THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Renowned choreographer Trey McIntyre has
wowed critics and audiences with his contemporary, inventive departures
from classical ballet. The Trey McIntyre Project’s new work
(serious), commissioned by White Bird, will be performed along
with pieces set to music by Peter, Paul, and Mary and the Beatles. This
is way more thrilling than your average ballet. KP
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Thurs & Fri 7:30 pm,
$20-50
Portland’s biggest problem? Not enough Madonna
cover bands! Happily, that problem is resolved tonight at Madonnathon
(benefiting In Other Words bookstore), wherein a pantsload of local
acts (including CJ and the Dolls, Mike Pardew, Felina’s Arrow, and
more) perform songs by her Madgesty. Plus you can participate in a
Madonna costume contest! (Where can I get one of them pointy bras?)
WSH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7 pm, $8, all ages
Sugar daddies: Need one? Are one? Date and Dash is a speed-dating event for creepy, 35- to 45-year-old “financially
stable” men to find a special 21- to 33-year-old “woman to spoil
and to treat like the princess she is.” Not exactly a modern,
feminist take on romance, but these economic times are tough on some
and not on others, so why not balance it out a bit? KP
Mint/820, 816 N Russell, 8:30 pm, $35 for gentlemen, $1 for
ladies
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Mic-spitting emcee Braille spends the
majority of the year sharing his spiritual rhymes the world over, and
tonight he celebrates the release of CloudNineteen, a
brand-new collaboration with producer S1. Vursatyl from Lifesavas will
be hosting, Ohmega Watts and Rev. Shines will be on the decks, and just
about every hiphop personality in town will be making an appearance.
EAC
w/DJ FlipFlop, Sapient, Terminill, Andy B, Ragen Fykes,
Lightheaded, Theory Hazit, & more; Berbati’s Pan, 10 SW 3rd, 9 pm,
$8-10, all ages
We know how much you love the
effortlessly catchy indie rock of French Kicks, but don’t overlook the
openers. Absolutely do not miss the heartbreakingly excellent songs of
A.A. Bondy, or the sun-drenched California classic vibe of the Broken
West. Tonight won’t have a single dull moment. NL
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12
Hey, Vern! After an inexcusable absence
of 11 years, Ernest P. Worrell is finally back with his
latest adventure, The Importance of Being Earnest!
Details are scant, but the rumor is that this time around, Ernest finds
himself in Victorian England for a sidesplitting comedy of manners! Oh,
Ernest! What hijinks will you get into this time?! EH
Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 NW 11th, 445-3700, Tues-Sun 7:30
pm (plus Sun 2 pm), through March 29, $28.50-65
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Mardi Gras was a few short days ago, but it’s
never too late for Carnaval! In Rio, they do religious holidays so
very, very right: sexy costumes, sexy dancing, sexy music. Carnaval
Brasileiro brings all this crazy heat to our Portland winter, so don’t
even think about being a wallflower—you’re not going to be able
to keep still for one hot minute. NL
w/Grupo Saveiro, Lions of Batucada; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W
Burnside, 9 pm, $20-25
Rose City Rollers’ move to “more intimate” digs at
Oaks Park has been scientifically shown to increase your chance of
getting hit in the face with a hot racer’s blood, sweat, or sequins by
137 percent. Do not miss this golden opportunity! SM
Guns N Rollers vs. High Rollers, the Hangar at Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, 5:45 pm, $12
Now is the perfect time for a clam
chowder challenge. The weather’s cool enough to enjoy the New
England specialty and the cooks are grumpy enough to want to kill each
other. Judged by local “celebrities”—including yours
truly—it’s the perfect opportunity to drink beer, slurp chowdah,
and while away another day before spring. PAC
Fifth Quadrant, 3901B N Williams, noon-6 pm, $10 donated to Locks
of Love, all ages
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
Congratulations, Dirty Mittens, you are
three years old! No better way to celebrate your third year of
delectable pop than a totally free show with another of Portland’s
finest indie outfits, the only-holy-in-name Church. Be sure to buy the
band a round, but not too much; after all, they’re only three. EAC
Rontoms, 600 E Burnside, 9 pm, FREE
This weekend, businesses, studios, and
residences fill their homes with art and then invite you to snoop the
work of more than 100 local artists. Just, you know, stay out of the
medicine cabinets. AH
between Hawthorne & Powell, from SE 9th to SE 41st, Sat-Sun
10 am-5 pm, FREE, seportlandartwalk.com for more
info
Tonight vocally blessed
singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright brings her soaring pipes and
romantic woes to the Doug Fir for a night of torchy ballads from last
year’s aptly titled I Know You’re Married but I’ve Got Feelings
Too. MV
w/Rebecca Gates; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12-14
MONDAY, MARCH 2
A collaboration between musicians Sam
“Squeak E. Clean” Spiegel and Ze “DJ Zegon” Gonzales, N.A.S.A.‘s
debut, The Spirit of Apollo, snagged guest spots from the likes
of Tom Waits, Karen O, Fatlip, M.I.A., and David Byrne. It’s easy to
see why: N.A.S.A.’s blend of hiphop, funk, and rock is smart,
inventive, and even makes me want to dance. (And I never dance.)
EH
w/Copy, DJ Hostile Tapeover; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9 pm,
$8
A brainy French flick about a white teacher’s
relationship with his classroom of ethnically diverse students,
The Class is challenging, complex, and way less like
Dangerous Minds than it sounds. AH
Fox Tower 10, 846 SW Park,
TUESDAY, MARCH 3
Daniyal Mueenuddin reads
from In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, his collection of linked
stories describing the lives of an aging Pakistani feudal landowner and
his extended family. Rich, illuminating, and beautifully told, this is
book is as powerful as they come. MV
Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE
Between his bands (Swans, the Angels of Light)
and his taste (Devendra Banhart and Akron/Family are just two acts who
made their name on his Young God Records), Michael Gira has probably
caught your ear once or twice. See the legend solo, along with another
protégé, Larkin Grimm. MS
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $13
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
The Mercury teams up once again
with the Bus Project to launch Brewhaha 2009. Steve Novick emcees as
Portland’s young politicos try to decide which of the final four will
survive the upcoming state budget cuts. Health care? Education? The
Ducks? Naaah… MD
Backspace, 115 NW 5th, 7 pm, FREE, all ages
Wicked is coming to town, the
Broadway musical that explores the backstory between Glinda the Good
Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. Sure its critical reception has
been wobbly, but un-stuff your shirt—the people have spoken, and
they’re bewitched (ouch). MS
Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, 7:30 pm, $51.50 & up, through
April 5
I know it was a long, cold winter without
Mississippi Studios, but try not to hold a grudge: After months of
renovations, the venerable North Portland recording studio and venue
throws open its new and improved doors tonight, with a lineup featuring
Weinland, Rebecca Gates, Pete Krebs, Portland Cello Project, and tons
more. Get there early. AH
w/the Dimes, James Low, Chris Robley, Stephanie Schneiderman,
Lewi Longmire; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 7 pm,
FREE