Looking ahead into the next few weeks—despite the upcoming holiday—there are a bevy of parties to attend: A switch-themed fetish queer dance night headlined by Maarquii, a music video release for shoegaze cat-lovers Havania Whaal, and a Hollis and Chong the Nomad co-headlining show of Seattle-based producer / songwriter power. Start planning your outfits to party Hear in Portland!
MUST-SEE:Â
Can’t miss upcoming events.
Havania Whaal: “Blow Torch” Video Release Party
Shoegaze goth band Havania Whaal—made up of songwriting duo Noelle Magia and Paul Billy—have a new music video to share. And while it's for a five-year-old song, from their 2017 album Elaborate Minor Crisis, “Blow Torch” is a catchy, uptempo indie rock tune sure to vibe with the extra pump-up needs of fall. Here's the catch: You can't watch it just yet. For the music video, the group went DIY and built a miniature town for their cat to destroy, in the style of classic city-smashing monster movies. They plan to recreate the city set inside Holocene this Sunday so the audience can interact with it and even purchase pieces before the video's debut. Of course, the main prize is a live headliner set from Havania Whaal, along with Pool Boys, Lo Fives, and DJ Heathers. (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, Sun Nov 20, 8 pm, $10, tickets here, 21+)
Switch Dance Party w/ Maarquii
Not in the mood for competitive shopping this Black Friday weekend? There’s a much better way to enjoy the holiday weekend: a night of unapologetically queer partying, kink, dance, and performance—headlined by high femme triple-threat Maarquii! The multidisciplinary artist released a new single "Wowzers" at the end of August, so we're hoping this dance party leads to a peek at as-yet unreleased material. Getting to hear 2021's “U Know Who It Is” or highlights from C.A.B.O. are also high on our list. Joining her on this bill: Witch Prince (House of Ada), Diane Rott, and Sis-Tah Smokez. Fetish wear encouraged. (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, Sat Nov 26, 9 pm, $15, tickets here, 21+)
Nasalrod, Gaythiest
Punk-infused rock band Nasalrod will soon have a split LP with revered, jarring, and similarly eccentric Bay Area punks Victims Family—likely released on Dead Kennedys-famous SF indie label Alternative Tentacles. ("I'm not sure if that's 100 percent, but it's like 99.99 percent," Nasalrod frontman Jeffery Couch told the Merc.) The record won't actually be out until early 2023, but fans can hear the new material via an early December tour both bands will embark upon. Portlanders can check on Nasalrod even before that, thanks to the double headliner gig they're playing at the Lollipop space, with hardcore noise rock group Gaythiest, before heading down for a trio of shows in Petaluma, SF, and Sacramento. Audiences can also probably expect some gems from Nasalrod's 2017 Building Machines, which Mercury music critic Aris Hunter Wales alleged "will force you to reconsider the capabilities of guitar, bass, and drums." DJ Mottavator is on the 1s and 2s. Read about how the long-beloved Dig A Pony became Lollipop Shoppe here, here, and here. (Sat Nov 26, 9 pm, Lollipop Shoppe, 736 SE Grand, $10, tickets here, 21+)
ADDED TO THE QUEUE:Â
Some upcoming music buzz to put on your radar.
Hollis, Chong the Nomad
You may have caught Alda Agustiano’s moniker, Chong the Nomad, in the credits for “Lazy Susan,” the lead single from 2021 Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The producer brings her poppy, complex electronic tracks down to Portland next month, with fellow Seattleite and singer-songwriter Hollis Wong-Wear. Now going simply by Hollis, Wong-Wear is perhaps best known as the lead vocalist for R&B trio the Flavr Blue and a 2014 Grammy nomination for her work on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ The Heist. The co-headliners co-wrote and performed "Take Two" in the summer of 2020—and we can’t see a more likely outcome for the bill than the two performing it together. Hollis’ recent album Subliminal is a whole vibe—of sparkling and celestial gems like “Bloom Indigo.” We’re also hoping Hollis treats us to some Flavr Blue cuts, maybe "We Can Go Blind?" Just putting it out there. (Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside, Wed Dec 14, 8 pm, $15, tickets here, 21+)
