Day 31: Portland, OR
Nau mai
Yesterday we played the Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland’s downtown.
We were back for another show in Portland’s mini downtown outdoor amphitheatre, the Pioneer Courthouse Square. The bus rolled into the square at 10am and we rapidly unloaded the trailer with the help of a big group of stagehands. Our driver James then did a skilful job of reversing back out of the square and onto the street – not a job any of us wanted to have to do, reversing a 20-metre vehicle plus trailer around a tight corner. He drove off to park in a quiet part of town, and we launched into our workday.
It is always nice working outdoors. The skies were overcast and the morning was fresh, keeping us cool as we lugged everything up onto the big stage. Curious Portlanders sat on the nearby steps with coffees or food, watching the progress unfold.
I bought my breakfast from a food truck that was perched up on the raised edge of the square. The truck was called Fried Egg, I’m In Love, and it was proclaimed by Annie to be the best breakfast restaurant in Portland. I bought their signature sandwich, a creation between two slices of toasted sourdough containing a fried egg, sausage patty, Havarti cheese, and pesto.
We soundchecked as the city continued with its business, the deep rumble of trams passing and the occasional car honk joined by the screeching noises of rock’n’roll echoing off stone and glass. Gabe had his work cut out getting the band to sound good with the strict decibel limit imposed on this outdoor venue.
If your drummer drops the hi-hat for a couple of bars in the verse do not worry, he just has to complete a quick turn in his Civ6 game.
Our set began while there was still ample light in the sky. The square was completely full, the crowd surging in height near the back like an incoming swell. Up in the highrise apartment building opposite the square people sat on the balconies of the fire escape enjoying the show with a unique view of the stage. By the time we had completed our hour-long set the sunset was well underway and the whole setting looked rather beautiful. We handed over to Beach Bunny to complete the night’s entertainment and concentrated on load out, a process that involved loading everything into a pair of vans to be driven to where the bus was parked.
Annie earned herself a very strong BOTHEW point by organising a post-show escapade at an arcade bar. She had a friend who worked at this establishment that had organised gaming tokens with unlimited credit for the whole group. Wishy, Beach Bunny, and The Beths had a great celebration at the Ground Control Classic Arcade and Bar, dipping into a huge selection of vintage arcade games that involved the great pursuits of shooting, smashing, and driving.
