Dave Knows Portland

Criminal Crafts Book Launch

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Criminal CraftsMiss Demeanor, malfeasant proprietor of Criminal Crafts, invites all her felonious fans to a celebration of the completion of her book Criminal Crafts: From D.I.Y. to F.B.I. Outlaw Projects for Scoundrels, Cheats, and Armchair Detectives:

Two years in the making and a lifetime of scheming and bad behavior all led to this… The Criminal Crafts book is complete! Come celebrate with flaming drinks and Atomic Cherry Bombs. We’ll have a brief reading- highlights (or low moments) from the book and a couple guest speakers dishing the dirt on Portland’s criminal past, including resident historian Doug Kenck-Crispin of Kick Ass Oregon History. Fishnets, stiletto heels and master disguises encouraged, though knowing my friends it’s what you’re wearing already!

The party goes down Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at the Someday Lounge (125 NW 5th). The fun begins at 6pm!

Take a couple days to recover, and then at 6pm on Friday, April 13, head to Bridge City Comics (3725 N. Mississippi) for The Official Book Launch and Signing.

Are you feeling unlucky punk? It’s Friday the 13th, we’ve got black cats walking under ladders, dudes in ski masks spooking out the campers and me shilling my book of bad vibes and ill will. Come on down and get an autographed copy, and do some comic shopping while you are at it. Refreshments will be served and special prizes for the best WRITTEN story of hard luck you bring in, bonus points for haiku or couplets which utilize the words Ponzi, grifter or reprobate.

Visit the Criminal Crafts website for more events, some criminally amusing crafts, and a sneak peak of the book!

Authors In Pubs (2-April-2012)

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Authors in PubsAuthors in Pubs moves to a new venue, the Jack London Bar (529 SW 4th – in the basement of the Rialto Pool Room), this Monday, April 2, 2012.

This month’s lineup:

Gabriel Felton – writer, teacher & guest MC
Terry McLean – poet/writer, history buff
Danielle D.M. Gembala – mother, archaeologist, collections manager
Grant Keltner – author, photographer, artist
Intermission – Tonights guest painter George Woodcock
Jonathan Ems – published author, actor, dad
Jim Braly – published author
and ‘featured author ‘ Fredric Alan Maxwell

Doors open at 7:30 p.m., show beings at 8:00 p.m.

Created by local writer Don Van Kirk last September, Authors in Pubs is a First Monday event that aims to give local writers a chance to share their work, and receive feedback. The shows run about two hours, but visitors are encouraged to arrive early and stay late to talk with authors and peruse their books. Visit the PortlandWiki entry and the Facebook event page for more details.

Saint Patrick’s Day Weekend Amusements (March 16-18, 2012)

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It’s a heavy duty weekend in Portland – plenty of beer, of course, and other amusements.

Guinness StoutPortland area Saint Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Friday

Offbeat Belly DanceOffbeat Belly Dance

Every third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

This Friday, March 16, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Fun! Fabulous! Free Show! [more]

Friday & Saturday

ExIT ShoesThe Art and Science of Shoemaking

Join shoemaker Jeff Mandel this Friday or Saturday, March 16 or 17, 2012 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day, for a free lecture on The Art and Science of Shoemaking at Halo Shoes (938 NW Everett).

“Come learn about the interdisciplinary pursuit that is making shoes by hand.” [more]

Saturday

Farmers MarketPortland Farmers Market Opening Day

The Portland Farmers Market returns to the Portland State University campus this Saturday, March 17, 2012.

“Nothing screams spring quite like the opening of the PSU Market! Come join us as we welcome back your favorite vendors and introduce some new faces.” [more]

Sunday

Attack of the FlixAttack of the Flix

Attack of the Flix, presented by Microflix, is a monthly competition for Portland filmmakers held at the Curious Comedy Theatre (5225 NE MLK). This month’s show takes place Sunday, March 18, 2012.

Submit your film if you are an Oregon or Washington filmmaker! Entries must be 10 minutes or less, and submitted on USB thumb drives encoded as AppleTV. [more]

And for even more weekend events and activities, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

Offbeat Belly Dance (16-March-2012)

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Offbeat Belly DanceEvery third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

This Friday, March 16, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Fun! Fabulous! Free Show!

This month, we will thrill to the speed, grace, and precision of the roguish redhead herself, Zighala Zurah!

We will marvel at the magical collision of hip hop and belly dance when the dynamic Vee takes to the floor!

We will be amazed by the amazing Jasmine, and her astonishing skillz and charisma!

We will catch the train to AwesomeTown with Samira Alemana, hostess of the Bella Note night of belly dance!

We will delight in the darkly decadent dance stylings of the sensational Jadzia!

Gadzooks! It is confirmed – the hypnotically captivating and fabulous Jessica will be joining us as well! Join us and feast your eyes upon her insouciant radsaucitude!

Stay tuned! More players to be named later!

Join us Friday! Get there early so you can get a good seat, or get there later and grab a chair at someone else’s table! Fine entertainment! Fun new friends! And so economical! Yowza!

Come be a part of the magic! Wooooo!

Join Karissa, the Ringleader of Offbeat Belly Dance (pictured to the right), and the other fabulous dancers at the show Friday night.

Individually, the members of the Offbeat Belly Dance collective perform at shows throughout the Portland area, but on the 3rd Friday of the month they come together at the Blue Monk to perform in a rollicking belly dance revue. One of the things that makes it offbeat, is that the dancers choose whatever kind of music they like. Karissa tells me this has included traditional Middle Eastern music, zydeco, AC/DC, Strauss, The Pogues, hip hop, jazz, blues, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Spice Girls, and just about everything else.

The shows are free, and go from about 7pm until 9:30pm.

Visit OffbeatBellyDance.com for more information. You can also become a fan on Facebook, and follow the genre-defying, good timing gang of belly dancers in Portland OR, w/Karissa as ringmaster/carnival barker/propagandiston on Twitter at @OffbeatBelly

Photo credit: Offbeat Belly Dance

Stumptown Stories: The Quest for the Smurfy Grail (14-March-2012)

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SmurfThe Stumptown Stories series, geared to everyone who loves this city we live in, takes place most Tuesdays at Jack London bar (basement of the Rialto, SW 4th and Alder). Free to get in, but must be 21 or over – there’s a full bar!

This Tuesday, March 14, 2012 Ian Waite presents The Quest for the Smurfy Grail:

The story of how one man found a code hidden in the Smurfs that lead to the truth behind the Holy Grail (aka The Da Smurfi Code). It’s a frivolous, yet serious trawl through Holy Grail mythology, with a sprinkling of pop culture, art history and personal travelogue.

Doors open at 5pm for this free event (21 and over only). Presentation begins at 7:30pm.