Portland, Oregon in popular culture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following are authors, filmmakers, musicians, and other performers, and their products, associated with Portland, Oregon. A separate list of artists and art institutions is also available.
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[edit] Literature
[edit] Authors
- Children's author Beverly Cleary set many of her stories in Portland, and used many references to the city in them. Henry Huggins, for instance, lived on Klickitat Street, while Ramona Quimby was named for Quimby Street.
- Katherine Dunn came to Portland to attend Reed College and lives there still. Her novel Geek Love is partially set in Portland.
- Ursula K. Le Guin, Grand Master author of speculative fiction, has lived in Portland since 1958. The Lathe of Heaven, one of her most renowned novels, is set in a future Portland.
- Author Chuck Palahniuk wrote Fight Club, often regarded as a milestone for both Generation X and Generation Y. He also wrote an alternative travelogue of the city titled Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon.
[edit] Books
- Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
- Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon by Chuck Palahniuk
- Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
- Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
- The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M. Auel
- Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and other children's books by Beverly Cleary
- The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson
- Dies the Fire and sequels by S. M. Stirling
[edit] Film
[edit] Filmmakers
- Director Gus Van Sant has achieved commercial and critical acclaim for his films, including My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy, Good Will Hunting (which earned Van Sant a best director Oscar nomination) and Elephant (which won the Palme d'Or and a best director award at the Cannes Film Festival).
[edit] Films
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[edit] Television
- Matt Groening is responsible for creating two of the most popular animated television series of the last two decades, The Simpsons and Futurama. Many of the character names in The Simpsons are taken from street names in Portland (Flanders, Rev. Lovejoy, etc.).
- Nowhere Man (TV series) - filmed largely in and around Portland, Oregon
[edit] Music
- See also Music of Oregon
Artists with Portland ties include:
- Agalloch
- Obo Addy
- Dave Allen - former bassist for the post-punk band, Gang of Four and current member of the band Shriekback, currently based.
- Everclear, a popular nineties alternative rock band - originated.
- The Dan Reed Network
- Britt Daniel - co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas rock band, Spoon, currently based.
- The Dandy Warhols - alternative rock band, originated and currently based.
- The Decemberists - indie pop band, originated and currently based.
- Hazel (including Pete Krebs)
- Helio Sequence
- The Joggers - originated and currently based (not to be confused with Joggerz
- Kutless
- M. Ward
- Stephen Malkmus - indie-rock musician, a former member of the bands Pavement and The Crust Brothers, and current member of the bands Silver Jews and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, currently based.
- Scott McCaughey - leader of Seattle-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5, currently based.
- The Minders - currently based.
- Nu Shooz, a rock band popular in the 1980s.
- Pink Martini - originated and currently based.
- Point Juncture, WA - indie-rock band, originated and currently based.
- Poison Idea
- Quarterflash, 1980s rock band, was once known as "Seafood Mama" due to performing in a local seafood restaurant.
- Quasi - indie rock band, originated and currently based
- Resist
- The Shins, a popular indie rock band - currently based.
- Sleater-Kinney - based in Portland since early 2000s, moving from Olympia, Washington.
- Elliott Smith, Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter - resided in Portland from age 14 until 1997. Several of his songs are about the city.
- Storm Large - a Portland musician with a sizeable following, she was a contestant on Rock Star Supernova
- Swords (also known as The Swords Project) was an American indie-rock band formed and based in Portland.
- Talkdemonic - self-labeled folktronic hop band, originated and currently based.
- The Thermals - punk rock band, originated and currently based.
- Viva Voce - American indie-rock band formed by husband and wife duo Kevin and Anita Robinson formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, currently based.
- Christopher Walla - guitarist and producer for the band Death Cab for Cutie, currently based.
- Wet Confetti - art rock band, originated and currently based.
- The Wipers
Songs with Portland ties include:
- The song "Louie Louie" (1963 versions by The Kingsmen and Paul Revere and the Raiders)
- "Hot Time" (1987) by Poison Idea references Old Town.
- "I Will Buy You A New Life" (1997) by Everclear specifically mentions Portland's West Hills
- The song "Portland Oregon" by Loretta Lynn
- In the Decemberists' song "California One Youth and Beauty Brigade," Colin Meloy references the "Multnomah County Library," the library system of the county in which Portland is located.
[edit] Erotica
- Portland's local punk/goth scene gave birth to SuicideGirls, an erotic website.
Due to strong free speech protections of the Oregon Constitution,[1] Portland reportedly has more strip clubs per capita than both Las Vegas and San Francisco.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Busse, Phil (November 7, 2002). Cover Yourself!. The Portland Mercury. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
- ^ Moore, Adam S.; Beck, Byron (November 8, 2004). Bump and Grind. Willamette Week. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
