PDX Pop Now!
PDX Pop Now!—Portland’s only three-day, all-ages music festival—returns to AudioCinema under the Hawthorne Bridge this weekend. There’ll be two outdoor stages, a street fair, a record fair, food carts, a beer garden, and the time-honored tradition of Rigksetball—a 32-band basketball tournament where the hoop’s attached to a tour van. With over 40 bands, the lineup’s like a buffet of local music—there’s something for everybody to enjoy, from the abstract sound collages of Amenta Abioto to the dreamy folk of Jessica Dennison + Jones to MAARQUII’s experimental hip-hop. And the best part? It’s free! You read that right—you can enjoy some of the best music the city has to offer for zero dollars. Celebrate our local scene and one of the volunteer-run organizations making it great with three days of free, all-ages music at this year’s PDX Pop Now! CIARA DOLAN
Jul 21-23, 6 pm Fri, noon Sat-Sun, AudioCinema, free, all ages
Dunkirk
Depending on who you ask, you’ll get wildly different reactions to the films of Christopher Nolan: Are Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight profound cinematic artworks, or overrated, self-serious misfires? Regardless, just about everybody agrees on a couple of things: Nolan combines sound and image to create powerfully visceral experiences, and his films are always worth seeing big, loud, and in a theater full of people. His new WWII drama, Dunkirk, stars Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, and Mark Rylance—and the only place to see it on 70mm, the prestige format Nolan shot it on, is at the Hollywood Theatre. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Hollywood Theatre, see Movie Times for showtimes, $15
Mic Capes, Rasheed Jamal, Glenn Waco, Luke Tailor, Drae Slapz
The Fixin’ To’s monthly hip-hop showcase NorthWord welcomes Portland’s talented hip-hop collective The Resistance, which includes Mic Capes, Rasheed Jamal and Glenn Waco. Waco recently moved back home to Portland after leaving town in 2015 for a short-lived residence in California, so this will be a fun reunion show of sorts. Sacramento’s Luke Tailor will also perform, and DJ Drae Slapz will be spinning throughout the night. JENNI MOORE
8:30 pm, The Fixin’ To, $7
Portugal. The Man, The Last Artful, Dodgr
Nobody could’ve predicted the musical shape-shifting of Portland’s Portugal. The Man. For those with lingering doubts about the group’s multifaceted pop, they dropped their latest, Woodstock, last month, to dizzying response. With the incendiary single “Feel It Still,” the band ratchets up the contemporary pop dial, folding in danceable bangers and heavily produced, harmonic radio-rock. Vocalist/guitarist John Gourley’s helium vocals sit well with the updated style, and his line “I’m a rebel just for kicks now/Let me kick it like it’s 1986 now” is practically a classic already. The self-proclaimed Lords of Portland are typically on the road for most of the year, playing large venues and huge festivals. This week they’re giving Portland two welcome-home parties: One intimate evening at the Doug Fir, and another at Edgefield. RYAN J. PRADO
9 pm, Doug Fir, $25, all ages
Nick Delffs, Haley Heynderickx, Clarke & the Himselfs
The Death Songs and Shaky Hands frontman takes to the Mississippi Studios’ stage in support of his dynamic soul- and folk-rooted solo album, Redefine. Portland-based singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx and Boise’s Clarke & the Himselfs provide support. Read our review of Nick Delffs’ new album, Redesign.
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12
Original Practice Shakespeare Festival
Shakespeare, as it was originally performed: scrolls in hand, very little rehearsing beforehand, rotating roles, and audience involvement. It’s a blast. Friday marks the start of OPSF’s 9-day WIL Fest, where they’ll be performing Bill’s stuff at Willamette Park (SW), Irving Park (NE), and then, in early August, Laurelhurst Park (SE). Plays include The Tempest, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, The Merry Wives, Macbeth, Richard III, and more. DOUG BROWN
Various Locations, Visit opsfest.org for a complete list of plays and parks.
Plucky Maidens Vintage Fest
An easy, breezy afternoon of “junking under the trees,” with dozens of antique and vintage vendors offering great deals on classic merchandise among the sounds of live music and the grub from local food trucks.
noon, Oaks Amusement Park, $7-12
Airport, Azul Toga, Marion Walker
Local dream pop quartet Airport have long been one of Portland’s underrated gems. Catch them tonight when they take their starry-eyed sounds to the Know stage to celebrate the release of their latest full-length, Slow Decline of an Evening Herald.
8 pm, The Know, $7
Joshua Radin, Rachael Yamagata, Brandon Jenner
A trio of acclaimed singer/songwriters descend on the Wonder Ballroom stage for the Portland stop on their SiriusXM sponsored “The Coffee House Live Tour.”
8 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $25-28
Farnell Newton & the Othership Connection
The local jazz, soul, and gospel staple and his backing band make things funky at Fernhill Park as part of Portland Parks and Recreation’s Concerts in the Park series.
6:30 pm, Fernhill Park, free
Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!