Woah. I just got interviewed for this article on the Portland Music Scene (TM) that will soon be running in Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. What’s more, this article will run on the frikking COVER of this Saturday’s issue, and be seen by millions of Canadian eyes across the land of Maple. This follows on the recent AP article about the P.M.S. (giggle), and last Sunday’s food article in the NYT Magazine. Portland, there are eyes on you.
The writer, Alexandra Gill, is putting together this piece as a sidebar to an article about how Montreal was the hyped music place last year, and how PDX could be next. She says she doesn’t think that will happen because Portland has had this reputation for a long time now, so it’s old news. She also thinks Portland has a more robust local music economy than Montreal, and would fair better if such hype were to occur here. (Speaking of which, I have no idea how Montreal is dealing with things like giant front page of the Sunday Arts section New York Times articles, would be curious to learn, and will def be checking out the main article this runs with.)
Mainly she wanted to talk with me about the PDX Pop Now! festival, and get my general take on things. I gave her the basics of how the festival started, scene happenings of the last couple years (weirdest/coolest thing ever = explaining the Blackbird to the biggest newspaper in Canada), etc. As for the general take: I still think, as I thought when I moved here, that Portland is special because it is small enough to have community and connectedness, but has the cultural vitality of a much larger place. And, as I told her, “I LIKE TREES.”
It’s always cool to hear an informed outside opinion on something you’re too close to see clearly, which Portland music has become for me. It’s like a pat on the back, and given her insights re: Montreal, a reassurance. Portland: we might blow up, but we ain’t gon’ pop.
Curious sidenote: Whilst googling the link for that AP story, I noticed a somewhat disturbing evolution in the headlines attached to it. First I got, “Portland becomes city of indie musicians”, then, “Indie rockers find a haven in youthful Portland”, then, “Portland scene lets musicians enjoy ‘extended adolescence’”, THEN, “Portland a city of ‘extended adolescence’ for indie musicians”. Um… ouch?
UPDATE: Here’s the article.
