Although it would be impossible to give someone a well concocted taste of Portland’s incredibly rich music community in one weekend, the peeps at PdxPopNow! have been baking up a 3 day FREE and ALL AGE festival for several years now that comes mighty close. It always features some of the cities most acclaimed acts, this year being no exception, mixed with up-and-comers and steady scene contributers. Also, the fest often achieves a fun house party free-for-all atmosphere, which is appropriate given the city’s propensity for impromptu activities and long standing punk rock leanings. Sure, the number of slots at the event (and the 2 cd compilation) are finite and there are always going to be a few sour grapes from disappointed bands squashed about the comment sections of local blogs like LocalCut and Blogtown, but the thousands who show up and support FREE and ALL AGE music every year more than make up for that.
Given the Moose’s criticism of MusicfestNW’s ties with SonicBids, I also think it fair to draw an editorial distinction between PdxPopNow!, which tends to be a local music showcase with some healthy industry ties, and MusicfestNW, which tends to be more of an industry showcase with some local ties. From my perspective both festivals benefit the enthusiastic listener and do what I would hope any good show or festival would do: expose people to art. As the city continues to embrace it’s role as indie rock mecca and home to more bands then you can shake a beaver tail at (wha?), I am thankful for PDX POP NOW! and it’s positive influence on the community it pledges to represent.
PdxPopNow!: Come on people, it’s FREE!
post by Jon Ragel.
