Onion chives are one of my top five herbs. Both the leaves and flowers are edible. The flowers especially have a subtle onion flavor making them both visually and pallet pleasing. My friend Chong Knievel said that in Korea they eat chives in the spring to clean their blood. With that in mind first thing …
Mavis Staples is one of the very true American voices left. She sang with the Staples Singers and had many hits with that group. Mavis early on became the featured singer there given her unique sound. Her voice was low and passionate and the only one of its kind. Mavis is a national treasure. I …
Thursday May 4 I had the esteemed privilege of seeing punk rock cover band Me First & the Gimme Gimmes. Me First, for those of you unfamiliar with them, are a punk band who turn non-punk songs into punk songs. “Songs like Leavin’ On A Jet Plane,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” etc. Jay Bentley on …
The album cover art is easily the winner for the world’s worst cover art released by a legendary musician, but damn, I love the Etta James Live From San Francisco album from 1981. She can even make this Eagles tune sound genius. – Pat Thomas is the author of Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds …
On Saturday night after spending all day at the Punk Rock Flea Market selling my wares, I headed to the Tractor Tavern in Seattle’s old Ballard neighborhood. Playing was the Reverend Horton Heat doing a (semi) solo acoustic show without his long-time sidekick Jimbo on bass and no drummer. I arrived just after eight (did …
Seattle ska band It Gets Worse have long been a favorite of East Portland Blog. They are in the midst of a good, long run of success and have just released a video for “Cool Kids.” The band will be appearing at the Nectar Lounge in Seattle on June 18 with Mad Caddies and The …
REALITY CHECK: How much you want to bet that Trump doesn’t know that we actually fought China in the first Korean War, and that they whooped our ass? It was an ass whooping that ended as a stalemate and North Korea is still here taunting us because we lost. We almost got pushed right into …
Stinging nettles, when prepared properly, are a storehouse of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron etc etc. Any dish you would make with cooked spinach can be made with stinging nettles. The leaves and stems are picked in the spring when the plants are less than 6″ tall wearing gloves to protect you from the stings. Then …
As expected, the Golden State Warriors rolled over the Portland Trail Blazers with such confidence that a concert was scheduled at Oracle Arena on the same night that a Game 5 would have taken place. The handwriting on the wall was evident after Game 1, when Portland guards Damon Lillard and CJ McCollum shot the …
Just heard that Giant pitcher Madison Bumgarner just banged up his ribs and pitching shoulder on a dirt bike. Out six to eight weeks. A “What were you thinking?” moment if there ever was one. Reminiscent of former Giant second baseman Jeff Kent’s injury from popping wheelies during spring training in 2002. The Giants will …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~Dandelions are a treasure trove of potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A,C,K and B6. The flowers, leaves and roots are edible. The green parts are bitter, but the yellow of the flower is not. I throw several young dandelion leaves in my daily salad. The bitter of the leaves stimulates …
On Easter Sunday I finally got the privilege of seeing legendary London punks the Damned. I’ve been waiting a long time. Last time I was set to see them it was Halloween Eve maybe 2007, but their visas didn’t come through and they had to cancel. The show began with keyboardist (Monty Oxy Moron) coming …
In the months prior to America’s illegal invasion into Iraq on March 20, 2003, Americans were told by 43 that the war was necessary to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Hussein was a threat to the U.S, and 43 implied that Mr. Hussein was responsible for the September 11, 2001, attack on America. Shortly …
Seattle’s March to May have a new tune, “Madeleine” which you can hear below, and a new album, Through the Night, which will be released on April 21. Their sound is organic, locally-grown, small-batch, artisanal chamber folk and so far all of their tunes have been excellent. A duo– Beth Wesche (Celtic harp, vocals) and …
Austin’s self-described “freak parade,” Sweet Spirit, harnesses the force of their eight-piece band to create a high-energy, soulful, gritty, and just-straight-up-fun soundscape. Sabrina Ellis’ (A Giant Dog) standout vocals provide the anchor for the array of pop, rock, glam, soul, and blues that blend together seamlessly. St. Mojo, the sophomore album, came out on April …
For those who like to attend professional sports, the world has become increasingly segregated, with stadiums featuring luxury boxes and exclusive club sections with comforts and amenities above what is normally available to the average fan. Fortunately, at least at AT&T Park in San Francisco, it is possible occasionally to crash the party at an …
Violet leaves and flowers are edible giving us vitamin C and A. I add violet leaves to my lunch salad. The flowers make a lovely edible garnish on fruit salads, soups, drinks or desserts. I freeze the flowers in ice cubes to add to drinks in the winter when I long for a taste of …
On April 4 I finally got to see Chicago’s Celtic punk rockers Flatfoot 56. I think it was 2009 when I saw them last opening for Street Dogs. That was the last time they played Seattle. I would have missed this show entirely if it weren’t for a bit of serendipity. I was sharing some …
Sunshine & the Rain is a duo consisting of husband and wife Ashley Morey (vocals, bass) and Justin Morey (guitar), both formerly of critically acclaimed psych rockers The Black Hollies. They have produced what has to be a contender for album of the year. Recorded in Sonic Youth’s Echo Canyon West studio with the legendary …
My favorite rock vocalist is Freddie Mercury of Queen. Also in my top five are Randy Blythe of Burn the Priest/Lamb of God, Michael Akerfeldt of Opeth, pre-cape Elvis Presley, and Bon Scott from AC/DC. (James Brown “ranks” #2 if the category expands beyond rock.) Regarding the last front man, I cranked Back in Black …
Given that last night’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship was played in a cavernous NFL stadium, it seems appropriate that it eventually resembled a football game, with lots of hard contact as North Carolina and Gonzaga struggled to deny each other anything close to an open shot. One has to wonder how much Portland native Nigel …
For most of the second half of the North Carolina/Oregon NCAA Men’s Semifinal on Saturday, the Ducks were ice cold from the field and beaten regularly on their own glass, yet they managed to cling to life by drawing fouls and going 25 for 28 from the line. As often happens in such games, their …
On March 13, 2017, two former administrators from Pedophilia State University pled guilty to child endangerment after years of maintaining their innocence. Tim Curley, the former athletic director, and Gary Schultz, a former vice president, apparently thought the plea deal and their testimony at the upcoming trial of their former supervisor, former PSU President Graham …
Seven foot tall Bosnian basketball star Jusuf Nurkic came to the Trailblazers in a trade at the NBA All Star Break. Since then he has energized the Zers and led them to a considerable number of victories. Friday, a Bosnian band called Dubioza Kolektiv released a surprisingly good tribute song called “Nurk Fever,” which can …
There’s no one like adult conservatives (such as there are) for eviscerating Republicans as they plumb the depths of imbecility. Today’s column in The Atlantic from David Frum, a former speechwriter for Dubya, is exemplary in this regard. His analysis of the Republicans’ failure on Obamacare is instructive in a couple of ways: on the …
The two biggest takeaways from yesterday’s Round of 16 action was Oregon’s advancement in a nail-biter over Michigan and Arizona’s demise to #11 Xavier in a similarly close contest. Kansas still looks like the most dominant team in the tournament, which bodes ill for Oregon, its Elite Eight opponent. My bracket is still on track …
Found this item today buried in a Ringer article about the Oakland Raiders and their pending move to Las Vegas: the San Francisco Giants just sent their last mortgage check for AT&T Park without even issuing a new release to mark the occasion: http://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/article/Giants-pay-off-AT-T-Park-prepare-for-another-10952512.php The windfall isn’t expected to impact the Giants greatly. The franchise …
On March 19 Seattle once again hosted a rousing fun night of (mostly) ska bands, this time at the Tractor Tavern. The headliners were the recently reformed Save Ferris. The only original member is lead singer/front woman Monique (Moe) Powell and she entered the stage after the rest of the band started playing. And what …
The Gray Lady, otherwise known as the New York Times, posted a photo comparison between the current Sierra Nevada snowpack and that of two years ago: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/22/us/california-measuring-snowpack.html The difference is striking. Not that California’s out of the woods yet. The state used a lot of its groundwater to make up the shortfall two years ago, …
One of the noticeable characteristics of the NBA nowadays is the constant din of music, promotions, giveaways, and dance routines during a game. Hardly a moment, even during time-outs, is allowed to go empty, possibly out of the fear that if fans’ attention is allowed to lapse for even a second, they will lose interest …