Remember when you visited Portland (Oregon)? You were there for a few days, or a few weeks, or maybe a month at most. And remember how when you were finished visiting Portland, you left? Remember that? How you actually left Portland, Oregon? That was really dumb of you. Really, really, really dumb. Stupid dumb dummy dumb dumb DUMB. You shouldn’t have done that. Because Portland is AWESOME. My (Darin’s) favorite city of all time! Or maybe I should say favorite city of all PLACE.
So. Me being really excited aside, Portland is treating us well. The first night we were here we played at a lovely venue called The Woods, which is also coincidentally Portland’s newest venue. It is, of all things, a former funeral home converted into a venue. It feels like a funeral home, too: we loaded our instruments in through the same place where they used to load in the corpses. And we stored our cases and stuff in the casket elevator. And we played on a stage where probably thousands of eulogies have been given. It was great – such a beautiful, unique experience. We can cross that one off the list (of experiences we’ve wanted to have).
We played that lovely show with new friends Paper Brain and Patterns. Not only do all of those guys pass my new test for how much I like a band (Q: “Are they excellent people?” A: “Yes.”), but their tunes are SO GOOD. I know I spent a while pointing out how dumb you are for leaving Portland already, but you’d be EVEN DUMBER if you didn’t spend part of your day checking out those two lovely bands. DO IT.
Then! Yesterday we made the journey down to Salem, Oregon, to play at The Space with Vicious Kisses, The Republic, and Crosstide. Sure, it was mostly a bands-playing-for-bands affair, but if there was one group of people I’d like to share our music with, it’s other bands. Either way, everyone had a ton of fun and I spent a little while talking with Brian from Crosstide about pedal steel guitars, about which I am now very excited. Hopefully someday I’ll get the chance to learn how to play one. They. Are. Cool.
Ahhh! Other things! Zach Galifianakis is FORTY YEARS OLD. What?!?? We saw his movie, Visioneers, in Seattle, and we absolutely loved it. If you like Brazil, you’d like Visioneers, guaranteed. What else…we are playing outside Flavour Spot in Portland tomorrow, which is a freakin’ waffle stand (from now on Capybara should only play at funeral homes and waffle stands). Then! That same night (Saturday night – Oct. 3) we are moseying down to Backspace to play with some great acts and have a wonderful time. Please, tell all your Portland friends, those who WEREN’T big dummies and DIDN’T leave Portland, to come to those shows. It’s gonna be grrrrrraaaaaannnnndddd! Almost as grand as this:
