18 Things to Do and See in Portland August 26-28

Take off your clothes while telling jokes, eat at a 12-chef Korean food extravaganza or watch one of the year's best animated films.

FRIDAY, AUG. 26

Comic Strip

(Christine Dong) (Christine Dong)

Portland's best stripper comedian, Wendy Weiss, challenges the stereotype that women can't be funny and hot. This recurring show mixes her passions, making comics take off their clothes while they try to make people laugh. She rings a bell eery few minutes, signaling it's time for the comic to take off an article of clothing. They usually only get as far as their skivvies. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., 503-309-3723. 10 pm. $8. 21+.

Related: Wendy Weiss is Portland's Best Stripper Comedian

Dudes

[SHEERIS FILMS] Cult director Penelope Spheeris hits the Hollywood to screen a collection of short films, followed by a screening of her weird, little-seen 1987 cult film Dudes, an odd, feel-good punk-rock road-trip revenge tale. Hollywood Theatre. 8:30 pm Thursday-Friday, Aug. 25-26.

Libretto, Mic Crenshaw, Theory Hazit (beat set), Jon Belz, DJ Ozroc

(You Tube) (You Tube)

[HIP-HOP] In the early 2000s, the Portland hip-hop scene was reigned over by a handful of potent voices, one of the most commanding belonging to Mike "Libretto" Jackson. Along with the Lifesavas' classic Spirit in Stone, Libretto's full-length debut, 2004's Ill-Oet: The Last Element, put Portland on the underground rap radar, catching ears with its blend of sample-based East Coast production and Jackson's L.A.-raised street knowledge. Just as he was readying his followup, Libretto ended up in federal prison on an armed robbery conviction. He spent his four and a half years of incarceration focusing on self-improvement and filling stacks of notebooks with lyrics. Now free, those lyrics—a mix of autobiography and sociopolitical observations—form the basis of his first post-release project, Gangsta Jazz Vol. 2, which affixes his smooth baritone to crackling jazz loops. And while the rap world at large has changed several times over since he's been away, his voice remains as authoritative as ever. MATTHEW SINGER. Future Shock, 1914 E Burnside St. 5 pm. Free. All ages.

Portland Film Fest

Boone (courtesy of Boone LLC)

[INDIE FLICKS] If there were an award for Most Memorable Opening Sequence at this year's Portland Film Festival, it would go to Boone (5 pm Saturday) screening, a gritty documentary about a struggling goat farm in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley. In the dark of night, we see a man with a flashlight walk into a barn. The beam finds a goat peeing, two more mid-coitus, then finally its target: a doe in labor. The farmer pulls the kid out with his bare hands in a steaming pile of placenta and umbilical cord. Don't worry, gory animal birth is not a running theme for the 2016 Portland Film Festival, which kicks off this week. But four years in, you can certainly expect to find the work of filmmakers who take cinematic risks. Laurelhurst Theater, 2735 E Burnside St., pdxff.com, Aug. 29-Sept. 5. Festival pass $180, single film $10.

Real Estate, Potty Mouth, Divers

[INDIE POP] Real Estate can rightfully be described as both pleasant and harmless, but in a good way. Inoffensive melodies have their place even in this ugly world, and who better to bring them to your ears than Real Estate? Drawing from groups like the Feelies and the Clean, the band is often accused of being an indie rock band. Don't let that tag freak you out, though: RE is pure pop, if a little on the lo-fi side. The group emerged from the fey morass of the late-aughts indie scene, toured with Girls (from whom it poached its keyboard player) and Kurt Vile, and while those bands may have faded from prominence, Real Estate hasn't lost its touch. BRACE BELDEN. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 8 pm. $18 advance, $22 day of show. In Lola's Room. 21+.

Ya La Bamba

Y La Bamba IMAGE: Christal Angelique.

[FATIM-FOLK] For some, September will mark the end of a vanishing act. Portland's much-admired Latin-folk act Y La Bamba will release its first full-length in more than four years—a deeply personal record called Ojos del Sol. It's music to the patient ears of frontwoman Luz Elena Mendoza's many fans. But in terms of the evolution that took place within that window, it's really a flash in time. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., No. 110, with Orquestra Pacifico Tropical and Haley Heynderickx, on Friday, Aug. 26. 8 pm. $15. 21+.

SATURDAY, AUG. 27

ABC Block Party

[KIDS] The Star Theater is becoming a kids' play zone. This all-ages dance party offers hula-hooping, a family photo booth, a sing-along, face painting, and an "infant sensory play zone" for those who've come to party but can't yet walk. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave., 503-248-4700. 11 am. $10. All ages.

Beer Wars IPA Fest

Emily Joan Greene Emily Joan Greene

[TASTING] Five states enter. Four will leave looking like chumps. As they've done in Bend for five years, 10 Barrel is inviting breweries from Colorado, California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho to bring out their IPAs, and everybody who shows up blind-tastes the beers. Last year's winner was Oregon—and this year's local entrants are 10 Barrel, Barley Brown's, Boneyard, Breakside, Buoy and Deschutes. We predict a repeat. $5 admission, $1 per taste. 10 Barrel Brewing, 1411 NW Flanders St., 503-224-1700. 5-10 pm.

Brews for New Avenues

[TAP THIS] Brews for New Avenues is one of our favorite charity events of the year. It's the world's largest rare-beer auction—think Cantillon—with special one-off collaborations among premium brewers, plenty of beer tappings and appetizers for the crowd, oysters and all sorts of wonderful things, all of which to benefit homeless or at-risk kids. It's sold out six ways to Sunday, but they'll open up a few tickets at the door. Check brewsfornewavenues.com for details. Left Bank Annex, 101 N Weidler St.

Lucky Infinity

Maybe America should consider switching to a new political system, like the batshit one in this sci-fi musical from Monkey With a Hat On, a proudly batshit local theater company. America's Got President replaces our current voting system. The entertainment industry takes over politics. The president spends his time chasing the best orgasm ever. Expect weird, low-budget costumes, uncouth song-and-dance numbers and a hell of a good time if you down enough beer from the Clinton's dive bar. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., 503-238-5588. 8 pm Thursday-Friday and Sunday, Aug 25-28. $5.

The Measure of a Man

[WHAT TO WATCH] The economy is in the gutter and the world doesn't give a shit about anyone. These grating sentiments are reflected in Stéphane Brizé's The Measure of a Man, a film defined by our current era of career paranoia and detachment. Our hero, Thierry (spectacularly played by Vincent Lindon), searches for work after being let go by a high-paying employer. With a persistently furrowed brow, he faces endless challenges that place his dignity into question while seeking financial support for his family. As cathartic as a drunken sing-along to Elliott Smith, Brizé's film is a beautifully painful tale of moral desperation in which people are expendable and money is everything. NR. CODY DEAN. NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium. 7 pm Saturday and 4:30 pm Sunday, Aug. 27-28.

Minus the Bear, This Will Destroy You

Minus the Bear plays Wonder Ballroom tonight. IMAGE: Courtesy of William Morris Entertainment. Minus the Bear plays Wonder Ballroom tonight. IMAGE: Courtesy of William Morris Entertainment.

[MATH ROCK] It's been a minute since we last heard anything from Seattle math-rock quartet Minus the Bear—though its last LP, 2012's Infinity Overhead, was dense and rewarding enough to hold up after several revisits. Expertly crafted off-time hooks, rhythm-section synergy most musicians can only dream of, and a singer who sort of sounds like indie rock's answer to Seal all combine to make the smartest answer to OK Computer-era Radiohead that the Northwest can conjure. Consider how many other indie bands are as unanimously adored by some of the most arrogant people alive: Guitar Center clerks. Do you need any more of an endorsement? CRIS LANKENAU. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St. 8:30 pm. $25 advance, $30 day of show. All ages.

Noche de Película

[LATINX] Portland Latino Gay Pride, an 11-year-old volunteer organization, does movie night at the Hollywood with four short docs celebrating Latinx and LGBTQ lives. After the films, everyone 21 and over is invited to the after-party at Columbia River Brewing. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., hollywoodtheatre.org. 7 pm. $9.

SUNDAY, AUG. 28

CoHo Lab: Intimacy//Heaven//Honey

Northwest's CoHo Theater is a blank black box during the summer, when theater season lulls to a trickle of Shakespeare in the Park. That makes it the perfect incubator for CoHo's new theater program which lets independent artists rehearse and perform in the space. This week, you'll be asked to hold hands with a stranger or join the dance in Sascha Blocker's The Intimacy Project. Then, Heaven or Helen tells the mind-fucking story of a Columbia University psychologist who heard voices. Don't let the final act scare you away—The Honey of His Music Vows is about "love in the age of text messaging"—these are exciting young artists you've seen on stages around Portland, and this is a rare chance to see them take the reins. CoHo Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh St., 503-220-2646. 8 pm Sunday, Aug. 28. $10.

Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings (courtesy of Laika Entertainment)

[GRADE: A ] Laika's late-summer bid for animation domination manages multiple triumphs. It's an original story that feels lived in, a kid-focused fable with real stakes, and it's a high-octane spectacle full of white-knuckle action and terrifying creatures that's matched every step of the way by heart. In telling the tale of a one-eyed boy (Art Parkinson) in an ancient Japanese village, the Portland studio throws a lot at the screen. There are battles with building-sized skeletons, morbid floating apparitions and snarling beasts. Yet amid the eye-popping visuals, the film still takes time for small moments of tenderness. It's glorious. Rated PG.

Mukja! Korean Food Fest

[MOMOFUKU] Holy crap. If you go to only one 12-chef Korean food extravaganza with dishes from James Beard Award finalists (Rachel Yang), Momofuku alums (Johanna Ware, Peter Cho, Deuki Hong), TV celebuchefs (Gregory Gourdet) and award-winning food carts (Kim Jong Grillin'), make it this one. Tix at kacoregon.org/kfoodfest. Ecotrust Event Spaces, 921 SW Ninth Ave. 1 pm. $70-$100.

Omara Portuondo and Eliades Ochoa

[HASTA LA BUENA VISTA] Buena Vista Social Club may have closed its doors after last year's 20th-anniversary "Adios Tour," but two of its stalwarts continue to deliver the mambo, cha cha cha, son and other Afro-Caribbean music, as well as the feel-good redemption story that fueled the old-school Cuban musicians' late-career success. Both have been performing professionally since childhood—which in the case of 85-year-old jazz singer Omara Portuondo, means 70 years—unlike other Buena Vistans who emerged from long retirements. The always-cowboy-hatted Eliades Ochoa joined Grupo Patria in the 1970s, and the group has continually added new rhythms and other features to the traditional son foundation. The band he'll bring to the zoo (including trumpets and piano) features young musicians from his native Santiago de Cuba. The two legends will perform separately with their own bands, and together. BRETT CAMPBELL. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road. 7 pm Sunday, Aug. 28. $32.50-$92.50. All ages.

Shy Girls, the Last Artful Dodgr, My Body

The Last Artful, Dodgr IMAGE: Devin Tolman.

[NOT-SO-HIDDEN GEM] It's not uncommon for the headliner to be a safe bet instead of the most compelling artist, and that's case here. The Last Artful Dodgr has been leading the Portland hip-hop scene with her melodic raps and a voice that's both chameleonic and distinct. She can transform from nasally and soulful to hard-hitting and aggro in a matter of seconds. That's not to dismiss Shy Girls, though. Producer Dan Vidmar makes some seriously smooth bedroom pop, and his recent single "I Am Only a Man" is a lesson in anthemic yet atmospheric songwriting. SHANNON GORMLEY. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St. 8:30 pm. $5 advance, $10 day of show. 21+.

Willamette Week

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.