Waiting for you at the end of this week is a holiday we call Thanksgiving. It sometimes seems as if the name is almost ironic, and this year might make that percieved irony even more acute, but there are still things to be thankful for, including this week's worth of damn good things to do, beginning with yet another installment of the Mercury's uproarious I, Anonymous Show, Seu Jorge's lovely tribute to David Bowie, a pair of amazing goodbyes to the Know's old location, a pair of local comedy showcases—one a little more soothing, the other a little more ready to rage, and a visit from a Compton luminary responsible for our new national anthem. Hit the menu below and load your plate accordingly
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Monday, Nov 21
What Now?
Revolution Hall hosts a brainstorming event calling all community leaders, artists, friends, and neighbors to come out and work together to find a way to channel fears and frustrations into positive action. Local organizations will be on-hand to help interested parties and individuals who are looking to get involved locally and nationally on crucial issues such as immigration, discrimination based on race, gender, and sexuality; reproductive health, income inequality, climate change, and more.
5:30 pm, Revolution Hall, free
MØ
An evening of electro-pop and R&B with Copenhagen-based singer-songwriter Karen Marie Ørsted, better known by her stage name MØ.
8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $20
The I, Anonymous Show
If you missed the first two live episodes of the Mercury and Secret Society's I, Anonymous Show then commence to kicking yourself because they were a goddamned hoot. Hilarious host Bri Pruett and a squad of comedians and musicians—this time including the terrific Anthony Lopez, Hutch Harris, Caitlin Weierhauser, and Jessica Boudreaux—pick apart some of the best, most morally bankrupt I, Anonymous columns for the audience's endless enjoyment. Don't miss this month's installment, dummy! WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
7 pm, The Secret Society, $10-15
Rabbits, Pushy, Bobby Peru
Rabbits have since become an eardrum-crushing institution of sorts, championing the uncouth, the ugly, the unfit, and the underground. NED LANNAMANN
8 pm, The Know
Jack Nisbet, Leigh Calvez
Spokane-based naturalist and writer Jack Nisbet reads from his new book, Ancient Places: People and Landscape in the Emerging Northwest. Nisbet will be joined by scientist and nature writer Leigh Calvez, author of The Hidden Lives of Owls.
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books
It's Gonna Be Okay!
Portland comedian Barbara Holm presents her weekly stand-up showcase featuring a revolving lineup of local comedians and national touring acts.
7:30 pm, East Burn, free
Tuesday, Nov 22
Seu Jorge
In Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Brazilian musician Seu Jorge played Pelé dos Santos, Team Zissou’s safety expert and nautical balladeer. Throughout the 2004 film, Jorge covers 15 David Bowie classics in Portuguese with just an acoustic guitar as accompaniment. Tonight he’s bringing these songs to Portland in tribute to the late Ziggy Stardust, who once praised Jorge’s sweet and stunning adaptations. CIARA DOLAN Read our story on Seu Jorge.
8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $35-45, all ages
Grindhouse Film Festival: The Silent Partner
This month's Grindhouse offering is a tribute to the late Curtis Hanson, best known for 8 Mile, Wonder Boys, and the noir classic L.A. Confidential, but who first secured his crime story bonafides with the mean-spirited screenplay for 1978's The Silent Partner, with Christopher Plummer and Elliot Gould as a psychopathic bank robber and the devious teller who tries to get one over on him. Preceded by a 35mm trailer reel featuring old-school previews for '70s crime movies. BOBBY ROBERTS
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9
Divers, Blowout, Old City, Honey Bucket
As the Know wraps up its last days at the original NE Alberta location (never fear, the Portland punk dive will be opening the new location on NE Sandy in 2017), heart-on-sleeve rockers and kinda-sorta house band Divers will be gracing the old Know stage for one final time. If that weren’t enough, the show is a benefit for a new local nonprofit, Not OK PDX, which aims to create a support network for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Great cause, great music, great night. NED LANNAMANN
8 pm, The Know
Helms Alee, Thrones, Stöller
If there are two things in life that are almost always better together, it’s metal and beer. It’s a pairing even our parents touted—you just can’t beat the heaviness of some seriously shredding riffs alongside the crispness of a cold one. So when the idea for the Blasphemous Collaboration Series bred itself out of the second Sabertooth Micro Fest earlier this year, salivating mouths began anxiously awaiting a taste of the foamy head of their favorite band’s brew. With Seattle trio Helms Alee’s September release Stillicide perfectly encapsulating all prototypical aspects of Pacific Northwest-ness—grunge, alternative, and most importantly, metal—it’s a no-brainer as to why they were chosen as the basis for the premiere potion. Take a seat on one of the bar’s thrones, have some Stoli for Stöller, and get “Untoxicated” on Helms Alee’s ale. CERVANTE POPE
8 pm, Lola's Room, $10
Shane Mauss
Shane Mauss is a stand-up, host of the Here We Are podcast, and star of the Netflix comedy special Mating Season.
8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $15
Wednesday, Nov 23
YG, RJ, Kamaiyah, Sad Boy
Even when you’re furiously insisting that Donald Trump isn’t your president, the chants can get uninspired. The hard miles tick by, confrontations with police come and go, and you’re left with the same four or five options. Luckily, anti-Trump protesters here and around the country have had some help. It starts as a low growl down the block, ascending slightly, dropping, then climbing again. And as it grows louder, you realize: It’s a bass line, it’s pounding out of every car or truck that passes, and it’s bringing with it the simplest and purest truth any of us can currently contemplate: “Fuck Donald Trump.” Los Angeles-area emcees YG and Nipsey Hussle released this catchy track months ago, back when we all still underestimated Trump’s appeal. Now he’s about to be the president, and “Fuck Donald Trump” has become the new Star-Spangled Banner. YG brings his Fuck Donald Trump Tour to town tonight. Enough said. DIRK VANDERHART
6 pm, 9 pm, Roseland, $27.50, all ages
Fred & Toody, Michael Hurley
It’s pretty tough to beat a lineup that features Portland’s most iconic couple, Fred and Toody Cole of Dead Moon, who’ve been playing grimy garage punk together for decades. Michael Hurley’s sweetly strange, fantastical outsider folk continues to magnetically attract a following decades after his Greenwich Village heyday in the ’60s and ’70s—songs like “Little Green Fellow” sound just as fresh as they probably did when Armchair Boogie was released in 1971, but also like their watermark, they could be centuries old. These days Hurley’s an almost mythological fixture of the Oregon Coast, but he ventures inland to play shows around Portland multiple times per month. Bringing together the Coles and Hurley is a recipe for one sacred night of music. CIARA DOLAN
8 pm, The Know
The Animation Show of Shows
There’s a high number of stop-motion films in this year’s Animation Show of Shows. Scottish short Stems stands out for its documentary approach to found-object puppets—watching them assemble and take on movement contains real magic and ends on an inspiring, bittersweet note. In the realm of more traditional 2D animation, you may remember Mirror from This American Life: Mirror was a 2015 collaboration between Ira Glass, animator John Kuramoto, and regular New Yorker cover artist Chris Ware. Given that celebrity spread, you’ve probably already seen it. Also of note (and online) is Patrick Osbourne’s Pearl, which was created for virtual reality and can be watched in Google 360, which is pretty neat! The short’s narrative zips around fluidly, inside the same animated car over a period of decades. I’m pretty sure it’s also a 10 minute commercial for vintage Volvos. SUZETTE SMITH
6:30 pm, 8:30 pm, Cinema 21
Drowse, Floating Room, Hex Vision
What started out as Sloths guitarist Kyle Bates’ unassuming bedroom-recording project has evolved into one of Portland’s best and most dynamic heavy bands. Bates’ first official release under the Drowse moniker was last year’s Soon Asleep, a collection of harrowing and washed-out elegies that came with a 40-page, hand-illustrated memoir chronicling the musician’s struggles with mental illness. New EP Memory Bed sees Bates delving deeper into more traditional singer/songwriter territory, a shift best exemplified by the delicate, quintessentially Pacific Northwestern sonics of “Break” and “Memory.” MORGAN TROPER
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, free
Revolution Comedy
Every second and fourth Wednesday, local stand-up comic Andie Main hosts a benefit showcase designed to assist progressive causes through the power of comedy. The line-up changes from show to show, but big laughs for a great cause are always guaranteed. This show will benefit the Standing Rock Legal Defense Fund, and features spoken word performance by Jennifer Lanier, live music from Hawkeye Pierce, and stand-up from Adam Pasi, Zak Toscani, Alex Rios, and Katie Nguyen.
7:30 pm, Curious Comedy Theater, $10
Testify
A pre-Thanksgiving installment of the recurring R&B and hip-hop oriented dance party, featuring sets from DJ Honest John, Deena Bee, and New Dadz.
9 pm, Holocene, free
Sonic Cinema: The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz has been called one the best music documentaries ever made. It's not. Chronicling a very good—but not transcendent—concert that turned out to be the Band's last performance with their original lineup, it's most notable for the murderers' row of guests who graced San Francisco's Winterland stage that Thanksgiving night in 1976. (It's worth mentioning that the film's best moment, the Staple Singers performing with the Band on a definitive version of "The Weight," was created entirely on a soundstage.) Unlike most documentaries, The Last Waltz is not a look behind the scenes or an attempt to tell the backstory behind the music; it is itself theater, a calculated and polished presentation of its own. It's mythmaking, and it works very well as such. NED LANNAMANN
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9
King Black Acid, Skull Diver, Lubec
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
9 pm, Doug Fir, $10-15
The Transplants: A Comedy Showcase
If you've paid attention long enough, you know that the Portland comedy scene both giveth and taketh away. We've bid farewell to plenty of great comedians, but tonight's show is about saying hello to some wonderfully funny transplants. Plunk down a fiver and catch sets from Marcus Coleman, Clarke McMakin, Chris Nakis, James Bosquez, Alana Eisner, Nick Puente, Mohana Elshieky, and Joann Schinderle, and make them feel welcome so they stick around and continue to make the Portland sky a bit brighter during these rainy months.
8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $5
Norfolk & Western, Dolorean Duo
A reunion show with Adam Selzer's indie folk and rock ensemble, Norfolk & Western. Al James and Jon Neufeld of Dolorean provide support, so expect to feel plenty of early 2000's vibes up in the Alberta Rose.
8 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $10
Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Dinner
Nothing wrong with not wanting to cook. You live in Portland, one best cities in the entire country for quality food. You can indulge in amazing feasts without having to spend a single second in your kitchen. Visit our Things to Do Thanksgiving page for a list of restaurants offering up dinners that include both the traditional and the more adventurous.
Click here for locations and dinner times
Turkey Trot
This annual four-mile fun run is one of the best ways to work up a proper Thanksgiving appetite and raise funds for animal care programs at the zoo.
8am, Oregon Zoo
Tips for Surviving Your Racist Family Thanksgiving
Don't forget to have this piece by Andie Main handy before you sit down with the family for the afternoon. It could end up being as necessary an item on the menu as mashed potatoes and gravy.
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!