Portland's Rock Elite Attend Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' 'Gardenia' Video Premiere

One fan asks the burning question... / Photo by Josh Elliott

Portland, OR's indie rock upper crust -- including members of Spoon, Sleater-Kinney, the Thermals, Quasi, and many more -- packed the air-conditioned confines of Valentine's Saturday night (Aug. 16), swilling drinks and boogying at the downtown haunt frequented by the city's creative underclass. The occasion? None other than the world premiere of the video for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' "Gardenia," a number off the band's most recent long-player, Real Emotional Trash.

DJ Magic Beans, or Maggie Vail of now-defunct riot-girl punkers the Bangs, got the festivities underway, streaming through three decades of soul, dub, punk, and post-punk vinyl, before eventually giving way to the video's director, Daniel Woods, a.k.a. Dantronix. The clip, the directorial debut of Portland resident, effortlessly compliments the track's laid-back vibe with arty transitions and a rapid-fire parade of local and not-so-local celebs -- Joe Plummer from Modest Mouse, Panther, Sam Adams (Portland's mayor-elect), Girl Talk, Ratatat, and Brian Bell of Weezer, among others -- lip-syncing and air-guitaring along to the music.

Check out photos from the event, a clip of the video, and the rest of the live review on page 2.