Sometimes I feel helpful. Like when a truly genius pop songwriter asks for my assistance, which is just what happened last week when Rusty Willoughby e-mailed me about a dilemma. For those of you who don't know who Willoughby is (Gasp!--and I mean it), just assume that he's one of the world's best songwriters, as all who have ever clutched their hearts and jumped up and down in ecstasy to the music of Flop or Pure Joy can attest. People love Willoughby's music so much that his e-mail inbox is filled to bursting proportions with fans inquiring how to get hold of what he modestly refers to as "old crappy songs of mine." Sweet guy that he is, Willoughby has gone ahead and posted all--I said ALL--of his songs on his website, which you have for free. To repeat: That's ALL, and that's FREE. The address to sparkling pop splendor is rustywilloughby.com.
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Speaking of Ye Olde Dayes: Back in 1989 a guy named Dave Triebwasser who drummed for a band called Pond put together an all-day outdoor festival of bands called AIMfest. The Portland festival feted alternative independent music (hence the AIM) and became a yearly institution until 1997, when Triebwasser hightailed it to Silicon Valley to become a computer bigwig. (Jeez, I remember explaining to Triebwasser how e-mail works, for chrissakes, one night in 1995 as we were standing in Satyricon waiting for Bailter Space to come on.) Anyhoo, AIMfest has been quietly happening each year, but this year's installment hopes to be bigger than ANYTHING and features Quasi as headliner, as well as the Minders, the Maroons, Pinehurst Kids, Man of the Year, Jeremy Wilson, and the return of Big Daddy Meatstraw, along with many other bands and surprise guests. (Note to early indie rock fans: Between Jeremy Wilson and the Maroons, which features Jim Talstra and John Moen, you've got yourselves three-fourths of the Dharma Bums....) AIMfest happens Saturday, August 11, noon-10 p.m., under the Hawthorne Bridge.
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Pavement fans: SHHHHHHHH! A special guest who may or may not have been in a band called Pavement is set to play on Friday, July 6, at the Blackbird, also in Portland (3728 N.E. Sandy). Staffed entirely by band members and run by ex-Steve Albini assistant soundman Pat Kenneally, the Blackbird is shaping up to be PDX's version of the Cha Cha, except with a stage. The show is in honor of Jackie-O Motherfucker, which has just released a CD on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label, and the Swords Project is on the bill, too. Six bucks and a drive up and down I-5. Might I suggest lodging at the Imperial Hotel? It's cheap, kitschy, and allows dogs. Mamie highly recommends it.
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From July 14 to September 30, the Henry (15th Ave NE and NE 41st St) is hosting Bed of Sound, a giant futon outfitted with 58 listening stations featuring historical and contemporary sound works. In a realization of what has been my dream, visitors can lie around on a big ol' bed and listen to "sound art" made by artists like Laurie Anderson, Sonic Youth, Chris & Cosey, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Sounds dreamy. Now if I can just get someone to help me realize my heavily appointed, four-poster, 480-thread count, closed-circuit club cam....
Finally, a hearty CONGRATS goes out to the staff at WARM 106.9 (I wrote a slightly critical piece entitled "Thanks, Bitch," about the station's show Love Songs with Delilah for our June 7 radio supplement) for possessing the single attribute I value even more than the ability to throw a truly fine hissy fit: a sense of humor. Thanks for the signed copy of Delilah's book! I feel warmer already.
