Headout Picks 7/16/14

WIDE-OPEN SPACES: It can be a little jarring to witness an album as meticulously crafted as Amen Dunes' Love re-created live. Frontman Damon McMahon opened the band's show at Bunk Bar on July 11 with "Lilac In Hand," and despite the intimate venue, the song seemed to open up even wider than on record. McMahon continually filled the club with his quaking vocals, especially on the melodically hypnotic "Spirits Are Parted" and "I Know Myself." Live, Amen Dunes managed to showcase the power of its studio prowess while also transforming into something more human and unpredictable than it has seemed in the past. Read the rest of the review at wweek.com. MARK STOCK.
By WW Culture Staff

WEDNESDAY JULY 16

LADI6
[MUSIC] New Zealand, of all places, is the world’s new pop-music hotbed. Coming on the heels of Lorde is kiwi singer Karoline Tamati, aka Ladi6. Often compared to Erykah Badu, Tamati balances nu-soul tendencies with a more futuristic R&B bent that is equal parts “Royals” and post-chillwave production. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 239-7639. 8 pm. $12 advance, $15 day of show. 21+.

THURSDAY JULY 17

AARON EMBRY
[MUSIC] The California songwriter has spent much of his career supporting the likes of Willie Nelson, Elliott Smith and Edward Sharpe in their touring bands. But his exquisite 2012 album, Tiny Prayers, showcases his way with melodic tenor guitar and jazzy piano ballads that are at once endearing and heartbreaking. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave., 894-9708. 10 pm. $10. 21+.

FRIDAY JULY 18

PDX POP NOW
[MUSIC FESTIVAL] There’s no more efficient way to orient yourself with what’s going on right at this moment in Portland’s internationally exalted music scene. It’s free, it’s all-ages, and the 40-plus bands are all local. Audio Cinema, 226 SE Madison St. Free. All ages. See pdxpopnow.com for complete schedule. Through July 20.

SATURDAY JULY 19

THE SACRED MUSIC OF MIKAGURA
[DANCE] Mikagura is sacred Japanese theatrical dance that probably dates back to the 14th century, and this is the first time (!) it’ll be performed in the continental U.S., with two dozen musicians and dancers performing in full ceremonial dress. First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park Ave., 542-0282. 7 pm. $12-$15.
FREE CHIPS & SALSA
[COMEDY] OK, so the chips aren’t technically free—there’s a $5 cover— but they are Juanita’s, and they’re served alongside standup from some of Portland’s best comics, including Bri Pruett and Sean Jordan. Also on the bill: the Famous Haydell Sisters, a duo that blends country music and comedy, and Nick Landes, a competitive footbagger (that’s Hacky-Sacker to the rest of you). Action/Adventure Theatre, 1050 SE Clinton St. 9 pm. $5.

TUESDAY JULY 22

THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON
[THEATER] Before he wrote Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie penned this 1902 upstairs-downstairs comedy about a lord who cares not a whit about class differences, and his butler who does. Portland Shakespeare Project performs a staged reading. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St., 241-1278. 7:30 pm. $15.

WWeek 2015

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