Not for the Faint Hearted – The Dirty Three, Live at Aladdin Theater

I was young once and once I met Jim White from the Australian rock band Dirty Three. I asked the band if I could photograph them on their 2005 tour and Jim, their drummer, kindly granted my request. The band’s glorious Horse Stories and the sublime Ocean Songs albums and their opening slot for indie giants Pavement on a previous outing were my gateways to their music. I had never heard layered violins, cascading drums and steady, rhythmic guitar undertones work together so wonderfully. I was utterly enthralled.

Fast forward to 2026. Same band, same venue. However, we are all so very different men now, older, grayer and at times unwitting participants in this chaotic world. I was humbled then and am humbled now to be able to capture the band’s gorgeous bravado and quiet panache through their live performance.

Dirty Three shows are marked by several things: violinist and frontman Warren Ellis’ stories of his past, his day exploring the current city, playful song introductions and audience banter. They are also punctuated by Jim White’s incomparable drumming: graceful, powerful, completely connected to Ellis’ musings and violin. The trio also features guitarist’s Mick Turner’s rhythmic guitar strums effortlessly playing opposite to Ellis’s bombastic kicks, flourishes, and howls.

So there I was as the Dirty Three triumphantly graced the Aladdin Theater stage again. (The band last visited Portland in 2012 at the Mission Theater.) The sold out crowd was treated to an entire evening with the band and as Ellis touted it: “Showing the kids how to do it. Three hour set. Not for the faint hearted Or the curious.”

Beyond Ellis’ banter exists a dedication to craft as his musicianship and that of his bandmates becomes evident throughout the evening. For example, the set included gems like “Sea Above, Sky Below”, a song from 1997’s Ocean Songs. The ballad’s violin speaks of waves crashing as the band crescendos to the rousing culmination of the piece. The band’s songs seem fitting for these times: a longing for beauty, joy, and community in times of utter uncertainty and disdain for others’ humanity.

Later, I overheard a fellow audience member joyously say as the crowd emptied into the Portland night, “I can now die happy now after that.” The Dirty Three delivered a bold statement on this their first show of this North American tour perhaps worthy of eliciting such a response. We collectively witnessed a performance that provided respite from the ugliness in the world, asking to us to consider that maybe, just maybe everything is not fucked.