Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100Portland after dark the draw of the sexier aspects of the dances. Bachata, in particular, is romantic, with lots of body rolls to slow, beautiful music.” Colors of love You don’t have to be the artsy type (or the type looking for an artsy type) to enjoy a colorful and jovial evening at Muse Paint Bar. On a typical Friday or Saturday eve- ning a youthful crowd (mid-20s to late-30s) of a few dozen aspiring artistes sets out to transform blank canvases into masterpiec- es worthy of Portland Museum of Art (or at least a bedroom wall). With the wine, beer, and creativity flowing freely, it’s the perfect low-pressure atmosphere for bonding with a good-looking stranger over one another’s astounding (or absent) talent. “Customers feel a sense of camaraderie after just a few brush strokes. Adding some beer and wine to the mix also helps every- one come out of their shell, converse, and interact with their neighbors,” says owner Stan Finch. Hitting the right note I f appreciating (rather than making) art is more your thing, there’s plenty of the aural sort to be found at Blue, where patrons of a wide age range are treated nightly to live jazz, folk, Irish, roots, or rock music. The small, warm space lends itself to quiet, unassuming conversation (no shout- ing over a blaring DJ necessary). “The atmosphere is always intimate and casual,” says Terez Fraser, owner. “But the music on stage does take the lead and sets the overall vibe. During a livelier set, there will be people sitting up front lis- tening intently and people in the back so- cializing and even doing a little dancing.” The more introverted will especially find themselves at home here, where “the dim- ly lit room makes those who come alone feel more comfortable, as well as the fact that the focus is on the stage, not on who’s in the room.” Translation: if you strike up a conversation with someone and very quickly realize he or she is: a) not inter- esting or b) not interested, you simply go back to being engrossed in the music as if that were the point all along. And even if you do end up hailing the last taxi on your own, you won’t be able to deny that at least your ears had a darn good time. n