Up early working on a bunch of advocacy stuff for Portugal. The Man. I love every single thing this band stands for, and each hour I get to spend working with them feels like time well spent.

I think about this Fred Rogers quote a lot: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

For me and so many of you, the news has never been scarier — but I also find myself surrounded by helpers, and embraced by people who care enough to actually do the hard work it takes to make change happen.

Thank you to the best band in the world. This is fucking beautiful. 🖤

#TeamPTM

(Band pic by Maclay Heriot)

I had such a great time with these rad humans this summer! Thanks for the shout-out, setlist.fm — And thank you to Portugal. The Man, forever and ever.

Check us out over on SetList HERE, or keep reading for the transcript below.

From SetList.FM: (9/27/18)

Portugal. The Man headlined a two-night stand at McMenamins Edgefield in Portland in August. Despite the thrill of a “hometown show” (the band is based in Portland) and a sold out show, their main focus of the night was on mental health.

Partnering with fellow Portland-based musician Logan Lynn, Portugal. The Man welcomed “Keep Oregon Well” to their performance, a company designed to reduce stigma surrounding mental and behavioral health. Volunteers donning “Keep Oregon Well” shirts roamed around the venue, and trucks with the same print were parked outside.

Thanks to Zach Carothers and Kyle O’Quin of Portugal. The Man for this really lovely interview in Street Roots.

Beautiful stuff, guys.  🙂

Check out the online version HERE, or keep reading below for the full transcript.

From Street Roots: (September 2018)

Super excited to announce that Portugal. The Man have invited me and Keep Oregon Well to join them on tour this summer! Huge thanks to John, Zoe, Zach, Eric, Jason, Kyle and the entire PTM team for making this happen. OMG.

Exclusive story today in Billboard Magazine HERE, or keep reading below for the transcript:

From Billboard: (11/12/18)

Portugal. The Man Advocate For Mental Health Awareness At Oregon Tour Stops: Exclusive

Portland-based indie rockers Portugal. The Man have been touring steadily since the release of last year’s Woodstock, which housed the record-breaking hit “Feel It Still.” But they have something special planned for its handful of homecoming shows in Oregon this summer: the band has partnered with public advocacy campaign Keep Oregon Well and its co-founder, musician Logan Lynn, to help raise awareness for mental health.

“Mental Health is personal for our whole band,” PTM frontman John Gourley said in a statement. “As touring musicians, self-care can quickly become make it or break it on the road.” Gourley added that the goal of partnering with Lynn and the Keep Oregon Well street team at their shows is to inspire their fans to make mental healthy a priority, too.

Lynn, who co-founded the campaign in 2014 along with Trillium Group CEO Kim Scott, agreed that mental health needs to be discussed more openly to help break the stigma surrounding it. “As a suicide survivor myself, I know how important not feeling isolated is,” he said in a statement. “Stigma exists because people have been made to feel like mental and behavioral health challenges are personal character flaws, versus being like any other medical condition. If you break your arm tomorrow, would you feel shame?”

Lynn made clear that in all he does, he has only one end point in mind: “I won’t stop doing this work until every last bit of the shame that prevents people like me from seeking help in the first place, is gone.”

Today (July 12), Lynn’s new album is available for pre-order; Portugal. The Man’s Oregon tour dates kick off Aug. 24. View the full list of shows below.

Aug. 24th — Portland, Oregon (McMenimans Edgefield)
Aug. 25th — Portland, Oregon (McMenimans Edgefield)
Aug. 30th — Jacksonville, Oregon (Britt Pavilion)
Aug. 31st — Bend, Oregon (Les Schwab Amphitheater)