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Friday, May 31
The Dead Milkmen
They may not be the same lo-fi, art-punk freaks who brought you the zaniness of classic records like Big Lizard in My Backyard or Beelzebubba, but the Dead Milkmen are still crankinâ outsider punk weirdness to a cult following. The Philadelphia bandâs 2014 LP, Pretty Music for Pretty People, is angrier than their previous work, imagining, as vocalist Rodney Anonymous told the Mercury in 2015, âwhat would happen if Sgt. Pepper's had bombed but the Velvet Underground record was the biggest record ever.â Theyâre one of the most treasured, irreverent punk bands in history, so you should make an effort to see them while they continue their late-stage reunion. Read our 2015 article on the Dead Milkmen. (7 pm, Bossanova Ballroom, $30) RYAN J. PRADO
Billie Eilish, Denzel Curry
If youâre just now learning of the meteoric rise of pop sensation Billy Eilish, donât kick yourself in the ass too hard. Eilish started her career in the Bieber-esque fashion of YouTube videos and Instagram, steadily building a gigantic 12.5 million strong teen army of die-hard fans, who flip for her âgive zero fucksâ attitude about fashion and music industry standards. At age 17 sheâs gone from quickly selling out the Crystal Ballroom earlier this year to headlining the Moda Center (and selling that out as well). Itâs not hard to understand why: While her dreamy, angelic voice brings life to soft, conflicted songs about troubled post-adolescence, her stage shows are outright bangers. If you can find a ticket, Eilish is well worth the price of admission. (7:30 pm, Moda Center, $42-62, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Sebadoh, Flower
Sebadoh might not have a bona fide classic album to their name, but Lou Barlow has written two of the best indie rock love songs of all time. The shimmering âBrand New Love,â from the bandâs 1992 compilation Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, perfectly captures the giddy pining and unbridled euphoria associated with nascent romance. On the other side of the coin is âSoul and Fire,â from 1993âs Bubble & Scrape, which is one of the most brutal and poignant portraits of a breakup ever conceived. Itâs amazing how gracefully âSoul and Fireâ rebuffs breakup anthem clichĂ©s; instead of futilely denigrating his ex, Ă la Ben Folds Fiveâs âSong for the Dumped,â Barlow reflects on his positive memories of the relationship. âAs you walk away, think of all the joy we shared,â he sings in the chorus compassionately (although one can hear him teetering on the edge of defeat through the cracks in his voice). Itâs a song so powerful, it should be fucking illegal to play in public. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $20-22) MORGAN TROPER
Deadwood: The Movie
Long-running shows rarely end wellâthe slow-simmering mysteries and ever-evolving relationships that make great TV so addictive are also the things that are hardest to conclude. For every Breaking Bad that goes out with a satisfying bang, countless others flail and whimperâremember Lost, or Battlestar Galactica, or (oof, this wound is fresh) Game of Thrones. But Deadwood: The Movie both continues and concludes the show while bringing back itâs inimitable feel. There are punches and shoot-outs, and fiery speeches and glimpses of tenderness, and itâs all beautiful and ugly, welcoming and dangerous. Itâs Deadwood, and itâs great to be back, if only for a few hours. Read more here. (9 pm, HBO) ERIK HENRIKSEN
Sweater Funk DJs
The Bay Area boogie crew known as Sweater Funk has helped to revive the post-disco âboogieâ genre with their all-vinyl dance parties, and tonight theyâre bringing the party north. With deep crates of â80s funk, R&B, and all kinds of joyously irresistible grooves, thisâll be the place to get down tonight. Theyâre joined by host DJ Maxx Bass, Portlandâs own boogie ambassador and no slouch on the ones and twos himself. (9 pm, The Liquor Store, $5) NED LANNAMANN
CJ Ramone, Mean Jeans, Muscle Dungeon, The Sadists
CJ Ramone served as the Ramones' bassist and occasional vocalist from 1989 to 1996. Tonight he swings through Dante's with his backing band in tow supporting his 2019 album, The Holy Spell. Mean Jeans, Muscle Dungeon, and the Sadists round out the bill. (8:30 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $15-17)
Girls Gotta Eat
Rayna Greenberg and Ashley Hesseltine take your questions and bring special guests to the stage to discuss sex, dating, and relationships when their popular comedy podcast rolls through the Aladdin Theater for the Portland stop on a North American tour. (8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $30, all ages)
Riverside
Polish trio Riverside bring their metal-leaning progressive rock to the Hawthorne Theatre for the Portland stop on a North American tour supporting their 2018 album, Wasteland. (8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $25-30)
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. (Fri-Sat 7:30 pm & 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $17-33)
Azam Ali, Yaima
Iranian singer/songwriter and producer Azam Ali brings her haunting blend of electro-pop and folk to the Star Theater stage for a headlining performance. (9 pm, Star Theater, $22-25)
Saturday, June 1
Pedalpalooza Kickoff Ride
As Bike Challenge Month draws to a close and you stop jockeying with your co-workers for top trips/most miles, itâs time to take stock: Summer is here. Weâre ass deep in nice weather. Your bike is tuned up and ready. Pedalpalooza presents all the fruits and fun of bike riding with a month of curated, themed rides lead by various community members. The kickoff ride is a popular, family-friendly, traffic-stopping, and unforgettable blast. But thereâs costumed rides, history rides, disco rides, and more being programmed over at shift2bikes.org. Plan your rides or pitch your own! (3 pm, The Fields, free) SUZETTE SMITH
My People's Market
There are few better ways to get to know Portlandâlike, the real Portlandâthan engaging with our locally owned businesses, which serve as a nexus of everything Portlanders need and care about. So donât miss My Peopleâs Marketâput on by Prosper Portland and Travel Portland, itâs the perfect way to find your new favorite store or service. Showcasing over 80 local, multicultural businesses, itâs âa marketplace reimagined as a gathering of Portlandâs diverse and vibrant entrepreneurs, makers, artists, culinary wizards, and beverage craftersââand thereâll be live music and performances, too, all with the goal of connecting Portlandâs entrepreneurs of color with future business opportunities⊠and with you. (noon, 715 NW Hoyt, free, all ages) ERIK HENRIKSEN
Starlight Parade
One of the most enjoyable events of the Rose Festival is NOT the bloated Grand Floral Parade, but its much cooler liâl sis, the Starlight Parade. With about 100 glow in the dark or illuminated floats, marching bands, and all that Portland weirdness you love is jam-packed into a 2.25-mile parade⊠AT NIGHT! Donât miss it! (9 pm, Downtown, free, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Timbers & Thorns Home Openers
After weathering lengthy road trips, the Timbers and Thorns are set to return home for a weekend double-header that serves as a grand opening celebration for Providence Parkâs massive 4,000-seat east side expansion. Three decks of new seats and two video boards will greet the Timbers Army and the Rose City Riveters, and with both teams eager to pick up three points against a pair of tough opponents in LAFC and the Chicago Red Stars, expect the best soccer atmosphere in the country to reach new heights upon kick-off. (Timbers Sat 7:30 pm, Thorns Sun 3 pm, Providence Park, all ages) CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Hurry Up, Hot Victory, Void Realm
Hurry Up is the unholy trinity of Maggie Vail (bass), Kathy Foster (drums), and Westin Glass (guitar). Itâs also kind of a super-group: Vail fronted the now-defunct Bangs, she and Foster represent two-thirds of the Strange Babes DJs, and Foster and Glass played in the Thermals. On their debut self-titled EP, Hurry Up sounds fluent in the lo-fi punk tradition of Dead Moonâall three sing (and scream) over big, razor-edged guitar riffs and drum attacks more intimidating than a charging rhinoceros. (9 pm, The Fixin' To, $7) CIARA DOLAN
Spiral Stairs
Founding Pavement member Scott âSpiral Stairsâ Kannberg returns to town to head up an intimate show at the Alberta Street Pub in support of his latest solo album, We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized. (8 pm, Alberta Street Pub)
Pure Bathing Culture, Big Search
There probably isn't a single space-related word that hasn't been used to describe Pure Bathing Culture. Sure they're dreamy, astral, and euphoricâthey'll turn your eyes into diamonds, your arms into flowing robes! They're downright mystical, and the reason we're running out of words to contain them is proof that you should have seen them live by now. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15-18)
East Forest
Portland-based artist and musician Trevor Oswalt brings his experimental blend of ambient, electronic, indie pop, and contemporary classical music through the Old Church for a hometown headlining performance supporting a pair of new releases, Ram Dass and Music For Mushrooms: A Soundtrack For The Psychedelic Practitioner. (8 pm, The Old Church, $16-18)
Portland Cider Co. Luau
Portland Cider Co. kicks off summer with an outdoor Luau, including a Hawaiian menu, a tropical photo booth, Hula dance performances and lessons for kids between 3-5pm, and the chance to drink Pineapple Ciders out of a whole Pineapple. (noon, Portland Cider Company, $9 & up)
Club Nitty Gritty
If you're looking for a dance night that sets the evening on fire, check out Club Nitty Gritty, hosted by the always down for a good time DJ Action Slacks (Shannon Wiberg). She's been pounding the turntables for years with righteous choices in down-home dirty soulâthe kind with raw sax and voices that wail and scratch. (8 pm, The World Famous Kenton Club, $7) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
A Tribute to Elton
After resurrecting the bygone glories of Dean Martin, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, and the Copacabana, Tony Starlight turns his spotlight on the glittering, piano-pounding majesty that is Elton John, supported by his AM Gold soft rock backing band. (6 pm, The Tony Starlight Showroom, $30-75)
A$AP TyY
The New York-hailing rapper and member of the A$AP Mob crew brings his "Project Rockstar" Tour through Portland for an all-ages show at the Paris Theater supporting his latest mixtape. (7 pm, Paris Theatre, $15-20, all ages)
The Record Company, Becca Mancari
The Grammy nominated Los Angeles trio bring their blend of roots, blues, and rock to the Wonder Ballroom for the Portland stop on a North American tour supporting their sophomore album, All of This Life. (8 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $22.50)
Dolly Parton Hoot Night
Dolly Parton is the reigning queen of Earth, and as her minions, itâs our dutyânay, our privilegeâto celebrate her existence regularly. Thankfully, the 14th annual Dolly Parton Hoot Night provides the perfect opportunity to hear local singers cover the Backwoods Barbieâs greatest hits while raising funds for the Siren Nation Womenâs Music and Arts Festival. (8 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $15-18) CIARA DOLAN
Sunday, June 2
Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
If you're a fan (or murderino, if you will) of My Favorite Murder the names above the marquee are very recognizable. But this isn't a live episode of the very famous podcast. This is a tour helping promote Kilgariff & Hardstark's joint memoir, Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered featuring discussions and excerpts from the book shared live on stage. (7:30 pm, Revolution Hall, Good luck on the ticket resale sites)
The Spirit of the Beehive, Strange Ranger, Floating Room
If they give an award for the most aptly named album, the Spirit of the Beehiveâs Hypnic Jerks ought to win. The Philadelphia bandâs 2018 full-length is named after those little spasms many people experience as theyâre falling asleep, and the music contained therein sounds like it was written and recorded specifically for those disorienting moments when youâre not quite awake and not quite snoozing, but somewhere in between. Donât misunderstand, though: Hypnic Jerks is not boring. Itâs a 10-track collection of gorgeous, gauzy dream-pop experiments interspersed with bewildering spoken-word samples that create the feel of an otherworldly travelogue. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $12-15) BEN SALMON
Megafauna
An experimental evening of prog-rock and grunge all mixed together by this acclaimed Austin band headed up by singer/guitarist Dani Neff. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $10-12)
The Last Podcast on the Left
A live taping of the weekly true crime and comedy podcast that explores the horrors of the world both imagined and real. Hosted by Ben Kissel, Henry Zebrowski, and Marcus Parks. (8 pm, Revolution Hall, $39.50-50)
Crush on Oregon
Castaway hosts this wine-lover's wonderland gathering over 40 Oregon wineries providing over 80 wines to taste (and take home with you) paired with locally sourced foods, with live music scoring all the fun. Proceeds benefit the Oregon Food Bank. (11:30 am, Castaway, $50-65)
National Animal Rights Day 2019
Celebrate and commemorate the billons of animals killed by humans every year at this annual day of remembrance. Activities include a memorial ceremony, moments of silence, plus time to peruse vegan pop-up vendors, listen to speakers, and enjoy music by local acts. (11:30 am, Holladay Park, free, all ages) EMILLY PRADO
Wave Action, Vexations
Wave Action's simple, down-tempo surf feels like daydreaming about aquamarine beaches while lying in a lukewarm Fred Meyer kiddie pool on a gray, humid Portland summer day. (9 pm, Rontoms, free) CIARA DOLAN
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!