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TBA:09 in Review – locust crushed
locust crused at TBA:09
After the massively disappointing Meg Stuart show, I had a pretty large unfulfilled craving for good modern dance. That craving was more than met with locust, whose energetically explosive performance 'crushed' swept me up and left me wanting more. Locust mixes many styles and mediums to bring together a collection of non-narrative dance segments that connect through patterns of movement and theme. Accompanied by a beat boxer, music (both live and recorded) and video, locust blends classical and modern moves with explosive energy.
What struck me the most about locust and their piece 'crushed' was just how talented all the dancers in the company are. The dancers seamlessly transition between pirouettes and Michael Jackson crotch grabs, and then back to full balletic spins. This talent is combined with great group chemistry which results in ensemble dance numbers that are in equal balance to the individual ones. Video, when used wrong, can be quite a distraction from a modern dance piece, but locust has a strong sense of its place and the opportunity it can provide. My favorite use of video came midway through the piece with a static shot down a long dim hall. The dancers use this video to create an environment on stage and then build on it. Shadowy video dancers mimic the movements on stage, sometimes in time, sometimes out of time, creating a fantastic bending of time and expectations. The piece toys with the concept of live and recorded with so much explosively live energy it stands as an exclamation point on any sentence, exalting live performance.
I enjoyed locust's 'crushed' so much I'd not only recommend it, I'd definitely consider seeing it again.
For more info on locust 'crushed':
TBA 2009 – Tons of Free Options at Portland's Premiere Arts Fest
TBA 09: Time Based Art Festival
Going over this year's TBA:09 (Time Based Art) Festival catalog I was struck by just how many of the events at Portland's premiere arts festival are free.
In addition to the free events, there are also a number of options that provide pretty hefty bang for the buck.
Top of that list is the Works Pass. For $75 ($50 for PICA members) you get access to all the late night programming at the Works (Washington High School – 531 SE 14th Ave) running from September 3rd – September 10th. In all 16 shows!
Some of the highlights from The Works (531 SE 14th Ave) include:
- Ten Tiny Dances – Sat. Sept. 5th @ 10:30pm
- Afrobeat Tribute to Michael Jackson – Mon. Sept. 7th @ 10:30pm
- Neal Medlyn's Britney Spears/Hannah Montana Extravaganza – Wed. Sept. 9 @10:30pm
- Rush-N-Disco – Thurs. Sept. 10 @ 11pm
- Quasi – Sat. Sept. 12 @ 10:30pm
Totally free TBA:09 events:
- PNCA Opening Reception – Thurs Sept. 3 6-8pm featuring: Robert Boyd and Brian Lund
- TBA On Sight Art Installations – Opening Thurs. Sept. 3 @ 8-10:30pm at The Works featuring Peter Coffin, Jesse Hayward and Ethan Rose.
- Gang Gang Dance – Thurs. Sept. 3 @ 10:30pm at The Works.
- Hitoshi Toyoda – Fri. Sept. 4 @ 8:30pm & Sat. Sept. 5 @ 8:30pm outside at The Works.
- Younger with Ethan Rose, Laura Gibson and Ryan Jeffery – Sat. Sept. 6 @ 6:30p-10p PDX Contemporary Art (925 NW Flanders)
- Planted! Labor Day Picnic – Mon. Sept 7 @ 12:30-4pm at The Works.
- Tyler Wallace & Nicole Dill "Between Us" - Mon. Sept 7 @ 9-10pm and Wed Sept 9 @ 9-10pm at The Works (with a webcast prelude starting at 1pm @ BetweenUsLive.com)
Top TBA Picks to shell out dough for:
- Back to Back Theater "Small Metal Objects" (our TOP PICK) – Wed. Sept 9 @ 6:30, Thurs. Sept 10 @ 12:30 and 6:30pm, Fri. Sept 11 @ 12:30 and 6:30pm, Sat. Sept 12 @ 12:30 and 6:30pm. We recommend the 12:30 shows as actors are interspersed with the regular crowds in the area. This show is not to be missed! $20 Members/$25 General
- Young Jean Lee's Theater Company "The Shipment" – (Highy Recommended – Read our Review) Fri. Sept. 4 @ 6:30pm, Sat. Sept. 5 @ 12pm, Sun. Sept 6 @ 8:30pm. Portland Center Stage (128 NW Eleventh Ave) Yong Jean is known to offend anyone and everyone, so be prepared. $15 Members/$20 General
- Pan Pan Theater "The Crumb Trail" – Wed. Sept. 9 @ 8:30pm, Thurs. Sept 10 @ 6:30, Fri. Sept 11 @ 6:30p and Sat Sept 12 @ 6:30pm. Winningstad Theater Portland Center for the Performing Arts (1111 SW Broadway) $20 members/$25 General
- Locust "Crushed" – Mon. Sept 7 @ 6:30p and Tues Sept 8 @ 6:30pm – The Works. $15 Members/$20 General
- Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods & Philipp Gehmacher/Mumbling Fish – Fri. Sept 4 @ 8:30p and Sat. Sept 5 @ 8:30p. Newmark Theater Portland Center for the Performing Arts (1111 SW Broadway) $20 members/$25 General (Read our review of this, short take – not worth the dough)
On Portland plans to bring you complete coverage of TBA 09 with up to date recommendations on shows, pictures and reviews.
Sunday Parkways in Portland
Sunday Parkways Aug 16
I've lived in Portland for seventeen years, and of all the events, activities and festivals I've attended in the city, one of my absolute favorite is Sunday Parkways. The event is extraordinarily simple: several miles of urban roads are closed to cars and become the playground for bikes, pedestrians, strollers, roller bladers, unicyclists, anything BUT motorized vehicles. This year the Portland Office of Transportation in conjunction with ORBike and Metro have set three Sunday Parkways in three different neighborhoods of Portland. I missed the first one on June 21st in North Portland (and am now kicking myself for missing it), but did manage to attend the one on July 19th in North East Portland and it was exceptional.
In addition to over 7 miles of closed streets the Sunday Parkways also features mini park fests along the way with food, entertainment, activities and free bike servicing. The third and final Sunday Parkways of the year takes place in Southeast Portland on Sunday August 16th from 9am to 4pm. Unlike other cycling events in Portland (like Providence Bridge Pedal) the Sunday Parkways event is completely free.
The Southeast route is by far the best of the three parkways with a 9 mile closed course which includes a "5 mile relatively flat loop through portions of the Buckman, Kerns, Laurelhurst, Richmond, Sunnyside neighborhoods." and it connects to a " second, more challenging, 4-mile Mt Tabor loop will be optional to summit the only volcano in the City limits. The route will also cross the SE Hawthorne, Division and Belmont business areas"
There is not start or finish spot for the event. You can join in at any intersection and loop in either direction. A detailed map of the Southeast Sunday Parkways can be found here. There's also a complete breakdown of all the vendors and events at each Sunday Parkways park (the main park stops are: Laurelhurst Park, Mt. Tabor Park, Colonel Summers Park and Sunny Side Park). The Southeast Sunday Parkway also intersects the Hawthorne Street Fair creating one of the most unbeatable combinations of events I've seen in Portland.
Not only is this event free, it features a ton of goods and services which are offered free, including: Bike Empowered complimentary bike safety checks and repairs, BTA/Safe Route To Schools kids bike fitting and training (both at Colonel Summers Park), REI free climbing Wall and Portland Wheelman flat tire repair classes (at Laurelhurst Park).
I'm hard pressed to come up with a better example of an event that illustrates why Portland is such an amazing city, it's absolutely not to be missed. So do yourself a favor and make your way on Sunday to this amazing event.
For more information on Sunday Parkways:
American Idol Live in Portland Video Interviews
The 8th installment of American Idol Live makes its first stop at The Rose Garden on July 5th. On Portland had the opportunity to sit down and talk to the top 10 American Idol performers (in batches of two).
Reporters were given just 5 mins to ask questions and with two idols to cover it was tough to try to fit a lot in. Meeting the Idols in person I was struck by how closely they mirrored their 'personas' on the screen. What you saw on TV is pretty much what you see when you talk to them in person. Of the group I enjoyed Allison Iraheta's rambunctious humor, Adam Lambert's ultimate humility and Anoop Desai who seemed to have the best take on the event.
The biggest surprise was Megan Joy who talked about the challenges she faced during the show. She was a much more grounded and down to earth person than I had expected and her playfullness with Matt Giraud was fun to watch.
The thing that stuck me the most was how exhausted the Idols seemed. It was clear that they've been working extremely hard to prepare the tour and I'll be interested to see the results of all that effort.
Here are the interviews:
Kris Allen and Anoop Desai
Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds and
Danny Gokey and Michael Sarver:
Allison Iraheta and Scott MacIntyre
Matt Giraud and Megan Joy
For more information about American Idol Live see:
Portland Radar Screen: Super Project Lab with Storm Large, The Super XX Man and Melissa Ferrick
Storm Large Joins Super Project Lab 11/22
Some of the best stuff going on in Portland this weekend could easily be under most people's radar screen… but not ours!
Friday 11/21: Twilight Prom – Dance under the stars at the View Point Inn and pretend you and your date are Edward and Bella. This kicks off what will sure to be an absolute frenzy over all things Twilight. (The Viewpoint Inn is located at 40301 East Larch Mountain Road in Corbett, Oregon.)
Saturday 11/22 Super Project Lab: Meet Your Force of Nature (8pm @ Portland Center for Performing Arts – 1111 SW Broadway). Storm Large is the special guest for Super Project Lab, whose run at PCPA has been a smash hit. Super Project Lab will be joined by one of my (other) favorite improv groups The Liberators. This is a not to be missed show!
Melissa Ferrick (8pm @ Wonder Ballroom -128 NE Russell) if improv isn't your thing, don't miss the extraordinarily talented Melissa Ferrick. Indie inspired acoustic folk, Ferrick falls soundly between Ani DiFranco and Patty Griffin. Check out her cover of Bush's Glycerine and you'll understand why she's on our radar screen.
Sunday 11/23: OPB Music presents: Super XX Man Record Release party (7pm @ Someday Lounge – 125 NW 5th) featuring works by comic illustrator and album cover artist Brian Oaster and Chad Crouch. The evening will feature a rare performance from Team Evil, (featuring members of both>Point Juncture, WA and Blind Pilot) and Super XX Man performing songs from Vol. XII "There'll Be Diamonds" which was inspired by his work as a musical therapist at an Oregon State hospital. Tickets are $6. Also check out the Super XX Man video on Youtube for Collecting Rocks – it's a trip!
Got an event you'd like us to cover? Be sure to let us know about it so it's on our radar screen!
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