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FRIDAY, JULY 29:
From his ‘50s doo-wop days in Plainfield, N.J., to the excoriations of American health care on 2018′s Medicaid Fraud Dogg, Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton remains one of pop’s greatest living visionaries, tangling Afrofuturist philosophy in wigged-out humor and outlandish theatrics. The 81-year-old artist is back onstage after a brief retirement, and though he mostly acts as a master of ceremonies these days, he still throws a better party than just about anyone else—especially with The Motet, Fishbone, and the Pimps of Joytime as support. Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave. 5:30 pm. $50. All ages.
TUESDAY, AUG. 2:
Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker are three singer-songwriters with big voices and big hearts. Their music carries the grassy scent of Americana without being all cottagecore about it, and their fans (many of them women and LGBTQ+) react to their music with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for pop stars with much bigger paychecks. Plus, all three have great new albums to promote, with Olsen’s countrified Big Time a particular gem. McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale. 6 pm. $50.50. All ages.
TUESDAY, AUG. 2:
Though L.A. rapper-producer duo Blu & Exile could probably have built on the success of 2007′s sleeper classic Below the Heavens to become big stars, they seem happiest playing relatively modest shows at spots like Mississippi Studios, enjoying their enviable cult success and playing mostly for fans who know all the words. It’s not too late to take a dive: Below the Heavens and 2020′s Miles: From an Interlude Called Life should appeal to anyone with an interest in the kind of personal, emotive, cinematic hip-hop that defines so many of their classics. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 9 pm. $18. 21+.
