So fresh. So clean.

Our Apple Juice Crew tree had a doosie of an event Saturday. With enough Aqua Net in our bangs, leg warmers on our calves and midriff-baring net half tees covering our nipples to give 1983 a run for it's doe, the posse stormed Hoffman Hall on Portland State University's campus for So Fresh So Clean.

The event, a mash-up 3 vs. 3 battle, all-out 80's dance party and proceed benefit for an elementary school dental program that tells the kiddies to brush, floss and be easy on the Now n' Laters was so much fun that I passed out in the corner at least once. I overheard lots of, "I feel like I'm on the set of Beat Street. This is tight!"s and witnessed flashes of flourescent flailing limbs and mullet wigs in Mighty's clever Bounty Hunter cypher circles. Barry Hampton and The Tirple Grip orchestrated live covers of, "The Mexican" and "Apache", Julian twirled Prince covers and Matt Nelkin, Kid Shilo and Demetre Baca brought it back three decades on wax. We served up homemade 1st place "Freshest Dressed" trophies and Compound gave away bags of treats to the top two crews.

We were at maximum capacity 15 minutes after the doors opened, and after I peeled myself up off the carpet following the initial stampede, my first call wasn't to Emanuel but the fire marshall, begging that I'd make him up a goodie bag too if only he'd leave the clicker counter at the pad.

All in all, we chalked up another success notch on the wall. Juice Jam 2008, duck and cover...