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1. R.I.P., BARRY HAMPTON: There are a handful of musicians in this town who are so well known and loved that you simply couldn’t avoid them if you tried. Barry Hampton, who died Friday, Feb. 4, due to complications from a recent illness, was one of them. Known for his own band, the Triple Grip, and his work with artists as disparate as MC/DJ Ohmega Watts and Jackie-O Motherfucker, Hampton, 42, was a great talent who couldn’t be categorized or pigeonholed, and certainly one of the most charismatic performers in this city’s history. He moved to Portland from Baltimore in 1997, and quickly jumped on just about every stage in town. He will be greatly missed as both a soulful voice and as that uniting force in Portland’s music community. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and his long list of musical collaborators. We imagine, given the reach of Hampton’s music and personality, there will be at least one public memorial or concert (and maybe a rager of a Dookie Jam) in his honor in the coming weeks. UPDATE 6 pm Tuesday, Feb. 8:  Friends, acquaintances and collaborators of late Portland funk/soul/rock/you-name-it icon Barry Hampton are invited to a memorial this Wednesday night at Backspace. The event—which organizers are calling a celebration of Hampton's life—will include music, remembrances and stories. Musicians, fittingly, are encouraged to bring their instruments (or voices) and play (or sing). The festivities start at 9 pm, and despite the awful circumstances, we expect it to be a pretty cracking party.
2. HOLIDAY HAIR STUDIOHAIR ON A ROLL: First it was food, then it was clothing boutiques and now Portland has its first ever “hairstyling cart.” Launched by stylist and former WW cover model Robin Carlisle (we dressed her up as a modern-day Rosie the Riveter for “Crafty Bitches” in 2007), Holiday Hair Studio will open the doors of its vintage travel trailer on Valentine’s Day. Carlisle’s calling it a “brand new species of cart altogether—the service cart.” She explains, “It is everything you would find in a high-end salon, except it is especially tiny and adorable…and private.” Besides individualized hair love, the 1964 Kenskill travel trailer—parked at 116 SE 28th Ave. in the garden of Artemisia Gallery—will boast extras like Parisian macarons baked onboard in a miniature oven. Info holidayhairstudio.com.

1. MEAT-FREE BUZZ: In vegan news, Herbivore Clothing Company has added a small vegan shoe store to its shop; Division’s Portobello Vegan Trattoria has added an ice-cream maker to its kitchen; Irvington’s Blossoming Lotus has added a full-service cocktail bar and happy hour; Backspace Cafe has added real, actual meat to its menu (the horror!); and Belmont Italian restaurant Genoa has added a vegetarian/vegan alternative to its celebrated five-course prix fixe menu.

1. SPEAKING OF CARTS: On Southwest 2nd Avenue and Stark Street, two new Thai carts (sigh) have opened up next door to each other: Thai Tea has taken over the People’s Pig’s old spot and Thai Street Food has repurposed the distinctive cart that has previously housed Joslyn’s Ciao Chow and the Spud Locker. This is within spitting distance of Just Thai, Gin Northern Thai and Thai Basil.

WWeek 2015