Portland Stage Reviews

by Faddah Wolf

Portland’s Own Live Wire! Radio makes good on public radio syndication and gives a modern edge to traditional radio variety.

WHAT?! You say you haven’t been to a taping of Portland’s own radio phenomenon, Live Wire! Radio? Wait, you say you haven’t heard them on their many outlets such as their own web site, iTunes, Stitcher or on the old fashioned broadcast radio (in a number of public radio markets across the U.S.)? Hold on there, slim shady — you say you’ve not had your ears tickled, caressed, flirted with and downright surprised by the aural joy that is Live Wire? What rock have you been hiding under, there, Junior?

A cold (brrr! chilly), dark, November night with snow foreboding seemed discouraging, but nothing would stay this intrepid reviewer from this appointed performance to bring you, dear reader, this story. Looming ahead on NE Alberta Street, like a lighthouse beacon in the night, was the bright marquee of the classy Alberta Rose Theater, where waiting for me was a warm, well-appointed, comfy theater, Ninkasi Microbrew and Oregon Wines, snacks, and a night of Radio Theater merriment.

Billing itself as “variety for the ears, vaudeville for the mind,” Live Wire! Radio is an eclectic mix of alternative music, eye-opening interviews, a mini-Wordstock from local authors and poets, and some hilarious local themed sketch comedy. Created by Robyn Tenenbaum, Kate Sokoloff and able host Courtenay Hameister, the temptation might be to immediately compare it as a Portland version of the 35-plus year NPR radio legend, A Prarie Home Companion. But to do so would be wrong, dead wrong. Hameister is no snoozy-folksy grandparent like Keillor. She’s hip, sharp, well-caffeinated and addresses the type of things you’re more likely to hear from the person texting or tweeting next to you at a coffee emporium, rather than sounding like it’s coming from your grandparents’ old-timey radio. Also, as an interviewer, Hameister does give the PR Q&A its due for the audience to get to know its subject, but she does’t shy away from the more probing line of questioning, and let me tell you, the show has a cutting edge taste in the guests it presents. As the program says, this is “…the live radio variety show your mother warned you about. Well, not so much warned as recommended.”

Past guests have included a roster of folks you’d love to have at any Northwest Alternative A-List gathering: Storm Large, Jonathan Coulton, John Hodgman, Reggie Watts, Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, Wild Flag and IFC’s Portlandia, and local author Lydia Yuknavich to name a few. Do you begin to get the idea of the kind of entertainment you’ve been missing out on by not going to Live Wire? I KNOW! But wait, there’s more.

You get to see two shows taped in one evening, plus a generous, stretchy intermission for more drinks and snacks in between. There is audience participation to open the show after the intro sketch comedy by the wry & delightful members of Faces For Radio Theater — Tricia Ferguson, Andrew Harris and Sean McGrath — but, not to spoil it, unless you’ve already heard the show, I’ll let you experience it there.

For this particular week’s taping (and after some opening intro remarks by the wry Hameister in the first half), we were treated by a number by Crooked Fingers featuring Eric Bachmann (of Archers of Loaf) and Liz Durrett, and an interview with scientist and author Michael Nielsen, whose book Reinventing Discovery, might alternately inspire or seriously depress you, as you realize this “open source” approach to math and science can solve problems that have vexed researchers in a fraction of the time.

Perhaps my favorite of the whole evening was Christine McKinley, whose sweetly composed demeanor belied her one-woman powerhouse status as both a mechanical-engineer and singer-songwriter, as well as a former member of Pink Martini, History & Discovery Channel expert, award-winning musical writer and evangelist to young girls to encourage them in math and science. Phew! I was already bowled over by her engaging talk and lovely solo musical performance.

Second Half started off with musical guests Fruit Bats, whose power-pop confections recalled The Rascals with a bit of The Sweet, and whose front man Eric D. Johnson has composed for films like Our Idiot Brother and Ceremony. Amber Jo Hatt, late of Portland Storytelling venue Backfence PDX, gave a rollicking account of gambling addiction and a bet gone horribly wrong. And the words of author Brian Doyle from his Mink River flowed over us in an older man’s accounting of all that simple things that can enchant in a life.

Throughout the evening, keeping the flow and hilarity going, The Faces For Radio Theater had several sketches that poke fun at current subject matter suitable for our Portland quirkiness (Gloria Allred now representing a woman’s “lady bits”), and the house band of Ralph Huntley and the Muttonchops were reminiscent of an extremely pared down trio from something like MarchFourth, or what Tom Waits’ sidemen do on a night off.

The capper for each live taping is “House Poet” Scott Poole, the Droopy Dog bard, delivering in a purposefully nasal monotone what he learned from the evening in ode form, though it seems more a farcical stream of consciousness of the events and jokes in a mash-up by one who was listening after being a bit too mood-enhanced, if you catch my drift.

Come on, people! I mean great music, interviews, northwest authors, wry humor, audience participation, all in one evening — what more do you need? Did I mention the next show is a benefit and features the voice of SpongeBob Squarepants? Yeah, reserve seats while you can. ‘Nuff said.

Live Wire! Radio Live Radio Recording at The Alberta Rose Theater, 3000 N.E. Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon, 97211, (503) 764-4131. Every two weeks on a Friday, doors open at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Reserved $30, General Admission in Advance $18, Day of the Show $20. Produced by Robyn Tenenbaum, Courtney Hameister & Jim Brunberg. Written by Courtney Hameister (Head Writer), Sean McGrath, Scott Poole, Jason Rouse and guest writer Chelsea Cain. Faces of Radio Theater Directed by Jason Rouse. Musical Director & Composer: Ralph Huntley. House Band: Ralph Huntley & The Mutton Chops — Ralph Huntley, Jim Brunberg & Dave Jorgensen. Production Manager/Lighting: Drew Flint. Sound Effects: David Ian. Featuring Host Courtney Hameister, Faces For Radio Theater — Tricia Ferguson, Andrew Harris and Sean McGrath; and House Poet Scott Poole. Guests for this performance: Michael Nielsen, Brian Doyle, Christine McKinley, Amber Jo Hatt, with musical guests Crooked Fingers and Fruit Bats. Live Wire! Show Podcasts available at the Live Wire! Web Site, on iTunes and Stitcher and can be heard locally on KOPB-FM.

Next Performance: Friday, December 2nd, 2011, A Special Show & After-Party to benefit Live Wire! and Neighborhood House. Featuring guests Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob Squarepants), entrepreneur & author Chris Guillebeau, Happiness Initiative co-directors John de Graff and Laura Musikanski, winemaker Rollin Soles, and musical guests Viva Voce and Telekenisis.

**SPECIAL NOTE: Live Wire! Radio still depends on contributions to keep on doing the radio variety you love. If you wish to instantly contribute to Live Wire! Radio via the magic of the internet, click on this Link. Thank you.**