Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2011)
news St. Johns’ No.Fest Expands T he Fourth Annual No.Fest, present- ed by InterArts, just announced an initial line-up for their increas- ingly ambitious multi- venue, multi-event festi- val. The festival consists of 16 categories of artists that will be per- forming shows and leading workshops. So far, the event has 61 confirmed artists. The fest will run June 24 at 7 p.m. through June 26 at 10 a.m. in St. Johns at multiple ven- ues. Most events have a suggested donation of $1. “This is a festival unafraid to drive close to the edge of all things,” according to organizers. “Our pro- gram seems to go fur- ther in to the frays with more family friendliness and diversity at once. It seems we are maturing. We introduce comedy, expanded music cate- gories, and interactive workshops to the pro- gram. There will be an extensive hip hop pro- gram, more pop music, the return of our chil- dren’s program, and we’re very excited about the Portland Peace Choir opening Noon performance.” The festival will be broadcast live on KBOO 90.7 FM. For more information, visit www.nofest.net. aRtISt lINE uP BY catEgORY vISual wORk IN gallERY Chavawn R.Y. Vasquez Alejandro Ceballos Noah Saterstrom tba Multimedia and Installation Brenna Murphy Krystal South Kurtis Hough Ron Mason Gassaway Mega*Tent Mini St. Johns Todd Norman Guess Chris Lael Larson Clint Ganzack Pop Music Wishyunu Hawkins Wright Sam Densmore My Autumns Done Come Rock Music Last Prick Standing Bison Bison The Tomorrow People Metanoia The Hand That Bleeds Valkyrie Rodeo Noise-Pop Music Moodring PartyKiller Activity Universal Associates Muscle Beach Beta Crack Americana Music Michael Hurley Paul Evans and Friends Right On John Les Tresvinos World Music DJ Anjali and The Kid tba Hip Hop Music Rustlah Breakdance Battle Way2Hott Presents... tba Electro Music White Rainbow Gulls tba Movement/Dance Danielle Ross Steele/Currin Lucy Yim/Jenkins/Nels on Theatre/Spoken Word Portland Peace Choir Cast Iron Carousel G.M. Holder Comedy Christian Ricketts Philip Schallberger tba Children’s Show Joyfull Noize Kid Jamz tba tba Visual Accompanied Music SNDtRkR We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. Jon Meyer Jennifer Keyser Workshops Fencing by Rocky Yoga by Maize Bike Games with Neil Grand Detour’s Sound/Image... Slackline Demo Experimental Dr. Id Dead Air Fresheners Mike Frekete Cliche Au Lait Daniel Menche Evil Doer PERfORMaNcE SItES Plews Brews Patty’s Home Plate Town Square Brownfield/Maries The Booksellers Proper Eats Slims Legong John’s Tavern Salle Trois Arme The People’s Yoga vISual SItES The Yellow House Salty Tea Cup Anna Bananna’s Held Belts Wright Brothers Glass James John Cafe Legong Proper Eats SJ Bike Lab Brandon Mychal Smith: He’s So Brandon! Interview with kam williams B orn in Los Angeles on May 29, 1989, Brandon Mychal Smith is a charismatic young actor best known for play- ing ladies man Nico Harris on the Disney Channel sitcom “Sonny with a Chance,” which was renamed “So Random” earlier this year. Brandon discovered his love for acting at a young age when he stood in front of his 6th grade class and recited a crowd- pleasing rendition of a poem by Shel Silverstein. And after gradu- ating from high school, he enrolled at Hampton University where he earned his degree in entrepreneurship while minoring in finance. A versatile performer, Brandon recently competed on the ABC celebri- ty reality show “Skating with the Stars,” and in 2010 starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Starstruck.” His other TV credits include recurring roles on such shows as “Unfabulous” and “Phil of the Future.” Brandon has also guest-starred on “Bones,” “Without a Trace” and “That’s So Raven”. Brandon’s motion picture credits include appearances opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Gridiron Gang, opposite Nick Cannon in Weapons, and opposite Matthew Perry in The Ron Clark Story. Away from work, he keeps himself busy between his many hobbies (especial- ly roller-skating) and his charity work with organizations like the “Magic of Healthy Living Campaign” alongside First Lady, Michelle Obama. Here, Brandon talks about his work on “So Random.” kam williams: Hi Brandon, thanks for the time. Brandon Mychal Smith: Thank you for giving me the time. kw: What interested you in So Random? BMS: What interested me about So Random was the great team of people that I knew were behind this project. My first love has always been drama and Brian Robbins, So Random’s Executive Producer, had produced a film called Hardball that I had wanted to be in. I always want- ed to work with Brian Robbins, so when the opportunity rang I was more focused and ready to do whatever it took to land the role of Nico. [LOL] kw: Tell me a little about the show? BMS: So Random is your SNL mixed with a splash of 30 Rock all geared towards the cool kids and fly teens of the new millennium! kw: How would you describe your character, Nico? BMS: Nico Harris has the charisma and charm of a WIll Smith from Fresh Prince of Bel Air days with a dash of Denzel Smooth and a Kanye West swagger when it comes to getting fly! [Laughs] kw: How similar are you to Nico? BMS: Nico Harris is Brandon Mychal Smith at about 16 or 17 with much more energy and a way cooler job than I really had at that age. [Laughs] Nico and I share a love for the fashion world. And much like Nico, I've always loved vintage and unique clothing and cool jewelry. Nico and I also are very much ladies men. [Chuckles] The ability to charm the ladies has never been a sore spot for Mr. Nico Harris [LOL] But most importantly, Nico, as well as I, love to keep everyone laughing and having a good time! kw: What would you say is the message being delivered by So Random? BMS: The show’s message is that with The Power of We, you can do it to with drive, persistence, commitment, breathing and smiling. [Laughs] The Power of We is the collaborative effort, everyone coming together to help con- tribute and or make a positive difference. kw: What was it like doing the reality-TV series Skating with the Stars? How much of a skater were you as a child? BMS: Doing Skating with the Stars was a very empower- ing experience for me. It showed me what I can truly achieve with drive, persistence and commitment. It felt good to become physically active and to push my body to its physical limits day in and day out. If I ever have to do a superhero movie, trust me, I’ll be ready. [Chuckles] I am an avid roller skater, NOT ice skater. [Laughs some more] Big difference! Ice skating is a much more physically-demand- ing sport, although my lifetime love and passion for roller- skating definitely helped my confidence and ability to cre- ate on the ice skates, during Skating with the Stars. I became pretty good at ice-skating by the end of the compe- tition, which surprised me in a great way. kw: You’ve been in showbiz since you were 8? How have you avoided the problems that have plagued so many other stars? Read the rest of this story online at www.theskanner.com Page 10 The Portland Skanner
