This past weekend was so crammed with happenings that I had to take Monday off for fear of implosion. Nonbinary Girlfriend’s album release at Coffin Club reaffirmed my belief in the collectivism of live music on Friday, friend and Mercury writer Jenna Fletcher almost died in the pit of a house show before we went to Judy on Duty Saturday, and then NBGF tore it the fuck up at Misplaced Screen Printing for their all-ages album release before Sallie Ford and I went to see Wuthering Heights. And that’s just the shit I did! Imagine what could be accomplished if we were able to time travel, or split ourselves into more of us, Watchmen style. You know what to do hive, make it happen!
Wednesday, February 18
Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore
For fans of Joanna Newsome, Colleen, Nala Sinephro
Julianna Barwick’s choral ambiance pairs perfectly with the work of harpist-composer Mary Lattimore, whose twinkly album Silver Ladders sends me (and my cat) into a dreamy reverie on a near-nightly basis. It’s fitting, then, that the two came together for Tragic Magic, a cosmic-baroque album recorded at the Philharmonie de Paris. (It includes a Vangelis cover and a piece composed for the pair by Roger Eno.) If you dig gorgeous, homespun harp compositions, you probably already know and love Barwick and Lattimore. Newer dreamers should expect a varied, mystical trip, both medieval and synth-driven. (Mississippi Studios, 8 pm, more info here, 21+) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Thursday, February 19
Cardi B
For fans of Da Brat, Megan Thee Stallion, SZA
If you’ve ordered free wood chips to be delivered to your home from ChipDrop and need something intensely witty, queer, and socialist to listen to while mulching your yard, pop Cardi B’s new album Am I The Drama? in and get to spreading. Y’all already know who Cardi is, so here are a few choice lyrics from the record: “I tell hoes to suck my dick / They put they hair up in a bun,” “If you get money and you cute / Then bae you basically my twin,” “If you not my bitch / You just a bitch,” “It be me looking like a snack / Bon appétit,” “It’s not my fault me and broke hoes don’t get along,” “Gloryhole / Bitches don’t know who they fuckin’ with.” (Moda Center, 7:30 pm, more info here, all ages)
Weezy Ford / Lola Sauvageot
For fans of Tobacco City, The Lostines, Sierra Ferrell
After a busy year last year releasing her sophomore album as co-leader of The Barbaras (one of the best albums of 2025 IMO), her twinkling collab EP with Rodeo Wilson, and doing a tour in France, Ms. Weezy Ford is back on the road for a mini-Oregon tour with French co-conspirator Lola Sauvageot. Ford’s carved out a special place in the hearts of Portland country-western fans, with Sauvageot giving a young, slightly more twangy Charlotte Gainsbourg. Both do their thing with an easy cool reserved for femmes breaking the mold. (Laurelthirst Pub, 9 pm, more info here, 21+)
Friday, February 20
Black Mystery Month Concert featuring Out of the Infinite Darkness
For fans of Don Cherry, Amiri Baraka, The Coltrane Family
Now in its third year, the annual Black Mystery Month is a celebration of Black ancestors past, present, and future. Facilitated by Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group (BPAG), this year’s concert features a “cosmic sono-drama” performed by Norfleet & BPAG. Written by Norfleet, the drama explores darkness as an originating lifeforce outside of racial constructs. Opening the mystery are Woseiko Ensemble and Jacque Hammond, also a member of BPAG. Presented by Albina Music Trust, Be Present Art Group, and KMHD Jazz Radio, the night—on top of the exceptional music and performance—will also feature a fashion market by Amen, Amen. Studios and visuals by the Spoiler Room boys. (The Old Church, 7:30 pm, more info here, all ages)
Derek Hunter Wilson / Dao Strom
For fans of Amulets, Drowse, Peter Broderick
Portland composer and pianist Derek Hunter Wilson’s newest Beacon Sound release, Sculptures, is a coastal drive through wind and fog, pairing shimmery sections with something more plaintive and complicated. Electronic-inflected, ambient-classical, and a little New Agey, Wilson’s work is “very nocturnal,” according to the artist—luckily for us, this release show is planned just after sunset. Wilson and Dao Strom will perform solo sets, tea will be served, and Luke Wyland just might be curating the between-set sounds. Grab a copy of Sculptures while you’re there. (Fumi, 6 pm, more info here, all ages) LC
Visible Cloaks / Omari Jazz
For fans of Masayoshi Fujita, Suzanne Ciani, Black Decelerate
Yesterday, Portland duo Visible Cloaks announced their new album Paradessence, the group’s first solo studio album since their deeply impactful Reassemblage in 2017. Though Paradessence doesn’t release in full until May 22, Visible Cloaks have shared a new music video for the album’s first single, “Disque.” The video and single flow like digital water coming to us from some remote wellspring. The energy is purification. Ahead of their album release, Visible Cloaks are collaborating with A/V experimentalists, Reflections, for a very special performance at First Congregational UCC Portland. If you’ve not experienced Reflections yet, it’s one of the most breathtaking trips you’ll ever take. Hosting shows in New York, Seattle, LA, etc. Reflections find uniquely beautiful spaces, digitally map their interiors, and build a visual landscape complimentary of both the music being played and the venue. Fellow Portland ambient soundscapist Omari Jazz guides us into the evening before VC take the stage. (First Congregational UCC Portland, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)
Saturday, February 21
Bitchin Bajas / Geologist
For fans of Stereolab, Cole Pulice, SML
While their name desperately needs work, Bitchin Bajas are a delightful psych trio with 15 years of experimentation under their iridescent belt. Cooper Crain’s side project (he’s also the guitarist/organist for drone band Cave) released Inland Sea last year, dialing things in with smooth, beautiful bleep-bloops that’ll get lodged in your head. Speaking as a Millennial, I trust anything that sparks the involvement of Animal Collective members, and BB’s opener just so happens to be AnCo’s genius sampler and sound manipulator Geologist. Will he play the hurdy-gurdy he’s been carrying around as of late? It’s essential that you find out. (Polaris Hall, 8 pm, more info here, 21+) LC
Coffintexts / Casa LaCulebra / Ojoz Tristes / Not Me
For fans of Martyn Bootyspoon, Leonce, Bored Lord
Portland’s most active Latinx bookers and event promoters, Global Based, are at it again bringing Coffintexts to town. The Miami-based producer is here to move your body and soul. Active since 2017, Coffintexts builds slow burn floor-fillers around cumbia and reggaeton beats to deeply sexy effect. If you’re not sweating through all your clothes by the time her set is over you’re doing it wrong. (Process, 10 pm, more info here, 21+)
Commonwealth Skate and Mallbrawlreds Anniversary Party
For fans of dry skating, DIY supremacy, birthdays
Celebrating two momentous birthdays in February 2026 are Commonwealth Skate and Mallbrawlreds. Commonwealth is Oregon’s longest running indoor skate park, providing shredders a place to kickflip under cover since 2011—a resource former pro snowboarder Wille Yli-Luoma takes advantage of with some regularity. The other birthday being celebrated this night is that of Mallbrawlreds, Portland’s busiest DIY booking and promoting outfit. Mallbrawl are turning two and taking it back to where it all started in the bowls of Commonwealth. Since launching in 2024, Mallbrawl has introduced Portland (and me) to so many clutch touring and local bands it’s insane. If you ask a bunch of Portland punk, emo, shoegaze, and indie bands, I bet a good number of them will say Mallbrawlreds helped get them going, offering some the first encouragement and support they ever received. To celebrate the 15- and two-year birthdays for these Portland institutions, Commonwealth will be unveiling a new mural in the skatepark along with debuting their 15 Years of Commonwealth photo collection and facilitating a skate contest. From 7 pm, Mallbrawlreds take over the space with the sole purpose of rocking. The all-PNW lineup features Juno Driver’s garage emo mayhem, Hound’s sludgtronic citadel, and Seattle sasscore icons Red Touches Yellow. And big time bonus: The openers Nightmare Humano are playing their first show ever! Better get to the gig early. (Commonwealth Skate, 12 pm, more info here, all ages)
Also very worth it…
Christopher Owens / Sedona at Polaris Hall – Feb 18, more info here
Kelli Schaefer / Faustina Masigat at Dream House – Feb 18, more info here
Shore Pines / Essie & The Hum / Emma Bakshi Davis at Mother Foucault’s – Feb 18, more info here
Baby Grendel / Splinterhead / Dystoria / Roach Clipp at Dante’s – Feb 19, more info here
Barna Howard / DJ Dentside at LaVerne’s – Feb 19, more info here
Belonging / Medicine Bows / Leafminer at Alleyway – Feb 19, more info here
Umbraphile / They Shoot Horses / Stamp Collecting / Repeater at The Off Beat – Feb 19, more info here
Zyanna at Keys Lounge – Feb 19, more info here
Chlorine / Never Sunny / Still Golden / Nowhere Fast at Star Theater – Feb 20, more info here
Slime / Boltcutter / Misery Whip / Skelm / Mad Choice at High Limit Room – Feb 20, more info here
VHS Ghost / Ayla Loon / Ivy Kashmir at The Six – Feb 20, more info here
Collate / Fine / Pliers at My Vinyl Underground – Feb 21, more info here
Extradition plays Tenney at Leaven Community Center – Feb 21, more info here
The Potatoes / Joel Martin from Toledo at Mother Foucault’s – Feb 21, more info here
Suzanne Vega at Aladdin Theater – Feb 21, more info here
Vortxz / Andria Rose – Feb 21, more info here
The Walkaway Wendies / Ache Mono at Alleyway – Feb 21, more info here
Guitar / Ditch / How Strange It Is at Kenton Club – Feb 22, more info here
Perfect Blue at Tomorrow Theater – Feb 22, more info here
KMHD Listener Skate Night at Oaks Park Roller Rink – Feb 23, more info here
New Music Portland:
Portland’s benzo-pop doll Bijoux Cone is back with her devastating new single “Don’t Hold Back.” In her distinct timbre, Cone flips the script—as she is wont to do—between her and her lovers. It’s the trip of a lifetime and love is the drug. Bijoux, I deeply hope, is signaling a new album with this stoned single.
Having met while working in the Portland music industry, the heads behind LA-based Bathysphere Records still have deep ties to PDX music scenes. In the second installment of their Dive Series, Dive 2: Sonoluminescence, Bathysphere is releasing a suite of songs by Portland collaborators Brass Clouds, Fog Net, and Volcanic Pinnacles. The tracks were recorded in a single afternoon of improvisational exploration, perfectly imbuing the recordings with the natural aspects present in the names of the three bands: The mystical luminance of clouds, the eerie mystery of fog, and the dynamism of volcanic happenings. There are only 24 copies of the album available—yes, you read that correctly—for presale on Bandcamp, better hop to it. And actually, I’m getting one… so there’s only 23!
February 14, 2026 was a holy day. Not because Valentine’s Day, but because the It’s You! It’s Me! And There’s Dancing! punks released their new Tell Me All About It LP. It aches and rages like so many emotions—if you haven’t seen them live, correct that mistake immediately.
Portland guitar hero Marisa Anderson has announced a very special arrival: The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music. Out in full May 22 on Thrill Jockey, the Anthology is in response to and collaboration with the archives of late folk music scholar Harry Smith, and moves away from American folk traditions in favor of integrating African, Asian, and Middle Eastern folk traditions into Anderson’s guitar work we know and love. “Taqsim for Guitar” is the first Anthology single—try not to meditate, I dare you.
As stated above, the Visible Cloaks duo are releasing Paradessence May 22 on RVNG Intl., the parent label of Portland’s Freedom To Spend imprint. And though the album is a few months out, Visible Cloaks have released a video for the first Paradessence single “Disque” that features the artist Motion Graphics. To say this is exciting would be an understatement, Visible Cloaks are some of the world’s music compelling electronic musicians and they call Portland home—we are all about to be healed. Stay tuned for more on Visible Cloaks ahead of the album release.
Portland Music News:
I received an email last week about Ghostnote, a new platform where musicians can archive their personal collections of art and memorabilia. The musicians can also sell their personal pieces on the platform to whomever’s buying. From what I can tell it seems above board, with most money from sales go directly to the artists, and there are a bunch of Portland names on the list. Want a Nudie-style Jenny Don’t suit? A hand-drawn cassingle from Kathy Foster? A signed test pressing from Sallie Ford? Or what about a Lords of Portland varsity jacket from Portugal. The Man? This could be your chance.
Thank god Homie Fest is back in 2026! It was a painful years-long wait between the 2025 festival and the one before that. This time, the fest is moving from the Central Eastside exposed brick of Swan Dive, to the vast beauty of Camp Colton. I, for one, cannot wait for this getting-back-to-camping energy for Homie Fest 2026. It’s been a minute and dancing in the woods to live music is sacred. Lineup details to come.
There’s a new music podcast on the block! The Hey Smiling Strange pod is hosted by Portlanders Kyle Rosse and Isabel Zacharias, and focuses mostly on local music scenes. There’s only five episodes so far, but tap it—you’ll know about the pod before anyone else.
