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Wednesday, Jan. 24
Circuit des Yeux
Chicago-based musician Haley Fohr started her Circuit des Yeux project five years ago, but it wasn't until 2017's Reaching for Indigo that it all made sense. It is a gift for Trumpian times—incredibly emotional, dysfunctional and oddly reassuring. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895, mississippistudios.com. 9 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.
Small Bar Pop-Up
In the city's only pop-up bar space, Small Bar will be cropping up on Northwest 23rd Avenue Tuesdays and Wednesdays only through February. Last week? They offered up Pfriem beer and a surprise appearance from bartender Chris Mehra from L.A. cocktail speakeasy The Varnish. This week? Stay tuned. Function PDX, 919 SW 23rd Ave., 971-712-3016. instagram.com/smallbarpdx.
Thursday, Jan. 25
Block 15 by 15
Through Saturday, Loyal Legion will be tapping a honking 15 beers by one of the best breweries in the state—including DAB Lab Hop Hash, Love Potion #9 choco-raspberry stout, and the ever-popular Sticky Hands. Show up early, though, because Block 15 beers tend to disappear. Loyal Legion, 710 SE 6th Ave., 503-235-8272, loyallegionpdx.com.
Mimicking Birds Listening Party
Portland's Mimicking Birds are taking a page from the Menomena playbook to roll out their new album, Layers of Us, by premiering it in the OMSI planetarium, complete with a laser show. The setting should complement their subtly lush cosmic folk songs quite well. OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., 503-797-4000, omsi.edu. 6 pm. Sold out.
Friday, Jan. 26
Rennie Harris Puremovement
Rennie Harris was one of the first choreographers to bring hip hop to traditional performance halls. His dance company is returning to Portland with a new narrative dance show that's loosed based off of Oliver Twist and features a live gospel choir. Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park Ave., whitebird.org. 8 pm. $25-$38.
First Aid Kit
What started off as a video of two Swedish sisters performing an unaffected cover of their favorite Fleet Foxes tune on YouTube has bloomed into a widely-praised family band. New album Ruins continues to mine the golden age of folk-rock, with elegant, saccharine-sweet harmonies and tumbling acoustic guitars. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-320-0033, roselandpdx.com. 8 pm. Sold out. All ages.
Saturday, Jan. 27
ARCO Goes Darkwave
ARCO-PDX has dazzled audiences with classical music delivered in a rock-show style for years, but it has never played actual rock music. This show gets close. It features ARCO's classically tinged arrangements of three songs by Depeche Mode songwriter Martin Gore, plus appropriately shadowy music by the darkwavers of 20th century classical, Dmitri Shostakovich and Arvo Part. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 503-239-7639, holocene.org. 8 pm. $9 advance, $12 day of show. 21+.
Coffee Beer Invitational
Usually, "coffee beer" just means cold brew in a stout. But not at this fest: The 20 invited brewers go nuts at this one, a caffeinated competition that'll include an Elvis-themed peanut butter-banana-bacon wheat beer from Zoiglhaus, a vanilla cream coffee beer from Deschutes and a coffee mead from Nectar Creek. Goose Hollow, 1927 SW Jefferson St., 503-288-7010. goosehollowinn.com. Noon-7 pm. $20 includes 10 tasters.
Sunday, Jan. 28
2.5 Minute Ride
Profile Theater begins its season of Lisa Kron's work with her witty, beautifully written one-person play that switches between a family vacation at middle-America amusement parks and another at Auschwitz. Artists Repertory Theater, 1515 SW Morrison St., profiletheatre.org. 2 pm. $20-$36. Through Feb. 11.
Rev. Nat's Rare Bottle Sale
When Nat West opens up his cider cellars, shit gets weird. Along with taster trays, including a cider with an entire rhubarb pie inside it, expect bottles of cold-fermented Kingston black, vintage fermented-pineapple tepache, wine-barrel ciders, lacto ciders and stuff you've never even heard of. Reverend Nat's, 1813 NE 2nd Ave., 503-567-2221, reverendnatshardcider.com. 11 am. Free.
Monday, Jan. 29
Who Reads Poetry?
Fred Sasaki and Don Share, editors of Chicago's Poetry magazine—aka just about the only poetry publication in America that actually has and pays money—will be in town promoting their anthology of essays by poetry lovers. Make sure to show up with poetry submissions wadded up in your fist. They love that. Powell's City of books, 1005 W Burnside St., powells.com. 7 pm. Free.
Minority Retort
Hosts Jason Lamb, Neeraj Srinivasan and Julia Ramos are reason enough to see any edition of Minority Retort. But this time, the standup showcase is also a homecoming show for LA-by-way of Portland comedian Nathan Brannon. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., hollywoodtheatre.org. 8 pm. $12.
Tuesday, Jan. 30
You're Going to Survive!
After gut-wrenching knocks from internet trolls online, Portland writer (and Hunnymilk pop-up organizer) Alexandra Franzen decided to collect stories of failure and rebound. In a time filled with disappointment, this book is about how you might overcome it. New Renaissance, 1338 NW 23rd Ave., newrenbooks.com. 7 pm. Free.
Illuminated Wilderness: Memory
In Portland artist Kindra Crick's new exhibit, you can walk through a forest of glowing, giant neuron sculptures that are suspended from the ceiling. It's ethereal, transfixing and lit AF. Littman Gallery, 1825 SW Broadway, facebook.com/littmanandwhite. Noon-5 pm. Free. Through Feb. 2.