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Jump to: Comedy | Festivals & Community | Film | Food & Drink | Juneteenth | Live Music | Performance | Readings & Talks | Shopping | Visual Art

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COMEDY

Hannah Gadsby: Woof! Past Event Like List
Hannah Gadsby really shook things up with their 2018 Netflix special Nanette, which landed the furious, courageous comic an Emmy, a Peabody, and a newfound audience who resonated with their brutally honest stand-up style. Gadsby found themself with plenty of time to "ponder" during the pandemic, so I'm stoked to see what they've come up with this time—The Guardian described Woof! as "refusing to toe the line." LC
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (Wed June 5)

Ronny Chieng: The Love To Hate It Tour Past Event Like List
Daily Show with Trevor Noah contributor and Crazy Rich Asians actor Ronny Chieng released a cynically sweet Netflix special, Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy, back in 2022, but his name might also ring a bell if you binged John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA last month. (He was on the "paranormal" episode with the bewigged hypnotist.) Chieng will drop by the Pacific Northwest on a new tour, perhaps to explain why we should outsource ass-kickings to the government. LC
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Sun June 23)

Maria Bamford Past Event Like List
You've probably already caught Maria Bamford's comedy, a surreal medley of voice impressions, deadpan jokes, vulnerable storytelling, and high-energy, rapidly changing characters, on Comedy Central or Netflix. (She’s also played roles in BoJack Horseman, Adventure Time, and Kung Fu Panda.) Fresh off the release of Judd Apatow's latest flick The Bubble, a COVID-era comedy, Bamford will backflip back to the stage for more weird-out comedy and earnest conversations about mental health. LC
Helium Comedy Club, Hosford-Abernethy (June 27–29)

FESTIVALS & COMMUNITY

Portland Rose Festival 2024 Past Event Like List
The city's landmark festival will return to celebrate its 116-year legacy with petals, pistils, stamens, and a slew of much-loved events that "focus on fun." The festivities include the Grand Floral Parade (a botanical spectacular on wheels) and the twinkly nighttime Starlight Parade of illuminated floats, plus the Queen's coronation, a treasure hunt, dragon boat races (a thrilling Chinese tradition practiced in the Rose City since 1989), and a three-weekend CityFair with carnival rides. LC
Various locations (June 1–23)

Tigard Festival of Balloons 2024 Past Event Like List
Early birds will get access to a pre-dawn balloon launch out in Tigard, but if you'd rather sleep in, the dreamy floating baskets will be elevated several times over this three-day festival. On the ground and under their bobbing shadows, you'll find booths selling handmade wares, local food vendors, and carnival rides and games. As the sun sets on Friday and Saturday, keep your eyes peeled for the "Night Glow," when balloons are ignited and inflated while tethered to the ground for up-close mesmerization. Other entertainment includes a rock-filled main stage, Rogue Ales beer garden, a kid's zone with a Trader Joe's snack booth, and a Sunday car show with everything from roadsters to pickups. SL
Cook Park, Tigard (June 21–23)

Oregon Midsummer Festival Past Event Like List
This Nordic festival is basically all the nice, dreamy, floral parts of Ari Aster's Midsommar and none of the disturbing shit. You can meet Vikings, make flower crowns, participate in a "friendly" tug-of-war, complete a gnome-themed scavenger hunt, and learn the rules to Kubb, a lawn game I once watched three generations of Danes play in a park in Copenhagen. And don't forget the food—The League of Swedish Societies, Broder Söder, and Carina's Bakery will be serving up delicious bites alongside Nordic beer on tap from Ridgewalker Brewing and everyone's favorite honey tipple from Oran Mor Artisan Mead. Don't miss the decoration, dance, and parade around the Midsummer Pole on Saturday, celebrated "when the sun reaches its zenith" to welcome the new season. SL
Nordic Northwest, Metzger (June 28–29)

Oregon Bigfoot Festival and Beyond Past Event Like List
With the hype around The Last of Us, it's feeling more and more like zombies could be real...so why not Bigfoot? Or Nessie? Or UFOs? Get ready to deep dive all your paranormal theories with fellow cryptozoologists at the Oregon Bigfoot Festival and Beyond. The Paranormal Caught on Stage show features presentations from Ronny LeBlanc of Discovery Channel's Expedition Bigfoot and Paranormal Caught on Camera alongside David Schrader from The Holzer Files, Ghosts of Devil's Perch, and The Paranormal Podcast. Don't miss the Monster Vendor Market and food carts with specially themed treats. SL
Oaks Amusement Park, Sellwood (Sat June 29)

FILM

Portland Horror Film Festival 2024 Past Event Like List
Life itself might seem kinda frightening, but in my opinion, horror flicks offer the perfect catharsis. (At least you're not dodging a chainsaw-wielding maniac...right?) Channel that glad-it's-not-me spirit at the Portland Horror Film Festival, which will return this year, inviting attendees to get their spook on with "over 65" of fresh shorts, indie haunts, and sleeper hits to die for. It's a little like Halloween in June. Expect spooky offerings from BIPOC, women, and queer filmmakers, and pick your poison—you'll find folk horror, masked killers, and haunted houses in the festival lineup. LC
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (June 5–9)

Psychotronic After School Special Past Event Like List
Pop your edibles, people! This mind-bending 16mm collection from local film archivist and programmer Greg Hamilton is a thrilling addition to the mix of psychedelic film compilations that's been hitting the indie cinema scene lately. Psychotronic After School Special is an all-new freaky mash-up of weirdo animations, commercials, glass-making, anti-smoking propaganda, and more. Cowabunga! (Wanna learn more about the man behind the madness? Check out this 2022 profile on Hamilton.) LC
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (Mon June 10)

Love Lies Bleeding // Dress Up Night Past Event Like List
In sophomore director Rose Glass’ queer melodrama Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen Stewart plays Lou, a chain-smoking dirtbag dyke and gym manager who splits her time between unclogging toilets, fending off the unwanted advances of her overzealous admirer Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov), worrying about her sister Beth (Jena Malone), reheating frozen dinners in a drab apartment, and masturbating on a faded couch in full view of her cat. When she meets ambitious muscle mommy Jackie (Katy O’Brian), who’s passing through town on her way to a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas, the star-crossed sapphic lovers immediately fall into a spiral of toxic U-haul infatuation. Glass, who directed the 2019 psychological horror flick Saint Maud, brings a startlingly singular and stylish vision to life. She’s cited David Cronenberg’s Crash and Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls as influences for Love Lies Bleeding, and the carnal obsession of those films shines through in her work. The result is a seedy, sexy, high-octane ride that holds its own amongst the erotic thriller canon. JB
Tomorrow Theater, Richmond (Sun June 16)

2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm Remind Like List
A strange black monolith transcends time, witnessed by early man and 21st-century scientists alike. Sent on a shrouded mission to uncover the structure's origins, a team of astronauts encounters bizarre issues with a supercomputer. This screening of the Hollywood's own 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick's '68 poetic sci-fi epic may trigger an existential tailspin, but try not to sweat the galactic stuff. LC
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (June 21–22)

FOOD & DRINK

Zoo Brew Past Event Like List
It isn't too often you get the opportunity to sample offerings from over 50 Pacific Northwest breweries and cideries while surrounded by creatures ranging from primates to polar bears, but that's exactly what Zoo Brew provides. In addition, the evening will feature live tunes from Loose Cajun Zydeco Band, lawn games, and conversations with zookeepers. JB
Oregon Zoo, Washington Park (June 7–8)

Made With Pride 2024 Past Event Like List
The wine world is notorious for its snobbery and exclusivity, but RAM Cellars founder Vivianne Kennedy and Gonzales Wine Co. owner Cristina Gonzales founded Community Wine Bar in fall 2023 with the hopes of serving marginalized communities and increasing accessibility. They're making good on their word with this festival, which will showcase wines from over 10 queer-owned Oregon wineries (Augustina Cellars, Circadian Cellars, Hip Chicks Do Wine, Franchere Wine Co., K&M Wines, Landmass Wines, RAM Cellars, Remy Wines, Sis & Mae Wines, Westrey Wine Co, and Ze Wines) and several queer-owned food vendors, plus optional cheese plates from the cheesemonger La Femme Fromage. All ticket proceeds will benefit the local nonprofit Outside In, which aims to provide healthcare and social services for youth experiencing homelessness and other marginalized people in downtown Portland and the surrounding community. JB
Community Wine Bar, John's Landing (Sun June 9)

Bu-Tai-Tian Dessert Nights Past Event Like List
It's a common refrain that the highest praise for a dessert in Chinese culture is that it's "not too sweet." In celebration of that sentiment, you won't find any cloyingly sugary confections at this tasting—just perfectly balanced treats from over 10 local AANHPI vendors. Enjoy the peaceful, verdant ambience of Lan Su Garden as you stroll around and marvel over the not-excessively-saccharine creations. JB
Lan Su Chinese Garden, Old Town-Chinatown (June 14–15)

SnackFest Remind Like List
I don't know about you, but I feel that humanity really peaked when we came up with the concept of snacking. This festival from the people who brought you Portland Night Market is of the same mind, featuring hot food vendors, food trucks, vendors, live entertainment, demos, educational breakout sessions, special pop-ups, and much more, all revolving around bite-sized munchies. Go forth and live deliciously. JB
Alder Block, Central Eastside (June 14–15)

JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth Oregon Past Event Like List
Oregon's first Juneteenth celebration was organized by Vanport shipyard worker Clara Peoples, who would used to observe the historic day on shift breaks with her friends. Now in its 52nd year, the community joins together in the Clara Peoples Freedom Trail Parade to march down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Avel Gordly, the first African-American woman to be elected to the Oregon State Senate, will serve as the grand marshal. More details on a sure-to-be-stacked entertainment lineup will be released soon, but you can expect local vendors, delicious food, and non-stop grooves. SL
Lillis-Albina Park, Eliot (Sat June 15)

8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo Past Event Like List
Born in Kansas City and currently living in Portland, photographer Ivan McClellan was inspired to bring the legacy of Black rodeo to the Northwest after documenting its energy and impact across the country for his book Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture. On Juneteenth weekend, you can experience the legacy of Black rodeo with impressive riders, tasty foods, and beats from Trail Blazers' DJ OG One as the event gives today's stars the recognition they deserve and inspires the next generation of cowboys and cowgirls. Eight seconds is the amount of time a bull rider must stay on a bull while it bucks without getting thrown off—on paper, it's very little time, but in reality, the way a crowd holds its breath and gasps or cheers depending on the fate of the rider is electrifying. Last year's inaugural event sold out, and I heard attendees could even join roping lessons or ride a mechanical bull. Don't forget your boots! SL
Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Lloyd District (Sun June 16)

LIVE MUSIC

Daryl Hall, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, and Charlie Sexton Past Event Like List
This lineup looks like it hopped right out of my dad's music cabinet like a classic rock-themed version of Toy Story. Smooth groove legend Daryl Hall will stop by Troutdale for a solo performance just months after suing his long-time bandmate John Oates. New wave phenom Elvis Costello and his backing band the Imposters and longtime rocker Charlie Sexton (of "Beat's So Lonely" fame) will get the evening started. Here’s hoping that Hall will play some songs from Hall & Oates' 1973 masterpiece Abandoned Luncheonette. AV
Edgefield, Troutdale (Sun June 2)

Kamasi Washington Past Event Like List
Saxophonist/producer/bandleader Kamasi Washington is one of the most renowned contemporary jazz musicians working today. Known mostly for his sometimes-smooth and sometimes-erratic stylings on the tenor sax, Washington has ascended into the realm of world-class artistry; both his studio debut The Epic and its follow-up Heaven and Earth received universal acclaim, and he’s played on an array of important works, like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, You’re Dead by jazz fusion artist Flying Lotus, as well as Thundercat’s heartbreak-y space-funk single, “Them Changes.” PORTLAND MERCURY CONTRIBUTOR JENNI MOORE
Crystal Ballroom, West End (Sun June 2)

HONK! PDX 2024 Past Event Like List
This free, family-oriented festival revives the old-world sounds of brass, percussion, and street band music. Dozens of bands across various musical styles (including punk rock marching bands, European Klezmer groups, Maracatu sounds, and more) will take to Lents Park (day one) and the streets and parks around the Montavilla neighborhood (day two) as they jam out in celebration of this democratic and ebullient musical genre. So bring a chair, join in with your own instrument, or just come to dance! AV
Various locations (June 8–9)

Babehoven with Stephen Steinbrink Past Event Like List
Regardless if you recognize the gift of Maya Bon's songwriting, it's undeniable that Babehoven are blissful ballers live. When we saw them with Indigo De Souza in December, they threatened to steal the show, as they enveloped the crowd in warm melody. Ryan Albert played guitar with vigor, whipping his axe like a hula hoop, while their touring bassist Cole Brossus appeared comically opposite, unmoving in a black turtleneck. Now based out of Hudson, New York, Bon used to once call Portland home, and local indie label Good Cheer released Bon's 2018 EP, Sleep. Mercury music critic Ben Salmon saw the potential therein, writing: "Maya Bon knows her way around a beautiful melody. Several of them, actually... Babehoven's potential is sky high." Last month's brand new Water's Here in You builds on their debut full-length, 2022's Light Moving Time, proving Babehoven is only getting better. This tour of North America offers the chance to see them headline dates in support of the new album. PORTLAND MERCURY ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR SUZETTE SMITH
Polaris Hall, Humboldt (Wed June 12)

Vampire Weekend Past Event Like List
Portland Mercury arts and culture editor Suzette Smith writes: "I started listening to Vampire Weekend in design school for their consistent versatility: You can draw to it, talk over it, or you can take it and the rhymes by singer/guitarist Ezra Koenig pretty seriously. With the departure of the group’s synth player and all-around genius Rostam Batmanglij in 2016, fans stepped into the new record cautiously, and waited for their subsequent albums patiently." And, luckily, the five-year-long wait for Only God Was Above Us was well worth it. Drawing inspiration from 20th century New York City, Koenig and co. ponder the generation's existence in the shadows of the past; notably, long gone famed New Yorkers and defunct storefronts. Guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of Phish Mike Gordon will open. AV
Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Bend (Wed June 19)

Adrianne Lenker Past Event Like List
Hailed by illustrious publications such as Pitchfork and NPR, Big Thief frontwoman Adrianne Lenker employs homey guitars, acoustic pianos, and grounded-yet-whimsical storytelling on her latest output, Bright Future. The album was recorded straight to tape with a small group of musicians, for a result that is raw, warm, and delightfully imperfect. Anticipate a similarly intimate sound as Lenker swings through Portland for a couple of rare solo shows with support from indie folk project Twain. AV
Revolution Hall, Buckman (June 20–21)

Iron & Wine Past Event Like List
Indie-folk top dog Iron & Wine (aka Sam Beam) has dedicated most of the past nine years to collaborative projects—releasing albums with Calexico, Jesca Hoop, and Ben Bridwell. Now, Beam is back with the a solo album, Light Verse, which returns to form with the finger-picked tear-jerkers he's known for. Southern Gothic folk artist Amythyst Kiah will open. AV
Crystal Ballroom, West End (June 21–22)

Jessica Pratt Past Event Like List
Jessica Pratt is known for her otherworldly, stripped-down acoustic folk songs which sound simultaneously of the past and the future. Her 2012 self-titled debut has a magical quality that's hard to name—her voice echos like a mermaid humming in a damp alcove or a fairy singing her friends a lullaby. Pratt's new album Here in the Pitch enters the tangible world of the 1960s with orchestral pop songs reminiscent of Marianne Faithfull, the Walker Brothers, and Dusty Springfield. Don't miss an opening set from San Francisco-based indie rock artist Tony Molina. AV
Wonder Ballroom, Eliot (Thurs June 27)

PERFORMANCE

Blonde on a Bum Trip Past Event Like List
The feature production at Fuse Theatre's annual OUTwright Theatre Festival comes straight from the brain of Mikki Gillette, whose past show The Queers was the first-ever trans ensemble drama by a trans writer to premiere in Portland. Gillette has proven herself as a powerful voice in contemporary theater, and she's one to keep an eye on. If you haven't yet engaged with Gillette's work, I recommend checking out this production of Blonde on a Bum Trip, which is set within Warhol's factory scene and follows the lives of pioneering trans actresses Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn, and Jackie Curtis. LC
Reed College, Reed (June 1–9)

Clyde's Past Event Like List
As a Pulitzer Prize winner and 2007 MacArthur genius, Nottage often centers working-class people in her storytelling—her 2015 play Sweat centered small-town Pennsylvania factory workers facing job insecurity, racism, and class disparities. This time around, she had me at "play about a sandwich." Nottage's Clyde's follows a team of formerly incarcerated kitchen staff who navigate life after lock-up while on a "quest to create the perfect sandwich," so I hope you brought napkins. Check out this interpretation of the play for a funky cross between The Bear and Abbott Elementary. LC
Portland Center Stage, Pearl District (June 1–30)

Live Wire with Luke Burbank: Ian Karmel, Laurie Kilmartin, Lizzie No, and Noë Álvarez Past Event Like List
Live Wire's spring offerings will continue with another edition of the honest and funny conversational show hosted by Luke Burbank. This time around, featured guests will include former Mercury columnist, beloved Beavertonian, Emmy Award-winning comic, and onetime co-head writer for The Late Late Show with James CordenIan Karmel. He'll chat with comic and Emmy-nommed CONAN writer Laurie Kilmartin and Noë Álvarez, whose new book Accordion Eulogies: A Memoir of Music, Migration, and Mexico is "an odyssey to repair a severed family lineage, told through the surprising history of a musical instrument." Folksy yet genre-defying singer-songwriter Lizzie No will sling some tunes. LC
Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia (Thurs June 6)

Therapy Gecko Live: The Lizard Agenda Tour Past Event Like List
As one of the millions of people on earth who has tried therapy, I'd never considered that a man-sized, anthropomorphic gecko might be the actual answer to my problems—yet perhaps I do need a soft-voiced, wholesome counselor version of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile in my life. It's no weirder than whatever Goop is up to. Therapy Gecko, hosted by a dude who is, coincidentally, also named Lyle, is casually off-kilter and a little psychedelic, like something you'd encounter on Adult Swim or Between Two Ferns. Lyle grants an empathetic, reptilian ear to all sorts of oddball questions from anonymous callers on his podcast; we're assuming he'll offer a lending hand (do geckos have hands?) to the audience at this performance. LC
Polaris Hall, Humboldt (Fri June 7)

John Malkovich in The Music Critic at the Symphony Past Event Like List
Academy Award-winning actor John Malkovich (I bet you know him from the 1999 cult-favorite Being John Malkovich) will stop by with his part-classical concert, part-theater performance, and part-comedy show The Music Critic. This wit-filled satirical dramatization takes on the vicious (and fictitious) music critiques written about history's greatest composers and works of music. Malkovich plays the role of the evil critic/narrator, who believes that the music of Beethoven, Chopin, and Prokofiev is "weary and dreary." Classical music funnymen Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo (of the comedy duo Igudesman & Joo) lodge a protest. Who will win in the end? Witness the world premiere of the Malkovich's stage production with an orchestral accompaniment by the Oregon Symphony. AV
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Wed June 12)

Boulet Brothers' Dragula Season 5 Past Event Like List
If you prefer your alt-drag shows with a side of gore and guts, you probably already revel in the chaos of the Boulet Brothers, whose punkish brand of eleganza often features bugs, gauged needles, pig brains, and live burial. (Contestants on The Boulet Brothers' Dragula don't exactly sashay away—they're "exterminated" in a freaky death scene. Okay then!!) Grab your hello uglies fan and gag for the duo's ghoulish glam when they drop by Portland with the show's season five divas. They'll share the stage with the hot-yet-terrifying Niohuru X, the world's reigning Drag Supermonster. LC
Wonder Ballroom, Eliot (Sun June 16)

Girl From The North Country Past Event Like List
When I was a teenager, a boy once "broke up" with me by copy-pasting the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" into his AIM away message, thus cementing my permanent and near-lifelong disdain for the grumpy troubadour. But maybe you love Bob Dylan. Good for you!! This Tony Award-winning musical reimagines 20 of Dylan's hits and is set against the backdrop of a guesthouse in '30s-era Duluth. Girl From The North Country includes renditions of “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone." I'm not sure if "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is featured, but if it is, do me a favor—don't tell me about it. LC
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (June 18–23)

Reality Gays - The "If You Can Dream It" Tour Past Event Like List
Reality Gays is a reality TV podcast that connects many of my disparate interests: sex positivity, classic literature, queer history, '80s country music, and absolute garbage television. No, they don't cover the polished oeuvre of Bravo—but lower-budget filth like 90 Day Fiancé, Seeking Sister Wives, Love After Lockup, and the god-forsaken, questionably incestuous dating show MILF Manor. Hosts Matt Marr (nicknamed "Matty"), a clinically trained therapist, makeup artist, and actor, and Jake Anthony (nicknamed "Poodle"), a music teacher, composer, and life coach, flex their talents in psychology, music, comedy, and cosmetology to dissect trashy television into content that is both hilarious and heartfelt. Just in time for Pride Month, Matty and Poodle will bring the If You Can Dream It tour to Portland for a live taping of the podcast that is sure to include plenty of improv, risqué costumes, and tragic stories about their Southern upbringings. AV
Polaris Hall, Humboldt (Wed June 19)

READINGS & TALKS

Clayton J. Szczech in Conversation with Jim Meehan Past Event Like List
Tequila isn't just for Jimmy Buffett fans or college students looking to get wasted on spring break anymore—it's also poised to surpass vodka to become the top-selling spirit in the US. The agave-based spirit has shed its tacky reputation to take on a new, more sophisticated life, and sociologist and writer Clayton J. Szczech is here to help you navigate it with his book A Field Guide to Tequila, which contains everything from the five classes of tequila to how to host your own tasting. Szczech will visit Powell's for a conversation with star bartender Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book and Meehan’s Bartender Manual. JB
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Sun June 2)

Maggie Smith in Conversation With Kimberly King Parsons Past Event Like List
Poet's poet Maggie Smith plumbs the depths of her disintegrating marriage in You Could Make This Place Beautiful, reflecting on contemporary womanhood, gender roles, and power dynamics with an inquisitive, empathetic eye. (If you dig Deborah Levy and Rachel Cusk, this memoir will be up your alley.) Kimberly King Parsons, who penned the National Book Award-nominated collection Black Light, will join Smith in conversation. LC
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Fri June 7)

Ian Karmel in Conversation With Alisa Karmel, PsyD Past Event Like List
To know Ian Karmel is to love him. The former Mercury columnist, beloved Beavertonian, Emmy Award-winning comic, and onetime co-head writer for The Late Late Show with James Corden writer (he's fancy these days) played a key role in our humble city's comedy renaissance. Karmel will drop by his old stomping grounds with something new for the loyal fanbase he's cultivated 'round these parts: T-Shirt Swim Club, a book on the "daily humiliations of being fat and why it's so hard to talk about something so visible." He'll chat with his sister Dr. Alisa Karmel, who contributed the "What Now?" section of Karmel's book and aims to dismantle the "contemporary narrative around fatness." (Itching for more Ian? Here's a recent Mercury video interview.) LC
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Sat June 8)

Anastacia-Reneé in Conversation With Reagan E. J. Jackson Past Event Like List
Former Seattleite, formidable poet, genre-crossing artist, TEDx speaker, and podcaster Anastacia-Reneé's funky, feminist collection Side Notes from the Archivist: Poems illuminated Black femme culture through coming-of-age poems set in '80s Philly, and it had me awe-inspired just last year. ("The deft tonal shifts of Anastacia-Reneé’s words and delivery amuse, disarm and devastate," said the Seattle Times.) She's somehow already back with Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere, a "bold hybrid collection of poetry, flash fiction, and Afrofuturism sci-fi," which sounds incredible. Show up to her talk with poet and musician Gary Copeland Lilley to become a superfan. Anastacia-Reneé will be joined in conversation by Reagan E. J. Jackson, who penned Still True: The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist. LC
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Tues June 11)

SHOPPING

Portland Book Week Past Event Like List
Brace yourself for a literary onslaught: The week-long inaugural Portland Book Week promises a bookstore crawl, lit events, games and raffles, giveaways, discounts, and more merch than your tattered tote bag can hold. Over 50 bookstores across Portland, Vancouver, and Southwest Washington will participate, so it's as good a time as any to stop by your typical stomping grounds or head to a bookstore you haven't yet discovered. I'll be hitting Bishop & Wilde, where Melissa Febos, Kimberly King Parsons, Jules Ohman, and Caitlin Delohery will gather for a reading on June 10, but check out my recent themed bookstore article for the Mercury for some other ideas. LC
Various locations (June 10–16)

18th Annual Rose City Book & Paper Fair Past Event Like List
Maps! Rare tomes! Miscellaneous paper ephemera!!!!! Now that I've got your attention, listen up: The Rose City Book & Paper Fair is back with a mountain of unusual goodies from dozens of vendors. You'll find underground zines, quirky vintage photo albums, and antiquarian tomes from the local book haunts and further-flung book hawkers on site. Added bonus—I attended last year, and the people-watching is choice. LC
Doubletree Hotel, Lloyd District (June 14–15)

Foster Summer Soiree Past Event Like List
In past years, the Foster Summer Soiree included sidewalk vendors and promotions at local vendors, but this year, they're taking over the entire street! Southeast 63rd Avenue will be closed south of Foster and feature a a block party in collaboration with St. Francis Ice Cream, Kitchen Culture, and Royalty Spirits. Per usual, Laurelwood Park will host a vendor marketplace and main stage with live performances from noon to 5 pm including electro-hip-hop group St. Johns Yacht Club and clowns-on-bicycles duo Olive & Dingo. If you're looking to purchase some unique, locally-made goods, you're in luck: Meet Your Maker Market, Queer Art Market, and Spectrum Art Market will all be popping up in the area, in addition to tons of deals and activations at neighborhood businesses. SL
Laurelwood Park, Foster-Powell (Sat June 22)

VISUAL ART

William Matheson: The Glow Past Event Like List
William Matheson may be Portland-based, but his paintings have been shown all over the world, from Mongolia to the Czech Republic. His sixth solo exhibition at Nationale might also be his most metaphysical—the artist thinks carefully about the concept of "the glow," from its connection to wildfires and ecological peril to something more elusive. Painted on jute, Matheson's compositions are innately textural, sinewy, and hazy, streaked with summery hues and hints of smoke and fumes. LC
Nationale, Buckman (June 1–29)

Alyson Provax: To know what we say we know Past Event Like List
Prolific letterpress artist Alyson Provax is always up to something artistic, so her latest solo exhibition comes as no surprise. To know what we say we know presents new letterpress works by Provax, referencing spoken language and diaries to reflect on "the limitations of language to express our individual perceptions and the way that this affects connection between us." Provax adopts a repetitive "drawing" style to help the viewer notice their own experience of reading, but don't expect a novel: Her work more closely resembles concrete poetry. LC
Well Well, Kenton (June 1–30)

Justin L’Amie: Living in the City Past Event Like List
I'll be honest: At first, I wasn't certain what Justin L'Amie's watercolor and gouache compositions had to do with city life. They're fun to observe, though. Stems of star-shaped flowers squiggle and form faces, while grasshoppers, spiders, and colorful moths land on the paper for a moment of rest. "Living in the city, a churning, hectic place...Pigeons sharing chicken bones. Laughter from the stairwell. Sobbing from under a tarp. The indifference of a machine. Find a support system. Rent raised again," the show's promotional materials read. Living in the City seems to nod toward the other-than-human life occupying urban spaces, hinting at the need for moments of respite, sanctuary spaces, and quiet noticing. LC
PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Slabtown (June 5–29)

Assembly 2024 Past Event Like List
If you're not hip to Portland State University's Art and Social Practice MFA program, you should be. Graduate candidates in the experiential program consistently engage with the community through social practice projects that feel thoughtful, resourceful, weird, and often funny. Each year, Assembly offers an opportunity to catch up with the MFA students and learn more about social practice as an ever-expanding medium. This year, they'll stage three days of artist talks and events at Lloyd Center, the Rose City Book Pub, and the Community for Positive Aging (fka the Hollywood Senior Center). LC
Various locations (June 7–9)

Monet to Matisse: French Moderns Remind Like List
With 60-ish masterpieces pulled from the Brooklyn Museum’s illustrious European art collection, the Portland Art Museum's latest exhibition centers the modernist accomplishments of French artists. You might've already guessed that Monet to Matisse: French Moderns features pieces by Monet and Matisse, but visitors can also spy works by Cézanne, Chagall, Degas, and Renoir...you know, pretty much every creator mentioned in your Art History 101 class, all curated one place. My advice? Make a super-sensory day of it: Dress fancy, feast your eyeballs, then pick up some runny cheese from Providore on the way home. LC
Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks (June 8–Sept 15)