This weekend is a great one for celebrating how talented, amazing, and uplifting our city can be, in multiple ways! Once again, block parties are blossoming on our city streets like late-blooming wildflowers, Portland hip-hop is getting a ton of shine, and as always, we've figured out a way to help improve our community through the imbibing of local beer. And if you're just looking for an easy couple evenings of entertainment where you can forget what a tire-fire the country (and more immediately, our current atmosphere) is for a couple hours, there's a plethora of options awaiting you. Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly

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Friday, Aug 24

Red Bull Music Presents: A Celebration of Portland's Hip-Hop Producers
Red Bull is throwing this dance party to celebrate the producers who’re elevating the city’s hip-hop from behind the scenes. The jam-packed lineup includes SXLXMXN (pronounced Solomon), who’s worked with the likes of Danny Brown and the Underachievers, the illustrious Neill Von Tally, who’s well known in these parts for his collaborations with the Last Artful, Dodgr, triple-threat talent Fritzwa (she sings, raps, and produces), and more, including some surprise special guests. CIARA DOLAN
8pm, The Evergreen, $5-10

Iliza Shlesinger
I work hard to stay removed from the world of weddings, nightclubs, and biological clocks but I can’t deny that Iliza Shlesinger’s Netflix specials on those topics like Confirmed Kills and Elder Millennial are stunningly funny. Hot take: Shlesinger’s animal impressions are her ace in the hole. So don’t be off-put by her Elder Millennial impression because that’s just a warm up for when she becomes a baby-craving dragon. SUZETTE SMITH
Fri 7:30pm, Sat 7:30pm & 10pm, Revolution Hall, $30

Hurry Up, Slang, Black Belt Eagle Scout
Perhaps what has always anchored punk is simple, steady 4/4 drumming. Where hardcore veered off into flailing haymaker percussion, ’90s college rock bands like Sleater-Kinney opted for tighter but no less punchy jabs. Janet Weiss of the aforementioned Pacific Northwest staple has brought the distinctive style to countless Portland acts, from Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wild Flag, and now to the new local super-group Slang. The band features former Thermals bassist Kathy Foster, Viva Voce guitarist Anita Lee Elliott, and Modern Kin vocalist Drew Grow. With just a single track released thus far, the fiery X-influenced garage rock banger “Warm Enough,” Slang is playing their first hometown show alongside Foster’s other band Hurry Up and Black Belt Eagle Scout, whose excellent 2017 debut Mother of My Children via Portland’s Good Cheer Records is set to be re-released through Saddle Creek Records next month. CAMERON CROWELL
9pm, Bunk Bar, $12

Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man has spent 2018 making the most of their newfound fame. First, they won a gosh-darned Grammy for their big hit single “Feel It Still,” and while accepting the award, they shouted out Satan and pretended to wipe their butt with the trophy. Then, the band performed live in downtown Portland to support the March for Our Lives rally to curb gun violence. In April, Portugal. The Man’s name showed up as a sponsor of a hilarious local billboard that urged LeBron James to consider signing with the Trail Blazers. And then at Coachella, the band opened its set with the Blazers’ “Trumpets” intro music, and some members wore C.J. McCollum jerseys. Now, they’re back to play a couple of Portland shows, and it’s probably reasonable to expect a lot of hometown love coming from the stage. BEN SALMON
Fri-Sat 6:30pm, Edgefield, $49, all ages

Wild Ones
Horrendous news: Wild Ones are breaking up, just one year after releasing their excellent sophomore album Mirror Touch. Sadly, “this has gotta be the last time” (to crib a line from their track “Paresthesia”), but on the bright side, the electro-pop sweethearts will bid adieu with two farewell shows at Mississippi Studios this week. CIARA DOLAN
Fri-Sat 9pm, Mississippi Studios, $15

Robby MĂŒller Tribute
You might not know cinematographer Robby MĂŒller’s name, but chances are, you’ve seen his intense, bold work—he’s the brilliant guy who shot Repo Man, Paris, Texas, Dancer in the Dark, and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. This weekend, the NW Film Center’s Robby MĂŒller Tribute presents three of MĂŒller's best: Wim Wenders’ The American Friend (Fri Aug 24, 7 pm), William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. (Sat Aug 25, 6:45 pm), and possibly the best of the lot, Jim Jarmusch’s rock ’n’ roll triptych Mystery Train (Sun Aug 26, 7 pm), which screens in 35mm and features Joe Strummer, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Tom Waits (well, Tom Waits’ voice), and a young Steve Buscemi. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Fri-Sun, NW FIlm Center's Whitsell Auditorium, see movie times for showtimes, $8-9

Festa Italiana
Portland's annual celebration of all things Italian: the food, the music, the dancing, the cannoli, all of it. With Pioneer Courthouse Square playing host to a whole bunch of vendors, children's activities, wine and beer gardens, grape stomping contests, and more. Visit festa-italiana.org for more information.
Fri-Sat 11am, Pioneer Courthouse Square, free

Amanda Shires, Lilly Hiatt
Nashville country singer Lilly Hiatt—who, I only just realized, is the daughter of singer/songwriter John Hiatt—released one of my favorite records of 2017 with Trinity Lane. The majority of the album grapples with loss, sobriety, and the pain that often comes with self-reflection, but it’s driven by hope. “Gonna hang on a little bit longer,” she sings on the title track, “Sleep well, work a little harder/Put my faith in something I can’t see.” Rock ’n’ rollers of yore appear on several songs, from scorcher “The Night David Bowie Died” to “Imposter” (a song about her dad) to standout track “Records”: “I put the needle down, hey Mr. Young/You know our work is never done.” Between locomotive rhythms, electrifying guitar solos, confessional lyrics, and Hiatt’s gritty, powerful drawl, the frayed beauty of Trinity Lane deconstructs the foundations of traditional country music and builds something refreshingly new. CIARA DOLAN
8pm, Alberta Rose Theater, $25-27.50

Shemekia Copeland
The award-winning singer hits the Star Theater in support of her latest LP, America's Child.
9 pm, Star Theater, $18

Dispatch, Nahko & Medicine for the People, Scatter Their Own
The long-running roots and indie rock jam band out of Boston come back to the West Coast ahead of their forthcoming full-length, Location 13.
7pm, Oregon Zoo, $39.50-99.50

Notorious NYC
Tribute Night comes through with another homage to the glory days of hip-hop, this time paying respects not just to Biggie Smalls, but to the New York scene he came up in, and the rappers and producers who followed in his wake.
10pm, Holocene, $10

Troop Beverly Hills
As part of the Hollywood Theatre's new ongoing film series Isn't She Great, Elizabeth Teets and Anthony Hudson host this screening of the 1989 Shelley Long vehicle Troop Beverly Hills. This was Long's last ditch at film stardom after leaving Cheers in 1987, and unfortunately, it didn't catch. She returned to TV (and to Cheers) shortly afterwards, only attaining theatrical success in Betty Thomas' Brady Bunch Movie in 1995. Thomas is her scene-stealing co-star in Troop Beverly Hills, but the most fascinating thing about the movie is watching child stars Jenny Lewis, Carla Gugino, Tori Spelling (!) and Kellie Martin playing off the pure ham Long is serving up. BOBBY ROBERTS
8pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9

Saturday, Aug 25

Brews for New Avenues
New Avenues for Youth is one of the coolest nonprofits in Portland—devoted to helping homeless youth, the nonprofit helps with housing, job prospects and counseling. And you can help this great place by drinking at one of the best beer events in Portland! With live music, more than 50 brews on tap from around the world and 1000+ bottles of mystery beer for sale (for a great cause!), this is the must-attend brewfest of the season. KELLY KENOYER
5pm, Leftbank Annex, $15

Minority Retort
Hell yes, it’s Minority Retort, the city’s premiere comedy night showcasing comedians of color. This month’s headliner, former Portlander Curtis Cook, returns from LA to treat audiences to his thoughtful and satisfyingly bleak comedy musings, which landed him a job as writer and editoralist for Comedy Central’s Jim Jefferies Show. Minority Retort is hosted by Jason Lamb, Julia Ramos and Neeraj Srinivasan. The Real Hyjinx, Katie Nguyen and Eugene’s Randy Mendez will also perform. JENNI MOORE
8pm, Siren Theater, $10

Crate Diggers PDX Record Fair
Virtual music marketplace Discogs has become an invaluable tool for online record hounds, but every year the Oregon-based site hosts Crate Diggers, a hometown record fair with face-to-face transactions that fosters record-collecting community. For the event’s fifth year, expect more than 30 vinyl vendors, plus DJ sets from DJ Roane, DJ Provoke, Allen “The Ambassador” Thayer, and more! NED LANNAMANN
noon, White Owl Social Club, free

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
As a subgenre, “Movies Based on TV Shows” isn’t the most reliably successful. For every Miami Vice (shut up, it’s fuckin’ good) there are like five of Car 54, Where Are You? But one of the best examples of a show making the leap is also one of its least mentioned—probably because the show was an anime that most Americans only saw if they (1) knew what the fuck Adult Swim was in 2001, and (2) were up late enough on Sunday nights to watch it. If they did, they saw Cowboy Bebop, arguably the finest anime series ever made, a laid-back explosion of style that demanded you acknowledge just how fucking cool it was. In less sure hands, this story of interstellar bounty hunters who reluctantly become something like a real family would be a tryhard melange of clichĂ©s. But through the eyes of director Shinichir Watanabe, every ingredient (sci-fi, jazz, noir, screwball comedy, action, mystery, suspense, sitcom hijinks) is perfectly measured and blended with such surety that the result feels breezily effortless—at least, until the cumulative effect of the storytelling sneaks a breath-stealing gut punch into the final minutes. So went the series, so goes this movie. BOBBY ROBERTS
7pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9

Pure Bathing Culture, King Who, Kacey Johansing
It’s been three years since Pure Bathing Culture released their last LP, Pray for Rain, but for Turntable Kitchen's Sounds Delicious series, the Portland band decided to record their own version of Hats, the classic 1989 record from Scottish duo the Blue Nile. Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman play off one another in recreating the depressing romanticism that gave the Blue Nile's artsy pop its extra kick, with a little help from Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard on the track "Saturday Night." Only 1,000 of copies of Hats are being pressed—be sure to grab one at the show, which doubles as an album release party for King Who’s new record Giant Eye. CERVANTE POPE
9pm, Doug Fir, $13-15

MusicfestNW Presents: In the Lot
Generally, spending your whole day in a parking lot doesn't exactly guarantee a good time. But this weekend is the exception that proves the rule, with Musicfest NW teaming up with Dr. Martens to host some great performances in Docs’ parking lot. Sunday’s got Twin Peak, Dude York, and more, but Saturday’s got the must-sees, with performances from Naked Giants, the Last Artful, Dodgr, and the inimitable Princess Nokia, whose pulsing beats and New York swagger do guarantee a good time. Maybe leave the Docs at home, though. It’s gonna be a billion degrees. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Sat-Sun 3pm, Dr. Martens Airwair USA, $18-30, all ages

Sweet Tooth
DownRight Productions presents this live mashup of music, art, and dance, a "summer sampler" of Portland talent, with contributions from local notables including No Aloha, Kim Diamond, Ghostland, Stay Cool, Nicole Mark, Brette Irish, Tom Ghoulie, and more.
5:30pm, Disjecta, $12-15

10th Annual Pink Party
Join the fight for reproductive rights with a pink drink and beautiful limited t-shirt in hand! Stock up on sassy swag for sale with the slogan, “Don’t f*ck with us. Don’t f*ck without us,” buy lots of raffle tickets, and enjoy live tunes at the largest annual fundraiser for Planned Parenthood of Oregon’s Multnomah County Leadership & Advocacy Team. This event is all ages, so feel free to bring any offspring. EMILLY PRADO
4pm, Holocene, $7

The Smashing Pumpkins, Metric
In 1993 and 1995, the Smashing Pumpkins unleashed two of the best albums of that decade: Dreamy and cruel, Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness found Billy Corgan's lilting vocals drifting over James Iha's lush guitars, D'arcy Wretzky's moody bass, and Jimmy Chamberlin's cranky drums. Even at the Pumpkins' peak, when they headlined Homerpalooza on The Simpsons, Corgan was ridiculous (glowering and capricious, he vowed Mellon Collie would be “The Wall for Generation X”), but one couldn't argue with their arena shows or B-sides. As flannel faded, they broke up and reunited ad infinitum, with Iha, Chamberlin, and more—though never Wretzky—orbiting Corgan's gleaming moon of a head. So much of this stuff still works (“Cherub Rock,” “Geek U.S.A.,” “Disarm,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “1979,” “Thirty-Three,” the patently preposterous, patently awesome “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”), but the Pumpkins' most lasting impact might be their influence on those who followed. (Years later, their rock-opera baroqueness and emo-kid lyrics would be sharpened and polished by My Chemical Romance.) For the “Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour" (heavy sigh), Corgan, Iha, and Chamberlin vow their setlist will pull from their first five albums; it might as well be called the “Give the Gen Xers What They Want Tour,” and I have zero complaints. ERIK HENRIKSEN
7pm, Moda Center, $29-125, all ages

Prophets of Rage
Despite the whole rap rock thing being sullied by the likes of Limp Bizkit—who proved to be the final nail in the coffin—Rage Against the Machine still has the respect of many, since they actually had important things to say. Add decades of truth-telling from Public Enemy, and it’s best to pay attention. Prophets of Rage—members of RATM sans Zack de la Rocha, with Public Enemy’s Chuck D and DJ Lord, and B-Real from Cypress Hill—have formed to fight back against the racism, xenophobia, and sexism propagated by Trump and other GOP goons. If America has ever needed Prophets of Rage, whose performances are rallies against social and racial inequalities, it’s right now. If these Prophets connect with just a handful of people, consider this a good thing. MARK LORE
8 pm, Roseland, $49-65

This is Portland Not Portlandia III
Volume Bomb presents the third chapter in their defiant redefinition of what Portland means to people, spreading over 30 bands across four stages on SE Hawthorne, with the Watertrough, Quarterworld, Space Room, and the Tanker hosting some of Portland's best up-and-coming local bands.
4pm, Various Locations (SE Hawthorne), Click Here for a list of bands, venues, and showtimes, $5

2nd Annual Block Party
Rogue brings back last year's successful block party, in collaboration with the Goat Blocks, closing down SE Yamhill between SE 9th and 10th and bringing in a skate ramp, live music, a beer and cider garden, and booths from a bunch of local vendors. Proceeds benefit Newport's skatepark rebuilding project.
noon, Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery, free

Leading Psychics, Hollow Sidewalks, Denim Wedding
The Fixin' To serves up a night of psych rock and noise pop with Leading Psychics, the Portland-based trio spearheaded by David Frederickson (The Prids) and Christian Hurd (Nite Hike/Lookbook/Templeton), leading the charge.
9 pm, The Fixin' To, $7

Sunday, Aug 26

Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders
The Vancouver Whitecaps shattered the Timbers’ record-tying unbeaten streak earlier this month, and Portland will be eager to get the gears turning again when they welcome their bitter rivals to Providence Park for the third and final meeting of the regular season. The Sounders have managed to build an impressive run of their own in recent weeks, and with playoffs looming, expect the league’s marquee matchup to live up to its billing when both sides take the field tonight. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
6:30pm, Providence Park, $52-200

Portland Hip-Hop Day 2018
After the recent passing of longtime rapper/host/events specialist/radio personality Idris “StarChile” O’ferral, the annual Portland Hip-Hop Day has officially been moved to August 26 (whereas it was formerly held on October 15). This year’s event will also honor StarChile’s legacy and celebrate his contributions to Portland’s hip-hop community and culture—including being a key founder of the then-monthly Mic Check showcase, and Portland Hip-Hop Day itself. Now led by hip-hop day co-organizer DJ OG One, and themed as “Legends: The Future of Now and Then,” this year’s lineup is seriously massive. Veteran MCs like Cool Nutz, Mic Crenshaw, Libretto, and the Lifesavas will take the mic outside City Hall, in addition to a slew of artists from the new wave: St. Johns rapper Mic Capes, viral blonde-haired MC Wynne, the lively Karma Rivera, as well as Andre Waymond, Bocha, Fountaine, and many more. JENNI MOORE
2pm, City Hall, free, all ages

Fear, CH3
Punk rock is supposed to push the buttons and boundaries of society, and if any band pushed these to the absolute limit, it was Los Angeles’ Fear. In the early ’80s, when most punk bands were combating crooked politicians, empowering the exploited, and challenging conservative lifestyles, Fear was saying “I don’t care about you!” to everyone indiscriminately. The band’s bullheaded approach was offensive, hyper-masculine, and often instigated violence, but their musicianship and creativity went unmatched. How could a band be complete assholes and still somehow manage to become supremely influential? See three out of four original members perform and find out for yourself. ARIS HUNTER WALES
8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $25-28

Midge Ure, Paul Young
A pair of celebrated English pop, rock, and new wave singer/songwriters join forces at the Aladdin Theater when the "Soundtrack Of Your Life" Tour rolls through Portland.
8pm, Aladdin Theater, $35, all ages

Pitch, Please!
Perhaps you’ve heard about local artist/funny person Carolyn Main’s great new card game Pitch, Please!, in which players choose a classic movie trope from a deck, and then “pitch” an original idea for a film within 60 seconds. Well, now this concept just got funnier—because Pitch, Please! is now LIVE ONSTAGE, and will be played out for your endless amusement by some of the most hilarious comedians in town including Portland's Funniest Finalists Mohanad Elshieky, Corina Lucas, and Portland's Funniest winners Steven Wilber (2014) and Alex Falcone (2018). If you love movies and comedy, you won’t want to miss this. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
8 pm, Kelly's Olympian, $5

Hawthorne Street Fair
Hawthorne shuts down (well, more than it usually does on the weekend) to throw itself (and its businesses) a daylong party, with a beer and cider gardens by Bazi Bierbrasserie, Growlers Hawthorne, and Hawthorne Hophouse, live music on the main stage at 38th Avenue, kids activities, and goods and food from an array of local vendors.
11am, SE 36th & Hawthorne, free, all ages

Collate, Preening, The Social Stomach, Meringue
Collate’s brand of post-punk, with its spooked incantations and skittish instruments, is an ideal companion for a reluctant march into an uncertain future. CHRIS STAMM
8 pm, The Cobra Lounge, $7, all ages

Larkin Grimm, Caspar Sonnet, Flaxen Hair
Larkin Grimm’s enchanting voice has the tendency to sweep you away. Nestled above dizzying and diverse witchy folk instrumentals, Grimm’s songs soar on experimental bents and mystical melodies. Her latest release, 2017’s Chasing an Illusion, begins with disjointed minimalism, eroding and building up again on “Ah Love Is Oceanic Pleasure,” while Grimm’s range is given centerstage. She will be joined by Portland solo project Flaxen Hair, whose recent demos approximate Ennio Morricone’s eerie The Thing soundtrack and some of the more abstract ruminations of Philip Glass, anchored by heavy doses of wispy synth and deft guitar loops. RYAN J. PRADO
5:30pm, Speck's Records and Tapes

Rosé All Day
The Produce Row Café patio turns pink to celebrate their love for rosé. Don your finest summertime attire and sample more than 15 types of rosé, all while enjoying tasty snacks, appetizers, and music from a live DJ. Admission includes a welcome cocktail (frosé slushie), a souvenir tasting glass, 8 tasting tokens, appetizers, and pink gummies. Additional wine, cocktails and frosé slushies available for purchase. $10 from each ticket sold goes to Make-A-Wish Oregon.
2pm, Produce Row cafe, $30

Support Black-Owned Restaraunts Week (Final Day!)
In its fourth year of existence, Portland's annual celebration of Black-owned eateries has graduated from days to a full week's worth of deliciousness from over 60 establishments, from food trucks to coffee shops to brick and mortar restaurant experiences, representing cuisine from the American South, Somalia, Ethiopia, Jamaica, and much more. Visit the iloveblackfood restaurant directory for a complete list of eateries, and then give them your money and your support.
Various Locations, Through August 26

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