Willamette Weekend

11 things to do in Portland, April 20-22

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Friday, April 20

Soul'd Out Festival: Bombino

[MUSIC] Omara “Bombino” Moctar managed one of the top 50 records of 2011, according to NPR, and you probably don’t even know who he is. The North African guitarist fast-forwards American rock’s lengthy journey from tribal ritual to arena spectacle in a single sitting. Moctar crafts bluesy, ’60s-era rock atop a backdrop of stunning traditional Saharan musical phrasing. The result is Agadez, a collection of scampering percussion, multilayered guitar melodies and incredibly infectious verses sung in his native Tuareg tongue. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave. 7 pm. $15. 21+.

Puppet Slam!
[THEATER] The latest iteration of Beady Little Eyes’ semiannual showcase of adult puppet theater has a “heroes and villains” theme. Dress as a hero or villain for $1 off. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave. 8 pm. $8. 21+.

Rock ’n’ Roll High School

[FILM] Essentially the Ramones’ A Hard Day’s Night, 1979’s Rock ’n’ Roll High School takes place in a parallel dimension to our own, a Bizarro World where preppy pretty boys pine after weirdo punk girls and Joey Ramone is a teen idol. It’s self-consciously campy, but the musical numbers—particularly the band’s grand entrance, performing “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do” from the back of a convertible while simultaneously gnawing on fried chicken—are legit awesome. Fun fact: Roger Corman originally wanted to name the film Disco High. After changing the script to focus on a rock band, the directors were unsure who the starring group should be. As if there was any question: Who else but the Ramones could occupy such a brilliantly stupid universe? Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Portland Blvd. 8 pm Friday-Saturday, April 20-21.

Saturday, April 21

Record Store Day

[MUSIC] Read our full guide to what's going down around town here, and our pick of the Portland releases here.

Soul'd Out Festival: Delhi 2 Dublin, Dj Anjali & The Incredible Kid

[MUSIC] This Soul’d Out Music Fest show brings back the Vancouver, B.C.-based Panjabi/Celtic sextet Delhi 2 Dublin for another dance party featuring a mischievous mishmash of global beats, including reggae, dub, hip-hop, bhangra and more, with the electronics flavored by live tabla, electric sitar, dhol, fiddle, guitar and voice. It works a lot more seamlessly than it sounds, and the dancing will go on till the wee hours. DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid open with their usual intoxicating bhangra-meets-Bollywood brew. BRETT CAMPBELL. Bossanova Ballroom,
722 E Burnside St.
9 pm. $15. 21+.

Portland Cheers to Belgian Beers

[BEER] Now, in its sixth year, Cheers to Belgian Beers will see 50 Oregon breweries making one-off Belgian-style beers from the same strains of yeast. Mmm, incestuous. Drinkers may vote on their favorite beer, and the winner will have the honor of choosing the yeast strains for next year’s festival. Metalcraft Fabrication, 723 N Tillamook St. Noon-9 pm. $15 for five drink tickets and a tasting glass, $20 for 10 tickets and a tasting glass. $1 for additional tastes. 21+.

Something’s Got a Hold of My Heart
[THEATER] Hand2Mouth Theatre presents two work-in-progress performances of the company’s new show about love songs, falling in love and ’70s folk music. The first performance, in February, was excellent. Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate Ave., 286-9449. 8 pm Friday-Saturday, April 20-21. Free.

Marc Maron
[COMEDY] America’s leading comedy podcaster and confessional poet is in town for three nights. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Thursday, 7 and 9:30 pm Friday-Saturday, April 19-21. $20-$25. 21+.

Sunday, April 22

The Salt of Life

[FILM] An enjoyably droll little satire about a retired Charlie Brown surrounded by football-pulling Lucys, when all he wants is his fair share of Berlusconi’s Age of Bunga Bunga. Director and lead actor Gianni Di Gregorio—who also did the besieged Roman everyman routine in Mid-August Lunch —plays the abashed old goat, whose efforts to score a little strange on the piazza are undermined by his hesitancy, his mother (Valeria De Franciscis, same as in Mid-August Lunch) and his fondness for white wine. It is essentially a sophisticated Italian version of The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Living Room Theaters, multiple showtimes.

Loop 2.4.3, 1939 Ensemble, Hot Victory

[MUSIC] When performing together as Loop 2.4.3, Lorne Watson and Thomas Kozumplik stand facing each other, often meeting each other's eyes while giving silent cues about where a particular piece is going. It's an unusual setup and can be slightly intense to watch. But they ease the situation through their music, an all-percussion barrage of rhythm and electronics. You can dance to it, but you might be better off immersing yourself in the audio-visual experience of watching two master musicians face off for one common musical goal. Rotture, 315 SE 3rd Ave. 9 pm. $7. 21+.

Portland Pinbrawl
[PINBALL] Ground Kontrol's annual pinball tourney will see the Pacific Northwest's finest battle it out for money and a pinball machine of their very own. The competition is capped at 128 players, but if you just want to watch, finals are expected to take place around 4 pm. Ground Kontrol, 411 NW Couch St. Competition starts 10 am, spectators welcome from 4 pm. $20 to enter, free to watch. 21+.

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