WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

COMEDY—In between Hollywood gigs, Aziz Ansari keeps his stand-up muscles from atrophying with tours like the new Modern Romance, in which he dissects love and friendship in the era of "friend" hiding and text breakups. Also among his many charms: Dude almost always comes onstage correct, in a suit. MS
Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, Wed & Fri 7 pm, $46.50, all ages

FILM—Before it became a joke, MTV revolutionized music and culture, bringing about a new art form—music videos—that profoundly changed music, film, TV, advertising, and... well, everything. Tonight, Video Time Machine travels back to MTV's first year—1981—and with "Betamax recordings in excellent condition," pumps 90 minutes of pure '80s awesomeness right into your eyeballs and eardrums. EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $8

THURSDAY, MARCH 27

COMEDY—For a man who stopped breast-feeding at the age of five and took up smoking at 10, stand-up Kurt Braunohler has cultivated a delightfully quirky sense of humor. He likes to pull harmless pranks and is prone to sleep-calling himself—in other words, the big hulking comedian is a very, very funny man who's all kinds of off-kilter. CF
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 & 10 pm, $15-25

READINGS—Sister Spit started back in the early 1990s as an all-female open mic and traveling feminist roadshow; its post-millennial, updated version features queer and queer-influenced artists of any stripe. The Portland stop sees readings and performances from Beth Lisick, Rhiannon Argo, Lidia Yuknavitch, and more. AH
Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10

FRIDAY, MARCH 28

MUSIC—Oregon doomers Yob have recently finished work on album number seven (due out this fall on Neurot Recordings), and tonight you can see them perform brand-new material. They play alongside Graves at Sea, who are about to jump the sea for a Eurotour, and Hot Victory, who turn a two-person drum kit and a panoply of electric triggers into something with a huge and fascinating sound. NL
w/Death Grave; Branx, 320 SE 2nd, 8 pm, $12-14

GEEK—One of them is one of the world's biggest fantasy authors, and the other guys are two of geek music's most popular performers. Tonight's evening with Patrick Rothfuss and Paul and Storm will feature readings and a Q&A from the writer of The Name of the Wind, along with music and comedy from the nerdy duo. Chances are, tonight will be funny and charming and very, very geeky. EH
Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $20, all ages

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

COMEDY—The Slingshot comedy series has a fine tradition of both innovation and hilarity, and their new show fits the bill perfectly: Lone Wolf is a two-night run of solo, one-act sketch comedy performances from six local funnyfolk. AH
Portland Center Stage's Ellyn Bye Studio, 128 NW 11th, Fri & Sat 8 pm, $12-15

MUSIC—Part punk, part blues, part country, Black Lips walk a line between stoner apathy and artistic ultra-violence, a dichotomy they've honed to great effect in their new release, Underneath the Rainbow, which also tackles the double-edge of immediacy and permanence in social media—the weighty issues of our time. MS
w/the Coathangers, Summer Cannibals; Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez, 9 pm, $16-20

SUNDAY, MARCH 30

COMEDY—He just dropped his first comedy album, Waiting for 2042, on Kill Rock Stars, and to celebrate, Hari Kondabolu is throwing himself a special kind of party: the kind dedicated to hearing himself reel off line after line of insightful and incisive stand-up that sticks with you long after he leaves the stage. BR
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, 7:30 pm, $15-22

MUSIC—With Lost in the Dream, the War on Drugs have released their third straight classic, one in which mastermind Adam Granduciel fashions intricate layers of studio tracks into brimming, wide-eyed Heartland rock epics. The Philly band brings their wistful, immersive sound to Portland tonight, and their live show is just as formidable as their outstanding albums. NL
w/White Laces; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8:30 pm, $16-18, all ages

MONDAY, MARCH 31

MUSIC—Listening to La Dispute's new LP, Rooms of the House, is like dragging out albums from your ex-boyfriend's band—good luck putting the wash of emotions that follows into words. The Michigan band's excellent 11 songs traipse through the speak-shout screams of desert heat to an alternating fast-slow trek through piled-high snow. Prepare for a sweaty night of moody, lyrical post-hardcore. CF
w/Pianos Become the Teeth, Mansions; Branx, 320 SE 2nd, 7 pm, $13, all ages

FILM—Tom Berninger—amateur filmmaker, metal aficionado, and brother of the National's lead singer—joined the road crew of his big brother's famous band with the intent to also film a documentary about their tour. With Mistaken for Strangers, he ended up with a poignant, hilarious look at sibling rivalry, and one of the funniest and sweetest rock docs of all time. You don't even have to like the National to love it. NL
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, see Film Times, $8

TUESDAY, APRIL 1

MUSIC—Any new material from the spectacular Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings is cause for excitement, but you should be especially ecstatic about their newest effort, Give the People What They Want. Jones, the former Rikers Island corrections officer turned soul-revival matriarch, suffered a cancer scare that delayed the release. But she's back, with the Dap-Kings' jubilant horns heralding a battle fought and (we hope) won. DVH
w/James Hunter; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, $25-30, all ages

BOUNCE—It's always a reason to celebrate when Big Freedia comes to town! The star of her own reality show, and the universally acclaimed Queen of New Orleans Bounce (a super fun genre of call 'n' response rap, accented by lightning-fast booty shakes and drops), Big Freedia brings the azzzzz-shakin' fun in a very big way! WSH
w/Magic Mouth, Thanks; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $12 ($3 w/Red Bull RSVP)