THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

LADY FOOTBALLER—Fresh off their impressive showing at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, the continually impressive US Women's National Soccer Team will be taking on Canada in a friendly match (really?) at our own Jeld-Wen Field. Soccer lovers: Don't miss greatness in action! WSH
Jeld-Wen Field, 1844 SW Morrison, 8 pm, $22 & up

README—Beloved/revered science-fiction author Neal Stephenson—the guy behind such super-smart doorstoppers as Quicksilver, Anathem, and Cryptonomicon—hits Portland tonight to support his latest, Reamde, "about a wealthy tech entrepreneur caught in the very real crossfire of his own online war game." Bring your thinking caps, fellow nerds. EH
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm, $10

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

SHHHH!—James Blake might be quiet in sound, but his deeply personal and evolved take on restrained dubstep packs a mighty wallop. The Londoner's wounded vocoder-assisted croon draws comparisons to his pal Justin Vernon (Bon Iver, duh), and his deeply focused live show will send your heart aflutter. EAC
w/Teengirl Fantasy; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8 pm, $20-22, all ages

STEAKS—Beloved local dive bar Club 21 just got a facelift, courtesy of new owners (who also own Gold Dust Meridian). An expanded patio is chief among the Club's new assets, but don't worry—the iconic "Steaks" sign isn't going anywhere. Celebrate the bar's reopening tonight alongside bar regulars and a handful of local bands. AH
w/Sons of Huns, Lordy Lords, Advisory, the No Tomorrow Boys; Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan, 9 pm, FREE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

BON AGAIN—All hyperbole aside, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is a once-in-a-lifetime singer. Vernon's golden voice and tender songs have resonated with the masses in a way that few artists will ever experience. Tonight's show is way sold out, but you can always sit in the parking lot and bask in the glorious sounds. EAC
w/Other Lives; Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale, 6:30 pm, sold out, all ages

BLEEP BLOOP—The annual Retro Gaming Expo brings together a slew of old-school gamers to celebrate all that's great about pixels and plastic cartridges. This year there'll be Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Jr. Pac-Man tournaments, videogame-centric Geek Trivia with podcasters Cort and Fatboy, panel discussions, an auction, and more! EH
Portland Doubletree, 1000 NE Multnomah, Sat Sept 24-Sun Sept 25, 10 am-5 pm, $10-20

SAUSAGE FEST—Clear out your intestinal tract for pierogis, kielbasa, tons of entertainment, and delicious imported beer at the annual Portland Polish Festival. That'll show that colon who's boss. WE
St. Stanislaus Church, 3900 N Interstate, Sat Sept 24, 11 am-10 pm, Sun Sept 25, noon-6 pm, FREE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

PARK PARTY—Where can you find eight miles of car-free streets, a bouncy castle, the Blazers Dancers, and some sort of band called "nekkedbonz"? That's right! Northeast Portland! The last city-sponsored Sunday Parkways of the year creates a no-car loop from Woodlawn Park all the way to Cully Boulevard, with plenty of ridiculousness in between. SM
See portlandsundayparkways.org for map, noon-5 pm, FREE 

ATTN. FRANCOPHILES—James Franco is certifiably dreamy, and also? A pretty good actor and an ambitious filmmaker. Today he'll present his film My Own Private River—spliced together from dailies from Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho, and featuring a score by Michael Stipe, it offers a unique portrait of the late River Phoenix. Franco and Van Sant will be in attendance to discuss the film beforehand, and proceeds benefit the Hollywood Theatre's ongoing renovations. EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, screens at noon & 12:30 pm, $35

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

JOLIE MOLY!—While she might not take residence in our fair city, singer/songwriter extraordinaire Jolie Holland is an honorary Portlander. Her backing band is often made up of local ringers, she lent her voice to the latest Nick Jaina release, and her sun-soaked rootsy sound is the perfect soundtrack to a late summer Portland bicycle ride. Pint of Blood, full-length number four for Jolie, came out in June and it just might be her best work to date. EAC
Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 9 pm, $15-17

SOUNDTRACKS—The Jackpot Records Film & Music Festival kicks off tonight with The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector, a documentary about the legendary Wall of Sound producer's storied career and life. Check back in throughout the week for films about Raymond Scott, Creation Records, and the Replacements. MJ
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, Mon Sept 26-Fri Sept 30, 8 pm, FREE, all ages

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

DANCETRONIC—The electropop charmers of Ladytron have been releasing stylish, sexy dance records for over a decade—this week, they drop into Portland to promote their fifth studio album, the alluringly titled Gravity the Seducer. AH
w/Geographer, SONOIO; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $20-23, all ages

HABIBI—Celebrate the long-time-coming release of beloved comic book creator Craig Thompson's newest release. Habibi sees the Portland artist delving into a dystopian Middle East, filled with deserts, harems, and love, of course. It's been six long years since Blankets, and Habibi has all the promise (and more) of his 2003 classic. CF
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

COMEDY, PLEASE!—You may know her as the lesbian cop from The Sarah Silverman Program, or you may know her as the pants-crapping-funny comedian that's gonna make you crap your pants tonight—from laughter! Check out the chuckle-constructing Tig Notaro and her heelariously deadpan one-liners. WSH
w/Ian Karmel; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $12

ART PARTY—Despite its sad-sack name, literary magazine Poor Claudia is one of the city's most thoughtful, carefully curated literary journals—and tonight, they've rallied a crew of musicians, artists, and writers (including poet Zachary Schomburg and members of White Hinterland) to help raise funds to keep all that careful thoughtfulness afloat. AH
w/Neal Morgan, Alexis Gideon, Boys on the Side, and more; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8 pm, $5