Venues may have health guidelines in place—we advise directly checking the specific protocols for an event before heading out.

MONDAY

LIVE MUSIC

The Lemon Twigs with Uni Boys Past Event Like List
This zingy duo is headed up by Long Island-hailing brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, who draw something that’s both subtle and authentic in their 1970s influence, dodging the cringy Halloween costume or cover band tropes that they could easily fall into (I'm talking to you, Greta Van Fleet!) If you didn't know the band, you might even hear their Beach Boys-esque harmonies and breezy psych-rock jams and assume it's some forgotten relic of the past. The pair will support their fourth album, Everything Harmony, alongside LA-based powerpop outfit Uni Boys. AV
(Holocene, Buckman)

TUESDAY

READINGS & TALKS

Grant Lindsley in Conversation With Scott Korb Past Event Like List
Grant Lindsley’s not only the bestselling author of Mediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery—he's also a two-time Team USA ultimate frisbee gold medalist, according to his LinkedIn profile. Not bad for a Brooklyn dude who was once "majorly interested in himself and minorly interested in himself on drugs." In Mediocre Monk, Lindsley describes his unorthodox path to spiritual growth, which kicks into gear when he dips out on his corporate gig and gets hairy when he retreats into a cave in Thailand to train as a monk. As it turns out, finding solace and humility is a little more complicated than that. Lindsley will chat about it with Scott Korb, recipient of a 2021 Oregon Literary Fellowship and director of the MFA in writing at Pacific University. LC
(Powell’s City of Books, Pearl District)

WEDNESDAY

PERFORMANCE

White Bird Presents: MOMIX Past Event Like List
Part dance, part surreal light spectacle, this inventive, one-night-only performance of Alice by dancer-illusionists MOMIX dives down the rabbit hole into the classic hallucinatory tale. Based on Lewis Carroll’s masterwork, MOMIX founder Moses Pendleton's imaginative choreography helps unfold the curious fantasy, which is designed for all ages but might trip you out anyway. Plot twist, though: the New York Times hated it, which is a sort of bizarre accomplishment, if you think about it. Stick it to the Gray Lady and go see it for yourself. LC
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks)

LIVE MUSIC

KOKOKO! Past Event Like List
The Congo-based experimental electronic collective KOKOKO! is known for their lively percussive tracks, which they construct with synths, drum machines, and DIY instruments like metal cans and car parts before adding powerful lyrics that chew over the politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If you're unfamiliar with the group, make sure to check out their 2020 NPR Tiny Desk session to get a feel for just how captivating their performances are. AV
(Holocene, Buckman)

Phony Ppl with Johnny 2 Phones Past Event Like List
In the mood to hear some ultra smooth, highly liberated hip-hop and soul? Brooklyn neo-soul group Phony Ppl is giving folks a compelling reason to trek our their door on a weeknight. Touring in support of their latest album, the 2022 Euphonyus (and first full-length since the 2018 hit mō’zā-ik), the five-piece play Portland’s Star Theater in May, blessing concert goers with they jam-out album highlights like “love just died.,” the bluesy “been away.,” experimental pulsing of “don’t knock & common courtesy.,” and the Earth Wind and Fire-reminiscent “to get home.” Here’s hoping they make a little time for “Fkn Around,” even though Megan Thee Stallion won’t be joining them. JENNI MOORE
(Star Theater, Old Town-Chinatown)

THURSDAY

COMEDY

Portland Mercury Presents: Two Evils with Arlo & Kate—A Comedy Game Show! Past Event Like List
Portland Mercury Undisputed Geniuses of Comedy Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy (noted Bigfoot skeptic) get straight-up diabolical in this live game show, which sees the chucklesome pair answer a series of "truly evil" questions on stage. The audience and an unannounced "special guest contestant" will then decide which of the responses is less evil. It's kinda like a Catholic confessional, except FUN and non-judgy. Okay, maybe a little judgy. You'll have to go to find out. Plus, there'll be prizes—the perfect antidote for a little moral corruption. LC
(Siren Theater, Boise)

LIVE MUSIC

Crowded House: Dreamers Are Waiting Tour Past Event Like List
Crowded House's '80s megahit "Don't Dream It's Over" is so illustrious in American culture that I feel as though I've known it since the day I was born. In fact, I used to daydream about it soundtracking my first middle school slow dance—only to find out that is not the type of music they were playing at the 2008 spring fling. Luckily for all of us, there’s still a chance to live out that '80s prom fantasy because the iconic Aussie jangle pop band has been touring the globe since reuniting in 2019 (unfortunately without co-founding drummer Paul Hester, who passed away back in 2005). Expect to hear all the hits, like "Weather With You," "Something So Strong," and "Better Be Home Soon," after an opening set from indie rock artist (and son of Crowded House frontman Neil Finn) Liam Finn. AV
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks)

Xiu Xiu with Lucia Luna and Ferngazer Past Event Like List
In 2019, former Mercury writer Chris Stamm wrote: "Xiu Xiu has been waging a war against passive listening for close to 20 years. It’s possible to have mixed feelings about the band’s difficult discography, but real-time exposure to their music is an either/or affair: You’re either giving Jamie Stewart & Co. your full attention or you’re not. Xiu Xiu isn’t here to soundtrack your life. They’re here to stop you in your tracks." The experimental project will stop by Holocene for an all-ages show in support of their latest release, Ignore Grief, which lyrically explores the horrors of human tragedy through harsh industrial sounds. Add in orchestral instrumentation and some screaming, and it sounds like a fun night, right? Darkwave producer Lucia Luna and art pop artist Ferngazer will open. AV
(Holocene, Buckman)

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Oregon Symphony: The Law of Mosaics - A Musical Montage Across Four Centuries Past Event Like List
Join the Oregon Symphony for a musical mosaic that brings together four different composers across centuries (C.P.E. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, W.A. Mozart, and Louise Farrenc) to consider "the ways in which artists, by engaging with each other across time, help us to better understand ourselves, and the world." Contemporary works from imaginative composers that further explore memory and nostalgia will be tucked between the historic pieces. AV
(Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton)

Rauw Alejandro: Saturno World Tour Past Event Like List
"King of modern Reggaeton" Rauw Alejandro, or as I know him, Rosalía's boyfriend, will stop by Portland on his Saturno world tour. The international jaunt supports his futuristic new album of the same name, which Pitchfork described as a "synth-powered reggaeton spaceship." Masked hip-hop dance troupe Jabbawockeez will get the energy flowing. AV
(Moda Center, Lloyd District)

SATURDAY

COMEDY

Stavros Halkias: The Fat Rascal Tour Past Event Like List
Prepare thy fits, for another "Fat Lil Slut Summer" is upon us. Stavros Halkias, the spunky, Baltimore-born Greek American comic who previously hosted the sometimes-controversial "dirtbag left" podcast Cum Town alongside fellow weirdos Adam Friedland and Nick Mullen, will take a break from "posting to social media like his career depends on it" (GQ, lol) to roast your five-year plan on stage. Here's your chance to check in with the body-positive king before he starts grilling again. LC
(Revolution Hall, Buckman)

SUNDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Pussy Riot Past Event Like List
Former Stranger writer Jas Keimig wrote: “Blending music, performance art, and political protest, the Russian punk collective is continuing to promote the overthrowing of imperialism, capitalism, and fascism while facing continued harassment from the Russian government.” The fearless feminist performance group Pussy Riot, which recently made headlines after founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova was placed on Russia’s most wanted list, will take the stage with poignant protest anthems like “Putin’s Ashes,” “HATEFUCK,” and “PANIC ATTACK.” AV
(Wonder Ballroom, Eliot)

MULTI-DAY

COMEDY

Rip City Comedy Festival Past Event Like List
Debuting in the city's inner southeast neighborhoods (at The Get Down, Helium Comedy Club, Funhouse Lounge, and Rogue Eastside Brewing), The Rip City Comedy Festival is an easily navigated good time—grab a standard wristband or a VIP pass and you're in for three days of laughs from nationally known comics and local faves. The fest also offers up free panels from comedy industry leaders, but if you're just in it for a good time, here are our suggestions: Head to Femmes the Rules Past Event Like List , which "pairs female and non-binary comics with a male comic of their choice, and allows them to interrupt the male comic whenever they'd like." (Hell yeah.) Then, hit Amy Miller's Midnight Ma$$ Past Event Like List , a "raucous late-night showcase" punctuated by churchy rituals and audience confessions. LC
(Various locations, Thursday-Saturday)

FILM

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda Past Event Like List
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oscar-winning composer, unparalleled style icon, and one of the three melodic geniuses behind the Tokyo electronic outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra, passed away in April after a battle with cancer. (Chances are good that you've heard YMO's arty electro-pop tunes, but if not, throw this on before continuing.) Directed by Stephen Nomura Schible (whose taste is solid—he co-produced Lost in Translation), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda traces Sakamoto's prolific career, but digs deeper into his social activism in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. As he navigates his cancer diagnosis, Sakamoto's understanding of the precarity of life leads to an "ambient-as-restorative" solo album. LC
(5th Avenue Cinema, Downtown, Friday-Sunday)