The Portland 50

Jason Mraz is not a Portland local, but his focus on climate change and sustainable living fits very much into the Portland mindset. Plus, you can catch him performing in town at the Schnitzer Concert Hall on November 1st. 

Hear about Jason's start in music, what he's up to these days - and how farming has changed his outlook.

Kevin Irving has been the Artistic Director for Oregon Ballet Theatre since July of 2013. And OBT is now entering it's 30th season in Portland.

In this episode of the Portland 50, hear about Kevin's journey into dancing, and what circumstances created OBT 30 years ago... and what plans are in place for it's 30th season.

Most people know Carrie Brownstein as the co-creator of Portlandia. But before that, Carrie was a member of the PNW based rock band Sleater-Kinney.  They're new album, The Center Won't Hold, is out now, with a big tour this fall (stops here in Portland in November). 

Hear about the new record, how she prepares for a long tour, and what it was like working with St. Vincent. 

Our guest this week is Dave Petterson, the General Manager and Winemaker at Domaine de Broglie, a vineyard and winery in the Dundee Hills that's now part of the of the Family Coppola.

Vortex Magazine recently asked the question, "Is opera unapproachable to modern audiences?"

May Arden has an answer for that.

In this episode of the Portland 50, Cort talks to May about the state of opera, and how she's made it her mission to bring opera into modern context.  Her music might be the most unique thing out there on the current Portland soundscape. 

Be sure to check out May and her new band Last Man as the perform on August 17th.  Get details here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/last-man-tickets-67059261055

2019 has shaped up to be a year of change when it comes to sports in Portland and in Oregon in general. 

Cort gets a state of the union when it comes to Oregon sports with  with Judah Newby, Assistant Program Director of KXTG, 102.9/750 The Game.

On this episode of the Portland 50, Cort talks to Mike Zupan, president of Zupan's Markets.  Hear about the origins of Zupans, what brought Mike's family to Portland, and what the future of grocery shopping looks like.  

It's not a stretch to think that Anthony Bourdain had some influence on the Portland food scene.  In this episode of the Portland 50, Cort returns to an interview he had with Anthony early 10 years ago, as well as a what it was like for one local chef to work with Anthony on his TV show.

Our guest this week is Jamie Mustard, a speaker and author. His book, The Iconist, will come out later this year.  Jamie is an avid consumer of popular culture, and a graduate of the London School of Economics. He is obsessed with the "economics of attention" and has consulted for Intel, Cisco and Symantec.  Learn more here: theiconist.org

Chris Young is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Vortex magazine, celebrating it's 5th year this April.  Chris is an advocate for the local music scene, and serves as a board member for MusicPortland.