THURSDAY, MAY 26

OMG!—After a brief career lull following the blowup "Yeah!" Usher has roared back to life with songs dominating the club scene, such as "OMG" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love." Expect a sweaty amount of hype, awesome choreography, and opener Akon (who, frankly, I don't like very much). WSH
Rose Garden, 1 Winning Way, 8 pm, $29.50-99.50, all ages

DAILY DOUBLE DRAGON—Like the bastard offspring of a trivia night and Jeopardy!, Ground Kontrol's Video Game Quiz Show has teams face off over gaming knowledge—and then send their top players to compete head to head! This time around, the nerdery focuses on Super Nintendo and the PlayStation 2—brush up on your God of War and Mario Kart knowledge, folks. EH
Ground Kontrol, 511 NW Couch, 9 pm, FREE

FRIDAY, MAY 27

EEEEE—Artist, DJ, music videographer, and runner of the Audio Dregs label—I guess it's understandable that E*Rock may have been too busy to release a new record of his own as of late. That changes at tonight's installment of Supernature, where he'll release the long-awaited The Clock and the Mountain. Expect to dance and trip the eff out. MS
w/Strategy, Copy, Zac Eno; Rotture, 315 SE 3rd, 9 pm, $5 ($10 with a copy of the record)

PYROMANIA—It's the Rose Festival! Let's blow some shit up! Namely, fireworks. Luckily, you can catch the best part of the Rose Fest kickoff without braving the suburban swarms at the Waterfront. Just head for the hills at 10 pm to catch tonight's display of "thunderous pyrotechnics." SM
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito, 5-11 pm, FREE

SATURDAY, MAY 28

PUTTING ON THE FITZ—When you think of the sounds of the Rose Festival, marching bands and children crying at clowns probably come to mind. Well, no more. The bumping grooves of Fitz and the Tantrums inject some much-needed vintage soul into the annual festival. Prepare for some sweet sounds, and some awkward dancing from suburban folks. EAC
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito, 9:15 pm, $20, all ages

WE LIKEY—One of the more successful in the recent string of blonde, fashionable pop singers exported out of Sweden (hey, they don't let just anyone shill for Levi's), Lykke Li is back touring on her latest, Wounded Rhymes, another round of moody, bittersweet club numbers. It's sold out, so try your luck at the door or on Craigslist. MS
w/Grimes; Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 9 pm, $23-25 (or whatever the scalper says), all ages

SUNDAY, MAY 29

TIMBER!—The Portland Timbers' impressive performance in league play continues as they welcome DC United to the unfriendly confines of the House of Pane. The Timbers' defense will need to put a stop to DC's Charlie Davies, who ranks as one of the top goal-scoring threats in the MLS. EAC
Jeld-Wen Field, 1844 SW Morrison, 2 pm, $8-95, all ages, broadcast on KPDX

D STANDS FOR—On their brand-new album (simply titled D), Austin's White Denim reins in their whirling punk energy for something even more rewarding: a truly stoney brew of psychedelia that's equal parts Steppenwolf and the Beta Band. NL
w/White Arrows; Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, 9 pm, $10

MONDAY, MAY 30

COMEDY DEATH MATCH—The Portland Comedy Contest aims to crown the region's finest comic; participating stand-ups must win over audiences in Portland and Gresham alike. The comedic showdown starts tonight, with a winner to be crowned in glory—and a $1,000 prize—at the end of June. AH
Boiler Room, 228 NW Davis, 9 pm

IN THE BOWLS—Besides its name (Japanese for both "mental haze" and "jackass"), Boke Bowl's ramen has very little to do with any ramen remembrances from college days. For one day only, the pop-up restaurant invades Yakuza, cascading their homemade noodles, broth, and fab pickles all over the Japanese bar. Don't forget the handmade Twinkies! JL
Yakuza, 5411 NE 30th, noon-7 pm, bokebowl.com

TUESDAY, MAY 31

IRONIC—Sam Beam may have (slightly) trimmed his illustrious beard, but he hasn't trimmed back any of the rich musical potion he concocts with Iron and Wine, which has evolved from a whispery acoustic act to globe-spanning folk fusion. New record Kiss Each Other Clean has Iron and Wine revisiting the '70s soft rock of Beam's childhood. NL
w/the Head and the Heart; Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, $29, all ages

LASER HANDS!—The brand-new Kung Fu Theater series at the Hollywood Theatre kicks off with the only known 35mm print of 1982's chop-socky flick Buddha's Palm. Organizer Dan Halsted promises that this one has "kung fu masters who shoot laser breams out of their hands" and "a giant friendly flying dog," so you should probably be pretty excited. EH
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7:30 pm, $7

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

CONSTANT SORROW—Naturally, when the Coen Brothers decided to riff on Homer's Odyssey, they turned it into a madcap comedy set in the Depression-era South, starring a fast-talkin' George Clooney. O Brother, Where Art Thou? never got the accolades Fargo and No Country for Old Men did, but it's one of the Coens' very best. EH
Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark, see Movie Times on pg. TK, $4

CAT CHRISTMAS—The boys of monthly comedy and video showcase Comedy Is OK have dubbed June 1 "Cat Christmas," which is about the best fake holiday we've ever heard of. Ring in the adorable season with comics Phil Schallberger and Aaron Ross, plus a special showing of the Working Theatre Collective's charming Peter Pan Project. AH
Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 9 pm, $5