THURSDAY 10/22
A Dan Deacon show is Gomorrah come to life.
Regardless of location, the audience becomes a mass of sweaty,
shameless bodies writhing in an enthusiastic, senseless heap of happy
dance. It is awesome to behold. It’s hard to guess which PDX gig will
be crazier: tonight’s all-ages show at Worksound or Friday’s at
Holocene. SM
w/Nuclear Power Pants, Alexis Gideon; Worksound, 820 SE Alder, 8
pm, $10, all ages
Distract yourself from the looming winter months
ahead with the good-time fears of FrightTown, a city-block-sized
complex of gruesome butchery, vengeful human oddities, and haunted old
mansions with unsettled occupants. You gotta walk with the dead to
remind yourself you’re alive! MS
Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way, through Nov 1, frighttown.com for schedule & more
info
FRIDAY 10/23
Wrapping up a national tour to promote
their fine EP Black River Killer, psych-folk rockers Blitzen
Trapper return to Portland for a pair of homecoming shows, with a pair
of stellar opening acts: local spellbinder Y La Bamba on Friday and
Baltimore duo Wye Oak on Saturday. NL
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, Fri Oct 23 & Sat Oct 24, 9 pm,
$13-15
Head out on the Oregon Manifest Tour
de Builders Friday afternoon and peek into the workshops of Vanilla
Bicycles, Pereira Cycles, and other excellent locals. Then on Saturday,
check out the first bike-building school to open in Portland (finally!)
at United Bicycle Institute’s long-awaited opening. SM
Tour de Builders departs from Oregon Manifest Bike Union, 539 NW
10th, Fri Oct 23, 2-5:30 pm; open house at United Bicycle Institute,
3961 N Williams, Ste. 100, Sat Oct 24, 10 am-5 pm
SATURDAY 10/24
Hear a fascinating and probably hilarious local
history of “the zine” with guest speakers Chloe Eudaly (founder of
Reading Frenzy) and Sean Tejaratchi (author of the wildly awesome clip
book Craphound and original Mercury art
director)! WSH
Central Library, US Bank Room, 801 SW 10th, 2-3:30 pm,
FREE
Stand behind your comrades in the LGBTQI
community at the Oregon Equality March in protest of discrimination and
in support of the continued struggle for equal marriage rights. Stick around for a speakout, and keep the pressure on politicians to do the right thing and keep their promises (I’m looking at you, Obama). MS
March begins at the North Park Blocks, NW Park & Everett,
noon; rally & speakout after march, Terry Schrunk Plaza, SW 3rd
& Madison
You may have heard funnyman Mike Birbiglia
on This American Life relate hilariously true anecdotes, such as
the time he jumped through a window at La Quinta due to his sleeping
disorder (Remember? It was funny!). Now you can catch him live in what
will no doubt be another thigh-slapping show. If you already have
tickets, that is—this guy’s so good, he’s sold out. AR
Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $25, 18+
SUNDAY 10/25
San Francisco’s the Dodos have added
a third member to their lineup, but their tribal folk sound is as tight
as ever, as evidenced on new album Time to Die. New Zealand’s
the Ruby Suns open the show with their splendid safari-pop. NL
Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 9 pm, $15, all ages
You’ve always wanted your picture taken
with a hot and sexy, star-spangled Lynda Carter mannequin. Well,
dreams, prepare to come true: It’s the 4th annual Wonder Woman Day, a
charity event for domestic violence shelters. Including an auction of
Wonder Woman art, signings by local and national graphic artists, and
assorted prizes, the benefit raised over $26,000 last year and is
aiming for more this time around. AR
Excalibur Books & Comics, 2444 SE Hawthorne, noon-6 pm,
FREE
MONDAY 10/26
Greg Higgins of Higgins, Naomi Pomeroy of
Beast, and Matt Lounsbury of Stumptown Coffee Roasters easily represent
the goodness and diversity of the Portland food scene. The New Oregon
Interview Series will pick their brains to discover the intricacies of
Portland food—past, present, and future. PAC
Urban Grind East, 2214 SE Oregon, 7 pm, $5, all ages
Clearly not a recipient of the “no one is
allowed to move from Portland” memo, Mirah bids farewell to our
fair city tonight with her last show as a Portlander for the time
being. Let’s all hold it together and wish the wondrous performer and
songwriter well on her travels… excuse me, I think I got something in
my eye. EAC
w/Led to Sea; Kane Mathis; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N
Mississippi, 9 pm, $13
TUESDAY 10/27
Now that the memories of their playoff FAIL
against the Houston Rockets are a thing of the past, the Portland Trail
Blazers kick off the 2009-10 season with a home opener against… the
Houston Rockets. Will tonight be a chance for revenge and a launching
point for the young team? Or will the Rockets once again rain on the
Blazers’ parade? EAC
Rose Garden, 1 Center Ct, 7 pm, $35-225, broadcast on KGW
As part of the continuing Grindhouse Film
Festival’s series dedicated to the old-school kung fu masters,
tonight’s screening of 1977’s Fatal Flying Guillotine is a
bizarro gem! Monks search for an ancient kung fu book and encounter an
evil master equipped with dual motorized flying guillotines. Heads WILL
roll! WSH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 9:45 pm, $7
WEDNESDAY 10/28
I bet OMSI’s Scream! exhibit, which
explores the human physiological response to fear, will get more
interesting after a pint or two. Tonight’s OMSI After Dark features
booze, a costume contest, and a chance to freak yourself out without
little kids giggling at you. PAC
OMSI, 1945 SE Water, 6 pm, $10, 21+
It might be fall, but you’re going to need
all those sweatbands you bought as a “joke” for tonight’s United State
of Electronica show. The Emerald City’s super pop group have unleashed
Loveworld to the masses, successfully bringing back disco
beats and sparkling leotards in the process—which means you might
have spontaneous sweat outbreaks just by watching them play.
PG
w/WonFu, DoublePlusGood; Rotture, 315 SE 3rd, 9 pm, $7