THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

BUTTON TRADER CAGE MATCH—Vancouver BC's Hot One-Inch Action show of one-inch button art travels to Portland, giving props to local artists featured in the show. All buttons feature original art, and you purchase them at random, one bag of buttons for $5. Then comes the trading. Then come the tears. SS
Hand-Eye Supply, 23 NW 4th, 6-9 pm, $5 bags of buttons, all ages

DIPHTHONG—We couldn't be more excited about the return of the arty, virtuosic Portland duo AU, and they've got a brand-new single to share with us tonight. The graceful and exultant "Solid Gold" comes in advance of their upcoming album Both Lights (out next year), and tonight lovely local label Hometapes is giving away free copies of the vinyl 7-inch to the first 30 people to arrive at the show! NL
w/Appetite, Stay Calm, Like a Villain; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $6-8

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

TYPHOOOOOON!—Aw, remember when no one outside Portland knew about our amazing, adorable 13-piece band? Now folky Typhoon have gone big time and they're BFFs with David Letterman. Luckily, they're no worse for wear and are headlining three sure-to-be-great shows this weekend, playing songs off their new album and EP. SM
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Fri 9 pm, Sat 6:30 pm (all ages) & 9:30 pm, $10-12

GOOD—In a month overloaded with pop-ups and craft sales, one must separate the wheat from the chaff. The Give Good Gift party/sale is solidly in the "wheat" category, with diverse gift ideas from killer local vendors (RillRill! Yo Vintage! Pattern People!), plus booze and food at the ready. MS
Union/Pine, 525 SE Pine, Fri 7 pm-midnight, Sat 11 am-3 pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

SCAN FAN—Calling all fans of Scandinavian culture! The annual ScanFair kicks off this weekend, saluting everything "Scandy"—including mountains of food, drink, dance performances, a "Pippi Longstocking Craft Corner" for the kids... and a "Pickled Herring Eating Contest"? Uff da! I am so there! WSH
Memorial Coliseum Exhibition Hall, 300 N Winning Way, Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 11 am-4 pm, $6

SYNTHESIS—Holcombe Waller is known foremost as a musician, and it's easy to understand why: His gorgeous voice and tremendous range make an indelible impression. But he's also a performance artist, and his timely new show Surfacing synthesizes music, video, and storytelling to question the basic structures that organize our society. AH
BodyVox, 1201 NW 17th, Fri 9 pm, Sat 7 & 9:30 pm, $12-26 sliding scale

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

CRAFTY CYCLE—Sunday Sunday Sunday! What do you want? Fenders? We got 'em! Wool hats? In droves! Chainring Christmas ornaments? Bada-bing! Over 50 Portland makers, doers, and cyclists extraordinaire come together at BikeCraft to hawk their mighty fine wares. Plus, Filmed by Bike is setting up a bike movie screening room, so come on down! SM
Sandbox Studio, 420 NE 9th, Sat & Sun 11 am-6 pm, FREE

SPELUNKING—Prepare yourselves for some rustic Americana-esque tunes tonight, brought to you by Seattle trio the Cave Singers. Known for their captivating live shows, the group will perform songs off their lastest album, No Witch, along with older fare. AZ
w/My Goodness; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $14

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

STRIPPIES—Portland's second annual strip-club industry awards, the Strippies, are bound to be a hoot and a holler. Come celebrate the crowning of the strippers with the best hair, best costume, most beautiful face, and all the folks that pour your beer when you're staring at naked ladies twirling around poles. CF
Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside, 9 pm, $8-30

WOOKIEE FAMILY XMAS—Han and Chewbacca evade Imperial troops on their way to a wookiee family Life Day, with musical performances from Bea Arthur and a wide-eyed Carrie Fisher. This could only be The Star Wars Holiday Special. George Lucas doesn't want you to watch it, so you totally should. Plus they'll be tons of other Christmas-in-space delights. SS
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $5

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6

SANDWICHY AMBIENCE—Portland's electronic music scene has never been stronger, and tonight's lineup is an excellent sampler of what's out there. Dry your rain-wet clothes with the super chill, videogame stylings of Copy and the sophisticated ambient house of Onuinu. WE
Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, 10 pm, $3

ELVES GONE WILD—For those who prefer their holiday fare on the salty side, Portland Center Stage reprises The Santaland Diaries, a one-man show based on David Sedaris' experiences working as an elf in a Macy's holiday display. This year, out-of-town actor Jim Lichtscheidl dons cap and tights as the surly, irreverent Crumpet the Elf. AH
Gerding Theater at the Armory , 128 NW 11th, Tues-Sun 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm, through Dec 31, $31-51 (student and rush tickets available), pcs.org

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7

HANG WITH THE GANG—The psychedelic sounds of Sacramento's Ganglians are limber and easygoing, like a stoned summer's day in the sun. Tonight they'll help you shake off those bleary winter blues, as they warm you with kaleidoscopic pop that shimmers with just a tiny hint of danger. NL
w/Young Prisms, the Memories, DJ Sgt. Forkner; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $8

APOCALYPSE—Take a break from wearisome holiday cheer and enter Lars von Trier's Melancholia, in which a bride unravels as another planet threatens to collide with Earth. Gorgeous and rather batshit, you'll almost believe that Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg could be biological sisters. MS
Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, see Film Times for showtimes