In which I read a bunch of press releases, so you don't have to.

White Nights is screening at Pix North tonight. It's a 1985 dance movie whose wildly creative casting has Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines playing a Russian ballet dancer and an American tap dancer, respectively. I think the Cold War is involved. Potentially awesome, based on the above clip, if you like cheesy shit and can't wait for Fame to open. ALSO! The event is sponsored by White Bird, who will be giving away a pair of tickets to their sold-out season opener on Oct 1, featuring Baryshnikov himself. That's tonight at Pix's North Portland location, 8:30 pm, free—and I think that former Mercury news editor and current White Bird managing director Phil Busse will be hosting the ticket raffle, how's that for a curly-haired cherry on top.

Tomorrow night brings yet another installment of storytelling series Back Fence, PDX—seven Portlanders will tell stories on the theme of "temporary insanity." (There's nary a Mercury employee on the roster this time, though I do believe Patrick's angling for it, and the world could use a few more Patrick's stepdad stories, amirite?). Plus free cupcakes.* Details and tickets here.

Also tomorrow night, the Loggernaut Reading Series at Urban Grind East—which has become something of a destination for performance and literary events recently, between Loggernaut, the New Oregon Interview Series, and Favorite Show. Loggernaut presents Suzanne Burns, Emily Chenoweth, and Emily Kendal Frey, with fiction and poetry based on the prompt word "score." That's 7:30, $3-5 suggested donation.

And finally, my #1 arts pick of the week is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. See it in 3D. For real. (And no, you totally don't have to get high first, but if you choose to do so, I won't insult your intelligence by reminding you to bring snacks.)

*I'm not sure at what point the paradigm shifted completely, but there were regular-sized cupcakes at the office the other day, and they seemed all bloated and monstrous.