Black Panther
Did you know: Sunday is usually the slowest day at the weekend box office. That means Sunday is your best chance to bear witness to the wondrousness of Wakanda in all its afrofuturist glory on Black Panther’s record-breaking juggernaut of an opening weekend. Let Jenni Moore tell it: “Marvel movies get a bad rap for their cheesy dialogue, disjointed plots, and truly absurd, CGI-crowded battle scenes. But you never know when they’ll drop a gem. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is one huuuge gem, and comes closer to achieving truth and realness in its story than any Marvel film has before. Fully embracing its Blackness, the film smartly toes the line between history and fantasy.”
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
The Music of John Williams
John Williams has composed some of the most famous scores in cinematic history, making him as much a pop star as a world-renowned conductor and composer. Hell, he’d probably reached that mark by the time he completed the score for Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1981. While Williams is most famous for the ubiquitous theme for the Star Wars films (the saving-grace for episodes I-III), the 86-year-old composer has been Steven Spielberg’s right-hand man since the director made his debut with 1974’s The Sugarland Express. Williams is responsible for the theme from Jaws—you know, those two ominous notes that play in your head every time you dip your toe in the ocean—as well as the Indiana Jones franchise and the beautiful, haunting, less grandiose score for Schindler’s List. Over the past two years, the Oregon Symphony has performed the scores for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, so they’re primed and ready to bring more of Williams’ oeuvre to life onstage. MARK LORE
7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $23-110, all ages
The Pariahs, Wes Guy
After rocking the Thesis recently with his band the Pariahs, rapper Wes Guy is dropping a five-track R&B EP called Love Junky this week. “The ideology of love being a drug stems from a rough patch in my relationship two years ago,” Guy explains in a press release, “where I wanted to escape, but I was so hooked by the past highs (memories) that I couldn’t fathom the current state of low points.” Opening track “Love Drug” captures this perfectly, with emotive, guitar-driven production and lyrics about a relationship crashing alongside lines like, “She always keeps me high, though/She makes me lose my mind, though.” There’s also the ballad “When We Lay,” featuring vocals from Mai Mae of Fringe Class, and closing track “Azul Skies,” which focuses on the love of life and self-love rather than romance. Wes Guy raps throughout the project, but it’s the smooth, easy-on-the-ears vibe of this EP that makes it reminiscent of soul. JENNI MOORE
9 pm, Jack London Revue, $10
Murderbait, Sweeping Exits
Sweeping Exits’ Glitter & Blood is unlike any album you’ve heard before. Frontwoman Mira Glitterhound is the mind behind the expansive, 16-track rock opera, narrating stories of murder, love, revenge, and queer vampires—imagine if Anne Rice wrote an erotic thriller about the Vampire Lestat’s goth band. Glitterhound playfully jumps from genre to genre, but each song is meticulously crafted, with traces of Bowie glam on “The Palace,” while “Lady Death” is more reminiscent of a wispy Carpenters song, and “The Queen’s Ball” sounds like doo-wop surf-rock. Glitter and Blood is an album made to be experienced live—fog machine, fake blood, glitter, and all. CAMERON CROWELL
8 pm, Star Theater, $6
Matt Dorrien, Lorain, Rainwater
Portland singer/songwriter Matt Dorrien (FKA Snowblind Traveler) headlines the latest installment of Sunday Sessions ahead of his new Mama Bird Recordings-issued full-length, In the Key of Grey.
8 pm, Rontoms, free
Rocketship, Bad Guys, Andrew Kaffer & the Stuffed Shirts
“I Love You Like the Way I Used to Do,” the first track on indie band Rocketship’s 1996 debut A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, is the perfect archetype of the twee, jangly pop song: It’s got a simple melody, hastily strummed guitar, and endearingly innocent lyrics that hint at a darker subtext. Rocketship emerged from northern California in the early ’90s, the heyday of bands like Heavenly, Tiger Trap, and Beat Happening. They were certainly influenced by those other twee groups, but these days, it’s Rocketship doing the influencing; listen to A Certain Smile and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s first album, and you’ll hear the resemblance. Tonight, Rocketship’s Dusty Reske and Ellen Osborn will play Kelly’s Olympian, nearly a quarter-century since releasing that debut. ISABEL LYNDON
9 pm, Kelly’s Olympian, $7
Langhorne Slim, Twain
The beloved Pennsylvania-hailing singer/songwriter and troubadour brings his joyful blend of Americana, roots, and folk back to his occasional hometown for an intimate show supporting his latest full-length, Lost at Last Volume 1.
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $20-25
Plastic Cactus, Scrivener, Nick Normal, Collate
An evening of sun-drenched psych and surf rock with this up-and-coming local trio.
8pm, Pop Tavern, $5
Regina Carter – Ella: Accentuate the Positive
Virtuoso jazz violinist Regina Carter brings her tribute to Ella Fitzgerald to the Revolution Hall stage. Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan lend their support. Part of the 2018 PDX Jazz Festival.
7:30 pm, Revolution Hall, $29-59, all ages
Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Hey, look. A movie about Portland and fluoride.
4:35 pm & 9:35 pm, Academy Theater, $3-4
Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!