This week the cold rolled in to duet with Portland’s seasonally appropriate perma-rain. And while we want you to stay warm, we also want you soaking in these listen-worthy happenings in Portland’s active music scene. For instance, the rapper behind one of the summer’s bounciest tracks is about to headline the Thesis’ second to last showcase of 2023. A former Portlander singer’s “Magic” new single gave us the ultra-necessary heals. And though they went on sale today, tickets to Bad Bunny’s Portland stop on his Most Wanted Tour are as elusive as any sort of accountability or consequences for Ticketmaster. This is the great stuff going down Hear in Portland.
MUST SEE:
Upcoming local event featuring local artist(s).
The Thesis: Mal London
The second to last Thesis show of 2023 is coming up quick, and the headliner is none other than Portland-based singer, rapper, and producer Mal London, who’s been cooking up a lot of fresh sounds the last several months. Mal’s summer project with rapper JxJury, GLAM!, gave us one of the season’s bounciest tracks “Pleasantville.” And now he’s dropped yet another new genre-fluid single, “Pay No Mind,” which is an enchanting listen that feels over too soon. Also on the lineup, local rapper Bremer Baden (who’ll likely have his new song “On My Own” on his setlist), new-to-me R&B and soul singer Angelynn, and Oklahoma-raised rapper Johnny Polygon—whose appearance at the monthly showcase is part of his four-date Lil’ Tour. The Thesis co-founder and resident DJ Verbz (AKA Grant Stolle) typically follows his own mantra of “Never Miss the Thesis,” but the November installment will be a rare instance of Verbz not handling the 1s and 2s. In his place, guest DJ Aspen will kick off the night and keep the party seamlessly bumping. (Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington, Thurs Nov 2, 9 pm, $15-20, tickets here, 21+)
MUST LISTEN:
New release from a Portland-relevant artist.
“Magic,” Moorea Masa and the Mood
Former Portlander Moorea Masa and the Mood recently released a new song called “Magic” that is, well, magical. In a video posted to Instagram to promote the single, Moorea Masa collaborates and sings alongside sensual choreography performed by dancer and sex educator Che Che Luna, while both are filmed by the latter’s long-term (and polyamorous) partner Frankie Simone. In the post’s caption, the singer-songwriter explains that she wrote the song as an ode to her queer community. The soothing new track has major healing vibes, an uplifting message, and I could personally listen to Moorea’s smooth and velvety voice on loop for hours, as she poignantly sings: “So free, can’t begin to grasp it/ So they criticize what they don’t understand/ Wish they could shine so bright/ Trying to steal your light/ But don’t let them have it/ Deep inside, there’s a voice/ Whispering, beneath the noise/ Outside they’re shouting, so listen close/ No need to doubt it, this joy is yours.”
ADDED TO THE QUEUE:
Some upcoming music buzz to put on your radar.
Bad Bunny
Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny, AKA the King of Latin Trap, is coming to the Portland! Bad Bunny’s talent, charisma, and incredible live performances garnered him a recent spot hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live. However, while he performed at Coachella and a couple awards shows, he’s mostly taken a break from the stage this year. So we predict that his Most Wanted Tour, which kicks off in 2024, is going to be wild. The Portland stop is March 7, and tickets just went on sale today. On October 13, the artist released his new album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, which translates to “nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.” It’s loaded with a whopping 22 tracks, like sinister and seasonally appropriate track “Mr. October,” and clear album highlight “Monaco.” Given the fact that nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana is an entirely Spanish-language album, and Bad Bunny makes a point of performing in Spanish, it’s safe to say that his Portland show will be entirely en español. And whether they’re fluent, functional, or completely incompetent at Spanish, fans still obviously enjoy whatever Bad Bunny is rapping and singing about. But about those fans… the tour’s Ticketmaster sale required preregistration ahead of the ticket drop date, October 25, and while presale registration allegedly cuts back on bots and resale, it has also led to big shows like this essentially never releasing general sale tickets. So somewhat paradoxically, anyone who didn’t know about the presale will need to keep their eyes peeled for what’s available on Stubhub, etc. (Moda Center, 1 N Center, Thurs March 7, 8 pm, tickets on sale, all ages)
