My livepdx.com Music Blog

I am writing a weekly music blog on livepdx.com. You can find it here. Here's last week's:

Blotto Barfly Bus on New Year's Eve

Tue, 01/08

by Tom D'Antoni

While sitting in the Pharmacy Café listening to the Meters on WWOZ (that's in New Orleans, y'all)...

Two vivid memories from New Year's Eve on the Barfly Bus: 1) horns blown in my ear, and 2) climbing to the top of Rocky Butte at midnight carrying a bottle of champagne, along with Jen Lane and the rest of the people from the bus, reaching the top and saying, "This is just too f---ing cold, let's go back to the bus and drink."

You get on the bus not knowing where they're taking you. Me and the spousal unit, a couple of friends and about 70 others piled on Jen's bus (one of six).

As far as I can remember, the itinerary went like this:

We departed from the Rialto (where I found out the best and cheapest Greek salad in town had been taken off the menu…along with a lot of other items). The crew on the bus ranged from normal looking folks, all the way to too-much-metal, too-much-ink, too-little-clothes, too-full-of-myself scenesters. Unfortunately, the scene was 1994.

The first stop was Tube, which used to look like something out of 2001(the movie) and now looks more like something from the set of Brazil (the movie), quite ruined, somewhat charmingly so, a 21st Century dive.

Second stop was Jen Lane's "office," Sewickly's Addition. Who didn't know we were going there?

Third stop was the Rumpus Room out past SE 92nd on Division, where there was karaoke and where the drinks really began to take their toll. One guy from the bus got a triple lap dance from three women from the bus. I wanted to sing some James Brown, but the DJ had none. Their loss.

Frigid Rocky Butte was next. It was a good idea, conceptually.

Fifth stop was sloppy. The hats, horns and noise makers were in the hands of the riders by now. It was loud. I think we were at Roscoe's on SE Stark out by 82nd. I do know that one guy fell off a barstool and a girl had to be held up. Things get fuzzy after that. Ok, things were fuzzy already.

Jen dropped us off at Dante's, where they were having a "Karaoke From Hell" marathon. I hiked back to the car, not subjecting my companions to the cold six-block walk.

I probably had a really good time. You'll have to ask somebody who saw me.

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One more New Year's item: Funny that three of the top music bookers in town were all at the Bingo and Dream Band show at Kennedy School…Jan Haedinger (McMenamins booking agent), Lisa Lepine (Bite of Oregon booking agent) and Alicia Rose (Doug Fir booking agent). Mike McMenamin was there, too.

Speaking of Lisa, her New Year's day party was packed and was subsequently sent into orbit when Chervona, that wacked-out Russian band, showed up and rocked the house (pictured, photo by Jamie Lee Christiana). I'm writing about them in Friday's A&E. Their Old Russian New Year's Eve show is Saturday at The Bitter End.

A few more random notes:

The jazz community is holding its breath, waiting to hear if LV's Uptown has gone the way of the Blue Monk. Apparently the restaurant changed hands, and they may be eliminating the music.

OHM is going back to electronica, and guess who is back on Tuesday nights? Keith Schreiner (Auditory Sculpture), one third of Dahia, who used to own Tuesday nights at OHM. Looks like a solo gig for now. Just don't tell him I called it "electronica."

Jazztronica, of which Keith is also a part, is going to be at Jimmy Mak's twice this week, Tuesday at 6:00pm and Friday at 10:00pm. Good move on JM's part, trying them out late. Keith wrote "…hope to see ya. And yes I will be at Jimmy's and then hi-tail it to the Ohm on Tuesday...double booking nights are oh so fun, jeesh."

This just in: According to an email from an artist who works there and just lost a gig, The Green Room folks told him/her/it that they've lost their lease. Confirmed later.