MUSIC–With anvils of electronic noise and vocalists who shout like extremely
hip cheerleaders, EC8OR is a punk-industrial anomaly. So hardcore, they
make Chicks on Speed look like Valium-ated church ladies. JS
Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine, 230-2111, 9 pm, $6
FRIDAY MAY 25
MUSIC–Just when you think you’ve heard it all, your ex-intern brings you
a CD of a great Portland band called …Then Poland. Only he greedily snatches
it back after giving you a little taste of its complex, weaving guitars. But
it’s cool, because you can go see them play with said ex-intern’s band, Samizdat,
tonight. Life is tangled and mysterious. JS
Disjecta, 116 Russell, 9 pm, $3
SATURDAY MAY 26
WRASSLIN’–Love old school wrestling, but hate the overplayed glamour and
high prices of the WWF? Then truck on up to Vancouver for the high-flyin’ antics
of ECCW/ NWA Pro Wrestling! This action- packed night features JV stars like
Playboy Buddy Rose and Moondog Moretti bumping heads, along with a woman’s match
between Buffy Republic and Bam-Bam Bambi. And don’t forget about the finale:
a body-slammin’ hardcore three-way title match! (Sounds sexy, no?) WSH
Marshall Community Center, 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA, 604-685-3229,
7:30 pm, $12
HOT BIKERS–First of all, let me take this opportunity to say that bike messengers
are the hottest people in Portland. All that sweat and dirt and tight muscle.
Mmmn. So if you want action, you should (if you haven’t already) become a bike
messenger. And what better way to start than with the bike messenger races,
a three-day affair that involves music, jousting, and of course, racing. KD
Mt. Tabor Park, Sat-Sun noon, Beulahland 118 NE 28th, Sun 8 pm
SUNDAY MAY 27
MUSIC–Wadsworth has metal sensibilities without the harsh screaming guitars
or vocals. This means that one of my friends might actually go to the show with
me, and for once, I won’t have to head-bang and air-guitar alone. KS
Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash, 226-0430, 9:30 pm, $4
CIRCUS–When the Circus Gatti hit P-Town in 1990, two wacky chimps dragged
their Bela Karolyi-style trainer into the audience and beat up a kid. What’s
more exciting than that–perhaps circus sponsors (the Portland Police Association),
beating the tar out of PETA. KS
Memorial Coliseum, 1 Center Ct, tickets on sale day of show at the door, 2 pm, $8-$13
MONDAY MAY 28
RACING–What better way to celebrate Memorial Day than sipping PBR and watching
dirt track racing? 300 laps of rubber-burning stock-car magic will be
followed by a roll-over contest in which perfectly good autos compete to see
how many flips they can execute before landing in a twisted heap of burning
metal. Woo-HOO! Now that’s entertainment! WSH
Portland Speedway, 9727 N MLK Blvd, 285-2883, 2 pm, $10
TUESDAY MAY 29
READING–It’s easy to forget that there actually are some celebs living
in Portland who are worth paying attention to. And no, not Danny Glover. Try
Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club and Invisible Monsters.
He’ll be reading from his latest book, Choke. KD
Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, 284-1726, 7 pm, free
MUSIC–OK, I haven’t heard his new album, BUT when I’ve seen David Byrne live, he’s changed outfits seven or eight times through the show. And since he’s so into art (he even wore a glow-in-the-dark muscle suit on his Feelings tour), if the music sucks, think of it as a performance. It’s doubtful he’ll fail on that end. JS
Roseland, 8 NW 6th Ave, 224-2038, 9:30 pm, $22.50
WEDNESDAY MAY 30
FILM–In this day of empty warehouses full of dead dot-coms, it’s hard to
remember that just two years ago we were all smoking cigars lit with hundred
dollar bills and eating caviar for breakfast. (Or, uh… at least that’s what
I heard was happening.) This flick, Startup.com,
chronicles the life of a dot-com from start to finish. It’s the classic rise
and fall story, except with no drugs. KD
Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st Ave, 233-4515, 7 & 9:10 pm, Sat-Mon 12:45, 2:45, 4:45, $6