We have officially entered the slow season, but we’re giving you a handful of local music-related things to enjoy. In this last Hear in Portland of 2025, we are recommending you check out the Thesis at its new location on Alberta, plus two new songs by Portland R&B artist Rachel Wong, and that you mark your calendars for Brandi Carlile’s visit to Moda Center in March. Merry Christmas, dear readers, and a Happy New Year!

MUST SEE: 

Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s).

The Thesis: Mat Randol, Isaiah Mostafa, Refugio, Angel, Verbz

For its 11-year anniversary show in December, local monthly hip-hop series The Thesis moved to its new home at Alberta Street Pub. Funny enough, the series’ new venue was actually one of the originally considered locations when the series decided to move on from the showroom at Kelly’s Olympian a couple years back, its home base for the first nine years. Now made more accessible and with improved parking options (at least relative to Kelly’s Olympian), the show now takes place in the heart of the Alberta Arts District. Thesis organizers Mac Smiff and resident DJ Verbz say they’d like the series to continue at Alberta Street Pub for the foreseeable future (where it makes a lot more sense, both culturally and historically, as one of the few Black-owned venues in town). Just from an event layout standpoint, The Thesis’ debut at Alberta Street Pub felt cozy and warm, and the logistics a little easier for the show goer—for instance, being able to grab a quick drink or use the gosh darn restroom without getting stuck on the other side of the venue, behind a crowd, and then missing the exact set from the artist you came to see is less likely to happen. Typically going down every first Thursday, the January installment will pop off the second week of January 8, due to the first Thursday of the month falling on New Year’s Day. This month will see rapper Mat Randol headlining, Bay area producer/singer/emcee Isaiah Mostafa pulling up, hip-hop and bedroom pop artist Refugio, singer-songwriter Angel, and as always, the irreplaceable resident Verbz on the 1s and 2s. (Alberta Street Pub, Thurs Jan 8, 8:30 pm, more info here, 21+)

MUST LISTEN: 

New release(s) from Portland-relevant artist(s).

“Need You,” and “Lit 4 The Holidays” by Rachel Wong 

As an old person, and a person with ADHD, it’s hard to keep up with all the new artists and all their new albums. That’s why I’m a big fan of the accessibility of a solid single, especially in today’s day and age, when a lot of us are pressed for time and our attention spans are thin. A catchy, well-done, irresistible single—whether part of a greater album or not—is the layperson’s access point to an artist. Portland-based pop and R&B singer-songwriter Rachel Wong reliably delivers songs that make us want to dance while simultaneously punching us right in the feels. Singing in dark vocal tones over ’90s- and early-2000s pop and R&B production, her latest single “Need You” is just one more example of her prowess for nostalgia-tinged soul. 

In late November, Wong also released a seasonally appropriate dance banger called “Lit 4 The Holidays” that also slaps! (And psst! I’m also fairly obsessed with Wong's other recent cinematic and uplifting pop singles, like the absurdly catchy “It’s Going My Way” and “Real Love,” which dropped earlier this fall.) 

ADDED TO THE QUEUE: 

Some upcoming music buzz to add to your radar.

Brandi Carlile / The Head and the Heart

Country-folk rock singer Brandi Carlile brings her electrifying live act to Moda Center on March 4. What better way to gear up for spring than to step out and hear Brandi Carlile’s stunningly powerful, yet beautifully restrained vocals live? From her beginnings scoring big with the Grey’s Anatomy placement of the “The Story,” to more recent hits like “Broken Horses,” Carlile has come a long way. The queer rock and roll icon is touring in support of her new album Returning to Myself. The artist recently went on NPR Tiny Desk for an update—having not performed on the platform in over a decade. Carlile opened with "A War with Time,” proceeding to deliver gorgeous renditions of tracks from her 2025 album. Here’s hoping she brings a similar band iteration along with several backup singers for her live versions of the poignant and gorgeous harmonies on “A Woman Oversees,” "Human,” and the album's title track. (Moda Center, Wed March 4, 7 pm, more info here, all ages)