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Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day

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FRIDAY

PERFORMANCE

Framed and Dried V: A Tori Amos Drag Tribute Past Event Like List
Marla Darling, Wolfgang X, and Sonnei Verbena will host this drag tribute to the ethereal mezzo-soprano goddess Tori Amos. Known for her surrealist feminist lyricism and unique sideways piano-playing style, Amos' ethos of embracing quirks are a perfect match for the art form of drag. After the tributes (which will include a read-through of Ocean to Ocean), DJ Johnny Demonic will keep the Tori Amos tunes going all night. Some of my favorite Tori-isms include: "So you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts, what's so amazing about really deep thoughts?" (from "Silent All These Years") and "Can I have your sweater? 'Cause it's cold, cold, cold in my hole, hole, hole" ("Mr. Zebra"). AV
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy, $15)

READINGS & TALKS

High Water Stories: Storytelling for a Shared Awareness Past Event Like List
Presenting from within the woven wooden dome created by Building Five's first resident, Philip Krohn, High Water Stories will center tales of climate change, sustainability, "emergency realities," and connectedness. Multi-instrumentalists Jose Medeles, Steve Berlin, Lisa Molinaro, and Raymond Richards will curate a "sound environment" to supplement the stories, which will be read by 7 Deadly Sins executive producer R. Tod Kelly, The Moth StorySlam champ Travis Abels, Telltale founder Jasmine Nothing, onetime Burning Man "Minister of Propaganda" Will Chase, and others. LC
(Building Five, Northwest Portland, $15)

PNCA Graduate Symposium: Art + Social Consciousness Past Event Like List
Exploring the intersection of art, activism, and social consciousness, this free, public two-day symposium will include keynote lectures with critical dialogue-provoking, community-engaged artists vanessa german and Nina Elder. The symposium coincides with the school's MFA Open Studios event—graduate candidates in PNCA's print media, collaborative design, and design systems programs will share their work-in-progress. LC
(PNCA, Pearl District, free)

SATURDAY

COMMUNITY

Native American Community Science Night Past Event Like List
Centering the Native American community, this all-ages science night includes animal tracking demos, planetarium shows, over a dozen vendors, and delicious bites from Baked ‘N Boujee and Mildred’s Desserts. Catch a screening of the documentary Covenant of the Salmon People, storytime and a Q&A with the authors of The Whale Child, or drumming and dance performances from local groups. Attendees can also explore the current exhibits, Orcas: Our Shared Future and Staying Alive: Defenses of the Animal Kingdom. SL
(OMSI, Central Eastside, $8-$10)

FESTIVALS

Portland Book Festival Past Event Like List
Throngs of book lovers will flock to the South Park Blocks on November 4 for the Portland Book Festival, which will be held on 11 stages at seven partner venues, including the Judy, the new home of the Northwest Children's Theater. The fest always promises an unmatched lineup of buzzy wordsmiths; this year's roster includes standout local writers like Lydia Kiesling and food writer Liz Crain alongside picture book superstars Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, plus an add-on reading by Viet Thanh Nguyen. You're bound to see lots of folks with cool tote bags, too. Plus, Portland Book Festival Cover to Cover, a week (October 30–November 5) of "free neighborhood literary encounters," will return for its second year, bringing more book-loving vibes to spots across the city. The festival will include pop-up readings with local writers, discussions with over 80 authors, and a book fair. Why not stop by to snag a book you're actually excited to read? LC
(Various locations, General admission pass $15)

LIVE MUSIC

Wimps, Mini Blinds, and Scorch Past Event Like List
The beloved Seattle trio Wimps will bring their infectious brand of slacker-rock and pop-punk to the Fixin' To in honor of their new album City Lights. The band is known for their relatable little ditties and the new album is no exception. Tracks like "Never Leave the House," "Rut," and "Lonely" will unfortunately resonate for most of us! Don't miss opening sets from dream pop band Mini Blinds and power pop group Scorch. AV
(The Fixin' To, St. Johns, $12)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

Club Nitty Gritty Dance Party: '50s-'60s R&B Past Event Like List
Channeling the anger she felt from recent racist and misogynistic commentsby Jann Wenner (the founder of Rolling Stone and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) into something positive, all-vinyl DJ Action Slacks is taking to the decks to revive Club Nitty Gritty. The recurring dance night has long been a local staple, but its mission to highlight underappreciated musicians—particularly Black musicians—is unfortunately more relevant than ever. Get ready to twist and shout to some lesser-known names that have made a huge impact on American music and culture at large. AV
(The World Famous Kenton Club, Kenton, $10-$20 (sliding scale))

READINGS & TALKS

Euphoric Recall: Peter Jesperson In Conversation with Tommy Stinson of the Replacements Past Event Like List
Multi-hyphenate music man Peter Jesperson's debut memoir, Euphoric Recall, chronicles his life and career as a passionate music lover, band manager of the Replacements, and founder of trailblazing indie rock label Twin/Tone Records. In honor of its release, Jesperson will sit down with his old pal Tommy Stinson (bassist of the Replacements) for a thought-provoking conversation and Q&A about all things creative, the music business, and addiction. AV
(Music Millennium, Kerns, free)

SHOPPING

Painted Black Past Event Like List
Halloween may be over, but that can't stop us from living our best goth lives. Queer printmaker and designer JD Cox has curated a pop-up of art and furniture styled in black and gold at the Portland Oddities Gallery to fulfill all your treasure-seeking desires. There will also be apparel, accessories, and more available to help you find gifts for the holidays or a treat for yourself. SL
(Portland Oddities Gallery, Goose Hollow, free)

VISUAL ART

First Saturday Past Event Like List
Artsy mainstay Oregon Contemporary will throw another open house on Saturday evening, celebrating the opening of several new exhibitions, including Marcus Fischer: What Was Lost and What Remains, plus Kyle Adam Kalev Peets and Matthew Earl Williams’s landscape-inspired Earthbound at Carnation Contemporary, among other exhibitions and displays of art on loan. Make it a thought-provoking evening before grabbing drinks in the quaint Kenton neighborhood—the wood-paneled Kenton Club is just a block away. LC
(Oregon Contemporary, Kenton, free)

SUNDAY

COMMUNITY

Diwali Festival at The Judy Past Event Like List
One of the twinkliest celebrations in Indian culture, Diwali, is often referred to as the festival of lights. If you haven't yet dropped by The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, November 5 would be a good time—in collaboration with the Indian American community, Northwest Children's Theater will bring Diwali festivities to their new downtown home. Visitors can decorate rangoli, receive a henna decoration, and learn a diya (lamp) dance. The Big Elephant Kitchen will have sweet and savory Indian bites up for grabs. LC
(The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, Downtown, free)

FILM

80’S NIGHT // Stop Making Sense featuring PHAME! Past Event Like List
Calling it now: If you've seen Stop Making Sense, it's probably your favorite concert film. It's jangly and arty and all of the other words one might use to describe Talking Heads's catalog, and David wears the suit. Not feeling the Byrne? Listen, I know watching a concert movie for a band you don't listen to sounds like hell, but this one might be an exception. If you haven't seen it yet, anticipate looking back on the experience with a funny fondness later, like a good birthday party or the first time you smoked weed. Jonathan Demme (yes, the guy who went on to make The Silence of the Lambs) recorded all of the concert footage over the course of three days at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in 1983, during the height of the Heads' visionary fame. Prep for a "once in a lifetime" affair; Tomorrow Theater is encouraging attendees to show up in their "'80s finest," and a "fully immersive" cinematic experience is promised, complete with special gifts from A24. The screening will also feature a performance by members of PHAME, the fine and performing arts academy for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. LC
(Tomorrow Theater, Richmond, $15)

FOOD & DRINK

Very Good Food Tour '23 Past Event Like List
Bay Area-born rapper and producer P-Lo, a founder of the HBK Gang (a hip-hop collective that counts a little-known up-and-coming artist named Kehlani among its members), is celebrating Filipino American excellence with a tour across the country with stops at some acclaimed restaurants along the way. In Portland, he'll come to Magna Kubo, James Beard-nominated chef Carlo Lamagna's Beaverton spot inspired by the lechonerías of the Philippines. The free event promises conviviality and community, with exclusive food and drink specials, music, and merch—it's sure to be a joyful time. JB (Magna Kubo, Beaverton, free)

LIVE MUSIC

Death Valley Girls Past Event Like List
Former Portland Mercury contributor Santi Elijah Holley writes: "Death Valley Girls creates fuzzed-out, overdriven, guitar-heavy rock ’n’ roll that owes just as much to riot grrrl pioneers like Bikini Kill as to proto-punk icons like the Stooges and Dead Boys. Formed in 2013 by guitarist Larry Schemel and frontwoman Bonnie Bloomgarden, the LA band has released a handful of albums, including their 2014 Burger Records debut, Street Venom. BTW, for proof of their proto-punk credentials, check out their 2018 music video for “Disaster (Is What We’re After)”, starring a very bemused-looking Iggy Pop eating a hamburger." The band will drop by with tracks from their latest album, Islands In The Sky, which explores spiritual healing through psychedelic rock riffs and dreamy '60s girl group harmonies. AV
(Lollipop Shoppe, Buckman, $15-$18)

Lola Kirke Past Event Like List
You might know Lola Kirke for her famous relatives (she's the daughter of Free/Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke and sister of Girls actress Jemima Kirke), from her role as an oboist on the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle, or perhaps from acting alongside Greta Gerwig in Noah Baumbach's Mistress America. But she’s also a real-life musician and a darn good one at that—her new single "All My Ex's Live In L.A." featuring First Aid Kit is a classic Americana ballad that pays homage to George Strait's "All My Ex's Live in Texas." She will be joined by Pearl Charles for an evening of '70s-inspired alt-country jams. AV
(Mississippi Studios, Boise, $15)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

STRFKR DJ Night Past Event Like List
Led by frontman Josh Hodges, the Portland-originating synth-pop jewels STRFKR will circle back to their hometown for a special DJ set. The event is free, but RSVPs are recommended in case the venue reaches capacity (spoiler alert: it probably will!) AV
(White Owl Social Club, Buckman, free)

VISUAL ART

Sewn Threads, Cut Threads Past Event Like List
As part of Portland TextileX Month, the work of the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) stitching community will be on full display at SWANA Rose Culture and Community Center. Prioritizing diasporic, immigrant, mixed, and queer perspectives, the show includes everything from Palestinian tatreez embroidery to Egyptian khayamiya appliqué and Armenian janyak needlelace. Expect contemporary art forms, too, with "writing, multimedia, propaganda, visual and plastic art" represented. LC
(SWANA Rose Culture and Community Center, Eliot, free)

MULTI-DAY

COMMUNITY

Legendary Makers Market: An Asian American Night Market Past Event Like List
Local community organization Asian American Town is partnering with the Portland Night Market for the inaugural Legendary Makers Market, a celebration uplifting Pacific Northwest-based Asian American voices in food, craft, media, music, art, wellness, and more. Legendary is no misnomer; with over 125 participants, the event is aiming to be one of the biggest pan-Asian American events Oregon has ever seen. Between film screenings, a wellness refuge, art activations, and vendors, there'll be a ton to check out—luckily, the event will run for two days. JW
(100 SE Alder, Buckman, free, Friday-Saturday)

FESTIVALS

Chrysanthemum Festival Past Event Like List
Step aside, pumpkins—it's chrysanthemum season! Lan Su is celebrating the beauty and cultural significance of the autumn flower with a series of horticultural programs, plant walks, and cultivation demonstrations. These hard-to-pronounce (and even harder-to-spell) blooms have rich meaning in Chinese culture; symbolizing longevity, nobility, and endurance. This programming is all included in regular garden admission, but if you want to shell out a few more bucks to check out the flowers at night, grab a ticket to Nights of the Golden Flower, happening this weekend only. You'll get to wander through the gardens after hours sipping a hot cup of chrysanthemum tea and taking in some glow-in-the-dark and lighted floral art pieces. SL
(Lan Su Chinese Garden, Old Town-Chinatown, $0-$14, Friday-Sunday)

Snowvana 2023 Past Event Like List
Don't be a Jerry, head over to the Pacific Northwest's premier snow sports festival and get ready for the winter season. Back for its seventh year, Snowvana plays host to the Mt. Hood Film Festival, features the largest ski swap in the Northwest, and offers tons of tips, tricks, and gear for you to have your best season yet. Bring the little ones—Next Adventure is giving away 1000 pairs of skis to kids, who are also bound to love the sled dog rides. The stoke will be high with live music, an indoor halfpipe (for skateboards, not snowboards), and lift ticket deals for ski spots like Mt. Hood, Mt. Bachelor, and more. SL
(Oregon Convention Center, Lloyd District, $12-$30, Friday-Sunday)

EXHIBIT

Celebrating Birds of the Pacific Northwest Past Event Like List
In 2020, I started birding: I'd been laid off from my previous job due to COVID-19 uncertainty and found myself with an unfamiliar amount of hours to fill. (It's interesting how a brief respite from the binds of capitalism nudges us toward the natural world, but anyway.) If you're "going through it" in any capacity, I highly recommend looking toward the skies—there's a lot going on up there. Or maybe you're a birder already. If so, what's your spark bird?! Mine is the northern flicker...but I digress. This exhibition of works by contemporary wildlife photographers Ken Goldman, Ryan Hooper, Dan Kearl, and Diana Rebman explores the abundance and diversity of our avian friends. You'll catch sight of regional beauts like the lazuli bunting, osprey, and great horned owl. Chances are good that you'll be inspired to pick up some 'nocs afterward. LC
(Oregon Historical Society, South Park Blocks, $0-$10, Friday-Sunday)

Halloween Cultural Preservation Museum Past Event Like List
If your Halloween tastes lean more toward old-school skeletons, plastic light-up pumpkins, and vintage Dracula posters than this year's Barbie and TikTok-influenced costumes, you'll probably dig the Halloween Cultural Preservation Museum, a pop-up exhibit occupying the old Spencer's at Lloyd Center. The project "aims to keep the traditions and spirit of Halloween’s golden age alive and well through education and preservation," which means visitors can scope out the best in Halloween commercialism from the '20s through the '90s. Expect rare and vintage decorations, including a "replica of an '80s living room, where old Halloween commercials play on a tiny, cathode-ray tube TV" (The Oregonian). LC
(Lloyd Center, Lloyd District, $8, Friday-Sunday)

FILM

Anatomy of a Fall Past Event Like List
In one of Burial's unreleased tracks, you will find a sample that makes this claim: "It's like people had forgotten how to make a tune." Something similar can be said about the cinema of the procedural. It's hard to find a director who can do it right, who deeply understands the form. This is why Anatomy of a Fall, a French film by Justine Triet, is so remarkable: It's 100% a thriller. There is a crime, an investigation, a suspect, and, of course, lots of drama in the court. Triet builds all of the questions (Who did it? What are we missing? Why is the man nearly blind? What about the music? The aspirin?) into a solid maze. And the tension increases the closer we get to its core. Anatomy of a Fall (what a great title) deserved the Palme d'Or it won at this year's Cannes Film Festival. STRANGER SENIOR WRITER CHARLES MUDEDE
(Cinema 21, Nob Hill, $9-$11, Friday-Sunday)

Five Nights at Freddy's with Psycho Past Event Like List
I recently half-watched Five Nights at Freddy's while stress-eating a pizza and anxiety budgeting, and if there's anything good to say about this film, it's that your brain will turn to a slightly tickled mush while watching—sure, you don't want little kids to be eaten by retired animatronics or whatever, but as far as horror movies go, the stakes are delightfully low. The funny thing about this drive-in double-feature is that its flicks run the gamut from "video game adaptation that's basically for kids" to "Hitchcock's most famous and influential work." Tweens and olds alike should find something to scream about. LC
(99W Drive-In, $5-$10, Friday-Saturday)

The Holdovers Past Event Like List
It's November. It's time to watch Paul Giamatti act his little heart out as a curmudgeonly educator at a New England prep school in the '60s, where a gaggle of students have been left behind on Christmas break. Honestly, though, have you ever heard a film premise that made you want to wear wool socks and drink apple cider more than this one? Plus, and perhaps most importantly, The Holdovers was directed by Alexander Payne, aka the guy who made Election and that movie about wine. It's going to be funny and charming!!! Enjoy. LC
(Cinema 21, Nob Hill, $9-$11, Friday-Sunday)

The Killer Past Event Like List
The latest from David Fincher (RIP Mindhunter!) is kind of perfect for Halloween, if you think about it—the neo-noir flick follows an assassin whose latest international manhunt is marred by his own slowly slipping sanity. That's scary stuff!! Michael Fassbender stars in The Killer as—you guessed it—a stone-cold killer. He's "unencumbered by scruples or regrets" (couldn't be me), and the film's unflinching plot sounds like more of what Fincher does best. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, $10-$12, Friday-Sunday)

Killers of The Flower Moon Past Event Like List
The calendar is inching closer to Oscar season, and with it will come a film that already rivals the chatter of this summer's Barbie and Oppenheimer, if that's even possible. Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which the Guardian described as an "epic of creeping, existential horror about the birth of the American century," follows the true story of quasi-genocidal serial killings that impacted Oklahoma's Osage tribal community in the '20s. The film takes a "show, don't tell" approach to illustrating the epidemic of violence against Native people in the United States. Calling it now: Based on the trailer alone, Killers of the Flower Moon blends Western sensibilities, true crime, and the macabre in an enthralling way that'll land each and every butt in a theater seat. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, $10-$12, Friday-Sunday)

Stop Making Sense: New 4K Restoration Past Event Like List
Calling it now: If you've seen Stop Making Sense, it's probably your favorite concert film. It's jangly and arty and all of the other words one might use to describe Talking Heads's catalog, and David wears the suit. Not feeling the Byrne? Listen, I know watching a concert movie for a band you don't listen to sounds like hell, but this one might be an exception. If you haven't seen it yet, anticipate looking back on the experience with a funny fondness later, like a good birthday party or the first time you smoked weed. Jonathan Demme (yes, the guy who went on to make The Silence of the Lambs) recorded all of the concert footage over the course of three days at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in 1983, during the height of the Heads' visionary fame. It's screening in a new restoration, so prep for a "once in a lifetime" experience. LC
(Cinema 21, Nob Hill, $9-$11, Friday-Saturday)

FOOD & DRINK

"You're Dead to Me" Halloween Pop-Up Bar Past Event Like List
Rogue Ales and Spirits is the mastermind behind this spine-chilling Halloween pop-up at Dead Guy Bar, featuring 13 petrifying potables like "The Cujo" (a riff on the classic New York Sour with Dead Guy Whiskey Cabernet Cask), "The Basic Dude" (a pumpkin spice take on the White Russian with Bayfront Vodka, coffee liqueur, and pumpkin spice cream), and the "Hell Fire" (smoky mezcal, grapefruit, and Rogue Farmhouse Absinthe). To eat, there's a food menu of sinister specials like the Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired "Oogie Boogie Burger," featuring guacamole, bacon, a black bun, and creepy olive eyes. JB
(Dead Guy Bar (Rogue Hall), South Park Blocks, Friday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Allie Hankins and Hannah Krafcik: By My Own Hand, Part 3: THE ACHE Past Event Like List
"The dancers’ gradual creeping motions feel unnatural, like expressions in reverse. Their movements are almost recognizable, but not quite, and I sense a logical disruption. It’s as though I’m watching a dream begin." I was deeply moved by Hannah Krafcik and Emily Jones's performance apogee at the 2021 Time-Based Arts Festival, so I'm excited to see Krafcik partner with local dance heroine Allie Hankins for the third installment of her five-part performance series, By My Own Hand. Part-video exhibition, part-publication, and part-art-making workshop series, THE ACHE will take shape with contributions from local artists dee bustos, Muffie Delgado-Connelly, Midori Hirose, and Ralph Pugay. The installment looks closely at "creative acts of self-determination," inspired by Hankins's desire to create more crossover between "artistic field-based microcosms." LC
(PICA, Eliot, Friday-Sunday; closing)

Anya Roberts-Toney: Water Witch Moon Mother Past Event Like List
I gushed about Anya Roberts-Toney's work in a piece for Art & About PDX a few years back, so it's safe to say I'm stoked to see her return to Nationale for another solo exhibition of jewel-toned compositions, which typically contain equal parts feminine revelry and illusive unease. Sneak peeks on her Instagram reveal a move toward bolder, more color-forward compositions in oil-on-linen, but Roberts-Toney maintains a dreamy sensibility that always reminds me of that one episode of Wishbone where he travels to the Eloi's futuristic, pink-tinged fruit garden from The Time Machine, in the best possible way. (If you have no idea what I'm referencing, why not remedy that by spending some time with Water Witch Moon Mother?) LC
(Nationale, Buckman, free, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

Orlando Almanza: Love Letter from A Shapeshifter Past Event Like List
Drawing from ethereal memories and myths, Froelick Gallery's newly signed painter Orlando Almanza constructs natural worlds in his works, with embedded narratives that feel pulled from his own mysterious folklore. Earlier this year, the gallery paved for the way for his first official solo show with a display of lithographs printed in Havana, Cuba. For this show, Almanza continues to showcase his "deep dedication to nature, and the unique way it connects with myths and storytelling across cultures" with portraits and vivid oil works overflowing with flora and fauna. LC
(Froelick Gallery, Pearl District, free, Friday-Saturday)

Threads | Þræðir Intertwined in Iceland: Textiles and Book Arts Past Event Like List
A certain Icelandic saying—Glöggt er gests augað, or "the guest has a clear eye,” seems to apply to this group exhibition, which juxtaposes works by Icelandic artists with pieces by those who've visited the country. Threads | Þræðir Intertwined in Iceland: Textiles and Book Arts "presents an Icelandic view, but reflects on how an outsider's perspective can contribute to an understanding of landscape and culture." If you're still lamenting the loss of the historic Oregon College of Art and Craft, this is the art show for you; weaving, embroidery, and natural dyeing techniques will be on display alongside artists' books inspired by Icelandic traditions. Bonus tip: Head outside to peep Thomas Dambo's newly installed 19-foot troll sculpture nestled between the trees on Nordic Northwest's campus. LC
(Nordic Northwest, Metzger, free, Friday-Sunday; closing)

Walking a Turtle Past Event Like List
Life is short. Walk a turtle at the mall. Or at least consider walking a virtual reality-generated turtle in Lloyd Center's room 931, which is "west of the skating rink and across from Silver Castle," a jewelry kiosk. The free setup invites visitors to protest the attention economy—or just slow down a little—with "Walking a Turtle," a farcical part-game, part-wellness tracker that requires complete presence and a fixed gaze to navigate. The project (created by Jeremy and Alice Rotsztain) references Walter Benjamin's musings on flâneurs and their supposed 19th-century practice of walking turtles around on city streets. I'd like to insert a funny quip about that here, but none are coming, so I repeat: Flâneurs were so confrontationally leisurely that they were once rumored to walk around their neighborhoods with turtles on leashes. I think we both learned something new today. LC
(Lloyd Center, Lloyd District, free, Saturday-Sunday; closing)