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Friday, Feb. 16
Sabertooth Micro Fest
It's touted as a celebration of "the historical role the Crystal Ballroom played through the previous half-century of psychedelic music," but this year's Sabertooth festival defines "psychedelic" in broad terms. Oregon doom-metal overlords Yob, rant-rockers Parquet Courts and noise-freak icon Thurston Moore headline. MATTHEW SINGER. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 503-225-0047. See sabertoothpdx.com for ticket information and schedule. Through Feb. 18.
NW Black Comedy Festival
Last year, the first NW Black Comedy Festival was bursting at the seams. This year, it's expanded to four days instead of just two, and the lineup is still packed with many of the city's funniest comedians. On the second night, there'll be a local standup showcase plus a set from Portland's nationally lauded improv group Broke Gravy. Billy Webb Elks Lodge, 6 N Tillamook St., facebook.com/dirtyangelent. 6-11 pm. Feb. 15-18. $10-$150.
PDX Jazz Fest: Kurt Elling & Friends Swing Jon Hendricks
Classic-crooning icon Kurt Elling performs a long-form tribute to his favorite jazz singer, Jon Hendricks, adding in a two-song duet with local vocal hero Nancy King, in addition to a special segment with Portland State's jazz vocal ensemble. PARKER HALL. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., revolutionhall.com. 7 pm. $35-$65.
And And And, Tribe Mars, Melt
Just a few tracks into And And And's latest album, Idiot, singer-guitarist Nathan Baumgartner makes his lyrical purview clear: "Wage a war against the sin that made you what you are/Love yourself and hate yourself/Forget it in the bar," he sings on the record's title track, in an aggravated warble reminiscent of Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull. Images of a depreciating prince of the Buckman bar scene swirl about, and for a second the schadenfreude of an aging socialite getting called out on his bullshit feels kinda good. PETE COTTELL. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., dougfirlounge.com. 9 pm. $10 advance, $13 day of show. 21+. Read our full review of Idiot here.
Saturday, Feb. 17
Magellanica
A world premiere by Portland playwright E.M. Lewis, Magellanica is an odyssey about a group of researchers working in Antarctica. It has a five-and-a-half-hour run time, but Magellanica isn't something you sit through to prove that you can—full of intoxicating images and intense emotions, it's a seamless fusion of spectacle and intimacy. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Artists Repertory Theatre, 515 SW Morrison St., artistsrep.org. 5:30 pm. Through Feb. 18. $25-$50.
Zwickelmania
This year, as every year, the brewers of Portland thrust open their backroom doors and allow the needy beer nerds of the city to tour their brew tanks and sample their wares. It is a wonderful day, unless you're a brewer. MATTHEW KORFHAGE. For participating breweries, see oregoncraftbeer.org/zwickelmania.
Music of John Williams
John Williams has come a long way since his first film score, the low-budget 1958 drive-in flick Daddy-O. No composer has more Academy Award nominations under his belt than Williams, and with Oscar season upon us, he's only two weeks away from another potential win, for his work on The Last Jedi, which is his record-breaking 51st nomination in the category. The Oregon Symphony's principal pops conductor, Jeff Tyzik, takes the lead tonight for a retrospective of Williams' most acclaimed scores, and though Williams will not be in attendance, expect E.T., Jaws and a cavalcade of Star Warriors to make thematic appearances. NATHAN CARSON. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 503-248-4335. 7:30 pm Saturday, Feb. 17, 2 pm Sunday, Feb. 18. Sold out. All ages.
Johanna Warren, Maitland
Sinking into a Johanna Warren album is like stumbling across an ancient pagan ritual in an enchanted forest. Gemini II—the fraternal twin to her 2016 album, Gemini I—serves as a séance for a not-so-dearly departed romance. The dual albums, both released through Warren's label, Spirit House, are musical embodiments of the opposing Devil and Lovers tarot cards. Together, they conjure supernatural introspection into a tumultuous relationship with, of course, a Gemini man. LAUREN KERSHNER. Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave., theoldchurch.org. 17. 7 pm. $10. All ages. Read our full review of Gemini II here.
Sunday, Feb. 18
PIFF: 101 Seconds
101 Seconds, which will premiere at this year's Portland International Film Festival, chronicles the debate on gun control that erupted in Oregon in the wake of Clackamas and the Sandy Hook massacre, which occurred three days later. It follows Yuille's daughter, Jenna, her stepfather, Robert, and Forsyth's brother-in-law, Paul Kemp, as they advocate for more vigilant gun control laws in Oregon. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. 6 pm Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Laurelhurst Theater, 2735 E Burnside St., and at 4:30 pm Sunday, Feb. 18, at NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., nwfilm.org. $12. Read our feature on 101 Seconds here.
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border
Francisco Cantú—a third-generation immigrant-turned-Border Patrol agent—has written a book haunted by both his own family history and the things he found on the border, hauling in the dead who couldn't cross the desert. MATTHEW KORFHAGE. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323, powells.com. 7:30 pm. Free.
The Pride
The Olivier Award-winning play tells parallel stories of a relationship between the same two men set in two different time periods: 2008 and 1958. It's the kind of play that requires both boldness and tenderness from a production team, which Defunkt Theatre is more than capable of providing. Defunkt Theatre, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-974-4938, defunkttheatre.com. 7 pm. Pay what you will, $20 suggested.