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THURSDAY, SEPT. 28:
Pop culture has a strange relationship with the ‘80s, a decade marked on the one hand by Reaganite greed and coke-fueled hubris, and on the other by an undeniable, cheesy, innocent charm. Chromeo straddles both sides of the divide, sending up the decade’s spandex-clad synth funk while frankly trying to compete with Prince, Zapp and Rick James. They’ve been around for 20 years, but in an era when kids bump Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” like it came out yesterday, Chromeo has what it takes to thrive. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 8 pm. $35. All ages.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28:
Reformed thrash punk, crazy cat guy, anime obsessive, jazz-fusion standard bearer: Thundercat contains multitudes. The virtuoso bassist seems to deliberately undercut the chopsy flair of his music with lackadaisical stoner humor, and maybe that (along with his significant contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly) explains why his shows feel more like rap shows than the quiet, cultured affairs into which most jazz shows have devolved. Jazz is social music, and Thundercat remains proof of this truth. McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale. 6:30 pm. $44.50. All ages.
TUESDAY, OCT. 3:
The tension between the realities of the human body and the desire to transcend it animates the music of Singaporean glitch-pop performer Yeule, who comes off like an AI avatar even when their music is uncomfortably raw and visceral. Their new album Softscars injects a dose of Y2K-era punk-brat alt-rock into their sound, and while they’re far from the first pop star to explore this style, they might be the one taking it to the furthest extreme; their scream alone would obliterate a room full of Olivia Rodrigos. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St.. 7:30 pm. $22. All ages.
