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Nolan Parker

Nolan Parker is the Mercury’s former music editor.
Posted inFresh Cuts

Fresh Cuts, the New Floral Design Workshop Series Launches Sept. 24

The Mercury is teaming with Fresh Cut Flowers for a new music and floral design workshop series… with Rico Nasty! 
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

Floral design is hot right now, as is Rico Nasty. Ever dream of combining the two? Here’s your chance—the Fresh Cuts floral design workshop series launches September 24 at Crystal Ballroom with an intimate performance by Rico Nasty ahead of her near sold out show that same night.  Already sold on the workshop?? Tickets here. […]

Posted inMusic

UPDATE: Eye-Popping Eyes & Ears Reframes, Moves to Barn Radio

Bijan Berahimi talks to us about curating his massive survey of visuals in music at PNCA, now on view at Wieden+Kennedy
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

UPDATE 9/4, 2 pm: The spectacular Eyes & Ears: A Survey of Visuals in Music 2020-2024 closed at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in February. If you didn’t get a chance to check out the original show, Bijan Berahimi of FISK—curator of Eyes & Ears—is locking in with former FISK designer and founder of […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Doom Legends Earth, a Slint Documentary, and Jivebomb are in Town

Plus, download Patricia Wolf’s field recordings, nugaze, and Third Angle announce their 40th season!
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

Visiting cities that don’t have as robust music scenes is so helpful in appreciating what we’ve got going on in Portland right now. I had a family wedding in San Diego over Labor Day weekend and the only things that sounded interesting were a DJ set by someone I can’t even remember, and a rooftop […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Ural Thomas Brings the Pain, Fred Cole Turns 77

Plus Hazel and Red Pine are back, and Portland Music News!
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

For some, Labor Day Weekend is a signifier of the end of summer. And it is for those heading back to school as students, teachers, and school administrative staff (big shouts to the lunch ladies and janitors of the world). But y’all know this is the PNW (in the year of our Climate Collapsing Lord, […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: The OO-Ray Album Release Show, Ces Cadáveres, Femi Kuti

Plus immigrant rights fundraisers, Club Alive, and Northwest Hardcore Fest! 
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

Several of Portland’s best summer music festivals are behind us for the year: Pickathon, Project Pabst, Homie Fest, and others have melted our faces and hearts. But fret not, for there are still plenty of fests coming our way! We’ve still got this weekend’s Northwest Hardcore Fest, Lonely God Fest, and TBA to look forward […]

Posted inMercury 25th Anniversary Issue

Twenty-Five Years of Questionable Music Taste

New album reviews by former Mercury music editors!
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

[Find the Mercury‘s 25th Anniversary Issue (in print) near you by using this handy-dandy map, and read all of our anniversary stories here.—eds.] Portland has gone through myriad musical peaks and valleys since the founding of the Mercury in the year of our lord, 2000. Bands, venues, festivals, labels, and record stores have come and gone […]

Posted inPickathon

Pickathon 2025: 15 Acts Not To Miss As Chosen By a Festival Vet and a Total N00b

Struggling with who to see? Let our most-anticipated acts this year help make it easier… or way, way harder!
Avatar photoAvatar photo Holly Hazelwood and Nolan Parker

Described by most who attend with an almost holy reverence, Pickathon is an immersive, magical, and otherworldly music festival, tucked back in the woods beyond Happy Valley. Hosted at Pendarvis Farm, the fest’s programming is—year after year—some of the best in Oregon, 2025’s lineup is no exception!   It’s pretty wild, but I (Nolan Parker, Music […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: The Mercury Turns 25!

Plus Pickathon, international punk, queer rave, and more! 
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

Holy hangover Bat Girl—Project Pabst has done it again! Excuse us while we come down from one of Portland’s best music weekends in a long time. Real-deal punk, new and old, dominated day one, while perfect indie chill held sway over Sunday. Check out our day one round-up here. We’d love to drop a day […]

Posted inMusic

Project Pabst Day 1: DEVO Was Right!

Gustaf plays the rubber chicken, Iggy gets dropped, and Gouge Away are PDX-Based.
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

The return of the hotly anticipated Portland music festival Project Pabst was worth the wait, paying emotional dividends with every set from Nasalrod’s massive opener energy all the way to Iggy’s closing words, “Fuckin’ goodnight! Fuck everybody!”   Greeted by the now iconic giant unicorn right inside the festival’s gates, energy was high even with the […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Project Pabst and the Music Videos of Kate Bush!

Plus a Portland supergroup album release and Lollipop Shoppe launches a free music series. 
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

We in the thick of it now, y’all! Project Pabst and Pickathon are right around the corner, the summer concerts are heating up at the Square and Edgefield, and being in and around water is top priority.  Like many in Portland, I love cruising around the PNW in summer visiting friends and family, losing myself […]

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