ryan mintz's music page!

Wow. Portland, I love you! My time here has been absolutely amazing. I feel like we belong together. Me and you. You and me. It makes sense. I’ve been reading about your fair city for years… how eco-friendly, activist, vegan, car-free, and nature-oriented you are. So it makes sense that I’d feel so wonderfully at home here.

Here’s a perfect example. Just now I was wandering the NE streets, with no particular destination in mind, and I came across a bar with outdoor picnic tables. It looked inviting so I went in to order a beer. Not only did they have a local organic beer (of course) but then I glanced at the food menu… all vegetarian delights. I’m currently drooling over the barbecued tofu with brussels sprouts and brown rice. An absolute mouth orgasm of wholesome goodness!! And the icing on the cake… free wireless! Seriously… a bar with vegan appetizers and local beers and outside picnic tables and free wireless?! Yes Portland, I love you.

I’ve performed two shows here so far, and they were my best yet of the tour. Portland Pride had such a great vibe on Sunday, and I felt such love and community from the parade peeps. There was such diversity and openness and positive energy. My set on the café stage felt very comfortable, and I felt very welcomed. There were some great listeners out there, and I truly felt I connected with people. I’m so thankful to everyone who stayed to listen, who came up afterwards, and who have sent me messages about the show. My gratitude runs deep.

Then there was last night’s show at the Chaos Café. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful experience. The night started with dinner at the venue, joined by my singer/songwriter friend Kelly Brightwell. We both enjoyed a super-tasty tofu curry with steamed kale and brown rice (another mouth orgasm). Kelly and I met a few years back at Song School, but there’s something about Song School that just means… instant community. You know you can relate with these people, no matter how much time and distance separates us, and it felt so warm and perfect to be sharing this meal with her. Then we set up for our show in the adjoining parlor. The space felt like a living room out of some hippy art commune… plush couches, funky art, candles on the tables, and low mood lighting. Kelly and I dubbed it the “love den.” I kinda wished I had a date to snuggle on the couches with :) The audience showed up, the show started, and that’s when the magic started. Connection. Listening. Sharing. It seriously felt more like a shared group experience than a concert. This was a place to listen to the music. It was so amazing to be on the performing end of it, opening my heart, sharing my experiences through music, and just feeling that people got it. Perhaps my favourite part of the night was at the end, when Kelly and I did an intimate-non-microphoned in-the-round. That’s when it got even more intimate. That’s when I truly felt people enjoyed the music. That’s when Kelly’s song “Somewhere New” made me cry. That’s when I got my first request ;)

I left the night feeling buzzed, feeling alive, feeling oh-so-grateful that I’m leading the life of a traveling musician, sharing such beautiful experiences with my fellow loving humans along the way.

So, Portland, you rock my world. Shoes off, sun shining, beer in hand, I’m a happy little musician. You’ve asked me to come back, and I’ll surely accept your request. I love it here, I love you all, and I love my life.

Peace, love, and music…
Ry