WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10
MUSIC—Question for you to ponder while you jam out at Mississippi Studios tonight: Did Florida slacker-rock aficionados Surfer Blood adopt that name with the intent of menacing their home state's surfers? Or does the blood of surfers course through their veins? The band's brand-new album, 1000 Palms, probably offers clues. DIRK VANDERHART
w/Alex Calder; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $16-18
BOOKS—Curious about the future? Then delve into the haunting, hyper-real stories of writer Paolo Bacigalupi. (Spoiler: Thanks to climate change, genetic modification, and income inequality, the future will be brutal.) Tonight, the award-winning science-fiction writer reads from The Water Knife, his thriller set in a drought-ridden America. Sound familiar? ERIK HENRIKSEN
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton, 7 pm, FREE
THURSDAY, JUNE 11
MUSIC—If you love getting hot on the dance floor, don't miss the disco-tastic music of locals Ancient Heat. Mixing infectious disco licks and funk with a touch of experimentation, they bring the fun in a big way—and they're joined by the dancey pop rock of the Lower 48 and Foxy Lemon's dirty-ass, boogie-down sound. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $8-10
COMEDY—It's always a banner day when comedian Todd Glass comes to town. The man's one of the best working stand-ups out there—he's smart, affable, witty, and delightful. And now that he's out of the closet, all of those girlfriend jokes have been radically retooled, and he's funnier than ever before. Seriously, he's the best! COURTNEY FERGUSON
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 & 10 pm, $15-31
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
MUSIC—Didn't Portland rock mainstays Gaytheist and Divers just play a show together back in January? Yup, and it rocked. It was also on a Sunday, meaning you were darning your business socks. Friday's the day this bill deserves. Plus this is a benefit show for a charity that gives away vegan chili. Portland! DIRK VANDERHART
w/the Suicide Notes; High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK, 9 pm, $6
RUN—Billing itself "Portland's sickest night run," the Pride Glow Run is back for its second year. At the family-friendly nighttime event, participants get five glow necklaces, five glow bracelets, a LED baton (oooooohhh, neato), and a T-shirt. The course takes runners on a waterfront loop between the Hawthorne and Steel Bridges. SHELBY R. KING
SW Morrison & Naito, 9:20 pm, $35-60, all ages
SATURDAY, JUNE 13
BENEFIT SHOW—Action/Adventure Theatre puts on some of the most exciting productions around, so it's no surprise that tonight's benefit show, Inspired By, sounds awesome. When else can you support local theater by drinking at the Eagles Lodge and seeing new work from Portland's great arts scene—like Nick Jaina, Justin Hocking, and Curtis Cook? You know what to do! MEGAN BURBANK
Eagles Lodge, 4904 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm, $25-30
MUSIC—The show must go on! The Portland Gay Men's Chorus will "pull out all the stops" for an "even bigger and more dazzling" ABBA/Queen tribute than last year. The dancing queens promise there will be bellbottoms, platform shoes, and a whole lot of sparkle. SHELBY R. KING
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7 pm, $15-48, all ages
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
PARADE—Those looking for a parade that actually means something should never, ever forget the Portland Pride Parade. The LGBTQ community has made great strides worth celebrating, but show your support for all the important work that still needs to be done. Plus, you'll see lots of hot, half-naked people. So there's that, too! WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Kickoff at NW Park & Burnside, 11 am, FREE, all ages
MUSIC—Free music, you say? We've got your number: This week's Ear Candy features a fruit bowl of far-out phantasmagoria, with the warped, whimsical jams of Fog Father, the basement bubblegum bop of Landlines, and the kaleidoscopic kosmiche of Grapefruit. Free, freaky fun for all! NED LANNAMANN
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, FREE
MONDAY, JUNE 15
FASHION SHOWS—The Mercury has been bringing you smoking-hot fashion for 11 years running with our popular runway shows. This year, Open Season is a four-day run of mini fashion shows at bars around the city, so grab a drink and check out the city's best designers: Altar at White Owl, Brady Lange at Doug Fir, Reif at Rontoms, and Adam Arnold at Canton Grill. COURTNEY FERGUSON
White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th, 6 pm, $6-9, through Thurs at various locations, $20 for full pass, see portlandmercury.com/openseason for schedule
MUSIC—Donkeys get a bad rap for being stubborn, but they are smart, trusty, and surefooted. The same can be said for San Diego band the Donkeys, whose warm, easy brand of California classic rock won't ever buck you off. NED LANNAMANN
w/Extra Classic, the Zags; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $12
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
FILM—A few years ago, director Colin Trevorrow came out of nowhere with the weird, delightful indie Safety Not Guaranteed. His follow-up? Jurassic World, another small, low-key film that just so happens to feature Chris Pratt teaming up with velociraptors to fight a genetically engineered super dinosaur. Wow. Those are the best 13 words I've ever typed. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Various Theaters, see portlandmercury.com/movietimes
BOOKS—Tonight, it's a battle of the nerd kings! In this corner, Lev Grossman, hero to adults still waiting on their Hogwarts letters, beloved for his tales of (dirty, drunken) wizardry. In this corner, Terry Brooks, demigod to former high schoolers who read his Shannara tomes between marching band drills. Both read tonight. WHERE DOES YOUR LOYALTY LIE? MEGAN BURBANK
Grossman at Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE; Brooks at Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton, 7 pm, FREE
