K.P.W.
Now, I don’t think a lot of people really understand what that means so I’m going to give them a brief history lesson on the origin of K.P.W: It means Keep Portland Weird and the true Oregonians, the ones who wear Birkenstocks, ride in a Subaru, wear earthtones 90% of the time, these are the people that have this bumper sticker on their car.
When I first moved to Portland, I truly didn’t understand or realize the greatness of that meaning until I saw some of the ... how do I put this … very INTERESTING people that walk the beautiful streets of our fair city.
So my new little project is if you see anything in any city -- especially in Portland -- take a picture and send it to info@channingfrye.com.
We’ll give out a prize to the winner of the K.P.W. Award so that the INTERESTING people can be seen not only by you but by the world and they can truly, truly be appreciated.
February 25th, 2008 - 07:52
This is an awesome idea. How many other athletes out there blogging solicit stuff from their readers? Good on you, Mr. Frye. Kudos!
February 25th, 2008 - 12:20
FYI, Austin, TX has had the Keep Austin Wierd campaign for a while. The half naked hobo has kind of become a staple of it. Just letting you know.
February 25th, 2008 - 12:32
My roommate was an organizer for Mini-Bike Winter 5, held about a week ago.
Thousands of pictures can be found here: http://flickr.com/search/?q=zoobomb&ct=6&ss=2&s=rec
Her boyfriend is a pretty good welder and they made a chariot bike that won the chariot competition! His “gravity bike” gets going up to 50mph when they zoobomb.
Portland’s bike culture is something of legend and the Zoobombers are a huge part of that. Mix in some tall bikes (RIP Clown House), a thriving bike messenger/track bike/fixed gear culture, naked midnight rides, and miles upon miles of bike paths and we’ve got a pretty rad recipe for bike greatness.
February 25th, 2008 - 13:28
If there isn’t a provision in your contract about Zoobombing, there should be…
February 25th, 2008 - 13:36
hey channing, found your blog via truehoop. your entries made me laugh (in a good way). i want to wish you good luck but i’m a lakers fan and you’re playing them tomorrow night. So after tomorrow night, I’ll come back and wish you good luck on the rest of the reason. keep up the goodness.
February 25th, 2008 - 14:50
nomuskles your a trader.
you dont good luck the enemy.
ps. frye. youll NEVER win a title with bynum. gasol. and bryant in town.
February 25th, 2008 - 16:02
Hey, happened to run across your blog and it’s great that you’re loving the city. I wish I had a picture, but one guy that always made me crack a smile when I lived downtown was this old guy in a classic jazz-era long coat tail suit, with a mickey mouse hat and a trumpet. He had a noisemaker too I believe and would just wander around the city smiling and making noise and trying to get other people to smile too. If you see him, get a picture. The fate of the city may depend on it.
There’s plenty of cool stuff to do and see around here obviously. If you’re looking for interesting local things to do/see I’m sure I and plenty of other readers can supply info.
February 25th, 2008 - 16:10
Man, makes me wish I had a camera handy when I saw that guy wearing a wedding dress walking around downtown. He sort of reminded me of that scene in Spaceballs where they capture the Princess’ stunt double.
February 25th, 2008 - 17:58
Hey man, the replies for your blog are too dark. It could use a little brightening
February 25th, 2008 - 18:31
JBboy, thanks for the heads up on the comment color. I went ahead and brightened it up. Let me know if there is anything else I can do!
February 25th, 2008 - 18:40
here is my link. i love how everyone looks so happy. that’s really all i care about. that and bears – care bears.
Weird Portland Parade
February 25th, 2008 - 20:31
go to a portland timbers match and stand in the north end. it will make the best nba crowd feel like a little league parents section.
and im sure you will get all of the free beer you can drink.
rose city til i die.
February 25th, 2008 - 21:31
channing-
come to any of the nightclubs i dj at and you’ll see first hand why portland is weird.
haha.
February 25th, 2008 - 22:47
You know, some of the greatest examples of Portland wierdness actually manifest more in the outskirt areas… places like Hillsboro, Gresham, and Mollalla. I’ll try to get some photos in one of these places to show you what I mean.
February 25th, 2008 - 23:42
I agree with Pong. Plenty of weirdos at Timbers games. Enough of us are Blazers fans, you can crowd surf if you want. Whatevs.
lakers dooshers, please go to hell kthx bye
February 26th, 2008 - 09:49
Glad you are enjoying the city of Portland.
I’m looking forward to reading more of your Blog in the days ahead.
You should check out last Thursday up in the Alberta neighborhood. It’s a fun little monthly art walk that can make for great people watching.
And yes like they said, going to a Timbers match is so very much a Portland thing. The crowds at those games are much like what you would experience in Europe.
Take care, mate.
February 26th, 2008 - 10:46
Dude, I just wanted to tell you I appreciate your blog. Keep up the good work.
February 26th, 2008 - 11:42
Here’s the downtown Mickey Mouse guy:
http://www.pbase.com/adriainpdx/image/47933371.jpg
I’m glad you’re digging it here, Channing — we hope you stay for a long time!
February 26th, 2008 - 11:59
http://www.opb.org/radio/archives/2005/05/portland_storie.php
February 26th, 2008 - 13:58
Channing! Man, you keep impressing me with your style.
February 26th, 2008 - 15:24
just found your blog through a link on the portland mercury’s blog and enjoyed reading some of your posts. glad that you are blogging. and i’m happy to read that you like our great city and are starting to see some of the more funky and unique aspects of it. and i second the previous suggestion to check out the alberta arts walk sometime- especially when it starts getting sunny. lotta freaks. keeping portland weird…
February 26th, 2008 - 16:17
There is a KEEP PDX WEIRD art show coming up at City Hall:
http://www.commissionersam.com/keepportlandweird
February 27th, 2008 - 11:12
@Adria: Thanks! Good to know I didn’t imagine his existence.
February 28th, 2008 - 01:46
I’m a native, I was born and raised here in Stumptown and I love the funky vibe our city has. I’m a professional musician, so I see my fair share of Portlandian Weirdness. I don’t have a lot of photos, and much of it is probably best left undocumented, but I found a few shots from a performance I did a year or two ago.
My favorite part of Portland is the Saturday Market, it completely captures everything I love about this city. I’ve played down there on the stage many times, including a few times when Street Elvis came and sat in with the band to sing “Heartbreak Hotel” or “Hound Dog”. A friend of mine named Pug plays down there on the street every day the market is open, but he plays all the instruments at once. Drums with his feet, acordian or guitar with his hands, harmonica, and he sings!
He invited me to come sit in for a few tunes so I got out my funkiest hippie clothes and joined in. Here are a few photos:
http://www.jonathanchase.net/images/Pug01.jpg
http://www.jonathanchase.net/images/Pug02.jpg
http://www.jonathanchase.net/images/Pug03.jpg
-Jonathan
February 29th, 2008 - 01:28
Spurs fan here. Glad that you’re digging on the new setting! True, however, goes the post that mentions Austin as the platform originators. Still, this quirky Texas town where I’m attending school shouldn’t necessarily get my nod for “most weird” solely on the point that it’s an anomaly surrounded on all sides by the Lone Star state . . . because I’ve spent time in Portland, and it’s a real freak show! I love it! God bless and here’s hoping you guys can turn this thing back into a 10-team race. Peace.
February 29th, 2008 - 13:37
Brian and Adria, the Mickey Mouse guy is sometimes around the Burnside entrance of Powells and I’ve also seen him around Pioneer Square Mall – whatever it’s called. He always brings a grin.
Another one of my favorites is a guy who walks around downtown with his cat on his shoulder or sometimes his head. No photos, of course, and I guess that’s not too weird (unless you have a cat, then you know how famously uncooperative they can be), but the sight of him always brightens my day a little bit.
February 29th, 2008 - 16:47
what pong and lucas and nevets said. Go to a Timbers match. Rose City ‘Til i Die!
February 29th, 2008 - 17:22
cute. very cute. i’ve been here 2 years and am lovin’ it!
March 4th, 2008 - 11:51
XXO3aH hi nice site man thx http://peace.com
March 4th, 2008 - 14:30
Channing, I wish you could have stayed in NYC but you’re getting the chance to be part of something good in Oregon.
March 4th, 2008 - 17:46
extreemo the clown, for sure. i believe he ran for mayor and actually got some votes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdGWug1Nggs
March 5th, 2008 - 10:28
thanks Channing for helping promote the show ! most of us weird artists get overlooked, i hope to see you there. I will be near my art in the show!
March 5th, 2008 - 23:01
Your b-day is in a few months right? I think someone needs to get you a K.P.W. bumper sticker for your b-day!
March 22nd, 2008 - 17:20
I am that guy who runs around town in a tuxedo and Mickey Mouse Hat. I mainly play the trumpet, But I also juggle, do magic, put on puppet shows and more. To the guy who said he saw me in a wedding dress, That was for my TV show and you can see a picture of me in the dress by going to my website
http://www.low-comedy.com
I was at the “Keep Portland Weird” artshow recently. Hopefully I am doing my part. I also have a tv show called Low-Comedy that has skits and joke and had quite a few people you had at City Hall. You can see a youtube of the show at the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYZyekSbGmk
The link to myspace page is
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65230602
Low Comedy airs on Thursday channel 23 comcast. In helping to keep portland weird, my next show is Sunday April 20 and it will be
“Backwards Day.”
If you would like to contact me my email is workingkirk@yahoo.com
March 23rd, 2008 - 07:46
If you think “true Oregonians” are “the ones who wear Birkenstocks, ride in a Subaru, wear earthtones 90% of the time” then you really MUST get away from the weirdos in Portland once in a while. And I’m not talking about Eugene. Try visiting some place like Sweet Home or Redmond or Vale to get to know the real Oregon. REAL Oregonians live in small towns, have jobs concerned with logging, farming, or ranching, own guns, and watch Fox News. And they will forever be upset that their state has be taken away from them by a bunch of San Fransiscon/New Yorker wannabes/transplants living in Portland. If you like “weird” please go back to one of those other places and leave Oregon to the true Oregonians.
March 23rd, 2008 - 22:54
here’s the real deal right here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=008e6t4kvJs
gettin’ funky! dude is on hawthorne all summer long.
March 24th, 2008 - 10:53
I kinda agree with Vinnie!! I have been an “Origonian” all my life! I KNOW that you ONLY see these “weird” people, when you go DOWNTOWN! I live in SE portland (Mall 205 area) a lot of us drive Honda’s and live “normal” middle class lives! Channing, please come to this area,.. we are NOT ALL CRAZY. I’m sure we are not fun to people watch, but you need to see that ONLY the Downtown area is weird!
March 28th, 2008 - 23:22
I snapped this picture today on NW 23rd and Lovejoy. A true pioneer of Portland wierdness. I love the site!
http://www.authenticsportscollectibles.com/store/kareem-abduljabbar-bill-walton–pi-12852.html
July 19th, 2008 - 13:21
yo channing i go to willamette u in salem, or and i cannot agree with you more on oregonians. man they are some crazy mfers..
September 26th, 2008 - 07:20
that guy in the chair looks like he is in a video game.
October 3rd, 2008 - 12:29
Great idea, really look forward to seeing the entrants and the winners!
October 4th, 2008 - 23:49
I’m happy to read that you like our great city and are starting to see some of the more funky and unique aspects of it. And I second the previous suggestion to check out the alberta arts walk sometime.
http://www.masterfaucet.com
October 11th, 2008 - 06:45
Thats like, hmm cartoon city.
October 11th, 2008 - 22:53
I don’t know portland was this weird until I read your post, I think it’s “unique”
October 11th, 2008 - 23:50
thanks Channing for helping promote the show ! most of us weird artists get overlooked, i hope to see you there. I will be near my art in the show!
October 13th, 2008 - 20:06
This is an awesome idea. How many other athletes out there blogging solicit stuff from their readers? Good on you, Mr. Frye. Kudos!
October 31st, 2008 - 17:30
How cool! I guess then that you would like Newtown in Sydney Australia, most definitely home to some strange citizens.
April 11th, 2009 - 20:40
to bad i dont live in portland but i been to some weird places like seattle anyways im a big knick fan and miss you on the knicks i know you are from the new york area and you are not getting the chance you need in portland im hoping you can come back to the knicks when you are a free agent!
January 27th, 2010 - 13:51
Just found this page. Was doing some searching for Keep Portland Weird. We just posted an article about ‘weird portland’ and so I got curious how much further does the weirdness go? It seems on and on! Thanks for the fun piece. http://www.52perfectdays.com/articles/keep-portland-weird