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By Jason Gershuny
Pontification Nation (John Popper & Members of New Riders of the Purple Sage) :: 04.12.06 :: Sabalas at Mt. Tabor Portland, OR
John Popper by Robert Massie |
It is not often that a group of people joins together to celebrate a birth and a rebirth at the same time, but on Wednesday, April 12th, the Portland music scene was blessed with both simultaneously.
Portland's newest music entertainment group, Two Buddhas, was born into existence with their first presentation at the newly renovated Sabalas at Mt. Tabor. The evening included stellar performances with musical guests John Popper and Pontification Nation (including members of the New Riders of the Purple Sage) in a celebration marking the dawn of a new era for the burgeoning Northwest Coast music scene.
The "Tabor" used to be a mainstay venue in Portland's jam scene, but in recent years the venue had slipped toward a darker and less-welcoming ambiance. They even had an official hippie cleansing ritual, and a mural of a hippie in jail adorning the walls. But with help from the Two Buddhas' musical philosophy as well as a fresh coat of paint, this venue has been reborn into one of Portland's more enjoyable spaces for music of all genres. It didn't hurt the Two Buddhas' cause to be able to surprise many by bringing John Popper and members of The New Riders of the Purple Sage together in a collaborative effort known as "Pontification Nation" along for this evolutionary ride.
Asher Fulero by Adam Gromfin |
Not only was Pontification Nation brought in to celebrate these new beginnings, but a few staples of the Portland music scene joined in the fun as well. Asher Fulero, a talented local keyboardist best known for his associations with the Everyone Orchestra, Scott Law Band, and his own Surrounded By Ninjas, acted as the evening's M.C. and set-break performer. Asher treated us all to a few solo keyboard versions of a variety of tunes, including Phish's "You Enjoy Myself" (as seen at Everyone Orchestra's show the following Saturday with Jon Fishman on drums) as well as an early Genesis cover of the classic "Cuckoo Cocoon." Suffice it to say that it is no easy task for a one-man band to handle all these interwoven parts in complicated songs, but Asher was up to the task and he was marvelously successful.
John Popper by Robert Massie |
There were other musical performers on the bill as well, such as local favorites Buds of May, who played a long and flowing version of the Grateful Dead's "Eyes of the World" to open their set. They also played a banjo-infused version of Blue Oyster Cult's classic "Don't Fear the Reaper." There were also a few novelty performers that entertained the crowd. Frank Furter performed, and if his name doesn't give it away, he was dressed as a giant hot dog (no this is not a typo) while he played drums and acoustic guitar, covering punk tunes. Charlie Brown, a talented performer known in many Oregon Country Fair circles, balanced a stack of ten cigar boxes on his chin while he lay on the floor with both his arms and legs crossed, then got back up (you have to see it to believe it). But the real climax of the night was the alliance of John Popper with members of the New Riders. This musical marriage was named "Pontification Nation" after drummer John Markowski came up with the moniker backstage in Seattle the night before.
John Popper & David Nelson :: 04.12 :: Portland, OR |
Interestingly enough, John Popper wasn't even sure who he'd be playing with when he arrived in Portland. He was under the impression that he was just sitting in with a local band for a few tunes. When his ride pulled up in front of the venue, he was shocked to see his name as the headlining act. John wondered out loud, if he was headlining, what songs was he going to play and who was his backup band? All those swirling questions were answered as quickly as the New Riders tour bus door opened and David Nelson and company welcomed John on board. They had all just jammed together in Seattle, and getting a chance to play together once again was a welcome surprise for John.
The Pontification Nation show began after midnight, but those who braved the mid-week late night festivities were treated to one of the most enjoyable parties in a long time. Seeing David Nelson and John Popper standing on stage together was a trip through an unexpected musical time warp. A legend of the 60's and 70's hippie counter-culture playing alongside a legend of the early 90's popular rock in a local neighborhood venue in 2006 was a sight to see. Opening up with "Peggy-O," this all-star band had the crowd eating out of the palm of its hand all night.
John Popper by Robert Massie |
As the night progressed, we were treated to a variety of covers and original pieces from both John Popper's and the Riders' repertoire. One major highlight for me was a high-energy cover of Bob Dylan's "Silvio" that had everyone up and dancing. Another great moment came when they played the New Riders' classic smuggler anthem "Henry." Some women in the front row were cheering ecstatically, which naturally brought big smiles from the performers' faces.
But what really brought the house down was a powerful version of "Hook," one of Popper's most famous songs, made popular with Blues Traveler in the 90's. There were a couple of moments earlier in the night when John had teased a couple of bars from this catchy ditty on his harmonica, so when it finally happened, I was really anticipating its smooth groove and beautiful vocals. The jam in the middle of the song led the crowd into a euphoric frenzy, and when Popper finished the song with his quasi-rap singing of the actual "hook" in "Hook," the place went nuts.
John Popper & Pontification Nation :: 04.12 :: Portland, OR |
The night had ended, or so we thought, but the crowd wasn't going to let these legends leave without one final appearance. Feet were stomping, hands were clapping, and everyone wanted to catch one last glimpse of this unique band. At first, it seemed as if there wasn't going to be an encore, until the Two Buddhas reemerged on stage to entice more cheers out of the crowd. With a little coaxing from the audience's rousing ovation, the boys rallied backstage and reappeared to treat us all to a sing-along version of Bob Dylan's classic anthem "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35."
This was an epic night in the Portland music scene. Not only was the music and party a complete success, but the birth of Two Buddhas and the rebirth of The Tabor may very well change the face of the Portland music scene in the very foreseeable future.
JamBase | Portland
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