God damn, god damn, god damn—as Beyoncé would say—there’s a lotta stellar music being made in Portland right now! Longtime Rip City psych-outs, Grails drop their new album May 16 while up-and-coming pop-punkers Alien Boy drop their new one May 9. And while that’s all well and good, whose idea was it for them to have their release parties on the same night?!! I for one will be hitting the Alien Boy show first, as it starts an hour earlier at Polaris, then mashing down to catch Emil Amos and co. astral projecting from the stage at Mississippi Studios. What a wild feeling it is to be alive during a time of beautiful, lush creativity while extreme corruption and violence is happening at all levels of government. As Queen B also says: “When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster.”
Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9
The Jesus Lizard / Gaytheist / Nasalrod
For fans of Big Black, June of 44, Unwound
Picture it: It’s July 2009, and Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party is poppin’ off. Earth and the Black Lips just finished their respective sets when suddenly—out of nowhere—the Jesus Lizard explode into “Puss” and it’s all over. Babies cry, dogs howl, grown men faint, and two of your best friends (both named Kyle) start continually throwing each other on top of the crowd to surf the endless sea of hands and elbows. NGL, if the Jesus Lizard bring even half the energy they brought then to the two shows they’re playing this week, I’ll be a happy girl. Hometown heroes Gaytheist and Nasalrod open one night each. Check out Ben Salmon's rundown of Nasalrod's epic new video for "The Maker." (Revolution Hall, 8 pm, 21+)
Friday, May 9
Alien Boy / Phony / Conspire
For fans of Girls, MSPaint, Casual Hex
May 9, 2025 is a massive day for Portland bands releasing hotly-anticipated new albums and hosting release parties for said albums. The first of which is Alien Boy and their new emo inflected pop-punk heater You Wanna Fade? I’m not gonna go into album details here because new Mercury writer Robert Husseman has an excellent You Wanna Fade? review up that y’all should absolutely peep. LA’s Phony are in town taking the middle spot with new favorites of mine Conspire opening the whole shindig. (Polaris Hall, 8 pm, all ages)
Grails / Cosmic Tones Research Trio
For fans of Holy Sons, Lilacs & Champagne, Om
The second of Portland’s two big May 9 release shows is for Miracle Music from long-running doom-psych outfit Grails. Celebrated for taking us to worlds unknown, Grails’ prolific leader Emil Amos digs on outsider noir soundscapes, astral meadow meanderings, and vintage rare groove—all of which are deeply embedded in the new effort that, chemically enhanced or not, will take you on a trip. Doomed-out funk for the end times? Right on! Perfectly coupled openers are the spiritual jazz galaxy-builders Cosmic Tones Research Trio who, rumor has it, have new music in the works. (Mississippi Studios, 9 pm, 21+)
Saturday, May 10
St. Johns Bizarre
For fans of community, culture, fun
It’s literally impossible to overstate the importance of community and access when talking about music and food—making the St. Johns Bizarre one of Portland’s most important cultural events of the year. This is SJB’s 16th annual hoopla and is the area’s unofficial kick off to summer festival season. The FREE event is so many things: a music festival, a craft fair, a parade, and a food-lovers oasis. Popping off in downtown St. Johns, this year’s festival is hosting music across four stages with a lineup as diverse as it is stacked. Favorites include Black Belt Eagle Scout featuring Lori Goldston, Shabazz Palaces, Rhododendron, Family Worship Center, and a Megalith showcase with William DeLee and the Patrick McCully/Grant Pierce Duo. Come hungry for music, food, and community; leave having experienced one of the most important cultural events Portland has to offer. (Downtown St. Johns, 10 am, all ages)
Monday, May 12
American Football (Live in Los Angeles)
For fans of American Football, documentaries, Clinton Street Theater
Ahead of their two shows later this month at Revolution Hall (night one is sold out, better jump on those night two tickets ASAP), the Portland film culture godheads at Clinton Street Theater are screening American Football’s 2025 concert film. I’ve been a big fan of the second wave emo-math-post-hardcore of American Football, Cap’n Jazz, and Joan of Arc for a long-ass time but have never been up on the lore surrounding the bands or their leader Mike Kinsella. I’m hoping the film—shot in LA last year at a concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band’s debut album—will serve as an insightful peek into that world as well as a tasty appetizer for the main events of American Football’s two shows at Rev. Hall and Cap’n Jazz’s July appearance at Project Pabst. (Clinton Street Theater, 7 pm, all ages)
Tuesday, May 13
Club Alive!
For fans of Nonbinary Girlfriend, Gossip, Macintosh Plus
Now more than ever we need to feel alive! Like really A-L-I-V-E! And in Portland there’s a club for that… Club Alive! Every iteration of the queer-dance-concert-DJ-sweaty-performance-love-extraveganza features a slew of fresh multidisciplinary performances each time it pops up. This particular CA! features Portland doll Bijoux Cone playing her first show back after a very exciting trip to Brazil (congrats girl!!!), the electro-pop alien Klypi, and Portland’s self-proclaimed glitch-witch of transgaze, Gwyniver. Club Alive! is intersectional excitement at every turn… put on a flashy fit and come cut some shapes! (Kelly’s Olympian, 8 pm, 21+)
Wednesday, May 14
Alison Moyet
For fans of Annie Lennox, Bronski Beat, Sade
Yazoo, or Yaz as they’re known on this side of the pond, were formed in Essex in 1981 by Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke, a founding member of Depeche Mode. Call them synth-pop, new romantics, new wave, or what have you… but Yaz rips because of the deep, rich timbre of Moyet’s voice. The band split in ’83 with Clarke going on to form Erasure and Moyet embarking on a very cool solo career—her first two albums under her own name, Alf and Raindancing, becoming alternative/queer canon. Through the grapevine I’ve heard that Moyet will be playing all her bangers along with throwing in some Yaz classics. AL, if you’re reading this can you please please please play “Only You??” (Crystal Ballroom, 8 pm, all ages)
Slowdive / Creepoid
For fans of Mojave 3, Lush, Pygmy Lush
I know I know I know, Eugene’s Cuthberth Amphitheater isn’t around the corner, but it is just down the road, and if anything’s gonna get me to brave the drum circles and patchouli, it’s Slowdive. Formed in 1989, the original shoegazers have five albums and five EPs under their belts, all of which are life-giving—even their recent albums are zero skips! That’s saying a lot for a band on the cutting edge of their genre and studio production for 36+ years. And seeing Rachel Goswell singing outdoors on a (hopefully) gorgeous spring evening is bucket list. Not familiar with Creepiod until they were announced as the show’s opener, I dig 'em. They’re firmly situated among the new guard of shoegaze bands coming up and this, I’m positive, is a dream come true for them. (Cuthbert Amphitheater, 6:30 pm, all ages)
Also very worth it…
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Moda Center - May 10, all ages
The Wooten Brothers at Revolution Hall - May 11, all ages
Speed / End of Dayz / Slime / Mad Choice at Stronger Skatepark - May 11, SOLD OUT
Eem Triplin / DC the Don / 76Tutes at Wonder Ballroom - May 13, all ages
Crush On You featuring Exciting!! Excellent!! at Turn! Turn! Turn! - May 14, 21+
The Fall of Troy / A Lot Like Birds / Origami Button / Rhododendron at Polaris Hall - May 14, SOLD OUT
Portland Music News:
The long running Sunday Sessions at Rontoms are coming to an end on May 25 with an all day celebration. The Builders and the Butchers, Bendre the Giant, Federale, Loch Lamond, and more will be there crooning to help us say goodbye to a Portland institution.
45th Parallel Universe is parting ways with one of their longtime homes, the Madeleine Parish, after racist allegations surfaced last week. The parish’s school expelled a Black student shortly after the student’s parents brought to light that their son was being called racial slurs by fellow students at the Parish. The family will be taking legal action against the parish and have called upon their community to stand with them in their fight against racism—a call 45th Parallel Universe has answered by no longer hosting events at the parish. This is what community looks like, this is what activism looks like. FUCK RACISM! BLACK LIVES MATTER!
