This was just posted as a response to the Honey Clouds review.
We thought it was deserving of its own post because it was a well-worded, could-be-description of this site.
“Hi, Graeme…
My name is Erik Howell and I agree w/ the bulk of your post. I did not see the HC headlining show that PP’s review of has been such a point of contention. I’ll also qualify this by saying that I interact w/ Trey (the HC’s auteur) at Buckdancer’s regularly, and he’s a hell of a nice guy, and a hugely talented musician.
However, I don’t think that this town’s scene is so weak that it can’t stand some *eloquently phrased,* yes, *anonymous* snark from some bloggers. If you want to keep a local music scene honest, you have to submit yourself to acknowledging the shrill of the malcontents. If their ideas seem are so poorly worded, or even eloquent bullshit, no one who matters will heed them and they’ll fade away.
I think we have to admit, however, that if one doesn’t attach their name to an otherwise cogent criticism, it’s not out of cowardice, it’s out of wanting to continue to render such opinions w/out being ostracized by…let’s admit it…a fairly *insular* music scene.
To deem their opinions irrelevant because they don’t readily name themselves is to insist that only those who dare speak up are those who can be assured that their acceptance w/in the music community will ensure against any backlash against them if they criticize it. That leads to a kind of imbreeding that squanders any growth…a bunch of “yes” people telling each other how killer each other’s set was.
Let’s believe enough in our scene to tolerate…no, *welcome* the fringe opinions…and not invalidate them because they don’t have a name attached that we can heckle on the street. I believe in the secret ballot, and as long as the Web is kept free and anyone w/ a differing opinion can make his/her opinion known, tagging their name onto it or not, anonymous shouldn’t be bullied into revealing themselves or keeping their, yes, *relevant* opinions to themselves.”
Ed note: we like the use of **’s. We will be sure to consider them for future posts if we deem anything worthy of being posted about.
The Portland Point 
Thanks.
Of course, bracketing asterisks are a poor substitute for italics, but as the brilliant Don Rumsfeld said, in response to parents to questioning why their kids weren’t being given the body armor that might give them half a chance to survive the rampant roadside bombs, “You don’t go to war with the Army you want. You go to war with the war w/ the Army you have.” God bless you, you cretinous scumbag.
PP–Just to clarify, the “scumbag” is Rumsfeld, not you folks, in case my wildly oscillating voicing went misconstrued. I genuinely appreciate the props.
two months since the last post and the most relevant thing you could come up with is a repost of a comment from a two and a half month old post (the only one that got people to read the site in the first place) validating the anonymity of the blog. Clearly some worthwhile stuff going on here.
Aren’t there some new local business that have inadequate wireless coverage or non-interactive websites that you could bitch about?
Yeah–best indication your band/this scene is going somewhere, you’re so threatened by a lone fucking blogger, that, not convinced you’ve bullied him/her/them enough, you wait w/ bated breath for him/her/them to dare to rear his/her/their head(s) again after two months.
Disclosure: I don’t know who the hell PP is. I don’t particularly care. I just know that it’s a real indication of insecurity if you don’t think you, or particular elements of the Portland scene, aren’t good enough to weather his/her/their snark, and have to try to shame whoever the fuck they are into silence.
Gee…some chick/dude/collective doesn’t like some shit in Portland and blogs about it saliently.
Various suggestions: either heed it, get over it, start your own blog to address it, respond to it eloquently in the offered comments section point-by-point, or shut the fuck up.
My name is Erik Howell. My phone number is 400-2268.
Portland neeeeeds you!!!! Blog on Portland Point!