Tender Loving Empire is a store and record label around the corner from Ace Hotel Portland representing some of the best local artists and musicians, including Y La Bamba and Jared Mees and the Grown Children, who happen to be playing at Ace Hotel Palm Springs tonight for Lucha Libre. TLE held a recent showcase for MusicfestNW, and we stopped by their shop earlier in the afternoon to see the latest goods. A local artist always decorates the store monthly in a kind of residency. When you’re in the neighborhood (locals and tourists alike) it’s always worth rounding the corner from our front door to theirs. They have clothes, books, music, and, as you can see, calculators made out of felt. A couple months ago, there was a full-sized and functional piano made out of cardboard. Just sayin’.

Photos by Hunter Gatherer