Artichoke Community Music - ACM's 50th Anniversary Testimonials

ACM's 50th Anniversary Testimonials > Please Share Your Stories! > Comments

Sarah Rice wrote in ACM's 50th Anniversary Testimonials
on 10/20/22 9:40 AM

Did you know that Artichoke Community Music will be celebrating 50 years in the Summer of 2023? We would love it if you would leave a comment below telling your favorite Artichoke stories! Whether you've been here since the beginning, or you're new to ACM, we encourage you to share! We'd prefer if you identify who you are, but if you'd rather not sign your name, that's ok too!

Thanks so much for supporting Artichoke for almost 50 years!

Sincerely,

The ACM Team

Comments

Bob Sterry
02/28/23 7:35 PM

Since moving to PDX in 1994 there have been several locations that met my families need for community and culture. The Oregon Symphony, several bike shops, All Classical Music and most importantly Artichoke Music. From my very first visit when Kate Power and Steve Einhorn owned the Hawthorne Blvd. location, through the Jim Morris and Richard Colombo years, through the COVID years when Bob Howard helped it survive in its new home, I have always thought of it as a place I needed to keep me sane. A place where I could meet new friends. I have performed there myself quite a few times and will do so again. Were it to close or reduce its presence in the local music scene I would grieve. In Portland there are scores of venues where local and visiting musicians can share their work. But none has the welcoming vibe of Artichoke Music.

Chris Parker
03/09/23 10:09 PM

I miss Mark Bosnian’s Portland Sings which met every month for a while. It was a lot of fun singing along with him. Wish it was back.

John Manns
04/06/23 1:00 PM

I met Steve and Kate at the Hawthorne store in 1998. He told me he was looking for some people interested in creating a volunteer group to host shows in the performance space. I saw the space and my jaw dropped. I met Todd Samusson and the group and joined and became the volunteer coordinator for what became Acoustic Village. When Richard Colombo took over I kept showing up and got to participate in many ways. Richard hired me to do a lot of the building jobs around the place. I got to create the front on the stage with the stairs and handrails and moldings all around the room. One story that stands out was when I heard Richard was regularly climbing onto the the roof to clean the roof drain but his ladder did't reach the top of the wall to the roof. He would climb his ladder as far as he could and then reach his arms to the top and pull himself up and clean the drain then come back down. I told him I would bring my tallest ladder anytime he needed day or night to clean the problem drain that rained water inside beside the cafe door. And I did this until someone donated a tall ladder. I'm glad to be part of a volunteer community. Thanks to you all.

Paul Chasman
05/26/23 8:37 PM

I have many happy memories involving Artichoke Music. I think the first time I played for Artichoke was in the late 70s before they had their own concert venue. Bill Bulich sponsored a show at the Old Church and I opened for Pierre Bensusan. When the store was on Hawthorne, I had a number of memorable nights playing solo, in various group situations, and once as a duo with Terry Robb. One treasured evening took place when I was living near Port Angeles and contemplating a move back to Portland. I played a solo concert, my first in Portland in many years, and I was touched by all the old friends who showed up and welcomed me back. The presence of Artichoke was truly an incentive for me to come home. Artichoke Music has a long tradition of serving the community while presenting high quality acoustic music in an intimate, listening atmosphere. I'm gratified to know that with the move to Powell, the new management has shown a dedication to growth and change while maintaining the core elements that have made Artichoke so special. Artichoke Music has evolved into a grassroots institution that represents the best of what Portland has to offer.

Liz Campbell
06/04/23 10:26 PM

I discovered Artichoke Music when I moved to Portland early 2004. I had been a part of the folk community in Anchorage Alaska for years so searched online for song circles and folk music in order to meet like-minded folks in my new community. I walked into Artichoke Music on a Saturday (Hawthorne location) & there was a handful of folks hanging on the counter talking about something musical. I heard singing in a room behind them & was invited to head that way to check it out. The circle led by Richard Colombo was singing “Come on People Now, Let’s Get Together”! That song is my anthem! When attending UC Berkeley I belonged to Berkeley Students for Peace, and that was our song!!!! I knew I was home and had found my tribe!!!! I have taken classes, volunteered, bought instruments, attended concerts, performed on stage a few times, discovered performance photography & made some dear friends!