THURSDAY, APRIL 2
Fresh off his wonderfully strange interview
with Katie Couric, enigmatic rapper Lil Wayne brings his forceful,
eccentric style to the Rose Garden tonight for a performance guaranteed
to be as memorable as you’re likely to see. MV
w/Gym Class Heroes, Keri Hilson; Rose Garden, 1 Center Ct.,
7:30 pm, $39.75-79.75, all ages
Every night it’s the same dilemma: highly
literate folk music or absurd dick jokes? Tonight you can have
both when singer/songwriter John Wesley Harding and comedian Eugene
Mirman team up for their Cabinet of Wonders tour. Local authors Monica
Drake and Mark Acito will also be on hand for a night of cabaret for
people who hate cabaret. AS
w/Lucy Wainwright Roche; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi,
7 & 10 pm, $15-17
FRIDAY, APRIL 3
I know what you’re thinking. When in
holy hell is Quasi going to release a new record? The answer: soon, and
please stop swearing. Mere days after entertaining the kiddies at
Backspace, the wildly influential band will head into the studio and
roll tape on a new album. It’ll be awhile before it comes out, so don’t
miss this rare all-ages show from one of Portland music’s staples.
EAC
w/Little Claw; Backspace, 115 NW 5th, 10 pm, $8, all ages
It’s true that puppetry is generally associated
with wholesome childhood, but Night Shade shadow theater is here to
change that. This group of puppeteers uses impressive paper cutouts,
fake blood, and creepy audio to perform nightmarish tales of haunting
horror. The result is a sinister, cinematic show that will have you
jumping at shadows. KP
Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate, Fri-Sun April 3-5 & 10-12, 8 pm,
$10-12
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
Wrapping up an impressive month-long series of
1970s American films, the NW Film Center’s double feature includes two
of the best movies ever made: Five Easy Pieces has Jack
Nicholson’s greatest performance in a wrenching, nihilistic story, and
Badlands is Terrence Malick’s gorgeous film with seamy
undertones. NL
Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park, Fri &
Sat, Five Easy Pieces at 7 pm, Badlands at 9 pm, $10 double feature ($8
separately)
A hip New York band that’s kind on the eyes
and adored by the British press? Sounds like a disaster, right? Well,
not with Stalkers. More Richard Hell than Julian Casablancas, this
hyped-up throwback lives up to the buzz. And since East End cares about
both your ears and your wallet, tonight’s show is absolutely free.
EAC
w/Nice Boys, the Eegos; East End, 203 SE Grand, 8 pm,
FREE
SUNDAY, APRIL 5
Just how crazy is Storm Large, the
famously bawdy frontwoman of Storm and the Balls? And just how dirty
can you talk in a fancy-pants play at Portland Center Stage?
Find out answers to these questions and more at the world premiere of
Storm’s one-woman show, Crazy Enough. AH
Ellen Bye Studio at the Armory, 128 NW 11th, $25.50-48.50, 2
& 7:30 pm, through June 7, see pcs.org for showtimes & tickets
The music of Liz Harris’ Grouper and Jesy
Fortino’s Tiny Vipers have much in common; they both deconstruct
incredible songs to inhabit a hushed, hypnotic sound that allows for
hidden emotions to creep in and grab hold. Tonight will be a gorgeous
mixture of tranquility and dread. NL
Rontoms, 600 E Burnside, 9 pm, FREE
MONDAY, APRIL 6
The latest from Arrested Development and Superbad director Greg Mottola, Adventureland perfectly mashes up hilarity and coming-of-age angst. When James (Jesse
Eisenberg) gets a job at a crappy amusement park, he meets Em (Kristen
Stewart)—and he might even have a shot with her, if he can get
past his own dumbassery, Em’s personal drama, and the demands of his
bosses (SNL‘s Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig). EH
See Movie Times
The epitome of a “musician’s musician,”
J.J. Cale has been around for decades, racking up such famous
fans as Eric Clapton and Neil Young. Tonight hear the man himself
perform from his vast and amazingly consistent catalog. NL
w/Caleb Klauder; Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $35,
all ages
TUESDAY, APRIL 7
It’s a roller disco dance party. With
the Rose City Rollers. What more could you possibly need to know? (Uh,
maybe bring kneepads.) SM
Oaks Park Skating Rink, 7805 SE Oaks Park, 7-9 pm, $10 (includes
skate rental)
Excepting the few years he spent as a
coconut trader in Fiji, Phillip Knightley has been one of the
world’s most insightful journalists for nearly six decades. An expert
on espionage and propaganda, Knightley lands in PDX to discuss modern
war reporting. SM
Templeton Student Center at Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW
Palatine Hill, 7 pm, FREE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8
The Loggernaut reading series celebrates its
fourth anniversary at a newly renovated Mississippi Studios with
readings by Carrie Brownstein and David Morris. Proceeds benefit Write
Around Portland. Adjectives aren’t necessary, are they? Just go. AH
w/B.T. Shaw, Lovers; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 8
pm, $10
DIY/riot grrrl band Mecca Normal is touring
the country to not only play, but spread the word of “How Art and Music
Can Change the World” in a truly inspired reaction to singer Jean Smith
having been laid off. Explore “variations on the theme of employment
and income.” MS
w/Tom Greenwood, Magic Johnson; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30
pm, $6