WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

AL FRESCO MUSIC—This time of year, you may as well re-purpose everything you love to the out of doors, and music is certainly a prime target. You can ordinarily catch bands like tonight's performer Y La Bamba in dark clubs—this time, take in their final show before the band goes on hiatus at Music on Main Street, which runs as a weekly series through the end of next month. MS
SW Main between Broadway & Park, 5 pm, FREE, all ages

RIGSKETBALL—Now that rigging up a basketball hoop on the back of your band's van has been locally recognized as a legitimate sport with Rigsketball, it's only fitting that this year's tournament finals be accompanied with a huge party featuring the Woolen Men, Wooden Indian Burial Ground, Gaytheist, the We Shared Milk, and more! MS
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 6 pm, FREE

THURSDAY, JULY 25

DRUMS—Forget your strummy guitars and dum-dum singers and tootle-y flutes. Hot Victory has two drummers, and that's all Hot Victory needs. Creating a booming, percussive ruckus over apocalyptic synthscapes, Caitlin Love and Ben Stoller's weird, wild, 100 percent badass music is unlike anything you've ever heard. NL
w/Lozen, Qui; Record Room, 8 NE Killingsworth, 8 pm, $5

FILM—Every summer, the NW Film Center teams up with the Hotel deLuxe to show movies on the roof of the hotel's parking structure—along with live music and drinks. Tonight, the Top Down: Rooftop Cinema series kicks off with Jacques Tati's 1949 comedy Jour de Fête, preceded by music from Lincoln's Beard. EH
Hotel deLuxe, SW 15th & Yamhill, 8 pm, $8-9

FRIDAY, JULY 26

COVERS—Grab your cloves, a bouquet of gladioli, and your bummed-out heart for this evening of covers of the Smiths, Depeche Mode, and the Cure. Tribute bands This Charming Band, For the Masses, and the Xploding Boys are guaranteed to make you joyfully dance through every awkward teenage moment you cringed through the first time—don't forget to wear black on the outside! CF
Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $12-13

NERD PARTY—The July installment of #NerdNightOut—the friendliest variety show in town—is headlined by local nerdrockers the Doubleclicks, two sisters who deal in fantastically clever, catchy songs about interests ranging from Dungeons and Dragons to Pride and Prejudice. Also on deck: musician Sarah Donner and stand-ups Barbara Holm and Bri Pruett. AH
Secret Society, 116 NE Russell, 9 pm, $8-10

SATURDAY, JULY 27

SPACE JAMS—If there's one thing the Flaming Lips know, it's how to throw a spectacular party. Full of ecstatic dancing furry fans, confetti canyons, light shows, and a humongous hamster exercise ball, their concerts are the embodiment of a sprinkles-topped chocolate cupcake delivered on the back of a unicorn. The spacey music ain't bad either. CF
w/Wild Ones; Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale, 6:30 pm, $42-43, all ages

STREET FAIR—Another bitchin' summer weekend, another thoroughfare closed temporarily in the name of commerce and mirth. This time around it's the Clinton Street Block Party, which happily coincides with the Division/Clinton Street Fair. Clinton might be slightly less popular than nearby Hawthorne and Division, but it's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for. DVH
SE 25th and Clinton, 3-9 pm, FREE

SUNDAY, JULY 28

WATER SPORTS—It's almost old hat now that it's in its third year, but the Big Float—which brings thousands of inner-tubing sun lovers to the Willamette River—is still the most fun you'll ever have learning just how nontoxic our downtown waterway really is. Bring a life jacket! And an appetite. There's an after-float beach party at Tom McCall Bowl. DCT
Registration 9 am-1 pm at Tom McCall Bowl (southwest side of the Hawthorne Bridge), parade starts at 11:30 am, $8, thebigfloat.com

SOUL PARTY—Dig a Pony celebrates birthday number two tonight with platter-spinnin' from DJs Beyonda and Cooky Parker, plus a live set from Onuinu. But what's really gonna set this party off is a beggin', pleadin' set from legendary Portland soulmaster Ural Thomas and the first-ever performance of his hot new band, the Pain. Trust us—don't miss it. NL
Dig a Pony, 736 SE Grand, 8 pm, FREE

MONDAY, JULY 29

MUSIC—Kimya Dawson and Aesop Rock are an unlikely combination: Dawson's voice is the aural embodiment of "twee," while Aesop Rock deals in rougher rhymes. But the pairing of the two—under the moniker the Uncluded—finds a catchy balance that flatters both. Also, Lil Bub is in one of their music videos. JUST SAYIN'. AH
w/Hamell on Trial; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8:30 pm, $18-20, all ages

FILM—The timing of Fruitvale Station's release couldn't be more potent. Before Trayvon Martin, there was Oscar Grant—a young black man shot and killed by a cop in Oakland, way back on New Year's Day 2009, while lying face down on a train platform. Relive Grant's final 24 hours in a somber, matter-of-fact dramatization that just might make you cry a little. Or a lot. DCT
Various theaters, see Film Times

TUESDAY, JULY 30

MENSTRUATION FUN—Let's all wish a happy 20th birthday to GladRags—the local biz that promotes positive attitudes toward menstruation with eco-friendly washable pads—by whooping it up at this dance party that practically bleeds fun! Bottom-shaking songs will be provided by the Suicide Notes and DJ Break Mode, as well as cupcakes, raffle prizes, photo booth pics, AND swag bags! WSH
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 7 pm, $3

FILM—You've seen them in countless movies, but you haven't really seen them until now. The documentary Men in Suits takes a look at the actors and actresses who've sweated in rubber suits, been blinded by prosthetics, and played everyone (and everything) from Godzilla to the Ninja Turtles to those dumb monkeys from Congo. And director Frank H. Woodward will be in attendance! EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $8