Sunn 0)))
[METAL] The live performances by this long-running extreme metal outfit are known for two things: an abundant use of smoke machines and volume levels that will reduce your poor eardrums to useless flaps of skin. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033. 9 pm. $20. All ages.
[BEER!] By this point, Portlandâs blood should be running black with a light, nutty headâunless weâve picked up a new liver. Well, hereâs another fantastic celebration of all things strong, ale-y or defrosting. Beers from Oakshire, Stone, Uinta, 10 Barrel, Lucky Lab and St. Bernardus will be poured. Other than Tim, the sausage guy, parked outside, this event is beer or bust. Plewâs Brews, 8409 N Lombard St., 283-2243. Noon-midnight Friday-Sunday, Dec. 14-16. $1 tasting tickets, $5 commemorative glasses. 21kknd.
Aranya
[METALLLLLL] âEpicâ is an overused adjective in the rock-crit lexicon, but applying any other word to the mountainous, prog-y, European folk-metal of Portlandâs Aranya would be inaccurate. Just look at the bandâs latest release: It manages to pack enough mythology into 18 dense minutes to power several hours worth of Tolkien film adaptations. Shit, the group even invented its own deity, for crying out loud! Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan St., with Order of the Gash and Creature Guts on Friday, Dec. 14. 9 pm. Free. 21kknd.
David Bazan Band, Stagnant Pools
[MUSIC] He wouldnât make the transformation explicit until years later, on 2009 solo debut Curse Your Branches, but Control was the dog-eared page in David Bazanâs songbook where he crossed the line from thinking manâs evangelist to outspoken critic of the American Jesus. Bazanâs band Pedro the Lion had once been a staple of the Christian music-festival circuit. Control, with its tongue-in-cheek hymns and bitter disdain for consumer culture, found the group cruising along a few miles past the last exit to salvation. A decade after its release, Control stands up as a masterful rock recordâ even before one fully absorbs the gut-wrenching lyricsâand shines brightly as the pivotal moment in Bazanâs career when he realized stark emotional honesty was more powerful than parable. He and his current band will play the album in its entirety tonight. Rejoice! CASEY JARMAN. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. 9 pm. Sold out. 21kknd.
Saturday, Dec. 15
King Hedley II
Mike Mignola
[COMICS] Comics fans may have been devastated when paranormal investigator and crime fighter Hellboy died in 2011. But Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has resurrected the character for the new series Hellboy in Hell, following his adventures in the afterlife. Mignola will be signing comics as well as displaying his own original artwork. So go to hell; itâll be fun. Things From Another World, 2916 NE Broadway, 284-4693, tfaw.com. 7 pm. Free.
Breakside Winter Formal
[BEER] Between the wintry brews from Breakside Brewery, the Commons and Burnside Brewing, the invitation to dress âPortland formalâ and DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kidâs steamy rainforest beats, this might as well be held in a gently heated sub-Saharan nightclub. As if the see-and-be-seen vibe werenât enough, prizes will be awarded for best dressed and best dancer, and a king and queen will be chosen. Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St., 232-2759. 7:30 pm. $12, $20.
Nuggets Night
[MUSIC] Nuggetsâas you should know if you don'tâis a now nearly legendary box-comp of obscure '60s, and '70s garage, psyche, pop, soul and freakout returned to light from dusty '45 bins. For six years now Slabtown's been resurrecting the resurrection with a series of benefit cover shows by local garage bands digging into the Nuggets repertoire. This time around it's a 13-band pile-up (Pynnacles, Suicide Notes, Satin Chaps, et al.), with proceeds going to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and to two indie-garage entities hit hard by Hurricane Sandy: record label Norton Records and radio station WFMU, the oldest independent radio station in the country. Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th Ave., on Saturday, Dec. 15. 9 pm. $8. 21+. Listen to DJ HWY 7's top five Nuggets tracks here.
MellowHype, Trash Talk, Cassow, Raw Nerves
[MUSIC] The connecting thread between this showâs coheadliners is that MellowHype and Trash Talk are both signed to Odd Future Records, the label run by the hip-hop collective of the same name. But it is hopefully a harbinger for more daring pairings, as both of the above bands diverge wildly in musical approaches. MellowHype is the Odd Future offshoot that highlights the oily, playful rhymes of Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brainâs whip-smart sound collages. Trash Talk, on the other hand, is a hardcore politico-punk band with dozens of big-ticket targets in its collective cross hairs, including crooked cops, PR flacks and the government. What keeps these two groups together (this is their second joint tour) is an anarchic spirit that places a premium on illegal substances and youthful braggadocio. ROBERT HAM. Branx, 320 SE 2nd Ave., 234-5683. 8 pm. $13. All ages.
Whitey Morgan
[MUSIC] There isnât a better place in Portland to host Whitey Morgan and his 78s than the Landmark Saloon. The Division Street tavern is one of the metro areaâs only legit country bars, and Morgan is one of the few legit country singers who ever passes through town. Like the best revivalists in any genre, the Michigan songwriter really doesnât seem to know what decade it is. His self-titled 2010 debut is full of twangy guitars, twinkling pedal steel and drawling vocals telling tales of booze, jukeboxes and Buicks. There ainât nothing âalternativeâ about this dude: Itâs pure outlaw country so authentic youâd think heâd been trapped in the storage room of an abandoned Midwest honky-tonk since the 1970s. Come to think of it, whoâs to say that isnât the case? Landmark Saloon, 4847 SE Division St., 894-8132. 9:30 pm. $5. 21kknd.
Sunday, Dec. 16
Publication Fair
[BOOKS] Look, people. In a world where "local writer" is often worth a shudder, Portland has a terrific wealth of local writers and publishing houses and specialty bookstores with work worth bunkering in for; much of this will all be gathered together all in the same place, from Division Leap micro-bookstore to Tin House to Floating World Comics to Perfect Day Publishing. Don't be surprised if the girl in the pumpkin scarf just plain explodes from the excitement. The Cleaners at the Ace Hotel, 1022 SW Stark St, 228-2277. 12-6 pm. Free.
Choral Arts Ensemble of Portland
[CLASSICAL] The choir performs whatâs likely the finest holiday music of the 20th century: Benjamin Brittenâs glorious A Ceremony of Carols , plus close runner-up Francis Poulencâs Christmas motets. Also included are some 21st-century carol settings by rising contemporary choral composer Ola Gjeilo and more, like Tomas Luis de Victoriaâs Renaissance masterpiece, O Magnum Mysterium , and associated Mass settings. First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 13th Ave., 488-3834. 3 pm. $10-$18.
The Mountain Goats
[MUSIC] On the bandâs latest album, Transcendental Youth, head Goat John Darnielle recaptures that pissed-off, over-caffeinated and twitchy teenage fire he is such a master at crystallizing in a cutting turn-of-phrase. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 234-9694. 8 pm. $22.50. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
Until the Music Stops: Optimo
DJs, Nathan Detroit, Phone Call
[DJ DANCING] Despite all
our naughty deeds committed
while clubbing over the past year,
Holocene is being nice this holiday
season and looks to revel in a
night of debauchery by importing
Glasgow DJs Optimo. The trancey
house duo spun in famed dance
club Sub Club for nearly 15 years
before taking their renowned and
unpredictable mixes on the road.
Joining them is Nathan Detroit
of Holoceneâs Booty Bassment to
crank the bass and make Santaâs
ass cheeks rumble with a thick and
heavy rap playlist. A third dancepop
stocking stuffer, Phone Call,
will play a live set and rage until
the wee hours, or until you find a
sugar-plum fairy. DREW LENIHAN.
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St.,239-7639. 9 pm. Free. 21+.
WWeek 2015