Welcome to the (re)launch of Mercury  Music Picks! Every week we’ll sift through the sea of concerts, gigs, and shows to let you know what’s really good in Portland. This week we’ve got three(!) local artists hosting album release gigs and the Queen of Neo Soul, Erykah Badu, pulling up to town. See you in the pit!
Wednesday, February 19
Amulets record release / Ann Annie / Omari Jazz
For Fans of William Basinski, Patricia Wolf, Laraaji
Randall Taylor, also known and celebrated as Amulets, is releasing what promises to be one of Portland’s best albums of 2025, Not Around But Through, and it’s not even FQ2 yet—out February 21 on one of Portland’s most beloved electronic music labels,  Beacon Sound. As Amulets, Taylor manipulates drones, found sound, and tape loops via analog machines, creating ethereal soundscapes, Taylor-made (yukyukyuk), for the vastness of emotion inside every one of us. Joining in on the release show sounds are two more Portland atmospheric creators, Ann Annie and Omari Jazz. (Show Bar, 1300 SE Stark, Wed Feb 19, 8 pm, $15, tickets here , 21+)
Friday, February 21
Erykah Badu / Sampa the Great
FFO Ms. Lauryn Hill, André 3000, Sudan Archives
The PDX Jazz Festival has been consistently pulling larger and larger acts every year since its inception in 2004, this year’s offerings are no different. The grooviest event of the 2025 festival has to be Erykah Badu and Sampa the Great at Moda Center. Dubbed the Queen of Neo Soul , Badu has been uncompromising in her delivery of R&B inflected hip-hop since her debut album, Baduizm , in 1997, and you better believe she still got somethin’ to say in 2025. To emphasize the weight of this very special appearance, Badu and Sampa aren’t on tour, this is a one-off concert that has been specifically curated by the heads at PD X Jazz for Portland... don’t sleep on this. (Moda Center, 1 N Center Court, Fri Feb 21, 8 pm, $90+, tickets here , all ages)
Dreckig EP release / Perimeters / Cosmos Dark
FFO Dark Chisme, Underpass, Angel Bat Dawid
Having grown up in Mexico and Germany respectively, Papi Fimbres and Shana Lindbeck formed the duo Dreckig in Portland, merging their shared love of cumbia and kraut music. Their new EP, Eclipse , was released into the world on February 14; and this week, the duo celebrate that release with a show at Lollipop Shoppe. Adding even more reason to make it your business to be there, local shoegaze and synth-pop trio Perimeters, along with Cosmos Dark, the magical solo project of Vaughn Kimmons (Brown Alice of Brown Calculus), and DJ Velvet Ginger will be keeping the tempo. (Lollipop Shoppe, 736 SE Grand, Fri Feb 21, 8:30 pm, Â $10-12, tickets here , 21+) JENNI MOORE
Saturday, February 22
Left On Read EP release / Spiderling / Screenshot / the Defense
FFO Braid, C-Clamp, Cap’n Jazz
Clearly, there’s a lot of truly excellent music being made in Portland these days and Left On Read is deeply ingrained in that output. Bomb in the Garden , the band’s brand new EP, is steeped in the midwest emo and 90’s slowcore that has seen a spike in listenership over the last few years. Don’t get it twisted, Left On Read have built a sound very much their own though also very much part of the constellation of young bands in the PNW with big musical ideas. Joining in on the EP release magic are several more bands from Portland we should all be keeping our eyes on: Spiderling, Screenshot, the Defense. (Ethos Music Center, 2 N Killingsworth, Sat Feb 22, 7 pm, $5-8, tickets here , all ages)
The Spits / GeneraciĂłn Suicida / Berzerk
FFO Big Boys, Wipers, Heterofobia
Seattle-by-way-of-Michigan punks, the Spits have been giving us fast paced, brat-punk for a long time, and, god willing, will continue to do so for many years to come. Real deal late '90s / Y2K-era punk coming through to destroy Portland doesn’t happen all the time, so get on it! Also on the bill and possibly even more exciting are Spanish-language, femme-fronted punks Generación Suicida who come to us from the wild streets of LA. Opening the show (and the pit) are longtime Portland punks, Berzerk. (Dante’s, 350 W Burnside, Sat Feb 22, 8 pm, $22, tickets here , 21+)
Tuesday, February 24
Deftones / the Mars Volta / Fleshwater
FFO KoĐŻn, At the Drive-In, Bleed
This lineup is stacked. Certainly most people into heavier music know about Deftones and can / do appreciate them but, for me personally, the fact that the Mars Volta are on this bill is huge. For at least one queer kid living in stiflingly conservative rural America, the Mars Volta gave license to wear tight clothing, be flamboyant, and get angry at the state of the world. I got a tattoo in the Mars Volta font when I was 18 for fuck’s sake, that’s how much they meant to me, but I digress. Opening this wild show is Fleshwater, the more grunge-leaning side project of Vein.fm. (Moda Center, 1 N Center Court, Tues Feb 25, 7 pm, $35.50+, tickets here , all ages)
Other Highlights:
Kendall Lujan / Matt Dorrien at Show Bar - Feb 21, tickets here
Whores. / Help at Mississippi Studios - Feb 21, tickets here
Bambii at Holocene - Feb 22, tickets here
Ty Segall / King Tuff at Alberta Abbey - Feb 25, SOLD OUT
Tyler, the Creator / Lil Yachty / Paris Texas at Moda Center - Feb 26, tickets here
Local Music News
• On Monday, just in case you missed it, PDX Live announced their August concert series at the Square! Peep the round-up we did (complete with ticket links) here .
• Portland, and the world, recently lost a real one. James 'Jonny Cat' Harbin—of local groups like the Triggers and the Chemicals—passed away in late January, after an eight-year battle with cancer, leaving a deep legacy of punk and DIY projects in his wake. Record label founder, member of many groups, zinester, and so much more, Jonny Cat will be sorely missed. [We have removed details of a public memorial due to capacity concerns. -eds] RIP Jonny Cat, a true Portland punk legend.
