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.