Now this is October. It's getting chillier. It's getting spookier. FrightTown is open! The tentacled spectre of H.P. Lovecraft is invoked! The Weeknd's weird blend of slasher movie and classic Michael Jackson is hitting the Moda! A band called L.A. Witch is here, for the love of all that is pumpkin spiced! But it's not all chills & thrills—you also get an opportunity to catch the Portland Thorns in the playoffs, the option to almost literally drown in cheese, and a chance to do more for relief efforts in Mexico and Puerto Rico than our shitbag President ever has. It's a busy weekend ahead—hit the links below and load your plate accordingly.


Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Friday, Oct 6

The Weeknd, Gucci Mane, Nav
Despite some arguably problematic drug- and sex-studded lyrics, The Weeknd—AKA Abel Tesfaye—puts out high-quality alternative R&B: a haunting debut single “Wicked Games,” several edgy mixtapes, his excellent album Kiss Land and 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness. I saw him perform tracks like “The Hills,” “Losers,” and “Can’t Feel My Face” at Bumbershoot a couple years back, and it was truly unforgettable. Now the MJ-reminiscent singer tours in support of his fourth studio album Starboy, and the Portland stop is sure to be an epic evening. JENNI MOORE
7:30 pm, Moda Center, $39.75-125.75

L.A. Witch, Máscaras
L.A. Witch plays off a lot of clichés about Los Angeles and witches: They sing about hell, murder, and cinematic getaways over smoky punk that sounds influenced by mythical dive bars, lost highways, and the dusty swagger of bands like the Gun Club. But L.A. Witch’s self-titled debut—which they dropped last month on Suicide Squeeze Records—sounds raw and unpretentious, with twangy riffs, prickly drums, bass lines that sound like they’re burbling up from the underworld, and lots of reverb. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12

Benefit for Earthquake and Hurricane Victims in Mexico & Puerto Rico
When the government doesn’t do enough, it’s up to the community to pick up the pieces and support one another. This benefit for disaster relief efforts in Mexico and Puerto Rico will do just that and feature the sounds of Suculima and some TBA special guest performers. Aztec dancers will open up the evening and showgoers can purchase raffle tickets throughout the event for an additional way to give back. EMILLY PRADO
7 pm, Black Water Bar, $7

Vali-DATE-Me
Comedians JoAnn Schinderle and Alyssa Yeoman present "Vali-DATE-Me," a fun and friendly speed dating event at the Alberta Street Pub. The night begins with sign-ups and some mingling, before giving way to a dating advice panel with the hosts and musical guest Donte Thomas. A live speed dating session will follow the panel, and once the dust settles, Schinderle, Yeoman, and Thomas will entertain the newly acquainted attendees with live music and stand-up.
8 pm, Alberta Street Pub, $7

Candace, BlackWater HolyLight, Wet Dream Committee
Portland-via-Minneapolis trio Candace (FKA Is/Is) have been making consistently great psychedelic rock and shoegaze-tinged pop for a while now. If you haven't familiarized yourself with the band's live show yet, tonight's tour kick-off at the Know presents the perfect opportunity to get acquainted.
8 pm, The Know, $7

Liars, HXXS
Liars is an unpredictable band. Led by Angus Andrew, they’ve gone through countless lineup and stylistic changes—for instance, the bizarre 2004 record They Were Wrong, So We Drowned was recorded while the band was secluded in the forests of New Jersey studying the witch trials, while 2012’s WIXIW is languid "electronic Enya." In August Liars released TFCF, a culmination of the band’s past 17 years that touches on ambient drone, jangly pop, and off-kilter electronics with another brand-new lineup. CERVANTE POPE
9 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $20-22, all ages

Open Mike Eagle, Billy Woods
Open Mike Eagle, the talented 36-year-old Chicago-raised and Los Angeles-based rapper, is smart, clever, thought provoking, and just generally good. You should see him when he swings by Portland again, this time on the heels of his critically loved new album, Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, released a couple weeks ago. Comedy Central bought the rights to his “New Negroes” standup/music show he co-hosts in LA, and that should be on TV soon. Things are happening for him. 
9 pm, Doug Fir, $12-14

The Black Panthers: The Vanguard of the Revolution Screening and DJs
Delve into the history of the Black Panther Party from inception to decline at this screening and Q&A with the newest iteration of the movement, Black Riders Liberation Party. DJs Dispissed and Soul Survivor will spin political reggae, soul, hip hop, and “antifascist oi.” Bring canned food donations for their winter drive. EMILLY PRADO
6:30 pm, Cider Riot, free

Mr. Wrong, Vog, Mala Fides, Negative Option, Gut Knife, Fantastic Plastic
Mr. Wrong’s debut LP, Babes in Boyland, starts throwing flames within the first few seconds. A combination of both new and reworked material, the album’s nine tracks showcase the Portland three-piece’s raw talent and combustible energy. CIARA DOLAN
7 pm, American Legion Local 134, $6, all ages

Lords of Acid, Combichrist, Christian Death
The long-running Belgian post-industrial, acid house, and techno band return to Dante's to perform their 1994 album Voodoo-U in its entirety, along with a selection of greatest hits.
9 pm, Dante's, $30

Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir
Boom Arts begins their sixth season with a bang, inviting Obie award-winning performance artist Reverend Billy and his choir to bring daily struggles to musical, satirical life.
7:30 pm, The Old Church, $12-30


Saturday

Portland Thorns vs. Orlando Pride
A year after crashing out of the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion, the Thorns have earned their shot at redemption. Today’s semifinal against the Orlando Pride decides who gets to play in the final next week in Orlando, and with the Thorns’ international stars Amandine Henry and Nadia Nadim set to depart in the offseason, you can bet this tight-knit bunch will do everything in their power to send them off as NWSL Champions. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
12:30 pm, Providence Park, $15-135, all ages

FrightTown
For 13 years the ghoul-lovers of FrightTown have been putting on the most technologically advanced, pants-shitting haunted house in the area—all in the creepy basement of Memorial Coliseum. And for 2017, FrightTown returns with three horrific walk-throughs, including the classic monster mash Grimthorne Manor, the witty scares of Baron Von Goolo’s Museum of Horrors, and new this year, Sector 13, in which hangry aliens have a lustful thirst for human (your) blood. PLUS! Smaller exhibits include the pitch-black maze “Fear the Dark,” the Ghost Gallery (exactly what you expect), and “Buried Alive” (again, exactly what you expect). Pro tip: Bring extra underpants. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
7 pm, Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, $18-25, all ages

2017 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
The 22nd installment of the Hollywood Theatre's annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival features panel discussions and readings with special guests, art, games, and of course screenings of an array of feature films and shorts. Check the event website for a complete schedule, film information, and a complete list of special guests.
noon, Hollywood Theatre, $22-68

Rainer Maria, Olivia Neutron-John
When I’m teasing myself about groups I saw a lot in the ’90s, I place Rainer Maria with all the bands I loved that sounded like a warning alarm. Formed in Madison, Wisconsin, and now based in Brooklyn, the trio carved out their niche in the emerging indie rock scene with a unique mix of punkish shouting and eerie harmonizing performed by the group’s vocalists Caithlin De Marrais (bass) and Kaia Fischer (guitar, synth). Rainer Maria reunited in 2014 after an eight-year hiatus, and in August released their first record in 11 years: the nostalgic but solid S/T. It’s sonically huge—they can still blend discordant harmonies in surprising ways that’ll cause your hair to stand on end. SUZETTE SMITH
9 pm, Doug Fir, $16-18

Strange Babes, Sávila
Strange Babes parties are visceral extensions of their popular radio show on XRAY.fm, and the DJs' styles (KM Fizzy, Jen O, and Magic Beans) are distinct yet complementary. This type of energetic eclecticism is all too rare and desperately needed in a town brimming with monotonous dance nights, so prioritize any opportunity to experience a Strange Babes mastermix in person. CHRIS SUTTON
8 pm, The Know, $5

The Wedge
First we conquered the realm of beer. Then we annexed the world of cheese. The Wedge features a multitude of cheesemakers sharing their product at a farmers market-style showcase, including special bites and drinks from other vendors that go perfectly with the cheeses you're putting into your face. Admission includes a $5 voucher for cheese purchases.
11 am, 100 SE Alder, $15-25, all ages

Feist
Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist brings her folk-tinged indie pop sound back to Portland for a pair of all-ages shows supporting her latest release, Pleasure, the long-awaited follow-up to her 2011 album, Metals.
8 pm, Revolution Hall, $45, all ages

The Reagan Show
There is no narrator in this documentary, no talking heads, no experts, no direct analysis. The entire thing consists of archival footage from network news and the machinery that manufactured the images of America’s 40th president. Ronald Reagan and his team changed the whole game of American politics by transforming the White House into a movie studio. These men understood that he wasn’t a president, but playing one in Hollywood. Without this understanding (make everything a movie), the new conservatives (or neoliberals) would not have finally and effectively defeated that five-decade truce between workers and capitalism called the New Deal. The Reagan revolution was indeed televised. The documentary also makes it clear that Donald Trump is a rank amateur and completely lacks Reagan’s art and discipline. CHARLES MUDEDE
7 pm, NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium

Tom Papa
Brian Regan isn't the only comic out there who can wreck your sides with a completely clean set. Tom Papa earned his veteran stripes on the road with a comedy sensibility that doesn't dabble in the bluer shades of the laugh spectrum, but still elicits genuine guffaws from the crowds who see him.
8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $25, all ages

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: In Concert
Despite its flaws, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets officially marked the Harry Potter series’ transition from charming children’s story to one of the best literary melodramas of all time—from the thrilling unfolding of Voldemort’s origin story, to the first intimations of romance between its lead characters. Clocking in at two-and-a-half hours, the Chamber of Secrets movie is also one of the most painstaking novel-to-film adaptations ever released, for better or worse. Its epic scope is complimented by master composer John Williams’ sweeping, eerie score. Williams’ genius at leitmotif also makes up for author J.K. Rowling’s spotty characterization: Comic relief characters like Dobby the House Elf and Moaning Myrtle are given new life through their somber themes, and “Meeting Tom Riddle”—which sounds like “The Imperial March” in a hall of mirrors—emphasizes Voldemort’s preternatural evil in a way no words could. The Harry Potter films improved exponentially after Chamber of Secrets, but the music never got any better than this. MORGAN TROPER
7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $35-115, all ages

Peche Fest
The fifth annual celebration of the peach, and all the wonderful ways you can make it into something that will get you drunk, featuring over 25 beers and ciders from some of the country's best brewers. Admission includes four drink tickets and a collectible glass, with additional tickets at $2 each.
3 pm, Saraveza, $10-30


Sunday

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
I'm going to let Popovich Comedy Pet Theater speak for itself. Billing itself as a “European-style circus extravaganza” featuring “comedy, juggling, acrobats from the Moscow Circus,” the show finds “the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich” accompanying “more than 30 pets,” all of whom have been “rescued from animal shelters and given a new leash on life.” There are “highly intelligent dogs and even house cats,” along with “a goat duo, Kurt and Helgo, and a special guest star, Mr. Diamond, the miniature horse!” I will say no more, as I trust you have already purchased your tickets. ERIK HENRIKSEN
4 pm, Aladdin Theater, $30-40, all ages

The Shins, Day Wave
We simply cannot talk about the Shins without mentioning Garden State. The 2004 film’s soundtrack features the songs “New Slang” and “Caring Is Creepy” from the band’s 2001 debut, Oh, Inverted World. And while it’d be a disservice to reduce the Shins to this cinematic connection—they are, after all, independently good—their music does align nicely with its themes (although it does conjure unfortunate connections to Zach Braff, an unequivocally annoying dude). Garden State is The Graduate of the 21st century, an inward-gazing, youthful search for purpose and deeper meaning. The Shins’ verbose and sometimes twee lyrics tackle everything, from death to romance, with head-spinning intellectualism. The group—originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and currently based right here in Portland—plays the kind of pop music that the Beach Boys might’ve created if their beach were the craggy Oregon coast, with its sun deprivation, wild surf, and tree-lined cliffs. They’ve since released four more full-lengths, most recently March’s Heartworms. It’s less instantly intoxicating, but the down-tempo Americana of “Mildenhall” and the title track’s return to their heart-melting pop form makes the album worth your while. Perhaps it’s too soon to be the boy who cries “throwback,” but more than 15 years after releasing their first album, the Shins’ continuing okay-ness (and periodical greatness) merits some wistful retrospection. CIARA DOLAN
8 pm, Roseland, $49.50-69.50, all ages

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Tropical Fuck Storm
The newest Aussie sensation to invade American ears is King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, an explosive psych-pop juggernaut that combines Thee Oh Sees' aggressively raw work ethic with the Flaming Lips' visionary shape shifting. Fronting this malevolent maelstrom of sound is the charismatic Stu Mackenzie, whose caveman strums and snarls teeter constantly on the brink of chaos. CHRIS SUTTON
9 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $20-25

Bugsy Malone
What if little kids were prohibition-era gangsters? Singing and dancing musical-ass gangsters performing songs by diminutive soft rock genius Paul Williams, driving pedal cars, and toting "splurge" guns? The only person in the world who has ever asked such a set of ridiculous fucking questions was director Alan Parker, who answered them in the form of his 1976 debut starring Jodie Foster and the young soulless husk of Scott Baio, who sucks, has always sucked, and will always suck. BOBBY ROBERTS
2 pm, NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium

Jonwayne, Danny Watts, DJ EMV
Hip-hop is 40-something years old and the dominant form of popular music in America. Long ago, the genre spread from cities to every suburban and rural corner of this country. And still, white rappers get our attention, as evidenced by a skit on Jonwayne’s Rap Album Two, in which some random dude at a bar tells the California MC that he’s “not really seeing” him as a rapper. Indeed, Jonwayne is a white guy with Jesus hair, soft features, a scruffy beard, and glasses. But he’s also got skills for days—that’s how he became one of the youngest artists ever to perform at the Low End Theory, an LA underground hip-hop mecca. That’s why Peanut Butter Wolf signed him to influential rap label Stones Throw Records. And now Rap Album Two is one of the year’s best hip-hop releases, packed wall to wall with Jonwayne’s sturdy flow, thoughtful rhymes, and magnetic personality. BEN SALMON
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12

The Menzingers, Broadway Calls, Lee Corey Oswald
Beloved Scranton, Pennsylvania-hailing punk rockers the Menzingers return to Portland to play an all-ages show in support of their latest full-length, After the Party.
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $20-22, all ages

Ike Fonseca, Bradley Palermo, Alex Kirk Amen, William Surly
After a lengthy amount of time on the road, Portland-based folk and Americana singer/songwriter Ike Fonseca celebrates his return with a homecoming show at the Analog. Los Angeles-hailing singer/songwriter Bradley Palermo lends support to the bill, along with locals William Surly and Alex Kirk Amen.
7 pm, The Analog Cafe & Little Theater, $8

Nicky USA's Wild About Game
A cooking competition celebrating the flavors of wild game, with chefs from Portland facing off against Seattle's best to determine which city cooks wild game the best. Competitors representing PDX are Jose Chesa of Chesa, Matt Sigler of Renata, Sarah Schafer of Irving St. Kitchen, and Phil Oswalt of MAC. Seattle's champions will be Paul Osher of Porkchop & Co., Jason Stratton of Mbar, Andrew Gregory & Ricardo Valdes of the London Plane, and Chris Lobkovich of Quinn's Pub. Admission includes access to the Artisan Marketplace, offering exclusive tastings of artisan cheeses, chocolates, ice cream, game products, wine, and beer.
11 am, The Resort at the Mountain, $69-79

Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!