Congratulations! You've managed to make it to what is more-or-less the midway point of this horrible, terrible year, and you're still here! As a reward, Portland presents to you a holiday weekend piled high with amazing things to do, like a hot fudge sundae made out of dance parties and cinematic enlightenment and power bottoms and macho boys and cooky jars and BFG's getting loud 'n' lit and so many more crazy ingredients, all topped off with a bunch of cherries made of cardboard and gunpowder that will turn the sky into a Lite-Brite stuffed with dynamite at every angle. Peruse the menu below, and then treat yourself. You've earned it.
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Friday Jul 1
Holy Trinity: Rihanna/Nicki/Beyonce
Like the Avengers, pop superheroes Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé are stronger together. When Rihanna’s hard edge meets Nicki’s subversion of the male gaze meets Beyoncé’s beautiful self-actualization, good things happen. Like dancing. Which is what you shall do tonight, at Holocene’s tribute to this oh-so-holy trifecta of unparalleled ladyswagger. MEGAN BURBANK
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9pm, $10
Motown royalty comes to the Pacific Northwest. Read our story on Diana Ross.
Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, 6:30pm, $49-113, all ages
2001: A Space Odyssey
Who needs to blow up fireworks this Fourth of July weekend when you can get your whole mind blown instead? No risk of lost fingers when taking a seat under the Hollywood's curved screen as Stanley Kubrick's 1968 classic is projected in 70mm (!), kicking off the Hollywood's July 70mm series (!!) including Lawrence of Arabia, West Side Story, and Aliens (!!!). Rumor has it there's going to be a full-size monolith on site. Rumor also has it there will be at least one monkey from the Oregon Zoo to hop around and chatter excitedly in its general direction. (The Hollywood Theatre is not responsible for any physiological and/or psychological changes as a result of getting handsy with said monolith.)
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 7pm, $12
Pity Sex, PWR BTTM, Petal
The Hudson Valley garage-punk duo of PWR BTTM formed when guitarist Ben Hopkins and drummer Liv Bruce met at Bard College and set out to collaborate on bringing elements of drag performance into DIY punk culture. Hopkins and Bruce trade off vocal duties as they rip their way through catchy, unapologetic rock songs that churn sincere and embarrassing anecdotes into heartening and empowering garage-pop gems. CHIPP TERWILLIGER Also, read our story on PWR BTTM.
The Analog Cafe and Little Theater, 720 SE Hawthorne, 7pm, $13-15, all ages
Barry Rothbart
An evening of stand up with the New York and Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, and writer who Variety magazine named one of the "top ten comics to watch" in 2013.
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, 8pm, $15-28
Lubec, Radler, Dowager, Hard Sulks
Lubec has been nothing short of a stalwart in the Portland indie-rock scene, adding a dash of shoegaze-infused bliss most often in the form of three-minute pop songs. The dueling lead vocals of pianist Caroline Jackson and guitarist Eddie Charlton are beautifully complementary, melding Jackson's controlled, piercing pitch and Charlton's sultry tone. Their latest EP, Concentration, is the first release for the band as a trio—they were a four-piece on their 2014 sophomore LP, The Thrall, and a five-piece on their 2013 debut LP, Wilderness Days—yet they still sound just as big and layered. The brief EP's three tracks may be their most tightly packed and refined work yet (particularly the chilling opener, "Late Bloomer"), which has me excited for where the band can go with a longer effort. CAMERON CROWELL
Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway, 8pm, $5, all ages
Sterile Mind, Pressing On, Macho Boys, Pink Bandana
There are few things more satisfying than a no-horseshit hardcore punk band bent on whipping crowds into blurs. Portland's Macho Boys are just such a crew, having amassed little more than a demo and a handful of sweaty shows. With former members of Piss Test and Low Culture, the band hasn't exactly materialized from nowhere. Potent tracks like "Stop the Hate" call to mind the satiating, four-on-the-floor hiss of Minor Threat or any number of '80s DC hardcore forefathers. The longest song on the Macho Boys demo tape—the contemplative thrasher "Stone Cold," ostensibly a tribute to WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin—clocks in at a lithe 1:55, providing even more low-bullshit fodder for your discerning punk-rock earholes. RYAN J. PRADO
The Know, 2026 NE Alberta, 8pm
Ladyhawke, Pillar Point
New Zealand based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Pip Brown, better known by her stage name Ladyhawke, brings her infectious guitar and synth-driven pop sound back to Portland in support of her long-awaited third studio album, Wild Things.
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9pm, $13-15
In the Cooky Jar
DJ Cooky Parker (Scott Magee, to his mama) has hosted In the Cooky Jar for seven years, beginning at the much-missed Woods before he eventually made his way to the Eagles Lodge, where he's kept a near-constant residency since 2012. Of all the dance nights in town, In the Cooky Jar is likely the only one where you can dance to Rufus Thomas and Little Johnny Taylor underneath black-and-white photos of old dead white dudes. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
Eagles Lodge (F.O.E.#3256), 4904 SE Hawthorne, 9pm
Mattress, Coronation, Dommengang
Rex Marshall—AKA Mattress—writes weirdo songs that sound like Devo's Freedom of Choice being tossed into a meat grinder with Ministry's The Land of Rape and Honey, which can be taken as a selling point or a scare tactic. MARK LORE
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9pm, $5
Saturday Jul 2
Love Ball: A Benefit for Orlando Victims
The long-running LGBTQ dance event decides to end Pride 2016 with their own goodbye, that's also a fundraiser for the victims of the Pulse shooting in Orlando. It's your last chance ever to be part of the Love Ball. Make it mean something a little extra.
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 7pm, $10
Case/Lang/Veirs, Andy Shauf
k.d. lang asked Neko Case and Laura Veirs to collaborate with her on a project all about bridging distances, both geographically and musically. This performance is the fruit of that labor. Read our story on case/lang/veirs.
Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon, 7pm, $39.50-69.50, all ages
Back Fence PDX: Russian Roulette
The less-serious, more competitive version of the long-running local storytelling series (it's got a wheel o' topics, even), featuring true stories from John Roderick, Caitlin Weierhauser, Mark Russell, Alex Falcone, Diane Gasperin, Sasha Scarlett, and Nathan Carson. Hosted by B. Frayn Masters and Shannon Balcom Graves.
Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate, 8pm, $16-20
Madonna vs. Janet Ride
A few weeks back was the Bowie vs. Prince ride and now it’s time for the Madonna vs. Janet Jackson ride, so dress up as your favorite ’80s pop star, grab a boombox (or, more likely, a Bluetooth speaker), hop on your bike, and strike a pose. You’ll meet up at Peninsula Park then ride slowly together to Irving Park—the starting point of Loud ’n’ Lit—closing out Pedalpalooza in style. DOUG BROWN
Peninsula Park, N Portland & N Albina, 7pm, free
Kasey Anderson, Peter Ames Carlin
In July 2014, Northwest musician Kasey Anderson was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to federal fraud charges. The fraud? Anderson faked a benefit concert and album for the West Memphis Three and bilked potential investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, falsifying bank records, impersonating high-profile music industry types, and promising contributions from artists like Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam along the way. But before he went to jail, Anderson was one of the most promising roots-rock musicians in the Northwest, a charismatic performer with a perfectly raspy voice and a knack for a killer tune. Anyway, it appears Anderson is now out of prison and again playing live. BEN SALMON
Skyline Tavern, 8301 NW Skyline, 7pm
Swiss Army Man
If you want your dreams to be weird for the rest of your life, see Swiss Army Man, directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, and starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano. Radcliffe, working hard to quash your beloved associations of Harry Potter, portrays a farting corpse—a farting corpse that serves as a companion, prop, and man Friday to Dano's very sad young bearded man. The exploits that follow are distasteful enough that I fully anticipate theater walkouts, but I'm glad I was trapped by professional obligation—because if I'd walked out, I would have missed one of the most touching love stories I've seen onscreen in recent memory. I wish I could explain this—how a movie that is in many ways unwatchable becomes so ineffably heartwarming—but I can't. MEGAN BURBANK
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, see Movie Times for showtimes, $9
Club Nitty Gritty PDX
If you're looking for a dance night that sets the evening on fire, check out Club Nitty Gritty, hosted by the always down for a good time DJ Action Slacks (Shannon Wiberg). She's been pounding the turntables for years with righteous choices in down-home dirty soul—the kind with raw sax and voices that wail and scratch. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
(The World Famous) Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick, 9pm, $5
C Average, Quayde LaHüe, Pushy
Guitarist/vocalist Jon Merithew and double-bass-drum wizard Brad Balsley are masters of squeezing time and space into hard-edged mini rock operas filled with intense bombast. As a two-piece fireball they perform seemingly as a single brain, freely shredding into melodic hyperspace one moment and then stopping quick on razor-sharp dimes at the next. With bassist John Boyce joining in as a third member, C Average's sonic spectrum of fireworks expands ever wider, turning a show that was already an impressive display of precision into an all-out sensual barrage. CHRIS SUTTON
The Know, 2026 NE Alberta, 8pm
Loud 'n' Lit
Remember when you were little, and your favorite part of the Fourth of July was the grand finale at the fireworks show, when it seemed like the entire sky was exploding? Loud 'n' Lit is like that, but for Pedalpalooza: Over 2000 people literally glowing with lights, exploding across the city thanks to the bike-powered mobile audio at its center.
Irving Park, NE 7th & NE Fremont, 10pm, free
King Black Acid, Fanno Creek, Johanna Warren
Since the mid-'90s, King Black Acid has earned a devoted following in the Portland underground rock scene. Founder and frontman Daniel Riddle has a vision that keeps unfolding, giving a glimpse into a poetic mind that shines in the emotional depth of their sound. Recently released track "I'm Rolling Under" is a good taste of the epic spirit of the band's songwriting—it's musical escapism at its finest, kissed by a love of psychedelic space rock. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9pm, $10-15
Thanks, Moon By You, Rugby
With heavy, post-punk guitar riffs and haunting synth that seems to come all the way from '80s London clubs, Thanks'No Mercy in the Mountain expands upon and sharpens the dark-soul sound for which they've made a name for themselves. Singer Jimi Hendrix—Siouxsie to her band of Banshees—provides blistering vocals and lyrics that cut like a razor, especially on "Bad Tattoos," in which she paraphrases Charles Bukowski before dropping the skewering hook: "Your love is just a waste of words." Thanks just dropped the first great Portland album of the summer. We're welcome. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9pm, $8
Sunday Jul 3
Waterfront Blues Fest
The Waterfront Blues Festival extends for four days over the holiday weekend, but since you’ve got other shit to do, it’s a good thing most of the best acts are clustered on Sunday afternoon, including the legendary Dr. John and his gris-gris swamp funk, homegrown Prince protégée Liv Warfield, and terrific local gospel-pop singer Liz Vice. NED LANNAMANN
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito, noon, $10-70, all-ages
Estacada Timber Festival
Get ready for some straight-up Oregon Oregon-ness, because the Estacada Timber Festival is back with the best lineup ever. First, you’ll witness brave ’n’ brawny loggers competing in feats of strength—like ax throwing, log rolling, speed climbing, Jack-and-Jill bucking, and taming the mighty obstacle pole! And as if that weren’t enough, there'll be live music, food trucks, a carnival, and goddamn FIREWORKS. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Estacada Timber Park, 30878 NW Evergreen Way, 11am, $5, all ages
The BFG
As slow as the first half of The BFG is, Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison get much more right than wrong, allowing large chunks of Roald Dahl's world to remain in the realm of mystery, and never over-explicating every strange and wondrous thing on screen. Spielberg seems to have once again tapped that particular vein of childhood logic where strange things are to be explored and experienced rather than feared. NED LANNAMANN
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for locations and showtimes
Don't Shred on Me
Don't Shred on Me is back! With all of America's pride and prestige, Dig a Pony will yet again celebrate Fourth of July over the course of two days. With booze, food, and music aplenty, both days of the free event offer much grandeur in the way of entertainment. Old-school Portland favorites Monarques will make one of their rare appearances, while Rio Grands and No Lala will bring a jazzy feel to each night. Things get a little down-home with Afterlife Revival, and Candace and Máscaras promise to bring a trippy daze. With Ballin the Jack and DJ Boom keeping your ears entertained between the live music and a front-row view of the holiday fireworks, why would you go anywhere else? CERVANTE POPE
Dig a Pony, 736 SE Grand, 8pm, free
Control Yourself
JoAnn Schinderle's weekly stand-up showcase soldiers on with sets from local and national comedians followed by an open mic.
Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta, 8:30pm, free
Sad Day: Dubais, Poppet, DJ Buckmaster
Olympia's Poppet is self-described "post-apocalyptic pop" musician Molly Raney. With medieval-sounding operatic vocals and playfully glitchy production, Raney's like a hi-fi Joanna Newsom. But instead of harps and massive string sections, she composes her mini-orchestras with drum machines, looping pedals, and synths. Last summer Raney released Desolation Lovesongs, four tracks that jolt woodsy folk with glittery electro-charged wildness, especially on her howling cover of the traditional ballad "Silver Dagger." While the ideal venue for Poppet's layered baroque-pop would probably be the cavernous, cathedral-like Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, tonight's show takes place at the Lovecraft in conjunction with DJ Buckmaster's monthly Sad Day dance party. This month's is a special Fourth of July-themed night, complete with a "Satan Bless America" drag show and discounted covers for those who dress in their saddest patriotic duds. CIARA DOLAN
The Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand, 9pm
Fury Things, Blowout
Fuzzed-out and heartfelt noise pop from this Minneapolis-hailing trio of Hüsker Dü disciples who wear their influences well.
The Know, 2026 NE Alberta, 8pm
Old Grape God, Daniel Rafn, Sustentacula, DJ Eric Fury
Local experimental R&B and hip hop artist Old Grape God plays a release show for his new EP, Calmanac.
The Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont, 9pm, $5
Monday Jul 4
Fourth of July Fireworks
Don’t be the a-hole blowing up fireworks and scaring the shit out of animals this Independence Day. Be the patriotic cool person watching a truly impressive fireworks show put on by (non-drunk) professionals. Look at these choices: The Waterfront fireworks featuring 22 minutes of explosive power and 11,800 shots! Oaks Park blasts off a bunch of oohs and aahs. Just across the state line, Fort Vancouver always puts on a thunderous show. Meanwhile Lake Oswego shoots its wad of fireworks following a quaint hometown parade, and the amazing Estacada Timber Festival features a Big Bang Fireworks Sky Show. In comparison, your puny street fireworks will look like shit. Don’t embarrass yourself. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Various Locations, see our Things To Do calendar for times and locations
4th of July Fireworks Cruise
Enjoy a dinner cruise paired with the natural beauty of the Willamette, followed up by the most refreshing of digestifs: A whole bunch of shit blowing the fuck up directly overhead! Wheeeeee!
Portland Spirit (Docks at Salmon St. Fountain), 7:30pm, $99
Don't Shred on Me
Dig a Pony’s patriotic shindig, Don’t Shred on Me, returns as your two-day, one-stop shop for Fourth of July festivities. Boozy slushies and cookout chow will pair perfectly with No Lala’s smooth summery grooves and Candace’s stormy dream-pop, giving you time to digest before Máscaras’ blistering psychedelia tears the roof off the bar to reveal a night sky full of fireworks. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Dig a Pony, 736 SE Grand, 8pm, free
Bunk Beach
Bunk Bar knows how to throw a shin-diddly-dig, and they're doing it up right with their outdoor beach block party tonight. Watch a shit-ton of awesome bands, enjoy their trademark Iceberg libation, and hole up at one of their two stages for a spectacular view of the evening's fireworks. Oh! And it's all ages and FREE! Time to party, American friends. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water, 2pm, free, all ages