If there was a single word to describe the weekend, "representative," could be that word. There's Peaches representing sexual revolution. There's the Thorns representing the best in women's football. There's Queen of Katwe representing proof kids movies can be more than super-safe, lily-white, and dumbed down. There's the Hollywood Theatre once again doing things no other theater in the country is trying. There's Lez Stand-Up representing voices in comedy that deserve every ounce of shine they're getting and more, and there's FrightTown representing the amazing things Portland's creative community can get up to. And that's not even close to the half of it. The city is showing off some of the best sides of itself this weekend. Hit the menu below and reward yourself accordingly.
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Friday, Sept 30
Drive-By Truckers, Lydia Loveless
Drive-By Truckers—whose badass name matches their bad-ass Southern alt-country sound—are making a can’t-miss stop in Portland the same day the legends drop their 11th studio album, American Band. If you don’t know DBT yet, hop on Spotify and stream perhaps my favorite album, The Dirty South. They’ll be here for two shows, so you’ve got no excuse to miss it. DOUG BROWN Also read our story on Lydia Loveless.
Wonder Ballroom, 9pm, $25-28
Lez Stand-Up: Pumpkin Spice Edition
I fucking love Lez Stand Up. Not only is it one of the city’s absolute best queer-friendly comedy showcases, it’s one of the city’s best comedy shows, full stop. There’s a reason the ladies of Lez Stand Up sell out shows without trying: They’re really fucking funny, and when they fill a room, having people who aren’t straight white dudes on the bill isn’t a tokenizing afterthought. It’s the whole point. Hooray! MEGAN BURBANK
Siren Theater, 8pm, $10
Trevor Noah
The South African comedian takes a break from his hosting duties at The Daily Show to hit the road with his stand-up routine.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 7:30pm, $35-55
Looking for Tiger Lily
Anthony Hudson (AKA Portland's drag treasure Carla Rossi) stars in this one-man show about the traditions of storytelling, using song, dance, drag, and a whole lot of Disney influence, with musical accompaniment by Maria Choban and dancing by the Dolly Pops.
Hollywood Theatre, 7:30pm, $15
Hot Tears, Erica Freas, Anna Vo
Hot Tears, the project of former Songs for Moms member Molly Fischer, makes slow building epics that defy genre. Its 2014 debut The Chorus mixes punk chord progressions with chamber-folk intimacy, doom metal guitar walls, and bedroom pop-inspired refrains to create a hypnotic album that begs for repeated, focused listens. On Hot Tears’ new 7-inch, Stronger Lady, Fischer builds on the foundation The Chorus established, adding more elaborate production elements and melodic sensibilities that seem to somehow nod to both Zola Jesus and Julie Doiron. Tonight’s show, which benefits pro-choice organization Oregon Women’s Campaign School, also features local musician/zinester Anna Vo and Erica Freas of RVIVR, whose sophomore solo album comes out on Don Giovanni next month. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
In Other Words, 9pm
Weeed, Wanda, Dim Wit
Subtlety never has been—and most likely never will be—a strong suit for a band with a name like Weeed. These Bainbridge Island, Washington, psych-metal stoners named their latest LP Our Guru Brings Us to the Black Master Sabbath, for chrissakes. However, being so straightforward with their influences possibly correlates with their appeal. Like the Matthew McConaughey of psychedelic metal bands, they are just L-I-V-I-N, and there's nothing more to it. CAMERON CROWELL
Bunk Bar, 9pm, $7
Jonathan Safran Foer
The acclaimed author of Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close comes to Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing to read from his new novel, Here I Am.
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 7pm
Fanno Creek, Bevelers, Nathan Baumgartner, Sam Adams
Fanno Creek and Bevelers celebrate the release of their Banana Stand / PALS Clubhouse live split. Sam Adams and Nathan Baumgartner provide support with solo sets.
Alberta Street Pub, 8:30pm, $7
Reigning Sound, The Tripwires, Hollow Sidewalks
Not all rock 'n' roll can be as evergreen as the warm, in-the-pocket garage jangle of Greg Cartwright's Reigning Sound. Catch the Memphis/Asheville group and their killer, R&B-informed sound as they play chestnuts from their expansive discography. NED LANNAMANN
Dante's, 9pm, $15
Caleb Klauder, Honey Don't
I don't care if you don't like country music: the Caleb Klauder Country Band is the best live band in Portland. When this crack team of ace players lets 'er rip, the dance floor explodes in a hullabaloo of twangin', twistin', good old-fashioned American music. NED LANNAMANN
Doug Fir, 9pm, $13-15
National Geographic Live—Exploring Mars
NASA mechanical engineer Kobie Boykins helped design the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity. Join him tonight for a look at what these rovers have discovered on the red planet.
Newmark Theatre, 7:30pm, $20-40
Manatee Commune, Maiah Manser, Calm Candy
My heart was crushed to learn that there are zero actual manatees involved in Manatee Commune and, further, that it's not any kind of commune! It's just one guy! Named Grant L'Kayl Eadie (pretty cool name, actually). However, setting aside that instant bias, I was instantly swept up by Manatee Commune's oneiric tunes. They stop just short of ambient, with subtle beats gently guiding gorgeously kaleidoscopic soundscapes. This could in fact be music for manatees, or any other peaceful and huggable creature of nature and mystery. KATIE ALLISON
Mississippi Studios, 9pm, $10-12
The Come Inside Festival of Sex & Culture
When Portland theater artist Eleanor O’Brien started touring last year with Lust and Marriage, her play about resisting bed death after marriage, she was so excited by the new work she encountered from fellow artists on the road that she decided to curate her own local festival of sex-positive theater. While other cities already have well-established, similarly focused programs—O’Brien cites the Seattle Erotic Art Festival—she notes that Portland does not, despite seeming like a community that would be receptive to the idea. So she created her own: Come Inside, a festival of sex and culture, featuring Shirley Gnome (“almost pure entertainment,” in O’Brien’s words), O’Brien’s own show, GGG: Dominatrix for Dummies, San Francisco’s Bawdy Storytelling, and slew of other performances that examine various aspects of queerness, gender identity, sex work, and sex education. MEGAN BURBANK
Click here for a full list of performances and showtimes.
Sept 28-Oct 2, The Headwaters Theatre, various times
The Thing
John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, starring a very hairy Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and an exploding dog head. Well, it doesn’t so much explode as it peels back like a self-opening banana, revealing a glistening, snarling Lovecraftian horror full of snaking tubes and hissing malevolence. This is only the fourth- or fifth-most horrifying and unnerving thing in the film, which is a tidal wave of unrelenting paranoia so effective it took most people a good decade-plus to get over their initial revulsion to (correctly) rate it as one of the best horror films ever made.
Academy Theater, 2pm, 9:20pm, $2-4
Different Trains: Third Angle
The Third Angle Ensemble is no stranger to the work of Steve Reich. They've been performing pieces written by the now-80-year-old composer frequently, including a jaw-dropping presentation of "Drumming" featuring members of So Percussion. To start off their new season, the group highlights Reich's string quartets with an emphasis on "Different Trains," a three-movement work composed in 1988 and inspired in part by the Holocaust Trains that transported Jews during World War II. The piece combines the chugging drive of strings with stray snippets of recorded dialogue that follow a similarly hypnotic rhythmic pattern. Rounding out the program on these two nights will be performances of Triple Quartet and WTC 9/11, Reich's elegy to the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. ROBERT HAM
Oregon Rail Heritage Center, 7:30pm, $35
Saturday, Oct 1
FrightTown
Halloween is just around the corner, which means if you love a good scare, you’ll shriek in joy over the best haunted house in Portland, FrightTown. Celebrating its 12th year, this walk-through scare fest features three separate attractions, including crowd-fave Baron Von Goolo’s Museum of Horrors, the Witch House, and brand new this season, Grimthorne Manor—starring all manner of monsters. Not for little kids or the faint of heart, but FrightTown is perfect for a depraved ghoul such as yourself. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, 7pm, $20-40, all ages
Squeeze, Look Park
Like the Kinks before them, Squeeze’s best material never connected with American audiences. The group is best (if not exclusively) remembered here in the states for their blue-eyed soul detour “Tempted”—the only song in their catalog sung by former keyboardist Paul Carrack—but they were one of the skinny-tie era’s most original and reliable hitmakers in their native England. MORGAN TROPER
Revolution Hall, 8pm, $45
Chills & Thrills: The Gimmick Series—The Tingler (in Percepto!)
This month, the Hollywood Theatre has Chills & Thrills: The Gimmick Series!, featuring films presented with their original, weird promotional gimmicks. John Waters'Polyester will screen in “Odorama” (with scratch 'n' sniff cards!), Earthquake will boast the “room-rumbling bass” of “Sensurround,” and the Creature from the Black Lagoon will lurk in old-school 3D. Tonight it all kicks off with Vincent Price's 1959 thriller The Tingler—in “Percepto,” with certain seats set to vibrate at key points in the movie! ERIK HENRIKSEN
Hollywood Theatre, 7pm, $9, all ages
Lubec, Talkative, Radler, Two Moons, Dog Thieves
Portland noise pop trio Lubec play an all ages release show in support of their terrific new album, Cosmic Debt, the eagerly awaited follow-up to 2014's The Thrall. Also read our story on Lubec.
Black Water Bar, 7:30pm
DJ Shadow
A rare Portland appearance from one of the finest sonic alchemists the world has ever known.
Roseland, 9pm, $25
Prost! Portland Oktoberfest
Can't really be Oktoberfest season without Prost! getting in on the fun, transforming the Mississippi marketplace into a Bavarian beer garden, hosting games, kids activities, live music, and a host of special German Oktoberfest beers from a beer truck.
Sept 30-Oct 2, Prost! Portland, 11am
The Lavender Flu, Pushy, Sleeptalker
If you dug garage punk in Portland during the '00s, you remember the Hunches, the most explosive local group of the era. Frontman Hart Gledhill turned antagonizing an audience (and torturing himself) into high art. But the Hunches were more than crashing punk pranksters—the songs were serious and strong. Much of the writing was done by guitarist Chris Gunn, who returns with the Lavender Flu. Gunn is also full of righteous energy, but he channels it inward, the opposite of Gledhill. And while in performance the new band reminds at times of the Hunches—particularly Gunn's songwriting sense, his sharp, bending, circular riffs, and the buildup/breakdown/loud/quiet surges of drummer Ben Spencer (also of the Hunches)—, the Lavender Flu employ a wider, more dynamic musical vocabulary, free from garage punk's narrow trappings. There are bits of plucky fingerpicking, spacey delay, noise washes, and more, swirled in purposeful arcs. Gunn has been working on a soon-to-be-released double album, Heavy Air, practically since the Hunches' 2009 demise. It's been a long time coming, and if a fabulous first show and a few snippets on Soundcloud are any indication, it will be worth the wait. ANDREW R TONRY
Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8pm
The Moondoggies, Banditos, The Jackalope Saints
Washington’s Moondoggies really didn’t work hard enough on their name, which makes them sound like some cheesy Grateful Dead cover band that’d probably have an indefinite Thursday night residency at Calamity Jane’s on 26 up near Mt. Hood. Plus—dogs on the moon? That’s just nuts. Despite all of this, the Moondoggies are fantastic, one of the best Pacific Northwest mountain-country bands around. This month the band’s celebrating its 10th anniversary by re-releasing its 2008 full-length debut, Don’t Be a Stranger—13 tracks of ghostly fingerpicking and echoing harmonies that exemplify the haunted beauty of a misty winter in the Cascades, especially on tracks like “Ain’t No Lord” and “The Undertaker.” But they’re also experts at capturing boot-stomping bouts of twangy joy on tracks like “Long Time Coming.”Don’t Be a Stranger is great, but don’t forget to revisit their latest full-length, 2014’s Adios, I’m a Ghost—“Red Eye” is one of my personal favorites, particularly the moments when frontman Kevin Murphy sighs, “She’s up and gone/Up to Washington” between the hissing squeals of hot-poker guitar riffs. CIARA DOLAN
Mississippi Studios, 9pm, $12-14
The Wedge
First we conquered the realm of beer. Now Portland sets sights on annexing the world of cheese. The Wedge features more than 50 cheesemakers sharing their product at a farmers market-style showcase, including special bites and drinks from other vendors that go perfectly with the cheeses you're putting into your face.
Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub, 11am, $15-20
Frankenstein's Comicbook Swap
Portland’s got a ton of comic book shows, but Frankenstein’s Comic Book Swap is a standout—instead of costing a fortune and focusing on cosplay instead of comics, Frankenstein’s costs ONE MEASLY DOLLAR, takes over the charming Eagles Lodge, and features collectors selling their beloved comics, toys, movies, and weird old crap. It’s a friendly, low-key, and fantastic affair; chances are you’ll walk out with a few bizarre finds you'll love more than life itself. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Eagles Lodge (F.O.E. #3256), 11am, $1-5, all ages
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
I haven't liked a Tim Burton film since Batman Returns, and I'm saying that now to illustrate how much I did like his latest, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Coming from an overly precious book series and an eccentric director, I don't know how MPHPC turned out so relatable, exciting, and heartwarming, but it's a friggin romp. It's like a good Harry Potter movie without the awkward mandate to follow the book's plot. MPHPC the film throws MPHPC the book out the window. (Polite opera claps.) Plus, Asa Butterfield is the perfect empty persona for the audience to latch onto, and Samuel L. Jackson actually has fun for once! But wait, my space is running out and I have to warn you about the messy time trav—SUZETTE SMITH
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Sad Horse, White Shark Shiver, Weird Cactus
Despite their name, Portland punks Sad Horse can put a smile on any pony's face. NED LANNAMANN
The Know, 8pm
Spellbound: DJ Action Slacks, DJ Wildman James
DJ Action Slacks' annual Halloween dance party just got an upgrade for its fifth anniversary, with some special effects enhancements to go along with the classic soul, Motown, R&B and blues grooves from both her collection and DJ Wildman James'.
(The World Famous) Kenton Club, 9pm, $5
Portland Fresh Hops Fest
Beer is a staple in Portland. Hoppy beer is also a staple in Portland. Fresh-hopped beer is an ephemeral thing, arriving only during hops harvest season, with its piney, citrusy taste and delicate fizz. Beer festivals abound in Oregon, but the Portland Fresh Hops Beer Fest is the only fresh hoppy one at Oaks Park, where you can get drunk and go on amusement park rides. Wheeeeee! SHELBY R. KING
Oaks Amusement Park, 12pm, free ($20 a glass + 8 drink tickets)
Frankenstein: A Cabaret
First seen at the Fertile Ground Festival, Frankenstein: A Cabaret is everything I want in a play: It’s creepy, it’s weird, and it explores themes of gender and sexuality by adapting a well-known piece of literature with an almost exclusively female cast. Plus musical theatre. There’s a lot going on: a six-piece band onstage, some of whom were also actors; a full cast and storyline; a group of three dancers performing in most scenes; a chorus narrating between numbers; and not one but two Monsters (for reasons that remain unclear to me). There was a dance number with neon rope lights and mirrors on a pitch-black stage. On their own, each of these things would have been pretty great (and they were), but the sum of the play's parts felt complex and hard to follow. AMELIA AYRELAN IUVINO
Clinton Street Theater, 8pm, $15-20
Erotic City
This long-running tribute to Prince becomes a combination of celebration and memorial for the dearly departed legend.
Club 21, 9pm, $5
Sunday, Oct 2
Portland Thorns vs. Western New York Flash
After a season for the ages, the Portland Thorns have earned the honor of hosting their first-ever home playoff game: an NWSL semifinal matchup against the Western New York Flash at Providence Park. With the final set to take place next week in Houston, you don’t want to miss this chance to witness history in the making right here in town. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Providence Park, 2pm, $13.50-90, all ages
Peaches, Christeene, Bomb Ass Pussy
When Toronto artist Merrill Beth Nisker moved to Berlin in the late '90s to pursue life under the name Peaches, she probably had no idea the "Teaches of Peaches" would incite a mini sexual revolution in the musical world. Other pop artists have occasionally dabbled in pornographic imagery, but Peaches' career-long treatment of sex and all its definitions is unmatched, methodical, and academic, forming narratives that fire out direct messages of violent love and lascivious challenges rather than dancing around with colorful metaphors. Her latest LP, Rub, is filled with tracks that happily continue in this sordid tradition. Underrated amid the controversial subject matter however is Peaches' prowess as an incredible performer and style maven whose outrageous fashions in her fever dream videos and riotous live shows are just as sexy and entertaining as anything coming from that beautifully devilish mind. CHRIS SUTTON
Wonder Ballroom, 8:30pm, $23-25
MDC, Wartorn, Bombsquad, Question Tuesday
Dave Dictor, frontman and founder of influential hardcore punk band MDC (Millions of Dead Cops, Millions of Damn Christians, Multi Death Corporation, etc.), recently published his first book, MDC: Memoir from a Damaged Civilization. While his might not be the most famous name in punk rock history, Dictor’s influence is among the most important. Forming in the early ’80s in San Francisco, MDC was among the earliest hardcore bands to confront homophobia, transgender rights, animal rights, and contribute to the then-unlikely alliance of punk rock and political activism. The Long Island-born singer has called Portland home since 1995, and continues to tour with MDC, albeit with an ever-changing lineup. Although over three decades have passed since Dictor first picked up a microphone, the issues he’s speaking out against are just as relevant, and his voice is just as powerful. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, 7:30pm, $10-12
Hazel, Hex Vision
Early 90s indie rock outfit-turned-hometown heroes, Hazel reunite for a pair of shows at Mississippi Studios in celebration of their new Voodoo Doughnut Recordings and Cavity Search Records-issued full-length, Live in Portland, which collects live material recorded at the now defunct X-Ray Cafe, and on the back of a flatbed truck, as part of a benefit show for homeless youth shelter Outside In.
Mississippi Studios, 5:30pm, $8-10, all ages
Queen of Katwe
There's a not insignificant legacy of terrible movies about poor brown kids being taught out of poverty by godly white people like Sandra Bullock. Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe isn’t one of those movies. Queen of Katwe’s protagonist—a Ugandan tween named Phiona—dominates at chess with the help of a teacher, yes, but that teacher is a black, Ugandan one, Robert (David Oyelowo). Robert teaches the slum kids chess because these kids are fighters, and chess is a game for fighters. Families looking for a not-cartoon movie to see together should know, however, that it isn’t a fast movie. It’s not short, either, but if “not racist” and “for smart kids” is your family’s deal, Queen of Katwe might be a movie for you. ELINOR JONES
Various Theaters, see Movie Times for showtimes and locations
Jeremy Enigk, Jon Black
Jeremy Enigk knows what it feels like to live in the shadow of early success. His beloved Seattle band Sunny Day Real Estate made four full-lengths, each worthy of a place in the pantheon of classic ’90s punk-adjacent guitar music. But the group’s ’94 Sub Pop debut, Diary, is the sort of record that routinely attracts “Greatest Emo Album Ever” accolades, despite the band’s public ambivalence about that particular genre tag. Enigk’s solo career has followed a similar path, in that his more recent output remains eclipsed by the orchestral maximalism of ’96’s Return of the Frog Queen, recorded during Sunny Day’s first (of three) breakups. But two classic albums are plenty to keep fans’ appetites whetted for the new material he announced through a crowd-funding campaign last year. NATHAN TUCKER
Doug Fir, 9pm, $13-15
Nicky USA's Wild About Game
A cooking competition celebrating the flavors of wild game, with chefs from Portland facing off against Seattle's best to determine which city cooks wild game the best.
The Resort at the Mountain, 11:30am, $69-79
How I Learned What I Learned
Portland Playhouse’s season opener is an atypical combo: a rarely-seen play by and about a major icon of American theater. How I Learned What I Learned is August Wilson’s autobiographical solo show, in which the playwright recounts his experiences, from formative moments as a young black artist living in Pittsburgh to becoming the critically lauded, Pulitzer-winning author of the American Century Cycle. Highly recommended if you care about intersections of art and race, and the “small irrevocable tragedies” that, as Wilson puts it, make up a life. Kevin Jones, co-founder and artistic director of the August Wilson Red Door Project, will direct. MEGAN BURBANK
Portland Playhouse, 2pm, $25-34
Home Movie Day
Do you have 8mm, Super 8, or 16mm home movies you want to show everybody? Or are you a voyeuristic creep who wants to watch other people's 8mm, Super 8, or 16mm home movies? Today's your day.
Hollywood Theatre, 2pm, free, all ages