So who was at Turnstile, Amyl & The Sniffers, and Speed last Wednesday? Half the Mercury staff was there… it’s the kind of show that makes you never want to miss another show ever again. The lead dude in Sydney, Australia’s Speed was fucking strapped, looking like a kangaroo about to beat you down in the pit. Fellow Aussies Amyl & The Sniffers tore through their set consisting mostly of newer material (next time The Sniffers come through town, we need a solid early days set—I’m talking 2018 and before), making way for the main attraction: Turnstile. The band had stage presence and a sound all their own, mixing hardcore breakdowns with walls of shoegaze. The music was incredible, and all the members of all the bands were absolute smokeshows. Don’t think for a second that I didn’t clock Turnstile’s drummer wearing Rocawear Jeans. Huge ups to the Monqui Presents team for bringing this one through—more of that please!
And does everyone know what the name “Amyl & The Sniffers” is in reference to? It’s poppers, a legal drug the gays have been using for ages, allowing us to loosen our buttholes in preparation for anal sex. Straights have gotten wind of the many uses of poppers—including that of killing brain cells—and have appropriated it. Appropriation not dissimilar to straights extreme use of ketamine and fetish gear lately: It’s deviant and scary until straights get ahold of it, then it becomes thin and milquetoast.
Tuesday, October 14
Omni Gardens / Isaac Sherman / Britton Judd
For fans of Brian Eno, Suzanne Ciani, Patricia Wolf
Portland’s Steve Rosborough not only runs prolific ambient label Moon Glyph Records, he also shares his own music under the Omni Gardens moniker, it’s new age for the plant age. Rosborough has several albums in the garden, all of which bloom around field recordings and repetitive synth dalliances—the music carries with it a simple lushness, a fern frond unfurling into mountain pose. Similarly, the music of LA’s Isaac Sherman cascades forth in arpeggiated synthwork, albeit with a bit more drive than Omni Gardens. Portland-by-way-of-West Virginia composer Britton Judd opens the evening of meditative ambient reflections. (Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 pm, more info here, 21+)
Thursday, October 16
Intermission / Battlesex / Conspire
For fans of Casual Hex, Clock of Time, The Sissy Boys
There’s been a steady deluge of wall-of-sound post-punk moving west from Europe these last years that isn’t egg punk, nor is it chain punk. It’s smart yet primitive, addressing the horrors of 2025 that have been dogging the punks, the queers, and people of color for decades. San Diego’s Intermission and Portland’s Conspire lead this charge on the West Coast, pummeling us with their respective 2025 releases. Spokane expat's Battlesex pull up with a little more snarl, craze in their eyes, and foam at the corners of their mouth. Get angry, prowl the pit, do something about it. (Mother Foucault's Bookstore, 7 pm, more info here, 21+)
UPDATE: This show has been moved from The Six to Mother Foucault's Bookstore, American Spectrum and Body Double have also been added to the bill.
Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19
In Mulieribus: All Shall Be Well
For fans of Cappella Romana, Bulgarian State Television Female Choir, Holly Herndon
Something I was unaware of about Portland until recent years is that we have an exceptional choral music ecosystem, and In Mulieribus is a mover and a shaker in that world. All Shall Be Well is the all-femme ensemble’s season opener featuring works by living compositional legend Steve Reich, Sanskrit-inspired radiance by Gustav Holst, and a work by Carol Jones—for which the program is named after, centering the program’s message “that even in times of chaos and uncertainty, there is a deeper peace beneath the surface.” Experiencing divinity through song is sacred, and we have two opportunities to take part: Saturday, October 18 at 7 pm, and Sunday, October 19 at 4 pm in the not-often-used-for-this-purpose space, Ladd’s Addition’s St. Philip Neri Catholic Church. (St. Philip Neri, more info here, all ages)
Sunday, October 19
Big Bite / Nick Normal / Lazer Bullet
For fans of Dïat, Lumpy & the Dumpers, P.E.
Dormant for a minute now, Seattle/Portland band Big Bite has been releasing singles the last couple months, teasing a full length. Something far less cool that happened to the band is that their gear was stolen in SF after the first night of the tour they’re currently on. If you’re in the mood for ripper post-punk, and supporting the musicians that keep West Coast music scenes vibrant, this is the show for you this week. Portland rockers Nick Normal and Lazer Bullet tear up the Blackwater stage before Big Bite bites back. (Blackwater, 8 pm, more info here, 21+)
Related: Read our album review for Casual Hex’s new album, Zig Zag Lady Illusion II.
Insane Clown Posse
For fans of whooping cough, magnets, hatchets
I usually don’t write about sold out shows in MMP, but this is something special. The first taste I got of ICP was at Northgate Mall’s Silver Platter Records in Seattle when the band released their 1995 opus, Riddle Box. As a five-year-old, my mom rightly didn’t buy me the album, unknowingly saving me thousands in Faygo and face paint. Because I wasn’t raised a Juggalo (are nonbinary fans of ICP Juggalx’s?) I feel that I’ve missed out on foundational American contexts—shotgunning cans of Frothy Whoop Dub only gets you so far in the Clown Hierarchy. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, if you’re reading this, know that my clown makeup has become tear-streaked deciding between your sold out show and Stereolab’s. I hope it sweetens the sour knowing I will be in full clown regalia when Dots & Loops comes on. (Roseland Theater, 7 pm, more info here, all ages)
Also very worth it…
Club Alive! at ILY2 Too - Oct 14, more info here
Maria Chavez / Trigger Object / Xylyn Hathaway at Swan Dive - Oct 15, more info here
Jason D. Williams / The Supersuckers / Wayne Hancock at Mission Theater - Oct 15, more info here
Kassi Valazza / Jeffrey Silverstein at Mississippi Studios - Oct 16, more info here
Earthless / Minami Deutsch at Wonder Ballroom - Oct 18, more info here
JJJJJerome Ellis at The Old Church - Oct 19, more info here
Spaced / The Sissy Boys / Elephant Walk / War Hero / N.O. at High Limit Room - Oct 19, more info here
Stereolab / Bitch’ Bajas at Crystal Ballroom - Oct 19, more info here
Disiniblud / Patricia Wolf at Holocene - Oct 20, more info here
Portland Music News:
It seems like just yesterday seeing Erykah Badu at Moda Center for PDX Jazz 2025, now we've been blessed with the jazz festival's 2026 lineup! Between March 5-14, 2026, the city of Portland will be treated to performances by Mavis Staples, St. Vincent, Bill Frisell, SML, Tigran Hamasyan, Roger Eno, Isaiah Sharkey, Charlie Brown III, Shirley Nanette, Dreckig, and more. Keep your eyes on the Mercury's website for more PDX Jazz coverage.
