The reason Portland has such an expansive music ecosystem is not luck, it’s because a lot of hard working people are deeply passionate about music—live music specifically—and pour themselves into making live music accessible and fun. Don’t take that for granted, y’all! Without the support of the greater Portland community—going to shows, buying records and merch—these really beautiful scenes wouldn’t exist. Some food for thought to chew on while perusing the good, good music happenings going on in RIP City this week.
The Quadraphonnes present Moondog’s Sax Pax For A Sax
For fans of Sun Ra, Philip Glass, Alice Coltrane
I have personally never heard of any of Moondog’s work being presented in Portland and the Quadraphonnes, Portland’s all-women's saxophone quartet, are doing just that. They will be playing Moondog’s seminal album, Sax Pax For A Sax, in its entirety to the delight of all in attendance. The late Moondog, born in 1913, was a blind street musician in New York City from the late 1940’s onward. He often played and composed music for instruments he invented, adding further depth to his already outsider compositions. This will be a truly special, truly jazzy performance. (Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta, Fri March 7, 8 pm, $30+, tickets here, all ages)
Erykah Badu / DJ O.G. One
For fans of Ms. Lauryn Hill, André 3000, Sade
Ok, let’s try this again… The PDX Jazz Festival has been consistently pulling larger and larger acts every year since its inception in 2004, and this year’s offerings are no different. The apex event of the 2025 festival has to be Erykah Badu at Moda Center. Dubbed the Queen of Neo Soul, Badu has been uncompromising in her delivery of R&B inflected hip-hop since dropping her debut album, Baduizm, in 1997, and you better believe she still got somethin’ to say in 2025. To emphasize the weight of this singular appearance, Badu isn’t on tour, this is a one-off concert specifically curated by the heads at PDX Jazz for Portland, so don’t sleep. (Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct, Fri March 7, 8 pm, $95+, tickets here, all ages)
Trauma Unit / It’s You! It’s Me! And There’s Dancing! / Unga Dunga
For fans of Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), And And And, Hella
Trauma Unit, self-proclaimed “girl emo from the forested darkness,” are just that: droney, emotive noise out of Portland who, let’s face it, rock. Their Nerve EP from last year is chock full of angsty listening that makes you wanna drive around—windows down, music up. IDK about you, but I’m loving all the danceable punk that’s been popping off in Portland as of late, and leading that charge are It’s You! It’s Me! And There’s Dancing! This show is small in venue, large in energy—you’ll be forced to dance whether you want to or not. Opening the all-Portland bill is three piece, Unga Dunga, and it's their second show ever! I was lucky enough to catch their first show at a punk house a few weeks ago and it ripped. Keep your eyes on all three of these bands. (Alleyway, 2415 NE Alberta, Sat March 8, 8 pm, $5 at the door, 21+)
Fish Narc / Toner / Guitar
For fans of Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Alien Boy, Menu
Having released his new album, Frog Song, on Valentine’s Day 2025, Seattle’s Fish Narc is on tour and, lucky for us, stopping at Dante’s. Initially part of that emo rap thing that was happening a few years ago, Fish Narc, lucky for us, has switched gears a bit and is leaning more into guitar music that shares a deeper kinship with emo rather than rap. Toner, hailing from Oakland, is also touring behind his God’s Hammer EP from last year and will be bringing that noise-pop we’ve come to j’adore from likeminded Bay Area acts. The Portland opener is Guitar: dreamy and noisy and gungy, oh my! (Dante’s, 350 W Burnside, Sat March 8, 9 pm, $20, tickets here, 21+)
Pigeon Pit / Foot Ox
For fans of Best Friends Forever, Dyke Drama, (early) of Montreal
With all of the truly shitty shit happening in the world right now, it feels like we can all use a hit of that very specific dopamine only attainable by seeing live folk punk. Coming at us from right up the block, Olympia’s Pigeon Pit just released their jubilant new full length, Crazy Arms, immediately shouting, “Find what you love and do it!” on album opener, “Bad Advice.” The whole record is imbued with that energy, I’m guessing the show will be the same: exuding joy and hope and pain and struggle all in the direction of collective freedom. Powerful stuff! Portland’s Foot Ox is also on the bill, another band full of the ecstatic truth of lived, laughed, and loved experience. (Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Sun March 9, 8 pm, $15+, tickets here, all ages)
An Evening with The Handsome Family
For fans of Songs: Ohia, Nancy & Lee, Dougie Poole
I was introduced to the Handsome Family in my late teens when a band that included several of my best friends covered “Weightless Again,” and I haven’t looked back since. Good looking indeed, the wife-husband duo, the Handsome Family, are story tellers of the highest order. They couple the deep roots of ’90s alternative scenes with older, more traditional folk song structures, all dressed in the rugged denim of alt-country—Lana Del Ray could never. The night is being billed as “An Evening with The Handsome Family” and I believe will feature an extended set by the attractive brood. (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Tues March 11, 8 pm, $25, tickets here, 21+)
Also very worth it…
The Queers / The Last Responders at Hawthorne Theatre - March 7, SOLD OUT
Charts / Colin Jenkins / Dan Laurie & the Quarter System at Showdown Saloon - March 8, tickets here
Bitch / Skip the Needle / New Here at Alberta Abbey - March 8, tickets here
Alter de Fey / Deathcharge / Esses at Coffin Club - March 8, tickets here
Gaytheist album release show at Music Millenium - March 9, FREE—check out Ben Salmon's album review here
Twingle / Hannah Glavor / Frecks at Holocene - March 12, tickets here
Rich Halley 4 / Eden Holland Quartet at Turn! Turn! Turn! - March 12, tickets at the door
Portland Music News:
If you’re keen on a little road trip to the coast, the forever darlings at the Sou’wester are hosting their annual Sou’wester Arts Week from March 14-16. Live performances, installations, and studio tours abound if you’re willing to make the pilgrimage.
Not surprisingly, the extremely buzzy Autechre show, slated for October 7, sold out in minutes when tickets went on sale this past Friday—almost immediately, single tickets started showing up on StubHub for $200+. Realizing that bots and scalpers had bought up a bunch of the tickets, the good folks behind the event, Spend the Night and Holocene, scrubbed the tickets bought by bots and scalpers, re-releasing them to the public. Those tickets are long gone but there’s a moral to this story: if you’re a scalper… fucking stop! We don’t want you here, you are the landlords of ticketing. Kiss bees, kick rocks, etc.
Homie Fest is back, y’all, and looking so good! The FREE fest is at it again after a seven year hiatus and has announced their initial line-up that includes Ural Thomas, EMA, Puerta Negra, Non Binary GF, and Avola, with more acts TBA. The latest Homie Fest news is that they’ve found a home at the Central Eastside favorite, Swan Dive. More on this and all the other Portland-area summer festivals in a full fest feature soon!
Speaking of Central Eastside festivals, Lose Yr Mind Fest announced their dates for this year, going hard September 12-13.
Emil Amos announced yesterday that his Portland-ish band, Grails, will be embarking on their first West Coast run in six years this May. The Portland date will be hosted at Mississippi Studios on May 9 with the Cosmic Tones Research Trio opening.
