THURSDAY, APRIL 9
Back in the beginning, punk had balls, but its flair for Hollywood drama was somewhat clunky. X came and changed all that, with a diva and a lyricism for the romantic end of the spiked leather crowd; the ringing is still in our ears. MS
w/Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts, Guns & Rossetti; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, $20, all ages
On television, RuPaul's Drag Race combines all the best parts of reality runway shows (style, bitchiness, emotional outbursts) and then adds drag queens! And the Portland edition, hosted live by Poison Waters, will be even better. For 12 weeks, eight local contestants will compete to become the Northwest's Fiercest Drag Diva. And each week, somebody will lip sync for their life! Don't miss the first round tonight. KP
Red Cap Garage, 1025 SW Stark, 9 pm, FREE
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Remember The Gong Show? Well, it's back, and better than ever! This time the fast and furious talent show is hosted by punk drag troupe Sissyboy, with a panel of celebrity judges (including Mercury staff!)—all to benefit Outside In! SM
w/Neopolitan Beard, Rude Dudes, Jimme Jamma; Rotture, 315 SE 3rd, 9 pm, $5-25 sliding scale
Before they were the house band for Jimmy Fallon's crappy late-night show, the Roots established themselves as hiphop icons. Tonight, get a double-dose of Roots goodness, with a Roots show at the Wonder Ballroom followed by an after-party with DJ ?uestlove at the Someday Lounge. EH
w/Pacific Division; Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $29, all ages; official after-party w/?uestlove, Rev Shines, DJ Kez, Starchile; Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th, 9:30 pm, $10
The last time Trevor Ariza came to town, he sent Rudy Fernandez to the hospital. Tonight, Ariza and his fellow Los Angeles Lakers better watch their step, since the Portland Trail Blazers—and resident thug, Joel "Vanilla Gorilla" Przybilla—won't let up on the scoreboard... or the Laker body count. EAC
Rose Garden, 1 Center Court, 7:30 pm, $10 and up
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
The Spring Beer and Wine Fest has quite a few things going for it: It's indoors, keeping weather out of your beverage. It includes a "Tour de Cheese" to curb your overwhelming hunger for salty dairy products. There's a heated smoking tent. And oh yeah, the beer! PAC
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Fri April 10 & Sat April 11, noon–11 pm, $5 entry (FREE noon-2 pm)
Fans of the dance floor will not want to miss tonight's special guest turntablist DJ Spinderella! This gorgeous DJ is most famous for being one-third of Salt-N-Pepa, and is guaranteed to make your ass tap the floor with her hip-shaking selections of rap and R&B pop. WSH
w/Starchile, Dun Diggy, O.G. One; Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th, 9 pm, $10
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Two of the biggest acts on the Sub Pop roster, Seattle's Fleet Foxes and Portland's own Blitzen Trapper, team up for a show that'll bring rock, folk, and windswept harmonies. Tickets are sold out, so get craigslist-ing—this is the kind of show your grandkids will ask you about. NL
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, $15, all ages
O sweet resurrected savior, Easter morning brings a divine vision: hundreds of people in bunny costumes on bikes! Wake up early and swing by either Pix Patisserie location for a money-loaded egg hunt, then put on your Sunday-best ears for the sixth annual Bunny on a Bike Ride. SM
Egg hunts at Pix , 3402 SE Divison, 10 am, and 3901 N Williams, 9 am; Bunny Ride begins at noon, go to shift2bikes.org for locations
MONDAY, APRIL 13
Innovative performance act Lucky Dragons—the work of one Luke Fischbeck—offer electronic music/dance/WTF pieces that can only be described as digital human mixing magic. Never has a guy with a laptop been so awesome on stage. SM
w/tune-YaRdS, Karl Blau; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $7
Fresh off a Saturday appearance on Live Wire!, physicist Michio Kaku reads tonight from Physics of the Impossible, which explores whether the fantastical concepts that currently exist only in sci-fi might one day become reality. You know, like robot maids. And jetpacks. AH
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
Hey, you with the NPR totebag! You're a fan of Old Testament piss-taking and This American Life, right? Jonathan Goldstein, longtime contributor to Ira Glass' show, reads tonight from his latest book, Ladies and Gentleman, the Bible!, which recasts tedious Bible stories as wryly hilarious anecdotes. AS
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE
Based in Buenos Aires, Zizek lays claim to being one of the hottest clubs on the planet. But since airfare to Argentina isn't exactly cheap, they are bringing their finest emcees and DJs to us, along with a dizzying selection of sweltering dancehall, cumbia, hiphop, and mashups like nothing you've experienced before. EAC
w/Various Bass Crew featuring Monkeytek, Ryan Organ, E3; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9 pm, $10
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
The mixture of robotic beats, chilly synth, and warm, soulful singing makes for a surprisingly good cocktail, and Australian duo the Presets resurrects the cool-once-again sound of your favorite '80s band (Pet Shop Boys, Yaz, Soft Cell, et al.) in snappy, durable dance-pop that never becomes a retread. NL
w/the Golden Filter, the Gentry; Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th, 9 pm, $16-18, all ages
If White Bird's Uncaged series hasn't won you over already, with spirited international dance performances in unusual locations, it's now or never. The series concludes with Two-Faced Bastard, a production from Australian dance company Chunky Move that features an innovative split stage. AH
10th Avenue Athletic Club, 1111 SW 10th, 8 pm (plus Sat-Sun 2 pm) through Sun April 19, $26
