Willamette Weekend: 22 Things to Do and See in Portland on Memorial Day Weekend

Honor America with canned wine, a Man Band and the greatest American sandwich ever invented.

FRIDAY, MAY 27

Discover Old Gilbert Road

[BUZZ LIST] In a residential crack between FoPo and Woodstock, the Gilbert Road is a rough-and-tumble, three-room space with a vaguely Masonic logo, a world of attitudinal kitsch on the walls, and pool tables in the back. On any given night, the stage might feature local folk-punk, a reading event devoted to the apocalypse, or a monthly Gilbert Road Grotesque bizarro night emceed by a woman dressed like a monkey. Read the full review here.

Enso Sangria Can Release

[SANGRIA FAMILIA] This will be the fizziest and cheapest wine party this weekend: $4 for 12 ounces. Enso Winery, 1416 SE Stark St., 503-683-3676. 4-11 pm.

Hawthorne

[THEATER] Action/Adventure's original crime drama hits the perfect pitch, drawing out the seedy, shadowy side of Portland's central eastside like a lone saxophone. Richard E. Moore's musical score sustains the suspense with wandering piano and haunting trumpet melodies, the white-washed set morphs elegantly with parallel sliding panels upstage and video projections give a glimpse of our detective's Google research. Zoë Rudman as Anne Winters has the smarts, the insomnia and the drinking habit of all great sleuths. Read the full review here. JESS DRAKE. Action/Adventure Theatre, 1050 SE Clinton St. 8 pm. $15-$18.

The Museum's Ghosts

[SEE ART] Photographer Andrés Wertheim uses consecutive in-camera exposures to merge images of museum visitors with the artworks they have come to see. The resulting photographs range from hilarious—like the image of a bored visitor sitting in the hallway inches away, it appears, from two peasants fighting to the death—to tender, as when Wertheim juxtaposes a teenage boy lying on a museum bench unknowingly mid-cuddle with a cherub who is sleeping in his lap. Sometimes it is hard to determine which parts of the final composition belong to which exposure, blending art and life in a way that makes us question if there is any separation between the two. Blue Sky Gallery, 122 NW 8th Ave., 503-225-0210. Through May 29.

Titus Andronicus, La Sera

[PURE PUNK] New Jersey's Titus Andronicus has been at the punk forefront for over a decade now. While the band has made tweaks here and there as to what it means to be both noisy and conceptual, it has mainly delivered a consistent helping of raucous rock 'n' roll that would be just as much at home today as it would be at CBGB in the '70s. That balancing act hasn't been easy on the band, with a former-member list that extends well into double digits. Last year, Titus Andronicus dropped The Most Lamentable Tragedy, its fourth studio album and possibly the closest thing to blazing indie rock it has approached thus far. MARK STOCK. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., No. 110. 9 pm. $20. All ages.

Eat at O-Bros Osteria

[EAT] Fuck fancy. The spicy Italian grinder is the greatest American sandwich ever invented. Don't get me wrong. I love the bacon-relish asparagus at Meat Cheese Bread, the five-spice pork at Devil's Dill, and the puffed-up muffuletta and Cubano at Bunk. But when I think "sandwich"—the Platonic form of sandwichhood—what I think of is the spicy Italian sub the way it's made at O-Bros Osteria. Oh, man, the spicy Italian. It's the stuff of dreams I've been having since childhood. O-Bros Osteria, Southwest 10th Avenue and Alder Street. 10 am-4 pm.

SATURDAY, MAY 28

Savages

Savages IMAGE: Courtesy of Matador Records.

[POSITIVE ROCK] On Adore Life, Ayse Hassan's bass remains at once sludgy and liquid, like magma sliding down the face of a volcano, and guitarist Gemma Thompson still emits sparks and cast shadows in equal measure. But it did cause Beth to open up more, in performance—she now often ventures into the crowd rather than just menacing them—and on record. Adore Life explores love in all its convolutions, from jealousy to lust, and comes to the conclusion that it's worth it. It's a bold stance for a band working in a genre whose antecedents compared love to a case of anthrax poisoning and declared "anger is an energy." "It's always positivity," Milton says. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., with Head Wound City, 9 pm. $18.50 advance, $20 day of show. All ages.

Father, Lui Diamonds, Tommy Genesis

[WEIRD SOUTH] Atlanta's Awful Records is the South's answer to Odd Future, circa 2010. It's a stable of young rappers and R&B performers that weaves mainstream braggadocio into a specific kind of youthful nihilism that walks the line between abstract and accessible. On his new album, I'm a Piece of Shit, Awful's de facto leader, Father, raps in a subdued, almost monotonous drawl, suggesting thorough disillusionment with the drug-fueled lifestyle he ostensibly glorifies. He's joined by labelmates Lui Diamonds and Tommy Genesis—just a dip into Awful's deep bench of left-field talent. WALKER MACMURDO. The Analog Cafe, 720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 4 pm. $17. All ages.

Jay Chandrasekhar

[COMEDY] Jay Chandrasekhar is a founding member of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe (emphasis on bro) that has brought the world such classic films as Club Dread and Beerfest. Known for starring as Arcot Ramathorn, one half of car Ramrod, in Broken Lizard's best-known film, Super Troopers, Chandrasekhar's three-night pass through Portland should give him plenty of time to talk up the partially crowdfunded Super Troopers 2. MIKE ACKER. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Thursday, 7:30 and 10 pm. $17-$23. 21+

Joe Hill

[BOOKS] While working as a school nurse, Harper Grayson witnesses a man spontaneously combust. It soon becomes clear that the man's condition is part of a worldwide epidemic, which forces Harper into triage work at a hospital and exposes both the best and worst sides of humanity. It's The Fireman, the fourth book from Hill, whose Horns was turned into a weird movie with Daniel Radcliffe, and whose dad's name rhymes with Schmeven Schming. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323. 2 pm. Free.

Portland State Man Choir, Vox Femina and University Choir

[PROTEST SONGS] Portland State's choral programs are on a roll, winning international awards and major grants. This concert will show why director Ethan Sperry's singers have achieved such success. The group displays not just purity and precision of sound but also fiery, youthful energy. This time, they're singing songs from various traditions that protest violence, war and oppression while exalting the resisters. Prime percussionist Valerie Naranjo of the Saturday Night Live house band is guest drummmer. BRETT CAMPBELL. Lincoln Recital Hall at Portland State University, 1620 SW Park Ave. 7:30 pm. $15 general admission, $7 seniors and PSU students. All ages.

Vinlandia

[DRINK] This Memorial Day wine tour features tastings of 24 releases from 10 wineries, plus lovely coconut pork banh mi. Tickets are $20 at eventbrite.com, $25 at the door. Southeast Wine Collective, 2425 SE 35th Place, 503-208-2061. 3-6 pm.

SUNDAY, MAY 29

Flea + Food

photo from Rejuvenation Facebook photo from Rejuvenation Facebook

[CRAFTY WONDERLAND] The street fair season is looming. This is the first of Rejuvenation's monthly crafty extravaganza, which pack EZ-Ups as far as the eye can see with art prints, leather wares, jewelry and craft foodie treats. It's everything you'll be sick of by August, but it still looks fresh in May. Bunk Sandwiches, Jacobsen Salt and XRAY are the big names this time. Full list at pdxflea.com. Rejuvenation, 1100 SE Grand Ave., 11 am-4 pm. Free.

Kaytranada

[ULTRALIGHT BEAM] When did pop music get so dour? While recent production trends in hip-hop and dance music have skewed moody (cough, Drake, cough), 23-year-old producer Louis Kevin Celestin is one of a handful of young pioneers sprinting in the opposite direction. Under the name Kaytranada, Celestin makes jubilant noise, and he's become something of a SoundCloud "star" with a series of intoxicating remixes and DJ sets interpolating Janet Jackson and Amerie songs within transcendent house breakdowns. With 99.9%, he's managed to do something even more monumental—craft a debut album as warm and joyous as the first sunny day of spring. It's the perfect summertime record. Euphoria Nightclub, 315 SE 3rd Ave. 10 pm. $20 advance, $25 day of show. 21+.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

[ZAC EFRON] Following classic stories of friendship and sexual fumbles like Harold & Kumar and Revenge of the Nerds, Neighbors 2 is a dumb comedy that captures freshman year 2016 from a feminine perspective. Nicholas Stoller returns to write and direct this sequel, making smart use of millennial ineptitude and letting the comedic tone get weirder. While a handful of scenes approach John Waters levels of obscurity, you're going to need to get properly stoned to roll with a version of feminism that empowers girls to bro out. Read the full review and buy tickets here. Rated R. Critic's Grade: B-. LAUREN TERRY.

Peter and the Starcatcher

[THEATER] Like a Disney movie exploded inside a tiny theater, Peter and the Starcatcher packs a zillion plot twists, puns, Three Stooges-like gags, and staging tricks into the Portland Playhouse for this prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan. The dozen cast members fly around stage nonstop for nearly three hours—sometimes literally—giving each other piggyback rides, doing the cancan dressed as mermaids, and miming chase scenes through the jungle in what looks like alive-action Mario Kart race. Read the full review here. Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott St., 503-488-5822. 2 pm. $20-$36.

Seafood Sunday at Teutonic

[CRAWFISHING] Nothin' says "fuck it" like holding a Texas-style crawfish boil at your winery on Memorial Day weekend. Teutonic Wine Co., 3303 SE 20th Ave., 503-235-5053. 1-7 pm.

Wreckless Eric, Dusty Santamaria

[WORKING STIFF] Labelmate of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Ian Dury amid that first flowering of New Wave troubadours, Wreckless Eric could never quite credibly play the part of Angry Young Man, and the blending of punk dynamics with pop sensibilities proved rather less salable. In the U.K., the former Eric Goulden enjoyed his share of late-'70s fame—signature anthem "Whole Wide World" garnered a late-life boost from Will Ferrell's Stranger Than Fiction warblings—but the 62-year-old has spent the past few decades immersed in a series of ramshackle passion projects. For AmERICa, his first solo album in nearly a dozen years, the Newhaven native tackles his adopted homeland through a typically joyous collection of off-kilter pub rock, shambling garage sing-alongs and incisive narratives about the roads less traveled. JAY HORTON. Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth St. 8 pm. $8. 21+.

MONDAY, MAY 30

photo from Great American Films photo from Great American Films

X:Men Apocalypse

[BLOCKBUSTER] The Apocalypse is here, and it's great. Factions on the internet will inevitably find reasons to hate this movie. The Egyptians will be too pale for some. The budding romance between Scott Summers and Jean Grey will fall flat for others. Psylocke's comics-accurate body suit will madden someone's mother. The question is: Do you want to have fun and enjoy a comic book turned into a quarter-billion-dollar feature film or would you rather stay home reading Proust? Read the full review and buy tickets here.

Dirty Dancing

[OLD BLOCKBUSTER] Relive the hot-and-heavy sixties via the 1987 film classic. Circle skirts, extra tight pants and feathered hairstyles for everyone! McMenamins Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., 8 pm. $4.

Ran, A.K.

[OLDER BLOCKBUSTER] Legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1985 masterpiece, Ran, is a violent and visually stunning play on King Lear, in which the aging Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) relinquishes power to his two eldest sons but is quickly betrayed. It's classic for a reason. A.K., on the other hand, is renowned French filmmaker Chris Marker's documentary following the production of Ran and Kurosawa's cinematic techniques. While you won't want to miss seeing the intensity of Ran's war scenes in this 4K restoration on the big screen, A.K. is something to stick around for only if you're a big fan of slow-paced DVD extras and behind-the-scenes footage. Rated R. Critic's Grade: A/C. CURTIS COOK. NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium. 3:30 pm. $9.

The Movie Quiz

[NOW YOU ARE READY] Your Hulu, Netflix and YouTube trolling is about to pay off, in the form of schooling all your other chilling friends at the Hollywood's monthly trivia night. Expect obscure sound clips from cult classics, screen shots of Johnny Depp or aliens or Johnny Depp as an alien. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 9:30 pm. $6.

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