rapài l ì 2002
40
DIVERSIONS
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memories—and like all the best
humorists, he is unerringly accurate
because he has a deep understanding
of pain and agony.”
To donate or inquire about
tickets for next season, call
503-227-2583 or visit
www.literary-arts.org.
Going Straight
Gi I
*
Portland Taiko gets intimate April 24 to 28
Taiko unplugged
*
T
his time it’s personal. Portland Taiko
Unplugged has this innovative little band
of drummers moving its spring concert to
a cozy, intimate space above the Bridge
port Brewhouse in Northwest Portland from
April 24 to 28. (See Page 28 for details.)
If you haven’t been to a Taiko performance
you shouldn’t even be walking around the streets
of Portland. It’s a multi-ethnic Asian American
drumming group that has the experience and tal
ent to pull off mesmerizing shows that are equal
parts beauty and power. Every performance is
always better than you think it’s going to be.
If you’ve only seen capsule pieces at Pride
or some such other event, you owe it to your
self to go to a full show. Some of the drummers
are queer and, frankly, all of them look hot
pounding the hell out of some big-ass drums
and hollering around about it.
Unplugged is a completely different set of
rules for the ensemble and draws on “live” (pro
nounced “lie-boo”) taiko performances members
witnessed on a recent trip to Japan. “Live house”
productions take place in very small venues,
bringing the drummers closer to the audience
and vice versa. You can sip wine and chat with
the performers after the show.
The concert also features renowned composer
and Persian lute player Dariush Dolat-shahi and
guest choreographer Mirth Tran, whose work will
be set to original music by Portland Taiko.
Modulate finds Mould in heavy experimen
tal mode, utilizing a multitude of electronic
effects (in addition to his trademark wall-of-
feedback guitar) to convey his heart-on-sleeve
lyrics, which are a bit more revealing than
usual. “I’m not the kind of guy who likes to kiss
and tell, but everyone wants to know the
story,” Mould sings on “ 180 Rain,” indicating
more comfort in his queemess since his reluc
tant 1994 outing in Spin magazine.
Long Playing Grooves, to be released in May
under the alias of LoudBomb, delves more deeply
into the electrónica explored on Modulate. Due
in September, Body of Song is a return to thè
acoustic introspection that characterized his
revered solo debut Workbook. LiveDog98, an
audio snapshot captured in London at the tail
end of the Last Dog and Pony Show tour, is avail
able at shows or online at www.bobmould.com.
—Jim Thompson
Sedaris at Schnitz
ant to see David Sedaris April 25 at the
Schnitzer? Well forget it, it’s been sold
out for weeks.
The good news is that the very queer Sedaris’
very cynical brand of lit cuts across those sub
cultural barriers into the hearts of mainstream
prose lovers. Although his is a special event of
Portland Arts & Lectures outside its regular sea
son, many of the tickets are still in the hands of
season ticketholders. (If you’ve ever been to one
of these lecture things, you’ll quickly realize you’re
not going to run into these people at Boxxes.)
Literary Arts, the fine folks who bring you
Portland Arts & Lectures (which this year includ
ed Edward Albee and Edmund White), are using
t one time Bob Mould going electronic
proceeds from the Sedaris evening specifically to
benefit two of the nonprofit’s programs. Accord
seemed about as likely as the legendary
singer-songwriter-guitarist
ing to marketing director Meg
Daly, Writers in the Schools
releasing four C D s in one year.
However, 2002 will see all of
employs local authors to teach
writing skills to high school stu
that come to fruition for the
former H üsker D ü and Sugar
dents in Portland Public Schools
and Oregon Literary Fellow
frontman, as well as a
performance April 29 at
ships provide fiscal support to
Aladdin Theater. (See
writers and independent publish
Page 29 for details.)
ers throughout the state. “By
The new tour, dubbed Car
donating to Literary Arts,” she
says, “you arc directly serving the
nival of Light and Sound,
readers and writers of Oregon."
promises much for fans old and
Megan McMorran, who gets
new. Mould will sing and play
all those intellectuals to come to
electric guitar, relying heavily
our beloved city, was no fool* in
on tracks from Modulate, his first David Sedaris: SO LD O U T
booking Sedaris as the act for the
release in four years, but also
benefit. “He is smart and brazen,” she asserts. “He
revisiting older gems from his extensive back
sticks to domestic subjects—pets, mothers and
catalog, aided by prerecorded electronic music
fathers.. .religion, former teachers.. .childhood
and two screens projecting short films.
Ch-ch-changes
for Bob Mould
A
*
W
ay Seattlite David Schmader
brings his one-man show
Straight back to Portland from
April 25 to 27 and from May 2
to 4. (See Page 28 for details.)
Schmader, who is also associate
editor of the Seattle newsweekly
The Stranger, went undercover to
learn about “conversion therapy”
from the inside out. This personal
experience resonates in the show,
which has him in session with a
German psychotherapist, attend
ing “ex-gay” support groups and
learning all he ever wanted to know about
Texas Christian heterosexuals.
A t the same time, Schmader sends up the
queer community, suggesting its limitations and
tactics are ironically similar to conversionists.
Throughout he probes difficult questions and
rejects easy answers in his ongoing thirst for
knowledge of what it means to be “straight.”
Don’t be shy about hooting and hollering at
this Portland run at CoH o Theatre. It’s being
taped for a video release this summer. (In your
face, Seattle!)
Lesbian musician Margie Adam co-facilitates
At the Edge: Improvising Your Spiritual Path
April 28
Walking and Talking
esbian musician Margie Adam joins Grace
Cathedral’s canon for special ministries
Lauren Artress to lead At the Edge:
Improvising Your Spiritual Path April 28 at
Wilsonville’s Living Enrichment Center. (See
details on Page 29.)
The evening event includes a conversation
with the women about the dynamic of “being
called” to creative work in the world, with
musical interludes. The pair will discuss inter
sections of creativity and spirituality and the
relationship between contemplation and
action. Following the dialogue will be a facili
tated labyrinth walk, which encourages the use
of reflection and imagination
to find inner direction.
“Learning to work
together and celebrate our
differences is hard work,”
says Artress, who authored
the book Walking a Sacred
Path: Rediscovering the
Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool.
“It needs introspection and
discernment; it demands
action on the individual and
collective level. This is the
mission of the labyrinth as it
re-enters our world.”
Learn music and have fun at the Northwest Women’s Music
The facilitators note that
Celebration
although the event is of spe
cial interest to women, everyone is welcome.
Li
Music and Motherlode
D
rumming, singing, marimba, line dancing
and an endless array of musical instruments
and composition— all this will be going on
the weekend of April 26 to 28 at the North
west Women’s Music Celebration.
This annual event at YM CA Camp Collins,
about 40 minutes east of Portland on the Sandy
River, has been organized and led by the lesbian
group Motherlode for about 20 years now.
The combination of workshops and perform
ances offers women the chance to learn better
playing and to perform in front of others. Begin
ning classes are offered to those who haven’t
had much experience, and second- and third-
level classes are open to those who know their
way around their instruments.
“The emphasis of this weekend,” says Linda
Vogt, one of the event coordinators, “is on partici
pants having a positive, nonthreatening musical
experience.. .a place to try new instruments or try
singing or doing something you never thought you
could. There’s a lot of play and a lot of laughter!”
Cost is $155 a person, which includes all
workshops, meals and lodging. Participants
need to bring their own instruments. Registra
tion forms are available at It’s My Pleasure, In
Other Words, Artichoke Music and at
www.motherlodemusic.com.
A Neati idea
T
hat inventive little wine bar Crush has yet
another delightful happening in the form of
Cabernet Cabaret. (See Page 28 for details.)
Wine-swilling goddess Rhea Neati will lead
you through a
tasting like no
other in this
musical comedy
show that runs
four consecu
tive Tuesday
nights starting
April 23. You’ll
get six cabs to
sniff, slosh and
gulp while she
takes you
through a short
Rhea Neati leads you through
history of wine
a wine tasting like no other at
and demon
C rush’s Cabernet Cabaret
strates all you
need to know to be a true wine-tasting snob.
Seating is limited. Call the boys/girls at
503-235-8150 for reservations. J H
Compiled by L isa BRADSHAW