Spring has sprung, and with it comes an exciting batch of events that will get you cultured and out to enjoy the weather. From the return of the smash hit musical Hamilton to the AAPI-centered film Crouching Comic and from TEDxPortland to Tyler, The Creator, we’ve rounded up 30 of the most anticipated arts and culture events that are happening this season.
COMEDY
Chelsea Handler: Vaccinated and Horny Tour
The raunchy comic has done her duty to public health and is hitting the road once again. Since she’s now in a committed relationship with her longtime friend and fellow comic Jo Koy, our fingers are crossed that she’ll dish on their cutesy antics.
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (Sat Mar 5)
MUSIC
Mitski
After the release of her critically acclaimed fourth album, Be The Cowboy, Mitski turned from cult favorite to one of the biggest names in indie rock. On her new album, Laurel Hell, she tackles the complexities of success, transformation, and contradictory realities through built-up tensions that bloom into ’80s dance beats with synth flourishes. Mitski has that special gift of turning the saddest song you’ve ever heard into a dance floor anthem, and if her live shows are anything like her songs, you’d better be ready to embrace crying and dancing simultaneously.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Mon Mar 7)
READINGS & TALKS
Bob Odenkirk’s unconventional, decades-long career began in underground Chicago comedy clubs and eventually led to an award-winning performance in Breaking Bad (with plenty of acclaimed writing and producing gigs in between). Odenkirk’s new memoir Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama charts his complicated relationship with showbiz and comedy writing. He’ll be joined in conversation by bestselling author/adventurer (and Portland local!) Cheryl Strayed, whose memoir Wild details her epic trek on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Mon Mar 7)
VISUAL ART
System as Object
Created by Portland-based sound/installation artist Crystal Cortez (aka Quartez), sound/intermedia artist Francisco Botello, audio/visual artist Benjamin Johnson, and AAPI multi-disciplinary artist General QU, this installation functions as a site-specific, generative, and regenerative entity, transforming itself without any outside intervention. Auditory and visual decomposition will occur over the entity’s one-month lifespan. System as Object will conclude with a final performance and deactivation.
Oregon Contemporary, Kenton (Mar 4-20)
