3 – A short musical history of Portland
I’ve been thinking about Portland quite a bit. The unrest – and the Federal secret police dispatched to suppress it – are a short bike ride from one of my best friend’s apartments.
We make a lot of trips to Portland for work and play. The climate is cool and pleasant. Outdoor activities are endless. I’ve worn myself out climbing mountains, sand boarding and bicycling.
It’s not that big of a city – its most recent population count is just over 650,000, and it’s famous urban growth boundary keeps that population dense and competitive. Compared to larger cities across the country, Portland can feel almost quaint.
Its reputation is out-sized, in part, because Portland has the financial resources to do its own thing. It has also benefited from wildly successful marketing, public relations and word-of-mouth campaigns. As people have left crowded cities in California and Washington, Portland looks more and more appealing.
But Portland is not without problems. Heroin and other hard drugs like meth have long had a grip on the city. The homeless problem is not just a conservative talking point – tent encampments have grown consistently in the half-decade I’ve been visiting. Nike, one of the largest companies in the world and a persistent labor rights violator, pumps major money into the local economy.
The perception of Portland as a happy hippie oasis is only true on the surface. The city is in some ways the most “wild west” town you could imagine – its famous tunnels abducted drunken revelers (you may have heard the term “Shanghaied” before – this is where it comes from). Strip clubs compete with craft beer bars in the center of the city. Portland requires a closer look.
Many have reported on the less-than-holy intentions of Oregon’s founding, but there’s been a lot less reporting on the cities ’80s skinhead problem. This city has seen its share of street fights before. Not every leftist is a pacifist. Portlanders have taken to the streets before.
This week’s show tells an incomplete story of Portland’s music – especially the visceral, in-your-face rock, punk and indie that came to define the city in the last three decades.
Notes
“Ice Cream Party” by Modest Mouse was released in 2019. I incorrectly referred to it being released this year.
I try my best to create playlists that provide a diverse survey of different cultures, genders and ethnicity. This is a lot easier in Florida than Portland. The city has a flourishing jazz scene I wish we had time to discuss.
