I love fall. It’s hands down my favorite season. It doesn’t quite feel like it yet here in Portland. I think that feeling will hit for me this coming weekend as the TBA festival starts up.

The PICA TBA festival

The Portland Institute for Contemporary Arts is one of the reasons I live in Portland.

Years ago Susan and I were invited to perform in the very first Time Based Arts or TBA festival. It was eye opening as far as what performance art is and can be - and incredible to meet and perform alongside artists from all over the world.

We came back the next year with a full-length piece called AC Dickson: eBay PowerSeller. That experience changed our lives. We got other invitations to perform, toured Europe, and had doors open we didn’t even know existed. It’s one of the reason I’ve been on the PICA board of directors these past 6 years.

This year the TBA festival starts September 4th and ends September 14th, with two long weekends full performances, parties and performative lectures. If you’re looking to be around open-minded people in spaces that welcome all and empower risk taking, critical thinking and unbridled creativity please come see some shows.

I’m particular excited about Tahni Holt and Emma Lutz-Higgins. Tahni is a fabulous choreographer and has also been part of the TBA festival since the first few years.

I’m also really looking forward to Memory as Rock out of Reach - which looks to combine storytelling, music and 80s nostalgia, and San Cha - who performed at this year’s Gala and will be performing an experimental opera.

If you want to know what shows I think you might like, or want to know where I’ll be when just send me a note!

BACKFENCE Unhinged

The BACKFENCE Unhinged podcast is officially out in the world.

We’ve got the first 4 episodes up on the usual podcast platform suspects, and a new episode coming every week and airing Wednesday mornings at 7:15 on Xray.FM.

What’s the format? Executive producer and co-host Frayn Masters bring on a different guest every week and invite them to tell a true personal story, and then we ask questions, dig deeper and offer up our own related anecdotes.

I’d love it if you gave it a listen and maybe even subscribed or gave it a nice rating. And thanks to Powells Books and Kiln cowering space for sponsoring. And a special shoutout to Julia Oppenheimer for producing and editing.

The Bend

My good friend Chelsea Cain wrote a movie, and our friend James Westby directed it. And they asked Frayn and I to play the comedy relief in what is mostly a horror film. But you know, a thinking person’s horror film.

If you want to see a little trailer of us all in action watch here.

And if you’d like to support the film the Seed and Spark campaign is up and nearing its goal!

Harper’s Playground!

The Harper’s Playground Summer-ish Soiree is Saturday September 27th.

It’s a great way to support inclusion and play as Harper’s Playground builds and consults on parks and playgrounds that are accessible for all, all over the globe.

And… it’s a really fabulous party. It’s both one of the best galas and least “gala” gala I’ve ever been to. And I’ll be on the mic as your fundraising host.

Okay, that’s it for now. Thanks for reading and hang in there.

Andrew