A 21-hour train ride, leaving Emeryville, Ca. (oh, let's say a suburb of Oakland) at 10 PM on the 2nd and getting to Portland at 7 PM on the 3rd, three hours late, because of some sort of delayed connecting train at Sacramento. The result of the delay is that we got to see a lot of Northern California and Southern Oregon that the train usually passes by in the night. And to me, that stretch was probably the nicest of the trip, starting with a whole heck of a lot of agriculture northwards from Chico, including massive fruit orchards. We also got to see Mount Shasta in Southern Oregon (picture to follow), which is majestic. After climbing through the mountains, the rest of the trip was kind of monotonous, mostly with forests of pines and firs to either side. An apt comparison would be the three-hour car ride from Québec City to Chicoutimi, through le Parc des Laurentides, except with taller trees.
- Doug Fir Lounge
I am getting lucky with scheduling lately. Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, who had impressed me tremendously when I saw them open for Bob Seger in late 2011, were playing at the Doug Fir Lounge (830 East Burnside) the first night I was there. They played a solid 45 minute set of funky, almost big band like tunes, featuring Hernandez's powerful voice. I am repeating myself from 18 months ago, but they really have a distinctive sound that I have not encountered elsewhere. (Then again, maybe that is what all the kids are playing these days. Who knows?) The crowd, most of whom were hearing the band for the first time (they had never played Portland before) showed their appreciation loudly and enthusiastically. The Deltas were opening for a local punk band, Guantanamo Baywatch, a three-person outfit, which evidently were coming back to the stage after taking a break from performing. They were facing a rather friendly audience, who clearly had seen them before and had come out to cheer their return.
As for the venue, the Doug Fir Lounge (Get it? Get it? It took me far longer than I care to admit to figure it out) is a small subterranean venue, holding maybe 250 people, which is made to look like a log cabin. It lies below a restaurant/bar of the same name, which serves a small selection of local beers and offers what I would call healthy bar fare. The Doug Fir is attached to the Jupiter Hotel, part of a small chain of 4 or 5 boutique hotels in the North West that look kind of funky, according to their website anyway. The Lounge itself was recently selected by Rolling Stone as one of the 20 top club venues in the US.
- Waterfront Blues Festival
Did I mention I was getting lucky with scheduling? Unbeknownst to me upon my arrival, the 26th annual Waterfront Blues Festival was being held from July 4th to the 7th, in downtown Portland (yes, by the waterfront). And guess what, Ottawa readers? The festival actually did not just feature a smattering of blues, it hosted mostly blues acts, with one of the four stages dedicated to cajun/bluegrass music (an acceptable [to me, anyway] adjunct to the blues, musically speaking). The one exception might be the headliners: Eric Burdon, John Hiatt and Robert Plant (with fireworks on July 4th), although you could probably make a passable argument for each that they were not a huge departure from the festival theme.
The festival was extremely well attended: huge lineups were waiting to enter the grounds on July 4th (fireworks!), with smaller lineups on the Saturday.
The proceeds from the festival went to the Portland Food Bank. The suggested entry contribution each day was $10 plus two non-perishable food items. The exception was for the Sunday, because Plant was headlining, for which tickets were $50 or so, on top of having to buy a $60 four-day festival pass.
There were a few elements designed to give the Festival a smaller feel and keep a closer connection with the attendees, starting with a small, more intimate stage, where some performers gave workshops and engaged a small crowd. At the cajun/bluegrass-themed stage, they had actually laid out a large, wooden dance floor which was quite full during performances. In addition, between acts, as the techies were setting the stage, MCs were giving group dance lessons in cajun dancing (e.g., two-step).
There were two musical highlights for me: John Hiatt, a personal favourite on the strength of his mid- to late-eighties work, as well as his comfortable unassuming, at times funny, stage presence and the Pine Leaf Boys. You may remember that, after reading about this band a number of years ago in the New York Times, I found their CDs in New Orleans at the glorious Louisiana Music Factory. They played a rollicking hour-long set, alternating between French and English songs, with a couple covers thrown in (including 'Great Balls of Fire'), most with a strong fiddle and accordion base.
Overall, the Waterfront Blues Festival yielded a much more pleasant experience than I have had in recent years at the bloated Podunk Bluesfest.
- Powell's City of Books
I was intrigued when I noticed Powell's City of Books was one of the attractions for which there were directional signs through downtown Portland. You usually see these for specific attractions such as museums, generally not for private businesses. After seeking out Powell's, and spending a fair chunk of an afternoon there, I understood why. The bookstore covers at least a city block, includes multiple levels, features a wide array of fiction and non-fiction (colour-coded) sections and is replete with both new and used books. I could have easily spent a day in there and was amazed I only left with three novels.
-Food and Beverage
Partly because the Bluesfest was on, and partly because I just did not feel like it, I did not go out of my way to seek out restaurants or bars, with one exception. Bunk's Sandwiches was recommended by eater.com for, well, you know what they were recommending them for. They did not disappoint. It also made me realise that I have been running into a lot of these sandwich places, either as stand-alone counters or as part of a deli, over the last several weeks. There is clearly a market for higher-end sandwiches, featuring good cuts of meat and interesting sides. Maybe this is a corollary to the popularity of charcuterie-based restaurants. (It also makes me realise that I miss Murray's Market...)
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
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