THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW: PORTLAND MUSIC VIDEOS Presented by NW Film Center's Reel Music Festival

One  way to have a good time is to sit in the balcony of The Mission Theater drinking Terminator Stouts while watching 120 minutes of local music videos. This is what I did last week at the Reel Music screening of That was then, This is Now: Portland Music Videos, a compilation of local music videos curated by Alicia Rose.  The selection was a showcase of the talent and craftsmanship that makes the Portland music and film scene so extraordinary. I enjoyed all of the videos but I thought I'd share a few of the favorites I found on YouTube.

Nirvana: Seasons In the Sun
Directed by: Lance Bangs

The last thing I expected immediately at the start of this screening was a heavy, emotional experience. I could write a bunch of lame crap about mortality, my generation and personal glimpses into seemingly private moments but I'll spare you of that. You should still watch this though. See if anything happens to you.

Menomena: Evil Bee
Directed by: Stefan Nadelman


I understand exactly what is going on here but I am not exactly sure what it means. It's a great video with great animation.

Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside: I Swear
Directed by: Matthew Ross

I am not sure why I hadn't heard of Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside before, but after poking around on the internet I can see it is my own fault. I hope that I would have seen this video eventually.

Red Fang: Wires
Directed by: Whitey McConnaughy
This is what happens when you pack a video full of awesomeness and then drive a car through it.

Elliot Smith: Lucky Three
Directed by: Jem Cohen
The quality of this youtube video does no justice to the film and, by the end, the sound is pretty out of synch. Still, I would be remiss without mentioning this piece. It made think a lot about mortality and my generation. It is an intimate portrait of a person I would like to know better and a place I love more everyday.

It also set the mood for the upcoming screening of Searching For Elliot Smith this Friday. I can hardly wait.