Portland- The Bike Revolution
Hello everyone! Its lioness here and this is the very first installment of the Canary Sing Blog. We decided that it would be tight to let folks know what we're up since we're both doing big things whether it's on our own or as a dynamic duo. This is an important time for us; we are excited to say that we're touring with
Cristina Orbe!(Please visit her Myspace because she's dope).
Yesterday we had our very first show in Portland with Christina at a spot called Om tradition arts. Portland is such a beautiful city. Portland has got that Northwest vibe (you already know the sky was overcast and there were coffee shops on ever corner). What struck me was all the people riding around on bikes. Now we do have our fair share of bike riders and bike crews in Seattle, but Portland is a whole different story. You can actually tell that almost everyone owns a bike and rides that shit every single day, not just in the summer, and not only because they want to look hip. Cristina even told us that in Portland people are starting a gym powered by bikes! So I guess that while people are working out they'll also be functioning as sources of energy. So if there is going to be a bike revolution in which human beings abandon their dependence on cars and start exercising more it's going to go down in Portland, Oregon.
Interestingly enough, as we left Portland and headed toward San Francisco, California for our next show in the Mission district. I was personally confronted with the problematic nature of cars. You see, I rarely drive because I don't own a car. I do get hella rides from the homies (thanks Angel, Hollis, Matt) but although I have my license I don't get much practice. so when it came time for me to drive I was a bit nervous but figured driving the freeway would be a breeze. It was easy until we stopped at a gas station. First there were cops all over the place and then I got confused when I was pulling out of the 76. I was going the wrong direction so I stopped to reverse and backed into someone!! Okay so the damage wasn't too bad but it was freaking scary so I asked Hollis to drive. I was pretty pissed at myself. I guess these things happen to everyone…
…indeed, Maddy just really added to the assortment of scratches I got on my bumper. I'd like to think of my bumper scratches like scars… cool stories, right? Maybe slightly traumatic stories. But haaaay, you never know what's gonna happen when we go on our first ever tour. I write to you from the backseat of my own car as we head back north on the 505, about two hours out of the Bay, and Maddy's little scuffle happened about twenty-four hours ago. (By the way, the scuffle was indeed little and Maddy's an excellent freeway driver.) We drove about seven more hours down, JUST in time for our first show in "Garaje Azul," the garage of a woman who flamenco dances. We were participating in the MAPP, or the Mission Arts Performance Project, which happens every two months. Thirteen venues open their doors simultaneously for hella performing artists to do their thing, anything from cafes to basements. This MAPP had a theme—Frieda Estuvo Aqui, or Frieda Was Here—and all up and down 24th St. the alma y espiritu de Frieda vivieron. Galaria de la Raza was filled with artisans with dope clothing, there was an incredible Frieda Tableau—living portrature which combined women dressed as Frieda and men dressed as Zapatistas—and a Temporary Sanctuary Movement, a tent with prayer flags that traveled around the neighborhood by six men, a statement related to migrant justice. It was amazing to be home and to immerse myself back into what I miss so much about the Bay—the audacity, ambition, power and range of art, the risks and the support. After the Garaje Azul—hampered by only one mic, but we made the most of it, and even did a Frieda freestyle!—we went to the Off-Brava and saw this incredible singer outta New York,
Michelle Amador, accompanied by
Goh Nakamura, who's actually gonna be at the Tractor in Ballard on 9/11. (We will never forget.) (Sorry, was that fucked up?) Cristina performed next and absolutely killed it, despite power surges that cut out her electric guitar; she got a real amp and destroyed with "Poison" and her hot new "Vote Pro-Choice" piece…
…ok before I continue, it must be noted that Maddy just uttered the phrase "Christ on a Cracker!" The implications!...
..anyway the "Vote Pro-Choice" piece is fire and I know all the words even though I've only heard it three times. Cristina's music just sticks with me. It is magic. Also during Cristina's set, Boots Riley from The Coup walked in. This was significant for two reasons: 1) Boots is the shit and Maddy, Kyle (Language Arts) and I saw them at a free outdoor concert at Wicker Park which is one of the best shows I've ever seen 2) we had just bumped the album "Party Music" on the ride down. We gave him a Filthy Filthy EP. We think he thinks we're hella weird. And we are.
We performed afterwards and had a very interesting set, including a renegade beat machine plugging himself into our set, being hampered yet again by one mic (easy for Nas to say; we women have needs)… but it was tight nonetheless. During "Hip Hop Heroines," in our gusto while battling each other, Maddy hit my mouth kinda hard with the mic. It was GANGSTER. I wish I had bled.
We stayed with the lovelyinspirational
Meklit, who runs shit, including MAPP, and is an amazing musician to boot; we also had breakfast at the bomb spot, whose name we cannot recall, but it is the tastiest, on Church St. Shoutouts especially to my wonderful ladies, Gavi, Elyssa and Sylvia, and my lovely gentlefriends, Matt and Evan, for supporting us. And to my parents, who underwrote the munchies we just bought at Ranch 99 in El Cerrito for the ride up. We are driving all day, and we're gonna get into Seattle at midnight or 1 AM; Maddy's got a test en espanol a las ocho en la manana, y Cristina e yo tenemos k ir al trabajo (also shoutout to ytown for being the chillest employer ever and putting up with their musician staff members). I'm gonna collapse in the comfort of my backseat now, and Maddy's gonna study some Spanish. Viva mujeres y los viajes en el futuro!
other things we forgot to note:
--the tech guy at garaje azul who gave us a chewbacca-esque bellow after we performed our first song (thanks!)
the billboard in nowhere northern california that said
are they making a monkey out of you?with four pictures of a dude turning into a monkey. i think the URL was www.whosyourcreator.com . what an intelligent design!