WED JAN 2
Sun Ra Arkestra
Read our story on the Sun Ra Arkestra. (Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 8:30 pm, sold out)
THU JAN 3
Bryson Cone, Dan Dan, Seance Crasher
Read our review of Seance Crasherâs new album. (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $5)
FRI JAN 4
Barrett Martin Group
If you donât recognize the name Barrett Martin, thatâs probably because the Grammy-winning producer/composer/percussionist largely operates behind the scenes. Heâs collaborated with luminaries like Peter Buck and Screaming Trees and was the drummer for short-lived supergroup Mad Season. Martinâs new solo album Transcendence showcases his worldly love affair with music; âSwinginâ on a Moonbeamâ revels in swingy jazz flourishes and lots of brass, followed by âMiss Galactic Fantastic,â a future-funk banger thatâs ripe for sampling. Special guests such as Buck, Queens of the Stone Age guitarist David Catching, and legendary jazz keyboardist Wayne Horvitz optimize Martinâs wide visionary scope and make Transcendence a formidable instrumental work. (Jack London Revue, 529 SW 4th, 9 pm, $12) RYAN J. PRADO
Calpurnia
In the proud tradition of Macaulay Culkinâs Pizza Underground, Jason Schwartzmanâs Phantom Planet, Keanu Reevesâ Dogstar, Kevin Costnerâs Modern West, Russell Croweâs 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, Ryan Goslingâs Dead Manâs Bones, and Kevin Baconâs Bacon Brothers comes Calpurnia, an indie band that proclaims itself âa four-piece from Vancouver, Canada, led by Finn Wolfhard.â Finn Wolfhard, is, of course, both an excellent name for your Dungeons & Dragons character and the 15-year-old who plays Mike on Stranger Things. Calpurnia has one 23-minute EP, Scout, and its lo-fi songs are about what youâd expectâa little mopey, a little goofy, and sounding like a particularly accomplished performance at a junior high talent show. But if youâre expecting me to be mean about Calpurnia, ITâS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. While most 15-year-old boys are doing nothing but memorizing every single video on PornHub and griefing people in Destiny, hereâs Finn Wolfhard, seeing if fronting a band is as viable of a life choice as fighting demogorgons. Maybe it will be! Or maybe Finn Wolfhard will join the ranks of beloved R&B singer Bruce Willis, noted dad rocker David Duchovny, and DJ Elijah Wood. Hey, did you know Shaquille OâNeal once recorded a track with Biggie? And Eddie Murphy did a song with Michael Jackson? I mention these facts for no reason. (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8:30 pm, $25-27, all ages) ERIK HENRIKSEN
SAT JAN 5
BowieVision, SOS
Tribute bands are like chain restaurants. Youâre not going to have a transcendent experience by any means, but you wonât be in for any nasty surprises, either. So you could do worse than plan your evening around tonightâs two musical bloominâ onions: BowieVision and SOS, simulating David Bowie (and his many ch-ch-changes) and the Police, respectively. BowieVision probably arenât gonna dig out any jams from side two of âHeroesâ but thereâs something to be said for any band that can tackle both the fuzzed-out glam of the Ziggy era and the big-beat pop of Letâs Dance. SOS, meanwhile, will provide ersatz Sting yelps and Stewart Copeland drum fills. If this all sounds a little too Red Robin for ya, letâs be fair: Itâs the first week of January, and itâs pretty slim pickings here on the olâ live music calendar. (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $20) NED LANNAMANN
SUN JAN 6
The Space Lady, Barry Walker Jr.
From a strange planet a zillion lightyears away comes the Space Lady, whoâs been covering classic rock hits like âBorn to Be Wildâ on her Casio keyboard for decades. Instantly recognizable by her winged Viking helmet, the Space Lady busked in the â70s to support her kids and draft-dodging husband, but soon became beloved for her hauntingly beautiful synthesizer songs. This show has sold out of advance ticketsâbecause she rulesâbut there will be a limited number available at the door. (Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth, 8 pm, $12) CIARA DOLAN
THU JAN 10
Girl Fest 2019: Dirty Princess, Whateveryn, KayelaJ, Scooty, Cry Babe, Kween Kay$h
The annual all-ages concert hell-bent on showcasing the Pacific Northwestâs most promising young women in music is back on its bullshit, giving you something to be excited about in January. In years past, the event has featured artists like the Last Artful, Dodgr, Parisalexa, Blossom, and Haley Heynderickx. This yearâs festival will highlight three-piece rock outfit Dirty Princess, DJ/producer Whateveryn, Portland MC KayelaJ, R&B singer Scooty, indie-rock band Cry Babe, and DJ Kween Kay$h. (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8 pm, $10-12, all ages) JENNI MOORE
FRI JAN 11
Secret Drum Band, IE, Sunbathe
Lovers of rhythmic noise and sonic daring, take note: This three-band bill is for you. First up is Sunbathe, the downcast surf-pop project of Maggie Morris of Genders. Next comes IE, a five-piece from Minneapolis whose celestial electronic music is melodic, effervescent, hypnotic, and droning. Last but not least is Secret Drum Band, the local experimental percussion combo that features members of Explode into Colors, !!!, and Unwound, among others. Their sound is sometimes meditative, sometimes ecstatic, and always interesting. The groupâs most recent album, Dynamics, was one of the best to come out of Portland in 2017, and founder Lisa Schonbergâs most recent release is based around her recordings of ants and their habitats in the Brazilian Amazon. (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10-12) BEN SALMON
SAT JAN 12
Howlinâ Rain, Garcia Peoples, Pushy
Ethan Miller is a modern guitar hero. From his way-out-there work with Bay Area noise freaks Comets on Fire to his primitive punk thunder in Feral Ohms to his expansive psych with Heron Oblivion, the guy has been a leading light of the West Coast underground for many years. Howlinâ Rain is Millerâs outlet for swaggering classic rock jams, and the bandâs new album The Alligator Bride is an absolute blast, packed front to back with swampy blues, â70s vibes, eternal guitar solos, and head-to-toe denim. If youâve got a friend who says they like âreal rock ânâ rollâ (not that weak stuff from todayâs bands), bring âem to see Howlinâ Rain. And be sure to get there in time to see East Coast jam-band revivalists Garcia Peoples. (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12-15) BEN SALMON
Elton John
Read our story on Elton John. (Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct, 8 pm)
SAT JAN 12-MON JAN 14
The Oregon Symphony: Johannes Moser
These three concerts find two pleasing, flavorful overtures bookending two more strident, confrontational pieces, indicating the Oregon Symphonyâs dedication to showcasing modern composers while also keeping patrons happy with the established classics. Rossiniâs intoxicating overture for Tancrediâone of his loveliest operasâis an example of a pop smash circa 200 years ago, taking dead aim at your brainâs pleasure zone. Next, Zimmermannâs raucous ballet score for Music for the Suppers of King Ubu âsamplesâ famous classical works like Beethovenâs âPastoralâ Symphony, Bachâs Brandenberg Concerto No. 1, Wagnerâs âRide of the Valkyries,â and others, to disturbing and disorienting effect. Shostakovichâs Cello Concerto No. 1 is petulant, morose, and beautiful, requiring utmost concentration and physicality from its soloistâin this case, guest cellist Johannes Moser. But youâll be sent into the night with Rimsky-Korsakovâs Russian Easter Festival Overture ringing in your ears, a gorgeously orchestrated piece that goes from doleful to exuberant over the course of 15 crackerjack minutes. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $24-125, all ages) NED LANNAMANN
SUN JAN 13
Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu
Internationally renowned baritone Benjamin Appl teams up with keyboardist James Baillieu for an intimate, unplugged concert framed around songs about homeland and belonging. This multilingual program features more than a dozen composers, anchored by the always enchanting Franz Schubert and concluding with an exquisite collection of tunes from Norwegian marvel Edvard Grieg. If one of your resolutions for the new year happens to involve getting your heart melted and your mind blown by a pair of brilliant musicians of the highest caliber, this is undoubtedly the show for you. (PSUâs Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 SW Park, 3 pm, $30-55, all ages) BRIAN HORAY
Super Unison, Slow Mass, U Sco, Hair Puller
As the singer for Bay Area hardcore greats Punch, Meghan OâNeil shredded her throat over minute-long blasts that devoured breathing room. Super Unison gives OâNeil more time and texture with which to work. Her voice is still all sorts of torn and devastating, but on this yearâs Steve Albini-recorded Stella, itâs accompanied by a thorny post-hardcore sound that brings Heroin and Universal Order of Armageddon up to speed on the punk sceneâs love affair with shoegaze. The cumulative effect is beautiful and brutal, like a storm of fiery arrows falling from the sky. (High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK, 8:30 pm, $13) CHRIS STAMM
Sumac, Divide and Dissolve, Tashi Dorji
Sumac is the type of post-metal juggernaut that sets the heavy bar so ear-piercingly high, itâs a wonder theyâve even got ears left to work with. Forged from the lingering heaviness of Aaron Turnerâs post-Isis output, the bandâs third record, Love in Shadow, is a dynamic slice of noise-meets-sludge, replete with Turnerâs guttural yowls and contemplative guitar eruptions. Rounded out by drummer Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists) and bassist Brian Cook (Botch), the albumâs progressive onslaught is an impressive pastiche of metal subgenres that has the ability to enrage or enlighten you, depending on your mood. (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $13-15) RYAN J. PRADO
SUN JAN 13 & MON JAN 14
Thursday, Vein
Over its initial 15-year run, the New Jersey band Thursday evolved from screamo upstarts into sparkling post-hardcore adventurers who forever altered the DNA of emo. Thursday split up in 2011, but now theyâre back and playing some old favoritesâSundayâs Portland show will feature songs from the bandâs influential 2001 album Full Collapse, and Monday will focus on their big breakthrough, 2003âs War All the Time. If that sounds like a lot of looking backward to you, donât worry: Opening band Vein, a mathy metalcore band from Boston, put out one of the most brutal (and best) punk albums of 2018, Errorzone. (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 8:30 pm, sold out) BEN SALMON
MON JAN 14
Nao
Naoâs newest studio album, Saturnâa follow-up to her 2016 debut For All We Knowâsolidifies the British soul singerâs brand of funk-infused, space-themed neo-soul. And although Iâm not wetting my pants over it as much as her last record, Saturn is still exceedingly groovy and highly enjoyable. There are only two other musicians featured on the project: fellow British soul singer Kwabs (âSaturnâ) and Top Dawg R&B artist SiR (âMake It Out Aliveâ). A major standout is the title track, which uses the planet Saturn as a metaphor for a tumultuous and intense romance, with Nao singing, âI love the way you open my heart/I feel you around me like Venus and Mars/So baby, baby, baby, baby/Please stay and navigate to me.â On âOrbit,â Naoâs vocals are given the high-pitched Chipmunk treatment, which only intensifies the naturally occurring helium qualities of her voice. âGabriel,â âYellow of the Sun,â and lead single âAnother Lifetimeâ are also super solid, and the chorus to âDonât Changeâ is giving me subtle Motown vibes. No matter what kind of song sheâs singing, Naoâs unusual voice is her secret weapon. The last time she came to Portlandâs Wonder Ballroom she sounded just as effervescent as she does on record, and nailed renditions of âGirlfriend,â âHappy,â and the hit single âBad Blood.â If that last bubbly, joyful performance was any indicator, her upcoming show will be another to savor. (Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8 pm, $30-35, all ages) JENNI MOORE
TUES JAN 15
Remember Sports, Pllush
The jittery pop-punk of Remember Sports is alive with the feeling of being young and terrified, of pinwheeling through the few fleeting years during which the worldâs joy and sadness are refracted by the forcefields of raw friendship and new love, all that feeling merging into a mystifying swirl. On their third LP, Slow Buzz, the quartet formerly known as Sports explore the dark edges of that post-collegiate realm and find a whole lot of hurt. It is sharp hurt, fresh hurt that hasnât faded into regret or nostalgia yet. It is hurt that is very much alive. (Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth Ct, 8 pm, $10-12, all ages) CHRIS STAMM