Portland

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett to headline Portland’s iconic Pickathon Festival 2024

If you’ve ever been to Pickathon Festival, located at Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley just outside of Portland, Oregon, you’ll know just how special a festival it is. And after finally getting confirmation the much lauded event (including by me) would be returning to Pendarvis Farm, the festival has announced its 1-4 August 2024 lineup….

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Watch Nathaniel Rateliff pay tribute to Richard Swift in this emotional performance in the woods

Since the world has gone into isolation, we’ve been enjoying a plethora of never-before-seen live streams coming online. For the last 11 weeks, the Portland festival Pickathon have been releasing new videos daily on YouTube, raising money for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. One of the best performances is Nathaniel Rateliff, performing solo at the festival’s incredible…

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This new Podcast will help you travel vicariously while living in self-isolation

Last week, the new Australian podcast Portland Unpacked dropped, hosted by Faustina Agolley. The series takes listeners on a comprehensive tour of the U.S. city of Portland. Who would have known though that when they were making the six episode series that it would arrive in our lives just as international travel has been forced…

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Hotel Review: Portland’s Jupiter NEXT sets the benchmark for modern boutique hotels

One of the most iconic hotels in Portland is the Jupiter Hotel, a refitted motel designed for hip, creative guests – the sort who might be attending a show at the equally iconic Doug Fir Lounge, a music venue that sits underneath the accommodation. In June 2018, some 14 years after it opened, the hotel…

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Portland, Oregon: The musical heartbeat of America’s West Coast

When one thinks of the music industry in the US, there are three cities that immediately comes to mind: LA, New York and Nashville. The vast majority of music companies are based there, and on face value a lot of the creativity is happening there, too. Historically that’s not wrong – but in 2019, it…

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Mumford & Sons and Portugal. The Man bring cheerleaders, c-bombs & confetti to Portland’s NBA home

Mumford & Sons kicked off their North American tour this week, with Portland-based Portugal. The Man opening things up for the first run of shows. This made last night’s show at Moda Center – the second of the run – a hometown show for the supports. Indeed, given how big they are here, it felt…

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Pickathon Sunday Review: Julia Jacklin and Miya Folick steal the show as the Portland festival comes to an end

On the final day of the 21st year of Portland’s iconic Pickathon festival, I arrived on site in time to catch the end of a morning art tour that runs throughout the festival and showcases the hidden art gems that you can find in the main festival space, as well as the expansive camping area….

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Pickathon Saturday Review: Viagra Boys, Nathaniel Rateliff and more shine during a magical day in Portland

Kicking things off for Saturday at Pickathon, Zia from The Dandy Warhols was DJing when I arrived, as DJ Rescue, who grooved us into the first set from New York’s Bodega, who delivered a high energy performance that asked everyone to “sweat the toxins out”. The five piece are described as “art rock”, but they are…

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Pickathon’s Friday with The Beths, Dan Mangan and more cements the Portland boutique festival as one of the world’s best

Set about 40 minutes out of Portland in idyllic wilderness, Pickathon is a boutique festival with a strictly limited capacity that brings up memories of festivals back in Australia like Secret Garden, Peats Ridge and Dashville Skyline. Crowds are quiet and respectful, here for the music, and surrounded by good food and amazing drink. It’s…

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From Curtis Salgado to Jim Belushi: International Stars and Local Heroes light up the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival

The Waterfront Blues Festival, now in its 33rd year, was held from July 4th to the 7th in Portland, Oregon. The venue was Tom McCall Park, a narrow green strip on the western edge of the Willamette River in the city centre. With four stages and dozens of performers, this is the largest festival of…

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Hotel Review: The Press Hotel flows with history in Portland, Maine

As part of Marriott’s highly regarded “Autograph Collection”, the one of a kind Press Hotel in Portland, Maine is a shining example of the kind of magic one can spark when channeling a building’s history into something new and exciting. In this case, it’s the site of the old Portland Press Herald newspaper, the state’s…

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Interview: Getting to know Maine’s new folk quartet SnugHouse

Named for the Greenlandic word meaning “What is it?”, Sunaana is a steady growing music (and craft beer) festival that poses a bunch of questions for the U.S city of Portland, Maine. It’s focused on discovery, but also asks how a small historic city in New England can pretty much become a music festival venue,…

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Sunaana: Could this new festival in Portland, Maine be the U.S. answer to Iceland Airwaves?

Consider the size and scope of a “discovery” focused destination event like Iceland Airwaves. The reputable decades-old showcase festival has grown to such an extent that it now spreads not just through, but beyond Reykjavik and has become not only a platform for rising talent in live music, but also a way to highlight the…

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What is Sunaana? The new U.S. festival with big ambitions

Consider the size and scope of a “discovery” focused destination event like Iceland Airwaves. The reputable decades-old showcase festival has grown to such an extent that it now spreads not just through, but beyond Reykjavik and has become not only a platform for rising talent in live music, but also a way to highlight the…

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Sunaana Festival set to rock Portland, Maine with a weekend of craft beer, food and music

Heating up for its second year in Portland, Maine will be Sunaana (an inuit word meaning “what is it”), a winter beer and music festival taking place across the enormous 30-acre Thompson’s Point and representing a surprising connection between the New England city and the Nordic country of Iceland. It was such a roaring success…

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Portland, Maine set to embrace winter with a music and beer festival inspired by Iceland Airwaves

Heating up for its second year in Portland, Maine will be Sunaana (an inuit word meaning “what is it”), a winter beer and music festival taking place across the enormous 30-acre Thompson’s Point and representing a surprising connection between the New England city and the Nordic country of Iceland. It was such a roaring success…

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Portland, Maine to channel the spirit of Iceland Airwaves with music and beer festival ‘Sunaana’

Heating up for its second year in Portland, Maine will be Sunaana (an inuit word meaning “what is it”), a winter beer and music festival taking place across the enormous 30-acre Thompson’s Point and representing a surprising connection between the New England city and the Nordic country of Iceland. It was such a roaring success…

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In the final days of Virgin America, we put their service to the test against new owners Alaska Airlines

On 11th January, Virgin America made its final flight under the callsign “redwood”. It’s now flying as “Alaska”, as Alaska Airlines moves towards the completion of its merger with the much loved airline. This said, the airlines continue to each fly with their respective branding and flair, at least until April 25th (though it will take…

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7 things you have to do while in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon had long been on my bucket list of destinations to visit. Renowned for great food and beer, arts, bookstores and scenery, and infamous for its hipster lifestyle, the city is one of the finest in the world. There’s so much to do in the city, but to help you on your way, here…

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Flight Review: Getting “Extra Comfort” with Hawaiian Airlines – Portland to Honolulu (HA25)

Today we fly from Oregon on the West Coast of the USA, back towards Australia as we touch down in Honolulu. You can choose to stick around the Hawaiian capital, or continue on to Australia; and for this trip we certainly stuck around Hawaii for a week. But we had to fly there first. Here’s…

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Three new events line up for the Food and Drink festival Feast Portland in Oregon

Now in its fifth year, Feast Portland has set itself up as one of the most anticipated food and drink festivals on the American calendar. Though they don’t describe themselves as “just” a festival. They class it as “a movement that showcases the energy, creativity and enthusiasm that’s driving America’s food revolution while celebrating the…

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Canadian group Wolf Parade added to Pickathon Festival in Oregon (USA)

It’s been the moment fans have been waiting for for five years – after going on an indefinite hiatus in 2011, Canadian heroes Wolf Parade are back! It’s been reported that the band will be releasing new music in 2016, and they have already announced a pile of shows in May! 5 nights at the…

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