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Friday, June 21
Closer Electronic Music Festival
The Closer Electronic Music Festival is Thursday-Sunday, June 20-23. Multiple venues. $35-$50. 21+. See closerpdx.com for schedule.
Risk/Reward Festival
Risk/Reward is at Artists Repertory, 1516 SW Alder St., 241-1278.
7:30 pm Friday-Saturday, 5 pm Sunday, June 21-23. $14-$20.
Back Fence PDX
Mission
Theater and Pub, 1624 NW Glisan St.,
223-4527. 8 pm. $12.50 advance, $16
at door. 21+.
Quadron, Foreign Orange
Hugh Masekela, Larry Willis
[AFRICAN JAZZ] No other musician has done more to bring the sounds of Africa to a worldwide audience than Hugh Masekelaâ except for Fela Kuti, of course. But while Kuti invented his own genre and forced outsiders to come to him, the South Africa born Masekela has spent much of his 74 years bouncing around both the globe and the musical spectrum, introducing his remarkably expressive trumpet playing to a wide array of styles, from bop to pop to fusion to soul to funk. His greatest achievement is in connecting American jazz back to its African roots, which he accomplished most seminally with 1972âs Home Is Where the Music Is. Here, Masekela pairs with freewheeling pianist Larry Willis, whose partnership began with the Home sessions and stretches all the way up to last yearâs Friends. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 234-9694. 8 pm. $35. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
[AFRICAN JAZZ] No other musician has done more to bring the sounds of Africa to a worldwide audience than Hugh Masekelaâ except for Fela Kuti, of course. But while Kuti invented his own genre and forced outsiders to come to him, the South Africa born Masekela has spent much of his 74 years bouncing around both the globe and the musical spectrum, introducing his remarkably expressive trumpet playing to a wide array of styles, from bop to pop to fusion to soul to funk. His greatest achievement is in connecting American jazz back to its African roots, which he accomplished most seminally with 1972âs Home Is Where the Music Is. Here, Masekela pairs with freewheeling pianist Larry Willis, whose partnership began with the Home sessions and stretches all the way up to last yearâs Friends. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 234-9694. 8 pm. $35. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
Come
[REUNION TOUR] Television and the Stooges-inspired darkness, with dueling, strained guitar lines turning into a lascivious, bluesy and slightly drunken dance. With its overdriven, snaky guitars and Zedekâs beautifully weathered voice and desperate worldview, Boston-based quartet Come had a sound that was too dangerously sexy to achieve crossover success. But they will be crossing over decades tonight in Portland. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., with Rebecca Gates and the Consortium, and Sad Horse, on Friday, June 21. 9 pm. $15. 21+.
Saturday, June 22
Evil Dead: The Musical
[THEATER] The musical adaptation of Sam Raimiâs cult hit returns, with severed limbs, chainsaws, shotguns, a gleefully rapey tree, zombies and a special plastic-lined Splatter Zone, for audience members looking to get sprayed with bloody goop. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 284-8686. 7 and 10:30 pm. $19-$34.
Oregon Pacific Railroad Trail Ride
[CHOO-CHOO] See the city from vantage points few others haveâalong the freight-train railways in Southeast Portland. Oregon Pacific Railroad opens its rails to passengers for the first time this summer with its passenger ride days. Beginning near Oaks Park, the 40-minute ride travels north along the Willamette River, through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge to a point near OMSI and back. Oaks Station, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, 659-5452, oregonpacificrr.com. Noon-6 pm. $5-$10.
Cute cats on a big screen
[FILM] The Internet Cat Video Fest is the Academy Awards of Internet cat videos. Who will take home a golden kitty? Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 281-4215. The festival begins Friday, June 22, with showings both days at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. $10.
Maida Withers Dance Construction Company
[DANCE] The Washington, D.C., company presents its surreal work Collision Course aka Pillow Talk , a provocative piece of dance theater that deals with memories, dreams and nightmares. White bed pillows are incorporated into the scenes, in which they are embraced, shared and taped to dancersâ bodies. The piece is conceptual and packed with symbolism. Conduit Dance, 918 SW Yamhill St., Suite 401, 221-5857. 8 pm Saturday, June 22. $15.
Classical Revolution PDX Summer Showcase
[CLASSICAL] Since igniting in San Francisco in 2006, the movement thatâs been putting affordable classical music in bars, coffee shops and other informal settings has spread to nearly 40 other cities around the world. But Portlandâs chapter stands tall, with its monthly chamber jams now always filling the Waypost and new music by local composers increasingly featured. The Portland chapter will host the second International Classical Revolution conference, culminating in this all-star showcase concert hosted by The Late Now â s Leo Daedalus and featuring new music by local composers. The performances include Damen Lieblingâs String Quartet No. 1 performed by members of the DTQ Ensemble; Emily Doolittleâs âSocial Sounds From Whales at Nightâ played by Catherine Lee on oboe dâamore, percussion and electronics; Brent Weaverâs song cycle âCaminosâ setting texts by the early 20th-century Spanish poet Antonio Machado and performed by tenor Ken Beares and pianist Maria Choban; CRPDX director Christopher Corbellâs settings of poems by Charles Baudelaire for the a capella vocal trio Bergerette; and more, including some old dead guys like Haydn. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave., 345-7892. 8 pm Saturday, June 22. $5-$15.
Bernhoft, Sun Rai
[SOUL GONE SOLO] The bigger the band, the bigger the bill. Norwegian soul singer Bernhoft knows this all too well. Though he toured successfully with his previous groups, Span and Explicit Lyrics, Bernhoft went bankrupt on tour with an eight-piece backing band, even after Ceramik City Chronicles, his solo debut, found success across Europe. Venues couldnât afford him, and vice versa. His solution was to grab a loop pedal and take center stage with his silky, ardent voice, trademark blond pompadour and just a few instruments, delicately layering one atop the other. The resulting sound is so smooth, itâs easy to close your eyes and imagine some quartet from the 1930s has been transported to the present, given a couple Stevie Wonder albums to listen to in the green room and thrown onstage. MITCH LILLIE. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. 9 pm. $15. 21+.
John Prine, Kendel Carson, Dustin Bentall
[BONA FIDE LEGEND] It may be easy to dub 66-year-old John Prine one of the quintessential folk singer-songwriters of the early â70s, but wrapping the manâs legacy up in one title is difficult. The Illinois native has been jumping genres ever since Kris Kristofferson helped thrust his eponymous debut into the commercial limelight more than four decades ago. Whether it be the electrifying rockabilly punch of Pink Cadillac or the countrified swagger of German Afternoons, Prineâs poetic, often humorous wordplay has always carried his simple and reflective songwriting. The man is more than just stoner anthems and protest songs. BRANDON WIDDER. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, 220-2789. 7 pm. $32.50-$52.50. All ages.
[REUNION TOUR] Television and the Stooges-inspired darkness, with dueling, strained guitar lines turning into a lascivious, bluesy and slightly drunken dance. With its overdriven, snaky guitars and Zedekâs beautifully weathered voice and desperate worldview, Boston-based quartet Come had a sound that was too dangerously sexy to achieve crossover success. But they will be crossing over decades tonight in Portland. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., with Rebecca Gates and the Consortium, and Sad Horse, on Friday, June 21. 9 pm. $15. 21+.
Saturday, June 22
Evil Dead: The Musical
[THEATER] The musical adaptation of Sam Raimiâs cult hit returns, with severed limbs, chainsaws, shotguns, a gleefully rapey tree, zombies and a special plastic-lined Splatter Zone, for audience members looking to get sprayed with bloody goop. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 284-8686. 7 and 10:30 pm. $19-$34.
Oregon Pacific Railroad Trail Ride
[CHOO-CHOO] See the city from vantage points few others haveâalong the freight-train railways in Southeast Portland. Oregon Pacific Railroad opens its rails to passengers for the first time this summer with its passenger ride days. Beginning near Oaks Park, the 40-minute ride travels north along the Willamette River, through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge to a point near OMSI and back. Oaks Station, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, 659-5452, oregonpacificrr.com. Noon-6 pm. $5-$10.
Cute cats on a big screen
[FILM] The Internet Cat Video Fest is the Academy Awards of Internet cat videos. Who will take home a golden kitty? Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 281-4215. The festival begins Friday, June 22, with showings both days at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. $10.
Maida Withers Dance Construction Company
[DANCE] The Washington, D.C., company presents its surreal work Collision Course aka Pillow Talk , a provocative piece of dance theater that deals with memories, dreams and nightmares. White bed pillows are incorporated into the scenes, in which they are embraced, shared and taped to dancersâ bodies. The piece is conceptual and packed with symbolism. Conduit Dance, 918 SW Yamhill St., Suite 401, 221-5857. 8 pm Saturday, June 22. $15.
Classical Revolution PDX Summer Showcase
[CLASSICAL] Since igniting in San Francisco in 2006, the movement thatâs been putting affordable classical music in bars, coffee shops and other informal settings has spread to nearly 40 other cities around the world. But Portlandâs chapter stands tall, with its monthly chamber jams now always filling the Waypost and new music by local composers increasingly featured. The Portland chapter will host the second International Classical Revolution conference, culminating in this all-star showcase concert hosted by The Late Now â s Leo Daedalus and featuring new music by local composers. The performances include Damen Lieblingâs String Quartet No. 1 performed by members of the DTQ Ensemble; Emily Doolittleâs âSocial Sounds From Whales at Nightâ played by Catherine Lee on oboe dâamore, percussion and electronics; Brent Weaverâs song cycle âCaminosâ setting texts by the early 20th-century Spanish poet Antonio Machado and performed by tenor Ken Beares and pianist Maria Choban; CRPDX director Christopher Corbellâs settings of poems by Charles Baudelaire for the a capella vocal trio Bergerette; and more, including some old dead guys like Haydn. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave., 345-7892. 8 pm Saturday, June 22. $5-$15.
Bernhoft, Sun Rai
[SOUL GONE SOLO] The bigger the band, the bigger the bill. Norwegian soul singer Bernhoft knows this all too well. Though he toured successfully with his previous groups, Span and Explicit Lyrics, Bernhoft went bankrupt on tour with an eight-piece backing band, even after Ceramik City Chronicles, his solo debut, found success across Europe. Venues couldnât afford him, and vice versa. His solution was to grab a loop pedal and take center stage with his silky, ardent voice, trademark blond pompadour and just a few instruments, delicately layering one atop the other. The resulting sound is so smooth, itâs easy to close your eyes and imagine some quartet from the 1930s has been transported to the present, given a couple Stevie Wonder albums to listen to in the green room and thrown onstage. MITCH LILLIE. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. 9 pm. $15. 21+.
John Prine, Kendel Carson, Dustin Bentall
[BONA FIDE LEGEND] It may be easy to dub 66-year-old John Prine one of the quintessential folk singer-songwriters of the early â70s, but wrapping the manâs legacy up in one title is difficult. The Illinois native has been jumping genres ever since Kris Kristofferson helped thrust his eponymous debut into the commercial limelight more than four decades ago. Whether it be the electrifying rockabilly punch of Pink Cadillac or the countrified swagger of German Afternoons, Prineâs poetic, often humorous wordplay has always carried his simple and reflective songwriting. The man is more than just stoner anthems and protest songs. BRANDON WIDDER. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, 220-2789. 7 pm. $32.50-$52.50. All ages.
Sunday, June 23
Joss Whedonâs Much Ado About
Nothing
[FILM] Simply put, Whedonâs take on the Bard is one of the loveliest films weâve seen this year. To be sure, itâs at times slapsticky and screwball, but thatâs in keeping with the tone of the original play. Moreover, the film doesnât coast on its own cleverness. While it has an off-the-cuff nonchalance, itâs grounded by precise performances, careful camera work and a sharp understanding of the gender politics at play. Cinema 21.
The World Is Funny
[JEWISH FILM FEST] Shemi Zarhinâs quirky Israeli dramedy opens with Zafi, a student in a writing workshop, as she tells a story and is encouraged to note interesting secrets and moments about everyday people to use in her work. As a housecleaner, this is easyâespecially with three of her clients, estranged siblings each dealing with their own unusual drama. Tied together by a thread not unlike that in Love, Actually, the film follows people who are bitter, angry, confused and dedicated as they try to figure out both themselves and each other. Supported by strong performances (especially Naama Shitrit as Zafi, who brings a bright charm to often serious subject matter), The World Is Funny artfully explores love and family in a way both funny and satisfying. KAITIE TODD. NW Film Centerâs Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., nwfilm.org. 7 pm Sunday, June 23.
Bike and Swim
[BIKES] This two-wheeled endeavor is part of Pedalpalooza. Riders bike 10 to 15 miles in their bathing suits to a total of three pools. Bring a bike lock and towel. Contact Maria Schur for more information at bicyclekitty@gmail.com or 516-3034. Water Avenue Coffee, 1028 SE Water Ave. 1:30-6:30 pm.
[FILM] Simply put, Whedonâs take on the Bard is one of the loveliest films weâve seen this year. To be sure, itâs at times slapsticky and screwball, but thatâs in keeping with the tone of the original play. Moreover, the film doesnât coast on its own cleverness. While it has an off-the-cuff nonchalance, itâs grounded by precise performances, careful camera work and a sharp understanding of the gender politics at play. Cinema 21.
The World Is Funny
[JEWISH FILM FEST] Shemi Zarhinâs quirky Israeli dramedy opens with Zafi, a student in a writing workshop, as she tells a story and is encouraged to note interesting secrets and moments about everyday people to use in her work. As a housecleaner, this is easyâespecially with three of her clients, estranged siblings each dealing with their own unusual drama. Tied together by a thread not unlike that in Love, Actually, the film follows people who are bitter, angry, confused and dedicated as they try to figure out both themselves and each other. Supported by strong performances (especially Naama Shitrit as Zafi, who brings a bright charm to often serious subject matter), The World Is Funny artfully explores love and family in a way both funny and satisfying. KAITIE TODD. NW Film Centerâs Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., nwfilm.org. 7 pm Sunday, June 23.
Bike and Swim
[BIKES] This two-wheeled endeavor is part of Pedalpalooza. Riders bike 10 to 15 miles in their bathing suits to a total of three pools. Bring a bike lock and towel. Contact Maria Schur for more information at bicyclekitty@gmail.com or 516-3034. Water Avenue Coffee, 1028 SE Water Ave. 1:30-6:30 pm.
Isamu Noguchi: We Are
the Landscape of All We Know
[ART] The late Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a master of integrating natural and industrial materials with dueling Eastern and Western sensibilities. To create this one-time-only, nontraveling exhibition, the Japanese Gardenâs artistic curator, Diane Durston, worked with Matthew Kirsch at the Isamu Noguchi Foundation in New York to bring 22 of Noguchiâs sculptures to Portland. This is the perfect setting for the work, amid the verdant hillside landscaping, rock gardens and sounds of birdsong and flowing water. For a dose of tranquility and high culture during the course of a busy week, it doesnât get much better than this. Through July 21. Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave., 223-1321.
[ART] The late Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a master of integrating natural and industrial materials with dueling Eastern and Western sensibilities. To create this one-time-only, nontraveling exhibition, the Japanese Gardenâs artistic curator, Diane Durston, worked with Matthew Kirsch at the Isamu Noguchi Foundation in New York to bring 22 of Noguchiâs sculptures to Portland. This is the perfect setting for the work, amid the verdant hillside landscaping, rock gardens and sounds of birdsong and flowing water. For a dose of tranquility and high culture during the course of a busy week, it doesnât get much better than this. Through July 21. Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave., 223-1321.
WWeek 2015