Skip to main contentFRIDAY, AUG. 28
Thee Oh Sees
[GARAGE ROCK STALWARTS] Very much at the forefront of the garage-rock surge, San Franciscoâs Thee Oh Sees have been at it since the late â90s. In many ways, it was John Dwyer and company who paved the way for the ensuing explosion that allowed the likes of Mikal Cronin and Ty Segall to achieve prominence. Granted, producing such a powerful live show over that stretch has caused occasional hiatuses and member shakeups. Yet, Dwyer is still at the helm, and Thee Oh Sees just released their ninth studio LP, Mutilator Defeated at Last. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. 5 and 9 pm. $15. Early show all-ages, late show 21+.Y La Bamba, Kyle Craft
[YOUâRE TOO LATE] If news of this show is just reaching you, your reaction to this listing will probably be divided into two distinct emotional phases. Phase 1: Great news! Y La Bamba, one of Portlandâs quintessential folk bands, is returning after an indefinite hiatus to play a show in celebration of its as-yet-unrecorded fourth album. Phase 2: The show sold out way ahead of time. Bummer. But hey, letâs be optimists here. A new album means future shows! Yay! Of course, most of them probably wonât be held on Revolution Hallâs stunning roof deck patio like this one, soâ¦bummer. Revolution Hall (roof deck), 1300 SE Stark St., No. 110, 288-3895. 7 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Schizo
[MENTAL THEATER] On an otherwise sparse stage in a large, empty room, Katie Watkins sits on the ground, surrounded by a semicircle of more than two dozen lamps. The lights flicker on and off as the distant roar of a hundred whispers begins to build like a storm. She stands in what looks like an attempt to run before buckling at the waist, her back and arms stiff, and releases a breathy, voiceless scream. It is terrifying, uncomfortable and hypnotic. Schizo is Kaite Watkins' exploration of her brother Jeffâs struggle with schizophrenia, a short but provocative performance that proves an effective vehicle for illustrating a topic that's often ignored. Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St., 235-0635. 8 pm. $15.
CannaGrow Expo
[MAKE GOOD BUDS] Unlike most of the cannabis conferences Portland has hosted in recent months, this weekendâs CannaGrow Expo isnât as much of a business-focused seminar as it is an opportunity for master growers to hobnob and tell stories about growing bud in an era when they were still gripped by fear every time they heard a knock on the door. The OG class is still aroundâmen and women who learned their trade in basements, without help from cannabis-focused lawyers or easily accessible advice online. Look for Wolf Segal, one of the founders of the space-saving Sea of Green growing method, who will give a talk called âFish-Grown Cannabis: Cultivation Using Aquaponics.â Red Lion Jantzen Beach, 909 N Hayden Island Dr., Room B: 11:30 am-12:20 pm Friday, Aug. 28. $49-$249.
Failure, the New Regime
SATURDAY, AUG. 29
DON'T SWEAT IT: Larry Yes.
[PRE-ALT ROCK] No record best exemplified the odd time in the mid-â90s when legendary hardcore acts got snatched up by the alt-rock boom than Failureâs Fantastic Planet. Though the bandâs tone and aesthetic were far off from the post-grunge that watered down modern rock airwaves, the urgency and masculinity of its early post-hardcore sound was a likely template for all sorts of aggressive guitar-rock bands to come, for better or worse. Back after a 15-year hiatus with The Heart Is a Monster, itâs fitting that Failureâs melodic math punk has changed very little despite the fact that the scene it was born from has all but vanished. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 284-8686. 9 pm. $25 advance, $28 day of show. All ages.Scharpling & Wurster
[CULT COMEDY] Tom Scharplingâs The Best Show mixes the spirit of a classic call-in radio program with the looseness of a modern comedy podcast, full of endless running gags and recurring characters, all portrayed by indie-rock super-drummer Jon Wurster. Itâs not easily accessible, but once youâre in on the jokes, it really is the Best. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. 8 pm. $25. Advance tickets sold out, limited tickets available day of show. 21+.Garbage People Present: Cool Story Bro
[CHILL COMEDIANS] Hosts Brodie Kelly and Lewis Sequeira are flipping the script because itâs still summer vacation. Local comedians Bri Pruett, Gabe Dinger, Adam Pasi, Laura Anne Whitley and James Barela, along with special guest Carl Powers, tell their most bitchinâ and radical stories, not the gnarly ones that Garbage People is known for. Chill out to Kyle McCormickâs rocking guitar and get ready to enjoy some cool stories, bro. The Waypost, 312 N Williams Ave., 367-3182. 8:30 pm. $5. 21+.Grilled Cheese Invitational
[FROMAGE] Nine local restaurants compete for the title of best grilled cheese at this party, which is laid out like a golf course where patrons get a scorecard and eat their way through. EastBurn, 1800 E Burnside St., theeastburn.com. 5-10 pm. $20.
Sue Grafton
[READ BY NUMBERS] Since 1982, Grafton has been working her way through the alphabet with detective mysteries bearing titles like A Is for Alibi and R Is for Ricochet. This year, sheâs releasing X, which is apparently just for that. Powellâs Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., 228-4651, 4 pm. Free.
Larry Yes' Positive Words
[OPTIMISTIC ART] When an âepic windstormâ took down the fence at Larry Yesâ North Portland home in 2014, the local jack-of-all-trades decided not to rebuild. Instead, he painted the fence posts with bright colorsâlike a Crayola explosionâand the most optimistic words he could find. âNinety-nine percent of life is pretty awesome,â Yes says. âItâs all, like, harmonizing together. I think we need that instead of, âWeâre all gonna diiiie!â PDX Window Project, 925 NW Flanders St., 222-0063. on display 24/7, through Sept. 26.Ducktails, Regal Degal, Parson Red Heads
SUNDAY, AUG. 30
Anna Thomas-Henry
[CHILLENCHOLIA] Considering how prolific his day job has been, one may wonder where Real Estate guitarist Matt Mondanile finds the time or inspiration to keep his Ducktails project sounding so fresh and invigorated. This yearâs St. Catherine finally sees Mondanile carving out a persona that can stand alone from the melancholy jangle-pop of Real Estate, although the sensibilities that lifted that group to relative fame are still the strong suits of Ducktails, just filtered through the dour jangle of â80s Brit pop and â70s AM gold this time around. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895 9 pm. $13 advance, $15 day of show. 21+.Shuggie Otis, Moon By You
[PSYCHEDELIC SOUL] Reintroduced to the culture about 15 years ago through a reissue of 1971âs tripped-out Inspiration Information via David Byrneâs Luaka Bop imprint, guitarist Shuggie Otis still hasnât issued new work after being silent for decades. He has, however, continued to release compilations, as well as a live set recorded last year in Williamsburg. The now-constant attention doesnât seem ready to dissipate either, as the prodigy who started out on his fatherâs variety show and performed alongside Frank Zappa and Al Kooper embarks on a tour thatâll offer crowds a set of what amounts to an electronic-tinged Prince predecessor. Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E Chávez Blvd., 233-7100. 7 pm. $20 advance, $25 day of show. 21+.Urban Air Market
[SHOP IN THE STREET] Local designers like the beloved Rogue Minx, herbal mixologists Blendily, and badass jewelry maker Sea Pony Couture take to the streets for an outdoor marketplace in the Pearl. You can buy beard oils from the expert groomers at Wooly Beast while swaying to swoony pop ballads from La Rivera. Northwest Hoyt Street and 13th Avenue, urbanairmarket.com. 11 am-6 pm. Free.The Circus Project Summer Showcase
[CIRCUS ARTS] American circus arts are enjoying a second, or third, coming. While the circus continued to be seen as art in places like France and China, it largely went underground in the United States after the Ringling Brothersâ peak in the 1920s, with a few attempts at a resurgence, like the Jim Rose rock circus in the 1990s. Anna Thomas-Henry, who won first place in womenâs silks at the U.S. Aerial Championships in February, will join the Circus Project this Sunday for a showcase that proves just how far circus arts have come. In her performances, Thomas-Henry climbs a long piece of silk suspended from the ceiling, looping it around herself until she dangles 25 feet above the stage in a vertical splits. With a flick of her hips, she unwinds in a stomach-turning fall. But circus arts, she says, are on the upswing. The Circus Project, 1420 NW 17th Ave., No. 388, 764-9174. 6 pm. Free.
Notorious
[VINTAGE FILM] The Hollywood celebrates what would have been Ingrid Bergmanâs 100th birthday with a screening of her most memorableâand daringâfilm: the 1946 Alfred Hitchcock classic, Notorious. Hollywood Theatre. 2 pm. $5.
WWeek 2015