After the rain
Strawberry Pickle s art space/all-ages nightclub Rainbow City puts the we back in weird
On an otherwise dull Tuesday, while the rest of Portland is at home watching screens, Rainbow City hosts Sword Society.
Here, weapon nerds hold light-saber duels, only with the grunts and impact sounds drowned out by dance music. Sunday is spiritual night. Mass, hosted by DJ Antichrist, is a goth night with a drag show and dark vibe, which alternates weekly with Sacred Seshes, where belly dancers, tarot readers, light workers and starseeds take over. Other nights host hip-hop shows, African music, arts and crafts nights, ecstatic dance, hula hooping, or whatever a promoter can persuade the club owner Strawberry Pickle is a good time.
Jay & Silent Bob Reboot – eating a Cow Dong Vegan Brat. The View Askewniverse’s ubiquitous eatery, featuring a golden calf mascot, now materializes as a pop-up restaurant experience at 3TEN ACL Live, running through Saturday. Kevin Smith cuts the ribbon to open Mooby s Austin at 3TEN with his pop-up restaurant production partner Derek Berry (right) cheering him on. (Photo by David Brendan Hall)
Smith’s there, in his trademark jean shorts, oversized sports jacket, and backwards hat – the latter a Mooby’s design with cow horns extruding out, cutting a ceremonial ribbon with giant scissors and taking photos with fans. The filmmaker’s presence wasn’t announced, but he’s usually present for the opening of a Mooby’s installation, of which there’s been 13, all produced by LA experiential dining wiz Derek Berry.
Kevin Smith is very much the opposite of Silent Bob, the often-quiet character he’s portrayed in seven of his films. The loquacious cult film director, podcaster, and geek icon has spoken and written at length about his passion for comics and other geeky subject matter, celebrity encounters, religious views, and his personal life (including the massive heart attack in 2018 that nearly claimed his life).
His legions of fans love him for it. They watch his flicks, buy his merch, and turn out at his various live podcast sessions. For more than a week now, his Phoenix fans have been making trips to The Van Buren for Smith s Mooby’s pop-up restaurant that’s taken over the front portion of the downtown Phoenix music venue.