John Carpenter: A Live Retrospective
Writer, director, composer, and all-around badass John Carpenter is responsible for some of the greatest movies of the '70s and '80s: Halloween remains a slasher masterpiece. Four decades after it premiered, Assault on Precinct 13 is still intense. And with his buddy Kurt Russell, Carpenter made three perfect classics—Escape from New York, The Thing, and Big Trouble in Little China. Oh, and there's more: They Live, Starman, Christine, The Fog... well into the '90s, Carpenter was making work that was funny, smart, and scary. These days, the horror master's focus is on his haunting, synth-driven music—while Carpenter's compositions once provided thrilling scores for his films, they now stand on their own with the original albums Lost Themes and Lost Themes II. Tonight, the 68-year-old Carpenter takes the stage at the Schnitz for a performance of classic scores and new compositions. Backed up by a band and a "spectacular stage production," it promises to be a deep dive into Carpenter's one-of-a-kind contributions to movies and music. I wouldn't miss it for the world. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Wed June 15, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 8 pm, $40-65, all ages
Mary Roach
Mary Roach is the master of making the science of cadavers, space urination, and fecal transplants infinitely palatable. For her newest book, the pop-science writer turns her attention to the ins and outs of keeping soldiers in fighting shape. Expect fascinating information about maggots, diarrhea, and fatigue fashion in Grunt. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Thurs June 16, Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE, all ages
Lez Stand-Up's Queer Pride Show
Celebrate Pride Week with Caitlin Weierhauser and Bob Wolf, as they bring you an extra special queer pride edition of the always-hilarious Lez Stand-Up show, featuring its regular crew of fantastic comics with special guests Whitney Streed and drag artist/psychic/magician/comic Melody Awesomazing. DOUG BROWN
Thurs June 16, Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, 8 pm, $10; w/Mel Heywood, Diane Gasperin, & more
The Growlers
It's been a decade since the Growlers emerged from the depths of SoCal with their distinctive "beach goth" sound, and they show no signs of petering out just yet. With carnivalesque organs and frontman Brooks Nielsen's inimitably raspy croon, the band's most recent record, 2014's disco-hued Chinese Fountain, strikes a balance between maudlin tenderness and sunburned surfer bro apathy. CIARA DOLAN
Fri June 17, Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 9 pm, $20, all ages; w/DJ Johnny Basil
Cider Summit PDX
Cider hasn't just exploded in popularity; it's exploded in diverse flavors and styles, which makes this weekend's sixth annual Cider Summit PDX the apple of your weekend. Choose from 150 different ciders from around the world, with lots of great food and music to help you wash it all down. NED LANNAMANN
Fri June 17-Sat June 18, The Fields Neighborhood Park, NW 10th & Overton, Fri 3-8 pm, Sat noon-5 pm, $30-45
Gaylabration
For those who love to put the "pride" in party, you won't want to miss Gaylabration—the biggest gay dance night of Pride week. DJ Drew G and Orographic will be working the turntables and the crowd for what will undoubtedly be a huge and immensely hot mess of a blowout. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Sat June 18, Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 10 pm, $14.99-49.99
The Liberators
Fresh off a big win opening for LA based improv group Theme Park! at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, The Liberators return with another slam-bang show that will once again prove why these long lasting improv masters are the funniest, smartest gang of laff-makers in town. Miss the fun at your own peril. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Sat June 18, Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, 7:30 pm, $12 adv, $16 door
Portland Pride Parade
So you say you don't like parades? Let me ask you this: You ever even been to a parade? Particularly one with the Technicolor exuberance and thumping splendor of the annual Portland Pride Parade? Fact: You haven't or you wouldn't have said anything to begin with. Besides, it's more important than ever to rally around the LGBT community. DIRK VANDERHART
Sun June 19, route begins on W. Burnside and Park, 11 am, FREE, all ages
Making a Murderer
Dreamy defense attorneys/true-crime heartthrobs Jerry Buting and Dean Strang of Netflix's Making a Murderer cruise into town today for A Conversation on Justice. In the midst of America's true-crime craze, Buting and Strang (*fans self*) will explain why our criminal justice system got so broken—and how to fix it. MEGAN BURBANK
Sun June 19, Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, 8 pm, $39.50-95, all ages
Stephen Steinbrink, Erin Tobey, Weird Cactus
Olympia singer/songwriter Stephen Steinbrink's forthcoming record, Anagrams, is delicately intricate folk-pop that's sometimes emboldened by surprisingly powerful riffs. His tourmate Erin Tobey just released Middlemaze—check out opener "I'm Young," a stormy but subdued Midwestern folk song that swells with brooding energy. CIARA DOLAN
Mon June 20, Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth, 8 pm, $5
Plants and Animals, Royal Canoe
It's tough to exactly pinpoint the wide-ranging sound of Montreal's Plants and Animals, but it stems from melodic riffs, natural textures, and incredibly tight musical interplay—all of which contribute to make their new album, Waltzed in from the Rumbling, a charming slice of progressive folk-rock, and their live shows some of the most exhilarating around. NED LANNAMANN
Tues June 21, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $12-14