As a born-and-raised Oregonian living in Seattle for the past year, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Portland. Most of my friends live there, and most probably won’t ever leave there. But who could blame ’em? Portland is a utopia, rich with good-looking people, excellent coffee, and drool-worthy food. It’s Seattle without the “freeze.”

A mere three days after Bumbershoot, I drove down to Portland for Musicfest NW. The festival started on a Tuesday, but the recovery period post-Bumbershoot is at minimum of 48 hours. So here’s what I learned:

What to do:

• VIP, baby. The lines are ridiculously long at nearly every venue. A press pass won’t do you any good, either, so be prepared to wait. Get there at least 45 minutes early.
• The best shows aren’t on the MFNW “official” schedule.  Marmoset put on a killer Hott Summer Nights Party on Thursday with Radiation City, Surfer Blood, Shy Girls, and more. They also had Salt & Straw ice cream and an open bar – so it was impossible to have a bad time. Bunk Bar’s CD Baby Day Party on Saturday afternoon with Aan and Wild Ones was also a hit. Then there was a Blouse “secret” show in a warehouse somewhere that same night.
• See Portland bands. There’s so much good music coming out of PDX lately. MFNW is the perfect opportunity to mainline it directly into your system. Indulge guilt-free.

What not to do:

• Get stuck on the Westside. You could see Charles Bradley at the Crystal Ballroom or Animal Collective in Pioneer Courthouse Square, but do you really want to be downtown? The best venues are on the Eastside, anyways. If you can handle missing some of the headliners, you’ll save yourself the massive headache of parking and dodging tourists with those pink donut boxes.
• Drive. Pick a spot and stay there. Unless you’re already playing DD, sit down, have a shot of whiskey, and enjoy yourself. Remember, we’re not in Kansas (i.e., Seattle) any more. Strangers will talk to you and you will make new friends. Don’t be scared.
• Miss a Red Bull Sound Select showcase. I’m partial because Mississippi Studios is one of my favorite venues, but Red Bull curated some of the — if not THE — best lineups of the entire festival. A mix of local and national artists plus a (time-limited) open bar and free barbecue made it dually enticing. See where I’m going with this? Follow the free booze!

What I probably should have done:

• Attend more KEXP sets. Austra and The Dodos were the only two I caught. The sets are short and sweet, intimate, and also have excellent sound. Doug Fir also pours their drinks strong, so it’s a good place to get an early afternoon buzz going.
• More. Brunch. Pass on Pine State Biscuits. I wish it were 10 a.m.–2 p.m. all day, every day, in Portland. Brunch should never end in this city, so don’t let it pass you by. It’s also completely necessary if you plan on listening to music until the wee hours of the night. Broder, Jam on Hawthorne, and Interurban are three of my favorites that I’m kicking myself for not going to.

Overall, MFNW is yet another opportunity to show pride for this incredible place we live in called the Pacific Northwest. It’s the neatly-tied, perfectly-placed bow to wrap up summer. Until next year.