PHOTOS BY JOSH ELLIOTT
Far from his native Arkansas, the shaggy, bearded balladeer Chase Pagan won over a small but appreciative cross-section of Portland indie kids -- skaters and strippers, bartenders and baristas -- during an impassioned, if rather succinct, 30-minute set at Portland's cavernous Hawthorne Theater last evening (Sept. 24). Composed largely of tracks drawn from his forthcoming debut long-player, the arch and faintly vaudevillian Oh, Musica!, the show was highlighted by a pair of mid-tempo numbers, "Waltzing in the Sky" and "Push My Buttons," that deftly showcased Pagan's flair for the dramatic and prodigious musical talents.
By the end of his mini performance, it was evident that Pagan is a study in contrasts, his dueling personas occupying two sides of the same coin. On stage, he's an animated, engaging and flamboyant showman, a talented multi-instrumentalist equally adept at handling the guitar and keyboards. He's also quite capable of carrying a tune with his soaring falsetto. The latter, in fact, has become one of Pagan's calling cards, helping him garner repeated comparisons to rock greats as varied as Freddie Mercury, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Away from the stage, though, he's low-key, amicable and self-deprecating ("I lose everything," he murmured to SPIN.com), which made this writer's job much easier. Thanks again, Chase.
We asked: On his new disc Oh, Musica!, Chase Pagan features a track entitled "Push My Buttons." What pushes your buttons?"
Name: Chase Pagan
Age: 24
Hometown: Wynne, AK
Occupation: Dancer/musician
"Um, strange. It pushes my buttons when I sing good or bad. Pushing your buttons can be good right?"
Name: Jackie Danger
Age: 22
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Occupation: Skateshop owner
"Freeloaders and guys on MySpace who take pictures of themselves in the mirrors."
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Name: Gena Gastaldi
Age: 22
Hometown: Portland, OR
Occupation: Florist/drummer for the Day of Lions
"Nu metal, bad coffee, traffic."
Name: Melissa Gallagher
Age: 25
Occupation: Graphic designer
Hometown: Portland, OR
"Bad drivers and onions on anything. Bad details on good designs."
Name: Ryan Gallagher
Age: 28
Hometown: Portland, OR
Occupation: Sales/marketing
"My wife …when she farts and pulls the covers over my head."
Name: Ari Katchner
Age: 21
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Occupation: Guitarist for the Lives of Famous Men
"People that honk their horns in traffic. When you're driving you have to look around to see if it's at you and when you're walking, it scares the shit out of you!"
Name: Nikki
Age: 21
Hometown: Gresham, OR
Occupation: PCT
"Corn bread with butter."
Name: April Wolstoncroft
Age: 32
Hometown: Portland, OR
Occupation: Analyst
"People that don't know how to live every day to the absolute fullest!"
Name: Charlie Hester
Age: 26
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Occupation: Pre-school teacher
"Annoying old people in college classes."
Name: Casey Pfeiffer
Age: 22
Hometown: Portland, OR
Occupation: Exotic dancer
"People who chew with their mouths open and high-waisted pants…oh damn."
'Waltzing' with Chase Pagan / Photo by Josh Elliott
Guitarist Chris Anaya / Photo by Josh Elliott
Drummer Matt McCord / Photo by Josh Elliott
Pagan and fans at Hawthorne Theatre / Photo by Josh Elliott
