I was given a last minute task to run an errand downtown. Not a problem. I hopped on my bike and peddled down Salmon, crossed the Hawthorne bridge, and was to my destination in 15 minutes. As I'm locking my bike up around a street sign I hear music coming from down the block. I completely forgot about the Northwest Music Fest. After I frantically finish my errand I hurry over to the source of the music. Pioneer Square is fenced off for the event but I manage to find a spot at the corner of 6th and Yamhill that gave me a decent view of the stage. So I'm leaning against a light post, the crowd within the fenced area begins to cheer. I hear a voice say, "how are you Portland, Oregon? We are Explosions in the Sky and we're from Texas." More cheering. Then music. For the next hour or so I soaked in the wonderful, ambient tunes coming over the fence at Pioneer Square. It was amazing, and totally free. It reminded me of the time my friend Brent stole jazz in Amsterdam.
2 comments:
Even after 23 years of full-time student ministry, one of my top-ten memories is stealing jazz at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Wish I'd been in PDX to steal instrumental music from Texas with you...
...and, as an aside, at a staff lunch celebrating my 15th anniversary at CBC last week, they surprised me by "getting the band" back together. Wish you & Mish could've joined Kristy, Wes, & Nathan. We laughed about the bitter couch and recovering furniture and painting birds on the wall and lots of other stuff you were a part of.
Miss you, man. Wish I could've stolen some more live music with you.
I love that you stole some Explosions in the Sky, and that you have a really good friend (and old boss) who taught you how to steal music too. :)
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