The OPB arts radio show State of Wonder took a look at the Portland music scene as it existed almost twenty years ago on an episode curated by Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker. Tucker proved to be humble and down to earth in her observations on now closed venues describing the ones with high stages as being good for stage moves and pointing out that in the past more people were drunk or high downtown as she and show host April Baer hung out around the Paris Theatre.
The show weaves together stories, opinions and ideas about what Portland was like and what it may continue to be like. Great music clips are mixed in to illustrate the interviews making it easy to get a feel for the music and the days when Portland was a grittier and less populated place. It was a simpler time when you had to track people down on the streets or at the coffee shop to organize the next show or art project and the X-Ray Cafe guys were conducting business by pay phone. For someone who only briefly visited Portland back in 1993, the show provided a perspective that made me feel like I was there.
You can download this episode for free from iTunes. Look up OPB’s State of Wonder.
Will seems to think this is a better link:
Or use sound cloud. Scroll down to find the episode and listen, listen, listen!
Read up on State of Wonder:
http://www.opb.org/radio/programs/stateofwonder/
Portland Orbit 