Eclectic is the theme for the week, because the smorgasbord of fun that's spread out in front of you is a wide, diverse sort of buffet: A local hip-hop showcase that always delivers the goods, a stand-up showcase that looks to eject a fraudulent President, a campfire singalong on top of a converted school, a steampunk cabinet of curiosities, and a chance to get tipsy and talk kitties. And that is literally not even the half of it. Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly
Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday
Monday, Aug 28
Anne Helen Petersen
Anne Helen Petersen first captured my heart with her Scandals of Classic Hollywood series at the Hairpin, which she wrote while working full-time in academia. Petersen’s latest, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman, is a challenging, densely researched, and compulsively readable study of women celebrities who challenge normative culture, from Serena Williams to Abbi and Ilana. If you’re a feminist who has read de Beauvoir but also Us Weekly, it is for you. MEGAN BURBANK
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free
Revolution Comedy
Every fourth Monday, local stand-up comic Andie Main hosts a benefit showcase to assist progressive causes through the power of comedy. The lineup changes from show to show, but big laughs for a great cause are always guaranteed. The August 28 show benefits SwingLeft, an organization dedicated to flipping house and senate seats and making impeachment a reality. Music by Emily Overstreet, words by Gregory McKelvey, and stand-up from Katie Nguyen, Jason Traeger, Steven Wilber, Chris Johnson, and Kirsten Kuppenbender.
7 pm, Curious Comedy Theater, $6
The Dark Crystal
Following The Empire Strikes Back (specifically the realization of Yoda, who gave the best performance in that film), creative genius Jim Henson saw his chance to go for broke and realize one of his biggest dreams: a big budget, straight-faced, pseudo-realistic muppet epic. Unfortunately, The Dark Crystal falls short as a story—it’s dumb and boring, two things a fantasy film should never be. But it excels as a testament to the unparalleled levels of craft and care Henson’s crew put into making the film. You don’t watch because of its quality as a fairy tale. You watch because it’s Henson at his visual peak. BOBBY ROBERTS
Academy Theater, see Movie Times for showtimes, $3-4
Clergy March for Justice
The anniversary of Drk. King's March for Jobs & Justice is celebrated by local clergy with their own march, to reaffirm their commitment to social justice.
11 am, Terry Schrunk Plaza
2017 Cannabis Science Conference
The world's largest cannabis science expo lands in Portland, with experts, manufacturers, and of course actual scientists in attendance, all gathered to help further the mission to improve cannabis science. (Science!)
Aug 28-30, 8 am, Oregon Convention Center
Vegan Night
Chef Patrick McKee collaborates with food consulting company Veganizer to (ostensibly) veganize the SouthFork menu for a night, with a five-course meal created specifically for the evening.
6 pm, SouthFork, $60
The Movie Quiz
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
Tuesday, Aug 29
AJJ
For many, AJJ (FKA Andrew Jackson Jihad) is one of folk-punk’s defining bands. Starting with 2007’s People Who Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World, their discography is a touchstone for our current musical moment. They’re on tour celebrating that album’s tenth anniversary, which is great news for fans craving the classics. AJJ’s most recent albums—2014’s Christmas Island and 2016’s The Bible 2—evidence their immense growth, and ability to succeed with less folk-focused sounds. DELANEY MOTTER
8:30 pm, Star Theater
Rivercity Podcast Federation: Double Feature Recording
Portland's very own podcasting network, the Rivercity Podcast Federation, presents a double feature live taping. On the agenda for tonight: Carnivale, a sketch comedy podcast starring Randall Lawrence, Luke Messimer, and Shaun Rakhshani, and Pitch, Please!, Carolyn Main's improv game show, with guests Phil Schallberger and Portland's Funniest Person Caitlin Weierhauser.
9 pm, Kelly's Olympian, free
Rooftop Campfire Singalong with the OK Chorale
Portland-based drop-in community pop chorus The OK Chorale swing back through Revolution Hall for a special summer show up on the roof deck.
6:30 pm, Revolution Hall, $20
Repressed Cinema: Little Shop of Horrors
This isn’t the Rick Moranis and Steve Martin musical version of Little Shop—this is a rare 16mm print of the 1960 Roger Corman original, which is cheaper and darker. It’s still a comedy, of course—there’s no way this works as legitimate horror—but know that it’s a little meaner, and a lot less melodic, before you purchase that ticket. BOBBY ROBERTS
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9
Transgender Justice 101 Training
This free training hosted by Basic Rights Oregon will discuss the unique issues faced by the trans community and seeks to teach attendees how to be more effective and aware allies. Open to individuals, employees, and groups alike. EMILLY PRADO
6:30 pm, Ainsworth United Church, free
Wait... What?
A live game show modeled after Never Mind the Buzzcocks, starring some of Portland's funniest stand-ups, such as Sean Jordan, Kirsten Kuppenbender, Jay Robert Flewelling, Lance Edward, Milan Patel, and Kate Murphy.
7:30 pm, Curious Comedy Theater, $5
Wednesday, Aug 30
Mordecai, Amani, Amenta Abioto
Mordecai bring their experimental electronic pop music out to Holocene for a tour kick-off that doubles as a release show for the local trio's debut full-length.
8:30 pm, Holocene, $8
Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities
Cirque du Soleil's latest big-top extravagance transforms their tent into the curio cabinet of an old-timey inventor, bending reality, time, and space into a variety of stages and platforms by which this troupe of amazingly flexible performers do their mind-and-body-bending work.
8 pm, Portland Expo Center, $39, all ages
Surfer Rosie, Hoop, Versing
Local up-and-comers Surfer Rosie headline Turn! Turn! Turn! with their explosive and shapeshifting blend of post-rock and pop music. Likeminded Seattle-hailing pop and indie rock outfits Hoop and Versing round out an all-around excellent bill.
8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!
Ladies Get Paid Town Hall
A panel discussion with Liz Valentine (Swift), Britt Howard (Portland Garment Factory), Kelly Clarke (Portland Monthly), and Aimée Reed (Ladies Night PDX), sharing experiences as career successes in this city, and how they (and you) can be a champion for equal pay.
6:30 pm, Swift Agency, $15
Wu-Tang Wednesday
Word on the street is that it's nuthin' ta fuck wit'. That the pleasures to be found within could not be defined even by Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses. If your neck has not been checked prior to entry, it's best you do so.
9 pm, Dig a Pony
Landline
If movies about benignly dysfunctional families are a fast-track to crying for you, prepare yourself for Gillian Robespierre’s Landline, which stars Edie Falco and Jenny Slate. This thing reduced me to a puddle—but as any enthusiastic movie crier can attest, while it may have looked horrible from the outside, I was actually having a really good time. And you will too, especially if you also loved Robespierre’s last film, Obvious Child. MEGAN BURBANK
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations.
Thursday, Aug 31
Springtime Carnivore
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Greta Morgan brings her country-tinged dream pop project Springtime Carnivore back to Portland for an all ages show at Lola's Room supporting her 2016 full-length, Midnight Room.
8 pm, Lola's Room, $10-12
Mic Check
This month’s installment of Mic Check, a last-Thursday hip-hop showcase in North Portland, will feature some of the city’s most charismatic emcees: Mic Capes and Fountaine (AKA Mikey Fountaine). Capes is set to release his five-track EP Sheesh with producer Drae Slapz a few days before the show, and Fountaine dropped his new full-length H.F.I.L. (Hell For Infinite Losers) earlier this summer, so you can count on hearing some fresh material. A little Twitter bird also told me Fountaine plans to sell his “Fuck New Portland” tees at the show, so there’s that also. JENNI MOORE
10 pm, White Eagle, $8
I Love Cats. And Drinking
Do you like cats? Do you like drinking? What if you could talk about cats while drinking? Does that sound like fun? What about the possibility of playing cat themed games, or enjoying cat themed entertainments while drinking and talking and/or thinking about cats? Does this sound like a thing you might want to do? Well guess what...
5 pm, Tryst
Like A Villain, Golden Retriever, Sporting
One of the essential Portland musical experiences is witnessing Holland Andrews weave her voice and instrumental loops into the massive, bizarre cathedrals of sound that are Like a Villain's music. NED LANNAMANN
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $8-10
Nate Dern
The senior writer at Funny or Die and former artistic director at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre reads from Not Quite a Genius, a collection of humorous stories and essays examining relationships, technology, and contemporary society.
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free
Spring Breakers
Here are some of the problems you may have with director Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers: (1) The young college gals depicted in the film invite degradation upon themselves with voracious, proud abandon. (2) Plotwise, there’s probably less here than meets the eye. (3) Spring Breakers may make you come to the sudden, surprising realization you have a big stick up your ass. This is one hell of a polarizing film, and as someone who’s sick of stale Hollywood product, I loved it. Part of NW Film’s Top Down: Rooftop Cinema series, preceded by a local short film. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
7 pm, Hotel DeLuxe
Adult Books, Woolen Men
Los Angeles-hailing post-punk trio Adult Books head north to play a free show in support of their 2016 full-length, Running from the Blows. Portland's own punk and pop stalwarts the Woolen Men lend their support to the bill.
8 pm, White Owl Social club, free
The Cool Kids Patio Show
The Doug Fir patio hosts one of the finest free stand-up showcases in town, paired perfectly with some of our city's best singer/songwriters. This time, Minda Lacy provides the sounds while Paul Schlesinger, Matt McClowry, and Hunter Donaldson bring the jokes. Hosted by Andie Main.
6 pm, Doug Fir, free
Grieves
Seattle-based hip-hop artist Benjamin Laub, better known by his stage name Grieves, returns to Portland for an all-ages headlining show supporting his latest Rhymesayers-issued full-length, Running Wild.
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $15-18, all ages
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
