How We Get Money for the Arts...My Bad Boy DJ Night,....and not much else.

While listening to Ace of Base singing It's a Beautiful Life

OK, I'm kidding.

In '96, just before I came to Portland, when I was living in Baltimore and the career wasn't doing well, I had taken a job as a wedding/corporate/party DJ. I needed the dough so I put up with the humilation of having to wear a polyester tux and red bow tie and cumberbund. I had also grown my hair to my shoulders.

Among my duties included teaching the Macarena and leading the Chicken Dance. It's a Beautiful Life had just come out and of course, I had to play it…and act like I was enjoying it.

I was playing a house party in somebody's mansion and set up in a balcony overlooking the swank living room. I made the mistake of taking my new gf with me on the gig. We were at the can't-keep-your-hands-off-each-other stage and naturally we couldn't keep our hands off each other.

In addition, I found later, the customers below could see more than I thought they could see and apparently were Ace of Base fans. This fact alone would have been enough for me to act up. Remember, by that time I had had my work in front of millions of people, and here I was playing shitty pop tunes for rich assholes.

The fooling around was bad enough, but when I played It's a Beautiful Life, perhaps the nadir of that kind of song, I performed a hilarous lip-sync of the song for my gf. The gf got hysterical.

The DJ boss called me on Monday and told me he had to refund the money and wouldn't pay me for the gig. He kept me on tho.

Such a dream, whoa-ah-ohh-ohhh
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THE FUTURE OF ARTS FUNDING IN THE PORTLAND METRO AREA, FOR REAL

The Mayor, several politicians, arts organization heads and Thomas Lauderdale were on stage at PCS last week for a couple hours of talking strategy with a full house. What's most shocking is how little public funding the arts gets here in comparison with other states.
There is plan for fixing that. Here's the whole hearing. I wish I could have had the oppourtunity to FF through the dull parts, but you do.


Creative Capacity Town Hall from Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.

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ONE OF THESE DAYS PORTLAND IS GOING TO LOOK BACK AT THESE PRODUCTIONS, MARVEL AT THEIR EXCELLENCE AND WONDER JUST HOW THE HELL THEY DID IT

You know what, this doesn't need any embellishment from me. Just go.

 

The Wonderland Circus
A mad tea-party spectacle relating the adventures of Alice. Fridays and Saturdays
April 24th & 25th & May 1st & 2nd at The Bossanova Ballroom

To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said
‘I’ve a sceptre in hand, I’ve a crown on my head;
Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be,
Come and dine with the Red Qeen, the White Queen, and me!’

With a Cast of the Finest Acrobats, Jugglers, Dancers, and Musicians Any World Has Ever Known with live musical score by The Trashcan Joe Orchestra featuring Shoehorn, And, Representing the Wanderlust Circus:

JESSICA HOAGE as Alice, KAZUM as The Card Army, The AWOL DANCE COLLECTIVE, LEAPIN' LOUIE LICHTENSTEIN as The White Rabbit, SID SIMPATICO , J'MIAH , & SCARLETT ROSE of March Fourth Marching Band,CHERRY as The Queen of Hearts, CHARLIE BROWN as The White Knight and The Walrus, HENRIK BOTHE as The Red Knight and The Carpenter, SADIE LaGUERRE as The Red Queen, TANA THE TATTOOED LADY as The White Queen, J LIEBER as The March Hare, TOMMY TWIMBLE as The Doormouse, MR. CREATURE as The Caterpillar, KEPH SHERIN as The Cheshire Cat,

and
WILLIAM BATTY (Noah Mickens) as The Mad Hatter

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. MINGUS



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PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOU'RE MUSICAL PLEASURE IS

Ben Darwish writes:

I have new info regarding Progression, the session I host every last Sunday at Someday Lounge. I started it because I wanted a place for musicians to culminate and play new and improvised music; a departure from "standard" jam sessions. We've had some really good nights but the last couple months have been thin as far as turnout goes. Progression only happens once a month-- not every week like most jam sessions. That's why we always need a good turnout and an enthusiastic group of people willing to make this commitment. If the turnout this month is short of spectacular, we won't be able to continue the session! So mark your calendars for April 26th and keep the scene alive!

If you've never been, please come and watch before you ask to sit in. The music is sometimes very advanced and while I will give everyone a chance, they may not always be invited back. This is not meant to discourage you from coming, but rather a way to motivate you to get better.

This is not only an event for the performers but also for the music enthusiast. So come hang out and enjoy the music!

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ATTENTION ROOTS ROCKERS

Artist/musican Ron Rogers' band the Atonements will be playing the Aladdin Theater Friday April 24th at 8PM, doing an opening set for Texan James McMurtry and theHeartless Bastards. James is an award winning Americana artist and songwriter. In 2007 he won best album, Childish Things, and song, We Can't Make It Here, at the Americana Music Awards in Nashville.

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APPOLOGY :

Sorry this is so short. Once I'm able to tell you about the project I'm working on, you'll know why.

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Pass this blog on!
…and leave a comment!!!

Listen to my KMHD show on Saturday nights 10pm-2am. Jazz till 12 and then The Bar opens at Midnight! Studio line 503-661-8900…call me sometime, it gets lonely out there!

Email me at tvdpdx@gmail.com