Black Friday doesn't have to be the soul-demolishing corporate thresher you fling yourself into headfirst. It doesn't. This weekend is proof the day after Thanksgiving can be a day for so many other things! Like, for example, literally protesting Black Friday, while also supporting Black Lives Matter, while also helping clothe and care for the homeless, or swinging by a local comics store to eat some cookies and kick down cash for the ACLU at the same time. Or you could be a little bit more selfish (it's allowed!) by way of spending all afternoon with Distillery Row, or cuddling up and getting drunk on Gilmore Girls. And that's just one day of this weekend. There's still dancing, and drag queens, and a Dollop of podcasting goodness to take in, too. It's a pretty busy weekend—hit the menu below and load up your plate accordingly.


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Friday, Nov 25

Amy Miller
For those who are cursing the day comedian Amy Miller left Portland for greener comedic pastures, you’re in luck! Amy is returning for a one-night only stint to celebrate her brand new comedy album Solid Gold on the Kill Rock Stars label. Not only will your guts bust with laughter over her new material, they’ll bust again thanks to her hilarious local co-stars, Katie Nguyen, Caitlin Weierhauser, and Adam Pasi. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
8 pm, Siren Theater, $15

Not One Dime
Instead of running to the mall to take advantage of deals that aren’t that great, join Don’t Shoot Portland in protesting police brutality—specifically toward the mentally ill—in the Pearl District, where James Chasse Jr. was tragically beaten and killed by police in 2006. There will be protesting, but the event is primarily outreach for the houseless. Teressa Raiford says they’ll stage a “feed-in,” providing donated turkey sandwiches in plastic bags (a symbol for Chasse’s bread crumbs which cops called crack/cocaine), and they’re challenging local businesses and community members to donate warm weather clothing and sleeping bags. JENNI MOORE
1 pm, Pearl District, all ages

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
Oy with the poodles already! Netflix’s reboot of Gilmore Girls is finally here, and it’s the perfect comfort television to take refuge in during one of the most objectively terrible times in our nation’s history. You should watch it on the biggest screen possible, and you can at Artists Repertory Theatre during a marathon screening today, with coffee and other Gilmore-appropriate snacks (Lorelai would probably sneak in her own Mallomars). MEGAN BURBANK
9:30 am, Artists Repertory Theatre, free

Twerk! Thanksgiving Recovery
After eating all those beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes at what was hopefully a super-lit Thanksgiving dinner where you cussed-out your racist uncle, a couple hours of diligent twerking and imbibing is necessary. This Twerk PDX dance party will be bumping hip-hop, R&B, trap, and bounce music, and the spacious Dynasty floor will provide a safe space for everyone’s recovery, including LGBT. JENNI MOORE
10 pm, Killingsworth Dynasty, $5

Macy's Holiday Parade
You don't have to travel to New York to witness the streets filled with adorable kids, marching bands, and inflatable floats. And Santa himself will be on his sleigh, on his way to his seat at Macy's to hear the Christmas wishes of Portland's kids.
9 am, W Burnside & 9th, free, all ages

Cookies for Civil Rights
Comic book store Books With Pictures hosts a Black Friday bake sale fundraiser for the ACLU of Oregon.
10 am, Books With Pictures, all ages

Black Market Friday
Black Friday is perhaps the most depressing display of “American-ness” disguised as a holiday. It channels all of the intoxicated bravado of the 4th of July into pure capitalistic id. While some of us mock the hypocritical post-Thanksgiving consumerism, we still have to come to terms with the fact that a person getting trampled to death at a Walmart is normal in this country. Luckily, some of Portland’s tenderest indie rock bands will spend Black Friday singing odes to self-care while the world is seemingly spiraling into the ground. Little Star’s debut full-length Being Close and bed.’s EP Klickitat were two bright spots in a dour year. Now, I’m no proponent of rock ’n’ roll saviorism, but I’ll be damned if Little Star’s “Calming Ritual” and bed.’s “Wayward” aren’t two of the most beautiful examples of introverted musical catharsis. CAMERON CROWELL
6 pm, Mississippi Studios, $6-8

Gremlins
What is the best Christmas movie? Traditionalists swear by standards like It’s a Wonderful Life, the more irreverent might cite Scrooged, and many love to say it's Die Hard before indulging in their really bad Alan Rickman impersonations. But there's a case to be made for Joe Dante's 1984 blast of suburban mayhem, Gremlins: It's a film about family, about responsibility, about having empathy for others, and loving people despite their flaws—but it's also about rocketing angry old rich people through walls, finding new and disgusting uses for a microwave oven, and the pure joy to be found in fucking shit up with cackling glee, thus capturing the well-intentioned chaos that, for many, defines the holiday season.
4:30 pm, 9:30 pm, Laurelhurst Theater, $4

Portland Cello Project
Portland Cello Project celebrate their 10th anniversary with a special performance at Schnitz featuring collaborative special guests Nancy Ives (Principal Cellist of the Oregon Symphony) and Farnell Newton (Othership Funk, PDX Jazz Project).
8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $28-45, all ages

Black-Sheep Black-Friday
There are moments of purely chaotic beauty on Dowager’s second EP that defy the laws of reasoning. Throughout Title Track, vocalist/guitarist Benardo Relampagos screams like his feet are on fire, alternately caressing and trying to break his instrument to find the empathetic tones necessary to convey his anger. It’s as much an indictment of the sticky realms of post-hardcore as it is a denouncement of pop, echoing the aural property lines of bands like Make Believe and early Converge. “Sleep Paralysis” struts on cathartic riffs of minor-chord delirium before folding into itself with finger-tapped progressive flourishes and flashy rhythmic interplay from bassist Kevin Thrakulchavee and drummer Ben Scott. Relampagos’ grating vocals propel songs through frightening environs, each pulsing with some unknown ferocity and living as its own rebel yell for three or four minutes. Buy this EP if you’re pissed at the world right now. RYAN J. PRADO
6 pm, High Water Mark, $10-15

Car Seat Headrest, The Domestics
Calling a band Car Seat Headrest might seem like an odd choice, but given some background, you’ll get it. The main brain behind the project is Will Toledo, a 24-year-old Seattleite. Toledo recorded his vocals for the first few albums in the backseat of his car for privacy—hence the band name. Over the course of six years and 12 albums, that lo-fi/DIY quality is still present, but he’s been fine-tuning his voice to be surprisingly precocious. On the band’s May release, Teens of Denial, Toledo’s clever lyrics about depression, alienation, and substance abuse are thrown over strangely satisfying guitar-driven pop. Most of his songs are specifically about our attempt to derive meaning from all of this (gesticulates wildly), and how sickeningly futile it often feels. In Toledo’s case, assigning a seemingly meaningless name like Car Seat Headrest to his life’s work actually makes perfect sense. FIONA GABRIELLE WOODMAN
9 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $15, all ages

Distillery Row Black Friday
Why hit up a mall for your holiday shopping when you can hit up the Armory and sample the wares from all eight Distillery Row distilleries, plus over 20 artisan food and drink vendors from the region, with over 100 spirits total to choose from.
11 am, Armory Cafe, free

Saturday, Nov 26

The Dollop
When the world is in turmoil, it can be soothing to look back at equally wackadoodle moments in history, if only to be reminded that this horror show isn’t new. But actual history texts can feel like dry homework. The Dollop podcast never does. Each week, charming hosts Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds explore strange, discomfiting moments from our deeply flawed history. It’s just what we need. MEGAN BURBANK
8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $20, all ages

Civil War
The first 11 games were just warm-ups—this is the one that really counts. It’s the Civil War, one of the nation’s oldest and fiercest college football rivalries, as the Ducks and the Beavers meet for the 120th time to determine who gets the coveted bragging rights in the state for the next year. If you aren’t headed to Corvallis, we recommend going to Revolution Hall to watch the game with a couple hundred die-hards on a 26-foot screen. Oh, and there’ll be drink specials. DOUG BROWN
1 pm, Revolution Hall, free

Judy on Duty
Monthly queer dance party Judy on Duty just celebrated two years of getting weird every last Saturday at the High Water Mark. While most dance nights repel and terrify me, Judy on Duty is inclusive and super welcoming. Things usually get going between 11 pm and midnight, so bring some buds (or heck, go alone!) and get ready to shake your bum with DJ Troubled Youth. CIARA DOLAN
10 pm, High Water Mark

Sir Richard Bishop, Porest, White Shark Shiver
Back in August, Sir Richard Bishop christened Pickathon’s Woods Stage with its very first set of the festival, while most revelers were still groggy. It was perhaps the perfect time for Bishop’s bewitching guitar reflections—he coaxed rich textures from a semi-hollow-body guitar, conjuring east-meets-west melodic structures through a bevy of instrumental tunes. Bishop, of course, is best known as a founding member of experimental art-punk project Sun City Girls, which had a 26-year tenure that yielded over 50 albums. Since the band’s dissolution in 2007, Bishop has continued to release mind-warping guitar meditations, most recently with last year’s Tangier Sessions. It’s a dizzying collection of neoclassical compositions with brilliant guitar playing, and fuses together styles as seemingly disparate as flamenco, jazz, strange avant-garde, and pretty much every other genre you’ve ever heard. Bishop taps into a truly wordly aural contemplation—you oughta tap into it, too. RYAN J. PRADO
8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!

Neurosis, Yob, Kowloon Walled City
Give thanks, local lovers of heavy music. Portland’s metal event of the year happens over a long holiday weekend, so you can fully dedicate yourself to stuffing your ear holes and headbanging your brain into mashed potatoes. Legendary West Coast volume-dealers Neurosis recently celebrated 30 years of existence with the release of their 11th album, Fires Within Fires. Like all Neurosis albums, it’s an adventurous amalgam of dark folk, grown-up punk, creeping sludge, and beautiful post-metal that wanders as much as it thunders. It’s an incredible work of art from a band that is uncompromising, resilient, and forever influential. Neurosis’ two-night stand at the Hawthorne features two killer openers: lumbering Bay Area noisemakers Kowloon Walled City and Oregon doom titans YOB. Each released their most recent album on Neurosis’ own label, Neurot Recordings, in case you need more reasons to respect the nights’ headliner. BEN SALMON
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $25-30

Moana
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get misty during Moana, in large part thanks to the music, by Opetaia Foa’i, Mark Mancia, and Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda. And unlike virtually every other Disney film with a female lead, it’s refreshing that Moana is saddled with no romantic agenda. Instead, the movie’s most important relationship is between Moana, her wise grandmother, and the spirits of nature. In other words, Moana provides a great message for little girls (and grown ones) in a time when their feminine power and the sanctity of the environment are under threat. JENNI MOORE
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations

Deathlist, Sunbathe
Deathlist is the solo recording project of Summer Cannibals bassist Jenny Logan. Her self-titled debut cassette offers up six tracks of frenzied punk rock that riff wildly until they're caught in a buzzy entanglement of guitar-driven chaos. Standout track "Every Wish" plays like a slow-dance duet sung by these hyperactive electric guitar parts and Logan, who asks in a subdued tone, "How do you know it ends tonight?" CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, The Fixin' To, $5

Daughter, Alexandra Savior
A few years back, Daughter burst into mainstream music’s collective consciousness with the single “Youth” (which currently boasts nearly 100 million YouTube views). It’s a song that manages to rope together somber and simple melodies, dazzling percussive textures, and eclipsing crescendos for a swift four-minute journey. Last January the UK indie-folk trio released Not to Disappear, a sophomore record that continues to showcase their strength in meshing sonic swells with icy, crystalline grit. This new effort also finds Daughter delving into clearer, deeper lyrical territory, especially on songs like “Doing the Right Thing,” where singer Elena Tonra explores the world of aging and dementia. Her simple, bold statements and the emotive instrumentals create a sense of overwhelming intensity that feels very relevant these days—maybe there’s even catharsis buried in there somewhere, too. ROBIN BACIOR
8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $20-23, all ages

Tunnel, Whiskey Tango, Your Moms
Spend Thanksgiving weekend at the Siren Theater and take in a full evening of improv comedy
8 pm, Siren Theater, $10-15

Dragonette, Gibbz
The Toronto-based synth pop and new wave trio return to Portland in support of their fourth full-length, Royal Blues.
9 pm, Doug Fir, $16-18

La FĂŞte du Macaron
A celebration of the French Macaron, filling the Pix pastry case with a wide variety of flavors. Also includes a contest to get your flavor carried at Pix past the celebration.
2 pm, Pix/Bar Vivant

Sunday, Nov 27

Thee Oh Sees, Alex Cameron, The Lavender Flu
The latest record from space-vortex explorers Thee Oh Sees, An Odd Entrances, is a six-song counterpart to their recent A Weird Exits that showcases a more pastoral, Syd Barrett-y side of the psychedelic garage rockers. But expect their live show to be just as explosive and relentless as it’s ever been—as long as you can land a ticket. The website for the Aladdin Theater, where tonight’s show was originally set to take place, says there might still be tickets at the box office. Cross your fingers. NED LANNAMANN
9 pm, Revolution Hall, $16.50-20, all ages

A Drag Queen Christmas
Get in the holiday spirit with festive and naughty performances from RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants. Featuring sets from Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Chi Chi DeVayne, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, Roxxxy Andrews, and Pearl. Hosted by Thorgy Thor.
8 pm, Newmark Theatre, $31.10-177

Bi-Marks, Long Knife, Wild Mohicans, PMS 84, Sweats
After two full weeks of farewell shows, the "Known End in Sight" series comes to a close with local hardcore rippers Bi-Marks and Long Knife laying waste to whatever's left of the current iteration of the Northeast Portland punk venue.
8 pm, The Know

Jackson Boone, The Fur Coats, Bryson Cone
Jackson Boone's self-described wizard rock is as cosmic and mysterious as the stretch of Oregon Coast he calls home. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, Rontoms, free

James Vincent McMorrow, Allan Rayman
When James Vincent McMorrow emerged from his hometown of Dublin, Ireland in 2010, he could best be described as a folk singer with a beautifully delicate voice. Then in 2014, McMorrow earned wider exposure with his sophomore effort, Post Tropical, which found him exploring poppier sounds and arrangements, like if Bon Iver had full-spectrum light bulbs in that snowbound cabin of his. Now McMorrow’s back with yet another look: “I grew up wanting to write songs like Neil Young,” he’s quoted on his website, “but produce them like the Neptunes.” On his new record, We Move, McMorrow has taken his folk songs and given them some indie/R&B polish, with help from producers like Nineteen85 (who’s worked with Drake), Two Inch Punch (Sam Smith, Years and Years), and Frank Dukes (Kanye West, Rihanna). If that’s your thing, check this dude out. His melodies remain compelling. BEN SALMON
8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $20-23, all ages

Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!