WED AUG 20

Lo-Fi, Water Rats w/Defect Defect, Dark/Light; Boogie's Burgers and Brew, 910 E Burnside
It's a stacked bill at Boogie's tonight: Along with mainstays Defect Defect (who I've gushed about previously in this column) and the murky, angular punk of relatively new project Dark/Light (featuring members of Portland punk luminaries Sleepwalkers RIP and the Triggers), tonight's show features two bands on tour from Brazil. The eclectic Lo-Fi, whose new album Long Hair Cold Drinks suggests a decided if not unexpected country influence, and the full-throttle, slightly more straightforward, '80s-style punk of Water Rats.

SAT AUG 23

The Parson Red Heads Present: Songs from Laurel Canyon; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside
To some, the singer/songwriter boom that took place in the late '60s and early '70s in Southern California represents the apex of rock 'n' roll sterility. The Parson Red Heads obviously don't feel that way. As a matter of fact, the group is so fond of the sub-movement that they'll be performing two complete sets of cover material by its practitioners (which include, most notably, CSNY, Gram Parsons, the Mamas and the Papas, Joni Mitchell, Van Dyke Parks, the Byrds, Carole King, and Jackson Browne), in addition to a set of original material, the majority of which will likely be from their latest record, last year's Orb Weaver. Special guests include the Red Heads' producer/Minus 5 frontman Scott McCaughey, a pop litterateur in his own right and one of Portland's most prized songwriting exports, the Fruit Bats' Eric D. Johnson, Blitzen Trapper drummer Brian Koch, Typhoon mastermind Kyle Morton, and more.

Hoverfest w/YOB, Danava, Acid King, Witch Mountain & more; 2119 N Kerby
Heavy-music festival du jour Hoverfest, curated by boutique amp manufacturer Hovercraft, looks to be a good one. On the bill are Oregon-bred doom giants YOB and Witch Mountain, the borderline pastiche of Danava, the terminally stoned Acid King—who do a tremendous, hazy cover of Steve Miller's "The Stake"—and a bunch of other good shit.