Moses Sumney, Angelo De Augustine
Singer/songwriter Moses Sumney’s voice is soulful and very strange. He’s got a superhuman falsetto that swells and soars over a luminous electro-folk melody on the 2016 single “Lonely World” (which features Thundercat on bass), one of the most spellbinding pieces of music I’ve ever heard. Sumney just released his debut LP, Aromanciticsm, last week, but he’s already got fans in artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens. Prepare to flood your ears with some heavenly new material. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, Doug Fir, $18-20


Sturgill Simpson
This is the concert I’ve been most looking forward to since I moved to Portland—this 39-year-old progressive southern country singer/songwriter is just awesome. Check out his last two albums: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (“Turtles All the Way Down” is one of the best modern country songs, and his cover of British new wave song “The Promise” is so good), and last year’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, which won a Grammy for best country album. DOUG BROWN
8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $39.50-69.50

Melt
In the vast world of electronic music, much of what you’ll hear on the radio is canned, watered-down, and thriving off pure hype. But there’s a growing faction of musicians dedicated to fighting such mediocrity, and you can find them at the heart of the underground scene. Melt—a new IDM experimental dance music night in Portland—features artists who are focused on a different side of the genre. EVAC is a sound designer and experimental breakbeat composer whose work has seen success on labels like Touchin’ Bass, Addictech, and Muti Music. Trying to compare his work to commercial EDM is like comparing an awesome interactive MOMA exhibit to a bad fruit painting. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
9 pm, Bit House Saloon

Vanport Exhibit: A Story Lived. A Story Told.
Vanport was Oregon’s second largest city before a flood displaced the 40,000 people who called it home. This multifaceted exhibit mixes archival photographs, oral histories, and more to provide vivid personal accounts of Vanport’s ongoing impact. EMILLY PRADO
Sept 28-Oct 5, 10 am, Oregon Historical Society Museum, free

Janet Jackson
The Moda Center swears it’s for real this time. After cancelling two previous engagements in Portland earlier this year—to have a baby!—the most talented Jackson (I don’t care) is finally coming to town. Janet, y’all! Tonight’s not about new tracks, or post-partum insights. Tonight is about the hitzz. Two Zs. DIRK VANDERHART
8 pm, Moda Center, $24.95-135

The Dream Syndicate, Eyelids
Quick history lesson: The Paisley Underground was a vibrant music scene that bubbled up across California in the late 70s and 80s, eventually coalescing in Los Angeles. These bands played jangle-pop with the spirit of punk, the sprawl of psychedelic rock, and a hint of twang here and there. The Bangles were the scene's breakout stars, and bands like Green on Red and Rain Parade made great records, but the best of the bunch was the Dream Syndicate, led by a guy named Steve Wynn. They made a classic album (The Days of Wine and Roses) in 1982, followed it up with three more over six years, and then broke up. But they reformed in 2012 and now are releasing How Did I Find Myself Here?, their first record in nearly three decades. Good news: It’s a lovely, lived-in blend of cool Velvets vocals, six-string shredding, and gnarled urgency. It sounds like rock ’n’ roll made by folks who know what they’re doing. BEN SALMON
9 pm, Star Theater, $20

GoldLink, Masego
With his familiar rap boasts, fest-friendly electronica, and a left-of-center flow, GoldLink's music synthesizes a number of sounds that folks are into these days. It's no wonder he's rising so quickly. BEN SALMON
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $20, all ages

Thunder Fest 2017
Swab out your ears with two days of mighty music at the first-ever Thunder Fest—a marathon celebration of all things loud and local, with a special emphasis on the disciplines and crafts these musicians purvey when they’re not in the practice space. Local riffers like Blackwitch Pudding, Satan Spelled Backwards, the Thornes, and Chronoclops will be on hand, giving you enough metal, punk, doom, and DIY rock ’n’ roll to last you all autumn long. NED LANNAMANN
Sept 29-30, Fri 6:30 pm, Sat 6 pm, Hawthorne Hideaway, $10-15

Gwendolyn Oxenham, Allie Long
Journalist and award-winning documentarian Gwendolyn Oxenham reads from Under the Lights and In the Dark, her new book following women’s soccer players from around the globe in an attempt to chronicle their inspirational stories. Oxenham will be joined in conversation by Allie Long, midfielder for the United States Women's National Team and the Portland Thorns.
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free

Portland Fresh Hops Fest
Beer is a staple in Portland. Hoppy beer is also a staple in Portland. Fresh-hopped beer is an ephemeral thing, arriving only during hops harvest season, with its piney, citrusy taste and delicate fizz. Beer festivals abound in Oregon, but the Portland Fresh Hops Beer Fest is the only fresh hoppy one at Oaks Park, where you can get drunk and go on amusement park rides. Wheeeeee! SHELBY R. KING
Sept 29-30, Fri 5 pm, Sat noon, Oaks Amusement Park, free admission, $20 a glass + 8 drink tickets

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