Willamette Weekend

[THEATER] She’s a gorgeous parasite, a kept woman and a deranged femme fatale, but Nastasya Filippovna Barashkov, from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot, is not easy to pigeonhole. Director Viacheslav Dolgachev and Moscow New Drama Theatre have taken on the Siberia-sized task of improvising a wake for Nastasya, with her aimless lovers Rogozhin and Myshkin feverishly reliving their relationships with the slain woman. Seeing one of Russia’s best novels dramatized by a fine troupe from Moscow offers a rare and unusual opportunity for Portland audiences. And for those who don’t trust translations, the final show will forgo English subtitles, Dolgachev says, “performed as it is performed in Moscow, as a total, unpredictable improvisation.” MITCH LILLIE. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St., 241-1278. 7:30 pm Friday-Saturday, 2 pm Sunday, Jan. 9-13. Sunday’s show will be performed without subtitles. $25. 

Wimps, the Woolen Men
[MUSIC] Seattle’s Wimps have a song called “Stop Having Fun,” but I sense it’s meant to be taken ironically, because there’s little about the band that indicates it’s truly against having a good time. Comprising ex-members of Portland noise-folkies Meth Teeth and Emerald City postpunks the Intelligence, the group could be described as frustrated and possibly neurotic, but there’s no way it could be mistaken for boring or joyless. The guitars—not quite fully in tune—saw through crashing, off-center rhythms that alternately churn and rage over Rachel Ratner’s agitated riotgrrrl hollering. It’s addictive stuff, and there’s no way you can stand still while it’s being performed. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St., 473-8729. 8 pm. $5. 21+.

Sir Richard Bishop

[MUSIC] In 1979, Bishop and his brother, Alan, along with friend Charles Gocher, founded the ethnically spiced, intentionally audacious and often goofily obnoxious Sun City Girls, an experiment equal parts post-hardcore and spoken word. Born into the Arizona punk scene of the 1980s, they were misfits among misfits, often getting jeered while opening for acts like Black Flag. Still, their résumé would make plenty blush: Nirvana opened for them, and the band played Portland’s now-legendary Satyricon three times. Bishop’s solo work, though, is far more refined without sacrificing musical variety. Elektronika Demonika is a guitarless death march through a digital, tropical hell. While My Guitar Violently Bleeds is full of psych-folk flourishes, while Fingering the Devil, Bishop’s acclaimed 2006 album, captures all the hypnotism and magic of his live show. MITCH LILLIE. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., with Audios Amigos and Ben Von Wildenhaus, on Friday, Jan. 11. 9 pm. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+.

Saturday, Jan. 12

Chocolate Walk
[FOOD] Walking for three hours while eating chocolate might seem hypocritical, but this isn’t a run-ofthe-mill power walk and Hershey’s bar. In fact, it may not be any type of solid chocolate at all. The tour will stop at a minimum of six Pearl District and West End establishments—from bustling hubs like Powell’s and the Rogue Distillery and Public House, to homier locales like creamery Ruby Jewel and Cacao—drinking, sipping, munching and boozing chocolate along the way. Historical facts about chocolate and Portland will be announced by choco-tour veteran and science educator Savina Darzes, who, hopefully, will be walking backward. Various locations. 1-4:30 pm. $49. 21+ Visit chocolatetastingandmore.com for details.

Patrick deWitt, Jon Raymond, Vanessa Vaselka
Dude: seriously. This is the best free thing you can do today. These are three of Portland's finest authors all reading from their fine work at one of the finest record stores in the country. What else are you doing today? Mississippi Records, 5202 N Albina Ave., on Saturday, Jan. 12, with Jon Raymond and Vanessa Veselka. 8 pm. Free.

Geographer, On an On
[ELECTRO-CHAMBER POP] Synth-y San Franciscan trio Geographer is the kind of band that seems to constantly invite comparisons: M83, Passion Pit, STRFKR. SF Weekly named it the “Best Local Version of Radiohead” in 2010. But it typically has enough of its own thing going on to stand out from the indie-electro crowd in its own right—namely an electric cello and the gorgeous falsetto chops of lead singer Mike Deni—and previous releases Innocent Ghosts and Animal Shapes rightfully generated a decent serving of buzz and some high expectations for the band. Its 2012 release, Myth , is slightly more problematic. The songs seem lovingly composed, Deni’s vocals are richer and more haunting than ever, and the whole disc is more mature and less reminiscent of other groups than earlier efforts. But it is simultaneously less memorable. With the exception of a reworking of the band’s 8-bit inspired ’09 single, “Kites,” there is no single track with the pop sensibilities of those on Animal Shapes , opting instead for an overall darker and less dance-floor-friendly sound. RUTH BROWN. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. 9 pm. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+.

Big Ass Boombox: And And And, Little Volcano, A Happy Death, Genders, the Hoot Hoots, Tiananmen Bear, Beyond Veronica
[MUSIC] For night two of the Big Ass Boombox pop frenzy, Beyond Veronica, a powerful pop entourage, will bring things back up to speed quick, followed by Tiananmen Bear and fuzzy Seattelites the Hoot Hoots. A Happy Death is a bit darker and more existential than other groups (their name references Camus’ first book) but still energetic and very garage-y. Little Volcano’s intoxicating vocals and patient bluesy drive will trap you in. And And And’s basketball hoop-wielding van will be parked outside, and you know what that means: The band’s lo-fi pop punk will be raging inside. Challenge them to a game if you’ve got any energy left after all that dancing. MITCH LILLIE. Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave., 248-1030. 8 pm. Free. 21+.

Sunday, Jan. 13

Down & Dirty: A Dark Comedy Showcase 
[COMEDY] Some local comedians work blue; others tell jokes about Xanax addiction and almost killing themselves. It’s all funny until a body turns up. Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash St., 226-0430. 9 pm. $5.

Chelsea Wolfe

[MUSIC] Wolfe’s music could never be described as “sunny.” Her essentially folk style has been intriguingly hyphenated with descriptors like “goth,” “doom” and even “metal” since she broke out in 2011. Regardless of the weather, a personal meteorology regulates the music Wolfe makes—interior atmospheric conditions under which inauspicious, chartreuse-hued skies cultivate strange yet beautiful flora from folk roots. JONATHAN FROCHTZWAJG. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., on Sunday, Jan. 13. 9 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.

Loudon Wainwright III, Dar Williams
[MUSIC] The title of folk icon Loudon Wainwright III’s 2012 album (his 22nd), Older Than My Old Man Now, refers to the fact that, at 65, the singer-songwriter has outlived his father. Wainwright uses that idea as a leaping-off point to explore the simple fact that all of our days are numbered. True to form, he takes on this theme with wry wit (“My Meds” is a lively piano stomper that rattles off the names of the many pills he ingests to keep himself going) and heartfelt sorrow over the recent passing of his first wife, Kate McGarrigle. ROBERT HAM. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 234-9694. 8 pm. $30. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.

TxE, Vinnie Dewayne, Mic Capes
[HIP HOP] Portland’s hip-hop scene had perhaps one of its best years ever in 2012, and a lot of its success can be attributed to the output of local trio TxE and St. Johns emcee Vinnie Dewayne. TxE, comprising Tope, Epp and G_Force, released two quality group projects this year, and have become one of the most consistently refreshing bands in the city—whether it’s the throwback look of their “Tetherball” video, Tope’s ever-improving wordplay or G_Force’s lush production, which has increasingly caught the ear of national artists. Dewayne released only one project this year, Castaway, but it blew everybody away with its rich storytelling and maturity. The young emcee has the potential to be one of the best all-around rappers Portland has ever seen. To catch both acts on one bill is quite a treat. REED JACKSON. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. 9 pm. Free. 21+.