I’m writing this week’s newsletter from Portland, Oregon—my first time here. I feel like I’m in The Goonies or an episode of Twin Peaks, and it’s been a refreshing retreat. Part of this retreat was spent in Denver, too—also a first for me. Surprisingly, the Philly frequency was vibrating everywhere: upon arrival at my friends’ home in Denver, Philly’s own Jill Scott was playing serendipitously. They didn’t do that on purpose! Getting to brunch on Monday morning shortly after my flight landed in Portland, I was greeted by Jill Scott again. A 'Steakadelphia' billboard beckoned near a shopping mall. A song called Philly Jawn played randomly on Spotify on a drive not long after brunch, and I later found a button pin in a coffee shop that had a map zoomed in on Philly and New Jersey. I saw DiBruno Bros. items at an orchard’s store an hour and a half out from Portland proper, and I watched the final inning of the Phillies’ NLCS game two rout of the Diamondbacks while waiting for takeout at a bar Tuesday night. Finally, a Tide commercial featuring three Eagles players played while I was packing my bags on Wednesday.
I thought I was living in the Matrix. DId I actually ever get in an airplane and fly to Denver and Portland or did I slip into an alternate version of Philadelphia two different times? It was like when Neo saw the same black cat twice—a glitch in the simulation. In the words of Keanu Reeves, ”whoa.”
Either way, the love for the city I hail from is real over here in the west coast. Feels nice, you know, not just for my sake, but for the city as a whole. I think they like us out here.
Anyways, enjoy this week’s roundup and we’ve got more classical music offerings for you, too.
Kyle V. Hiller
BSR associate editor
