Jujuba at Music on Main, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, August 29, 2012

What a fine and funky good time I had listening to and grooving with Jujuba at Music on Main!

From the PCPA Web site's information on Music on Main:

Jujuba delivers a funky, danceable style of Nigerian Afrobeat and Juju music. The strength of the eleven-piece revolves around its energetic cohesion between percussion, rhythm and horn sections. Renowned for their ability to engage a wide variety of audiences, the band draws a dance floor full of smiling faces at every event.

Jujuba features Nojeem Lasisi from Igbo Ora, Oyo State, in Nigeria. He ranks among the world’s elite talking drum players. Nojeem was given his first drum at age four by his father, also a master drummer, who handed down to Nojeem its powerful language. As a member of Nigerian superstar King Sunny Ade's group, the African Beats, Nojeem toured the world and appears on numerous recordings with King Sunny, including "Seven Degrees North" and "Odu."

Nojeem has settled in the Northwest and assembled Jujuba from local musicians who all share a true love for Nigerian music. Their diverse experiences in a wide range of styles propel the project into new directions based on Afrobeat, Juju and traditional Nigerian folk music. Nojeem Lasisi and Jujuba have created a unique blend of African and Western music they hope is enjoyable to all.

Since the fall of 2002, the band has elicited a strong flow of positive feedback from audiences, concert promoters, festival organizers and the press. As Marty Hughley of The Oregonian puts it, “the heat and flavor was all in the groove.” The joy Jujuba shares with its audiences encourages new material, a tighter connection and a growing energy from each show to the next.

About Music on Main Street Located in downtown Portland on Main Street, between Southwest Broadway & Park Ave., next to Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Wednesday evenings during July and August we take advantage of the lovely summer weather in Portland to present Music on Main Street, PCPA’s free outdoor concert series. The concerts boast popular local musicians with a diverse collection of music – from Afrobeat to Rockabilly – these bands will have you up on your feet and dancing on Main Street. The free concerts are open to the public and run from 5pm to 7pm – tickets are not required. The ArtBar & Bistro will be serving up seasonal fare and delicious libations starting at 4:30pm every week. Tables and chairs are available on a first come, first served basis, along with plenty of room to move around - dancing is highly encouraged.

Shooting "Leverage" at the Schnitz, downtown

Could you be this laid back high above busy SW Broadway in downtown Portland?


See what I mean by high above Broadway? He's waiting until his next move, ensconced on a crane in front of the building where I've been to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain, the Beatles tribute band 1964, and Sting. Here's a bit about the building:
The beautifully restored Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall opened in 1984, and was originally the Portland Public Theatre, built in 1928. The Italian Rococo Revival architecture was said to be the national showcase of Rapp & Rapp, renowned Chicago theatre architects. Visitors are greeted by a 65 foot high “Portland” sign above the Broadway Marquee, which contains approximately 6,000 theatrical lights. You can read more from Wikipedia about the Schnitz at the link in the caption below.


These two lights are trained on the lobby of the venerable building, what many consider to be the anchor of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Portland sign has 5 foot tall neon letters.

"Leverage," seen on TNT, has filmed all around downtown for its second and third seasons. All I've ever managed to see are equipment trucks, cast trailers, and lights on cranes. I've never been to Boston, but Portland is standing in for Boston on this series.

Music on Main, Dr. Theopolis, Aug. 18, 2010, Part #1

I took off early, rode the bus home, called for a taxi so that Mama and I could meet our friends Danielle and her mother Pat for an evening outdoors, listening to live music, for free! Danielle and Pat were here on a week's vacation, up from California. We had a great time listening to a band called Dr. Theopolis, quite a talented group of eight men who also happened to be quite easy on the eyes. Here you see four of them. Would that you could hear them.


One more of Dr. Theopolis.


And one more. Two to go.


The last two.


All eight of Dr. Theopolis, plus a bit of the crowd.

Come back tomorrow for shots of the crowd livin' it up to the funky beat!

If you get a minute, take a look at my other blog, Mama & Me from PDX--we're still on vacation over there! It's all about lug nuts at Talladega Superspeedway!

Heritage Tree, South Park Blocks, and today's dahlia.

Scroll down to see today's dahlia, Gregory Stephen, from Swan Island Dahlias.

Click Heritage Trees of Portland to find out about the ordinance that created the Heritage Tree program, as well as additional information at the Portland Parks & Recreation Web site. I especially like the various links, Trees by Year, Trees by Species, Trees by Location, Heritage Elms, and Trees of Merit. When I clicked on Trees by Year, I discovered that I had seen in person the second so designated Heritage Tree in Portland, in 1975.

Believe it or not, I didn't go there first to find today's subject. I lucked out and found this one on Aug. 29 when I got to the Antoinette Hatfield Hall early--I had signed up to help with new usher training for the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Not wanting to just go inside and just wait, I walked west across the South Park Blocks, not expecting to see a plaque in the sidewalk on the corner--there's the photo, beneath this one. What I read made me look up and find the subject of the third photo below. Now I'm wondering if a sycamore and a London planetree are relatives. Click, click. I'm taking photos and looking for the best vantage points.

The tree as seen from the middle of SW Main as it goes through the South Park Blocks.


The plaque on the sidewalk.


The sign on the tree.


There in the distance you see the brick building--that's the Antoinette Hatfield Hall, part of the Portland Center for the performing Arts, my ultimate destination.


I just love the Internet. I've found a pdf of a brochure or booklet, "Oregon Geology," published by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, from November 1985. On pg. 7, I've read about the sidewalk plaque. "At the northwest corner of the intersection of Main and West Park there stands a magnificent london (sic) plane tree (Platanus acerifolia) (a) that was planted in 1800 by Sylvester Farrell. At the base of the tree, a gneiss marker indicates incorrectly that the tree is a sycamore (which is a close relative of the london (sic) plane tree). The marker also left out an "L" in the gentleman's last name. The tree has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the sole survivor from pioneer times in the immediate area."

Simply grand, that information. I love digging for it, too. Can't help it. I used to be a librarian.

Today's dahlia, Gregory Stephen. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 12" Red, Bush: 4'

I have my first training as a tour guide for the Portland Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday morning

These chandeliers hang in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, the building where I attended "Mark Twain Tonight," Hal Holbrook's one-man show extraordinaire. I had my camera that evening, but I didn't get it out of my bag inside the hall. I figured I might not even be allowed to have it with me, so I didn't even ask if I could take photos in the lobby. Yep, I was chicken, in a way. To tell you the truth, I didn't want anything to mess up my good mood and what I expected to be a grand evening. It turned out even better than I figured it would--my seat was on the third row!

If you're wondering how I managed to get this photo, please continue to read.


Here's the west entrance on Park Avenue as I saw it on my way to see Hal Holbrook.


Seeing those chandeliers and other beautiful accoutrement as I walked around inside, waiting to the doors to open to the theater seating, I realized I ought to learn more about the building. Naturally, when I got home I used good ol' Google. That's how I discovered a volunteer orientation on Jan. 24, which I attended. At that time I decided to volunteer as an usher and as a tour guide. Last Saturday I attended my first usher training and soon I will usher at a children's show, "Click, Clack, Moo." The final usher training is later in February.

After the volunteer orientation, I went on the noon tour. That's when I could get out my camera and take photos! Hooray! More photos to come.

Here's a bit about the building, from the PCPA's Web site:

Step back in time

The beautifully restored Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, opened in 1984, was originally the Portland Public Theatre, built in 1928.

The Italian Rococo Revival architecture was said to be the national showcase of Rapp & Rapp, renowned Chicago theatre architects. Visitors are greeted by a 65 foot high "Portland" sign above the Broadway Marquee, which contains approximately 6,000 theatrical lights.

The theatre features:

* Seating for 2,776.
* Orchesta pit for 15 and a choir loft.
* Dressing rooms for 90.
* Portable, flexible acoustical shell.
* Entrance access on both the Broadway and Park Blocks.

The Arlene Schnitzer Hall is home to the Oregon Symphony, White Bird Dance Company, Portland Arts & Lectures, and many more local performing arts groups.

The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is located at 1037 SW Broadway, Portland Oregon 97205.

Here's a photo I took of the Portland sign when I went to Music on Main last summer. It's on SW Broadway. Before too long I hope to get a night photo when those 6,000 lights blaze.