Willamette Week: 19 Things to Do and See in Portland June 3-5

FRIDAY, JUNE 3

Ye Day with DJ Ronin Roc

[HAPPY B-DAY] Let's have a toast for the douchebags. Let's have a toast for the assholes. Let's have a toast for the internet commenters, some of the worst people I know. It's Kanye West's birthday, y'all. Here are six reasons why we love Kanye and you should too. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., on Friday, June 3. 9 pm. $10. 21+.

Corinne Bailey Rae, Moorea Masa

[R&B QUEEN] It's been over a decade since British vocalist Corinne Bailey Rae burst onto the world's R&B stage with minor classic Like a Star. A Grammy Award-winning collaborator with Herbie Hancock, Paul McCartney and numerous other music-world legends of substance, Rae is famed for her smooth and sultry attack, hitting pitches dead-on with a casual—but still intentional—ease. On her latest collection of songs, The Heart Speaks in Whispers, her voice molds gold sheets of sound out of shimmering piano harmonies, forming a dense collection fit for night drives, smoking sessions and, of course, the bedroom. PARKER HALL. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.

The New Mutants

[COMIC BOOKS] X-Men has always been a story about civil rights: Professor X's X-Men are the pluralists, calling for multiculturalism, while Magneto and his cronies are the nationalists, calling for domination and destruction of the humans. In The New Mutants, Ramzi Fawaz uses queer theory to discuss the X-Men, as well as similarly complex dynamics that occurred in the comics of the '60s, as superheroes morphed from buff white dudes into "mutants." Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323. 7:30 pm. Free.

New Negroes

[BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL] Baron Vaughn might be too big for the Bridgetown Comedy Festival next year. At least that's what organizers say about the host and creator of Bridgetown's New Negroes show. Vaughn is having a great year: He stars as Lily Tomlin's son in Grace and Frankie, had a half-hour special on Comedy Central and was profiled in Vulture. Read WW's Q&A with Vaughn here. Kill Rock Stars Stage at Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St. 9 pm Friday. $20.

Sing Street

[MOVIE NIGHT] A New Wave rock-'n'-roll fairy tale set in early-'80s Dublin, for fans of quality nostalgia fare like Freaks & Geeks. A 15-year-old boy (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) seeks to escape the harsh reality of his brutal schoolmasters and splintering home. Under the tutelage of his hash-smoking, dole-surfing older brother, he discovers Duran Duran videos and Cure albums. The story is about as believable as Almost Famous or School of Rock, but that's not the point. This film fondly recalls John Hughes, tips its hat to Wes Anderson, and repeatedly nods to Back to the Future and "Thriller." PG-13. NATHAN CARSON. Fox Tower, Kiggins.

Sweeney Todd

[THEATER] Portland Opera has been killing it lately, pun intended. This flamboyant and bloody drama features set and costume designs from the original Broadway staging and former New York City Opera music director George Manahan in the pit. With revenge, pies and a killer Verdi baritone, the 1979 Tony Award winner for Best Musical somehow never gets old. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 503-248-4335. 7:30 pm. $28-$250.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

Small Million

[TWINKLING SYNTHS] When Ryan Linder and Malachi Graham of synth-pop duo Small Million first met, at a Holocene disco party in early 2013, they weren't exactly on the same page. He was an electronic producer, and she was a roots-indebted singer-songwriter. Collaboration seemed unlikely. On Small Million's euphoric debut EP, Before the Fall, you can still hear the Americana-steeped virtuosity in Graham's voice, but even at its twangiest, it seems right at home among the twinkling synths. Turns out, Graham and Linder helped each other realize what they were both searching for. SHANNON GORMLEY Secret Society, 116 NE Russell St., with Mothertapes and Leo Islo, on Saturday, June 4. 9 pm. $8. 21+.

The Briefs, Sex Crime, Lovesores, Andy Place and the Coolheads

[POGO POGO] If the recorded history of Seattle's the Briefs ended with their 10-year-old full-length, there'd still be more than ample pop-infused punk to suffice. Hitting their stride about the same time as like-minded locals Exploding Hearts, the Briefs insinuated a bit more humor into their work with songs like "Silver Bullet" and their shout-along chorus of "Kill Bob Seger right now!" The ensemble rode out the wave of wiry punk that washed over the Northwest during the early 21st century before taking a break from recording. The troupe has set studio time for July, so new material could be getting road tested at the local stop. DAVE CANTOR. Dante's, 350 W Burnside St. 9 pm. $13. 21+.

Hawthorne

[THEATER] Action/Adventure's original crime drama hits the perfect pitch, drawing out the seedy, shadowy side of Portland's central eastside. Zoë Rudman as Anne Winters has the smarts, the insomnia and the drinking habit of all great sleuths. Androgynous in tailored vest, disheveled button up and chucks, Winters attracts all types: femme fatale (Jade Hobbs), "good cop" (Andy Haftkowycz), corporate gatekeeper (Michael Zimmer) and other cinematic characters who hire, help or haunt the missing persons case. The real mystery turns out to be how to heal from hurt enough to be human. JESS DRAKE. Action/Adventure Theatre, 1050 SE Clinton St. 8 pm. $15-$18.

The Improvisation Summit of Portland

[IMPROV SUMMIT] Where else but Disjecta to host this all-ages gathering of Portland's finest cast of freewheeling acoustic and electronic musicians? Presented by the Creative Music Guild, this three-day festival promises the unexpected, which is what you're going to get when you put 18 artists ranging from composers, noise musicians, local operatic figures and performance artists together in the same expansive building. WYATT SCHAFFNER. Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate Ave. 7 pm Thursday-Friday, 11:30 am Saturday, June 2-4. $12 per day, $30 three-day pass. All ages.

Kölschfest

[DRINK] Want to taste actual Kölsch from Cologne? For fun, Prost will tap five of them—Früh, Zunft, Reissdorf, Sünner and Freigeist—served in the traditional tiny glasses that ensure you drink them like beer hors d'oeuvres, fast and very cold. It often tastes little like the hoppier American Kölsch—light and fruity, with rounded malt smoothness. Prost, 4237 N Mississippi Ave., 503-954-2674.

All day. Free.

Montavilla Food Co-op Pancake Breakfast

[FOOD CO-OP] This fundraiser to found a food co-op in Montavilla offers seven-grain pancakes, bacon, sausage, egg bakes, rhubarb fruit compote, honey lemongrass creme fraiche and vegan/gluten-free options galore, for a mere $10 donation. Montavilla United Methodist Church, 232 SE 80th Ave., 503-254-5529. 8 am-noon. $10.

Rachel Bloom

[BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FEST] Bloom does stuff, a lot of stuff. The co-creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is headlining Bridgetown in a separately ticked show that's part concert, part standup. Since going viral with the YouTube music video "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury," Bloom has nailed spots on Robot Chicken, Bojack Horseman and shows with less suspicious names, like Very Mallory. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. 9:30 pm Saturday, June 4. $30.

Sculptures at Stumptown

[ART + COFFEE] There is something enormously satisfying about tools because they remind us that we are human. We have thumbs! We can build things! Emily Bixler's sculpture series Scapes/Bulges, on display at Stumptown, calls on the spirit of hand tools, appealing to our sense of functional beauty. The exhibit is an example of a sculpture show that anyone can appreciate, without explanation. Read the full review here. Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 4525 SE Division St., 503-230-7702. Through June 8.

SUNDAY, JUNE 5

Night Movies: The X-Files and The Great Outdoors

[FOOD + FLICKS] Cartopia's Night Movies are back, this year pairing films with classic X-Files episodes. First up, the pilot episode and the John Candy-Dan Aykroyd classic The Great Outdoors. No word on whether any of the carts will have a special on gigantic steaks or gristle. Cartopia, Movies start at dusk.

Dan Raphael

[BOOKS] Dan Raphael has been a force of nature in Oregon poetry. Since arriving in Portland in 1977, he's released 18 poetry collections, read at Wordstock, the Portland Jazz Festival and Bumbershoot, and organized readings in St. Johns and at the downtown Borders (remember those?) for years. His latest collection is called Everyone in This Movie Gets Paid. Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 800-878-7323. 4 pm. Free.

Islands, Honus Honus

[ENDLESS SET LIST] This double bill of Mister Heavenly frontmen comes on the heels of Islands releasing a pair of albums simultaneously and just before a yet-to-be-released Honus Honus solo effort. Islands' Should I Remain Here, At Sea? is said to be a "spiritual successor" to their brilliant debut—a high-water mark of shiny, melodic pop, which Islands never quite matched on subsequent albums. Its partner release, Taste, finds Islands in electronic mode, using vintage synths and drum machines in place of traditional rock instrumentation. CRIS LANKENAU. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 9 pm. $12 advance, $14 day of show. 21+.

The Skin of Our Teeth

[THEATER] Thornton Wilder's 1943 Pulitzer-winner is a farcical, fourth-wall-breaking rumination on the endless cycle of human suffering. Each member of the the Antrobus family plays an iconic figure in humanity's saga—Cain, Noah, a dinosaur. The actors (particularly Sara Hennessy's sassy character, Sabina) hilariously break the fourth wall throughout the play. Still, they forge on, miraculously saved each time by the skin of their teeth. RUSSELL HAUSFELD. Artist's Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St., 503-241-1278. 7:30 pm. $25.

Turnt Up with Eliza Skinner

[BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL] Comedians face off in series of one-on-one rap battles that are totally freestyle and totally improvised. The audience picks the winner by applause at the end of each round, until only one is left and gets to claim the title of Turnt champion. Competitors include Matt Braunger, Guy Branum, David Gborie, Hutch Harris and Natalie Palamides, and the whip-smart Eliza Skinner hosts. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St. 7 pm Sunday, June 5. $15.

Willamette Week