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Friday, Aug. 2
Friday’s Wonder Ballroom bill is like a summit of young Portland rock talent. Growing Pains, which picked up enough post-lockdown steam to open for Franz Ferdinand before any of their members turned 21, kicks off their West Coast tour with a headlining set. Support comes from Rhododendron, one of the gnarliest and proggiest bands in a scene that isn’t afraid of guitar noise and weird time signatures, and Mauve, which infuses Midwest emo with a heaviness and mossiness that could only come from the Northwest. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St. 7 pm. $15. All ages.
Sunday, Aug. 4
If you’re attuned at all to the disco-inflected side of indie rock, you’ve probably heard Brijean Murphy, who’s played percussion for Mitski, Toro y Moi and Poolside—and if you’ve driven around in the Mission District of San Francisco, you might’ve seen one of her murals. Along with producer Doug Stuart, the Oakland-based musician is also part of the duo Brijean, whose new album Macro is an effervescent disco-pop dreamscape enlivened by Murphy’s polyrhythms and perturbed only by the stray existential thought. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 8 pm. $18. 21+.
Wednesday, Aug. 7
Twenty-one years into its existence—and 20 years since being voted WW’s “Best Local Band”—MarchFourth Marching Band remains a force of nature; as a fixture of Portland’s civic life, they’re rivaled only by Pink Martini. No one who sees their gonzo marching circus act forgets it in a hurry, with stilt-walkers, acrobats, and gothic Yellow Submarine outfits to make one question why most marching bands even wear uniforms. Small wonder Gwen Stefani, long a lover of all things garish, was inspired to use marching bands in her act after seeing their show. The Get Down, 615 SE Alder St., Suite B. 8 pm. $25. 21+.
