Although Oregon’s statewide mask mandate has been lifted, venues may have their own health guidelines in place. We advise directly checking the specific protocols for an event before heading out.
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MONDAY
FILM
I Am Divine
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John Waters's legendary muse is nothing if not complex. Divine's humble beginnings as a bullied Baltimore youth were shaken up when he became an internationally renowned drag star, but he remained a pop culture outsider, shirking conventions of gender identity, sexuality, body image, beauty, and more in favor of a brash, revolutionary style. Get into the nitty-gritty of the drag great's tumultuous rise to fame in I Am Divine, a documentary packed with interviews and clips that tell a wildly affecting story. Proceeds from this screening will benefit the prison abolition and LGBTQIA2S+ liberation organization Black & Pink.
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy)
LIVE MUSIC
Aldous Harding
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Back in 2019, Mercury contributor Chris Stamm wrote: "Aldous Harding’s odd brand of uneasy listening is unpindownable. Simultaneously familiar and alien, like a childhood home remembered in a dream, the New Zealand folk singer-songwriter seems to be sending dispatches from a sideways world, one where Nick Drake’s lilt and Marlene Dietrich’s growl live in glorious accord." She will support her latest album, Warm Chris, after an opening set from Welsh songsmith H. Hawkline.
(Crystal Ballroom, West End)
Shawn Mendes: Wonder, The World Tour
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Canadian heartthrob Shawn Mendes will come through town on his Wonder tour, supporting his 2020 album of the same name. The album oozes with honeymoon-phase love songs, sensual R&B melodies, and nice-guy lyrics like “you’re my sunlight on a rainy day.” Like-minded singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy will get the crystalline pop tunes flowing.
(Moda Center, Lloyd District)
Soft Cheese with Helens and Nothings
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Enjoy a flavorful charcuterie board of synth-tinged tunes with the decadent up-and-coming Portland indie-pop trio Soft Cheese, dreamy alt-rock outfit Helens, and noise-pop project Nothings.
(Mississippi Studios, Boise)
TUESDAY
PERFORMANCE
Flawless Sunsets
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Close out the final week of Pride month with a rooftop performance by drag queen Flawless Shade, whose immaculate makeup skills were showcased in the makeup competition show Painted with Raven. Enjoy themed cocktails, photo ops, no cover, and be on the lookout for a surprise guest!
(Revolution Hall, Buckman)
VISUAL ART
LRVS Lecture Series: Malcolm Peacock
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New Orleans-based artist Malcolm Peacock will visit PNCA as part of their low residency Visual Studies program, sharing a public lecture on his boundary-pushing creative practice. Intrigued by the idiosyncrasies of intimacy, Peacock examines the "emotional and psychic spaces" of Black subjects in his multimedia works, including layered, passionate performances.
(PNCA, Pearl District)
WEDNESDAY
GEEK & GAMING
OMSI After Dark: Turn Up The Heat
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Leave the kiddos at home for this evening of all things spicy and explosive. Science demonstrations will light up the museum with "cloud-splosions" and flares, and a live ice carving activity will cool things down if you work up a sweat. In the Empirical Theater, put on your thinking cap to learn more about climate change and Cascades volcanoes from local science experts, then snag some spicy snacks from local food and hot sauce vendors like Fire on the Mountain, Choi's Kimchi, and Secret Aardvark. Is it hot in here?
(OMSI, Central Eastside)
LIVE MUSIC
Los Bitchos with somesurprises
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London-based quartet Los Bitchos aptly describe their instrumental tunes as a "retro-futuristic blend of Peruvian chica, Argentine cumbia, Turkish psych, and surf guitars." They're the kind of genre and era ambiguous songs that could soundtrack both your tropical vacation and a spaghetti Western film from the '60s. They'll get the party started alongside like-minded Seattle-based singer-songwriter somesurprises.
(Mississippi Studios, Boise)
THURSDAY
FILM
The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
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Rainer Werner Fassbinder's strange, stylish approach merges with the avant-garde fashion world in The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, one of the director's most beloved melodramas. The film follows an arrogant fashion designer, whose sadomasochistic affair with her assistant is tormented when she meets a breathtaking new woman. Claustrophobic tension reaches a fever pitch as the love triangle intensifies. Rumor has it that the film, which pushed Fassbinder's work to new emotional heights, was modeled after the director's fervent obsession with a young actor of the era. Juicy!
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy)
Pix Pâtisserie's Movies at Dusk!
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They've mastered the macaron—why not movie screenings, too? Pix Pâtisserie's summer screenings of film favorites continue with Spinal Tap on June 30. Tickets to each Thursday night show include prearranged seats, movie trivia, and all the popcorn you can eat!
(Pix Pâtisserie/Bar Vivant, Kerns)
LIVE MUSIC
Ani DiFranco
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New York-hailing singer-songwriter and folk-rock icon Ani DiFranco will return to town to play songs from her 20th studio album, Revolutionary Love. The album addresses both the personal and the political, learning to process her anger and frustrations through love and compassion. Fort Worth-based folk-soul artist Abraham Alexander will start the evening.
(Crystal Ballroom, West End)
Chamber Music Northwest: Folk Ingenuity
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The masterful musicians of Chamber Music Northwest will pay tribute to two trailblazing musicians: British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who laid the groundwork for African and American spiritual traditions to be incorporated into classical music, and contemporary Czech composer Josef Suk, who carried on the tradition of Antonin Dvořák by blending Czech folk music into his compositions.
(Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton)
Jenny Don't & The Spurs with Charts (Album Release) & Small Paul
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Playing vintage country and western straight out of the lonesomest corners of mid-20th century America, Jenny Don't and her cohorts sound nothing like a museum piece; rather, there's grit, sadness, and an edge of danger to these rumbling-boxcar country songs. Garage rock duo Charts will get things started with tracks off of their new album, Love You To Death, alongside country-rock supergroup Small Paul, consisting of members from The Moondoggies, Chris King and the Gutterballs, and All-Star Opera.
(Doug Fir Lounge, Buckman)
The Minus 5 + The Delines
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Beloved Portland singer-songwriter Scott McCaughey (formerly of The Young Fresh Fellows) brings his longtime power-pop outfit The Minus 5 out for a hometown show along with country-soul ensemble The Delines, who will be celebrating the vinyl release of their latest album, The Sea Drift.
(Mississippi Studios, Boise)
READINGS & TALKS
BIPOC Reading Series
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The theme of this bimonthly reading series is "Roots & Branches," featuring readers Jessica Tyner Mehta, an author and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and Jessica Yen, a Chinese American author and 2022 Oregon Literary Fellowship recipient. The event centers stories by BIPOC writers, prioritizing their safety and creativity. An open mic option will be available, and the reading will be followed by a community dialogue.
(Virtual via Literary Arts)
Spare Room Reading: Lindsey Boldt, Jacob Kahn, and Turner Canty
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If cool contemporary poetry is your thing, pop by Passages for this night of expressive readings. Lindsey Boldt, editorial director at Nightboat Books and author of Weirding, will share fresh lines alongside Oakland-based poet and editor Jacob Kahn and NYC wordsmith Turner Capeheart Canty.
(Passages Bookshop, Slabtown)
FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC
BB Cone + Cardioid
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BB Cone is a mixed media artist who examines themes of "love, loss, misery, and identity" through lush synth-pop and '80s-inspired grooves, drawing comparisons to a diverse range of artists from Roxy Music to Sade. Also not to be missed on this stellar Portland doubleheader is solo performer Cardioid, who will bring her unique sounds that she's dubbed "fantasy metal" to Mississippi's intimate stage.
(Doug Fir Lounge, Buckman)
Circle Jerks
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Hardcore punk legends Circle Jerks, led by Black Flag co-founder Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson, are stopping by as part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of their landmark album, Group Sex. (Both are phrases that should be Googled with caution.) With support from fellow heavies of the early ‘80s hardcore scene 7 Seconds and Negative Approach, this show will surely get your blood pumping.
(Crystal Ballroom, West End)
Korgy & Bass
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Experimental electronic duo Korgy & Bass infuse their songs with hip-hop and jazz samples for some of the best beats currently coming out of the Pacific Northwest. They will be joined by local neo-soul vocalist Julia Logue.
(Mississippi Studios, Boise)
PERFORMANCE
BenDeLaCreme is... Ready to be Committed
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BenDeLaCreme brings her bubbly, effervescent style to the stage in this fresh cabaret show, a "heartfelt spectacular" that's a little cheeky, but as delightful as always. In BenDeLaCreme is...Ready to Be Committed, the blushing wannabe bride is all set to settle down, but first, she'll need a cake, a venue, a dress...and a spouse. Sounds complicated, Ben! She'll dodge weirdos on Grindr and meet Cupid himself in this performance, which blends burlesque, comedy, and original music.
(Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn)
SATURDAY
LIVE MUSIC
Brit Floyd
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Brit Floyd, one of the premier Pink Floyd tribute acts, will return to Portland to revive the style and sound of the '70s rock legends as they faithfully recreate Pink Floyd's final 1994 tour. Get ready for the whole enchilada, including a spectacular light show, the iconic circular screen, lasers, inflatables, and various other trippy theatrics.
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks)
Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna
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Chilean singer-songwriter Pascuala Ilabacaand her band are known for their distinctive sound that blends shades of jazz, pop, and rock, with traditional Indian and Mexican melodies. They will be joined by the recent winner of NPR'sTiny Desk Contest, soulful folk-rock artist Alisa Amador.
(Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia)
Ween
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Experimental rock band Ween, led by musicians Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo (also known by their stage names, Gene and Dean Ween), has gained a legendary cult status similar to that of the Grateful Dead, Phish, or Frank Zappa with their humorous genre-blending jams and always fresh live performances. Considering the band hasn't released a proper album since 2007's La Cucaracha, you can look forward to a mixed-bag setlist pulling from their classic albums, and maybe a few covers, too.
(Edgefield, Troutdale)
PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
The Return of Club Nitty Gritty with DJ Action Slacks
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Portland's "grittiest vintage vinyl dance party" is celebrating its return after a two-year hiatus with a special outdoor edition helmed by mid-century soul specialist DJ Action Slacks.
(The World Famous Kenton Club, Kenton)
SUNDAY
LIVE MUSIC
Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown
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New Orleans-hailing brass instrument royalty Trombone Shorty has made a name for himself playing alongside giants such as Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton, and the Foo Fighters. Now he's hosting a curated mini-festival of NOLA-based artists that will include legendary bounce rapper Big Freedia (who you might've heard on Beyoncé's new single "Break My Soul"), funk ensemble Tank and the Bangas, iconic funk band The Meters, and eight-piece brass band The Soul Rebels.
(Edgefield, Troutdale)
MULTI-DAY
EXHIBIT
It’s Not Over: Forty Years of HIV/AIDS in Oregon
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It's 1981, and a strange new disease is causing respiratory attacks and unusual skin cancers in otherwise healthy young people. Soon linked to gay men, HIV/AIDS fueled a fire of fierce discrimination. In Oregon, activists formed organizations like Cascade AIDS Project and Our House of Portland to offer support. Nonetheless, HIV/AIDS killed over 700,000 Americans between 1981 and 2021. 4,613 of them lived in Oregon. This exhibition centers the work of Cascade AIDS Project and Our House of Portland as a reflection on 40 years of HIV/AIDS in our state.
(Oregon Historical Society, South Park Blocks, Monday-Monday)
FESTIVALS
Waterfront Blues Festival
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While the fest is no longer free or offering admission for cans of food like in the good ol’ days, it’s cool to see the festival stepping up their lineup by adding eclectic newer acts alongside stalwart veterans. Performers include Grammy-winning artist Taj Mahal, gothic blues singer Adia Victoria, New Orleans act Galactic (featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph, formerly of Tank and the Bangas), R&B musician Son Little, powerhouse singing (and husband-and-wife) duo The War and Treaty, Nigerian musician Femi Kuti, The Phantom Blues Band, and many more. See the full lineup here. JENNI MOORE
(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Downtown, Friday-Monday)
FOOD & DRINK
Portland Craft Beer Festival
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After a two-year hiatus, the Portland Craft Beer Festival is making a triumphant return in 2022, with plenty of craft beer from local brewers, plus cider, wine, spritzes, beer/cider slushies, table tennis, cornhole, hula hoops, giant Jenga and Connect Four, and more.
(The Fields, Northwest Portland, Friday-Sunday)
Tiki Kon: Rim of Fire
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This festival pays homage to the Polynesian craze that swept America after World War II, with four days of music, dancing, food, cocktails, art, parties, vendors, symposiums, and classes, plus a fashion show and a luau-style banquet.
(Doubletree Hotel, Lloyd District, Friday-Sunday)
FILM
Mad God
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You're likely familiar with his special effects, but you might not know his name. Phil Tippett is the mastermind behind the creature design, stop motion, and computerized character animation seen in films like Jurassic Park and Robocop. For over 30 years, Tippett's been methodically working on Mad God, a surreal, dystopic labyrinth that just might be his masterpiece. Sight and Sound reports that the film has "all the makings of an instant cult classic"—sounds pretty promising to us.
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Monday-Thursday)
Portland Horror Film Festival 2022
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Get your spook on at this horror festival of fresh shorts and feature-length films to die for. With in-person screenings and virtual options, it's kinda like Halloween in June—you'll find monsters, hauntings, creepy killers, and more, with offerings from BIPOC, women, and queer filmmakers.
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Wednesday-Sunday)
PERFORMANCE
Cirque du Soleil: Alegría in a New Light
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A reimagining of one of Cirque du Soleil's most iconic productions, Alegría plays with surreality, humor, and joy, cultivating an infectious magic that the French Canadian performance company has perfected for decades.
(Portland Expo Center, North Portland, Monday-Monday)
The Music Man
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Gather 'round for barbershop harmonies and surprising romance! A cast of six women and non-binary performers and instrumentalists will bring this contemporary interpretation of the Tony-winning musical The Music Man to life.
(CoHo Theater, Northwest Portland, Wednesday-Sunday)
Rent
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Directed by Chip Miller, this rendition of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning Broadway rock musical follows the story of young artists navigating the AIDS crisis with radical love in New York City.
(Portland Center Stage, Pearl District, Wednesday-Sunday)
VISUAL ART
1,000 Moons: Emily Jung Miller
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In an effort to remain grounded, artist Emily Jung Miller began creating sculptural works after losing both of her grandparents due to COVID complications. Her hand-formed paper works incorporate kelp, sheet music, and other connections to her grandparents' lives; each piece links together in this installation to form a corridor or pathway of memories. As part of the meditative making practice for 1,000 Moons, Jung Miller's paper works were cut into moon shapes, representing each full moon in her grandmother’s 94 years of life.
(Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton, Wednesday-Saturday)
Betsy Walton: Habitats
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Betsy Walton draws from the Pacific Northwest as an inspiration for her imaginative, detailed compositions. The artist's acrylic and gouache paintings are like mystical treasure hunts in which the viewer might find references to natural phenomena, weather, and motherhood. In Habitats, a solo exhibition, Walton's vivid forms are a little moody—they're tinged with purples and teals in a strange blend of symbolism and realism that feels like entering someone else's dream.
(Stephanie Chefas Projects, Central Eastside, Thursday-Saturday)
El Césped del Otro Lado (The Grass on The Other Side)
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Photographer Luis Manuel Diaz highlights the complexities of immigration and post-migration consciousness through lenses of the familial and the everyday in El Césped del Otro Lado (The Grass on The Other Side). The exhibition touches on mundane ritual, relationships, and the American dream with black-and-white photographs that are gentle, vulnerable, and profound all at once.
(Blue Sky Gallery, Northwest Portland, Wednesday-Saturday; closing)
Gifts from Japan: A Horticultural Tale Told through Botanical Art
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We all love flowers, but the unique role they play in culture is often overlooked. Delving into the Japanese American experience of flora, this exhibition touches on immigrant-cultivated gardens and the origin stories of flowers now presumed to be native to the US. Gifts from Japan compiles botanical illustrations from The Huntington Library, the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, and guest botanical artists from Japan.
(Portland Japanese Garden, Washington Park, Monday-Monday; closing)
Kablooey! Reimagining the Self
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Kablooey! Reimagining the Self considers identity through conceptual and theoretical frameworks, exploring selfhood in varying artistic mediums. The exhibiting artists, including Maria Guzmán Capron and Wayne Hodge, seek to reimagine their own representation in an open-minded, accepting space.
(Parallax Art Center, Pearl District, Monday-Thursday; closing)
Lee Kelly: Yucatán Revisited: Memorial Exhibition
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Lee Kelly, a monumental sculptor whose works can be found in gardens and museums in Oregon and beyond, was a major figure in the 20th-century Pacific Northwest art scene. This memorial exhibition showcases Kelly's sculptures and works on paper, reflecting on the modernist works he made right up until the last year of his life. In Yucatán Revisited, visitors will find Kelly's Cor-Ten steel sculptures, bronze forms, and works inspired by the artist's extensive travels in the Yucatán Peninsula.
(Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Pearl District, Tuesday-Saturday; closing)
Naturalists of the Long Now
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All of those pesky, ultra-important reports from leading scientists about the impending doom of the climate crisis have radically shifted common perceptions of time. We're now thinking more critically about human and geologic time scales, and in response, photographer Ian van Coller's Naturalists of the Long Now seeks to conceptualize "deep time" through visual investigations of glacial ice and "earthly archives." Collaborating with scientists, van Coller's art is a challenge. It asks that the viewer consider the vastness of past and future geologic time, imagining a potential future for humanity beyond our immediate desires. In this way, the work serves as an important exercise in selflessness and hope.
(Blue Sky Gallery, Northwest Portland, Wednesday-Saturday; closing)
Unattended
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Artist, Adidas brand designer, and Carnation Contemporary co-founder Russell Borne grapples with the passing of time in Unattended. Time has a way of feeling both abstract and like an omnipresent force in our lives—we all know the DMV can feel like three hours, while a great movie flies by. Borne digs into the wide variety of temporal experiences we experience in this solo exhibition. The details are still under wraps, but expect a series of narrative-driven objects.
(Carnation Contemporary, Kenton, Saturday-Sunday; opening)
Where the Waters Come Together
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The Center for Native Arts and Cultures, housed in the former Yale Union Laundry building, celebrates Indigenous artistry and culture with ceremonies, workshops, exhibitions, and more. Their inaugural exhibition, Where the Waters Come Together, looks closely at Indigenous perspectives on biodiversity, necessity, and food sources in rivers and oceans, considering colonial reshaping of waterways and shorelines. Greg Archuleta, Brenda Mallory, Sara Siestreem, and several other Indigenous artists respond to the themes through traditional and contemporary practices, sculpture, installation, and other mediums.
(Center for Native Arts and Cultures, Central Eastside, Wednesday-Thursday; closing)