Monday, the sun goes out. Of course, it'll come back, but considering the contents of 2017, you can't really be blamed for wondering if that's a certainty. And if this weekend really was the last 72 hours we had in Portland, it's sure as hell a good note to go out on. One last careening skid down Mt Tabor in a soapbox racer, one more visit from your kindly old radio granpa, one more chance to surround yourself with cute puppers and doggos, one last grasp at gastrointestinal glory, and if you're feeling like steeling yourself for the end of the world, George Romero's untouchable vision of life among the undead is back on the big screen. It's an amazing weekend ahead; hit the links below and load that plate as full as you can.
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Friday, Aug 18
Portland Timbers vs. New York Red Bulls
There were a lot of positives to take away from the Timber’s 3-1 home win over Los Angeles earlier this month; veteran captain Liam Ridgewell returning from injury and scoring the game’s opening goal was encouraging, but even more crucial was his ability to link up with the newly signed Larrys Mabiala and anchor a backline that needs to be clinical heading into the final stretch of the season. Playoff races don’t get any tighter than they are right now, and the Timbers will need to take full advantage of every home match from here on out. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
7 pm, Providence Park, $45-200, all ages
Logan Lucky
Logan Lucky is consistently hilarious and unexpectedly sweet. And in an era when America’s economic disparities threaten to tear the country apart, watching a bunch of blue-collar Southerners try to screw over the rich and undermine class-based capitalism certainly feels culturally relevant. But more than anything else, this thing is fast and funny and fun—and a reminder of how much better movies are when Soderbergh’s making them. Here’s hoping he sticks around. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Eclipse Hate: Solidarity with Charlottesville
Portland’s Resistance will lead a non-violent march in solidarity with the community and victims of Charlottesville. As millions of tourists flock to the Pacific Northwest to see the solar eclipse, the rally will center itself on eclipsing hate. EMILLY PRADO
5:30 pm, Salmon Street Fountain, free
Quincy Jones & Friends
Not to be confused with Rashida and Kidada’s dad, this Quincy Jones is a winsome comedian from LA by way of Seattle, and lucky for us, he’s bringing his winning personality, expert crowdwork, and varsity-level observational humor to the Siren Theater, now on a monthly basis. He’s also bringing some of his favorite stand-up friends, so you’ll want to be there, unless you hate laughter and joy. MEGAN BURBANK
8 pm, Siren Theater, $12-15
Ozomatli, La Misa Negra
Since forming in 1995, eclectic LA six-piece Ozomatli has become known as the Dioses del Baile (Gods of Dance). Their music pulls from modern and classic Latin, hip-hop, urban, and other world music, and they’re highly lauded for their political activism. They’re also great live—anyone who started college at the University of Oregon in 2006 will probably remember the outdoor concert/dance party they put on in the quad. JENNI MOORE
9 pm, Aladdin Theater, $25
Zachary Schomburg
Schomburg's first novel, Mammother, is being published on September 26. To celebrate this event, he will be reading it at Kate Bingaman-Burt's studio space. Not excerpts of it. Not passages from it. He's reading the whole damn thing, and will be accompanied by live music from local ambient artists including Angie Sabin, Johnny Ziegler, Derek Hunter Wilson, Jonathan Raissi, Edgar MP, and Shannon Rose Steele.
6:16 pm, Outlet
Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Love & Comedy Tour
Author, humorist, and radio host Garrison Keillor brings his "Prairie Home Love & Comedy Tour" to the Oregon Zoo. Expect two-plus hours of stories, love duets, Guy Noir, Cowboys, poetic outbursts, singing intermission, and whatever else Keillor decides to haul out from the midwest.
7 pm, Oregon Zoo, $42.50-102.50, all ages
Jeff's Plasma Blast 2.0
It’s the second annual Jeff’s Plasma Blast, a festival founded by psych-punk trio Skelevision (FKA Thong) and inspired by the one and only Jeff Goldblum. This year’s lineup is almost entirely local, excluding Seattle’s Fabulous Downey Brothers and Walter TV of Vancouver, BC. If you’re not afraid to dive into the plasma pool, this all-ages show is a must. CERVANTE POPE
2:30 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $12-15
Tony Starlight Showroom 3rd Anniversary
Mr. Starlight presents a classy evening of showtunes, lounge classics, and his inimitable style and sense of humor in celebration of the showroom turning three, with help from his All-Star horns.
6:45 pm, The Tony Starlight Showroom, $30-75
Michelle Tea
Beloved author, poet, and queercore icon Michelle Tea reads from her latest book, Modern Tarot, an approachable guide to unlocking the power of tarot card reading.
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free
Washed Out
Thanks to “Feel It All Around” being the theme song of the controversial TV series Portlandia, there’ll always be an association between Portland and Washed Out (AKA Ernest Greene). But Greene’s much more than that overplayed single—this summer he released Mister Mellow, his shortest, sweetest, and most sample-driven album yet. It’s saturated with the grooves of genres like disco, funk, house, and pop, all in a bite-sized, easily digestible package. DELANEY MOTTER
9 pm, Roseland, $23, all ages
Zeke, Bomb Squad, The Lovesores
The long-running Seattle-based hardcore outfit bring their fast and energetic blend of punk and metal back to Portland for the first time in a long time. Read our article on Zeke.
9 pm, Tonic Lounge, $15
Saturday, Aug 19
Corgi Walk in the Pearl
One of humankind's more questionable creations, the corgi is a fat, weird dog with worthless nubs for legs, an eternally stupid expression, and a remarkably sweet disposition. THEY ARE WONDERFUL. And now, corgis will take over one of Portland's more questionable neighborhoods, the Pearl, for the annual Corgi Walk in the Pearl, a mile-long “leisurely stroll” of waddling corgis, followed by a “Doggy Ice Cream Social” and a “Corgi Fashion Show.” Registration fees benefit the Oregon Humane Society and the Columbia River Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club Corgi Rescue, and why are you not going to the Pearl right now to wait for this to start. ERIK HENRIKSEN
10 am, NW Park & NW Everett, free to watch, $25 to walk
PDX Adult Soapbox Derby
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the PDX Adult Soapbox Derby is probably the most legitimately cool Portland event there is. The premise is simple: The most creative people in town build homemade non-motorized art cars and race them down the twisty-turny mile-long track on Mt. Tabor. Meanwhile you visit the beer gardens and food carts, check out the incredible creativity of the entries (including UFOs, coffins, Winnebagos, pirate ships, and more), and thrill to the sight of these behemoths hauling ass down the mountain. (Plus it’s FREE.) And following the final races of the day there will be a drunken bacchanal of an after-party where trophies will be awarded, beers will be imbibed, and dreams will be hatched for next year’s race. The PDX Adult Soapbox Derby is practically perfect, and you’d be an idiot to miss it. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
10 am, Mt. Tabor Park, free, all ages
Alibi's 70th Anniversary Luau: Don & the Quixotes
The Alibi is beloved for everything it is—super old, super kitschy, and a reliable redoubt of karaoke in inner North Portland—but also for everything it’s not: overly clean, overly friendly, overly cheap. So you’ll truck down to the bar’s day-long 70th Anniversary Luau today to celebrate all of that. But you’ll also go to see Don & the Quixotes’ absurdly fun and debauched surf rock. Oh, and to sing. DIRK VANDERHART
noon, Alibi Restaurant & Lounge, free
Sound + Vision: Chanti Darling, Bryson Cone, Surfer Rosie
This month’s Mercury-sponsored Sound + Vision show will move out of the quaint room at Mississippi Studios’ and opt instead for a day party on the much-warmer Bar Bar patio. A spectacular lineup will grace the ears of those strolling down Mississippi avenue: rock from Surfer Rosie, synth pop from Bryson Cone, post-trap from rapper/singer Maarquii, and disco-dancey R&B from headliner Chanti Darling. This is great opportunity to see excellent local acts for free while simultaneously enjoying the hot weather and a cold drink, so do it while you still can. JENNI MOORE
3 pm, Mississippi Studios, free
Dawn of the Dead
The Hollywood pays tribute to one of the most impactful voices in filmmaking, George Romero, with a screening of what is widely considered his masterpiece, 1978’s Dawn of the Dead. Some might think it a little over-the-top to ascribe such an important place in film history to “that zombie guy with the big glasses,” but looking through those glasses makes it that much easier to see his contributions to pop culture, and how lasting and powerful they’ve become. As much as any socially-conscious documentarian, Romero’s zombie films shine a harsh spotlight on our worst impulses and instincts. Monsters as allegory for modern society wasn’t a concept invented by Romero, but his execution was so potent that it is now the standard. Dawn of the Dead is still the stick by which every like-minded entry is measured—and by which every like-minded entry falls short. BOBBY ROBERTS
6:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9
2 Chainz, The Trap Choir, Young Dolph
It only took a few gallons of cotton candy-colored paint to transform an unassuming Atlanta bungalow into the Pink Trap House. Dreamt up by 2 Chainz (FKA Tity Boi), what started as an ingenious marketing tool soon became an empowering community haven. First serving as the site for an intimate listening party open to the public, the Pink Trap House later hosted church services, a gallery featuring the work of local artists, and a free HIV testing clinic. A nearby nail salon was similarly transformed with pink paint, and gave away free manicures. Unsurprisingly, 2 Chainz’s campaign set the internet ablaze, and critics are lauding Pretty Girls Like Trap Music as his best album yet. With splendidly nasty bass lines and lyrics tackling topics from death to addiction to the government, it’s an excellent homage to his trap roots. Here’s hoping he continues to spark a movement as he eases into his role on top. EMILLY PRADO
8 pm, Roseland, $36.50-186.50, all ages
Portland Psychfest 2017: Dead Meadow, The Warlocks, Matt Hollywood & the Bad Feelings, The Prids, Daydream Machine & more
A daylong tribute to getting your whole mind blown, with some of the west coasts best psych rock bands consistently and repeatedly setting the stage on fire with headwrecking riffs, grooves, and jams.
noon, White Owl Social Club, $20
14th Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest
You won't win the Zach's Shack Hot Dog Eating Contest. You won't even place. But you don't enter the thing for victory. No, you're plunking down $10 to gorge yourself on entrails for 10 minutes because life can't always be pleasant and beautiful. It needs pain. It yearns for nausea. (To be fair, you can get those same sensations from the safety of the audience.) DIRK VANDERHART
4 pm, Zach's Shack, free
Montavilla Jazz Festival
It makes sense that in order to hear local jazz musicians pushing the envelope, you have to venture to the edge of the city's envelope, as the Portland Metro Arts Center hosts artists such as Essiet Okon Essiet Quartet, David Friesen Quartet, Blue Cranes, Ezra Weiss Sextet, Trio Subtonic, and more for two days of improvisational adventure.
Aug 19-20, 3 pm Sat, 2 pm Sun, Portland Metro Arts Center
Leviathan
When the greatest Portland improvisers come together to make you laugh your pants off, what better name to give it than Leviathan? Don’t miss the uproarious hijinx of local comedy masters Shelley McLendon, Dylan Reiff, Kara Moore and others, including special guest Wendi McLendon Covey of The Goldbergs and Bridesmaids for an evening of what will surely end up being a wet, sloppy puddle of improvisational magic. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
8 pm, Siren Theater, $12-20
War on the Catwalk
A half-dozen of the best Queens from Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race make their way to Portland to perform live on the Schnitzer stage and take turns working the catwalk for your viewing pleasure. Featuring performances from Sasha Velour, Shea Couleé, Farrah Moan, Aja, and Alexis Michelle. Hosted by Trinity Taylor.
8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $22.25-159
Bystander Intervention Workshop
In the face of violent threats, knowing what to do can escape you. This workshop series was started as a response to the tragic MAX station stabbings earlier this year and is led by Teressa Raiford, Lara Jones, and Hanna Davis. Together, they seek to equip attendees with the skills needed to reduce harm for those most vulnerable while keeping everyone else safe. Donations benefit Don’t Shoot Portland. EMILLY PRADO
9 am, TaborSpace, $20
Brews for New Avenues
This yearly fundraiser includes a live rare-beer auction, special craft-brew keg tappings, beer floats, food carts, raffles, and live music. Proceeds benefit New Avenues for Youth's services for at-risk, foster, and homeless youth.
5 pm, Leftbank Annex, $10-15
Lithics, Cold Beat, Strange Babes
Lithics minimalist post-punk pulses and chirps, manically pushing forward and pulling back, while building insistent loops before pretending to fall apart, as vocalist Aubrey Hornor brings an understated, bordering-on-spoken-word nonchalance. This restraint, at least on record, keeps the tension high, while also keeping something bubbling below the surface, waiting. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
9 pm, Star Theater, $8
Whose Streets?
The police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown sparked a street movement that started with the community of Ferguson and spread throughout the nation. Whose Streets? is the directional debut of Sabaah Folayan, an award-winning storyteller from South Central LA, and has been dubbed “a people’s documentary.” EMILLY PRADO
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Sunday, Aug 20
Bryson Tiller
Last time singer/rapper Bryson Tiller came to Portland it was to kickoff his tour in support of his certified platinum album Trapsoul, and it was so glorious. His drool-worthy studio debut put him on the map, and now his new album True to Self has prompted another excursion: the Set it Off tour. Tiller is a great talent on his own, but the tour is made even more irresistible by featuring remarkable opening acts like R&B singer H.E.R., as well as producer/DJ Metro Boomin. JENNI MOORE
7:30 pm, Theater of the Clouds, $35-180
Margaret Glaspy, Liza Anne
Last year, New York singer/songwriter Margaret Glaspy released her debut LP, Emotions andMath—12 well-crafted pop songs that range from bubbly to downtrodden to boisterous. Glaspy’s got powerhouse, classically trained vocals, skilled songwriting chops, and confidence that’s likely inspired by the success of musicians who paved her way (namely Liz Phair). Though the record doesn’t sound groundbreaking, it’s openhearted, vulnerable, and unpretentious. That kind of music feels particularly valuable right now—life’s already complicated enough. She’ll be joined by Nashville folksinger Liza Anne, who writes songs that’re extremely twee, but very pretty. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15
WALK with Refugees and Immigrants
Parks for New Portlanders is a city-led program created to provide immigrant and refugee communities with recreational activities. They’ve organized this one-mile walk in partnership with Sunday Parkways and will provide music, food, family activities, and a platform for refugees and immigrants to tell their stories. Open to all ages and backgrounds. EMILLY PRADO
11 am, East Portland Neighborhood Office, free
Reptaliens, Smokey Brights, Wyatt Blair
The up-and-coming Portland dream-pop outfit spearheaded by Bambi and Cole Browning bring their melodic sci-fi-inspired sound to Rontoms.
8:30 pm, Rontoms, free
Matthew Sweet, Tommy Keane
In 2009, A.V. Club named Matthew Sweet’s 1991 record Girlfriend the best power pop album of the ’90s, but even that feels like an understatement. In retrospect, Girlfriend—which was sandwiched in between the releases of Nevermind and Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque—is one of the most secretly influential rock albums of the modern era, having foreshadowed everything from No Depression-style alt-country to the Elephant 6 Collective’s askew Anglophilia. But it’s also exceptional due to Sweet’s lyrics, unusual for a landmark power pop album. Though firmly couched in love song tradition, Girlfriend tackles the ugly stuff—jealousy, desperation, separation—with so much maturity and perspective, it makes “The Concept” seem like a backhanded apology. As if to shrug off his hour-long therapy session with the listener, Sweet closes Girlfriend with “Nothing Lasts”—one of the cruelest, most self-aware endings to any rock album. MORGAN TROPER
9 pm, Doug Fir, $25-30
Seven Samurai
If you're going to see a movie, see a fucking movie. Like, say, Akira Kurosawa's all-time classic Seven Samurai (1954), one of the finest adventure stories (and dramas, and romances, and comedies, and action flicks...) ever put on film. The Hollywood's got all three-plus hours of this can't-miss movie on the big screen, in 35mm, and in gorgeous black and white. ERIK HENRIKSEN
6:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9
Portland to Salem Total Solar Eclipse Ride
If you still haven't made plans for the looming total solar eclipse and don't feel like sitting around Portland and settling for a mere 99 percent of it, the Portland to Salem Total Solar Eclipse Ride might be just the event you're looking for. This overnight ride promises to keep a casual pace all the way down to Bryan Johnston Park, with an early morning arrival allotting you plenty of time for a nap prior to the start of big event.
11:45 pm, Safeway (Barbur Blvd), free
Miserable, Justus Proffit, Bloom Offering
An evening with the dark shoegaze and experimental rock solo project of Oakland-hailing singer/songwriter Kristina Esfandiari, known for fronting the Bay Area-based doom metal band King Woman.
8 pm, Tonic Lounge
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!