News in Portland
Second Run Portland: Eight Gorgeous Horror Films to Catch This Month
October’s second-run screenings are always full of familiar slashers, but there’s more than a few moody, beautiful gems cast amongst the gore. Plucked from our repertory roster, we’d like to draw your attention to an easily-overlooked eco-fable of a dragon god in an angry pond…
The History of Concrete Follows the Fracture
Through three seasons of his HBO documentary series How To with John Wilson, filmmaker John Wilson has crafted mini-masterpieces of rambling nonfiction storytelling—wrapped up in the thin guise of a helpful guide for, say, making perfect risotto or finding a public restroom. His…
Ticket Alert: Lizzy McAlpine, Carly Rae Jepsen, and More Portland Events Going On Sale Soon
Did someone say girl power? Indie pop singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine has announced a world tour supporting her recently released fourth album, Angel. Pop’s poet laureate Carly Rae Jepsen gets us dancing “Day and Night” after dropping a genre-spanning record. Plus, synthpop…
How Portland Became a Player in the Comic Book Industry
It may surprise you to learn that Portland, Oregon, a mid-sized America city known for its rain and its many river spanning bridges, is a global hotbed for the production of comic books. A new documentary for OBP’s Oregon Artsbeat, Indie Comics City: How Portland Built Its Own…
Mercury Music Picks: Geordie Greep Grips Rev Hall, Jane Remover’s Glitchy Electronic, and Abel Selacoe at the Oregon Symphony
Dear readers, I have finally arrived back in the Mercury office after a cool 19 days on the road. As glamorous as DIY tour life can be (sleeping on floors, squeezing into a car like a sardine, etc.) it is also incredibly fulfilling (I definitely teared up at every show thinking…
THE BLACK BYLINE: Mitch Green & Macklemore’s “Spicy” White Dissent
They tryin’ to shut down the clubs that my city rocks / Now Mr. Mayor why would you enforce an ordinance?/ Music it saves lives, these kids out here are supporting it/ And through the artform we’ve learned the importance of community—Macklemore, “The Town” (2009) In true election…
Black Zombie Will School You Like a Real-Life Monsters High
The Republic of Haiti was born of one of history’s only successful slave rebellions, and yet somehow I sat through many interminable, boring history classes without learning this real-life Star Wars shit. When I first heard the story, I felt betrayed. Where was the big-budget…
Portland Vampire Novel Coffin Moon Will Be Adapted for a TV Series
Portland horror author Keith Rosson is having a good week. On September 22nd, the same day his new novel Crone hit shelves, Deadline announced that Paramount has taken the first steps to turning his vampire novel Coffin Moon into a TV series. “Jessica Biel heard it and suggested…
Mercury Music Picks: Trip Hop Pioneer Tricky, Jakki and the Pink Smudge, and Orchestra Gold
Dear Mercury music heads, Oh hey, it’s Starly again. I’m still off on tour, but I’ll never forget about you! Three cheers for Holly Hazelwood, one of our steadfast music contributors, who’s been scouring Portland for some of the most stellar sonic events this city has to offer.…
Logan Lynn’s sobriety journey captured in a new record and documentary
Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of substance use and sexual abuse. Logan Lynn admits that drugs are probably the reason his music career started in the mid-‘90s. He describes himself — in the new documentary “The Pain and the Power,” and in conversation with Street…
Portland’s Most Budget-Friendly Music Venues
It is common knowledge that concert tickets can be expensive, and prices are only rising. The entertainment behemoth, Live Nation/Ticketmaster, has garnered controversy and even a lawsuit for its global...
September: Arts for All Calendar
September is a confusing month. Consumers crave the autumnal delight of pumpkin and apple spices, even if it probably won’t be cool enough for flannel weather until October. Summer still dominates most of the month, but summer break is officially over, especially for Portland’s…