Dirty, filthy swine

In a city iconic for its vegan cuisine and health-obsessed canvassers on every low-cholesterol street corner, a small group of dedicated equal-opportunity eaters remains unscathed. This time around, the carnivores are taking a stand with Baconfest, a shameless festival as bad for you as it is good.

If you think you have already discovered all of the worthwhile uses for bacon, think again. The brilliantly demented minds of The Meat Show and PDX.FM have revolutionized the beloved hangover indulgence with everything from bacon dance contests to bacon jewelry to a half pipe with bacon skateboards. Not to be outdone, the event will also feature a five-round eating contest in which eight very adventurous contestants will chow down on BLTs, Voodoo Doughnut’s renowned Bacon Maple Bars, bacon-wrapped bananas, bacon-salted Peeps, and bacon ice cream sundaes. Prizes for the night include a Traeger grill and an iPod touch loaded with bacon-themed applications. For those herbivores interested in partying in a sea of meaty madness, “facon” will be available as well.

For reasons both ethical and medical, this is not exactly an event for the faint of heart. In an email to the Daily Vanguard, Emily Gibson, pork belly connoisseur and emcee for the night, summed up the event’s target audience. “The Meat Show is for people who drink a lot, make bacon, fall asleep, wake up with bacon on their back, and eat it for breakfast,” she said.

Not exactly into obsessive meat worship or last night’s cured pork? Rest assured, there’s also a slightly less greasy side to the event. The night has a handpicked lineup of local bands including Ether Circus, Blood Eagle, The Dry County Crooks and Neapolitan Beard.

The Vanguard recently caught up with local high-key act and special Baconfest guests, Target for Tomorrow, to chat about their love of dance, beer and, naturally, bacon.

Daily Vanguard: How would you categorize your music?
Target for Tomorrow: We can’t pigeonhole ourselves. I love that. We don’t have a formula that we go by. We don’t have a set of rules. We blend 80 years of music—ska, big band, contemporary rock. It’s music people can dance to. That’s what we’re really about. We’re about the energy.

DV: When do you feel a show is successful?
TFT: When people are really grooving to it. Nothing gets you more pumped than looking into the crowd and seeing heads bob. Even the people who try not to dance can’t help but move. And we really love doing house shows. It’s all about staying intimate with the fans and friends. Putting on a house show? Call us.

DV: So how did you get involved with Baconfest?
TFT: There is an awesome Web site called pdxsucks.com. They talk about what they do and don’t like in Portland. Good thing they like us. They have been great and approached us about Baconfest.  

DV: Are you excited?
TFT: Come on, seriously? Who doesn’t love bacon?

DV: What do you think makes Target for Tomorrow distinct among all the other bands out there?
TFT: We’re not just a ska band. Ska music in general disappeared near the turn of the century and there just haven’t been many bands since with any good horns in them. We’ve got the horns, but we’re also progressive rock. We’re really just a good-time band.

DV: So what’s next for you?
TFT: (laughs) We’re headed for some beer.