30 jM«t «Hit * January 3.2003
MUSIC
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Blood-rich warbler
Portland’s n ew est songbird is a h u m an collaboration
by
M arie F leischm ann
PH O TO BY DEVIN
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In its fierce
dissection of
contem porary
marriage, Who's
Afraid of Virginia Woolf? cuts very close to the bone
of emotional truth. One of the most powerful works
in 20th century dramatic literature and generally
regarded as Albee’s finest play. A rare theatrical
experience, gut-wrenching and cathartic.
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE
IN THE NEWMARK THEATRE AT 1111 SW BROADWAY AND MAIN
JANUARY 14 - FEBRUARY 9, 2002
503.274.65881 WWW.PCS.ORG
JOIN US JAN 2 F FOR GALA NIGHT
It’s GALA night at the Backstage Cafe - hors
d’oeuvres and a no-host bar with hostess Poison
Waters immediately after the show. Thanks to Gay
and Lesbian Audience Night sponsor...
justrm
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE THANKS SPONSORS...
Hoffman Construction Co.
^
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I n a u m n s * i m n p a r t\ n f O r v ftm
AND THANKS TO... OREGONIAN A&E OPENING NIGHT SERIES • WILLAMETTE WEEK
M yshkin’s Ruby Warblers play Jan. 4 at Alberta Street Pub
he r(x»m quiets. A woman walks on stage
with a shiny guitar, dusty hrxrts and a gor
geous, wise smile. The initial excitement
of finger-picking and steady strumming
swells into the rush of vrxrals that makes you
rethink your master plan.
The recipe makes perfect sense. Her dad
had a passion for classical music, mom played
piano and sang, and the sihs loaned her every
thing from nx:k ’n ’ roll records to instruments.
She started writing stings as soon as she got a
guitar in her hands. How long ago was that?
Myshkin replies with a smirk: “Well, how old
are you? Add a few years.”
The Indiana native, who plays Jan. 4 at Alber
ta Street Pub, ran away to New Mexico, spent
some time traveling and was sucked downriver to
New Orleans in 1993, when she debuted with
Slate on Wreck It Records. She continued to blaze
through albums with the hands Myshkin Impossi
ble, Mike and Myshkin and the ez hake organs.
Nine varieties of hands and records, dozens
of songs and a hoard of friendships later, the
queer singer came to the Northwest “for m oun
tains, friends, gixxl fcxxl, and [I] felt that it
seemed to he kind of hopping culturally— for a
small city— and have a populace that likes
words, too, not just grixivcs.” Southeast Port
land is a gixxl fit for the musician and her dog,
Spider. “In these freaky times it is better to he
surrounded by like-mindeJ folks. T he amount
of political action going on in this town is
strengthening and inspiring to me.”
A new city, a new band. Myshkins Ruby War
blers formed in New Orleans in 2001, so Myshkin
decided to bring the name along with her and give
it a new home in Portland with guitarist Nick
Jaina and bassist Brent Marteas. l>ummer Scott
Magee s<xin will move from New Orleans to Port
land, continuing a six-year working relatioaship.
Back from a recent tour of the U.K., the band
plaas to take their “gypsy torch punk" anxind the
American West over the next few months.
T
he Warblers’ first release, 2002’s rosebud *
bullets, is Myshkins favorite album of hers,
reflecting more time spent in the studio
and her total artistic and production control.
All previous works, she explains, “had some
element of rush or muddle (or) a hastily pulled-
together b an d ...I’ve listened to [rosebud • bul
lets] hundreds of times in the making of it, and
I can still listen to it and like it. A nd I’m damn
T
critical.” T he album has been picked up for
national distribution.
O ne project at a time, however, is not on the
singer/songwriter’s CV; hence, she’s also one of
The Road Dog Divas. The trio’s 2002 self-titled
release parcels their combined creative, fun anti
funky touring package, which includes stops in
the Midwest and Eastern Canada next mopth.
Northwest dyke duo Kid Quiz is also taking up
some of Myshkin’s clearly endless musical energy
at their Philomath home studio. She’s “having a
blast” playing around with drum machines, ltxips
and samples for the first time. “I have this bunch
of stings that I have never recorded and don’t play
out much—a lot of war songs,” she explains, “so
it’s great to have some material to try some weird
things with. 1 think it’s going to turn into a really
nice record, very slow and quiet."
Myshkin’s current musical ear turns to every
thing from Flamenco singers to gypsy hands to
West African rhythms. She describes New
Orleans as a “schtxil for music” and is grateful
she wound up there for as long as she did. “1 got
to play the New Orleans Jazz Fest a few years
hack. T hat was great— the biggest show in the
hom etow n.... The atmosphere is so gtxxl
there— everyone stuffed with music and happy.”
She also enjoyed “the longest and most
meaningful collaboration” of her life there with
“urban hillbilly” banjo phenom enon Mike
West. “I describe my songs as gypsy torch punk,
so our shows together always had a pretty vast
dichotomy. We learned a lot from each other
and grew so much while working together."
But don’t worry, Myshkin’s not hightailing
hack anytime soon. Portland has made its
impression. “I’m really glad to be in a place
where there is a big queer community and a big
alternative community of all stripes. It comes
as a huge relief... there’s a lot of connection
between different groups. T h a t’s one of the
most exciting aspects of living here for me.
People giving voice to what’s really going on is
indicative that they know how to work togeth
er to make things happen.” J H
M ysh k in ’ s R uby W arblers play 9 p.m. Jan. 4
at Alberta Street Pub, 1036 N.E. Alberta St.
Cover is $ 6.. Visit the singer at
wsvuj . myshkinsrubywarblers. com.
M arie FLEISCHMANN is a musician, poet and
Editorial Assistant at Just O ut.