Colin Meloy, Stephen Malkmus and Other Portland Indie Rock Dignitaries Are Playing a Virtual Benefit Concert for Sarah Iannarone

The event is called “Vote Out the Gas”—as in “tear gas.”

Colin Meloy performing at the Crystal Ballroom in 2016. IMAGE: Sam Gehrke.
By Matthew Singer

It's been a while since Portland has seen a good, old-fashioned political benefit concert…or any concert, for that matter.

But next Friday, we'll get one—in virtual form—for mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone. And its quite a lineup, at least for Portlanders of a certain age.

The challenger to incumbent Ted Wheeler has pulled in a who's who of local indie-rock dignitaries for an event called "Vote Out the Gas"—as in "tear gas."

Performers include the Decemberists' Colin Meloy and Chris Funk, Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney, Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers. Dance-rock band the Slants will come out of retirement a year after their "last show ever." Folk songwriter Laura Veirs, comic Ian Karmel and Patti King of the Shins will lend their support as well.

Buried among all the local names on the bill is DeRay Mckesson, the Baltimore-based activist who endorsed Iannarone last week along with dozens of other Black leaders.

"I support Sarah because I know that she believes in justice and will fight for it," Mckesson said in a statement. "Sarah has the skills and the vision to make justice a reality in Portland."

Vote Out the Gas is next Friday, Oct. 9. It will be livestreamed at sarah2020.com/concert beginning at 7 pm. Suggested donations are on a sliding scale, but individual donations of $50 will be matched 6 to 1 by the city's Open and Accountable Elections program.

Related: Portland Voters Are Fed Up With Ted Wheeler. But Are They Ready for Sarah Iannarone?

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