THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

GAMEPLAY—Jane McGonigal's ideas are revolutionary: She sees games as a potential force for social change, both online and off. In her book Reality Is Broken, she demonstrates why games are often more engaging than reality, and how we can harness that knowledge to make reality better. AH
Concordia University, 2811 NE Holman, 7 pm, $15

TREAT YO'SELF—Think festival season is coming to a close? Nope. Bon Appétit's Feast Portland, a four-day celebration all things Portland food, is the latest culture binge to join the throng. Get ready to taste everything from sandwiches to wine, take bike rides with chefs, and let food luminaries like How to Cook Everything author Mark Bittman inspire you to eat better than ever. MS
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $25, feastportland.com for full schedule for Thurs-Sun

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

DEMON BARBER—Portland Center Stage opens each season with a blockbuster musical, and this year they're getting bloody with Stephen Sondheim's Victorian gore-fest Sweeney Todd. After two hours with the demon barber of Fleet Street, that Bishops haircut won't look so bad after all. AH
Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th, opens Fri, Tues-Sun 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm, through Oct 21, $39 & up ($20 rush tickets if available), pcs.org

CELLULOID—Digital filmmaking and distribution have had massive repercussions for Hollywood and beyond. Side by Side looks at that revolution. Produced and hosted by Keanu Reeves, it boasts interviews with more than a few gods of cinema, including David Lynch, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, and more. EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Fri 7 pm, Sat 3 & 7 pm, Sun 7:05 pm, $7

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

NERD STORIES—We recommend storytelling event Back Fence PDX maybe too often, but tonight's lineup is so good—SO MIND-MELTINGLY GOOD—that it gets six thumbs up. Swoon-worthy writer Matt Fraction, hilarious Lindy West, and equal parts swoon-worthy-hilarious-terrifying author Chelsea Cain headline tonight's nerd-themed show. SM
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, 8 pm, $12-15

APOCALLAHAN—He's a slow-burner, but musician Bill Callahan is a bright ember. Director Hanly Banks will be on hand to screen Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film—a collage of shots from the tour van—but better yet, Callahan closes out the night with one of his trademark mesmerizing sets. CF
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $10

KARMA POLICE—This is inarguable: Radiohead's OK Computer is one of the world's perfect albums. And this: The Portland Cello Project is always entertaining, particularly when doing covers. So... Portland Cello Project performing OK Computer? Yeah. This will be great. EH
Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $15, all ages

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

PDX AS F*&K—Head back to Wildwood with Decemberists brigand-turned-YA author Colin Meloy, as he and partner/illustrator Carson Ellis celebrate the second book in their popular YA series. Under Wildwood sees the protagonists of a talking-animal-version of Portland battling new foes of the revolutionary ilk. CF
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 4 pm, $17.99 (includes copy of book)

POLISH POWER!—Incredibly underrated, the annual Portland Polish Fest is a fun and delicious delight! Accordions? YES. Polka contests? YES. Polish wares for sale? YES. Polish street dancing? YES. Polish food (like pierogis and kielbasa) and Polish beer? YES and (hic) YES! Trust me, the Polish know how to party! WSH
Polish Library, 3900 N Interstate, Sat 11 am-10 pm, Sun noon-6 pm, FREE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

JACKPOT ON FILM—The annual Jackpot Records Film and Music Fest is a love letter to music and film. If you can't make 'em all, at least catch Charles Bradley: Soul of America (Wednesday), the fascinating story of a soul singer; Jobriath A.D. (Thursday), a "must-see" doc about the gay "American Bowie"; and of course, Rhino Resurrected (Friday), about the history of the awesome Rhino Records. WSH
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, Mon-Fri, all movies 8 pm, $5

I'VE BEEN TO VIDAL SASSOON—Roman Polanski's alternately hilarious and creepy Satanic suspense thriller Rosemary's Baby (starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes!) is always a spellbindingly good time, but chances are you've never seen it the way it was meant to be experienced: on film. Luckily the Hollywood has scored it on the reels, so queue up to see the tyke. After all, he has his father's eyes. MS
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Fri-Thurs 9:30 pm, $5-7

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

CANCELLED—British band Alt-J's debut, An Awesome Wave, was just nominated for UK's prestigious Mercury Prize, but it's making waves all the way across the Atlantic, too. Their hook-filled blocks of pop have resulted in one of the year's most striking debuts. Tonight they open for the relatively meh Grouplove, but Alt-J won't be a supporting act for much longer. NL
Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $18.50, all ages

ROSCO P. MOTHERFUCKER—You gotta be some kind of grindhouse masterpiece if Quentin Tarantino names a company after you. Rolling Thunder is a super rare revenge classic, starring William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, and The Dukes of Hazzard's James Best as a ruthless shitkicker so stone-cold Boss Hogg would piss his pants at the sight of him. BR
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $7

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

SHINY SHINS—For a little while there, real life for the Shins was nowhere near as mellifluously perfect as the band's soundtrack-famous music. Longtime members left (read: were fired), and the group went years without releasing a new album. That finally changed this year, and thankfully the band is trotting out its new-look lineup. DCT
w/Washed Out; Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, 8 pm, $40, all ages

SEX AND VIOLENCE—The young bucks that make up Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All have been a lightning rod for controversy due to some questionable word choices (take the name of their collective, for starters), but they've also made some of the most vital, interesting hiphop in years. However you feel about Odd Future, tonight's show is bound to be fascinating. NL
Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 9 pm, $27.50-32, all ages