Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1986)
* Michigan music for beginners b y E. Ja n e Westlake You have to w onder at som e o f the things peo ple will do to hear good m usic. Indeed, w hy w ould 6 ,0 0 0 perfectly sane w om en live fo r five days out in the wilderness with sm elly Porta-Janes, the coldest o f cold showers, and an arm y o f hungry m osquitos? T o hear som e o f the best w o m en ’s m usic around. I w as one o f several at the M ichigan W o- m yn ’s M usic Festival this year to be attending this event fo r the first tim e. I discovered quickly th at it was nearly im possible to attend all o f th e perform ances. (I also discovered th at you are out o f luck if you neglected to bring eating utensils and toilet paper with yo u .) T h e re was always a show going on som ew here. M ajo r artists played from noon until m id n ig h t and other folks stayed up until the w ee hours to hear people playing in the ja m ten t and the after-hours cafe. W herever th ere was a cam pfire som ebody (o r a few so m eb o d ies) had a guitar. W orkshops from an ti-racism to erotic story-telling to Buddhist lesbians w ere held fro m six in the m orning to past m id n ig h t M eetings w ere held in the sober support ten t and in the counseling tent a t all hours. A bazaar area had been set up w ith over a hundred booths to blow all of your m o n ey a t A n d . . . m usic? O h , I nearly fo rg o t ft’s hard to say w ho I was the m ost im pres sed w ith. O u t o f the fifteen perform ers I did m an ag e to see, I can’t say there was a dull o n e in th e lo t R hiannon, form erly the vocalist fro m Alive, gave a sm ashing perform ance d o in g m ostly vocal im provisation. She later led a w orkshop called “S inging Your Story" draw ing elem ents fro m theatre and m usic. It w as app ro priate that she was follow ed in perform ance by Sw eet Honey in the Rock. T h ey took the use o f the voice in another direction, using five w om en and no instru m ental back-up. T h e Reel W orld String Band caused a few im p ro m p tu square dances to occur during their night perform ance and then conducted an organized one during their day perform ance the next day. M axine How ard gave a very exciting perform ance filled with surprises. At one point she invited Tracy C hapm an on stage to sing with her. Yes artists sing with each other all the tim e, b u t M axine and Tracy? M axie w ho wears black hot pants and a white tuxedo jacket and jum ps around the stage and w on’t sing unless the audience is on its feet dancing, with Tracy in her jeans and w hite m uscle shirt who has the com er m arket on shyness and m odesty? They were w on derful. Unfortunately, it took a great deal of calm in g dow n to listen to Teresa Trull, who was n e x t The order should have been re versed on that one. O n the last day (in the rain) D ebbie Fier proved that we d on’t have to rely on G eorge W inston for m ellow piano m usic. At the acoustic stage Judy Sloan did Sophie, a w on derful, old, Jew ish w om an, and Jan O xen- berg, led us through som e relaxation exer cises: "C lose your eyes, take a deep breath, picture the w om an w ho rejected you. Think ab o u t w hat she looked like, and think about exactly w hat she said to you, how you fe lt You’re relaxed, right?” So, after a w hile you d o n ’t care about the lack o f toilet paper, or the fact that the m os quitos are rem oving all o f the blood from you r body (they are, after all, fem ale, you tell yourself)- T h e Festival is a great place to hear g reat m usic and to be around all kinds of interesting w om en. W hen you go next A u gust d o n ’t forget your plate and fork, som e to ilet paper, a warm sleeping bag, bug spray, a tru ckload o f friends— Puccini's Beloved Masterwork Christmas live. A garret. A chance meeting A lost key. And two hands that find each other in the dark. So begins the great romance of Mimi and Rodolfo, perhaps the most popular opera ever written. Portland ( )pera s endearing produc tion is the perfect way to experience this immortal love stor\ for the first time — or the fiftieth S e p te m b e r J T Oc to b e r I, t 8 pm ( iv ie A u d ito riu m In Ita lia n w ith E nglish SI P E R IE X T I iekets fro m P o rtla n d ( )pera b o x O ffic e i t I I 8 ( l i ( i \ i e A u d ito riu m i i8 t t ‘X> l .xpcric/icc the I'.xtm ordinary! © LU M BL\piEA TER ®M PA N Y 2021 S.E. Howthom# Dlvd. • Portlond. Of#qon 97214 • 232-7003 Fofm*Hy Th# Fin* Arti Theoir* Art association plans busy fall T h e M etro Artisans G uild, a gay art associ atio n, is off to a good s ta rt according to spokesperson Allen M atthew s. M any people have expressed interest in participating and over 4 0 people — photographers, fram e- m akers, painters, sculptors, and collectors — are currently on the m ailing lis t M atthew s says the su m m er was spent pre paring floating exhibits and com pleting o r ganizational details. Starting this fall, though, the guild will plan exhibits, gallery visits, and classes. M atthew s hopes that eventually the group can form its own gallery. He projects th at the art association, like the Portland Gay M e n ’s Chorus, will prom ote a good im age of gays in the city. T h e M etro Artisans G uild m eets next at the hom e o f M ike Knowles, 2111 N E 23rd , Port land, on Sunday, S eptem ber 2 8 ,2 :3 0 . For m o re inform ation, call 641 -8 1 3 2 . q comedy by Edword Albee U lM A LL See Vue Experience the unusual Ocean Front - Antiques Plants - Fireplaces - Kitchens ★ ★ ★ ★ NORTHERN ITALIAN CUISINE SEVEN-COURSE DINNERS 2832 S.E. BELMONT • 238-1464 Large suite available for group gatherings. Two nights free out of seven. Reservations (503) 547-3227 95590 Highway 101 6.2 miles South of Yachats, Oregon 97498 B B Ü B B B B B B iB B B iB Just O ut, Septem dec 1986 directed by A. Nonnette Taylor Gala Opening September 12 Thursdays. Fridays. Saturdays • Coll for reservations Sept. 13 through Oct. 18 • Curtain 8 :0 0 ____ 17