It’s time to rock, Portland. One word, one abbreviation and one acronym: MusicFestNW. This is Portland’s indie rock all-you-can-eat buffet. A friend and I went the first time I visited Portland and I think I drove everyone back home crazy talking about it afterwards.

So MusicFestNW brings all these bands and artists together for a bunch of shows at venues all over the city. The way it works is you buy a wristband for $50. This gets you into everything over four days. The challenge seriously is deciding what to see so you don’t miss something else.

This year the lineup includes, well, everyone: Britt Daniel of Spoon who lives in Portland now I think, Crooked Fingers, Fleet Foxes, M Ward, Vampire Weekend, even Sir Mix-A-Lot. There are a crazy number of acts. Better start studying.

Later,
Keith

I didn’t think I would but I’ve got to confess that I miss the Olympics. It doesn’t help of course that all the junky TV has returned. Ugh. But there was just something about this year’s that grabbed me.

Who knows, maybe there’s just so much ugly stuff going on in the world that we, or at least I, just needed the break. It’s time for something positive, where the stories don’t involve people blowing up other people. So I enjoyed it, and I’m really sorry it’s over.

Now I guess all I’ve got to look forward to is the upcoming Art in the Pearl. Check it out over at the Park Blocks on Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. And if you also miss the Olympics, you’ll be happy to know that at least there’s jury judging.

See ya,
Emily

OK, all, just a reminder that this year’s Top Down Film Festival is about to finish up this coming Thursday, Aug. 28.

The finale arrives in the form of “Super Argo and the Faceless Giants.” What in the world is that? Well, I don’t know exactly, but it involves a professional wrestler turned superhero/spy who fights a mad scientist who plans to kidnap the world’s best athletes to turn them into robots. I’m in.

The Top Down festival is put on by our friends at the Northwest Film and held on the rooftop of our parking garage. If you’ve never seen a movie on a garage, don’t miss this last installment. The evening also includes a live music pre-show at 8 by Will Carpenter’s Towering Trees as well as food and drink. Our grappling hero gets started at dusk (9ish).

See you there,
Emily

New restaurant alert. And so beautifully close to Hotel deLuxe too. It’s called Kinara Thai over in Goose Hollow. I never had Thai food until I came out to Portland, but they’re all over the place here. (Typhoon is awesome over on 23^rd and downtown).

These days we haven’t been eating out too much (trying to save the moolah). But the other night it was too hot to cook so we were looking for a place and found Kinara, which I didn’t even know was there. And it was stellar.

Get the basil and chili pork. Or the drunken noodles. Both were great. And the spring rolls. Love the spring rolls. Plus, they apparently buy from local, sustainable farms and use a lot of organic and natural ingredients. High marks for that.

I can also vouch for the fried banana and vanilla ice cream. Hey, it was hot out.

Later,

Keith

Here’s how it went: “Where in the blankety blank did you get that?” The “that” was the incredible necklace my friend was wearing. And understand, I’m not one of those women who is forever exclaiming this or that about some blouse or bauble.

And so after I beseeched her, which despite my reluctance to do it, is what we all want when we wear something new. And then: “What, this?” She grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

I love the unique stuff, especially if it looks like it was actually made by human hands. So, finally, after fawning enough, she revealed the name, which incredibly really suited the piece. You don’t have to ooh and ah for it: The store is called stone&honey.

But if you see me wearing a colorful agate necklace, pretend you don’t know where I got it.

See ya,

Emily

I don’t think Emily has probably got this one circled on her calendar. But if you’re into skateboarding, BMX or freestyle motocross, doing it or just watching it, you’ll want to know about the Dew Tour.

Basically it’s all the crazy tricks and reckless behavior we expect from extreme athletes. And to see it live and in person gives you a whole new appreciation for the kind of brain ailment you need to do what they do. Especially the motocross. Insane.

There’s also other stuff to keep you busy between events, like you can get autographs from competitors, try out video games and interactive displays, and even test ride some 2009 bikes. And then on Friday Gym Class Heroes perform. (I hear their also playing Sat. at Satyricon if you miss them Friday.) Oh, it’s Aug. 21-24 at the Rose Quarter.

Later,

Keith

I’ve got to put a plug in for a place I found last week. It’s actually pretty hard to miss because it’s right downtown (across from Saucebox on Broadway), but somehow I didn’t see it till the other day. What kind of beer fan am I?

The place is called Bailey’s Taproom and I admit I got all giggly when I saw that they were serving some of my favorites from the Brew Fest. I volunteered this year for the first time, which was fun. I poured the Caldera Ginger Ale. If you came on Saturday, maybe I served you.

Anyway, Bailey’s has a nice big space with good people watching out the window and rotating taps for your tasting pleasure. If you go soon, try the Green Flash Hop Head Red. That was probably my top. Though Bridgeport’s Hop Czar was surprisingly good too.

Later,

Keith

It’s funny that you mention the dearth of riverside dining in Portland. Sadly, you speak the truth, young man. I was just thinking that this weekend when a friend of mine dragged me to this place in Vancouver called Joe’s Crab Shack.

We went because she is working on a book about kid-friendly places in the Portland area and it’s a good family spot. But the best thing, aside from the Dungeness crab, which was surprisingly good, was sitting out on their deck right on the Columbia.

It’s a pretty spectacular view, I’ve got to say. You have the bridge to the right and the sailboats floating by. The buildings on the Oregon side are actually pretty depressing by comparison. I’m not a build for building sake kind of girl, but where are the developers when you need them?

Have fun,

Emily

It’s come and gone but I feel bad for anyone who didn’t make it down to the Flugtag on the 4^th. That was absolutely the nuttiest bit of nutty nonsense I’ve had the joy to watch plunge 30 feet off a platform into the river. Awesome. Next year, maybe Hotel deLuxe will have to get its own contraption together.

And thanks to Flugtag I probably never would’ve gone into Newport Bay otherwise and discovered their little balcony bar overlooking the marina. Eating there is up to you, though I’ve heard they have a good happy hour.

But amazingly it’s really the only bar I’ve found right on the river in Portland. The other options are over on the harbor side on the walkway there. They have outside seating so you can sit and watch the boats bob around.

Later,

Keith

Nah, I’ve got the cool thing to add to your agenda while you’re here. Even if you’re not bringing your bike. Which more and more people seem to be doing these days. Which is great.

It’s called Tour de Fat. It’s going to be total bike mania. People dress up, decorate their bikes and then ride around town in a big spectacle of a parade. It all wraps up with a party put on by sponsor New Belgium Beer. Fat Tire. Get it? Beer, music and food is the reward.

The whole point is to raise people’s environmental awareness, get them thinking about how a bike can become a great way to get around. But it also raises money for local charities.

So dress up and pedal yourself over to Waterfront Park on Aug. 16 and join the madness. Should be a blast. Oh and it’s free.

Later,

Keith