PORTLAND MOVEABLE FEAST: COMMUNITY

 

 

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

Would Hemingway say the same about a Portland moveable feast?

He would if he booked Eastburn for dinner.

Try the Seared Ahi Tuna:

“Stout mustard crusted ahi tuna*, tomato, watercress, red onions, potato bun, fries.”

Old Ernie would look for paella first, then the ahi tuna.

It was a daring choice, which fit the rest of the night: The 9 o’clock show at the Doug Fir Lounge with The Family Crest.

Moveable feast changes.

Recent news about Portland is dire. A Portland loss is an Oregon loss.

It makes you want to skip any plan for going out in public.

Then there’s the other side, the together part.

Community building for a Portland moveable feast needs an event, a destination, and the will to see it through.

If you care enough you show up and join in.

It won’t be all about you, so choose your company carefully.

Portland moveable feast for the eyes.

“You know, of all the cities I’ve been in Portland is still my favorite. I know where stuff is, how to get in, and how to get back out.”

“I never want to move. I love Portland.”

“If I didn’t live here, I’d want to move here.”

“This is one of those ‘move to Portland’ nights people remember when they talk about moving here.”

“And we’re here.”

“Yes we are.”

Portland moveable feast on the road.

On I-5 North take the Marquam Bridge across the Willamette and angle for the I-84 / PDX exit.

Get to the far right and look for the exit within the exit. Not only are you on an interstate highway ramp, you’re leaving it early for Portland inner-eastside.

The Water Ave. exit drops you from the clean view of the Portland skyline across the water to the grit of homeless camps under bridges. From bright lights and sparkles, to glowing cigarette cherries in the dark.

“If this was any other city I’d never drive here at night. This looks spooky.”

“Everybody needs someplace. They found theirs’ right here.”

“This isn’t why people move to Portland. More like why they move out.”

“What’s the name of the place under Belmont? Montage? There it is.”

“They open late and stay open late. 5 to 2 in the morning. If we’re in the neighborhood later.”

Ties that bind.

If you’re fortunate enough to know your adult kids’ friends, and able enough to make the effort, meet them on their ground.

Saturday night their turf was Eastburn and the ten blocks to Doug Fir.

“Chef Brandon Smoak elevates the public house dining experience with innovative brunch and dinner dishes that comfort and delight. General Manager Josh Roeder makes sure that guests experience the best of hospitality, while overseeing a lovingly curated draft list and cocktail menu. EastBurn boasts two floors of dining and entertainment with two full bars, 19 rotating taps, and a patio with swing chairs and fire tables.”

You’ll even have a chance to add to the art gallery.

The Family Crest show.

It was classic, up-close, more folk rock than indie  show. They were not some hangdogs frozen behind mics.

Instead, they leaped around the stage. Like watching the Indy 500, you hoped no one would crash.

A string section and horns made it look inevitable.

A band so strong they accelerate from 0 to 200 mph without breaking down helps everyone in the audience.

We should all be so good.

Instead of a core leaving early with the vibe, “I could that,” the core held. They knew they couldn’t do that.

Not the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Of Monsters And Men, but more like Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. The Family Crest big band trained to the milli-second shows what practice does.

Timing changes, alternate tempo, all driven by a surging need to do songs the right way carried the night.

Who does that?

The fun side of Indie Rock still exists.

These fans like smart music.

Do you like smart music?

In addition to Liam McCormick (lead vocals, guitar) and John Seeterlin (bass), the band consists of Charlie Giesige (drums), Laura Bergmann (flute, percussion, vocals), George Samaan (trombone) Owen Sutter (violin, percussion), and Charly Akert (cello, percussion). Laura Bergmann, Owen Sutter, Charly Akert, and George Samaan are all classically trained (Bergmann, Sutter, Akert, Samaan, and Giesige hold degrees in music performance).

This is not your father’s garage band. More like something from Brian May’s band tree of sharp students who can do it all.

It felt like the sort of learning moment you promise yourself to copy.

How do you get to the Doug Fir Lounge?

Practice hard, like The Family Crest.

Last thing from wiki shows their Millennial Collaboration Cred:

The brainchild of frontman Liam McCormick, The Family Crest began as a recording project in 2008 that aimed to connect a community of people through a musical platform. Using flyers, personal contacts, Craigslist and other forms of outreach, McCormick and co-founder John Seeterlin recorded nearly 100 people for the project throughout Northern California. After completing the majority of recording in the fall of 2009, McCormick and Seeterlin elected to continue the project by forming a live band.

They had all the ingredients, except the name for Seeterlin’s mustache.