This weekend I had the chance to spend some time in Portland, OR’s wonderful Hawthorne District, which is like a cleaner, better, all-around more awesome version of San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury. After grabbing some pizza at Vincente’s, which besides just having badass pie also serves Pabst 40s (FUCK YES), I cruised into a little boutique called Local35, which looked like it was going to be overpriced as f. The Portlandite accompanying me even warned me that the place was out of my rather meager price range, but maybe it was my lucky day: not only was there the sale of all sales happening at Local35, but the staff people were anything but the pretentious uber-hipsters I’d come to expect at similar stores in SF and elsewhere. They were totally down to earth, rad people, willing to chop it up even with a dude in scuffed Adidas and cheap denim. I had my eye on a pair of Celtic green Paul Cousy PF Flyers I had seen in the window, and lo and behold: the floor model, one of only a couple pairs left, was actually in my size (which seriously never happens) and the shoes were 35% off to boot (no pun intended). I walked out of Local35 with some new kicks, as well as a Cheap Monday shirt and a Gentle Fawn sweater for my lady, all for well under $100. Next time you’re bored in the PDX, definitely check out Local35. You’ll be glad you did.

I caught an amazing show in Chico last night. Three Portland bands played Cafe Coda. There were no local support acts, so the show wasn’t very well attended, but this didn’t stop Nick Jaina, Weinland and Norfolk & Western from putting their hearts into it and digging into their strings, horns, drums and woodwinds. Nick Jaina, playing as a seven-piece, stole the show….for me, my girlfriend, and three or four other people who were in there not working or playing in the band. Then Weinland tore it up as well.

Weinland had stayed at my house last time they were through Chico and shot a bit of video. I’m not much for sports, but drinking games? Solid. Here my room mate Paul Valadon explains to touring band Weinland (nee John Weinland) the rules of Putt-Putt Drink-Drink.

Be sure to check out http://www.myspace.com/johnweinland, as they will be on tour for the next seven weeks.