Satpreet Kahlon: an imagined place (here and now)
THROUGH MAY 23
(VISUAL ART) I’ve been following Satpreet Kahlon’s career since 2023, when the Panjabi-born artist’s Bellevue Art Museum exhibition the inscrutable shape of longing explored displacement and colonization’s aftermath through a web-like installation of folk ritual and splintered, mirrored acrylic. An imagined place (here and now) builds on the artist’s propensity for multimedia installations, transforming the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) warehouse into an “immersive exploration of fugitivity, deep space time, geologic memory, and possibility.” In more straightforward, but no less exciting terms, expect a recycled, full-scale replica of near-Earth asteroid/quasi-moon 2025 PN7, plus immersive audiovisual elements referencing Punjab Boliyan couplets. (PICA, 15 NE Hancock, FREE, pica.org, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
2026 Oregon Contemporary Artists’ Biennial: The Price of the Ticket
THROUGH JULY 5
(VISUAL ART) Titled after a James Baldwin anthology this time around, Oregon Contemporary’s biennial surveys artists who are “defining and advancing Oregon’s contemporary art landscape,” as curated by scholar-historian TK Smith. The biennial also acts in response to the 250-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence signing, and will present Todd McGrain’s newly created bronze bust of York alongside the original, which was toppled from its Mount Tabor plinth in 2021. Artists Jaleesa Johnston, DeepTime Collective, and Joe Kye will offer seances and immersive performances on First Saturdays through July; partner venues Ori Gallery and Multnomah County Central Library, among others, will host additional programs. (Oregon Contemporary, 8371 N Interstate, FREE, oregoncontemporary.org, all ages ) LC
Fertile Ground Festival
APRIL 10-26
(THEATER & PERFORMANCE) The 17th Fertile Ground Festival of New Works achieves lift off on April 10 and soars for 17 days of imaginative readings and plays—some infusing the form with interactive or multimedia elements, others searching boldly for identity through wit and writing. We’ve got picks from the nearly 100 projects pitched: the return of Jonathan Hernandez’s sellout show The Mask I Wear, a play that sounds sort of like the Sandra Bullock movie Gravity, and the deepening hilarity of Love, Shakespeare’s improvised riffs. Dive into the schedule with your own shrewd eye for talent; see some things! (Various locations, showtimes and tickets at fertilegroundpdx.ludus.com) SUZETTE SMITH
Laura Burke: So Be It
OPENS APRIL 10
(VISUAL ART) Laura Burke’s last two solo shows at Chefas Projects played with the artist’s interest in fairy tales and spirits, imagined through scenes of household objects, liminal realms, and natural elements imbued with delicate magic. (One show’s title, Bright Blue His Jacket Is, and His Boots Are Yellow, was a quote from The Fellowship of the Ring.) Burke is one of my favorite contemporary artists, due in no small part to her devotion to folkloric figures and curious, yet somehow perfectly balanced compositions, evoking a modern Mary Fedden. Expect more where that came from in So Be It, which includes paintings of a vase giving side eye and a moth stroked with gold light. (Chefas Projects, 134 SE Taylor, Ste 203, Wed-Sat 1-6 pm, FREE, stephaniechefas.com, all ages) LC
TAG! Queer Shorts Festival
APRIL 11-12
(FILM) You’re it! TAG! Queer Shorts Festival highlights work from exclusively queer and trans directors. The inspiration behind the film fest borrows from the street art community, with the motivational phrase “Get Up!” encouraging folks to make their art aggressively visible. Themed screenings include The Shapes of Queer Space, exploring how LGBTQIA2S+ folks show up for their communities, Sex is Back with a romantic and kinky bent, a Tagging Cascadia category for films from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, and Queer Kaleidoscope, which is a catch-all for the rest of the multigenre films. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 4 pm, $15-$45, cstpdx.com) BRI BREY
The Ladds 500
APRIL 11
(COMMUNITY) Bike racing isn’t just for folks kitted out in spandex. The tagline of the Ladds 500 is “let’s do something stupid,” and what could be more stupid than riding around Ladd Circle 500 times in a row? Ride the whole thing yourself, or bring friends for a relay—counting is lax, and hardly anyone finishes the whole thing. “Nothing matters and life is finite,” the rules read. The circle crowds with people (many of them costumed) on roller skates, tall bikes, twelve-passenger party bikes, and skateboards. Everyone else picnics in the circle’s center, handing riders freshly grilled hot dogs and warm pancakes. Join the party. (Ladd Circle Park & Rose Gardens, 1988 SE Mulberry, 10 am-5 pm, FREE, ladds500.com, all ages) KCH
DOA Wrestling: Portslamdia
APRIL 12
(SPORTS) Portland is a true pro wrestling city, and DOA remains a hot spot for diehard fans eager to escape reality with a few high-octane hours of larger-than-life characters, jaw-dropping acrobatics, and pure passion for the sport. Their promotion just announced the return of Portslamdia on April 12 at Morrison Market. Join the chants, feel the energy as the action spills into the crowd, and soak up the magnetic presence of performers from around the world. While the match card is still TBA, organizers have confirmed the return of the undead bride, Su Yung. (Morrison Market Stage 722, 722 SE 10th, bell at 5 pm, $20-$40, doaprowrestling.com, all ages) ANDREW HARLAN
Planet Money Live
APRIL 14
(READINGS & TALKS) NPR economics podcast Planet Money launched in 2008—as the world reeled from the housing bubble/subprime mortgage crisis—with a mission to explain the economy. The show’s first-ever book Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life remains devoted to that goal, even as the show’s hosts are up front that the idea came from a literary agent trying to brainstorm books based on NPR content. The timing here isn’t a coincidence either, as public radio seeks out new revenue streams to compensate for the Republican-controlled Congress rescinding public media funds and the subsequent dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The book’s main author, Alex Mayyasi, isn’t just a Planet Money contributor—he was also the founding editor of Gastro Obscura. So there’s a good chance he’s written something pretty readable and fun. At this special event, Mayyasi appears with show host Kenny Malone and the owners of Hollywood District restaurant Xiao Ye for what sounds like a fascinating explainer of small business/intimate relationship economics. (The Reser, 12625 SW Crescent, Beaverton, 7:30 pm, $44.50-$94.50, literary-arts.org, all ages) SS
Films from Earth: A 16mm Showcase from Making Earth Cool and the Nyback Archive
APRIL 17
(FILM) Since his death in 2022, Portland’s “P.T. Barnum of cinema” Dennis Nyback has been seriously missed. Nyback’s screenings were rightfully storied over the course of his career; he screened crate-dug film programs worldwide and owned the Clinton Street Theater back in the ’90s. We were lucky to have him, and now, we’re lucky to have the reigning nature-lovers at Making Earth Cool inhabiting our little corner of the planet. Ahead of their puppet-laden Earth Day celebration on April 25, they’ll pull from Nyback’s world-famous 16mm film archive, curating a screening of “rare nature films.” (Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $15, tomorrowtheater.org) LC
Playtime
APRIL 19
(FILM) Sometimes a metaphor hits you just so; the story of Tativille, created by director Jacques Tati for his 1967 magnum opus Playtime, is one such metaphor. In order to make the film the way he wanted, Tati built a small city in a wasteland to the southeast of Paris. The 15,000 square meter set contained full-scale buildings and infrastructure; the process became so extravagant that the elevators actually worked! Tati said he would leave Tativille to be used by future French filmmaking generations, but it was torn down just months after Playtime’s release. To this day, Playtime is a movie best viewed on the cinema screen so you can appreciate the grandeur, spectacle, and pantomime of Tati himself as bumbling businessman Monsieur Hulot. (Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park, 2 pm, $15, portlandartmuseum.org, all ages) SS
Animation April
THROUGH APRIL 19
(FILM) Unsurprisingly, Clinton Street Theater’s recurring Animation April series offers an embarrassment of cinema history riches. The lineup includes the phantasmagoric ’82 musical The Last Unicorn, FernGully: The Last Rain Forest (take heed, millennials), and one that piqued my interest: The Bloody Lady (1981). Screening on April 13, the gothic Slovak folktale interprets the story of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, AKA that Hungarian noblewoman who allegedly moonlit as a serial killer and bathed in blood. Restored by the Slovak Film Institute, The Bloody Lady harkens back to an era when children’s films were still reliably scary, and therefore cooler. Indie experimenter claire rousay scored the new edition. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, dates and times vary, $5-$10, cstpdx.com) LC
2026 Oregon Book Awards Ceremony
APRIL 20
(READINGS & TALKS) Credit due to Literary Arts’ annual awards: The winners are always worth your time, and more than a few of the nominees too. This year’s creative nonfiction category sees Lidia Yuknavitch’s Reading the Waves crash up against A Field Guide to the Subterranean: Reclaiming the Deep Earth and Our Deepest Selves by Justin Hocking, while Horse Girl Fever by Kevin Maloney and Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang face off in fiction. The other categories are similarly stacked—this is a graphic novel year, and judges must somehow decide between Breena Bard’s Wildfire, Speechless by past Oregon Book Award winner Aron Nels Steinke, and the highly lauded Big Jim and the White Boy by David F. Walker. It would be great to see any of them win, and you can actually attend the ceremony, see the evening unfold, and fawn over your favs. (Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th, 7:30 pm, $15-$65, Arts for All tickets available, literary-arts.org, all ages) SS
Wednesday / Gouge Away
APRIL 21-22
(MUSIC) As they were gearing up for the September 2025 release of their crushing album Bleed, Wednesday played a perfect, reenergizing set on the second day of Project Pabst, endearing themselves to Portland to the extent of landing two nights at Revolution Hall. Bleed has one feature, the mid-album alt-country dazer “Phish Pepsi” with Advance Base. AB may not strike a chord with everyone, but trust, it’s huge. Opening are half-Portland, half-Florida hardcore huns Gouge Away. The feigned innocence of GA’s new “Figurine” track and music video is something to behold; fingers and toes crossed they’ve got a new album in the works.(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, SOLD OUT, revolutionhall.com, all ages) NOLAN PARKER
DJ Assault / DJ PayPal
APRIL 23
(MUSIC) Massive shouts to Kris Goodin of Helsinki’s OK Sound for introducing me to DJ Assault years ago when we worked at one of Berlin’s worst cafes—specifically the booty bass and ghetto house pioneer’s “Asses Jigglin’” track. Other fabulously named Assault tracks include “Love The Pussy,” “Nympho,” “Gay Guy,” and “Dick Ride.” A sweaty, minimally clothed celebration of sluts, freaks, and their handlers is what the Detroit master is bringing; all you gotta bring is ass. Be ready to throw it. (Swan Dive, 727 SE Grand, 9 pm, $26.84, swandivepdx.com, 21+) NP
Breakfast on the Bridges
APRIL 24
(COMMUNITY) Breakfast on the Bridges, or BonB, has been serving up coffee and breakfast goodies to those biking/walking/rolling across Portland’s bridges for more than 20 years. Those commuting across the Blumenauer Bridge, Steel Bridge, and Tilikum Crossing (sometimes even Flanders Crossing) can expect their morning treats on the last Friday of every month. Come for the caffeine and pastries, stay (until you’re late for work) for the lovely company! The early bird may not always get the worm, but on BonB day, the bicyclist birds certainly do. (Various locations, 7 am-9 am, FREE, shifttobikes.org, all ages) TAYLOR GRIGGS
Tough Shit with Oregon Humanities
APRIL 24
(READINGS & TALKS) My favorite events at Tomorrow Theater never actually involve watching a movie. Tough Shit, for example: Three “very different” people get onstage to “talk through some shit” in the economical space of 90 minutes. Surely we can all stay civil for 90 minutes! At this show, one guest is journalist and author Leah Sottile. Oregon Humanities executive director Adam Davis moderates. Is it a deep cut to hope this panel could also include Oregon Public Broadcasting president and CEO Rachel Smolkin? Release the other two guests, you cowards! [Chomps popcorn loudly.] (Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $15, tomorrowtheater.org, all ages) SS
William Basinski
APRIL 28
(MUSIC) Back in 2022, avant-ambient composer William Basinski played with the best of ’em at Holocene: Portland’s own Methods Body and the Garbage Man, AKA Liz Harris/Grouper’s DJ alias. Then, in 2024, the light-bringers on the Reflections crew set the stage for an oozy Basinski set at the First Congregational Church of Portland. Whether you’ve been on his level this whole time or Basinski’s brand new to you, your assignment is to full-body experience this set by the man responsible for The Disintegration Loops (2002-2003). (It’s a four-volume album based on deteriorating tape loops of his own music.) Kelly Moran—a genre-stretcher signed with Warp Records–will set the tone. (Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 8 pm, $37.57, startheaterportland.com, 21+) LC
AAPI Food & Wine Fest
MAY 2-3
(FOOD & DRINK) May is both Oregon Wine Month and AAPI Heritage Month, so why not celebrate both at the same time? Now in its sixth year, the festival was founded by Dave and Lois Cho of CHO Wines, the first Korean American winery owners in Oregon. Your ticket gets you seven wine pours and five bites from different chefs and winemakers, with a different lineup each day. Saturday highlights include bites from Rangoon Bistro and Pasar and sips from Post Familiar and Et Fille, while Sunday includes Pamana and Cozy Congee, plus wine from Junichi Fujita and Hundred Suns. (Stillwater Event Space, 455 NE Irvine, McMinnville, 11 am-1 pm, $95-$150, aapifoodandwine.com, 21+) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
Cabaret Voltaire / I Speak Machine
MAY 8
(MUSIC) Picture it, Barcelona 2016. You’re still deeply hungover from the night before, seeing Air, John Carpenter, Vince Staples, Todd Terje, Peaches, and Kamasi Washington, and all you need is air conditioning so you don’t throw up or worse. You’re contemplating skipping the legendary British industrial-techno band Cabaret Voltaire’s show because if you try to dance, you legitimately might pass out. But hark! The one indoor, seated, air conditioned venue in all of Primavera Sound is exactly the venue Cabaret Voltaire is playing. Let’s hope we know how to take care of ourselves better than 10 years ago and that Roseland has their A/C cranked for this one.(Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $52.75+, roselandpdx.com, 21+) NP
