Watching the Eagles With Bears, Overdosing on Oysters and 12 Other Things To Do and See In Portland Jan. 31-Feb. 6

Get busy.

(courtesy of Facebook)

Wednesday, Jan. 31

Back Fence Russian Roulette

Now in its 10th year, the Back Fence series brings in six writers and yarn-spinners to play the storytelling equivalent of improv—a game show in which people like fiction writer Arthur Bradford or comic Katie Nguyen invent stories on the fly. Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., backfencepdx.com. 7:30 pm.

Dizzy Wright

In the past, Michigan rapper Dizzy Wright only seemed interested in smoking weed and goofing off. But his latest album, 2017's State of Mind 2, shows a newfound maturity, focused less on buzzword hooks and touching on more nuanced themes. Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd., 503-233-7100. 8 pm. $20 advance, $23 day of show. All ages.

(courtesy of Facebook)

Thursday, Feb. 1

Late-Night Chicken and Beer

At World Foods in the Pearl, for one night only, the beer will come from Baerlic, the fried chicken sandwich will come from Basilisk, and the bar will be open till midnight. And everything is $5. Chicken is $5. Beer is $5. Hell, wine is $5. World Foods, 830 NW Everett St., worldfoodsportland.com. 9 pm-midnight.

Winter Light Festival

The dark months are depressing, but the Winter Light Festival is fucking joyful. The waterfront between OMSI and Tilikum will have the largest cluster of light installations, but there'll be interactive displays in every quadrant of the city. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave., pdxwlf.com. 6-11 pm, Thursday-Saturday Feb. 1-3. Free.

Friday, Feb. 2

Katy Perry & Carly Rae Jepsen

Sure, Perry's last album was a flaming diaper of bad ideas, but Teenage Dream still bangs. And at least she had the good sense to get Carly Rae Jepsen to open this tour for her. All hail the Queen of Support Slots! Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct. St., 503-235-8771. 7:30 pm. $50-$150. All ages.

Skinner|Kirk Dance Ensemble

They only perform about one show a year, but Skinner|Kirk is one of Portland's most meditative, emotive contemporary dance companies. For their 2018 show, they'll perform two pieces from their repertory, plus a new duet that's sure to be heart wrenching. BodyVox Dance Center, 1201 NW 17th Ave., bodyvox.com. 7:30 pm. Through Feb. 10. $27-$64.

Saturday, Feb. 3

The Magic Negro and Other Blackness

After making its rounds to comedy festival for the past two years, Mark Kendall's one-man show about how black men are represented in popular culture is coming to Portland. It's sharing the bill with Portland improv group the Local Ensemble, plus LA sketch comedy super group White Women, who are actually all black men. The Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis St., stumptownimprov.com. 8 pm. $13.

Portland Seafood and Wine Festival

It's peak Dungeness season, and so for the 13th year the Convention Center will fill up with wine from the valley and seafood from the Oregon Coast—especially a bunch of shell shuckers piling into fresh crab and oyster. Convention Center, 777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd., pdxseafoodandwinefestival.com. Noon-10 pm. $12-$14.

Sunday, Feb. 4

The Adventures of Mark Twain with Will Vinton

Will Vinton's vignettes of Mark Twain stories were the first claymation movies ever made in the region. For NW Film Center's screening, the legendary animator and Portlander will be in attendance. NW Film Center, 1219 SW Park Ave., nwfilmcenter.org. 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 3-4. $9.

(courtesy of MGM)

Super Bowl at The Eagle

Watch the Eagles at the Eagle with manly bears in assless pants. By luck or design, this is free Sunday BBQ day at the North Portland gay bar—which means free, hot cheesy bacon burgers during the game. The Eagle, 835 N Lombard St., 503-283-9734. 3:30 pm.

Monday, Feb. 5

Mezcal and Oyster Academy With Shuck Portland

In a fundraiser for ocean conservation at Olympia Oyster Bar, learn oyster shucking from a Hama Hama oyster-farm shucker, oyster cooking from Olympia chef Maylin Chavez and all about mezcal from Mezcal Amaras' Sofia Acosta. Or, you know, just eat oysters and drink booze. Olympia Oyster Bar, 4214 N Mississippi Ave., 503-841-6316, shuckportland.org.

The Shape of Water

Accusations of plagiarism might get in the way of winning all those Oscar nominations it's racked up, but Guillermo del Toro's transpecies Cold War love story is as visually spectacular as Pacific Rim and as poetic as Pan's Labyrinth. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., hollywoodtheatre.org. Various times. $6-$9.

Tuesday, Feb. 6

Astoria: Part II

Portland Center Stage's two-part "adaptation" of Peter Stark's massively popular book is an extremely ambitious production. The sprawling but carefully constructed play follows two perilous expeditions to found a fur-trading empire in Oregon. Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., pcs.org. 7:30 pm. $25-$77. Through Feb. 18. 

Patrick Weishampel / blankeye.tv

The Night Before Dilla

Before he was in Jack White's touring band, Daru Jones was the go-to drummer for rappers looking to put together a live band—one of the first being Detroit's Slum Village, the group featuring legendary beatsmith J Dilla. Tonight, Jones teams up with local producer Galaxe for an improvisatory tribute to the late hip-hop icon on the eve of his birthday. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 East Burnside St., 503-231-9663. 9 pm. $10 advance, $15 day of show. 21+.

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.