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Portland mind-expanding experimentalists Planets Around The Sun just unveiled the hypnotic new video for “Water Dub” that they’ve been hanging onto for a minute, so now we can all enjoy it. This isn’t some fancy filter on the video – it was shot this way. The band’s Ian Paige filmed “Water Dub” at the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art right here in Portland, Maine. Daniel Rozin’s Snow Mirror provided the psychedelic effects. This Sunday is your opportunity to make some fast cash. No, this isn’t some money-making scheme, it’s a “collaborative public dinner event and democratic experiment in micro-funding for creative projects in Portland.” Got your attention?
The first event of its kind here in Portland, Maine, SOUP is modeled after the event by the same name in Detroit. The way it works is thus: show up (in this case, to SPACE Gallery) with $5, a bowl, and a spoon. If you have a great idea for a creative project that needs funding (I’m looking at you, musicians, and you might not even realize it), bring that and be ready to share. Potential idea-pitchers will enter a raffle, with 10 being chosen randomly to bring their ideas to the crowd. Ultimately, the proceeds from the event (via the ticket price) will go to the selected winner to fund their idea. There will be food (including soup, obviously) and music by Soldat (who recently had a featured album here on HillyTown – read on to check out their latest single) throughout the evening. Fun fact: Soldat is a trio that includes Ian Paige, who will also be doing his DJ thing on Saturday at Empire for his MODNIGHT party. Highly recommended. Read on… This site doesn’t get too political (or focused specifically on art), but this video was too good to skip on posting. I guess I do have a thing for projections. Might I also suggest an alternate soundtrack. Additionally, PACA has placed prints from panels of the mural around Portland – you may have seen them on the First Friday Art Walk. Described as “a window into the spirit of an artist looking for change,” the 12 short films by Jim Helton that make up Love Kills Demons explore the world of artist Chris Rubino‘s through beautiful photography and with the aid of a soundtrack by Maine’s own Big Blood. Check out the individual clips or full film here, or below. If you happened to walk past the front window/gallery of Port City Music Hall during First Friday (chances are you did, judging by the huge amounts of people out and about that night), then you probably noticed this interesting piece. Gregory Witt created “Cloud,” a sculptural installation comprised of large gear-like styrofoam shapes that move continuously. Being behind glass it can be hard to get a close look at it, so I was glad to see the artist’s video for a closer view. Also check out some of his other work, which reveals an apparent evolution of this styrofoam gear/movement theme. Links/info from Maine Art Scene. For those looking for an update on my previous post regarding the city council and talk of noise ordinance restrictions, it sounds like things are looking good, and perhaps the situation wasn’t quite as dire as some may have made it out to be (some older/more extreme proposals were circulating, but according to Kevin Donaghue the City Council was not considering anything so drastic in the first place, and in fact working in the interest of live entertainment). Either way, a large turnout in support of Portland nightlife is reassuring and can only help to make sure that decisions being made are done so with the public’s interest in mind. Thanks for all the comments and discussion on this issue!
It was just a couple of weekends ago that history was made right here in Portland. Maybe you missed it if you didn’t happen to be out wandering down the quiet end of Commercial Street, before you get to the Narrow Gauge, but there was a festival going on! On Sunday, May 17th, Casablanca Comics hosted the first ever Maine Comics Arts Festival at the Ocean Gateway. It was an appropriate venue for the event, providing a lecture room for panels and then a long ascent via walkway to the main hall, filled with over 70 artists selling and signing their goods.
Cap’n Eli was representing via free soda samples and the namesake comics (bonus: lifesize cardboard “standees!”), and the Center For Cartoon Studies in Vermont was out in full force showing off the work of their students (including a bunch of Ignatz winners). Unfortunately our timing meant that we showed up just as Gabrielle Bell (who I’d wanted to meet) was speaking on a panel, and we couldn’t stick around to wait for her to get out. Maybe next year? Check out the full photo gallery from the Maine Comics Arts Festival right here! When I first heard about Mission Of Burma coming to Portland I had to respond with “THE Mission Of Burma?!” Luckily it wasn’t just a cleverly named event at SPACE, but one of my all-time favorite bands had actually just booked a show. Word is that the opening bands, Huak (who I’ve told in the past they they reminded me of a mix of Mission Of Burma and Fugazi – you hear that, Mackaye?) and The Rattlesnakes, were instrumental in making it happen, so kudos to them! The Burmal funtimes start tonight on the USM campus, with WMPG showing the band’s documentary film Not A Photograph at 7pm. Details on the Facebook event page. If you look closely, you can see me dancing in the crowd in front of Roger Miller from the 2002 Irving Plaza show. In other photograph and rock music news, today begins the Portland Museum Of Art’s new exhibit Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography (through March 22), which focuses on the offstage side of the rock ‘n roll life. As part of the celebration, music writer Greil Marcus will be in town for a lecture at the Holiday Inn By the Bay on Monday (1/26) – check out Chris Gray’s interview with Greil Marcus. Other events tied in to this exhibit include a program to teach kids to be music photographers, a big ol’ jam session at the museum, a concert at SPACE, lectures, and more. Ian Paige has a review of the exhibit at The Phoenix. At the same time, an exhibit of Maine photographer John Fahnley’s live music photos will be up at Addison Wooley Gallery at 87 Market St., entitled “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It!).” Fahnley is a contributor to Joe Harrington’s Portland zine, Kapital Ink, as well as his book Sonic Cool: The Life & Death of Rock ‘n’ Roll (if you ask nicely and promise to be careful, maybe you can borrow my well-worn copy). As far as I know, neither of these music photo exhibits will feature Mission Of Burma. |
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