The Portland 50

Jason Mraz is not a Portland local, but his focus on climate change and sustainable living fits very much into the Portland mindset. Plus, you can catch him performing in town at the Schnitzer Concert Hall on November 1st.  Hear about Jason's start in music, what he's up to these days - and how farming has changed his outlook.

Kevin Irving has been the Artistic Director for Oregon Ballet Theatre since July of 2013. And OBT is now entering it's 30th season in Portland. In this episode of the Portland 50, hear about Kevin's journey into dancing, and what circumstances created OBT 30 years ago... and what plans are in place for it's 30th season.

Most people know Carrie Brownstein as the co-creator of Portlandia. But before that, Carrie was a member of the PNW based rock band Sleater-Kinney.  They're new album, The Center Won't Hold, is out now, with a big tour this fall (stops here in Portland in November).  Hear about the new record, how she prepares for a long tour, and what it was like working with St. Vincent. 

Our guest this week is Dave Petterson, the General Manager and Winemaker at Domaine de Broglie, a vineyard and winery in the Dundee Hills that's now part of the of the Family Coppola.  

Vortex Magazine recently asked the question, "Is opera unapproachable to modern audiences?" May Arden has an answer for that. In this episode of the Portland 50, Cort talks to May about the state of opera, and how she's made it her mission to bring opera into modern context.  Her music might be the most unique thing out there on the current Portland soundscape.  Be sure to check out May and her new band Last Man as the perform on August 17th.  Get details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/last-man-tickets-67059261055  

2019 has shaped up to be a year of change when it comes to sports in Portland and in Oregon in general.  Cort gets a state of the union when it comes to Oregon sports with  with Judah Newby, Assistant Program Director of KXTG, 102.9/750 The Game.

On this episode of the Portland 50, Cort talks to Mike Zupan, president of Zupan's Markets.  Hear about the origins of Zupans, what brought Mike's family to Portland, and what the future of grocery shopping looks like.  

It's not a stretch to think that Anthony Bourdain had some influence on the Portland food scene.  In this episode of the Portland 50, Cort returns to an interview he had with Anthony early 10 years ago, as well as a what it was like for one local chef to work with Anthony on his TV show.

Our guest this week is Jamie Mustard, a speaker and author. His book, The Iconist, will come out later this year.  Jamie is an avid consumer of popular culture, and a graduate of the London School of Economics. He is obsessed with the "economics of attention" and has consulted for Intel, Cisco and Symantec.  Learn more here: theiconist.org

Chris Young is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Vortex magazine, celebrating it's 5th year this April.  Chris is an advocate for the local music scene, and serves as a board member for MusicPortland.

Ted Wheeler was elected as Mayor of Portland in the spring of 2016, but when he set out to college, public service wasn't his original path. In this episode of the Portland 50, we talk with the Mayor about is Oregon roots (6th generation!), a few of his hiking adventures, why he lists Eagle Scout on his list of accomplishments, and how a class at Columbia University made his re-think his career path.   

Kevin Carroll is an author, speaker and agent of change. He has one of the most unique stories of anyone you'll hear about on the Portland 50, raised by his grandparents in Philadelphia, spending 0 years in military intelligence with the US Air Force, before becoming the Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers in the mid-90s. Then NIKE brought Kevin to Portland, to do a job that hadn't even been created yet.  Kevin is the author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball book series.  Kevin travels the world, talking to CEOs and school kids, and always asking the question: What is your Red Rubber Ball?  

Chris Angelus founded Portland Food Adventures back in 2010, connecting food lovers in Portland with over 200 local chefs and artisans.  He's now taking Portlanders on international trips with some of Portland's best known chefs to see where they eat when they travel (or in some cases, return home).  Chris is also the host of the Right at the Fork podcast, where he interviews the people who make up Portland's vast food scene.

The Portland 50's original host, Peggy La Point, is back, to talk about her new podcast, Talking Trash.  Check it out at KINK.FM or download on Apple Podcasts.

Larry Crane is a recording engineer and owner of Portland’s Jackpot! Recording Studio, and the editor for Tape Op Magazine.  He is also the music catalog archivist for Elliot Smith, following the singers death in 2003.  Hear about his journey to Portland from Northern California in the early 1990s, and how his love of music lead to opening up what has become known as Portland's most important recording studio.

Nick Zukin is a web developer turned restaurateur. He owns Mi Mero Mole in Old Town Portland, and co-founded Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen.  He’s also the co-author of the cookbook The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home.

In this week's episode I talk with John David and Jack McGowan, and feature Jeff Douglas. The year was 1968 and John was KINK's first General Manager and Jeff, KINK's first Program Director. They were the vision behind the station. Jack McGowan was KINK's first Promotions Manager and came on board a few years later. The three discuss how they got KINK's call letters, the first days on the air and KINK, the Underground Link.

In this week's episode we feature Scott Showalter and Peter Frajola. Scott is the President and CEO of the Oregon Symphony, and Peter is an Associate Concert Master. The Oregon Symphony is the oldest orchestra west of the Mississippi, and under Scott's leadership is seeing record ticket sales and an expansion of their recordings. Following the interview, we came up with a possible new tag line: Oregon Symphony, very, sexy, cool.

In this week's episode we feature Fred Nilsen. Fred retired in 2008 as Forest Park's Chief Arborist, a job that he held for 22 years. In the early 1900's, John Charles Olmsted proposed that the densely wooded area above Northwest Portland be designated by the city as a forest park. Dedicated in 1948, Forest Park is 5,200 acres with more than 80 miles of trails.

In this week's episode we feature Tim Boyle, President and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. Tim's grandparents bought the small hat company after fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930's and named it the Columbia Hat Company. Tim and his mother, Gert Boyle, eventually took over the company in 1970. Now in its 80th year, Columbia Sportswear is still based in Portland, where the company's Tough Mother still goes to work every day.