Blowpony!
Portland's premier queer-centric dance extravaganza returns for a Thanksgiving weekend installment at the Bossanova Ballroom, featuring headlining performances by Rica Shay and Angelica D'Vil, music from Airick X, Just Dave, Aurora, and Mateo Segade, go-go dancing by Heatherette, Nikki Bunz, Charley Sharp, Johnny Cakes, Vye, Diamond Duchess, and more.
Nov 25, 9 pm, Bossanova Ballroom, $9
Nervous & the Kid, Bony Chanterelle, Charlie Moses
Local quintet Nervous & the Kid bring their psych-tinged indie folk and pop to the Secret Society stage.
Nov 24, 9 pm, The Secret Society, $10
NorCal Fire Relief Benefit: WORWS, Lonesome Valley Pussyfooters, Phantom Family
After fires in Sonoma County this summer destroyed almost 7,000 buildings and killed 23 people, undocumented communities are left especially vulnerable as they donât qualify for assistance as easily or at all, depending on the source. This benefit show is filled with punk and bluegrass, an amazing raffle, and will raise money for UndocuFund, an organization working directly with undocumented immigrants to provide relief and support. EMILLY PRADO
Nov 25, 7:30 pm, Tonic Lounge, $8
The Minders, A Certain Smile, Heartbreak Beat, Andrew Kaffer
Twenty years ago, the hot thang in indie-pop was the Elephant 6 Collective, a family of bands that played a particularly psychedelic and Beach Boys-influenced brand of pop-rock. The headliners were Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo, and the Olivia Tremor Control, and one of the affiliated groups was the Minders, a Beatles-lovinâ combo out of Denver. A great secret of the Elephant 6 Collective is that the Mindersâ 1998 album Hooray for Tuesday is every bit as good as anything else any other E6 band released. Itâs a perfect pop record. Eventually, head Minder Martyn Leaper moved his operation to Portland, where he put out a couple more releases (including 2006âs essential Itâs a Bright Guilty World) and then disappeared, more or less, for a decade. Which brings us to last yearâs Into the River, the first Minders album in 10 years. Recorded with local studio wiz Larry Crane, itâs a wonderful reminder of Leaperâs extraordinaryâand underappreciatedâtalent for marrying memorable melodies and lush, jangling guitars. BEN SALMON
Nov 25, 8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, $7
Dreckig, Brown Calculus
The Fixin' To hosts an all-ages matinee featuring the percussion-driven dance/krautrock/cumbia of Dreckig and the intergalactic soul and jazz of Brown Calculus.
Nov 25, 3:30 pm, The Fixin' To, $7
Blesst Chest, Miss Rayon, Rebecca Gates
Blesst Chest makes bizarro, acid-washed, fuzzed-out, groovy tunes that sound like Ratatat's cool prog-rock parent, lacking the sophisticated production of today's young 'uns but wailing hard like it's 1977. CIARA DOLAN
Nov 25, 9 pm, The Fixin' To, $7
Body Academics, Sweeping Exits, Over
Body Academics likes to stretch pop music into strange, weird forms you don't normally hear pop bent into. Catch up with them tonight when they headline the Tonic Lounge to celebrate the release of their new cassette, Delicious Moments.
Nov 24, 9 pm, Tonic Lounge, $7
Grandfather, Mom Jeans, Prince Daddy & the Hyena, Kississippi, Snow Roller
Since releasing their 2016 debut, Best Buds, self-proclaimed âstoned pop-rockâ band Mom Jeans have taken the underground rock world by storm. They quickly blew up on Redditâs emo thread, largely due to their refreshing, poppy approach to the genre. Mom Jeans have already gone on three national tours, signed to Los Angeles independent label SideOneDummy Records (home of artists like Jeff Rosenstock, AJJ, PUP, Rozwell Kid), and started prepping their sophomore album. DELANEY MOTTER
Nov 24, 6:30 pm, American Legion Local 134, $5, all ages
Decadent â80s: George Michael and Michael Jackson Tribute Night
A special edition of the regular '80s-flavored dance night, dedicated to the best jams, b-sides, and remixes of two different Michaels who altered the decade's sound in highly satisfying ways.
Nov 25, 10 pm, The Lombard Pub, free
Candace, Genders, Hands In
Tonight Candace celebrates the release of a new 7-inch that features two gold-toned dream-pop tracks. âHorizonâ unfurls at the molasses-slow pace of Megafaunâs sleepy folk balladsâitâs all dreamy guitars, warm bass, near-whispered lyrics, and psychedelic effects that call to mind early mornings on the road. âGreysâ is louder and spaced-out, echoing shoegaze that evokes the gentle chaos of crashing waves. Both songs are lovely, which isnât surprising considering Candaceâs musical output (last year the Portland band released its excellent debut LP, New Future). Theyâll be joined by local scene veterans Genders and Hands In. CIARA DOLAN
Nov 26, 8 pm, Rontoms, free
