Portland Events, Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability | PDXPIPELINE.com

There is a good bit of music in Portland this weekend (and every weekend), but Salem might have us beat this time. They have The Thermals, Viva Voce and 138 other bands. Time to take the train down to Cherry City. (Knowledge drop–Salem became known as the Cherry City as a result of the outstanding exhibits at the Cherry Fair held in July, 1907–the more you know)

PIPELINE is giving away two all-day access passes for you and your best friend to this festival. Sorry, you are going to miss Thursday, b/c we announce the winner Thursday at 7PM. That still gives you plenty of time on Friday and Saturday to see…I don;t know, 50 bands…100 bands including The Thermals and Viva Voce. How do you win? Simply comment on this post and we will draw the winner randomly on Thursday at 7PM. Good luck!

Also, we are giving a lot more tickets away on Thursday to our Facebook group friends (and Myspace) including Questlove, Mos Def, Scott Weiland, Night Shade Adult Puppet Theater and more…Join up and win

From Cherry City Music Fest:

140 bands converge in Salem for Cherry City Music Festival

Salem, OR – March 30, 2009

More than 400 musicians will converge in Salem, Oregon, for three days of music, film, education, marketing and parties. Independent music makes a stand in 15 venues throughout downtown Salem during the 3rd Cherry City Music Festival April 9-11. Every genre from acoustic through zouk will be on stage to benefit Isaac's Room, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Mid-Valley Video Festival. International touring acts will join local musicians in Salem's oldest performance halls to perform jazz, punk, classical, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, hip hop, reggae, latin and heavy metal, each supporting the do-it-yourself ethic of performance and self-promotion.

Independent labels Kill Rock Stars, K-Records, Tender Loving Empire and Boy Gorilla will each present some of their top acts on stage at the Grand Theater, Reed Opera House, and the Ike Box, including The Thermals, Viva Voce, Jeremy Jay, Jared Mees Read the rest of this entry »

By Stephanie El Hajj

It was opening Saturday and the room was packed full of PCS subscribers and the few lucky enough to score tickets. Fans from as far as Boston and all over the US were in the audience supporting Storm, and she playfully bantered with them, by name, before the show started.

A plus, the venue's tiny: Gus Van Sant sat literally 11 feet away. You can't get a bad seat, and even if you're not stage front, Storm runs through the audience at one point. You'll probably be closer to Storm here than at any concert of hers you've gone to.

Haunting, powerful, perfect vocals; nobody should be able to sing like that. It's too good. You're going to get your face melted when she starts belting and the lights go flashing and the audience is going wild. Storm wrote a whole new album for this show, better and perhaps even dirtier than "Ladylike: Side One". (they sell copies in the lobby, buy one.)

Storm is backed by three very talented musicians, including James Beaton, from Storm and the Balls and Everclear, Scott Weddle, a Portland music staple, and Jim Brunberg, who co-owns Mississippi Studios.

This girl, this woman, this beautiful Glamazon, is so open, so honest, so forward, so freaking raw. Crazy Enough is an autopsy, a brutal exploration of Storm's guts. She covers the very things people hide far away and later grow ulcers over, from dealing with (and avoiding) the pain and drama associated with having a certifiably crazy mom to the everyday hardships of simply growing up a kid who's a little too loud, big, and not named Sarah.

Storm tells her story in confidence; you're here to share her secret. It's a little humbling.

Occasionally you're going to laugh your ass off. You're going to be offended, perhaps a little "glistening in your swim suit area", when she starts taking her clothes off, riled up (that girl's got a mouth on her) and when you travel with Storm and her brother down the halls of the psycho ward, you're going to be choking back tears.

In the lobby after the show, a fan approached Storm. Storm was explaining her difficulty with the show. “…spilling your guts out on stage?” the fan asked, “No. I've always done that. It's the sad sh*t…who cares?”

Yes, you're going to witness some unpretty sides of Storm (at one point we join her for a night in Heroin Hell), and you're going to hear and see things that make your insides churn, your face burn and your throat swell. For example, the song, "My Vagina is 8 Miles Wide", which is a strong-woman anthem, and in true Storm form, both naughtily raunchy and empowering.

You need to see this show. Your friend needs to see this show. Your mom, dad, grandma, sister, and kind of weird kid down the street needs to see this show. Fans love Storm because she gives so much of herself, and not just her voice, it's her. Storm's story is so real, so right-now for teens, parents, and anyone experiencing the past, present, and future crazy in life. This show is for anyone who's ever questioned their own sanity, who just need to know that yeah, you might be three shades of wacko and getting through each day is a miracle, but make it work for you. Storm certainly does.

Like a romp with your therapist, you'll leave with a little validation, a little commiseration, and surprisingly refreshed.

What: Storm Large in ‘Crazy Enough"
Where: Portland Center Stage"
When: Now through June 7th  Tuesday — Saturday 7:30 pm, Sunday 2:00 pm
Cost: Tickets from $25.50- $48.50 with student and under 18 discounts available

For more information or to buy tickets, check out the Portland Center Stage site here.

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Stephanie El-Hajj is a nocturnal community creature, commonly found dancing at venues where the walls shake. She loves getting out and exploring Portland, for its parks and people watching, to its dives, watering holes, and nightlife. Follow me on Twitter! @stephelhajj or be confused at monsserdestroyer