Sunday, May 25, 2008

Thunderstorms, power outages, and Matt Blodgett

It's a nice 3-day weekend to be out and around - never a dull moment with the weather around here, is it?

I spent Saturday night's thunderstorm at The Candy Store on 103rd and NE Halsey watching my friend's band, Gradience, play their monthly open-mic. I've been to this bar a lot - Gradience pretty much hosts the open mic, which is good because I don't think anyone else has ever shown up - and I love it for all of its perfectly divey video-poker-and-plastic-ashtray beauty. The big screen TV seems to always show ancient episodes of Funniest Home Videos or Cops. The clientele has a friendly last-call feel, chain-smoking in pink stretch pants and Joe Camel t-shirts. I sometimes wonder if I've stumbled into the Crab Shack from My Name Is Earl. The thunderstorm knocked the power out during the show, but it came back on before the video poker junkies started screaming.

The Candy Store don't seem to have a website but if you're in way-out NE Portland, drop in to sightsee and meet the nicest bartender ever.

Tonight was the Rosedrop Media Circus at 9 Muses. Usually there are at most 10 people downstairs and a handful more watching online in SecondLife, but tonight the place was bizarrely full and for some reason there was a huge dessert spread, I worried for a few minutes that I'd accidentally crashed a wedding.

Perhaps they were all there to see Matt Blodgett. Probably, since the guy sitting behind me was singing along and knew all the words. Matt was pretty good, and from the interview portion of the podcast seems to be an interesting person. For my tastes I'd prefer to hear him with a full band, but I have to admit I did appreciate his unplugged guy-with-a-guitar stuff.

Oh, and... During Matt's first song, someone in SecondLife seemed to be dancing with a sheep stuck to his cock.

Takes all kinds to party online, I suppose.

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