Since moving back to Portland I’ve been noticing the motto “Keep Portland Weird” frequently on bumper stickers, occassionally on t-shirts and rarely soken by bums (usually all they say is, “Can you spare a dollar?” And I have to say, “Sorry man, I’m broke myself. I just guzzled all this beer to return these now empty cans and bottles so I can eat tonight. Now run along before this parenthesized, less relevant portion of my experiences gets any longer.”)
Anyway, this phrase, which probably actually originated in weirder cities, is sponsored by a few local businesses. One of those establishments is Music Millenium—my new favorite record store. So long CD/Game Exchange, farewell Everyday Music, my ears and my jewel case tickling fingers have a new home.
I had been impressed by their NW 23rd & Johnson location. They did not carry what I was looking for and their used CD section lacked. That wasn’t the case when I visited their E. Burnside spot. I was on a mission, which was to purchase a ticket for tomorrow night’s concert headlined by The Format and featuring Steel Train and Limbeck at the Hawthorne Theatre (just down the road). Although I was already having to charge the ticket, my biological credit limit said it would be acceptable to indulge. I purchased used copies of The Kooks - “Inside In/Inside Out” and Guster - “Lost And Gone Forever.” I also picked up a surprise/late b-day present for my sister. I walked out very please with my new acquisitions even though I did not find Rhett Miller’s debut album “The Instigator.”
Which leads me back to my original point (I love it when it comes full circle, especially when I blog). Portland isn’t really that weird. There are definitely some weird areas, such as around the Roseland and the U.S. Bancorp tower in downtown where all the Burnside Beauties hang out, and the Alberta neighborhood, home of Last Thursday. I’m confident when I say Eugene is weirder than Portland, and that comes without me even venturing out to the country fair in Veneta. I can usually walk down the street or ride the bus without getting weirded out, and I’d like to keep it that way. So to my fellow Portlanders, I proclaim that we KEEP PORTLAND TOLERABLE!
