MUSIC—Some years deserve to be bid farewell to in a deluge of whiskey and unfiltered cigarettes. Not 2014, though, y’all. This year, we recommend you gussy up and end the damn thing in class with Portland’s favorite bass-plunking jazz songstress, Esperanza Spalding, and the Oregon Symphony. DIRK VANDERHART
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Tues & Wed 7 pm, $35-125, all ages
BLAZERS—There was a time where this matchup would have elicited a disaffected shrug, but here in 2014, the Blazers taking on the Toronto Raptors is a must-watch. Maybe if we’re lucky, our flying inflatable truck will crash into their roller-blading inflatable mascot. Oh, and the basketball should be pretty fun to watch, too. BOBBY ROBERTS
Moda Center, 1 Center Ct, 7 pm, $27 & up, all ages