube motion-picture debut, along with a local punk-rock all-star cast, in Superbird. >> Wombstretcha the Magnificent and company defend their name, win Amy McCullough's love. >> MP3s abound, including the Cutters' favorite songs of the year.

^WEB-ONLY SCOOP:

NEW YEAR UPGRADE Portland State University's School of Fine and Performing Arts has a new dean (and not a moment too soon): Barbara A. Sestak, a PSU faculty member for 25 years and an architect by training, served as the school's interim dean for the past year. Sestak's plans for the school include new professional programs in dance and film, as well as support for K-12 arts education. Her appointment comes at a crucial juncture for the school, which has in recent years severed partnerships with leading arts organizations (including the Portland Piano International Series) and seen the retirement of star faculty members (including soprano Ruth Dobson). Sestak's other responsibilities include oversight of planned renovations at Lincoln and Shattuck halls.