Mercury Music Picks: Cyberplasm and Help Get Loud in Old Town

Plus Beacon Sound takes over Sou'Wester, three must-sees at Holocene, and Portland music news! 

Film Review: The Shrouds Is a Shallow Grave

The new film from Body Horror director David Cronenberg barely cracks the topsoil of all he unearths.

Imago's Salome Is Tied Together by the Dance of the Seven Veils

Jaiden Wirth and Max Bernsohn reprise the onstage intensity we recently saw between them in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Sinners: the Vampire Musical With a Cunnilingus Tutorial 

In which acclaimed director Ryan Coogler keeps alive the tradition of hiding  art in a vampire movie.

Mercury Music Picks: Black Water's Back, These Fucking Hands Last Show, and a New Performance by Yelling Choir 

Plus reunited slowcore bands, Extradition’s spring concert, and Portland music news!

Film Review: Warfare Ups the Ante of Horror in War Films

Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza make us wonder: Can a war film ever actually be anti-war?

Gang of Four Bassist Dave Allen Has Died

The Portland music juggernaut was 69, and had struggled with dementia. 

The Top 10 Releases to Seek Out on Record Store Day 2025!

Pharoah Sanders, Charli xcx, Sunn O))), and more to throw on your turntable!

Hear In Portland: Feasting on New Track From Milc, Wynne, and Spinitch

Plus where to catch a Cinco de Mayo cumbia dance party and SiR at the Crystal Ballroom.

Misericordia Is Sexy, French, Unpredictable

Knowing that, do you even need to read this review? [smolders in French] Do you?

Mercury Music Picks: Etran de L’Aïr Lights Up Wonder Ballroom, An Oregon Music Hall of Fame Benefit Show, and Roseblood’s Record Release Party

Plus two American Sign Language performances, some Cali hardcore, and vaporwave is back??

Keeper Coffee Opens Its Second Location in Milwaukie 

The two-story beauty is about to be your new favorite destination cafe.

The Apple of Portland’s Eye, Michael Hurley Passes Away at 83

Listen to the outsider folk hero’s songs today and always. 

Mercury Music Picks: Kraftwerk Techno Daddies, Crystal Quartez’s Record Release Party, and the Launch of the Crush On Everyone Emo Party

Plus transcendent classical, Bay Area noise, and more! 

French Documentary Direct Action Keeps Focus Off Activist Faces

Portlanders can see the defiant, slow media movie at Clinton Street with co-director Ben Russell in attendance.

With Tootsie, Stumptown Stages Leans Into Gender-Bending Roles and Progressive Themes

Death of a Unicorn Asks: What If Unicorns Make Meat Out of YOU?

Combining the violence of grindhouse with the plot of a straight-to-video moral kid's fantasy.

Hear in Portland: Epic Upcoming Shows from Oh, Rose, Durand Bernarr, and a Wu-Tang Finale This Summer

Read all about what’s on the music forecast, Hear in Portland.

Mercury Music Picks: MSC, James K., and Frank La Rocca’s Requiem for the Forgotten

Plus local album releases, a major punk venue relocation, and the Reed Zine Fest!

This Lunch Pop-Up Is Bringing Dry-Aged Fish to Portland

Chef Jeffrey Kim serves simple sashimi bowls with explosively delicate flavors.

Portland Climate Journalist Emma Pattee Wrote a Funny Fiction Novel That Unfolds Like a Non-Fiction Nightmare

Spring Arts 2025 Gallery Round-Up: Abstract Sculptures, Video, Mall Art, and More!

ManiFest Celebrates the Fine Art We Wear on Our Fingers

This Horror Double Feature Is the Exploding-Head Crown Jewel of March's Women in Film Series

The star of Chopping Mall and Night of the Comet, Kelli Maroney discusses the films at Clinton Street Theater.

Mercury Music Picks: Mother Danzig, Amyl & the Sniffers, and the Linda Lindas

Plus Portland music news!

Can We Make Portland a Music Capital Again? 

City Councilor Jamie Dunphy has ideas.

Darci Phenix Releases Her Dreamy New Album, Sable

Learn how the multi-disciplinary Portland artist uses her hands to get out of her head.

Northwest Hardcore Fest, the PNW’s Hardest-Hitting Festival, Is Back

The freshly announced line-up is a biggie!

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Is Cruel and Perfect From the Start

Portland Center Stage's breathtaking ensemble cast reveals the ties that bind and cut.

Hear In Portland: Albina Music Trust’s Soul Assembly, Jakki and the Pink Smudge, Keeks’ EP Release

Read all about what’s on the music forecast with Hear In Portland.

Mercury Music Picks: Experimental Film and Performance, Local Album Release Parties, and Lots of Dancable Punk

There’s too much going on this week to even list, sheesh! 

A Case for the Existence of God in a Mortgage Brokerage

Third Rail Repertory never proves the existence of God, but it does make a case.

The Best Part of Mickey 17 Is the Dying

Bong Joon-ho added 10 extra deaths to his new sci-fi movie, and it was a good editorial call.

Eye-Popping Eyes & Ears

Bijan Berahimi talks to us about curating his massive survey of visuals in music at PNCA.

Gaytheist Return With Frenetic New Album, The Mustache Stays

It’s the first album in five years from the long-running Portland-based noise-rockers.

Mercury Music Picks: Erykah Badu (hopefully), Moondog’s Music, and Unga Dunga’s Second Show

Plus PNW folk punk, the handsomest family, and Portland music news!

Theater Review: The Spectrum According to Sapience

Artists Repertory Theatre's new play is as much a romantic love triangle as it is a charming interplay of intelligent apes and autism spectrum. 

Theater Review: The Antipodes Attract

Shaking the Tree’s captivating production rewards audiences who enjoy sitting with big questions.

Hear in Portland: The Thesis and Friends of Noise Getting up in PDX

Plus, new music and visuals from Zyah Belle

Mercury Music Picks: The Music Of Alice Coltrane, Steve Reich, and Hardcore Punk

Plus we’re adding local music news to the mix! 

Project Pabst Is Back in a Big Way This Summer

The massive lineup includes Iggy Pop, Devo, Cap’n Jazz, Death Cab, Exploding Hearts, plus so many more!

Matt Braunger’s Elevator Pitch

The Portland-born comedian explains why seeing his upcoming show is a pretty good idea.

Author Q & A: Omar El Akkad on Gaza, Power, and the Stories Empires Steal

The award-winning author discusses his urgent new book and why we must resist the impulse to forget.

The Monkey Is a Comedy About Horror Film Body Counts

The new work from Longlegs director Osgood Perkins helps us laugh at the meaninglessness of life.

Pickathon Hopes To Raise $1 Million by March

Survey shows attendees prefer the farm fest indie and eco-friendly, but will they support with their wallets?

Mercury Music Picks: Erykah Badu at PDX Jazz Fest, Mars Volta at the Moda

Plus three local record release shows + more!

Hear in Portland: Dreckig's EP Release for Eclipse

Plus, a new concert series in a Portland laundry room and Lo Steele spends Valentine's Day at the Fixin’ To!

Gaming the System

Board game creators from across the Pacific Northwest descend on Portland to test (and hopefully realize) their design dreams.

PDX Live Concerts Take Over the Square Again This August

Featuring Jamie xx, returning favs the Roots, and beloved Portland band STRFKR!

Say “I DO!” To Live Music and All-Nighters This Valentine’s Day Weekend

Queer hip-hop, black metal, and underground raves make for a packed V-Day weekend  in Portland!

Gender Ordeal Is a Trans Power Trio Comedy Tour

The Gender Reveal podcast tour is a variety show featuring the star power of show-host Tuck Woodstock, cartoonist Mattie Lubchansky, and author Calvin Kasulke.

Introducing the Portland Mercury’s New Music Editor, Nolan Parker!

How they went from publishing a grass roots music newspaper in Berlin to being Portland’s ONLY music editor.

Portland’s Next Top (Architectural) Model

New installation City of Possibility offers a big picture of the city's urban planning history via tiny buildings.

Hear in Portland: Mal London's New Release on "Fresh Finds R&B"

Plus Julimar headlines the Thesis and the Blacker the Berry II celebrates Black creatives.

Hong Kong Action Star Donnie Yen Seeks Justice (and a Fight Every 25-30 Minutes) in The Prosecutor

Cop-lawyers, brutal brawls, can't lose.

Portland Steakhouses, What's the Secret?

In the chaos of Portland's restaurant scene, where foodies chase the hottest dining trends, the long-standing steakhouses endure.

Profile Theatre's Samsara Is a Comedy About Reproductive Imperialism and Desire

Celebrated playwright Lauren Yee uses cycles of infertility and surrogacy to touch on something powerful and eternal.

A Streetcar Named Desire at Imago Warms up as It Goes

Tennessee Williams' tragedy foretells the doom of living in a dream.

Dig! XX Revisits the Friendship and Fall Out of Two Famously Eccentric Indie Bands

Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre were best-friend bands that eventually became bitter-enemy bands.

Film Review: Wolf Man Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Like he did with The Invisible Man, in 2020, director Leigh Whannell has tried to bring a Universal Studios monster into an all-too-common family dynamic.

Hear in Portland: Keeks Calls on Femme Queens to “Move!”

Portugal. The Man play Revolutions Per Movie podcast, and Wynne spits “Rug Burn” verses from a sofa.

Portland's Folk Festival Breaks Down the Genre's Walls

Acoustic in Lola's Room, bands in the Crystal Ballroom, and your plans for the weekend—all set.

The Brutalist Looms Large

Everything about Brady Corbet's new film is big—the scale, the runtime, the acclaim.

Where's Portland Music Month This Year?

MusicPortland put the annual celebration on pause for 2025, citing complications from the election and a desire to expand its vision.

Best Bites of 2024: A Portland Pizza That Distilled the Summer Sun

Mercury food critic Andrea Damewood on the 10 best things she tasted this year.

The Mercury's Favorite Culture Moments of 2024

Doing something stupid in Ladds, dressing up for the movies, and finding catharsis at live shows, et al.

Hear in Portland: Three Picks for Live New Year's Eve Shows (That Are Not DJ Shadow)

Nonbinary Girlfriend and Kye Alive co-create a NYE Experience, and Black Belt Eagle Scout feels like a perfect kickoff to 2025.

The Mercury's Favorite Movies of 2024 

Film Critic Dom Sinacola on his 10 favorite features of 2024 and where you can watch them.

A Complete Unknown Satisfies Only Your Lowest Expectations for a Bob Dylan Biopic

Director James Mangold’s latest bit of Oscar bait has the vibrancy and depth of a Wikipedia article.

The Mercury's Favorite Books of 2024

On this list, revolutionary writings share space with Portland zombies and memories of the Barefoot Contessa

Björk Friday Is an Annual Anti-Thanksgiving Drag Show That's Been Happening for Seven Years

Every year, Portland drag performers gather on consumer culture’s greatest holiday and lip sync to Björk.

Eric Isaacson of Mississippi Records Is Retiring From Booking Shows

He wants you to take up the mantle.

Steam Rice Roll King Makes the Best Cantonese Rice Rolls You’ll Find in Portland

These handmade, freshly-steamed rice rolls with exciting fillings like Spam and five-spice beef brisket are already in hot demand.

Hear in Portland: PDX Jazz's Once-In-A-Lifetime Erykah Badu Concert

Plus, Cool Nutz planned a Christmas-themed hip-hop "Festivale," and Ural Thomas plays his own 85th birthday party.

Portland Drag Queen, Sue from Corporate, Bids the Scene "Sue Long" For Now

Sue delivers talking points on how many wigs it takes to move cross-country, and why nothing is scarier than corporate culture.

Queer Is a Romance with a Dead Wife Problem

Director Luca Guadagino is out to make William Burroughs romantic. He mostly succeeds.

Theater Review: Waiting for Godot Is Samuel Beckett—Straight, No Chaser

Portland's Irish theater-focused company Corrib has devoted this season to Godot and works that respond to it.

Hear in Portland: Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme's Holiday Humor Intensifies

Plus, the Barbaras play an unmissable irreverent post-Thanksgiving country show and Fountaine's "throw away album" catches flame.

Gladiator II Is Just Gladiator With Jacked-up Howler Monkeys

Ridley Scott's long-awaited sequel could have examined the first film’s legacy and reimagined the warrior archetype. But nope.

Film Review: In Heretic and Don't Move Meek Heroines Fawn and Freeze

This fall, femmes find new ways to survive.

Hear in Portland: Mal London’s Fourth Album Shows off Pretty Sonics and Flows To Match

Plus, a new show case of local duo and trio collabs, and Justin Timberlake adds a 2025 Portland date to his world tour.

Cosplay Break: Bask in the Charm of Costumed Fans at Kumoricon 2024

After 20 years, Oregon's largest anime convention is still volunteer-led and bursting with enthusiastic energy.

Secret Aardvark Drops Hot Nut News

The Portland-area hot sauce company celebrated 20 years of flavorful, spicy sauciness with a new snack.

Salami Rose Joe Louis's Dream Pop Makes Catastrophic Ecological Degradation Sound So Good

See her Tuesday in Portland at Jack London Revue.

Screaming With Meaning: The Definitive Blood Brothers Lyrics Q & A

Ahead of the hardcore band's sold out show at Revolution Hall, Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie tell us what the group's intense, abstract song lyrics really mean.

How Portland’s Rose City Rollers Became Roller Derby Champions Again

With standout jammers and unmatched teamwork, Wheels of Justice dominates the track to claim Women's Flat Track Derby Association's highest honor.

Allee Willis: Creative Force, 'Dangerous Woman,' Songwriter Behind Friends Theme

A new documentary The World According to Allee Willis reveals your favorite artists’ favorite artist.

How Portland Became a Roller Derby Mecca

Rose City Rollers commemorates 20 years by hosting the sport’s global championships on their home turf.

Infinite Life: A Play About Pain That Hurts So Good

Third Rail Repertory kicks off its 2024-25 season with a work by contemporary theater star Annie Baker.

Could the James Beard Public Market Rise From the Corpse of Corporate Failure?

Long envisioned as Portland's version of Seattle's Pike Place, the market would also provide an answer to downtown’s dearth of fresh produce.

Hear in Portland: Rihanna’s New Favorite Song Is by Zyah Belle

Wynne postpones the release of Speak of the Devil, but gives us "Bad Girl," and a hot Halloween line-up at Hungry Hungry Hip-Hop

Theater Review: Wicked Found Wanting

The beloved musical is stuck in 2003, which feels a little weird two decades later.

Mikki Gillette's Hero's / Healer's Journey Begins With a Content Warning

 No More Candy is charming and adorable, even as its characters work through very heavy traumas.

Mercury Music Picks: Once Chance To See That At the Drive-In Doc in Portland

Erykah Badu headlines the 2025 PDX Jazz Festival, and we have NEW Haley Heynderickx songs—INCOMING!

What's Wrong With the Dare?

This Portland indie heartfelt went full New York sleaze, and we're dancing to it.

André 3000 Is Seriously Weird Live

Audience members called for OutKast hits, Mr. Benjamin replied with eerie minimalism and a variety of incredible-sounding instruments.

Oregon Folk Singer Jeffrey Martin Captures Live Music Magic at Mississippi Studios

Martin's heart-on-sleeve folk tunes are like walking past a graveyard of love and loss, light and dark, hurt, hope, faith, and uncertainty.

Hear in Portland: Isabeau Waia'u Walker Hits the Hard Stuff of Life on Heavyweight

Seven years of local beatmaker showcase A Beat Happening, and Fountaine flows fast for "Skyrocket (Jump'n)."

FREE TICKETS THURSDAY: Enter to Win Free Tix to See Ta-Nehisi Coates, Haley Heynderickx, Sprints, and MORE!