WEDNESDAY 10/30

TENTH ANNIVERSARY HOOTENANNY: LAURA GIBSON, ADAM SHEARER, KYLE MORTON, MATT SHEEHY, & MORE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

PETE ROCK AND CL SMOOTH, CAMP LO, SERGE SEVERE, PACKARD BROWNE, DJ BIGGZ
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Rappers are usually bad at producing, and producers are bad at rapping. One of the few exceptions to this rule is, of course, Pete Rock, who is one of the greatest producers in the history of hiphop (I rate him only below RZA, DJ Premier, and J Dilla, all of whom can't rap). Bronx-born Pete Rock can hold a mic and turn an MPC out. As for CL Smooth, a NY rapper who in 1992 made hiphop history with Pete Rock with the track "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)," he was not lying when he rapped on "Da Two" that he was "the best that ever did it on a Pete Rock track." CHARLES MUDEDE

THURSDAY 10/31

EAR CANDY: SPOOKIES, BIG HAUNT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

PIERCED ARROWS, POISON IDEA, DON'T
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) See My, What a Busy Week!

ZOMBIE BALL: SATAN'S PILGRIMS, SATIN CHAPS, HONG KONG BANANA, DJ FLIGHT RISK
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Forget for one second that zombies are getting way played out, and just try to remember when appreciation for undead weirdoes was relegated to admirers of classic horror cinema and Jerry Only. Do this because a Zombie Ball actually sounds pretty fun, and appropriately ghoulish Northwest surf-rock legends Satan's Pilgrims are going to set that springy Crystal dance floor a-bouncin' with bloody, dead-eyed revelers in shredded clothes. The costume contest and special prize packages will hopefully dissuade any impromptu breakout of a ballroom-wide rendition of the choreography from "Thriller." But with the solid R&B instrumentals of the Satin Chaps and garage soul from Hong Kong Banana to slake your thirst for brain-blood, who knows what will happen. RYAN J. PRADO

JON PARDI
(Ponderosa Lounge, 10350 N Vancouver) Like most folks that grace the stage of the Ponderosa Lounge—the bar and grill tucked inside the Jubitz Truck Stop in North Portland—Jon Pardi is a modern country up-and-comer. He's not so well known in Nashville circles to have an actual album out, but he's enough of a gamer to be willing to earn some stripes by playing for long-haul drivers and the ladies who love them. Pardi at least has the chops to win over some converts: The native Californian's two singles—"Up All Night" and "Missin' You Crazy"—have the right amount of shit-kickin' vigor to make for some good dancing, topped with a laidback romantic spirit à la Blake Shelton that would surely make a lot lizard weak at the knees. ROBERT HAM

TOXIC HOLOCAUST, STOVOKOR
(White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th) While there's no shortage of Halloween shows going down tonight, it's hard to argue there's a more fitting line-up than this. Portland's own thrash veterans Toxic Holocaust bring their apocalyptic onslaught of metal to the stage, just days after the release of their fifth studio album, Chemistry of Consciousness. On the record, guitarist/vocalist Joel Grind continues to conjure up the catchy, over-the-top riffs that the band has become loved for. Tonight, they share the stage with Klingon death-metal band Stovokor, who take their name from the Star Trek alien race's term for the afterlife. The Portland-based band pulls out all the stops for their live performances, donning full Klingon makeup and costumes, with lead singer, plnluH HoD, delivering all vocals in the Klingon language. Just be sure your costume is plenty loose around the neck, as head banging levels are guaranteed to be off the charts here. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

AFI, TOUCHE AMORE, COMING
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) A sold-out AFI show at the Roseland in 2013 seems like an anachronism. Sure, the group in their heyday contributed a modicum of new ideas—namely, a Freddie Mercury-esque bluster that was later better adapted by My Chemical Romance—to what was, by the early '00s essentially an already stagnating genre (i.e., Warped Tour bullshit). And sure, those singles on the group's breakthrough record Sing the Sorrow ("Girls Not Grey"; "The Leaving Song Pt. II") are undeniably catchy, minor-league pop. But the band seems aesthetically, if not entirely, confined to their time. So who the fuck is paying for this shit? Could their new record, Burials—which I admittedly have not and, although this probably makes me an irresponsible critic, will not listen to—be great? Or have we finally reached the point in time where middle-of-the-road, early '00s alternative rock is no longer a shameful regret in our collective musical memory? My fingers are tightly crossed for the former, though I'm not prepared to find out. MORGAN TROPER

KAYTRANADA, GROUNDISLAVA, JEROME LOL
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Rotture will be the hub for raved-out, costumed revelry tonight, as LA's Wedidit crew comes to town. Hailing from Venice Beach, Groundislava combines Balearic beats and airy synths to create a hazy yet energetic electronic experience, evoking Goa and trance if those two styles had been invented in Second Life. Songs like "Cool Party" are reverb-heavy and at times downtempo, flirting with new age before building toward progressive house and trap. Kaytranada employs a more reverential pop-culture sensibility in his mixes, nonetheless laden with non-sequiturs and '90s R&B nods. Jerome LOL belongs in the WTF category of Internet artists-turned musicians, with dance music that incorporates cheekily abrasive samples executed with post-ironic affiliation with the machine. If you are planning on hitting the dance floor, consider this the event to max out your serotonin levels with lots of candy. WYATT SCHAFFNER

FRIDAY 11/1

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: TIBURONES, EDNA VAZQUEZ, MARIACHI LOS PALMEROS, ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICAL, & MORE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

CUT COPY, KAUF, LARRY GUS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

SHELLEY SHORT AND THE SURE SHOTS, ADAM SELZER, MICHAEL HURLEY
(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) During the doldrums of March, Shelley Short gathered some errant Hawthorne buskers—I mean, members of the Decemberists, Black Prairie, and more—and quarantined them at Type Foundry to record a fantastic covers album in a mere day and a half. Wake the Dreamers is a cozy assemblage of fully formed (and fully live) renditions of songs by Tom Waits, Billie Holiday, the Kinks, and more. The release show will feature nearly all of the Sure Shots, as well as a reading by producer Adam Selzer from his forthcoming graphic novel, Ami Go Home, about his experience opening shows for a German Christian rock band. This is likely to be the only time the Sure Shots will back Short in performing these glorious covers, so don't you miss it. RAQUEL NASSER

LAKE STREET DIVE, MISS TESS & THE TALKBACKS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) If you attended either of the last two Pickathons, you know that Lake Street Dive is capable of outright magic. The Brooklyn quartet marries jazz and pop in a way that feels completely alive, with a stripped-down, folky, dare I say almost punk-rock sensibility. While all the members are incredible singers, frontwoman Rachael Price is a startling, peerless talent; she's the match that lights Lake Street Dive's combustible flame, turning their collection of originals and inventive cover versions into a rollicking dance party. While Lake Street Dive upholds traditions of mid-century pop and vocal jazz with a scholastic comprehension, this is not museum music. It's music for which you'll need to get up, get out, get yourself in front of, and get down. NED LANNAMANN

RUBBLEBUCKET, DANA BUOY, SWAHILI
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The title track on Save Charlie, the new EP from Rubblebucket, is the ultimate catchy combination of keys, guitar, bass, and trumpet—you'll immediately feel the urge to move along with it. This eight-piece Brooklyn band has been adjusting their size and sound since 2008, and Charlie's electronic-fueled energy is proof they've found what they're looking for. The seven tracks on this record (three are remixes) beautifully meld pop, funk, and groove beats in one innovative swoop. Along with Portland-based Dana Buoy—the project of Akron/Family's Dana Janssen—and Swahili, this is going to be the night to pull someone onto the dance floor and get sweaty. RACHEL MILBAUER

NASALROD, SWAMP BUCK, HUMOURS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Local bands Nasalrod and Swamp Buck have teamed up to put out a delightfully weird split 7-inch on Poison Apple Records, and they celebrate its release tonight. Nasalrod's contribution comes in the form of the genre-bending anthem "It's Our Pleasure." The four-piece covers a ton of ground in a short amount of time, blending power-rock and hardcore punk in an epic display. Nasalrod drummer Spit Stix deserves a bunch of credit for also pulling double duty as producer here—not only is the track a mind-boggling percussion work-out, it also manages to bottle the group's boisterous and frantic live show. Just when you thought things couldn't get any more bizarre, Swamp Buck offers up "First Testament," a tightrope-walk between brooding post-punk and full-on psychedelic freak-out territory. Combine the two songs and you've got a one-two punch that's well worth a spin. CT

SATURDAY 11/2

THE PARSON RED HEADS & FRIENDS, MIMICKING BIRDS, THE ALIALUJAH CHOIR
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Read our article on the Parson Red Heads.

IRON LUNG, CONDITION, ZEITGEIST, PLEASURE CROSS, MONGOLOID
(Blackwater Records, 223 NE Russell) Originally hailing from Reno, Iron Lung have made name for themselves while churning out a slew of hardcore punk releases that dabble in grindcore and powerviolence. Nowadays the duo is split between Seattle and San Francisco, and the pair also lend the band name to their own record label, Iron Lung Records, which has become a go-to source for hardcore and noise-rock. The most recent offering from Iron Lung themselves, White Glove Test, is an even heavier mind-bender—it's one disc of straight-to-the-jugular hardcore and one disc of noisy power-electronics, each designed to be played either on their own or simultaneously. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN

WHITE LUNG, ANTWON
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Vancouver's White Lung will harsh your mellow and blacken your eyes with their seething punch of fast, loud, no-shit punk sheathed with a hardcore brass knuckle. Lead Lung Mish Way's lyrics skew feminist (Way is also a writer and has a lot of good things to say on the subject of vaginas and vaginas-in-music), and her band's aesthetic lives on the angrier side of the f-word, for sure. On tour with White Lung is San Jose's Antwon, a punk-show-appropriate rapper from the Tumblrized, post-dial-up school of panoptical influence, whose songs are often about drugs, eating out, and eating out (speaking of vaginas). EMILY NOKES

BRITTEN'S WAR REQUIEM: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Long before Moonrise Kingdom introduced his brilliant music to a wider audience, Benjamin Britten was, unfortunately, known primarily in rarified classical circles for an impressive string of operas and for the War Requiem—a monumental later work that solidified his place of honor in the pantheon of musical geniuses. Dedicated to those who died during World War II, the requiem premiered in 1962 for a British audience that, just 20 years earlier, kept calm and carried on through terrifying blitzkriegs and a tremendous loss of life. It's unsurprisingly somber music, yet decidedly bold in its orchestration, requiring a trio of internationally renowned vocal soloists, a souped-up choir, a children's chorus, and two distinctly separate orchestras. (Yes, TWO fucking orchestras!) I realize the idea of sitting through 90 Twitter-less minutes seems utterly #lame to the majority of Mercury readers. But for those brave souls willing to embark on a lengthy sonic contemplation of humanity's futile brutality and questionable redemption, Britten's masterpiece is guaranteed to provoke profound thought and feeling. We may not like what we hear, but we certainly have a need to hear it. ANGRY SYMPHONY GUY

STILL CAVES, A VOLCANO
(Langano Lounge, 1435 SE Hawthorne) Langano Lounge has become a go-to spot for cheap drinks, shows that extend late into the night, and a crowd that eagerly, enthusiastically loves music. This lineup will prove no exception, as Johnny Brooke and Jesse Chambers take the stage as the duo A Volcano. Their thrashing, ecstatic metal will all but explode this basement venue, as Chambers one-ups most drummers in the general vicinity and Brooke nearly knocks you out with his guitar, all while making expressive, head-banging songs that hit you where it hurts. Lo-fi fuzzmakers Still Caves have been off the grid for a little while, and are headlining what is guaranteed to be a night of fierce attitude and volume. RM

IRON AND WINE, LAURA MVULA
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Before Bon Iver enamored audiences with sad-bastard beardo folk, there was Iron and Wine. Main Wino Sam Beam helped introduce the era of indie-folk in the early 2000s, but even as artists like the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons have widened Americana's appeal, Beam has pushed his outlet further from the rustic home-recorded twang of his early recordings. New album Ghost on Ghost sports a more relaxed, AM radio-flavored brand of pop and soul. The sound is still vintage, but there's an effortless, lived-in groove that runs through the entire record—and it's nothing you would have anticipated when you first heard 2002's The Creek Drank the Cradle. MWS

GRANDHORSE, DEDERE, REAVER DROP
(The Press Club, 2621 SE Clinton) The unfettered charisma of Portland's Grandhorse will finally be unleashed, as the fledgling crew's debut album, Portraiturefolio, sees its release tonight. The band has only been around since spring of 2012, but you wouldn't know it from accomplished songs like "Out of Sight." Grandhorse's insistence on frilly pop vignettes can be deceiving, due mainly to the group's core simplicity. Songs come bulging with slacker-y hooks and attention to sharp melodies, but they also tend to expand into lengthy, spatial experiments that are just as satisfying. When the two sides of that spectrum meet in the middle, as on the beautifully composed "Ocean," Grandhorse shows off a sonic crib sheet that few other regional bands have access to. RJP

BUDDY GUY, QUINN SULLIVAN
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) I saw blues magnate Buddy Guy for the first time in 2002, in a small Connecticut concert hall. In an attempt at outreach, the theater donated free tickets to my infamously troubled high school, and since I was convinced that The Blues mirrored my inner state of adolescent tumult, I took advantage of the handout. I had no idea who Guy was—my dad listened to really terrible music when I was growing up—but when he emerged in a shimmering purple one-piece outfit and wailed on his Telecaster for over three hours, I knew I'd never forget. I've seen him since, and if there is even such a thing as a "prime," Guy has not yet passed it. He's still wailing hard as always, sometimes for President Obama, and on this night, for Portland. RN

DWARVES, LONG KNIFE, CELEBRITY GRAVES, BURN THE STAGE
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) With Dwarves' high-water mark, 1990's Blood Guts & Pussy, the G.G. Allin-aping punk rockers took caustic and brainlessly offensive hardcore and infused it with enough piss, vinegar, and shtick to make it go. They offered interesting takes on garage and psych-rock on other albums, but things got a little rote by the end of the '90s. In 2011, they released The Dwarves Are Born Again, another album with naked women on the cover and songs about how nothing's going to stop them and how they just live to fuck and get high. What's missing is the danger that used to come in the package. Is it weird to wish a band were more offensive? MWS

SUNDAY 11/3

DEATH, P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S., VULTURES IN THE SKY
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Death.

MAZZY STAR, THE ENTRANCE BAND, MARIEE SIOUX
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Mazzy Star.

BRITTEN'S WAR REQUIEM: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 1037 SW Broadway) See Saturday's listing.

DESTROYER, PINK MOUNTAINTOPS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Dan Bejar—AKA Destroyer—is one of music's most adventurous spirits. Each addition to his ever-growing discography allows the 41-year-old songwriter a new chance to explore different sonic textures—whether that's adapting his songs to the shivering tension of the band Frog Eyes (the 2005 EP Notorious Lightning and Other Works), trying his hand at glittery '80s pop (2011's Kaputt), or collaborating with experimental electronic composers Tim Hecker and Loscil. If that weren't enough, Bejar helps class up every New Pornographers album by adding a couple epic tunes to the mix. His latest Destroyer EP, Five Spanish Songs, features covers of tunes written by Antonio Luque of long-running pop band Sr. Chinarro. True to form, Bejar plays with the raw material, adding a dash of disco and glam to the proceedings. RH

MIKE DOUGHTY, MOON HOOCH
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) It's always a dicey proposition when a musician re-records their earlier, better-known work (see also: John Fogerty, Ray Davies). Mike Doughty's newest is a collection of tunes from his '90s alterna-hiphop-rock band Soul Coughing, and he's gone on record many times to express his dissatisfaction with the work from that period. By Doughty's own admission, though, a lot of his feelings are tied up in the drug addiction and inter-band problems he was experiencing at the time. Whether that makes his new collection of Soul Coughing covers—the album's title is the names of all its songs strung together; we'll refer to it as Circles Super Bon Bon—a noble endeavor isn't really the point. (I'll argue it doesn't, as the album doesn't really contain anything essential or even all that illuminating.) What matters is that Doughty remains a captivating live performer, peppering his songs with terrific stories and banter; his recent memoir The Book of Drugs was garishly entertaining. That he now has the excuse to dust off Soul Coughing tunes for this show makes it all the more promising. NL

MONDAY 11/4

EMMYLOU HARRIS, RODNEY CROWELL, RICHARD THOMPSON
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See My, What a Busy Week!

TUESDAY 11/5

SHABAZZ PALACES, NATASHA KMETO, MINDEN
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Unpopular opinion alert: I'm not convinced Shabazz Palaces is great live. I've seen Ishmael Butler's shadowy, Seattle-based hiphop act twice, both at MusicfestNW. In 2010, headlining Jimmy Mak's, Butler and partner Tendai Maraire seemed unsure, like foals still figuring out their legs; the show was disjointed. In 2011, Shabazz Palaces opened for Macklemore at the Roseland, where much of their music's future-classic feel and cosmopolitan nuance—abundant on their excellent recorded material—was buried in bass and swallowed by the cavernous room and inattentive crowd. All that said, I wouldn't miss this show tonight. Reasons: 1) It's a better (read: medium-sized) venue for Shabazz Palaces. 2) They've no doubt dialed in their live show over the past two years. 3) Ish Butler is a genius, a gritty visionary responsible for some of the best hiphop of the past two decades. He certainly has earned our trust. BEN SALMON Also see My, What a Busy Week!