Scoop: LaMarcus Aldridge Does Portlandia

1. ALL-STARRING ROLE: Before his appearance Sunday at the NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge is set for an appearance on Portlandia. On Friday, Feb. 24, the 6-foot-11 Aldridge will appear in a scene at Women & Women First, the feminist bookstore from Portlandia, where he plays the boyfriend of actress Penny Marshall. Two brief-but-memorable lines of dialogue have been confirmed: “I’m a professional basketball player,” and “I like bologna, too.” Give this man his Golden Globe!

1. POSTERIZED: A Pina poster autographed by German director Wim Wenders auctioned for $2,000 on Feb. 16 during his Cinema 21 visit.

1. PLAYING KOI: The KOi Fusion truck that often parks on West Burnside Street is getting an indoor dining room that will one day house a kitchen. Owner Bo Kwon confirmed he’s purchased the former Stadium Flowers at 2010 W Burnside St., which will be available for indoor dining. “For a year, we’ll work out of the truck because I can’t afford to build a kitchen yet,” he says. A liquor license and a sporty feel with TVs showing Timbers and Blazers games will follow. “It won’t be a sports bar—we’re not theming it out—but I’m definitely a sports fan and I’ll be working there a lot, so I’ll get the veto vote.” Craft brews “beyond what you can find in the area” are also planned, Kwon says.

1. P’s & Q’s: Like the birth of the fabulous Venus on its cover, Issue 1 of Portland’s new LGBTQ-focused publication, PQ Monthly, was released Feb. 16. Publisher Melanie Davis of El Hispanic News started the free paper to fill the void of Just Out, which folded in December.

1. MUSICAL CHAIRS: Some gossip about Gossip, the Beth Ditto-led blues-punk outfit that has been oddly quiet as of late: The band has added Katy Davidson, of Dear Nora/YACHT fame, on keyboards. Sadly, this means Davidson will be leaving the live incarnation of YACHT. >> In similar news, Menomena’s Danny Seim (who released an excellent free album under the name of his Lackthereof solo project online Feb. 10) will play some upcoming live dates (including Austin’s SXSW) with ex-WW Best New Band Talkdemonic. The lucky among us caught a sneak-peak at an expanded Talkdemonic on New Year’s Eve, when the duo joined Seim and Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock (Brockdemonic!).

1. Correction: A story in the Feb. 15 issue of WW misspelled the name of Lincoln Crockett’s son, Chiron. 

WWeek 2015