[divider]Bacon Isn’t the Only Thing on the Menu[/divider]
Bacon Ball is a bit like Savory’s first child. It’s grown up, it’s doing well on it’s own, and it’s left the crew with room to explore other avenues. We were happy to hear that Harm Reduction is an important focus. Laurel coordinates with Dance Safe to be at every Bacon Ball and Ethan represents Savory on the PDX Safe Nightlife Committee. That committee works with interested persons in the nightlife industry and city officials to build guidelines and advocate for a safe, yet vibrant nightlife in Portland.
Our conversation ventured towards politics and it was delightfully surprising to see the importance Savory placed on making Portland sustainable for events of all sorts. First, they noted how crucial it is to play by the books and work within the permits granted and the rules of the OLCC and fire marshall. Too often, these rules are bent or broken and it gives the dance music scene a bad name. Also, you also may not be aware (we weren’t) that if you want to throw a street party in Portland, you have to partner with a non-profit. This is incredibly prohibitive as venue costs are on the rise and being unable to utilize public space is a serious detriment to our scene. There is a risk of the heart of Portland’s art community being pushed out, and Savory is determined to fight that through advocacy and political action.
More specific to their events, an ongoing goal is to build partnerships with like-minded organizations and individuals. Bacon Ball VIII, Summer Mayham, was a great representation of that initiative. For art, they contracted Sally Stevens to paint a sea mural. For music, they partnered with Infinite Vision to bring Ghastly. And for the environment, they invited The Escape Collective to build a dome for their outdoor half of their summer show.
Bacon Ball VIII: Mayham – Photo: Garry Bastian Photography
They’ve also worked with local food vendors like Maple Parlor to bring frozen treats. Small Town Brewing and Worthy Brewing have partnered to bring delicious beer. Pixel Matrix does some amazing work with LED matrices to provide a unique stage experience, as seen most recently at Bacon Ball X. Speaking to the music, Jake commented that he really wants to bring in some more out of state names – but being sure to focus on the local heroes more than big names in the industry.
For a different flavor of Savory, the next event you can catch is The Grilled Cheese Disco on April 29th. Imagine a disco, three tables – two DJs spinning sick beats, one guy grilling cheese sandwiches. OK, it might not happen exactly like that, but there will be grilled cheese! The event takes place at The Liquor Store, which lends itself well to a much more casual, chilled Friday night sorta vibe. The crew hopes that this will help make their vision more accessible to a wider variety people within the community that want to participate. For some, the warehouse atmosphere might be a bit much; Grilled Cheese Disco will be something a bit more approachable. Either way, it’s a great entry way to experience what they have to offer and build on the community that already exists.
“If you’re not there for the money, you can do a lot more,” says Ethan. We think that’s great to hear and hopefully symbolic of a restored attitude in our scene towards building something for the good of the community and not purely for profit. Hopefully this notion will eventually carry them to something grand. If they all had their way, the passion and enthusiasm that drives Savory will eventually give way to a small festival to call their own. All the while making sure to be inclusive and give room for the community to participate, inspire, and have a damn good time.
Bacon Ball X: Deep Space Swine – Photo: Stumptown Blue
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
