Thursday, March 19, 2009

Your weekend awaits you


This is good.

From the WK Radio website:

By mid-March, the United States will have been at war in Afghanistan and Iraq for seven years. To mark this important, if tragic, anniversary, over 150 of the Portland area's best classical, contemporary and world musicians are uniting to make a giant musical gift to the city and beyond. "24/7” is a series of 24 dramatic concerts, each starting upon the hour, from 7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 21, and continuing through to 7:00 p.m., Sunday, March 22, in the W+K Atrium. FREE. WK Radio will broadcast a portion of the event.

As curated by two of Portland’s most fabulous citizens, Bill Crane and Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale, a truly gobsmacking company of musicians have been tapped for this occasion. Consult this schedule for the full roster. Personally I intend to make it to Michelle Mariana’s hour, at 2am Sunday, when the divine Ms. M will sing jazz, accompanied by smooth-as-silk Reece Marshburn. And the finale, at 6pm on Sunday, when the company performs Beethoven’s 9th, is not to be missed. I’ll probably bawl like a baby.

PDX Pipeline reports:

Neither a protest nor a memorial, "24/7" nonetheless is a profound calling by its performers to their fellow citizens to remember that we are a nation at war. The musicians creating 24/7 hope to move their neighbors by their music to "do what must be done" as our city, region, and nation face many challenges. This will be music of encouragement as well as entertainment.

To add to the conviviality of this big occasion, the popular and award-winning restaurant Bluehour, next door to the concert venue, will be open all night and the following day. Restaurateur Bruce Carey and chef de cuisine Kenny Giambalvo are planning a special bar menu just for 24/7 performers and audience members.

So what’s not to love? The event lacks only you. And everybody is waiting. See you there.

No comments: