PDX Pop Now!
Now going on 16 years strong, the PDX Pop Now! festival has become a Portland institution. This free, all-ages weekend of music puts a spotlight on the cityâs vibrant music scene, with 30 performers from every genre playing all day and night under the Hawthorne Bridge. Hear your current favorite Portland bands perform and discover your new favoritesâoh, and did we mention itâs completely FREE and ALL-AGES? (Sat July 20-21, AudioCinema, free, all ages) NED LANNAMANN
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
Each summer, Portland gets its own version of Jazz on a Summerâs Day at the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, three entirely free days of outdoor jazz beneath the picturesque St. Johns Bridge. This year, Friday nightâs performers will emphasize blues, funk and R&B, while the rest of the weekend showcases the wide spectrum of the local jazz scene, with musicians like Devin Phillips, Mel Brown, King Louis, and Dan Faehnle. (July 19-21, Fri 4:30 pm, Sat-Sun 1 pm, Cathedral Park, free, all ages) NED LANNAMANN
Portland Zine Symposium
Portland Zine Symposium puts the best of Portlandâs unique flavor of DIY creativity on display. From small letterpress shops to independent magazines to cartoonists, the 200 expected vendors at the 19th annual zine celebration will knock you off your feet (in a great way). Get to know your local zinestersâand support their hard work in the process. (Sat-Sun July 20-21, 11 am, PNCA, free, all ages) ALEX ZIELINSKI
Radkey
Missouri's Radkey brothers hit Portland with a sweaty shot of homemade garage punk. (Fri July 19, 9 pm, Bunk Bar, $10)
The Tony Starlight Show
Just as much a Portland tradition as making the pilgrimage to Powell's while dusting Voodoo crumbs off your fingers, normally you have to go to Tony's showroom to enjoy his act, but tonight, he brings all his lounge-inspired gold to Fernhill Park, for free! Part of Portland Parks and Recreationâs 2019 Concerts in the Park series. (Fri July 19, 6:30 pm, Fernhill Park, free, all ages)
Twilight Fest 2019
The Twilight Bar hosts an all-ages, outdoor music festival, with food, vendors, a beer garden, and live music from some of the best, loudest, and most rambunctious bands the Northwest has to offer, including Gaytheist, Muddy River Nightmare Band, the Latter Day Skanks, the Bloodtypes, 48 Thrills, Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers, Bad Channels, Dr. Mouth & the Head Nurse, Titty Babies, and Ballads of the Compound. (Sat July 20, 1 pm, Twilight Cafe & Bar, $10, all ages)
Deathgrave, Hacksaw, Grave Dust, Human Effluence
Itâs unclear what evils are creeping out of the forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest that inspire Portlandâs death metal scene but said muses sure help produce some putrefied and punishing tunes. One of the newer additions to the fetid local faction is Grave Dust. Last yearâs The Pale Hand EP sports six songs of churning terror from the depths of the bleakest, foulest crypt. If Grave Dust isnât enough to liquify your bones, San Joseâs Deathgrave will finish the job. The death/grindcore from their 2018 full-length, So Real, Itâs Now, switches from tornados of hammers and anvils,to sludgy, crawling dirges. (Sat July 20, 8:30 pm, The Cobra Lounge, $10) ARIS HUNTER WALES
Hannah DiMo, Kingsley, Hayley Lynn
The Bit House Saloon hosts a release party for Your Love, It Lies, the new EP from Portland-based pop-rock and blues singer/songwriter Hannah DiMo. Kingsley and Hayley Lynn round out the proceedings. (Sat July 20, 9 pm, Bit House Saloon, $7-10)
Candace
Portland trio Candace describe themselves as witchgaze, and I think that's a pretty apt description of their lush, dreamy sound. If you've ever been a fan of the Cocteau Twins or felt yourself melting into a song like sugar into coffee, you're gonna dig it. (Sun July 21, 8 pm, Rontoms, free) COURTNEY FERGUSON
The Stubborn Lovers, Tin Silver
The Stubborn Lovers play roots music filtered through the warmth of AM Gold memories and three-part country harmonies. Catch up with the local quintet this afternoon when they head up the latest installment in the Pickin' On Sundays series on the Doug Fir Patio. (Sun July 21, 3 pm, Doug Fir, free)
Kristen Arnett, Karen Russell
Kristen Arnett follows-up her award-winning debut short fiction collection, Felt in the Jaw, with her anticipated debut novel, Mostly Dead Things. Arnett will be joined in conversation by Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia! and Orange World and Other Stories. (Mon July 22, 7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free)
Tara Velarde
The Summer at the Square concert series welcomes one of Portland's best-known singer/songwriters, who incorporates a theater background into her indie folk style to add a little belting to her balladry. (Tues July 23, noon, Pioneer Courthouse Square, free, all ages)
Havania Whaal, Parallel, Jo Jo Scott, Avery Doss
Thereâs something inherently impressive about bands that have few members but still manage to produce an enormous, all-encompassing sound. Havania Whaal is one of those bands. But what really sets Havania Whaal apart is their ability to pull driving pop hooks from the chaos. (Tues July 23, 7 pm, PICA at Hancock, $8) DELANEY MOTTER
DJ Anjali & the Incredible Kid
One of Portlandâs most revered record-spinning duos, DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid, are movin' on up to the Music on Main summer concert series, transforming the street in front of the Schnitz with sustained bassy blasts of bhangra. (Wed July 24, 5 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, free, all ages)
32nd Annual Oregon Brewers Festival
The Northwest tradition returns to the Waterfront to serve over 85,000 customers some of the finest beer the world will ever drink, and for the first time ever, the fest will feature nothing but Oregon craft beers and ciders. Visit oregonbrewfest.com for a list of brewers. (Thurs-Sat July 24-27, 11:30 am, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, free)
Re-Run Theater: Firefly
On December 20, 2002, Fox premiered "Serenity," the pilot episode of Joss Whedon's sci-fi western series Firefly. No, waitâthat's not right. On September 20, 2002, Fox premiered "The Train Job," the second episode of Joss Whedon's sci-fi western series Firefly, using that episode as the "pilot," because they didn't like "Serenity." "Serenity" wasn't aired until three months later, after Firefly had already been canceled. Scheduling scrambles like these were hardly the only mistakes that contributed to untimely demise of Firefly; eventually, Whedon's weird, clever, whip-smart genre mash-up would end up with a dedicated but microscopic fan base. (A few years later, Universal commissioned Whedon to repurpose Firefly as a theatrically released movie, Serenityâwhich, despite being just as good as the show, also proved to be a financial disappointment.) Re-run Theater's now dusting off the stunted-but-beloved series' original pilot, "Serenity," for a big-screen showing; 17 years after the show's cancelation, fans will be delighted to see it, and 17 years later, they'll still be grumbling about how, in a just and fair universe, there would have been a whole lot more Firefly. (Wed July 24, 7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $7-9) ERIK HENRIKSEN
Golden Retriever, Holland Andrews, Mojave Bird, DJ Ilyas Ahmed
Portland's Golden Retriever put on one of the most mesmerizing live shows you'll ever come across. Tonight the local duo (consisting of modular synth player Matt Carlson and bass clarinetist Jonathan Sielaff) links up with local experimental music scene staples Luke Wyland (AU) and Holland Andrews (Like a Villian) for a hometown headlining show at Holocene. Mojave Bird (Grace Peters) rounds out the bill with a haunting set of ambient soundscapes. (Thurs July 25, 8:30 pm, Holocene, $8-10)
Rhythm Culture w/ Incredibles 2
A night at McCoy Park that's sure to be bouncy, bumpin', and energetic as hell thanks to the blues-and-jazz-influenced reggae of Rhythm Culture, followed by Incredibles 2 on the big screen. Part of Portland Parks and Recreationâs 2019 Concerts in the Park series. (Thurs July 25, 6:30 pm, McCoy Park, free, all ages)
A Beat Happening #17
Another showcase for the city's best beatsmiths, creating grooves, breaking beats, looping the loops, and generally remixing the night itself for a couple of hours. Featuring Kmegahertz, SLURGEON, Letjoux, Arcadia Beats and One Trak. (Thurs July 25, 6 pm, Future Schock, free)
Bootes Void, Chris King & the Gutterballs, Brother Not Brother
Californian Chris King and his band the Gutterballs imbue their indie rock brand with some smokey soul from the central coast and a high-energy vintage sensibility. Catch up with the trio tonight when they swing through Portland in support of their latest album, Painwaves. (Thurs July 25, 8 pm, The Fixin' To, $7)
There's even more to do in our Cheap, Free, & Fun calendar, and don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
