Dearest readers,
We are officially in the “it gets dark by 5pm and I miss the sun” part of the year. While that might sound sad (and I mean, it’s hard not to hibernate a little bit), I think it’s also a great time to hunker down and really lock into some new tunes. Personally, I’ve been using this time to take some lessons and learn the instruments I always wanted to pick up as a kid but didn’t have the chance: drums, cello, and saxophone. It’s been fun to have a focused activity, and while I’m decidedly very bad at keeping to any sort of routine (thanks ADHD), it’s helped me focus on the brighter side of things.
Realistically, maybe it’s the community behind the music that keeps me going. Last week, I had the pleasure of getting to check out Weatherday at Polaris Hall (digital Swedish emo) and Son Rompe Pera (high-energy cumbia punk). I love going to shows where people dance, and I’m proud of how nice Portland’s mosh pits tend to be—when someone falls down, make sure they’re safe and help them up! The Portland music scene in and of itself is special, but it’s also so great to connect with international acts passing through as a nice reminder that we are all on this wild ride together.
Speaking of wild rides: before we get into this week’s Music Picks, I want to showcase a couple of local music videos that came out in the past week. Local filmmaker Whitey McConnaughy (who’s worked with the likes of local legends like Red Fang and Gossip) directed and edited Happy Death Men’s latest “Cops in the Attic” as singer Cash Miranda leads the band in a a chaotic cruise down Portland’s streets in a series of makeshift inner tubes. I caught a Happy Death Men set at the Crystal Ballroom back in August as part of the No Quiet Hours documentary fundraiser, and it’s plain to see they’ve got a pretty magnetic stage presence.
I’d also like to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of Karma Rivera and her latest music video, “Been Awhile,” that came out last week. Karma’s got a notoriously bold stage presence, and this track is downright dreamy (and streamy). Directed by local filmmaker Adolfo Cantú-Villarreal and filmed by Kanon Lee, “Been Awhile” is the culmination of Portland talent and an all local crew, filmed at Framework.
And with that, let’s get on to this week’s Music Picks!
Friday, November 6
Sight Reading: Musical Dialects with Jimmie Herrod, Nick Jaina, Black Belt Eagle Scout and 45th Parallel Universe
This year’s Portland Book Festival kicked off this week, featuring author panels and poetry. And one event of many that reads between the lines, in the intersection between the literary and the auditory, comes the aptly named Sight Reading, a musical showcase that features local musicians of varying genres. Spotlighting the powerhouse vocals of the illustrious Jimmie Herrod (a 2021 contestant on America’s Got Talent), the melodious art-folk of musician and author Nick Jaina, the dream-grunge tinged sound of Swinomish/Iñupiaq songwriter Black Belt Eagle Scout, and the artistry of the genre-expansive 45th Parallel Universe (a collective made of members of the Oregon Symphony), this event will be an elegant, extravagant, and intimate euphony.
(First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park, 7:30 pm, $32.33, more info, all ages)
Saturday, November 7
Sea Moss, Fruit Looops, V1deoboy, Kye Alive
For fans of Flesh Produce, Miscomings, Ava Luna
You’re in for a wild ride with this one: top-notch performance art, experimental glitch, and strange sonics (the best kind). If you like being blasted with a chaotic array of sound, from kitschy theatrics (Kye Alive) to lofi videogame sound (V1deoboy) to crunchy, crazy noise-punk (Sea Moss and Fruit Looops), you better make it out to this gig at all costs. With a mostly locally stacked bill, Fruit Looops will be joining these PNW club critters all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio.
(Swan Dive, 727 SE Grand, 8 pm, $15.26, more info, 21+)
Sunday, November 8
Syd
For fans of Sade, Solange, Ivy Sole
Syd is the soulful voice of a generation. Like a lucid dream, it’s no wonder she’s a Grammy-winner—but what’s more, her skill set is sonically honed as everything from songwriter, producer, engineer, and co-founder of the famed project The Internet (a side project of Odd Future formed in 2011). Syd’s voice is dynamic, silky, jazzy, soft and powerful all at once, with the intimate quality of a whisper in your ear. Syd will be performing tracks off her latest solo release, Beard, a fresh collection of refined tracks that sounds like self love.
(Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $55.75-$151.93, more info, all ages)
Wednesday and Thursday, November 11 and 12
Portugal. The Man with the Oregon Symphony
For fans of Tame Impala, Sir Sly, Temples
Portugal. The Man is performing songs from their newest album, 2025’s Shish, as well as their first major-label album, 2011’s iconic In the Mountain in the Cloud for two nights at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Alaska-formed band has been a Portland staple for years, renowned in the PNW and proud of it. This night combines their Portland base, playing in conjunction with the Oregon Symphony, with a call back to their Alaskan roots, opening with Indigenous Athabascan and Iñupiaq Alaskan songwriter Quinn Christopherson and the Tanana Traditional Dancers with drums in celebration of Athabascan Alaskan Native culture.
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $39-$110, more info, all ages)
But wait! There’s more!
Thursday, November 5
Cherokee Social, Stovetop Gemini, Unseen Objects, Tenants
Led by vocalist Julian Navarro and joined by guitarist Alex Creighton, this duo has a unique indie-pop sound.
(Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington, 8 pm, $10-$15, more info, 21+)
Friday, November 6
Mary in the Junkyard
Surreal, strange, and character-infused, Mary in the Junkyard comes to Portland by way of the UK.
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $26.20, more info, 21+)
INOHA
San Antonio-based rockers with a fun, pop-punk sensibility.
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 7:30 pm, $36 – $45, more info, all ages)
Gully Boys
Poignant, lively, and catchy, Gully Boys bring bubblegum grunge.
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, 8 pm, $25.08, more info, AGE)
Lilyisthatyou
Classic dancey-pop meets experimental electronic that’s perfect to dance to.
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE Cesar E. Chavez, 8 pm, $31.39-$114.14, more info, all ages)
Saturday, November 7
Dessa with the Oregon Symphony
Minneapolis-born Dessa will join the Oregon Symphony for a night of wordplay—rap, vocal anthem, and spoken word monologue.
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $25-$95, more info, all ages)
Sunday, November 8
Myriads, Autumnal, Katy & The Null Sets, Mars FM
Gentle dream-rock that’s sure to lift your mood.
(Musicians Union Local 99, 325 NE 20th, 7 pm, $10, more info, all ages)
Wednesday, November 11
Squirrel Flower, Sour Widows
For fans of Babehoven, Mitski, Big Thief
Massachusetts-based Squirrel Flower plus Bay Area act Sour Widows equals profoundly sweet, melancholic, and heartfelt indie-swoon.
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $30.28, more info, all ages)
Oso Oso
For fans of Modern Baseball, Origami Angel, Slaughter Beach, Dog
Sweet, sweet emo-folk (be still my beating heart.)
(High Limit Room, 720 SE Hawthorne, 8 pm, $25-$30, more info, all ages)