My good friends from Basic Shapes ended a short Northwest tour last night with a show at Portland’s Greek Cusina. The show was upstairs from the restaurant, in a small venue room that had low ceilings for a really great vibe. The show itself was slow to get started, but once it did it threw down hard.

There were several different MCs that came out to perform.  Prophecy the Iron Monk was first, warming up the crowd with his hype beats and rhymes.  The b-boys started things off during his set, getting more energy as his show went on. K the I??? busted out some of the fastest intellectual hip-hop I’ve heard. All of it had a positive message and made me feel so uplifted. After his set, the music got the whole place moving, and soon enough there was a dance circle for the b-boys. Some of the breakers were flipping upside down and showing some incredible acrobatics, with style to spare. I tried to do their skills justice with some shots, but it was really amazing to watch.

Basic Shapes took to the small stage and brought with them their usual high-energy show. These guys continually show me what music is all about… the enjoyment of making it, and the enjoyment of feeling it. They did not disappoint, and by the end of their set the room was dancing.

On my way to Dylan’s birthday party, I had to make a stop along the side of the road to get some shots of the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon. One of my favorite bridges in Portland, the St. Johns Bridge was recently renovated and repainted. It just looks incredible. On this particular day, the weather had been very gloomy and dark, but the sun decided to shine right down on the bridge above Forest Park as I drove by. It would have been shameful not to stop the car for some shots.

I was invited to my little friend Dylan’s second birthday this weekend. He was a gracious host for his super fun party. Dylan’s ear-to-ear smile rarely left while he played and shared his toys with some wonderful kids. It was wonderful to see such an incredible sense of fun that seemed to radiate from this little guy. The cardboard house was a big hit, as was the home-made play-dough. But once the birthday cake came out, that’s when Dylan began to just glow. Happy Birthday Dylan!

The guests of the party were kind enough to let me take a few shots of their kids playing, so I thought I would share the gallery to all who would like to see. If I mentioned this posting to you, or you would like to have your own look at the gallery from the party, please fill out the form below, and after reviewing your information, I will send you a direct link to the gallery.

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