What's up, February? The annual Portland Winter Light Festival illuminates the city this week, with glowy mood-enhancers like a "cosmic" cuttlefish and touch-sensitive light installations. Topping the list of "dudes you have heard of" are Chuck Klosterman and Todd Barry, both of whom will swing by to share their stuff—a new football-themed book and new jokes, respectively. And if you've had enough of Heated Rivalry, guess what? No you haven't! Come to the cottage (the Get Down) for a dance party Shane and Ilya would definitely get weird at.
Monday, February 2
Chuck Klosterman
Author of a dozen books and mountains of essays on all manner of topics within the popular sphere—music, art, sports, and the entire decade of the '90s—Chuck Klosterman is the king of culture. Whether he's musing on Coldplay, or on radical uncertainty and the limitations of human perception, Klosterman’s multifarious brain has something to say about just about everything. In his new book Football, he turns his attention to the American sport just in time for Super Bowl LX. He insists this is not a book for football fans, and while I urge you not to take him at his word, the content dives deeper than perfunctory statistics and divisional history. Klosterman views the sport not just as a contest of brute force, but as a cultural lens through which we can better understand modern society. Hear him muse on football’s magnitude, philosophical history, and projected future, and—if you’re lucky—a potpourri of other topics at this reading. (Powell’s City of Books, 1001 W Burnside, 7 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) BRI BREY
Monk in Pieces
Prolific avant-garde musician, composer, performer, filmmaker, and choreographer Meredith Monk started innovating sound and movement in the ’60s, and hasn’t stopped since. Co-presented with Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Monk in Pieces takes a look at Monk’s creative output through the lens of an artist confronted with mortality. The documentary features interviews with Björk and David Byrne, and should indeed be absorbed on the big screen. (Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $10-$12, more info, all ages) NOLAN PARKER
Tuesday, February 3
Todd Barry
Some people love their comedy “wet,” while others want it “dry to the bone.” For the latter group, may I submit for your consideration the stand-up genius of Todd Barry? The creator of seven comedy albums, with the latest being 2023’s Domestic Shorthair, for almost two decades Barry has been entertaining audiences onstage, TV (Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Flight of the Conchords, Bob’s Burgers) and film (Road Trip, Pootie Tang, The Wrestler). But the reason audiences flock to Barry’s live performances is his hilarious, squinty-eyed, dry delivery that gives the Sahara a run for its dehydrated money. Drink some electrolytes and go! (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $32.18, more info, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Wednesday, February 4
No Fares on Trimet for Rosa Parks' Birthday
Considered a civil rights icon for her determined perseverance, Rosa Parks was a community organizer and secretary of the Montgomery, Alabama chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) long before the fairly ordinary day on December 1, 1955 when she—faced with a bus driver's order to stand and give her seat to a white man—decided she could no longer quietly condone the segregation laws she and other Black people lived under. Her arrest and trial proved a tipping point, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year. Even after the Supreme Court upheld a ruling that found Alabama's racial segregation laws for buses unconstitutional, the area's bus system shut down for several weeks due to violent attacks by white supremacists. Progress was slow and hard fought. In honor of Parks and her legacy, Trimet won't collect fares on its buses, MAX light rail, or the WES commuter rail. Portland Streetcar and C-TRAN will also offer free fare. (More info) SUZETTE SMITH
Thursday, February 5
Palimpsests: Layered Surfaces
Waterstone Gallery's annual invitational provides a lot of Oregon art for the eyes. The contemporary co-op curated seven artists from an eclectic allotment of practices, resulting in Palimpsests: Layered Surfaces, a show about the layers within artworks and the art makers themselves. Everyone involved is a local powerhouse, but we guarantee you've seen murals around town by the prolific and profound Kyra Watkins—whether or not you clocked her signature. If the names James Alby, Paul Gadsden, Leonard Harmon, Yuji Hiratsuka, Marcel M. Johansen, and Kanani Miyamoto are not known to you, this is the show to catch up on what you've been missing. (Waterstone Gallery, 124 NW 9th, through March 1, FREE, more info, all ages) SS
Heated: Heated Rivalry Dance Party
I’m coming to the cottage. I’m going as “the water bottle” for gay Halloween. I'm saying “thank you for pasta,” instead of goodbye. I’m leaving the platonic friend hang and texting, “we didn’t even kiss.” While my obsession with Heated Rivalry may be excessive, I know I am not alone. Get off the internet and gather with fellow fans (my people!) and blow off some collective angst by grinding to reworked dance tracks from the show’s soundtrack alongside “timeless gay anthems.” Jerseys and jocks encouraged. (The Get Down, 680 SE 6th, 8 pm, $30.51, more info, 21+) BB
Also worth it:
Joe Sacco, Clark College, more info
Journalist by training, graphic novelist by trade, Joe Sacco has been trying to unravel the complexities of war for approximately three decades.
Urban Bush Women, February 5-7, Newmark Theatre, more info
White Bird continues to bring unmissable dance performance to Portland with this opportunity to see Urban Bush Women perform their celebration of movement and activism, This Is Risk.
Friday, February 6
Emily Counts: Astral Bodies
Emily Counts' ceramic style is always a little otherworldly, reflecting on nature and the fragility of life through surreal sculptural busts, folkloric animal familiars, and curious wall pieces lit from within. She's also quite prolific, having installed solo shows at Nationale, Oregon Contemporary, and Seattle's studio e gallery and Museum of Museums over the last three years. Have you engaged with her work yet? If not, it's time to catch up. Most recently, Counts has explored themes of growth, decomposition, aging, and feminine power through sensory oddities and nostalgic features; expect more of that ultra-sensory exploration this time, but with a coven of five ceramic portraits of figures from Counts’ matrilineal heritage. (Pacific Northwest College of Art, 511 NW Broadway, Mon-Sat 10 am-4 pm Feb 5-March 21, FREE, more info, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Fundraiser for Minneapolis
The rent is due in Minneapolis, but with federal agents taking people away from their families for the crime of leaving the house, many are unable to go to work. Portland's Little Axe Records wants to help raise funds, which will be distributed through the Phillips Free Store, a mutual aid group that provides urgent rent relief to local residents. On Friday, the quaint and cozy shop on Northeast Sandy will provide homemade pork and shrimp wontons (vegan noodle option available), wine, bubbly water, and a short acoustic set from local experimental lo-fi artists Bob and Lila. Head out of the house, and help those who are afraid to. (Little Axe Records, 4142 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, more info, all ages) JEREMIAH HAYDEN
Dante’s 26th Anniversary ft. The Mummies / Nasalrod / Hopeless Jack
After their Portland Hall of Fame 25th anniversary shows last year featuring Satan’s Pilgrims and Guantanamo Baywatch, Dante’s needed another feral lineup for their 26th. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the surfy garage rockers in The Mummies make feral look domesticated. WE NEED MORE THEMED BANDS! Up The Locust! Up Unga Dunga! Anyways, Chairman and the Nasalrod gang are about to kick higher than the Sinferno dancers in the middle slot, with Hopeless Jack strumming us in the right direction as the opener. Don’t blow a gasket daddy-o, get down to the new sound at Dante’s swingin’ 26th! (Dante’s, 350 W Burnside, 9 pm, SOLD OUT, more info, 21+) NP
Saturday, February 7
Lone Wolves: Solo Sketch Comedy
[NOTE: Tonight's show has been canceled. Get your tickets for Feb 21, 27, and 28.] Sure, sticklers might call these short, one-person sketches “comedic monologues”—but anyone who has seen the Lone Wolves in action knows it’s much, much more. Think hilarious, deep-dive explorations into some of the wildest characters (or occasionally animals) you know, performed by some of Portland’s most gifted comedic actors, including Shelley McLendon, Jed Arkley, Paul Glazier, Lori Ferraro, Erin O’Regan, Loren Hoskins, Marshall Bradley, David Wester, and Ted Douglass. This is truly an “if ya know, ya KNOW” scenario, with some of the brightest talents the city has to offer and a practical guarantee of a laugh-filled evening devoted to the February subject du jour (AKA “love”), and top-notch characters you may never see again. Don’t miss out! (Siren Theater, 3913 N Mississippi, also Feb 21, 27, and 28, 8 pm, $18-$25, more info, all ages) WSH
Also worth it:
Dear Portland, Stelo, more info
Sharing the perspectives of Portlanders impacted by the housing shortage, Dear Portland compiles photographs and stories curated by advocacy organization Humans for Housing. The February 7 opening party serves up donuts and coffee.
The Secret Agent, February 7-8, Cinema 21, more info
Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent isn’t the spy flick that it sounds to be, but it made our movie critic Dom Sinacola's top films of the year. Following its four Oscar nominations, Cinema 21 offers two chances to catch it one more time on the big screen.
Sunday, February 8
Ascent and Little Birds
See some birds on things in support of actual, local birds with Antler & Talon's annual fundraiser show benefitting Bird Alliance of Oregon. There are two shows on view: Ascent features larger pieces from artists like Jennifer Parks, Sophy Tuttle, and Richard Ahnert. Little Birds features small triptychs from artists like Meg Adamson, Stephanie Brown, and Franki Crosby. What could be more pleasant? (Antler and Talon Galleries, 2714 NE Alberta, through Feb 22, FREE, more info, all ages) SS
The Portland Winter Light Festival
Piercing the ever-grey winter color palette, the annual Portland Winter Light Festival provides a mood-boosting reason to get out of the house and experience glowing art displays. With over 200 unique artist installations across the city (as far east as Parkrose and and as far south as Oaks Park) this year’s theme “All the Little Things” encourages us to take notice of the tiniest wonders. Use the festival map to plan a route across neighborhoods and see as many of these light-bright installations as possible throughout the weeklong festival. Don’t miss the Glow Bar downtown, a pop-up in the middle of it all with dazzling projections, sets by DJ collectives, collaborations with Tabor Dance and Portland Fusion Dance, drinks, and rotating food carts. (Various locations, evenings Feb 6-14, FREE, more info, all ages) BB
Also worth it:
Sumud, Cinema 21, more info
Director Jan Haaken, anesthesiologist Dr. Travis Meleen, and National Book Award winner Omar El Akkad will offer a Q&A session following this screening of Sumud, which tracks Dr. Meleen's medical volunteer work in Gaza.
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
