WED JUNE 7
Corinne Bailey Raew/Jamila Woods; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell
When I was about 10 in the mid-’00s, my mother made her official transition into middle-aged Portland woman mode, as her music taste shifted from country to bubbly uplifting indie-pop and singer/songwriters. This meant I spent a lot of time in the car listening to artists like Colbie Caillat, Vanessa Carlton, and of course, Corinne Bailey Rae. I developed a real taste for the stuff, and feel confident in attributing my current love for softer bedroom pop to that particular phase. Bailey Rae’s biggest hit, “Put Your Records On,” dominated the radio waves and peaked on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart at 64 in the US. The song’s lyrics are about singing birds and children playing hopscotch and perfectly capture the feeling of a beautiful day. It’s endearing, sunny, and fun—a good representative of her whole body of work. But Bailey Rae’s more than just a pleasant pop star; she’s a phenomenal singer/songwriter with gentle poetry to her lyrics, which will leave you feeling ready for a warm Portland summer.