Michael Nesmith; Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie
It's weird to say, but time has been kind to the Monkees. History shows that the Pre-Fab Four's canon is actually one of the better '60s pop songbooks, and their battle against the heavy-handed pop industry for creative liberty has even earned them a weird, but deserved, retroactive punk cred. At the vanguard of the fight was Michael Nesmith, the sardonic, solemn John Lennon of the group, who was also the most musically inclined—Nesmith originals like "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" and "You Just May Be the One" are on par with contributions to the group's oeuvre by for-hire songwriters like Goffin & King and Boyce & Hart. And unlike his bandmates, Nesmith's post-Monkees work isn't invariably horrible. Far from it, actually: Two of his solo outings, Magnetic South and Loose Salute, are nothing short of country-rock grand slams.
Erik Anarchy w/Fluid Spill, The Cronicles of Bad Butch, God Bless America, Feral Drollery; Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th
Erik Anarchy is a brilliantly eccentric local punk treasure. He plays countless shows a month. His "band" typically consists of just him and an electric guitar, and he sings in a halfheartedly affected British accent. He has a song called "Fuck the OLCC" (amen!). He lists GG Allin as an influence on Facebook, ordinarily an indefensible transgression, but I'm willing to turn the other cheek—he's just that endearing.
The St. Johns Bizarre w/Ural Thomas and the Pain, Aan, Illmaculate, Summer Cannibals, and more; N Lombard & Philadelphia
Holy shit! The St. Johns Bizarre, located in the heart of the quaint and wonderful St. Johns neighborhood, just became Portland's most diverse festival, musically and otherwise. Come for Aan, Summer Cannibals, and Illmaculate; stay for Portland-bred soul legend Ural Thomas and his first all-ages show with his new backing band the Pain (other than You Who!).
