THURSDAY, MARCH 5
It’s a jam-packed night to benefit the
wonderful Reading Frenzy bookstore. Tu Fawning and the Golden Bears,
two of Portland’s best bands, take the stage, and Corin Tucker of
Sleater-Kinney does a rare solo set. There’s local writer and musician
Willy Vlautin, plus a pair of very special surprise guests! (What the
hey—we’ll just spoil the surprise: It’s experimental songwriter
Mirah and local up-and-comers Explode into Colors!) This is going to be
amazing. NL
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8:30 pm, $8-20
You’ve always suspected there’s
something dirty about classic Disney flicks, and tonight Sugar Q
Burlesque proves you were right with their newest naughty show,
Spanktasia! Sexy gals in clever costumes put their own wickedly
funny spin on Alice in Wonderland, Cruella de Vil, Mary Poppins, and
more! WSH
Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, 1507 SE 39th, 8 pm, $10
The best thing about MTV’s How’s Your
News is seeing how people react when a developmentally disabled
adult shoves a microphone in their face and asks inscrutable, uncannily
adroit questions. Tonight’s screening of the newest series will be
awkward, hilarious, and inspiring. PAC
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7 pm, FREE
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Originally from Austin (although
lead singer Britt Daniel is now a fixture on the local scene), indie
rockers Spoon bring their crisp, finger-snapping sound (and impeccable
fashion sense) to Portland for a one-off show that’s going to be a
blast. MV
w/Everest; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, $20-22, all
ages
British Fujiya and Miyagi have got it
all—deep bass, hot beats, and a music video featuring
Pong. Their sound is so addictive and compelling that even
hoodie-wearing wallflowers will be grooving at this show. SM
w/Pop Levi, Project Jenny Project Jan; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside,
9 pm, $13-15
Adam Gopnik represents the evolutionary pinnacle of New Yorker writers:
Whether writing profiles of French politicians or human interest
stories about magicians, he’s casually urbane and annoyingly
erudite. Tonight he delivers a lecture on a the art museum’s
current exhibit of French paintings, followed by a signing of his new
book Angels and Ages: A Short Book about Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern
Life. See? AH
Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, 7 pm, $10 ($5 art museum
members)
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
A veritable truckload of local songwriters
take the stage to benefit the Oregon Food Bank in Writer’s Block, an
evening of local music and good intentions. There are too many
performers to list here, but they’re all top-notch, and the night
closes out with a Motown dance party! NL
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8 pm, $7 ($5 w/can of food)
The shakes aren’t the result of too
much coffee: It’s the nerve-wracking competition! Watch as baristas
from across the country overcome both to attain national barista
stardom at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s US Barista
Championships. There’ll be tons of additional coffee-related activities
all weekend long. PAC
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, 7 am–7:30 pm, FREE,
Thurs March 5-Sun March 8
Arguably one of the best American
bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be given their due tonight
with an all-local tribute show. Portland music scene
staples Scotland Barr, Lewi Longmire, James Low, and many more
will be tipping their hat to Tom, and performing such awesome hits like
“American Girl”! WSH
Fez Ballroom, 316 SW 11th, 8 pm, $8-10
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
In a time of when everything bad can be blamed on
the economy, the annual Reed Arts Week presents Sub Prime ’09, an
optimistic look at how crisis can lead to heightened creativity. Look
for exhibits and interactive performances by Daniel Shapiro, Kasper
Hauser, Hot Little Hands, and Jorge Lucero. Jeffery Baker, an empathic
healer, poet, and video artist, is offering free psychiatric help
sessions, and on Sunday, he’ll give a free talk and screen an original
video. KP
Reed College, 3202 SE Woodstock, Wed March 4-Sun March 8, more info
at web.reed.edu/raw
Today Mississippi Studios is bringing it: This
afternoon, there’s an all-ages matinee with local favorites Portland
Cello Project (along with Thao and Gideon Freudmann); then, once
nighttime rolls around, the charming, über-talented
singer/songwriter Matt Sheehy takes the stage (along with Y la Bamba).
Not a bad way to spend a Sunday. EH
Portland Cello Project w/Adam Shearer, Justin Power, 2 pm, $15,
all ages; Matt Sheehy, 9 pm, $8; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N
Mississippi
PWRFL Power is short on vowels, long on cute
guitar strumming and lyrics that make you want to hold someone’s hand.
Catch them with the always-talented local favorites Grey Anne and Root
Beer and French Fry. SM
Worksound, 820 SE Alder, 9 pm, $7, all ages
MONDAY, MARCH 9
Portland singer/songwriter M. Ward was popular
even before his collaboration with actress Zooey Deschanel. Still, it’s
all the better that he’s got the world’s attention in releasing his
latest solo record, Hold Time, with three shows this
week—tonight is the only one that isn’t already sold out! MS
w/Blue Giant, Tu Fawning; Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8
pm, $20, all ages
Having grown up in Mogadishu until age
13, when civil war in Somalia exploded, K’naan captures both the beauty
and devastation he witnessed in his homeland. This man shares his
strong opinions in upbeat, catchy raps that will make you think as hard
as you dance. KP
w/Mic Crenshaw, Madgesdiq; Berbati’s Pan, 10 SW 3rd, 8 pm,
$10-12, all ages
An author and New York Times op-ed
contributor with a knack for a catchphrase (the world is flat! And hot!
And crowded!), Thomas Friedman gives a free lecture today in
which he will presumably discuss how green technologies can be used to
alleviate problems of hotness and crowdedness. Tickets for the free
lecture are long gone—your only hope now is jumping a PSU student
and stealing their ticket along with their lunch money. AH
Portland State University’s Stott Center, 930 SW Hall, noon,
FREE
TUESDAY, MARCH 10
In this age of mechanized drum beats, San
Diego’s Dirty Sweet play the kind of no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll that
makes you want trade the skinny jeans for a leather vest and bottle of
cheap whiskey. Tonight will be full of irony-free mustaches and
blistering guitar chops. MV
w/Dr. Helicopter, the Lonely H; Lola’s Room, 1332 W Burnside, 9
pm, $8
The Museum of Contemporary Craft’s curator
Namita Gupta Wiggers authored the institution’s first publication
Unpacking the Collection. A dense exploration of the permanent
collection, it additionally offers insight into Wiggers’ progressive
approach to presenting craft with intelligence and edge. MS
Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE
Spoken word/hiphop poet Saul Williams plays the Roseland tonight, supporting funky bass player Les Claypool.
The only question: Whether to wear a beret and dark glasses, or not?
MD
w/Yard Dogs Road Show; Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $32, all
ages
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
We all know Dan Auerbach from his work with Ohio
blues-garage duo the Black Keys, but the singer/guitarist’s new solo
record, Keep it Hid, uncovers new corners of his talents. It’s
an instant classic, and tonight Auerbach and his shit-hot band will
give us a rock ‘n’ roll show of the highest order. NL
w/Hacienda, Those Darlins; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm,
$18-20, all ages
Folkster Matthew Houck—whom you know
better as Phosphorescent—is a fantastic songwriter in his own
right, but his latest album, To Willie, is devoted to covers of
Willie Nelson songs. They’re a perfect match for Houck’s world-weary
delivery and tender, patient musicianship. NL
w/Nurses, Battle of Land and Sea; Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison,
8:30 pm, $8
Maria Anna Tappeiner’s documentary about
American minimalist sculptor Richard Serra focuses on his obsession
with huge plates of steel. And the artist himself, of course. MD
Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park, 7 pm,
$8