The Top 36 Events in Portland This Week: July 22–28, 2024 - EverOut Portland (2024)

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TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Etran de LAir Past EventLikeList
Etran de L’Aïr (which translates to “stars of the Aïr region”) is a rock band that originated in Agadez, Niger as a local wedding musical act over two decades ago. With their hypnotic guitar solos and sun-soaked melodies, the family band caught the ears of surf and psychedelic rock fans around the world. Expect to hear tracks from their newly released first studio-recorded album, 100% Sahara Guitar. AV
(Mississippi Studios, Boise)

Juan Wauters Past EventLikeList
Queens-via-Uruguay singer-songwriter Juan Wauters (not to be confused with the King of Filth John Waters) writes songs about life's beautiful mundane things, like sunbathing, being sleepy, and eating soup. If you love crooners like Jonathan Richman, Caetano Veloso, and Mac Demarco, give ol' Juan a try! He will play songs from his COVID-inspired release, Wandering Rebel—it's one of the good ones, I swear. Experimental indie rock wizard Gus Englehorn will open. AV
(Polaris Hall, Humboldt)

WEDNESDAY

COMEDY

Past EventLikeList
Portland Mercury Undisputed Geniuses of Comedy Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy (noted Bigfoot skeptic) get straight-up diabolical in this live game show, which sees the chucklesome pair answer a series of "truly evil" questions on stage. The audience (and special guest Peachy Springs, aka Portland's beloved bingo queen) will then decide which of the responses is less evil. It's kinda like a Catholic confessional, except FUN and non-judgy. Okay, maybe a little judgy. You'll have to go to find out. Plus, there'll be prizes—the perfect antidote for a little moral corruption.
(Siren Theater, Boise)

FILM

Church of Film: Soviet Sci-Fi AnimationRemindLikeList
If you frequently read EverOut's roundups, you may have noticed that I'm a big fan of Church of Film, a supernatural cinema program that centers stories of the occult, folktales, anarchy, communism, queerness, and all things magical. CoF keeps the good times rolling this week with a program of hypnotic flicks by sci-fi animator Vladimir Tarasov pulled from the catalog of the Soviet Union's "great animation studio, Soyuzmultfilm." Show up to celebrate one of Portland's weirdest, most beloved cinema treasures, and get an eyeful of utopian futurism, too.LC
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy)

LIVE MUSIC

Music on Main 2024RemindLikeList
The Schnitz's free block party-esque summer music series is back for its 17th year with an impressive program of local talent performing in the middle of Main Street. The series will continue this week with a performance from Portland's Grateful Dead tribute group, the Garcia Birthday Band.AV
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks)

Niall Horan: The Show Live On Tour
X-Factor star turned One Direction member Niall Horan soldiers on solo in the pop music space, most recently with his third album,The Show. The album hones in on Horan's gift of writing pensive pop hooks, which you might have heard on One Direction hits penned by him, like "Don't Forget Where You Belong." Though the singer has left his boy band days behind him, it’s a safe assumption that the bulk of his audience remains 1D devotees. AV
(RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, Ridgefield)

PERFORMANCE

Puppeteers for Fears presents, Cthulhu: The Musical! Past EventLikeList
If you weren't aware, you live in a place where Lovecraftian rock musicals are performed entirely with puppets. Consider yourself lucky. Cthulhu: The Musical will be performed by Puppeteers for Fears, an Ashland, Oregon-based company specializing in "original puppet horror/sci-fi musical comedy." Is it too late to change careers? The Call of Cthulhuis likely one of the least musical or comedic stories ever penned, so this adaptation seems like a worthy feat to feast your eyes upon. ("I don't even like puppets. But that was some next-level puppet sh*t," reported Susan, an audience member at a Puppeteers for Fears show. That’s good enough of an endorsem*nt for me.) LC
(Alberta Abbey, King)

THURSDAY

COMEDY

Kickstand Comedy Presents: Secret Aardvark Past EventLikeList
Portland's best improvisers will gather again for this who's who of Rose City comedy. Each Secret Aardvark event features an extra-special mystery guest (past guests have run the gamut from David Lynch to Waluigi, Tinder Dracula, and random high school theater students), and the show's so spicy that it's named after the organizers' fave local hot sauce. Head to Kickstand to find out why Secret Aardvark bills itself as a "late-night cult comedy institution." LC
(Kickstand Comedy, Ladd's Addition)

LIVE MUSIC

Ben Platt: The Honeymind Tour Past EventLikeList
Okay, okay, I realize that you might know the thirty-year-old stage/screen actor Ben Platt for his portrayal of a teenager in the 2021 film Dear Evan Hansen, which was widely made fun of on Twitter. But Platt is also a Grammy-winning recording artist with three studio albums of unexpectedly interesting pop music. He will support his latest release, Honeymind, which utilizes '70s-inspired Americana production for emotionally raw (and sometimes sappy) ballads about queer love. AV
(Keller Auditorium, Downtown)

Pedro The Lion Past EventLikeList
As a former drummer (or rather, a person who took drum lessons as a child) I am always mesmerized by musicians who can sing and drum simultaneously. That's the case for Pedro the Lion frontman David Bazan, who has been taking a seat at the kit at recent performances. The band, whose sound was described by Strangerwriter Jas Keimig as "big-dick-quasi-emo-indie-rock," will play in support of their new album, Santa Cruz, which is the third of a "musical memoir" series chronicling Bazan's childhood.AV
(Wonder Ballroom, Eliot)

FRIDAY

COMEDY

Nori Reed Past EventLikeList
LA-based comedian and writer Nori Reed recently created the Disney Channel's first-ever live-action trans character for Raven's Home, the channel's That's So Raven reboot, scooping Emmy and GLAAD Award nominations in the process. Keep an ear out for Reed's voice—she was also one of Vulture’s Comedians You Should Know and Will Know in 2021, and has graced Showtime and Max with fresh stand-up sets. And importantly, she is hilarious—behold her description of a hookup with a "rat seggsy" Jeremy Allen White lookalike. LC
(Mississippi Studios, Boise)

PERFORMANCE

BOOKLOVER'S BURLESQUE: Banned Books Edition Past EventLikeList
Any lit lover will tell you that reading can be a truly titillating experience. Booklover's Burlesque agrees, and since 2016, they've blended on-stage readings by local writers and actors with sexy, body-positive performances inspired by each written piece. For this "banned books" edition of the show, they'll flick a middle finger to censorship and celebrate the written word with salacious burlesque, boylesque, and draglesque acts. LC
(Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia)

SATURDAY

COMMUNITY

PDX Yard ShareRemindLikeList
At this event hosted in partnership with Portland Fruit Tree Project and Urban Gleaners, neighbors all over Portland will cut down on food waste and foster community by sharing the bounties of their gardens, including fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, and eggs, for free. They'll heap their harvests on a table or in a box, and participants can find givers' locations on an interactive map. Grab a cute basket, plot your path, and delight in gathering an abundance of backyard produce and connecting with neighbors. JB
(Various locations)

8th Annual Portlandia Mermaid Parade Past EventLikeList
If you're a fan of Portlandia, the larger-than-life river goddess sculpture that looms above downtown's Portland Building, you'll probably dig this fin-flapping celebration of Portland's rivers and port history. The Portlandia Mermaid Parade and Festival is a body-positive, fam-friendly event that encourages all of the city's fantastical creatures to splash around together, and this year's "Under the Sea of Dreams" theme encourages even more reality abandonment than usual. Throw on your most colorful aquatic attire (shells, bobbles, sequins, pearls, and eco-friendly glitter encouraged) in her honor. LC
(Starts at the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Tom McCall Waterfront Park)

FOOD & DRINK

2024 Farm to Plate SeriesRemindLikeList
It doesn't get much fresher than eating a meal in the very place where the ingredients were grown. Topaz Farm's resident "farm-to-plate" chefs and culinary power couple Christian and Janelle Ephrem will craft a series of five-course meals sourced from Topaz itself, with menus designed mere days in advance and produce harvested just hours before the dinner. You'll get to take a seat at a long communal table and dine beneath a 500-year-old oak tree. JB
(Topaz Farm, Sauvie Island)

SPORTS & RECREATION

Pup City Past EventLikeList
Rip City will turn into Pup City on Saturday as Trail Blazers broadcaster Michael Holton and mascot Blaze will lead dogs and their humans on a 1.3K walk around the Rose Quarter campus. The team's vibe officiator, DJ OG One, will bring the beats while you and your pup enjoy tasty treats from Blue Star Donuts, Hungry Hound, and Hop Valley. Get ready for cute overload as Portland's pooches troop through the obstacle course and splash pools in the doggy fun zone. Now I just have one question: "Can I pet that dawggg??" JW
(Moda Center, Lloyd District)

VISUAL ART

Christine Miller: all de watermillion fr'um heabun Past EventLikeList
NYC-born artist Christine Miller's watercolor paintings, sculptures, and multimedia works prominently feature the watermelon as a potent symbol, challenging the "commodification of Black culture within American capitalist systems." Her solo exhibition investigates the connections between the process of production and America's grotesquely racist history, from Jim Crow to COINTELPRO. References to the country's systemic dehumanization of Black people can be seen throughout all de watermillion fr’um heabun,which also draws from texts by Assata Shakur and bell hooks. LC
(SATOR Projects, Central Eastside)

MULTI-DAY

COMEDY

6th Annual Portland Sketch Comedy Festival Past EventLikeList
This three-night festival of fresh sketch comedy, the brainchild of Ted Douglass and Shelley McLendon, gathers the best sketch troupes and performers from the West Coast and beyond. The fest was forced to take a several year hiatus over the pandemic, but in 2022, it returned full-force with LA-based jokesters Sensitive Guys, grifter character showcase Spam Risk!, and knee-slappers Sisters of Mercy, Big Ol' Mess, and Lone Wolves. The Portland Sketch Comedy Festival will show up again this year, and funny troupes from near and far—including local laughers Sisters of Mercy and Denver-based Big Ol' Mess—will hit the stage. LC
(Siren Theater, Boise, Thursday–Saturday)

EXHIBIT

A Mouth Holds Many Things: A De-Canon Hybrid-Literary Exhibition Past EventLikeList
Expanding upon the print hybrid-literary anthology A Mouth Holds Many Thingscreated by Portland-based literary-social art project De-Canon, this group exhibition centers "visual-textual" works by women and nonbinary BIPOC writers. A Mouth Holds Many Things includes pieces by Samiya Bashir, Carolina Ebeid, Vi Khi Nao, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Paisley Rekdal, Sasha Stiles, Anna Martine Whitehead, and many others. Head to Stelo to fill your artistic cup: You'll spy interesting hybrid visions in video poems, textile books, and poetry/painting collaborations.LC
(Stelo, Pearl District, Monday–Sunday; closing)

Summer at the Discovery MuseumRemindLikeList
The World Forestry Center is throwing open the doors to its wood-filled Discovery Museum all summer long, offering special programming—including storytimes, forest crafts, science and wildfire preparedness talks, and an art exhibition, Tree People—that's bound to leave you more arboreally inclined than you were before. Learn about the Northwest's forests and their role "as a habitat, a place for recreation and reflection, a critical resource, and more" through an engaging variety of events; they're all included with the cost of admission. LC
(World Forestry Center & Discovery Museum, Washington Park, Wednesday–Sunday)

FESTIVALS

Sneaker Week PDX Past EventLikeList
Portland's sneakerhead community likes to proclaim the city the "sneaker capital of the world," and with titans like Nike and Adidas America in town, the assertion holds up. The festival, which celebrates the global sneaker community and Portland's booming footwear industry, has been reinvented this year. Distilled down from a week to three days, workshops and performances revolving around the focus points of knowledge, innovation, and culture will provide an intensive crash course to the sneaker scene. JW
(Pioneer Courthouse Square, Downtown, Friday–Sunday)

FILM

Longlegs
I haven't been this excited about a horror film in a while, and the fervor over Longlegs is due in no small part to the headlines it's inspiring: "Nicolas Cage manages to top his twisted legacy," says Dateline; "Oz Perkins' latest gets under your skin and festers like a putrid nightmare," says Bloody Disgusting; "New horror movie dubbed ‘the best serial killer film in recent memory’," says theIndependent. None of this really surprises me, because the marketing team for Longlegs has been laying it on thick for months. They set up a freaky-ass phone number that I called earlier this year, only to be so creeped out later that I wondered if I'd inadvertently cursed myself. The film's trailers are also beautifully weird and rife with symbolism. Even Letterboxd users have given Longlegs a 3.8 rating, which is pretty respectable for a modern horror film. My advice? Go into this one knowing as little as possible. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Monday–Sunday)

FOOD & DRINK

Pearl District Beer and Arts Fest Past EventLikeList
The second annual Pearl District Beer & Arts Fest promises a selection of food trucks, local artists, live music, and over 20 breweries and cideries, all near the historic brewery blocks (aka the birthplace of Pacific Northwest beer). Try an exclusive collaborative Pearl Pals Neighborhood Lager brewed by Deschutes Brewing and Backwoods Brewing in celebration of the event. A portion of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit SOLVE Oregon, which fights to restore and protect the environment. JB
(North Park Blocks, Downtown, Saturday–Sunday)

Portland Mercury's Summer of Slushies 2024RemindLikeList
Get ready for the coolest, most delicious event of the summer! The Merc and Jim Beam present Summer of Slushies, which brings boozy, frozen, custom-made treats to the frugal and thirsty denizens of Portland at just $8 a pop, all July long.
(Various locations, Monday–Sunday)

LIVE MUSIC

2024 Americana Harvest FestRemindLikeList
This year, Topaz Farm is amping up its Americana Harvest Fest series with a mix of nationally and internationally renowned folk, country, and bluegrass artists on Thursday nights until the end of August. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair to lounge on the pastoral farm surrounded by farm animals, fruit fields, freshly grilled food, and a beer garden. The series continues this week with vintage country and western tunes from local favorites Jenny Don't And The Spurs and genre-bending music from singer-songwriter Rayland Baxter. AV
(Topaz Farm, Sauvie Island, Thursday–Friday)

Project Pabst Past EventLikeList
The lineup for the resurrected Project Pabst might just top every other Portland music fest this year. Billy Idol holds Saturday’s headlining spot, and you won't want to miss the opportunity to twirl around to "Eyes Without a Face" (real ones know that it's his best song). Plus, autotune auteur T-Pain will amaze with hisdance moves along with performances from Violent Femmes, Gossip, STRFKR, Shannon & The Clams, Dehd, La Luz, Home Front, and Alien Boy (side note: can we get a Shannon & the Clams and Gossip collab please?) Indie folk phenoms Big Thief will headline on Sunday alongside Denzel Curry, Manchester Orchestra, Jeff Rosenstock, Soccer Mommy, Militarie Gun, Kenny Mason, Miya Folick, Sweeping Promises, and Glitterfox. AV
(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Downtown, Saturday–Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

Break to Build Part Two - After the Anthropocene Past EventLikeList
Part two of ProLab Dance's immersive, cross-disciplinary performance Break to Build brings together "dancers, aerialists, musicians, puppets, and giant projections" for an evening-length "lullaby" that imagines regeneration and life beyond human-driven catastrophes. This year's show,After the Anthropocene, will return to the historic Zidell Barge Building, a rustic structure where ships were built in the 1930s. Last year's shipyard takeover sold out, so snap up your tickets quickly. LC
(Zidell Barge Building, South Waterfront, Friday–Sunday)

JAW New Play Festival Past EventLikeList
This experimental festival assembles artists, playwrights, directors, and actors to write and rehearse brand-new plays for one week, followed by "music stand readings" with audiences. Throughout the weekend, they'll share their fresh work for the first time—the expedited, think-on-your-feet process encourages the development of dynamic, energizing works. The festival offers more than just readings, too. Community labs, live music, and five short plays by "talented local teens" will add additional flavor to the festival.LC
(Portland Center Stage, Pearl District, Friday–Sunday)

Kodi Crone: Metîs Past EventLikeList
Investigating everything from emerging tech to divination and "sacred esoteric knowledge," Kodi Crone (also known as Miri Sluis) creates installations, sounds, and twists on technology that aim to expand consciousness. In the immersive performance/installation Metìs, Crone will "reflect...in bone, bark and the bardo," exploring capacities for deep listening and "bodily transmissions in a sea of dreams." If you're into Pauline Oliveros, this sounds like a sure thing. Attendees can catch short performances throughout the installation's two-day run. LC
(Performance Works NorthWest, Foster-Powell, Friday–Saturday)

The Little Prince LiveRemindLikeList
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Thanks, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry! What's not invisible to the eye, though, is this stage production of the '43 classic The Little Prince, which follows the Aviator and the mysterious Little Prince as they travel through the galaxy, finding special flowers and animals. The show will be "most enjoyed by ages 8 and up," which means if you're 97, this one's still for you. LC
(The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, Downtown, Saturday–Sunday)

Original Practice Shakespeare FestivalRemindLikeList
The Original Practice Shakespeare Festival brings its productionsoutdoors each summer, interpreting the Bard's ​work in the classic First Folio style (that means limited rehearsal, an onstage prompter, and a fast-paced, improvisational feel). "Shakespeare should feel a little dangerous," the fest's promotional materials explain, and nothing sounds more dangerous to me than hopping on stage in front of a crowd to perform a barely rehearsed Elizabethan play. Check out the calendar for dates and locations of plays performed in parks across the city, including Succession-esque tragedy King Lear and forbidden love folktale Cymbeline this month. LC
(Various locations, Friday–Sunday)

SHOPPING

Legendary Makers Market II Past EventLikeList
The Legendary Makers Market is returning bigger and better for its second year, bringing over 200 vendors and partners to Beaverton for "an unmatched experience celebrating Asian American culture." This year, the market is collaborating with the Let's Be Friends Market, the Jelly Cup Collective, and pop-up market host Angie Tovmasyan to create "water," "air," and "fire" districts within the event. Beyond shopping, LMM will also have a wellness oasis and a stacked schedule of panels, art, film screenings, performances, and workshops in store.JW
(The Round, Beaverton, Friday–Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Emma Gerigscott: RuminatorsRemindLikeList
I'm a long-time fan of Emma Gerigscott's painting practice, which often focuses on four-legged friends (or two-legged: Her last solo exhibition at Froelick took a refreshing dip into a duck pond). The artist's summer series of paintings on water-resistant Tyvek are glowy and contemplative, featuring horses, another duck, and elongated human forms. Yet-to-be-revealed paper compositions and plaster sculptures will supplement the works. LC
(Froelick Gallery, Pearl District, Wednesday–Saturday)

finger tight: Haley Lauw Past EventLikeList
New Well Well Projects member Haley Lauw's first solo exhibition in the Pacific Northwest explores all the sexy stuff, like restraint, hands, adverbs, and hardware, for starters. Lauw's "love letter to Tractor Supply and Ace Hardware" is also an investigation of "suggestion and approximations," so don't expect to leave with any concrete answers. I'm intrigued by Lauw's use of material, especially in Horn if You’re Honky, which weaves ratchet straps with rubber strapping. LC
(Well Well, Kenton, Saturday–Sunday; closing)

Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge KicksRemindLikeList
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks,which comes to the Portland Art Museum by way of Canada's Bata Shoe Museum, features almost 60 "futuristic" footwear designs created with ultra-modern technologies and materials. (If you could actually imagine yourself sporting the auto-lacing Nike MAG, this one's for you.) This might be your only chance to scope out 3D-printed shoes, repurposed ocean plastics, and mushroom leather within a museum space, so don't miss out. LC
(Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks, Thursday–Sunday)

Lonnie Holley: The Movement of Thought Past EventLikeList
Beloved original Lonnie Holley, aka the "cosmic Steve Wonder," doesn't just defy musical genres—he also vacillates between artistic mediums, and has created a variety of visual artwork over the last 40 years. The self-taught artist will share works made with gesso, spray paint, and oil sticks in The Movement of Thought: Paintings & Works on Paper,his third solo exhibition at Elizabeth Leach. "Each work employs a laborious stenciling technique that unites fragmented silhouettes into wonderfully optical compositions," the gallery writes. Anticipate a multimedia selection that echoes Holley's musical compositions—urgent, exploratory, and ceaseless. LC
(Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Pearl District, Tuesday–Saturday; closing)

PORTLANTA: FRKO Past EventLikeList
Atlanta-based illustrator FRKO's Portland debut will include a fresh selection of works "tailored to our city," including "the quirks, clichés, and stereotypes that [Portland] has both embraced and unabashedly tried to reject." Don't show up to this show if you have thin skin, I guess! Seen through the artist's cheeky, sarcastic style, PORTLANTA's imagery includes everything from flaming cop cars and anthropomorphized pot leaves to that chair from the Alabama riverboat brawl. (Not sure what the chair has to do with Portland, but I'm into it anyway.) LC
(One Grand Gallery, Buckman, Monday–Friday; closing)