Last week, Portland lost someone who breathed glittering joy into the local music scene. Dave Camp passed on July 15 after a months-long, profoundly public struggle with stomach cancer that rallied a community around him.
Camp was a renaissance artist, Portland style. He played and sang with a slew of bands, especially some of the more colorful, art rock projects like the Nowhere Band, which performed the Beatles’ ‘White Album’ every Christmas with seasonally themed hijinks, in addition to other concept albums. He composed music for commercials and documentaries like “Andy Warhol’s Factory People” and “The Wanted” through his publishing company, Lift. And he had his own band, a psychedelic, disco glam extravaganza, Stereovision, with his business partner, Nancy Hess.
“Dave was the person who said yes to everything, and then figured out how to do it,” said Hess. “Nike wanted a song that sounded like a ‘20s big band horn section. I was horrified, and he was like, ‘no problem.’ He pulled out his guitar and whipped out some chords. It was the kind of thing where he could play guitar, and you’d be like, right, he’s a great country guitarist. Then he’d play drums, and it’s right, he’s great disco drummer.”