Friday, Feb. 18
Blitzen Trapper, The Kingdom, The Graves, Cum Lazer DJs
Berbati’s Pan, 231 S.W. Ankeny St.
$6, 21+
A CD release party for one of PDX’s most sublime indie pop acts, with support from fellow pop enthusiasts The Kindgom and The Graves. If you have a musical sweet tooth this show is for you. P.S. Cum Lazer is the best DJ name ever!
Subtle, Suckapunch, DJ Kevitup
Doug Fir Lounge, 730 E. Burnside St.
$8/$10, 21+
Damn fine underground hip-hop from the most prolific man in the scene, Doseone. Shit fine music you’d be a fool to miss. Plus, locals Suckapunch are gonna come up – as soon as they lose those corny mid ’90s Portishead beats.
Wormwood, Fall of the Bastard, Ritual War Creation, Order of the Vulture
Sabala’s Mount Tabor, 4811 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
Did you know that wormwood is the best, heaviest and smartest band on the West Coast? They will destroy you and resurrect you and destroy you again.
The Carolines, Puma Frenzy, Careen
Nocturnal, 1800 E. Burnside St.
$5, all ages
Portland rock quintet The Carolines are as nostalgic as Hedwig, maybe a bit more juvenile but solidly fun.
Saturday, Feb. 19
Paul Westerberg
Roseland, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave.
$22, all ages
This aging rocker and ex-Replacements singer still has some kick left in him. Well, maybe not kick, but props. Like, "prop his haggard ass up so he don’t topple over."
Camaro Hair, The Mediam, The Strain
Dante’s Inferno, 1 S.W. Third Ave.
$6, 21+
UK-infused epic rock from a local four-piece. Can’t wait for the next Coldplay concert? Check these guys out.
Greyskul, Abstract Rude, Mr.Dibbs
Conan’s Pub, 3862 S.E Hawthorne Blvd.
21+
Greyskul is the most underrated Portland hip-hop group in Portland. Come give some love before they leave. They’re on Rhymesayers! Why don’t you love them!? Oh shit. Mr. Dibbs!
The Locust
Meow Meow, 320 S.E. Second Ave.
All ages
Southern California noise-rock at its most extreme. The future of hardcore Christmas past. You know you love it.
Sunday, Feb. 20
Church of Psychedelia
Berbati’s Pan, 10 S.W. Third Ave.
Free, 21+
I shouldn’t have to give you a line-up for this. It’s called the fucking "Church of Psychedelia." It’s a church! For trippy-ness. But seeing E*rock and Whit rainbow together is worth the price of a sack o’ ‘shrooms. See you on the other side.
Monday, Feb. 21
Papa Roach
Roseland, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave.
$20, all ages
RHAWW! The mascara drenched faces of post-rap-rock royalty.
Tuesday, Feb. 22
Polysics, The Punk Group, Portland General Electro
Berbati’s Pan, 10 S.W. Third Ave.
$6/$7, 21+
Japanese electro craziness, the Polysics are weird, fun and fucking great!
Hot Hot Heat, Louis XVI
Meow Meow, 320 S.E. Second Ave.
Somewhere between solid indie-pop and experimental punk, Hot Hot Heat are carving out a niche for themselves in the musical sound scape, and they’re Canadian! Please tell the PR lady for Louis XVI to quit begging me to plug her pop-punk, Stooges rip off, generic mid ’60s, garage wanna-bes. Crap. I just did.
Rogue Wave, Film School
Doug Fir, 730 E. Burnside St.
$8, 21+
Blending the lo-fi brilliance of fellow indie-rockers The Shins and the melancholy folk of Simon and Garfunkel, Rogue Wave is set to sweep you away.
Nanci Griffith
Aladdin Theater, 3017 S.E. Milwaukie Ave.
$36.50/$39
With her solidly written folk-country, there is a reason Griffith has developed a following outside her Nashville roots.
Wednesday, Feb. 23
Bettie Serveert, Climber
Doug Fir Lounge, 730 E. Burnside St.
$8/$10, 21+
Sexy twee-pop from Holland. Put on your knee-high socks and get ready to dance. This band has earned your respect. Since ’99. Represent.
A Fir-Ju Well, Silver Sunshine, Aqui, Xila
Berbati’s Pan, 10 S.W. Third Ave.
$5, 21+
’70s era English pop-rock and neo-psychedelia. I love, you love, we all love the Beach Boys!
Thursday
Dark Star Orchestra
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St.
$18/$20, all ages
The Dark Star Orchestra takes plays Grateful Dead sets song for song. I mean, "Ripple" is a good song and all, but isn’t that just kinda sad?
G Love & Special Sauce
Roseland Theater, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave.
$18, all ages
I oughta fuck G Love up for the shit he spit at my boy Ryan in ’98. But then I’d have his entire fan base of six white kids wearing Tevas and socks on my ass.
The Gossip, Les Georges Leningrad, Glass Candy
Nocturnal, 1800 E. Burnside St.
$10, all ages, 8 p.m.
Dance, politics, sexy-ness, Canadians and Olympia. This show is Portland, pure and through.