Jesus, it’s already mid-May! Time’s not linear but this year is just whizzing by! I hope everyone kissed their mammies, buried the hatchet, or were able to do something nice for themselves on Sunday! Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and birthdays are celebrations of life that—even if you don’t get on with your parents or dislike being the center of attention—carry with them a certain connective, nourishing energy that can should be harnessed as we continue roasting marshmallows over the fires of a million burning Teslas.
P.S. The Mercury will be relaunching our Spotify channel soon! Give it a follow and keep your eyes peeled for the official launch with tons of playlists updated on the daily!
P.P.S. Happy birthday to our very own Robert Ham—wish him many returns and check out some of his stellar writing!
Friday, May 16
Miscomings / Anthers / Sea Moss / Conspire
For fans of Melt-Banana, the Birthday Party, Dïat
Post-punk freak-out supreme show incoming! Seattle’s always been a hub for noisy, outsider tunes, and that’s a fact, Jack! Both Miscomings and Anthers are heading down from the Emerald City to shred—you’d be wise to catch them as soon as humanly possible. Anthers opened Help’s tour send-off show a few weeks back, and it was truly the best show I had seen in a long time. Local punk heart throbs, Sea Moss and Conspire fill our voids in the opening slots. Conspire opened for Alien Boy at their album release last week and tore it TF up! More people pulled up for their set than the middle band’s… just saying. (Swandive, 8:30 pm, 21+)
Saturday, May 17
Skream
For fans of Zomby, Objekt, Skee Mask
Introduced to Skream in my teens when a friend would listen to the Skream! album on repeat while smoking DMT, this show got me feeling real nostalgic. I don’t know a lot about the artist other than his music is a sinister mix of acid house, spaced out dub, and high concept beats. The London-based artist’s danceable tracks are wildly creative and always ahead of their time in terms of production and sonic aesthetic. I’ve personally never seen his name on a bill in Portland, so his appearances must be few and far between, in this neck of the woods, making this a special night. Along with delivering a clutch remix of Charli’s “Von Dutch” last year, he’s got a string of 2025 collab tracks that just might—if we’re lucky—signal a new full-length in the works. (Wonderlove, 9 pm, 21+)
Tuesday, May 20
Nils Frahm
For fans of George Gurdjieff, Hildur Guðnadóttir, A Winged Victory for the Sullen
The somber experimentalism of Nils Frahm’s works has been a relatable throughline in his music since before I saw him at Mississippi Studios in 2014. Living in Berlin during the height of Frahm’s popularity, his name was ubiquitous city-wide. He had recently moved his bonkers recording studio into the stunning Funkhaus (a former DDR radio headquarters) and had just scored Victoria—a feature-length film shot in one continuous take all over Berlin. Frahm’s presence was inescapable, not that anyone wanted to escape it. His Night EP, released last week, is for solo piano and the romantic contemplation that can overtake us all in the small hours between sunset and sunrise. An emotional night ahead for those in attendance to be sure. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 8 pm, all ages)
Wednesday, May 21
Alice Longyu Gao / Lor2mg / Barn Radio DJs
For fans of Flyana Boss, Alice Glass, Purity Ring
The unhinged hyperpop of Alice Longyu Gao can at times be wildly alienating, infectiously danceable, and blushingly sexual all on one track. The cartoonish worlds built by the Chinese-born multidisciplinary artist don’t just tell a story; they offer space to the first-time listener, cultish fan, and haters alike a space to experience art and gender expressions in a new way. The only difference between the three listeners is that Alice has big love for the first two and middle fingers for the last. The title of her 2023 full length might shed some light on the situation—Let’s Hope Heteros Fail, Learn and Retire. Witch house producer lor2mg opens along with the Barn Radio DJ’s. (Holocene, 9 pm, 21+)
Underworld
For fans of Cabaret Voltaire, the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy
The Welsh duo Underworld have been doing it since the late ’80s, and we should all be grateful to be alive at the same time as these electronic music chameleons. Starting out playing synth-pop as many in this scene did (see Ministry, Trent Reznor, etc.), Underworld have pushed the boundaries of so many genres: acid house, industrial, hard techno, ambient, and more. If you’re looking to get to the absolute roots of EDM, this is the one. The night’s gonna be dark, sweaty, and dancy—all 808s and sunshine, baby! (Crystal Ballroom, 8 pm, all ages)
Also very worth it…
Mia Koden / Carly Barton / Laylow at Process - May 16, 21+
Kia / Pip at Process - May 17, 21+
DjRum / Jon A.D. at Holocene - May 18, 21+
Lambrini Girls / Party Dozen at Mississippi Studios - May 18, SOLD OUT
Sasami / Mood Killer at Wonder Ballroom - May 20, all ages
Dreamer Isioma / ivri at Holocene - May 20, all ages
Dean Wareham / Jess Cornelius at Mississippi Studios - May 20, 21+
Gang of Four at Aladdin Theater - May 21, SOLD OUT
Portland Music News:
Hear In Portland doing its thing again! Check out the latest on local queens Esparanza Spaling, Karma Rivera, and more!
We had a grip of new album reviews come down the pipe last week, all of which are very worth a read/listen. elijah jamal asani’s ,,, as long as i long to memorise your sky ,,,, Alien Boy’s You Wanna Fade?, and Times Infinity’s Boy on Horse all prove Portland’s got somethin’ to say!
Do you perpetually miss the music trivia that used to be hosted at Turn! Turn! Turn! back in the day? ME TOO! Well it’s time to thank our lucky stars because of birthday boy Robert Ham—owner of one of Portland’s best record stores, Super-Electric Records—is kicking off a music trivia night the last Tuesday of every month starting May 27! Shoot SER an email to be added to their newsletter and stay in the loop: superelectricrecs@gmail.com
