It’s a good week to live life a quarter-mile at a time. Get to the end of it (provided nobody fires off a bunch of fucking missiles like an asshole again) and you will be rewarded with sweaty ridiculousness in cinematic form. On the way, you’ll have opportunities to enjoy the laid-back, scruffy charms of Kyle Kinane, a hip-hop benefit and a stand-up comedy benefit for Planned Parenthood, the doo-wop fun of Hinds, and one of your last chances to catch the Blazers before they (hopefully) barnstorm the NBA playoffs. It’s a pretty busy weekโhit the links below and load your plate accordingly.
Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday
Monday, Apr 10
Jay Som, The Courtneys
Earlier this year, Vancouver-hailing jangle-pop trio the Courtneys became the first non-New Zealand act to release music on the nation’s storied Flying Nun Records label. Itโs a perfect home for the bandโs long-awaited sophomore album, The Courtneys II, which nods to the delightfully ramshackle pop that made the label a beacon for like-minded acts of the โ80s, while adding a layer of heartbreak and melancholy that lends driving emotional depth to the infectious sounds. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
9 pm, Doug Fir, $10-12
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Itโs the second to last game of the regular season against one of leagueโs top teams and the Blazers are fighting to extend their season into the playoffs. Assuming the Spurs donโt rest their starsโlike MVP-candidate Kawhi Leonardโthis should be a good one to go to. There just arenโt that many chances left to check out Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Portlandโs new star, the Jusuf โthe Bosnian Beastโ Nurkiฤ, so you should go anyway. DOUG BROWN
7 pm, Moda Center, $26-240, all ages
Revolution Comedy
Every second and fourth Wednesday, local stand-up comic Andie Main hosts a benefit showcase designed to assist progressive causes through the power of comedy. The lineup changes from show to show, but big laughs for a great cause are always guaranteed. Tonight’s show is a benefit for Planned Parenthood, with an opening music set from Brannon Rockwell-Charland before the stand-up sets by Curtis Cook, Marcus Coleman, Amanda Arnold, and Kirsten Kuppenbender.
7 pm, Curious Comedy Theater, $12-15, all ages
Mozart’s Requiem
Sitting back and allowing the Catholic Mass for the Dead to wash over you might not be a typical evening out, but in the hands of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and our hometown orchestra, prepare yourself for greatness. At the end of 1791, as he lay bedridden with horrific symptoms that would soon overtake him, the 35-year-old composer went balls out to commit as much of the ancient liturgical text as he could to his own sublime, eternal music. Tonight through Monday, four world-class vocal soloists join members of the Portland Symphonic Choir to bring this wondrous work to life, so whether you are a devout Catholic pondering the mysteries of Lent or an atheist just looking to escape Netflix for one night, this opportunity for profound self-reflection should not be dismissed lightly. Bonus: The program opens with Igor Stravinsky’s brilliantly intriguing Symphony in Three Movements. BRIAN HORAY
7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $23-105, all ages
Ryan Sollee
The frontman of the punk outfit Born Losers and local folk rock institution the Builders and the Butchers returns to Al’s Den for a weeklong residency featuring a range of special guests plucked from Portland’s local scene.
7 pm, Al’s Den, free
Siel Ju, Kevin Sampsell
Author and poet Siel Ju reads from Cake Time, her new novel-in-stories about a young female protagonist navigating her way through a series of unpredictable and messy situations. Ju will be joined in conversation by Kevin Sampsell, publisher of Future Tense Books and author of A Common Pornography.
7:30 pm, Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, free
6:45 pm, Cinema 21
Tuesday, Apr 11
Hinds, Twin Peaks, White Mystery
Hinds are from Spain, but their music transports me to Silver Lake. The all-women bandโs pleasant doo-wop melodies are perfect for soundtracking Tinder dates at fancy coffee shops or parties where at least one attendee owns Mac DeMarco vinyl. That might sound like a roast, but the music is self-aware and the fun they have playing together is infectious. Hindsโ warmth is enveloping, and without a speck of grime. EMMA BURKE
9:30 pm, Doug Fir, $18
Sound + Vision: Jessica Dennison + Jones, Robin Bacior
Local folk-rock and pop duo Jessica Dennison + Jones headline the April edition of the Mercury and Banana Stand Media’s Sound + Vision showcase in celebration of their Party Damage Records-issued self-titled debut. Portland-based singer/songwriter and Merc contributor Robin Bacior provides support.
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, free
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Orb
The newest Aussie sensation to invade American ears is King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, an explosive psych-pop juggernaut that combines Thee Oh Sees’ aggressively raw work ethic with the Flaming Lips’ visionary shape shifting. Fronting this malevolent maelstrom of sound is the charismatic Stu Mackenzie, whose caveman strums and snarls teeter constantly on the brink of chaos. CHRIS SUTTON
8 pm, Revolution Hall, $17-20, all ages
Gaelynn Lea, Matthew Frantz
The White Eagle presents an evening of experimental and ambient music with singer and Classically trained violinist Gaelynn Lea, the winner of NPR Musicโs 2016 Tiny Desk Contest.
8 pm, White Eagle, $10-12
Portland Books to Prisoners
Books provide a vital form of connection and self-empowerment for people in prisons. Spare a couple of hours packaging and mailing requested materials to incarcerated folks around the country at this weekly, drop-in event. EMILLY PRADO
5 pm, In Other Words, free
Kung Fu Theater: Invincible Armour
In 1977, while some were going back for their 15th viewing of the movie about the surfer kid in the bathrobe blowing up a giant gray beach ball, and other kids were drinking in shitkicker car chases fueled by bootleg beer, real connoisseurs of fine cinema were soaking up wall-to-wall kung fu fights between bearded badass masters in Invincible Armour, choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo Ping. You can revisit โ77 in a multitude of ways, but time traveling to the kung fu dimension via 35mm is a very rare gift. Donโt waste it. BOBBY ROBERTS
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9
Reading the Bible with Dan
Dan Weber and a slew of his funny friends bring his bible-reading podcast to life on the Helium stage.
8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $10
Timothy Zahn
Science fiction and fantasy writer Timothy Zahn reads from Thrawn, his new Star Wars novel chronicling the rise of one of the series most iconic villains in Grand Admiral Thrawn.
7 pm, Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, free
Wednesday, Apr 12
Planned Parenthood Hip-Hop Benefit
Itโs always a good time to donate to Planned Parenthood (100 percent of tonightโs ticket proceeds will be donated to the organization), but the deal is made even sweeter given an opportunity to see one of Portlandโs shiniest up-and-coming gems: Vytell. Vanessa Tello is a Mexican American emcee/singer from McMinnville and Los Angeles, and her breezy sound and sunshine-infused lyrics definitely reflect her roots. Nowadays the curly-haired artist is performing a bunch of new jams, and if you enjoy the super-chill sounds of Noname, or the flow of Eve, youโre probably going to vibe with Vytell. JENNI MOORE
9 pm, Kelly’s Olympian, $6
Whitney, Julie Byrne
Whitney is a low-key supergroup, formed around the creative nucleus of Julien Ehrlich, who drummed for Unknown Mortal Orchestra before joining guitarist Max Kakacek in indie darlings the Smith Westerns. The duo formed a songwriting partnership in the beginning of 2015, following the dissolution of that band. Whitney’s deep-seated love for classic pop is exemplified in โGolden Daysโโa song that warmly crackles out of the speakers like a time-traveling AM radio signal. Itโs one of those singles thatโs so wholly perfect, itโs indivisible by the sum of its componentsโlike a Pollock in song form. MORGAN TROPER
9 pm, Revolution Hall, $15-17, all ages
Everyday Cider Can Release Party
Portland-based electronic pop producer and singer/songwriter Natasha Kmeto headlines a release party for Cider Riot’s Everyday Cider Can.
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $5
Skull Diver, The Hugs, Space Shark
The Hugs have been occupying their own little corner of the Portland music scene, cranking out garage pop with an ear for arenas, and they keep getting better. MARK LORE
8:30 pm, Holocene, $6
Earthquake Hurricane
Powerhouse local comedy show Earthquake Hurricane returns, with Mercury-approved, dry-as-fuck stand-up and improviser Katie Nguyen co-hosting alongside beloved regulars Alex Falcone and Anthony Lopez, all in the show’s new Liquor Store digs. Now more than ever, we need comedy and liquor. Get โem both here! MEGAN BURBANK
7 pm, The Liquor Store
Gattaca
When it released in 1997, Andrew Niccolโs directorial debut was considered a slick sci-fi exercise, a mild tab of Phillip K. Dick-esque paranoia wrapped in high-gloss paper. A couple decades later, that hit has finally kicked in, taking the film to its always-deserved status as a modern sci-fi classic, one that might even have made Phil jealous.
1:55 pm, 9:55 pm, Academy Theater
Blossoms, Arkells
The Manchester-hailing quintet comprised of Tom Ogden, Charlie Salt, Josh Dewhurst, Joe Donovan, and Myles Kellock bring their indie pop and rock across the pond in support of their breakout self-titled debut.
9 pm, Doug Fir, $12-13
Thursday, Apr 13
Kyle Kinane
Kyle Kinaneโs beardy, sardonic yet cheerful stage presence is the cure for the grumps. Heโs one of those comedians who skates by on charm, telling jokes about everything from unforgivable drink orders to gout (yes, gout) and making it look easy. My tolerance for bro-adjacent stand-up is low, but I always make an exception for Kinaneโs laidback comedy wizardry. MEGAN BURBANK
8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $20-25
The Fate of the Furious
The eighth chapter in the greatest saga of our age, The Fate of the Furious is finally here! This time, the Fast FamilyโVin! Michelle Rodriguez! The Rock! Tyrese! Ludacris! Jason Statham! Kurt Russell!โface their greatest threat yet: super-hacker Cipher (Charlize Theron!), who not only seduces Vin but also has an army of robot cars. This film also features a car chase with a goddamn SUBMARINE, the Rock shouting, โI will beat you like a Cherokee drum!โ, and Dame Helen Mirren. These movies are fucking magical. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Dame Darcy
Dame Darcy’s Meat Cake Bible is straight-up intimidating. Each page is crammed with Darcyโs spindly gothic drawings of psychosomatic pregnant sisters and doomed love affairs ending in inevitable violence and even more inevitable hauntings. The exhilarating surrealism of โHungry is the Heartโ from 1999โabout a baby found in a swamp whose benefactor is crushed beneath a giant buttonโhas always stuck with me. Only with this collection did I realize this story was actually a collaboration with Alan Moore. Howโs THAT for history? SUZETTE SMITH
5 pm, Cosmic Monkey Comics, free, all ages
Homeshake
With guitar riffs that are the sonic equivalent of a stoned shrug, mopey just-woke-up vocals, and slackly funky beats, Homeshake’s songs glimmer with charm, despite these unassuming elements. DAVE SEGAL
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-14
Julie Buntin, Amanda Bullock
Julie Buntin reads from her debut novel, Marlena, about a friendship between two teenage girls and the tragic turn that leaves one dead, and the other haunted for decades. Buntin will be joined in conversation by Amanda Bullock, director of public programs at Literary Arts.
7:30 pm, Powell’s City of Books, free
Coheed and Cambria, The Deer Hunter
Sci-fi concept rockers Coheed & Cambria bring their emo-tinged progressive rock back to the Roseland for the Portland stop on their “Neverender Gaibsiv” tour.
8:30 pm, Roseland, $27.50-47.50, all ages
Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!