The weather may stay this way for a few more weeks (or months—thank you, global warming) but this week begins the shift in focus towards more fall-flavored festivities. That shift will be most explicitly marked by Thursday's explosions in the sky—both the actual band playing two nights at the Crystal Ballroom, and the Oregon Symphony firing cannons and fireworks off at their traditional end-of-summer outdoor concert. Austin's post-rock sweethearts aren't the only visiting musicians of note; Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa are swinging through, and Father John Misty lends an already weird city some of his own silly strangeness. One of Portland's best bookstores is throwing itself a birthday party, one of its most irreverent comics detonates his brain onstage for your amusement, and the Hollywood gives you not just one Hasselhoff, but two! Hit the menu below, and plan your week accordingly.
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Monday, Aug 29
Kubo and the Two Strings
There was a bit of a lull after Laika’s 2009 feature debut Coraline, but the local animation studio has once again nailed it with its new release Kubo and the Two Strings. The stop-motion visuals are beyond breathtaking, the scenery is effing majestic, and the characters are likeable in this hero’s journey set in ancient Japan. The film’s emotional heart and mythic, fantastical proportions make it a perfect blend of sweet and strange. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Happy Diving, Lubec, The Wild Body, Broodmare
Happy Diving is the kind of band you throw on when you want to thrash, to squeeze the last drop out of that youthful feeling. With fuzzy, rollicking riffs and hooks all over the place, they’re pretty much the perfect embodiment of ’90s revivalism. But the Oakland band’s raucousness isn’t just replication—on their new album, Electric Soul Unity, satisfyingly droning vocals and crisp production help define their distinct sound. Tonight Happy Diving’s US tour brings them to Portland to play with local bands Lubec, the Wild Body, and Broodmare. This show should yield some real fine thrashing. FIONA WOODMAN
The Know, 8pm
Rae Meadows, Anthony Effinger
Award-winning author Rae Meadows presents her new novel, I Will Send Rain, which tells the story of a woman fighting for her family's survival in the early years of the Dust Bowl. Meadows will be joined in conversation by journalist Anthony Effinger.
Powell's City of Books, 7:30pm
It's Gonna Be Okay!
Portland comedian Barbara Holm presents her weekly stand up comedy showcase, featuring a revolving line-up of local comedians and national touring acts. This week's installment includes sets from Kirsten Kuppenbender, David Mascorro, Belinda Carroll, and Mohanad Elshieky.
East Burn, 8:30pm, free
The Movie Quiz
The Hollywood Theatre's monthly contest to determine which of the city's numerous film nerds will reign supreme as absolute ruler of trivia mountain. Hosted by Ali Reingold.
Hollywood Theatre, 9:30pm, $6
Tuesday, Aug 30
Happy Heroes
Superheroes have come a long way. In the 1960s, they were daffy confections of pop art, full of color and silliness and the type of cartoon violence that couldn't hurt a fly. Tonight the Hollywood shows, in 16mm, animated and live-action TV shows from the '60s that serve as the perfect antidote to the grim, child unfriendly caped crusaders of today. Get ready to paste that perma-grin onto the front of your face, jokers. NED LANNAMANN
Hollywood Theatre, 7:30pm, $9
Violent Soho, Meat Wave
Blink-182’s new release has left both journalists and fans nostalgic for ’90s-era pop-punk, inspiring a sort of revival of the genre. Chicago’s Meat Wave could fit into this resurgence—last year’s Delusion Moon is riddled with catchy melodies, relentless up-tempos, and vocalist Chris Sutter’s snotty, geographically untraceable punk accent. But stop there and you’re selling Meat Wave short: While pop-punk’s roots lie in the skate park, Delusion Moon also recalls classic college rock bands like Guided by Voices and Pavement. Tracks like “Network” even reference the dry and confrontational style of legendary Chicago musician and producer Steve Albini, while the heavy riffs that propel tracks like “I Was Wrong” tiptoe toward post-hardcore. Delusion Moon’s most accessible elements end up submerged in an abrasive and exhilarating static, resulting in a sound that’s both startling and comfortingly familiar. WILLIAM KENNEDY
The Analog Cafe & Little Theater, 7pm, $10, all ages
Robert Brockway
Senior Editor and columnist for Cracked.com Robert Brockway reads from his new novel, The Empty Ones, the follow-up to his comedic horror novel, The Unnoticeables.
Powell's City of Books, 7:30pm
Malala Yousafzai
The Pakistani activist for female education and youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate comes to Portland to speak about her experiences and take part in a Q&A session.
Theater of the Clouds, 7:30pm, $25-160
Don't Breathe
For a genre known for headbanging excess, it’s often the subtler things—rhythm, geography, use of negative space—that can put a horror movie over the top. The new home invasion movie Don’t Breathe displays a remarkable sense of when to hold back and build tension, and when to go ferociously all in. Throw in a terrifyingly committed performance by Stephen Lang and you’ve got the kind of thing that gets an entire audience giggling at their collective discomfort.
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Wednesday, Aug 31
Kyle Craft, Surfs Drugs, Weezy Ford
Following the April release of his Sub Pop debut, Dolls of Highland, Portland-by-way-of-Austin transplant Kyle Craft released his newest song, “Before the Wall,” earlier this month. Craft channels a young Bob Dylan as he eviscerates the hate-mongering rhetoric of Donald Trump, “With [his] big mouth blowing up like the Fourth of July.” CIARA DOLAN
The Liquor Store, 9pm
Dreckig, Moon Tiger, Shadowlands
Mississippi Studios and the Mercury present an evening of psych-trip-hop from the local duo comprised of Papi Fimbres and Shana Lindbeck.
Mississippi Studios, 9pm, free
Seance Crasher, Jackson Boone, Wave Action, DJ Rocky Tinder
An evening of slacker pop and soul from Seance Crasher, the recording alias of Portland musician Kevin Rafn, who is playing a release show for his project's debut full-length, Basement Behavior.
Holocene, 8:3pm, $7
Don Frost
Don Frost isn't a traditional stand-up. He doesn't write jokes or routines. He just gets up there and goes right off the rails, ranting on whatever catches his mind's eye. It's different every time—but every time it's tremendous. ANDREW R TONRY
Helium Comedy Club, 8pm, $5
Re-run Theater: Hasselhoff vs. Hasselhoff
Once upon the '80s, there was a Hasselhoff, and he had a Cylon sportscar he called KITT, who sounded like Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World when he talked. Unfortunately—as was bound to be the case with such a show (even in the '80s)—ratings began to go down. That was when producers had a great idea: What if we put a mustache and a soul-patch on our curly-headed hunk of glistening beefacke, made him the hero's evil twin, gave him a Cylon monster truck, and made the whole thing a feature-length two-part television blowout? Guess what? It fuckin' worked. So well, in fact, that you could take that two-parter, throw it up on the Hollywood's big screen (with vintage commercials and music videos during the breaks) and have it play just as gangbusters as it did back then. BOBBY ROBERTS
Hollywood Theatre, 7:30pm, $9
That Awkward Phase with David Mascorro
A live episode of David Mascorro's comedy podcast that takes the interview format places it doesn't normally go in a podcast, as well as giving local stand-ups some shine between questions.
Canna & the City, 8:30pm, free
Thursday, Sep 1
Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Kevin Gates, Jhene Aiko, Casey Veggies, DJ Drama
If you're going to see Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa, do it right: On “The High Road Summer Tour,”outdoors, on a beautiful summer night that can only be improved with the laid-back rhymes of Snoop and the trippy jams of Khalifa. (Chances you will get high, whether intentionally so or not: 5,000 percent.) Fingers crossed for some Doggystyle tracks from Snoop, but if Wiz Khalifa does his sad song from Furious 7, mark my words: That whole amphitheater's going to cry like a goddamn baby. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, 7pm, $15-130, all ages
Oregon Symphony Waterfront Concert
The Oregon Symphony’s annual concert at the waterfront isn’t just some light classical music alfresco. It’s a daylong festival featuring some of the most prominent musicians in town, like mariachi singer Edna Vazquez, Irish fiddler Kevin Burke, and experimental new-music ensembles Third Angle and FearNoMusic. But it’s a showcase for the region’s young performers as well, including sets from Portland Youth Philharmonic, Metropolitan Youth Symphony, and Bravo Youth Orchestra. And that’s all before the Oregon Symphony takes the stage with conductor Carlos Kalmar and guest spots by Portland Opera and Oregon Ballet Theatre. This year’s program includes excerpts from Puccini’s La Boheme, Dvorak’s ravishing “New World” Symphony, and John Williams’ soaring score for E.T. And it all wraps up with a bang—literally—with a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, performed with actual cannons courtesy of the Alpha Battery 218th Field Artillery. NED LANNAMANN
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 12:30pm, free
Reading Frenzy 22nd Anniversary
Every city should have a bookstore like super-smart, art-filled Reading Frenzy, a coolly lit oasis where bookworms and indoor kids can peruse local and independent press titles and sift through beautiful paper goods. Today, the Portland institution celebrates its 22nd birthday with surprise visitors, snacks, and book signings. Let’s wish our old pal many happy returns. MEGAN BURBANK
Reading Frenzy, 11am, free, all ages
Explosions in the Sky, Preoccupations
The Austin-based post-rock institution returns to Portland for a two-night stand at the Crystal Ballroom in support of their seventh studio album, The Wilderness is Explosions.
Crystal Ballroom, 8pm, $27-30
Father John Misty, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
I thought I was predisposed to not like Father John Misty given Josh Tillman's previous solo work and his tenure with Fleet Foxes. Sad-sack folk tends to lull me to sleep. Trading in the drab chill of Seattle for the warmer climes of the historically musically rich Laurel Canyon of Los Angeles, Tillman reemerged playing pop songs that capture the spirit of LA excess and depravity that's been glorified for decades. This reinvention from backwoods folkie to '60s pop-cult leader works for Father John Misty. And the music benefits greatly, both in the arrangements and the fact that the lyrics are fun and strange. Whether it's sincere or not doesn't even matter—Tillman paints a wonderful picture. MARK LORE
Edgefield, 6:30pm, $33-38, all ages
Mortified
The schadenfruede-flavored storytelling series featuring people sharing experiences from the hell that is adolescence
Alberta Rose Theatre, 7pm, $16
Tender Age, Soft Kill, Haste, Warm Hands
Portland's Tender Age make bedroom pop, but the bedroom is windowless and lit by a single red bulb, with a portable TV glitching between fuzzy static and the nightly news. That's what their new EP, Disappear Here, sounds like, anyway—sweet, airy vocals suspended in a dreamlike state, waking suddenly to the TV's harsh, milky glare and droning background noise. CIARA DOLAN
Holocene, 8:30pm, $7
Lucy Bellwood
A release party for Bellwood's Baggywrinkles: A Lubber's Guide to Life at Sea, built around her time spent aboard tall ships, learning about maritime history.
Floating World Comics, 6pm