When leaves fall onto the sidewalk in autumn, their tannins leach into the concrete and leave perfect little brown leaf prints all over the ground. So, we hereby declare this "perfect little brown leaf print" week—also known as: that stage of autumn when the sky darkens and grays, but there's still a bit of good-autumn to hang onto. Let's hang onto good autumn this week, okay? Beyond leaf prints, here are some other good autumn things. Vegan food? It's on offer across the city, with World Vegan Month specials benefiting nonprofits. Sigur Rós is coming to town, too, and a documentary about an exploding whale reminds us that Oregon history is sometimes very funny.
Monday, November 10
World Vegan Month
In celebration of World Vegan Month, Veganizer PDX is back with its third annual and largest dining program yet, collaborating with 39 local plant-based restaurants and food carts across the city to offer exclusive food and drink specials. A portion of sales from each business's special will be donated to their selected nonprofit. Some of our favorite spots in town are getting in on the philanthropic fun: Adellela is raising funds for Animal Aid PDX with their brown butter fusilli and hot fig buttered rum, Obon Shokudo is contributing part of the proceeds from their lion's mane rangoons to Oregon Wild, Feral is making direct donations to families in Gaza by cooking up fried kimchi and chips... the list goes on. It's a great chance to contribute to some magnanimous causes while partaking in some magnificent meatless meals. Collect eight stamps from participating locations on your dining passport for a chance to win prizes. (various locations, through Nov 30, more info) JULIANNE BELL
Scott Miller, Let My Country Awake
If you were to ask most Americans why the British Empire no longer rules India, many would probably say it's due to some mix of Gandhi and World War II. However, widespread dissatisfaction with colonialist rule led to radical, underground political organizing—some of it happening right here in the Pacific Northwest. Let My Country Awake by Scott Miller explores the complexity of Indian resistance against the British Empire during World War I. Read our whole review. (Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Hillsboro, 7 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) JOE STRECKERT
Tuesday, November 11
Nick Kroll
Look, if you already recognize the comedic mastery of Nick Kroll, please feel free to stop reading NOW, and skip to the next blurb. If not? I will not make fun of you (to your face). While Kroll is famous for having one of the best (if not THE BEST) sketch TV show ever created—The Kroll Show, natch—he’s the hilarious mind behind the absolutely filthy Netflix animated show Big Mouth, the FX comedy series The League, and he's also appeared on Broadway with John Mulaney in Oh, Hello. He’s a very accomplished standup comedian, and this is your very rare opportunity to see his genius in person. While both shows at Helium are (no surprise) sold out, get on the wait list. There are always some sad individuals who won’t show up because it’s raining. (Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, Nov 11-12, 7:30 pm, SOLD OUT, more info, 21+) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Wednesday, November 12
Samantha Bee
Comedians who shed light on the inner workings of humanity are thankfully in abundance, while those who are smart and incisive enough to thoughtfully comment on the latest news and political shenanigans (while making you laugh your ass off at the same time) are beautiful, rare jewels. Comedian Samantha Bee is such a jewel, having honed her political comedy chops on The Daily Show before moving on to her own (now sadly canceled) show, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. I suppose the good news is that she can now resume entertaining you in a far more intimate fashion, as she will in her latest stop on her national comedy tour, titled How to Survive Menopause. If this sounds too “mom-coded” for you, then grow up. (Keller Auditorium, 1111 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $39.50-$149, more info, 13+) WSH
Also worth it:
Oh Whale, PAM CUT's Tomorrow Theater, more info
Did you know that in 1970, a dead whale washed up on a Florence, Oregon beach, and a bunch of certifiable dummies blew it up with dynamite?? It doesn't matter whether you said "no..." or "YES." You should go see this short documentary about it.
Brìghde Chaimbeul, Holocene, more info
Celtic experimentalist and Isle of Skye native Brìghde Chaimbeul will bring trance-y, textured Scottish smallpipes (no, for real) to Holocene alongside local guitarist-composer Marisa Anderson.
Thursday, November 13
Life After Cars: Sarah Goodyear & Doug Gordon
“Cars ruin everything.” That’s the bold opening line of Life After Cars, the new book by celebrated transportation media figures Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon, and Aaron Naparstek. The writers make a case for that initial assertion, detailing the various ways cars—or, more specifically, car culture as we currently know it—ruin childhoods, destroy wildlife, perpetuate societal injustices, and kill people, to name a few particularly negative effects. But, as its title suggests, Life After Cars also contains a hopeful side, asking readers to imagine how humans could thrive in a post- automobile world. Read our full review. (Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7 pm, $40.89, more info) TAYLOR GRIGGS
Cyberplasm / Arsenal Mall / Retirement / Piggy Bank
Originally hailing from Olympia, Cyberplasm is now partially based in NYC, making their Portland appearances that much more special. The band of radical queers world-builds post-apocalyptic, post-gender landscapes that are dystopic, yes, because collapse has just happened—but the world is still evolving, humans are still evolving. Hard-tech noise brutality will be the ruler of the day in the end, and Cyberplasm our champion. The rest of the lineup—Arsenal Mall, Retirement, and Piggy Bank—do us a favor by relieving our ear drums of life. Arsenal Mall are the fast lughead punk we deserve and Retirement dropped a shredder new album this year with Attention Economy, as did new-punks-on-the-block Piggy Bank with Pattern Recognition. (World Famous Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick, 9 pm, $14, more info, 21+) NOLAN PARKER
Also worth it:
Jim Norton, Aladdin Theater, more info
Lovers of shocking, raunchy, and occasionally disgusting comedy will find a friend in Jim Norton, whose crowd work is unparalleled.
Friday, November 14
Men, Come Inside of Me
The comma in the name of Toni Nagy's Men, Come Inside of Me is performing an important lift—although Nagy might disagree. The irreverent comedian—who shares somatic dances while she speaks on current event topics—frequently encapsulates her jokes in thick membranes of IDEA. Just go ahead and admit it; philosophy-comedy is a subgenre, like any other. A spell-casting ballerina who goes by Seraphina Supernova opens the show—this honestly sounds like high femme chaos. The show SOLD OUT pretty swiftly, but if you were more interested in the dance part, Nagy is teaching a Sunday somatic movement class at Yoga on Yamhill. (Kickstand Comedy, 1006 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm, SOLD OUT, more info, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH
Sigur Rós
Takk..., the fourth studio album from Icelandic post-rock group Sigur Rós, came out in 2005 and featured the cinematic single "Hoppípolla," which has been used in many movies and TV shows. This year, the band released a 20th-anniversary remaster of the critically acclaimed album, including two additional b-sides. Sigur Rós is currently on tour playing songs from their three decade-long career with the Wordless Music Orchestra, a 41-piece ensemble that seeks to make classical music accessible by pairing it with rock and electronic performances. The Icelandic band's music is already expansive, hypnotic, and transportive as is, so I can only imagine what it'll be like supported by an orchestra—maybe I'll be inspired to get a tattoo of the Takk... album cover like one of my college friends. (Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct, 8 pm, $99.50-$354, more info, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
Also worth it:
uncertainty surrounds the holding of things, after/time collective, more info
Heavy hitters in contemporary art (Epiphany Couch, Francesca Lohmann, and Morgan Ritter, among others) come together for a group show on "the lives of objects."
Portland in Black: Documenting Our Lives in the City of Roses, The Black Memory and Preservation Lab, more info
Portland City Archives and Don’t Shoot PDX have partnered for this archiving event, which will offer professional guidance and community-building.
Saturday, November 15
Meet Portland’s Mini Museums
Niche is the name of the game at this event featuring Portland "mini museums." For one day only, the Insectarium, Star Tropics Pinball Museum, the FLIP Museum (it stands for Fun, Learning, Inspiration, and Play), and the Zymoglyphic Museum will bring their highlights to the Peculiarium so you can check 'em all out in one fell swoop. You might spark a new interest or deepen an existing one while you "have a cookie, touch a bug, build a fort, and maybe meet Bigfoot." Stay curious! (The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum, 2234 NW Thurman, 12-4 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) JANEY WONG
Also worth it:
La Bohème, Keller Auditorium, more info
The opera that inspired Rent sees bohemian artists navigate love and poverty in 19th-century Paris.
Sean Nicholas Savage, Holocene, more info
The Canadian musician brings atmospheric pop from new album The Knowing to town.
Moment: Dustin Wong, Julius Smack, Jason Urick, Carly Barton B2B Omari Jazz, Process PDX, more info
Moment pulls it off again with a night of Wong and Smack's experimentalism supported by DJ faves.
Sunday, November 16
The Double Life of Véronique
Krzysztof Kieślowski’s sexiest and most puppet-laden film follows the French music teacher Véronique, who is also kind of the Polish choir soprano Weronika, as she/she experiences intuitive perception and a nameless feeling—that of missing someone who never existed. If the open-ended nature of Véronique/Weronika’s identity has annoyed you already, I recommend avoiding The Double Life of Véronique, a film in which said double-woman witnesses her duplicate form board a tour bus, receives a package containing a shoelace, and falls in love with a marionette maker. It embodies all the frustration of a half-remembered dream. Read more in Second Run. (5th Avenue Cinema, 510 SW Hall, 3 pm, $0-$7, more info, R) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Jenny Hagel Gives Advice
Late Night with Seth Meyers writer and performer Jenny Hagel brings her hilariously dubious, often very direct advice to Curious Comedy, performing with Shantira Jackson and Portland's Lesbian Choir. If you're the sort of comedy fan who can't help but want to workshop jokes in the middle of someone else's set—consider the pressure release/skill build of Hagel's class on monologue joke writing, which she's giving at Curious the day before. (Curious Comedy, 5225 NE MLK, 7:30 pm, general admission tickets $20-$25, VIP $40-$45, workshop $127.50 with show discount for participants, more info, all ages) SS
Also worth it:
Malala Yousafzai, Newmark Theatre, more info
The youngest-ever Nobel laureate and Pakistani activist visits Portland in celebration of her new memoir, Finding My Way.
Plus Plus Fest: Jon Raymond & Friends with Dreams (Sex Love), PAM CUT's Tomorrow Theater, more info
Writers Jon Raymond, Leni Zumas, and Lisa Wells will read from their lauded works before a screening of the Norwegian drama Dreams (Sex Love).
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
