Stranger Things 2
Stranger Things 2 hits Netflix this weekend, so chances are good that your weekend plans, like mine, consist of (1) Stranger Things 2, and (2) eating and sleeping at some point, probably. Unlike the first season of Stranger Things—which quietly appeared on the streaming service, then grew into a cultural juggernaut—this season is arriving with fanfare and hype, all of it promising what worked the first time around: a weird, fun, ’80s-set series that mashes up horror, sci-fi, drama, and comedy. ERIK HENRIKSEN
All day, all night, your couch, Netflix (yes I’m still watching stop fucking asking me)
A$AP Mob
The sprawling hip-hop crew out of Harlem bring their acclaimed live show to the Theater of the Clouds for the Portland stop on their “Too Cozy” tour.
8 pm, Theater of the Clouds, $39-50
The Black Heart Procession, Sam Coomes, Dramady
There are times when sadness feels more like an unholy haunting than a mental slump, times when time itself, destroyer of love and manufacturer of regret, reveals itself as the real enemy. Those are not fun stretches, but such painful retrospection is necessary, and the Black Heart Procession has always understood that. Between 1998 and 2009, the San Diego band made six albums that map this melancholic zone, this land where we long for people and places that have become phantoms of the mind. Although it never made a bad or even halfway mediocre record, the Black Heart Procession earned a spot in the sadsack pantheon with its first three albums. Unassumingly titled 1, 2, and Three, they compose a devastating triptych of gothic Americana that evokes the kind of disconsolation that doesn’t end until every last tear has been wrung out. This is music for crying until your face hurts. Give yourself over to it. CHRIS STAMM
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15
Near Dark
Kathryn Bigelow’s second film, 1987’s Near Dark, is a weird, low-budget, slightly disjointed vampire western. If it didn’t feature a completely unhinged Bill Paxton, it might have only been remembered for the many shots of apocalyptic beauty Bigelow and cinematographer Adam Greenberg captured. But Bill Paxton is in this film, and while his recent (and way-too-soon) death might still sting, it’s almost impossible to watch him work and not feel joy. There is no catchphrase, no one-liner, no throwaway look that he doesn’t turn into pure gold. Which is basically what Paxton did all the time. BOBBY ROBERTS
9:30 pm, NW Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium
Jai Ho! 7th Annual Bollywood Thriller Dance Party
DJ Prashant presents the latest iteration of his Halloween-themed dance party, blending Bollywood excesses with bassy beats, costumes, choreography, and more.
10 pm, The Whiskey Bar, $7-10
Omni, Turtlenecked
Long ago, critics overused the word “angular” when writing about guitar-based rock bands, and now that word comes off as corny and clichéd when you try to use it to describe music. So let’s say just say this: Multi-task, the new album from Atlanta’s Omni, sounds like a Rubik’s cube taped to a T-square that’s glued to a geometry textbook… and go ahead and draw a scalene triangle around the whole thing for good measure. These dudes put out a really good debut in 2016, all wiry post-punk and breezy vibes. But Multi-task is a significant step up, sharpening the trio’s corners while also exploring some heavier, funkier grooves. If a band that sounds like the whirs and clicks of a machine dipped in dead-eyed cool and understated melody appeals to you, you must bring Omni into your life ASAP. BEN SALMON
9:30 pm, High Water Mark, $10-12
A Giant Dog
Austin-based glam-punk outfit A Giant Dog bring their invigorating live show to the Kelly’s Olympian stage for what’s sure to be a memorable stop on a tour supporting their new Merge Records-issued full-length, Toy.
9 pm, Kelly’s Olympian, $12
Simon Scott & Marcus Fischer, Dolphin Midwives, Indira Valey, F–K
S1 presents a night of collaborative performances, featuring music by Slowdive’s Simon Scott and Portland musician Marcus Fischer, along with a set from local experimental scene staples Dolphin Midwives and Indira Valey. The evening will be rounded out with a DJ set from F–K (Felisha Ledesma & Kevin Holden).
8:30 pm, S1, $10
Kwaktoberfest
Artisinal Imports returns to Bazi to once again offer up samples of world-renowned brews by Bosteels Brewery, including Kwak, Tripel Karmeliet, and DeuS—which you normally can’t get in any other form but 750mL Dom Perignon bottles. But for $15 bucks you get a 5-ounce pour of all three in a souvenir glass.
5 pm, Bazi Bierbrasserie
Kumoricon 2017
The return of Portland’s biggest celebration of anime, manga, and Japanese pop-culture, with panels, vendors, costume contests, and much more.
Oct 27-29, 8 am, Oregon Convention Center, $40-65
Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!