All photos by Jordan Strong unless otherwise noted (in which case they are by Clara Ridabock). Additional insights from KPSU’s Arya Imig and WW’s Casey Jarman can be found towards the bottom of this page.

True story: I didn’t attend the PDX Pop Now! festival last year. Or the year before, for that matter. While my friends were freaking out over Starfucker’s dance-pop steez, the insane MarchFourth Marching Band party and the Pink Snowflakes psychedelic fuzz pop, I was standing behind the counter of a Borders in Glendale, CA, helping the entire cashier staff count out over $108 worth of quarters. Instead of, ya know, going to a freakin’ bank, this dude just walked into the store, grabbed a whole basket of discounted Rachel Ray cookbooks and Harry Potter trading cards (I kid you not) and paid for the whole thing with his personal change jar. So you can understand my excitement for the ’08 edition of the fest—especially with so many of my favorite bands in the city playing right off the bat on Friday afternoon. Earlier this week I hatched the crazy and pretty asinine plan to see ALL 48 PERFORMANCES during the weekend, and here’s my day one diary. Only 38 bands to go! Wish me luck.

5:45 pm – New music editor (!) Casey Jarman and I frantically run to my car and try to think of the quickest way to get to the Rotture. Casey leaves his new skateboard in the car, a gamble he quickly regrets.

6:13 – After a few minor sound glitches, Love Menu kick off the evening with “Buckskin and Cashmere,” as singer Emily Katz belts out the refrain “you don’t like dancing/you won’t go dancing/please come dancing with me.” I want to tell Emily and the rest of the band that I would dance with them any day. This is a really nice way to start the night—LocalCut contributor Arya Imig and I agree that this might be the best set we’ve ever seen from them.

6:17 – Wait, is that Michael Ian Black? We just wrote about him earlier today! It’s gotta be a look-alike, right? Less than 20 minutes in and I’m already out of my mind.

6:25 – One thing that is immediately evident is how attentive the whole crowd is, sitting cross-legged and hanging onto almost every note. PDX Pop is like the anti-Doug Fir—the kids are here for the music, not the scene. Seriously, will the OLCC ever get a clue?

6:52 – Casey and Cary Clarke confirm what I’ve been hearing for the last 20 minutes: it was Michael Ian Black in the crowd. Man, the stars really come out for free all-ages music festivals. Malkmus, I’m looking at you.

7:00 – The Rainy States tear into “With Fever,” my favorite track and the most upbeat song on its debut album In Basement Air. Bassist Ben Johnson is definitely the most animated performer so far, stomping around the stage pounding his foot to the beat. I’m really, really happy for these guys (full disclosure: they are friends of mine), and they are absolutely savoring the moment. The crowd even claps along to new song and future single “New Castle.”

7:35 – The Chicharones! I was hoping that Sleep would bring his friend Josh Martinez along to perform as the Chicharones, but good god, shit is great. They start with a sing-along version of “Eye of the Tiger” and any doubters are boppin’ along within minutes.

7:45 – Martinez tells the crowd about the best form of birth control. “Dry humping—it’s 100% abstinence.” They are funny, too!

7:58 - Martinez has lost his dapper hat and sport coat and is now donned in just a white cut-off and suspenders. He grabs the mic stand and brandishes it like a guitar. Dudes are totally working the crowd.

8:37 – Tu Fawning is on outside, and its warm and intricately arranged cabaret-pop sounds nice with a little room to breathe. Joe Haege admits to spilling all his drum sticks and makes a few Jesus jokes.

Clara Ridabock:

Jordan Strong:

8:48 – Dammit. I’m starting to get hungry. You knew it had to happen sometime. I could really use a burrito about now…

9:14 – Dinosaur projections! Big scarves and pink hats! Guidance Counselor, perhaps?

9:17 – Man, the kids really love this shit. Someone is even crowd surfing! And, whaddyaknow, it’s my friend Nick’s kid brother. Oh, to be 19.

9:20 – I leave Guidance Counselor early to head to the upstairs bar for a quick shot. It’s pretty convenient to have one so close, but the already long line is only going to grow as the night goes on.

Clara Ridabock:

Jordan Strong:

10:11Rearrangerologyistics might be my favorite local record of the year. They tear into a nice version of instant summer-pop classic “Big Drapes” that nearly does the album version justice.

10:32 – Panther’s Charlie Salas-Humara to the overflowing and near-capacity crowd: “It’s cold in here, turn up the heat.”

10:37 – Panther plays the first part of the Jonathan Richman/Modern Lovers classic “Roadrunner” as drunk kids who probably have no idea what the song is (or, really, anything that’s going on) spazz out on the side of the stage.

Clara Ridabock:

Jordan Strong:

10:59 – When I close my eyes all I see is giant burritos with wings flying into mouth-shaped clouds. Umm, maybe I should drink more water?

11:20 – I want my Nick Jaina! The sets have been late most of the night, but things are now running over 30 minutes behind. Can he write a tour diary about trying to set up for a half-hour PDX Pop performance?

11:23 – The Nick Jaina band finally starts, and it was worth the wait. Violinist Nathan Langston (the Maybe Happening) sits on top of the left speaker on stage and picks at his instrument while Jaina throws a cup filled with confetti into the crowd. The band’s jazzy, buoyant folk-rock songs sound amazing tonight. Langston leads the crowd through a sweat-soaked sing-along. “It’s a BATTLEGROUND,” we chant. Might be the highlight of the night.

11:52 – Jaina closes with “I Know I’m You Man,” a new song I really hope makes it onto his next record—scheduled for a fall release on Hush. I’ve been slightly obsessed with this song since I first heard it on the Daytrotter session, and it’s even better live. The man’s a true poet.

12:15 am – I meet Casey at my car to give him his skateboard back [I’m really too old to be skateboarding. -Ed.] ; plans for hitting up the burrito stand are outlined.

12:27 – The lights malfunction for a bit during Devin Phillips set, but I don’t really mind at all—jazz always sound better in the dark, right? The band sounds more beefed-up, and, well, rock tonight—and it’s great to see him lead his ace five-piece through a long 45-minute set.

12:54 – I spot Dave Depper walking through the crowd dispersing Voodoo Donuts. “I’m a fucking angel,” he says, boisterously. I’m totally in love with this man right now. What a guy!

1:14 – I have a great chat with Andy from Bark Hide and Horn about music and the kids show he helped organize a few weeks back at the Artistery. It looks like Andy Combs is going to try to perform his Deep-sea musical again. Score one for humanity.

1:24-1:40 The Builders and the Butchers finally take the stage, and I have to admit I’m pretty wiped out by now. A couple is drunkenly dancing (dry-humping? I sense a theme for the night) next to me. The dude has no idea what’s going on. He asks me the name of the band and then mentions that it’s fitting because “the songs all build up and then the singer’s voice is like a butcher cutting that shit down.” Gotta love the bar upstairs!

1:50 – An impromptu choir joins the Butchers, counting WW freelancer Jeff Rosenberg and (what looks like) KGW’s weatherman/burgeoning icon Matt Zaffino among its ranks. The forecast: lots of noisemakers. And a bullhorn!

2:05 – After the Butchers encore I head back to the car to meet Casey and head out for the fabled late-night burrito. I don’t think food has ever tasted so good.

Friday PDX Pop Extras:

Arya Imig’s Top Three Firsts:

With Panther, The Rainy States, and Love Menu holding such dear places in my heart, it would be unfair to pick them as my top 3, so here’s my 3 favorites I was seeing for the first time, in all their glory.

Sleep and Josh Martinez were hilarious and very very good, all that I’ve heard they are cracked up to be. My mouth was agape in wonder and laughter and I was dancing, too, really really enjoyable.

Tu Fawning’s outside performance was a revelation, my first time seeing them with the expanded lineup, which felt like a fuller realization of the band’s vision. In spite of the sound problems, the performance made me think all music should be outside all the time.

Nick Jaina is a genius. This was my first time seeing Jaina with his full band and despite some rude audience members and the bump and grind beats coming from the upstairs section of Rotture, his intelligent and poignant songwriting shone through. The antics of violinist Nathan Langston (The Maybe Happening), the band’s energetic on stage cheerleader were a highlight of the set too, and it was even better when they actually turned the man’s violin up in the mix.

Casey Jarman’s Top Three Moments:

1. Not to flog a dead horse, here, but Sleep and Josh Martinez (the Chicharones) are quickly becoming my favorite hip-hop duo in Portland. I smiled and danced through their entire set, and while there’s a chance I’m not supposed to announce this, they’ll be playing the LocalCut Musicfest NW showcase, as well. If you missed them here, I hope you’ll come out and see them with Eskimo and Sons, Atole and Paper/Upper/Cuts on Saturday, Sept. 6. A little promotion for my weirdly ecclectic show. But srsly, dudes. 2 cool. 2 much fun. 2 hot 2 handle. As for the particular moment, it was about three songs in when a gaggle of teenagers came up to the front and started dancing and waving hands in the air to signal to all their teenage friends that the Chicharones “are so scholastic.”

2. The moment I cracked the Guidance Counselor code and realized what makes it so infectious. David Byrne vocals plus mustache plus bowell-rattling beats. No one can resist that triple-threat. Similarly irresistable: Prince vocals and loop pedals (cough PANTHER cough).

3. The unhealthily skinny kid with the Beatles haircut dancing onstage during Panther’s wild, energetic set. It’s one thing to see thirty or fourty kids bouncing to the beat (which is SOOOOO much more appealing with the addition of live drummer/former LC tour diarist Joe Kelly. This was my first time seeing that not-so-new arrangement and I’m so glad I got a chance to do so).

Oh, and: Dave Depper singing lyrics into his iPhone at sundown on Rotture bar’s back patio in an attempt to prove it could identify song titles. Sixth time is a charm! Still, I do want one now. That was the biggest selling point for me so far.

Links:
Stream the PDX Pop Now! fest from PRA
PDX Pop Now!
Arya Imig’s KPSU profile

Much more on PDX Pop Now! coming your way soon, including VIDEO!!!!! YEAH!!!!