A Cat Show, Period Jokes and 9 Other Things to Do and See in Portland Jan. 23-29

The 11 Portland events we're most excited about this week.

(Thomas Teal)

JoAnn Schinderle Re-Records Her Period Piece

You have a bellowing, drunken man to thank for the brief return of one of your favorite former resident comics. Voted WW's Funniest Person in 2017, JoAnn Schinderle set out to make an album last fall in which every punch line involved menstruation. Turns out, one dude couldn't handle 45 minutes of jokes about female bleeding and ruined the audio. Schinderle, who moved to L.A. last year, is now coming back to town, giving it a second (and third) try—just in case there are any other people out there who need to publicly air their grievances about periods. Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta St., albertastreetpub.com. 7 and 9 pm Wednesday, Jan. 23. $12, $10 with a donated feminine hygiene product. 21+.

Roe Guest Chef Collaboration Dinner

The multicourse seafood-based masterpieces coming out of Roe's kitchen earned it a reputation as one of the city's best restaurants. Before he was officially named head chef in October, John Conlin worked in some notable New York eateries, including with Michelin-starred Ryan Tate at Le Restaurant. The teacher and apprentice reunite for what promises to be a collaborative dinner so good, you'll wish the dishes kept coming all night long. Roe, 515 SW Broadway, Suite 100, roepdx.rest. Multiple seatings Wednesday, Jan. 23. $180, $95 wine pairing.

Thomas Kohnstamm

Lane Bueche careens from New York to his childhood home in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood after his marriage to a trust-fund baby—who's also paying for his graduate studies at Columbia—ends up on the rocks. But when a wealthy couple seeks his help in pulling a child's mother off the wagon, Lane sees an opportunity to gain back his life of privilege. In Lake City, Thomas Kohnstamm offers a look into true Pacific Northwest skeez as one man is stretched between classes and moralities. Kohnstamm will be speaking with Evel Knievel Days author Pauls Toutonghi. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., powells.com. 7:30 pm Thursday, Jan. 24.

International Cat Show

(heikkisiltala)

Portland may have lost its only cat cafe last year, but this town is still fanatical for felines. See the 22nd annual International Cat Show, which has proven so popular it's moved into a larger venue, the Portland Expo Center. Come squee over fur babies of all shapes, sizes and dispositions as an international panel of judges analyze and award them—just be aware they're silently judging you much more harshly. Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Drive, internationalcatshowportland.com. 3-9 pm Friday, 9 am-6 pm Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 25-27. $8 with two cans of food, $10 without, free for kids 12 and under.

Two Rivers Bookstore Moving Parade

Portland loves any excuse to have a parade. A week ago, it was Mother's Bistro moving a few blocks to a new spot downtown. This week, it's a pop-up bookstore settling into a permanent location. Two Rivers Bookstore has been operating out of various locations in St. Johns for months. Now, it's setting up shop inside 2 Stroke Coffee Co. Rather than dumping everything into a U-Haul, the owners are loading their inventory—which has a particular focus on local writers—into old-timey wagons and marching up Lombard to their new home. Oh, and they're going to be flanked by tiny horses. You hear that? Tiny horses! Begins at 8410 N Lombard St. and ends at 2 Stroke Coffee Co., 8926 N Lombard St. 3 pm Friday, Jan. 25.

Fourth Annual Barrel-Aged Festival

Work your way through a list of barrel-aged beer, cider and mead cobbled together by the Civic Taproom & Bottle Shop's general manager while you take breaks for a turn in an ax-throwing cage. Flinging sharp steel and tossing back booze might sound like a dangerous combination, but you should come out of it unmaimed. Fingers crossed. The Civic Taproom & Bottle Shop, 621 SW 19th Ave., thecivictaproom.com. 4 pm Friday-Sunday, Jan. 25-27. Tasting tickets $2 each.

Beer School

There are only 18 Master Cicerones in the world. Here's your opportunity to take a take a class with one of them. Rich Higgins is leading two sessions to help brewers, bartenders and budding beer geeks understand more about the complex flavors in beer. The first seminar will lead students through a guided tasting of 12 common off-flavors. That will be followed by a forum on deductive beer tasting. If you miss the classes, Higgins will hold "office hours" afterward at the bar and answer any questions. Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark. St., richhiggins.com/events-classes/beer-school-belmont-station. 1 and 3:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 26. Session one $75, session two sold out. 21+.

NW Coffee Beer Invitational

Oregon is known for its quality beverages, beer and coffee being two of them. So just imagine how much better they might be combined. This festival offers that experience just off the MAX line at the historic Goose Hollow Inn. Twenty breweries will pour unique creations made with locally roasted coffee, and to emphasize the flavors, all have an ABV of 7 percent or less. Entries will be judged, and you can expect the winners to be announced before the end of the event. Tickets available at the door only. Goose Hollow Inn, 1927 SW Jefferson St., 503-228-7010. Noon Saturday, Jan. 26. $20 includes a festival glass and 10 tasting tickets.

Cursive

Last year, post-hardcore pioneers Cursive released Vitriola, their first album in six years. The new album harks back to the band's legendary The Ugly Organ thanks to the return of cellist Megan Seibe, drummer Clint Schnase and the passionate intensity that fueled the band's early 2000s heyday. The fact that Cursive's openers for their Portland concerts are beloved local rock band Summer Cannibals makes this show can't-miss. No wonder it sold out so quickly. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., dougfirlounge.com. 8 pm Saturday, Jan. 26. Sold out. 21+.

Lavender Country

In 1973, when Patrick Haggerty wrote what's now been dubbed "the first gay country album," he never thought he'd release a follow-up. Lavender Country's self-titled album sold only around 1,000 copies, mostly to other LGBTQ activists. The album might have permanently faded into obscurity if it weren't for a 2014 reissue that rightfully reclaimed Lavender Country's history, and buoyed Haggerty to cult-hero status. Now, Haggerty is preparing to release a second Lavender Country album, the first in over 40 years. At this show, he'll be backed by his Portland band. The Fixin' To, 8218 N Lombard St., thefixinto.com. 8 pm Saturday, Jan. 26. $10. 21+. 

Travis Scott

(Sam Gehrke)

Travis Scott loves Portland. He has a Portland-inspired tattoo and a song with Drake called "Portland," and apparently wants to play here all the time—he was just at Moda Center last month. The first Portland stop on his Astroworld tour sold out way in advance, but even if you managed to get tickets to his December show, you probably know it's worth going again. Astroworld's technicolor rap dominated the zeitgeist in 2018, and it may be the only concert you'll see in your life with two functioning roller coasters onstage. Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., rosequarter.com. 8 pm Sunday, Jan. 27. $26-$180. All ages.

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