WEDNESDAY 9/7
BREAKER BREAKER, THE LOVESORES, QUEEN CHIEF, THE SADISTS, DJ ANDY MAXIMUM
(Twilight CafĂ©, 1420 SE Powell) Dead Moon drummer Andrew Loomis died on March 8 this year, but his impact can still be felt in the lifeblood of their home city, particularly through the inestimable number of Portland bands that remain influenced by Dead Moonâs rain-wisped, Pacific Northwest punk. One of those bands, Breaker Breaker, had their fates directly impacted by Loomis, who in his last years professed a desire to devote his energy to giving young bands a leg up through his experience and European touring connections. Loomis died before seeing his plans reach fruition, but Breaker Breakerâs debut albumâreleased tonightâis a fine tribute to him, and while its variety of steam-train, leather-clad â80s punk ânâ metal is a far cry from the bluesier jackknife sound of Dead Moon, the bandâs power and exuberance are emblematic of Loomisâ love of all things loud ânâ howled. NED LANNAMANN
CASUAL BURN, BOBBY PERU, VOG
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Bobby Peru, the villain of David Lynchâs 1990 film Wild at Heart, is surreal, gross, toothy, and delectably distasteful. Portland punk band Bobby Peruâs music and high-energy performances match the vibe of their fictional inspiration, epitomized by their song âBath Salt Boogie,â a twisted backwoods ditty about eating peopleâs faces while high on the aforementioned drug. Bobby Peru has a cult following of their own here in Portland: Itâs not unusual to see an âIâD DO BOBBY PERUâ shirt around townâa slogan now associated with the group, not the character. Theyâre the kind of endearingly grimy band that writes their contact info on a bathroom stall. EMMA BURKE
THURSDAY 9/8
SUBHUMANS, KICKER, RAUKOUS, RENDERED USELESS
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE CĂ©sar E. ChĂĄvez) Itâs fitting that pissed-off, hyper-British, anarcho-punk band Subhumans is touring in 2016, the only year America has had any interest in UK politics. (I may not fully understand what âBrexitâ means, but Iâve seen my fair share of tweets about it from people who also probably donât fully understand what it means.) Subhumansâ anti-capitalist, anti-religion, class warfare-promoting catalog is still relevant today, especially in light of their home countryâs recent political discontent. Staying relevant can be difficult for bands considered foundational in their genre, but Subhumans continue to propagate their political beliefs while embodying the punk ethos year after year. EMMA BURKE
DENVER, EVENING BELL, DUSTY SANTAMARIA
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Dying Stars is the debut full-length from Seattleâs Evening Bell, and tonight theyâre heading down to Portland to celebrate its release. Itâs an outlaw country record of hits and missesânot all tracks sustain the energy of the casually heartbreaking opener, âThis Bar Room Ainât Your Church.â But when songwriters Caitlin Sherman and Hart Kingsbery get it right, they hit homeruns that land on Mars. Six-and-a-halfminute standout âWhat an Angel Doesâ grows from one minimalist guitar riff that hinges on the heavy question, âAre you cominâ home tonight?â Opener and former Portland musician Dusty Santamaria recently relocated to Los Angeles and released a languidly magical new EP, Sylvia Says, while Denverâs particular brand of dusky, pedal-steel country is bone dry and cynical, borrowing more than a little inspiration from Gram Parsonsâ the Flying Burrito Brothers. CIARA DOLAN
LOW CULTURE, DIVERS, PISS TEST, STEEL CHAINS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) With their lithe, athletic garage-punk, Low Culture is a welcome new addition to Portland. The band recently moved from Las Cruces, New Mexico, bringing with them the bones of their sophomore LP, Places to Hide. The album doesnât do much hiding, thoughâsongs as upfront as âDefective Brainâ slither in jangly, lo-fi celebration, feigning disgust and reverence for the foils of ineptitude. âWrong Side of Historyâ and âAlone Togetherâ flex more of the lean punk attack, pulling scratchy guitars over bin-lid drums in homage to â80s DC hardcore. Tonightâs show celebrates the release of Places to Hide, and the new kids in town have a huge supporting cast in Divers, Piss Test, and Steel Chains. Get there early and practice your pogo. RYAN J. PRADO
FRIDAY 9/9
JOSEPH, DUNCAN FELLOWS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) I'm Alone, No You're Not is the latest from Portland sister-trio Joseph, and tonightâs show celebrates the recordâs release. Its 11 tracks are bound by folksy pop melodies and the synchrony of the sistersâ eerily similar harmonies. Josephâs music resounds with the interconnected power of family, and itâs stunning. CIARA DOLAN
LOCH LOMOND, SMALL MILLION
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our review of Loch Lomondâs Pens from Spain.
MONOLORD, SWEAT LODGE, URCHIN
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Prepping Portlanders for the upcoming onslaught of stoner doom at this monthâs NW Hesh Fest, one of RidingEasy Recordsâ newest Swedish imports, Monolord, have no difficulty expressing how deeply Black Sabbath influenced their music. The band, who shares a label roster with local favorites Sons of Huns and Danava, have already made considerable waves in the metal scene while still only being on their sophomore release, Aprilâs VĂŠnir. Rounding out their efforts will be dark, atmospheric doom from the depths of the Mariana Trench provided by local duo Urchin and slight aural relief from Austinâs bluesy-psych act Sweat Lodge. CERVANTE POPE
BOMBAY BEACH, LOVE BOYS, RECORDS FOR RENT
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Bombay Beachâs Jeremiah Hayden (also of Modern Kin), Kelli Schaefer, Ryan Lynch, and Matt Zimmerman vacillate between cinematic art-rock wizards and melodic pop alchemists. Earlier this summer, Bombay Beach dropped their debut, Death Tape, on Haydenâs own Amigo/Amiga Records, and with it a writhing cinematic mindfuck for the single âThee Mote.â The record itself is a sort of soundtrack to a film the band has been working on, the details of which are as fuzzy as some of the songs on Death Tape. But itâs a good kind of fuzzy, a dizzying haze as found on segueing instrumental tracks like âShipsâ that give way to foreboding synth nightmares like âMurder USA.â Itâs really, really good. RJP
SATURDAY 9/10
THE FIXIN' TO GRAND OPENING SHOW: THE FUR COATS, FOG FATHER, CAT HOCH, MINI BLINDS, MERINGUE, VEXATIONS, HIGH DIVING HORSES
(The Fixinâ To, 8218 N Lombard) St. Johns bar the Fixinâ To always had a great patio, and now theyâve got a live music venue to boot. The newly built annex, which holds just over 100, was designed with great sound in mind and will bring lots of local live music to North Portland. Tonightâs grand openingâpart of St. Johnsâ NoFestâboasts a stacked bill of great Portland bands, including the Fur Coats, Cat Hoch, and several others. NED LANNAMANN
GENDERS, EYELIDS, DOGHEART
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) There are some flames that never die, including the musical friendship between Eyelidsâ Chris Slusarenko and John Moen. These two are quick to finish each otherâs sentences and jokes, not to mention songs. The duo put off starting their own band for years as they toured and recorded with acts like the Decemberists, Elliott Smith, and Guided by Voices. Luckily, the idea persisted, and eventually Eyelids was born. The bandâs latest 7-inch is effervescent pop that harkens back to the foundations of the Portland sound with a fresh breath. Itâs a preview of whatâs to come, namely Eyelidsâ second full-lengthâa first for Slusarenko, who has never recorded a second record with any of the many bands heâs started. Long overdue, but for anyone who caught their recent set at PDX Pop Now!, itâs far from stale. JENI WREN STOTTRUP
NOFEST FREAK STAGE: CONSUMER, AMENTA ABIOTO, GOOO, ELROND, 1000TRASHCANS, RAS MIX, THE SOCIAL STOMACH, PAPER GATES, MARC & THE HORSEJERKS, SHARON, BLINK MACHINE
(James John CafĂ©, 8527 N Lombard) The annual NoFest is back to celebrate its 10th year with the best in avant-garde at various venues around St. Johns. The Freak Stage at James John CafĂ© will feature an array of experimental electronic performers, several of whom have releases on one of Portlandâs premier weirdo electronic record labels, SadoDamascus Records. 1000Trashcans (Nicholas Schwartz) is one of the label headâs noise-inspired side projects that centers on twisted hip-hop beats strangled by various effects under distorted, angsty rap. Amenta Abioto is a multi-instrumentalist and African soul performer who creates melodic vocal loops that build on each other in exquisite rhythmic harmonies. Standout Ras Mix (Aaron Salomon) releases nonstop left-field electronica that oozes quality and dedication. Heâll lift the rock in the far corner of the desert and unleash the elusive sounds youâve been looking for. CHRISTINA BROUSSARDÂ
SUNDAY 9/11
PORTLAND BLACK MUSIC FEST: MIC CAPES, KIMBERLY MONIQUE, COOL NUTZ, SAEEDA WRIGHT, RASHEED JAMAL, MADGESDIQ, ROCHELL D. HART, TYRONE HENDRIX, PATRICK SERAYA, ANDRE ST. JAMES
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Read our story on Portlandâs Black Music Festival
SAD RAD, WOLVVES, SOCCER MOMS, HORSE MOVIES
(Analog CafĂ©, 720 SE Hawthorne) Sad Radâs twinkly, simple indie rock is unabashedly pleasant. Escapism at its purest, the bandâs most recent EP, Sick Girlz Lame Boyz, sounds like Youth Lagoon without any internal strifeâSad Rad exists in the manic pixie dream world created by indie rockers of yesteryear, where sadness is acknowledged but ultimately fleeting. The choice to keep audible background noise (shuffling, people talking, guitars tuning) in the final versions of the pretty synth tunes seems like an effort to edge up the recordings, but Sad Rad is a clean-cut band majoring in soft pop with a minor in twee. They find their groove in instrumental tracks and the delicate vocals of singer/songwriter Sophia Modica. Any reach for darkness (namely, references to anxiety or angst in song titles) seems insincereâSad Rad is a confection, and although anguish can seem like the source of all art, owning up to blind positivity has a plethora of merits as well. EMMA BURKE
DEATH VALLEY GIRLS, THE SHIVAS, TOP DOWN
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Death Valley Girlsâ June release, Glow in the Dark, ferociously torments lo-fi grittiness with hot poker guitar riffs and Bonnie Bloomgardenâs hell-raising howls and shrieks. Her unbelievably elastic register is the dark centerpiece of standout âSeis Seis Seis,â a track that devolves from controlled incantation into complete sonic breakdown. âIâm a Man Tooâ head-butts the notion that âItâs a manâs worldâ with doo-wop punk, while âLove Spellâ mechanically churns drums and heavy riffs under Bloomgardenâs piercing snarls. Death Valley Girlsâ hellish punk is inescapably magnetic, like running into a tornado and relishing the hair-whipping chaos. CD
PROPHETS OF RAGE
(Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 17200 NE Delfel, Ridgefield, WA) Despite the whole rap rock thing being sullied by the likes of Limp Bizkitâwho proved to be the final nail in the coffinâRage Against the Machine still has the respect of many, since they actually had important things to say. Add decades of truth-telling from Public Enemy, and itâs best to pay attention. Prophets of Rageâmembers of RATM sans Zack de la Rocha, with Public Enemyâs Chuck D and DJ Lord, and B-Real from Cypress Hillâhave formed to fight back against the racism, xenophobia, and sexism propagated by Trump and other GOP goons. If America has ever needed Prophets of Rage, whose performances are rallies against social and racial inequalities, itâs right now. If these Prophets connect with just a handful of people, consider this a good thing. MARK LORE
MONDAY 9/12
MOOR MOTHER, ASTRAL TEMPEST, DANIELA KARINA
(S1, 4148 NE Hancock) The genres under which Camae Ayewa categorizes her music are as poetic and transfixing as the sounds themselves: âslave ship punk,â âblack ghost songs,â and âwitch rapâ donât and shouldnât act as points of reference for listeners new to Moor Mother (Ayewaâs musical activist moniker), for sheâs twisting familiar noises to a point beyond recognition and into an uncharted auditory plane. Moor Mother is protest music at its best and most contemporaryâAyewa uses oral history (ranging from political speeches by Angela Davis and Assata Shakur to punk samples) and cacophonous, industrial noise to reflect on and get riled about what still hasnât (but desperately needs to be) changed. Perusing Moor Motherâs extensive digital discography is a mental trip to a world where all bodies move free, where all bodies can be angry, emotive, and erratic, and where the voice of the black woman is heard. EMMA BURKE
TUESDAY 9/13
BLACK SABBATH, RIVAL SONS
(Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 17200 NE Delfel, Ridgefield, WA) Dinosaur bands announce farewell tours all the time, but Iâm inclined to take Black Sabbath at their word. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler are without founding drummer Bill Ward on this final plunge into the void, but thatâs only a small nit to pick when confronted with the LAST. CHANCE. EVER. to see one of the most revolutionary and influential bands of all time. Sabbathâs Brummie-inflected take on blues and boogie rock was like the earth cracking open, drenching us with molten heavy-metal lava. NED LANNAMANN Also read our story on Black Sabbath.
BOYZ II MEN
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) There will probably never be a better boy band than Boyz II Men were in their prime. âMotownphilly,â the groupâs 1991 debut video, introduced a very receptive MTV audience to an infectious atmosphere brimming with pep rally swagger, a colorful personality palette, and, best of all, untouchable vocal dynamics. Their formula was old-school doo-wop acrobatics spiced with hip East Coast production, and the resulting magic ran the gamut of African American harmonizing, thus cementing their reputation as irrepressible talents. Megahits from this era like âIâll Make Love to You,â âEnd of the Road,â and their a cappella masterpiece âItâs So Hard to Say Goodbyeâ have since stamped Boyz II Men indelibly into the pantheon of not only Philadelphiaâs R&B history, but popular consciousness as well. Itâs this timeless quality that will keep them filling venues like the Schnitz 25 years past their prime. CHRIS SUTTON
BOMBA ESTEREO
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Colombian band Bomba Estereo makes psychedelic electro-cumbia, ranging from tropical party-starters to champeta-influenced folk ballads. Charismatic singer Liliana Saumet and multi-instrumentalist Simon MejĂa are pioneers in the scene that also spawned acts like Dengue Dengue Dengue and Chancha Via Circuito. Theyâve been working together for 10 years, combining traditional Colombian instrumentation with modern electronic sounds. Bomba Estereoâs latest album, Amanecer (their first on a major label) pushes their experimentations even further, taking influence from their international tours and fusing their electro-tropical sound with kwaito, global bass, dancehall, and juke. Their live show promises vivid jungle visuals, pulsing Latin beats, and plenty of costume changes. DANIELA SERNA