WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14

MUSIC—Though separated from genre-definers by a generation or two, Vikesh Kapoor carries the torch of working-class American folk music very well. His full-length debut, The Ballad of Willy Robbins, is the character study of a fallen construction worker, given fitting tribute by Kapoor's voice and—oh yeah—harmonica. MARJORIE SKINNER
w/Johanna Warren, Ora Cogan; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $8

COMEDY—Oh boy... errr, oh girl, oh girl! It's time for the annual All Jane Comedy Fest, five days of hilarious stand-up, improv, and podcasts. The all-lady fest is one of the best events of the year, full of excellent comedians like Karen Kilgariff, Page Hurwitz, and Ms. Pat, who are all guaranteed to give audiences mass hysteria of the laughing sort. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Various locations, Wed-Sun, $10-22 (fest pass $60), alljanecomedy.org for full schedule

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15

COMEDY—John Hodgman, of The Daily Show and The Areas of My Expertise, is bringing his new one-man comedy show, Vacationland, to town. He will discuss such topics as dad mustaches, the poisoning of small animals, and "how the people of various rural towns are probably planning to sacrifice you to their god." ERIK HENRIKSEN
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 8 pm, $25

MUSIC—Minnesota is really cold. How that has translated, again and again, into some of the most thoughtful hip-hop is still a mystery. Whatever the case, Minneapolis' seven-piece Doomtree collective blows into town like a frigid nor'easter tonight. By all means, attend. POS, Cecil Otter & Co. are the expert practitioners of rhymes forged by ice and pain. DIRK VANDERHART
w/Astronautalis, Sister Crayon; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $20-25, all ages

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

THEATER—From the team behind the wildly successful Road House: The Play! comes this remount of The Lost Boys—Live! I watched the movie, and wouldn't have thought it could work onstage. How do you show a vampire disintegrating in a bathtub of holy water? But I saw the play's last run (also co-starring Merc Editor Wm. Steven Humphrey), and it was glorious—treating all of the over-the-top bits with a hilariously lo-fi hand. ELINOR JONES Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, Fri-Sat, 8 pm, through Oct 31, $18

MUSIC—The lean, mean post-punk of Montreal quartet Ought twitches with tightly coiled nervousness, eschewing ornament and artifice in favor of a direct delivery, highlighted by Tim Darcy's confident croon. Their pogo-ready music is good for getting rid of any ants in your pants. NED LANNAMANN
Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, 9:30 pm, $10-12

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

GAMES—Now in its 10th year, the Portland Retro Gaming Expo offers just about everything for those into old-school games—a massive arcade of classic cabinets, vendors hawking long-lost copies of Clash at Demonhead, live music, film screenings, comedy, trivia, panels, cosplay... hell, even the world championship of Tetris. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Sat 10 am-midnight, Sun 10 am-5 pm, $16-32

MUSIC—The music of Nashville's Bully hearkens back to '90s grunge and the fuzzy pop of Veruca Salt, but there's much more going on here. Lead vocalist Alicia Bognanno's plaintive rasp brings an effervescent bounce to her brutally honest songs about the type of memories most people would just sooner avoid. Bully makes it very palatable. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
w/Heat, Dead Soft; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $12

PUMPKINS—The Killer Pumpkin Fest is all about pumpkin smashing, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin decorating, and pumpkin carving. Wait, I mean, most important: pumpkin beer! There's a dog costume contest, a kid costume contest, and an adult costume contest. Did I mention pumpkin smashing? What's not to love? SHELBY R. KING
Green Dragon, 928 SE 9th, 11 am-midnight, $5 donation, all ages

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18

COMEDY—With his amazing facial contortions, deadpan delivery, and confusing audience participation, Brent Weinbach's comedy is wonderfully absurd, and a welcome change of pace from the usual "LOL Portland, am I right?" jokes. Add the delightful Derek Sheen to the bill, and I hope you enjoy laughing, because you've got a superb evening of guaranteed chuckles. MEGAN BURBANK
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 8 pm, $13-15

BOOKS—With 19 books to her name covering everything from poetry to criticism to queer identity, and a sly sense of humor, Eileen Myles is a punk ruler of the literary and art worlds, a cult-favorite writer who's launched a thousand young feminist artists in her wake. Tonight, she celebrates the publication of number 20, I Must Be Living Twice. Pay tribute! MEGAN BURBANK
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 4 pm, FREE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

MUSIC—San Francisco's Deafheaven have reinvented black metal tropes to wield a shoegaze-metal hybrid that incorporates spacious, expansive, and—dare we say—beautiful sounds, while remaining as claustrophobic and annihilative as the best charred-to-the-bone metal out there. NED LANNAMANN
w/Tribulation; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8:30 pm, $16-18

FILM—So far, Denis Villeneuve's Sicario is the best movie of 2015—by so wide of a margin that it's not even funny. Phenomenally acted by Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro, and gorgeously shot by Roger Deakins, the drug thriller is brutal, horrifying, exhilarating—and mandatory viewing on the big screen. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Various Theaters, see Film Times for showtimes and locations

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

MUSIC—Atlanta-based Deerhunter is in Portland touring their seventh album, Fading Frontier. The new album has been called the band's "most complex yet accessible work to date." Frontman Bradford Cox will also be performing with his other band, Atlas Sound, as the opening act. SHELBY R. KING
Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8:30 pm, $20-23, all ages

MUSIC—Autumn is the perfect time to sip whiskey and sway to Daniel Romano's sweeping old-school country. His brand of twang, hard luck, and melancholy is perfect for idling away the evening in a state of heartfelt drunkenness. Go lift one in solidarity at this honky-tonk night. COURTNEY FERGUSON
w/Kacy & Clayton, Dylan Earl; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 8 pm, $12-14