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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2004)
34 Ju st out • february 20. 2004 eatingout eatingout eatingout CULTURE T eatingout Drink it up NOIin our house! Queer open mikes offer libation for the soul by E r ic P l e m o n s PHOTO BY T HE P U R P L E P A R L O R Homestyle vegetarian. No refined sweeteners. Breakfast/lunch • 3 5 6 0 N Mississippi w w w .purpleparbr.com cDulmfs CAFE & ESPR ESSO BAR Voteti the Best Breakfast in Vancouver I W m ul linn h too! • S p k iu O m u m tis • E surisso G oukmit S\ i \ ds • H omim \ di S oups & M ori 8338 N. LomBaRÒ 503-247-1066 C orner of M ain & M c L ocghun • V ancouver (360! 737-9907 • HRS: T*S at 7 a M-$PM / SUN 9 am -2 pm )u c ^ m ^ n C^asual hether you have been dying to dust off that poem you know will blow people away, are anxious to tune up your six- string and get in front of an audience again or are just hungry for some engaging per formance, there’s a queer-friendly seat in town waiting for you. On the last Tuesday of every month, In Other Words Women’s Books and Resources hosts “The Last Word,” an open mike space that started up again several months ago after a couple of earlier successful runs. The latest permutation began as a zme reading but has expanded to include many mediums of expression. A t 7 p.m. the store is filled with folding chairs all set to face a podium. Last month, by the time the show started at 7:30, it was stand ing room only, with listeners lining the maga zine racks and bookshelves. W hile the rruxxl feels somewhat formalized by the fluorescent lights overhead, presenters bridge the gap by offering very personal and engaging pieces. Some read from self-produced zines that are available for sale. Styles range from narrative personal essay and prose to rhythmic poetry and original acoustic music. There is a strong presenter focus on gen- derqueer and trans issues that often provide interesting and complex juxtapositions to one another. A half-dozen readers and on e m usician performed in January, hut th e pool grows with every even t. Interested presenters throw th eir nam es in to a hat and are drawn at random for th e ch a n ce to sit at the podi um and do th eir thing. T h e audience is respectfully quiet during readings and deliv ers raucous appreciation at the end o f each offering. C lick Patterdale has been organizing “T he Last Word” for roughly six months, and he’s heard a lot o f positive feedback from people excited to hear new work. “This is a really accepting environment— very queer,” he says. “It is a great space for those who may not have another venue in town.” As a genderqueer himself, Patterdale has received a great deal o f support from the staff at the feminist bookstore. T h e core group of pre senters are genderqueer and read on related topics, though all are welcome to speak up on any subject. January’s presentations focused on love, body image, gender fluidity, identity flux and identity as flux. There was also a charmingly L Jisrro n e ig h b o rh o o d ' b a r r Q ^ o r n j- o r t c a b le b is tro a tm o sp h e re o 'r e s 'e 'r v c a t io n ç Pull needed Open for Breakfast Sat & Sun 8 am - 1 pm Sun - Thurs 5 - 1 0 pm Fri & Sat 5 - 1 1 pm 213 SE 12th (503) 230-2381 L No Reservations Necessary MIDWESTERN BEEF G U L F PRAW N S A U STR A LIA N L O B S T E R P O R T L A N D P R I C E S IN S T E A D O F C H IC A G O 'S You d on ’t have to go to a Chicago Steak House to get a quality meal. Com e to Sayler’s. For over 5 5 years w e’ve been providing Portland fam ilies a great steak dinner at a fa ir price. So that one day, you can make a trip to, say, the midwest. S a A fU ** OLD c o m KITCHBt 105th & S .E . St ark 5 0 3 - 2 5 2 - 4 1 7 1 & Bea vert on Hillsdale Hwy at Gri ff it h D r 5 0 3 - 6 4 4 - 1 4 9 2 B B fl I I B ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ humorous piece on bike repair and a sexy B/D/S/M poem thrown in to spice up the mix. couple of miles away every Thursday night, gay-owned 3 Friends Coffeehouse slips out of its Southeast neighborhcxxi cafe costume and becomes a hip, connected performance space. A seating area in the front window gives way to a small, spotlighted stage, complete with a full sound system. The house lights dim, pool play stops, and the couches and chairs fill with per formers and eager listeners. Queer songwriter Tamara J. Brown hosts the evening, which starts around 7 p.m. Sign-ups for performance begin at 6:30, and the stage is open to just about any genre of expression. T he sound system is ready to support readings of prose, traditional poetry, slam poetry and music. “Open mikes are a unique opportunity for artists to showcase their work, learn from each other and network. T h a t’s what it’s all about!” says Brown. Themes of love, sex, gender and the corpo rate adoption of queer culture are very present in spoken word pieces, keeping the environment positive and affirming. Knix:kout instrumental performances keep the evening infused with kinetic energy and leave the audience excited for the possibility of what may come next. If you’ve been itching for an opportunity to let kxise a political rant or softly contemplate the intricacies of love, the stage at 3 Friends is your place. W hile the crowd is predominantly youngish, there is space for every engaged lis tener to settle into a comfy couch or lean against the long service counter. Brown, who used to run several open mikes on the East G>ast, says her motivation is simply get ting people up on stage “to share their stuff, to pro mote their shows, sell their CDs or writing works— hut most of all, for my own selfish reasons, to witness all of the great talent here in Portland.” Open mikes at In Other Words and 3 Friends definitely buzz with different vibes, but each offers a safe place to speak your mind. Brown’s right: There is no limit to the talent that’s Brewing in Portland every day, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing that bom exit on stage. Support queer-positive businesses and your fel low revolutionaries at the same time. Bnlliant. A jn “The Last Word" is 7 p.m. the last Tuesday o f every month at I n OTHER WORDS, 3734 S.E . Hawthorne Blvd. 3 F riends C o ffeeh o use , 201 S.E . 12th A ve ., [flays host to open mike at 7 p m. Thursdays.
