THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10

G-DDAMN!--There are some gimmicks that are just too awesome to ignore--like Matisyahu, the "world's first Hasidic Jew reggae star"! Phat Talmudic rhymes over a Marley-inspired beat-box… there's really not much more to say about that, except that this is an official Mercury/Thrasher Low Dough Show, and so is cheap as HELL! EH
w/ the Punk Group, Buttery Lords; Dante's, 1 SW 3rd, 8:30 pm, $5

GOODBYE--After nearly 13 years of servitude, Dean Wareham and his aged, motley crew are finally calling it a day. Only slightly less depressing than the break-up of his former Galaxie 500, the end of Luna comes with the release of their best record in years, Rendezvous. Don't cry… they had a good run. ZP
w/Midnight Movies; Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 7:30 pm, $17

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11

MUSIC--Local Portland champions the Thermals tickle our ears once again with their energetic intelli-pop and addictively jumpy live performance. Playing along with calculated proggers and fellow Portlanders 31 Knots, this is a show that will appeal to all your senses, especially in the sinister basement of the Doug Fir. KS
w/ 1999; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $10-12

VALENTINE PROZAC--Celebrate "love" with a fun pre-Valentine's Day party, followed by the Mercury's Prozac Film Fest presentation of Valley Girl. Mercury Lovelab Personals is hosting an awesome singles bash (see Valentine Events, this page), after which you can get loaded on beer and vodka and heckle your heart out as new waver Nick Cage woos Valley chick Deborah Foreman. Like totally, fer shur! WSH
Pre-party, Nightlight Lounge, 2100 SE Clinton, 8 pm, free; Valley Girl, Clinton St. Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 10 pm, $6

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12

ARTSY-FARTSY--Over 20 different Portland artists are contributing to Chroma, an enormous collaborative performance of film, music, and dance with contributors ranging from rock star Tara Jane O'Neil to choreographer Tracy Broyles to the Mercury's own Justin Wescoat Sanders. Headed up by nonprofit arts organization Telegraph, Chroma promises to be an eye-opening mix of multimedia and local creativity. EH
Gallery 500, 420 SW Washington #500, Fri-Sun 8 pm, FREE

ROCK N' FASHION--For the second year in a row, "Doom Town" will feature some of Portland's funkiest clothing designers (Revolver Revolver, Eat Your Cake, etc), as well as music from the Nice Boys, the Punk Group, and the Wigmen. Why? Because it's Fashion Week. In New York. Or didn't you notice? MS
w/DJ Moisty; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, $5

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13

MUSIC--All snobbery aside, I can get down with some Interpol. And outside all criticisms (the lyrics are trite) and comparisons (the new album really does sound a lot less like Joy Division), there are more than enough people that fit into the Roseland--which they sold out last time--who agree with me. MS
w/Blonde Redhead; Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $20, all ages

TV HOST--Look out Johnny Carson! Starting tonight, local vaudevillian talk show host the Famous Mysterious Actor will be shown weekly on Comcast Channel 14. What? You miss the live show? Well quit blubbering and come watch the telecast of the live show on the big screen at Sabala's, you big baby. It's just as drunkenly rambunctious as the real thing. PB
Sabala's Mt. Tabor, 4811 SE Hawthorne, 6 pm, free

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14

LOVE--A bittersweet tribute to the patron Saint of the suckers, Berbati's hosts this lovelorn assortment of the star-crossed and far-flung. First is Portland's own formidable threesome Get Hustle (who really, really need to put out a new record). Further fire to melt your frozen heart comes by way of agro-Saddle Creek clan members Beep Beep, and Fact or Fiction, featuring the Need's Radio Sloan. ZP
Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd, 9:30 pm, $7

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

READING--Charles Johnson's brain is a funhouse of ideas and magic. Tonight the National Book Award winner (and damn did he deserve it, for Middle Passage) reads from Dr. King's Refrigerator, a collection of eight whimsical stories covering topics like a martial arts master's spiritual journey, and Martin Luther King's struggle with his diet. PB
Powell's, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, free

MUSIC--Though he's toiled 'midst the punk underground for nearly 20 years, Ted Leo's dynamic performances have never suffered a drop of bitterness or low energy. With his trusty Pharmacists at his side, and his raucous blend of clever, Costello-esque lyrics and rock/soul riffs, he's guaranteed to get the blood flowing. JWS
Bossanova, 722 E Burnside, 7:30 pm, $10

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

MUSIC--His recent simultaneously released albums, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, have been wildly dividing critics and fans the world over, but then Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes' music has never been… easy. Seems like disparity and turmoil are kind of the point. JWS
Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 7 pm $18