ok, well what about Portland, Oregon?

I don't feel like I'm worthy enough to go to Starky's yet.

Town Lounge is nice and small, which generally makes the room feel "full". Very tiny stage, although the one show I went to see featured a band with 8 people in it, at least one of whom was put off to the side somewhere.

I think I have heard OK things about the Dirty Duck but I mostly only know the gay bar scene here through anecdotes. (The only place I've been to on that OregonBear list is Hobo's, which is sort of a piano bar/restaurant.) Joq's is right near my place, and it seems modest and nontwinkish enough from the outside, though I've never been in. This website suggests that they have food, which I can't imagine is recommended.

I've been thinking about trying to get Martin M. to go with me to brunch at Starky's someday. I have perhaps built it up too much in my head, though.

Friday April 7th
At the Towne Lounge in Portland
w/Boy Eats Drum Machine
--and--
Saturday April 8th
At the Voyeur in Olympia
w/LKN (http://www.myspace.com/LKN)
Quitty and Dan from The Light Year (http://www.myspace.com/thelightyear)
And Swan Island

love to see anyone that can make it

Oh, I'm not quite ready for that yet (even just listening).

I'm thinking of staying a little closer to the West Burnside bar strip and Powells, at least for 3 nights, rather than the White Eagle. I'll know how to budget when I do my taxes in a couple days. :o

Although, you know, Powells, yes. They should rent rooms above Powells.

(Some library around Portland has apartments above it - this would almost be better than living above Uwajimaya in Seattle.)

Anyway, I used to work at the Towne Lounge some as I'm friends with the owner and all the employees, etc. It is a nice, small place -- the sound can really fill the place up but I think most bands try to keep it a little quiet because of that. Als I was a DJ there regularly when the place first started and it's really blown up, which is nice to see. I live just down the street so I'll try to drop by your show on Friday, Shakey.

July 5 - Beavers baseball
July 6 - Lilys @ Doug Fir

I don't know what our writer friend, Matt, thought of all this (I have a sneaking hunch it was all very circa-1995 Brooklyn to him AWRIGHT!). But I did finally figure it was time to go. It was during the "talent" portion of the pageant, when one of the naked dudes, cupping his man meat gently in his hands, inserted paint tubes in his butt and began to use his naked ass as a paintbrush.

Apparently they had a falling-out with the hosting bar (Porky's) in North Portland, and starting on the 29th it'll be held at the Acme (in Hawthorne, right?). I expect to be there on the 6th whether I go to the Lilys show before or not.

http://www.bootypdx.com/index.html

I found about this through the BUTT magazine spread (literally) on Portland in the current issue.

tour info, i think

http://sneakinout.com/site/?page_id=3

Please be done with your 100-degree heat wave before my arrival next week.

Those of us with 8am Latin classes are decidedly unhappy about this turn of events.

Probably about as well as those of us in AC-less apartments that get the sun all morning and afternoon.

Off to see an air-conditioned movie, at least!

I did get a SOLO tour of the Widmer brewery, and made it to Cathedral Park on my last morning (byootiful). Had lunch with the delightful mensch Casuistry -- one of those New York natives who has to emigrate to calmer burgs so there are vacancies in Gotham for bitter Noise boys from the sticks.

This week it is cloudy and in the 70s, which is not so bad at all!

No Portlander has ever called me a mensch.

NYC is predictably 86, muggy and full of people who don't look where they're going.

i'd like to go back!

Roxy, give me the deets and I'll make it happen.

portland has good IPAs.

what neighbourhood are you in, chris?

I'm in close-in NE, not far from Sandy and 20th. I actually really like this neighborhood a lot. It's a nice mix of industrial and residential and is a quick walk or bike from my favorite parts of town.

Uh, I'm in a two bedroom for under $700. I don't think you should have any problems with that budget.

absolutely, my daughter's fav when she was toddler age (a few years ago) was this:

https://www.portland.gov/parks/westmoreland-park

lots of weird stuff to clamber around on and a very large sandy area with water features? great times, cool neighborhood

she also enjoyed the hike up to "witches castle"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_House_(Portland,_Oregon)

beautiful trail up a creek ripe for investigation, although this was mostly interesting for her I think because I tried to play it down (not really a castle, no witches) and then when we finally arrived there was a straight up coven of witches up there, all in long flowy dresses standing in a circle around candles and fancy bowls of who knows what

I cannot guarantee there will be actual witches if you visit

lol peak Portland

my fave store to dig for cheap used records in is Crossroads, over on the east side

I cannot guarantee there will be actual witches if you visit

― Florin Cuchares

can't rule it out, though... you never know what will happen in a public park. me and my primary went to a group hangout at a public park in pdx late this morning, lovely shady park, even though it was a hot day it was early enough that it hadn't gotten too hot yet, and the shade helped. it was fun. i, uh, don't know how you'd explain it to your toddler, etc, and no, i'm not going to go into more detail than that on a public board, but it was fun.

pdx folx, sorry i've been such a stranger lately... kind of been through some shit, i'm doing better now and am starting to sort of emerge from my shell... anybody who wants to hang out HMU in DM :)

Westmoreland Park looks great - cheers! Partner's v.familiar with the Stone House, apparently.

super cool! yeah, the stone house is pretty famous around here... i haven't been myself.

the city's changed a lot since the recently-passed daytime camping ban. still trying to wrap my head around it.