Scoop: Beth Ditto Arrested

1. A LESS JOYFUL NOISE:As first reported by WW, Beth Ditto, the 32-year-old singer for internationally renowned dance-punk band Gossip, was arrested on North Mississippi Avenue in the early hours of Saturday, March 16, and charged with second-degree disorderly conduct. According to a source, Ditto—real name Mary Beth Patterson—was cut off from drink service at the Bungalow Bar, after which she “walked out in the middle of the street, threw off her shoes and purse and screamed, ‘Obama! Obama!’” Police arrived to find Ditto blocking traffic, “with her arms extended from her side like an airplane,” according to the Portland Police Bureau. She was later released on her own recognizance. A court date is pending.

1. BOXED UP: Theatre Vertigo, six weeks after learning that Southeast Belmont Street’s Theater! Theatre! would close this summer, has found a place to land. The company announced Tuesday, March 19, that it plans to join Northwest Classical Theatre Company at the Shoe Box Theater in the eastside industrial neighborhood. According to company member Brooke Calcagno, this is a short-term plan: The two companies ultimately aim to build a new arts space in Southeast Portland to fill the void left by the closure of Theater! Theatre! “We’re hoping to continue this relationship,” Calcagno says. “We want to create a new space together.” Shoe Box seats about 40, significantly smaller than Vertigo’s current 100-seat space. “Some of our shows are really in-your-face, so it’s going to be exciting,” Calcagno says. Vertigo’s 2013-14 season will begin in the fall with Jeffrey Hatcher’s suspenseful Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adaptation.

1. REALITY BITES AGAIN: Brace yourself: Portland is going to be the subject of yet another reality show. At least this one involves music. A pilot for a new program is shooting at Dante’s in April, and the producers are looking to cast three bands “that would typically play a place like Dante’s,” according to a post on the club’s Facebook page. They are particularly interested in finding a female-fronted “grunge” band, if such a thing still exists. Interested parties are encouraged to send band name, the names and instrument of each member, and a recent photo to sally@extrasonly.com.

1. LIGHTBAR, MINIMART, NANOBREW: Lightbar, located at 1401 SE Morrison St., has applied for a liquor license and is billing itself as the “world’s first light-therapy cafe and bar.” The bar plans to open in April, a bit late for peak seasonal affective disorder in Portland, but it nonetheless promises “general good vibrations” on its Twitter account. >> The folks at Sizzle Pie are continuing their bid to take over the known universe. After recently helping kick-start the White Owl Social Club in the old Plan B space, Sizzle Pie co-owner Matt Jacobson has confirmed they will move into the former 3 Brothers’ Market at 638 E Burnside St.—almost next door to the original Sizzle Pie—with a minimart called Mini Mini. >> Meanwhile, a two-barrel, mini-mini-brewery is starting up in St. Helens under the name Columbia County Brewing; an alder-smoked pale ale named Aldern is slated as one of its first brews.

WWeek 2015