The 2015 GLA45 AMG is the latest entry in an automative niche that didn't even exist a few years ago — high performance luxury compact crossovers.

In fact, luxury compact crossovers are still relatively new. Mercedes just introduced its first, 2014 GLA-class. The AMG version adds everything a modern hot rodder could wants, including a twin turbo 2.0-liter engine that cranks out a whopping 355 horsepower and 332 pound feet of torque, a unique seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, all-wheel-drive to deliver all that power to the road, and huge disc brakes to keep everything under control.

Naturally, the 2015 GLA45 AMG comes with a leather interior and excellent sound system. But our test version featured over $18,000 worth of options that included everything from a $1,950 Aerodynamics package with a spiky front air dam and huge rear wing to a $2250 AMG-Recaro seats and a $1500 Black “Red Cut” leather package (black leather seats, red stitching and seatbelts, and a black headliner).

The result is not only a compact crossover that goes incredibly fast, but a compact crossover that looks like it goes incredibly fast standing still — both inside and out.

We only had the 2015 GLA45 AMG for a few days, but every one of them was entertaining. The engine and transmission were incredibly responsive, encouraging aggressive (but never illegal, of course) driving on even the most routine errands. And because it is a crossover, the higher ride height improved visibility, even though it was a "only" a compact.

The 2015 GLA45 AMG isn't the first sporty compact crossover Sports Utility Vehicle. The original cute utes — like the early Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester — weren't much fun to drive. But as their popularity grew, some manufactures began adding performance features, including Subaru, which dropped a turbocharged Boxer engine into the first generation Forester, and Acura, which put a turbocharged engine in its first generation RDX.

There's a big difference between sporty and honestly high performance, however, and it took a while for the real deals to show up. One is the Porsche Macan Turbo with the optional turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 rated at 400 horsepower. And the BMW X1 xDrive35i comes close, although its turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 generates "just" 300 horsepower.

Of course, even the base GLA250 is an excellent luxury compact crossover, which comes standard with a 208-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a seven-speed automated manual transmission with shift paddles, and, at least initially, 4Matic all-wheel-drive. But if you really want to have fun, the outrageous AMG version is the way to go.

2015 GLA45 AMG

Base price: $48,300.

Price as tested: $66,975.

Type: Performance luxury compact crossover.

Engine: turbocharged turbocharged 2.0 L4 (355 hp, 332 ft-lbs).

EPA estimated mileage: 23/29.

Overall length: 175".

Curb weight: 3,589 pounds.

Final assembly: Rastatt, Germany.

Packard that chauffered King George VI and Queen Elizabeth will be at Concours d'Elegance

It’s not every day you see an automobile that is literally fit for a king and queen. A 1930 Packard Model 740 with a Super 8 engine that was used to chauffeur King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their stay in Victoria, B.C., will be displayed at the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, July 19.

But it’s not the royal connection that makes this automobile so fascinating. Instead, it is the current owner’s quest to locate, purchase and restore the Packard.

The story begins in 1930, when Victoria, B.C., resident Chris Yarrow’s grandfather, Norman Yarrow, visited the Plimley’s dealership in downtown Victoria. In the wake of the Great Depression, sales of luxury cars were slow and Norman was able to strike a favorable deal for the car. He sold it to a new owner after a few years.

In 1939, King George VI of England and Queen Elizabeth were scheduled to visit Victoria on their tour of the Dominion and the United States. The stately Packard became their transportation from their ship’s berth to the Empress Hotel to Government House.

Fast forward to 1972, when a 14-year-old Yarrow went searching for his grandfather’s car. His first stop was the old Classic Car Museum in downtown Victoria. Murray Gammon, the owner of the museum, provided the name of the Packard’s owner — and his phone number.

Yarrow contacted Art Fulawka and began a friendship between the two families. He visited the car in storage in Port Coquitlam and reunited the original trunk and fitted luggage with the Packard.

Many years passed, until one day Fulawka called out of the blue. “I always promised you first refusal,” he remembers the owner saying. “Do you want it?”

After 14 years, Chris Yarrow’s quest was over.

The Packard was fully restored and will be on display at the Forest Grove Concours, held on the grounds of Pacific University. It will be part of the Grand Classic, a premier show for Classic Car Club of America members, being held in conjunction with the show. More than 50 “full classics” are expected from all over the west coast and Canada.

Special thanks to Chris Yarrow’s Packard friends, Bhagwan Mayer and Michael May, for arranging to transport the automobile from Victoria, B.C., to Forest Grove.

Allen Stephens is chairman of the organizing committee for the 2015 Concours d’Elegance.

Milwaukie resident Doug Naef and his girlfriend will bring 1956 model to Forest Grove show

Over the years, Milwaukie resident Doug Naef has occasionally attended the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance car show with his dad. But this year he and his girlfriend, Christine Merris, will be presenting her car — a 1956 Ford Thunderbird previously owned by the late western singing star Gene Autry.

The Forest Grove Rotary Club will host the 43rd annual Concours, a classic and vintage car show on the Pacific University campus, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19. This year, the Classic Car Club of America will be part of the event, showcasing American or foreign-made classics from the years 1925 to 1948.

There will also be several sub-themes, including “Celebrating 60 years of the Ford Thunderbird.” Almost 300 cars are registered, including more than 10 Thunderbirds.

Registration chairman Geoff Johnston of Forest Grove is looking forward to seeing the classic cars. “They are a little more exclusive,” he said, adding that “it’s not unusual to have million-dollar cars on campus.”

Like Johnston, Naef is excited for the car show as well. He was raised around cars and remembers helping his dad fix up vehicles to use and sell.

Four years ago he became a part of the Touring Club of Oregon, a longstanding car club. But it wasn’t until he met his girlfriend, Merris, that he was able to present a car in a show.

“I would have never done this on my own,” Merris said. “I’m excited to have someone as excited about this as I am.”

And Merris’ car, in particular, has a history. In 1975 the car was sold to a family member associated with the Wrigley Gum company, a business associate of Autry’s. And Autry himself — who was known as “The Singing Cowboy” during his heyday in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s — came to possess the vehicle in the early 1980s. A couple years later a friend of Merris’ father, Michael Pilosi, bought the vehicle but decided he didn’t have time to work on it — so he asked her dad if he wanted it. The answer was yes.

The car, which at the time was in extremely poor condition, was stored in her family’s barn in Molino, Ore., for 20 years before Merris decided to oversee the restoration in Portland.

“I wanted the car to be as original as possible,” Merris said. “I’m not a modifier.”

In 2012 the car’s restoration was completed with help from Merris’ family business, Main Street Collectors Mall & Soda Fountain in Milwaukie, where the car is used in local parades to promote the business.

In addition, both Naef and Merris participated in the Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally — a four-day time/speed distance event — in 2013.

“It was a lot of fun and it was very challenging,” Naef said. “I didn’t realize that people got involved in all these different activities.”

Naef currently owns six cars — one being the oldest registered Portia Volkswagen in Oregon — as well as several motorcycles.

“I’m a firm believer in using the cars so I will use them with the Touring Club of Oregon,” Naef said.

Aside from his many vehicles, Naef also owns Doug Naef Insurance Agency in Milwaukie. He enjoys traveling, spending time with his two children — ages 25 and 27 — other family members and gardening.

He loves motorcycling on back roads throughout Oregon and Washington and recently enjoyed a rafting trip on the Deschutes River with a Volkswagen van club — anything to get him outdoors or on the water.

But most of all, Naef — who will also be a judge during this month’s Concours — says he anticipates “seeing all the other cars and enjoying the company of like-minded people” at the show.

“I’m looking forward to sharing the Gene Autry car with the public because a lot of people of the era that appreciate older cars were big fans of his,” Naef said. “He was the only one to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He [was] a versatile guy, so to be able to share the car with the public is very rewarding.”

All proceeds from Concours d’Elegance will go toward scholarships and community service projects, mainly in western Washington County.

“I think that’s why I’m involved,” Naef said. “I’m a big believer of giving back to the community and supporting things that help other people.”

Project plays it forward with rescued pianos set up around Portland — and the help of an app

“When I started, I didn’t even have a piano at home,” said Megan McGeorge, founder of Piano.Push.Play.

“I was an undergrad at PSU and hadn’t had my own piano since living in my parents’ house as a teenager. I was in that situation of needing a piano to play on.”

Started with just one donated piano from the Portland Piano Co., Piano.Push.Play has eleven pianos in parks around Portland — more than double its five pianos in 2014 — and is in its fourth summer.

To keep track of the locations, Piano.Push.Play. developed a map app in coordination with developers from Portland Code School and Urban Airship.

“I’d be interacting with someone at one of the pianos and start telling them, well we have four other ones — they’re here, here and here,” McGeorge said. “I was looking at them and seeing in their face, they’re forgetting everything I’m telling them almost as soon as I’m telling them.”

McGeorge came up with the idea for a map app that pings users when they’re close to one of the pianos, and reached out to Portland Code School, where her idea became a capstone project for two students Misty DeGiulio and James Stiehl. DeGiulio is a technical support engineer at Urban Airship, taking classes to increase her skills.

“The main feature of the app is the map that displays all the locations of the pianos along with their descriptions,” DeGiulio said. “The app also has a camera feature on it so you can easily take a picture and share your experience on social media.”

The app has been submitted to the iOS App Store for review, and is expected to go live this month.

“We’re placing Gimbal beacons in all the pianos so when an app user comes within a certain radius of the piano, it sends him or her a notification,” DeGiulio said. “That’s essentially the user experience — users receive a message from a nearby piano, encouraging them to come play it.”

This year, Portland Parks & Recreation has partnered with Piano.Push.Play., offering 30 parks as locations. As a result, some pianos will spend two weeks at each location, making the app vital to keeping track and finding them, especially since this is Piano.Push.Play.’s first year expanding to the east side of the city at locations including the Sellwood riverfront and Mount Tabor Parks.

“We do want to keep it this big, we’ve been planning intensely since January,” McGeorge said. “The more people hear about us, the more collaborations we have.”

Each piano is sponsored by local companies, which this year include Portland Piano Co., Struck, ADX Portland, Gimbal, Awesome Portland, Lucid, Umpqua Bank, Hilton Portland and Executive Tower, Becker Capital Management, and Urban Airship. Each sponsor donated $1,000 during the summer, which goes toward transportation and weekly tuning before Friday night concerts.

Every Friday through the end of August, concerts are booked using the park pianos. One concert will have a graffiti artist decorating a fresh piano live during the performance. A piano is scheduled to be delivered to the Jade District Night Market, supported by commissioner Nick Fish.

Each summer, Piano Push Play begins with fresh pianos. “The pianos are destined for dumps,” McGeorgen said. “Every single piano this year was destined to be recycled.”

“We’ve discovered there are so many pianos out there that don’t have homes,” McGeorge said. “Every year, there has been more community support.”

The pianos, all donated from the Portland Piano Co., are uniquely decorated by local artists including Struck, the Doug Fir Lounge, ADX Portland, Awesome Portland, Roundhouse Portland, Lucid Design, Open Eye Art, the Bureau of Betterment, North and Splash Worldwide. One, the Debussy, has a plexiglass front and seat, exposing a design of rolled sheet music. The Haydn has a solar-powered lamp.

“Some local artists and design studios chipped in their services to really make the pianos works of art,” DeGiulio said. “This whole project is about creating an experience and giving the public a chance to share their talent and appreciate music in and around the community.”

“Next year’s version may also include gamification elements,” DeGiulio said.

Game ideas for future development of the app include a “collect them all” social media challenge, taking pictures of yourself playing at each piano across the city. Winners could receive one of the pianos at the end of the summer. Other ideas include a live video to play duets simultaneously at different locations.

“The app is mainly about drawing people in to share the experience,” McGeorge said. “I’m absolutely not done: constantly, more people want to play. More pianos, more designers, they’ve kept this installment happening and continued to grow the map.”

“It will be a fun way to get people involved in this public arts project that is all about growing music appreciation outside of typical venues and concert halls,” said DeGiulio. “After the summer months, the refurbished pianos find a new life within nonprofits, schools and community centers to inspire the next generation of musicians.”

Many things happen at the Alpenrose Dairy property, 6149 S.W. Shattuck Road, including some high-level bicycle racing, especially in the Velodrome Challenge, a 16th annual event that will be held July 17 through 19. It draws riders from around the world, including some Olympians.

The Velodrome is one of only 25 bicycle racing tracks in the nation, and it’s known for its incline — 43-degree angles on the corners, meaning racers must maintain a speed of 12.5 miles per hour to remain upright. It’s also a unique track because it’s concrete; most others are wooden.

Velodrome bikes have no brakes, and they have a single fixed rear gear, or cog. For info: www.alpenrosechallenge.com

Garden art

Want to take a road trip and enjoy some art? “Art in the Garden” will be featured again at The Oregon Garden in Silverton, and it includes outdoor art installations by David Hillesland, Tyler Brumfield and Paul Jenkins, July 10 through Sept. 30. For info: www.oregongarden.org

Matthews’ 50th

A lot of Portland music fans venture to the Gorge Amphitheatre near Quincy, Wash., for concerts — and many will likely be there Sept. 4 through 6 for some milestone events. The Dave Matthews Band returns to the venue for its traditional Labor Day weekend shows, and Sept. 6 will mark the band’s 50th show there. For more: www.davematthewsband.com

Nikkei benefit

The Oregon Nikkei Endowment celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Japanese American Historical Plaza and Bill of Rights Memorial with a benefit banquet at 5 p.m. July 18 at the Hillton Portland and Executive Tower, 921 S.W. Sixth Ave. Special guest remarks will be made by Gov. Kate Brown.

Cost is $125 per person. To register, contact the Oregon Nikkei Endowment at 503-224-1458 or info@oregonnikkei.org, or register online at: www.oregonnikkei.org

State of Oregon Craft film

The Portland Tribune last month wrote about the Museum of Contemporary Craft’s “State of Oregon Craft” exhibit, which runs through Aug. 15. The museum also partnered with a local filmmaker and producer, Blacktop Films, to document and engage selected makers in the exhibition, illustrating the uniquely Oregon story of craft.

The nine films can be viewed online at mocc.pnca.edu and on Vimeo (www.vimeo.com/craftmuseum); info on Blacktop can be found at: www.blacktopfims.com

Last week, July 10

“The Gallows”; “Amy”; “Cartel Land”; “Minions”

This week, July 17

“Ant-Man” (Disney), PG-13, 117 minutes

About — Scott Lang goes from con man to (sometimes) tiny superhero teaming with his mentor; Stars — Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Hayley Atwell, Michael Pena; Director — Peyton Reed

“Infinitely Polar Bear” (SPC), R, 88 minutes

About — A bipolar man tries to win over his wife by taking care of their daughters while she attends grad school; Stars — Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky; Director — Maya Forbes

“Mr. Holmes” (Roadside), PG, 105 minutes

About — Retired, Sherlock Holmes frets about one unsolved case; Stars — Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan; Director — Bill Condon

“Trainwreck” (Universal), R, 125 minutes

About — A career woman (Amy Schumer) meets a good guy, destroying her belief that monogamy wasn’t possible; Stars — Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn; Director — Judd Apatow

Next week, July 24

“Paper Towns”; “Southpaw”; “Batkid Begins”

Movies in the Park

Pre-movie entertainment at 6:30 p.m., music, popcorn and movies at dusk at Portland parks:

Thursday, July 16: “The Karate Kid,” King School Park, N.E. Sixth Ave./Going; “Jason and the Argonauts,” Portland Art Museum, 1219 S.W. Park Ave.

Friday, July 17: “The Imitation Game,” Irving Park, N.E. 10th Ave. and Fremont St.

Saturday, July 18: “Back to the Future,” Glenhaven Park, N.E. 82nd Ave. and Siskiyou St.; “Annie,” St. John’s Park, 8424 N. Central

Sunday, July 19: “The Goonies,” Lents Park, S.E. 92nd Ave. and Holgate Blvd.

Home rentals

The latest top 10 digital movie purchases based on transaction rate, by Rentrak:

1. “Kingsman: The Secret Service”

2. “Chappie”

3. “Run all Night”

4. “The Duff”

5. “Unfinished Business”

6. “American Sniper”

7. “Focus”

8. “Jupiter Ascending”

9. “Get Hard”

10. “McFarland, USA”

Other recent favorites: “Spongebob Movie: Sponge out of Water,” “Annie,” “Project Almanac”

Doc spotlight

“The Seeds: Pushin’ Too Hard”

It’s a documentary about the band, fronted by charismatic lead singer Sky Saxon, that produced such teen anthems as “Pushin’ Too Hard” and “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine,” and layed the groundwork for punk. It tells of the bands ups and downs through TV and concert clips, photos and interviews with original members, fans and observers, including Iggy Pop, Kim Fowley, Gene Norman, The Bangles, Johnny Echols of Love, and Bruce Johnson of The Beach Boys. It screens at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Hollywood Theatre, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd. (www.hollywoodtheatre.org). Director Neil Norman will take questions and give answers after the show.

Upcoming event

Presented by the Northwest Film Center, the Top Down: Rooftop Cinema returns to the Hotel deLuxe’s parking structure at Southwest 15th Avenue and Yamhill Street for the 11th year. There’ll be seven nights of screenings on Thursdays, starting July 16. doors open at 7 p.m., movies show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $11 general, $10 students/seniors. For more info: www.nwfilm.org.

Announced last week at San Diego Comic Con: Darren Davis, a Portland comic book creator and publisher, has signed a deal to develop a comic book property into a television program.

“Insane Jane” is based on a cult comic book by Davis’ Bluewater/StormFront Productions. It currently is in development and features Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” alum Miracle Laurie as the eponymous Jane. She’s a deluded, yet well-meaning heroine who believes she has superpowers.

The TV series will be produced by Bohemia Group Originals and Laurie. Screenwriter Tracy Morse (“Creature”) also has signed on for the project.

“When Jane was introduced to me, I was floored,” Laurie says in a news release. “She is an actor’s dream, filled with complexity and laced with tremendous amounts of fun.”

Adds Davis: “What Miracle, Tracy and and the folks at Bohemia Group are doing with Jane is simply off-the-charts cool.”

Production will start later this year; a distribution deal has not been secured.

For more: www.bluewaterprod.com.

Janet Jackson

The rock diva has announced the second North American leg of her “Unbreakable World Tour,” and she’ll be kicking it off with a performance in Portland at the Moda Center on Jan. 12.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, July 20 (www.LiveNation.com, www.Ticketmaster outlets, 1-800-745-3000). There have been 27 cities added to the tour. To pre-order her new album, go to www.janetjackson.com.

‘The Biggest Loser’

Contestants for the 17th season of the popular weight-loss show will be considered in nine cities, including Seattle. The theme: Teams of two who have at least 80 pounds each to lose.

The Seattle auditions will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Planet Fitness, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park, Wash.

For people unable to attend the auditions, information on how to apply for the show can also be found online at www.nbc.com/casting and www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.

Pittock Mansion

The historic mansion has an upcoming exhibit, “Ball Gown to Bloomers: Spotlight on the Clothing Collection,” featuring clothing from the late 1800s and early 1900s and what it can tell us about the past.

The details: July 18-Nov. 15, Pittock Mansion, 3229 N.W. Pittock Drive, www.pittockmansion.org (check for

complete info).

Roots music hums at Northwest String Summit July 16-19

Many of us have a songwriter we love. But Nicki Bluhm doesn’t just love Tim Bluhm’s songwriting, she’s married to it — literally.

“He’s my favorite living songwriter right now,” she says of her husband, who plays with her in The Gramblers, one of several acts set to grace the stages at Horning’s Hideout, Thursday through Sunday, July 16 through 19, for the Northwest String Summit.

The acoustic-friendly festival is expected to draw up to 5,000 people to see such acts as festival anchor Yonder Mountain String Band, Greensky Bluegrass, the Del McCoury Band, David Grisman, The Infamous Stringdusters, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, The Greyboy Allstars, Nahko & Medicine For The People, Left Coast Country, Elephant Revival, Fruition, Rising Appalachia, the Shook Twins, Frank Fairfield and many others.

The Bluhms sometime write together, though more often than not, separately, Nicki says, and work to keep their love lives and performing lives in harmony.

“We’re pretty good about being professional,” she says. “The music is very important to both of us, and it definitely takes a front seat in our lives.”

The couple shares songwriting duties with lead guitarist Deren Ney, and rhythm guitarist Dave Mulligan. The other Gramblers are bassist Steve Adams and drummer Mike Curry.

Combining folk, rock, country, psychedelia, blues and pop, The Gramblers have become one of the Americana crowd’s favorite acts over the past few years, garnering numerous festival gigs and appearances on such TV shows as “Conan” and “CBS This Morning.”

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers take the main stage at 2:20 p.m. Saturday, July 18, and will share cuts off their latest album “Loved Wild Lost.” The record echoes Little Feat, the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow and Fleetwood Mac, among others. Bluhm says one waltzlike ballad off the record, “Queen of the Rodeo,” seems to be garnering new fans every time The Gramblers play it live.

“That’s been getting a really cool response from people, which I didn’t expect because it’s a slower song,” she says. “It’s really nice to get a whole bunch of people digging on a slow song.”

Describing their music as “vintage modern,” Bluhm says the band likes to record, but really enjoys honing its songs live.

“Finding your sound is what you really want to do, and I think it’s a lifelong journey,” she says.

Yonder ponders

Adam Aijala plays guitar with the progressive bluegrass Yonder Mountain String Band. The summit has its roots in a festival the band organized. Yonder Mountain String Band anchors each event, and will play the Main Stage three times. The group features newest members Allie Kral on fiddle and Jake Joliff on national award-winning mandolin, as well as veteran members Dave Johnston on banjo and Ben Kaufmann on bass.

Aijala says this year’s summit is looking to draw its biggest crowd ever. His group will play several cuts off its new album “Black Sheep.”

“Between the three nights we’ll do the album,” he says, adding, “We have some new stuff that we’re almost ready to play.”

Aijala adds that the band has enjoyed working with Kral and Joliff, who came in after founding member Jeff Austin amicably left last year.

“Musically they’re really enjoyable, and they’re good people offstage as well,” he says of Kral and Joliff. Having a female voice in the formerly all-male outfit makes a difference, he says.

“She likes to sing in (the key of) of C, whereas I like G, Bb and A,” Aijala says, noting Kral’s higher-pitched voice allows the harmonizing group to explore new vocal territory. “It’s less singing for Ben and I. My voice doesn’t feel cashed at all.”

He adds that indie roots, Americana, acoustic music — whatever you wanna call “it” — just seems to be growing in popularity, a trend he credits to having started when the soundtrack for the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” became popular in 2000. Roots music has resurged in an era of auto-tune and electronica, he says, noting “there’s room for everybody.”

“We can attempt any style of music,” he says of his own band. “Whether its gonna work or not is another story,” he adds with a chuckle.

NORTHWEST STRING SUMMIT

• Festival gates open at noon Thursday, July 16.

• Acts play on four different stages, including the Further/Furthur bus, used by Ken Kesey and The Pranksters on their cross-country jaunts.

• In addition to live music, the String Summit offers several workshops, on such topics as singing, guitar-playing, songwriting and fiddling.

• Horning’s Hideout is located just 35 minutes west of Portland in North Plains.

• Although certain “tiers” of tickets have sold out, there are still tickets to be had.

• The bluegrass site JamGrass.net named last year’s Northwest String Summit “Best Festival."

• Web: www.stringsummit.com

Three days of free music on tap at park

Matt Tabor’s next concert will be a walk in the park.

Pianist for The Blueprints Trio, Tabor will join drummer Dave Averre and bassist Craig Snazelle for the 35th annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, Friday through Sunday, July 17 through 19.

The longest-running free jazz festival west of the Mississippi River, the event expects to draw up to 1,000 people its first day, and about 5,000 fans overall, says Mitzi Zilka, president of the event’s owner, the Jazz Society of Oregon. The park is located at North Edison Street and Pittsburg Avenue, on the east shore of the Willamette River.

“It’s pretty prestigious from everything I’ve seen as an audience member,” Tabor says of the fest. “It will be really great to engage with a crowd of that magnitude.”

The Blueprints hit the stage from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday and play jazz that should appeal to fans of Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner. The last gentleman in that list, particularly, influenced Tabor’s approach to tickling the ivories.

“He was the reason I started playing piano,” Tabor says of Tyner. “I was a drummer, and he has such a percussive attack that I really responded to that style coming from the drums.”

Formed in 2012, the trio has released two CDs, “Blueprints” and last year’s “Evoke.” The latter contains a Tabor arrangement of the Cole Porter tune “Just One Of Those Things.” The Blueprints Trio “all seem to love his stuff,” Tabor says of Porter.

“I think there’s a cleverness to the melody,” he adds of Porter’s songs.

Sax ‘n’ soul

Portland native and Brooklyn resident Hailey Niswanger closes out the Saturday lineup with her PDX Soul band, set to play at 9 p.m. The 25-year-old musician is among the brightest stars in the young jazz world, and says her third album, “PDX Soul,” features her funkier R&B side after her first two albums were written more as straight-ahead jazz.

“It’s just another side of my passion,” she says of PDX Soul, which features 16 Portland musicians. “It’s not like I’m stepping off my path entirely. I’m just making a new trail.”

Her trail has taken the saxophonist to numerous jazz festivals, gigs with Esperanza Spalding, Christian McBride, McCoy Tyner, Maceo Parker and Wynton Marsalis, late-night TV shows hosted by Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman and into the critics’ hearts. In 2013 and 2014, Niswanger was named a “rising star” on alto and soprano saxophone by the famed jazz magazine DownBeat.

Niswanger says although the jazz audience tends to skew older, she sees signs of jazz making a comeback among the younger crowd by fusing into other genres. For example, she says, hip hop performer Kendrick Lamar’s recent album “To Pimp a Butterfly” contains some swingin’ jazzy moments, and she adds that many of her peers are into jazz now.

“It’ll be interesting to see how genres fuse even more in the future,” she says, although she says she doesn’t care if you’re 9 or 90.

“I’m there to play for whoever is going to listen, no matter what age they are.”

And there’s Moore

One of Portland’s hippest cats, singer-trumpeter-harmonica-player Robert Moore, will be expanding beyond his usual live Wildcats combo to bring 15 other musicians on stage for a 5:30 p.m. set Sunday. The big band includes singer Bre Gregg — whom Moore calls “Bonnie Raitt incarnate” — as well as pianist and co-arranger Dan Gaynor. Additionally, Bobby Torres, percussionist for Joe Cocker, Tom Jones and others, will be on stage, as well as Alan Jones, a drummer who’s worked with everyone, including Spalding, Andrew Hill, Leroy Vinnegar, Red Mitchell, Jim Pepper and Miroslav Vitous.

“I’m pretty damn excited,” Moore says. “We’ve taken a lot of our standard Wildcats material and expanded the horn section. You need to listen more carefully to make sure the arranged parts and the lines of the larger ensemble are not conflicting with a solo,” he says. “You need to leave space, you need to play around the space.”

He laughs when asked if he’ll be doing more trumpet-playing than singing.

“I’ve got 15 players to turn to for a solo,” he says. “Why should I hog the damn microphone?”

Among the tunes he’ll perform are cuts off his CD “Outta My Soul,” as well as such numbers as “Top 40,” a Mose Allison tune that pokes fun at the steps one must take to get a hit record, including dressing provocatively. Moore chuckles when asked how funky his onstage getup will look.

“If you think shorts and a Hawaiian shirt are provocative, we should talk.”

CATHEDRAL PARK JAZZ FESTIVAL

Friday, July 17

5-6:30 p.m.: Ben Rice

6:50-8:10 p.m.: La Rhonda Steele

8:30-10 p.m.: The Dover Weinberg Quartet & Master Guitar Jam

Saturday, July 18

Noon to 1 p.m.: Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Chris Parker Quartet

3-4 p.m.: Blueprints Trio

4:30-5 p.m.: Kung Pao Chickens

6-7 p.m.: Pa’lante

7:30-8:30 p.m.: Toni Lincoln Quartet

9-10:15 p.m.: Hailey Niswanger’s PDX Soul

Sunday, July 19

1-2 p.m.: American Music Program

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Todd Bishop Group

4-5 p.m.: Kelly Broadway Quartet

5:30-6:50 p.m.: Robert Moore and The Wildcats

7:20-8:35 p.m.: Paul Creighton Project, Tribute to Stevie Wonder

Web: www.cpjazz.com

July 16

Google their choogle

Banditos’ bio notes this sextet uses “the populist choogle” of Creedence Clearwater Revival, in addition to “garage punk scuzz,” “hill country mojo,” and “Slim Harpo’s hip shake baby groove.” We decided to try to top alt-country-rockers Banditos’ self description with one of our own, after we listened to their tunes.

Our take? Originally from Birmingham, Ala., Banditos burst into your ears and eyes like a drunken bachelorette party so rowdy they’re being tossed from an outlaw biker bar because the bikers can no longer take their silliness. That’s right — hell hath no fury this band wouldn’t find laughable.

Banditos, 9 p.m. Thursday, July 16, Duff’s Garage, 2530 N.E. 82nd Ave. $10. Info: 503-234-2337, www.duffsgarage.com.

July 18-19

Gentlemen prefer Blondie

Chris Stein, guitarist for Blondie, says part of his to-the-point guitar style is rooted in his aesthetic.

“I’m a big believer in less is more,” he says. “Endless guitar solos can be kind of daunting. You don’t need 48 bars.”

Stein will be able to practice what he preaches at 7:45 p.m. Saturday, July 18, when Blondie headlines Project Pabst at Zidell Yards. The fabled New Wave band’s set will wrap a day that includes performances by Hustle and Drone, Priory, The Velvet Teen, Against Me!, Thee Oh Sees, TV on the Radio, Run the Jewels. On Sunday, July 19, Weezer similarly closes out a day that includes sets by Wampire, Wild Ones, Terry and Louie, Alvvays, The Both, Passion Pit and Buzzcocks

Stein will be joined by original members singer Debbie Harry and drummer Clem Burke, as well as bassist Leigh Foxx, keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen, and guitarist Tommy Kessler.

Although the band often is lumped in with punk rock CBGB denizens like the Ramones, Blondie actually was more akin to Talking Heads, exploring rhythmic and sonic possibilities that went beyond “1, 2, 3, 4!” From the disco throb of “Heart of Glass” to the bells-a’ringing proto-hip-hop of “Rapture,” Blondie was more about writing songs that simply worked, whatever the style, in the best tradition of pop tunesmiths.

“It just happened, it was not anything planned,” Stein says of the group’s eclectic catalog, which includes rockers like “One Way or Another” as well as the propulsive dance hit “Call Me.” “It’s just what we were drawn to. People we admired, like Bowie, were always reinventing themselves.”

The band will play about two-thirds old hits and one-third newer stuff, including music off its “Ghosts of Download” double CD released last year. Stein also is coming off a successful year as a photographer, having published “Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie, and the Advent of Punk.” The book contains photos Stein took of Blondie, the Ramones, Talking Heads and other punk and New Wave pioneers of the 1970s New York City scene.

“I tell kids to take pictures of their friends, you never know which ones will become famous,” he says with a chuckle. When reminded that young people actually take a lot of pictures these days of themselves and their friends, he laughs and says, “That and cats. And food.”

Project Pabst, Saturday-Sunday, July 18-19, Zidell Yards, 3030 S.W. Moody Ave. Single-day tickets $40, weekend passes $75. Separately ticketed evening shows take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 17-19 Info: www.projectpabst.com.

Quick hits

• Hot on the heels of their latest single, the dance-happy “Crave,” Parachute plays a stripped down acoustic set, along with Mikey Wax, at Lola’s Room at the Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St., at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 19. $18 in advance, $20 day of show. Info: 503-225-0047, www.mcmenamins.com.

• Spokane Americana rockers The Marshall McLean Band, as well singer-songwriters Anna Tivel and Jeffrey Martin, share a bill at Secret Society Ballroom, 116 N.E. Russell St., at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 19. $10. Info: 503-493-3600, www.ticketfly.com, www.secretsociety.net.

• Best-selling jazz vocalist Catherine Russell, backed by Matt Munisteri on guitar, Mark Shane on piano, and Tal Ronen on bass, performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at Jimmy Mak’s, 221 N.W. 10th Ave. $10. Info: 503-295-6542, www.jimmymaks.com.

MISC.

Suburban fun

It’s a big weekend (July 17-19) for events out in the suburbs:

• The Gresham Arts Festival goes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (www.greshamoregon.gov).

• The Portland Highland Games features strong men doing great things, Friday and Saturday at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham (www.phga.org).

• The Oregon International Air Show excites with trick airplanes, aerobatics, skydivers and more, Friday through Sunday in Hillsboro (www.oregonairshow.com).

• The Robin Hood Festival includes everything medieval, Friday and Saturday in Sherwood (robinhoodfestival.org).

• The 43rd Concours d’Elegance car show features more than 300 vintage cars, and other fun, Sunday at Pacific University in Forest Grove.

Sand in the City

The annual event features teams carving giant sculptures out of sand on Friday morning, July 17, and then showing them off to the public through Sunday, July 19, at Pioneer Courthouse Square. It’s free to attend; donations suggested. For info: www.sandinthecitypdx.org.

Connick Jr., Mellencamp

Want to see a big-time concert? Harry Connick Jr. plays at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 8 p.m. Friday, July 17 ($57-$139) and John Mellencamp also plays at the Schnitz, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 ($52.50-$123). For info: www.portland5.com.

Oregon Brewers Festival

There’ll be nearly 90 craft breweries serving numerous styles of beer to an expected crowd of nearly 90,000. The International Beer Garden will feature 15 beers from brewers ranging from New Zealand to The Netherlands. Music will be staged each day.

Noon-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, July 22-25, noon-7 p.m. Sunday, July 26, Waterfront Park, www.oregonbrewfest.com, free, $7 tasting cup, $1 beer tokens

Hood River County Fair

Want a day trip to enjoy an old-fashioned, family-oriented fair? Head to the scenic Hood River County Fairgrounds, 3020 Wy’east Road, south of Hood River near Odell, for one of the best in the state, Wednesday through Saturday, July 22 through 25. Gates open at noon each day, and carnival rides start at 1 p.m. For more: www.hoodriverfair.org.

STAGE

‘The Elixir of Love’

The Portland Opera’s 50th anniversary season closes with the Donizetti romantic comedy featuring a great cast and beautiful music, performed at the Newmark Theatre; it’ll be the opera’s seventh performance at the Newmark. This version of “Elixir” is set in the American Wild West of the 1880s.

7:30 p.m. Friday, July 17, July 23, July 25, July 30 and Aug. 1, 2 p.m. July 19, Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway, www.portlandopera.org, starting at $25

‘Imago Soiree No. 1’

The event features the work of five directors in Baudelaire movement theater, surreal animation, classic experimental theater, and eccentric original works.

7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 17-18, 2 p.m. Sunday,

July 18, Imago Theatre, 17 S.E. Eighth Ave., www.ticketswest.com, $10-$20

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

Post5 Theatre puts a 1950s twist on a Shakespeare comedy.

8 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, July 17-Aug. 16, Post5 Theatre, 1666 S.E. Lambert St., www.post5theatre.org, $20, $15 seniors/students

Northwest Dance Project

Two award-winning choreographers (Banning Bouldin, Yoshito Sakuraba) had 18 hours of studio time to produce works with 38 dancers. The results will be performed on one night in “Pretty Creatives Showing.”

7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18, Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 S.W. Park Ave., www.nwdanceproject.org, $20, $25 at door

Last week, June 26

“Ted 2”; “Big Game”; “Max”; “A Little Chaos”;

“The Overnight”

This week, July 1, 3

“Magic Mike XXL” (WB), R, 111 minutes

About — Mike and the Kings of Tampa go on the road for one more blow-out strip; Stars — Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez; Director — Gregory Jacobs

“Terminator Genisys” (Paramount), PG-13, 125

minutes

About — The latest installment of the Arnold Schwarzenegger series has Kyle Reese being sent back to 1984 by John Connor to help Sarah Connor; Stars — Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke; Director — Alan

Taylor

“Aloft” (SPC), R, 97 minutes

About — A Cinema 21 release, it’s about a struggling mother who meets the son she abandoned two decades earlier; Stars — Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Melanie Laurent; Director — Claudia Llosa

Next week, July 10

“Gallows”; “Amy”; “Cartel Land”

Home rentals

The latest top 10 digital movie purchases based on transaction rate, by Rentrak:

1. “Jupiter Ascending”

2. “Focus”

3. “American Sniper”

4. “McFarland, USA”

5. “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water”

6. “Kingsman: The Secret Service”

7. “Chappie”

8. “The Duff”

9. “Run All Night”

10. “Survivor”

Other recent favorites: “The Wedding Ringer”; “Interstellar”; “Love, Rosie”; “Taken 3”; “Still Alice”

Doc spotlight

“Cartel Land”

It’s a documentary about two vigilantes and their fight against the Mexican drug cartels. Dr. Jose Mireles leads a citizens uprising in the state of Michoacan in Mexico and American veteran Tim “Nailer” Foley rallies a paramilitary group to stop drugs from coming across the Mexico-Arizona border. Filmmaker Matthew Heineman embedded himself, and he and others received great access. It hits theaters soon.

Upcoming event

n Studio McDermott has started a Kickstarter project to assist in funding “Oregon: The State of Cannabis,” an in-depth film about Oregon’s burgeoning cannabis industry and the pioneers behind it. Filmmakers at Studio McDermott already have logged more than 120 interviews with some of the most important players in the newly legal cannabis industry. For info: studiomcdermott.com.

n On the subject of marijuana, Ron Mann’s comedic and historical documentary “Grass,” from 1999, will be screened to celebrate the July 1 legalization of pot. It’ll be shown at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 1 at Clinton Street Theater, 2522 S.E. Clinton St. ($6, cstpdx.com). It uses archival footage, narration by Woody Allen, art by Paul Mavrides and a tongue-in-check and provocative soundtrack.

n The Hollywood Theatre, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd., will show two movies Tuesday, June 30, honoring the recently deceased Christopher Lee: “Dracula” at 7:30 p.m. and “The Wicker Man” at 9 p.m. Lee died June 7 at age 93. Tickets are $8 (hollywood

theatre.org).

Ali Wallace wins $10,000 scholarship, vies for Miss America

The theme of the Miss Oregon 2015 pageant, held on Saturday, June 27, in Seaside, was “The Driving Force,” and at the end of the evening when Ali Wallace, Miss Portland, was crowned Miss Oregon, she was in the driver’s seat, headed straight for the Miss America pageant.

And Wallace, 21, is keeping it all in the family, as her mother, Tamara Fazzolari Wallace, was Miss Oregon 1987.

But for now the spotlight is firmly on the Portland State University student as she hones her interview, talent and fitness skills and prepares to head to Atlantic City, N.J., in September.

The night began when Wallace was tapped for the top 10; she then competed in the talent, swimsuit and evening gown portions of the pageant.

Wearing a huge smile, Wallace danced a lyrical routine to the Sam Smith tune “Latch,” which showcased her flexibility and gymnastic prowess, and then walked the runway in a royal blue bikini and an emerald green strapless mermaid gown.

After the judges’ scores were tabulated, Wallace, along with Tigard resident Allison Burke, Miss Mt. Hood, were named to the top five. Both young women also were named talent winners in preliminary events on Thursday, June 25.

At that point Katie Harmon, a former Miss Oregon and Miss America 2002, came on stage for the final segment of the competition — the question and answer. The top-five contestants each answered a current events question that they drew out of a bowl; this was their last chance to impress the panel of judges.

Burke was asked if it was fair that undocumented students in Oregon should get to attend local colleges paying in-state tuition, while other out-of-state students must pay higher rates. She said it was fair for undocumented students to reap the benefits of living in Oregon.

Then it was Wallace’s turn. She was asked if it was acceptable for the National Security Agency to use drones to monitor the activities of citizens in the name of national security, as opposed to neighbors using drones to invade people’s privacy.

“There is a huge difference,” Wallace said, noting that the government uses drones to make sure that U.S. citizens are safe, whereas people should not be able to use them to spy on their neighbors.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Rebecca Anderson, Miss Oregon 2014, who would pass on her crown to the night’s winner.

Fourth runner-up was Alexis Mather, Miss Clatsop County; third runner-up was Harley Emery, Miss Lane County; Burke was named second runner-up; and then there were two: Wallace and Kaylee Nelson, a Eugene resident and Miss Three Rivers.

As the two young women hugged each other for support, Nelson was named first runner-up and Wallace realized she was the new Miss Oregon. As the title holder, she won a $10,000 cash scholarship, courtesy of Greg and Teresa Huber.

After the crown was placed on her head and she was handed a huge bouquet of roses, Wallace took her first runway walk as Miss Oregon 2015 to a standing ovation. As she posed for photos, just minutes after winning the title, Wallace said, “It feels like I’m in a dream; I have no words.”

The Miss America pageant will air at 9 p.m., Eastern time, on Sunday, Sept. 13, on ABC.

In other news, Happy Valley resident Hailey Kilgore, 16, was named Miss Oregon’s Outstanding Teen on Friday, June 26, in Seaside, and will compete in the national pageant on Aug. 1 in Orlando, Fla.

The 37th annual Drammy Awards were held Monday at the Newmark Theatre, honoring the best of the Portland-area theater scene from 2014-15. All winners can be found at www.drammyawards.org. The highlights:

• Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Todd Van Voris, “Macbeth,” Northwest Classical Theatre Company; Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Dana Green, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” Profile Theatre

• Best Actor in a Musical: John Ellingson, “Mary Poppins,” Northwest Children’s Theater; Best Actress in a Musical: Dru Rutledge, “She Loves Me,” Lakewood Theatre Company

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Tobias Andersen

• Best Original Script: Yussef El Guindi, “Threesome,” Portland Center Stage

• Best Director of a Play: Matthew B. Zrebski, “Bob: A Life in Five Acts,” Theatre Vertigo; Best Director of a Musical: Sarah Jane Hardy, “Mary Poppins,” Northwest Children’s Theater

• Outstanding Achievement in Solo Performance: Rebecca Lingafelter, “Grounded,” CoHo Productions

• Best Actor in a Play: Michael Elich, “The Price,” Artists Repertory Theatre; Best Actress in a Play: Luisa Sermol, “Sans Merci,” Badass Theatre Company

• Best Production of a Play: “The Snowstorm,” CoHo Productions (Man Hats Collaboration); Best Production of a Musical: “Mary Poppins,” Northwest Children’s Theater

July 2

Madus can be

L.A. rockers Madus just released their new EP “All The Way!” and the title cut is a punchy angular tune that would appeal to fans of Arctic Monkeys, Muse and OK Go. This is a band not afraid to take chances, combining the tightness of alternative rock with the tempo-shifting experimentation of Incubus. This show will present the band’s acoustic side.

Madus, Sleepers, 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, Waypost, 3120 N. Williams Ave. Info: 503-367-3182, www.thewaypost.com

What addicted Jane

Miami stoner metal group Torche recently put out “Restarter,” a mass of music that sounds like the end of the last Mayan age as murmuring mutants move about, only somewhat restrained by mild doses of melatonin. This is not “catchy” music by any means, but it will catch you, if you like your rock ‘n’ roll to work on your brain like a loom, stroking your hair in a steady series of movements that make a tapestry of the random thoughts emitting through your strands. Japanese noise band Melt Banana co-headlines.

Torche, Melt Banana, House of Lightning, Nasalrod, 9 p.m. Thursday, July 2, Dante’s, 350 W. Burnside St. $15. Info: 503-226-6630, www.danteslive.com.

July 7

Dance before you die

Formed in 2009, Toronto’s TR/ST, or Trust (we’re not sure which spelling we can trust), serves up goth-infected synth pop that can sound gloomy, but is actually quite danceable.

Created by Robert Alfons of Winnipeg and Maya Postepski of the band Austra, TR/ST creates music that one reviewer wrote evokes “sexual tension,” though if they do, to our ears it’s more of the kind two broken-hearted porn addicts find enchanting as opposed to the freshly scrubbed contestants on “The Bachelor.”

Meanwhile, Portland’s DoublePlusGood consists of singer/bassist Erik Carlson, guitarist Jared Anderson, and keyboard player Jason Andersen. A good introduction to their OMD-inspired sounds is “Sometimes” off their 2014 album “You Can Master Life.” It sounds sunny, bright and moves like a just-washed sports car through your brain. But the video contains graveyard scenes, so don’t despair, goth kids, they’re thinking of you as well.

Rounding out this Red Bull Sound Selects bill is Portland songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Novosti playing dreamy music inspired by folk, prog rock, synth-pop, neoclassical and New Age sounds.

TR/ST, DoublePlusGood, Novosti, 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi Ave. $3 if you RSVP at bit.ly/1JwUTOJ. Info: 503-288-3895, www.mississippistudios.com.

July 9

Heights of harmonica

If you don’t already know it, Portland is home to one of the world’s top diatonic and chromatic harmonica players, Mr. Joe Powers, a melodic master with tone to spare. An award-winning player who’s been honored in the worlds of jazz, blues and classical for his playing, Powers tours the world constantly, but when he comes home, he always puts on a classy, warm show and this one includes Yosuke Onuma, whose guitar-playing earned the 2014 Jazz Japan Best Album of the Year honors.

Joe Powers and Friends, 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9, the Old Church, 1422 S.W. 11th Ave. $20 in advance, $15 for seniors and students, $25 at the door. Tickets available at Shogun’s Gallery, 1111 N.W. 23rd Ave., 503-224-0328. Info: www.joepowers.com.

Quintana Galleries to shut; work by college artists on display

(Note: The Tribune will highlight some gallery openings and other arts happenings in the first edition of each month to coincide with First Thursday — this month, it’s Thursday, July 2)

• It’ll be the 15th anniversary of one of the metro area’s notable art installations — the Gallery Without Walls, a citywide outdoor sculpture gallery in Lake Oswego, put on by the Arts Council of Lake Oswego.

The exhibit pieces will be prominently displayed through July and August, culminating with a public celebration Aug. 30 at Lake Oswego’s Millennium Plaza. All work is viewable 24 hours a day, within a six-block radius of downtown Lake Oswego. Walking maps and an online app are available from the Art Council’s website (www.artscouncillo.org). Docent-led walking tours will be held at 1 p.m. each Saturday, July 4 through Aug. 22.

The nationally recognized exhibit showcases many sculptors, including Lee Kelly, and about 30 sculptures are displayed on loan from the artists for two years, while the city of Lake Oswego owns some others. All rotating work is available for purchase.

• It’s sad news: The Quintana Galleries of Native American Art, Portland’s longest-running art gallery, will close on Aug. 15 after 42 years in business.

It was established in 1972 by Rose and Cecil Quintana in Old Town and was one of the first galleries to challenge the stereotype of Native American art being for mere tourist craft. Notable artists featured: David Boxley (Tsimshian Nation), Susan Point (Coast Salish Nation), Lillian Pitt (Yakama/Warm Springs), The Henderson Family (Kwakwaka’wakw Nation), Art Thompson (Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation).

It’s now located in the heart of the Pearl District, 124 N.W. Ninth Ave. (www.quintanagalleries.com).

The Quintanas are looking forward to retirement, and they have chosen to close the gallery rather than sell it, as they couldn’t find a buyer who shared the same values and commitment to Native American art. The gallery will maintain an online presence, and the Quintana’s daughter, Cecily, will continue to engage fans of Native American art through social media.

• “Calligraphic Journeys” features Lawrence Wheeler, Anita Bigelow, Ingrid Slezak and Christine Colasurdo and their large-scale calligraphic artworks on the walls of the Glyph Cafe and Arts Space, 804 N.W. Couch St. (www.glyphpdx.com). It starts with a First Thursday reception at 5 p.m. July 2, and goes through Aug. 31.

Wheeler teaches humanities in the honors college at Portland State University, and previously taught calligraphy at the University of Portland.

• Other highlights: The Blackfish Gallery, 420 N.W. Ninth Ave., holds its 20th annual “Recent Graduates Show” show to highlight college artists, starting with a 6 p.m. First Thursday opening and running through Aug. 1 (www.blackfish.com); Arless Day, whose paintings will be shown at Augen Gallery, 716 N.W. Davis St., 5 p.m. First Thursday through Aug. 1 (www.augengallery.com); and, at Charles A. Hartman Fine Art, 134 N.W. Eighth St., it’ll be Mark Klett’s “Camino del Diablo” photo exhibit, 5 p.m. First Thursday through July 18 (www.hartmanfineart.net).

n For information on galleries: First Thursday, www.firstthursdayportland.com; Portland Art Dealers Association, www.padaoregon.org.

MISC.

Fourth of July

It's decision time — where to watch fireworks, with the Portland area's biggest displays at Fort Vancouver (Wash.) on the Columbia River, the Waterfront Blues Festival on the Willamette River, Oaks Park on the Willamette, Corbett, North Plains and the St. Paul Rodeo. Among the big events to consider: Estacada Timber Festival, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 3, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 4 (estacadatimberfestival.com); Independence Day at Fort Vancouver, 8 a.m. Saturday, July 4 (4th.fortvan.org; entertainment starts at noon). And, the newly open World of Speed, 27490 S.W. 95th Ave. in Wilsonville will be hosting "Hoods Up! Fire Up!" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 4 — the museum plans to lift the hoods on each of its 93 cars in the collection and fire up the 1979 Markley-Bruins Top Fuel Dragster and 1995 Jeff Gordon No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. A great place to identify other Fourth of July activities: www.pdxpipeline.com.

GearCon

The Steampunk convention returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton Portland, 1000 N.E. Multnomah St., July 3 through 5. It includes the Victorian Martial Arts Symposium, put on by Academia Duellatoria, as well as a fine art salon and marketplace, a gaming room, a variety of panels, and evening entertainment featuring Aurelio Voltaire.

Activities on Friday, July 3, take place at various venues in Portland, so there should be some interesting people-watching going on. For info: www.pdxgearcon.com.

Van Sant films

Gearing up for its play "Time, A Fair Hustler" later this summer, Hand2Mouth presents a celebration of filmmaker Gus Van Sant with screenings of his movies, July 5 through Aug. 5. The series is curated by Mario Falsetto, author of "Conversations with Gus Van Sant."

The screenings: Clinton Street Theater (2522 S.E. Clinton St.) — "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," 7 p.m. July 5; "To Die For," 4 p.m. July 11; "Good Will Hunting," 2 p.m. July 12; "Psycho" (both Van Sant's and Alfred Hitchcock's), 2 p.m. July 18; "Paranoid Park," 4 p.m. July 26; "Promised Land," 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1. McMenamins Mission Theater (1624 N.W. Glisan St.) — "My Own Private Idaho," times to be determined, Aug. 5 through 7. For more info: www.hand2mouththeatre.org.

STAGE

'Thoroughly Modern Millie'

Broadway Rose puts on the show, directed and choreographed by Lyn Cramer, an endowed professor of musical theater dance at the University of Oklahoma and starring Portland's Claire Avakian as Millie (Cramer taught Avakian at Oklahoma).

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" was the most awarded show on Broadway in 2002. It's based on the 1967 Academy Award-winning film, and it takes you back to the height of the Jazz Age in New York City and flapper Millie Dillmount. It's a delightful valentine to the long-standing spirit of New York City and the people who seek to discover themselves there.

7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays (and July 18, 25), July 2-July 26, Deb Fennell Auditorium, 9000 S.W. Durham Road, www.broadwayrose.org (check for tickets)

The Brody Theater

The theater touts its upcoming "Flip the Bird," a show by Domeka Parker and Kerry Leek — "just two gals, ladies, birds making sweet, sweet music, or improv comedy, from nothing," Parker says.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9 at The Brody Theater, 16 N.W. Broadway, www.brodytheater.com, $10

'Twelfth Night'

The Portland Shakespeare Project stages the bard's romantic comedy, directed by internationally acclaimed actress and director Lisa Harrow, and starring Allen Nause in the role of Feste, Michael Mendelson as Orsino, along with a slew of Portland actors. The play follows the journey of Viola and Sebastian, twins separated by a shipwreck, as they encounter loss and love in their new homeland, the mythical island of Illyria.

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, July 8-Aug. 2, Artists Repertory Theatre/Alder Stage, 1516 S.W. Morrison St., www.portlandshakes.org (check for tickets)

MUSIC

Sundown Concert

Portland Cello Project cuts loose with a free all-ages dance party, for the third consecutive year, to open the Ecotrust concert series on First Thursday, July 2. It's a monthly series of free outdoor concerts at the landmark green building. The Portland Cello Project's party will be part of a celebration that includes a street fair-style Innovation Showcase with a climate theme and more than 40 local organizations sharing their work. Joy Now Project will gather its troupe of kids for a series kickoff march.

5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, Ecotrust Natural Capital Center parking lot, 721 N.W. Ninth Ave., www.ecotrust.org, free

Elvis Costello

The alternative rocker comes to Portland with one of his bands, The Impostors.

8 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway, www.portland5.com, $46.50-$89

Lineup of national and local talent offers must-hear, must-see music July 2-5

Devon Allman sums it up.

“It’s weird to be in a world where there’s no B.B. King.”

Allman never got to meet King, who died in May, but like numerous other blues and rock musicians, he readily acknowledges his debt to the Mississippi bluesman as well as Robert Johnson, Otis Taylor and Buddy Guy. Any young blues player worth his or her salt has taken time to study masters like King, Allman says. Nonetheless, if the blues is to survive, Allman says its fans must embrace the younger men and women who are picking up where King and company left off.

“I think it’s also important for the blues to allow the younger artists to stretch the framework,” he says. “As long as there’s feeling and soul, it can be the blues.”

The son of Gregg Allman, Devon will be jamming with his dad following his own set at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, on the First Tech Blues Stage at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival.

Gregg Allman hits the Brewery Stage at 8:45 p.m. and both Allmans will be preceded by the Allman Brothers’ percussionist Jaimoe (Jai Johnny Johnson), whose band plays at 7 p.m. on the Brewery Stage.

Devon Allman, 42, has made a blues-rock name for himself, as a member of Honeytribe and the Royal Southern Brotherhood and also a solo artist. At times, the guitarist actually sounds more like Carlos Santana than his famed uncle, the late guitarist Duane Allman.

“He’s one of my favorite players, and when I roll the tone knob back and get that ‘brown’ sound I’m sure I sound like him,” Allman says of Santana.

A keyboardist and singer as well, Allman released a critically acclaimed record last year, “Ragged & Dirty,” cuts from which he plans to showcase at the waterfront festival. Among its more interesting numbers is a cover of The Spinners’ 1972 proto-disco hit “I’ll Be Around.”

“I loved that song, and I don’t know if anybody covered it,” he says. “It just worked out.”

He also turns in a fine version of Otis Taylor’s “Ten Million Slaves,” and got help from the rootsy Afrocentric songwriter himself.

“He came to one of our shows,” Allman says. “He was very cool, very gracious, and showed me how to play it the proper way.”

Originals on the record include the gently soulful swamp number “Leave the City,” which argues for doing just that.

“That was written the night before we went into the studio,” he says. “We live in such a crazy fast-paced, tech-savvy world. It’s good to remember we are children of the planet and to reconnect with Mother Earth.”

Speaking of parents, he says although he didn’t actually know his famous dad all that well until his teens (his parents divorced when he was an infant and Devon grew up with his mother), today they have a “great relationship."

Devon Allman says that about twice a year he and his dad wind up playing the same festival, as they will this week. Adds the son: “He keeps tabs on me. He’s a proud papa, and I’m very proud of him to know that he’s getting near 70 with no signs of slowing down.”

Soul man

Speaking of younger musicians with roots in blues-inflected music, the danceable neo-soul outfit Con Brio has taken a page from such artists as James Brown and Sly and The Family Stone, updating it in the manner that Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars have, notes the Bay Area band’s lead singer Ziek McCarter. The band performs on the Brewery Stage at 5:45 p.m. July 4.

Con Brio recently released its first EP “Kiss the Sun” and is fast becoming a festival favorite, in part because of McCarter’s Michael Jackson-like voice, as well as his funky feet. When asked how he’s able to sing in such a high register, McCarter notes it’s not as difficult as it sounds.

“The falsetto is actually one of my most comfortable places,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to keep that nice and smooth.”

As for his dancing on stage, he says it’s something he’s taken pains to improve.

“I’ve taken ballet classes,” he says. “I’ve practiced for awhile.”

In addition to McCarter, the band features Benjamin Andrews on guitar, Micah Dubreuil on keys, Jonathan Kirchner on bass, Andrew Laubacher on drums, Marcus Stephens on tenor saxophone, and Brendan Liu on trumpet.

“I think what is undeniable up to this point is our chemistry, how much we enjoy playing,” McCarter says.

Way down upon the Willamette

If you’ve got a little extra dough, the festival offers a special treat with separately ticketed DME Blues Cruises on the Portland Spirit on the Willamette River every day of the festival.

On July 4, for example, for $25 you can take a trip at 2:30 p.m. with Terry "Harmonica Bean,” Con Brio, Kinzel & Hyde, David Pinsky & Phil Newton, and Portland’s own Rose City Kings.

Dan Berkery, aka as Kolvane, is the Rose City King's singer and slide guitarist, and shares the stage with drummer Gary Keeney, keyboardist Steve Kerin, harmonica player David Lipkind, percussionist Katy Oberg and bassist Tim Shaughnessy. Berkery says he’s played the Blues Cruise before.

“I just remember it being a crazy good time,” he says with a chuckle, noting the bands on board play simultaneously on different levels of the ship. A fan of Howlin’ Wolf, Berkery says his band — named Best New Act in 2004 by the Cascade Blues Association — puts on an energetic live show.

“I do my best to write catchy good songs that people can identify with,” he says.

He adds that while some local blues purists think the Waterfront festival is a bit too eclectic, including bands and artists that stretch the definition of blues beyond 12-bar jams and droning boogies, he begs to differ.

“I think there’s a lot of great music that, if it isn’t pure blues, it’s touched by the blues,” he says. “I think (the festival is) better than it’s ever been. It really keeps the blues alive and in the forefront.”

The MINI Cooper comes in a four-door hardtop version this year. OK, so that's not the most groundbreaking announcement in the world. Although the sedan is 6.3 inches longer than the coupe, the back seat is still ridiculously small. Adding back doors just makes it easier for owners to show how little room there is.

But nobody buys a MINI Cooper for practicality. They buy them for fun, which our S version delivered in spades. The larger Countryman model is available for those who insist on carrying more than just two passengers, and it can be had with all-wheel-drive, too.

Bigger news for the Cooper line up is the range of engines this year. They start with a turbocharged three-cylinder in the base Cooper and go all the way up to a high-performance turbocharged four-cylinder in the John Cooper Works hardtop. And convertibles get their own engines, which has got to be first.

Our test MINI was a four-door S version, which came with a turbocharged turbocharged TwinPower 2.0-liter inline four cylinder that produced 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. That was more then enough to spin the tires, although the one in the JCW produces 228 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque. But who's counting? Ours was plenty fun.

Even the build sheet for the Cooper S was fun. Under standard features, it had a category called "Performance and MINImalism," which the listed the engine that is EPA rated at an impressive 26/33 miles per gallon. Another category, called "Go-kart handling, braking," accurately describes the on-rails ride of the MINI, which goes around corners like, well, a go-kart.

Our test model was also equipped with an automated manual six-speed transmission that was arguably more fun than a stick, especially when set in the Sport mode where the shifts happen faster than humanly possible. In this mode, our MINI drove like a four-door sports car, although one with a very small back seat, as we've noted.

But we're really not complaining. The MINI subcompact is a remarkable vehicle. Only a few cars of any size are such a gas to drive. And even fewer have as much personality, beginning with the exterior and interior styling that pays homage to the original British subcompact. On the outside, the MINI is even more bulbous than its ancestor, while the dash is a riot of gauges, knobs, buttons and switches that don't seem to be taking themselves too seriously. Even the ignition is a red switch mounted in the center of the dash — something original among all the cars with start buttons those days.

Interested buyers need to take the name MINI seriously, however. Most of today's subcompacts have an impressive amount of interior space. But the MINI can feel confining, even for the driver and front seat passenger. The convertible version eliminators that drawback, at least in good weather.

The new Hardtop 4 door model starts at $21,700 with the 2.0-liter engine as standard equipment. Our S version has many additional features — including the transmission and wealth of packages — that pushed the price up to $36,050. Although that may sounds like a lot for a subcompact, on a dollar-per-fun ratio, it's a bargain.

2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 4 door

Base price: $21,700.

Price as tested: $36,050.

Type: Subcompact sedan hatchback (as tested).

Engine: turbocharged 1.5 L3 (134 hp, 162 lbs-ft); 1.6 L4 (121 hp, 114 lbs-ft); turbocharged 1.6 L4 (181 hp, 177 lbs-ft); turbocharged 1.6 L4 (208 hp, 192 lbs-ft); turbocharged 2.0 L4 (189 hp, 207 ft-lbs - as tested); turbocharged 2.0 L4 (228 hp, 236 ft-lbs).

EPA estimated mileage: 26/33 (as tested).

Final assembly: Oxford, UK.

The 2015 McLaren 650S is a two-seater Supercar that looks like a spaceship and is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter all-aluminum V8 mounted behind the cockpit that produces a whopping 641 horsepower and an astonishing 500 foot-pounds of torque.

So of course, right after I picked it up, I drove 20 miles home in stop-and-go freeway traffic on one of the hottest days of the year. That's what a busy schedule will do to you.

But the surprising thing is how easy it was. The McLaren loafed along as I listed to classic rock with the air conditioning on. It never surged or showed any signs of overheating. The biggest thing I had to worry about was other drivers pulling close to gawk and take pictures on their smart phones.

And you thought Supercars were supposed to be high strung and temperamental.

The manageability was due in large part to the default setting for the engine, suspension, steering and seven-speed automated manual transmission. Designated "Normal," it is part of McLaren's ambitious goal to build a Supercar you can actually live with on a day to day basis.

But don't worry, the two other settings help the car perform like it looks. "Sport" increases the throttle response, quickens the shifts, stiffens the suspension and tightens the steering. "Track" takes all that to levels that can only be fully appreciated on closed courses. Both transformed the personality of the McLaren during a drive through the scenic Columbia River Gorge, with the "Track" setting making the suspension uncomfortably stiff over typical road imperfections. The ride was reasonable in the "Sport" section, however.

Of course, even set in "Normal," the McLaren's potential will never be even halfway realized on city streets or interstate freeways without breaking a lot of laws and endangering at least a few lives. It will go over 200 miles per hour, after all, and get there a lot faster than some cars can leave their driveways.

So driving the McLaren in the real world is a mix of exhilaration and frustration — exhilaration when you hit those stretches of empty roads when you can open it up, and frustration because they don't last long enough.

Motoring around in the McLaren can also be very time consuming. Wherever I parked, complete strangers walked up to talk about it. Some brought children with them to pose for pictures. Apparently they all assumed I was only trying to attract attention.

There were plenty of reasons for them to think that, however. For starters, the exterior design is pure art — low, long and wide, with swoopy lines, huge air intakes behind the doors, and a wide rear end with a self-adjusting spoiler. And then there was the color. Officially called Volcano Red, It almost glowed in the dark. Beyond that, the exhaust snapped and snarled even when I driving slowly through parking lots. And if all that wasn't enough, I had the Spider convertible version with an electronically controlled retractable hardtop that folds and unfolds with the touch of a button — a real show stopper.

A few people actually knew what the McLaren was, however, which surprised me since only a limited number of models have ever been manufactured in England and imported into America. McLaren Automotive was founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren to make high performance cars based on Formula 1 race car technology in 1989. It has undergone several changes over the years, but is still closely involved with F1 racing. One man, who had first seen a number of McLarens in Dubai, had actually toured the assembly plant. Another knew that British comedian Rowan Atkinson crashed his 1997 McLaren twice — once seriously — but had it rebuilt both times.

The 2015 McLaren 650S is a new model available in both hardtop and Spider versions. The body is a carbon fibre tub chassis with bolt-on suspension pieces. The interior is tight but comfortable, with push buttons for the transmission in a row on the narrow console between the front seats.

Despite McLaren's efforts to make a livable Supercar, there's a lot about the 650S that is just plain impractical, beginning with the slash-open doors that swing only slightly up and out. They require both the driver and passenger to do a lot of twisting and turning to get into and out of the car. That's especially true for the driver because of the steering wheel, which can only be only raised slightly to provide a little more wiggle room.

Storage space is also extremely limited, with just a small trunk up front, a couple of coffee cup holders in front of the narrow center stack, and a very small cubicle under a lid between the seats. There's not even a glove box, just a little bit of netting against the back wall to hold all important papers, like the ones you'll need if the police pull you over.

The mid-engine design gives the McLaren 650S good balance, of course, but locating a small displacement, high-revving V8 directly behind the cockpit leads to complications — like noise. The engine makes an almost constant racket at low speeds, which is especially noticeable with the top down. It decreases as the speed picks up and the deeper sound of the exhaust takes over, but until then, the engine noise is more annoying than satisfying.

And strangely enough, you can't actually see much of the engine that the car is built around. A small window is mounted above it, which shows the top of the air intake system but not much more. The window is part of a slightly larger hatch that doesn't reveal much more when it's open. If you enjoy popping the hood and showing off the engine in your car, the 2015 McLaren 650S isn't for you.

Base price for the 2015 McLaren 650S Spider is $280,225, but my test model had near $60,000 worth of options that included various carbon fibre aerodynamic add-ons, carbon fibre racing seats, a sport exhaust, and an upgraded leather interior. It also had a btechnology package that included a "Vehicle Lifter" that electronically raises the front end of the car to help go in and out of driveways without scraping — or at least without scraping as much. Even more important, it included a rear parking camera and sensors, both of which are absolutely essentially because rear visibility is so restricted by the sweeping rear roofline.

Obviously, the market for cars like the 2015 McLaren 650S Spider is very limited. They are dream cars that very few will ever own — and even fewer will ever push to their remarkable limits. It's nice of McLaren to let automotive writers learn how the .00001 percent lives every once in a while.

2015 McLaren 650S Spider

Base price: $280,225

Price as tested: $331,175

Type: Supercar convertible

Engine: Twin-turbocharged 3.8 V8 (641 hp, 500 ft-lbs)

EPA estimated mileage: 16/22

Overall length: 177.6 inches

Curb weight: 3,150 pounds

Final assembly: Woking, Surrey, UK