We're more than halfway through October, otherwise known as the best month of the year, which is a bit devastating. But the air is still crisp, the frogs are still inflatable, and this week's events reflect the city's devotion to celebrating fall, despite [gestures wildly]. For one thing, you can cop fresh cider and scare yourself at a drive-in theater this week. Also, Milwaukie's Good Measure serves a cinnamon roll latte, Third Angle New Music fills the World Forestry Center with tunes for tree-lovers, and Via Mardot's chilly theremin is season-appropriate. Let's go!
Monday, October 20
Shana Palmer: Full Circle: The Harmonic Sum of Current and Light
Comprised of a multi-channel sound installation, a sundial, and "code-drawn radiating spheres," multimedia artist Shana Palmer's solo exhibition has turned Portland Community College Sylvania's North View Gallery into a cabinet of curiosities. The show's title is deferent to women artists who have used "voids or tunnels as sculptural language"—think Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels and Barbara Hepworth's perforated sculptures—but Palmer invents a singular visual language. Look for the "touch-capacitive bronze sculptures...[which] activate an evolving sonic drone and audio-reactive visuals." (North View Gallery, 12000 SW 49th, Mon-Fri through Oct 23, FREE, more info, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Also worth it:
Thank God It’s Queer: Blood for Dracula, Hollywood Theatre, SOLD OUT, more info
Directed by Andy Warhol’s pal Paul Morrissey, Blood for Dracula’s (1974) campy comedy-horror sees the Count reckon with Marxism and sexual liberation.
Tuesday, October 21
Drink a fall bevvie
The weather may be bordering on biting cold lately, but I prefer to call it . ܁₊ ⊹ . ܁ ⟡ .𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓹 ⟡ ܁ . ⊹ ₊ ܁. And IMO, one of the best things to do in crisp, fall weather is walk around (the park, your neighborhood, almost anywhere outdoors will do), crunchy leaves underfoot, with a warm beverage in your grasp. Cafes across Portland are infusing their beverage specials with fall flavors, so go grab one (before pumpkin makes way for peppermint!), enlist the company of your dog, bestie, etc., and partake in the fall version of stopping and smelling the roses. If you need a place to start, I’ve been eyeing the pumpkin spice curry latte at Electrica, Upper Left Roasters’ chider (spiced apple cider + chai), and the decadent-ass cinnamon roll latte with salted cream cheese whip from Good Measure. Biiiiitch, Starbucks who?! JANEY WONG
Lorde
Lorde's most recent album, Virgin, features an X-ray of a pelvis with a visible belt buckle, zipper, and IUD as its cover, so when she announced her tour with another X-ray image, I thought it might be from the same provocative area—I was so confused I texted my OBGYN cousin about it, and she pointed out that it was the side view of a neck with an earring hanging down (whoops). The New Zealand pop-rock singer called her album's cover "the ultimate nude" because the image is incredibly revealing yet distant in a surgical and generic way. Known for her personal songwriting, unique vocal style, and high-energy music, Lorde has become a global cultural and musical icon. Her influence has even reached Broadway, with her song "Green Light" featuring prominently in the critically acclaimed play, John Proctor Is the Villain, as a point of empowerment for young women. Grab your dancing shoes and see Lorde on tour with support from English indie pop musician the Japanese House and alternative R&B singer Empress Of. (Moda Center, 1 N Center, 7 pm, $93.75-$116.35, more info, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
Wednesday, October 22
Third Angle: Evergreen
If the words "classical music" don't immediately entice you, consider that Third Angle New Music's curatorial flavor trends toward experimental compositions—their 40th season will explore fringe belief systems and the works of minimalist pioneer Steve Reich, among other expansive extensions of the classical music tradition. Evergreen brings Third Angle's string quartet and clarinet ensemble to the World Forestry Center, where the performance (which should be very green, if you have synesthesia) will act as an offering to an elder tree and "wish for better times." Former Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford will share poetry. (World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon, Oct 22-23, 7:30 pm, $5-$45, more info, all ages) LC
Blazers Opening Night
Rip City, we are so back! The Blazers will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (a team coming off back-to-back conference finals appearances with a strong core) in the 2025-26 season opener. I know we’re all excited that DAME IS BACK, but just as a reminder, he’s sitting out this season as he recovers from an Achilles injury incurred with his last team (boooo!). But with his leadership presence and fresh faces like 7-foot-1 rookie Yang Hansen, the Blazers have been looking good in the preseason and hope to kick the regular season off with a big win. Go ’Zers! (Moda Center, 1 N Center, 7 pm, tickets here, all ages) BRI BREY
Thursday, October 23
Guy Branum: Be Fruitful
Guy Branum isn’t a comedian you know from a specific thing; he’s a comedian you know from everything. If you watch good TV (Hacks, Platonic), listen to funny podcasts (Lovett or Leave It, Las Culturistas), or are otherwise dialed into what is happening in fun/gay/cool pop culture, Branum is a person whose name you hear and go: Oh yay, he’s in this! Branum is on so many shows that it’s easy to forget he’s also a stand-up, but he’s currently touring an approximately 90-minute work called Be Fruitful up the West Coast. Read our full interview here. (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $19.12, more info, 21+) ELINOR JONES
Cinema of Horrors Drive-In
If you’re after jump scares this Halloween, check out this haunted drive-in up in Ridgefield. Live actors bring the creeps right up to your car—no, they can’t touch you or your vehicle, but that doesn’t prevent them from being alarming as shit and employing effects like strobe lights, fog, and well-timed audio to get you to lock your car doors. Films range from goofy (Ghostbusters) to legitimately terrifying (Hereditary) to gory (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and include tons of Halloween classics (Beetlejuice, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street). Bring the kids (or your chicken-shit friends like me!) for a less scary experience on one of the drive-in’s family nights. (Clark County Fairgrounds, 17402 NE Delfel Rd, Ridgefield, Weds-Sun through Oct 31, $49-$69, more info, select nights family-friendly) BB
Rory Scovel
You’ve probably seen comedian/actor Rory Scovel in something before… maybe it was in the Amy Schumer rom-com I Feel Pretty, playing various characters on The Eric Andre Show, or perhaps one of his many comedy specials (the latest being Religion, Sex, and a Few Things in Between on HBO). In any case, rest assured his sassy, whip-smart persona is going to make you laugh as he visits Portland for his nationwide “Know Your Enemy” tour. Expect Scovel to take on such topics as Republicans, Christianity, Disneyland… you know, all the things you hate and that absolutely need to be taken down a notch or two. And if you’re interested, move snappily… Scovel’s early show is sold out, but you might squeeze into his late night gig! (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 9:30 pm, $36.80-$60.92, more info, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Friday, October 24
A People's History of North American Music
A People’s History of North American Music is a trippy lecture/film/slideshow that attempts to pack centuries of music education into a tight 80-minute time frame. Quite an undertaking! Filled with history, comedy, and plenty of surprises, there’s no one better to offer this education than Mississippi Records founder Eric Isaacson, who’ll be accompanied by cellist Harlan Silverman and Dead Moon's Toody Cole. This is billed as the final Portland performance of this quirky exhibition, so don’t miss it! (Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $12, more info, all ages) BB
Via Mardot / Pillow Spiders
You know and love Detroit heavyweights J Dilla, the Stooges, MC5, the White Stripes, and the Supremes, now get ready to fall for Motorcity thereminist Via Mardot. But don’t get it twisted, the composer and multi-instrumentalist also plays guitar, chimes, marzolin, and the makeup brushes—among others. And she sings! Mardot's music exudes eerie soundscapes that might make you fall in love or question how you came to be in this remote European cemetery at three in the morning. (Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth, 8 pm, $26.05, more info, all ages) NOLAN PARKER
Punchlines and Piledrivers
The brainchild of Ally Ward, a local stand-up comic and lifelong pro wrestling enthusiast, Punchlines & Piledrivers embraces what Ward calls the “absurdity” of wrestling and pairs it with improvised comedy. The result? Unserious characters standing in a mock “ring” hurling jabs at each other while Ward emcees. The participants don’t actually wrestle; they are comedians, not athletes. Instead, the comics go one-on-one, calling out their opponents’ character flaws, while trying to win over judges, and charm the audience enough to advance to the next round. The live show just might be the most Portland thing to hit the stage in years—a weird, low-brow production that is often as endearing as it is cringey. Read our full article. (Curious Comedy Annex, 5229 NE Martin Luther King Jr., 7:30 pm, more info, all ages) COURTNEY VAUGHN
Also worth it:
QDoc Film Festival, Cinema 21, more info
The only festival in the US devoted exclusively to queer documentaries, QDoc returns with diverse perspectives on politics, sexuality, family, and more.
Saturday, October 25
Carmen+
In 2017, choreographer Ihsan Rustem debuted a commissioned work for NW Dance Project, a take on the 19th-century opera Carmen that infused the drama about passion with wry absurdity and set it partially in a '50s barbershop. The work was a hit, earning a Readers' Choice Award from Dance Magazine and furthering Rustem's already commendable reputation for collaboration. Now Portlanders have a real treat on their hands: another chance to see Rustem's Carmen, with the original cast members, Andrea Parson and Franco Nieto. The "+" is a brand new work from UK choreographer Caroline Finn, which rounds out the show, treating audiences to an evening of dance that is new, boundary-pushing, and beloved. (Newmark Theatre, 111 SW Broadway, Oct 24-25, $20-$74, more info, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH
Portland Fruit Tree Project Free Cider Fest
The nonprofit Portland Fruit Tree Project advocates for food equity by empowering Portlanders to harvest and care for urban fruit trees. Come taste the fruits of their labor at this free fest where they'll press fresh cider from "all of the B-grade apples collected this season from the urban canopy." Folks are also welcome to bring harvested apples to press. Cider aside, over 30 local nonprofits will be onsite to engage with the community, and fall fun will abound with a pumpkin-carving station, a bake sale, music from HONK PDX!, and more. Sounds like a perfectly crisp autumn afternoon. (Leaven Community Center, 5431 NE 20th, 12-3 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) JW
Also worth it:
Bollywood Horror XXIII Halloween Party with DJ Anjali, Polaris Hall, more info
The longest-running of its kind in the world, DJ Anjali shows out at this annual Bollywood Halloween party with Desi bass, South Asian beats, and darkwave chillers.
Julie Beeler: Take Root, SATOR Projects, more info
Beeler's exhibition showcases the pigments coaxed from a single mushroom, highlighting fungi's potential to revolutionize the textile industry (which currently creates around 10% of global CO2 emissions, explains Beeler).
Jade Novarino: mi mano a tu mano, Old-Fashioned Garage Gallery, more info
Farmer, artist, and calligraphy teacher Novarino brings a beautiful selection of "creative correspondence" to this gallery in a residential Northeast Portland space.
Powell's After Hours: A Literary Halloween, Powell's Books, more info
The city block shop will lock its doors, admitting only those with tickets to see the "unexpected performances, beguiling bites, and spirited cocktails" hidden among Powell's bookshelves.
Sunday, October 26
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
With the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reaching a devastating turning point in recent years, Göran Hugo Olsson’s Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958–1989 lands with a haunting timeliness. Best known for The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, the archival filmmaker assembled three decades of coverage from Sweden’s national broadcaster SVT for this 2024 documentary, unearthing footage unseen since its original airings. From the tenth anniversary of Israel’s founding to the First Intifada, the film traces shifting narratives through interviews with key figures, alongside portraits of civilians and revolutionaries, as a poignant reminder of how stories are told, remembered, and contested. (PAM CUT's Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $15, more info, not rated) LANGSTON THOMAS
Blood and Black Lace
Staged in a cocaine-dusted Roman fashion house, Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace (1964) drips with a pulpy, color-saturated eroticism that came to define the giallo genre. When model Isabella is murdered, her scandalous diary becomes a vital clue that her masked killer must find, and one they’ll kill for. Again and again. Isabella’s swanky friends—models and hangers-on alike–pop pills and snort lines as they’re picked off one by one, looking glamorous all the while. Read more of our Second Run film recommendations. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 3 pm, $10, more info, not rated) LC
Oddities & Curiosities Expo
If you love “weird” stuff—hey, look… you know who you are!—then get your weird butt over to the Oddities & Curiosities Expo this weekend at the Oregon Convention Center. Billed as “the largest internationally traveling oddities/subculture event in the world,” you can bet on seeing at least some, if not all, of the following: horror art, creepy clothing, bizarre antiques, funeral collectibles, animal skulls and bones (ethically sourced, they say), and “preserved specimens,” the thought of which fills me with both dread and delight. What will you NOT see (according to organizers): the sale of “real bats,” or “human remains”... both of which makes my brain spin with questions. Anyway, if you’re weird (like me) you will most likely find community and fun here! (Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Oct 25-26, 10 am-4 pm, $15-$332, more info, all ages) WSH
Also worth it:
Katy Pinke / Half Shadow, Speck's Records, more info
New York-based soprano Katy Pinke will visit town to play alongside dreamy avant-folk singer-songwriter Jesse Carsten, aka Half Shadow.
Geese, Wonder Ballroom, more info
Hyped-up rock band Geese will play tracks from their compelling new album, Getting Killed.
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
