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Wednesday, Sept. 24
When she emerged a decade ago, the Washington, D.C., rapper Rico Nasty offered a template for how to be taken seriously as a rap technician while still taking cues from Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, and the other heartthrobs of the mall-punk era in which she grew up. A lot of those bands put records out on Fueled by Ramen, and with her new album, Lethal, Rico joins that label’s vaunted roster. But it’s far from a Hot Topic nostalgia trip—by contrast, it’s one of the most potent expressions yet of her hard-hitting punk-rap sound and uncompromising meanness. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 8 pm. $40.50–$51.75. All ages.
Friday, Sept. 26
Sparks is one of those cult acts you either love or feel dumb for not getting, but at least they have rock-’n’-roll theatrics on their side—most of them courtesy of singer Russell Mael, who struts in the spotlight while his brother and reluctant foil Ron rolls his eyes as if he’s been dealing with his high jinks for years. Needless to say, their comic-opera glam made a bigger splash across the pond, not least on director Edgar Wright, whose 2021 tribute The Sparks Brothers made a noble effort to push the band’s fame beyond a cult they might be too weird to transcend. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. 7 pm. $56.33. All ages.
Friday, Sept. 26
The “defiantly DIY” local promoter collective Guerrilla Joy is making some serious noise at the Water District’s Bunk Bar with a series of eight shows featuring four local bands apiece—that’s 32 bands total, and the fact that this only a small cross section of the Portland music scene speaks to the continuing fruitfulness of its post-lockdown explosion. The first show in the series kicked off last Friday, and the second one is slated to take place this coming Friday with Sun Blood Stories, Veradas, Gvth Dvddy and Glass Rabbit. The series continues through Oct. 25. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave. 7 pm. $10. 21+.
