What genius put the Fourth of July on a damn Tuesday!? That's just screwing everything all the hell up. Is this our long-awaited Fourth of July Weekend? I mean, I guess it can be, if you want it to be. There's enough Independence Day flavor sprinkled over the calendar to treat it as such: The Waterfront Blues Fest is a sure signifier you've made it, the Red, Whites & Brews fest is another; all day drink, dance, and BBQ parties like The Day Fade sure help make it feel like the holiday is happening. But it's also far enough away from the Fourth that if you'd rather ignore the 'splosions & revelry (if you can), you can instead hear Roxane Gay talk, or Gaytheist rock, or Bob Saget shock—or you can do the most patriotic thing possible, and join an Impeachment March. It's a really busy weekend ahead, whether or not it's July 4th flavored. Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly.
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Roxane Gay
After widely acclaimed works like Bad Feminist and Difficult Women, Gay’s Hunger tells the story of what it’s like to live more than 20 years in a fat body, and without the triumphant weightloss narrative that society practically demands. If her discussion with Phoebe Robinson (Sooo Many White Guys podcast), and her interview with The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah is any indication, Roxane Gay will offer an insightful and honest book talk while simultaneously filling a void the literary world. JENNI MOORE
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free
Waterfront Blues Festival
The Waterfront Blues Festival is a Fourth of July tradition, a weekend-long gathering on the river to celebrate all styles of American music (not just the blues). With performers like Booker T, Chubby Carrier, Cory Henry, Fantastic Negrito, Eric Gales, and countless others performing under the sun for the fest’s 30th year, it’s the best way to be reminded that our crazy, conflicted country has birthed some pretty wonderful music. NED LANNAMANN
Jun 30-Jul 4, see waterfrontbluesfest.com for full daily schedules, 11 am, $10-50, all ages
Portland Craft Beer Festival
The Fields hosts this grand kickoff to Oregon Craft Beer Month with a three-day celebration of Portland's (many) contributions to the art of brewing. $25 admission includes a cup and 10 beverage tickets, while $35 VIP tickets will net you a souvenir mug and 15 tickets. Come down and enjoy delicious food and beverage offerings from Base Camp, Lompoc, Migration, Natian, Occidental, Pints, Bridgeport, Coopers Hall, Cider Riot, and many more.
Jun 30-Jul 2, 12 pm, The Fields, $25-35
Animal Collective, Stephen Malkmus
Animal Collective is one of those bands you just come to know, whether that’s through constant radio play or their soundtracking of your own quarter-life avant-garde awakening. Blending the right amounts of pop, indie, electronic, psychedelic, and experimental, Animal Collective is enough of everything to appeal to virtually everyone—which means you can totally bring your Tinder date to the show without worrying about whether or not they’ll like it. To those “real fans” who might complain about this, I say sit back, relax, and enjoy both the concert you paid for as well as the kinda funny, kinda cringey dates happening around you. DELANEY MOTTER
8 pm, Roseland, $26-30, all ages
Queer Migration Stories and Panel
Unite Oregon’s Last Friday event will kick off with a panel featuring members of Resilient Connections, a program for refugee, immigrant, and trans queer people, as they illuminate the affects colonization and white supremacy have on the migration of queer people of color. EMILLY PRADO
5:30 pm, Unite Oregon, free
Lithics, Tender Age, Mattress, Media Jeweler
Lithics minimalist post-punk pulses and chirps, manically pushing forward and pulling back, while building insistent loops before pretending to fall apart, as vocalist Aubrey Hornor brings an understated, bordering-on-spoken-word nonchalance. This restraint, at least on record, keeps the tension high, while also keeping something bubbling below the surface, waiting. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
9 pm, The Fixin' To, $7
Bob Saget
Fresh off his appearance on Netflix's Full House reboot, Fuller House, Bob Saget takes his raunchy stand-up routine back to Helium giving you the opportunity to take in an evening of jokes told by TV's renowned "Dirty Daddy."
7:30 pm, 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $35-45
Improvisation Summit of Portland 2017
The Creative Music Guild presents a two-day event celebrating Portland's improvisational and experimental music scene, in collaboration with dancers, film, and visual artists. Featuring performances from Bobby Previte, Andrea Kleine, Lori Goldston, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Sarah Hennies, Wobbly, and more.
Jun 30-Jul 1, see creativemusicguild.org for a full list of performers and showtimes, $15-30
Eat Skull, The Renderers, Woolen Men
The husband-and-wife duo of Brian and Maryrose Crook front the Christchurch, New Zealand-hailing psych-rock band, The Renderers. Catch them tonight when they return to Mississippi Studios to headline a stacked show alongside Portland noise-pop and skuzz-rock outfit Eat Skull and local jangle punks the Woolen Men.
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $5
Streetlight Manifesto, Jenny Owen Youngs, Ogikubo Station
Everything Goes Numb, the 2002 debut LP from New Brunswick outfit Streetlight Manifesto, is hailed as a ska masterpiece in circles where that phrase isn’t an inherent contradiction. No matter how many waves you think there have been—really, who can keep track—ska’s always had a way of sounding instantly dated. In the decade and a half since the band’s well-received debut, Tomas Kalnoky & Co. haven’t done much to avoid their genre’s uniquely fraught aging process. The list of chin-scratchers includes the 2006 re-recording of their old band Catch 22’s beloved Keasbey Nights, and 2010’s 99 Songs of Revolution Vol. 1 (a collection of covers that might more accurately be titled 11 Songs That Don’t Really Need Ska Interpretations). If I sound dismissive, that’s probably because ska has always been so easy to mock, but it’s precisely that full-throated embrace of their own aesthetic that makes bands like Streetlight Manifesto so fun to begin with. NATHAN TUCKER
8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $20, all ages
Senator Ron Wyden Discusses Net Neutrality
Net neutrality is the concept that internet access is akin to a utility and should be available for equal consumption by all. Senator Ron Wyden, a longtime advocate of net neutrality, will highlight the implications of the FCC’s vote to roll back legality and allow cable companies to engage in net neutrality voluntarily. EMILLY PRADO
12:15 pm, Sentinel Hotel
Azizi Gibson
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Azizi Gibson is an up and coming rapper signed to Flying Lotus' record label, Brainfeeder. Catch him tonight when he hits the Hawthorne Theater for the Portland stop on "The Protein Shake Tour."
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $18.50-22, all ages
Dynamite PDX
This special edition of Curious Comedy's improv session features Portland's much-loved J Names troupe taking the stage.
9:30 pm, Curious Comedy Theater, $10-12
The Day Fade
Some Saturdays, you ignore the creeping growth of your dandelion lawn and put any thoughts of self-betterment out of mind. Some Saturdays, you get out of bed late and head to the bar, where there will be drinks, and dancing, and DJs spinning really, really good tunes. The soul needs such Saturdays, and lucky for you this is one of them. DIRK VANDERHART
2 pm, White Owl Social Club, $5
Gaytheist, Nasalrod, Drunk Dad
Gaytheist plays the kind of rock music that’ll pummel your eardrums with the force of a thousand fiery asteroids (in a good way). Tonight the Portland band celebrates the release of their new album, Let’s Jam Again Soon—14 furiously fast tracks that bring new meaning to the word “heavy.” CIARA DOLAN
8 pm, The Know, $10
Bombay Beach, Wave Action, Craig Brown Band
After more than a decade spent fronting various garage punk bands (Terrible Twos, the Mahonies, Liquor Store), Craig Brown is a legitimate Detroit city personality. For instance, the trailer for Drunk History’s Detroit episode features Brown’s ruminations about the city’s lawlessness, punctuated as he yells, “Judas Priest is better than Iron Maiden!” into the cold night. Brown is a funny and memorable character, and that likability translates onto his debut album, The Lucky Ones Forget, from his Third Man Records-backed country project, the Craig Brown Band. It’s a love letter from a punk rocker to Creedence Clearwater Revival, and a surprisingly smooth marriage of Brown’s cut-the-shit songwriting, nasally punk vocal tricks, and honky-tonk slide guitar—all filled out by the warm backing vocal harmonies of the band’s Drinkard sisters. SUZETTE SMITH
8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, $5
Mark Battles, King Kap, Young Tom, Ty Spacely, Kid Jone$, Falling Atmosphere
The fast-rising Indianapolis-hailing rapper, songwriter, producer, and founder of independent record label, Fly America, swings back through Peter's Room at the Roseland for another all ages show supporting his 2016 studio album, Before The Deal.
8 pm, Peter's Room at the Roseland, $20-35, all ages
Gran Ritmos
Portland’s favorite Pan-American dance party Gran Ritmos is kicking off summer’s dog days by inviting Riobamba to headline their next showcase. One of Brooklyn’s most fire DJ acts, Riobamba is a multitalented artist with Ecuadorian and Lithuanian roots who delivers energetic sounds from around the world. In addition to producing her own mixes, she founded the label and creative agency APOCALIPSIS in 2016 to empower the voices of other Latinx artists. Riobamba spent a year in Bogota studying the connections between politics, identity, and digital music production through a Fulbright Scholarship. Her sets integrate a wide variety of audio sources ranging from YouTube clips to underground Panamanian bass to urban field recordings as a means of intentional disruption. Lace up your dancing shoes and get ready for a night of the unexpected. EMILLY PRADO
9 pm, Holocene, $10
Teen Daze, Sam OB
If in some bizarro parallel universe Grouper and Leon met while playing Minecraft, Teen Daze would most likely be the outcome. With EPs like 2010’s Four More Years and Beach Dreams, British Columbia recording artist Jamison Isaak’s building a body of work similar to other young but prolific artists like Alex G or Frankie Cosmos. Since Isaak’s early slow-mo drum-and-bass EDM, Teen Daze has truly developed into mellower but more expansive take on dance music. All of the releases are paired with naturalist album art that could decorate a sleek minimalist coffee shop or the default screensavers for the next generation of Windows. The music itself doesn’t try to stray from this aesthetic, and instead embodies a postmodern simplicity. Though Teen Daze’s fifth LP, Themes for Dying Earth, has a pretty fatalistic name, it moves at a snail’s pace. All of the vocals are awash in reverb, and the keyboard riffs sound like springtime walks through city gardens—secluded enough, but surrounded by the bustle of metropolitan life. CAMERON CROWELL
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, $10-12
Skull Diver, The Dead Ships, Pacific Latitudes
Last month Portland rock trio Skull Diver released Chemical Tomb, an unapologetically dark sophomore album that wanders with a zombie's sinister drive between proggy riffage, pop swagger, and stoner metal haze, exploring shadowy corners while never quite settling into a groove. The record is united not just by this densely curated sense of disquiet, all fuzzy guitars and cavernous organs, but by a gripping melodicism and singer Mandy Payne's nimble voice floating over the darkness—less ethereal and more a foreboding siren's call. Two covers round out the second half, Nick Drake’s “Parasite” and the Violent Femmes’ “Good Feeling,” both evidence of Skull Diver’s flexible mastery over their expansive sound. It’s not the most cohesive album, but anyone who likes their music on the heavy side will find something to enjoy. NATHAN TUCKER
9 pm, Bunk Bar, $7
Reds, Whites & Brews
Breakside’s new Slabtown brewpub hosts a Fourth of July weekend kick-off party with help from some of their buddies in the beverage industry. Enjoy live music from the Kinky Brothers, wine from Archery Summit, A-Z Winery, Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Clay Pigeon, Patton Valley, Chehalem, Elk Cove, and Ponzi Winery, and brew from the likes of pFriem, Culmination, Commons, Deschutes, Double Mountain, Great Notion, Upright, Migration, Occidental, Gigantic, Ninkasi, Widmer, and Portland Cider Company, all while supporting the Children’s Cancer Association & New Avenues for Youth.
2 pm, Breakside Brewery, $15, all ages
Pink Martini
Pianist Thomas Lauderdale and his legendary Portland-based jazz and classical pop ensemble, featuring co-lead vocalists China Forbes and Storm Large, return to the Edgefield lawn for a picturesque evening show in the setting Summer sun.
7 pm, Edgefield, $35, all ages
Avenue Q
Triangle Productions brings back their staging (tonight's the last night!) of the Tony Award-winning comedy/musical about racism, homophobia, homelessness, unemployment, and finding the purpose to life, but with puppets. No children under 17 admitted unless accompanied by adult due to all of the puppet fucking.
7:30 pm, The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza, $15-35
Fit for an Autopsy, Moon Tooth, Tombs
Read reviews of Moon Tooth’s 2016 album Chromaparagon and you’ll find lots of references to prog-minded metal (or hard rock) bands like Rush, Mastodon, the Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, and Tool. Far less often do critics cite the New York band’s irrepressible interest in funk- and jazz-metal, which is on full display on Chromaparagon’s eye-popping opening track, “Queen Wolf.” Here, Moon Tooth sounds like Living Colour and (gulp) the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Add in the quartet’s interest in whiplash rhythms and highly technical playing, and you’ve got quite a concoction of influences widely considered “uncool” in the 21st century. But Moon Tooth makes it work by playing its showy, shifty jazz-funk-prog-thrash-metal with such absolute power and awe-inspiring precision, you just can’t help but be impressed. (The band’s knack for finding a melody in its maelstrom doesn’t hurt, either.) BEN SALMON
6 pm, The Analog Cafe & Little Theater, $13, all ages
Timbaland + Pharrell: A Tribute
A DJ night dedicated to two of the most unique hip-hop producers of the late '90s and early 2000s, featuring Duncan Gerow, B Hammer'd, and Anechoic touching on all the best beats that both Timbaland and Pharrell turned out in their heyday.
9 pm, O'Malley's Saloon & Grill, $3
Death of Glitter: Island of the Misfits!
This month, the "Genderf#ck Cabaret for a Cause" benefits Brave Space with misfit-themed performances from Anastasia Euthanasia, Darcy Blows, Draven, Marla Darling, Prince Peanut-Butter, Lioness, Miss Pamela Voorhees, Mars, Clare Apparently, Poly-Amithyst, The Glam King, BeElzzaBub Doll, and more. Featuring dance music from DJ Cat Lady.
9 pm, Paris Theater, $7-10
The Thermals
Portland pop-punk stalwarts the Thermals aim to spice up your Fourth of July weekend on the cheap with a 5-dollar show at the Doug Fir Lounge. Deathlist and Loveboys provide support.
9 pm, Doug Fir, $5
Impeachment March
In case you’ve missed the past dozen protests, you have yet another chance to call for the impeachment of the fascist Cheeto at this nationwide march. Feel free to peruse the event page for details on the six bids for impeachment. EMILLY PRADO
1 pm, Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Ralph Lawson, Tripwire
With a career spanning two decades and an influential off-kilter style that stays ahead of the curve, Jay Tripwire never fails to impress. He’s one of the most prolific house and techno producers around, with over 200 vinyl releases to date. His versatile mixes reveal keen sensibilities that can make a believer out of even the harshest of dance music critics. Ralph Lawson is a legend in his own right, and widely regarded as one of the best house music DJs in the world. His record label, 2020Vision, showcases a well-rounded catalog that gives interesting insights into electronic music’s ever-changing landscape over the last 20 years. These two heavyweights will perform an outdoor daytime concert at the White Owl Social Club to allow for maximum sunshine fun time. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
2 pm, White Owl Social club, $10
Music in the Schools: 10 Year Anniversary & Farewell Show
Local non-profit Music in the Schools is celebrating 10 years of of all ages music and music education fundraising with a bittersweet event that doubles as a farewell show for the organization. The evening will feature an all-youth line-up of live music, including a reunion set by MITS' all-stars The Castaway Kids. All proceeds will benefit Portland Public School Music programs.
8 pm, Holocene, $5
Ice Queens, And And And, Ah God
Local indie rock shredders Ice Queens return to Rontoms for their second Sunday Session of the year, this time in celebration of the release of their self-titled debut album.
8:30 pm, Rontoms, free
Cold Cube Presents
A release party for Cold Cube Press' latest comics publications, Lindsay Anne Watson's Well at the Very Least and Ross Jackson's Sticky Sweets.
6 pm, Floating World Comics
Gardener, On Drugs, Monsterwatch, FLRT
The Chicago-based Gardener trucks in equally hazy and often beautiful melodies that take cues from early electronic pioneers like Charles Wuorinen and Tangerine Dream, while giving some of his work an extra layer of distance between the listener and the heartfelt creator by recording onto hissy cassettes and using noisy, shortwave-radio-frequency tones. ROBERT HAM
9 pm, Twilight Cafe & Bar, $8
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
