February looks like it’s going to close out very strong if it’s last week’s worth of wonderfulness is any indication. Among the plethora of amazing Things to Do this week are intimate concerts by larger-than-life personae, conversations with people trying to change the world one pod at a time, birthday dinners that are extra tasty, soul classics, sad-song masters, Broadway titans, and that’s just the start! Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly

Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

Monday, Feb 24

Combo Chimbita, Sávila
Combo Chimbita takes great pride in their Latinx roots, as heard in the cumbia and merengue rhythms they build many of their songs around. On “Testigo” and “Te Ví,” from their latest album Ahomale, the core elements are the swishing sound of a guacharaca, a traditional Colombian percussion instrument, and drummer Dilemastronauta’s clambering playing, but everything surrounding it pulls from much different sources. The guitars are pure acid rock, and the synthesizer are borrowed from ’70s-era Cluster records. Elsewhere, the band pulls on strands of reggae and reveals the influence of heavy metal. Polish up your third eye and get ready to go on one hell of a journey. (Mon Feb 24, 9pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $16-18) ROBERT HAM

Andy Shauf, Molly Sarlé
Only Andy Shauf could find a flaw in his widely-acclaimed 2016 record The Party, which, in addition to collecting 10 gorgeous, Harry Nilsson-esque songs, explored multiple characters’ perspectives from the same gathering. In a Paste interview, Shauf explains the album was difficult to take on tour: “They were songs that I made in the studio, so trying to take them down to just a guitar and a voice seemed impossible.” With his new, somehow even more extraordinary The Neon Skyline, Shauf crafted simple, profoundly powerful folk tunes to do just that. Each song stands on its own, but together they describe an ordinary evening turned bittersweet when an old love resurfaces. By the end of the record you’re so intimately acquainted with memories of “Judy” that when she actually shows up in “The Moon,” you totally understand his weighted confusion. This record is like a Raymond Carver book. It puts you there. (Mon Feb 24, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $20-25, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH

Omar Sosa, Yilian Cañizares: Aguas Trio
Pianist Omar Sosa and violinist-vocalist Yilian Cañizares link up with percussionist Gustavo Ovalles to perform material from their acclaimed 2018 album, Aguas, which combines elements of Afro-Cuban roots, Western classical music, and jazz. Part of the 2020 PDX Jazz Festival (Mon Feb 24, 7:30 pm, The Old Church, $25)

We Shall Overcome
The Newmark hosts Damian Sneed and his all-star collection of performers for a jubilant evening of gospel music inspired by the words and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring selections from the discographies of Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Dionne Warwick, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and of course, Aretha Franklin. (Mon Feb 24, 7:30 pm, Newmark Theatre, $30-50)

Mr. Elevator, Happy Dagger, Spoon Benders
Enjoy an evening of synth magic from Tomas Dolas (the Oh Sees) and his latest sonic project, with support from Happy Dagger and Spoon Benders. (Mon Feb 24, 8:30 pm, Bunk Bar, $8)

Your Brain on Pleasure and In Love
OHSU neuroscientist Larry Sherman PhD and singer/songwriter and pianist Naomi LaViolette head up the latest installment of Science on Tap with multi-media discussion and concert exploring how the brain experiences pleasure. (Mon Feb 24, 7 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $10-39)

Tuesday, Feb 25

Tituss Burgess
In 2019, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess dropped a very personal six-track EP, Saint Tituss, pulling inspiration from musical theatre, R&B, pop, as well as his own journey through depression, homophobia, heartbreak, and self-acceptance. Burgess’ concert, presented by the Oregon Symphony, is not part of a larger tour, but rather a one-off show that inexplicably is happening in Portland. (Burgess has performed the program once before, at Carnegie Hall three months ago.) The musical event will mark the artist’s first time visiting the Rose City. “It’s gonna be very intimate, it’s a jazz trio,” Burgess says. “We’ll do several different genres: some things I grew up listening to, some theatre pieces, a couple jazz standards, and then some tunes that are lesser known and that lend themselves to things that have come out of the Great American Songbook…. I hope people come hungry with an open heart and open ears. I’m ready for you.” (Tues Feb 25, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $32 & Up) JENNI MOORE

Tove Lo
Swedish pop star Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, better known by her stage name Tove Lo, returns to the Roseland stage for an all-ages Portland stop on a North American tour supporting her latest album, Sunshine Kitty. (Tues Feb 25, 8 pm, Roseland, $30-32, all ages)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Even if you’ve never heard the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo, you may well have heard them sing. The South African vocal ensemble’s place on Paul Simon’s seminal 1986 album Graceland launched a globe-trotting career that’s included four Grammies. This breakthrough also embroiled the group in the controversy surrounding Graceland, given that Simon had broken the cultural boycott imposed on the apartheid regime by the rest of the world. This seems a bit overwrought in hindsight—after all, championing black artists performing traditional mbube vocal music isn’t exactly tacit support for South Africa’s segregationist government, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo have since become among the country’s preeminent cultural ambassadors. Besides, what’s more egregious is Graceland’s absurdly exaggerated ’80s production, which Ladysmith’s performances are presumably free of these days. (Tues Feb 25, 7:30 pm, Aladdin Theater, $35, all ages) NATHAN TUCKER

Mitchell S. Jackson, Cheryl Strayed
Two of the Northwest’s very best authors get together and have a vibrant conversation about Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family, Jackson’s memoir making its debut in paperback. Admission includes a copy of Survival Math. (Tues Feb 25, 7 pm, Broadway Books, $17)

Tuck & Patti
A genre-bending night of jazz guitar and vocal wizardry from this acclaimed San Francisco duo. DID YOU KNOW: St. Vincent (Annie Clark) is Tuck’s niece? IT’S TRUE. She used to roadie for these two! Now look at her! All weird ‘n’ shit. It’s great! Part of the 2020 PDX Jazz Festival (Tues Feb 25, 7:30 pm, The Old Church, $28).

Vacationer
Philadelphia-based musician Kenny Vasoli brings his beat-driven electro pop project back to the Doug Fir Lounge in support of Wavelengths, a new collection of previously unreleased instrumental tracks. (Tues Feb 25, 9 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $12-14)

Portland Mardi Gras Parade
Mysti Krew of Nimbus rides herd over the mass of bead-tossing humanity pouring down Mississippi like so many spilled Hurricanes in Portland’s annual Mardi Gras party, starting at Victoria Bar, proceeding to right around Ecliptic Brewing, and featuring a damn good time inbetween. (Tues Feb 25, 7 pm, N. Mississippi, free, all ages)

Albert Cummings, Timothy James
An evening with the influential and acclaimed blues guitarist who has played alongside the likes of B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy. (Tues Feb 25, 8 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $20-24)

Wednesday, Feb 26

The Origin of Love: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig
For a long time I thought that John Cameron Mitchell wrote Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s incredible show tunes. But when I asked him about it he sighed, “That’s what Stephen Trask doesn’t like.” So now I notice Trask’s name high on any Hedwig playbill with appreciation for the songwriter that crafted this cache of catchy classics that get stuck in your head and just don’t quit. All that said, I still prefer Mitchell singing them to anyone else—did you see him singing “Moonage Daydream” in Shrill season two? What an ANGEL—and I obviously hang on his stories so this incredible two-for-one show is not to be missed! Origin of Love: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig is a little pricey, but it’s the damn 20th anniversary this year and Hedwig is the ’00s cultural equivalent of Huckleberry Finn! WHAT? COME AT ME. (Wed Feb 26, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $50) SUZETTE SMITH

Terrace Martin, Max Ribner, Saeeda Wright
Producer and musician Terrace Martin is a wildly talented hip-hop/jazz fusionist who’s likely helped make some of your favorite projects. (He heavily contributed to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, for example.) A producer, singer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist (playing sax, guitar, keys, bass, guitar, and percussion), it seems like Martin literally does it all. His Grammy-nominated sixth studio album Velvet Portraits is a gorgeous (if not underrated) venture that’s fully entrenched in R&B, jazz, and G-funk traditions: from the instantly grabby title track to the upbeat groove of “Push,” to the tender love song “With You,” which packs classic West Coast synths and near-perfect use of a vocoder. This album is *chef’s-kiss* terrific and the multi-talented Martin is poised to put on an even more impressive live set. Do not sleep on this man. Part of the 2020 PDX Jazz Festival (Wed Feb 26, 8 pm, Star Theater, $30-35) JENNI MOORE

The Get Ahead, Fox and Bones, Dead Lee
The local quintet headed up by singer/songwriter Nathan Earle brings their blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll down to the Doug Fir Lounge for a hometown show, with fellow Americana and folk-rock outfits Fox and Bones and Dead Lee rounding out the bill. (Wed Feb 26, 8 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $12-14)

Siren and the Sea, Blossom, Snugsworth
Portland-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Siren and the Sea (AKA Cristina Cano) makes a rich and progressive blend of art pop and swim wave that, yes, feels like a shimmering and overgrown underwater world of electronic drums, layered synths, pedal steel and bass guitar. Talk about creating a sonic landscape! This is escapism at its finest. Her most recent full-length This Time with Feeling is a perfect example, and the chorus to her one-off 2017 single “The Wait” is ultra-relatable: “What do I do/What do I say?/Why do I hold my arms this way?” Tonight audiences can take a full plunge into her aquatic universe at this intimate headliner set at Mississippi Studios; neo-soul singer Blossom and production maestro Snugsworth offer weighty support to the bill. (Wed Feb 26, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $5) JENNI MOORE

Lyle Lovett & The Oregon Symphony
The Schnitzer presents an evening of country, Americana, and bluegrass with the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter out of Klein, Texas, his acoustic backing band, and the Oregon Symphony. (Wed Feb 26, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $40)

Dan Pfeiffer
The co-host of Pod Save America and former Senior Advisor to President Obama returns with Un-Trumping America, offering insight and strategy on how the Democrats can take down Trump and the right-wing antics dominating American politics. (Wed Feb 26, 7:30 pm, Powell’s City of Books, free)

Drakulas, Spells
For all Portlanders who have been sitting around going “I’d love to go out but if only there were a show where both Drakulas and Spells would be present and performing…” TONIGHT IS YOUR NIGHT. (Wed Feb 26, 8 pm, Twilight Cafe & Bar, $12-15)

Jasiah & $not, Nascar Aloe
The interestingly-named, interesting-sounding, genre-bending duo comes to Portland as part of their North American tour, with Nascar Aloe lending support. (Wed Feb 26, 8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $17.50-57.50)

Ekta: The Unity Project
Pianist and composer Jasnam Daya Singh leads the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble in this sprawling full-length piece, originally commissioned by PJCE for the Montavilla Jazz Festival in 2017, dedicated to cultivating a collective sense of belonging. (Wed Feb 26, 8 pm, The Old Churhc, $5-35)

Thursday

Sarah McLachlan
It’s been far too long since Sarah McLachlan came to Portland, and not only will she be sharing some of the best songs from her storied discography… she’ll be sharing actual stories about that discography as well. Hope you like crying, because the chances she’s not playing “Angel” are pretty, pretty low. (Thurs Feb 27, 8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $50.50-126, all ages)

Raphael Saadiq, Jamila Woods, DJ Duggz
When it comes to the subject of soul royalty, it’s a goddamn shame that the name of Raphael Saadiq isn’t brought up in regular conversation. Born in Oakland, Saadiq was brought up on gospel and his musical prowess landed him gigs with Prince, Shiela E., and eventually his most famous collaboration, as a member of New Jack Swing godfathers Tony! Toni! Toné! (“If I Had No Loot,” “Feels Good”). His solo career, in which he explores vintage soul stylings, was marked by two great albums: 2008’s The Way I See It, and 2011’s Stone Rollin’. He’s spent the ensuing years touring and producing for the likes of Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg, piling up co-writing credits with Solange and D’Angelo, and is hitting the road again promoting his latest album, 2019’s Jimmy Lee. And with a career like his, which shows no sign of stopping, it’s little wonder Saadiq is treated with such reverence. (Thurs Feb 27, 8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $35-40) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Yacht Rock Revue
Do you find yourself adrift in bad vibes? Wish you could steal away to a place where you can simply sail the seas of the smoothest of grooves? Well, guess what pleasure cruise just docked in Portland for the night? The Yacht Rock Revue brings the finest soft rock sounds of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s to life on the Revolution Hall stage when their North American tour comes ashore in Portland.  You think you’re going to find a night that promises smoothness such as this anywhere else? That’s what a fool believes, Kenny. That’s what a fool believes. (Thurs Feb 27, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $25-30)

John Sayles
Film director, screenwriter, and novelist John Sayles reads from Yellow Earth, a sprawling and cautionary story set on the Three Nations reservations on the oil-rich banks of the Missouri River in North Dakota. (Thurs Feb 27, 7:30 pm, Powell’s City of Books, free)

Havania Whaal, Mare, Pageant
Portland dream-pop and psych shapeshifters Havania Whaal head up a hometown show at No Fun along with support from like-minded locals Mare and Pageant. (Thurs Feb 27, 9:30 pm, No Fun, $5)

Korn, Breaking Benjamin
The early 2000s may seem like a lifetime ago, but it really wasn’t that far in the past that such a thing as “active rock” radio existed, and monsters stomped across that playground and became large and famous for their drop-d tuning and angry lyrics. Two of the biggest monsters of the active rock era are coming together to make the Moda remember a time when putting the horns up was a more everyday occurrence. (Thurs Feb 27, 7 pm, Moda Center, $56-101)

Hollow Coves, Harrison Storm
The Australian indie-folk duo headed up by Ryan Henderson and Matt Carins returns to the Doug Fir Lounge for a headlining set supporting their latest album, Moments. (Thurs Feb 27, 9 pm, Doug Fir Lounge, $15)

Rapsody, SA-ROC, Heather Victoria, DJ OG-One
Rapsody brings her unique energy (and her friends SA-ROC and Heather Victoria) to the Star Theater for the Portland stop on her “A Black Woman Created This” tour (Thurs Feb 27, 9 pm, Star Theater, $20-69 nice)

Beth Stelling
Originally a product of Chicago’s comedy scene, LA writer and stand-up Beth Stelling has honed her ability to disarm audiences with her laid-back delivery and trounce them with her unpredictable wit for the better part of a decade. Her expertly crafted half-hour special is a highlight of Netflix’s The Standups, and that’s just a small taste of what Stelling will have up her sleeve when she swings through Helium. (Thurs Feb 27, 8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $17-33)

Jacques Greene, M. Bootyspoon
Montreal-based DJ and producer Jacques Greene brings his shapeshifting pop, house, and R&B sounds back to town to head up a Thursday-night dance party at Holocene supporting his latest LuckyMe-issued album, Dawn Chorus. (Thurs Feb 27, 9 pm, Holocene, $15)

Slow Hollows, Fox Academy
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Austin Feinstein and his backing band bring their slow-burning indie pop and rock back to town for a headlining set supporting the project’s latest album, Actors. (Thurs Feb 27, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $13-15)

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