Slim Moon at Shotclock Management
Email: slim at
shotclockmanagement dot com
The Billions Corporation
Mary Brabec
312-997-9999 ext. 8235
Email: brabec at billions dot
com
For PAC bookings:
Ed Keane Associates
Gregory C. Little
617-846-1356
gregg at edkeane dot com
Email: pr at portlandcelloproject.com
The first time you see the Portland Cello Project perform you might be perplexed when you hear affectionate fans shouting "We Love PCP!"
In spite of a barrage of musical and visual sensory
overload, you'll figure out that you aren't in a
crowd of horse-tranquilizer-snorting maniacs, and that
"PCP" is the tongue-in-cheek acronym of this
group
of classically trained cellists.
But you'll wonder what kind of
a crowd this is‰ In the course
of one of PCP's epic 2-3 hour
shows (the format of which
is always a one-time affair
the group writes almost entirely
new arrangements
for every performance
cycle)
you'll see such
sights as: old ladies,
straight out of the
symphony hall nodding
their head to cello
hip-hop; young
children playing air
cello while dancing to
16 cellos
accompanying The
Builders and The
Butchers;
hipsters
too-cool-for-school
mesmerized by
Arvo Paert;
members of the
Decemberists
playing late
19th century
Russian
compositions
transcribed for
Hammond Organ, a
40-piece choir,
and of course: a
symphony of
cellos.
Since the group's inception in late 2007, they have performed with a veritable "Who's Who?" list of Portland musicians, from Laura Gibson to The Dandy Warhols, Horse Feathers, Mirah and Loch Lomond, just to name a few.
The cello is more-or-less the only constant in this amorphous collective from Portland, Oregon. Yet there is an organizer holding this anarchic display of controlled chaos together. You'll see him sitting in the back row of the cello section at all of these shows, as if to appear an anonymous member of the horde. This is Douglas Jenkins. Jenkins, who often pens15-20 new scores for each performance, has led the band through two previous CD's of original songs and covers, and has been at the heart of the band's rise to immense popularity in their hometown.
The
group's
newest
full-length
is
being
released
on
June
9th,
2009
on
their
new
label,
local
independent
Kill
Rock
Stars.
This
CD
and
indeed
the
relationship
forged
with
this
well-suited
record
label
embodies
the
group's
belief
that
"collaboration
is
the
cornerstone
of
independence
and
artistic
freedom."
Two
of
the
artists
who
have
collaborated
with
PCP:
Thao
Nguyen
of
Thao
With
The
Get
Down
Stay
Down
and
local
musician
Justin
Power,
contribute
four
songs
each
to
this
CD,
the
Thao
and
Justin
Power
Sessions.
And
the
other
four
songs
on
the
record
are
strategically
placed
examples
of
cello
sublimity
and
madness:
from
a
Pantera
cover,
to
a
solemn
religious
piece
by
John
Tavener.
Although
it's
no
longer
an
anomaly
for
popular
musicians
to
work
with
an
orchestra,
it
tends
to
be
on
the
symphony's
terms,
in
the
symphony's
concert
halls,
and
for
the
symphony's
exclusive
rates.
The
classically
trained
cellists
of
The
Portland
Cello
Project
are
working
to
reverse
that
tradition
by
making
their
talents
accessible
to
their
guests
wildest
dreams,
while
bringing
the
instrument
into
venues
where
you
wouldn't
normally
see
cellos.
With
this
in
mind,
the
group
will
be
touring
throughout
2009,
bringing
their
collaborative
philosophy
to
a
dirty
punk
club
near
you!
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Denmark, by Gideon Freudmann. Off of Thousand words. 2010.
Into the Twilight, (from The Dream, by Rachel Blumberg. Off of Thousand words. 2010.
Tallymarks, featuring Thao. (Off of The Thao and Justin Power
Sessions Kill Rock Stars, 2009.
Danza del Fuego, by Manuel de Falla. Off of the
Self-Titled Album 2008.
Travel, featuring Justin Power. Off of The Thao and Justin Power Sessions. Kill Rock Stars 2009.