Ah, what most of us wouldn’t give for it to be 2007 again. Sure, it forced us to say goodbye to the Harry Potter series, introduced us to the product that would come to govern our lives, and it certainly wasn’t all that fun if your name is Britney Jean Spears. But no matter what area of the socio-political spectrum you occupy, it seems safe to say that just about any point in modern history is preferable to the near-dystopia we’re currently in.

2007 was a particularly great time to be in the Pacific Northwest — specifically, in Portland. Portland’s always been pretty cool, but starting in the early ’00s, a storm of creativity began brewing in Oregon’s largest city. By 2007 it was washing across the rest of the country, manifesting in a cavalcade of new indie bands: The Decemberists, Blitzen Trapper, the Thermals, Blind Pilot, and many more that have come and gone.

In 2007, along came STRFKR. Part of a group of peers that largely orbited around quirky compositions or tender folk, STRFKR opted for electronic-influenced good-time dance-rock. Ten years later, they still do so, and still do it well. The Polyvinyl signees (the mid-aughts was also the golden age of Polyvinyl) grew to become one of the most globally-known, widely accessible acts to come out of the ’00s Portland boom — at the time of publication, they’re currently touring the Eastern reaches of the world.

Early next year, they come back home to the West coast and hit the Regency. Come bask in the nostalgia and dance away your 2017 struggles for a few hours.

STRFKR
The Regency Ballroom
January 20, 2018
9pm, $30