The Oregon weather is teasing us with a lot of sunshine, and that means May has arrived. And a new month brings new arts and culture events to add to our calendars. OPB producer Donald Orr sat down with “All Things Considered” co-host Crystal Ligori to preview a few things to look out for this month.
Listen in, or read a transcript of their conversation below.
Crystal Ligori: So what’s on your arts radar for May?
Donald Orr: Well if you’re in need of some laughs, you’re in luck — Portland’s Rip City Comedy Festival starts this week, with a lineup of touring and local comedians, events, live podcasts and more.
One comedian I want to highlight is Jaren George. He’s opened for national touring comedians like Chris Gethard. He was also voted last year as one of Willamette Week’s funniest five comedians in Portland — and the city’s most optimistic comedian.
He’s performing at this year’s fest. Here’s a clip from one of Jaren’s shows a few years ago at the Helium Comedy Club:
Jaren George: “I am trying to get used to Portland, but like here’s the thing, people are too nice, like especially openly nice, passive aggressive drivers. You know what I’m talking about? They’re too nice. I’m like walking, and I was trying to cross the street and there was no crosswalk, there was no light. So I do this move where I’m just looking, I’m just, ‘Oh I see a Toyota Prius quietly driving by.’ OK, I’ll let him go. And then they see me do that move, where I’m just looking to see if I should cross, but I’m walking down, I’ll let him go and then I’ll cross, it’s a win-win, you know. He saw that move and he immediately did all these things where he just stops his car suddenly, flashed his headlights, honks at me, rolls down his window and does this move, like, ‘cuz he saw me looking right? And I was, ‘no man, keep it going, we don’t get time’. What are you playing, Portland progressive bingo, what are you doing, huh?’ He has like a scorecard — you’re just like ‘oh yes, good Samaritan act, yes 40 points. And a Black man, double the points.’”
Orr: If you wanna laugh out loud to some live comedy, Jaren George and dozens of other great comedians are performing at the Rip City Comedy Festival. That runs May 4 through the 6 in Portland.
Ligori: All right, marking my calendar. And what’s this about a UFO Festival?
Orr: McMenamins’ 23rd annual UFO Fest makes contact in downtown McMinnville this May. The out-of-this-world downtown event commemorates what’s called the 1950 Trent sighting, which is one of the most famous UFO photographs among those who want to believe.
KGW’s Space Report: “For nearly two years now on Space Report, I’ve been giving you details on the enigma of the age, the unidentified flying object. Like the UFO that hung over Oregon for at least two hours early this September morning.”
Orr: The festival has evolved into a family friendly celebration of all things science fiction, including a downtown parade, a costume contest, some live music, film screenings and more. It’s also a hub for UFO-logists, enthusiasts and speakers. McMenamins’ UFO Fest returns to celebrate all things extraterrestrial in downtown McMinnville, May 19 and 20. For a full list of venues and events, you can visit UFOfest.com.
A screengrab from the UFO Fest website.
UFO Fest
Ligori: All right, hit us with one more May event to look out for.
Orr: The Southern Oregon Zine Society is hosting their first annual zine fest in Ashland. They’re a thriving community of zinesters, and this year they’re hosting dozens of local illustrators, printmakers, local zine presses, comics artists and more, celebrating the craft of zine-making.
The Southern Oregon Zine Fest is happening Saturday, May 27, at Ashland’s Bellview Grange.
Ligori: Donald, thanks so much for filling us in.
Orr: Thanks so much for having me, Crystal.