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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Farnell Newton & The Othership Connection
[FUNK FATHER] George Clinton's rainbow locks will probably end up in the Smithsonian. An iconic performer whose definitive P-Funk sound helped lay the foundation for generations of instrumentalists and West Coast rappers, Clinton, 74, was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame almost two decades ago, and his grooves have never stopped. To this day, Parliament-Funkadelic, a massive conglomeration of extremely talented instrumentalists, put on a hell of a show. A body-moving symphony, the group offers audiences a hypnotizing, otherworldly experience only legendary aliens like Clinton are capable of orchestrating. PARKER HALL. Crystal Ballroom. 8 pm. $25 advance, $27 day of show. All ages.
Thundercat
[ASTRO FUTURISM] Steven Bruner came up playing bass for Suicidal Tendencies before plying his signature fretless grooves for L.A.'s Brainfeeder crew, where he adopted the Thundercat moniker. His contributions proved integral to Flying Lotus' electro-acoustic odyssey Cosmogramma, and more recently, Kendrick Lamar's rap epic To Pimp a Butterfly.With two LPs to his name, Thundercat's solo work is leading a full fusion revival into 21st century jazz-funk, with six-string lead bass complemented by lyrics delivered in the key of life. His latest, a mini-album titled The Beyond/Where Giants Roam, dares to show the artist's recent turmoil, using the avatar as a proggy triumph over personal loss and social injustice. WYATT SCHAFFNER. Revolution Hall. 9 pm. $20. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
SZA, Joya, Risky Star
[SHATTERING R&B] Jacked into the Top Dawg Entertainment crew that sports Kendrick Lamar on its roster, singer SZA sits easily alongside her labelmates, splicing together a raft of influences that swell far beyond the soul music she's most associated with. A trail of EPs is leading up to SZA releasing full-length A later in the year, and if her preceding work is any indication—Kendrick guests on "Babylon" and Chance the Rapper shows up on "Child's Play," from a 2014 release—there's going to be a mixed bag of sleek R&B production interspersed with some darker hip-hop moves and at least a few high-profile guest spots. DAVE CANTOR. Wonder Ballroom. 8 pm. $23. All ages.
THURSDAY, APRIL 14
Lindi Ortega, Petunia & The Vipers, Mission Spotlight
[CANADIAN COUNTRY] Lindi Ortega's sixth LP, Faded Gloryville, was one of the most overlooked country records of 2015. The Canadian singer-songwriter, who has been living in Nashville for years now, falls into the same line of spunky newcomers as Margo Price and Kacey Musgraves, injecting her songs with clever, cognizant lyrics while remaining firmly planted in the tradition of the genre's classic leading ladies. HILARY SAUNDERS. Mississippi Studios. 9 pm. $25. 21+.
Gary Clark Jr.
[NEW-SCHOOL BLUES] If there's one constant with Gary Clark Jr., it's his lack of cohesion. Part of that is due to just how capable a guitarist he is—he's nimble, soulful and well-versed in how to traverse a mahogany neck—and his refusal to tread the same path as many blues guitarists before him. Take The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, his most recent album. The Austin native overlays his sharp guitar against hip-hop beats and folk numbers alike, his falsetto beaming like a one-man church choir. While his genre-jumping methods might be divisive, his guitar playing is anything but. BRANDON WIDDER. Roseland Theater. 8 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Hieroglyphics, Bad Habitats, DJ Wicked
[THIRD EYE ALIVE] It's not too much of a stretch to call Hieroglyphics the West Coast's answer to Wu Tang Clan. Formed out of the NorCal underground in the '90s, the nine-member collective—spearheaded by Del the Funkee Homosapien, its most famous member—created a sprawling internal universe that seemed almost separate from hip-hop as a whole. Third Eye Vision, from 1998, is its 36 Chambers, the first of three full-crew releases showcasing both the group's individual strengths and its power as a whole, setting dexterous, trippy rhymes against jazzy boom-bap production. Unlike Shaolin's favorite sons, Hiero has remained an underground phenomenon, albeit with a loyal cult following among golden-era partisans. Much like Wu Tang, with these group shows, you never totally know who's going to show up. It should be worth it regardless. MATTHEW SINGER. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 284-8686. 8 pm. $20. 21+.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
[BRASS ACTS] Sharon Jones and the pop-savvy Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews have their work cut out for them. Whereas the former is the unrelenting figurehead of Daptone, the record label charged with reviving '70s-style soul, the latter has taken it upon himself to modernize the traditional brass of the Big Easy via his keen jazz ear. They're both standouts, though, who use their tight-knit backing bands to indulge an array of evocative orchestrations designed to make you move, with trumpets and bright guitars sweet-talking electric rhythms. And in Jones' case, it comes with honest-to-God social commentary, of the sort that quickly solidified her last LP, Give the People What They Want, as a timeless classic. BRANDON WIDDER. Keller Auditorium. 8 pm. $42-$65. All ages.
Bunny Wailer and the Solomonic Orchestra, Imarhan, Rising Buffalo Tribe
[REGGAE ICON] The last surviving member of reggae's most important vocal group, the Wailers, Bunny Livingston splits the difference between Bob Marley's spiritual uplift and Peter Tosh's militarism. As with any reggae legend, you probably don't need to search his discography passed doubt 1987 or so. But he remains an icon of his genre, and the chance to see him in person is truly a fleeting privilege. Roseland Theater. 9 pm. $25 general admission, $40 reserved balcony seating. 21+.
Bilal, TopHat
[PSYCHEDELIC SOUL] Philadelphia singer-songwriter Bilal Sayeed Oliver often gets lumped in with the neo-soul movement, but in retrospect the guy was much more futurist than historical reenactor. In a way, he's the predecessor to R&B genre-busters like Anderson Paak and Miguel, and he was tripping out purists a good decade and a half before them. He's never been the most prolific artist—he's only released five albums since 2001, with 10 years separating his first two efforts—but it could just be because he's never found an ideal collaborator. If In Another Life is any indication, Bilal's newfound partnership with producer Adrian Younge could prove fruitful: His Princely voice and unique delivery pairs exceptionally well with Younge's trademark dusty-soul production. To a degree, it's the most "retro" he's ever sounded, but it still sounds like little else. MATTHEW SINGER. Star Theater. 8 pm. $20 general admission, $30 VIP. 21+.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
Jay Electronica, the Has
[RAP SCHOLAR] Depending on your perspective, Jay Electronica is the epitome of either bloated hype or stifled genius. The New Orleans MC is the most outspoken rapper of his generation to never release a proper album. After releasing Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)—a 15-minute "concept EP" featuring beats built from the soundtrack of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—in 2007, Electronica was widely considered to be on the verge of dropping an instant-classic LP. Nearly a decade later, nothing has come. He has grasped at relevancy through guest verses, singles and tour dates for the last nine years, and his poetic gift is remains unquestioned. But hope of ever getting that elusive classic has begun to deflate. A real, live Jay Electronica show feels like a fleeting consolation prize at this point. More valuable than the performance, perhaps, may possibly be getting some answers from the man himself. MATT SCHONFELD. Dante's. 9:30 pm. $25. 21+.
Allen Toussaint Tribute with Ural Thomas, Willie West, and the Modern Nolatet
[NOLA FEVER] There have been plenty of average tributes to the jazz-soul stylings of New Orleans' late, legendary songwriter Allen Toussaint over the years, but this isn't going to be one of them. Featuring Toussaint collaborator and former Meters frontman Willie West, Portland's own would-be legend Ural Thomas and famed second line drummer Johnny Vidacovich's Modern Nolatet, this Toussaint tribute is the Portland equivalent of a Kennedy Center induction concert. All you need is a couple sazeracs and you'll feel like you hopped a plane to the Big Easy. PARKER HALL. Star Theater. 8 pm. $20. 21+.
Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals, BJ the Chicago Kid, Dave B
[CALIFORNIA KID] See our profile of Anderson Paak here. Roseland Theater. 9 pm. Sold out. All ages.
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Bonnie Raitt, The California Honeydrops
[BLUES] On her previous album, 2012's Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt returned to Bob Dylan's songwriting well, assaying a pair of tunes from his 1997 return to songwriting, Time Out of Mind. This time around, on the new Dig in Deep, her attention-getting cover choices are a pair of '80s tunes, one somewhat obscure—Los Lobos' "Shakin' Shakin' Shakes"—and one, improbably, a big hit: INXS' "Need You Tonight" Removed from its electro-funk origins and slathered with Raitt's slide guitar, the latter song loses much of its appeal, but the album overall retains Raitt's charm. JEFF ROSENBERG. Keller Auditorium. 7:30 pm. Sold out. All ages.
All access passes sold out. For the complete Soul'd Out schedule, go here.
Willamette Week