[Portland, OR] In the space of 1.5 hours, I managed to digest two bands and
meet all of the key characters at Eastside Bar & Grill—efficiency—nothing pleases
me more. Steve: charming bar-owner & host. The fellow at my right-arm,
Timothy Simpson (Uncle Tim to Crosby Ringer, the doorman) got progressively
invasive—60s, army jacket, handlebar moustache, disjointed conversation. He
wanted to discuss whether Jack Palance was in the movie on the TV behind us… He
showed me his watch, dropping words like biorhythms and logarithmic—I was doing
my best to nod wisely while dedicating attention to the band. Uncle Tim &
Crosby Ringer (that’s really his name!! Fantastic!) are/were in a band together
but, more importantly, lead the bar’s Tuesday night jam session… AND it’s not a
bluegrass jam session. I started paying Uncle Tim more attention—we discussed
the Vietnam War, mind control, etc. He made his own electric guitar—he’s
possibly done a shit-ton of acid, as he ought, Vietnam War etc. Steve had told
me he had ‘somebody’ doing all of his music booking—I pressed tonight & he
pointed out an entirely an-assuming woman in a bright yellow shirt – I made
sure to flag her as she walked by. So, Brenda, is totally running the show—booking
some 10 bands a week—managing the social media—totally lovely—I’m a huge fan.
In the last famous person I got to meet, I’m pretty sure the guy who was doing
awkward spoken-texts into his phone on the train this morning was there: “siri,
do I need a restraining order?” “DO I … need a restraining order?” “Do I NEED A
restraining order?” “On your mouth!” (in Dara’s mind of course) This band was
so much better I was enticed into staying an additional ten minutes. Stoner
metal, finger metal, fun metal. Red Kross, Offspring. Foundations of Mudhoney,
Alice in Chains. Then their sound started to reflect their weird costumes even
more, well but with less of a gender-bending focus, maybe Suicidal Tendencies
or Minutemen. They called out Chemical Rage (??) – I was really confused when I
found an electronic song … but then I found a metal song that fit… I left on a
Talking Heads sounding song. There was lots of good guitar work happening and the
lead guy had a very solid voice. AGATG-Arsonists Get all the Girls.
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