Events

COMEDY—Should one resist the temptation to “WOOF WOOF WOOF!” when Arsenio Hall takes the stage? That is between you and your god. Arsenio hosted one of the most game-changing late-night talk shows ever… and has the awards to prove it. Now free from the constraints of television, Arsenio has taken to the stand-up circuit, and […]

COMEDY—Kickstand Comedy Space may have been pushed out of its jaunty basement location, but one of its best stand-up showcases, Earthquake Hurricane, lives on upstairs at Velo Cult. Drink fancy beer surrounded by bikes, while Alex Falcone, Bri Pruett, Curtis Cook, and Anthony Lopez invite even more funny people over? Yes please! MEGAN BURBANKVelo Cult, […]

FILM—Who’s ready to watch shit blow up?! The fifth movie in the Mission: Difficult But Not Really Impossible franchise will have you spazzing out over car chases, airplane stunts, and death-defying carryings-on. Tiny action star Tom Cruise, together with Simon Pegg and director Christopher McQuarrie, pretty much guarantee a wham-bam good time in Mission: Impossible—Rogue […]

FILM—Watching I Am Chris Farley is kind of like having whiplash… in a good way. Using clips and interviews from his family and friends, the documentary tells the story of an immensely talented comedian who died far too soon. It’s both very sad and very funny—hence that whiplash feeling. Co-director Brent Hodge will be Skyping […]

FRIDAY, JULY 31 MUSIC—Today’s the first big day of the weekend-long Pickathon, and we’re REALLY EXCITED to see Wolf People. You might want to hurry and buy tickets before they’re all gone. Friday’s lineup also includes Cloud Nothings, Summer Cannibals, and Freakwater. The tickets are pricey, but totally worth it for the excellent festival at […]

RIGSKETBALL—Sometimes in life you have to improvise. That’s how Rigsketball—a sport resembling basketball played off a touring band’s van—came to be, and my has it flourished. The annual three-on-three tournament and mini-music festival features the talents of bands like Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, Hustle and Drone, Talkative, and more on both “court” and stage. MARJORIE SKINNERw/Thanks, […]

MUSIC—Brooklyn guitar maestros Ratatat just dropped their first album in five years! People you should automatically tune out: anyone griping that the group hasn’t “progressed” enough in that time. People you should listen to: Ratatat, which is kicking out great swells of danceable happiness as always, and any scalper who can give you tickets to […]

BAR B-DAY—The beautiful, popular girl of Portland bars, Dig a Pony is turning four! This calls for a major bash, featuring Nick Waterhouse and the Pain, the Shivas, and more to keep you tapping along as this fine establishment embarks on another year. MARJORIE SKINNERw/Pearles, DJs Waterhouse & Cooky Parker; Dig a Pony, 736 SE […]

FILM—In 1979, upstart director Ridley Scott treated B-movie tropes with fluid grace and ruthless skill in Alien; the result isn’t just one of the prettiest movies ever made, it’s also one of the scariest. See it at the Laurelhurst—and look forward to next week, when they’ll have James Cameron’s smash-bang follow-up, Aliens. ERIK HENRIKSENLaurelhurst Theater, […]

FRIDAY, JULY 24 MUSIC—What if somebody threw a free, all-ages, all-local music festival right here in Portland? Well, PDX Pop Now! did, and they’ve been doing it every year since 2004. Today the three-day-long fest kicks off, so get yourself down under the Hawthorne Bridge and binge on the best local music has to offer. NED […]

While Sleeping Stay Awake by Sons of HunsMUSIC—Loveable metal/stoner rock band Sons of Huns get thrashy on their sophomore album, While Sleeping Stay Awake, a righteous slab of heavy riffing and power-rawk. Tonight’s the local heroes’ record release show, so get ready to blow out those ears and bang that head. NED LANNAMANNw/Diesto, Old Kingdom; […]