Maury Brown, Rock Guitarist, and Senior Contributor at Forbes Magazine.
A Portland Paramount Experience
by Ken Thompson - March 2021
Maury Brown loves baseball, fast cars, and loud guitars.
Born in Portland and raised in the Bay area, Maury made his way back to town in time to catch some memorable Paramount shows. He still calls Portland home today, where he enjoys his time rocking and writing.
Maury spent his formative years as a typical nerd with a wide array of interests and a bright mind. Raised in a musical household, he was inspired to grab a guitar during junior high school, invigorated by his hard-rocking heroes.
As an adult, he combined those interests and passions into a happy life and a lucrative career. He became a writer, working his way up with regular assignments for Variety, The New York Times, USA Today, and numerous other household-name media outlets.
These days Maury is a Senior Contributor at Forbes, where he writes about Moneyball, the business of Sports. He’s also a nationally known baseball writer. In 2020, he nearly knocked one out of the park, with the honor of being nominated the National Sportswriter Of The Year.
Maury’s other big deal is slinging guitar, crunching out balls- to- the- wall chops in Shoot to Thrill, his AC/DC tribute band. Lately, he’s chomping at the bit, eager to get out and rock the house, sharing his love for music with fellow humans.
But his biggest deal is being satisfied with a fine homelife and prosperous career. Wise ones say to be happy; one must follow their passions. Maury’s done just that.
1. Name three of the best concerts you saw at the Paramount.
Rush, UFO, and Max Webster did three nights in a row on Sept 19–21, 1977. A Farewell To Kings tour for Rush and the last time UFO with Michael Schenker would come to Portland. Incredible set.
Ramones with Tom Petty and Mink Deville — The Ramones were absolutely on fire, and Tom Petty was in his early raw form. August 4, 1977
UK — Show was one of the KGON $2.92 shows. For a prog-rock kid, it blew my mind. This was the original lineup with John Wetton on bass and vocals, Eddie Jobson on keys and violin, Bill Bruford on drums, and Allan Holdsworth on guitar. Straining to remember, but this was either 1977 or 1978
2. About those shows, what was most meaningful to you?
I was seeing some of these great bands for the first time. I was a huge Michael Schenker fan, and Lights Out is still my fav album. They were all early shows in my life that made a massive impression on me.
3. What’s your favorite story about the Paramount?
Jeff Beck on the There and Back tour. I was young and stupid, and someone had a fifth of Wild Turkey. I drank a bunch of it and suddenly had to pee. This was, of course, the days of all GA, so I had been outside for hours. There’s no public restroom anywhere, but I had played in my high school stage band at the Paramount the week before, so I knew that up in the dilapidated dressing rooms upstairs (remember, this is before the renovation), there had to be a bathroom. I walked through the backstage entrance while the bands were still loading in. I started going up all these stairs and looking down the hallways of all the dressing rooms. I finally see a bathroom at the end of one and high-tail it down there. As I pass one of the areas where there were once vanities to put on makeup, there’s Beck by himself with a long wall mirror and a bunch of coke. I just nodded and headed for the can. When I came out, he was looking at me, pissed. I got out of there before anyone could catch me. The coke didn’t seem to affect him. He absolutely tore it up that night.
4. What are some favorite concerts, NOT at the Paramount?
Pantera at the Roseland. I remember being upstairs on the balcony and the entire floor was a pit. Absolutely savage set. The most aggressive thing I’ve seen.
Mother Love Bone at Satyricon on my birthday. Little did we know Andy Wood would OD right before the band was set to break big. Of course, without Andy’s death, there’s no Pearl Jam.
UFO, Gary Wright, Fleetwood Mac, and Peter Frampton. Day On The Green, Oakland, May of 1976. 80,000 people. First tour for Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Gary Wright was sporting Steve Porcaro on keys. Frampton was at his high point on the Frampton Comes Alive tour. And I got my first taste of UFO on the No Heavy Petting tour that sported Danny Peyronel on keys for the only album he was on.
5. Please share a couple of memories of the first concert you attended (anywhere)?
That Day on the Green show was my first concert. I went with my best friend, a junior in high school, while I was just graduating from junior high. He was on the gymnastics team and was no one to mess around with. The only reason my mom let me go. I just remember coming out of the concourse and looking out at this sea of humanity. And that was it. I just knew concerts would be something I’d go-to for the rest of my life.
6. What are three of the best ever bands from Portland?
Boy, this is a tough one… I really love Red Fang. At the other end of the spectrum is Jeff Lorber (yeah, I know he was living in Vancouver, but….). Of course, Dan Reed has to be on the list.
7. Are you looking forward to live shows coming back to local venues? What are your favorite hotspots?
I am very much looking forward to getting back to seeing shows. I love shows at Dante’s. Just reminds me a bit of Satyricon. Has a punk vibe to it. Nothing feels as honest and alive as punk. Best sounding room is still the Doug Fir. Either playing it or seeing shows at it is a great experience. And of course, the Roseland still holds a deep place in my heart. So many great shows there over the years dating back to when it was the Starry Night.
8. What’s the most inspiring thing happening in music right now?
I think it’s the resurgence of rock. Yes, it leans heavily into the stoner rock or grindcore thing, but there’s this whole scene in Portland with kids packing it in for local and national shows. Gives me great hope for the future of live rock music.
9. Who are your heroes in real life?
I’m a national sportswriter covering, mostly covering Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson is one of the biggest due to his incredible impact on the Civil Rights movement. My mom is another. My dad left us when I was a teen and she had never worked. She got on with life and made much of herself. That and I’ve never seen anyone battle cancer for nearly 20 years and remain so level-headed about it all.
10. Please name three books you think everyone should read.
The dictionary. I figure all the other books are in that one. I’m big on non-fiction so Eric Foner’s book on the Reconstruction is incredible. Again, I’m a baseball guy but I study the history of it from outside the lines. Lords Of The Realm by John Helyar tells its history in a way no one else has.
11. Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I raced professional motocross as a kid. It’s why I cover motor racing as often as I can as a sports journalist
12. You rock and roll all-night slinging guitar with Shoot to Thrill, your AC/DC tribute band. By day you write about baseball and sports business for Forbes. That’s a curious and impressive mix. What’s the genesis of your writing career and how did you land the gig at Forbes?
I always figured writing was cheaper than therapy. I always wanted to ask questions of the newsmakers in sports. At the same time, I have been a researcher for as long as I can remember. When Portland made its first stab at bringing an MLB team to town in 2005, I got involved. I wrote essays and that caught the eye of outlets like Baseball Prospectus. After doing a few book essays and freelancing for the likes of Variety, USA Today, and the New York Times, I figured Forbes would be a good fit for someone that loved sports outside the lines.
13. What inspired you to pick up a guitar, and who are your primary musical influences?
Music was something that was always played in my house growing up. The Beatles…. The Who… Zeppelin… So, one year I had the choice of an elective in junior high and it came down to art or guitar. Well, I knew I couldn’t draw a straight line, my mom had a beater classical guitar, and I worshiped guitar gods. So, it was an easy decision. As for influences, there a far too many for here. I love pretty much everything. But Michael Schenker, Jeff Beck, Scott Gorham, and Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy, and of course, Malcolm Young has the be the greatest rhythm player in the history of history.
14. How about MLB in Portland. Is that a reasonable possibility?
“Possible” and “reasonable” are two words hard to put together with the situation in Portland. Very tough to pull together everything to make it happen. I think the group trying now is better than the one in 2005, but it’s not just tough to come up with about $2 billion to make it happen, but landing the proper site for the ballpark and getting it done in Portland’s political climate is very difficult. I think it’s possible, but some stars are really going to have to align.
15. What are some things you like best about Portland?
I love that it’s metropolitan without being a behemoth. I love that you can pretty much walk across all of downtown; it’s accessible. I love how it’s urban but you can go to so many places inside it and be deep in nature. And I have always loved its music scene. I think it’s weird and wonderful and good for the soul.
16. If you were advising a new visitor to Portland on a few cool insider things to do, what would you tell them?
See a show at the Doug Fir, if you can. If not, go to Dante’s. During the summer go to the roof deck bar on top of Revolution Hall. Drink the hell out of PBR at as many dive bars as you can find.
17. If you could take your ultimate trek or journey, where would you go?
I’d like to see the Monaco Grand Prix and have the coin to live it up there as you should.
18. What would you like the world to know about you?
That I’m a nerd who lucked into the greatest woman in the world in my wife, that’s really been spending the last decade finding as much joy in every second as I can.
19. Would you like to nominate anyone to do a PPE interview?
Yeah. I think Larry Toering would be interesting. He’s spent much of his life engaged in live music. Plus, I don’t think I’ve met a bigger Deep Purple fan in my life.
Maury Brown’s article archive on Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/#36d127615a50
