Shows of the Week: Molchat Doma Brings Beautifully Unfriendly Skies to Portland

What to see and what to hear.

Molchat Doma

SATURDAY, MAY 13:

Imagine what a goth-rock song sounds like and there’s a good chance what plays in your head will sound a lot like Molchat Doma. The Belarusian group leans completely into the sound of ‘70s and ‘80s gloom peddlers like Joy Division and Bauhaus, and their visual aesthetic is unlikely to correct anyone’s ideas of Eastern Europe as a place of unfriendly skies and weird-looking apartment buildings. Their ubiquity on TikTok has made them unlikely stars in a musical and cultural landscape where “aesthetic” is king. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 503-225-0047, crystalballroompdx.com. 9 pm. $30. All ages.

TUESDAY, MAY 16:

Gary Numan has turned worldbuilding into a nearly 50-year career. Enamored with sci-fi concepts and techno-existential quandaries ever since he first became a star in his teens with the icy electro-punk band Tubeway Army, Numan has long pursued a vision that’s as once chilling and endearing. No matter how much listening to his songs can feel like being chased by a steamroller, the joy of an adolescent transforming his darkly futuristic visions into catchy pop music still shines through in the 65-year-old’s music. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 971-808-5094, revolutionhall.com. 8 pm. $35. 21+.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17:

Since 1998, San Diego’s Jimmy LaValle has made music for the part of the brain that feels a twinge of awe upon walking into a Sharper Image or a stereo showroom. His work as The Album Leaf is elegant, pristine, ambient, and centered on the Rhodes electric piano. Small wonder his music played a major role in Helvetica a movie about the ubiquitous font—and a love letter to design, just like LaValle’s music. His newest album, Future Falling, his first since 2016, features singers Kimbra and Bat for Lashes. Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., 503-223-4527, mcmenamins.com. 8 pm. $25. All ages.

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