August 6, 2024

Today’s Forecast

83º | 10% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:01 a.m. | Sunset 8:31 p.m.
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What’s a ‘brat summer’ and how do I have one?

Portland is spelled out in lower case arial font on a slime green background. The black text is substantially blurred.

Slime is so back in style. | Graphic by PDXtoday

Fuzzy, out-of-focus font on a slime green background. Viral social media moves. Specialty cocktails from bars like Holy Ghost. Your Gen Z + millennial relatives calling you “so brat.”

It’s been a “brat summer” whether you knew it or not, so we’re here to explain what it means and how to get in on the fun before flannels and pumpkin spice lattes take over in a couple of months.

Released on June 7, British singer Charli XCX’s album “brat” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts. Its 15 tracks examine existential topics like womanhood, family, and insecurity — all with an electric veneer of dance pop partying. In essence, to be a “brat” is to be yourself, flaws and all, while still having fun.

Now that you’re caught up on the lingo, here are three spots to live out your very own “brat summer” in the city.

Monster Tea House | 3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd. | Embrace that chaotic creature inside that’s always telling you to treat yourself to a tasty boba drink or spam musubi. Don’t miss the matcha brat bubble tea.

Holocene | 1001 SE Morrison St. | Enter your electronic + art pop era with a stint on the dance floor. The 312-person venue has 25-ft ceilings and features a bar stocked with tacos, monthly cocktails, and local beers + wine — so you can “Vroom Vroom” without getting thirsty.

Bell’s Orchard | 24350 SW Farmington Rd., Beaverton | Reenact the viral “Apple” TikTok dance while you’re picking actual fruit at this all-ages, “short orchard” — you won’t need a ladder. The first batch, the Gravenstein, will be ready for harvest in the next month or so.

Need us to put another pop culture phenomenon in Portland terms? Drop us a line and we’ll share our findings in a future newsletter. Bye-bye, brats.

Events

Tuesday, Aug. 6

The Infamous Stringdusters | Tuesday, Aug. 6-Wednesday, Aug. 7 | 7 p.m. | Revolution Hall | $40 | Jam along with this Grammy Award-winning progressive acoustic bluegrass band.
2024 Portland’s Funniest - Semifinal Round | Tuesday, Aug. 6 | 7 p.m. | Helium Comedy Club | $20-$28 | Get ready to laugh with the crème de la crème of the city’s comedy scene.

Wednesday, Aug. 7

Storytime with Andrea | Wednesday, Aug. 7 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum | $0-$8 | Bring your little one to hear forest stories and other tales beneath the trees; there will also be coloring pages and other activities.
Sleater-Kinney with Amyl and the Sniffers | Wednesday, Aug. 7 | 7-10 p.m. | Pioneer Courthouse Square | $55 | You don’t have to be a “Modern Girl” to enjoy the tunes of this dynamic rock duo comprised of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein.

Thursday, Aug. 8

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival | Thursday, Aug. 8-Sunday, Aug. 25 | Times vary | Locations vary | Free | Actors don’t rehearse for this summer of improv-ish outdoor performances of The Bard’s best-known works.
Portland Pickles vs. Kelowna Falcons | Thursday, Aug. 8 | 7:05 p.m. | Walker Stadium | $12-$25 | Join Fan Appreciation Night and help the team end the regular season on a high note.

Friday, Aug. 9

Ghosts of Summer | Friday, Aug. 9-Saturday, Aug. 10 | 7-11:59 p.m. | The Redd on Salmon Street | $12-$50 | Halloween lovers, this is your chance to get a head start on this year’s horrors and other scary fun.
Lee Farms Sunflower Festival | Friday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Aug. 18 | Times vary | Lee Farms | $15-$25 | Frolic through a u-cut field or get lost in a sunflower maze.

Events calendar here

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Pets

🐶 Pet insurance fur the 21st century

A white and brown dog sits on a grey couch in a living room with an abstract painting hanging above its head.

Lemonade was crafted by fellow animal lovers to simplify + streamline the pet insurance process. | Photo provided by Lemonade Insurance

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News Notes

Jobs

Intel, Oregon’s second-largest private employer, announced it will cut 15% of its total workforce — a seismic move that could see 3,000 people lose their jobs in the state. CEO Pat Gelsinger said the company plans to save $10 billion in 2025. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Answered

Northeast Portland has gone to the... rabbits? There seems to be an increase — by more than a hare — of bunnies in urban neighborhoods and along busy streets. Several factors could be at play, including the time of year, mild winters creating an abundant food supply, or people reigning in their roaming house cats. (Willamette Week)

Biz

Hip Chicks Do Wine, Portland’s self-proclaimed oldest urban winery, is in need of help. Amid a GoFundMe campaign to raise money, owners Laurie Lewis and Renee Neely are asking folks to stop by the tasting room, order bottles online, and help prevent the closing of another food and drink stalwart. (Portland Business Journal)

Read

Our city has world-class chefs and restaurants with reservations booked for months, but doesn’t really have a signature dish. Jojos or Totchos might have a claim, but “Portland: A Food Biography” takes a closer look at the ingredients that helped it grow into a foodie’s paradise. (Eater Portland)

Outdoors

Looking to dive in to the rest of summer? Well, you could take a swimming staycation at one of these local hotels with outdoors pools. Or work up a sweat to reach these out-of-the-way swimming holes (hiking required). (Portland Monthly)

Olympics

A last minute score adjustment saw Vancouver native Jordan Chiles jump onto the podium from fifth place in the floor exercise final, earning a bronze medal with a score of 13.766. The high drama occurred after an inquiry into the difficulty component of her routine. (KGW)

Sports

Oregon football landed a commitment from five-star safety Trey McNutt over the weekend. What will that do to the team’s 2025 recruiting class? It might just secure a top-10 ranking in the country. Hear more on Locked On’s daily podcast.

Home

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Olympics

Sam Coffey back from suspension for Germany semifinal rematch

Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey runs on the pitch during a game against North Carolina Courage. — Sam Coffey (center) missed the quarterfinal against Japan due to yellow card accumulation. Watch her and Sophia Smith today at 9 a.m.
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Photo via Hameltion

The Americans’ next challenge comes Tuesday in the semifinals against Germany. Here’s the story via KGW.

New U.S. coach Emma Hayes hasn’t always made the predictable choice during her short tenure with the team, but she’s been amazingly consistent with one thing during the Paris Olympics.

Her lineup.

Hayes has used essentially the same starters in every game. Her few variations have been made only because of injury, as was the case with Tierna Davidson, or ineligibility, like Sam Coffey’s yellow-card suspension for the quarterfinals.

Hayes said that it’s partly about building chemistry within the squad, and partly because she just took over the U.S. team in earnest in May after finishing out the season with Chelsea.