Where
We Went & Nightlife Picks
Now, ol' uncle Max is a whiskey-drinkin' cuss, sure. That
little piece of personal evil goes all the way back to junior
year in high school, when my old man was stationed in Minot.
There wasn't much more to do than sip Canadian poison, watch
Air Force planes take off and land and pray that the Reds
opened fire to end it all.
But it's a different world now, and Max is a different
man. Sure, I like the hard stuff--be lying if I said otherwise.
But I can take a drink of nice wine now and again these
days and still look myself manfully in the eye in the morning.
So I was delighted to hear of the new hora loca
(that means "crazy hour," which I like a damn sight better
than the sorta fey-sounding "happy hour") at Fernando's
Hideaway.
Previously, I knew Fernando's as an after-dark destination,
a steamy place where Latins and would-be Latins get their
groove on. A cool scene, in general--a sexy, slightly swank
alternative to the mondo bizarro games of grab-ass found
at other downtown joints like the Lotus or Bar
71. And I knew the food, because Nightcrawler consort-in-chief
Chameleon Ross occasionally demands satiation from the joint's
primo tapas.
Unfortunately, Fernando's music and food never seemed to
mix all that well; the place definitely switched gears along
about 9:30 at night, shedding its restauranthood in favor
of its danceteria incarnation. Now, though, the hora
loca has found sultry, laid-back music to match the
comestibles perfectly.
If I had a real job, I'd be down at Fernando's after quitting
time daily--or, at least, at 4:30 pm Tuesday to Friday.
That's when Toshi Onizuka and Amir Sofi do
their thing. Guys with names like Toshi and Amir at a Spanish
place? Si. Just goes to show that it's a wide world:
Onizuka is a crack flamenco player, and he bends that six-string
to his will like the best maestro from Spain; Sofi
is a master of the Arabic tabla.
After years of distinguished performance on the (apparently
hopping) Japanese flamenco circuit, Onizuka has found it
in his way-talented heart to bless Portland with his classy,
delicate playing. Sofi lends able assistance, coaxing sounds
like I'd never heard out of a humble hand drum.
Meanwhile, an after-business crowd jams the bar, feasting
on little plates of happiness, lover-ly cocktails (you pay
for those, boy, yes) and vino. Hot tip: the hora loca
drops the price of the house red to $2.50 a glass. This
week, I had a couple go-rounds with the Viña Borgia,
a vintage just as seductive as its name is slightly wicked.
There are too many suits up in this baby to let you forget
that you're in a sort-of dead quarter of an American downtown,
but if you get enough Borgia in you and let Onizuka take
you there, you can almost see the sweet life of siesta.
And that beats the living hell out anything we did back
in Minot.
WHERE WE WENT
La Hora Loca with Toshi Onizuka, Amir Sofi
Fernando's Hideaway
824 SW 1st Ave., 248-4709
4:30-7:30 pm Tuesdays-Fridays
Free, but buy something, for God's sake.
NIGHTLIFE EVENTS
Abduction
House and techno in one room, down-tempo acid jazz and
trip hop in another.
Zoot Suite
13 NW 13th Ave., 827-4148
9 pm Thursdays
$5
La Rumba Second Anniversary Party
La Rumba
228 NW Davis St., 279-1588
8 pm Sunday,
April 16
$5
COMEDY
"Chicago" Steve Barkley
For this former class clown, making a living as a funnyman
is "the best revenge in the world"!!!!
Harvey's Comedy Club
436 NW Glisan St., 241-0338
8 pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 8 and 10:30 pm Friday,
6:30, 9 and 11:30 pm Saturday, April 12-16
$8-$10
ComedySportz
Stunningly popular competitive improv.
1963 NW Kearney St., 236-8888
9 pm Friday, 7:30 and 9:30 pm Saturday, April 14-15
$10, $9 with can of food for the Oregon Food Bank
Ed Newcomer
Stand-up.
Jimmy Mak's
300 NW 10th Ave., 295-6542
9 pm Monday,
April 17
$3
Brainwaves
Improv.
Artists Rep Theater
1516 SW Alder St., 796-9550
8 pm Tuesday,
April 18
$7
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Willamette Week | originally
published April 12,
2000
|
