Mercury Things to Do Staff

MUSIC—The triumphant return of beloved Olympians turned Portlanders Sleater-Kinney is super sold out, so here’s what you do: Post up across W Burnside from the Crystal, turn your face up to those massive ballroom windows, and just listen to the damn thing from the street. Sometimes the sound quality’s nearly as good from this perch, […]

BIKES—Jump into your spandex, climb on your bikes, and race your heart out in the Monday Night PIR Bike Race Series. This flat, two-mile track is the perfect way to test your skills, and there are separate events for all skill levels—from novice, to “Holy crap, that person is burning rubber!” Don’t forget your helmet! […]

FRIDAY, MAY 1 GET DOWN—Let’s celebrate body-rockin’ DJ party Bubblin’ at its five-year anniversary, and… wait… going-away party? NOOOOOO! Bubblin’ will go out in style with special guests (and Daft Punk collaborator) Todd Edwards, Kahn (one of Bristol UK’s finest producers and DJs), as well as Ben Tactic and Lincolnup. It’ll be a night to remember, […]

COMEDY—Husband and wife and comedians Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are delight incarnate. Their new touring show is called Summer of 69: No Apostrophe, and it’ll be chockablock with mustached funnies, musical numbers, and ribaldry from Park and Rec‘s funniest tumultuous couple. COURTNEY FERGUSONArlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 8 & 10:30 pm, $48.50, […]

COMICS—Thanks to righteous shark-punching action in Aquaman, a Dark Knight who’s actually fun in Batman ’66, and the Portland-set mystery of Bucko, Jeff Parker is one of the best, funniest writers in comics. Tonight, he’ll be signing his brand-new Shazam! and Hawkman comics, and putting up with all my super-important questions, like how I can […]

LECTURE—Probably the coolest woman on the planet, Kathleen Hanna, is giving a lecture called Riot Grrrl Then and Now, about the very movement she helped pioneer, her amazing career in Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and the Julie Ruin, and how some kick-ass ladies in the ’90s shaped our feminism today. Umm, KATHLEEN HANNA, y’all! COURTNEY […]

FILM—Steven Spielberg’s filmography overflows with chill-inducing moments: The Ark opening, the tripods rising, “Welcome… to Jurassic Park.” But Close Encounters of the Third Kind is almost entirely made out of those moments: those five notes. That kid standing in the doorway. The mashed potatoes! And when Richard Dreyfuss says, “This means something,” he’s absolutely right. […]

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 COMEDY—Last December, Jeremy Eli and Jason Lamb launched Minority Retort, Portland’s only monthly stand-up showcase for comedians of color. Now it’s one of Portland’s most reliably funny comedy fixtures. Tonight features Jeff Oliver (“Meet a Black Guy” at Corvallis’ farmers’ market), Alex Rios (Ventura Comedy Fest), Adam Pasi (very nearly Portland’s Funniest […]

COMEDY—Comedian Iliza Shlesinger is from Texas, which might explain a prominent girly-girl joke of hers. But you’d be one reductive comedy fan to think she’s only all about white wine and Pinterest. Her rapid-fire delivery and demon-voiced digressions are equal parts hysterical, boisterous, and delightful. And she can do a mean goat call! COURTNEY FERGUSONHelium […]

MUSIC—KPSU’s month of shows keeps trucking along, and tonight they’re teaming up with the Mercury to bring you a dazzler of an evening: Portland’s Modern Kin make fully amplified folk-rock with blood and grit under their fingernails, Seattle’s Tangerine play lovely, sparkle-fresh pop, and Rilla’s a new band on the local scene featuring members of […]

DRUNK SCIENCE—The war against vaccination still rages. But are you armed with the knowledge to put people on the right path? Then grab a beer and listen as doctor Dr. Andrew Sylwester speaks about vaccine history, why vaccines are so right, and why some people think they’re so wrong. It’s the OMSI Science Pub—giving you […]

POUTINE—Along with pretzel buns and beer cheese, poutine is one of the greatest things. A grease-dripping concoction of fries, cheese curds, and gravy, it is the best food. From today until the 25th, local restaurants are making Poutine for the People. Sample widely, because all proceeds go to cancer research. MEGAN BURBANKCheck originaldinerant.com/poutine-for-the-people for participating […]