Mixed p:ears

[April 11th, 2007] When asked if he has a favorite song on Bridging the Distance, local radio personality (94.7-FM KNRK) and Arena Rock founder Greg Glover says, "Are you kidding? That's like asking a parent which child is their favorite." Considering he's choosing between songs like the Minders' cover of E.L.O.'s "Don't Bring Me Down" and the Thermals' take on Led Zeppelin's "Tangerine," it's not hard to empathize.

Glover is a proud parent: He's been compiling Bridging the Distance—a comp featuring Portland artists playing cover songs—for three years. The awesome tracks within weren't his only incentive, though; the main goal is to raise money for p:ear, a local nonprofit that creatively mentors homeless youth. "After moving here in '04 from New York, I actually thought about dissolving Arena Rock," explains Glover. "It was a family friend, Frank Blumeyer, who suggested I might gain enthusiasm if I did something positive in my new community. After talking with p:ear, I knew that's where the focus should be."

Glover convinced artists—from the Decemberists and producer extraordinaire Chris Walla to the notoriously bratty Dandy Warhols—to donate their time, songs and profits to p:ear. "Each artist knew that p:ear would be the cause and were eager to be involved," says Glover. And, less Redeye Distribution's fees (which cover pressing the CDs and marketing the project), the $14.99 cost of the album will entirely benefit p:ear.

Coincidentally, p:ear is currently gearing up for its annual fundraiser, p:earblossoms, and the organization hopes to raise more money than ever to fund a prospective move to the former Urban Fauna space on Northwest 6th Avenue. Program Director Pippa Arend says, "Since we've never worked [to] release a CD before, we can't predict how much it will make. All we know is that the album is killer [and] we are very honored to be on the receiving end."

Though Glover cops to the transience of compilations—"I'm in record stores all the time, and rarely do I browse the 'Various' section"—he also knows he's put together something special. Bridging the Distance claims to "span time and place," and—from cornier offerings like the Kingdom's "Sister Christian" (which utilizes singer Charles Westmoreland's nasal whine better than the band's own songs) to absolute gems like Whip's "White Wedding" (the most original cover since M. Ward's take on Bowie's "Let's Dance")—it comes as close as a comp can to true timelessness.

When asked what song he would have covered for the disc, Glover's momentarily stumped: "Shit," he says. "Off the top of my head? Outfield's 'Say It Isn't So' or 'Since You've Been Gone.' One man's trash is another man's classic, you know?" But Bridging the Distance is far from trash. In fact, as if taking a cue from Britt Daniel's heartfelt rendition of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me," it's a whole lotta hometown love captured on one little disc: "I don't see how it couldn't be a success," says Glover. "In my book, it already is."