Events Calendar

May 1–7

FEATURED EVENT

VISUAL ART

Salt”

May 1–6

Shaking the Tree Studio
$30, all ages

Shaking the Tree’s creative director Samantha Van Der Merwe curated nearly a dozen artists’ works inspired by Gandhi’s Salt March speech and the nature of civil disobedience.

Tuesday, May 1

BOOK SIGNING

Chuck Palahniuk

10 a.m. Free, all ages

Powell’s Books on Hawthorne

Arguably Portland’s most famous living author is signing copies of his new novel Adjustment Day.

VARIETY

Bubble and Squeeze

7:30 p.m. $10, all ages

Clinton Street Theater


The Amazing Bubble Man creates, well, actually amazing giant bubbles with accordion accompaniment by Jet Black Pearl.

EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC

Zola Jesus, Maarquii

8 p.m. $18–20, all ages

Aladdin Theater

The experimental pop musician tours in support of her new album Okovi.

Wednesday, May 2

FILM

Grace Jones: Blood and Bami (2017)
Multiple screenings, $7–10, all ages

Cinema 21

New documentary on the larger-than-life model, musician and disco personality Grace Jones, who for decades has stood as an icon for unapologetic individuality and Black excellence.

COMEDY

You’re Welcome

9 p.m. Free, all ages
Mississippi Pizza


Shain Brendan, Adam Pasi and Marcus Coleman’s weekly North Portland comedy show.

Community

Table tennis singles tournament

6 p.m.–10 p.m.

Free to PSU students

Academic and Student Recreation Center, MAC Court 2

Ping to the fucking pong. Topspin to honor and glory in open and women’s divisions.

Community

Employer on Campus: National University of Natural Medicine

10 a.m.–3 p.m.

SMSU Ground Floor Lobby

NUNM is the oldest accredited naturopathic medical university in North America, which offers academic and career opportunities to PSU students.

 

Thursday, May 3

AMERICANA
The American West

Noon, Free, all ages
Parkway North


The duo consisting of Matthew Zeltzer and Maria Maita-Keppeler perform for Portland State’s Live @ Lunch concert series.

FILM
The Art of the Benshi

6 p.m. Free, all ages

Lincoln Hall room 75

Ichiro Kataoka performs live katsudo benshi accompanying three Silent-era Japanese films: Taro’s Steam Train (1929), It’s A Gift (1923) and Orochi (1925).  

FITNESS
Pride Pool Party

7 p.m. Free, all ages
Academic and Student Recreation Center

Drag queen Poison Waters hosts the Queer Resource Center’s annual pool party celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride at PSU. There’s also free food, which doesn’t make sense for a pool party but YASSSSSS.

DANCE PARTY
Compact: Femme 4 Femme

9 p.m., $10, 21+

Sanctuary Club

Get in free to Ann Pyne and Patrick Buckmaster’s femme-centric dance party with your donation of a new, unopened makeup product for the Sexual Youth Minority Resource Center (SMYRC).

Friday, May 4

FILM

Belle de Jour (1968)

Multiple screenings, $7–10, all ages

Cinema 21

The 50th anniversary edition of French provocateur Luis Buñuel’s surrealist erotic thriller has been digitally restored to give contemporary audiences an opening night experience.

AMERICANA

Shook Twins, Daniel Rodriguez

7 p.m. $20–24, all ages

Aladdin Theater

This is the first Shook Twins show I’ve seen in two years not be completely sold out by Vanguard’s print deadline. The Shook Twins play everything from guitar to a gold egg.

READING

LeVar Burton

8 p.m., $30–100, all ages

Revolution Hall

The Reading Rainbow host and Star Trek: Next Generation actor will handpick a short story to read for his show, LeVar Burton Reads Live!

Saturday, May 5

FIESTA

34th Annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

11 a.m.–11 p.m. May 4–6, $10

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Celebrate your favorite May holiday at the waterfront with Mariachi Ciudad, all the way from Portland’s sister city Guadalajara, Mexico. They’ll be joined by Portland’s Ballet Folklorico Mexico En La Piel.

FILM

Sweetie (1989), An Angel At My Table (1990)

May 4–6, $4–5, Free w/ PSU ID, all ages

5th Avenue Cinema

A double feature of films by Australian filmmaker Jane Campion, with overarching themes of difficult women and what happens when they get in the way of men. Read about Campion’s works in this week’s edition of Find It At 5th Ave.

Art

“Be Honest”

5 p.m.–9 p.m., free, all ages

Widen + Kennedy

The 9th annual PSU Graphic Design student portfolio showcase includes free beer and pizza!

MUSIC

PSU Steinway Piano Series: Melvin Chen Masterclass

7p.m.–9 p.m., free, all ages

Lincoln Recital Hall

Join performer Melvin Chen at this masterclass, featuring PSU piano students.

Sunday, May 6

HIP-HOP

Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SiR, Lance Skiiiwalker

7 p.m., $40–600, all ages

Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre

The Pulitzer Prizewinning rapper and friends come to Washington State, just south of Ridgefield’s goddamn Jefferson Davis memorial, on The Championship Tour.

FILM

Roman Holiday (1953)

2 p.m., $7–9, all ages

Hollywood Theatre

The Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn rom-com classic about a princess touring Rome screens for its 65th birthday.

FITNESS

Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon

7 a.m., events all day

The Fields Park

The races start early, but you can come join the festivities and hang out with the runners and their families. There are kids races, food, beers and music, all to benefit Breast Friends, a local cancer non-profit.

MUSIC
PSU Steinway Piano Series: Susan Chan Master C lass
2 p.m.–3 p.m., free, all ages
Lincoln Recital Hall

Join performer Susan Chan at this master class, open to all local students.

 

Monday, May 7

OPERA
The Dragon Pearl (Wang Niang Tan)

7 p.m.

Jackson Middle School

In three acts, performers sponsored by The Confucius Institute at PSU retell the ancient Chinese tale of Nie Lang, a boy who grew up fighting injustice and became a dragon to save his village.  

BOOKS

Spring Used Book Sale

9 a.m.–3 p.m. free

Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel

With thousands of books up for grabs, this is also May 5 and 6, but today only get 50 percent off everything! What a way to perk up a Monday, right?

WRITING

Jumpstart Writing Program

Noon–1 p.m. free

Office of Academic Innovation, Large Flex Office

The goals are to practice some well-researched academic writing strategies to build your own writing practice, and to have a submitted article or book proposal by June 2018.”