NEW OPENINGS 

3 Howls Remedy House
This new plant-based restaurant and craft cocktail bar in Vancouver hosted its grand opening last weekend, serving up libations made with spirits from 3 Howls Distillery as well as a coffee menu.
Vancouver

On October 21, 2023, James Brian Fenimore was walking on the sidewalk on SE 82nd Avenue near Burnside Street, heading to run an errand, when a drunk driver veered off the street and struck him with a minivan. Fenimore died as a result of the crash. 

According to Montavilla News, Fenimore, 66, was an artist who previously lived in the low-income housing complex Milepost 5 in Montavilla. The complex housed an artist collective that Fenimore joined, making friends in the creative community. Fenimore ended up losing his housing due to some logistical problems, but he stayed in touch with his friends from Milepost 5. 

In a September open letter to the Milepost 5 community, Fenimore wrote that although he lost his apartment, he “still had something [he] never had in 65 years.” 

“I felt love and compassion and hope in a violent, angry world,” Fenimore wrote. 

Zero-proof drink entrepreneur Andy McMillan has a story he tells where, in 2021, he approached several Portland breweries about teaming up on a non-alcoholic craft beer. He got “laughed out of the room,” he says, by brewers who didn’t see NA beer as real beer.

A few years later, that seems like shortsightedness on behalf of the brewers, whom McMillan politely demurred to name in an interview with the Mercury. Year after year since the pandemic, the NA drink industry has steadily grown—with a noticeable boom in 2021—fueled by a surge in sobriety, moderation, and health-consciousness. 

A few Oregon powerhouses, like Deschutes and Crux, offer one or two NA versions of their beloved brews, but the most prominent craft NA brewery is Athletic, from Connecticut (Connecticut!). Seeing as the Pacific Northwest is home to about a quarter of US hop production, this region's NA beer innovation could be doing so much more.

That's precisely what McMillan, the brain behind recent NA cocktail bar popup Suckerpunch, and former Hopworks brewer Justin Miller are primed to do with Heck, Portland’s first completely non-alcoholic craft brewery.

Celebrate Portland's favorite holiday, 4/20, by blazing up and heading to one or more of the ultra-chill events we've rounded up here, from Making Earth Cool: Earth Day Celebration to Record Store Day 2024 and from an Oregon Spring Cleanup to The Portland Mercury's Pizza Week 2024!

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group
I’ll admit it; jazz can feel very intimidating! There are so many subgenres to learn, names to remember, and history that feels gatekept by Boomers with hi-fi equipment. However, nothing compares to hearing a skilled jazz ensemble play live. It's truly transcendental. If you haven't had the pleasure, Portland-based cosmic jazz troupe Roman Norfleet and Be Present Art Group is a wonderful place to start. The trio employs ethereal vocals and free-flowing percussion to boost their instruments (saxophone, drums, and organ) to an otherworldly plane. The group will support their Mississippi Records-released, self-titled album alongside the Seattle-based psychedelic neo-soul/jazz groupDay Soul Exquisite. AUDREY VANN
(Show Bar, Buckman, $12)

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good morning, Portland! Wring every drop of enjoyment you possibly can out of this glorious-looking weekend (and Pizza Week). I AM TEAM RAIN, and she returns Thursday. The streets will run with water! The skies will glow pearlescent with cloud. Look upon her and despair; if you don't like rain why the hell do you live here?

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Firefighters from Hoodland, Clackamas, Gresham, and Estacada fire districts responded to a blaze glowing up the attic at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood on Thursday evening. According to a press release from Clackamas Fire, lodge employees discovered the fire and called it in around 9:30 pm. Clackamas declared the situation under control a little after 11 pm, and a 2:05 am alert said the crews had extinguished what appeared to be a roof / attic fire—continuing: "Investigators from the ATF and US Forest Service are on scene working to determine a cause. The lodge and the ski area will both be closed tomorrow, April 19th, while the damage is assessed."

The fire at Timberline Lodge was declared under control at 11:12 p.m. The fire was kept to the roof & part of the attic, & didn’t spread any further. Crews are clearing the scene. The U.S. Forest Service will be conducting the investigation with the help of federal resources. pic.twitter.com/IRoTpyB0WV

— Clackamas Fire (@clackamasfire) April 19, 2024

• In 2020, Central City Concern closed its sobering program called CHIERS (which was an acronym, but I don't have time to get into it, and it didn't really describe the thing anyway), saying that the people coming to its sobering facility were suffering from maladies too complex for the services it could offer. Now, after several years without, Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards is leading an initiative to open a better resourced sobering center—though we don't yet know where, or if the state will pony up the 25 million the county wants it to contribute. 

• In March, Multnomah County’s community health center leader Darnell “DJ” Rhodes resigned, despite working in the role for less than a year. The Oregonian reports that he had only recently been reinstated a couple months before, in January, after being put on paid leave since October for reasons that are not clear. What is clear is that just two weeks before he resigned he appears to have sent a selfie from his office to a county employee "of himself touching his finger to his mouth with the message, 'You look finger lickin good.'"

Rap’s auto-tune auteur Future is coming to Portland with Metro Boomin to support their second collaborative album, We Still Don't Trust You. Art rock experimentalist St. Vincent has unveiled dates for her All Born Screaming tour with alt-rock favorites Spoon. Plus, corny dad joker Kevin Hart will attempt maturity on his Acting My Age tour. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

Tickets go on sale at 10 am unless otherwise noted.

ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 19

MUSIC

Alejandro Escovedo
Wonder Ballroom (Fri July 26)

Ana Bàrbara: Reina Grupera Tour 2024
Newmark Theatre (Sat Aug 10)

The Aristocrats: The Duck Tour 2024
Aladdin Theater (Fri Aug 23)
On sale at noon

Nearly 10 years ago, the city of Portland first committed to a Vision Zero plan, setting a goal to eliminate all traffic crash fatalities and serious injuries on Portland’s streets by 2025. That year, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reported 35 traffic crash deaths in Portland. City officials said at the time they didn’t take the rising traffic crash death toll lightly, and were strongly dedicated to the Vision Zero goals. 

It’s now 2024, and traffic crash deaths in Portland are at a 30-year high. According to PBOT’s report on deadly traffic crashes for 2023, 69 people died on Portland’s streets last year. Though fatal crashes have been rising in Portland over the past several years, 2023 was the deadliest year in recent history. This isn’t how the trend is supposed to go—especially not in a city committed to Vision Zero. 

Yesterday, Portland City Council accepted last year’s deadly crash report and adopted the first update to the Vision Zero Action Plan since 2019. Right off the bat, PBOT leaders got ahead of the elephant-in-the-room question on everyone’s minds: Considering how traffic crash deaths are rising so significantly, is Vision Zero working? 

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see The Mission UK on May 1 at the Mission Theater!

In late 1985 Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams left The Sisters Of Mercy and, after enlisting the talents of Simon Hinkler and Mick Brown, formed The Mission. They have a reputation as one of the best and most exciting live bands in the world. Their 2016 album "Another Fall From Grace” has been described as a lost link between The Sisters of Mercy's "First and Last and Always” album and The Mission's own first album, "God's Own Medicine." The album has received unanimous critical acclaim and was the band's first UK Top 40 album in over 20 years! Get your tickets now, or enter to win free tix here!

Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Wed May 1, 8 pm, $35-$40, 21+

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see CONVERSATION on April 23 at the Mission Theater!

CONVERSATION are an emerging post hardcore band from Toronto, Ontario. Their sound contains the echoes of early Underoath and Deftones, while still carving out its own punk rock attitude with pop sensibility. CONVERSATION strikes a balance of thoughtful post-hardcore and melodically measured alternative rock, and their ravenously energetic live show is a force to be reckoned with, resulting in anyone seeing them for the first time leaving as new fans. Get your tickets now, or enter to win free tix here!

Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Thurs April 23, 8 pm, $15-$20, all ages

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Steel Panther on April 25 at the Crystal Ballroom! 

Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock 'n' roll in all its debauchery and glamour, Steel Panther has established themselves as the world's premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks. Get those tickets now or enter to win here!

Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Thurs April 25, $30-$45, 21+

GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday. Check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!

HOWDY-DO, SMARTY TROUSERS! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And this week, your brain will be tested on the latest Nike scandals, even more Nike scandals... and oh shit... how can Nike have SO MANY SCANDALS? (Lucky you, you love scandals. 😍)

But first, how did you do on the previous quiz? Wow, you guys are SO smart! And I especially liked the majority response for last week's "Subjective Question." (Mayor Wheeler, the people have spoken!)

OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It's Thursday, April 18, and HOW MANY SLICES OF PIZZA HAVE YOU CRAMMED IN YOUR MOUTH THIS WEEK? Since there are more than 50 local pizza joints participating in the Mercury's PIZZA WEEK (happening right now, but only through Sunday), I hope you've eaten at least 32 of those deee-licious $3 slices! If not? Girrrrrl, you best get to work! And while you're at it, get to work on today's NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Power-famished Commissioner Rene Gonzalez is at it again! This time the wildly unqualified mayoral wannabe (and poster child for Portland's richest and meanest shitheads) wants to put the city's "time, place, and manner" ordinance (AKA the one the city used to unsuccessfully criminalize homelessness) under the complete power of the future mayor... which he thinks will be him! Oh, and he also added this little cruel nugget to his dastardly plan currently under consideration: If the US Supreme Court overturns the Martin v. Boise decision (which rightly restricts camping bans when cities refuse to supply ample shelter), then people who violate his revised ban "could face a $500 fine or up to six months in jail." Fellow business puppets, Commissioners Dan Ryan and Mingus Mapps, are reportedly "considering it." Here's your weekly reminder to VOTE THEM ALL OUT OF OFFICE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE.

• Very much related 👀...

Follow up from this previous report:

“Less than a week before Doyle was charged in the pornography case, Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez’s campaign, “Rene For Portland,” had put out a social media notice, saying it was proud to announce that Doyle had endorsed” https://t.co/26W2SQpTKF

— Portland for All (@PDXforAll) April 17, 2024

• Welp, the Portland Police are costing the city taxpayers another cool $1.6 million after Portland was forced to hire an independent monitoring firm to make sure the cops adhere to the DOJ's required "use of force" rules which were put into place after years of police abuse toward those with mental illness. There were a number of firms considered to take over the DOJ's watch—but is the one Portland picked up to snuff? Read our Courtney Vaughn's excellent article and find out for yourself!

Ten years ago, the US Department of Justice intervened to help reshape and monitor the Portland Police Bureau’s use of force policies. Now, a private firm will be the arbiter of whether police are following the federal government’s guidelines. 

The mayor’s office announced Monday that MPS & Associates was jointly chosen by the city and DOJ to serve as the independent monitor of a settlement agreement between the DOJ and the city of Portland. The arrangement is estimated to cost the city $1.59 million. 

The settlement agreement was approved by a court in 2014, following an alleged pattern of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) using excessive force on people with mental illness. The DOJ said PPB’s behavior violated the civil and constitutional rights of Portlanders. While the city denied the characterization, it agreed to adopt new training related to PPB’s use of force, its crisis intervention tactics and mental health services, as well as “officer accountability and community engagement.”

The democratization of culture thanks to cheap technology and crowdfunding has long promised a wave of passion projects that might, against all odds, catch fire on a global scale. But to date, that’s only happened sparingly, as such self-produced works either die on the vine or only capture the attention of supporters, loved ones, and folks who find them through pure happenstance. 

It’s a fate that could easily have befallen The People’s Joker. Filmmaker Vera Drew’s poignant, surreal, and hilarious debut feature set in a warped version of the DC Comics Universe was set to make its public debut at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival but was only allowed one screening due to pressure from Warner Brothers Discovery. 

The intent may have been to stifle this creative vision, but the opposite occurred. The buzz surrounding People’s Joker grew, lead to a hot ticket screening at last year’s Outfest in LA and a deal with Altered Innocence, a LGBTQ+ film distributor bringing Drew’s work to theaters around the US—including our very own Hollywood Theater starting this Friday. 

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! The sun is (supposed to be) shining, tax season is over, and, oh yeah, PIZZA WEEK is here. If you need some ideas for where to go, here are a few pies that look delectable to me personally: The "Chicken Shawarma!" at Baby Doll, the "So What, No F*ckin' Ziti Now?!" (yes, I'm a fan of pasta on pizza. Sue me, Italy) at Scottie's, the "Butcher's Bolognese" at Assembly Brewing, and many more. But before you go grab some delicious slices, read these important headlines. (The restaurants probably aren't open yet, anyway.)

Juxtaposed with the nearby bustling commercial centers on SE Hawthorne Blvd and Division Street, Portland’s Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood feels quiet and residential, even suburban. 

Residents south of Foster Road between SE Cesar Chavez Boulevard and SE 92nd Avenue have enjoyed relatively low housing prices compared to parts of Portland closer to the city center. But the neighborhood quaintness and single-family housing affordability have come at the expense of other important amenities, like transportation infrastructure and convenient, accessible grocery stores. 

With the Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan, led by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), the city wants to course-correct. The plan, which primarily focuses on the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood as well as parts of Woodstock, Mt. Scott-Arleta, and Lents, aims to reshape land use and transportation in areas of Portland. The goal is to provide opportunities for neighborhood businesses, create more multi-unit affordable housing complexes, and make it easier and safer for people to get around and access what they need.