The 27 Best Concerts in Portland: November 7-20

THURS NOV 7

CRITIC’S PICK: Seefeel
You don’t listen to the music of Seefeel—you submerge yourself in it. Each release by the UK quartet—four full-lengths and a bunch of EPs—is constructed from the usual rock-group elements: guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and vocals. But from those pieces, the group bends and manipulates every sound with delicious indulgence, generating lush, balmy compositions that hang thickly in the air.

In Seefeel’s earliest incarnation, albums like 1993’s Quique and 1995’s Succour fell into an amorphous zone where shoegaze and the earliest blushes of EDM found common cause—the same place where groups like My Bloody Valentine and Curve were planting their flags. Led by core members Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock, Seefeel were, by contrast, much softer and lighter. (Clifford also makes wonderful electronic rackets on his own and in the duo Oto Hiax; Peacock works with the more dance-oriented outfit Scala.) Their immersive, foggy material brought in the influence of dub reggae, Brian Eno’s ambient compositions, and the sleek futurism of Tokyo’s “environmental music” movement.

After a 1996 album, (CH-VOX), recorded for Aphex Twin’s label, tensions within the group split Seefeel apart for the better part of a decade. But an invite to play an anniversary party for Warp Records and a reissue of Quique in ’07 got Clifford and Peacock speaking and collaborating again, bringing in a new rhythm section comprised of former Boredoms members Iida Kazuhisa and bassist Shigeru Ishihara to complete the picture.

The subsequent years have hardened Seefeel’s sound, as evidenced by their 2008 self-titled album. The drum tracks are rigid and spare, and the music surrounding them is glitchy and agitated. It’s a reflection, perhaps, of our anxious modern age, but one that still slots in well with the evolution of their aesthetic as individuals and as a group. (Thurs Nov 7, 9 pm, Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, $25; w/Patricia Wolf, Wild Card) ROBERT HAM

FRI NOV 8

Little Hurricane
With the weather growing colder and the sun going down earlier, now is the perfect time for discovering new music at home, especially when the artist in question—dirty blues band Little Hurricane—provides ideal background music for nocturnal snuggling on the couch. Their minimalist blues-rock has been the soundtrack of five Taco Bell commercials, which, as a cheap-burrito lover, almost makes me love the San Diego duo even more. The only thing better than a Friday night is one spent listening to Little Hurricane’s lo-fi sounds. Check out songs like “Haunted Heart,” “Sun Sets West,” and “Give ’Em Hell,” and prepare yourself for one mother of a staycation. (Fri Nov 8, 9 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside, $20-23) KATHERINE MORGAN

Mikal Cronin, Shannon Lay
Mikal Cronin possess the uncanny knack for penning effortless-sounding pop gems. On his fourth record, Seeker, he mines his self-introspection and the comeback from a bad case of writer’s block with convincing aplomb, conjuring Tom Petty melodies on the single “Show Me” with help from Ty Segall’s Freedom Band (of which he is a card-carrying member). There’s a lot of inferno-inspired writing coming out of California following last year’s devastating wildfires, and Seeker is no different, exploring ideas of rebirth from destruction. Cronin seems a gentle soul armed with the ability to pull wisdom from a chaotic world. (Fri Nov 8, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, $15-17) RYAN J. PRADO

SAT NOV 9

Yung Bae, Birocratic
Read our story on Yung Bae. (Sat Nov 9, 9 pm & Sun Nov 10, 7 pm, Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, Sat sold out, Sun $15-17)

Robert Forster
The last time Robert Forster was in the Northwest, it was as a member of the Go-Betweens, performing in Seattle in 2005 during what would become that venerable pop group’s final tour. (Forster’s longtime musical partner Grant McLennan suddenly passed away a year later.) Much has happened in Forster’s life since then, including a regular gig as a music critic, an impassioned memoir about his work with McLennan, and three fantastic solo albums. His most recent, Inferno, finds Forster in peak form, with a folk-pop backing band, ambling through his back pages and unblinkingly facing his waning years with grace. (Sat Nov 9, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, $22-25) ROBERT HAM

SUN NOV 10

Blitzen Trapper, The Parson Red Heads
The experimental folk-country monster pairing of Blitzen Trapper and the Parson Red Heads alone would make for a formidable evening at Revolution Hall, but tonight’s all-ages, fully seated show has a more philanthropic bent. The concert will benefit Do Good Multnomah, a local nonprofit working to assist veterans with housing by way of “relationship-building, one-on-one engagement, supportive services, and direct community participation.” Both bands are staples of Portland’s psych-oriented roots-rock scene and have transcended the city’s confines with their last several albums. Check them out and help a good cause at the same time. (Sun Nov 10, 7 pm, Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, all ages, $30) RYAN J. PRADO

MON NOV 11

June of 44, Belonging
June of 44 disbanded soon after perfecting their squirrelly amalgam of post-rock and post-hardcore on 1999’s Anahata. For listeners of a certain (suddenly somehow old) age, the band’s return will trigger flashbacks to a time when it was illegal to make a student film without at least one Tortoise song on its soundtrack, but June of 44’s unexpected reunion promises to be more than a nostalgia trip. They were always a little too restive and mercurial to settle into a groove, so even a pitch-perfect recreation of their glory days will be nervy enough to light up the now. (Mon Nov 11, 7:30 pm, Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, $22-25) CHRIS STAMM

WED NOV 13

Son Little
Son Little has been making musical alchemy ever since releasing his debut EP in 2014. But on his early work, including his 2015 self-titled debut, you can hear Little only beginning to refine his unique sound—a mix of soul, blues, and electronica—which he’d come close to perfecting on 2017’s brilliant sophomore album New Magic. For his new EP, Invisible, Little traveled to Paris’ famed Studios Ferber, and the six new songs show the multi-instrumentalist and singer still continuing to develop and experiment with his craft. Tonight’s show at the Old Church isn’t to be missed; this preacher’s son is sure to give a sanctified and transcendent performance. (Wed Nov 13, 8 pm, the Old Church, 1422 SW 11th, $20-25) SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

Bea Miller, Kah-Lo, Kennedi
Popping onto the scene as a 13-year-old X-Factor contestant with a jaw-dropping voice, Bea Miller is all grown up (at the age of 20) both physically and emotionally. Her voice has matured as well, with a full, husky, and soulful sound that drops into radio-ready dance club jams with little effort. But there’s depth in her lyrics as well, as exemplified by songs from her sophomore album Aurora, which showcase her deep moods about problematic relationships (“Burning Bridges”), slut-shaming (“S.L.U.T.”), and ultimately self-love (“Repercussions”). If you’re a complicated person with complicated feelings, Miller is on your team, stylishly and confidently pushing all the right emotional buttons. (Wed Nov 13, 8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, all ages, $18-75) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

THURS NOV 14

Summer Walker
Atlanta-born singer/songwriter Summer Walker has become R&B’s newest “It Girl” on the heels of her single “Girls Need Love” (along with a Drake remix), and her outstanding studio debut Over It. Vocally speaking, Walker’s appropriately titled project is basically flawless. There are obvious standouts, like “Playing Games” featuring Bryson Tiller, “Wasted,” and “Come Thru” which both samples and features Usher. Another notable release is an older cut, “Session 32,” which Walker sometimes likes to perform on acoustic guitar. And from the sounds of her live performances online, she tends to sound identical to the record. If you’re into the sex-positivity of Megan THEE Stallion and like well-seasoned R&B vocals riding on a trap beat (à la H.E.R. and Ella Mai), Summer Walker’s impeccable soul-singing is right up your alley. (Thurs Nov 14, 8:30 pm, Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, all ages, $35-39.50) JENNI MOORE

Hustle and Drone, Karma Rivera, Kileo
It’s been five years since Portland-based electro-pop band Hustle and Drone released its debut full-length album, Holyland. At one point, members Ryan Neighbors and Andy Black thought they’d made major progress on a follow-up effort, with 25 songs written over a two-year period. But when producer Sonny DiPerri heard them, his response—described by the band only as “tough love”—prompted the duo to scrap everything and start over from scratch. This time, their work turned into an actual album, What an Uproar, which finds Hustle and Drone exploring a very moody take on synth and beat-driven electro-pop. Upbeat but not cheerful, catchy but not effusive, What an Uproar is a collection of dark and danceable bummer-songs that befit our times. (Thurs Nov 14, 9 pm, Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, $7) BEN SALMON

Rodney Crowell, Joe Robinson
Among a particular school of songwriters, Rodney Crowell is country music royalty. His place in the Nashville firmament was secured by not only the run of number one singles he scored in 1988-89 (all from his album Diamonds & Dirt), but also his work with Emmylou Harris and lesser known masterpieces like “Voilà, an American Dream” and “Stars on the Water.” With that pedigree, Crowell should be headlining a much bigger venue than the Alberta Rose Theatre. But rather than gripe about that, let’s instead revel in the fact that we’ll get to experience his intimate songs in an appropriately intimate setting. (Thurs Nov 14, 8 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta, all ages, $35-55) ROBERT HAM

Death Valley Girls, Crocodiles, Kate Clover
Death Valley Girls creates fuzzed-out, overdriven, guitar-heavy rock ’n’ roll that owes just as much to riot grrrl pioneers like Bikini Kill as to proto-punk icons like the Stooges and Dead Boys. Formed in 2013 by guitarist Larry Schemel and frontwoman Bonnie Bloomgarden, the LA band has released only a few albums, including their 2014 Burger Records debut, Street Venom, but their new single, “Dream Cleaver,” released this August on Suicide Squeeze, might be their catchiest work yet, proving that their best material is still ahead of them. For proof of their proto-punk credentials, check out their 2018 music video for “Disaster (Is What We’re After),” starring a very bemused-looking Iggy Pop eating a hamburger. (Thurs Nov 14, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, $13-15) SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

FRI NOV 15

Brother Ali, Evidence
The beauty of hip-hop’s multifaceted evolution over the past couple of decades is that there’s something out there for everyone. If, for example, sing-song pop-hop or slurry Soundcloud rap isn’t your thing, you can dig into artists like Brother Ali and Evidence, two skilled MCs connected to respected indie hip-hop label Rhymesayers Entertainment. Ali is the better known of the two, thanks to a two-decade career built around his thoughtful, soft-spoken style and his social activism. His most recent album All the Beauty in This Whole Life is another banger in an incredibly consistent catalog. Evidence’s sound is more aggressive, both in its lyrical content and its beats. He came up with LA’s Dilated Peoples, one of the giants of the ’90s underground, but he ain’t falling off: His most recent album Weather or Not was one of the best releases of 2018, regardless of genre. (Fri Nov 15, 8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE Cesar E Chavez, all ages, $22-26) BEN SALMON

Amy Rigby
In my dream Coachella-style music festival, Amy Rigby would be the big headliner. She’s certainly got the talent and the tunes to command an audience of thousands. Just give a spin to her spotless 1996 debut album Diary of a Mod Housewife or her equally perfect 2018 release The Old Guys, records that are brimming with chiming power-pop tunes and Rigby’s arch yet sensitive worldview. As it is, Rigby will be bringing her inestimable skills to the much smaller confines of Turn! Turn! Turn! to perform some tunes and read from her recently published memoir Girl to City. (Fri Nov 15, 8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth, $10-12) ROBERT HAM

Sallie Ford, Weezy Ford, Mike Coykendall
Read our record review of Sugarcane by Weezy Ford. (Fri Nov 15, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, $20-24)

SAT NOV 16

Sea Caves, Lee and the Bees, Jame Doe
After being nearly finished writing and recording their latest record, founding Sea Caves member Shiloh Halsey fired himself as lead singer, and the group searched for someone new to front the band. Having recently reformed with singer Sydney Rohrs, at the helm, Portland dream-pop five-piece Sea Caves is set to release Across the Water, their follow-up to 2016’s easily likeable Bright Forest. Across the Water (out November 15) comes after two excellent singles, “Dart” and “Birds”—and the rest of the album is just as pleasant. The 10-track project embraces change in spite of the inevitable discomfort that typically accompanies it. (Sat Nov 16, 9 pm, Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, $10) JENNI MOORE

Ulthar, Tithe, Hungers
Oakland’s Ulthar are the musical equivalent of some ethereal being from an H.P. Lovecraft story; a grotesque sin against nature, dripping goo from its unreasonable amount of appendages and eyeballs, handily exposing mankind’s flaws with its ancient knowledge and biological superiority. Ulthar is scathing, ever dissonant, and, depending on which side of the creature you’re hearing, straight death metal, black metal, or even crust. And wouldn’t you know it, upon further research, their lyrical themes are Lovecraft-inspired as well. Sound, meet context. The band formed in 2014, releasing their first full-length Cosmovore last year. Seeing as how this monster is in the early gestation period, you can expect Ulthar to get even stranger and more dangerous. (Sat Nov 16, 9 pm, High Water Mark Lounge, 6800 NE MLK, $12) ARIS HUNTER WALES

SUN NOV 17

Devon Welsh, Sorry Girls
Devon Welsh’s voice is a little miracle, a consoling gift akin to dawn light streaming through a lover’s window or the smell of rain on hot concrete. It’s hard to describe how a voice like this echoes inside of the listener. It is a presence, not a force. And thank god. There is too much force in the world and not enough presence. There are too few subtle sharpenings of time and space, too few voices like Welsh’s, which seems more poured than pushed, something purified and released back into the world from which it came, where it will dirty itself once again. It is the sound of being alive inside a self that is inside something too huge to comprehend. (Sun Nov 17, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, $12-14) CHRIS STAMM

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The 56-year-old Preservation Hall Jazz Band embodies the best of New Orleans’ slightly sloshy French Quarter: the music. A cornerstone of the city’s jazz scene, Preservation Hall’s upbeat, brassy tunes sound plucked from a Frenchmen Street second line procession. So It Is (2017), the septet’s second album containing all-original melodies, infuses the band’s historic jazz tunes with Afro-Cuban beats, adding to Preservation Hall’s magical ability to transform melodies into a layered history of New Orleans. Now the prolific band is touring in support of their new record A Tuba to Cuba, out on November 29. Their recent main-stage set at Pickathon was worthy of all the standing ovations, and their upcoming show, while indoors, should be just as marvelous. (Sun Nov 17, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, all ages, $26-109) ALEX ZIELINSKI

Big Freedia, Low Cut Connie
New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia comes to Portland quite a bit. Most recently, Freedia played a wild, twerk-forward opening set at the Roseland while on her joint tour with fellow NOLA act Tank and the Bangas. Freedia is known for her high-energy live shows, and inviting a bunch of audience members on stage, where they can present their best twerking skills while Freedia hypes them up. Having toured with other contrasting acts like LCD Soundsystem and the Postal Service, Freedia’s current tour with roots rockers Low Cut Connie should come as no surprise. (Sun Nov 17, 8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, 128 N Russell, $25-28) JENNI MOORE

TUES NOV 19

Cher, Nile Rodgers and Chic
If you were wondering if Cher, now 73, is ever going to stop performing—she’s not. Cher is a goddamn juggernaut of energy, hits, and sass that will outlast the final cockroach crawling on Earth after climate change has burned the rest of us to a crisp. She will rise out of whatever ashes are left, surrounded by sequined flames, looking FABULOUS, and rocketing into the stratosphere singing, “Do you BELIEVE in life after love?” And as she and her gorgeous contralto voice soars, hurtling headlong into space, she’ll still be tweeting sweet shit-talk at Donald Trump, and plotting her fifth comeback (YES, FIFTH—LOOK IT THE FUCK UP) eventually landing in some galaxy far, far away, ready to entertain and delight every person, alien, or thing that is lucky enough to be in her glorious path—just as she has for the past 44 years. Nile Rodgers and Chic (“Le Freak,” “Good Times”) are fortunate enough to be sharing this bill (those lucky sons of bitches). (Tues Nov 19, 7:30 pm, Moda Center, 1 N Winning Way, all ages, $27-647) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Liturgy, Truck, U SCO
Like foie gras and Snickers and amusement parks, Liturgy songs are deeply satisfying until the second you’ve had enough, at which point you just want to bail and not think about having a body and brain anymore. This is not a knock on band mastermind Hunter Hunt-Hendrix’s boundary-nudging black metal. His compositions mess with the cloistered world of extreme music in rewarding ways, but they can be kind of a lot. Take this not as a warning but as a promise: Liturgy will push you past the line between too much and way too much, and you’ll definitely feel it in the morning. (Tues Nov 19, 9 pm, Twilight Cafe & Bar, 1420 SE Powell, $12) CHRIS STAMM

WED NOV 20

Julia Jacklin, Christian Lee Hutson
Anyone present at either of Julia Jacklin’s Pickathon performances this past summer (but especially her Treeline Stage set) are keenly aware of the Australian artist’s hypnotic stranglehold on timeless folk songwriting. Her 2019 sophomore record, Crushing, catapulted her into the echelon of Aussies/Kiwis apparently plotting to take over the singer/songwriter world (along with Courtney Barnett, Aldous Harding, and Stella Donnelly, to name a few). “Crushing” is a great descriptor for Jacklin’s easy-breezy pop tunes, too, like the driving, heavy-lidded “Head Alone” or the more raucous “Pressure to Party.” Give her a great welcome back to Oregon tonight in the cozy Aladdin. (Wed Nov 20, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, all ages, $18-22) RYAN J PRADO

Alessandro Cortini
Best known as the keyboard player in Nine Inch Nails and the frontman for electronic-alternative band SONOIO, Alessandro Cortini is coming to shake things up at Holocene. Strangely, Cortini’s solo artistry is almost unheard of, which makes describing why you should see this show harder than normal. Cortini’s an artist who cares about his craft; every note is calculated, but only you can determine how they are deciphered. Attending a Cortini show almost feels intimate, but he is a master of tone and bass, so even when you feel alone, it will warm your soul to know that you aren’t. Get out on the dance floor and get ready to have your mind blown. (Wed Nov 20, 8 pm, Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, $18-20) KATHERINE MORGAN

CRITIC’S PICK: Brittany Howard
Brittany Howard has more than proven herself as a leader in the retro-soul movement. After two critically acclaimed albums with roots-rock band Alabama Shakes (2012’s Boys & Girls and 2015’s Grammy-winning Sound & Color), singer/songwriter Brittany Howard dropped her solo studio debut Jaime in September. On this new album, Howard has full artistic control and pushes the envelope of soul music with an authentic, modern angle that doesn’t shy away from the vulnerable or political. The stunning record is a testament to Howard’s expert vocal control, and its songs reveal that she’s done her fair share of soul-searching—where do I even start? Lead single “History Repeats” was already exceptional, but the vintage-sounding “Stay High” has become one of my favorite (and most applicable) love songs of 2019. (Howard also recently released a gorgeous video of her performing a stripped-down, acoustic version of the song in a rural New Mexico setting, and it’s a master class in musicianship.) Other highlights include… the entire fucking thing, but especially “He Loves Me,” “Goat Head,” the weary “13th Century Metal,” and “Georgia.” As Howard explained during her recent performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, “Georgia” was written from “the perspective of being a little young Black gay girl having a crush on an older Black girl, and not knowing how to tell her, or what to say or how I was feeling.” The song starts with a sweetly sung chorus that repeats “I just want Georgia to notice me,” and then Howard opens each verse as if she’s addressing a letter to the titular character, crooning the familiar melody of “Georgia on My Mind” for just a moment. Howard’s careful and tender vocalizations beautifully express her feelings of uncertainty during the song’s climax: (“Is it unnatural?/Georgia, is it cool?/I wanna tell you that I love you”); but it’s the exquisite, mounting sound of organ keys and a swelling guitar solo that make the love confession song a full-blown masterpiece. From watching all the videos of her recent live sessions, it’s hard to determine whether Howard and her band sounds better live or recorded, but her upcoming gig at the Roseland will give Portlanders a chance to decide for themselves. (Wed Nov 20, 8 pm, Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th, all ages, $54.50-69.50, w/Georgia Anne Muldrow) JENNI MOORE