Willamette Weekend

Friday, Feb. 03

Superfresh 3: Wampire, Strategy, Truckasauras, Jonny X and the Groadies, and more
[MUSIC] In writing up Superfresh, it’s tempting just to copy and paste the bullet points from the festival’s summertime equivalent: Superfest. Both “-fest” and “-fresh” are hosted at Branx, organized by party-rock madman Manny Reyes, and offer a cornucopia of ass-shaking tunes both to the under-21 crowd and to those of drinking age (who, just for the record, probably shouldn’t be standing so close to the former group). This third iteration of Superfresh has front-loaded its lineup with a list of party starters more than capable of extending the Supers’ reputation as places conducive to the happening of crazy shit. Wampire, having passed through a period of transition and straight into an age of creative fluorescence, headlines the opening night. Rightfully ascendant indie-rock sensation Radiation City takes over headlining duties for night two, with the thunder-punk beat wizards of Brainstorm open the second evening. Once again, at 10 bucks combined, the two nights of Superfresh offer more ass shakes per dollar than just about anything else you can do this season. And I’m pretty sure I used that last sentence in my write-up for Superfest six months ago, but you know what? Still true. Branx, 320 SE 2nd Ave. 7 pm, Feb. 3-4. $7 or $10 for both nights.

Gargantua
If you thought it wasn’t possible for the Jupiter Hotel to get any cooler, now comes word the Jupiter is getting into the fine-art business. With a February First Friday grand opening, Gallery @ The Jupiter is kicking off regular programming with a series of paintings titled Gargantua by Christopher St. John. We’re eager to see how the ever-hip and design-conscious hotel transitions into the art scene. Gallery @ The Jupiter, 800 E Burnside St., 230-8010.

University of Oregon Chamber Choir, Portland State Chamber Choir, Pacific Youth Choir
[MUSIC] Famed veteran Harvard University choral conductor Jameson Marvin leads three of the state’s finest young choirs in this concert featuring music by Brahms and Renaissance and early Baroque composers and contemporary spirituals. Lincoln Hall, Portland State University, 1620 SW Park Ave., 725-3307. 8 pm Friday, Feb. 3. $7-$12.

Beer and Movie Fest
[FILM] Aaron Mesh, WW’s esteemed movie editor, runs this festival with film curator Jacques Boyreau and has a fiduciary interest in its success. So he agreed to stand aside as other WW writers took their best shots at this year’s lineup. Here's what we came up with. Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark St. Feb. 03-09. bambeerandmovie.com.

Saturday, Feb. 04

Slabtown Bender
[MUSIC] Most of Portland's best punk bands are playing this year's Slabtown Bender, a three-day fest dedicated to punk rock and all of its tentacles. Bands like Arctic Flowers, the Pity Fucks and Autistic Youth just shouldn't be missed. National acts like punk rock all-star group Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds (which features members of Gun Club, the Cramps and the Bad Seeds) or San Francisco's Trashies are great draws, too. But there's a legend walking among all these punk rock outfits, and it's Wreckless Eric, the snarling Stiff Records mainstay who wrote a number of great anthems ("Walking on the Surface of the Moon" and "A Pop Song" among them). Of course, when you write one of greatest love songs of all time, people tend to focus on that. Wreckless Eric's crusty and brilliantly naive "The Whole Wide World" is that song. There are rumors flying of a local all-star band backing Eric tonight, but no matter how you cut it, this should be a special day for Slabtown made all the more special because today is Slabtown owner Brinda Coleman's wedding day. Congrats, Brinda! Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th Ave. 5 pm Feb. 03, noon (free matinee), 5 pm (main show) Feb. 04-05. $10 night, $25 weekend pass. 21 .

An Evening with Don Hertzfeldt
[FILM] The marvelous Portland animator shows his distressed “Bill” trilogy on 35 mm, premiering the conclusion, It’s Such a Beautiful Day. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. 7 pm Saturday, Feb. 4. $12.

Sunday, Feb. 05

Neal Morgan
[MUSIC] The recently released In the Yard is Neal Morgan’s second record made exclusively with drums and vocals. Upon listening, though, one rarely notices the limitations... Read our full write-up here. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., on Sunday, Feb. 5, with White Hinterland, Marisa Anderson, Pwrhaus and Sean Pecknold. 8 pm. $5. 21.

The Tripping Point
[THEATER] There’s a reason fairy tales have been plumbed for art’s sake so deeply: they’re bottomless. Murky with our fears, desires and other shadowy drives, the stories of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and the like consist of just the sort of muck in which artists love to play. The Tripping Point, directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe, lets eight playwrights run wild in the stuff—yet the production that emerges is almost immaculate... read our full write-up here. Shaking the Tree Studio, 1407 SE Stark St., 235-0635, shaking-the-tree.com. 7 pm Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7 pm Saturday, 2 pm Sunday, Feb. 2-5. $15-$17.

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