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Monday, Nov 12
Rufus Wainwright, Rachel Eckroth
In an era when feigned lo-fi dominates the zeitgeist and âbedroom popâ has supplanted âindieâ as the most spurious and meaningless genre descriptor, listening to Rufus Wainwright is refreshing. The son of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright IIIâtwo incredibly accomplished musicians in their own rightâRufus was never one to shun his showy predilections. His self-titled 1998 debut, which spent two years in gestation and cost nearly $1 million to record, established Wainwrightâs trademark of entwining operatic bombast with Tin Pan Alley tradition. His newer records are also greatâin particular, 2012âs Out of the Game, which cheekily acknowledges and revels in its irrelevance. (8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $65, all ages) MORGAN TROPER
Pete Souza
You might be like "Wasn't Pete Souza, amazing photographer and Instagram assassin, just in Portland as part of a book tour?" Well, you're right. He was. But he's got a new book! The last one was focused primarily on images of President Obama, and this one is more about that "Instagram Assassin" thing. Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents is all about juxtaposition. First there's a picture of President Obama doing something, and then? Then there's a picture of the demented, racist, abusive slumlord awkwardly attempting to do anything that resembles basic human behavior. Ergo: shade. Enjoy a new presentation from Souza at this event, and pick up a copy of his book while you're at it. (7:30 pm, Revolution Hall, $40)
Jake Shears, SSION
The co-founder of Scissor Sisters brings his own brand of glam rock and pop music through the Wonder Ballroom for an all-ages show supporting his self-titled solo debut. (8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $25-28, all ages)
Circa Survive, La Dispute, Queen of Jeans
Circa Survive's undeniably mall-core corniness has always been tempered by some seriously amazing hooks. (7:30 pm, Roseland, $25-30, all ages) MORGAN TROPER
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
"I really don't care for the way your company left me in the middle of fucking nowhere with fucking keys to a fucking car that isn't fucking there. And I really didn't care to fucking walk down a fucking highway and across a fucking runway to get back here to have you smile in my fucking face." (8:30 pm, Mission Theater)
Idra Novey, Leni Zumas
The award-winning author of Ways to Disappear returns with Those Who Knew, a timely novel about a corrupt and powerful politician who is brought down by a dedicated group of outsiders. Novey will be joined in conversation by Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks. (7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free)
Acid Dad, Fire Nuns, Malt Lizard
Brooklyn-based quartet Acid Dad bring their spirited live show and trippy blend of psych punk through the Doug Fir in support of their self-titled debut. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $10-12)
Tuesday, Nov 13
Guided by Voices, Stan McMahon
Guided by Voicesâ shows will consistently give you the most bang for your buck. Of the 2,000-plus cuts that Robert Pollard has penned throughout his prolific career, few creep far past the three-minute mark, and many fan favorites clock in closer to a minute and a half. As a result, the indie rock heroesâ Wonder Ballroom set will likely feature dozens upon dozens of tracks spanning their roughly 30-year existenceâevery song, of course, being an attempt to fulfill Pollardâs chief goal of fitting as many hooks into as little time as possible. (8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $35-40) BEN WEINSTEIN
Death Valley Girls, Gym Shorts
On their new record Darkness Rains, Death Valley Girls go all-in on proto-punk anthems, conjuring the specters of Fun House-era fuzz and flying the flag for all that is loud. The Detroit boogie of âDisaster (Is What Weâre After)â isnât anything you havenât heard before, but the band wears their influences proudly on their leather sleevesâIggy Pop even stars in the trackâs music video. Death Valley Girlsâ commitment to their craft proves that rock ânâ roll is here to stay. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12) RYAN J. PRADO
Kung Fu Theater: Invincible Shaolin
This monthâs installment in Dan Halstedâs ongoing celebration of all things whoop-ass is the only known 35mm print of 1978's Invincible Shaolin, bringing back the stars of the spleen-rending badassery that was Five Element Ninjas in a martial arts showdown that pits North Shaolin vs. South Shaolin (Bet you didn't know there were boroughs, huh) against each other to determine whose unique kung fu is the best. If you're a fan of training sequencesâand you should be, training sequences are the beating, bleeding heart of classic kung fu filmsâthis film's got your number. (7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9) BOBBY ROBERTS
Pearl Charles
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Pearl Charles brings her blend of psych-tinged folk, classic rock, and cosmic Americana back to town for a headlining show supporting her latest full-length, Sleepless Dreamer. (9 pm, The Liquor Store, $8)
Milo, Kenny Segal
Fresh off a stand-out performance at Pickathon, the prolific rapper and producer out of Wisconsin brings his "Green Horse for Rap" Tour through Portland for an all-ages show at the Polaris Hall. (8 pm, Polaris Hall, $15-17, all ages)
WHY?, Lala Lala
Cincinnati-hailing singer/songwriter Yoni Wolf and his shapeshifting indie rock and hip-hop outfit celebrate the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed 2008 album, Alopecia. (8 pm, Revolution Hall, $17-20, all ages)
Odonis Odonis, Ritual Veil
Toronto-based noise punk outfit Odonis Odonis return to Portland for a headlining show supporting their 2017 album, No Pop. Likeminded locals Ritual Veil round out the proceedings with their own pulsating post-punk sounds. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $10)
Wednesday, Nov 14
Masego, VanJess
Singer/songwriter Micah Davis, better known by his stage name Masego, is more famous than you think he is, but not famous enough for what he does, and how amazingly well he does it. Not to compare every virtuosic singular musical talent with a flair for the theatrical to Prince but... Masego is kind of like if Prince grew up in the '90s, never had a big chip on his shoulder about hip-hop, blended it expertly with R&B and especially jazz, and was obviously having the time of his fucking life making it all up on the spot right in front of you. And if that seems far-fetched, it won't within 10 minutes of his performance tonight. (8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $20-23, all ages)
Florist
Floristâs 2017 masterpiece If Blue Could Be Happiness sounds like it was made to live inside your heart. The New York bandâs brand of indie folk-pop is small, gentle, and delicate, yet it resonates with deeply felt feelings that will ring true with anyone who has ever lived, loved, and lost. âLook what I found,â Emily Sprague sings. âThereâs sound inside me, but I am not that loud." If Blue Could Be Happiness is a quietly beautiful monument to the impermanence of life and hope for the future. (8 pm, Mission Theater, $10-12, all ages) BEN SALMON
Young Fathers
Sounding at times like Shabazz Palaces or early TV on the Radio, Young Fathers have prompted plenty of conversation, from their diverse, multi-ethnic backgrounds, to their dystopian rock/hiphop sound. (9 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $18-20, all ages) SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
Muncie Girls, Glacier Veins
The English trio headed up by Lande Hekt, Dean McMullen, and Luke Ellis bring their melodic punk and indie rock to the Hawthorne Theatre Lounge for the Portland stop on a North American tour supporting latest album, Fixed Ideals. (8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, $12)
Human Ottoman, Toothbone, Childspeak, Wave Action
Portland's Human Ottoman craft industrial dance music with the unique instrumentation of cello, vibraphone, and drums. Catch them tonight when they head up a Do503 showcase at the Doug Fir along with fellow locals Toothbone, Childspeak, and Wave Action. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $8-10)
Hairspray
Turns out when John Waters isnât making people eat dog pickles on camera, heâs got some pretty decent pop sensibilities. But just because Hairspray fizzes over like a freshly shaken bottle of effervescent sunshine doesnât mean Waters took a break from tweaking the squares. The surface-level joysâthe dancing, the music, the sense of style that makes Effieâs Hunger Games couture look like a burlap sack and a barrelâconstitute the deliciously campy candied shell coating messages about institutionalized racism in 1960s Baltimore and the multiple ways society unfairly judges its children, especially its girls. 9:40 pm, Academy Theater, $3-4) BOBBY ROBERTS
Mood Beach, Pleasure Curses, DMN
Portland's Mood Beach celebrate the release of their latest single with a mid-week show featuring sets from fellow local disco and electro pop outfits Pleasure Curses and DMN. (8:30 pm, Holocene, $8)
Thursday, Nov 15
August Greene
Fresh off their NPR Tiny Desk Concert, the hip-hop and R&B supergroup headed up by Common, Robert Glasper, and Karriem Riggins make their Portland debut in support of their debut self-titled album. (8:30 pm, Roseland, $45-65)
David Sedaris
If you think youâre too cool for David Sedarisâthe first of his name, brother of Amy, author of NPRâs old reliable holiday mainstay (câmon, the Santaland Diaries is GOOD) and such humorist delights as Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denimâyouâre lying to yourself and you need to stop. Sedarisâ dry wit is indispensable in trying times. Go get some! (7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $32.50-57.50, all ages) MEGAN BURBANK
Live Wire! Radio
The latest installment of Portland's own nationally-syndicated variety show features appearances from author and humorist John Hodgman, award-winning journalist RJ Young, and She Shreds founder Fabi Reyna, along with live music from SĂĄvila. Hosted by Luke Burbank. (7:30 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $20-35)
Smokey Brights, Dan Dan, Los Mundos, Prism Bitch
Go to this set. Do it. Do it for Smokey Brights, who are the kind of crackly and warm guitar-driven rock that you already know and love, even if youâve never heard it. Itâs that warm blanket that you throw over your head to avoid dealing with your uncleâs off-color rants about refugees. Do it for yourself. (8 pm, The Fixin' To, $8) KATHLEEN TARRANT
Steady Holiday, Tomemitsu, Laura Palmer's Death Parade
The LA-based indie pop outfit headed up by Dre Babinski come up the coast for a headlining show supporting their Barsuk Records-issued sophomore album, Nobody's Watching. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12)
The Annual Beaujolais Nouveau Festival
The annual Beaujolais Nouveau festival transforms St. Jack, with notable winemakers bringing their best versions of Nouveau to the restaurant, and they get paired with culinary miracles via some of the city's best chefs. Proceeds benefit Pueblo Unido. (6 pm, St. Jack, $55)
David Koechner
The actor and comedian who came up in Chicago under the teachings of Del Close and rose the ranks of Second City Northwest before eventually breaking out as Champ Kind in Anchorman puts a big ol' whammy on the Helium stage. (8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $22-28)
The Garden, LE1F, Machine Girl
The Garden used to be my favorite band. Twins Fletcher and Wyatt Shears make weird, aggressive new wave punk with just drums, bass, and sometimes an 8-bit video game synth beat. Songs like âWe Be Grindinââ are repetitive, but with catchy hooks dramatically contorted as if to see whether dancers can still keep up with the spikes in energy, like a hardcore game of musical chairs. I was obsessed, but after the Garden signed to major punk label Epitaph Records for their sophomore LP, 2015âs Haha, the Shears twins did something unforgivable: They started dressing like French clowns. The Orange County bandâs alliance with one of the most objectively creepy things in the world made me feel a little betrayed, but Iâll just listen at home, because their new single âStallionâ (from their 2018 album Mirror Might Steal Your Charm) is still so good. (6 pm, Bossanova Ballroom, $16-18, all ages) CAMERON CROWELL
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
