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March and April bring rain, wind, flowers, allergies and two more Willamette Week Show-of-the-Month parties (keep checking this space for time and location). At these events, we'll be giving away tickets for the Pink Martini and the Maroons show on Friday, March 20, and Mudhoney's concert on Saturday, April 11.
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
During a recent broadcast of KBOO's "After Hours Sound Box," which can be heard very early Monday mornings, Jumbo Da Garbageman of the Lifesavas challenged listeners to match skills with DJ Bless, the young blood from the Wednesday night b-boy/DJ scene in the Modish Building. Both DJ Chill of Five Fingers of Funk and DJ Wicked, representing the Jus Family crew, quickly responded. With the three most visible DJs in the Rose City signed on to represent the various styles of old school and new, the quest for the best was on. The lanky Bless was the first to arrive at KBOO just before midnight last Sunday, March 1. At 1:30 am, when neither challenger had arrived, Bless thought he'd won by default. Then in walked Chill, complete with entourage and a swagger that comes with 13 years of scratching experience. Radio announcements and phone calls were put out for the missing Wicked, but by 2:30 am he was still a no-show and the DJs were anxious to spin. First went Chill, who used his speed and coordination to expose the beats long enough for recognition but twisted them into his own rhythms, giving a performance that left the turntables smoking. Bless followed with seizure-like motions as he cut two records at once using both hands. Experience prevailed and the call-in vote at 3:30 am confirmed Chill as the most agile DJ in Portland. Wicked never did show up, but Jus Family's leader, Cool Nutz, called in to explain that they hadn't expected Chill to be involved. --Geoffrey W. Abraham
$99 Blue Pantaloons
They've been pictured on the pages of Vogue, Women's Wear Daily, Bazaar, Marie Claire and Spur (a Japanese fashion magazine), worn by Beck and Heather Graham, and sold at Barney's in New York. Now low-riding, boot-cut, dark, dark Earl Jeans are coming to Portland. Guys may come by comfortable jeans easily, but any woman knows that finding a great pair of denim trousers is as simple as buying a flattering swim suit. Women's jeans are too long, too hippy or too tapered. Welcome to Suzanne Costas' world, where garments are altered to fit right. Costas has reworked her own clothes, particularly jeans, since high school. She worked as a wardrobe stylist and seamstress before teaming up with boyfriend Ben Freiwald to create the ultimate pair of pants. They're soft, lean and definitely not stonewashed, but they don't exactly come cheap. A shipment of Earl Jeans arrived this week at Odessa (611 NW 13th Ave.), where they will be sold exclusively for $99. The line's Western snap shirt (a not-too-thick denim shirt with flap pockets and pearly snaps) retails for $80. The Ides of March will bring the delivery of Earl Western press pants (the low-rise style with wide belt-loop tabs favored by Beck), white cords and gingham and linen snap shirts. --Christina Melander
Festival 1998
Don't make August vacation plans yet. This year, North by Northwest joins the ranks of sweat-soaked music festivals--like Austin, Texas' South by Southwest--by moving to August. We're excited to announce that NXNW 4 will take place Aug. 20, 21 and 22 at the Hilton Hotel and many steamy local clubs. If you're interested in nominating your band or finding out more information, call 243-2122, ext. 380.
Theater in the Black
A few years ago, administrators for the Portland Center for the Performing Arts were so strapped for cash that they considered closing one of the four theaters in the downtown complex. But when art-world denizens gather Saturday to celebrate the PCPA's 10th anniversary, they'll lift their champagne glasses to the institution's newfound health. "We've achieved a stability," says PCPA Director Harriet Sherburne. The only problem now is that the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and accompanying theaters can't accommodate every group that wants to use them. "All of the halls are overflowing with activity," she says. It's a drastic turnaround. The PCPA's original budget didn't account for repairs and other costs that the buildings would incur after opening in 1987, and until last year, the Intermediate Theater had failed to attract a donor willing to pay $600,000 for the honor of having his or her name attached to the space (Herb Newmark and Jeanne Mittleman Newmark donated $650,000 to the theater in December). In 1994, Multnomah County officials headed off a crisis, allocating an annual infusion of $600,000--from a hotel and lodging tax--to the PCPA. Last year, the county upped the funding to $1.2 million annually, and the city added $300,000 to reduce users' fees in the theaters. Now, Sherburne says, arts representatives are talking about expanding the PCPA to accommodate more groups; currently, the resident companies include Portland Center Stage, Tygres Heart Shakespeare Co. and Tears of Joy, among others. "I hope that in five to 10 years, we'll be opening more doors," Sherburne says. "In the past, we were talking about closing them." Portland Center for the Performing Arts 10th Anniversary, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway. 6 pm Saturday, March 7. $75-$175. Festivities include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, performances by resident companies and a concert featuring Roberta Flack and George Benson. Call 274-6555 for information. --Richard Martin |
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