JONATHAN COULTON, PAUL & STORM
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Geeky singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton wrote the song that plays over the end credits of a videogame. Normally, this would not be big news. But in the case of “Still Alive”—which serves as a heartbreaking, clever, and strange sort of coda for Portal—an exception must be made. If you haven’t played Portal yet, please do; it is a brilliant, weird, creepy, and darkly hilarious experience. One character in particular—GLaDOS, an artificial intelligence who throughout the game is your nemesis, narrator, and companion—will haunt you long after the too-short game comes to a close. Ellen McLain chirpily, cheerfully voices GLaDOS’ synthesized tones, and as GLaDOS, she also sings Coulton’s “Still Alive” at the game’s end—a song that opens with gently plucked strings before it grows progressively wittier, catchier, and more discomforting. “I’m not even angry/I’m being so sincere right now,” GLaDOS sings, “Even though you broke my heart and killed me/And tore me to pieces/And threw every piece into a fire/As they burned it hurt because/I was so happy for you.” Portal’s amazing, but so is Coulton’s song; together with the game, it’s an utterly unique, beautifully written, and unexpectedly touching experience. If it will translate from my Xbox 360 to a live show, I have no idea. ERIK HENRIKSEN

MP3:
GladOS (Portal) - Still Alive