Categories: General

On Location: Performance

I posted SpandX’s excellent and funny cycling-centric music video for “Performance” here the other day.  Watching it again recently, I noticed the that the character riding the fixie, whose name I assume is Fred, is doing a trackstand in front of popular Portland coffee roaster, Stumptown, as you can see in the shot below:

That got me wondering, can I pinpoint the exact location?  Harnessing the power of the Internets and Google’s Street View, I started with a search for Stumptown locations here in Seattle, figuring that since there are fewer locations it would be easier to eliminate candidates.  A search revealed no locations at an intersection, and since the scene clearly shows Fred at an intersection, all Seattle locations were out.

I moved the search to Portland.  I scanned the map for locations at intersections, and started with the Bellemont location.

Intersection, check.

The next most obvious thing to look for is the red brick building with the large windows bearing the Stumptown logo.  A Street View scan quickly revealed that to be the case.

Stumptown logo and red bricks, check.

The scene also shows the letters AALT followed by either a C or O in the upper right hand corner of the shot, so we’ll need to see that in the Street View:

Street View clearly shows the name, “AALTO LOUNGE” next door.

Letters AALT followed by either a C or O, check.

We’re looking pretty good, but Street View also shows several yellow posts in front of the shop, so we’ll have to move onto another angle to verify that there are indeed in the right place.  Lets have a look:

Yellow posts, check.

There is also a yellow sign – again in the upper right of this scene, along with a red and orange building across the street.  What does Street View hold for us in this area?

Yellow sign is clearly shown here, along with the red and orange building, check.

So, Performance was shot in Portland, Oregon, the most cycling-friendly city in the United States.

Street View below:

View Larger Map

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

View Comments

  • Detective Strack I presume...

    Now that you know where it is, are you going to make a pilgrimage in your Aussie kit on a fixie and pull track stands out the front?

  • @brett
    Actually, I am going to Portland today. I might have to make a stop there. On a related note, I refuse to do track stands. I don't understand the unwillingness to put your foot on the street. That's why we ride clipless pedals. The determining factor was one afternoon when I saw a guy on flat pedals wearing flip-flops doing a track stand on his Sears 10-speed.

    Plus, I prefer the casual-gaze-while-resting-my-thigh-on-the-top-tube stance. How else will everyone know how cool I am if I don't assume that pose at stop lights?

  • The skinnier one is, the more performance one gets. The rules of the road. Now, if I ever visit Portland, Oregon, I'll know where to get my coffee.

  • @Erik
    Hehyalyeah. I still can't really figure out if he's making fun of the fixie subculture or roadies.

    But when it comes down to it, who cares. At this point, we're so sub-subculture that it's like the Matheletes making fun of the kids who are slightly less awesome at Speed Differential Calculus. At least I assume Speed Differential Calculus is what makes one Mathletic.

    Oh, and dude? If you ever go to Portland, I'm going to that coffee shop with you.

Share
Published by
frank

Recent Posts

Anatomy of a Photo: Sock & Shoe Game

I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…

6 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s World Championship Road Race 2017

Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…

7 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s World Championship Road Race 2017

The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…

7 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2017

Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…

7 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian 2017

This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…

7 years ago

Route Finding

I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…

7 years ago