Portland R

Rhythm
Saturday, January 21
If you want to know the main skill for conducting something like the Portland Project, it's this: think of something in your town that you've thought, "Oh, I should really check that out." And then go check it out. Case in point: Music Millennium on 23rd on Johnson.

One of my favorite things to do is find free, casual, live music in a coffee shop, all the better if there's a comfortable sofa to lounge on. I haven't found this at all in my neighborhood, and it's the only real complaint that I have about living here. But just two blocks away is one of Portland's finest independent music stores: Music Millennium. I've seen occasionally on their marquee that they have free live performances, but I haven't put it together to get there until today.

And today I am in luck as there are two shows. At three in the afternoon, Jeffrey Halford is playing. There's a raised stage at the back of the store with comfortable sofas and chairs arranged in front, and there are about 12 people listening to the singer-songwriter from San Francisco. I've never heard of him--but that's not surprising as it's been years since it could be said that I was current, musically speaking. But one song Radio Flyer sounds like something I've heard before. He plays for maybe 45 minutes and then I have about an hour to browse before the next show.

I browse the local music section but don't find anything I want to buy. I ask one of the employees about Portland bands that have gone national and, of course, I don't recognize a single one except for The Shins (and that is because of the Garden State movie.) I talk with the sound guy whose setting up for the performance and he tells me he is new at this. Meanwhile, people are gathering. In comes Linda Lee Michelet, dressed in an evening gown and with sparkly eyelashes. She says hello and we chat for a minute. She tells me she does mainly Peggy Lee arrangements. After the band warms up, she makes her entrance, saunting through the CD aisles and up onto the stage as she sings the opening number. A fine five piece jazz band accompanies her and quickly the place in filling up--at least 50 people, most standing, crowd in and listen as she sings--which ensures a standing ovation after each tune!

After the show she is signing her CDs. I decide to buy something to support the store, but, as much as I like her, hers is the kind of music I mainly like to listen to live (she plays locally at the Heathman Hotel.) So I go over to the Rock section and buy the one fresh, new band I've heard on the radio since I've been here: Death Cab for Cutie. They are from Bellingham, WA and that is as close as I can get to "local." And then I see they have music that goes back to '98 and I'm happy that, at least, I'm starting to get hip with the 90s!