Willamette Weekend: 14 Things to Do and See in Portland February 24-26

A bevy of beer events and can't-miss shows mean winter is almost over!

(Emily Joan Greene)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

(Josue Rivas)

Chicano Batman

Not all heroes wear capes—some prefer ruffled 1970s prom gear. While Chicano Batman's look isn't likely to strike fear in the hearts of many men, the band's distinctly Mexican-American sound—psychedelic Latin grooves delivered with a soulful smoothness learned from L.A. oldies radio—should agitate one tangerine-colored supervillain in particular. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave., 503-248-4700, startheaterportland.com. 9 pm. $14. 21+.

Sour Fruit Fest

Portland's house of sour celebrates itself Wednesday through Sunday—but this is the first night you won't have to work the next day. More than 50 different fruity sour beers will rotate through the barrel house, with bourbon-barrel-aged Cherry Vlad quad headlining Friday. Pucker up and drink, or vice versa. Cascade Brewing Barrel House, 939 SE Belmont St., 503-265-8603, cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com. Noon.

Jackpot Recording Studio's 20th Anniversary Celebration

Jackpot Studio owner Larry Crane. IMAGE: Jason Quigley,

From the moment Larry Crane and Elliott Smith finished building their ramshackle audio production space along a then-deserted inner-Southeast byway, Jackpot Recording Studio has played an invaluable role in shepherding the growth of the Portland music scene. See our Q&A hereSecret Society, 116 NE Russell St., 503-493-3600, secretsociety.net. Featuring the Minders and the Secret Sea. 9 pm. $20 advance, $25 day of show. 21+.

Swan Lake

With its production of Swan Lake, Oregon Ballet Theater hopes to satisfy both contemporary and traditional inclinations by changing up the narrative of the classic ballet. See our feature here. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 503-248-4335, obt.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Saturday, through Feb. 25. $29-$146.

The Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble's Grasshoppers Showcase

The Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble performing at the Montavilla Jazz Festival. IMAGE: Aaron Hayman.

Spinning off from a group of Portland State jazz students, the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble started as a way for its members to continue playing new material in a big-band setting after graduation. Now with a record label, a podcast and a mentorship program under its umbrella, the PJCE has become perhaps the most vital outlet in the city for pushing jazz forward. See our feature on the PJCE here. The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave., 503-222-2031, theoldchurch.org. 7:30 pm. $15 for students, seniors and PJCE members, $20 general admission. All ages.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Triple IPA Fest

Hoppy heavyweights from across the West Coast hit the taps at N.W.I.P.A. in celebration of the height of late winter's triple IPA season. Boozy, bright, and bitter, these once-a-year creations dominate your palate, a delicious blend of honey and hop cone. But be warned: Follow up an IIIPA with the normal variety, and you'll wonder if it's secretly La Croix. N.W.I.P.A., 6350 SE Foster Road, 503-805-7342, nwipa.beer. 2 pm.

Monster Jam

(Brett Moist)

Purists can hate on the validity of monster truck rallies as actual sporting events all they want, but few things in the arena entertainment world are as exciting as watching Grave Digger spit flames and grind a stack of Geo Trackers into dust. Aside from the occasional hockey fight, it doesn't get more gratifyingly lowbrow than this. Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., 503-235-8771, rosequarter.com. 1 and 7 pm. Also 1 pm Feb. 26. $20-$90.

Mike Watt & the Missingmen, Toys That Kill

No band believed in the dream of punk rock more than the Minutemen, and no one has lived it quite like their bassist, Mike Watt. He, drummer George Hurley and singer-guitarist D. Boon—three self-described "corndogs" playing brief, wiry blasts as indebted to Ornette Coleman and Captain Beefheart as Black Flag—neither looked nor sounded like the other acts in the '80s Southern California hardcore scene. Boon's death in 1985 cut short  a brilliant career, but Watt has kept the torch burning ever since, touring relentlessly with gazillions of groups—including the reunited Stooges—while refusing to travel in anything more extravagant than an Econoline van. Tonight, he plays with his long-running trio, the Missingmen, who tap into the sound and spirit of his most famous band, and add covers of Blue Öyster Cult and Wire for the hell of it. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.

Songs of Love and War

(Cory Weaver)

Portland Opera's Songs of Love and War is a lot like your average Saturday night when those new Tinder matches never roll in: full of lust, love, rejection and pain. See our feature heretk. Hampton Opera Center, 211 SE Caruthers St., portlandopera.org. 7:30 Thursday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 25. $65.

Brewstillery Fest

Beer and liquor are a sick combo—and 19 local breweries and 19 distillers will pair up, whether Pfriem with New Deal or Breakside with Clear Creek. A $20 advance ($25 door) gets you 10 tickets' worth of split boilermakers. Stormbreaker Brewing, 832 N Beech St., stormbreakerbrewing.com. Noon-8 pm.

Blackout Beer Fest

Afraid of the dark? Don't come here, where 25 dark beers from Oregon and Southwest Washington will be served alongside food taster trays and a pre-game brunch if you plan to get crunk and heavy. The chowder challenge will take a breather this year, however. Sidebar, 3901 N Williams Ave., lompocbrewing.com. Noon-10 pm.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Hell No!

(Leah Nash)

That line about how President Trump is going to inspire great art might be a crock of shit, but at least he's already inspiring killer benefit concerts. Tonight's show of protest brings together Portland's indie-rock ruling class—Colin Meloy, Stephen Malkmus and Sleater-Kinney—along with several others to raise money for the ACLU and Unite Oregon. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 503-225-0047, crystalballroompdx.com. 6 pm. Sold out. All ages.

The Octopus Project, Sound of Ceres

Toto Miranda, Josh Lambert and Yvonne Lambert make up the quirky Austin trio known as Octopus Project, a band perhaps best-known for their mind-bending use of theremin. They've been described as "psychedelic pop" because of their trippy visual aesthetic and unique light shows, but their mostly instrumental music is an 8-bit flashback to the days when you blew into Nintendo cartridges to get them to work. Fever Forms, the band's latest, is pop-friendly territory governed by experimental elements that are at once transformative and transcendent. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-231-9663. 9 pm. $13 advance, $15 day of show. 21+.

Kachka Butter Brunch

Yes, it is time for Maslenitsa! Butter Week in Russia! So get drunk on horseradish vodka and eat butter blini family-style with cured fish and roe and fruit preserves alongside machanka—a "Belorussian gravy of braised meats." Ah! Winter is over! Life is good. And to celebrate coming out of the darkness, proceeds go to the ACLU. Kachka, 720 SE Grand Ave., 503-235-0059, kachkapdx.com. 10 am-noon. $45. Reservations required.

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