22 Things to Do and See in Portland Oct. 21-23

Chocktoberfest is here. If you don't like chocolate and beer, there's Bad Future and Company.

FRIDAY, OCT. 21

Anthrax, Death Angel

(Wikimedia) (Wikimedia)

[OLD-MAN THRASH] Anthrax hasn’t bothered to change its sound all that much since 1985, so it’s impossible that they’ve gotten any worse—right? For All Kings is the latest from the thrash-metal founding fathers, and it sure is another heaping helping of Anthrax. Complete with epic vocals and gnarly riffage, the boys are back with most of their classic lineup, minus lead guitarist Dan Spitz, and are almost guaranteed to shred. Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez Blvd., 8 pm. Sold out. All ages.

Bad Future, Company, Pageripper

[PUNK ROCK] With the release of its 2011 EP Die On This Island, Company announced itself as Portland’s answer to the beard-friendly, Fest-ready punk that thrived in the wake of Avail, Hot Water Music and Small Brown Bike. The six-song collection was a gruff and rough evocation of punk-house porch-sits and basement-bedroom benders, and it promised great things. Hell, it was a great thing. But Company never released a follow-up, and the band has been inactive for a couple years. So consider this a rare opportunity to catch up with one of Portland’s most underappreciated bands and to bask in what once was and could have been. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St., 8 pm. Contact venue for ticket prices. 21+.

BloodyVox

(David Krebs) (David Krebs)

[CREEP SHOW] Contemporary dance with a scary and sexy slant from one of Portland's best companies. This annual show looks like a recital imagined by Martha Graham and Alfred Hitchcock together. BodyVox Dance Center, 1201 NW 17th, 2 pm and 7 pm. $25-60.

Choktoberfest

(Portland Chocolate Mob) (Portland Chocolate Mob)

[SWEEET] Is there something else you want on a Friday night that isn't beer, chocolate and German sausage? A whole mess of Portland's small-batch artisan chocolate makers will be pairing beers with local breweries including Ex Novo, Hair of the Dog and Laurelwood. $20 ($25 at the door) nets beer, chocolate pairings, and German-style appetizers. Old Portland Hardware, 1667 SE Tacoma St., 6 pm. $20-$25. 21+.

Death From Above 1979, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Deap Vally

[GARAGE RAWK REVIVAL] The pairing of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s brooding garage psych and Death From Above 1979’s pummeling post-punk is not illogical per se. But the fact that both groups have enough fuel left in the tank after the early ’00s “return of rock” wave of hype is certainly worth curiosity and commendation. Though DFA79 was absent for a large chunk of the past decade, last year’s The Physical Worldserved more as a rallying cry for fans of their stripped-down, bass-and-drums setup than an apology for disappearing when rockists needed them most. BRMC, on the other hand, has never slowed down, releasing album after album—a follow-up to 2013’s Specter at the Feast is in the tank—of shadowy roots-rock that slinks and stomps its way around all of garage rock’s most familiar touchstones. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 9 pm, $28. All ages.

Lines of Pull

Lines of Pull is less political and less fashion-oriented than it sounds. The multimedia dance performance at NoPo’s contemporary art hub might actually give you reprieve from both. Part dance, part film, part interactive set design, the performance tries to explain how humans experience the passing of time. It’s usually a safe bet to pass your time in one of the many rooms inside Disjecta, a favorite spot of the TBA Festival and shows like The Benefits of Gusbandry. Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate Ave., 8 pm, $18 in advance, $20 at the door. All ages.

Of Montreal

[PONDEROUS POP] In one of the band’s biggest shifts since bursting out of Athens, Georgia, in the mid-‘90s, Of Montreal has embraced the dancefloors of Europe. Kevin Barnes and company’s latest record, Innocence Reaches, is the result of an extended sojourn to Paris and is clearly influenced by EDM, house and whatever else French hipsters are into these days. Of Montreal has long been lauded for its flamboyant live performances, and its new sound ensures an even more energetic, prop-fueled set. It should be enough to make David Bowie smile somewhere. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 9 pm, $16 advance, $18 day of show. All ages.

Guignolfest

[GREEN LIGHTED] For the eighth year, a gaggle of wannabe George Romeros will try to shoot and edit a short horror film—whose final runtime must clock in at six minutes and 66 seconds—in just 72 hours. The contest kicks off tonight at midnight, and the results will be screened at Clinton Street Theater on Oct. 30. The Analog Cafe, 720 SE Hawthorne Blvd., (503) 206-7439. 10 pm.

Who's Metal as Fuck

(Christine Dong) (Christine Dong)

[LAUGH AT TRACKS] Who among us is metal as fuck? Wendy Weiss and Dan Weber host a brutal, hardcore game show where contestants compete to see who holds the most obscure and sometimes made-up knowledge of heavy-metal music. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., 503-841-6734. 10 pm every second to last Friday. $8. 21+.

SATURDAY, OCT. 22

Billy Bragg and Joe Henry

[TRAINS IN VAIN] Often referred to as a one-man Clash, Billy Bragg is something of a national treasure among left-leaning Brits. Despite having written extensively about British identity, Bragg himself has always possessed a certain fascination with America and its iconography. This fascination first manifested itself on Mermaid Avenue, a collaboration with Wilco centered around previously unrecorded Woody Guthrie lyrics. On paper, Shine a Light—a new collection of classic, railroad-themed folk songs made alongside Americana star Joe Henry—should be similarly magical. The pair recorded the album while traveling over four days by railroad. Unfortunately, that gimmick is the most interesting thing about the record. It might seem harsh to fault an icon for a missed opportunity, but in a year that’s given us Brexit and the ascension of Donald Trump, we need the fired-up Billy Bragg that brought us anthems like “To Have and to Have Not” and “All You Fascists,” not a laid-back avuncular figure crooning a bass harmony on “Gentle On My Mind.” Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 8 pm, $39.50 advance, $42 day of show. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.

Brewers for Boobs

[ALL OF THE THINGS] No, this isn’t a Trump thing. It’s a breast-cancer fundraiser with belly-dancing, a beer battle and also a raffle whose prizes include a three-night stay at Sunriver Resort, where some of the best brews in Oregon are currently being made. Oh, and if that’s not all confusing enough, the musical entertainment will be first breakbeats, then salsa. East Burn, 1800 E Burnside St., 5 pm, free.

Brian Posehn Live

[GETTING FAMOUS] Brian Posehn is probably the only comedian who has given the general public authorization to physically abuse his child. Apparently, if Posehn reproduces, we are entitled to the ultimate punchline: we can hit his kid in the face, because Posehn's genes have no business continuing. (He's since changed his mind about the joke, though, now that he actually has a baby who he'd like people not to punch.) He was also a part of possibly the chillest gay male relationship depicted on TV next to Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star: Posehn's Brian and Steve Agee's Steven from The Sarah Silverman Program. This live show is going to be taped in preparation for Posehn's new comedy special, so maybe someday you can see yourself with that faint studio spotlight creating a shadow over your lazy eye while you hover over your laptop in the wee hours of the morning. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., No. 110, 503-288-3895. 10 pm. $20

Buddha Bud Yoga

(Yoga Shala of Portland) (Yoga Shala of Portland)

[ENLIGHT-IT-UP] After searching for the perfect spot, high yoga has found a home at Yoga Shala, one of Portland's more established and eco-chic studios. This all levels yoga class and pot party starts with consumption before (bring your own or enjoy the free stash), an accessible class and snack time after. We recommend your stretchiest pants and a body high, hybrid strain to vape. Yoga Shala of Portland, 3808 North Williams Ave., 6 pm. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Oregon Symphony presents Colin Currie

[CONTEMPORARY AND CLASSICAL] "Playing 'Switch' feels like being trapped (in the best possible way) inside a giant pinball machine," Scottish percussionist Colin Currie told the piece's composer, L.A.-based Andrew Norman, during rehearsals for the Utah Symphony's premiere a few years ago. Currie, now in his second of a three-year residency with the Oregon Symphony, will play another round in that game, matching one of classical music's most dynamic performers with one of its most admired, youngish composers. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, $23-$135.

Sleep, Helen Money

[STONER STUFF] Sleep is the modern-day Black Sabbath. Anyone privy to the millennial generation’s most popular metal subgenre knows this as fact, and Sleep wouldn’t necessarily deny it. A blatant, Sabbathian milieu has heavily acquainted itself with the band’s mere five releases, and it’s even something they boast about all over their official Facebook page. What isn’t present on their much-used social media page is a mention of that new album they teased back in 2014 with “The Clarity,” their first single in 11 years. Fast forward to today, and despite recent live performance, the world is still a Sleep-less place. But at least we’ve got Helen Money, which is basically a diet version of the band they’re opening for. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 9 pm, $25 general admission, $40 reserved balcony seating. All ages.

Snowvana

(Snowvana) (Snowvana)

[WAXING WINTERY] Ski season is nearly here and 10 Barrel Brewing is celebrating with a two-day music, gear and film festival. You can win custom gear, season passes or lift tickets to all three of Mt. Hood's ski areas and get psyched up with films like Tanner Hall's Ring the Alarm. Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, 300 N Winning Wy., 10 am-10 pm. $5.

Woody Guthrie's Northwest Songs

[DAM FOLK MUSIC] Seventy-five years ago, Woody Guthrie moved into an apartment in Lents and wrote a bunch of songs about dams for the federal government. Seventeen of them became sanctified entries in the American folk songbook, while nine languished in his archives—until last year, when Portland songwriter John Seamons gathered an all-star cast of local musicians to get them on record, bringing all 26 songs together on one album for the first time. He previews the project tonight. The Old Church, 1442 SW 11th Ave. 2 and 8 pm. $25. All ages.

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

Dom Flemons, Leyla McCalla

[CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPOUTS] On three solo albums before and after leaving Carolina Chocolate Drops, co-founder Dom Flemons has continued that African-American string band’s exploration and reinterpretation of old-time American roots music. Deploying banjo, percussion, guitar, harmonica and voice, his music ranges from Piedmont blues, spirituals and jug-band music to other folk strains. Former CCD cellist, guitarist and banjoist Leyla McCalla shares Flemons’ fondness for American vernacular sounds, but flavored with music from her Haitian heritage as well as the Creole, Cajun, jazz and French influences that still simmer in and around her New Orleans home. McCalla’s sometimes poignant, sometimes danceable, expertly crafted original music reflects the vitality of the many rich folk traditions she’s assimilated. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 9 pm, $15 advance, $17 day of show. 21+.

Fly by Night

[DON'T GO HUNGRY] Catch closing weekend of Broadway Rose's rock musical about a soothsayer, a sandwich-maker and the blackout that hit New York City in 1965, directed by Portland-famous actor Isaac Lamb. Broadway Rose New Stage, 12850 SW Grant, 2 pm. $20-40.

Jacuzzi Boys

(Jacuzzi Boys) (Jacuzzi Boys)

[GARAGE ROCK] Among the things that differentiate the East Coast from the West Coast are their respective takes on garage rock. While the stuff you find on our side of the country is usually heavily influenced by the sounds of surf, a more straight-ahead approach dominates out east. Florida’s Jacuzzi Boys are proof of that. Despite recording their newest record, Ping Pong, in a Los Angeles studio, their defined fuzzy guitars aren’t cradled by melodic “ooohs” and “la-la-las”—it’s no-fuss and in your face. “Boys Like Blood,” the first single, is about having a joyous time while watching someone bleed out. You can’t get any more intense than that. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 9 pm, $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.

No Shit Added Winemaking

[LOCALLY SOURCED] Get in on the ground floor of local natural wines—craft wines that taste wild, funky, interesting, distinctive and have, uh, no shit added. For a mere $10, you'll get a four-winery tasting of some kickass local natural winemakers, who will all be present to field questions. Wines will include Holden, Fossil & Fawn and Chardonnay-obsessed Statera. Pairings, 455 NE 24th Ave., 2 pm. $10.

Rock for Rockwood

[JOIN THE CLUB] A who's who of Portland music luminaries—including M. Ward, the Thermals and Helio Sequence, plus inventive one-woman band Emily Wells—play in support of a new Boys and Girls Club in Rockwood, Ore. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. #110, (503) 288-3895. 7 pm. $35 advance, $40 day of show. All ages.

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