Out West This week is your last chance to see Blue Sky Gallery’s Ingeborg Gerdes retrospective, containing both black-and-white and color photographs from 50 years of her work. Out West reworks common myths of the American West. Gerdes peels back layers of camp while carving out her own essential truths. Some of these truths are common—the unshakable, almost spiritual, sense of solitude on land that still remembers its own freedom, for example, or the unusual eccentricity of life in the region. Blue Sky Gallery, 122 NW 8th Ave., 503-225-0210, blueskygallery.org. Noon-5 pm Wednesday-Saturday, through Aug. 28.
Brewers & Their Bands While you may greatly appreciate Oregon brewers’ ability to craft consistently excellent yet continually innovative beer, fewer people know that many of the individuals in that industry have talent with a whole different category of instruments. Brewers & Their Bands is the rare event that prominently displays the overlap between the beer-making and musical communities. Although the showcase was canceled last year due to COVID-19, the performers are back and hungry for an audience. The lineup includes brewers from Breakside, Double Mountain and Ecliptic—the latter of which will blow your mind once you see brewmaster and industry legend John Harris rock a washboard. Ecliptic Brewing, 825 N Cook St., 503-265-8002, eclipticbrewing.com. 6-10 pm Friday, Aug. 27. Free; beer from each participating brewery available to purchase.
Modest Mouse After over two decades as the Pacific Northwest’s wry and moody standard bearers, Modest Mouse has released an album that’s kind of…happy? Released in June, Golden Casket is the Portland band’s first album in six years. Sure, there’s some dark song about the evils of the internet age, but that cynicism is balanced by bright music and earnest attempts at feel-goodery. The album trades its expected guitar-heavy sound for a layered mix of banjo, marimba and eclectic percussion. And as if the music on Golden Casket weren’t already tender enough, the band’s first hometown show since the pandemic is sure to be extra sentimental. The first of two outdoor shows is already sold out, but there’s still time to grab tickets for the second night. McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., edgefieldconcerts.com. 6:30 pm Friday-Saturday, Aug. 27-28. $44.50 advance, $50 day of show. All ages.
Eastghost, Onhell, Maarquii, Quarry, Wokr Holocene is back—with a vaccine mandate. Hosted by artist collective Stylss, the venue’s Friday roster is everything fans of Holocene have missed—a five artist-deep lineup of bass music, deep house and futuristic R&B. Featuring everything from the glitchy and euphoric electronica of Eastghost to the industrial club of rapper Maarquii, it’ll be the hypebeast dance party you’ve been dreaming about for the past year and half. Except, hopefully, most of the all-vaxxed crowd will be wearing face masks. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., holocene.org. 9 pm Friday, Aug. 27. $12. 21+.
Feast Family Reunions Known for its gluttonous events, hefty ticket prices and general party-hearty atmosphere, Feast returned this summer after a one-year, pandemic-related hiatus with a series of smaller, distanced events and local focus. Family Reunion is one of the few events not yet sold out. Picnic tables provide plenty of room in Southeast Portland’s Redd on Salmon industrial space. Sample creative foodie visions and summery beverages from 10 chefs at either of the two remaining Family Reunion events. Ecotrust’s The Redd on Salmon, 831 SE Salmon St., 503-227-6225, feastportland.com. Noon Saturday, 6 pm Sunday, Aug. 28-29.
Battle Royale Set in a dystopian Japan, this action thriller follows a group of ninth graders taken to a remote island and forced by the governmenrt to fight to the death in a deranged attempt to curb juvenile delinquency. The hugely influential film, which came out in 2000, inspired an entire subgenre of video games like Fortnite; it’s basically The Hunger Games but bloodier, wilder and better. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, hollywoodtheatre.org. 7:30 pm Monday, Aug. 30. $8-$10.