THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

COMICS!—Two of Portland's best comics creators team up for tonight's art show at Floating World: Emi Lenox will be showing off work from her upcoming autobio comic EmiTown, Vol. 2, while Natalie Nourigat will bring pages from her webcomic Between Gears. Both books will soon be published by Image, so here's your chance to get a sneak peek. EH
Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch, 6-10 pm, FREE

L'CHAIM—The Oregon Jewish Museum has enlisted Weinland's Adam Shearer and Aaron Pomerantz to put together Heeb Remixed, a night of local Jewish songwriters and musicians. Weinland will play, naturally, along with Gideon Freudmann of Portland Cello Project and St. Even (AKA Steve Hefter)—plus knishes and Manischewitz cocktails. L'chaim! NL
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8 pm, $10

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

BENDER—It's time to have the funnest blackout you'll never remember with the annual Slabtown Bender. Drink 'em up and dance 'em down at this weekend-long series of shows, tonight with the Trashies, TacocaT, and Unnatural Helpers. Plus Saturday and Sunday you can start out the festivities with free matinees. Hydrate, folks, hydrate—this is for the long haul. CF
Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th, Fri-Sun, 5 pm, $10 ($25 for all weekend)

REVENGE OF THE SYNTH—It's time again for another round of Superfresh, a two-day extravaganza that will have you wearing holes in your dancing shoes, with a slew of performances from Wampire, Litanic Mask, Tunnels, and so many more. Don't forget to stretch those hamstrings. MS
Branx, 320 SE 2nd, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, $7, $10 weekend pass, all ages

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

JAM ON IT—Hurrah! It's finally here: the booty-shakingest event of the winter, That's My Jam dance party and contest! Limber up for some high-velocity dance pop jams spun by DJ Beyonda and Ill Camino, as well as a dance contest with cash prizes! Don't miss out—get your advance ticket now at portlandmercury.com! WSH
Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside, 9 pm, $5-7

DEATH BY BALLOONS—Get your share of animated schadenfreude tonight! Academy Award-nominated gonzo-cartoonist Don Hertzfeldt, best known for cartoon shorts depicting child-like illustrations undergoing tremendous pain—a kid beaten to death by a balloon, a fuzzball bleeding from the ass—will be in Portland to screen a selection of his work followed by a Q&A. NG
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7 pm, $12

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

SUPER DUPER!—Super Bowl Sunday promises something for everyone. Alcoholics have an excuse to liquor up on a Sunday afternoon. Obese people can feast all they want. Hipsters can tut-tut over expensive commercials. And football fans, for a change, may even get a good game—the New England Patriots and their all-time great quarterback, Tom Brady, take on the New York Giants. DCT
On millions of televisions and wireless sets, 3:30 pm, FREE

PINKERTON—Reject the patriarchal machismo of the Super Bowl and treat yourself to abundant downtown parking by going to the opera. Madame Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini's master opera about the tragic fate of a delicate Japanese woman married to an unfaithful US Naval officer, hits the Keller. Fun fact: Weezer's Pinkerton is loosely based on the tale. SS
Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, Fri Feb 3 & Thurs Feb 9 & Sat Feb 11, 7:30 pm, Sun Feb 5, 2 pm, $25.50 & up

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

PICKLED—In its second year running, the Dill Pickle Club's Perfect Pickle combines more than a few of your favorite things: a pickle tasting/competition featuring submissions from the likes of Biwa and Olympic Provisions, among others, live music from bands like Denver, celeb judges like Dave "Killer Bread" Dahl, and more! MS
w/Pete Krebs, Cécilia und die Sauerkrauts, DJ Anjali & the Incredible Kid; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 6 pm, $10

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN—When he allowed the Sonics to be relocated to Oklahoma City, David Stern didn't just stomp on Seattle's soggy heart, he stole our rightful rivalry. Blazers vs. Thunder isn't just a clash between two young, powerful teams, it's an echo from an alternate reality where all NBA excitement emanated from the Pacific Northwest. BR
Rose Garden, 1 Center Court, 7 pm, $25-185

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7

SOLO FURNACE—Listening to New York's dizzyingly prolific Fiery Furnaces can sometimes feel like needing to get off a carousel that's spinning a little too fast—and that's what lead singer Eleanor Friedberger is doing for the time being, disembarking for a solo stint that's spearheaded by her lovely and personable solo record Last Summer. NL
w/Dominant Legs; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10

WEST COAST—Jonathan Evison's West of Here is a slab of a novel that examines the past and present of a fictional Washington town, and in the process cracks a window on the conflicts that have dogged our region for 100 years: environmentalism versus progress, civilization versus wilderness, and the tension between what came first and what comes next. AH
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK—Since supporting education is vitally important right now, don't miss tonight's Benefit for the Village Free School (a cool nonprofit private school that focuses on freedom, responsibility, and community involvement), featuring the Thermals-infused super band Hurry Up! as well as bouncy sets from Adventure Galley and Father Figure. Go on—have some fun for the kids! WSH
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 8 pm, $5-10 sliding scale

DATING HORROR STORIES—Everyone has a tale about a first date gone awry—mine ended with a fainting spell. Come delight in the agony of others at It's Not Me, It's You: Stories from the Dark Side of Dating, a benefit for Planned Parenthood. Storytellers include Chelsea Cain, Kevin Sampsell, Courtenay Hameister, and the Merc's Sarah Mirk and Alison Hallett. CF
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm, $18-20, all ages