Greetings from the season of Wynne. This column became a regular Wynne update so gradually... no, we knew. We're tasked with bringing you the best in Portland's hip hop, pop, R&B, and other, varied music scenes, and so—here in the deluge of Wynne's creative jaw-droppers—the only thing to do is try to keep up. Suffice to say: New Wynne single alert! There's also a great experimental pop show at the end of September you should scoop, and Travis Scott added a second Moda Center show. This is the week... Hear in Portland!

MUST SEE: 

Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s).

Schaus album release party w/ Yawa

On September 26, Portland-based pop / electronic act Schaus release a new album, Lovers Loop. You can preview most of the record right now—as eight of the 11 songs are already available on streaming platforms—but your first chance to pick up a vinyl version or hear the tracks live is the record release party, on the following night. Schaus' live band includes drummer Chris Hermsen and Hasan Mahmood. Scott Schaus handles the rest, including space-aged vocals. 

We like Schaus, but the reason we're planning to peel ourselves off the couch on a work night is the chance to catch a supporting set by one-woman show now known as Yawa—AKA Amenta Abioto. Yawa is excellent live, and we can vouch for Abioto’s enchanting, hearty voice, which she weaves with guitar and kalimba in improvised loops. Listen for the Earth-inspired and poppy “Plant It,” the deeply moving “Revolution,” (known to induce full body chills), and the ancestral wisdom of “Wade,” which was inspired by the Negro spiritual “Wade in the Water.” DIY experimental pop producer Ghost Piss opens the evening. (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, Wed Sept 27, 8 pm, $12, tickets here, 21+) 

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Cloudy-clouds will fade away to sunny-sun today with the temps continuing to rise to 81 and then upward, hitting a sweltering 90 on Friday. Is your thong still in rotation? MINE IS! And now let's read a thong's-worth of NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Well, here's an odd match: The state of Oregon and New York City’s pension funds have teamed up to sue the Fox Corporation, which they (correctly) say hurt their investors by allowing their Fox News division to broadcast blatant lies which brought defamation lawsuits against them, thereby lowering stock value. So why is our state involved? Because this: "Oregon holds shares in the company worth approximately $5.2 million." UMMMMM... WHAT? UMMMM... WHY?

• The latest version of the Covid booster—which is rarin' to attack the latest mutated strain of the virus—has been given the okay by both the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which means it could arrive in Oregon as early as next week. Forget "Hot Girl Summer"—get your booster and let's have an "Eradicate Covid Winter."

Kroger says no Fred Meyer stores to be sold to win merger approval https://t.co/zgDYfalmpK

— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) September 13, 2023

• The white man who was spewing racist hatred before stabbing two Black teens on a MAX train on September 2 was supposed to be in jail at the time... and yet? Even though he was arrested on three recent occasions, the county’s Correctional Health Division refused to allow the jail to book him due to "unspecified medical conditions." Sounds like somebody's got some explaining to do!

Local monthly hip-hop showcase the Thesis has been going strong since December 2014, and in those nearly nine years has become an integral hub for local artists making hip-hop—plus, expanded its circle to include performers in other genres like pop, dancehall, afrobeats, and more.

On September 7, the showcase threw an epic farewell to summer party, chartering the 150-foot Portland Spirit yacht to host a two and a half hour music-filled cruise on the Willamette River. The Thesis had done this once before, in 2015, so we expected a party, but it ended up being more: a representation of that diversity—not just cultural, but diversity of sound. 

Full disclosure, years ago I handled the guest list for the series, and I've attended it since the very beginning. More than once I stepped away from the hot, crowded stage on the yacht's middle deck to take in views of the South Waterfront and bask in the surreal feeling: the Thesis on a summer yacht excursion!

Are you looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)? And are you looking for it TONIGHT??

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town… TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide which is the lesser of TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely!

Plus, this time around we'll be welcoming not one... but TWO very special guest comedian contestants NEERAJ SVRINIVASAN and MILAN PATEL! Waitasecond... that's double the funny!

SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: TONIGHT, Wednesday, September 13, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!

I'm reading you from Italy, and I could really use your advice. About four years ago, I started dating a girl who I've been living with for the past two months. Since I've known her, she has been suffering from periods of depression and anxiety, although I didn’t know it when we first started to date. She used to spend a lot of time in therapy and continues to take medication. It has been very tough for both of us, and I even ended up talking to a psychologist for a while.

I was immediately captivated by her sensitivity, her sweetness, and the way she sees things. In many ways, she completes me. But soon after the beginning stages of our relationship, our connection lost its passionate side almost entirely, mainly due to the medication she's taking but also because of her anxieties related to the fear of pain in her intimate areas. I've tried to accept this while encouraging her to see specialists who could alleviate her fears. I've also been encouraging her to resume her conversations with her psychologist, which she stopped about three months ago.

What should I do? I don't want to breakup with her. I care about her and believe that with time, things will get better, but right now there is a significant void in our relationship.

Vexed Over Intimate Decline

You’re not fucking, right? 

Click here to read the rest of this week's Mini Savage Love (free-to-all). 

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Fall is just around the corner (11 days, to be exact) so relish this next week of sunny, aptly warm weather that reminds us why there is no better place to spend summer than the Pacific Northwest. Today’s high is 76, with an evening low of 58. Drink it in!

In Local News: 

• A recent study from the University of Washington found traces of methamphetamine and fentanyl in air and surface samples taken on public transit. The study was prompted by frequent complaints from drivers of light rail trains and buses in Portland and Seattle about riders using drugs on transit vehicles. That study led Portlanders, and most notably TriMet, to lose their damn minds and call for a crackdown on public drug use, similar to the rhetoric used at Portland City Council a day prior. Here’s the thing: TriMet (and some media outlets) promoted hysteria while simultaneously acknowledging that the trace amounts found were negligible, and pose no threat to rider safety. The agency is now calling for heightened transit security. TriMet drivers certainly have room to feel disconcerted by people smoking drugs on their vehicles, as some report, but the study’s authors cautioned that the results don’t indicate widespread drug use on public transit, nor do the results represent all of public transit. What WE DO KNOW is that the best way to avoid lingering residue of any kind AND simultaneously reduce risk of airborne illnesses like COVID or the flu, is to clean the dang buses and trains more often. 

@suethebuscleaninglady How we clean a bus.      First we clean the windows, then we disinfect the rails, sides backs and the headrests of the seats then  Jimmy mops. I disinfect the drivers area while the bus is being mopped. #suethebuscleaninglady #cleaningtips #cleaninghacks #walla #happiness#vegan#bus#fypage #aussie ♬ original sound - SuzanneCoad

Continue reading »

A recent study from the University of Washington (UW) revealed new insights about the prevalence of fentanyl and methamphetamine on public transit in Portland. 

The UW study showed the presence of airborne remnants of both drugs on buses and light rail cars in Seattle and Portland, though transit agencies say the amounts are minuscule—one public transit leader compared the amount of substance found to "one-thousandth of a grain of sugar"—and don’t pose a threat to public health. It's also unclear from the study whether or not the residue found in public transit vehicles was directly caused by people using drugs onboard. Still, public transportation leaders think the findings warrant taking action on public drug use on TriMet buses and light rail trains. 

On Sept. 7, TriMet posted to social media about an upcoming "crackdown on public drug use," calling on "state and local officials and lawmakers to enact policy changes and enforcement to help curb this epidemic." 

Are you looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)?

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town… TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide which is the lesser of TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely!

Plus, this time around we'll be welcoming not one... but TWO very special guest comedian contestants NEERAJ SVRINIVASAN and MILAN PATEL! Waitasecond... that's double the funny!

SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE! Or if you're feeling lucky, ENTER TO WIN TWO FREE TICKETS to see "Two Evils" by EMAILING US HERE, include your name, and put "Two Evils Contest" in the subject line. We'll notify all winners by 5 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, September 12)!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: Wednesday, September 13, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!

We're here to keep your schedule stacked with a fresh batch of top picks, from Modest Mouse and Pixies with Cat Power to Jungle and from Atsuko Okatsuka to Black Artists of Oregon. Headed up to Seattle to see Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour?! Be sure to check out what else is going on in Seattle this week.

TUESDAY

FILM

Nosferatu with Invincible Czars
Good news if you're looking to get the Halloween vibes rolling early this season: F.W. Murnau's eerie 1922 classic Nosferatu, which Werner Herzog once described as "the greatest German film," will screen at Alberta Rose Theatre, so prepare to gasp at the bald, spidery, and downright yucky Count Orlok. Austin music ensemble the Invincible Czars will perform their original, updated soundtrack for the screening, adding mysterious new layers of sonic depth to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the silent flick. LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia)

How do you do, fellow kids? Welcome your weekly roundup of the juiciest in news and gossip in this here Trash Report, brought to you by me, Elinor Jones, taking a break from incessantly texting my friends about whether or not I should cut my bangs again to write this column; I hope you can appreciate how hard this was for me. But my darling Trash Pandas deserve the best, and while I am not the best, I can give you all I've got. Lez go.

Sports Reporter Over Here With the Sports News

My most esteemed congratulations go out to 19-year-old Coco Grauff, who this past weekend won the U.S. Open with a scores of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. When I was 19, I couldn't even figure out how tennis was scored. Still can't, tbh. But I'm told that this was a great points arrangement, and I am happy for her! 

In other sports news (sorry to always be talking about sports! I'm simply extremely athletic), multiple outlets are reporting that Luis Rubiales has resigned as the head of Spanish women's soccer following what's been called an "unwanted kiss" to a player. Such reporting is a... homerun? Slam dunk?... of a way to remind oneself how hard the media will cling to euphemisms when it comes to reporting on sexual assault.

The Mercury’s Fall Arts & Culture Preview doesn’t need a theme, but this year’s was obvious: Portland is building. Portland is rebuilding.https://t.co/OaJj3J3TKp

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) September 10, 2023

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Get ready for a cloudy start to your week, with temps inching up to 76 today and slowly climbing throughout the week until we top out at 90 by next Saturday! Sorry, summer-haters: It ain't going away yet! Here's another thing that never goes away... THE NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• For those Oregon governing bodies who have been trying to convene public meetings without properly inviting and informing citizens what they'll be discussing—WATCH OUT! The state government has passed new legislation that will update and toughen up existing laws, to insure that city councils and other public officials across Oregon adhere to full transparency. OH, and speaking of less than full transparency... OOF! 👇

"At this time, I cannot confidently say Multnomah County is spending our money as effectively as possible."
https://t.co/0BxhTIsYbZ

— Public Record And Data Archives (@PRADAPDX) September 10, 2023

• It's official: The Nike Factory Outlet store on Northeast MLK—which has been closed for nearly a year—will not be reopening, dealing a devastating blow to the local Black business community. Portland civil rights activist Ron Herndon (who helped bring the store to MLK back in the 1980s) had this to say: “I think this is a failure of leadership at City Hall ... I just believe folks at City Hall don’t have the skill or creativity to address major issues that impact not only the Black community but all of Portland.” Hello! It's also because City Council is too busy bending over backwards to cater to the greedy needs of rich downtown developers/business owners to help anyone else in our very large city.

Letter from the editor: Gov. Tina Kotek’s decision to hide her new task force’s conversations from the public is opaque, unethical and counterproductive. https://t.co/LD1KwxhNsy

— Street Roots (@StreetRoots) September 11, 2023

While I do not believe astrology is real, I believe that astrology is usually right. Holding these two ideas in constant tension is how I get through any given Portland dinner party. And I know that there are at least 12 zodiac signs, which pairs well with the dozen or so local film festivals scattered throughout the year. And as film festivals are the focus, we’ve listed them more or less chronologically—but we imagine you can find your zodiac sign below:

Sagittarius

Godzillathon

Godzilla, as far as I know, has never battled a giant centaur, but I also wouldn’t put it past the dude. Plus “sag season” sounds like what would happen to the suspension bridges of Tokyo during a Godzilla attack. The Hollywood Theater’s Godzillathon triumphantly returns in September after a few years on hiatus. It’s a great opportunity to see some golden-age kaiju fisticuffs on the big screen, and this time round the focus is on his swinging ‘60s oeuvre, including his battle with the much-maligned—yet still iconic—smog monster Hedorah. Sat Sept 16 & Sun Sept 17, Hollywood Theater, hollywoodtheatre.org/events/godzillathon

GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)

• Portland City Councilors Will Lobby For Change in State Law to Pave Way For Criminalization of Drugs

Portland city leaders will pressure state lawmakers to change state law, blaming a longstanding loophole for the scourge of fentanyl and meth use on Portland's streets. Experts caution a repeat of the failed War on Drugs won't solve the addiction crisis.

• POP QUIZ PDX

In this week's trivia quiz: swarms of swifts, embarrassing jailbreaks, and Portland's woeful lack of ninja supply stores! (Think you're smart? See how well you score!) 🤓

• The First Portland Area Detox Center Funded By Measure 110 Will Open Soon

Physicians say fentanyl has made addiction much harder to treat. A new Southeast Portland detox center funded with money from Measure 110 will be one of the first to focus on helping people withdraw and recover from fentanyl.

Are you looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)?

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town… TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide which is the lesser of TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely!

Plus, this time around we'll be welcoming not one... but TWO very special guest comedian contestants NEERAJ SVRINIVASAN and MILAN PATEL! Waitasecond... that's double the funny!

SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: Wednesday, September 13, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!