THURSDAY, August 14

ALL-NIGHT RAGER--One of the more provocative theater/artist groups around, Lightbox Studio, presents an evening of hot party action to help fund their ever-growing creative enterprise. Music from Mongolian punkers Koto y Soto and old standards Shicky Gnarowitz, and "performance intrusions" from Lightbox regulars Ian Greenfield, Jason Eksuzian, and Kelley Bryant. Plenty of booze as well, and yes, the party really does go all night long. JWS
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 8 pm-the buttcrack of dawn, $5-10

FRIDAY, August 15

MOVIE--In 1998, The Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski forever changed the way many young Americans viewed movies; seeing it again with the Mercury while drinking beer and yelling at the screen just might change the world. Better get to the theater early--this one's gonna be huge. AB
Guild Theater, 829 SW 9th, 221-1156, 10 pm, $2 PBR, $6 admission

MUSIC--Playboy spread or no, Neko Case is still, hands down, the foxiest lady in her genre of music. What that genre is I'm not exactly sure, but I know there's a little twang, a little rock, a little soul, and whole lotta Case's unbelievably powerful and versatile voice. PLUS, tonight only: animals in cages! JWS
w/Buddy Miller Band; Oregon Zoo off Hwy 26, 224-8499, 7 pm, $12

FILM--Who doesn't love the Portland Adult Soapbox Derby? Just jerks, that's who! Now thrill to the exploits of these hometown daredevils in the feature length film Nothin' But Excitement, which documents all the crashes, smack-talking, and drunken debauchery of the 2002 Derby held on Mt. Tabor. Tonight's the premiere showing, so don't miss it! WSH
Hollywood Theater, 4122 NE Sandy, 281-4215, 7 pm, $6.50

SATURDAY, August 16

MUSIC--It was only a matter of time before a Sacto band saddled numb-mouthed, delay-addled vocals with breakbeats, noize guitars and, on occasion, this weird sampling of raver whistles--nope, not !!!, but Sexy Prison. JS
Nocturnal, 1800 E Burnside, 239-5900, 9 pm

ROAST PIG PICNIC--Who likes eat'n like a pig & swilling beer? You do! The reason for the party? R&R's Tom Fields gives the best reason of all: "I just felt like roasting a pig!" The party will spill outside the historic building (a one-time Vaudeville venue & mortuary), and into the parking lot. Live music, fancy beer, and porker sandwiches under $5, or a full platter for $10. Bring your own ants. JD
Rose & Raindrop Rest/Pub, 532 SE Grand, 503-238-6996, 1 pm, Free admission

SUNDAY, August 17

MADONNA--Let's face it, Madonna's got one foot in the grave. She can't come up with a good tune anymore, her latest movie, Swept Away, played at one Regal Cinema in Gresham, and Missy Elliott totally blows her out of the water on the new Gap commercial. So why should we celebrate her birthday with drinks, prizes, cake, dancing, videos and tons of sexy gays? Because it's fun, and we can't shun the woman who gave us "Papa Don't Preach," even after that last tour. Ouch. KS
Red Cap Garage, 1035 SW Stark, 226-4171, 9 pm, free

APOCALYPSE WOW!--Most students of film know the making of Apocalypse Now was an all-out cluster fuck. Happily, the wife of director Francis Ford Coppola was on hand to film all the behind-the-scenes madness (the monsoons, the malaria, the uncontrollable bloat of Marlon Brando) in a brilliant documentary called Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. It's like Project Greenlight...in hell! WSH
Produce Row Café, 204 SE Oak, 232-8355, Nightfall, free

MONDAY, August 18

MOVIE--It's no secret that Hal Ashby's Being There contains one of Peter Sellers' finest performances as the unflinchingly understated Chauncey Gardner. But if Sellers is the comedic bombast behind the film, then surely the great Melvyn Douglas, in one of his last roles as the impossibly warm and wise dying tycoon Benjamin Rand, is its emotional soul. This one's worth seeing again to celebrate these two legends of the screen. JWS
Clinton Street, 2522 SE Clinton, 238-8899, 7 pm & 9:40 pm, $6

TET A TET--Christ, could the hot and heavy homoerotic tension between these two right-wing nuts be any more obvious? Who will drop to their knees first in this man-on-man tug of war of conservative values? My money is on Lars Larson, whose lips could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. But then again, Bill O'Reilly has more pent-up sexual tension than a towel-snapping frat boy in a group shower. CM
Theater of the Clouds at the Rose Garden, 1401 N Wheeler, 224-4400, 7 pm, $10-$25

TUESDAY, August 19

MEDEA BENJAMIN--A prominent human rights activist who's devoted most of her life to helping struggling folks around the world, Medea Benjamin is also a rousing, impassioned speaker. She'll discuss her experiences in Iraq, G.W. Bush, WMDs and other world-altering predicaments. JS See Feature pg 9
PSU Smith Center Ballroom, 1825 SW Broadway, 6 pm, $5-10 suggested donation (no one turned away), all ages

WEDNESDAY, August 20

MUSIC--Breathless and ebullient, Petracovich's sweet vocals and fluid synths meld with IDM and the craft of good songwriting somewhere up in the ether. It's all pillowy and shit, but won't put you to sleep. JS
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 239-7639, 9:30 pm