Unleash the Fests! February kicks into high gear with a pair of city-spanning, culture-broadening, coalitions of quality artists making you feel, making you laugh, and waking you up. And while that’s going on, there’s even more adventures in the realm of literature, pop grandiosity, burlesque… Portland’s leaving it all on the table this week—hit the links below and load your plate accordingly
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Monday, Feb 17
Forever Not My President’s Day
President’s Day is the closest the US has to a holiday that would also exist under a dictatorship. Here’s an idea: Instead of celebrating our Dear Leader, spend the evening watching drag and supporting women’s reproductive health! Now in its fourth year, the Forever Not My Presidents Day bash will feature performances by Portland drag stars and comedians—plus a massive raffle featuring goodies from local businesses. All proceeds go directly to Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette. (Fri Feb 17, 9 pm, Holocene, $15) ALEX ZIELINSKI
ZZ Ward
Blues-rock and R&B artist ZZ Ward returns to the stage at Revolution Hall when the “Stardust” Tour touches down in Portland. (Mon Feb 17, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $30 & Up, all ages)
Those Willows, Schaus, Blue Tomorrows
Portland singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Nienaber made a significant imprint on the local music scene in the last decade thanks to her roles in the shoegaze-rock and dream pop trio Candace and the psych-folk outfit Web of Sunsets. Her newly-minted solo project, Blue Tomorrows, continues this hot streak on the excellent debut, Without Color. The album’s hazy psych-pop packs plenty of atmosphere, with warm synths, strummed guitars, and steady percussion pulling the listener along for the ride. It’s a bit reminiscent of Painful-era Yo La Tengo, and it’s bound to sound extra special tonight. (Mon Feb 17, 8 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $10-12) CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Gayle Brandeis, Rene Denfield
Gayle Brandeis reads from Many Restless Concerns, a novel of poems giving voices to the hundreds of girls and women killed by Countess Erzsébet Báthory of Hungary between 1585 and 1609. Brandeis will be joined in conversation by Rene Denfeld, author of The Butterfly Girl. (Mon Feb 17, 7:30 pm, Powell’s City of Books, free)
Stage Meets Screen: Yentl
Amazingly, it took until 1983 before Hollywood let a woman write, direct, produce, and star in a major motion picture. That woman had to be Barbra Streisand in order to do it, and it took her 15 years of fighting (and eventually agreeing to huge pay cuts and financial penalties) in order to get it done. At which point Yentl—a musical adaptation of a Isaac Bashevis Singer play about a woman who has to go to extraordinary lengths to get the same education as a man—became a box-office success, won Streisand a Golden Globe for Best Director… and was promptly turned, along with its writer/producer/star, into an industry punchline for the rest of the decade. It’s 2020, Streisand is still the only woman to have won a Globe for Best Director, and maybe it’s time to give Yentl the fair shake it’s almost never gotten. (Mon Feb 17, 7 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9) BOBBY ROBERTS
Tuesday, Feb 18
Ezra Furman
Ezra Furman isn’t worried about coloring inside the lines. Whether it’s ignoring musical genre boundaries on his latest album (the jagged electronic-soul opus Transangelic Exodus) or inspiring fans with his refusal to exist within gender demarcations, Furman follows the beat of his own drum. Luckily, that drum is pounding out some terrific tunes, and Furman is simply one of the finest songwriters operating right now. (Tues Feb 18, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $16-18, all ages) NED LANNAMANN
Palace
London-based alt-rock and indie pop trio Palace makes their way across the pond for a North American tour supporting their latest album, Life After. (Tues Feb 18, 9 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $16-18)
2020 Oregon Beer Awards Ceremony
The “Academy Awards for Oregon beer” returns the Revolution Hall, honoring the finest brews (in over 20 categories), bars, and festivals in all the land. (Tues Feb 18, 6 pm, Revolution Hall, $20)
Lund, Guccihighwaters, Guardin
Rising Soundcloud rappers Lund and Guccihighwaters bring their co-headline tour to town for an all-ages show at the Hawthorne Theatre. (Tues Feb 18, 7:30 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $16-20, all ages)
The Glorious Sons, Des Rocs
Fresh off a tour supporting UK-based retro glam rock the Struts, the Canadian quintet out of Kingston, Ontario brings their heartland rock back to town for a headlining show supporting their latest album, A War on Everything. (Tues Feb 18, 8 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $25-30)
BYU Vocal Point
The Newmark serves up a night of crowd-pleasing rock, pop, country, jazz, and R&B with the renowned a cappella group out of Brigham Young University. (Tues Feb 18, 7:30 pm, Newmark Theatre, $19.50-39.50)
P.L.O.W. (Portland Legends of Wrestling): Love at First Fight
This comedy showcase is specifically for those professional wrestling fans who know, down deep, the best part of the whole circus isn’t even the ‘rasslin part—it’s the promos. “Professor Ed” Hosea hosts a holiday-themed evening of Portland comedy talent assuming outlandish personalities and cutting only the finest promos live on stage. (Tues Feb 18, 9 pm, Kickstand Comedy Space, $5, all ages)
Wednesday, Feb 19
Dashboard Confessional
I passed many of my pre-teen hours lying on the floor of my room and gloomily yearning for the feelings that Chris Carrabba sang about. I probably also yearned for Chris Carrabba. The beautiful emo whines of Dashboard Confessional’s frontman infused my remarkably bland teenage romances with boys in skinny jeans with theatrical, heart-wrenching songs like “Hands Down” and “Screaming Infidelities.” (In retrospect, it’s concerning that lyrics written by a 30-year-old man from Connecticut resonated so deeply with a 15-year-old girl, BUT I DIGRESS.) To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Dashboard’s debut album, Carrabba is coming to Portland to perform his top tracks and reopen the wounds of our collective teenage angst. (Wed Feb 19 POSTPONED TO MAY 22 , 8:30 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $35-38, all ages) ALEX ZIELINSKI
PDX Jazz Festival
With the help of Soul’d Out founder Nicholas Salas-Harris in his new role as artistic director, the 2020 edition of Biamp PDX Jazz Festival features one of the most well-balanced lineups of this gala’s long history. The emphasis is on the genre’s young guns with scheduled appearances by freak funk bassist Thundercat, genre-free trumpeter Jaimie Branch, and multi-hyphenate soul sensation Terrace Martin. But there’s plenty of living legends to be found in the schedule in the form of saxophonists Archie Shepp and Branford Marsalis, pianist Kenny Barron, and composer Terry Riley. (Wed Feb 19-Sun March 1, Various Locations) ROBERT HAM
Preseason: Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC
Rejoice! Timbers preseason is returning to Portland, with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Minnesota United FC, and the New England Revolution making their way to the Rose City for a week’s worth of doubleheader fixtures at Providence Park. With newly-signed Columbian winger Yimmi Chará set to join his brother Diego in the ranks of the Timbers’ midfield, it’s also your first chance to catch a glimpse at the dynamic duo that will haunt opponents like the Grady sisters in The Shining when MLS action returns in March. (Wed Feb 19, 7:30 pm, Providence Park, $15 & Up, all ages) CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Yola
Fresh off the release of her Easy Eye Sound-issued solo album Walk Through Fire, English country, soul, and roots rock singer/songwriter Yola Carter brings her live show to Portland for an all-ages show at the Aladdin Theater. (Wed Feb 19, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $22-24)
YUVEES, Nick Normal, Spoonbenders
A trio of local no-wave and lo-fi garage outfits gather at the Doug Fir Lounge to celebrate the premiere of YUVEES’ new music video. (Wed Feb 19, 9 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $10-12)
Metronomy, Bodega
Long-running UK electro-pop and nu-disco outfit Metronomy makes their way back across the pond for a North American tour supporting their latest album, Metronomy Forever. (Wed Feb 19, 8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $25-28, all ages)
Screen Queens: The Soundtrack
The latest installment of Crush Bar’s movie-themed draglesque showcase taps into those memorable soundtracks that immediately start playing in your head when a film is mentioned. Think Donnie Darko, Top Gun, and Legally Blonde, plus an array of others, all brought to life on stage by Portland’s best drag performers. Hosted by Scandela. (Wed Feb 19, 8:30 pm, Crush, $10)
Trout Steak Revival, Left Coast Country
Denver’s Trout Steak Revival bring some finger-pickin’ bluegrass goodness through Mississippi Studios as part of the Portland stop on a North American tour. (Wed Feb 19, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15-18)
Bbno$
Quick-rising Canadian rapper and Soundcloud sensation Bbno$ (pronounced baby no money) brings his playful blend of trap-infused hip-hop back to Portland for an all-ages headlining show at the Hawthorne Theatre. (Wed Feb 19, 8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $15-20, all ages)
Thursday, Feb 20
NW Black Comedy Festival
Comedy festival organizers Courtenay and Tyrone Collins (you may know Tyrone better under his stage name, the Real Hyjinx) started the NW Black Comedy Festival from a place of low-tech love—calling people on the phone and getting the first three years’ seats filled via press and word-of-mouth. This year, the 2020 NW Black Comedy Festival has a website and a new location, moving downtown into Harvey’s Comedy Club where the Real Hyjinx regularly hosts open mics. Don’t miss all the awesome talent this fest brings to town like Marsha Warfield, Maggie Maye, and so many more! (Thurs Feb 20-Sun Feb 23, Harvey’s Comedy Club, $20-275) SUZETTE SMITH
Live Wire! Radio
Portland’s own syndicated variety show returns to the Alberta Rose Stage, adeptly hosted by the ever-amiable Luke Burbank, with special guests, including beloved and acclaimed local author Lidia Yuknavitch, and more. (Thurs Feb 20, 7:30 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $20-35)
Die Robot
The closest I’ve ever been to a real Daft Punk show was OMSI’s Kendall Planetarium, where Laser Daft Punk (and, to be fair, a good amount of cannabis) kept my dumb, dumb brain enthralled for the better part of an hour. Portland’s Die Robot share some DNA with Daft Punk—the thudding bass, the electronic labyrinths— but they’re rockier, shoutier, and a lot more industrial. For OMSI’s “Kendall Concerts: Music Under the Dome” series, Die Robot will be performing in the planetarium, where OMSI vows attendees will be overwhelmed with “stunning visuals in riots of color, shape, and movement.” (SOLD.) There’s just enough cyberpunky futurism in Die Robot’s discography (I’m partial to “Virtual Life” and “10.000 Years” from their latest, 2018’s Technopunk) to make good on the sci-fi promise of a planetarium concert, but Die Robot’s also willing to throw a wrench into the gears every once in a while; not many electro-industrial outfits would be brave enough to attempt a cover of CCR’s “Fortunate Son,” as the band did for Riveting Music’s 2019 compilation A Riveting Protest: A Tribute to the Music That Made America Pay Attention. (Thurs Feb 20, 8 pm, OMSI, $15, all ages) ERIK HENRIKSEN
A Beat Happening #19
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 performances by A-Luxury, See the King, Machado Mijiga, and Creme Brulee, along with a DJ set from One Trak. (Thurs Feb 20, 6 pm, Future Shock, free, all ages)
Part Time, Gary Wilson & the Blind Dates, Bryson Cone
Los Angeles-based musician David Loca brings his psych-pop and soft rock project up the coast for a headlining set at the Doug Fir Lounge. Experimental pop-rock icon Gary Wilson and Portland’s own Bryson Cone lend support. (Thurs Feb 20, 9 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $15-18)
Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
The story of Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn goes something like this: The best banjo player in the world meets an incredible, ambitious folk singer/songwriter (and fellow banjo virtuoso). They get married, start a family, make music, tour, and win a Grammy together. Now they’re rolling into Portland to play songs from their 2017 album, Echo in the Valley, a collection of mostly originals that push and pull on genre boundaries. As is always the case with these two, the music goes beyond bluegrass and folk into the worlds of jazz, prog, pop, and more. And while Fleck and Washburn’s ability to sound like a small orchestra is well-known, it’s even more striking on Echo, where they committed to recording only arrangements the two of them could reproduce live. That means seven types of banjo, Washburn’s beautiful voice, and simple percussion, like shoes tapping on the floor. (Thurs Feb 20, 7:30 pm, Newmark Theatre, $35-55) BEN SALMON
Dustbowl Revival, Jared & The Mill
Mississippi Studios invites you on a genre-hopping tour of old-time American dance music with this six-piece roots orchestra out of Los Angeles. (Thurs Feb 20, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $17-20)
Donny Benet, Party Nails
Holocene hosts an evening with the Sydney-based recording artist whose post-disco sounds have been likened to the works of Giorgio Moroder, Alan Vega, Michael McDonald, and “Prince on a serious budget cut,” as his bio’s most blatant humblebrag proclaims. (Thurs Feb 20, 9 pm, Holocene, $13-15)
Led Zeppelin 2
As part of a nationwide tour that has taken them through stops in Ohio 2 and Texas 2, comes Led Zeppelin 2, the sequel to the original Led Zeppelin! It’s very much like the original Led Zeppelin! If you like that, you’ll probably like this. The lead singer shows his chest off a lot! ENJOY! (Thurs Feb 20, 9 pm, Star Theater, $15)
Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!