Shows of the Week: Tinariwen Brings Desert Blues to Portland

TUESDAY, MAY 30:

Holocene celebrates its 20th anniversary with a DJ set by Moritz von Oswald, one of the most mercurial and influential names in electronic music, who invented dub techno as one-half of Basic Channel and expanded their boundaries with Rhythm & Sound. Joining him are Laurel Halo, the avant-leaning producer and keyboardist who performed on the Moritz von Oswald Trio’s fantastic 2021 album, Dissent, and DJ E3, who runs the local ZamZam Sounds label. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 503-239-7639, holocene.org. 8 pm. $25. 21+.

TUESDAY, MAY 30:

Thanks to the presence of local label Sahel Sounds, it’s not hard to see great live desert blues in Portland. Mdou Moctar, Bombino and Les Filles de Illighadad have all played well-received shows in the city recently. But perhaps no artist has played such a major role in popularizing this distinctively North African take on rock ‘n’ roll than Tinariwen, whose late-2000s breakthrough came after almost 30 years of playing together in Algeria and northern Mali. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 503-284-8686, wonderballroom.com. 8:30 pm. $35. 21+.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31:

Hermeto Pascoal is basically a wizard—and a talented enough composer to win the respect of the Sorcerer himself, Miles Davis, who featured several of his compositions on the epic Live-Evil. At 86, the impressively bearded Brazilian avant-garde musician continues to tour, this time as part of the intergenerational collab project Jazz Is Dead shepherded by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Tickets for the early show are sold out, but snag one for the late show for a chance to see one of the greatest living musicians of his generation. Mississippi Studios, N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 9:30 pm. $35. 21+.