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Tears for Queers: In retrospect, the idea of hosting an electronic dance event every Monday night in a club known for rock shows seems as plausible as flying a kite at Cannon Beach in January. Yet here we are, five years later, preparing to commemorate the end of Queer Night's impressive run at LaLuna. "I've always liked Mondays," says Queer Night's founder, a Dutch-born Oregonian who goes by the name of D-J. "In Holland, that was the night when the restaurant workers, the pimps and the prostitutes had their night off, so it was always a good atmosphere." It worked in Portland, too, albeit without many sex industry personnel taking part. Instead, this city's youth and professionals turned up week after week to dance and socialize to records spun by local and visiting DJs. Along the way, Queer Night raised $20,000 for progressive organizations and provided an alternative to the typically weekend-oriented culture here. The event began when D-J brainstormed with friends in the giddy aftermath of the victorious No on 9 campaign, hoping to create a queer-friendly environment that didn't adhere to the status quo scene in which DJs relied on old Madonna and Erasure tunes to keep the dance floor busy. Queer Night brought in cutting-edge turntablists intent on spinning the latest house, techno and trip-hop at a time when Portland's electronic music scene lagged behind that of most other metropolitan cities. DJs such as Aquaman and Oyan got their start here, and their ranks have swelled and spilled over into regular warehouse raves and weekly techno nights such as Absolut Jungle at Zoot Suite (13 NW 13th Ave.) on Thursdays and Mélange (333 SW Park Ave.) on Wednesdays. So why stop Queer Night now that this type of event has edged closer to the mainstream? "Being a host takes too much time and energy," D-J says, speaking on the phone from the set of his friend Gus Van Sant's latest film shoot (a remake of Psycho). Queer Night bows out with the Portland debut of Seattle's promising electronic ensemble Dragonfly, which recently released the ultra-catchy Timestream (Sweet Mother), and well-traveled DJ Onionz from New York City. It's a gala end to a groundbreaking series. Up, Up and Away: They may be young and inexperienced, but a group of musicians from the Eugene-Springfield area have banded together for a West Coast tour that's a small-scale rival to the bloated summer rock fests. The American Girls, Marigold and Lael Alderman will spend most of July shuttling between Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, playing melodic, accessible rock that's already the talk of the music industry. Marigold's fortunes are well-documented; the mop-topped Springfield quartet became a buzz band after being selected one of the top five unsigned groups in the nation in a Ticketmaster contest two years ago. A spate of label interest came and went, but Marigold kept improving its Brit-pop-influenced sound and is close to signing with one of several record companies that have come courting. The American Girls haven't been quite as successful; the band released its 1996 debut, Welcome to Our Lovesick Porch, on a label called Manifesto that fizzled soon after issuing the record. A follow-up went mostly unnoticed. The revamped Eugene quintet will soon unveil a third record, this time on the hometown imprint Elemental. Though he has the least recognition of the three, singer-songwriter Lael Alderman may leapfrog over his compatriots to stardom. The 23-year-old Eugene artist recorded his debut, Slowdrag, with Ezra Holbrook of the band Jacob Marley's Ghost, and the demo made the rounds in L.A., leading to a flurry of label interest. Alderman says he traveled to California and met with representatives from 10 record companies in five days. He signed with Geffen's DGC in April. Alderman writes surprisingly mature folk-rock tunes that merit comparisons to Tom Petty and Dave Matthews, and he sings in a restrained yet confident tone that's as radio-friendly as they come. Raised in Alaska, Alderman attended Oregon State University in Corvallis and later lived in Portland before settling in Eugene. He's assembled a three-piece backing band that will accompany him on the tour. Rumor Patrol: A report in last week's column about Elliott Smith proved incorrect. Smith isn't moving back to Portland from New York, but according to friends, he still considers it a nice place to visit. Spin of the Week:
Billy Bragg & Wilco, Mermaid Avenue (Elektra)--A British folk rocker and an American band adapt lyrics written by Woody Guthrie and come up with some memorable tunes, including a brilliantly tender love song, "California Stars," sung by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. |
