I got sick of noise complaints, early curfews, venues shutting down, and other general douchebaggery that is killing our music scene, so I wrote this: I have an idea - Lets take everything cool about Portland - the low rent, the laid back atmosphere, the beautiful scenery, the thriving arts and music scenes, lets take all of that and replace it with overpriced condos and clog stores. Portland has cultural capital in spades right now, and we built that cultural capital by investing time in the things we love doing: making music, making art, brewing beer, building things. Portlands creative and DIY culture is at the center of what makes this city thrive. We dont have to work 70 hours a week to afford a place to live, and that means we can devote more time to being creative. This is how weve created our quality of life - weve Done It Ourselves. But investors have caught on. They see that there is money to be made. Theyre buying up food cart pods and venues. Theyre putting up living spaces designed for people who dont contribute to culture, only consume it. The problem here, is that these people also tend to only tolerate culture when it agrees with their sensibilities, and fits into their schedule. If you want to live in an urban area, then you have to be okay with noise, late nights, and things that smell bad. If you dont like those things, then move out of the city and into the suburbs. Dont move the suburbs into the city. The Laurelthirst, of all places, is now being constantly monitored for decibel levels. The most important and established venue in this entire city for Americana and folk music has to tell bands to turn down. Shows in bars and DIY spaces, like the breed a healthy music scene. Places like these are where bands learn how to play and perform. Its where choruses are shouted and fans are made. Its where collaborations begin. Weve lost a handful of these spaces in the last 6 months, and you can feel their absence. Noise complaints, superfluous permitting, capacity concerns, and police presence at shows will bleed the life right out of a music scene that has more tenacity, individuality, and integrity than almost any other city in the United States. If this keeps up, then everything that has made this city great, made it a beacon for thousands of young people, made it the coolest city in the US right now - for better or worse - is going to be pushed outwards. Investors are making this city unlivable for the very people who made it great in the first place. The joke, though, is that we built it, and once we get priced out of it, well build it somewhere else. We rehearse in cheap basements and garages. We throw house shows. We cut our own records, and we put em out ourselves. We are our own marketing and PR firms. And when we leave, all that will be left is condo buildings that are half empty, a clog store on every block, and a bunch of Yuppies wondering why - all of a sudden - its so boring to live here. Play music loud, dont ever stop. #whoneedsculturewhenyouvegotcondos Justin Chase Emma Browne Jason Oppat Alden Glinertl Morgan James Troper Arya David Imig Alex Steininger Michael Steinkirchner Edward Cameron Justin Lien Joseph Kapcin Colin Lloyd McArthur Noah Bernstein Stephanie Salvey Neurosound Booking LaurelThirst Public House The Firkin Tavern Langano Lounge Adam Cress Jesus Miranda Ben Harrison Theo Craig Red and Black Cafe Laughing Horse Book and Film Collective
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 17:51:53 +0000
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