THURSDAY, MARCH 29

TRIANGLE PEEPS — It's hard to go wrong with YACHT! The electro dance-rock band and belief system known as YACHT brings every platinum-haired, gender androgynous, genuinely cool person down to the dance floor. Sweaty conversations about magick ensue. SS
w/Onuinu, Key Losers; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $11

BACK TO BACK—Back Fence PDX comes out swinging this week, with two consecutive nights featuring an all-star group of past storytellers (Adam Arnold, Beth Lisick, Arthur Bradford, and more). Tonight they dish on the theme "Be Careful What You Wish For," and tomorrow it's "Just Can't Get over It." MS
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Thurs & Fri, 7:30 pm, $12-15, backfencepdx.com for details

FRIDAY, MARCH 30

POW—Portland's overrun with comedians these days, but reliable showcases are hard to come by. Here's one for that short list: Action Comics is a new monthly showcase that kicks off this week with Kristen Levine, Shane Torres, and Christian Ricketts—three names worth knowing in the local comedy scene. AH
Action/Adventure Theatre, 1050 SE Clinton, 9 pm, $5

DON'T SHOOT THE MENZINGER—Pennsylvanian power-chord punkers the Menzingers will put giddy smiles on an all-ages crowd, so you'll definitely want to be there to shout along with the new Epitaph Records signees. Fun fact: The Menzingers are from Scranton. I hear Dwight Schrute's a big fan. CG
w/Cheap Girls, the Sidekicks, Ninjas with Syringes; Backspace, 115 NW 5th, 7:30 pm, $10-12, all ages

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

TED-TASTIC—Interested in what Portland innovators have on their minds? Swing by Concordia University's independently organized TED event, featuring 18 local speakers—including mayoral candidate Jefferson Smith and author Cheryl Strayed—aiming to educate, inspire and connect creative minds. This year's theme: "Becoming Extraordinary." AZ
Concordia University, 2811 NE Holman, 8 am-6 pm, $22.50-42.50

GET WILD—If you love your pop synthy and groovy, give the Wild Ones a listen. Adorably bubbly beats, sweet vocals, and bouncing synths make this up-and-coming Portland band a must on your "cheer-up" iTunes playlist. (You've got one of those, right?) WSH
w/Pure Bathing Culture, My Body; Backspace, 115 NW 5th, 9 pm, $10, all ages

SUNDAY, APRIL 1

WHY YOU HITTING YOURSELF?—The Blazers have lost their last two games to the Timberwolves, defeats made extra painful due to how Oregonian the T-Wolves are: Kevin Love, Luke Ridnour, Martell Webster, and head coach Rick Adelman. It's like when your college-age brother comes home only to immediately wedgie you into oblivion. At some point, it's time to wedgie back. BR
Rose Garden, 1 Center Court, 6 pm, $15-170

ETTA ET AL.—Get your Etta on with a tribute show for the fabulous Etta James at the Alberta Rose. The blues queen's classic melodies will be covered by Duffy Bishop, Lisa Mann, and other notable Portland vocalists, backed by the DK Stewart Sextet. The show benefits Candye Kane and also features a silent auction. CG
Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta, 6 pm, $20

MONDAY, APRIL 2

REDEMPTION—Every once in a while, an action movie comes along that injects a welcome jolt of adrenalin into the genre. The fantastic Indonesian flick The Raid: Redemption is just such a movie: totally exhilarating, awesomely intense, and boasting some of the most impressive action scenes I've ever seen. Go. EH
Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, $6-9, see Movie Times for showtimes

EAT IT UP—I learned something! The sweaty kitchen at Clyde Common, the fancy-yet-casual downtown restaurant, is a haven for punk rockers. And, lo, here comes Slabtown with the Clyde Common Showcase, featuring bands that feature all those service industry workers. Come for bands like Defect Defect, Autistic Youth, Atrocity Exhibition, Whales, and Pale Horse, stay for the pinball and cheap alcohol. DCT
Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th, 9 pm, $3

TUESDAY, APRIL 3

BRITISH INVASION—The near endless flow of garage rock streaming into our culture is showing little signs of slowing. Lucky is the band, then, that manages to distinguish itself, as the Cribs have, amongst its contemporaries, proving with Belly of the Brazen Bull they're still worth the transatlantic airfare. MS
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8 pm, $14-15

JCVD—The Hollywood Theatre continues their B-Movie Bingo series—in which audience members use special bingo cards to spot as many B-movie clichés as they can—with Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1993 classic Hard Target! Oh, and it's directed by John Woo. OH! And it costars Wilford Motherfucking Brimley. EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4

SHREDDERS—Fans of Rodrigo y Gabriela have seen the duo perform their hybrid Latin-jazz-metal armed with only their classical guitars, but tonight they'll shred with a 13-piece Cuban orchestra—appropriately named C.U.B.A.—backing them up, playing songs from their invigorating new Area 52 album. NL
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 8 pm, $35-50, all ages

BLUE PERIOD—The prolific and endlessly inventive Christopher Moore returns with Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art—a comedy/mystery that imagines an alternate history in which artist Vincent Van Gogh was murdered, all part of a vast conspiracy involving the color blue. AH
Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm, $26.99 (includes copy of book)