‘Gardenia’ Video Premiere

Portland, OR’s indie rock upper crust — including members of Spoon, Sleater-Kinney, the Thermals, Quasi, and many more — packed the air-conditioned confines of Valentine’s Saturday night (Aug. 16), swilling drinks and boogying at the downtown haunt frequented by the city’s creative underclass. The occasion? None other than the world premiere of the video for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks’ “Gardenia,” a number off the band’s most recent long-player, Real Emotional Trash.

The clip, the directorial debut of Portland resident (Daniel Woods) effortlessly compliments the track’s laid-back vibe with arty transitions and a rapid-fire parade of local and not-so-local celebs — Joe Plummer from Modest Mouse, Panther, Sam Adams (Portland’s mayor-elect), Girl Talk, Ratatat, and Brian Bell of Weezer, among others — lip-syncing and air-guitaring along to the music.

Malkmus — who was noticeably absent Saturday night due to family obligations and is also said to be no fan of the video-making process — gave Woods his approval to helm the project earlier this summer and the end result doesn’t disappoint. The general response from attendees after the premier was positive, with Jick drummer Janet Weiss telling us that she thought the video was “very good.” Judging by the high-fives and congratulatory handshakes aimed Woods’ way, the majority agreed.

Source: Spin.com