THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1

LOS MUERTOS—Halloween has come and gone, but Dia de los Muertos is in, with a cemetery-bound procession and an evening of entertainment from musicians like the startlingly talented Edna Vazquez, a dance performance, and a short play to "honor our ancestors." MS
Procession starts at Sunnyside Elementary, 3421 SE Salmon, 5 pm; show at Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 6:30 pm, $5, all ages until 9 pm

WINTER IS COMING—...and it's First Thursday, which means it's time to check out Reading Frenzy's sure-to-be-badass Game of Thrones Fan Art Show—featuring Westeros-centric works from the likes of Zack Soto, Farel Dalrymple, the Mercury's Suzette Smith, and more! EH
Reading Frenzy, 921 SW Oak, 6 pm, FREE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2

GENTLEMEN—I'm trying very hard not to string together 11,156 "EEEE"s and exclamation points about reunited '90s wunderkinds the Afghan Whigs. Larynx-shredder Greg Dulli (!!) & Co. have been dishing out soul-infused rock in live shows that peel the paint from the walls and make crowds go apeshit. OMG! EEEEEEEEEEE!! PLAY "FOUNTAIN AND FAIRFAX"!!! CF
w/Van Hunt; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $35, 21+

HEY NEIGHBOR—Menomena are like those friends who you know live just around the corner but somehow rarely see. Wise enough to keep local listeners eagerly awaiting their periodic hometown performances, tonight they're letting us have it, along with their latest album, Moms. MS
w/Radiation City, Parenthetical Girls; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, $16-18, all ages

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3

GIANTS—There's nothing tiny about the sound of Mr. Gnome. The Cleveland duo makes a whirling, infatuating sound that spans from cloud-soft dream to thunderous cataclysm. Between last year's Madness in Miniature album and their powerhouse live show, Mr. Gnome are bound to be your new favorite band—if they're not already. NL
w/Eighteen Individual Eyes, And And And; Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 9 pm, $10

BRING THE RUCKUS—Larry David is considered one of the architects of the modern television comedy. So it says something that stand-up JB Smoove, his co-star on Curb Your Enthusiasm, is consistently the funniest person on the show. BR
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 & 10 pm, $17-28

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4

CAT POWER—Oh, Chan Marshall, how you've changed. Gone are the days of rocky performances sabotaged by nerves and booze—with polished new album Sun, and a recent run of well-received shows, you've finally emerged as an artist in control of her talent and her voice, and we're so glad to see it. AH
w/the Goat; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, $35-38, all ages

HITCH—Cinema 21's pulling out all the stops with their week-long The Master of Suspense: The First Annual Hitchcock Festival, featuring 10 of Hitch's best—all on 35mm! Today, choose from Marnie, The 39 Steps, Strangers on a Train, Notorious, or Rebecca—and go back for Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, and EVEN MORE. EH
Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, see Movie Times for showtimes, $6 for single show, $9 for double feature, $40 for fest pass

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5

ROBOTIC PUPPETRY—Canadian DJ and turntablist Kid Koala is bringing his insane futuristic vaudevillian act to town! Besides hearing Kid klassics and songs from his new album, expect sexy girl fan dances, a giant cardboard working gramophone, and... robotic back-up singer puppets?!? The future is a weird place, man. WSH
w/Adira Amram and the Experience; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $15

SISTERLY LOVE—Give your ears a loving hug with the prismatic, soft-focus sounds of Twin Sister, who make nostalgic synthpop sound so damn emotional. Some songs make you want to dance! Some songs make you want to cry. Some songs will make you want to do both, just don't freak anybody out on the dance floor. NL
w/Pure Bathing Culture; Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, 9 pm, $8-10

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

ELECTION NIGHT PARTY!—The best party of 2008 is happening again! The Mercury Election Night Wing-a-Ding-Ding is everything you want as a concerned voter: election results on the big screen, comedy (Ian Karmel), games ("Mormon or No?"), smarty-pants analysis (City Commissioner-elect Steve Novick), music (DJ Gregarious), booze (Booze), and tons more! Oh, and it's free. WSH
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, doors 6 pm, entertainment 7 pm, FREE, 21+

TILLY'S PLAYHOUSE—It's easy to imagine the childlike band Tilly and the Wall as blissed-out hosts of a long-forgotten children's TV show from your youth. With their tap-dancing percussion, goofball enthusiasm, sunglass-straining costumes, and catchy dance-makers, they're a feel-good spot of sunshine in an ever-darkening autumn. CF
w/Icky Blossoms, Adventure Galley; Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th, 8 pm, $13.50-15, all ages

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7

CANUCK STARS—Canada has given us so much over the years: maple syrup, rotary snowplows, and Stars (the band, not the burning ball of gas). With that angsty, sparsely populated sound we've come to expect from our Northern neighbors, the Toronto band produces hot jams akin to Broken Social Scene or Metric. So put on your good muff and come on out, eh? RF
w/Jets Overhead; Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $20, all ages

LEGOS—This is Portland. Toys aren't just for kids, for better or for worse, which is why the monthly Brick or Block Lego Tournaments at Cruzroom have become such cutthroat affairs. Co-presented with ShanRock's Triviology, come prepared to marvel at the amount of creativity your citymates have to burn on Legos. AH
Cruzroom, 2338 NE Alberta, 7 pm (limit 8 teams, 2-6 people per team), FREE