THURSDAY, July 25
BROTHEL–Haven’t you ever wondered what really goes on in those brothels in
Nevada? This lady Alexa Albert wondered that as well, so she hung out there
for six years, and then wrote a book about it. See her read. KD
Powell’s on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 7:30, free
DJs–Are you potty-trained? Are you sure? Good; then sharpen up those pencils
for the ancient hiphop history lesson being conducted by the Fantastic Four,
which covers old school and pre-school! If you’re incontinent, well,
consider laminating your PeeChee folder. MS
Madame Butterfly, 425 SW Stark, 525-0033, 9:30 pm, free
MUSIC–The Building Press is releasing their new CD, so what better time to
get acquainted with their music? Doomy, complicated, and precise instrumentals
build into rock explosions that no music fan could dislike. If you have taste,
or would like to pretend that you have taste, see this show. KS
w/Dutch Flat, Science of Yabra; Berbati’s Pan, 231 SW Ankeny, 248-4579, 9 pm,
$5
FRIDAY, July 26
MUSIC–Aereogramme sound like a battle between wicked cyborgs and the lily-spirited
hero they’ve enslaved. You’ll feel like a kitten at a tennis match as they grapple
between grating metal and luminous appeal. Don’t skip the openers, Seldom, whose
hapless pop sounds disguise untold depth. MS
Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy, 282-9949, 9 pm, $7
MOVIE–While Nicholas Cage’s career may currently be in the crapper, don’t
miss his earlier performance in the cult classic, Red Rock West. Part
of the late-night Summer Movie Megathon, RRW is a funny, noirish
thriller in which a drifter (Cage) gets mistaken for a hit man–that is until
the real hit man (Dennis Hopper) shows up! Tons of fun, and yes, tons
of beer. WSH
Guild Theater, 829 SW 9th, 221-1156, bar opens at 10:30, show at 11, $5
SATURDAY, July 27
MUSIC–If you’re looking for chaos, look for The Spits. At the recent Dirtnap
records showcase in Seattle, they stole the show with their super-catchy, Banana
Splits-on-PCP new wave/punk and stage antics, featuring a fluid-spurting head
brandished by the drummer, and an enormous bunny-man that jumped into the crowd
with firecrackers strapped to his crotch. HH w/The Briefs, Antiworld, and
Low Rollers; Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine, 230-2111, 9 pm, $7
DOGS AND MOVIES–If you’re like me, you like dogs more than most people. Here
is an opportunity to meet a bunch of other, weirdo dog people: Canines (well-behaved,
of course) are invited to attend movies with their owners this week. You and
your dog can watch these special dog movies together. Sounds weird, but it just
might work. KD
Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 238-8899, 2 pm, $3
SUNDAY, July 28
COMICS–Brilliantly understated, patiently paced, and drawn with the skill
of a man who knows the world, Adrian Tomine is only one of the best comic artists/authors
in the frigging universe. He’s promoting Summer Blonde, a collection
of his Optic Nerve comics, which are awesome. JS
Reading Frenzy, 921 SW Oak, 274-1449, 4 pm, free
NOIZ PUNCKZ–Everybody compares Hair Police to early Pussy Galore.
Normally, I would shy away from such frothing, hyperbolic, yellow journalism–but
these four Kentucky boys make such a scary, bloody mess of unhinged, sexy-and-spazzy
punk trash, you’ll wanna flush your Ritalin down the sink and throw your peed-in
panties at the stage! JS w/Neon Hunk, Mammal; Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy, 282-9949,
9:30 pm, $5
MONDAY, July 29
ROCK–Drunken troubadour Drew Isleib has made the rounds from Jersey to Boston
to Denver and now back to Jersey, all the while sharpening his teeth as a top-notch
singer-songwriter. Tonight, Isleib takes a night off his current “couch tour,”
where he hijacks someone’s sofa for a night of depressingly intimate tunes and
performs adjacent to a well-stocked bar. For this evening, drinking is not just
suggested, it’s mandatory. CM
w/Pseudo Six, Earlimart, Radar Brothers; Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy, 282-9949,
9 pm, free
TUESDAY, July 30
MUSIC–Nate Denver is one of the brilliant members of the best hardcore band in the world, Total Shutdown. So what’s Nate Denver’s Neck, you may ask? Well, it’s the part of his body between his head and his chest. It’s also the name of his solo project, which is, unlike Total Shutdown, quirky, emotive, and totally heartwarming. KD
Disjecta, 116 NE Russell, 8 pm, $5
WEDNESDAY, July 31
SMOOTH OPERATOR–While she might not have gone from “Coast to coast/LA to Chicago,” Tara Jane O’Neil, aka indie rock’s Sade, is rumored to have crossed the map from Lousiville to Portland. Purportedly residing here in Stumptown, O’Neil is a real “smooth operator,” with her elegant voice and gentle stage presence. I would write more, but I’m all out of Sade references. CM w/Town and Country, Mines; Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy, 282-9949, 9 pm, $7