FRIDAY, APRIL 1
Gazebos, Boyfriends, The Bedrooms
I could try to tell you what “whoa-pop” is, but it’s probably better if you hear Gazebos for yourself. The Seattle four-piece leavens their sugary pop hooks with quirk and murk, resulting in tantalizing and unpredictably infectious tunes that sound like the smart kids taking over the homecoming dance. NED LANNAMAN
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10
Road House: The Play!
This revival of Bad Reputation’s Road House: The Play! boils the ’80s trash classic down to its most potent elements, adds music and a lot of mockery, channeling the glistening majesty of Swayze to brilliant comedic effect. And it stars Portland’s fave funny people (including the Merc‘s own Wm. Steven Humphrey). BOBBY ROBERTS
Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, Fri-Sat 8 pm, through April 16, $18-22
SATURDAY, APRIL 2
Drag Me to Church
Drag shows are great in bars. But you know where those sequined, feathered lovelies really shine? In a church, natch! Drag Me to Church, a fundraiser for the Q Center, will feature outrageous performances from Ecstasy Inferno, Bolivia Carmichaels, Alma B Itches, and more from the Caravan of Glam, all under the watchful eye of God, who will be shouting, “Werk it, girl!” COURTNEY FERGUSON
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park, 7 pm, $5, all ages
Club Nitty Gritty Dance Party: DJ Action Slacks, DJ Wildman James
Sometimes your Saturday night is just sliding into a comfortable old dive, sipping an array of cheap, dirty beers that were considered fucking excellent back in the day, and listening to a bunch of music that still is. Tonight is that Saturday, and the Club Nitty Gritty Dance Party has the vintage R&B and soul all queued up. DIRK VANDERHART
Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick, 9 pm, $5
SUNDAY, APRIL 3
Dreckig, Copy, Amani
Portland’s music scene temporarily lost its center of gravity when Papi Fimbres and Shana Lindbeck sojourned to Germany last year. Now they’re home again, and the prolific musicians are unveiling Dreckig to Portland ears, the psych-trip-hop project they’ve been cultivating overseas. NED LANNAMANN
Rontoms, 600 E Burnside, 9 pm, FREE
Thief
Back in 1981, a clever, low-budget neo-noir slid into theaters. Starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, and Willie Nelson, it was about a thief, and it was called Thief, and it marked the feature debut of director Michael Mann—who’d go on to direct stone-cold classics like Heat, The Insider, and Collateral. The gripping, gorgeous Thief is also a classic, and you shouldn’t miss it. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Laurelhurst Theater, 2735 E Burnside, 8:45 pm, $4