Pearl Jam/Nirvana Alternative Liturgy (Portland, OR, 3/16)

[josephrose]

Hello, Pearl Jam family.

I hope some of you can make it to this event that I'm organizing featuring several Portland musicians on March 16.

Something in the Way: The Pearl Jam and Nirvana Alternative Liturgy
Saturday, March 16, 6 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Kempton Hall
147 NW 19th Ave.
Portland, OR

Come as you are to an alternative Lenten liturgy featuring the music of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Two of the most popular and critically-acclaimed rock bands of the past 20 years, their powerful, poetic and often raw songs reflect the internal, external, and metaphysical obstacles we face as humans walking through the postmodern world.
Free.
The free-will offering benefits Trinity's Northwest Community Meal, which served 32,000 people in 2012, and the Oregon Food Bank.



Thanks to Justin Hampton for donating his amazing art to promote the event.

In the Christian tradition, a Liturgy is a spiritual gathering centered on music and readings.

Here's a story from the Willamette Week about what I'm up to with these alternative liturgies, which seek to explore the sacred and spiritual in the secular:
http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-1 ... hymns.html

I've been wanting to hold a service featuring the music of Pearl Jam for years. The band's music has challenged and inspired me through college, career, fatherhood and the present tense. This event will take place during the season of Lent, when we're challenged to ask tough questions about our lives, our faith and our humanity. Or, as Eddie would demand, "God, what do you say?"
Pearl and Nirvana are a perfect fit.

A few words about the Episcopal Church: We are part of the so-called religious left, an open and accepting Christian denomination that ordains gays and lesbians as priests, preaches peace, has historically taken a leadership role in the social gospel movements to end slavery, promote women's rights and end segregation, and we consider music a sacrament of life. We try to lead by example, rather than proselytizing. My wife runs Trinity's soup kitchen. When we feed someone -- and we feed thousands (the homeless, the working poor, drifters, men, women, children, immigrants) -- we only ask that they fill their bellies so that they can go out into the world to live, look for work, dance, sing, whatever gives them hope and strength. We don't preach at them. We don't pressure them to join the church. We simply see a need in the world and try our best to fix it.

Here's an editorial from The Oregonian about why the Trinity program serves an important role not filled by other food pantries in the city:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonia ... to_be.html

Although the Trinity Northwest Community Meal gets support from Starbucks, Whole Foods, local bakers and butchers, and the Oregon Food Bank, the demand and needs of the program have never been greater.
Oregon is the nation's third hungriest state. (http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-north ... state.html) And we see it daily.

These alternative liturgies are a crucial part of funding the program. Last summer, a number of local musicians, from Corin Tucker to Menomena to members of Modest Mouse, joined in an outdoor liturgy that celebrated Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday and raised $5,000 in donations.

This one will be inside. But it should be just as cool.

I hope you can make it to enjoy some very cool interpretations of our favorite band's songs (yes, the guitars will be out) and to help feed Portland's hungry.

Peace.

[super nintendo chalmers]

Ew.

[Birds in Hell]

Ew.

[Norah]

The song lyrics puns were pretty insufferable.

[Jorge]

You kinda have to be an enormous dick to shit on a charity event that's aimed to feeding the hungry, song puns or otherwise.

Good luck with the event, dude, and good on you for giving your time to a worthwhile cause.

[Birds in Hell]

Hey, I hope it goes well!

I still think it's pretty gross.

[Birds in Hell]

http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-1 ... hymns.html

While the Radiohead service opens a bit predictably—with a choral version of “Creep” cribbed from The Social Network soundtrack set against some relevant hymns—it moves swiftly to less hummable numbers like “You and Whose Army” and “Pyramid Song,” both contrasted with retellings of Jesus’ grisly last 24 hours.

Sticking with:

Ew.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know. I doubt most of the artists would approve of their songs being used in a religious capacity. There are plenty of ways to get money for the homeless that don't require the co-opting of others' art without permission.

[Jorge]

Yeah, I don't know. I doubt most of the artists would approve of their songs being used in a religious capacity. There are plenty of ways to get money for the homeless that don't require the co-opting of others' art without permission.

You need permission to play live covers now?

Come off it. We secularize religious music all the time. This is not my kind of event (as in I wouldn't go, not as in I'll be a cynical asshole and mock someone who's trying to drum up support for a good cause because it doesn't fit into my precious parameters of cool), but it's definitely more noble and worthwhile than your typical half-assed "tribute" band stumbling through a version of "Evenflow".

[Birds in Hell]

This is not my kind of event (as in I wouldn't go, not as in I'll be a cynical asshole and mock someone who's trying to drum up support for a good cause because it doesn't fit into my precious parameters of cool), but it's definitely more noble and worthwhile than your typical half-assed "tribute" band stumbling through a version of "Evenflow".

The reliance on cool, alternative music to draw people to some kind of religious event starts to raise my suspicious immediately. Not because I'm some uber-cool douchebag who thinks it's below him (you know me well enough by now to know that I'm a gigantic dork), but because it can so easily be a backdoor route to ensnaring vulnerable people into the church.

I'd much prefer to see that half-assed tribute band bellow through Even Flow and then donate the money they earned from that night's performance to an organisation that helps the homeless (if that's what they want to do.)

[Angus]

It's ok, we're a bit sensitive on everything religion.

[Strat]

You have to be a pretty big dick to be called a pretty big dick by a prett big dick.

[Blenheim Augustine]

The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland.

[mastaflatch]

nevermind, there's no way that this poster will come back, U guys are a bunch of negative creeps.

[spike]

shoe the shoeless

[B]

Yeah, I don't know. I doubt most of the artists would approve of their songs being used in a religious capacity. There are plenty of ways to get money for the homeless that don't require the co-opting of others' art without permission.

You need permission to play live covers now?

Sorry, my point was 6 miles that way. -->

[Birds in Hell]

Yeah, I don't know. I doubt most of the artists would approve of their songs being used in a religious capacity. There are plenty of ways to get money for the homeless that don't require the co-opting of others' art without permission.

You need permission to play live covers now?

Sorry, my point was 6 miles that way. -->

I'm with B on this. I don't think his point was that they didn't seek permission, more that he's doubtful the artists would be pleased their work was being presented in such a manner - take the Radiohead example I posted upthread, for instance. Of course they don't need to seek permission, but that wasn't his point.

[McParadigm]

The reliance on cool, alternative music to draw people to some kind of religious event starts to raise my suspicious

Later remembered as prelude to the moment in which RM embraced the word "whippersnappers" and buying stool softeners in bulk.

[McParadigm]

Also, I'm pretty sure you should all be bonerpopping a little less about whether or not this is a reasonable use of a hairplugged corporate side show and a dead heroin junkies music, and more about the fact that Pearl Jam covers are TERRIBLE.

[Fuzzcharger]

Rank the liturgies.