Mercury EverOut Staff

FILM—The Hollywood Theatre’s latest series invites Portland’s best film critics to take over the theater and showunder-seen classics. First up to the plate: Our own Erik Henriksen, who chose wisely, selecting Guillermo del Toro’s immensely creepy debut film, Cronos, about a greedy old man, a magic bug, and lots and lots of death. BOBBY ROBERTSHollywood […]

BOOKS—Murderers! Wobblies! Vice Czars! And only one Dottie Do-Good. These are just some of the (real life!) shady characters you’ll meet in JD Chandler and JB Fisher’s look into Portland’s checkered past, Portland on the Take. Chandler would know: He’s spent years investigating murder and violent crime in the Pacific Northwest. MEGAN BURBANKPowell’s City of […]

MUSIC—While Thee Oh Sees were barely gone long enough for us to miss them, any opportunity to see the legendary live show of the now-LA-based John Dwyer & Co. is cause for celebration. Tonight there’s two chances—including an all-ages early show—to catch their madcap, third-eye, psychedelic garage rock. Get ready to bomp! NED LANNAMANNw/Jack Name; […]

MUSIC—It takes only one minute and 12 seconds to fall irreversibly in love with Toronto’s Alvvays (yes, it’s pronounced “always”). That’s how long it takes to get to the soaring, blissful chorus of “Archie, Marry Me,” a glorious, slow-melt prom anthem that sounds like Teenage Fanclub and the Ronettes co-captaining a comet. Luckily, the rest […]

THEATER—With Thanksgiving out of the way, theaters everywhere march out a scourge of Christmas Carols—some fine, some uncanny-valley-creepy (see: the Muppets’ version, starring that puppet without eyes)—but Second City’s Twist Your Dickens is the funniest, with no reverence for Dickens’ morality play, which sounds like a helluva lot more fun than watching any other version. […]

COMEDY—Stand-up comedian Matt Kirshen is a baby-faced Brit who’s been a finalist on Last Comic Standing and done the late-night show circuit, with sets where he says “lovely” and “delightful” a lot— words which pretty much describe his personality onstage. His accent complements his smiling wit, so you’re guaranteed a jolly good time at Funny […]

THEATER—We imply it every week in these pages, but you’re goddamn fortunate, Portland. The latest example: Bad Reputation Productions’ faithful and hilarious take on the stop-motion classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is back for a second season. Rudolph! On Stage! has all the elf dentistry and questionable ’60s mores you crave around Christmas. And Merc […]

DANCE PARTY—Roll on down to Portland’s favorite dance floor at the Spare Room, because tonight DJ Gregarious is breaking out the funk for some of the sweatiest, drinkiest, stone-cold grooving you’re likely to find in a turkey haze. He’ll be spinning some delicious disco at Jive Turkey, so put on a stretchy sequin number and […]

MUSIC—Thanksgiving is always a little less thankful when you’ve had to pay to see awesome shit the night before. The Mercury and Mississippi Studios could prey on this “busiest bar night of the year” business with gouge-y cover charges, but we refuse! This month’s Ear Candy promises a free ass-kicking show, courtesy of Hurry Up, […]

MUSIC—Hope you planned ahead, because Sturgill Simpson’s show tonight is extra super sold out. Which stands to reason, because his sophomore album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, is nothing short of a masterpiece, a cosmic country record that’s full of magic and insight. Maybe you should start planning ahead for the next time he stops […]

FILM—Okay, so the first Hunger Games movie wasn’t so great. But the last one was fucking awesome, and director Francis Lawrence is back for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I—the first in a two-part finale that’ll have Katniss Everdeen redefining “badass.” Also, Julianne Moore is in this one, so guess what that means: BEST PICTURE […]

MUSIC—In addition to being one of the world’s best and most likeable actors, Jeff Bridges also plays music—his country songs are solidly charming and ragged in all the right places. Tonight he’s in Portland with his band the Abiders, who’re significantly better than his last two bands, the Starmen (1984-1990) and the Rockin’ Trons (1982-1983). […]