Bubble Cats - World Famous Kenton Club, Portland OR - February 3, 2018

[Portland OR] This musical outing was made possible by hypocritical non-accommodation and mini-emotional-breakdown #2 …. on a third date. I drove off rejoicing in my relative, finally, mental health and well my freedom. I had already penciled in the venue’s address in my little book, just in case, and because I knew. The venue’s name: great. It was one of those weird ruralish Portland bars walled with gaming machines that require a neon “Oregon Lottery” sign out front. Vegas to me. The look (and some of the old-timers) read former Elks Lodge: artistically diagonaled wood paneling and not-clearly-ironic hunting trophies. The board of band names with “Pure evil since 1947” chalked above read rocker-takeover. It was peopled with weirdos, nerds, and moderate-scenesters (flannel, sort-of-skinny jeans, and the unfortunately requisite beanie knit cap). The band was good. They were middle-aged, which I was distracted from by their clear-frame hipster eyeglasses. More to the point, they were power pop but with off-kilter vocals. Kind of 90s but in the end: Minor Threat.