Backspace is an active music venue featuring a wide variety of musical style, you can catch all sorts of different acts here seven days a week. Check out our up to date calendar below to view our upcoming events.
Backspace is an active music venue featuring a wide variety of musical style, you can catch all sorts of different acts here seven days a week. Check out our up to date calendar below to view our upcoming events.
 |
Friday, September 3. 8pm. $5.00 Vanimal Night Surgeon Starlight & Magic Kaleida RAC DJ's Vanimal may be one of Portland's newest outfits in the electronic scene, but you'd never guess it. This band in a nutshell: summer fun. For those about to dance, summer is here. And yes, Vanimal is on the soundtrack. Need we say more?" [Oregon Music News] Portland, Oregon's VANIMAL makes live new wave/electro music. From their warehouse spacecraft they create dynamic performances through live instrumentation, taking influence from vintage electro, new wave, punk + pop aesthetics. VNML's setup is a wired jungle of synthesizers, samplers, pedals, people, bass, live drums, drum machines + circuit-bent electronics. |
 |
Saturday, September 4. 8pm. $5.00 System & Station Zoogirl Wester Daywick SYSTEM & STATION System & Station are one of Portland's most respected and established rock trios. ZOOGIRL A veritable super group of some of Portland's best musicians and performers from the last few years, Zoo Girl features the songwriting of Edward Beaudin(The Bustling Townships, A Ghost's Face...), joined here by Jake Enger(Cower), Nick Vicario(?Autistic Youth, Cower), Clayton Knapp(T.K.Y.K.), and Miller Reda(A Ghost's Face...) |
 |
Wednesday, September 8. 9:30pm (doors open at 9pm). $6.00 Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa Ohioan Death Songs Zoe Boekbinder (Vermilion Lies)  Dear friends, Ohioan's home burned down on August 2nd. They lost everything. This show is a benefit for them, please come out and support! -Backspace & Arrington Like most great music, ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO's latest musical venture was created to woo a young lady. The central lyrics of this new project are all in Indonesian, the native language of a woman that de Dionyso was pursuing. The erstwhile leader of the skronk blues rock outfit Old Time Relijun gave himself a crash course in the language and then recorded an album of songs that use the poems of William Blake and a traditional Hebrew text (translated into Indonesian, natch) as their core. Apparently this little gambit worked, as de Dionyso got the girl. And he has created what he says is some of the best work he's ever done to boot. SPECIAL GUEST Zoe Boekbinder, 1/2 of the burlesque duo VERMILLION LIES! |
 |
Thursday, September 9. 7pm. FREE! PDX COMMODORE USERS GROUP presents... Filmmaker JASON SCOTT with a special screening of GET LAMP The Portland Commodore Users Group (PDXCUG.org) is proud to present a night with Jason Scott, a digital historian and archivist who specializes in early microcomputer history and dial-up bulletin board systems. He is the webmaster of textfiles.com, a collection of BBS-era textfiles that has been open to the public since 1998. In 2001, he began filming a documentary about BBSes called "BBS: The Documentary", an 8-episode mini-series about BBSes spanning 25 years and totalling five and a half hours in length. Now, Jason has a new film about text adventure games (think Zork), called "Get Lamp" (http://getlamp.com). He interviewed dozens of creators, players, and scholars about the experience and effect of text adventures in this documentary and is willing to share his adventure with you at this very special event, brought to you by the Portland Commodore Users Group. So pick up the coin, "Go North", then "Go West" because we'll be gathering at Backspace in old town Portland, Oregon (115 NW 5th Ave.) on Sept. 9, 2010 @7:00 p.m. About PDXCUG: PDXCUG is a growing group of Commodore enthusiasts, located in the greater metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. We like to share ideas and work on Commodore-related projects together. Membership is free and we encourage anyone who has an interest in Commodore computers to attend our meetings. If you are interested, please come on by - the more, the merrier! For more information, please visit http://www.pdxcug.org |
 |
Friday, September 10. 8pm (doors open at 7pm). $10.00 MFNW SHOWCASE Abe Vigoda The Magic Kids Wampire Astrology Candy Claws $10 or MFNW wristband. |
 |
Saturday, September 11. 4pm. $5.00 WEEKLY every Saturday - Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
 |
Saturday, September 11. 8pm (doors open at 7pm). $13.00 MFNW SHOWCASE Titus Andronicus BOAT The Globes And And And $13 or MFNW wristband. |
 |
Sunday, September 12. 7:30pm. FREE! Portland Poetry Slam In the fall of 2007, Tara Brenner attended a performance poetry workshop and competed at her first poetry slam event. With her trademark ability to combine pathos, satire, sincerity, and moxie, Brenner quickly became integral to the performance poetry field in Idaho through her work as a performer, a three-time National Poetry Slam competitor, a coach and mentor to her peers and new poets, and a writing workshop facilitator. Brenner's work has been featured at venues in Oakland, Berkeley, Madison, West Palm Beach, and Albuquerque. She also was featured with the Boise Slam Team on the 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam finals stage. 8 poets duke it out for a $50 cash prize and the adoration of the crowd, and if that isn't enough 1st and 2nd place earn a spot in our semi final on sept 26th to try and earn a spot in our grand slam championship in april. Also an open mic. Sign up starts at 7:30 (slam list closes at 8 people so don't be late.) $5 dollar suggested donation |
 |
Monday, September 13. 7pm. FREE! DORKBOT! Dorkbot is a group of affiliated organizations worldwide that sponsor grassroots meetings of artists, engineers, designers, scientists, inventors, and anyone else working under the very broad umbrella of electronic art. The dorkbot motto is "people doing strange things with electricity". Started by Douglas Repetto at the Columbia University Computer Music Center in 2000, dorkbot has spread around the world, with over sixty chapters either planning or actively holding meetings.
|
 |
Wednesday, September 15. 9pm (doors open at 8pm). $7.00 Grass Widow STLS Silver Interior It's no surprise that GRASS WIDOW was recently signed to Kill Rock Stars. The trio's infectious and intense post punk riffs, bouncy drums and three part harmonies, all displayed on their debut album Past Times have received much applause. Made up of Hannah Lew on bass, Raven Mahon on guitar, and Lilliam Maring on drums, the San Francisco group is a band on the rise. STLS is a self described "drumcore" band consisting of Lisa Schonberg from the recently deceases Explode Into Colors and sts of The Haggard. The two create a complex rhythmic matrix with their drum kits, which they both play standing up. STLS is something one must experience and is a band that can't be compared to anything else, for what other band consists of just two kick ass females playing drum kits while standing? Silver Interior is a new project from Jenny Hoyston, perhaps best known for her work with Erase Eratta, and accomplished sound engineer and musician, Christina Files(Mary Timony). The exciting new project features Hoyston on vocals and strings, and Files on synths and beats. |
 |
Thursday, September 16. 8pm. $5.00 Insomniac Folklore Men As Trees Walking Josh Garrels Imaginary Starship |
 |
Friday, September 17. Music in the Schools High School Band Showcase White Fang Starparty Attention Deficit Destroyer Grandfather Music in the Schools is a student run and lead non-profit that raises money for the severely underfunded music programs of Portland Public Schools. Not only do these great kids raise money, but also organize monthly high school band showcases, in which three high school bands are lined up with one established adult band. The purpose of these showcases is to increase exposure for these high school musicians, and also to raise money. |
|
|
Saturday, September 18. 4pm. $5.00 Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
 |
Saturday, September 18. 8pm. $10.00 Sunderlyn Ruth Paper Rings $8 advanced tickets here >>> Sunderlyn, Ruth, and Paperrings are donating their time and talent for this benefit concert. All proceeds will go the the Jordan Crouch Memorial SPU Scholarship Endowment. Jordan's mission to raise funds for college scholarships was cut short when he passed away unexpectedly this year. This concert will fund the endowment that Jordan started and will help students receive the funds they need to continue their education. |
|
|
Saturday, September 25. 4pm. $5.00 Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
.jpg) |
Sunday, September 26. 7pm. FREE! PORTLAND POETRY SLAM! Portland Poetry Slam All Ages! SIGN UP AT 7:30 $5 suggested donation Mark Anderson & SEMI-FINAL #1 Mark Anderson is a performance poet from Spokane, Washington. He has competed in two individual world poetry slam competitions, and is currently the Spokane Poetry Slam Slam-master, and grand-slam champion of the 2009-2010 competition season. When not writing poetry unobtrusively at coffee shops he has been known to take long walks, to get a B.A. in psychology from Eastern Washington University, and work as an unskilled laborer. 6 of our most winning poets battle it out for a spot in our grand slam championship in April. Open mic sign up is between 7:30 and 8 |
|
|
Monday, September 27. 7pm. FREE! DORKBOT! Dorkbot is a group of affiliated organizations worldwide that sponsor grassroots meetings of artists, engineers, designers, scientists, inventors, and anyone else working under the very broad umbrella of electronic art. The dorkbot motto is "people doing strange things with electricity". Started by Douglas Repetto at the Columbia University Computer Music Center in 2000, dorkbot has spread around the world, with over sixty chapters either planning or actively holding meetings.
|
|
|
Saturday, October 2. 4pm. $5.00 Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
 |
Friday, October 8. 9pm. $7 in advance AIDS Wolf Child Abuse Terraform Hotface The Montreal trio AIDS WOLF (guitar, drums, weird screams) formed in early 2003, and have been widely talked about amongst noise fans since. They seemingly want you to hate them, making the sound track to your angry days with their harsh noises. Their music speaks to those who are down, and makes most others want to leave the room. CHILD ABUSE abuses the listener like few other bands. Their music is a straight assault to your ears, causing physical discomfort, but the band wouldn't have it any other way. Huge bass, drums, screams, and the occasional Casio squeal make music that is almost unbearable to the listener, and that is the way we like it. |
|
|
Saturday, October 9. 4pm. $5.00 Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
 |
Sunday, October 10. 7pm. FREE! PORTLAND POETRY SLAM! Portland Poetry Slam All Ages! SIGN UP AT 7:30 $5 suggested donation Mosely Wotta |
|
|
Monday, October 11. 7pm. FREE! DORKBOT! Dorkbot is a group of affiliated organizations worldwide that sponsor grassroots meetings of artists, engineers, designers, scientists, inventors, and anyone else working under the very broad umbrella of electronic art. The dorkbot motto is "people doing strange things with electricity". Started by Douglas Repetto at the Columbia University Computer Music Center in 2000, dorkbot has spread around the world, with over sixty chapters either planning or actively holding meetings.
|
 |
Friday, October 15. POH HOP FEST |
|
|
Saturday, October 16. 4pm. $5.00 Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
|
|
Saturday, October 23. 4pm. $5.00 Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
|
|
Saturday, October 30. 4pm. $5.00 WEEKLY every Saturday - Creative LIVE ART! Life Drawing Sessions 4-6pm: Walk-Ins welcome Spectacular costumed character models. Bring your camera or drawing supplies! Beer/wine/tasty treats available. |
