WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
MUSIC—One-woman show Natasha Kmeto has been steadily gaining traction in Portland (where she joined the Dropping Gems family) and beyond, as people catch on to the soulful strength of her voice, slow-jamming production, and powerful presence onstage. Her latest record, Crisis, is boosting her to the next level, so get it while you can. MARJORIE SKINNER
w/Grandparents, Swahili; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10
MUSIC—Time to represent for the West Coast! One of the LBC's finest, Warren G, returns to entertain us with his old-school style. You naturally remember him for his team-up with Nate Dogg in "Regulate" and the smooth street-rolling anthem "This DJ," as well as "I Want It All," so expect an evening teeming with much-missed music from the G Funk era. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
w/Young Eastlin; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, $22-25, all ages
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
FILM—Now in its eighth year, the Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival—better known as POWFest—features films made by women, from documentaries to dramas to shorts and cartoons. The booking is usually excellent—and tonight, things kick off with a party followed by The Sisterhood of the Night, a modern-day take on the Salem witch trials. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, opening reception 5 pm, Sisterhood 6:30 pm, $8-10; fest runs through Sun, individual films $8-10, fest pass $40, showtimes at powfest.com
MUSIC—You might want to book a two-night stay at the Kennedy School for this all-ages Ural Thomas and the Pain show. The first night to make sure you get into this bound-to-be-hopping free show in the gym. The second night to sleep off the festivities and soothe your sore-ass dancing feet in the soaking pool. Seriously, get there early. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd, 7 pm, FREE, all ages
FRIDAY, MARCH 13
MUSIC—A few weeks ago, AC/DC announced what's probably their last-ever tour—and we got fucked, with the closest show to Portland being in Vancouver, BC. Tonight, find solace in this cruel injustice by pounding a few beers and catching Hell's Belles, the all-woman AC/DC cover band. Not only have they been breaking balls since 2000—they've also got Angus Young's stamp of approval. ERIK HENRIKSEN
w/Bitch School, Trigger Itch; Dante's, 350 W Burnside, 9 pm, $15
MUSIC—One should never pass up the chance to see the Dodos, especially since they'll be playing songs from their great new album, Individ, a bright, spontaneous affair that makes the most of guitarist Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber's taut, psychic interplay. But when you sweeten the pot with the lovely thrift-shop pop of Springtime Carnivore? Yeah, you can't stay home. NED LANNAMANN
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $15
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
TALK SHOW—The lineup for this month's Late Night Action is killer! Portland's favorite live talk show features Congressman Earl Blumenauer, radio host Daria, party-band Chervona, and hilarious stand-up Gabe Dinger. Cherries on top include hosts Alex Falcone and Bri Pruett—Mercury BFFs and consummate professionals. Prepare to be tickled pink. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 7 pm, $10-15
MUSIC—Wilco's Jeff Tweedy performs tonight with his drummer son, who, at 19, appears to be Jeff Tweedy in miniature, but is actually named Spencer. And get this, Tweedy & Son named their first album after Tweedy's wife. If you just died from the indie folk cuteness of it all, don't even think about staying in. MEGAN BURBANK
w/the Minus 5; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9 pm, scalper's choice, all ages
SUNDAY, MARCH 15
WRESTLING—It's good that people have stopped fronting like they're above professional wrestling. There's nothing in any superhero blockbuster that you can't find in tonight's WWE Live Road to Wrestlemania: all the melodrama, the posing, the one-liners, the naked pandering to your baser instincts... and it's all happening live. No CGI. No stuntmen. This shit is real. BOBBY ROBERTS
Moda Center, 1 Center Court, 3 pm, $20-100, all ages
TIMBERS—Opening day is in the past. Now it's about putting in that work for the Portland Timbers. It'd be a nice sign that the soccer squad is serious this year if the LA Galaxy feel the full force of that determination on the Providence pitch. And really—any opportunity to stick a foot in LA's ass is an opportunity to seize. BOBBY ROBERTS
Providence Park, 1844 SW Morrison, 4 pm, $34 & up, all ages
MONDAY, MARCH 16
MUSIC—You can't carve wood into something beautiful without a jagged blade and a pile of splinters, and that's how I think of the hard-won beauty of Ghost to Falco, which lands somewhere between rock and folk and not-folk and not-rock. Eric Crespo's indefinable project plays at Al's Den all week long, with some incredible guests—like tonight's, Bud Wilson from Aan. NED LANNAMANN
w/Whales Whailing; Al's Den, 303 SW 12th, Sun March 15-Sat March 21, 7 pm, FREE
BOOKS—Small press month is here, so support indie publishers and head to Powell's for a marathon reading from local small-press authors at Smallpressapalooza, including Evelyn Hampton, Lauren Ireland, Parker Tettleton, Ashley Tolliver, and more. It's all hosted by Kevin Sampsell, the genius behind the wonderful selection of independent press titles at Powell's. MEGAN BURBANK
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 6-9:45 pm, FREE
TUESDAY, MARCH 17
MUSIC—If you judge the quality of your music by how likely it would play in the smoky dungeon of a vampire disco, A Place to Bury Strangers is probably among your go-to bands. They persevered through the early '00s crowd of similarly influenced indie bands, who simply couldn't do it—or add their own stamp to it—quite as well. MARJORIE SKINNER
w/VEXX, Daydream Machine; Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 9 pm, $12
BOOKS—When Elmore Leonard passed, the throne of the King of Crime Fiction was vacated. Of all the potential claims, Dennis Lehane's might be the most valid. World Gone By, his latest novel, joins an airtight, complex, and straight-up mean bibliography that includes bona fide crime classics like Gone Baby Gone and Live By Night. BOBBY ROBERTS
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton, 7 pm, FREE, all ages
