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COMEDY

David Spade: Catch Me Inside
Past Event Like List Seasoned jokester and SNL vet David Spade, who now co-hosts the podcast Fly on the Wall alongside fellow SNL alumnus Dana Carvey, will bring his snide, self-deprecating style to Portland.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Sat Apr 1)

Bill Maher
Past Event Like List If you're reading this, you probably disagree with Bill Maher on a lot of things, but in the words of Stranger writer Dave Segal, "Maybe that’s the key to his success—outrage everybody and you’ll gain substantial mindshare in the attention economy." He'll undoubtedly continue to press buttons at this performance.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Sun Apr 2)

Creed Bratton
Past Event Like List "Do you want to see a foot with four toes?" Legendary weirdo and Renaissance man Creed Bratton will stop by Portland to share a few chuckles, and hopefully a song or two from his 2020 album Slightly Altered. 
Wonder Ballroom, Eliot (Sun Apr 2)

Impractical Jokers: The Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour
Past Event Like List Hidden camera reality show Impractical Jokers will stop by Portland with more daredevil antics and a round-up of wacky never-before-seen videos. Expect behind-the-scenes stories from madcap hosts Brian "Q" Quinn, James "Murr" Murray, and Staten Island sweetie Sal Vulcano. 
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (Sat Apr 8)

Rachel Bloom
Past Event Like List Rachel Bloom, co-creator, producer, and star of the CW musical dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, will stop by Portland to remind us why “antidepressants are so not a big deal.” 
Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn (Sat Apr 8)

Noel Miller: Everything is F#&ked Past Event Like List
One-liner expert, biting satirist, and Call of Duty: Warzone Twitch streamer Noel Miller, who also co-hosts the Tiny Meat Gang podcast with fellow comedian Cody Ko, will stop by Portland to ask the important questions.
Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn (Sat Apr 15)

Depths of Wikipedia
Past Event Like List If you're as terminally online as we are, you might already follow Annie Rauwerda's Instagram account, Depths of Wikipedia, where she digs up the encyclopedic website's most delightfully strange stuff. Now Annie's taking the concept on tour, leading audiences into the depths of Wiki weirdness on stage. You know you're intrigued.
Helium Comedy Club, Hosford-Abernethy (Wed Apr 19)

John Waters - End of the World Past Event Like List
The people's pervert will pop by Portland with a new comic monologue, which delves into today's "despair and diseases, desires and desperation" with Waters's idiosyncratic, oddly comforting depravity.
Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn (Sat Apr 22)

Some Stars of Native American Comedy Past Event Like List
With shows like Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls on the rise, Native comedy is getting some overdue shine. This evening of laughs spotlights Native comedy greats like Gilbert Brown, aka The Naughty Rez Dog, Rutherford Falls writer Taietsarón:sere "Tai" Leclaire, and jokester veterans like lovable dad Jim Ruel and quick-witted Sheila Chalakee. They'll deliver a night of stereotype-shirking laughs, covering everything from rodeos to white guilt.
Newmark Theatre, South Park Blocks (Sun Apr 23)

Megan Stalter, Patti Harrison, Sarah Sherman: The Live Nude Girls Tour Past Event Like List
Hacks star and LA-based comedian Megan Stalter will stop by Revolution Hall with a witty style that Harper's Bazaar once described as “a soothing comedy balm for a scathing grease fire of a year.” (That quote is from 2020, but doesn't "grease fire" kind of describe every year nowadays?) Check out the surreal oasis that is Stalter's sense of humor at this show, where she'll head to the stage alongside other millennial comics like Shrill and Theater Camp star Patti Harrison and SNL featured player Sarah Sherman.
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Thurs Apr 27)

Adam Friedland
Past Event Like List Stand-up weirdo and interviewer Adam Friedland will head back to Portland for...well...we're not sure what to expect, exactly. Friedland hosted the subversive comedy podcast Cum Town—heavily associated with the "dirtbag left," it featured guests like Bam Margera and Dasha Nekrasova. Grab a ticket to find out what's new with mummy's cheeky boy.
Helium Comedy Club, Hosford-Abernethy (Apr 27-29)

Tim Dillon Live Past Event Like List
Snarky jokester and podcast host Tim Dillon, who's slated to appear in Eli Roth's upcoming horror slasher Thanksgiving, will visit Portland to poke fun at our fake jobs.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Fri Apr 28)

FILM

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
Past Event Like List The scenic Canadian film festival held every fall in Banff, Alberta will head to Portland, sharing the best of the best in exhilarating outdoor filmmaking, environmental storytelling, and mountain sportsmanship.
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Apr 13-15)

Portland EcoFilm Festival
Past Event Like List The year-round Portland EcoFilm Festival's ongoing mission to showcase the best in environmental cinema will continue in April with a series of films on a rebellion theme, an Earth Day celebration screening of equine documentary Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of The West, and a screening and workshop led by environmental educator Suzie Hicks.
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (Apr 14-June 29)

Happy Birthday John Waters! Past Event Like List
John Waters will drop by Portland for his spoken word show End of the World on April 22, but...it's sold out. Never fear, though—this birthday celebration for the beloved filth king will pull out all the stops, with screenings of his most grotesque film feats, including Polyester, Cecil B. Demented, Serial Mom, and more.
Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy (Apr 17-23)

420 Toke-Tacular: The Ultimate Rip in 16mm
Past Event Like List Local film archivists Ioana Cherascu and Garrett Schroeder, aka Astral Projections, will present another trippy ride of 16mm shorts with 420 Toke-Tacular: The Ultimate Rip, which—you guessed it—is designed to appeal to your stoner sensibilities. Expect a glimmering medley of Freemasonry and harbor seals, plus Suzan Pitt’s animated psychedelic masterpiece, Asparagus, and a "liquid light show." Groovy.
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (Thurs Apr 20)

Bicycle Film Festival 2023 Past Event Like List
The long-running Bicycle Film Festival, which was created in 2001 after its founder, Brendt Barbur, was hit by a bus while biking, will present an international selection of Oscar-nominated and award-winning short films alongside flicks by emerging talents. Hosted by the Mercury, local proceeds from this year's festival will be donated to Oregon Adaptive Sports.
Cinema 21, Northwest District (Thurs Apr 20)

FOOD & DRINK

Easter Candy & Wine Pairing Past Event Like List
If you've aged out of the Easter basket crowd but still want to satisfy your sweet tooth, enjoy five wine pairings with traditional Easter candies, plus a seasonal sangria. Tastings are available for dine-in or as to-go kits.
Hip Chicks Do Wine, Reed (Apr 1-2)

Portland Pizza Week 2023 Past Event Like List
The Portland Mercury’s Pizza Week is returning in 2023 to team up with Portland's best pizza purveyors to offer amazing, delicious, $3 slices (or $20 whole pies) to the masses! With tons of restaurants and bars taking part, you’ll never be far from your next slice, and your week—nay, your life—will be all the better for it. Get excited.
Various locations (Apr 17-23)

Seventh Annual Baker's Dozen: Coffee Beer & Doughnut Fest
Past Event Like List This annual festival, returning for the first time after a two-year hiatus due to COVID, pays tribute to Portland's sacred trifecta of coffee, beer, and doughnuts with a lineup of coffee beers brewed with beans from local roasters, unlimited coffee samples, and morsels of fried dough. This year's lineup includes names like Breakside Brewery, Steeplejack, HeyDay, Coco Donuts, Blue Star, Delicious Donuts, Matt & Memere's, and more.
John's Marketplace, Creston-Kenilworth (Sat Apr 22)

Malbec in the City! Past Event Like List
The red wine Malbec is beloved the world over for its juicy, full-bodied flavor. This event—Oregon's first-ever dedicated Malbec event—will feature tastings, food pairings, live music, and even some vivacious tango dancing. Proceeds will benefit Our Legacy Harvested, which aims to educate, advance, and empower the BIPOC community in the wine industry.
Castaway, Slabtown (Sun Apr 30)

LIVE MUSIC

Aly & AJ: With Love From Past Event Like List
Sister duo Aly and AJ Michalka found early success on the Disney Channel, making appearances in a wide variety of made-for-TV movies and tween sitcoms. It was easy to be cynical when they began pursuing a music career, but now, 15 years after the release of their album Insomniatic, you can still hear "Potential Breakup Song" randomly blasting at a karaoke night or throwback dance party. The pair are back on the scene with a new album, With Love From, which Pitchfork described as "a breezy album defined by warm harmonies and easygoing pop melodies."
Crystal Ballroom, West End (Sat Apr 1)

Vanessa Carlton: Future Pain Tour
Past Event Like List We'd wager that pop pianist Vanessa Carlton has enough star draw to fill a hall larger than the intimate and aurally superb Mississippi Studios, but as part of her Future Pain Tour, she’ll treat a small audience to An Evening with Vanessa Carlton, in April of 2023. Could she deny us a live rendition of the ear worm hit single "A Thousand Miles" (which still holds up)? Who cares, this show sounds magical! As long as we get something from her 2002 studio debut—like the similarly effervescent "Ordinary Day," "White Houses" from 2004’s Harmonium, and / or certainly "Future Pain," the lead single from her most recent album Love is an Art, we'll walk a thousand miles—and buy those tickets right now! Speaking of right now, eager fans can revisit the ultra calm vibes on her 2011 Christmas EP, Hear the Bells. PORTLAND MERCURY CONTRIBUTOR JENNI MOORE
Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn (Mon Apr 3)

Snow Tha Product: The Quince I Never Had Tour Past Event Like List
San Jose-born hip-hop artist and actress Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza (aka Snow Tha Product) will bring her lightning-speed, razor-sharp bilingual raps back to Portland as a part of her Quince I Never Had tour ahead of the release of her upcoming album, Valemadre.
Roseland Theater, Old Town-Chinatown (Tues Apr 4)

Black Flag
Past Event Like List Punk luminaries Black Flag have taken on many forms over the years, most notably forming with vocalist/Circle Jerk frontman Keith Morris before being replaced with perennial high school bully Henry Rollins. One thing that has stayed consistent is guitarist (and primary songwriter) Greg Ginn, who's the sole continuous member of the band. On this tour, pro-skater-turned-punk vocalist Mike Vallely will front the band in a performance of the seminal, grunge-infused 1984 album, My War, in its entirety. 
Bossanova Ballroom, Buckman (Wed Apr 5)

Gracie Abrams: The Good Riddance Tour Past Event Like List
Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams (We'll save you a Google—director J.J. is her dad) makes emotional pop songs about heartbreak full of quivering vocals and sparse arrangements. She’s gained notoriety in recent years for her close friendship with Olivia Rodrigo and mutual admiration from big names like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. Although her nepo baby status has helped her break through to the mainstream, her sheer talent for songwriting stands on its own. Prepare for the show by listening to her stirring sophomore EP, This Is What It Feels Like.
Crystal Ballroom, West End (Wed Apr 5)

Yaeji Past Event Like List
"Occupying the lush soundscape between relaxation and revving up for a night out, Yaeji’s richly textured lo-fi beats are perfect for a cool walk home after partying the night away. Brooklyn-based Kathy Yaeji Lee’s addictive, ASMR-like blend of house, hip-hop, and English-Korean lyrics has all the fun of a DIY affair, and the cool confidence of a music sensation who knows that she’s killing it every step of the way," wrote former Stranger writer Sophia Stephens. Expect to hear songs from her glossy, pop-fuelled debut mixtape, What We Drew, along with new tracks from her follow-up, With A Hammer, which will conveniently be released the day of the show.
Roseland Theater, Old Town-Chinatown (Fri Apr 7)

100 gecs
Past Event Like List The unhinged hyper-pop of 100 gecs, one of the internet's favorite bands, has been praised as propelling the genre forward with the New Yorker calling their sound "an impressively precise maximalist exercise with no rules." They've grown exponentially, from their acclaimed 2019 debut 1000 gecs to their recently released album 10,000 gecs. Catch the pair supporting the new album alongside Long Island-based electronic project Machine Girl. 
Crystal Ballroom, West End (Sat Apr 8)

Key Glock: Glockoma Tour
Past Event Like List Memphis rapper Key Glock began his musical career as the protégé of his cousin, the late rapper/label owner Young Dolph. He will support his debut two-part album, Yellow Tape, which Pitchfork described as "A street-rap saga peppered with such trenchant insights, narrating the lonely world of a 22-year-old who has been through more bad times than any 22-year-old deserves." 
Roseland Theater, Old Town-Chinatown (Sat Apr 8)

Lady Sings the Blues: A Tribute to Billie Holiday Past Event Like List
Curated and emceed by powerhouse vocalist (and 2018 Jazz Hero Award winner) Marcia Hocker, this concert will tap the talents of LaRhonda Steele, Arietta Ward, Dani B., Rita Marquez, and Carey Campbell to pay tribute to "the lady in satin" Billie Holiday by performing her legendary jazz hits.
Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia (Sat Apr 8)

Oregon Symphony: The Blue Hour in Concert
Past Event Like List Composer/vocalist Shara Nova will lead the musicians of the Oregon Symphony in a heartfelt performance of The Blue Hour, a song cycle written collaboratively with Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Caroline Shaw, and Sarah Kirkland Snider. The multi-sensory piece takes excerpts from Carolyn Forché’s epic poem On Earth to explore memories of childhood, war, love, and loss through a female perspective.
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton (Sat Apr 8)

Ten Grands
Past Event Like List Have you ever wondered, "What do ten grand pianos sound like all played at once?" Good news: Ten world-renowned pianists, including Portland's own new age virtuoso Michael Allen Harrison, will show you how it's done. The result will blow your mind.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Sat Apr 8)

Haley Heynderickx Past Event Like List
In 2021 Mercury contributor Ryan J. Prado wrote "The aftershock of Haley Heynderickx’s ballyhooed 2018 album, I Need to Start A Garden, is still reverberating in the chests and brains of everyone who’s ever heard it. I personally witnessed a table full of people scream along in solidarity to the lyrics of the title track at a bar in Southeast not one week ago. It’s rare when a record receives that kind of adoration, and Heynderickx’s live shows are part of that, too." Don't miss the indie-folk singer-songwriter in two distinct performances, first, during a solo set alongside soulful jazz harpist Sheers, and second, with her full band after experimental artist Illegal Son.
Mississippi Studios, Boise (Apr 14-15)

Muse: Will Of The People Tour Past Event Like List
Arena-rock trio Muse will bring their super-massive hits to Moda Center on their Will Of The People tour, promoting their Grammy-winning album Simulation Theory. Get hyped by revisiting the blood-pumping baseball scene in Twilight, which features the band’s 2006 single “Supermassive Black Hole.”
Moda Center, Lloyd District (Sun Apr 16)

Fatoumata Diawara Past Event Like List
Stranger writer Jas Keimig once compared Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara's captivating vocal range to Sade, noting her unique voice that "skips like a rock over water across different registers." She will get the crowd on their feet with her futuristic blend of traditional Malian folk, Wassoulou music, R&B grooves, and fuzzed-out electric guitars that led her on tour with fellow genre-blending savants Gorillaz last fall.
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Tues Apr 18)

Fied: Ferxxo Nitro Jam Underground Tour
Past Event Like List Feid takes inspiration from his upbringing in Medellín, Colombia, and his teenage love of American hip-hop artists Drake and T-Pain for his Latin hip-hop and reggaeton bops. Give his 2022 album, Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos El Álbum (translated to "Happy Birthday Ferxxo We Hacked You The Album") a listen so that you can sing along.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Fri Apr 21)

Record Store Day 2023
Past Event Like List Whether you're looking for special RSD releases, or just want to support your local record store, drag yourself out of bed bright and early this Record Store Day as shops around Portland fill up with vinyl-hungry shoppers. Participation varies store-to-store, but expect sales and exclusive merch, extended hours, in-store performances, and other special events.
Various locations (Sat Apr 22)

Tennis: Pollen Tour
Past Event Like List Tennis crooner Alaina Moore sings with a pretty, detached purity that is fully explained by the fact that she honed her skills while singing in a church choir. Moore’s voice is paired with the duo’s fondness for ’70s imagery and lyrics that detail vague, despondent love affairs, creating eerie pop-rock that feels both quaint and melodramatic. Tennis’ songs could soundtrack a slow dance in a high school gym, or salacious suburban adultery. EMMA BURKE
Crystal Ballroom, West End (Sat Apr 22)

Dawes: The Misadventures of Doomscroller Tour Past Event Like List
Los Angeles-hailing indie folk band Dawes will support their eighth album, Misadventures of Doomscroller, which Variety noted as not having a moment on it that "doesn’t sound like it was recorded live in the studio in 1974." Taking cues from the velvet-voiced singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, the band employs warm pianos, vintage guitar riffs, and lyrical references to dated technology (e.g. "A product of my time zone, mixed CDs and dial tones.")
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Sun Apr 23)

Nikki Lane Past Event Like List
Claiming the title of a "modern-era Wanda Jackson," Nikki Lane has been busy re-formulating country music with her blend of old-school Americana, early rock 'n' roll, garage-pop, blues, soul, and trademark sass. She's also one of Lana Del Rey's close friends and collaborators (give Lana's "Blue Banisters" a listen for a Nikki Lane namedrop). Anticipate hearing tunes from her latest release, Denim & Diamonds, after an opening set from folk singer-songwriter Leroy From The North.
Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn (Sun Apr 23)

FKJ Past Event Like List
A rapidly rising star in the Parisian electronic scene and a flag-bearer for the New French House music zone, FKJ (also known as French Kiwi Juice) blends looping and live jazz instrumentation into his infectious dance floor tunes. Catch him supporting his latest output, Vincent.
Roseland Theater, Old Town-Chinatown (Wed Apr 26)

Y La Bamba Past Event Like List
Led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Luz Elena Mendoza, Y La Bamba's singular fusion of Mexican folk music and dreamy indie-pop has been a PNW treasure for over a decade. Jump on the opportunity to see them with fellow Portlanders Brown Calculus.
Wonder Ballroom, Eliot (Wed Apr 26)

Lewis Capaldi
Past Event Like List Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi reached the top of the UK charts for his single "Someone You Love," which you may have heard covered by the Jonas Brothers. He was enthusiastic, stating: "First single release, selling out the arena tour, number one album, number one single... all mean fucking nothing compared to the fact the Jonas Brothers just covered my fucking tune. My tune." He'll come back to town with tracks from his sophomore album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, with indie pop artist Medium Build in tow.
Theater of the Clouds, Lloyd District (Fri Apr 28)

The Hold Steady: We Can Get Together Weekend Past Event Like List
In 2019, former Stranger contributor Brian Cook wrote: "The Hold Steady’s boozy, swaggering, late-’70s radio rock has always been a bit of a tough sell for the general public. But their charm stems from Craig Finn’s boisterous storytelling, which manages to address sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll in a capacity that is neither glamorous nor cautionary." The long-running rock sextet will take over Revolution Hall and Mississippi Studios for a full weekend of music in celebration of their new album, The Price of Progress.
Various locations (Apr 28-29)

Caroline Rose
Past Event Like List New York-based singer-songwriter Caroline Rose brings her shapeshifting blend of indie rock back through the town to support her new album, The Art of Forgetting. The album reaches new heights by moving in an avant-folk direction, utilizing finger-picked guitars, textural percussion, and sound collage. 
Wonder Ballroom, Eliot (Sat Apr 29)

GoGo Penguin: Everything is Going to Be OK Tour Past Event Like List
Manchester, England trio GoGo Penguin's ability to combine elements of traditional jazz and modern electronica landed their second album, v2.0, on the Mercury Prize shortlist for Album of the Year in 2014. Catch up with the band as they return to Portland supporting their latest full-length, Between Two Waves.
Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia (Sun Apr 30)

PERFORMANCE & THEATER

Hairspray
Past Event Like List It always seems to be up to the teens to challenge outdated, discriminatory bullshit. Enter Tracy Turnblad, a '60s-era teenybopper who lands her dream role on an American Bandstand-inspired variety show and becomes an overnight sensation, but is disgusted by the show's racist practices. Based on the cult '88 musical comedy by cherished slimeball John Waters, this rendition of the Tony award-winning musical Hairspray proves that "you can't stop the beat." It was directed and choreographed for new audiences by unflappable Broadway duo Jack O'Brien and Jerry Mitchell, and features RuPaul's Drag Race season 11 contestant Nina West (aka Andrew Levitt) as a shimmery Edna Turnblad.
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (Apr 1-2)

Sasha Velour - The Big Reveal Live Show
Past Event Like List Genderfluid drag artist and RuPaul's Drag Race season 9 winner Sasha Velour will present a magical evening of drag, storytelling, and performance art in celebration of her forthcoming book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag. The book blends drag history with Velour's own story, and was described as "one manicured middle finger to the world" by Beyond the Gender Binary author Alok. Velour will head to the stage for a spellbinding show, which will include a conversation with a special guest star and an audience Q&A session.
Winningstad Theatre, South Park Blocks (Apr 7-8)

Firebird Past Event Like List
Experience Yuri Possokhov’s Russian folkloric ballet, set to a powerful Stravinsky score, at this production of Firebird, which will also include performances of Stanton Welch’s "high-octane" Indigo and a world premiere by former New York City Ballet star Lauren Lovette as part of the program.  
Newmark Theatre, South Park Blocks (Apr 7-15)

Great Wide Open
Past Event Like List Adapted from Kevin Canty's '96 bildungsroman Into the Great Wide Open, this fresh production follows a world-weary high school senior desperate to escape his troubled family life. Fun fact: this adaptation was written and co-directed by Jessica Wallenfels, an actress and director who appeared as Harriet Hayward on Twin Peaks.
Portland Playhouse, King (Apr 12-May 7)

Live Wire with Luke Burbank: Laura Chinn, Heather Radke, Jenny Odell, and Reckless Son!
Past Event Like List Live Wire's 2023 offerings continue with this evening of honest, inspiring conversation between butt-lovin' author and Radiolab reporter Heather Radke, comedian and memoirist Laura Chinn, and Jenny Odell, who thinks we should all do less. Americana-driven project Reckless Son will provide the musical vibes.
Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia (Thurs Apr 13)

First Annual International Booklover's Burlesque Festival Past Event Like List
Any lit lover will tell you that reading can be a truly titillating experience. Booklover's Burlesque agrees, and since 2016, they've blended on-stage readings by local writers and actors with sexy, body-positive performances inspired by each written piece. For their first annual International Booklover's Burlesque Festival, they'll stage four unique shows that spotlight the written word with a side of salacious burlesque, boylesque, and draglesque acts.
Various locations (Apr 13-16)

Choir Boy
Past Event Like List Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Academy Award-winning writer of Moonlight, penned this coming-of-age play that blends gospel hymns and R&B grooves for an intersectional tale set in a traditionally Black prep school. When Pharus Young sets his sights on leading the school's gospel choir, his queerness interrupts institutional tradition, and he contemplates conformity with his peers in order to gain their respect.
Portland Center Stage, Pearl District (Apr 15-May 14)

Jefferson Dancers
Past Event Like List Did you know that Portland’s own Jefferson High School boasts a nationally renowned dance team? The Jefferson Dancers will showcase their skills in this annual spring performance featuring diverse dancers aged 14-18.
Newmark Theatre, South Park Blocks (Apr 20-22)

Audition From Hell Past Event Like List
Artistic director Sharon Maroney's hilarious nail-biter follows four seasoned actresses as they duke it out for a chance at musical stardom.
Broadway Rose New Stage Theatre, Tigard (Apr 20-May 14)

The Magic Flute Past Event Like List
Mozart's 18th-century opera The Magic Flute tells of a mystical world filled with freaky beasts, cheeky fairies, true love, and a very helpful flute. The production takes the form of a singspiel, a favored form of German musical drama during the time period that incorporates both singing and spoken dialogue.
Lincoln Hall, South Park Blocks (Apr 21-30)

Rusalka, or the Mermaid Opera
Past Event Like List Calling all water goblins! This production of Rusalka pulls straight from Slavic folklore to construct an eerie tale of moon witchery, water nymphs, and doomed love. (If the production sounds like The Little Mermaid, you'd be right—but don't expect a Disney-approved happily ever after.)
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (Apr 22-30)

READINGS & TALKS

Ari Shapiro in Conversation With Thomas Lauderdale Past Event Like List
Ari Shapiro, award-winning Portland-raised NPR journalist and host of All Things Considered, will head to his old stomping grounds for this conversation with Pink Martini bandleader Thomas Lauderdale in celebration of his new book, The Best Strangers in the World. The "witty, poignant book" (Ronan Farrow), which follows Shapiro as he globe-trots in cool leather jackets, chats with Obama on Air Force One, and hits the pavement with social justice activists, serves as a testament to the journalist's passion for connection. Alan Cumming described Shapiro as "a beacon of idiosyncratic frankness," which is as strange and wonderful an endorsement as they come.
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Sun Apr 2)

Author Talk: Alison Roman, Sweet Enough Past Event Like List
You've probably seen food writer Alison Roman's viral recipes, like #TheCookies and #TheStew, on your Instagram feed. The author of Dining In and Nothing Fancy, known for her unfussy approach to cooking and her strong culinary opinions, is now returning to her pastry chef roots and turning her attention to dessert with her first baking book Sweet Enough. She'll discuss the new release at Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing.
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, Beaverton (Tues Apr 4)

Smallpresspalooza
Past Event Like List Returning from a four-year hiatus to reaffirm that any event can be a -palooza if the mood is right, Smallpresspalooza will offer up a marathon reading by over a dozen small press-published authors. Hosted by Future Tense Books publisher Kevin Sampsell, the event will include words by Ashley Yang-Thompson, Quinn Gancedo, Sam Rose Preminger, and others.
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Sun Apr 16)

Douglas Brinkley
Past Event Like List Historian Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University, the CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. In other words, this guy knows his stuff. He'll visit Portland for a lecture on the rise of environmental activism during the "Long Sixties." Brinkley will pull from extensive research in his 2022 book Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening, which Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin called "a majestic work of history" and "an urgent call for our time."
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Tues Apr 18)

Matt Ruff
Past Event Like List Hold on to your Shoggoth! Matt Ruff, who penned the critically acclaimed novel-turned-TV show Lovecraft Country, will time travel to Portland in celebration of the book's newly released sequel, The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country. The highly anticipated tome was described as a "virtuoso blend of horror, action, and humor" by Publisher's Weekly.
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Tues Apr 18)

2022/23 Portland Arts & Lectures: Ada Limón Past Event Like List
Ada Limón, Poet Laureate of the United States and host of the critically acclaimed poetry podcast The Slowdown, will visit Portland to discuss her new book The Hurting Kind. The meditative collection was described as an "ode to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth" by Publishers Weekly.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Thurs Apr 20)

Max Miller in Conversation With Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer
Past Event Like List Ever wondered what it would be like to eat a meal aboard the Titanic? How about what it would be like to dine as a pirate or Viking? Max Miller, who recreates historical recipes for over 1.6 million subscribers on his YouTube channel Tasting History, has the answers. He'll discuss his debut cookbook with Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer, founders of the recipe blog and Instagram account The Modern Proper.
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, Beaverton (Thurs Apr 27)

Verselandia! Youth Poetry Slam Championship
Past Event Like List The kids are all right: Talented youth from Portland and East Multnomah County public high schools will duke it out for poetic glory at this championship poetry slam.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Thurs Apr 27)

Side Notes from the Archivist: Anastacia-Renee
Past Event Like List Formidable poet, genre-crossing artist, TEDx speaker, podcaster, and former Seattelite Anastacia-Renee will drop by Powell's in celebration of Side Notes from the Archivist: Poems, a funky, feminist new collection that illuminates Black femme culture through coming-of-age poems set in '80s Philly.
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Fri Apr 28)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

2023 Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival Past Event Like List
I once attended the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival with a pregnant friend, and the winding line of traffic leading to the parking lot was so lengthy that she bolted out of the car and ran all the way to a neighboring farm to pee. What I'm saying is this: prepare yourself for an all-day affair, and if you're going on the weekend, bring plenty of car snacks. But 40 acres of tulips arranged in neat, color-coded rows against the majestic backdrop of Mount Hood makes it all worth it. Tickets are only available online this year, so snag yours in advance to recuperate from the winter doldrums with some well-deserved Willamette Valley magic. LINDSAY COSTELLO
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, Woodburn (Apr 1-30)

Nike Hoop Summit Past Event Like List
The Nike Hoop Summit balls so hard it boasts five NBA MVPs and 35 NBA All-Stars among its alumni, so chances are more than likely you'll spot a future league superstar take the court here. This year, the summit will be a doubleheader for the first time in the history of the event, with the inaugural women's game featuring top American high school athletes versus a World Team and the 25th anniversary of the men's game.
Moda Center, Lloyd District (Sat Apr 8)

Oregon Spring Cleanup
Past Event Like List This Earth Day, team up with like-minded eco-conscious Oregonians to do your part in showing some stewardship to the lands we call home. Across the state, SOLVE will host beach cleanups, urban litter cleanups, tree plantings, and restoration events which have shifts that volunteers can sign up for.
Various locations, Statewide (Sat Apr 22)

The One Motorcycle Show
Past Event Like List Get revved up for the 14th annual One Moto Show, which as always will be hosted by the family behind See See Motor Coffee Co. Born in the PNW, a region known for enthusiastic ridership and breathtaking riding opportunities, the show has made a name for itself as one of the world's largest and best-known custom motorcycle/biker culture events. This year's show will take place inside the historic Zidell Barge Building, a rustic structure that was used to build ships in the 1930s and the perfect gritty backdrop to all things moto.
Zidell Barge Building, South Waterfront (Apr 28-30)

VISUAL ART

Once More in the Rain: Queer Futures
Past Event Like List Curated by Future Prairie, Joni Whitworth, and opera singer Onry Henreid, Once More in the Rain: Queer Futures takes the concept of a "museum of queer art" for a test drive. The installation creates a gathering space to investigate written works, visual art, and oral history from the city's LGBTQ+ community and doubles as a capitalism-be-damned "haven for reflection and repose." 
1609 SE 3rd, Hosford-Abernethy (Apr 1-15)

Takahiko Hayashi
Past Event Like List A quarter century of works by lauded Japanese artist Takahiko Hayashi are on display in Shi Han Seiki: Trace the Drawn Lines, a retrospective of swirling, abstracted copperplate prints and collages.
Froelick Gallery, Pearl District (Apr 1-15)

Dinh Q. Lê - Cambodia Reamker Past Event Like List
Dinh Q. Lê continues to work with themes of displacement, war, and history in Cambodia Reamker, a series of photographic weavings depicting Reamker, the national epic of Cambodia, and portraits of incarcerated people in Tuol Sleng, a notorious Khmer Rouge prison. Lê, whose family was forced to flee the Khmer Rouge in 1978, now creates "alternative narratives" that blend references to the country's rich cultural traditions and tragic recent history.
Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Pearl District (Apr 1-29)

Weaving Data
Past Event Like List Over the last few centuries, the technology of weaving design has made leaps and bounds, advancing from the Jacquard process of the 19th century to today's TC2 loom, which can weave everything from text to photographic imagery. The relationship between weaving and computing is a complex one, and whether or not you dig textile art, this exhibit isn't one to pass up—it includes intricate woven works by local pillars in the contemporary art community like Jovencio de la Paz, Kayla Mattes, and Shelley Socolofsky alongside art stars like Joan Truckenbrod, Faig Ahmed, and others. On April 13, visitors can also catch a contextual talk Past Event Like List on anti-authoritarianism in art and design led by Weaving Data featured artist Vo Vo and PSU professor Andrew Santa Lucia.
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, South Park Blocks (Apr 1-29)

RE:forms
Past Event Like List Alicia Decker and Elissa Breitbard of Lu Kynn, a too-cool textile collaboration project, will present their "thoughtful and intentional fiber compositions" in this exhibition, emphasizing the abstraction, pattern, and color possibilities in repurposed fabric. The compositions in RE:forms might remind you of aerial photographs or far-off topographical landscapes.
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton (Apr 1-May 10)

Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe
Past Event Like List As one of the most expressive Native American painters of the 20th century, Yanktonai Dakota artist Oscar Howe blended modern trends in art-making with traditional Sioux aesthetics, challenging perceptions and helping to preserve Native artistic culture along the way. This exhibition follows Howe's work across 40 years of creative development, from his teenage beginnings to sophisticated, abstracted works made in the '50s and '60s. To dive deeper, don’t miss Breaking the Chains: The Legacy of Oscar Howe Past Event Like List on April 14 and 15; Native artists and scholars will offer enlightening lectures in celebration of Howe’s unique legacy.
Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks (Apr 1-May 14)

Subtle Intimacy: Here and There Past Event Like List
Japan Institute’s inaugural artist-in-residence, Rui Sasaki, whose glass art has been praised in the New York Times, will share her site-specific glass works in Subtle Intimacy: Here and There. Inspired by the elegant greenery of the Portland Japanese Garden, the moody, ethereal show invites visitors to "explore their own relationship with the natural world."
Portland Japanese Garden, Washington Park (Apr 1-June 12)

Making Earth Cool
Past Event Like List Do-good Gaia lovers Making Earth Cool will bring some environmental joie de vivre to Parallax Art Center this spring with two months of earthy activities staged within an "immersive handmade setting." As part of their artist residency program, visitors will be invited to participate in repair workshops, educational storytelling, and calls to action informed by Indigenous and youth-led activist groups.
Parallax Art Center, Pearl District (Apr 6-June 6)

16th Annual Art First Artists’ Auction
Past Event Like List Oregon Contemporary's largest fundraiser of the year includes a silent art auction, after party, and tasting menus from the buzziest restaurants in Portland's food scene. Singer and performance artist Amenta Abioto will jump-start the evening with a mystical one-woman concert, and pop-up gallery collective Ethereal Reflections will bring the glow with floral and light installations. Attendees can nosh on bites from Tortilleria y Tienda De Leon, La Arepa, El Pilón, and Cachito de Cielo while rubbing elbows with art lovers.
Oregon Contemporary, Kenton (Sat Apr 8)