In March of 2000, I went to a freaking amazing show at the Roseland featuring The Presidents of the USA and Sir-Mix-A-Lot, touring together as sUBsET. As Mix explained in an article, “We do music because we love it. Subset is four men who have seen the evils of the record business and were able to escape, asses still intact. Four men who left on their own terms. Four men re-born, true to the grassroots, and freed from the shackles of pop music.”
That night I picked up a sweet T-shirt and went home humming their catchy tunes. In addition to singing some songs they were individually known for, they had a collection of all new songs. Really fun and very different from their usual stuff. They had promised a CD coming out soon, but one never materialized and the project faded into obscurity. I’ve consoled myself with the few MP3’s in existence, including a few from live shows.
MIX: “Check it out. I noticed a lot of people going, what the fuck did Mix do?”
BALLEW: “What the fuck did the Presidents do?”
MIX: “My question is this… how the fuck can I live in Seattle and not do this?”
I still wear my concert-T pretty frequently, especially since the word SUBSET in large letters on a t-shirt is really amusing to people who work with databases. In all the time I’ve worn it, no one has ever acknowledged that they knew what my shirt meant.
Until tonight.
Aaron and I were doing the self-checkout at Freddy’s when an employee came up and said, “Wow! You know who sUBsET is? I didn’t make it to the show but my friend did and he said it was totally through the roof!!! I can just imagine… Chris Ballew and Mix! Did they ever release an album?”
After I told him there was no album but MP3’s could be found by the enterprising individual, he proceeded to talk my ear off about sUBsET and a few other bands who do wild innovative stuff. I tried to help Aaron with the groceries and give this guy the indication that I had shopping to finish, but he didn’t get the hint. Aaron said the guy looked bummed when he noticed that I had a boyfriend, but I missed that hint. Food bagged and heading out the door, the guy persisted, even after I tossed a “Nice talking with you. Byeeeeee!” over my shoulder.
“Oh, no worries. I was heading out to my car myself,” as he follows us out towards the parking lot, yammering about bands I will probably never check out. Once we finally parted ways, I wanted to chuckle and ask, “What the hell was that?” but I figured he was probably still within earshot.
Dennis Nyback is fabulous when it comes to creating film festivals for scintillating subjects you never thought anyone would create a festival for. Bad Bugs Bunny? Stag films? My point exactly.
This looks like a hell of a lot of fun, and it runs through tomorrow night. Don your finest set of garters and negligee, then head to the theatre!
** OOH LA LA: A HISTORY OF LINGERIE **
Clinton Street Theatre
2522 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR
Events phone – 503.238.8899
March 18th – 22nd – 7pm and 9pm
Admission – $6 : Tuesday – $4
DENNIS NYBACK RETURNS WITH A RETROSPECTIVE ON WOMEN’S UNDERWEAR!
The invention of motion pictures at the turn of the twentieth century made it possible for us to view the twentieth century like no previous time. With film we can obverse so much, and what can be more fun than looking at women in their undies! How educational and entertaining it is to see just what was worn beneath coats and dresses of previous eras. Men can be men and women can look for fashion tips. The program is more or less chronological beginning in 1915 with rare footage of two women disrobing, and disrobing, and disrobing through layers of undergarments which include corsets. From the twenties we have the charming tale Why Girls Walk Home which exposes more vintage underwear. From the 1930’s we have the great musical number Dames, from the movie of the same name, dozens of women getting out of bed, dressing, and marching off to work, all to a very snappy musical soundtrack. We forge forward into the forties with How to Undress In Front of Your Husband, A Model Must Please, and How To Hold Your Husband. There will also be the naughty Soundies (Think of them as stone age rock videos) including What The Blushing Bride Wore, Georgie Porgie and The Man That Comes Around. From the fifties we have the greatest strip act ever filmed, Dixie Evans in How To Get to Hollywood. We also see what a girl has to do to thumb a ride after her car breaks down and showing a bare thumb doesn’t get results. Snappy films, snappy music, and a lot of fun for the curious one.
I just got news that sent my taste buds into spasms of delight. No Fish! Go Fish! is looking into bringing their soup to supermarket shelves. Mmm… Soup of the Gods! The NF!GF! cart was one of the joys of working in downtown Portland. John dishes up terribly yummy and rather healthy (chocolate caramel no fish! aside) lunch. Making my mouth water at the thought of it.
They make a couple of special edition soups that I would kill to have the recipe for, or at least have a regular supply of. One is their Raspberry-Blackberry soup, and the other is their Thanksgiving stuffing soup. Mmm… heaven in a bowl.
Anyway, here’s the official announcement from No Fish! Go Fish! Can you help them get their soup to the shelves and make me a happier camper?
(Cue Twilight Zone music) Dee dee dee dee. Dee dee dee dee. Picture if you will… a company. An adorable company. Cuddly. Owned and operated by young Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy types with lots of hair. Cut. Everybody take 5. Rewrite. Action. Owned and operated by older Buck Henry and Bea Arthur types. CUT! Conference room NOW! Here’s the plot. Simple. Cute soup company secretly the subject of government radiation tests grows to gargantuan size. Later, company is absorbed by vast intergalactic gaseous entity called Campbellians in a bid for superiority over their sworn enemy the Progressans.
Roll credits.
Sound far-fetched? Well, maybe it’s not. And here’s where YOU come in… You are our GREATEST ASSET. Stop blushing. It’s TRUE! You are the biggest bunch of lovable soup guzzling home town heroes any team could HOPE for. And WE NEED YOU! John and I are putting together a team of ALL STARS to put SOUP OF THE GODS! in a SUPERMARKET NEAR YOU!! These things take time and $$$.
But with the right team we can do it. We’re looking for an experienced marketer / distributor familiar with taking a product from concept to store shelf. If you have this type experience or know someone who has please call Sean at 503-235-5378 or email me at sean -at- nofishgofish.com. Don’t sell yourself short! Portland is a small town and we’re all only 2 degrees separated from Phil Knight. LET’S JUST DO IT!
The joy of close-knit Portland. Do you know someone who can help them make their dream come true? Give them a call.
I’m dreaming of the day I can pick up No Fish! Go Fish! soup from the store so I can have their soup for lunch again. If you can convince them to bring their sandwiches to the freezer section, too, all the better.