MUSIC—Sufjan Stevens’ latest, Carrie & Lowell, is a heavy, gentle exposition of the artist’s childhood. Quite literally—the title is a pairing of his mom and stepdad’s names. It’s spellbinding enough through a pair of headphones; in the flesh, it might just make you weep. MARJORIE SKINNER
w/Helado Negro; Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 8 pm, $40, all ages
FILM—The trailers for Melissa McCarthy’s latest, Spy, aren’t selling the movie very well. The ads are like “Melissa ride scooter, fall down go boom.” But the movie is actually like “Melissa makes Jason Statham look like a goddamn punk.” Action sequences aren’t the only things going boom—your expectations of what a Melissa McCarthy movie can be get blowed up pretty good, too. BOBBY ROBERTS
Various Theaters, see portlandmercury.com/movietimes