Photo of Vicki Bock (colloquially known as the Organ Grinder’s “Monkey Lady”) with two good friends.
You can help support the project by purchasing from the Crowdfunding Shop.
Sign up for our email newsletter and receive updates about the project.
Similar Posts
Bubbles, Awake!
During each performer’s 45-50 minute set at the Organ Grinder, there were a few routine bits that were usually included, such as a silent movie, or a round of Happy Birthday. One well-known bit was to play “Tiny Bubbles” while running the bubble machines located high above the audience. Children (and some adults!) would run…
Paul Quarino performs Amazing Grace at the Organ Grinder
On Sundays at lunchtime, organist Paul Quarino would perform gospel tunes to appeal to the “after church” crowd, before the regular secular/pop program began later in the afternoon. This recording is from January 30, 1996, five days before the Portland Organ Grinder closed. Tuning Note:A sudden cold snap (part of a series of unusual weather…
Bonus Feature – It’s a Trap! – Percussion Demonstration
As part of the documentary project, Don Feely demonstrated some of the rhythm unit percussions and sound effects (“traps”) that he purchased after the Organ Grinder’s Portland location closed and the organ was being parted out. The Organ Grinder was innovative in many ways, one such way being that co-founder Dennis Hedberg upgraded the traditional…
The Grinder that Never Was
Early in the planning stages for the first Organ Grinder, the founders used an architecture firm which specialized in restaurants and hotels. The design was very conventional – a rectangular building, with the entrance and kitchen at the front, and the organ at the back. No towering windows showing off the pipes to the street,…
A Colorful Cast of Characters*
(*Or, “Nerding Out about Credits” Part II) It takes a lot of people to make a movie – including a documentary. This film may be very lean on the crew side (often it’s just me doing the shoots), but it’s especially heavy on the participant side, whether its the long list of interviewees, or people…
Organ Grinder Time Capsule!
(Post updated 2025-07-13 with technical info.) In this newly-acquired footage from the 1970s, organist Jonas Nordwall performs a full set at the Organ Grinder restaurant in Portland, Oregon. This compilation is from vintage video tapes which were recently provided to the documentary project. Sometime around 1977, representatives from Sony visited the Organ Grinder to test…
