Saturday Night Orphans
Band draws crowd to Queen of Hearts
Portland is a hotbed for great bands. One of the hottest entries on the local scene is the Saturday Night Orphans. Fronted by the curvaceous and sultry Shyle Ruder, this group pounds out classic hits from the last four decades like a well-stocked juke box. Ruder, who used to perform on the singer songwriter scene, made the move to rock diva and is not looking back. She has a versatile voice, displays a constant flow of energy and provides a confident front for this experienced band.
Drummer Von Vinhasa has earned respect by playing with heavy-hitting rockers 16 Volt and Global FM, as well as Bruedah Waltah, a reggae artist from Hawaii. Vinhasa holds the beat tight and shows dynamic flair at appropriate times.
Dan Polidori picks some awesome lead guitar riffs and sings. His experience includes stints with The Bob Miller Almost All-Star Band, Global FM and The Cat Jugglers. The only real newcomer to the rocking bar scene is Bart Kilpatrick, who plays bass. A few weeks back, Kilpatrick was on vacation when the Orphans played at The Queen of Hearts in Southeast Portland. Steve Kuepker of Global FM sat in on bass and background vocals and the group never missed a beat.
Kickin’ out great tunes like Chain of Fools, Keep Your Hands to Yourself, Tube Steak Boogie, and Stray Cat Strut, the dance floor is always full and everyone else is moving in rhythm. Polidori handles lead vocals for a great version of Little Sister. Toss in hits by Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mellenkamp, The Guess Who and it’s easy to see why this band is popular wherever they go.
The Saturday Night Orphans play numerous venues around the metro area including The M&M in Gresham, Club Underground in Hillsboro, River Roadhouse and Domenics in Milwaukie. On July 24, The Orphans opened for The Leon Hendrix Mysterience and legendary group Foghat at Run 21 in Birkenfeld, Ore., west of Vernonia. This was the 10th Annual Run 21 presented by ABATE of Oregon - Southeast Chapter.
More information on The Saturday Night Orphans can be found at MySpace.com/SaturdayNightOrphans. Their music schedule is listed in Positively Entertainment’s Bandstand.
The Queen of Hearts Tavern is nestled in the heart of Southeast Portland at the corner of Harold St. and 72nd Ave. That’s right across the street from Mt. Scott Park and Community Center. Truth is, if you get close, it’s still easy to find because it almost always has a row of the sweet Harley-Davidson Cruisers and Choppers lined up out front. The place has a couple of pool tables, four large screen televisions, ample on street-parking and ice-cold bottled beer. The late night “Grub” menu features a meat loaf sandwich, sweet potato fries, hot link sausage, chicken quarters and more.
Weekly activities include a DJ on Tuesdays, featuring old ragtime and honky-tonk music. Singer Songwriter Steve Rockenwood holds court on Wednesday, featuring other songwriters from the area. Portland guitar phenom Danny Hay Davis and his band host a rock’n’blues jam on Thursdays; the Queen of Hearts has an acoustic open mike on Sundays. Friday and Saturday feature the areas hottest rock bands. For a complete listing of groups, see schedules in Music On Tap and ad this issue.