Back Fence PDX

I love this show! Live storytelling is something I wish we had more of! Backfence PDX brings talented storytellers from all over the country to Portland for shows. The main stage and Russian roulette shows have been my favorite so far. I will keep going to these as long as they are affordable and continue to be entertaining.

I listen to many storytelling podcasts and love them. This had to be the biggest waste of my money. I could not tell you a single sentence uttered by anyone. I have blacked it out of my memory. I was not drunk so I don’t have that as a reason for not remembering. I do not have an ax to grind. I wanted to love it.

So sad to have to leave this update. I love Back Fence PDX as a general rule. However. sadly, I give up and will not be attending for awhile until they get things worked out in terms of volume of music in between performers and also get the microphone situation worked out. I complained about this in my first review. Someone contacted me and let me know that the music volume situation would be fixed so that people could have coherent conversations when performers were not on stage.
The situation has not been fixed. If anything, the music was louder, and I just could not have any conversation with my friends. I don’t understand this, particularly since this event is supposedly about the art of human conversation and story telling. Also to add insult to injury, the volume in terms of the microphone was such that the emcees would speak into the microphone and literally cause at least me to jump and startle at the volume.
Turn down the volume of the damn music significantly, as in a lot, and get the microphones fixed and I will return. Until then, I am officially ducking out of the event.

Back Fence PDX is without a doubt my favorite way to spend an evening in PDX.
If you’re a fan of The Moth, This American Life, Snap Judgement or anything in this vein, this is an absolute no brainer. Stop reading — buy your tickets. The performers that Back Fence procures are nothing short of masters of the craft. It’s not all laughs although there is a lot of that. Most of the time my face hurts from smiling so much when I’m walking out the door. Stories run the gambit from lighthearted, embarrassing, heartbreaking, crazy, you name it! I am always impressed by how raw and authentic the performers are in a room full of strangers. It’s refreshing to see and always leaves me thoughtful for days afterward.
I have been to four Back Fence shows at this point. This last weekend I had tickets to the first night and immediately bought tickets to the following night — I just couldn’t stand the thought of missing out on a new set of story tellers! I especially like the «Russian Roulette» nights which they have been having regularly. During these shows performers spin a wheel to select a topic and are given 5 mins to come up with the story. There are more rules but you get the gist. It’s a testament to these artists that within 5 minutes they are able to construct compelling, beautiful stories. I love this particular format for the spontaneity. I am not a fan of things being over rehearsed and it’s not even an option in the case. I have been to the Russian Roulette night twice — each time I have been blown away by the story tellers.
Tickets will run you from $ 10-​$ 20 and believe me when I tell you it’s worth every penny. It’s a steal even! ! But if your reading this Back Fence don’t raise ticket prices because I still want to come — to each and every show. Events will sell out so leave you lackadaisical portlandness behind for a second and get tickets before hand or you’ll be out of luck.
If you’re a fan of storytelling or just looking for a unique and fun way to spend an evening, this is it.