Friday night I hit the hippest spot in Portland for live music, the Doug Fir. I've dubbed it the 'DF' (dee-eff). Sort of like how people from Mexico City call the city 'DF' (day-eh-fay).

The DF is located on the corner of E. Burnside and 8th Street. The strip is busy with cars and a bunch of trendy shops and bustling eateries. Much different from when I used to roam this town as a permanent resident. The DF attracts a crowd aged 23-33. In the restaurant lounge area upstairs, people sit in large booths and munch on homey food. Downstairs is where the music happens. You go down the stairs and enter a sunken theater area that is lit with ambient red lights. Timber decor is evident, but not obstrusive, and you have the bar in the back facing the stage.

The bar operates using a strange militaristic protocol. A 'line' actually forms. People don't clamor around the bar like in all the places I've been to. A single file line sprouts up wherever a bartender is located. It's almost a little too considerate. I think the dynamic reduces the opportunity to rub elbows at the bar with other patrons. Hence, the downstairs bar at the DF is not a good environment for the casual pick up. I do not believe this pattern carries over upstairs. Let's hope it doesn't for the sake of all the singles stopping by the DF in the hopes of finding someone cute to flirt with as they place their order for a Maker's or Jameson rocks.

Amen.

Okay, so the music. The first number, Wet Confetti, sort of lived up to its unfortunate name. It was three people, a bearded drummer man, a surferesque guitar boy, and diminuitive Japanese female vocalist/guitar strummer who liked to wail.

Fruit Bats came on next. They sound great live. I was a little confused because I thought there was a woman in the band, but I guess not. Main singer has a clear, strong voice and they played a good set.

Last up was Helio Sequence. I was skeptical at first but left very happy with their awesome performance. HS is just two guys, one guy on drums and the other on guitar. The guitar guy also plays a sweet harmonica and they use a looping device to ramp up their sound. They were loud, but good loud. I bought their latest album today online at the
Sub Pop label website.