"One of the brightest stars in Portland's musical firmament, Ralph is known for his shamelessly self-serving and cliché-ridden prose. He wishes he was a music journalist so he could use the word 'eponymous' more often" -- Walamit Weak.
I was born in Thailand, grew up in the East Bay by San Francisco, and now live in Northeast Portland, Oregon and play rock and country guitar, bass and mandolin, and work over the Internet for a couple of court reporters in California.
Since the mid '70s I've played a million rock and country shows all over the U.S. and in Canada and Europe, mostly bar band gigs. I once opened a big show for Buck Owens in Switzerland, that was pretty cool. And I got to jam with John Fogerty three or four times in the late '70s, another high point.
Besides playing guitar and bass with the Oblivion Seekers in the late '90s, my main claim to fame in Portland at least among the local youngsters apparently is being the brother of Vici Porter, the original drummer for Karaoke From Hell. They're all like "Whoa," and go "Really?"
I'm playing lead guitar on Unwanted Love on the music player to the left there, and bass on Wish You Well on Garth McDermott's myspace site.
I've played locally with Garth McDermott and the Fingerprints, Catherine Welson, Crystin Byrd, Karaoke From Hell, the Miss U's, the Medicine Hat Band, Mitchell John, BMCC Blue Jazz, the Catillacs, the Thunderbolts, and a bunch of bands that have long since, after the fashion originated I believe by Arabs, folded their tents and as silently stolen away. Leaving unpaid bills, probably.
Right now I'm playing guitar occasionally with Catherine Welson, and bass on Thursdays 9:30 to 1:00 at the Tiger Bar with Karaoke From Hell, which is truly one of the funnest gigs in Portland. Check out our songlist on the KFH website and come in some Thursday and sing a song. You don't have to be good, you just have to be there.
Thomas's Myspace Editor V4.4
