The match will be broadcast live on ROOT Sports, 750 AM The Game, and La Pantera 940 AM.

Timbers are coming off consecutive draws against mediocre Houston and Columbus teams, while the Fire beat a tough (though currently struggling) Sporting KC last week, and drew with top-of-the-table Real Salt Lake the week before. Last season, however, the Timbers had the Fire’s number, defeating them 4-2 in Portland and 1-0 at Chicago. This is the only regular season meeting between these two teams this year.

Match previews and intrigue

• Portland’s makeshift backline bailing out offense by Dan Itel at MLSSoccer.com
• Strong’s Notes: Finding Their Form by John Strong at PortlandTimbers.com
• Timbers Versus Chicago: Misfiring Meets Momentum by Brenaldo at Timberlandia
• Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire Preview Interview and Pre-Game Chat by Geoff Gigson at Stumptown Footy
• In the Chicago Fire, a Friendly Rivalry is Born for the Portland Timbers by Geoff Gigson at Stumptown Footy
• sarah jessica parker and the palmer dilemma at the axe
• MLS matchup report: Chicago Fire vs. Portland Timbers handicapping by Matt Martz at NWSportsBeat.com
• A frustrated Kris Boyd looks to help Portland Timbers snap out of scoring drought by Geoffrey Arnold at The Oregonian
• Zizzo’s return may spark Timbers by Paul Danzer at The Columbian

Storytelling show? What the hell is that?:

BACK FENCE PDX: LIVE STORYTELLING has been playing to packed audiences since 2008. The show pays great homage to New York’s THE MOTH, the grandaddy of live storytelling, and is also the kissing cousin to San Francisco’s PORCH LIGHT storytelling series.

The evening features six local and national storytellers telling true 8-13 minute personal tales based on the night’s theme.

Most of these stories have never been told publicly. Or even to significant others.

The theme of the March show is At A Crossroads.  The lineup includes John Roderick,  Laura Gibson, Cheryl Strayed, Carlos Kotkin, Nathalie Weinstein, and Brian Tibbetts. Artist Gary Hirsch will also be on hand, giving audience members their very own domino-sized, hand-painted, one-of-a-kind Decision Bot!

Oh, and there’s a Popina Swimwear Fashion Show, featuring the Dolly Pops Dance Troupe!

Back Fence PDX comes highly recommended – Heather and I have thoroughly enjoyed the several Back Fence PDX productions we’ve been to. For one thing free cupcakes from Saint Cupcake make the rounds at intermissions. The story tellers are always courageous and their stories are often amusing, always entertaining, and sometimes gut wrenching or cringe inducing – you really don’t know what to expect!

Tickets are $12 in advance, at $15 at the door (note: skip the convenience & handling fees by getting your tickets in person at the Crystal Box Office, Bagdad Theater and the Edgefield gift shop). Those doors open at 6:30 p.m. The fashion show starts at 7:15 p.m., and the story tellers take the stage at 7:30 p.m.

Thirty-two years ago today, Mount Saint Helens blew its top. I was eight and saw the massive plume of ash from our backyard berm in Portland.

Heather was living on the East Coast in 1980, so her memories of the eruption are from National Geographic. However since she’s moved here we’ve made a few pilgrimages – in 2008, and also in 2010.

Two years ago, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary, OregonLive collected a bunch of stories about the eruption: Mount St. Helens eruption: 30 years later. Check out the Columbian‘s coverage too. And don’t miss my 2008 reminiscences on this very blog.

Photo credit: Heather!

Friday-Saturday

Rose City Used Book Fair

The 2012 Rose City Used Book Fair takes place Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19 at The Double Tree Lloyd Center (1000 NE Multnomah). The fair runs from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. . . .

This unpretentious book fair is sponsored by the Portland Area Used Booksellers’ Association, and features thousands of books from independent booksellers from Portland and beyond. [more]

Friday

The Carolyn Show Launch Party

The Carolyn Show Launch Party takes place Friday, May 18, 2012 at Cosmic Monkey Comics (5335 NE Sandy) at 8 p.m. . . .

Cartoonist Carolyn Main and filmmaker Mike Vogel have teamed up to create The Carolyn Show, a web series about a cartoonist, her talking pug, and paying the rent. It includes a mix of live action and animation. [more]

Offbeat Belly Dance

Every third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

This Friday, May 18, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Free Show! Wooooo! [more]

Saturday and Sunday

Mt. Tabor Art Walk 2012

The 7th annual Mt. Tabor Art Walk takes place this Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2012 – on and around Mt. Tabor!

The Mt. Tabor Art Walk showcases the many artists who live in this neighborhood. This annual event is sponsored by a community of artists supporting each other. It is designed to promote high-quality visual art in a variety of media within the unique setting of the Mt. Tabor neighborhood. [more]

Saturday

Maifest!

Celebrate spring the German way at Maifest on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at Oaks Amusement Park.

Join Zeitgeist Northwest for a unique experience of German culture and a day of fun for the whole family! We bring an old German tradition, the celebration of spring, to town. [more]

Sunday

Kenton Street Fair 2012

The 3rd annual Kenton Street Fair takes place Sunday, May 20, 2012 in the heart of Kenton, on N. Denver between Schofield and Willis, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The Kenton Fair is an annual celebration of diverse and engaged communities aimed at promoting local growth and a sustainable future for Historic Kenton.” [more]

Portland Timbers vs Chicago Fire

The Portland Timbers (2-5-3) host the Chicago Fire (4-2-3) at Jeld-Wen Field this Sunday at 4 p.m.

Still struggling, Portland is coming off a well-earned draw at Houston on Tuesday. Draws on the road are respectable, but the Timbers haven’t scored a goal in weeks! Chicago lost to Sporting Kansas City last weekend. This is the only regular season match between these two teams this season. [more]

Attack of the Flix #5

Attack of the Flix, presented by Microflix, is a monthly competition for Portland filmmakers held at the Curious Comedy Theatre (5225 NE MLK).

This month’s show, #5, takes place Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Vote for your favorite flicks – the first place winner receives a golden trophy! [more]

And for even more weekend events and activities, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

The Mt. Tabor Art Walk showcases the many artists who live in this neighborhood. This annual event is sponsored by a community of artists supporting each other. It is designed to promote high-quality visual art in a variety of media within the unique setting of the Mt. Tabor neighborhood.

Read about the artists and pick up an art walk map on the website. The walk goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

This month’s show, #5, takes place Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Submit your film if you are an Oregon or Washington filmmaker! Entries must be 10 minutes or less, and submitted on USB thumb drives encoded as AppleTV (see the FAQ for full details).

Films are shown in the order they are submitted, and screened live on the interwebz!

Vote for your favorite flicks – the first place winner receives a golden trophy!

Admission is free (a donation bucket will be at the door). Curious Comedy Theatre is an all ages venue, and has a full bar.

This recurring show takes place every third Sunday. Visit the Microflix website and the Attack of the Flix Facebook page for more details.

This Friday, May 18, 2012 is no exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Free Show! Wooooo!

Yiyiyi! It’s time!

Join us THIS FRIDAY for this month’s edition of the one, the only, the original gangster – Offbeat Belly Dance! . . .

Ye gods, such variety! Old friends! New friends! Each one a fantastic dancer, and each one looks forward to dancing for you, noble Portlander. Yes you. And other noble Portlanders too, of course, but really. You should join us. Forsooth, it shall be off the hook, yo. Come get some of our awesomeness!

Join Karissa, the Ringleader of Offbeat Belly Dance (pictured to the right), and the other fabulous dancers at the show Friday night.

Individually, the members of the Offbeat Belly Dance collective perform at shows throughout the Portland area, but on the 3rd Friday of the month they come together at the Blue Monk to perform in a rollicking belly dance revue. One of the things that makes it offbeat, is that the dancers choose whatever kind of music they like. Karissa tells me this has included traditional Middle Eastern music, zydeco, AC/DC, Strauss, The Pogues, hip hop, jazz, blues, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Spice Girls, and just about everything else.

The shows are free, and go from about 7pm until 9:30pm.

Visit OffbeatBellyDance.com for more information. You can also become a fan on Facebook, and follow the genre-defying, good timing gang of belly dancers in Portland OR, w/Karissa as ringmaster/carnival barker/propagandiston on Twitter at @OffbeatBelly

Photo credit: Offbeat Belly Dance

Do you like sharks with horse legs, swordplay, talking pugs, and Leprechauns?

Do you enjoy watching funny videos online but crave a chance for human interaction watching videos in a comic book store?

Regardless of how you answered either of those questions, you should come to the Carolyn Show launch party! We are going to show a never-seen-before episode and more!

Cartoonist Carolyn Main and filmmaker Mike Vogel have teamed up to create The Carolyn Show, a web series about a cartoonist, her talking pug, and paying the rent. It includes a mix of live action and animation.

Visit the Carolyn Show website and YouTube channel for more details and videos!