From All Access:
CBS Active Rock KUFO (ROCK 101)/PORTLAND is launching local music show "Viva La Luna" this SUNDAY (7/1) at 9p. The program will feature original songs from 10 to 12 area bands every week, plus live interviews and performances from artists and other figures from the region’s emerging music scene.

"I had an idea that there was enough local music in PORTLAND for this show," commented KUFO PD MIKE TIERNEY. "The city has great live music venues, established independent music retail, and plenty of passionate music fans. It seemed like a good time to create a loudspeaker on the radio for the best of the music that's here."

"Viva La Luna" will be hosted by LISA WOOD, who has helmed two NORTHWEST music shows during an on-air career that includes stints at SEATTLE's KISW, KFNK, and KUBE.

"I'm very excited about 'Viva La Luna' and the ability to continue supporting NORTHWEST music," WOOD said. "I want to make the show a destination for both music lovers and bands who are excited about what’s happening here."

The show's title is a tip-of-the-cap to LA LUNA, the PORTLAND club that reigned supreme among music fans from 1992 to 1999 as a stage for both local acts, as well as those on the national scene. "It's great if people get the reference," TIERNEY said. "At the very least, it's a more inspired name than 'Loud & Local.'"

PORTLAND-area artists may submit music to KUFO, 2040 Southwest 1st Avenue, PORTLAND, OR 97209, Attn.: Local Music Show. They may submit web links and gig listings to localshow@kufo.com (no mp3s please).

Good move for KUFO. Lisa did a show like that in Seattle (at the station Raizin works at) and she did a great job.

That is the one smart thing KUFO has done in the better part of a decade.

A definite departure from what they've done in the past.
I've been listening to them since 1994, and I don't think they've ever had any different regularly-scheduled Sunday night programming, other than their normal weekend programming.
Funny thing is I remember listening to the final La Luna concert... on NRK.

I've been able to feature local NW artists at several stations for nearly 25 years. Always good to see the local bands and artists get their due.

GREAT IDEA MIKE! Wish you would have thought of it.

Major markets should always be able to feature local acts on the radio... those that don't are missing out. I thought that the END in Seattle would have been on that angle from the get go.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. Since national content can now be sent to listeners via direct satellite or internet feeds, local bands is an angle that local stations can own.

KUFO could have just made a pot of coffee from the northwest and I would have applauded them.
They just used the last and only idea left and by chance it worked!!!! go figure!!

That mentality is a hold-over from the Numme days where the station acted scared shitless of any music source other than radio. To compete, they cut down on the music during dayparts and interjected more "lifestyle" stuff. It didn't so much have to sound local, it just had to ooze the lifestyle of the demo.

For whatever reason, Portland has never been a great breeding ground for rock bands, so this doesn't excite me too much. Everclear, Quarterflash and Paul Revere & The Raiders is not an impressive resume. Oh yeah, wasn't the drummer for Night Ranger from Eugene?

Are there any local acts that have the potential to bust out nationally?

Decemberists, Pink Martini, Helio Sequence, Menomena, Dandy Warhols, The Shins, just to name a few. All these bands have contracts. There are also at least a dozen fantastic unsigned bands in Portland and 2 dozen more that are in the process of becoming fantastic.

Right now Portland is #1 city in the US for signing new bands. The styles are pretty eclectic, which works against a united movement of bands such as Seattle's Grunge tidal wave of the 90s. Instead, the music scene has a broad appeal.

I think the idea is fantastic Mike! There has been more than a vaccuum since the longest running local music show in the land, "The Church of Northwest Music" was foolishly discarded by KBOO a few years back. Sure, there are little things here and there on the Boo and other stations, but with the wealth of talent in town, a dedicated weekly show is still exactly what we need. Chris does a great thing on the coast, but he should not be the only one.

For the record, few truly local acts have made major impact beyond a rabid international cult following. However, many out of state transplants have done quite well for themselves. As Larry's list -- and the bigger picture -- suggests, hype pays off big in Stumptown. Not a bad thing entirely, but it does not always trickle down to those who laid the foundation and continue underground like Fred Cole, Billy Kennedy, Pete Krebs, Sean Croghan, the Miller family, et al. There are also those who passed before seeing their star in the sky, like Billy Rancher and Elliott Smith.

Larry, I completely disagree that the Emerald City was a monochromatic scene in the late 80s and early 90s. Seattle had a broad appeal with the Fastbacks, the Walkabouts, the Young Fresh Fellows and Green Pajamas -- to name a few -- but "grunge" was the buzz, so that is where the corporate dollars ended up going.

During that time, Vancouver B.C., Olympia and Portland were eclectic and in full swing too. Most would say, to an even greater extent that Seattle. However, in these parts, the A&R men were less successful in finding willing folks for the plantation. This does not diminish their talent, it just reflects on their ability to get along with leeches.

One of the greatest local venues ever, 9th Street Exit/Pine Street Theatre was purchased from Al Salazar by out of towners who owned Seattle's Rockcandy. In a shortsighted move, they also christened the new space Rockcandy. After a dismal beginning, they renamed it La Luna, and soon, it welcomed wave after wave of new Portlanders to our fair city. It is appropriate, in the current climate, to pay homage to the endless stream of Volvoconestogas and Subarubuckboards that came west on the Oregon Trail. The name fits to a tee.

I agree, this is a great move for KUFO!

The Kingsmen, Nu Shooz. There have been several others with national acclaim. Isn't Steve Miller from Eugene?

Steve Miller has a home near Grants Pass, but I don't think he's from Eugene. I don't know about the guy from Night Ranger either.

Mason Williams lives in Eugene, but I wouldn't call him a rocker.

There was a Portland based band shortly before or after NuShooz that had a national breakout but I can't recall the name. Wouldn't Meredith Brooks qualify for this discussion?

Steve Miller was born in Waukesha Wisconsin. His family later moved to Dallas Texas. He then attended the Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison.

I'm either thinking of someone else or was misinformed.

Here have a field day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Oregon

They left out the Christian ventriloquist, Marcy, and her dummy, Little Marcy, both from Springfield. A Little Marcy song appears on the Incredibly Strange Music CD set. Little Marcy recorded about a zillion albums. COLLECT THEM ALL!!!

You have proven my point. I would love to be able to brag about the rock credentials of my home state. But when you compare us to Seattle:

Portland: Everclear, Quarterflash, Nu Shooz, The Kingsmen (oops...Paul Revere ATR were from Idaho)

Seattle: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Queensryche, Heart, Robert Cray, Jimi Hendrix, The Ventures (just to name their biggest successes)

It's no contest. But hey, we've got Montana and Idaho beat. Hopefully Larry is right and there are some fantastic bands in Portland that this show will help launch. We've got some catching up to do.

IMHO, local music would be ideally fostered by a radio station like KUFO or KNRK playing local band THROUGHOUT the day, not just some after-hours show when 3 people are listening. Lesser-known local interspersed with (inter)national acts would put them on the same level.

Sounds good to me...

If you go to the NRK website, you can find a link to their HD2 stream, that is dedicated strictly to local bands. It's pretty cool, actually! to get there: click on listen now, then (after entering your log-in info) click on station list, then choose the HD2 stream (you can also find the streams to the other entercom stations)

Enjoy!

FYI: If you want to be able to see the artist info, you will need to use IE 6+ Firefox isn't supported for that feature, for some reason.

Beyond the pop charts, Oregon can claim Tim Hardin, John Fahey, Mel Brown, Leroy Vinnegar, and many many others. Do not sell our state short without knowing the whole history. Yes, I will concede, "White Christmas" sold one helluvalotta copies for a certain native Washingtonian. The Sonics are legends, but they sold few records outside of the Northwest during their time, so are they less rocking than Bing?

Yes, Seattle had many folks who whored and were adored for a few years a decade back, but money and talent are not always hand in hand. I loved quite a few bands and artists from that neck of the woods, but others, well, not so much. Like Portland, the area was also inundated with migrant musicians, so the line between "local talent" and "positioned opportunist" is blurred.

Those of us who actually witnessed the feeding frenzy and were an integral part of the Portland music scene over a decade ago know full well there was much more going on outside of Seattle. Compare old copies of Snipehunt to the Rocket and you will find this to be true. Seattle laid claim to the scenes in Anacortes, Bellingham, Olympia, and everywhere in between, but the city itself couldn't keep the OK Hotel alive for long stretches during it's history. It was the only all-ages venue for miles.

A few other facts to know and share:

The Shins are transplants.

The Decemberists have roots in Montana.

Everclear is led by a wife beating ex-junky from the Tenderloin.

Robert Cray got his start in Eugene.

Jimi Hendrix had to move to England for anyone to give a damn.

Seattle's best known band came from Aberdeen.

The Ventures were almost entirely the "Wrecking Crew" on their long players.

After decades, Jim Basnight is still one of the greatest Northwest musicians that nobody has heard.

The X-Ray Cafe was born out of the ashes of The UFO, which boasted a huge saucercraft on the ceiling.

"IMHO, local music would be ideally fostered by a radio station like KUFO or KNRK playing local band THROUGHOUT the day, not just some after-hours show when 3 people are listening. Lesser-known local interspersed with (inter)national acts would put them on the same level."

Larry, you are spot on! This is that crazy idea disc jockeys had when they created local, regional and national hits one spin at a time. Of course, the payola was helpful too, since they were paid in beads and blankets back then. Funny thing, the more things change...

Paul Revere & the Raiders may be from Idaho but broke out of Portland and Mark Lindsay is from Eugene.

Two more bands to know and share:

Back in the day, there was, above all others: The Wipers. More than a few critics agree that regardless of his obscurity, Greg Sage was very influential. The late Kurt Cobain stated that the Wipers were one of the greatest bands in Rock history, and that he owed much of his sound to Sage. In some circles, two of their records, "Youth of America" and "Over the Edge" are revered as masterpieces. Any musician who plays a loud guitar -- especially a red Gibson SG -- knows who Greg is, or poops his or her pants full to the belt when they first hear the records. Believe it or not, early on, he cut the songs live on his own mastering lathe. Yeah, this band was that good, and that old school. Some folks around Portland still remember seeing "Wipers" written through a peace symbol as a great moment in local graffiti history. Unfortunately, Greg grew tired of the permanent tourists, became reclusive, and now makes his home in another state. Perhaps, hint hint, KUFO will help a wider audience discover a true local legend.
http://www.zenorecords.com/

This summer, a "local" band is front page news in the UK: The Gossip. Much as I really admire this trio, let it be known that they are "Portland based" and that they are actually from Arkansas. They got as popular as they could after settling in Olympia, then moved south for a larger audience, and opportunities. Here is a then and now look at the latest offerings "from" our fair city.

Then: The band chats with a skateboard magazine about Arkansas and how crappy their lives were before moving to Oly.
http://www.slapmagazine.com/new_site/issues/11_04/gossip/

Now: Beth Ditto is praised by world renowned feminist, Germaine Greer, for baring it all on the cover of NME in Britain.
http://www.nme.com/news/the-gossip/28648

On April 27, 1973, Elvis Presley was a "local musician" too. :o)

The Ventures were not from Seattle, they were from Portland.
But, you can add the Wailers to the Seattle list.

The Book "Rock On, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock n' Roll - The Solid Gold Years" by Norm N. Nite says The Ventures hometown was Tacoma, Washington.

"Joel Whilburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1986" says The Ventures were from the Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area.

"Dance Halls Armories & Teen Fairs - A History & Discography of Pacific Northwest Rock & Pop Recording Artists of The 50's & 60's - Volume One" by Don Rogers says The Ventures hometown was Seattle-Tacoma, Washington.

who do yall think will be the next moring show on z100

Norm N. Nite.

(ROFLMAO, then climbs back into chair)

STOP IT!!!!

(Resumes pounding desk, LMAO)

Craig,
Well, I won't argue with your research. I was going on memory.

Bob Bogle lived in Portland early/mid 50's and I remember my sister knowing/playing with his sister and eventually I heard he was in the band the Ventures. That is why I "thought" they were from Portland. Evidently, Bob had moved to Seattle mid -late 50's and I didn't catch that part. I just remembered the connection from my sister.

Sorry to cause the confusion. Heck, we were just kids then. What did we know then?

Yes! Bob Bogle, Portland, Oregon. Born: January 16, 1937. Played guitar.

Pat O'Day broke the song "Walk Don't Run" on KJR, playing it after each newscast.

...instead of before.

I guess you all don't know: OPB's had a show like this on Saturday and Sunday nights for three weeks now. Some really good live segments included.

Hey guys,

Glad you're stoked on the local show!

As for bands, I am finding sooooo many awesome Portland bands, it's impressive.

There's so much talent here and it runs the gamut from electro rock to straight up metal. I'll be playin' all kinds.

A few that I'll mention, that I'm really digging are Red Fang, Boy Eats Drum Machine, Death Valley, Ill Fated Hero, My Life in Black & White, Numbered Days, Western Aerial, Wheelchari Renegades, 800 Octane, Stonecreep.

If you're a fan of finding new music, go check them out!

We're also gonna have a local stage at Rockfest, all Portland bands, all awesome! We will be finalizing that soon.

Input's always welcome at localshow@kufo.com.

littlesongs
unfortunately commercial radio will never have the balls to play anything on a regular basis or interspersed in the daytime that is not from a major label that everyone knows, never has.

being one who was and or is "an integral part of the Portland music scene" I know what your talking about.

and to everyone elses lists of bands and portland vs seattle your missing what the real community listens to and knows and that is the underground bands who never got sign or a lot of notoriety but still keep it up and are what makes portland stand out far more than seattle ala Dead Moon, Wipers and the like.

hell, Dead Moon has far more "hits" than most of the acts listed.

and thank you little songs for remembering The Church.
I was the Engineer on that program for all the live music, Brother Jay.

Lisa is one of the NICEST, most respected Jocks in Seattle. She is TRULY an amazing talent, and will shine. GOOD MOVE FOR UFO!

Raizin

G-d Raizin...does your ass kissing EVER stop?

haha... Ass kissing? If it's ass kissing to make a nice compliment about my GOOD friend, then label me an "ass kisser."

Better to be an "ass kisser" than an "ass eater." I'm sure you know all about that. Douche.

Raizin

Brother Jay! Thanks again for your work. I think that the live segment was the best part of the show. Not only can you engineer a fine live broadcast of virtually any genre on intermittent gear, you are one of the best kitten herders and problem solvers this town has ever seen. The Boo is just not the same without "The Church" every Wednesday night. It was years of dedication and love.

I agree completely with your sentiments. The very best this town has to offer is never on the surface. One has to dig for the goods -- especially if you are looking for the "true" locals. I am willing to bet that after seeing the scene evolve as long as you have, you can personally testify that talent is -- and always has been -- quite plentiful around Stumptown.

I also hear the dedication and love coming through on Viva La Luna. With this team, KUFO should have no problem keeping this show vital, fresh and timeless for years to come. Lisa and the gang -- you're doing a great job!

good move for kufo this might save the radio station how long will cbs stick with the format

Now, that was definitely a reaction! Their ratings are probably not that bad when you figure in the demos they're chasing.

this show was okay. not that good. not enough local acts to make a show out of it.