Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Memorial Day
Friday, May 24
Discodrama
Retro-futurist R&B act Chanti Darling, AKA Chanticleer TrĂź, is one of the most unmissable performing acts in town, and his debut full-length RNB Vol. 1 is fan-fucking-tastic. But tonight the singer/DJ/producer is spinning a DJ set in the Liquor Storeâs basement for Discodrama, with a lineup thatâll also feature DJs Orso and Sappho. The show is hosted by Portland-based performance art house Drama Club, who will also put on a midnight performance. (9 pm, The Liquor Store, $10) JENNI MOORE
Rose Festival CityFair
Woot! Woot! Itâs the funnest/cheesiest time of year when the famous Rose Festival returns for another month of random and enjoyable events, including the legit fun dragon boat races (Sat June 8-Sun June 9, 8 am-5 pm),Starlight Parade(Sat June 1, 8:30 pm, downtown), Fleet Week (Wed June 5-Mon June 10, waterfront), and Grand Floral Parade (skip this, itâs boring). And it all centers around CityFest on the waterfront where one can take in all sorts of rides, music, and elephant ears, which kicks off with an impressive, booming fireworks demonstration. So leave your cynicism at home and get into it! (Fri 5 pm, Sat-Mon 11 am, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, $8, all ages)
The Specials
With so much hatred circulating throughout the world lately, it makes sense that our hearts are heavy with sadness, fear, and confusion. An even stronger racial divide has revealed itself in a new wave of modern extremists, which is why the return of the Specials feels so pointedly... special. Though the bandâs current lineup only contains three original members, the cultural contributions they represent are still wholly relevant. The Specials revived and popularized 2 Tone ska with chart-topping hits like "Ghost Town," but there are more important aspects to the groupâs legacy. As former principal songwriter and keyboardist Jerry Dammers put it, the Specials were formed with the specific intention of promoting anti-racism and racial integration by bringing Black and white musicians together. There couldn't be a better message for the world today. (9 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $35-40, all ages) CERVANTE POPE
Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle's perfectly sad Americana shelves well beside Wilco and Josh Ritter. But JTEâs got a streak of mischief and bottom-of-the-barrel sorrow that lets you know heâs the real deal. (6 pm, Music Millennium, free, all ages) MEGAN BURBANK
NW Animation Festival Farewell Show
An experimental, independent, and often just plain-fuckin'-weird era closes with this farewell to the NW Animation Festival. After almost 10 years of promoting creativity, spotlighting new artists, and loosing a deluge of indelible images upon adventurous eyes, their noble watch has ended. (7 pm & 9:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $10-12)
Skeletonwitch, Soft Kill, Martyrdod, Wiegedood
Skeletonwitch plays the musical equivalent of medieval torture. Plucking all the finer points of speed and intensity from black, death, and thrash metal, the band writes tunes that make the act of impalement look like someone getting a little splinter, and the breaking wheel look like a carousel. Along with the unholy butchery of the band's riffs, Skeletonwitch also maintains a balance of triumphant harmonies. So, not only do your enemies receive the painful smiting they deserve, but you also get the appropriate soundtrack to celebrate the glory of your victory! May all those who conspire against youâmusically, that isâfear the brutality that Skeletonwitch wields! (7 pm, Bossanova Ballroom, $20) ARIS HUNTER WALES
Seance Crasher, Petit Poucet, Martha Stax
The Fixin' To serves up a wide array of infectious pop and indie rock courtesy of rising local acts Seance Crasher, Petit Poucet, and Martha Stax. (8 pm, The Fixin' To, $7)
The Lost BoysâLive!
The much-beloved stage play adaptation of â80s cult classic The Lost Boys returns for another round of leather jackets, hairspray, and local comedians cast as hot teen vampires. This goofy, self-aware masterpiece was penned by the combined might of Shelley McLendon and Courtenay Hameister (who also gave us Road House: The Play!) and features performances from J Names improviser Jed Arkley as Michael, the Mercuryâs own Wm. Steven Humphrey as both a hot vampire AND a hot grandpa, and McLendon herself reprising her roles as both Lucy and Star. (Final Weekend!) (Fri-Sat 8 pm, Siren Theater, $18-28) SUZETTE SMITH
Spirit Adrift, Atriarch, Eight Bells
There are countless subgenres of metalâfrom death, to doom, to black, to thrash. And then thereâs just plain ol' heavy metal. Spirit Drift is just plain olâ heavy metal, in the best possible way. On their new album, Divided by Darkness, the up-and-coming Phoenix band provides yet another reminder that earth-moving guitar riffs and thunderous rhythms can peacefully live alongside squiddly-diddly guitar solos and towering vocal melodies without sounding like â80s cosplay. You can call Spirit Adrift heavy metal or you can call them traditional metal, if youâd like. Just be sure to call Divided by Darkness one of the very best heavy albums of 2019. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-14) BEN SALMON
Karen Russell
The Pulitzer Finalist and author of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove returns with Orange World and Other Stories, offering readers a brand new collection of short fiction works. (7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free)
Saturday, May 25
The Vanport Mosaic Festival
The Vanport Mosaic Festival promotes âremembering as an act of resistance,â and provides two weeksâ worth of opportunities to learn about the silenced histories of Oregon, such as the hastily constructed city of Vanport, which was home to a predominantly Black population and lost to a flood in 1948. In addition to lots of locally-focused Black history, events were also curated to help Portlanders remember the stories of Oregonâs Japanese Americans, LGBTQ citizens, and Indigenous Peoples. Thereâs a whole day of âmemory activismâ booked at the Expo Center, plus walking tours, bus tours, documentary screenings, arts, performance, and so much more. (Various Locations, free) JENNI MOORE
Dream 4 More: Portland Mercado's 4th Anniversary
The coolest spot in deep Southeast is turning four, and youâre invited to the party. The Portland Mercado is a marketplace, food cart hub, and nonprofit business accelerator that promotes Latino entrepreneurs and cultureâin other words, you can get excellent food, drinks, and pantry items here that are authentic and appropriation-free. Itâs also home to the coziest neighborhood bar on Southeast Foster. Come out today to support the Mercado on its anniversary, and enjoy live music, art, and family-friendly activities. (noon, Portland Mercado, free, all ages) BLAIR STENVICK
The Amazing Acro-Cats
In this dystopian age of information overloadâwhere seemingly everything imaginable is but a tap or two awayâitâs hard to discover something YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE... something that will BLOW YOUR GODDAMN MIND. Well, look no further than the Amazing Acro-Cats⌠and their ASTONISHING CAT CIRCUS!!! This adorable, rambunctious group of sweet, talented felinesâtrained and lovingly cared for by cat-rescuer Samantha Martinâcan do some crazy shit, from acrobatics to feats of daring to playing in their band, The Rock Cats! (The traveling troupe also features a chicken! And mice! And rats!) Obviously, this will be a show you will NEVER FORGET, with ânew rescue cats, new feats, and stunts in a two-hour long purrrformance,â PLUS âa cat vs. chicken bowling showdownâ and even better musical numbers, with Buggles on trumpet and Oz on saxophone. (Sat 3 pm & 8 pm, Sun 1 pm & 6 pm, Aladdin Theater, $22-39, all ages) ERIK HENRIKSEN
Xiu Xiu, Methods Body
Xiu Xiu has been waging a war against passive listening for close to 20 years. Itâs possible to have mixed feelings about the bandâs difficult discography, but real-time exposure to their music is an either/or affair: Youâre either giving Jamie Stewart & Co. your full attention or youâre not. Xiu Xiu isnât here to soundtrack your life. Theyâre here to stop you in your tracks. The bandâs new album, Girl with Basket of Fruit, is a bracing and brutal work that exists in the sliver of space where the Bomb Squadâs pummeling production overlaps with Scott Walkerâs haunted epics. Crank it or kill it. Thereâs no in-between. (5 pm, Holocene, $15-17, all ages) CHRIS STAMM
Earth, Helms Alee
Over the past three decades, Pacific Northwest drone metal pioneers Earth have been creating a weighty hum uniquely their own. Their ever-shifting lineup has, over the years, included luminaries like Slim Moon, Joe Preston, Karl Blau, Lori Goldston, and even (for one recording session) Kurt Cobain. While their â90s Sub Pop releases are modern doom reference points, for the past decade they've hit their stride with a sound like a southern rock 45 played at 33âheavy and anthemic, murmuring and lush. Onstage, they transcend genres, musical lineages, and even their own past. The result is hypnotic and beyond words. (Sat-Sun 9 pm, Doug Fir, $15-17) JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
Cay is Okay, Sara Renberg, Cry Babe, Only a Visitor
Rising Portland trio Cay is Okay brings their infectious blend of lo-fi indie rock out to Turn! Turn! Turn! for a hometown show. Pittsburg's Sara Renberg and locals Cry Babe and Only A Visitor round out the bill. (8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!)
Dogheart, Get Real, Bad Shadows
Dogheartâs new album, Yeah No for Sure, is a breezy collection of no-frills guitar-pop that strikes a perfect balance between melancholy and gleeful. Itâs a record designed for the long drives and slow hangs of spring and summerâa companionate work committed to the known pleasures of the pop form. Like so many Burger Records-flavored bands, Dogheart sounds like they can see the ocean from their garage, but the Portland duo transcends contemporary context; they seem to pull as much from â80s college rock as they do from latter-day limited cassette runs. The results are familiar but not obvious, comforting but not cloying. Yeah No for Sure is your new best friend. (9 pm, No Fun, $5)
Abronia, Opossum Sun Trail, Mouth Painter
The sonically adventurous, musically expansive local band Abronia hits the Waypost, with help from "cinematic crone primitivists" Opossum Sun Trail, and Mouth Painter. (8 pm, The Waypost, $7)
Once in a Lifetime: A Talking Heads Dance Party
DJs Ben Tactic, Nathan Detroit, and Freaky Outty head up a Saturday night dance party celebrating the music and influence of the Talking Heads. (9 pm, Holocene, $7-10)
The Spits, Andy Place & the Coolheads, Sore Points
Sean and Erin Wood of legendary Seattle band the Spits play songs that invoke the psyches of anyone who's ever shotgunned a beer in a half pipe, broken a window at a house show, or experienced drunken anger management issues. Since the early '00s they've filtered these dangerous inclinations through a prism of robotic goth and Ramones influences and then plastered the totally ripped results onto a succession of highly coveted cassettes, singles, and LPs. These releases have influenced many a discerning misfit who, like Black Lips, King Khan, and local heroes the Mean Jeans, have actively pledged allegiance to their infected skate punk salvo. Those luminaries were no doubt also affected by the Spits' mind-blowing audiencesârabid diehards who often match the band's own blistering machinations to set lists of dystopian anthems designed to electrify all of the dark parts inside of you. (9 pm, Dante's, $12) CHRIS SUTTON
Gogol Bordello
Through two decades, the thickly-accented antics of Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene HĂźtz have come to embody the group's raucous stage presence. It's gotten to the point that HĂźtz is both a caricatured mascot for the New York gypsy-punk outfit and talented, musical bandleader. If the group's robust touring schedules over the years tell you anything, though, it's that HĂźtz isn't content just to lead. He wants you along for the ride. (8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $35) DIRK VANDERHART
Swatkins & the Positive Agenda, Jarod Lawson, Amenta Abioto
Excellent Gentlemen and Juno What?! keyboardist and talkbox extraordinaire Steve Swatkins and his backing band bring a full dose of funk out to Mississippi Studios to celebrate the release of their new EP. Jarod Lawson and Amenta Abioto round out the proceedings. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15-20)
Stevie Wonder Goes to Brazil
Stevie Wonder isn't really going to Brazil, and he's not going to be at this show either, but that's beside the point: If you want to hear the genius discography of Mr. Wonder as reinterpreted by the world soul all-stars of Portland, (POPgoji + Tony Ozier, Vaughn Kimmons, Arietta Ward, and more) the Goodfoot is your destination for the night. (9 pm, Goodfoot, $10-15)
Sunday, May 26
Death, Worws
In the early â70s, three brothers from Detroit were playing fast, heavy rock years before punk was even invented. Those brothers called themselves Death, and it took decades for the world to hear their oracular music. Tonight, Dannis and Bobby Hackney, joined by guitarist Bobbie Duncan to fill in for the late David Hackney, come through town for a special performance, preceded by a screening of the excellent documentary A Band Called Death and a Q&A with the band. (9 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $32.50-35, all ages) NED LANNAMANN
Bob Dylan's 78th Birthday Bash
Bob Dylan is turning 78! Come celebrate with a night of tributes from Portland scene staples, including The Resolectrics, Ben Larsen, Little Sue, Ezza Rose, Anita Lee Elliott, Kory Quinn, Colin Hogan, Lewi Longmire, Never Come Down, Pete Kartsounes, Laura T. Lewis, and Rebekah Garibay. All proceeds benefit the JWF Musicians Emergency Healthcare Fund. (8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-15)
Hampton Yount, Dave Ross
The comedians, writers, and hosts of the comedy/history/mental health podcast Suicide Buddies close out the weekend with a pair of co-headlined shows at the Siren Theater. (7 pm & 9:30 pm, Siren Theater, $18-22, all ages)
Abraham Brody, Lenore
New York-based singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Abraham Brody brings his dark and experimental chamber pop through Portland to head up an all-ages show supporting his latest release, Crossings. Portland's own Lenore round out the bill with their own haunting folk sounds. (8 pm, The Old Church, $15, all ages)
Mattress, Studded Left, Steal Shit Do Drugs
Portland crooner Rex Marshall (AKA Mattress) transforms No Fun into an old-school Las Vegas casino with his experimental blend of soul and lounge music. But if you're hoping for a night that feels a little more anarchic, there's also a chance to Steal Shit and Do Drugs! (9 pm, No Fun, $5)
Corey Holcomb
The veteran comedian, actor, and radio host out of Chicago brings his stand-up to the Helium stage. (7 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $28-38)
Sego
Having recently expended to a 4-piece, the Los Angeles-based indie rock outfit headed up by Spencer Petersen and Thomas Carroll returns to Portland for a headlining show supporting their latest album, Sego Sucks. (9 pm, The Liquor Store, $10)
Memorial Day!
Schittâs Creek: Up Close & Personal
Schittâs Creek is the greatest sitcom of all time. It centers on the unfathomably wealthy Rose family, who lose everything and, in an ironic twist of fate, must uproot their lives to move to the show's titular podunk town. Now the cast is getting âUp Close & Personalâ with Portland fans for an evening of âconversation⌠a few surprises ⌠some general merriment, hopefully,â according to the showâs co-creator, Dan Levy. The best part? Getting to breathe the same air as Catherine OâHara (AKA Moira Rose). She hath risen! (7:30 pm, Keller Auditorium, $45 & Up) CIARA DOLAN
Todd Rundgren
The renowned singer-songwriter and record brings his hybrid concert/book tour through Revolution Hall in support of his new autobiography, The Individualist. (8 pm, Revolution Hall, $60-90)
Author & Punisher, Xasthur, Wear Your Wounds
Tristan Shone, who marshals an array of custom-made machines to create cyberpunk dirges as Author & Punisher, summarizes his whole vibe on the title track of his latest album, Beastland. âThis is my place, these are my methods,â he screams over a pulverizing beat. âNowhere is safe, all things aggressive.â Author & Punisher sounds violent and scary, but Shone isnât a meathead looking to start a pit. Beastland is a lonely and despairing album, a mental breakdown rendered as a full-scale industrial collapse. Itâs club music for the last humans, those fortunate few who will see forests reclaim the factories before they themselves are swallowed. (8:30 pm, Tonic Lounge, $15-18) CHRIS STAMM
The Twilight Sad, Kathryn Joseph
The Twilight Sad's well-crafted wall of sound, led by James Graham's thick Scottish accent, is likely to stick in your head after a few listens. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $17-20)
IDLES, Fontaines D.C.
The Bristol-hailing quintet bring their rhythmic and pummeling punk sounds back across the pond for a North American tour supporting their latest full-length, Joy as an Act of Resistance. (8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $18-20, all ages)
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
