- WEâRE ON TELEVISION (KIND OF)!: Two of Portlandâs national TV shows are finding local talent in the obvious place: the pages of this august publication. On Friday, Grimm (which is performing so well that NBC is moving it to a prime Thursday slot) showcased a vintage Olan Mills family portraitâof a Blutbaden familyâthat wasnât vintage at all. It was actually designed by Robbie Augspurger, of the Wolf Choir art collective, who runs B-Movie Bingo and recently created a Twilight bingo board for WW. >> Meanwhile, IFC, preparing for the Jan. 6 premiere of Portlandia, has contracted WW freelancer Matthew P. Singer to write a blog at ifc.com called âMade in Portlandia,â where he pays tribute to âthose who dare to live absurdly, in the most absurd place on earth.â He also has to go by Matt P. Singer, because apparently thereâs another Matthew Singer out there stealing his absurd thunder.
- TREK 3-D: Wanna take your Star Trek LARP-ing to the next level? Portlandâs 5th Wall Gaming wonât do that exactly (*cough* intellectual property *cough*) but they do have a new game set on the familiar bridge of a famous starship. Crews of six wannabe galactic warriors take on 30-minute missions, working together to shoot down alien ships. âThe software allows for one station of helm, weapons, engineering, science and scommunications,â explains 5th Wallâs Joseph Bullock-Palser. âEach one has its own computer with its own screen.â On Saturday, Dec. 17, 5th Wall will be hosting a day of starship simulation at Guardian Games (303 SE 3rd Ave). Five bucks gets you training and a 30 minute mission.
- DEEP DARK WOODS: The Sellwood neighborhoodâs coolest nightlife spot and one of Portlandâs best-sounding clubs, The Woods, will shut down in late January, sources close to the business say. The funeral home-turned-venue, which opened in summer of 2009, has struggled to stay afloat in recent months and dropped its primary booker a month ago. The clubâs management could not be reached for comment as of WWâs press deadline.
- BOOM AND BUST ON BELMONT: According to OLCC records, Belmont record shop and bar Hall of Records will soon close. The space will be filled early in 2012 by Jehnee Rainsâ Suzette Creperie, which currently operates out of a trailer on Northeast Alberta Street. >> Also coming soon to Belmont is Hokusei, a sushi restaurant opening next to Slappy Cakes at 4246 SE Belmont St.
- OLD SPICE GUY SHILLS LOCAL: Old Spice has a thing where their mascot does little holiday-themed YouTube ads for local businesses. Portlandâs PBJâs (Northwest 23rd Avenue and Kearney Street) just got some love and itâs at least as funny as every other thing that Old Spice guy has done. See it:
WWeek 2015