There's a giant unofficial national advertising holiday at the end of this weekend. There's a football game attached to it, too. But such things do not comprise the entirety of the weekend. They are a big, bean-dip-fueled prize at the end of it, surely. But this weekend is way too big and busy to be just that: A fusillade of fine films, soul celebrations, stand-up gold, and even a seafood festival! Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly

---

Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday

---

Friday, Jan 31

Dude York, Kyle Craft, On Drugs Past Event Like List
Seattle power pop and alt-rock trio Dude York are no strangers to Portland audiences. Last year, the trio’s seemingly non-stop touring schedule found them gracing stages in this neck of the woods more frequently than some locals acts did. The band’s love for the road should come as no surprise; with crunchy guitars, soaring solos, and sing-along choruses propelling their unabashedly exuberant live set, Dude York makes each venue they play a communal space for longtime fans and newcomers alike. The band’s latest Hardly Art-issued album, Falling, finds guitarist Peter Richards and bassist Claire England trading off songwriting duties, with Richards’ somber and subdued contributions offering space to reflect before England comes along with another freight train-sized anthem to knock you back to the present. (Fri Jan 31, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-14) CHIPP TERWILLIGER

2020 Fertile Ground Festival
Get ready for SO MUCH THEATER, because Portland’s annual festival of new performance, Fertile Ground, is here! One of Portland’s most accessible and affordable arts festivals, this year's Fertile Ground features some of the most adventurous artists in the region putting bold new theatrical, dance, performance, experimental, and storytelling works on a wide variety of Portland stages. For a full list of participants, venues, and showtimes, click here. (Thurs Jan 30-Sun Feb 9, Various Locations, $50-70 all-access festival pass)

Jai Ho! 10 Year Anniversary Party Past Event Like List
DJ Prashant Kakad hasn’t simply turned his monthly party Jai Ho! into one of the hottest dance nights in town thanks to his choice selection of Bollywood and world beat jams; he’s turned it into a nationwide phenomenon with regular events in Seattle, New Orleans, San Diego, and beyond. Tonight, he celebrates the 10th anniversary of injecting Indian culture into Portland’s nightlife with a blowout at Whiskey Bar, complete with a performance from the Jai Ho! Dance Troupe and tunes spun by resident DJ Skee. (Fri Jan 31, 9 pm, The Whiskey Bar, $7-10) ROBERT HAM

Cascade Festival of African Films
The 30th annual Cascade Festival of African films features “five weeks of more than 30 feature, documentary and short films by established and emerging African directors from 18 countries.” In other words, this free and open-to-the-public festival showcases works through the lens of Africans, rather than a festival curated for a Western audience. The amount of interesting flicks to see is almost overwhelming: from Eritrean film Life Is Fare (Feb 27 and 29) to short film series “Spotlight On Senegal” (Feb 22) to Faraday Okoro’s Nigerian Prince (Feb 20 and 22) with a plot that sort of sounds like a flipped, Nigerian version of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. ((Fri Jan 31-Sat Feb 29, opening and closing night at Hollywood Theatre; all other films at PCC Cascade’s Moriarty Arts & Humanities Bldg, Room 104, see africanfilmfestival.org for full schedule.) JENNI MOORE

Kickin' It!
This monthly sketch / stand-up / interview / audience game talk show was once Kickin’ It with Shain Brenden, but recently Brenden added a co-host, Jake Silberman, and streamlined the name down to an even more casual Kickin’ It. This month’s show is suitably themed “Budget Cuts,” but the guest list is still a hell of a bargain: Dylan Jenkins and Jeremiah Coughlan! (Fri Jan 31, 9 pm, Kickstand Comedy Space, $10) SUZETTE SMITH

The New Pornographers, Diane Coffee Past Event Like List
The Canadian power-pop and indie-rock juggernaut headed up by singer/songwriters Carl Newman and Neko Case returns to Portland for a headlining show supporting their recently released 8th full-length, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights. (Fri Jan 31, 8 pm, Roseland, $35-55)

Mike Gordon Past Event Like List
The Phish bassist steps out from his main gig and brings his solo stuff back to the Crystal Ballroom for an all-ages Portland stop on his winter tour. (Fri Jan 31, 8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $30-35)

Mojo Holler Live Past Event Like List
Let us now sing the praises of the bar bands; those valiant players who soundtrack the hangouts and meet cutes at pubs and clubs throughout Portland, but rarely if ever get talked about by the so-called music geeks. A recent favorite is Mojo Holler, the husband-and-wife duo of Missi Hasting and John Baker. The pair work in the rich soil of roots and Americana, writing warm-hearted odes to simple pleasures and deeply felt hurts. And, as all good bar bands should, they’ve got a firm handle on a multitude of cover songs for the folks with a taste for the familiar. (Fri Jan 31, 9 pm, Mock Crest Tavern, free) ROBERT HAM

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival Past Event Like List
Sip a lotta wine, eat a lotta fish! Sounds pretty simple, right? This annual celebration of coastal drinking and dining falls in the middle of Dungeness crab season, too, so there's definitely gonna be some seasonal delicacies to try, as well as other family-friendly activities. (Jan 31-Feb 1, Fri 2 pm, Sat noon, Oregon Convention Center, $13)

Reverend Horton Heat, The Buttertones, Past Event Like List Dusty 45's, Bloodshot Bill Past Event Like List
If you want, you can spend the whole damn weekend consuming rowdy-ass psychobilly rave-ups from some of the masters of the genre, as Reverend Horton Heat plays the Wonder Past Event Like List on Fri Jan 31, and does two nights at the Doug Fir Past Event Like List to start February properly. (Jan 31-Feb 2, Fri 9 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $10-25; Sat-Sun 9 pm, Doug Fir, $30)

Paula Poundstone Past Event Like List
The beloved stand-up, author, and actress takes a break from her regular role on OPB's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! to make her annual pilgrimage to Portland. (Fri Jan 31, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $37.50-39)

Cody Ko & Noel Miller: Tiny Meat Gang Live Past Event Like List
After selling out Revolution Hall last year, YouTube personalities Cody Ko and Noel Miller bring their wildly popular Tiny Meat Gang podcast to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall as part of the "Bigger and Better" Tour. (Fri Jan 31, 8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $34.50-44.50)

---

Saturday, Feb 1

Tyrone Hendrix & The PDX Soul Collective: '90s R&B Night Past Event Like List
Look, if you're not a fan of ’90s R&B—and I’m talking about the sultry, sexy-hot sounds of Babyface, Toni Braxton, Blackstreet, Brandy, and Aaliyah—then I can’t even with you. For everybody else, you’re going to want to grab your coat and run (DO. NOT. WALK.) to this ’90s R&B Night presented by no other than local soul treasure/master drummer Tyrone Hendrix and the PDX Soul Collective. Performing some of the top hits of that blessed era, Tyrone will be joined by the glorious voice of Saeeda Wright (who toured with Prince!), neo soul singer Joyya Marie, amazing vocalist Paul Creighton, and Alonzo Chadwick (Oregon Symphony’s Gospel Christmas). And with DJ OG One on the turntables, you’ll be guaranteed a night of the smooth, sexy fun that will definitely heat up this cold, dreary winter. (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm, Goodfoot, $15) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Junction Ave.: A Black Owned Business Pop-Up Past Event Like List
Have you been wanting to support Black owned businesses in Portland, but don’t know where to start? First, try harder. Second, here’s some advice: Kick off Black History Month with a visit to Self Enhancement, Inc’s second annual Black owned business pop-up market for a chance to peruse 80 different vendors selling everything from artisanal clothing to locally-made snacks. Bring your kids, dance to live music, and get to know your neighbors. (Sat Feb 1, 2 pm, The Center for Self Enhancement, free) ALEX ZIELINSKI

Lil Tjay Past Event Like List
After establishing himself as a stand-out Soundcloud artist, South Bronx-raised rapper/singer/songwriter Lil Tjay—AKA Tione Jayden Merritt—is now signed to Columbia records at just 18 years old. Lil Tjay has been through a lot despite his short time here on Earth: jail time, growing up in the hood, and becoming affected by (and eventually numb to) gang violence. While his singles “Resume,” “FN,” and “Leaked” (which now has a remix featuring Lil Wayne) are decent enough, songs like Lil Tjay’s 2018 single “Brothers” is an example of how sing-rapping via AutoTune can be enjoyable sometimes. (Sat Feb 1, 8 pm, Roseland, $27.50-125) JENNI MOORE

Federale Past Event Like List
Federale, the gently psychedelic country ensemble led by Brian Jonestown Massacre member Collin Hegna, has spent the better part of 15 years carving out a pleasant niche in the music scene of Portland and beyond. It’s a fantasy world where spaghetti Westerns play nonstop in a dusty drive-in theater and Lee Hazlewooad is still holding court in a LA recording studio. What Federale does, it does very well. The group’s fifth studio album No Justice bears that out with 10 songs that hew to a formula of ’60s film music and the tanked spirit of outlaw country. They get every last detail right: rubbery basslines and well-placed percussion accoutrements; spectral melodies provided by pedal steel, whistling, or the wordless vocals of Maria Karlin; a backdrop of strings played by members of the Oregon Symphony. It’s lustrous and rich and exactly what you’d expect. (Sat Feb 1, 8 pm, Polaris Hall, $15-17) ROBERT HAM

Club Nitty Gritty Past Event Like List
If you're looking for a dance night that sets the evening on fire, check out Club Nitty Gritty, hosted by the always down for a good time DJ Action Slacks (Shannon Wiberg). She's been pounding the turntables for years with righteous choices in down-home dirty soul. (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm ,The World Famous Kenton Club, $7) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

George Harrison's All Things Must Pass: A 50th Anniversary Celebration Past Event Like List
SonicbutterPDX celebrates the 50th anniversary of George Harrison's landmark 1970 album, All Things Must Pass, with a who's who of talent from Portland's music scene linking up at Revolution Hall to perform the album in its entirety, along with an additional retrospective set featuring songs from throughout George's solo career. (Sat Feb 2, 8 pm, Revolution Hall, $20-25, all ages)

Down North, Wallace Band Past Event Like List
Seattle-based quartet Down North bring their soulful blend of punk-rock and soul (yes, you can blend those two. It works quite welll, in fact) down the I-5 for a raucous set at the Jack London Revue. (Sat Feb 1, 9:15 pm, Jack London Revue, $10)

Back Fence PDX: Russian Roulette Past Event Like List
It returns! If you like storytelling with a little danger, check out Back Fence PDX: Russian Roulette! Six entertaining storytellers spin a wheel of “prompts” (examples: “public nudity,” “breaking the law”) and whatever the wheel lands on, the person will have five minutes to come up with a five minute story on that subject! Trust me, it’s a goddamn hoot. (Sat Feb 1, 8 pm, The Old Church, $16-28) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Game On! Past Event Like List
Conductor Norman Huynh leads the Oregon Symphony through a selection of video game's greatest hits, many of which will surprise you with their depth and texture once removed from their 8- and 16-bit origins, as well as newer compositions taking full advantage of technological advancements, including World of Warcraft, BioShock, Overwatch and many more. (Sat Feb 1, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert hall, $25 & Up)

Daniel Menche, Dead Death, WESKE Past Event Like List
Daniel Menche is a name that should be familiar to anyone with an interest in extreme noise and dark ambient. (Sat Feb 1, 8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, $5)

Ben Lee, Spring Summer Past Event Like List
Australian musician and actor Ben Lee (Noise Addict) comes to town supporting his new covers album, Quarter Century Classix, which finds Lee covering his musical heroes, including Fugazi, Pavement, Superchunk, Beat Happening, Dinosaur Jr., the Breeders, Daniel Johnston, and more. (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $14-16)

Most Excellent! A Bill & Ted Burlesque Adventure Past Event Like List
The Star Theater brings you on a most excellent journey through time, with burlesque artists from Portland, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles paying tribute to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Stay tuned to the event website for more details. (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm, Star Theater, $10 & Up)

BoomBox, Ethno Past Event Like List
The Alabama-based duo headed up by singer/songwriter Zion Godchaux and producer Russ Randolph bring their blues- and funk-inflicted electronic rock back to the Wonder Ballroom. Thievery Corporation drummer Jeff Franca rounds out the bill with a set from his electronic world music project, Ethno. (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $17)

Blow the Whistle Past Event Like List
The latest installment of Holocene's monthly hip-hop party enlists special guest DJ Supreme La Rock to help bless the dance floor with an array of party jams from the Bay to the South and everywhere in between. (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm, Holocene, $5-10)

Super Diamond Past Event Like List
San Francisco's premier Neil Diamond tribute head back to the Crystal Ballroom for another stop on their unrelenting mission to "spread the good word of Neil." (Sat Feb 1, 9 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $20-25)

32nd Annual Winterfolk Past Event Like List
An array of talented folk singer/songwriters make their way to the Alberta Rose stage to celebrate the Portland community and raise money for JOIN PDX and their ongoing effort to assist folks in finding and maintain housing in the Portland metro area. (Sat Feb 1, 7 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $30-32)

---

Sunday, Feb 2

Jonah Ray Past Event Like List
The Siren Theatre hosts an intimate one-off show with the Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, and writer, best known for starring in the revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000, co-hosting The Meltdown along with Kumail Nanjiani, and heading up the gone-too-soon travel, culture, and cuisine parody show, Hidden America. (Sun Feb 2, 8 pm, The Siren Theater, $15-20)

Super Bowl Halftime Show
It’s February 2, and there’s only one thing you’re gonna be doing today: Going to a bar or friend’s house, eating a crap-ton of wings and guacamole, drinking your weight in beer, and squealing at the top of your lungs for Jennifer Lopez and Shakira who will be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show! Enjoy and lose your FREAKING MIND when J.Lo performs such classic hits as “On the Floor,” “Waiting for Tonight,” “If You Had My Love,” while Shakira heats up the stadium with “Waka Waka,” “Whenever, Wherever,” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” But it gets even better because no other than Demi Lovato will be singing the national anthem! What a fantastic show this is going to be! (Oh, and apparently there’s also going to be some kind of football game or something? Shrug.) (Sun Feb 2, 3:30 pm, FOX and every bar in the city) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a production that earns its exclamation point. It’s got it all: ABBA music, a plot about the tensions between mothers and daughters and the interchangeability of men, and a paradisiacal Greek setting. Also, there’s this scene in the movie version when Meryl Streep sings “Money, Money, Money,” and she’s standing on this giant yacht, and the train of her dress stretches out several body lengths behind her. It’s one of my favorite moments in the history of cinema. The stage version doesn’t have this exact scene, but it certainly has the spirit of an epic-dress-train-on-a-yacht situation. (Sun Feb 2, 2 pm, Winningstad Theatre, $28-48)

Homeboy Sandman, Quelle Chris, Mic Crenshaw Past Event Like List
Having signed a new record deal with Mello Music Group last year, New York underground rapper Homebody Sandman comes to town in support of his 2019 album Dusty, a project that offers clever bars, and the technical delivery he’s become known for. (The Queens MC released First of a Living Breed with Stones Throw Records back in 2012.) The bill also showcases Detroit rapper Quelle Chris (a notable feature on Sandman’s album), and Portland hip-hop pioneer Mic Crenshaw. (Sun Feb 2, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $13-15) JENNI MOORE

Wave Action Past Event Like List
Wave Action's simple, down-tempo surf feels like daydreaming about aquamarine beaches while lying in a lukewarm Fred Meyer kiddie pool on a gray, humid Portland summer day. (Sun Feb 2, 8 pm, Rontoms, free) CIARA DOLAN

Scary Home Companion Past Event Like List
What if Garrison Keillor were an undead ghoul? A folksy undead ghoul? And also a woman named Screamvina? Well, she might put on this sorta show, swapping out old-timey tales of small-town living for radio dramas borne straight from the pits of hell. (Sun Feb 2, 7:30 pm, Dante's, $10-12)

DOA Pro Wrestling: The Kick Out Before the Kick Off Past Event Like List
DOA Pro Wrestling returns to Harvey's Comedy Club with a special Super Bowl pregame event, featuring the Return of former DOA Heavyweight Champion Big Ugly, the Debut of Holidead from ROH & WOW, and much more. (Sun Feb 2, 12:30 pm, Harvey's Comedy Club, $15-100, all ages)

Robert Gay, Skates, Jordan Hull Past Event Like List
Nashville-based singer/songwriter and trumpet player Robert Gay is in town gearing up for a West Coast tour with Josiah Johnson (formerly of The Head and the Heart), but not before stepping out for an intimate solo set at the Waypost, with support from local friends Skates and Jordan Hull. (Sun Feb 2, 8 pm, The Waypost, $5)

Dear Evan Hansen Past Event Like List
Musicals like Dear Evan Hansen are becoming sadly rare on Broadway, where the Great White Way is often filled with adaptations of films or revivals of previous successes. Steven Levenson’s creation is entirely original, telling the story of a desperate young man who injects himself into a tragedy he played no part in, and followed the ideal through line from regional theater to multiple Tony wins to a national tour that arrives in Portland for a quick week of performances. (Sun Feb 2, 1 pm & 6:30 pm, Keller Auditorium, $55-175)

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