Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Friday, Aug 23

Japanese Breakfast, Bedouine, And And And
The woman behind the Japanese Breakfast moniker is Eugene, OR-bred experimental pop/lo-fi artist Michelle Zauner, who drew critical acclaim for her 2016 studio debut Psychopomp and its 2017 follow-up Soft Sounds from Another Planet. Her recent single “Essentially” is a sunny, bass-driven groove that’s never too anything. And you just can’t help but smile after watching JB’s dreamy music video for “Boyish.” When it comes to live performance, Zauner’s also a pro. And since the first show Zauner ever saw was Built to Spill at the Crystal Ballroom, her upcoming show at the McMenamins venue will be a full-circle moment. (Fri Aug 23, 9 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $25, all ages) JENNI MOORE

Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC
What can a good person do in this era of history? Do you just go numb? Do you succumb to the thirst for vengeance that threatens to drown you upon taking even the smallest sip? Well, when the Seattle Sounders are in town to take on the Portland Timbers, the only good answer is to that question is yes. Fuck yes, in fact. The second you step inside Providence Park for tonight’s match, you should harness every ounce of that energy, focus it, and let it fly from your throat at full volume like someone threw a brick of C4 into an open sewer. That’s healthy, right? Sure it is. That’s how this works, I’ve been told. (Fri Aug 23, 7 pm, Providence Park, all ages) BOBBY ROBERTS

Brandi Carlile
Folks who’ve lived around the Northwest for a while know that Brandi Carlile’s been working hard to make sure her music is heard for a long time. Fifteen years ago, the Seattle singer-songwriter started out filling nightclubs in the region with her huge voice and charisma, if not filling the rooms with bodies. A decade ago, she graduated to playing theaters on the strength of her 2007 breakthrough album The Story, which showcased Carlile’s songwriting skills and that of her longtime collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth. And last year, Carlile released her best album yet, By The Way, I Forgive You, which earned her a Grammy for Best Americana Album, a nomination for Album of the Year, and headlining status at amphitheaters and festivals. Still, she makes those big shows feel like intimate club gigs, and that’s why Brandi Carlile is one of the most likable success stories in music these days. (Fri-Sun Aug 23-25, 6 pm, Edgefield, $49.50-99.50, all ages) BEN SALMON

Calexico, Iron & Wine, Orville Peck
Having last joined forces on the 2005 EP In the Reins, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam and Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino regroup for a North American tour supporting their 2019 collaborative album, Years to Burn. Rising Canadian country artist Orville Peck rounds out the bill. (Fri Aug 23, 8 pm, Keller Auditorium, $35-75, all ages)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
They say we're in the middle of a "Keanuissance" right now. I say fuck that noise. Firstly, that word looks like "nuisance" which is the opposite of Keanu Reeves, and secondly, Keanu has been doing his whole "Keanu" thing for almost 40 years now, with a frankly amazing consistency that transcends any half-ass "-aissance" assigned via some dink fishing for retweets on lunch break. Bill & Ted is a great example of that. And not to take away from Keanu's greatness, but this movie works due to Alex Winter being perfectly paired with him as one half of the Wyld Stallyns. So forget all that horseshit social media portmanteauing. Come to the movies, watch the Stallyns ride through time, and enjoy yourself. (Fri Aug 23, 7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9)

Sir Richard Bishop, Matt Weston, Center PIeces
Sir Richard Bishop is best known as a founding member of experimental art-punk project Sun City Girls, which had a 26-year tenure that yielded over 50 albums. Since the band’s dissolution in 2007, Bishop has continued to release mind-warping guitar meditations, most recently with 2015's Tangier Sessions. It’s a dizzying collection of neoclassical compositions with brilliant guitar playing, and fuses together styles as seemingly disparate as flamenco, jazz, strange avant-garde, and pretty much every other genre you’ve ever heard. Bishop taps into a truly wordly aural contemplation—you oughta tap into it, too. (Fri Aug 23, 8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!) RYAN J. PRADO

Ryley Walker, Wild Pink
The Chicago singer/songwriter brings his lush blend of shapeshifting folk, psych, and blues rock back to the Polaris Hall stage for an intimate Portland show supporting his latest full-length, Deafman Glance. (Fri Aug 23, 8 pm, Polaris Hall, $13-15)

Makaya McCraven
The subheading for Makaya McCraven’s website sums up the Chicago-based musician’s milieu perfectly: “Drummer, Producer, Beat Scientist.” The 35-year-old doesn’t just play a trap set in a variety of settings with an assortment of mostly jazz ensembles. His aesthetic involves using recordings from his many live dates as raw material for the albums he has released to date (most via the Chicago/Portland label International Anthem). On each, lo-fi and hi-fi collide, and the music folds in on itself like a dying star, readying anyone within earshot for an explosion of ideas, sounds, beats and pieces. (Fri Aug 23, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios. $16-18) ROBERT HAM

Mope Grooves, All Hits, Cool Flowers
Mope Grooves are on a ridiculous run. In just over two years, the Portland band has released four remarkable albums of strange, beautiful art-punk, the latest of which, Desire, seems to have been made with late-night headphone trips in mind. A bit less prickly than Mope Grooves’ previous records, Desire is more of a dreamy whorl, all serpentine patterns of stuttering drums, warbling keyboards and buzzing guitars. It lives in the same in-between realm as the best Brian Eno albums: somehow anxious and blissed at the same time, like a thought caught at the lip of sleep. It’s a wonderful place to be. (Fri Aug 23, 8 pm, American Legion Local 134, $5-10, all ages) CHRIS STAMM

Dressy Bessy, Potty Mouth, Colleen Green
Denver's Dressy Bessy confects candy-coated pop rock in the same vivid Technicolor hues as fellow Elephant 6'ers the Apples in Stereo, but rather than drenching melodies in late-'60s psychedelic flourishes, Tammy Ealom keeps her songs stripped down to basic guitar riffage. (Fri Aug 23, 9 pm, The Liquor Store, $12-15) NED LANNAMANN

Napoleon Dynamite Live: A Conversation with Jon Heder
In conjunction with the film's 15th anniversary, the Aladdin Theater hosts a special screening of Napoleon Dynamite, followed by a lively demonstration of Rex Kwon Do by world-famous martial artist Rex and his life-partner, the beautiful Starla, forget about it, moderated discussion with star Jon Heder. GOSH! (Fri Aug 23, 7:30 pm, Aladdin Theater, $25 & Up)


Saturday, Aug 24

The Black Version
The renowned improv show that got its start at the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles hits Portland for a two-night stand at the Siren Theater. You give them a movie title, and in turn, they give you "The Black Version" of that movie on the spot. Featuring Cedric Yarbourough (Reno 911, Speechless), Jordan Black (Key & Peele, Southpark, Jimmy Kimmel), Nyima Funk (Key & Peele, Why? with Hannibal Burress), Gary Anthony Williams (Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, Malcolm in the Middle), and Danielle Gaither (Mad TV, The ReRun Show). Directed by Karen Muryama. (Sat Aug 24, 8 pm, Siren Theater, $18-25)

Ron Funches, Blair Socci, Gabe Dinger
Comedian/voice actor/ex-Portlander Ron Funches returns to town for his “Merriment Marauder” tour. The man has a way with words and connects with his audience through hilariously relatable material for the modern age. Having lost nearly 150 pounds over the last four years and developed a significantly chic-er wardrobe, Funches is somewhat unrecognizable since his last visit. But if his hilarious Comedy Central special Giggle Fit is any indication, Funches’ lovable personality, distinctive voice, infectious laugh, and insightful perspective remain. (Sat Aug 24, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $25-30, all ages) JENNI MOORE

Michael Ian Black
If you have ever laughed in the past 20 years, chances are Michael Ian Black was involved. The actor/comedian got his start on MTV’s legendary sketch show The State, has been partly responsible for Wet Hot American Summer and Stella, hosts his own How to Be Amazing podcast, has written books, and is very good at Twitter. Tonight he does stand-up comedy, which is none of those things. (Sat Aug 24, 7:30 pm & 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $28-36) NED LANNAMANN

All Together Festival
To celebrate the release of its latest two-disc compilation, Friends and Friends of Friends Vol. 12, Tender Loving Empire is throwing a FREE all-day show on White Owl’s expansive patio. In addition to stellar live sets from local stars like the Shivas, MELT, Shadowgraphs, and Ripley Snell featuring Blossom, there will also be a prize wheel with giveaways. There will also be copies of the record label’s zine, ZiNEiTH, available for purchase, with proceeds going to RAICES, a nonprofit that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to refugees and immigrants. (Sat Aug 24, 2:30 pm, White Owl Social Club, free) JENNI MOORE

Eyelids, Jay Gonzalez, Jonathan Segel & Victor Krum
Portland indie rock and guitar pop juggernaut Eyelids split a co-headline bill with Drive-By Truckers' keyboardist/songwriter Jay Gonzalez. Jonathan Segel and Victor Krummenacher (of Camper Van Beethoven) round out the bill. (Sat Aug 24, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-15)

The 3rd Annual MxM Portland Podcast Festival
There have been many podcasts who have adopted the "Favorite thing X, one minute at a time" formula, but did you know that formula was invented right here in Portland, thanks to the minds behind Star Wars Minute, the first and still most-well-known "movie by minute" podcasts? Well if you didn't know, now you know, and you have an amazing opportunity to check out the expanded Movies by Minute family at this intimate podcast festival, with shows such as The Godfather Minute and The Cast and the Furious taking over the Clinton Street Theater with good-natured-yet-fairly-obsessed fun. (Sat Aug 24, noon, Clinton Street Theater, $20)

Conner O'Malley: I Wish I Could Beat My Own Ass
NYC-via-Chicago writer, actor, and certified Vine and Twitter maniac Conner O'Malley (Late Night with Seth Meyers, Joe Pera Talks with You) presents "Wish I Could Beat My Own Ass" at the Kickstand Comedy Space, featuring stand-up comedy, videos, and whatever else he decides to unleash on his lucky audience. Comedian Carmen Christopher provides support. (Sat Aug 24, 9 pm, Kickstand Comedy Space, $10, all ages)

4th Annual Brazilian Festival
Batucada Beats joins forces with Portland Mercado and Favela Brazilian Cafe to present the 4th Annual Brazilian Festival, a family-friendly daylong celebration of Brazilian culture, highlighting the Northwest's best examples of Brazilian music, food, art, dance, and more. (Sat Aug 24, noon, Portland Mercado, free, all ages)

ILLAMETTE
A free, all-ages hip-hop festival that overlooks and incorporates the Willamette into its flow, presented by the Portland Harbor Community Coalition, with performances by Mat Randol, Amenta Abioto, Talilo Marfil, Swiggle Mandela, WestCoast BlackBear, and more. (Sat Aug 24, 11 am, Cathedral Park, free, all ages)

Portland Persian Party
The Andisheh Center makes use of Portland's Living Room to throw a welcoming and inclusive celebration of Persian music, dance, art, and cuisine via the Portland Persian Party, highlighting all the best aspects of Iranian culture. (Sat Aug 24, 6 pm, Pioneer Courthouse Square, free, all ages)

Jaws (in 35mm)
When I was young, and I saw Jaws for the first time, I knew the shark was the main villain, but I considered Quint to be the secondary. His counterproductive actions, his extreme saltiness, his gruesome exit—a shark is gonna shark, sure, but Quint didn't have to go that hard. And then I was old, and rewatched it (which is easy to do, it might be the single most rewatchable movie of the last 50 years), and I realized what a callow fucking moron I was. Why couldn't Hooper shut the fuck up? Why did Hooper insist on telling Quint his business? This four-eyed numbnuts' grand plan involves building a half-ass birdhouse, climbing inside, and sinking himself 60 feet deep so he can poke at a leviathan with a sharp stick? Quint was on the Indianapolis, for christ's sake. 1100 men went into the water, 315 plus Quint came out, and they delivered the bomb! R.I.P. Quint. You were too pure for this world. (Sat Aug 23, 6:40 pm, Academy Theater, $3-4) BOBBY ROBERTS


Sunday, Aug 25

The 5.6.7.8's, Warball
Japanese surf/rockabilly trio the 5.6.7.8’s are probably best known to American audiences for their appearance during the House of Blue Leaves sequence in Kill Bill, Vol. 1. Make sure that beehive is perfectly coiffed, and get ready to twist and boogaloo the night away with their insanely fun brand of retro garage rock. (Sun Aug 25, 9 pm, Star Theater, $18-20) NED LANNAMANN

Hawthorne Street Fair
Hawthorne shuts down (well, more than it usually does on the weekend) to throw itself (and its businesses) a daylong party between SE 30th and SE 39th, with three stages for music and entertainment, children's entertainment, food, and wares from local businesses, and much more. (Sun Aug 25, 11 am, SE 36th & Hawthorne, free, all ages)

Help, Wild Powwers
What happens when a trio of pop-rock dudes start a politically charged hardcore band? You get throat-shredding aggression without sacrificing melody. You get an uncommon combo of hooky guitar riffs and lyrics about class war. You get protest songs you actually want to listen to! This, friends, is the Portland band known as Help, which counts as its members Ryan Neighbors (former Portugal. The Man / current Hustle & Drone), Bim Ditson (indie rabblerousers And And And) and Boone Howard (former The We Shared Milk / current solo psych-popster). Pissed off about the state of the country and inspired by a Metz show, they started a punk band. Their debut EP comes out August 25, and it’s stuffed wall-to-wall with songs that’ll make you want to jumpstart the revolution, one pogo at a time. (Sun Aug 25, 8 pm, Rontoms, free) BEN SALMON

Queen Chief, Cambrian Explosion, Black River Singers
Holocene serves up a night of crunchy riffs and heavy hooks, with local psych-rock outfit Queen Chief celebrating the release of their Cavity Search Records-issued debut, Animal Stories. Cambrian Explosion and the Black River Singers round out the proceedings. A portion of tonight's proceeds will be donated to The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (#MMIW). (Sun Aug 25, 8:30 pm, Holocene, $10)

Alice Phoebe Lou, strongboi
Mississippi Studios hosts an evening with the rising South African soul, pop, and indie-folk singer/songwriter whose 2017 song "She" from the film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story was included on the Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song. (Sun Aug 25, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $16-18)

NW Loopfest
Once upon a time people thought putting electricity into a guitar was ridiculous. Later people swore that synthesizers were beyond the pale. Then some kids figured out how to make a turntable an instrument. And now? Now people plug instruments and microphones into boxes with pedals and pads and they literally become a 30 piece orchestra all by themselves, thanks to the power of loops. This festival showcases some of the Northwest's most innovative musicians, including Annie Sea, Clodewerks, The Exosphere Project, and more. (Sun Aug 25, 3 pm, Bit House Saloon, $5-10)

An Afternoon of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Metropolitan Opera and Broadway Artists Rose Kingsley and Thomas Booth and Musical Director Gregory Buchalter bring Broadway to the Old Church with a matinee show featuring performances from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, and more. (Sun Aug 25, 2:30 pm, The Old Church, $40, all ages)

Rikkha
If any venue in the city is gonna devote stage time to a Parisian burlesque garage rock band heavily inspired by both the Cramps and Quentin Tarantino, it'd have to be Dante's, right? (Sun Aug 25, 8:30 pm, Dante's, $10-12)

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