Pictured above 3 Leg Torso
By J. Michael Kearsey
The Aladdin Theater welcomes Oregon Music Hall of Fame (OMHOF) on October 8 to celebrate 10 years of music advocacy, career recognition and to host a darn good party. The organization has given over $52,000 to 38 high school seniors from Bend to Ashland to Salem and here in SE Portland. All recipients have continued music education at college.
With the help of rock violinist, Aaron Meyer, OMHOF also brings music to K-8 schools all across the state, in schools where music and the arts are not an option due to financial restraints. These assemblies, 15 per year, bring children to their feet, clapping and singing and open up the doors for a life opportunity in music.
Each year, OMHOF honors Oregon musicians for their efforts in the entertainment business. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, an artist must either have been born in Oregon and worked professionally in the music industry for at least 20 years, or have worked professionally in the music industry for 20 years after moving to Oregon. This year will honor nine new inductees including a few SE neighbors. The event is hosted by Tony Starlight.
The night will feature performances by several notable new inductees: Blues belter Duffy Bishop, guitarist Pete Krebs, singer/songwriter Fernando and multi-instrumentalist Paul Brainard will perform songs by Brian Berg who will be inducted just a year after his death. Another SE musician and studio owner honored posthumously is Tim Ellis of Kung Fu Bakery, a recording studio on SE Division used by artists as diverse as Steve Martin, the Decemberists and Pink Martini.
Two groups with national notoriety will share this year’s Album of the Year award: 3 Leg Torso and Sleater-Kinney.
After taking several years off to work on other projects (most notably the Portlandia Series) Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss, reunited to release No Cities to Love and has received great reviews. Sleater-Kinney will be inducted into the Hall of Fame and honored as Artist of the Year.
Far from the Rock’n’Roll trio concept is Three Leg Torso, a quartet with one leg in the Classical World (Violinist Bela Balogh’s father founded the Portland Festival Symphony) and one leg in World Music. Accordionist Courtney Von Drehle is also a member of Klezmocracy that performs Afro/Hebrew music. The group also includes drummer/percussionist TJ Arko and upright bassist Michael Murphy. They’ll perform at the ceremony and accept an award for their album And to All a Good Night – a new Torso take on Christmas music.
OMHOF President, co-founder and Music Millennium owner Terry Currier will auction off a dozen guitars signed by the likes of Ry Cooder, Steve Miller, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson, Neko Case, kd Lang and Laura Veirs all to benefit the OMHOF Scholarship fund. Janeen Rundle, the other co-founder, will speak on the benefits of the organization’s school programs and successes of past scholarship recipients.
Two other members of the music community will be honored: sound man Dave Cutter and entertainment lawyer, Bart Day. Cutter’s Sundown Sound company has contributed 40 years of expertise from clubs to concerts to state fairs while Day has advised musicians with legal advice on publishing rights in film, digital content and has served on the board of the Pacific Northwest chapter of NARAS.
The celebration reflects a decade of work by an organization dedicated to the Oregon music scene like no other. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. A Special VIP ticket is available for $100 and includes prime seating, a hand-signed and numbered silk-screened Gary Houston poster and admission to the after show VIP catered party. Tickets are available at ticketfly.com and at the Aladdin box office. Visit the Oregon Hall of Fame website and find out how to get involved: omhof.org
