March 29th, 2013
By MATTHEW KORFHAGE |
|
SAUVAGE - IMAGE: Kurt Armstrong
Willamette Weekend: 14 Things to Do and See in Portland, March 29-31
SAUVAGE - IMAGE: Kurt Armstrong
Friday, March 29
Love Will Tear Us Apart Book Tour
[BOOKS] Local authors Jay Ponteri and Scott Nadelson are taking a long, hard look at their lives in newly released memoirs. In Ponteri’s Wedlocked , the author is infatuated with a woman other than his wife and writes a manuscript about it, which is discovered by said wife. In Nadelson’s collection of essays, The Next Scott Nadelson: A Life in Progress , he pretty much loathes everything about himself in a two-year journey to reclaim his identity. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651. 7:30 pm. Free.
Slingshot
[IMPROV] Portland Center Stage and Bad Reputation Productions present another installment of smart improv comedy. Improvisers from the Brody Theater, Administration and top-notch group the Liberators will riff on personal monologues performed by guests. Christine McKinley, from Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, will appear on Friday, and Saturday’s show features pirate enthusiast Loren Hoskins and Destination DIY host Julie Sabatier. Gerding Theater, 128 NW 11th Ave., 445-3700. 8 pm Friday- Saturday, March 29-30. $15-$20.
Arabian Nights
[THEATER] Finally venturing from Shakespeare, Post Five Theatre presents its first play neither by nor about the Bard. Mary Zimmerman’s playful adaptation of The Book of the 1001 Nights follows several tales spun by the wily Scheherezade. Milepost 5, 850 NE 81st Ave., 971-258-8584. 7 pm. $10.
Tabletop Day
[GAMING] Geek out at the TableTop Day festivities at the Beaverton Powell’s. The national day of board gaming is organized by the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel. Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton. 10 am-7 pm. Free.
Farmhouse & Wild Ale Fest
[BEER] Saraveza starts farmhouse ale season with 20 French- and Belgian-inspired farmhouse and wild ales from around the country. Bad Habit Room, 5433 N Michigan Ave., 206-4252. 1-9 pm. $20. 21+.
Hophouse Ciderfest
[CIDER] A cider celebration from the normally beery Fifteenth Avenue and Hawthorne hophouses. Taste fermented fruit from Wandering Aengus, Anthem, Bushwhacker, Carlton Cyderworks, Two Towns and more. Fifteenth Avenue Hophouse, 1517 NE Brazee St., 971-266-8392. 2-8 pm. Glass and eight tasting tickets for $12; 40 tickets for $40.
Spencer Reece Reading and Film
You know you’ve really made it once James Franco makes a film about you. But poet Spencer Reece’s other notable accomplishments include winning the Bakeless Prize for his first book, The Clerk’s Tale (in which the title poem recounts his experiences working at Brooks Brothers in the Mall of America and inspired Franco’s short film), becoming a priest in middle age (recounted in his upcoming book of prose, The Little Entrance ) and receiving a Fullbright grant to return to Honduras where he teaches poetry at a girls’ orphanage. Reece will read from his upcoming book of poetry, The Road to Emmaus, followed by a screening of Franco’s film. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., 238-8899. 4 pm. $5-$10.
Phoenix, Mac DeMarco
[FRENCH DANCE ROCK] Phoenix’s last album, 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, may not have taken the band in a new direction, but it undisputedly took it to new heights. The impeccable collection of poppy, danceable tunes builds upon the band’s previous three albums, swiftly opening a niche carved out by similar acts while concurrently catapulting the French outfit into the international limelight in the process. Its most recent single, the aptly titled “Entertainment,” is a formidable pop number, characterized by largerthan-life synths, bursting drums and an opening riff that sounds like a “China Girl” knockoff. Whether the band can hit the bar it set for itself on its forthcoming album, Bankrupt!, remains to be seen. BRANDON WIDDER. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. 9 pm. Sold out. All ages.
Charlie Parr, Evan Way, Vikesh Kapoor
[MIDWEST BLUES] Guitarist Charlie Parr is an old soul in a new age, crafting haggard yet elegant folk inspired by old-timers like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Strapping on nothing but his 12-string National and fretless open-back banjo, the Midwest native has been cranking out bootstomping album after boot-stomping album for more than a decade, harnessing tales of hard times and tribulations that are intrinsic to what lies at the heart of the blues and much of traditional folk music. Parr’s most recent effort, Keep Your Hands on the Plow, retains that rustic, deft approach that is slowly becoming synonymous with his name. Whether it be slide-steeped murder ballads or his own accounts of unrequited love, the man reminds us why the blues will always endure. BRANDON WIDDER. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 9 pm. $12.
Sing-a-long with Pink Martini
Love Will Tear Us Apart Book Tour
[BOOKS] Local authors Jay Ponteri and Scott Nadelson are taking a long, hard look at their lives in newly released memoirs. In Ponteri’s Wedlocked , the author is infatuated with a woman other than his wife and writes a manuscript about it, which is discovered by said wife. In Nadelson’s collection of essays, The Next Scott Nadelson: A Life in Progress , he pretty much loathes everything about himself in a two-year journey to reclaim his identity. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651. 7:30 pm. Free.
Slingshot
[IMPROV] Portland Center Stage and Bad Reputation Productions present another installment of smart improv comedy. Improvisers from the Brody Theater, Administration and top-notch group the Liberators will riff on personal monologues performed by guests. Christine McKinley, from Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, will appear on Friday, and Saturday’s show features pirate enthusiast Loren Hoskins and Destination DIY host Julie Sabatier. Gerding Theater, 128 NW 11th Ave., 445-3700. 8 pm Friday- Saturday, March 29-30. $15-$20.
Arabian Nights
[THEATER] Finally venturing from Shakespeare, Post Five Theatre presents its first play neither by nor about the Bard. Mary Zimmerman’s playful adaptation of The Book of the 1001 Nights follows several tales spun by the wily Scheherezade. Milepost 5, 850 NE 81st Ave., 971-258-8584. 7 pm. $10.
Shook Twins
[MUSIC] The Shook Twins' 2011 album,
Window, is modern folk done right. Unlike those
of their contemporaries, the LP doesn’t attempt
to sound as if it were recorded in one afternoon
around a single microphone. This is a modern band
making a modern record that feels full-bodied,
even if it relies on traditional folk instrumentation
and storytelling. The pair have become known for
their joyous live performances that include some
unusual homemade instrumentation—including,
yes, a giant golden egg. Wonder Ballroom, 128
N Russell St., with Lost Lander and Bike Thief, on
Friday, March 29. 8 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of
show. All ages.
Mudhoney, Deep Fried
Boogie Band, Jagula
[MUDDY MEMORIES] Anytime
Mudhoney plays a show in Portland
these days, some jerk says to me,
“Yeah, but it’ll never be as good as
that time they played Slabtown in
2009.” Well, you know what, jerk?
Some of us weren’t at that show.
Some of us are sick of hearing
about that show. Some of us will
have to settle for seeing the band
play in giant stadiums like the
Doug Fir Lounge. Some of us are
just thankful that, after 25 years,
the godfathers of grunge are still
cranking their Big Muffs to 11 and
penning songs like the first single
from their upcoming album, “I
Like It Small,” a Stooges-meets-
Sex Pistols anthem celebrating
“low yields,” “dingy basements”
and “intimate settings.” Actually,
now that I think about it, it kind
of sounds like they’re rubbing
it in, too. RUTH BROWN. Doug
Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St.,
231-9663. 9 pm. $18 advance, $20
day of show. 21+.
Tabletop Day
[GAMING] Geek out at the TableTop Day festivities at the Beaverton Powell’s. The national day of board gaming is organized by the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel. Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton. 10 am-7 pm. Free.
Farmhouse & Wild Ale Fest
[BEER] Saraveza starts farmhouse ale season with 20 French- and Belgian-inspired farmhouse and wild ales from around the country. Bad Habit Room, 5433 N Michigan Ave., 206-4252. 1-9 pm. $20. 21+.
Hophouse Ciderfest
[CIDER] A cider celebration from the normally beery Fifteenth Avenue and Hawthorne hophouses. Taste fermented fruit from Wandering Aengus, Anthem, Bushwhacker, Carlton Cyderworks, Two Towns and more. Fifteenth Avenue Hophouse, 1517 NE Brazee St., 971-266-8392. 2-8 pm. Glass and eight tasting tickets for $12; 40 tickets for $40.
Spencer Reece Reading and Film
You know you’ve really made it once James Franco makes a film about you. But poet Spencer Reece’s other notable accomplishments include winning the Bakeless Prize for his first book, The Clerk’s Tale (in which the title poem recounts his experiences working at Brooks Brothers in the Mall of America and inspired Franco’s short film), becoming a priest in middle age (recounted in his upcoming book of prose, The Little Entrance ) and receiving a Fullbright grant to return to Honduras where he teaches poetry at a girls’ orphanage. Reece will read from his upcoming book of poetry, The Road to Emmaus, followed by a screening of Franco’s film. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., 238-8899. 4 pm. $5-$10.
Phoenix, Mac DeMarco
[FRENCH DANCE ROCK] Phoenix’s last album, 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, may not have taken the band in a new direction, but it undisputedly took it to new heights. The impeccable collection of poppy, danceable tunes builds upon the band’s previous three albums, swiftly opening a niche carved out by similar acts while concurrently catapulting the French outfit into the international limelight in the process. Its most recent single, the aptly titled “Entertainment,” is a formidable pop number, characterized by largerthan-life synths, bursting drums and an opening riff that sounds like a “China Girl” knockoff. Whether the band can hit the bar it set for itself on its forthcoming album, Bankrupt!, remains to be seen. BRANDON WIDDER. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. 9 pm. Sold out. All ages.
Charlie Parr, Evan Way, Vikesh Kapoor
[MIDWEST BLUES] Guitarist Charlie Parr is an old soul in a new age, crafting haggard yet elegant folk inspired by old-timers like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Strapping on nothing but his 12-string National and fretless open-back banjo, the Midwest native has been cranking out bootstomping album after boot-stomping album for more than a decade, harnessing tales of hard times and tribulations that are intrinsic to what lies at the heart of the blues and much of traditional folk music. Parr’s most recent effort, Keep Your Hands on the Plow, retains that rustic, deft approach that is slowly becoming synonymous with his name. Whether it be slide-steeped murder ballads or his own accounts of unrequited love, the man reminds us why the blues will always endure. BRANDON WIDDER. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 9 pm. $12.
Sing-a-long with Pink Martini
[MUSIC] Sing with Pink Martini—
maybe even in the rain. The “little
orchestra,” Oregon Symphony
musicians and ShedRain umbrella
company set up in Pioneer
Courthouse Square for an afternoon
of harmonizing. Music books made
by Wieden+Kennedy are first come,
first serve. Pioneer Courthouse
Square, 701 SW 6th Ave. 3-5 pm.
Sunday, March 31
Flume, Barisone, Nathan Detroit
[ELECTRONIC YOUTH] It was a hell of a year for a kid from Sydney named Harley Streten. On New Year’s Day 2012, the artist now betterknown as Flume was a 20-year-old bedroom beatmaker plucked from relative obscurity via a radio-station competition to play a support slot at a music festival. By year’s end, he had a No. 1 album, inked a deal with U.K. label Transgressive and had become one of the most talked-about names in Australian music. All the more remarkable for a baby-faced electronic producer in a country that typically prefers rocking out to grizzly blokes with guitars. His atmospheric R&B tracks are full of rich, dreamy soundscapes, but sample and tweak just enough catchy refrains to make them dancefloor and radio friendly. RUTH BROWN. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. 10 pm. $12. 21+.
Hurry Up!, La Luz, Ghost Mom
[PUNK BAND] It took me a long time to understand this, but the phrase “side project” usually sounds like a slur to the folks in the band. The implication is that the “project” (you know, like dissecting frogs) you are about to see requires less tending to—and is therefore somehow less artful—than its better-known musical cousin. Hurry Up!, which features two members of Portland’s most popular and enthusiastic punk band and a longtime pillar of its indie-rock scene—which, for the sake of this particular outfit, will go unnamed—doesn’t have an album or a press kit or a rider. I’m not even sure if the trio’s songs have titles. Hurry Up! does have passion, though. It’s inspiring to see people who should probably be burnt out on rock music finding bliss in such blistering, minimal rock ’n’ roll. CASEY JARMAN. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St., 473-8729. 8 pm. Call venue for ticket information. 21+.
Sunday, March 31
Flume, Barisone, Nathan Detroit
[ELECTRONIC YOUTH] It was a hell of a year for a kid from Sydney named Harley Streten. On New Year’s Day 2012, the artist now betterknown as Flume was a 20-year-old bedroom beatmaker plucked from relative obscurity via a radio-station competition to play a support slot at a music festival. By year’s end, he had a No. 1 album, inked a deal with U.K. label Transgressive and had become one of the most talked-about names in Australian music. All the more remarkable for a baby-faced electronic producer in a country that typically prefers rocking out to grizzly blokes with guitars. His atmospheric R&B tracks are full of rich, dreamy soundscapes, but sample and tweak just enough catchy refrains to make them dancefloor and radio friendly. RUTH BROWN. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. 10 pm. $12. 21+.
Hurry Up!, La Luz, Ghost Mom
[PUNK BAND] It took me a long time to understand this, but the phrase “side project” usually sounds like a slur to the folks in the band. The implication is that the “project” (you know, like dissecting frogs) you are about to see requires less tending to—and is therefore somehow less artful—than its better-known musical cousin. Hurry Up!, which features two members of Portland’s most popular and enthusiastic punk band and a longtime pillar of its indie-rock scene—which, for the sake of this particular outfit, will go unnamed—doesn’t have an album or a press kit or a rider. I’m not even sure if the trio’s songs have titles. Hurry Up! does have passion, though. It’s inspiring to see people who should probably be burnt out on rock music finding bliss in such blistering, minimal rock ’n’ roll. CASEY JARMAN. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St., 473-8729. 8 pm. Call venue for ticket information. 21+.
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