… aaaaaand we’re back. It’s been a minute since our last article here on PretentiousPDX – since last we posted, I’ve had quite a few things that have been monopolizing our time and taking away from my personal blogging time. In October, we were on the ground for PDX Cocktail Week; in January, I had the privilege of writing my second cover story for The Portland Mercury, this time on Portland’s treatment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War; and most recently, I’ve been volunteering on the selection committee for PDX Pop Now!, Portland’s annual free showcase of Portland’s best live music acts (more on that soon). And of course I’ve also been busy, you know, living my life – a curated version of which you can find lovingly documented on the @PretentiousPDX Instagram.

We have some cool things planned for this website in the coming months, but as our reporting focus has been increasingly turned to more serious matters, I’ve been finding myself missing the tongue-in-cheek pop music commentary we used to indulge in when this website first started. While I think a discussion of Ariana Grande lyrics would look a little out of place in PretentiousPDX’s current format and while we’ve long-since ceded the music playlists to our friends at WaitAndScene, I still wanted to do something on the topic.

And so, late last Friday night, we started our new side project: FRIDAYNIGHTSALONE. Every weekend we’ll be serving up Slow Jams for the Insomniac Set – mellow, feelingsy shit to calm your addled mind and sooth your broken heart. Head over to fridaynightsalone.com to check it out!