Gossip should have no friends

[June 13th, 2007] THE MUSIC MAN The infamous Craig Marquardo has resurfaced, and he's starting himself a magazine, Music Spectator , "the Magazine for the Portland Music Scene." Why does this person's name sound familiar? Maybe you remember Marquardo's delusion-filled bid to bring Major League Baseball to the city in 2003. Or when he was outed by the Oregonian that year for publishing a faked interview with Leonard Nimoy . (To this day, Marquardo insists the interview was real and he has the tape, despite denials from Nimoy.) If that weren't enough to send him into hiding, you'd think getting jail time last year for election fraud would do the trick. It seems the feds couldn't back up Marquardo's claim—made during a Port of Hood River board election—that he'd been a senior VP at Warner Bros. 13 years prior. Other claims included playing minor-league baseball, singing backup for Sting at age 15, making a million dollars before he was 20 and so, so much more—most of it unverifiable. What's next for this journalistic dynamo? Well, the cover story of Music Spectator's debut issue is a Q&A with Chris Isaak . Scoop was unable to verify its authenticity by press time.

WELL-HUNG Grrrr, baby! Among the art currently hanging on the walls of City Hall is the work of graphic graphite "bear" artist Brent Marr . His portraits of gay men with beer guts and handlebar 'staches are part of a group show of proud gay and lesbian artists (including poet/artist Walt Curtis), which is located in the offices of out City Commish Sam Adams . "There's nothing sordid here," says Adams of the second annual showing of queer art in City Hall, which coincides with Portland's Pride Fest (see page 47). "[And yet still Marr] is able to capture the essence of his subjects." And all fellow commish Dan Saltzman's office features are inky images of Asia. He must be sooo jealous.

500 ACTORS WALK INTO A BAR Monday night's Drammy Awards ceremony—the annual event honoring outstanding achievement in Portland-area theater—was the usual coup by Third Rail Repertory and Portland Center Stage , who walked away with six and 10 of the 27 awards, respectively. When Third Rail's artistic director, Slayden Scott Yarbrough , accepted his award for direction, he muttered, "This is starting to get silly ." There were a few surprises, though: Philip Cuomo snagged an award for his direction of Miracle Theatre's Day of the Dead event, La Carpa Calavera, and Chris Harder was honored for his solo show The Centering, which he confessed he hadn't thought anyone had seen .

FINDER IS BACK! WW's fat, fabulous magazine-style guide to Portland is on the streets. Go to wweek.com/finder to locate your copy.

THIS JUST IN! Find a movie! Read the WW review! Check the (constantly updated) showtimes! Buy the tickets! It's all in one magical online place: wweek.com/movietimes. You will never leave our site again!

WEB-ONLY SCOOP:

ECO-THREADS PDX's fashion scene must have been chugging Miracle-Gro lately: Green, urban-wear designer house Sameunderneath is planting its second shop (806 NW 23rd Ave.) right below denim-haven Blake. Sameunderneath's new boutique is strictly retail, unlike its headquarters in the North Mississippi 'hood, which only sells limited pieces from the collection. And you'll no longer have to trek to Bridgeport Village to get your "bouldering capris"—Nau is looking to open up shop within the next year on the Northwest 23rd retail strip as well. According to the modern outdoor apparel's creative director, Scott Fedje, there is a shortlist of contenders, including what used to be home to the Assistance League Portland Thrift Shop (735 NW 23rd Ave.). In more shop news, the English Dept. is leaving NW 23rd and beautifying a new set of digs downtown at 1124 SW Alder St.—just a few doors down from the ultra-modern Canoe. It'll open its new space in early July with new lines from dainty British designer Eley Kishimoto and silk party dresses by Thai designer Kloset. Lucky for us, they're selling the old to make room for the new: From June 22 to 30, relish a 50 percent discount off the entire store's wares.