Port City Music Hall gets ready to rock

Portland is about to gain a really awesome live music venue, and the other day I had the great luck of scoring a behind-the-scenes tour. Called Port City Music Hall, it will soon open at 504 Congress St., where the Stadium used to be (prior to downsizing) and before that the Keystone Theater. Right now the exterior doesn't look like much, but you can see where they've added ticket windows.

Inside, the space is huge and will be have a maximum capacity of 660 people standing. Smaller shows could set up row seating (capacity 350) or four-top tables (capacity 240). Construction is still in full swing, but you can see part of the giant bar to the left. Plans don't call for a full food menu, but light fare will be offered, and in the summer there will be sidewalk seating. Beyond the frame of this snapshot, there's an entrance area, a coat check and a door to a hallway that leads to the offices upstairs and provides private access to the stage for the musicians. In front of the glass windows, there will be a a cozy lounge area.

Portland-based interior designer Joshua Bergey is working on making a really hip interior. Here publicity manager Ceci Gilson shows off one of the cool '70s-era couches Bergey picked up at an auction in Boston. This couch is stored in a huge room downstairs that could be used for private functions. Next door there's a room that will have pool tables and more couches.

This board of paint samples was in the same room as the couch. It wasn't clear if this is the final color scheme, but there's a good chance that stencil will show up around the club.

Don't be fooled by the paint color. This is the green room, where the band members can hang out and get ready for the show. The room includes a full bathroom and a dressing room. Outside this room, there is a sweet roof deck for use by the bands and staff.

Back downstairs, I took this photo of the roughed-in stage. Since the crews were working on sanding the drywall during my visit, this dust-obscured picture was the best I could get. To the left of the stage, there will be a raised VIP area with its own bar. Due to delays related to the recent ice storm, a definitive opening date has not been set. But owner Rob Evon is aiming for the week of Jan. 15. Right now the Port City Music Hall MySpace page lists a few of the acts lined up so far. The always-fun Boston group Lovewhip is booked for Jan. 22 and internationally-acclaimed OK Go hits the stage on March 13. It's clear that in just a few weeks, Congress Street will really be rocking.

Live music showcase at O'Naturals

Tonight, before heading over to the Portland Stage Company to see the absolutely hysterical (and completely sold out) Santaland Diaries with family, we met up at O'Naturals for a quick bite to eat. While there, we had the pleasure of listening to Rebecca Minnick's sweet bluegrass songs. A member of the school committee, the versatile Minnick told us her gig was the first in what is to be a series of performances by local musicians at the restaurant. No word on who else we can expect to see in the series, but one thing's for sure, Minnick definitely got O'Naturals' live music tradition started on a beautiful note.

BaROCKing the Vote

Last night Adam and I stopped by the BaROCK the Vote party at the Asylum and got to hear the sweet, sweet sounds of the Pete Kilpatrick Band. There were at least a couple hundred people there and everyone paid $20 at the door, which went straight to the Barack Obama for President campaign. Although neither of us is a registered Democrat, we're both part of the under-50 set and tend to be glass-half-full kind of people, so I guess it was inevitable that we'd gravitate to Obama's inspiring message and promise to provide more thoughtful, compassionate leadership than what we've been subjected to for the past eight years. A number of familiar Democratic faces spoke at the event. Including ...

Justin Alfond, the former head of the League of Young Voter's who's running for Portland's District 8 State Senate seat, and

Chellie Pingree, who's running for Maine's first Congressional seat. She gave a funny speech contrasting herself with Sarah Palin, noting that although she's never field dressed a moose she did beat her Republican challenger in a recent cow milking contest. And

Congressman Tom Allen, who's challenging Senator Susan Collins and write-in Independent Herb Hoffman for Collins' post in Washington.

The youthful crowd was pretty pumped, and a big thanks must go to organizers Elliott May (of Portland Greendrinks fame) and Bree LaCasse (who's mother is responsible for the wonderful holiday sculptures that light up Portland in the winter).

The Pete Kilpatrick Band closed out their set with the title song from their current album, "Hope In Our Hearts." It's an apt anthem for our current political situation, as it tells us that "With hope in our hearts/We'll pull through the night." I, for one, am hopeful that they know what they're talking about.

The PMA's awesome 25th

Last night at the Portland Museum of Art's Totally 25 b-day party celebrating the anniversary of the Charles Shipman Payson Building everything was a flashback to the '80s. Down in the glass gallery there were tons of desserts and '80s music by DJ Kyle Downs. I heard there was break dancing going on down there too, but we didn't catch it.

Outside people were making these giant building blocks.

The PMA staff members all had really amazing costumes on. Even acting Director Tom Denenberg was decked out in a totally '80s preppy look that included Bean boots. Here are the party-goers who participated in the costume contest. The girl standing second from left was the winner.

Outside in the sculpture garden, '80s tribute band The Awesome got the crowd moving, even though the temperature was nowhere near the 80s.

Weekend report: Black Frames & Picnic

Friday night may have been rainy, but that didn't keep serious art lovers from standing in line waiting for the doors to open at the Black Frame Art Sale. This line started forming about 45 minutes before the doors opened.

Here I am inside the show before the doors opened with fellow organizers Tom Blackburn and Gael May McKibben. You can see some of the artwork on the walls behind us. My dad, who's a photographer, very generously volunteered to take these shots.

Once the doors opened, hordes of people flooded inside. As always, it was a mad rush, with collectors frantically searching out their favorite artists and quickly scooping up paintings. Fellow committee members are still tallying the total number of pieces sold, but at the close of the show on Saturday, I heard there were roughly 100 sold. Which is pretty impressive, especially when you consider the state of the economy.

Portland's artsy vibe continued on Saturday with the Picnic Music + Arts Festival. Adam and I walked over around the dinner hour and were really impressed. Here's a shot from the Honey Clouds' awesome performance.

This wasn't a typically craft fair type event with knitted Santas and Styrofoam snowman. Instead there were tons of slightly funky but totally creative vendors.

You could even have your tarot cards read. Beyond the event's inherent coolness, I was psyched to see the very under-utilized Lincoln Park filled with a crowd. Let's hope this great downtown venue sees more events like this in the future.

Sunset on the Prom

Because summer is so crazy busy and the monsoon season has managed to cancel many of the outdoor music offerings here in town, the first Sunset Concert Series I managed to make it to was the final one of the summer. Last night's free concert on the Western Prom featured the soothing sounds of Will Gattis . He's got a wonderful voice and his fingers danced across the keyboard.

Meanwhile, I let my own fingers dance across the farmers' market beans and carrots I brought along for our picnic. These were quite the hit with our multi-generational group. And I even managed to get normally veggie adverse photographer extraordinaire Tim Greenway to try one of the yummy beans. (I'll pretend I didn't see his pre-swallow grimace.) Tim was there to snap Scene photos for next week's Switch magazine, so be sure to look for them.

We washed these fresh eats down with some crisp Yellow Tail riesling. (Yeah, yeah, I know, Portland has laws against drinking in public. But those of us who show up year after year for these Western Prom concerts have a long tradition of enjoying our picnics with a nice bottle of wine or a few microbrews. And who wants to break such a fine tradition? Not me.)

The refreshments aside, it's events like this that make me really appreciate my Portland tax dollars at work. Because when the sun dips below the horizon and I'm surrounded by pleasant music and good friends, I'm reminded, once again, of why it is I choose to call this city home.