WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16

MUSIC—Pound for pound, Metric is one of the finest popular music acts of our day. They really go the extra mile! Just listen to Emily Haines' hazy, ethereal vocals, spreading out over an endless, lush soundscape like an upturned pint of mead! Gorgeous stuff—by any serious music fan's yardstick. DCT
w/Battleme; Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $27.50, all ages

CRAFTING—Lest you foolishly believe that not everything's a competition, SCRAP's annual Rebel Craft Rumble fundraiser combines making usable objects out of repurposed materials with all the bribing, bets, and big talking of a wrestling match. Someone's going down. MS
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7 pm, $10, 21+

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

COMEDY—The Meltdown is the flagship show of NerdMelt theater, and widely considered one of the best comedy showcases in LA. See what the fuss is about when comics Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani make a rare Portland appearance, in advance of their upcoming Comedy Central series. Bonus for the kiddos: This is that rare top-notch comedy show that's also all ages. AH
Backspace, 115 NW 5th, 7:30 pm, $15-18, all ages

HILARITY—Too insane to be "drag," too hilarious to be "performance art"; cult cabaret superstar Dina Martina has been transfixing Seattle for years with her... well, I don't know exactly what you call it. Think of a brain-damaged Judy Garland who fell face first into a Maybelline counter, spouting classic songs that spiral hilariously out of control. Did I mention that she sometimes has a huge camel toe? WSH
Fez Ballroom, 316 SW 11th, 7 & 9 pm, $20, 21+

FILM—Seeing is believing, but I still can't quite believe all the stuff I saw in Lisztomania, the 1975 not-even-remotely-a-biopic of composer Franz Liszt. Screening as part of the NW Film Center's Reel Music Fest, the outrageous camp classic depicts Liszt with a 12-foot penis and his own spaceship, battling a Frankenstein Nazi. There may be one or two movies weirder than Lisztomania, but none are wilder. NL
Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park, 9 pm, $9

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

BOOKS—Reading is exceptionally important. Just as important: Placing well-curated books throughout your home to lord that reading over guests and family members. It's terrifically enjoyable, and it doesn't have to bleed you dry. Hit up the Friends of the Multnomah County Library's 40th Used Book Sale this weekend, and sift through thousands of inexpensive bragging rights. DVH
DoubleTree, 1000 NE Multnomah, Fri 6-9 pm (members only, $10), Sat 9 am-6 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm, Mon 9 am-3 pm (50 percent discount day)

MUSIC—Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter of Phantogram have a lock on nonchalantly cool rhythm and slightly druggy mystique. Their electronic music is well suited to similarly beat-driven pursuits like walking purposefully or swaying knowingly at one of their spacily transportive live performances. MS
w/Giraffage; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, $18-20, all ages

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

MUSIC—Feel lucky you live in a city where the classical musicians know their place so well. The Oregon Symphony, never afraid of modern music, continues breaking down its genre's stuffy walls by putting on a stage show with indie darlings like Black Prairie (AKA the almost-Decemberists), Holcombe Waller, and the gossamer-voiced Mirah. DCT
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $25-71, all ages

MUSIC—Like a mashup between the Runaways and Pansy Division, Hunx and His Punx is a queercore dream come true, with poppy, punky, profane anthems designed to make you put on a garbage bag, cut your hair into a funny shape, smoke clove cigarettes, and squeal, "Fuck this shit forever—I'M GONNA DANCE!" (At least that's how they make me feel.) WSH
w/Therapist, the Hundreds and Thousands; Backspace, 115 NW 5th, 7:30 pm, $10-12

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

BLOW POP—Did you miss the Blow at last month's Time-Based Art Festival? No worries, my pop-loving friend, they're back! Musician Khaela Maricich and cohort and visual artist Melissa Dyne are touring their groovy, dancey creations to the ever-lovin' masses on the heels of their new self-titled album. This news most certainly does not blow. CF
w/Kisses; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $15

FILM—You don't dress as Dr. Frankenstein's ill-fated second monster for Halloween to look elegant and have cool hair. You do it because The Bride of Frankenstein—the 1935 film that gave birth to the well-trod guise, playing in town this weekend on 35mm—is an enduring classic that better describes rejection and isolation and fear of the unknown than many films since. Well, and the cool hair. DVH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Sat-Sun, 2:30 pm, $5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21

BOOKS—He won a Pulitzer Prize for his great 2007 novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao—and he deserved it, too. Now Junot Díaz is in town promoting the paperback release of his equally deserving short-story collection This Is How You Lose Her. AH
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE

MUSIC—I never said I was cool, and this is extremely evident by the glee I exhibited over the Moody Blues coming to town. THE MOODY BLUES! The veterans of spacey, lush, cheeseball tunes like "Your Wildest Dreams," "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," "Ride My See-Saw," and "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)." Sooo delightfully dorkball. Dress in your finest white satins! CF
Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, 8 pm, $46-109.50, all ages

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22

MUSIC—Say what you will about Northwest breakout rap duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: Their music is a game changer. Sure you might laugh with (and at) "Thrift Shop", while fist-pumping along with "Can't Hold Us"—but you cannot discount a pair who had a pro-gay rights ballad (the thoughtful "Same Love") playing on mainstream radio 15 times a day this summer. That's a big fucking deal. Pay your regards. WSH
Moda Center, 1 Center Court, 8 pm, $39.50-45, all ages

ARMOR—The collection of Japanese samurai armor and artifacts on display at the Portland Art Museum's Samurai! exhibit is truly staggering, with pieces dating from the 14th through 19th centuries that boast some of the most gorgeous and intricate craftsmanship you can witness up close. These are artifacts of war, but they contain grace, beauty, and immense historical and artistic value. NL
Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, $17-20 (kids free), through Jan 12 (museum closed Mondays)