Shows of the Week: Don’t Propose at a Jenny Hval Show

Plus: Steely Dan, Destroyer and “The Bay Strikes Back.”

Jenny Hval (YouTube )

FRIDAY, MAY 20: Though you’re still more likely to know Steely Dan from classic-rock radio or your pop’s record collection than hip word of mouth, the long-running band—now with singer Donald Fagen as the sole original member—still resonates with burned-out hipsters who suddenly realized they were kinda LCD Soundsystem before LCD Soundsystem. Virtuosic funk-jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy opens. Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 N Ramsey Way, 503-235-8771, rosequarter.com. 7:30 pm. $26-$246. All ages.

SATURDAY, MAY 21: Jenny Hval is one of pop’s most unabashed philosophers. The Norwegian’s lyrics are defined by bizarre free associations and metatextual musings, but the beauty of her voice makes getting to the bottom of her knotty ideas a blast. Her eighth album, Classic Objects, is one of her best, ditching the club beats of 2019′s The Practice of Love for almost reggae-lite arrangements centered on hand drums and keyboards. But if “Year of Love” is any indication, please don’t propose to your partner at one of her shows. Holocene. 1001 SE Morrison St., 503-239-7639, holocene.org. 6 pm. $23. 21+.

SUNDAY, MAY 22: Suavity? Subtlety? In the age of hashtag relatability? Destroyer mastermind Dan Bejar’s sharp wit and debonair charm shine through the wine-drunk haze of his smart-bastard persona. He’s one of the last rock musicians carrying on in the tradition of Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson, albeit far more cryptic and Canadian. 2011′s Kaputt might be his lounge-pop masterpiece, a horn-drenched opus told through the eyes of a wizened playboy, but this year’s Labyrinthitis leans into his talent for jumbling words until they make just the right amount of sense. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 971-808-5094, revolutionhall.com. 7 pm. $25. 21+.

MONDAY, MAY 23: Thrash metal might’ve sprung up spontaneously around the world, an inevitable product of heavy metal and punk mutating into more and more extreme forms, but the Bay Area has a good claim as the genre’s epicenter. “The Bay Strikes Back” tour brings together Berkeley’s Testament, Richmond’s Exodus and Daly City’s Death Angel. Exodus even boasted future Metallica member Kirk Hammett in their initial lineup! This is a must-see for any metal fan with a Monday night to spare. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033, roselandpdx.com. 6:50 pm. $27. 21+.

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