THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

GIVE A SHIT—Do you give one (or even two!) shits about politics and your community? Stop by the Mercury/Bus Project's Give a Shit happy hour today to meet other young, shit-giving people like you and hear about some worthwhile local projects. Also, there will be drinking. SM
Guild Public House, 1101 E Burnside, 6-8 pm, FREE, all ages

SMELLS LIKE—To mark the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind, Baby Ketten Karaoke is pulling out the stops, singing the entire album with a little help from guest star musicians (like Doug Jenkins from the Portland Cello Project), and with regular karaoke, too! In other news: You are old. MS
The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie, 9 pm, FREE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

FREAK ON—Chaz Bundick is a puppetmaster of a huge range of dancing, bouncing sounds. You know him better as Toro y Moi, your one-stop shop for future jamz and retro '80s synths, all squelching along for a funky, freaky dance party. Don't miss Unknown Mortal Orchestra, with tightly coiled funk-psych and a flamboyant live show (guitar heroics! Capes, sometimes!) that you don't want to miss. NL
w/Bass Drum of Death; Branx, 320 SE 2nd, 9 pm, $15, all ages

SNAP!—The monthly night celebrating the best in '90s dance jams, Snap!, is back, featuring a floor-burning cover song performance from Purple & Green's J. Green and $3 drink specials all night long, because two things make the dancing go down easy: nostalgia and booze! MS
w/Colin Jones, Doc Adam; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9 pm, $5

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

OMG! OMD!—The one and only Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark—or OMD, if you are nasty—have dusted off their synths, reunited their original members, and returned to the stage. All nostalgia aside, OMD's back catalog is untouchable, a perfect time capsule of '80s synth pop without any of the gimmicks. In lieu of dancing to "99 Luftballons" for the 99th time at some tired '80s night, come see the real gems of that decade in action. EAC
w/Washington; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $27-29

TEXTIST—Get on your fineries for the IPRC's annual Text Ball. PRO TIP: If you cover yourself in Scrabble tiles, you'll be winning all night! The theme for this year's ball is In Poetic Fashion, so expect lots of starched collars; the evening culminates in a costume parade with prizes for best outfits. All proceeds go to the IPRC, Portland's invaluable center for creative expression. SS
w/Laura Gibson; p:ear, 338 NW 6th, 7 pm, $12-15

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

OPA!—It's the 60th (!) annual Greek Festival this weekend! Come fill your belly with dolmas, watch traditional dances, and learn how to make Greek pastries. Interested in Greek bling and tapestries? You can buy it here too. Throw in a personal tour of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and you're set. AZ
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3131 NE Gilsan, Fri-Sat 10 am-10 pm, Sun noon-8 pm, FREE

CHILI TIME!—Yahoo! It's chili season! And what better way to kick off your most favoritest time of the year than with a humdinger of a chili cookoff at the new and buzzable Moonshine Kitchen. If you've got a great recipe, cook up a batch to be judged on consistency, texture, appearance, flavor, and general satisfaction. Prizes will be awarded, and guts will be delightfully filled. WSH
Moonshine Kitchen & Lounge, 1020 NW 17th, 6 pm, FREE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3

DON'T CALL IT CHILLWAVE—Alan Palomo, the 23-year-old who goes by Neon Indian, is a synthesizer wizard with a fashionable '80s bent. Tonight you can catch him playing new material off sophomore record Era Extraña in the retro intimacy of the Doug Fir, where he will no doubt deliver the goods. WE
w/Com Truise, Purity Ring; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $15-17

BRONTÄSTIC—Dust off your English degree and clutch your pearls because tonight, ShanRock's Triviology presents Bully for Brontë: Jane Eyre vs. Wuthering Heights, a trivia night that will pit two sisters and two classic novels against each other in one good old-fashioned gothic romance bloodbath. MJ
Ella Street Social Club, 714 SW 20th Pl, 7 pm, FREE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4

STONER—If you like your comedy on the stoney side, you're already familiar with the blunt-huffing stylings of Doug Benson. If not, get thee to the internet: His podcast Doug Loves Movies is a great place to start. AH
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, Tues & Wed, 8 pm, $20

FLYING GUILLOTINE—One of mankind's greatest inventions, the flying guillotine, is a little razor-studded hat that kung fu masters can artfully throw onto your head—AND THEN USE IT TO DECAPTIATE YOU. Witness this wondrous device in all its 35mm glory in Jimmy Wang Yu's Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976), one of the coolest, most batshit-crazy kung fu flicks ever made! EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5

FASHION DO—Tonight kicks off Portland's Fashion Week with Catapult, an emerging designers' competition, where the audience votes on runway styles. The show will feature lines from Project Runway's Becky Ross for Wicked Quick, House of Gunter, Michelle Is Well, and others. AZ
Vigor Industrial Shipyard, 5555 N Channel, Swan Island, doors 6 pm, $25-45, Fashion Week continues through Oct 9

PRAIRIE COMPANIONS—For the month of October, genre-bending string band Black Prairie (featuring members of the Decemberists, Jackstraw, and more) plays a weekly happy hour at the LaurelThirst, showcasing new material and hosting plenty of guests. This week, Ritchie Young from Loch Lomond stops by, as well as comedian Aaron Ross. NL
LaurelThirst Public House, 2958 NE Glisan, 6 pm, FREE