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Tuesday, May 28
Mope Grooves, Groove Domestic Product, Mr. Wrong
The Waves, the latest EP from Portland band Mope Grooves, sounds like a mixtape made by a friend. Maybe thatâs because it was recorded on four- and 16-track recorders, with deliberately DIY results: all drums, guitar, and fuzzy vocals. Or maybe itâs because Mope Grooves records and plays locally, often with a revolving lineup of friends and music scene regulars. (Songwriter Stevie Pohlman is the sole constant member.) On The Waves, you can hear echoes of Young Marble Giants and Beat Happening, but Mope Grooves never abandons its jagged postpunk bent or searing lyrics. (8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!) ISABEL LYNDON
The Suitcase Junket, Rachel Baiman
Amherst, Massachusetts-hailing singer/songwriter Matt Lorenz brings his folk rock and blues project back through Mississippi Studios to split a co-headlined show with Nashville-based Americana singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman. (8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15-17)
John Craigie
The much-beloved troubadour out of Santa Monica, California returns to Portland for a series of special performances celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' Abbey Road. Craigie will perform the album in its entirety and share history and stories about the band and the songs throughout the set. (Tues-Wed 8 pm, Polaris Hall, $22.50-25)
Grindhouse Film Festival: Vigilante
The latest installment of the Hollywood Theatre's monthly exultation of exploitation cinema is William Lustig's 1983 revenge drama Vigilante, a Death Wish knockoff that miraculously manages to be less repugnant and more nuanced than the film it's stealing from. Part of that is due to the one-two punch of Robert Forster and Fred Williamson, who could spend the movie literally sleeping and still appear more emotive and interesting than Charles Bronson, but mostly it's because Lustig honestly cared about New York City's early '80s decline, and wanted to tell a story that might, maybe somehow help slow it down. Granted, his story is exploitative trash in service to a gratuitous violence-boner he can't stop popping every 15 minutes, but stillâthere's real ambition behind the sleaze here, and maybe that shouldn't go unrewarded. (7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9) BOBBY ROBERTS
Ryan VanDordrecht, Deepest Darkest, The Loved
The local music scene fixture formally of the bands Castella and Sidestar brings his melodic pop-rock and roots back through the Doug Fir to head up a hometown show along with support from Deepest Darkest and The Loved. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $12-14)
Emo Nite
Dust off your My Chemical Romance T-shirt, apply excessive eyeliner, and get ready to shamelessly scream Dashboard Confessional lyrics at Holocene's bi-monthly emo night, formally known as Taking Back Tuesday. Know all the words to "Sic Transit Gloria"? You're ready. XxscenexX forever. (9 pm, Holocene, $10) BRI BREY
Wednesday, May 29
Snarky Puppy, Roosevelt Collier
The Grammy Award-winning jazz and funk ensemble spearheaded by bassist, composer, and producer Michael League returns to the Roseland stage for an all ages performance. (8 pm, Roseland, $36.50-50, all ages)
Re-run Theater: 1989 - The Year in Videos
Every now and again, Re-run Theater takes a break from its classic television necromancy and turns its resurrective powers to the glory days of MTV. This installment travels exactly 30 years back in time to 1989, when Madonna burned crosses and fondled Black Jesus while slanging Pepsi to the masses; when Paula Abdul ceased being just Janet Jackson's choreographer and became the kind of megastar who could dance with an animated rapping cat and not kill her whole career instantly; Living Colour was all about that cult of personality, Tom Petty wouldn't back down; Guns 'n' Roses went down to the Paradise City while Billy Joel read a burning encyclopedia in 4/4 time. 1989 wasn't anywhere near as weird as the '90s would prove to be ("Batdance" not withstanding) but tonight helps trace the steps towards that Hypercolor madness. (7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9) BOBBY ROBERTS
Kathy Foster, James Low, Elizabeth Venable, Chuck Westmoreland
Portland singer/songwriters Kathy Foster, James Low, and Elizabeth Venable head up the latest installment of the XRAY.FM's Songwriters in the Round series at the Fixin' To. Hosted by Chuck Westmoreland. (9 pm, The Fixin' To, $5)
SonReal
Vancouver-based alternative hip-hop artist Aaron Hoffman (AKA SonReal) returns to the Doug Fir Lounge for a headlining show. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $16)
Candace, Plastic Cactus, TERMINATor
Rising local quartet Plastic Cactus brings their sun-drenched psych and surf rock out to Turn! Turn! Turn! to kick off their latest tour. Portland dream-pop and shoegaze trio Candace and Seattle's TERMINATor round out the bill. (8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!)
Ken Mode, Castle, Disenchanter, Flood Peak
Winnipeg noise metal and hardcore outfit Ken Mode swing through the Tonic Lounge for the Portland stop on a North American tour. San Francisco's Castle and Portland's own Disenchanter and Flood Peak round out the bill. (8 pm, Tonic Lounge, $13)
Broke Gravy & Friends: Summertime
The Turnout's last show of the season is also its first show in a new location! Come and say hello to the Alberta Street Pub, to summer, and to special guest storytellers Vanessa Brooks, Kisha Jarrett, Emily Hemson, Adam R. Garcia, and Nikhilesh Desai, and then sit back as Broke Gravy takes those tales and turns them into improv magic. (7:30 pm, Alberta Street Pub, $10)
Rose City Brass Quintet
In their kickass debut recital, Rose City Brass Quintet explores the modern brass repertoire through a setlist of intriguing works by French, American, Russian, and Polish composers of the last century. Any chance to witness local masters of the trumpet, horn, and trombone is rare indeed, but when the group is anchored by tuba god JĂĄTtik Clark, think thrice about missing this gig. Principal tuba player since he was in his early 20s, Clark has been performing with the Oregon Symphony for almost two decades and manages to produce an unforgettable sound by simply blowing through 16 feet of pipe. (7:30 pm, The Old Church, $10-25) BRIAN HORAY
Thursday, May 30
Gary Gulman
Gary Gulman is a New York City comedian who honed his act on high school students as a gym teacher before bringing it to the stage. He's performed stand-up on every single late night talk show, and finished third on season 2 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Catch up with him this weekend when he brings "The Great Depresh" Tour through Helium. (8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $17-33)
Inter Arma, Thantifaxath, Wayfarer
The biggest âfuck youâ of an album released in 2019 might just be Sulphur English, the fourth full-length from Richmond, Virginia, heavies Inter Arma. The band earned a national audience with its excellent 2013 record Sky Burial, an epic slab of progressive doom. Then 2016âs Paradise Gallows earned rave reviews for its psychedelic elements and occasional pretty passages. That evolution set the band up for crossover success, and Inter Arma is certainly capable of such a thing. So what did they do next? They recorded their nastiest, gnarliest, darkest, most death metal-influenced album yet. Sulphur English is a hulking beast with a bad attitude, impressive in its execution but not for the faint of the heart. (8:30 pm, High Water Mark, $13-15) BEN SALMON
AMP Fest
Portland State Universityâs student-run radio station KPSU brings its annual, all-ages music festival back to Parkway North to serve up an eclectic night of free music. Erin Birgy's shape-shifting jazz and pop outfit Mega Bog headlines, with Portland's own MĂĄscaras, Layperson, Cay Is Okay, and Seattle's ings on hand to round out the proceedings. (6 pm, Parkway North at PSU's Smith Memorial Student Union, free, all ages)
Brotha Lynch Hung
The disgusting-yet-charismatic Sac-town emcee known for underground West Coast classics like 24 Deep and Season of da Siccness comes to Portland in support of his latest LP, Torment. (8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $20)
A Beat Happening
Another showcase for the city's best beatsmiths, creating grooves, breaking beats, looping the loops, and generally remixing the night itself for a couple of hours. Featuring Sxlxmxn, Sundog, Sureburt, Aldo Reign, and DJ Celly of Skratcher Portland (6 pm, Future Shock, free, all ages)
JID, Saba, Mereba, Deante Hitchcock
The rising rapper out of East Atlanta brings the "Catch Me If You Can" Tour through the Wonder Ballroom for a headlining show supporting his acclaimed 2018 album, DiCaprio 2. Saba, Mereba, and Deante Hitchcock round out the all-ages bill. (8 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $27.50, all ages)
This Party is Killing You
Sweden! We donât talk enough about Sweden. Well⌠actually, we probably do talk enough about Sweden. But we donât talk enough about Swedenâs favorite daughter, Robyn, whose high-energy electropop has been some of the worldâs finest since the late â90s. (2005âs Robyn is still 10,000 percent perfect.) God bless Holocene, then, for hosting This Party Is Killing You: All Robyn All Night, which is exactly what it sounds like: All Robyn, all night. It will make all other dance nights sound like garbage. (9 pm, Holocene, $10-12) ERIK HENRIKSEN
Starship Infinity, Cry Babe, Miss Rayon
A release party for Starship Infinity's latest album Sixty-Nine Spaceships/I>, created under the influence of dark, cosmic synth and tarot themes. Locals Cry Babe and Miss Rayon round out the proceedings. (8 pm, The Liquor Store)
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
