This week we cross over into February, which means you have to be more efficient at packing fun, entertainment, and enlightenment into your day. This week is a good test for the rest of the month, with a wide range of awesome stuff to keep you busy: Get your fill of this new Love Movement, learn about how quality our local hip-hop scene is via The Thesis, celebrate our city's effect on the comics industry at a city-wide all-day birthday party for Image Comics, swim in the glow of the Portland Winter Light Festival, and learn a little about the genius of James Baldwin after helping local businesses do their part to RESIST! There's not as much time as you'd like, so you gotta Do What You Love, PDX. Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly.


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Monday, Jan 30

Sound + Vision: Honey Bucket, Mope Grooves
Snicker and scoff at the name all you want, the fact remains that shapeshifting pop trio Honey Bucket were responsible for one of 2016’s most captivating local releases with their scrappy and playful full-length, Magical World. Witness the charm first-hand tonight when the Mercury and Banana Stand Media present Sound + Vision, a free 'n' local monthly showcase and concert filming series at Mississippi Studios. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, free

Laurie Frankel & Monica Drake
Laurie Frankel's This Is How It Always Is charts the challenges a young family faces raising a trans kid in a world that still isn't nearly as safe for gender-nonconforming individuals as it should be—timely material for absurd times. Frankel will be joined by Monica Drake, author of last year's Portland-set The Folly of Loving Life. MEGAN BURBANK
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free

Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet
Tonight, Portland has the chance to witness otherworldly musician Stefan Jackiw perform sonic miracles with his fiddle. Our hometown orchestra shares the stage with Jackiw to perform Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2—a fascinating composition from 1935 guaranteed (at least with this virtuoso at the helm) to astonish the uninitiated and satisfy even the most rabid, hardcore classical fans in the crowd. Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the band open the program with a 21st-century work and shut it down ironically with the Romeo and Juliet overture from Tchaikovsky. In other words, prepare yourself for what just might be the highlight of the Oregon Symphony’s utterly spectacular 120th season. BRIAN HORAY
7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $23-105, all ages

Mad Max: Fury Road: Black & Chrome
A brutal, beautiful, two-hour action overdose injected with a welcome feminist bent. Black & Chrome is director George Miller's preferred cut of the film—entirely in black and white.
7 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9

The Movie Quiz
After bearing witness to the glory of Fury Road, stick around the Hollywood for a solid, fun trivia night with a focus on film—from identifying posters and clips to sussing out soundtracks and quotes. Things can drag on—the checking of answer sheets can take entirely too long—and both sets from comedian co-hosts and YouTube-filled intermissions similarly drag out the proceedings. But the actual trivia part, from the witty questions to the friendly, film geek crowd, is a ton of fun, and hanging out in one of the Hollywood’s upstairs auditoriums—with beer, pizza, and a full-on movie screen—is a welcome respite from bar-hosted trivia nights. ERIK HENRIKSEN
9:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre

Less Than Jake, Pepper
The long-running ska punk band out of Gainesville, Florida hit the Roseland as part of a co-headlining tour with San Diego-via-Hawaii reggae rockers Pepper.
7 pm, Roseland, $25, all ages

Ralph White, Michael Hurley, Mouth Painter
Obscure though he may be, Oregon songwriter Michael Hurley is a legend as storied as the characters that populate the folksy universe of his music and visual art. Since making his first record, First Songs, in 1964, Hurley has lived his music—zigzagging the States and working odd jobs in odd places. Since then, his alter-ego, a mischievous wolf named Snock, has robbed banks, fallen in love with drunks, been drunk, attended the hoodoo bash, and so much more. And yet Hurley and his music are humble rather than boastful—on “Slurf Song,” when he finds a wishbone, his only wish is for a potato. This sweetness shines through amply in his live performances; during mid-set tuning banter I once heard him ask the audience if anyone could bring him a puppy dog. The man is a treasure of American music. SAM BOVARNICK
8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!

Tuesday, Jan 31

Postcards from the Edge
Meryl Streep closed out her amazing anti-Trump speech at the Golden Globes by quoting the wisdom of her departed friend Carrie Fisher: “Take your broken heart, and make it art.” That’s exactly what Fisher did with Postcards from the Edge, a semi-fictional autobiography of life as a drug addict, scrambling under the shadow of her movie star mother. Streep and Shirley MacLaine aren’t really playing Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. But they’re absolutely playing Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and all the prickly warmth and love present in Mike Nichols’ 1990 adaptation of Fisher’s book becomes just that much more keenly felt now that they’ve both passed on. Buy a ticket, take a seat, and get your heart broken just a little. BOBBY ROBERTS
7 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9

The Love Movement
The second show in the Love Movement's new weekly series will focus on "Jazz for the Future You Want to Live In." In addition to jazzy futuristic soul from Brown Calculus (featuring lo-fi singer Brown Alice), series co-creator Jonny Cool performs as well. And dancer Akela Jaffi, who you may have seen sharing stages with artists like Chanti Darling, will embellish the evening's vibe by modeling joyful movement. JENNI MOORE
9 pm, Valentine's $2-5

Johanna Warren
Portlander Johanna Warren's 2015 album, Nūmūn, is a collection of 11 gorgeous songs full of Warren's warm and versatile voice, her beguiling melodies, occasional found sounds, and delicately plucked acoustic guitar. It's an awe-inspiring assemblage of half-lit folk hymns from one of our own. BEN SALMON
6:30 pm, Alberta Street Pub, free

Lemuria, Cayetana, Mikey Erg
Hey, guess what? While you were reading articles about albums that are turning 20 years old and thinking to yourself, "Holy shit... I'm old," other albums were turning 10, and a whole other batch of people were thinking the same thing. Take, for example, seminal pop/punk/emo band Lemuria’s debut, Get Better. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Buffalo, New York trio is reissuing the record and going on tour. If you're unfamiliar with Lemuria, don't worry: They're a good band, and Get Better is a good record packed with buzzy guitars, male/female vocals, and melodies for days. One listen and you'll be convinced that these folks had a significant influence on a whole bunch of current, likeminded East Coast bands like Hop Along, Tancred, and Speedy Ortiz. Speaking of which, likeminded East Coast bands Cayetana and Mike Erg will open the show. BEN SALMON
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $13-15

Emo Nite
Dust off your My Chemical Romance T-shirt, apply excessive eyeliner, and get ready to shamelessly scream Dashboard Confessional lyrics at Holocene's bi-monthly emo night, formally known as Taking Back Tuesday. Know all the words to "Sic Transit Gloria"? You're ready. XxscenexX forever. BRI BREY
9 pm, Holocene, $10

Lydia Loveless, Angelica Garcia, Michael Dean Damron
How do you follow up a masterpiece? That was the question facing Lydia Loveless, the Ohio singer/songwriter whose 2014 album Somewhere Else is basically perfect. Brawny, buzzy, tough, twangy, tender, vulnerable—the record captured everything wonderful about her expressive songs. The world took notice, piling on praise and heightening anticipation for whatever was next for Loveless. So last year, she rolled out an album called Real, an excellent 10-track collection that’s very worthy of its place in line behind Something Else. This is rootsy rock ’n’ roll in its highest form, with Loveless singing about heartbreak and hangovers against assured electric guitars that chug and chime. The songs are decorated with twangy flourishes, punk ’tude, and the occasional synth squiggle, but as always, the main attraction is Loveless, her dynamic alto, and her ability to sing about real life better than just about anyone else right now. BEN SALMON
9 pm, Doug Fir, $12

The Illusionists


7:30 pm, Keller Auditorium, $35-80

Wednesday, Feb 1

Minority Retort
It’s common knowledge comedy isn’t often a great place to be if you aren’t a cis/white/straight dude, so it’s good news that Minority Retort, Portland’s only regular showcase for comedians of color, is back, with an excellent lineup including the delightfully wry Katie Nguyen (one of the Mercury’s official Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy), beloved jokester Adam Pasi, and more. MEGAN BURBANK
8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $10

Seratones
As the birthplace of jazz, Louisiana has produced enough influential artists to fill Lake Pontchartrain, most recently the Seratones. Lead singer AJ Haynes sculpted her righteous pipes at age six at Brownsville Baptist Church in Columbia, Louisiana. The band’s four members found each other a few years ago after playing in various Shreveport punk outfits. Upon signing with the Black Keys’ label, Fat Possum Records, the Seratones slathered a hearty handful of swampy blues rock all over their full-length debut, Get Gone, recorded at Dial Back Studios in Mississippi. Between Haynes’ Karen O-inspired vocals, dirty guitar licks with a hint of melancholy, and constant nods to old school soul, it’s safe to say the Seratones aren’t stuck in any genre. ROSE FINN
9:30 pm, Bunk Bar, $10

Image Comics Day
Portland is the closest thing the comics industry has to a Mecca, and one of the best publishers in the industry is Image, founded a quarter-century years ago by a bunch of rogue artists and writers who decided to flee the bullpens at Marvel and DC and set up their own shop where the creators had the power. For their 25th birthday, three of the city's best comics shops—Floating World, Cosmic Monkey, and Bridge City—are hosting parties, featuring some of the medium's best writers and artists (including Steve Lieber, Joe Keatinge, Farel Dalrymple, Joseph Bergin III, Emi Lenox, and more) signing books, sharing stories, sketching stuff, and celebrating the best of what comics have to offer.
noon, Cosmic Monkey; 5 pm, Bridge City Comics; 6 pm, Floating World Comics, free, all ages

Sam Coomes, Dr. Amazon, Galaxy Research
Bugger Me is Sam Coomes’ solo debut, but he’s a Portland scene stalwart—perhaps you’re familiar with Quasi, his duo with Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. The record’s minimalist pop stretches its legs into some buzzy experimental territory, but remains inescapably catchy with lounge lizard-y organ and Coomes’ impatient drawl. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $5

Earthquake Hurricane
A weekly comedy showcase so good it takes four people to wrangle it, with hosts Bri Pruett, Anthony Lopez, Alex Falcone, and Katie Nguyen.
7 pm, The Liquor Store

No Wheat, No Sweat
Bazi's fifth annual gluten-free feast, with an accompanying seminar that teaches diners about their gluten-free options, and how best to pair their gluten-free beverages with their meal, with a four-course dinner including roasted chicken with butternut squash, Belgian waffles, red curry sorghum soup, and more.
6:30 pm, Bazi Bierbrasserie, $35

Tampopo
Juzo Itami’s 1985 film defies easy description. The director himself calls it a “ramen western,” due to the main story of a couple truckers helping a woman named Tampopo establish herself as master of noodles. But it’s also a comedy, a romance, a surreal gangster movie, and an erotic screwball farce. Its steaming collection of disparate ingredients gets pretty messy at times, but the result is one of the most sensual movies of the 20th century. There’s no guarantee every element will hit the spot, but you will leave this screening hungry as hell. BOBBY ROBERTS
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9

Ayelet Waldman
The award-winning Israeli-American novelist returns to Portland to read from her new book, A Really Good Day, which chronicles the author's experiments using microdoses of LSD to treat a mood disorder and live an all around better life.
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free

Kodo
An evening with the long-running Taiko drumming troupe known for blending athleticism and dance into their percussion-driven performance.
7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $20-55

Young the Giant
The inexplicably popular indie rock band return to Portland for a two-night stand at the Roseland in support of their third studio album, Home of the Strange.
8 pm, Roseland, $27.50, all ages

Portland Winter Light Festival
OMSI and PGE help present this showcase for over 40 visual artists and performers to celebrate the light and the love of winter.
6 pm, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, free, all ages

Thursday, Feb 2

The Thesis
While the rest of the world grows bleaker by the minute, the Thesis just keeps getting better and better. The monthly hip-hop-and-beyond showcase is a crucible of diverse Portland talent, and tonight’s installment is no exception, featuring up-and-comers Bocha, Dead Phone Dummiez, and Foday, not to mention regular spinner/host Verbz on the decks. Plus tonight features a secret guest who, rumor has it, is gonna blow minds. Don’t sleep on this one. NED LANNAMANN
9 pm, Kelly's Olympian, $5

Naomi Punk, Psychomagic, Wave Action
If James Hurley from Twin Peaks unspiked his dumb hair and suddenly wasn’t such a shitty musician, he’d probably sound like Naomi Punk. The Olympia three-piece makes gritty guitar-punk that reflects the terrible beauty and unique claustrophobia of a Pacific Northwest winter, when the grey sky hangs dangerously low overhead and humanity is inescapably drenched in l’eau de mildew. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, The Liquor Store, $10

RESIST! Distribution Party
Floating World forgoes the typical First Thursday showing and signing soiree for a distribution party instead, asking attendees to pick up a bundle from the 5,000 copies of Resist!, the Desert Island Comics feminist protest newspaper by Gabe Fowler, and distribute them to different locations in your area.
6 pm, Floating World Comics

Sting, Joe Sumner, Los Bandoleros
The legendary bassist and frontman of the Police returns to Portland in support of his latest solo album, 57th & 9th. Sting will be joined by longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, in-demand drummer Josh Freese, and guitarist Rufus Miller. Joe Sumner and Los Bandoleros provide support.
9 pm, Theater of the Clouds, $64-370

The Political Implications of James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues
An evening with Reed College professor and PDX Jazz board member Pancho Savery, examining James Baldwin's classic short story through lecture, discussion, and listening to the music of Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong.
7 pm, Literary Arts, free

Do What You Love PDX
The latest in this independent comedy showcase features local talent including the Doubleclicks, Phil Schallberger, Katie Nguyen, and Jeremiah Coughlan.
6 pm, Custom House, $15

Switchfoot, Relient K
A pair of long-running Christian alt rock outfits hit the Crystal for the Portland stop on the second leg of their "Looking For America" tour.
7:30 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $32.50-37

The Lemon Twigs, Savoy Motel
An evening of melodic rock and progressive pop with the up-and-coming Long Island act who are currently touring in support of their 4AD-issued debut, Do Hollywood.
9 pm, Doug Fir, $11-12

Plaid, The Flashbulb
It was a prime moment in the mid-1990s when Plaid began their long relationship with Warp Records, at a time when the UK-based label had a lean roster of computer music luminaries, including Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, and LFO. The duo of Andy Turner and Ed Handley, both original members of the influential acid house/IDM outfit the Black Dog, were in suitable company when they, under the Plaid moniker, helped define the IDM sound from its epicenter—as well as collaborate with forward thinkers like Björk, and consistently turn out unprecedented electronic music all along the way. AVA HEGEDUS
8:30 pm, Holocene, $15-17

Big Jay Oakerson
An evening of stand-up with the Philadelphia-hailing comedian and actor who has opened for the likes of Dave Attell and Korn, currently stars in Big Jay Oakerson's What's Your F@%king Deal?! on the NBC's Seeso streaming service, and co-hosts The Bonfire on Sirius XM's Comedy Central station alongside comedian Dan Soder.
8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $15-23

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