Author: Admin

Northwest hip-hop is flourishing. It seems Seattle and Portland are teeming with independent emcees and crews, putting out record after record of top-shelf work. And 2008 seems to be something of a lynchpin year. Jake One, a commercially successful producer from Seattle who’s produced for the likes of 50 Cent and G-Unit, released his album White Van Music. Super-crew Oldominion has been steadily involved with a number of great records (especially Mingle by The Saturday Knights). Similarly, Portland’s Sandpeople have had a busy year, with multiple releases under their umbrella.

It’s Saturday night, Nov. 1, and Torche, one of the best live bands currently burning rubber on the wide-open road, is about to go on at the Satyricon. It’s late, about midnight. (Why did the show start at 10 p.m. again?) And you’re ready for an unholy unison of power-pop melody and down-tuned sludge, that unusual confection only Torche can provide. They’re Florida’s best export, even better than orange juice.

Oregon Democratic senatorial candidate Jeff Merkley took the stage at the Oregon Convention Center last night with a razor-thin edge over incumbent Republican Gordon Smith and the race still too close to call.

Live from the Democratic election party at the Oregon Convention Center, Vanguard managing editor Owen Smith will be setting the scene and providing commentary throughout the night. Last update at 8:25 p.m.

R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe is a love note to people who like to think. It’s a distinction that feels vague. After all, doesn’t every person like to think? But there is definitely a variety of person who avoids independent thinking whenever possible and a full-length, one-man show dealing exclusively with the life of the genius responsible for the geodesic dome is a pretty reliable method for ferreting them out.

In every election year, we are always faced with the same question: Do these candidates represent me? That’s why we wind up with candidates that have backcountry accents, or are East Coasters or Southerners. They want to relate to people and make a darned good effort to make that happen. In this election, for example, we hear about Barack Obama and his family, Joe Biden as a single dad, John McCain as a war veteran and Sarah Palin with her imitation Midwestern (not remotely Alaskan) accent.

He is not a doctor, but head coach Jerry Glanville has diagnosed himself as “sick.” The diagnosis came at a soggy practice Monday morning, as Glanville repeatedly scanned the sheet detailing Weber State’s drives in Saturday’s 31-21 Vikings loss, shook his head and emphatically said, “It makes you sick.”

A look at the boxscore of Portland State’s matchup with Weber State Saturday would result in this kind of reaction. “Wow. The Vikings took down the Big Sky’s best team on the road. That’s incredible.” And this sentiment is completely understandable.

Ask any Portland State player or coach what the Vikings expect when they face Weber State Saturday, and you are likely to get the same reaction. “Whew,” followed by an exhausted headshake. The Wildcats stand alone atop the Big Sky Conference standings and are as complete a team as they come.

The final days of one of the greatest and most controversial elections in American history are approaching. While some candidates have been involved since 2004, and others entered the race a few months ago, all of our lives are going to change in some way.