Oregon Music News

Regular listeners to Coffeeshop Conversations….and I mean over the years…know that one of the things we like to do is bring on some of the folks responsible for some of Oregon’s great music festivals. For the past few years, a regular visitor to wherever we happen to be recording these has been Chris Doss, the Executive Director of the Biamp Portland Jazz Festival…usually long before the festival has begun. This time he’s here as the festival is winding up. It ends this weekend and we’re recording on Thursday March 19. I wanted to find out how he feels with the finish line in sight, and get some impressions of what he has heard and learned etcetera. At the controls in his Studio Blue in Northeast Portland is Paul K Ward who seems to be at every keyboard in town these days. Playing music or recording it. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland. With Paul is Chris Doss himself.

Chris Doss OMN 2026 by Oregon Music News

This was supposed to have run a couple of weeks ago but that awful flu intervened, both for me and Paul K Ward. We're both back at work. Sorry to keep you waiting. = = = = = = = A couple of weeks ago we got the news that Music Millennium owner Terry Currier was, at 70 years of age, looking to the future of Music Millennium and handing off to another owner or owners the home of recorded music in Oregon…after forty-two years at that magnificent museum of music on East Burnside. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland, at the controls engineering, producing and editing is Paul K Ward in his Studio Blue in Northeast Portland. And in his office at Music Millennium is our guest Terry Currier to tell us how all of this happened, how he sees his future and that of the record store. He’s no stranger to Coffeeshop Conversations. He’s been a guest once a year for …well for EVER.

Hey Tom D’Antoni back with ya. It’s another Oregon Music News Coffeeshop Conversation I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland. Engineer, producer/editor Paul K Ward is in his studioblue and at his home? Guitarist/composer Chance Hayden. It’s been a long time since Chance was on the podcast and I don’t know why. …he is a very busy musician.

Joe Manis - the Point 12_19_2025 by Oregon Music News

It’s another Oregon Music News Coffeeshop Conversation. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland and in studioblue in Northeast Portland are, at the controls, Paul K Ward and with him is Darka Dusty. She of the Light and Limn podcast she and her husband Miri do. She and Miri visited Ukraine for five weeks during the summer. They did an episode of their podcast when they returned. I wondeed, now that Darka has had more time to process, what she thinks of it and how it has effected her.

PDX Jazz Festival Jazz Master. He ran the Portland State University Jazz program for 27 years and produced generations of great musicians. //

Paul Brainard: Playing many instruments including "The Fun Machine: Coffeeshop Conversations #448 by Oregon Music News

Tom D’Antoni back with you for another, as a matter of fact the four hundred and forty sixth Coffeeshop Conversation. Well, yeah I’m proud of that. Proud also that returning to the bat controls at his own studioblue in Northeast Portland is the very busy pianist/comper/proudcer Paul K Ward. I’m still at my desk in Northwest Portland. Sitting next to Paul is the fabulous Miz Kitty of Miz Kitty’s Parlour…l o u r…the long running vaudeville show, which returns once again on Saturday, October 18th to the Mission Theater. We’ll find out who’s playing in a bit. Miz Kitty, in her other life is Lisa Marsicek, she of many bands, maybe the most well-known of which was the Flat Mountain Girls who many of us still miss.

What we’re going to do this week is talk to Arietta Ward and Terry Robb. The backstory? You remember Sly Stone passed away on June 9th I did a memorial set on KMHD’s I Like It Like That. But there was one song I wanted to play and I couldn't find the album no matter how hard I looked and I have a lot of CD’s. It was a lengthy search and very frustrating. I was on the last shelf, the last place it could be and there it was. The song was If You Want Me To Stay and the version I wanted to play was from an album called Sista by Portland’s angels; Janice Scroggins and Linda Hornbuckle. You know how you get when you hunger for knowledge about something you love? That is precisely why Janice’s daughter Arietta Ward is here. She was there at the recording sessions. Also with us is Terry Robb who produced those sessions. And by the way, the day I found it would have been Janice’s birthday.

Happy to be with you for another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation. I’m Tom D’Antoni at my desk in NW Portland. At the controls in NE Portland studioblue…all lower case…all one word is Paul K Ward without whom Coffeeshop Conversations wouldn’t exist in its present form. As Dr. John would say, A big round of ammunition for Paul. And along with hin is our guest today, Jim Friscia, from an organization called Swan Songs, musical last wishes. What’s that? That’s what we’re here to find out. Jim was one of the founders of Portland’s own Mardi Gras Krewe The Missti Krewe of Nimbus Which makes merry every Mardi Gras. And we are still trying to have lunch at that Sicilian restaurant…what was it again Jim? And what do you recommend?

First of all, thanks for all the Birthday wishes. Much appreciated. Of course, it’s another reminder of my age. Not much I can do about that. Thanks also once again to Paul K Ward for recording and editing at his studioblue in Northeast Portland as is our guest. I’m at my desk again in Northwest Portland. You know lots of musicians moved to Portland because of our music scene, at least in part. Today we’re talking to Debra Giannini who has lived all over the place, moving to Portland in 1990. She had multiple careers, the musical one being as a singer/songwriter and folk music artist. But she’s about to leave town, to a degree. And as such she’s about to launch a farewell Portland tour, singing and playing guitar and baritone ukulele. She’s calling it “The Savoring Time Tour.” It begins in Portland and ends (if there is such a thing) in Kansas where she will light like a butterfly on a leaf. That seems like a good time for me to stop talking and let her explain herself.

Glad you found another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation once again not at Artichoke Music…yet. Paul K Ward is at the controls again in studioblue…all one word, lower case,and doing a great job of being the real reason why there still are Coffeeshop Conversations Artichoke or not. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland. With Paul is guitarist, composer and educator Ryan Meagher and we’re going to talk baseball. He’s a Giants fan and I’m an Orioles fan so there are no bitter rivalries between us. Ok, we’re not going to talk baseball. That’s for when we’re not rolling. I could give you a list of what Ryan is up to, but it’s hard to keep up with him. Let’s just say he does a lot of things and we’ll let him tell us what they are in the order he thinks best.

Welcome back to OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations yet again not at Artichoke Music, although we’re getting closer. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland and Paul K Ward is in his studioblue on the other side of town, at the controls along with our guest making a return appearance, saxophonist, vocalist and educator and once again a resident of Portland…….our friend Reggie Houston. He’s got a new band, something I’m eager to hear about. He has a birthday gig coming up at EAT that combination restaurant and venue that’s been a home to him and various ensembles he has put together. That’ll be on Wednesday, July second. Reggie has done several memorable Coffeeshop Conversations so let’s get rolling on this one

Vocalist/bassist Lisa Mann is coming back strong from a severely broken leg, as only she can. She's gigging again and is full of the fire and energy we've come to know. But that's not all we talk about, as you might expect. You'll like this one.

Glad you found us after a couple of weeks off, OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations is back. Paul K Ward is at the control in his Studio Blue Productions headquarters, I am still at my desk on NW Lovejoy Stret because I’m not quitte ready to return to the world. With Paul is today’s guest Nichollas Grier, pianist, a mental health therapist, professor of Practical Theology and counselling at Claremont School of Theology and a councelor at the Bishop Wellness center at Wilamette University. He has a presentation at the 1905 club, it’s called Juneteenth Emancipation Jazz Concert on Thursday, Jun 19th and Professor Grier is with Paul in the studio to tell us all about it.

Molly Tentarelli is with Paul K Ward at his studio, I'm at my desk in NW Portland. Molly is as versatile an artist as it gets. Find out how and why.

Brady Goss used to be the kid Boogie-Woogie piano player. He isn't a kid anymore but in addition to pounding out the Jerry Lee Lewis sound, he's added other genres and techniques. He's playing with Curtis Salgado and also is a part of an Allman Brothers tribute band. His journey has been an interesting one. Paul K Ward recorded and produced from his studio blue. Brady was there and I was at my desk in NW Portland.

After a week off, OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations is back in a big way. Sometimes Coffeeshop Conversations introduces you to new artists or artists you may not have heard of but if you have never heard of Curtis Salgado, God help ya. He’s with Paul K Ward at Paul’s studio blue. Paul is at the controls and I am beating on my laptop as usual. It occurred to me that I have never introduced Curtis in public, not at the Waterfront Blues Festival….nor anywhere else….and I have introduced hundreds of musicians to tens of thousands of people. One of these days I’d like to stoke up a crowd, already psyched to hear Curtis…and fix that. Meanwhile, ladies and gentlemen, give a big round of ammunition for everybody’s favorite favorite Curtis Salgado.

Happy Mardi Gras everybody. Things are winding up or winding down to Fat Tuesday on March 4th 2025…Depending on how you look at it. And who better to help us find out all about the big fun here in the Big Rainy is Steve Kerin, keyboardist and co-founder of the Misty Krewe of Nimbus, our own Portland Mardi Gras Krewe, Steve Kerin. The Krewe is throwing their annual Mardi Gras Ball at the Wonder Ballroom on Saturday, March first and then on Mardi Gras day it’ll be time for their big Parade. That’s when the big bass drum leads the big parade Paul K Ward is producing today’s episode, he’s at the controls at his studioblue…one word all lower case and a big thank you to him for helping to pull the podcast out of hiatis hell while I recover. I’m at my desk in Northwest Portland, and Steve Kerin is at home in NE Portland. Steve, Hey now and Happy Mardi Gras!

Pete Peterson: One Busy Saxophonist -- CC#433 by Oregon Music News

Thanks for finding Coffeeshop Conversations again. Today’s logistics include me at my desk in Northwest Portland, and at Paul K Ward’s studio blue…(two words all lower case) …where he is recording and making it sound pretty, Paul himself plus today’s guest, The Boogie Cat, Norman Sylvester who has a major life event coming on Sunday, March 16th at the Alberta Rose Theater…a celebration of his forty years in music. Let’s find out all about it, and how you get there. Mr. Sylvester? Congratulations!

Hey now! Back again with Paul K Ward at the controls at studio blue…and that’s supposed to be all lower case. I’m Tom D’Antoni at my desk, not ready to go back to Artichoke Music. Wait, I’m not done. With Paul is famed guitar slinger Terry Robb, so good that the Cascade Blues Association stopped giving him best guitarist award and named the damned thing after him. Plus, at his home in Victoria, British Columbia is former Portlander, winner of a bunch of Blues Maple Awards for best pianist, Paul deLay’s last of the best piano players and boogie woogie master, David Vest. They have a new album of duets out called Criss Cross. And we’re here to find out why and wherefore.

Since Coffeeshop Conversations has returned from health-related hiatus (mine), first of all it’s been fun doing them again and second, I love the guests we’ve had. David Vest and Terry Robb last week in particular. If you missed them, I suggest you listen but not this minute because we’ve got a good one this time. Before we go any further, let’s give a big round of ammunition (as Doctor John used to say) to Paul K Ward who has kindly lent his talents and his studo blue…all lower case…to record, mix and fix these episodes while I continue to try to recover from what I have to recover from. The strange thing is that the first time that today’s guest Kyleen King made an appearance on Coffeeshop Conversations, in January 2023, we had to do it this way too. Me at my desk and Kyleen at home. I had covid that time. One of these days we’ll actually sit across from each other, I hope. By the way, Kyleen was also a guest last summer on Darka and Miri’s Light and Limn Podcast which also can be heard on OMN. So why such a fast return? Because Kyleen’s life has taken a new direction and we’ll find out all about it. That and how it will or will not limit her music. We had a delightful conversation last time and there’s no good reason to think this one will be any different. So with that too-long introduction…a big hello to Kyleen King.

We’re not back at Artichoke quite yet but we’re back in podcast production again. And happy to be. A giant thank you to Paul K Ward for recording these things until I am able to get back to Artichoke Music. I am at my desk and Paul is at the controls at studio bLue. Joining him is Chris Doss, the Executive Director of PDX Jazz, with us for his annual visit to talk about the 2025 Bi-Amp Portland Jazz Festival which takes place February 20 to March first, all over town.

A poem.

It’s the return of OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations! We published the last new one at the end of August, at which time I became a much-to-frequent visitor to various medical facilities, had a number of surgeries and procedures and generally had a bad tme of it. I’m not out of the woods yet and not quite ready to return to Artichoke Music, but in the meantime Paul K Ward, pianist, composer, engineer and all around helpful person is recording these new episodes from his studio blue. I have to tell you that I am thrilled to be able to make fresh episodes of Coffeeshop Conversations again and I thank everyone who came to my aid and offered support of many varieties. I Love you all for it. So, here I am at my desk some of my guests join in at Paul’s studio, and there will be others in which we’re all internet connected. This time, it’s the latter. Meaning, today OMN’s National Editor Art Levine is on the line from his place in Washington DC. The jumping off point will be the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. In one form or another, Art and I have been Dylan fans since we were teenagers, and Dylan himself was just out of his teens. So let’s jump right in. We’ve both seen the movie.

Sorry that there hasn’t been a new episode of Coffeshop Conversations at Artichoke Music for a few weeks. I’ve been looking at the four walls of a hospital room and then recovery at home, but most of that is behind me and here we go again, just in time for this year’s Montavilla Jazz Festival. With me is guitarist, composer, teacher and PJCE Records honcho Ryan Meagher, no stranger to this podcast. He’ll be performing at the festival but he’s much more than that these days. The festival runs from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1. This is what our conversation sounded like.

I wonder if you know that Lee Dorsey, the great New Orleans Soul and R&B singer, famous for songs like Ya Ya, Workin In a Coal Mine, and many others, was also known as the best body and fender man in New Orleans. We have an equivalent in Oregon. Kenny Goldstein has been a part of the music scene in Oregon for decades, a bass player in multiple genres and an ace auto mechanic. He has helped keep my last four beaters on the road, to be transparent. But do they have anything to do with each other? He’s in the Artichoke café with me right now.

In A Summer full of music festivals, one of the loveliest, happiest of them all is the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival. It happens Friday through Sunday, July 19-21. This is the 44th annual festival. It has gone through a lot of changes, some good and some not so good. These days it’s run by the Jazz Society of Oregon and one of the directors is Yvonne Lerch who is in Artichoke Music with me. She’s been on the Oregon music scene, in one form or another for a long time. The festial is free, so even though it’s this upcoming weekend, there’s no need to plan months in advance. Just come on out and sit under the magnificent St. John’s Bridge and have yourself the perfect summer’s day.

Hi. Tom D’Antoni back in The Artichoke for another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation. Next time our guest will be Yvonne Lerch, director of the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival which is coming up soon. Also upcoming right here will be bass player Kenny Goldstein, who is also an ace car mechanic. And you’ll be happy to hear that OMN National Editor Art Levine has completed his mammoth story, not for us…and it turns out his appearance on this podcast is a double- header, half on UFO’s and half on AI. Today, an old friend from our days and nights at the Waterfront Blues Festival. Amanda Gresham will introduce us to a new EP from United By Music and we’ll get the lowdown on it and the wonderful work that organization does. So right now, once again, let’s meet Amanda Gresham.

Hi. Tom D’Antoni back in The Artichoke for another OMN Coffeeshop Conversation. Next time our guest will be Yvonne Lerch, director of the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival which is coming up soon. Also upcoming right here will be bass player Kenny Goldstein, who is also an ace car mechanic. And you’ll be happy to hear that OMN National Editor Art Levine has completed his mammoth story, not for us…and it turns out his appearance on this podcast is a double- header, half on UFO’s and half on AI. Today, an old friend from our days and nights at the Waterfront Blues Festival. Amanda Gresham will introduce us to a new EP from United By Music and we’ll get the lowdown on it and the wonderful work that organization does. So right now, once again, let’s meet Amanda Gresham.

In the coming weeks, Amanda Gresham of United By Music will be here. Yvonne Lerch will stop by to talk about curating the Cathedral Park Festival. Art Levine, our National Editor hasn’t finished his 5 thousand word piece yet…and it isn’t even for us. And you’ll meet Kenny Goldstein a bass player and mobile car mechanic. Today Tim DuRoche pays us another visit. He’s a great hang and a terribly smart guy, a musician and former Jazz journalist. There’s a new Battle Hymns and Gardens album with the two sax players from the Blue Cranes. Let’s find out about it and listen to a track at the end.

Springtime at the Artichoke. Coming up soon on Coffeeshop Conversations…Yvonne Lerch will us about curating my favorite music festival of the summer…Cathedral Park. Also, an interesting person who combines the life of a Blues musician with a car mechanic. And I promise our National Editor, Art Levine will finish his five or six thousand word piece on UFO’s in time to make an appearance here. Today Amy Maxwell, founder of Ticket Tomato who is here to fill us in on the Live Nation situation, how we got here and what’s to come.

Hi, Tom D’Antoni, as always, with another Coffeeshop Conversation from Artichoke Music. Coming up soon we’ll have OMN’s National Editor Art Levine with a conversation on UFO’s and music, not that they have anything to do with each other. Also upcoming, Ticket Tomato’s Amy Maxwell on the Live Nation controversy, Yvonne Lerch on booking the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival. A new episode every week. Today, Adam East is in the building. He’s been at the Alberta Rose Theatre since it opened in 2010 and has helped build their reputation as one of Portland’s best loved venues He’s their talent buyer. You may also know him as a musician, which he still is.

Six years ago, the last time David Monette was our guest on Coffeeshop Conversations, we called him “Portland’s Stradivari” because the trumpets he designs and builds are the equivalent of a Stradivarius violin…and he makes them for some of the world’s greatest musicians at his shop out near the airport in Portland. He's back because he has a new book called “Calculus of Life: A Practical Guide to Transcendence.” What does that have to do with music? According to David, just about everything. He’ll be giving a talk at Portland’s New Renaissance bookstore on Saturday, May 25. On Tuesday, May 21st, he’s bringing musicians in from nearly everywhere to perform and to mark the publication of the book. The event is sold out but he’ll be streaming it. Watch it here. Let’s talk with David Monette.

Back in the Artichoke today with singer/actor Lo Steele, daughter of Portland’s LaRhonda and Mark Steele. Coming up soon…trumpet genius David Monette with his new book on transcendence, our National Editor Art Levine on UFO’s and (maybe) music, plus Adam East the talent buyer from the Alberta Rose Theater. But right now Lo Steele is sitting across from me. We’re so lucky in Oregon to have musician families like this one. After you’ve listened to this one, Follow the link to a video episode with LaRhonda and Mark. Right now, meet Lo Steele.

I hardly know what to say. Eddie Martinez, one of the best known session guitarists in history just left the Café at Artichoke Music after nearly an hour of inspired conversation. Now look. I don’t mean to disparage the over four hundred other guests we’ve had on in ten years of OMN’s Coffeeshop Conversations but this one is at or near the top. It’s the third time he’s been on the podcast. I asked him to join me because he has a gig at Jack London Revue on Friday May 3rd. He also has a new EP on the way. We find out about both but mostly we had a bracing conversation. I hope you enjoy It as much as I did. I think he did too.

Every year at this time, we get together with Peter Dammann, Artistic Director of the Waterfront Blues Festival and ace guitar slinger to find out who’s in the festival lineup. He's joining me in the Artichoke Music Café. Next week Lo Steele will be here and coming up guitarist Eddie Martinez and also OMN’s National Editor Art Levine will be talking to us from Washington D.C. But now lets turn our attention to the fourth of July and the shores of the Willamette where tens of thousands of fans gather at the Waterfront Blues Festival. Here’s Peter Dammann to let you in on who’s playing this time around.

As promised, with me in the Café at Artichoke Music is Jennifer Carrizo, Senior Talent Buyer for the Crystal Ballroom, the Mission Theater and the Spanish Ballroom in Tacoma, all part of McMenamin’s wonderfully funky empire. It’s hard to believe we haven’t had many from the venue management side of de bizz eh nezz. But here we are. What does a talent buyer do? Senior or not. I’ll tell you this, the reason you can go out and hear music is because the talent buyer has made a deal which brought that band to you. Let’s meet Jennifer Carrizo.

I’m happy we’re back here in the café at Artichoke Music.. Next week, Jennifer Carrizo from McMenamin’s will be here to talk about what’s going on at the Mission Theater…the answer is a lot! But this week a new conversation from a couple of months ago (and I apologize for the delay) with one of our best singers and songwriters, Anandi. She has a lot to say about Jazz singing, especially the Latin variety. At the time we talked she had just released a new album called A Better Way. We’ll hear a track from it at the end of our conversation Please meet Anandi.

We’ll be back at the Artichoke Music Café next time but this episode had to be recorded today, before a fund raiser to help complete a documentary on the life and death of one of Oregon’s favorite musicians, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist member of Pink Martini and Lions of Batucada among others; Derek Reith who committed suicide in August of 2014. Today Director Joanie Fox will talk to us about Derek, the film and the fund raiser which is being held at Pink Martini World Headquarters in downtown Portland on Thursday, April 4, 5-30 to 7pm. Let’s welcome for the first time, Joanie Fox.

We’re not at the Café at Artichoke Music this time. We’re in Seaside Oregon at the Seaside Jazz and Blues Festival on March 16rh for a very special occasion . We told composer/pianist Gordon Lee that we wanted to talk to him onstage about the set he was about to play and also his new album. In reality we were going to present to him the first annual award in the name of the late beloved drummer and teacher Carlton Jackson for Excellence in Musical Education and Musicianship. Gordon, a friend and long-time musical collaborator with Carlton did not know anything about it. We surprised him. It was quite a moment.

Well this is getting as regular as a rainy February in Oregon. Grammy time rolls around and Cheryl Pawelski gets handed one. She won one for It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers. She’s also won for The Garden Spot Programs, 1950. She was the compilation producer on Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition), which won the Grammy for Best Historical Album. And just a couple of weeks ago she won for the massive collection Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos for Best Historical Album. She also won Best Coffeeshop Conversation episode for 2021. Mostly Cheryl and I like to geek out, talking about music and records. That’s why she’s back at Artichoke again today.

The last time Lisa Lipton sat here in the Artichoke Music Cafe was in August of 2020. I noted at the time what a busy person she was with multiple artistic and executive directorships, plus teaching and a full schedule of her clarinet playing. She still does all that but recently she was brought on as Executive Director of 45th Parallel Universe in addition to retaining the same position with Opera Theater Oregon, as well as Co-founder/Co-owner of Mendelssohn’s, Portland's first classical music-themed bar. We recorded our conversation a few weeks ago on her first full day as the capo di tutti capi at 45th Parallel and to say she was psyched is putting it mildly. They have a concert on Tuesday March 5, Pulse and Pillars: an Evening with Andy Akiho and Gemini Percussion. But now let’s hear what Lisa Lipton has to say about her big day.

Returning for another episode of Coffeeshop Conversations is Lisa Marcicek, known to one and all as Miz Kitty that saucy character who has a major basis in real life as hostess of Miz Kitty’s Parlour, a vaudeville show that has been in our lives for twenty-two years at various locations in Portland. She was back this year at the Mission Theater, a favorite spot for her and the hand-picked troupe of fine performers and misfits, along with the thrift-store prizes she awards to lucky members of the audience. You will remember Lisa as a fiddler with the Flat Mountain Girls. One never knows what she’ll come up with, or as whom. Today, I’m guessing, we’ll be talking to both Miz Kitty and Lisa Marcicek, everything all in one. She’s always fun, no matter who she is at any one time.

Guitarist/composer/teacher Dan Balmer is in the Artichoke Café this time around. He always has a lot to say. I’ve been looking forward to sitting down with him again. Coming up soon on Coffeeshop Conversations, the new executive director of 45th Parallel Universe Lisa Lipton and a visit with Lisa Marcicek also known as Miz Kitty. Dan Balmer has a new album called When the Night. That name. What does it mean. I mean to find out. Listen to the title track at the end of our conversation. Here’s what happened. As soon as Dan got here, we started talking about…well, everything. That’s what happens with Dan. I stopped the conversation and turned on the recorder. The rest Is history.

The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival is rapidly approaching. It runs from February 16 to March 2. As we like to do when our major festivals come around, we ask the folks who are responsible for bringing them to us to fill us in. And as he has been for the past few years, actually since he got the gig, Executive Director Chris Doss is in the Artichoke Café with me to tell us all about every headliner in the festival. It’s an interesting festival this year, with some new faces. So let’s let the boss let us in on the details.

I hope you have been watching the development of OMN’s young Photographer Sydney Lewis. She started shooting for us at seven years of age, under the watchful eye of her father Mike, who also takes photos for us. Her specialty is Metal bands. Seriously. Her first shoot was at the 2019 Waterfront Blues Festival but she has shot almost exclusively Metal since then. After the covid break she continued to shoot with more confidence and authority. She’s eleven now and shows no signs of stopping. As a year-end treat, meet Sydney Lewis and her dad, Mike.

We’re going to wind up 2023 with a couple of Best Of’s but next time, that precocious 11 year old OMN photographer Sydney Lewis will be here with her dad to tell us about shooting Metal bands for the past 4 years. Today I’ve got one person who is in several of the most eclectic bands in Oregon, Galen Clark of Trio Subtonic, Outer Orbit…and others. He’s going to bring Outer Orbit and Greaterkind to McMenamin’s Kennedy School Ballroom on New Year’s Eve. There are at least a dozen or more great shows on New Year’s Eve, but this one would be my pick of where to go. How does he juggle so much talent and creativity in so many projects and do such a fabulous job at it? Welcome back Galen Clark.