WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5
COMICS—Will Eisner was one of the most influential cartoonists ever to practice the form, and to honor his life and work, cities all over the world are celebrating “Will Eisner Week,” with workshops, readings, and other events. Portland’s in for a treat: Tonight, Eisner’s former editor Diana Schutz—of Dark Horse Comics—will go in-depth about Eisner’s 70-year career. AH
Art Institute of Portland, 1122 NW Davis, 7 pm, FREE
ARTS—Maybe the easiest way to go back to school is simply to take advantage of Reed Arts Week, the student-curated mini-festival, which has a “daemon” theme this year. Take advantage of visiting artists like Trisha Donnelly and Berlin’s Oliver Laric, plus there will be a masquerade ball, a local-music showcase, and more. MS
Reed College, 3202 SE Woodstock, Wed-Sun, see reed.edu/raw for details
THURSDAY, MARCH 6
FILM FEST—Now in its seventh consecutive year, the Portland Oregon Women’s Film Fest (POW) is all about the ladies. Over four days, the fest screens nearly 100 films of all stripes—animation, documentary, feature, and shorts—all directed by women. The reliably entertaining event culminates by honoring a special guest, Portland animator Joanna Priestley, with a collection of her work. CF
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Thurs-Sun, individual tickets $8-15, $60 fest pass, powfest.com for complete schedule; opening party at Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd, Thurs 9 pm
MUSIC—The surfy, shadowy sounds of La Luz aren’t just groovy—they’re downright enchanting. Don’t miss the go-go party, as the Seattle four-piece slinks, shimmies, and sways through desert-haze pop, beehive bop, and mirror-ball magic. NL
w/Heatwarmer, Lloyd and Michael; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $8-10
FRIDAY, MARCH 7
BEER & BANDS—The objectively GREATEST beer and band festival returns for the third terrific year. It’s the Malt Ball, and if you love sampling the BEST craft brews while listening to the BEST bands in town, this event cannot be beat. Genders, Night Mechanic, Summer Cannibals, the Woolen Men, Red Fang, and other fantastic groups are paired with delicious new brews from Widmer, Base Camp, Fort George, and many more! WSH
Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, Fri 7 pm-midnight, Sat 2-6 pm & 7:30 pm-midnight, $20-50, tickets at merctickets.com
BOOKS—Fantasy writers don’t get much bigger than Brandon Sanderson—the guy not only finished off the mega-popular Wheel of Time series but also won acclaim for the Mistborn series. His latest, Words of Radiance, is the second in a 10-book-long The Stormlight Archive. (Yeah. Fantasy authors have waaaay longer attention spans than you.) EH
Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton, 7 pm, FREE
SATURDAY, MARCH 8
SOCCER—After last year’s mind-blowing season—which fell just short of American soccer’s biggest game—the Timbers are back, kicking off the 2014 regular season tonight against the Philadelphia Union. Can they keep up the success or will they stumble? And will any of that help Providence Park not collapse from sheer, raucous ebullience? DVH
Providence Park, 1844 SW Morrison, 7:30 pm, $17-138
NO-PANTS MUSIC—Leave the pants at home—or, if you must, wear ’em tight—because it’s a Leslie & the LY’s power dance party. Leslie Hall is a shiny goofball, guaranteed to bring her special brand of thumpin’ dance music to a mini-version of the gay-tastic Blow Pony night. Prepare to pump everything you got. CF
w/Boone County Comedy, Dean & the Delilah’s; Branx, 320 SE 2nd, 9 pm, $7-10
SUNDAY, MARCH 9
SCIENCE—In 1980, PBS aired the first episode of Cosmos: A Personal Journey, Carl Sagan’s thrilling and powerful science series. Thirty-four years later, it’s still one of the best things that ever aired on TV. But science has also changed in those 34 years—so here’s a brand-new sequel, Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey, executive produced by Sagan’s widow, Ann Druyan, and hosted by the fantastic Neil deGrasse Tyson. It will probably be great. EH
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, 7 pm, FREE (also on your TV, on Fox, 8 pm, FREE, all ages)
EAR CANDY—Your pals at the Mercury and Mississippi Studios keep on giving, and for this month’s totally free Ear Candy show, we’re pulling out all the stops. Like a Villain (Holland Andrews) turns clarinet, loops, and voice into spellbinding alchemy, and Edna Vazquez’s sad, stunning mariachi songs guarantee spine tingles. NL
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, FREE
MONDAY, MARCH 10
GIRL POWER—The always nostalgically magical Re-Run Theater returns with “Girl Power”—a weird, wonderful look back at woman-centric kids’ entertainment. Tonight marvel to an episode of the classic ’80s cartoon Jem and the Holograms, Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, and a rarely seen live-action episode of Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter, and guest-starring the dreamboaty Leif Garrett. Squeeeeee! WSH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $8
MUSIC—JD Samson might be best known for her stint in Le Tigre, but if you’ve slept on her work with JD Samson & Men… well, quit it. Their new album, Labor, is political but fun; brainy but balls-out danceable. Or tits out. Or both! THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF IT! This show’s almost too good for a Monday. AH
w/Lavender Mirror, Glitterbang; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $12
TUESDAY, MARCH 11
FILM—UNDERESTIMATE JAMES FRANCO AT YOUR PERIL. The latest project from artist/writer/star of everything from Freaks and Geeks to Spring Breakers is My Own Private River—with the blessing of Gus Van Sant, Franco re-edited My Own Private Idaho using the film’s dailies and outtakes to create something altogether new. True, it might be terrible! But also true: Franco’s made wildly entertaining stuff out of less. EH
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9:30 pm, FREE
RIOT READING—Thanks to weird loopholes in Russia’s prison system, journalist Masha Gessen managed to correspond with the jailed members of Russia’s infamous punk-rock feminist collective, Pussy Riot. What followed was the first book anyone’s ever written on the group, Words Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot. Gessen, a citizen of both Russia and the United States, will present her remarkable, intimate portrait of the group. DCT
Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE