You can relax this long Labor Day weekend, if you want. That's what it's for, after all. But what if your definition of "relax" includes "running around the city for four straight days trying to soak up as much entertainment as possible while remaining conscious." Wellâthis weekend's got you covered there, too. The first three days of September feature three straight nights of amazing local music courtesy the 1-2-3 series, and it's got two bonafide hip-hop legends hitting the stage as well. There's a trio of festivals focused on the finest of arts, culture, and food, BeyoncĂ©'s birthday, Darcelle XV's international drag pageant, and the goddamn GAY SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES, too. That's a lot, and it ain't even the half of this holiday weekendâhit the links below and load your plate accordingly.
Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday
Friday, Sept 1
The Roots
I have long contended to sometimes-skeptical friends that Black Thought, field general of the legendary Roots Crew, is a top-five all-time emcee. Itâs not a lot of verbal flash that does it for me (though he has that, too). Itâs the longevity and the consistency. Three decades into the game, Black Thought is the same effortless, eminent talent heâs always been. Of course, a band of geniuses providing the beat doesnât hurt. DIRK VANDERHART
5 pm, Edgefield, $59.50
1-2-3
Mississippi Studios, XRAY.FM, and the Mercury are hosting a blowout party called 1-2-3 to celebrate the end of summer. Itâs like a fun mantra you can whisper to yourselfâenduring seven straight months of grey and cold and rain will be as easy as one, two, three! Actually, itâs named that because there will be performances by fantastic Portland bands spread across the first three days of September. Thatâs not allâthere are 1-2-3 passes available for this triad of concerts, and theyâre much more economical than buying tickets to each individual night. Fridayâs show features the sparkling electro-pop of Reptaliens and Wild Ones, while Saturdayâs lineup sees folk up-and-comers Lenore. open for alt-country favorites Blitzen Trapper. Itâll go out with a bang Sunday, with Edna Vazquez Band and the always-energetic Orquestra Pacifico Tropicale. The Strange Babes DJsâJen O, KM Fizzy, and Magic Beansâwill spin records all three nights. CIARA DOLAN
Sept 1-3, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $33 (for all three days)
The Bite of Oregon
The Bite is Oregon's biggest celebration of all things delicious, transforming the waterfront into a massive celebration of food, drink, and song, as well as a proving ground for the state's best chefs and mixologists. Regardless which chef takes home what title, the real winner is your mouth.
Sept 1-4, 11 am, Rose Quarter Commons, $5
Lez Stand Up: Not Tired of Winning Yet
I fucking love Lez Stand Up. Not only is it one of the cityâs absolute best queer-friendly comedy showcases, itâs one of the cityâs best comedy shows, full stop. Thereâs a reason the ladies of Lez Stand Up sell out shows without trying: Theyâre really fucking funny, and when they fill a room, having people who arenât straight white dudes on the bill isnât a tokenizing afterthought. Portland's Funniest Person Caitlin Weierhauser hosts this iteration of Lez Stand Up, with comedy from Rinna Rem, Mel Heywood, Shilpa Joshi, Bob Wolf, Laura Anne Whitley, and Kirsten Kuppenbender. MEGAN BURBANK
8 pm, Siren Theater, $10
In the Cooky Jar
DJ Cooky Parker (Scott Magee, to his mama) has hosted In the Cooky Jar for seven years, beginning at the much-missed Woods before he eventually made his way to the Eagles Lodge, where he's kept a near-constant residency since 2012. Of all the dance nights in town, In the Cooky Jar is likely the only one where you can dance to Rufus Thomas and Little Johnny Taylor underneath black-and-white photos of old dead white dudes. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
9 pm, Eagles Lodge (F.O.E.#3256), $5 with food donation, $7 without
Tony Hinchcliffe
An evening with the Youngstown, Ohio-hailing comedian known for being a regular guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience," from his 2016 Netflix special, One Shot, and from his time spent touring and participating in celebrity roasts with the likes of Jeff Garlin and "Roastmaster General" Jeffrey Ross.
9 pm, Aladdin Theater, $20, all ages
Yves Tumor, MSSSR, Felisha Ledesma, Daniela Karina
The latest, sure-to-be memorable and thought-provoking performance from Tennessee-based producer and performer Sean Bowie.
10 pm, S1, $12
Johnny Butler, Old Unconscious, Peter Rainbeau
Saxophonist Johnny Butler is the latest in the new breed of musicians aiming to push jazz beyond the 21st century by folding in elements of electronic and hip-hop production techniques. What sets this former Seattleite apart is his excitable use of looping technology and incorporation of laptops/pre-programmed beats into the mix. Butler visits Portland on the heels of the release of his latest and funkiest album, Hyper Violet, which incorporates live vocal turns from soul singers like Tecla, Sister Sparrow, and Raycee Jones. Joining him on the bill is Old Unconscious, a psychedelically inspired local ensemble featuring Shy Girls member Noah Bernstein and keyboardist extraordinaire Cory Gray. ROBERT HAM
8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!
Blessed: Future|Kanye|Drake
Ante Up PDX and Tribute Night have made the call: Future has attained status enough to step in the ring with Drake and Kanye, and DJ Ronin Roc will spin their best and boldest to see who comes out on top in this Blessed battle royale.
9 pm, Holocene, $10
Dan Balmer Trio
One of only five musicians to be a member of both The Oregon Music Hall of Fame and the Jazz Society of Oregon Hall of Fame, guitarist Dan Balmer has established himself as staple her in the Portland jazz scene. Catch him tonight when he performs with his trio rounded out by drummer Micah Kassell and bassist Jeff Leonard as part of Portland Parks and Recreation's Concerts in the Park series, followed by a screening of the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story at dusk.
6:30 pm, Mt. Scott Park, free, all ages
Saturday
Yasiin Bey, Jallal
For some magical reason, Portland this weekend has become an ear-feast of the best acts from the best era of hip-hop (donât @ me). Fresh from The Roots show at Edgefield last night, weâre now being treated to Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) doing the entirety of his untouchable Black On Both Sides album?! Iâm screaming in the Mercury offices. My coworkers hate me. Still screaming. DIRK VANDERHART
8:30 pm, Roseland, $28.50-40
The Day Fade
Before summer emits its last gasp, the Day Fade is holding a sweet September party so you can soak up some sunshine and sick beats before the clouds come in for good. 2017âs final Day Fade features Massacooramaan, Mijo, Dubblife, Easy Egg, and regular host Jerry Bandito all spinning great tunes, plus a live performance from Amani! Do the weekend right. NED LANNAMANN
2 pm, White Owl Social Club, $5
Oregon Fermentation Festival
The magic of letting things get old and taste different (and/or mind-altering) is celebrated with a day-long festival on Sauvie Island, with a maker's marketplace, a DIY pickling station, workshops, presentations, an ambrosia garden (like a beer garden, but with cider, mead, and wine in there, too) and plenty of fermented foods.
11 am, Rossi Farms, $24-35
Club Nitty Gritty
If you're looking for a dance night that sets the evening on fire, check out Club Nitty Gritty, hosted by the always down for a good time DJ Action Slacks (Shannon Wiberg). She's been pounding the turntables for years with righteous choices in down-home dirty soulâthe kind with raw sax and voices that wail and scratch. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
9 pm, (The World Famous) Kenton Club, $6
7th Annual Mahrajan
The Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon presents this annual celebration of Arab heritage in Oregon, with opportunities to enjoy offerings Arabic food and drink, dancing, children's activities, live music, henna painting, poetry readings, and chances to better understand Arab cultures and traditions.
11 am, Oaks Amusement Park, free, all ages
Adrian Uribe & Omar Chaparro: Imparables, El Show
Two of the biggest comedians in Mexico bring some of their most popular characters to the Schnitzer stage for a wild night of comedy that promises to be chock full of surprises.
9 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $45-95
East of Eden
James Dean has become legendary for reasons that seem completely divorced from his acting. Posters and postcards of the pouty young rebel (without a cause, of course) have carried his spectre all the way into the 21st Century. Do yourself a favor and check out Elia Kazan's adaptation of the John Steinbeck classic, and pay attention to Dean's performance. Note how much of that disarming vulnerability still punctures and pours out of him. Then note that he was doing that in 1955, and you start to get an idea how electrifying he was for the short time he was a star. BOBBY ROBERTS
2 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9
The Woolen Men, Honey Bucket, Months
Prolific local trio the Woolen Men are taking over the Spare Room for a record release party, and they're inviting some of their favorite local artists to help celebrate.
9 pm, The Spare Room, $6
Vursatyl, Theory Hazit, DJ Klyph
Legendary local emcee Vursatyl (of the beloved Portland-based hip-hop group Lifesavas) brings his soulful flow back to the White Eagle stage. Theory Hazit and DJ Klyph provide support.
9 pm, White Eagle, $10-12
Foster the People, Sir Sly
A benefit show for Pearl Jam's Vitalogy foundation, with performances from two of alternative radio's bigger hitmakers.
6:30 pm, Edgefiled, $47-50
Autonomics, Ice Queens, Devy Metal
Autonomics traffics in the kind of sloppy, speedy garage-rock meant to bang a few heads and spill a few beers. Witness it tonight when they headline the Doug Fir with fellow local rockers Ice Queens and Devy Metal.
9 pm, Doug Fir, $7-10
Art in the Pearl
The 21st annual celebration of international and local art, featuring works from over 120 artists from the United States and Canada, providing opportunities for attendees to not just experience the creative talents and voices on display, but to talk with them and share their own questions and experiences.
Sept 2-4, 10 am, North Park Blocks, free, all ages
Sunday
Bey Day: A Celebration of the Queen
Worship at the altar of Queen Bey on the occasion of her birth at Holoceneâs extra-special celebration of Her Flawlessness, Bey Day: A Celebration of the Queen. There will be a YoncĂ© costume contest, DJs playing all of Her Majestyâs deepest cuts, and on-theme video art. Practice your âSingle Ladiesâ moves and get ready to bow down, bitches. MEGAN BURBANK
9 pm, Holocene, $10
Gay Softball World Series
If you happen to notice an extra 3500 gorgeous people around town during Labor Day week, you can thank the Gay Softball World Seriesâwhich is in Portland this year YAY! Expect 240 teams of the highest caliber to compete for the title of greatest gay softball team in the world, plus entertainment from Pink Martini, Bryan Justin Crum, a pre-tournament pool party, a gay softball pageant, and tons more fun. DO! NOT! MISS! WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Sept 3-10, Various Locations, Visit gsws2017.org for a full list of events.
Conor Oberst, M. Ward
Itâs oddly comforting to listen to others croon about their heartbreak while struggling with our own. Singer/songwriter Conor Oberstâs stripped-down melodies provide the perfect soundtrack for this. Thatâs why itâs somewhat surprising how little conversation or press welcomed the release of his new album, Salutations. The sprawling, 17-track epic centers on Oberstâs continually soft, melancholic vocals and heart-wrenching songwriting. Seeing him live is a bucket list requirement, so youâd better get it over with. DELANEY MOTTER
7 pm, Oregon Zoo, $30-90, all ages
Miss Ethnic Non-Specific
Kristina Haddad's show touches on stereotypes, race, misogyny, and the overriding feeling that you have to fit in somehow, somewhere.
7 pm, Shaking the Tree Studio, $15-20
LaFemme Magnifique International Drag Pageant
Darcelle, the grand dame of Portland drag, returns with another visually stunning and hilariously fabulous installment of the La Femme Magnifique Pageant. Gorgeously attired contestants strut their hot stuff, vying for the coveted crown of the most glamorous female impersonator in the world! WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
5 pm, Oregon Convention Center, $35
Tour de Lab
Ignore the Tour de Lab's lamentable talk of all the "doggerific people" who'll be participatingâyou're signing up for this year's event to ride your bike (19- or 41-mile courses), drink (pub stops!), eat hot dogs, and kick some money to the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital. Simple. DIRK VANDERHART
8 am, Various Locations, click here for route information
Valley Girl
Martha Coolidgeâs 1983 teen comedy isnât much more than a clot of â80s stereotypes coagulated around young Nicolas Cage as one of the most inauthentic âpunksâ the decade ever served up. Coolidge deploys Cage like a bug-eyed missile launched at cornball storytelling, simultaneously satirizing and embracing the teen film formula. Itâs never as exploitative as it probably should be (it only exists because Moon Zappa scored a novelty hit with her âValley Girlâ single the year before), so it ends up feeling like the cinematic equivalent of Pat Boone covering the Clash. Soundtrackâs still fuckinâ great, though. BOBBY ROBERTS
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9
Labor Day!
Collide-O-Scope
Historically, the only things Portland's gotten from Seattle are an invasion of dead-eyed Amazon worker bees and a traffic epidemic. But every once in a while, something actually worthwhile comes from up northâlike Collide-O-Scope, a live show that, for almost a decade, has been weirding out Seattle moviegoers with a campily curated mix of âeducational films, B-movie gems, lost Euro-disco classics, news bloopers, and indescribable visual delights.â Tonight, Collide-O-Scope hits the Hollywood Theatre, and your eyes will never be the same. ERIK HENRIKSEN
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9
Wooden Indian Burial Ground, Sacred Trees
The wonderfully garage-y Portland favorites Wooden Indian Burial Ground are a model of consistency. Frontman Justin Fowlerâs manic guitar leads the charge, squirting bizarre squeals in walls of effects. The rhythm section is renowned, too, and bassist Samuel Farrell and drummer Daniel Galucki provide a rock-solid foundation for Fowlerâs unrestrained six-string dalliances. RYAN J. PRADO
8 pm, The Know
Labor Day Picnic & Rally for Fair Healthcare
Join Legacy Emanuel and Legacy Good Samaritan hospital workers as they fight back against proposed increased on copy-pays and deductibles. Hosted in conjunction with SEIU Local 49, there will be picnic fare for allâjust be sure to RSVP online first. Special guests include Senator Jeff Merkley, State Representative Rob Nosse, and Speaker Tina Kotek. EMILLY PRADO
10:30 am, Dawson Park, free
Double Indemnity
Billy Wilderâs career is defined by his comedies, including some of the genreâs very best entries, like Some Like it Hot and The Apartment. But Wilder put just as big a stamp on film noir with 1944âs Double Indemnity, a coldly efficient little ice pick of a thriller starring Barbara Stanwyck as the prototypical femme fatale, and Fred MacMurray as one of the best oafish dopes to ever get suckered onscreen, with Edward G. Robinson amiably thieving the movie right out from under both of them. Film noir basically starts here, and Wilder changed the face of cinema in less than two hours. BOBBY ROBERTS
7 pm, NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium
Ural Thomas & the Pain
To live in Portland and never have seen Ural Thomas and the Painâa resurrected local treasure of soul if there ever was oneâwould be a shame. MARJORIE SKINNER
9 pm, Goodfoot, $5
Pompeii: The Exhibition
In the year 79 A.D., a volcano erupted, and simultaneously destroyed and preserved a Roman villa for over 1700 years. This touring exhibition offers visitors a chance to examine Pompeii's culture, arts, crafts, and way of life, while also examining volcano science in general.
9 am, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, $10-26, all ages
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
