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Interview with ‘Kids in the Hall’ comedian Scott Thompson

New contributor Hans Ryan got a chance to sit and have a telephone conversation with Scott Thompson, the openly gay actor best known for his sketch comedy on Kids in the Hall. He discusses the inanity of his Fruit Blog, how tough it was to be gay in the 90s and how much he loves Portlandia. He is currently on tour with Kevin McDonald performing their new touring stand up show, Two Kids, One Hall. The show plays this Thurs – Sat at the Helium Comedy Club (details below).

On Being on the road with Kevin:

It’s a thrill being on the road with Kevin and his girlfriend, because they’re so madly in love that they text up to 200 times day. Two and half years and they’re still like that. They just can’t let go of each other for a second.  It’s really very nice. Kevin and I don’t really fight.  On stage, it’s very much like the fights that we do have, which is basically about Kevin’s passive-aggressive nature and my aggressive nature. And so what happens, because we turn it into comedy every night, there doesn’t seem to be as much need to have actual fights. The most talented thing about Kevin is his food issues.  He is a vegetarian almost Vegan. He’s almost one of those Gluten People. He’s very healthy. You know, I mock veganism and vegetarianism a lot. But, with Kevin, I look at him and say “Wow it’s working for him!” It kind of bugs me, because I really wish it wasn’t working.  Most comedians if you look at them are just a wreck. And it’s not just the booze and the drugs and the lifestyle, it’s those chicken fingers!

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Portlandia is also SugarTown, Gaycating, Glowing and checkin’ out some Lez Stand Up

Crave producers MJ (L) and DJ Alicious at last year's Glow party. Photo by OSI Photography.

Thursday

SugarTown Ice Cream Soul-cial – Last month’s very first ST was a sweet sweet success. Despite the sound trouble early on this celebration of sweetness and soul left a pleasant taste on everyone’s tongue. The music was fun and a nice respite from the usual club fare, the sweet treats for sale were cheap and delicious and there were just enough people to create plenty of opportunities mingle and dance without that claustrophobic and intense heat sometimes generated by popular nights. Sweet Thursday perfection. *

Friday

Crave presents “Glow” – Crave’s annual black light party is always a messy success. And as the creators are moving on to that bigger glow stick coast city Los Angeles, it might also be your last chance to feel the dark light love. This is your chance to relive your raver days or revel in what you missed for those of you in your 20s.  But get there early cuz this tiny space fills up fast with females, and besides, they have killer drink specials before 10. *

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Pride continues with Vancouver’s Saturday in the Park

Our little neighbor to the north really isn’t so little anymore, and it’s a pretty decent place to be a gay person, even if they did recently lose their only gay bar (hey, we lost our only lesbian bar). This weekend Vancouver, Washington celebrates their Gay Pride with Saturday in the Park.

A decidedly different approach than the debaucherous Prides of most cities, VanWa’s celebration begins with Lyle’s Miles” 5k run and bills itself as the only family friendly Gay Pride celebration in existence. The annual charity walk/run goes through downtown Vancouver to raise money for Cascade AIDS Project, Martha’s Pantry and Global Partners for Development. The non-competitive walk/run event starts at 8:30am and is open to all.

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Portland Pride 2011 Thursday events

BabyPuppySailorSuit showing off his 4Loko bling.

For a full list of Thursday events: https://archive.qpdx.com/events-this-week/2011-06-16/

Preludes to Pride at the Record Room – Wanna start off slow for a big climax? Lounge it out at the Record Room (8 NE Killingsworth) with DJ Shoshana spinning Charo to Chicks on Speed, T-Rex to XX, Little Milton to Biggie Smalls amongst real, actual records that you can peruse, and a beer and wine bar.

Queerlandia! – Remember, we’re not just gay, we’re Portlanders too, which means we’re a little offbeat and super awesome. It also means we like to combine our FREE club nights and killer DJs with performances (in this case ChiChi and Chonga, Devan McGrath, electro hip hopper Baby Puppy Sailor Suit and more) and arts and crafts from the likes of Field Work Objects and Jewelry, Becca (underwear), Greg LeMieux (DIY bliss objects). And, of course, gay Feng Shui with Rob Loucks.

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Not Enough Prom nights, Blow Ponies, JunKtions, fashion shows or art this Memorial weekend? Hardly

Double Duchess perform Saturday at Blow Pony

Thursday

Not Enough! benefit dance party – Last Thursday becoming a bit too tame and straight and bridge and tunnel for you? It’s our chance to queer it back up while raising some funds for Not Enough! and having a gay ol’ time.

AIDS Walk kickoff party and Swimwear fashion show

Prom Night at the Cafeteria – Creator DJ Lunch Lady promises to a spiked punch bowl and a pregnancy scare at this wonderful reimagining of the high school night you never had (even if you did go, was it really all you dreamed?). Double bonus for not fearing expulsion and for me to use one of my favorite phrases, “I’m off like a prom dress.”

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‘Portlandia’ gets a second season on IFC

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein in 'Portlandia'

Well that didn’t take long. The Independent Film Channel used Valentines Day to express its love for newly running original Portlandia by announcing it would pick up the show for a second season. IFC must really be in love as this is the first time that they’ve ever agreed to a second season while the first was still running, according to senior VP of original programming Debbie DeMontreux.

Airing at 10:30 p.m. Fridays, Portlandia is averaging 235,000 viewers among adults 18-49, nearly quadruple IFC’s primetime average in a demo it has aggressively begun courting, and has built upon its lead-in, fellow original series Onion News Network.

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‘Blow Pony,’ Fat Fancy’s anniversary partyand Dana Goldberg get you ‘Feelin’ Alright’ this weekend

Comedian Dana Goldberg performs Saturday

Thursday

Triskaidekaphilia (Just My Luck) – In case you missed the opening last week you have another shot at Jimmy Radosta‘s new play about comedic misfortune.

Friday

Street Corner A staged Reading – Already another theatrical piece f the weekend, this time a bit earlier in the process. One of several bits in a series of short plays, It Takes All Shorts, Street Corner stars Kevin Cook aka Poison Waters.

Glass Candy, Chromatics and Rude DudesSomething of a straight hipster bastion, a Glass Candy/Chromatics show still produces great music and a great time. Rude Dudes have incredible dynamic duo superpowers on the decks, smashing genres together in a way that will make you want to dance, but be too enthralled to remember the moves.

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Watch ‘Portlandia’s first episode and listen to Carrie Brownstein talk it on OPB’s Think Out Loud

The Dream of the 90s is alive in Portland

Those of us that missed the special Portlandia premiere that Portland’s Hollywood Theater got this weekend may be sad, but we have this coming weekend’s television premiere to look forward to. And besides, web savvy qPDXers can watch the first episode now on Hulu (and right here below!) for 3 more days.

The early leaked opening video, Dream of the 90s, did end up being the funniest part of the first episode but it was a great first start. The sketch with SNL‘s Jason Sudeikis as a polygamous organic chicken farmer was pretty hilarious. I have faith that it will grow as we get to know our mirror town and its inhabitants.

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Keep up your ‘Homomentum’ this weekend through ‘Thick & Thin’ with Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers is in town Saturday and she is indeed a piece of work!

Most of us are likely tired (and perhaps a little wounded) by a night out ringing in the New Year but there’s no rest for the wicked. This weekend might be a tad slower than usual but there’s plenty of not to be missed gay weekend events.

Thursday

Dirtbag! – Just recently revealed as one of the best new club nights of the year catch DB while it’s at its peak.

Drop Shop with ExstasyHot, hip hop, dancing sweating boys and girls. The perfect party for the breadth of your pals.

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Clips and theme song from Carrie Brownstein’s upcoming ‘Portlandia’ comedy series

In episode 2 they fall in with a cult leader played by guest star Jason Sudeikis, center.

This summer the Independent Film Channel announced that it would be producing a sketch comedy show starring Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen and our own rock goddess Carrie Brownstein, called Portlandia. Now not only does it have an air date, but video clips to give us a sneak peek and Brownstein singing fantastically silly theme song.

Premiering January 21st and continuing every Friday at 10:30/9:30 central, Portlandia introduces us to ourselves, our adbsurd, PDX selves. Each episode’s character-based shorts draw viewers into “Portlandia,” the creators’ dreamy campy rendering of the town we know and love.

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