Top Five Ways Portland is Different From Austin, Texas.

by Ben Kweller

BEN KWELLER
By WW MUSIC STAFF

Teahouses [WIN: PORTLAND]

Portland has the best teahouse in the world: the

Tao of Tea

. We don't have anything like that in Austin yet. We have great coffee shops, but to really be a tea connoisseur, Portland might be where you want to live.

Swimming holes [WIN: AUSTIN]

Austin's swimming holes are unparalleled.

Trees [WIN: PORTLAND]

We have a pecan tree in our backyard that's very close to our roof. I wondered if there was somebody in town who could come over and mill it into boards. Well, there's a dude in Portland (

urbanhardwoodrecovery.com

) who will come and mill your trees. Which is awesome.

Giant recording studios [WIN: PORTLAND]

Courtney Taylor-Taylor's recording studio is bigger and more awesome than anyone's studio back home in Austin. Willie Nelson's studio comes close to it, but at the end of the day, [Taylor-Taylor] wins.

The chill factor [WIN: AUSTIN]
For two towns that are known for being laid-back and friendly, I think Austin wins. I think people are just a little more chilled out. Just a little. And that’s saying a lot, because Portland is fucking laid-back, dude. We’re talking about two of the best towns in America, so it’s a pretty tough call.

SEE IT: Ben Kweller plays Wonder Ballroom on Friday, April 27. 9 pm. $18 advance, $20 day of show. All ages.

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