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Friday, March 29

Ronny Chieng
Malaysian-Australian comedian and actor Ronny Chieng takes a break from his role as senior correspondent on The Daily Show and brings his stand-up through the Aladdin Theater for the Portland stop on the "Tone Issues" Tour. (7 pm, Aladdin Theater, $25)

Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival (POW Film Fest)
Have you seen Captain Marvel three times in the theater and ache for more movies by, for, and about women and nonbinary people? Me too! Good thing the Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival—better known as POW Fest—is back for its 12th year, offering an expansive program featuring the work of non-dude filmmakers. Another awesome thing about the festival is the organization behind it: Throughout the year, POW runs workshops that help teenage girls learn about the filmmaking process. If you or someone you know is a teenage girl, look into it. We need more of all of this. Because while I wholly support watching Captain Marvel as many times as possible, POW offers plenty of other opportunities for women to get things done. (Fri-Sun, Clinton Street Theater, Hollywood Theatre, Holocene) ELINOR JONES

Bombino
Bombino has been a star in Portland since 2012, when the Tuareg guitarist and his terrific backing band, bedecked in bazin robes and tagelmust scarves, played a fervently exciting set of Saharan desert blues amid the lush greenery of Pickathon festival’s stage in the woods. Since then, the rest of the world’s caught on, with Bombino recording albums with the likes of the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth. Deran, Bombino’s latest, was recorded in Casablanca without a producer, and showcases the guitarist from Niger without western interpretation or concealment. His wondrously eloquent and fiery guitar work is still front-and-center, but now it’s joined by a reggae flavor and the kind of confidence that only global acclaim can instill. While he attracts more of a jam-band crowd than he used to, Bombino remains one of the best guitarists in the world, so the live show will be as good as that suggests. (9 pm, Star Theater, $25) NED LANNAMANN

Jen Kirkman
Stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman is known for her appearances on Drunk History, the late-night talk show circuit, and Chelsea Lately, but most notable are her two excellent Netflix specials I’m Going to Die Alone (and I Feel Fine), and Just Keep Livin’. Kirkman’s take on topics like religion, married people, ageing, and politics are always a hoot, and often just as insightful and relatable as they are funny. (Fri-Sat 7:30 pm & 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $25) JENNI MOORE

No Fair/Fair
No Fair/Fair easily takes the prize for the most ambitious offsite AWP event. This two-day book fair takes place simultaneously at two venues across the street from each other, features 25 independent presses, and includes a 70-PERSON double-venue reading Friday night. Hats off. At NF/F, you can peruse books from a wealth of local favorites (Octopus Books, Perfect Day Publishing, Fonograf Editions), as well as some of the best indie publishers from around the country (Wave Books, Black Ocean, Dorothy Project). (Fri-Sat noon, The Bakery Building) JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

Risley, Moon Shy, Hugh Jepson
Boasting a brand new line-up and a fresh set of songs, Portland's own Risley head up a night of Pacific Northwest-rooted indie rock at Turn! Turn! Turn! (8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, $5)

Tank Girl
In 1995, Rachel Talalay directed an adaptation of the cult comic Tank Girl, starring Lori Petty and Naomi Watts. Nobody in the film industry had carved out a space for something like Tank Girl to exist within, so when Talalay and Petty made that space, a lot of people (men) sneered at its loud, scattered, ridiculous indulgence and dismissed it. And it is those things! Most comic book adaptations are! But instead of starring roided-up hulkmen bleeding asinine catchphrases, Tank Girl centers on an irreverent feminist anti-hero who gives not one solitary fuck about protecting for any dude's limited conception of what "comic book" movies can be. Tank Girl, even in its compromised, misunderstood form, is still something of a minor miracle of the genre. It shouldn't exist. But there she is. Straddling a tank turret, laughing, and flying double birds at you from 1995. Part of the Hollywood Theatre's 2019 Feminist March film series. (7 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9) BOBBY ROBERTS

Total Success
Sketch comedy duo DnD (David Wester, David Burnett) bring a new collection of absurd situations aburdly executed to the Siren stage, directed by local all-star Shelley McLendon. (Fri-Sat 8pm, Siren Theater, $10, through Apr 6)

Sweet Spirit, Help!
The soulful and explosive Austin-based garage-pop ensemble fronted by Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog) return to town for the first time since leveling the Galaxy Barn during the 2017 installment of Pickathon. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-15)

In the Shadows: A Burlesque and Drag Tribute to the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
Of all the masters of old-school cinema, one of the freakiest was Alfred Hitchcock. The man knew how to fetishize, dammit, and Joan Powers Productions is leaning way into that with this cabaret-styled tribute to his classic filmography, with performances from Prince Peanut Butter, Lola Coquette, Swan Sway, Anita Rage, Zora Phoenix, and more. (9 pm, Crush, $13)

Snackfest
The people who brought you the Portland Night Market have turned their eyes towards the very serious business of snacking, and Snackfest is a the result: a weekend's worth of local vendors dedicating their time and energy to sharing bite-sized deliciousness in a wide variety of forms and flavors. Visit snackfestpdx.com for a complete list of offerings. (Fri-Sat 6 pm, 100 SE Alder, free)

Saturday, March 30

CHAI, Haiku Hands, Cry Babe
With frenetic songs about body hair and repressive beauty standards, Japanese punk rock group CHAI makes music with the intention of “redefining kawaii” (the Japanese word for “cute”). Within the first few seconds of the music video for “NEO”—from their 2017 debut, Pink, which calls to mind Bikini Kill, Deerhoof, and Devo in equal measure—you will understand why CHAI is one of the coolest, most badass bands around. (5:30 pm, Holocene, $15, all ages) CIARA DOLAN

The 2019 Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference
This year, the annual gathering of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), the largest writer’s conference in the country, lands in Portland—which is huge! If you have any creative writers in your life, chances are they’re freaking out—if not for the conference itself, for the fact that it’s bringing fellow writers, editors, publishers, teachers, and friends in from all over the country. Click here to see the full onsite schedule, and click here for our list of the best offsite events! (9 am, Oregon Convention Center, $50-315) JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

The Shifrin/Polonsky/Wiley Trio
It’s easy enough to catch a Beethoven symphony performed live, but the chance to witness an elusive clarinet trio from the composer should not be missed—especially when the musicians onstage happen to be pianist Anna Polonsky, cellist Peter Wiley, and woodwind god David Shifrin on clarinet. Artistic Director of Chamber Music Northwest since 1981, Shifrin assembled this brilliant new super-group with Polonsky and Wiley after decades of shared experience between them, so their musical interplay this evening promises to go beyond tight. Also on tap are trio works by Brahms and Italian film score composer Nino Rota. (7:30 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $10-60) BRIAN HORAY

Audition
Some of history's best horror movies have their scares sanded off by nothing more than the passage of time. It's not their fault, really, and there's any number of sensible reasons for it—the coarsening of society, the onslaught of less-skilled imitators leaving trash in their wake, etc. But Takeshi Miike's Audition turns 20 this year and if you attend tonight's anniversary screening, there's a 99% chance that this is going to be the most flat-out fucked up thing you watch in 2019. Probably 2020, too, if we make it that far. (9:45 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9)

Shemekia Copeland, King Louie & LaRhonda Steele
There’s no way to truly quantify whether Shemekia Copeland possesses the biggest voice ever to sing inside the cozy Jack London Revue, but one thing’s for sure: Everyone in every corner of the place will be able to luxuriate in the sound of her powerful pipes. Copeland was born in New York, but she’s the daughter of Texas blues giant Johnny Copeland, which is probably why she can pull off both sleek electric blues and rustic country-style blues with equal skill, not to mention her regular forays into jazz, Americana, and rock ’n’ roll. No matter what kind of music she’s singing, you can count on two things: Copeland will nail every note, and she will do so with eye-popping authority. (9:15 pm, Jack London Revue, $25) BEN SALMON

Nocturnal Habits, Slang, Hurry Up
Unwound's Justin Trosper and Sara Lund bring their latest post punk and noise rock outfit through Mississippi Studios for a headlining show. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12)

Tennyson
Until his death in 1892, Alfred Lord Tennyson was a towering figure in poetry and—wait. That's not right! Old Alfred has been replaced with Tennyson, a brother and sister duo from Edmonton whose slick loops of electronic murmurings will chill out the Wonder Ballroom tonight. Truly, as a great poet (Alfred Lord Tennyson) once wrote, “The old order changeth, yielding place to new.” (8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $15-18, all ages) ERIK HENRIKSEN

Back Fence PDX: Russian Roulette
It returns! If you like storytelling with a little danger, check out Back Fence PDX: Russian Roulette! Six entertaining storytellers spin a wheel of “prompts” (examples: “public nudity,” “breaking the law”) and whatever the wheel lands on, the person will have five minutes to come up with a five minute story on that subject! Trust me, it’s a goddamn hoot. Hosted by B. Frayn Masters and Mindy Nettifee. (7:30 pm, Curious Comedy Theater, $16-26) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Aan, Wild Powwers, Help
Local experimental rock and pop outfit Aan head up a hometown show at the High Water Mark, with Seattle's Wild Powwers on hand to round out the bill with a set of guitar-driven indie rock plucked from their recent Nadine Records-issued full-length, SKIN. (8:30 pm, High Water Mark, $10)

Uli Jon Roth
There are only two kinds of musicians that still tour in the twilight of their careers—those whose fans will still pack clubs to see them, even if their skills and performances are just “okay,” and those who must, because music is the essence of their being and keeping it bottled up would be a disservice to the universe. Uli Jon Roth falls into the latter category. (7 pm, Bossanova Ballroom, $20)

Sunbathe, Antonioni, Pool Boys
Maggie May Morris has a catchy-as-hell name to go along with her natural ability to write a catchy-as-hell song. While you may be familiar with Morris from her position at the helm of Genders, you might not be aware that her solo efforts are as just as mesmerizing. With her current project, Sunbathe, Morris reminds us that catchy doesn’t always have to be equal to sunny or saccharine. She’s got the distinct ability to write a song so devastating you’ll flop to the floor while listening, but also so warm and familiar that you’ll find yourself attempting to hum along even before you’ve finished indulging in it for the first time. (9 pm, The Fixin' To, $8) JENNA FLETCHER

Amber Tamblyn
Actress and writer Amber Tamblyn reads from Era of Ignition her non-fiction follow up to debut novel Any Man. Ignition is a look at Tamblyn's experiences with self-reflection and upheaval coinciding with America's own awakenings. Tamblyn will be joined in conversation by Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Chronology of Water. (4 pm, Powell's City of Books, free)

James Bay, Noah Kahan
The quick-rising English singer/songwriter brings his soulful blend of rock and folk through the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for a headlining show supporting his sophomore full-length, Electric Light. (8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $27-49.50)

Sunday, March 31

Adam Conover: Mind Parasites Live
Adam Conover’s popular Tru TV show Adam Ruins Everything lays down super-funny, heavily researched truth bombs for the masses—and has turned the kids I babysit into know-it-all monsters. Stepping out of his TV show persona for a return to his old style smart-guy stand-up, Conover’s live show Mind Parasites, is a little less wacky, a lot more earnest, and still correcting important misconceptions. This time he’s talking about cultural parasites. Don’t know about that? Here’s how you find out! (8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $39.50-75, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Though the “soul collective” formed in Japan in 1995, Acid Mothers Temple’s mind-melting experimental psychedelia sounds like it was born in some distant galaxy and hurtled through outer space, only to crash-land on earth in the middle of the ’70s. It’s meditative, cosmic, and trance-inducing, with endlessly spiraling guitar riffs, gurgling electronics, unpredictable bursts of percussion, and bizarre, droning vocals. Acid Mothers Temple are legends, and you should absolutely experience their strange, hypnotic, extraterrestrial-sounding music live. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $13-15) CIARA DOLAN

They Live
There are more than a few theaters across the country who have screened 1984 in response to the continued tenure of our corrupt, racist, slumlord sex offender of a president. But while familiarizing yourself with Orwell is always a good idea, I believe John Carpenter’s last bonafide classic—1989's paranoid, left-wing, grindhouse sci-fi satire They Live—is a much more appropriate film for the strange, bewildering times we occupy. And for as good as John Hurt was in 1984, if we’re heading into a debased apocalypse of a future, I’d rather have Rowdy Roddy Piper as my avatar, kicking ass, chewing bubblegum, and—if he has to—literally beating some sense into you. Put the fuckin’ glasses on. (4:35 pm & 9:25 pm, Academy Theater, $3-4) BOBBY ROBERTS

Layperson, iji
Two years ago, Julian Morris—who plays with Little Star and records and performs solo as Layperson—released a cathartic EP called Tidings. In just five folksy pop songs, Morris explored some of humanity’s most universal existential dilemmas: the terror of surrendering yourself to love, the burning desire to feel connected to something “greater than us,” and the difficulty of finding peace with all of life’s uncertainties. Tonight he celebrates the release of his new LP The Divide, which—based on singles “Caught Around Your Heart” and “Somebody Already Knows”—leans even further into goldenrod pop hooks and ruminative lyrics. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $5) CIARA DOLAN

Franc & Beans Chili Cook-Off
The gloriously spicy return of SE Wine Collective's chili competition (always one of the best competitions in the history of people competing against each other), featuring some of Portland's best chefs offering up samples of their secret recipes, and—of course—wine! (2 pm, SE Wine Collective, $20-25)

Roselit Bone, Over
Roselit Bone is one of Portland’s best country bands. In 2017, the nine-piece released the haunting Blister Steel, an album inspired by the scores of spaghetti Westerns and punctuated by frontman Joshua McCaslin’s yelps, grunts, and yodels. With his deep, bellowing voice, McCaslin sounds like he’s telling ghost stories about the cosmic cowboys of yore over a campfire, with flurries of horns and pedal steel swelling around him like crackling embers when he reaches the climax. It’s big, dark, and cinematic music—the perfect soundtrack to welcome the uncertainty of the coming year with open arms and warm bellies full of whiskey. (9 pm, Rontoms, free) CIARA DOLAN

What the Gender Fuck: A Trans Day of Visibility Benefit Show
Juliet Mylan hosts this cabaret-styled variety show featuring some comedy, some burlesque, some trivia, an auction, and all of it helping to benefit the Trans March on Washington. Performers include headliner Corina Lucas, Crystal Storm, D. Martin Austin, and more. (7:30 pm, Kelly's Olympian)

Jose Gonzalez & the String Theory
Swedish-Argentinian folksinger/songwriter and guitarist Jose Gonzalez revisits hits and deep cuts from throughout career with backing from Berlin- and Gothenburg-based orchestra and artist collective the String Theory. (8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $27.50-55, all ages)

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