Live! Tonight! Not Sold Out!

Want to see some live music tonight? Here are your best options, curated by the Willamette Week music staff.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1

A Volcano,The Ax, U SCO

[GLOOM] While I generally believe that Satanism is a school of thought reserved for depressed eighth graders, when lead singer Johnny Brooke whispers "I am filled with the devil inside," I'm apt to join the ranks of Anton LaVey. While the duo follows certain scripts for heavy metal, including songs alluding to Viking culture ("Yggdrasil") and a general appreciation of the macabre, A Volcano's ability to pair beautifully ominous riffs with sludgier sounds makes them a deviation from the norm. With a barebones tactic to the genre which the band self-describes as "cave-noise," A Volcano is easily one of the most underrated metal bands in Portland. Hail Satan! ASHLEY JOCZ. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave. 9 pm. $5. 21+.

Cannibal Ox, Liam Tracy, Serge Severe, Deena B

[UNDERGROUND LEGENDS] Fourteen years after releasing its classic debut, rap duo Cannibal Ox has re-emerged with Blade of the Ronin. Read our profile here. Dante's, 350 W Burnside St. 9 pm. $13. 21+.

The Minus 5, the Ghost Ease

[POP ROCK] Whenever Scott McCaughey's merry band of rotating pranksters plays a show in Portland, it's always worth seeing, mostly because you never know who's going to show up. Read our review of the group's most recent album, Dungeon Golds, here. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St. 9 pm. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+.

Mothertapes, Bearcubbin', Just Lions

[SYNTH-POP] What would happen if Tune-Yards started dabbling in math rock? Mothertapes, probably. The synth-y, loop-heavy Portland duo formerly of Wax Fingers releases its self-titled debut tonight. Read our profile here. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St. 8:30 pm. $7. 21+.

The Thesis: Tope, Dre C, Zoo?

[THE RETURN] Before moving to Oakland a few months back, Anthony "Tope" Anderson was Portland's rapper next door, the guy you fall into conversation with on the MAX or in the coffee shop who ends up telling you about his asthma and how he didn't go to prom because he couldn't afford a tux. That rare personability helped make Tope the city's most visible MC, and he returns tonight for his first show in his hometown since shipping out California. MATTHEW SINGER. Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington St. 9 pm. $5. 21+.

Tender Age, Bloom Offering, Charlatan

[SHOEGAZE] Superlative local dream-pop act Tender Age releases a levitational new seven-inch. Killingsworth Dynasty, 832 N Killingsworth. 9 pm. Free. 21+.

Joe Jackson

[CIGARETTES AND POP MUSIC] Sure, you might recall Joe Jackson's classic power-pop debut Look Sharp!, his five Grammy nominations or even the proto-swing revival output he's been hard-pressed to leave behind—but did you know he also serves as a freelance Ambassador of Death? Jackson, the Phil Ochs of pro-smoking activism, has authored tract after essay after pamphlet about how smoking might not cause cancer and how Americans should be able to light one up in their goddamn apartments if they want. Bring a pack of Kools, but don't light up—the indoor smoking ban is still in effect, no matter how much Jackson might protest. BRACE BELDEN. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. #110, 8 pm. $45. 21+.

Tobias Jesso Jr., Wet

[PIANO BALLADS] The first listen through Tobias Jesso Jr.'s debut album, Goon, doesn't really seem like something that was made this year. Recalling instead piano-ballad singer-songwriters of the 60's and 70's—Randy Newman comes quickly to mind—Jesso folds simple tales of heartbreak in with lush piano arrangements, lead by emotive vocals that border all at once on sleepy and sweet. The melodic arrangements often build to lovelorn choruses–"How could you, babe?" and "I can hardly breathe without you" are two such examples—and feature touches of violin or horns, making heartbreak seem more than anything like a sad but not unpleasant stroll through the park. KAITIE TODD. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave, 9:30pm, $17. 21+.

Sea Fuzz, Who and the Fucks, Cucumber and the Suntans, Ghost Frog

[BEACH PSYCH] When Ghost Frog drummer Ben Heckler decided to move to Spain and start life anew, he brought his psych-rock roots with him. Similar to his previous project, Sea Fuzz is a lo-fi delve into the more conceptual elements of psychedelic music. While Ghost Frog is an homage to Frank Herbert's Dune, Sea Fuzz conjures more nautical imagery—Bo Derek in 10running down the beach in Technicolor slow motion, perhaps. Heckler's first solo record,Groovin' With the Eternal Now, is more than just beachy bedroom pop. It's a sonic exploration about what it's like to get lost in your own head. ASHLEY JOCZ. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St. 8 pm. $5. 21+.

Paul Weller, Villagers

[BEYOND MOD] It's a rare creative impulse to go from the Jam's 1970s power-pop to the Style Council's white soul in the next decade, emerge a solo performer and continue on for another 20 years. Along the way, Paul Weller's continued to express a ridiculous range of influence, including a 2013 effort reminiscent of the Last Poets or Gil Scott Heron, if they'd been more engaged with experimental music. Even this year's Saturns Pattern finds Weller jumbling up exhaustive interests and casting the album's hard-edged pop songs as some 21st century contraption referencing his past and even some shoegaze-y guitar gloss. DAVE CANTOR. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St. 9 pm. $35.

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