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APRIL 17 2009
APRIL 17 2009
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Deadline is 15 days before issue date. Just Out is published on the first and third Friday of each month. All addresses are in Portland unless otherwise specified
OUT 6 ABOUT
»PORTLAND TAIKO CELEBRATES ITS I5TH SEASON
THE BEAT GOES ON
The power of the drum should
not be underestimated. I remember,
sitting in a gym, huddled with my
fellow students in the mid-‘90s, the
excitement that accompanied our visit
from Portland Taiko. And as the beat
of one drum began, that anticipation
swelled. By the time the rest of the
troupe’s drums rumbled, it was a
visceral and awe-inspiring moment.
That moment has been happening
for 15 years. Established in 1994,
Portland Taiko is an award-winning
Asian-American
ensemble.
The
performers weave together rhythm,
melody, humor and movement
into an exhilarating musical event,
The group combines traditional
contemporary
compositions
and
and choreography in a way that is
both innovative and engaging. It’s
unexplored territory, with deep roots
in the Asian-American experience.
This year, Portland Taiko brings
together performers from the past
including
contemporary
Native
American artist Rick Bartow and
the entire performance troupe for a
scenic ride through Taiko territory,
concluding with an autumn gala.
The anniversary kicks off April
22 with a benefit banquet at Wong’s
King Seafood Restaurant (8733 SE
Division).
Wednesday’s
partially
tax-deductible dinner is a fun and
exclusive way to enjoy Taiko. You’ll get
close enough to really feel the music
surround you, so that you’re no longer
audience but part of the sound.
21
I
I
A culturally eclectic array of items
will be up for auction throughout
the
belly-popping
eight-course
meal. There seems to be plenty of
excitement over choosing your own
mystery origami (as opposed to the
previous mystery balloons and their
pesky petro-based pollutants), but
unless you’ve attended a prior benefit
dinner, you most likely have no idea
what this mystery entails. That only
makes the surprise bigger and more
enticing!
Party people after my own heart,
Taiko continues the fun all summer
and into the fall with CD release
parties, show-and-tells, soirees, and
big, banging bashes sure to fill the
body with the wonder of that grand
sound-the beating drum.
- ALLEY HECTOR
77^ April 22 banquet begins at 6 p. m.
Tickets are $50. Details on Portland
Taiko's season are available at 503-288-
2456 and at portlandtaiko.org.
Cascade AIDS Project 20th Annual Art
Evening and Auction @ Oregon Conven
tion Center. Proceeds benefit Cascade
AIDS Project. Premiere art, finest food
and outstanding entertainment.
6pm. www.cascadeaids.org.
Grab your women, it's Roller Derby Night.
No one is safe. This bout features Heart
less Heathers vs. Guns 'N Rollers. Doors
open at 5pm, bout begins at 6pm. The
Hangar at Oaks Park, 7805 Oaks Park
Way. Only 400 seats available. Tickets $12
through Brown Paper Tickets.
The Adventure Group joins an all-day
USFS-led trail work party on the hik
ing trails of the Western Columbia River
Gorge. RSVP required. Meet at Multnomah Falls
Lodge. 9 am. 503-327-4674.
river in the lower 48 states to be classified
as "Wild and Scenic" from start to finish.
Meet outside Starbucks, Hollywood Fred Meyer, 9 am,
3030 NE Weidler St.. 503-284-3345.
Opening Day for Rose City Softball As
sociation, Oregon's largest gay sports
organization. Slow-pitch softball for all
persons, with special emphasis on the
gay and lesbian communities. Visit www.
rosecitysoftball.com for schedule and rain alerts.
Civil Rites Symposium on Same Sex
Marriage and the First Amendment.
2-5 pm, Hoffmann Hall at PSU.
Red Dress Bingo by the Sisters of Perpet
ual Indulgence. 4-7 pm, PPAA Hall (618 SE Alder).
$15 buys you a bushel of bingo.
Record store day at Music Millennium,
3158 East Burnside. Hundreds of indepen
dently owned music stores celebrate sec
ond annual record store day. Live music,
giveaways and prizes. 503-231-8926 for info.
Justoutpersonals.com presents Bunco for
Women Seeking Women. All single wom
en seeking women encouraged to attend.
6-8 pm, 0 Center (4115 N Mississippi). $5 plus canned
food donation for Esther's Pantry. Prizes, laughter
and fun.
Youth movie night at Q Center. 4115 N. Missis
sippi. tonight. The Laramie Project. 7-10 pm.
Tease Time Burlesque Revue. 5-8 pm, Crush
(SE 14th and Morrison).
PFLAG wants your help in building a
Portland Black/African-American chapter.
Needs assessment, work-plan develop
ment, PFLAG overview, video and refresh
ments. 10 am-noon, Ainsworth United Church. 2941
NE Ainsworth. For guestions or to RSVP contact Geri
Washington, washington.geri@yahoo.com.
» MON • APRIL 20
Manifest Men's Wellness Community pres
ents Wanderlust Cycling: Spring flowers
and public gardens, followed by dinner
and optional hot tub. 6:30 pm, 4906 NE 22nd
Ave. $5-$15 sliding scale.
Minerva opens up Sinferno at Dante’s.
// pm, 1 SIV 3rd & Burnside.
It's health movie night at the Men’s Well
ness Center. Tonight's film, The Insider,
followed by discussion of tobacco use in
populations. 7-9pm. 928 SWStark.
Hook up with Against the Wall Produc
tions for a coffee social at Wired on
Burnside. Come find out what this new
theater group has planned for Portland.
7 pm, 2190 W. Burnside.
It's Gay Skate Night at Oaks Park Roller
Rink. Presented by Just Out. Doors open at
7 pm. $6 gets you in and skating. Canned food dona
tions for Esther's Pantry reguested. 7805 SE Oaks Park
Way. All ages. Arcade games and snack bar available.
The Adventure Group takes a moderate
hike alongside the Salmon River, the only
If Gay Skate's not your thing, how about
a nice Polyamory Circle? Group discusses
» SUN • APRIL 19
alternatives to monogamy, inclusive re
lationships, extended fanlilies and inten
tional communities. Everyone welcome. Call for
time and location 503-285-4848.
•
» TUES • APRIL 21
Elder Resource Alliance presents Auto
graphical Writing Group for gay men 18
and older. 6-7:30 pm, Friendly House, 1737 NW
26th Ave.
Crush presents That's So Gay, trivia night.
Every Tuesday, 7 pm, 1400 SE Morrison.
Fred Meyer Broadway Across America
presents Grease, opens tonight and runs
through April 26. Show features Ameri
can Idol winner Taylor Hicks. Tickets
$23.5O-$68.5O from Ticketmaster.
CHARGED*, a club night for POZ men,
hosts a fundraiser for Wolf Creek Sanctu-.
ary. Host Zora Phoenix, DJ Pony. Prizes
from Simpatico Massage.
7-10 pm. Casey's, 27 NW 6th.
The Adventure Group meets for a Third
Tuesday Reading by William Sullivan on
Oregon's greatest natural disasters. Op
tional social hour follows. Lake Oswego Public
Library. 7 pm. 706 4th St. 503-225-6462.
OT, a gay, lesbian, bi and trans social mixer.
6 pm to close. Vault Martini Lounge. 226 NW 12th. No
cover, drink proceeds benefit Portland's 0 Center.
» WED • APRIL 22
The Adventure Group takes a moderate
hike on East Seven-Mile Hill, in the east
Columbia River Gorge, RSVP required.
9 am. meet at Hollywood Fred Meyer Starbucks, 3030
NE Weidler St. 503-830-0187.
Getting Bi PDX hosts a monthly dinner
meeting at Old Wives Tale Restaurant, For
women who are bisexual or questioning.
1300 E. Burnside St. wwwyettingbipdx.com, 6 pm.
Sit around and watch American /do/elim
inations and discuss, "Is Adam Lambert
Gay?" 9 pm, Fox.
The Heather Masse & Anoife O'Donovan
Band (Self-identified folk goddesses)
takes the stage at Mississippi Studios.
3939 N. Mississippi. 8 pm. Tickets at Mississippistu-
dios.com.
White Bird presents Compania Nacional
De Danza 2. This final performance of
the season contains three works by ac
claimed Artistic Director Nacho Duato,
whose lyrical choreography is set to the
music of Debussy, Schubert, and the
African Maghreb. His talented junior
company is made up of some of the best
young dancers in Europe. .
7:30 pm. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, tickets $20-
$50, Ticketmaster, www.whitebird.org.
» THUR • APRIL 23 <
Join Basic Rights Oregon at the 16th
Annual Oregonians Against Discrimina
tion Business Leaders Luncheon. This
year's theme: From the Classroom to the
Boardroom: A Community Conversation.
Reg. 11:30-noon, noon-1:00 pm luncheon
and program.
Portland Ballroom. Oregon Convention Center, 777
NE MLK, Jr. Blvd. Tickets at basicrights.org.
Light in the Ropers, a queer live band
country dance night. Emily Herring and
Henpecked host a monthly live band
country dance night. Dance to all the
classics from the 60s to the present.
Shine the boots, polish the belt buckle,
swing the cute girl. The Egyptian Club. 3701 SE
. Division St. 8:30 pm, $5 cover.
Look, another Red Dress event. Who
knew? Tonight it’s Red Dress happy hour
at Bernie’s Southern Bistro. Happy Hour
from 4-6 pm, Cordial dinner hour follows.
15% of all proceeds benefit Red Dress
Party. 2904 NE Alberta. Call 503-282-9864 for din
ner reservations.
Speed dating for the fellas. Tired of
dating woes, meeting all the wrong
guys? Then try this, an intimate round
robin style buffet of three-minute dates.
7:30-9 pm. Men's Wellness Center, 928 SW Stark.
»THE IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN COURT OF THE RAINTREE EMPIRE (ISCRE) CROWNS ITS ROYALTY
HIS LADY SOVEREIGN
My drag king roots have often entwined
with the drag queens, but not enough to know
one Imperial Sovereign Court from another. So
my first conversation with Jane Arends, Tree
Empress XV, started out on a confusing note.
“The Imperial Sovereign Court of Raintree
Empire - the ISCRE - is in Vancouver. The
ISRC is in Portland,” she patiently explains.
“They are different Courts in the same
International Court System.”
The International Court System started in
1965 as camp fun and has morphed into camp
funding, with these Courts donating hundreds
of thousands of dollars each year to charity. Tree
Empress XV (the “XV” indicating that she has
been with ISCRE’s Court since their 25th year,
9 years ago) says it’s the charity connection
that’s kept her passionately involved for the
past two-and-a-half decades.
“What’s kept me going is raising money
for local charities,” she says. “Not only do we
support local charities, we support each other
by reaching out to help other Courts with their
local charities. And at our Coronation this year,
there will probably be 25 representatives from
other Courts who have come to Vancouver for
the celebration.”
ISCRE expects between 200-300 people in
all for the festivities, themed the “Closing Night
at the Sunburst Lounge: A ‘40s Affair.” Crowds
will celebrate the Reign of Rain Emperor
XXXIV Brandon and Tree Empress XXIV
Shelia DuPont, along with their appointed
Imperial Prince and Imperial Princess, Clyde
S. Dale and Ivory Cox, before welcoming the
new Monarchs. There will also be introductions
of visiting Courts, command performances and
award presentations.
The Coronation will be held Saturday, April
25 in the Centennial Center of the Red Lion
at the Quay (100 Columbia St.) in Vancouver,
Washington. Proceeds go to Martha’s Pantry
(Vancouver’s food bank for people with HIV
and AIDS), the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship
Fund, the Pride of the Rose Scholarship Fund
and the Special Olympics of Clark County.
-TAMMY STONER
Tickets, available at the door, are (35 and include
admission to the Victory Brunch the following
morning, www.impcourt.org. 503-314-1929.
Stop by Red Cap Garage for the next
round of contests in RuPaul's Drag Races
Portland Version. 9pm. 1035 SWStark.
» FRI • APRIL 24
CC Slaughters presents the Oregon
Bears' monthly Double XX Dance, featur
ing music by DJ Peter Calandra of Studio
54 fame. Every fourth Friday. 9pm to 1 am. 219 NW
Davis. $2 cover.
Ever visited the Oregon Garden? Maybe
this is the weekend. It’s the 5th annual
Oregon Garden Brewfest. A mini-vacation
to the lovely Oregon will net you music,
beer and pretty growing things.
www.0regonGarden.org.
The Imperial Sovereign Court of the
Raintree Empire's Coronation Weekend.
Today, The Out of Town Show. Fraternal
Order of Eagles, 107 E 7th St. Vancouver, Wa. $10 door,
7 pm door, 9 pm show. 503-314-1929.
continued on page 22
Jake Walden (top photo by Mike E Eller)
Stewart Lewis
(left)
and Tom Goss
(right photo by Matthew O Leary)
»"ROCK THE FOLK OUT" SHOWCASES TROUBADOUR
TALENTS
QUEER AS FOLK
The “singer-songwriter” label has
conjured up images of a girl and her
guitar since the ‘60s. But this time
around, the ladies are on the dance
floor, the gents picking the strings and
putting their poetry to music. After
last winter’s successful east coast tour,
the men of “Rock the Folk OUT”-
Stewart Lewis, Jake Walden and Tom
Goss-are at it again. The left coast
takes center stage, and Portland finds
the folksters at Mississippi Pizza April
28, in a bill that Eric Sosa of NYC’s
Zipper Factory has hailed “...a truly
important showcase of the country’s
up-and-coming male voices."
The intimate setting is a prime
spot to enjoy the bittersweet ballads of
Jake Walden. You’ll want to curl up in
a soulful stupor as you hear his piano-
driven chords and a raspy voice that’s
drawn comparisons to Tom Waits.
Another Tom’s lively strumming
should brighten any dour moods.
Goss' easygoing but complex chops are
reminiscent ofThey Might Be Giants,
with a more nuanced approach. And
Mississippi Pizza has enough frenetic
NoPo energy to bring your thoughts
back to the good side of folk.
Your emotions already toyed with,
you’ll want to come down with the
soothing sounds of Stewart Lewis.
The nestled tables will also comfort as
you thoughtfully sip your microbrew
while Lewis sings what he assures you
is not a love song.
The crooning may run the gamut
from melancholy to joyful throughout
the evening, tugging your heartstrings
all the while, but it’s sure to be an
interesting ride. Besides, who better to
lead you on such a journey than queer
folk rockers?
-ALLEY HECTOR
8:30p.m., Tues., April28, Mississippi
Piza, 3552 N Mississippi Ave., cover
charge TRA, 503-288-3231,
wwzu. myspace.com/rockthefolkout.