THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9

PLURAL MUSIC—66 Records is no record label. It's an art project spearheaded by Claudia Meza from Explode into Colors and photographer Megan Holmes to document exactly 66 artifacts (music, film, books). The pair is behind New Musics, a brand-new quarterly event of musical exploration that kicks off with Classical Revolution PDX doing Philip Glass' "String Quartet No. 5" and working with the likes of electro-pop wizard Copy, plus plenty more. EAC
w/Matt Carlson, Daniel Menche, Thomas Thorson, E*Rock; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $7

MOTOWNPHILLY—It's the new dance night at least some of you have been screaming for! New Jack City—featuring the turntable stylings of DJ Human Highlight Film and DJ Cool it Now—spins the best of your fave New Jack Swing singles. Think New Edition, Tony! Toni! Toné!, and of course Candyman's "Knockin' Boots." WSH
Langano Lounge, 1435 SE Hawthorne, 9 pm, FREE

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10

LIVE FREEDIA—The last time Big Freedia strutted through town it made one hell of an impression. The New Orleans bounce extraordinaire shook the house at Holocene, then crossed the street and did the same onstage at Sassy's (putting the dancers to shame). Simply put, live shows like Freedia's don't come around often, so uncross those arms and get ready to shake it like you mean it. EAC
w/Beyondadoubt, Onuinu; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9 pm, $13

EXOTIC—Longtime fans of stripper/musician/author/actress Viva Las Vegas who remember her reign as editor of Exotic magazine can re-live those raunchy glory days with her latest, The Gospel According to Viva Las Vegas, a collection of those advice columns and rocker interviews of yore. MS
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11

NUGGLES—Honest, personal lyrics are not exactly what you expect from hiphop these days, but Brother Ali stands apart. Sometimes political, sometimes tackling tough issues of religion and race (Ali himself is albino), his songs are always heartfelt and empowering, engaging the audience like they're a room full of his best friends. VT
w/the Grouch, DJ Fresh, DJ Snuggles, Eligh, Los Rakas; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $18-20, all ages

WONDERLAND—Suck it up and set the alarm early for best dibs at the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale, a huge annual fair of regional handmade goods that don't suck, but do attract a massive crowd. Play it right, and all your holiday shopping could be done today. MS
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Exhibit Hall C, Sat & Sun 11 am-5 pm, FREE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12

STORY TIME—Do you enjoy reveling in another's shame, angst, public humiliation? Then don't miss the holiday edition of Mortified, where Portlanders share letters, poems, home movies, and other artifacts of embarrassment from their childhood. SY
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Sat & Sun, 9 pm, $12

MIND AND BODY—The Peoples Yoga believes in affordable yoga for all, and if you agree—or just like a good party—support their mission at tonight's fundraiser! There's a top-shelf bill of music, including the Akron Extended Family Yogic Flyers (think Akron/Family super-sized with members of Au and more), Lovers, and Ohioan, plus former Mercury jack-of-all-trades Noah Dunham is your co-emcee! NL
Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th, 8 pm, $10-15

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

BAND ART—More than 50 poster artists take over the walls of the Goodfoot every year, in an annual print-selling extravaganza that's not only a dazzling display of the creativity and artistry found in concert poster designs, but a sure-fire holiday gift bet for the music lover in your life (in other words, everyone you know). AH
Goodfoot Lounge, 2845 SE Stark, opens Thurs Dec 9, through Jan 26

ONE MORE SCARY BALLET MOVIE—The latest from the director of the underrated The Fountain, the overrated The Wrestler, and the perfectly rated Pi and Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky's eagerly anticipated Black Swan is finally here, promising all sorts of creepy, sinister hijinks in the competitive world of ballet dancers. Yes, it's another one of those movies. EH
See Movie Times for theaters and showtimes, and read our full review here.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14

WILD DIVINE—Alela Diane spent her autumn recording a new record with her band Wild Divine, and she returns to her sometimes-hometown tonight for a show to usher in winter with a brand-new batch of her delicate, beautiful folk songs. NL
w/Denver, Alina Hardin; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 8 pm, $7

STRANGE POWERS—The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt is well known to be "difficult"—unapologetically acerbic, surly in interviews. He's also a pop genius, and the engaging doc Strange Powers provides an intimate look at his working process and how the people he knows best put up with him. AH
See Movie Times for theaters and showtimes, and read our full review here.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15

NUTCRACKIN'—Here it comes again! The Oregon Ballet Theatre returns with their yearly interpretation of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. SEE! The Sugar Plum Fairy's magical land! SEE! Candy confections spring to life! SEE! Adorable local children dancing their hearts out! SEE! Ballerina rats! WSH
Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, 7:30 pm, through Dec 24, $21.70 & up, go to obt.org for complete dates

LAUGHTER AGAINST THE MACHINE—Scary smart and scathingly funny, the charming Hari Kondabolu's one of the best stand-up comedians working today. He's also one of the most relevant, with his hilarious comedy closely tied in to today's not-so-hilarious headlines. You will go to this and you will laugh and you will laugh some more and then you will think about it for days afterward. EH
w/Ahamefule Oluo; Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE MLK, 8 pm, $10-12