Gossip Should Have No Friends

[September 5th, 2007] SCOOP, LITERALLY When your vocal cords are parched from sing-along rockouts to your favorite MusicfestNW acts (see WW’s MFNW guidefor a full schedule), make sure to keep your eyes out for the Ice Cream Man , whose traveling tour of goodwill and free ice cream should soothe your swollen throat. On a mission to give away half a million treats all over the world at different music festivals (100,000 so far in the U.S.), Matt the Ice Cream Man has been pleasuring the palates of sweets-loving showgoers with scoops, cones and pops since 2004. He’ll be serenading Portland with the lovely tinkle of his truck, making special appearances at MFNW venues. Sweet. Check out myspace.com/icecreamman for updates.

I JUST CALLED TO SAY...TWO ORDERS, PLEASE Who would have guessed that when Stevie Wonder was singing “Sugar, Sugar,” he was actually crooning seductively about tasty treats and delectable desserts? Turns out the Motown legend has been chowing down on room-service goodies like chocolate-chip cookies and mimosas during his stay in a suite at the Hotel Monaco . And really, can you blame him? Ohhh sugar, sugar…so addictive—it’s like the other white crack! Can I get a witness??

FUNERAL SONG How do Portlanders react when a beloved landmark closes ? They come out in droves. As reported on wweek.com last week, Friday night marked Music Millennium Northwest’s going-out-of-business party , and the store was swamped. “Let’s hear it for local music!” yelled owner Terry Currier , as local space-pop band Stars of Track and Field took the same stage where countless local and big-name bands have played free, all-ages shows since the store opened 30 years ago. For a few hours, Music Millennium felt more like Dante’s than a record store: Hundreds of people stood shoulder to shoulder in a sticky, humid room. Storm Large , lead singer of Storm and the Balls and contestant on Rockstar: Supernova, cried as she watched the band. Music Millennium Northwest’s stage was the first in Portland she ever performed on. “It’s like the death of a friend ,” said Large about the closing. She also lamented the demise of the brick-and-mortar record store: “They’re going the way of Betamax or Atari or turntables.”See photos and more scenes from Millennium’s 30-year reign.

DON’T SPAM THE OPERA! In last week’s Scoop about the lack of merchandise at Portland performances of Monty Python’s Spamalot , we noted that Portland Opera spokeswoman Julia Sheridan told us the merch crew “couldn’t come to terms with PCPA’s fees,” and therefore were booted from the Keller Auditorium. We did not make it clear that the Portland Opera does not receive a dime from merchandise booths at the Broadway Across America series shows. The Spammers’ disagreement was entirely with Portland Center for Performing Arts , which oversees Keller Auditorium. We regret the error.