WEDNESDAY 7/15

RAY DAVIES DAY

(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21.

BLOWOUT, BUD BRONSON AND

THE GOOD TIMERS, GOTH TV

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) When Nashville rockers Diarrhea Planet stopped off in Denver earlier this year, they shared the stage with local openers Bud Bronson and the Good Timers. Unbeknownst to each other, both bands had planned to cover "The Boys Are Back in Town," and the coincidence led to a healthy dose of Thin Lizzy tributes. Bud Bronson and the Good Timers might lack some of the sheer guitar firepower that Diarrhea Planet are known for, but the Denver band's ability to live up to their name puts them right alongside the Nashville shredders in terms of pure entertainment. Singer/guitarist Brian Beer performs in a speak-sing style that calls to mind the Hold Steady's Craig Finn, especially in his ability to spin elaborate lyrics into nostalgic coming-of-age tales. The end result makes for classic barroom rock that is equal parts goofball and sincere. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

POKEY LaFARGE, CAHALEN MORRISON AND COUNTRY HAMMER

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Though his name may sound like an alias you'd use to book a hotel room for an affair, Pokey LaFarge is a modern-day crooner with a voice from the '30s. He hails from St. Louis, and the sweet melancholy of his vocals and uptempo blues guitar are reminiscent of a Midwestern summer night, when you spent all your money gambling and you haven't touched a girl in too long. LaFarge—AKA Andrew Heissler—plays with a five-piece band that includes junk-band staples like washboard, clarinet, and trombone. His latest album, Something in the Water, is more fine tuned and well orchestrated than his previous ones. Between his old-timey tone, his nostalgic lyrics, and his plucky instrumentation, it's hard not to feel warm and retrospective when listening to a LaFarge blues-country-folk ballad. ROSE FINN

THURSDAY 7/16

CEREMONY, TONY MOLINA,

CREATIVE ADULT

(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) Tony Molina is a riff god. His old band, Ovens, forged a complete vocabulary of hardcore- and pop-punk-influenced Beatles worship, just as likely to reference Infest or Project X as they were to rip on "Strawberry Fields." As the story goes, Ovens broke up with a recording session still scheduled on the books, so Molina gathered a few friends and recorded a dozen or so tracks, the result of which was released as Dissed and Dismissed. The 2013 album (reissued in 2014 by the legendary Slumberland Records) mixes plainly emotive lyrics with transcendent guitar heroics, painting a picture of Molina alone in his bedroom, surrounded by Teenage Fanclub and Pantera posters. Witness the million-riff march live. MAC POGUE See All-Ages Action!, pg. 23.

FOG FATHER, SEANCE CRASHER, SINLESS

(The Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont) Sinless is a new project forged from the fiery talents of Cor Allen (Jackson Boone) and Pete Bosack (Mothertapes), along with synth guy John Walsh, vocalist Chelsea Smith, and drummer Lynn Nicholson. Allen dropped out of his gig with Boone with an eye focused on rounding out a cache of dream-pop bedroom recordings into a more fully realized project. With Sinless, Allen trudges through hazy, lo-fi manifestations, replete with enough psychotropic sheen to make even a cup of coffee get sleepy. The band is releasing a series of EPs—beginning with the mystical Ethereality—that Allen recorded himself, which will lead up to the release of a full-length debut sometime next year, currently being recorded by Riley Geare (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Jackson Boone). Tonight is the band's very first show, so Lyft, Uber, walk, bike, cab, or moonwalk down to the Liquor Store and make sure these guys finally sin. RYAN J. PRADO

EYRST LABEL LAUNCH: MYKE BOGAN, MARTELL WEBSTER, BLOSSOM, RIPLEY SNELL, NEILL VON TALLY

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Eyrst (pronounced "air-st") is a brand-new music label founded by Portland hiphop producer Neill Von Tally and former Portland Trailblazer Martell Webster. Considering the spotty history of NBA players who have attempted rap careers—Damien Lillard notwithstanding—it would be understandable to approach Webster's foray into music with cautious skepticism. But it takes just one listen to his first single, "Disposition," for his high level of talent to destroy any preconceived notions. In addition to Webster's debut live performance, tonight also showcases the rest of the Eyrst family, including rapper Myke Bogan, neo-soul singer Blossom, and Ripley Snell, the jazz-inspired hip-hop duo of Von Tally and emcee Adam Murray. Arrive early for a special beat set from Von Tally, featuring unbilled guests including Grape God, Epp, Maze Koroma, and more. RYAN FEIGH

RIOT V, SPELLCASTER, PUSHY,

DENNIS DREAD

(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) There are not many bands that can do what New York's Riot has done in almost 40 years of existence and still come out on top. From 1977 to 1983 the band was a hard-grooving, mean-riffing heavy metal rock 'n' roll band that released a slew of classic records. 1979's Narita and 1981's Fire Down Under are both heaped with timeless tunes that have more swagger than anything else being produced in the US at the time. Then after a five-year gestation period from '83 to '88, guitarist Mark Reale relocated to Texas, and Riot remerged with a new line-up and a shining chrome slab of power metal called Thundersteel. Reale all but completely reinvented the band's sound, sharpening the riffs to a razor's edge, and injecting the vocals with some chest-heaving vibrato. Sadly, Reale passed away in 2012, but the remaining band members are still carrying the white-hot torch under the moniker Riot V, and sporting the odd, muscular half-man, half-albino-seal mascot named Johnny on their album covers. ARIS WALES

FRIDAY 7/17

PORTLAND'S NOT DEAD: HOUNDSTOOTH, THE WOOLEN MEN, SPOOKIES, WHITE GLOVE, NICK DELFFS

(The Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21.

HAREFEST

(Pat's Acres Racing Complex, 6255 S Arndt, Canby) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21.

PROJECT PABST NIGHT SHOWS

(Various locations) Project Pabst gets an early start this year with comedians at the Doug Fir on Thursday, but tonight the musical portion of the fest begins with shows scattered throughout the city. In terms of sheer tell-your-grandchildren-about-it-ness, the legendary Sonics win the night, churning out classic Tacoma garage rock at the Star Theater; on the periodic table of rock 'n' roll, the Sonics are singlehandedly responsible for about six or seven crucial elements. Chrome, the industrial-rock progenitors from San Francisco, aren't far behind, with a rare show at Bunk Bar. And Preservation Hall Jazz Band inhabit the opposite end of the musical spectrum, adding a bit of class via a Revolution Hall set of New Orleans jazz that remains as rousing as ever. For pure punk-pop fun, check out Tacocat at Mississippi Studios or Shannon and the Clams at the Doug Fir, or get down to Dante's for the Spits. If you're looking for something darker, Jex Thoth headlines a night of adventurous metal at the Ash Street Saloon. NED LANNAMANN Also, see the Mercury's pull-out guide to Project Pabst in our July 8 issue or at portlandmercury.com.

FU MANCHU

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) While many practitioners of "stoner rock" do so with a touch of impending doom, Southern California stone-riffers Fu Manchu carry it out with the sun always shining and the waves always cranking. The band's first four records are stone(r)-cold classics, and even the later material maintains Fu Manchu's riff-heavy feel-good vibe. Fu Manchu got their start back in 1990 after a few years playing hardcore punk under the name Virulence. The lineup changes since then will make your head spin (Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork even had a stint), but Scott Hill is all that remains, steering this rockin' van into Fu Manchu's 25th year. The names may have changed, but the integrity remains. It's good to have Fu Manchu still around. MARK LORE

FROM ASHES RISE, THE SIEGE FIRE, BLACK THEORY

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Originating in Nashville, Tennessee, in the late 1990s, From Ashes Rise released a couple of beloved LPs in Concrete and Steel and Silence before splitting up, only to reconvene in Portland in 2001 and break up for reals in 2005. To say that the band is a cult classic in the crust-punk/hardcore community is an understatement. This is a group that is as close to royalty as a band can get among the nihilist anarchist subculture. Their roaring, speed-metal drums and screams of anti-authoritarian lyrics meet heavy-distortion, hardcore-style guitars. In 2010, the group reunited, releasing a two-song EP, Rejoice the End. Now the group returns to the Portland punk palace that is the Know for what is sure to be an aggressive, high-energy, yell-along type of night. CAMERON CROWELL

THE GOLDEN COUNTRY, POST MOVES, FOR COOL AMERICAN

(Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta) Started during some downtime with his old band, Eidolons, Post Moves is Sam Wenc's full-on love letter to Yo La Tengo, Neil Young, and, most importantly, his friends. The project's Reset Father Time, recorded with the addition of Kelsey Morris on drums and vocals, finds the full band honing a language of late-night jams, never turning the amps up past four because why harsh the mellow? Calling the songs narcoleptic seems like an insult, but the songs sound borne of the moments between closing your eyes and truly falling asleep. Just like that period of suspension before drifting off, Post Moves' songs retain a quiet but immense power on the subconscious. Their influence on your state of mind is immeasurable yet omnipresent, lasting but unknowable. MP

SATURDAY 7/18

HAREFEST

(Pat's Acres Racing Complex, 6255 S Arndt, Canby) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21.

GRAHAM NASH

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See All-Ages Action!, pg. 23.

PROJECT PABST: BLONDIE, RUN THE JEWELS, TV ON THE RADIO, THEE OH SEES, AGAINST ME!, THE VELVET TEEN, PRIORY, HUSTLE & DRONE

(Zidell Yards, 3030 SW Moody) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21, and read our articles on the Velvet Teen, pg. 23, and Blondie, pg. 25. Also, see the Mercury's pull-out guide to Project Pabst in our July 8 issue or at portlandmercury.com.

PROJECT PABST NIGHT SHOWS

(Various locations) After Project Pabst's main daytime event at Zidell Yards, another stacked smorgasbord of club shows ushers festgoers into the wee hours. Tonight you can see Ghostface Killah backed by Canadian jazz prodigies BadBadNotGood; or get moody with volcanic rockers Earth at Revolution Hall; or check out local singer/songwriters Fernando, Jeremy Wilson, and Mike Coykendall at the Doug Fir; or see Atlanta punkers the Coathangers tear up the stage at Mississippi Studios. There's also a deep dish of metal at Ash Street, with SubRosa, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, and more. Memphis garage rockers the Oblivians stage a rare reunion show at Dante's, and the legendary Roky Erickson takes over the Star Theater with classics like "You're Gonna Miss Me" and "Two Headed Dog." There's really not a wrong turn in the bunch. NL Also, see the Mercury's pull-out guide to Project Pabst in our July 8 issue or at portlandmercury.com.

SUNDAY 7/19

PROJECT PABST: WEEZER, BUZZCOCKS, PASSION PIT, THE BOTH, ALVVAYS, TERRY AND LOUIE, WILD ONES, WAMPIRE

(Zidell Yards, 3030 SW Moody) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21. Also, see the Mercury's pull-out guide to Project Pabst in our July 8 issue or at portlandmercury.com.

PROJECT PABST: THE MUMMIES,

GAYTHEIST, SEX CRIME

(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) Read our article on the Mummies, pg. 25. Also, see the Mercury's pull-out guide to Project Pabst in our July 8 issue or at portlandmercury.com.

THE NUMB BATS, LANDLINES, BLIND LOVEJOY

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) If you read this section regularly, you are no doubt aware of the vast number of high-quality cassettes released by Portland bands over the past couple of years. Tapes are great, but the record collector in me pines for many of these great LPs and EPs to get the vinyl treatment they deserve. Fortunately, the fine folks at Mt. St. Mtn seem to feel the same way, as they're giving Landlines' fantastic 2014 release, Log Out, Tune Up, Drop Dead, an extremely limited pressing. Landlines' ability to effortlessly spread playful wordplay over Kiwi-influenced jangle-pop makes this the perfect album to slot in between the Clean's Anthology and all those Malkmus records, assuming the catchy thing ever leaves your turntable. If getting your hands on some fresh wax wasn't incentive enough, tonight Landlines are joined by the Phoenix-hailing dream-punk trio Numb Bats, who are touring off their recent Lolipop Records-issued Bees and Trees EP. CT

MONDAY 7/20

DICK DIVER, THE WOOLEN MEN

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21, and read our article on Dick Diver, pg. 23.

BARRA BROWN'S BENDS WITH FRENEFITS

(Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th) As with most genres, the continued evolution of jazz depends on younger players like Barra Brown. The percussionist and composer moonlights in the indie world, backing up bands like Ages and Ages and Old Wave, but pours his true creative energy into his own work. Songs for a Young Heart, the 2013 album he recorded with his quintet, folded elements of post-rock in with stately horn parts and his own unflappable drumming. Brown's upcoming full-length, Dreaming Awake, promises an even more expansive field of play with the addition of a string section and a trio of female vocalists. His performance tonight at Jimmy Mak's finds Brown working without his usual ensemble, instead playing a set of original compositions (including some tunes from his new record) with a batch of other young jazz players, such as guitarist Grant Sayler and pianist Matt Tabor. ROBERT HAM

TUESDAY 7/21

JOHN MELLENCAMP, CARLENE CARTER

(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 21.

THE SUFFERS, PIGWAR

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) If ever there were a band with a misleading name, it would be the Suffers. This 10-piece Houston, Texas, band plays feel-good-all-in-your-soul music, which, yes, everyone seems to be doing lately, but the Suffers stand out from the rest by subtly incorporating Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythms in their sound, and by doing it really well. Aside from an early single, they've recorded only one EP, the excellent Make Some Room, released in January. From what live footage I've seen of them online, I can say with confidence that it will be impossible to have a bad time at this show, especially as it's kicked off by Portland's sweet new psychedelic-soul outfit, PigWar (another band with a questionable name). SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

RUSH

(Moda Center, 1 Center Ct) Rush are more than a rock 'n' roll institution. More than a seminal prog trio. More than ambassadors of Canadian artistry. Their music provokes divisive commentary and bold loyalties (see the Mercury's "Debate Club" on Rush from July 24, 2013), and without fail, they motor on, shredding in odd time through the perils of classic-rock tropes and Baby Boomer apathy. Every year Rush earns new fans, and every year some new drummer tries to learn all the fills to "Tom Sawyer" or the weirdly propulsive intro to "YYZ." The vaunted trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart released their 20th studio album in 2012—a mere 100 years before their dystopian opus 2112 is set—called Clockwork Angels. Keep an eye out for Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson shooting live photography for the band. RJP

JANE'S ADDICTION,

THE MOTH AND THE FLAME

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Jane's Addiction ran concurrent to the vacuous LA hair-metal scene of the late '80s, and at the time they must have seemed like a breath of fresh, arty air. They played weird, spooky rock with a sense of actual danger, imbuing their music with tales of inadvisable drugs and tawdry sex, coloring their blackhearted admissions with a gothic tinge. But looking back, Jane's Addiction's legacy seems woefully slim: two pretty decent albums (1988's Nothing's Shocking and 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual), a bunch of short-lived reunions (of which this is the latest), and Dave Navarro's eternal shirtlessness. While influential at the time, those two good albums now seem like relics of a bygone era, with little mystery left in them two and a half decades later. And—real talk—let's not forget that their best-known song has a fucking steel drum solo. Jane's Addiction's influence on early-'90s rock is immeasurable, but their once boundary-smashing skeeviness now just seems... skeevy. NL