Black Heritage Month 2004
Reed College, Cooley Gallery
Currently Underway
Free
Reed brings the art of Whitfield Lovell, damali ayo and others to Portland in celebration of Black Heritage Month.
Thursday, Feb. 5
Trickster Tells This Tale
Back Door Theater
4319 S.E. Hawthorne
Through Feb. 21
Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m.
$10/2-for-1 matinee
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Tricksters from world folklore unite in this play, accompanied by an art exhibit representing the players in their characters.
The Fog Of War
Cinema 21
$ varies
Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara admits that the government wasn’t exactly honest with the public about a lot of aspects of the Vietnam War. And the “No Fucking Duh” award for this year goes to …
Nature Photography
L&B Gallery
1215 S.W. 16th
Through Feb.
Free
Pictures of stuff you could see if you went outside. You might have to travel a ways to see some of it, though, so save yourself the trouble and just go to the exhibit.
The Vacant, Jibbstone
Tonic Lounge
9 p.m.
$4, 21+
Jibbstone are Ohio transplants who have just begun playing live again since their relocation to our fair city. They add their textured, moody soundscapes to The Vacant’s eerie, post-rock instrumentals, for a night of music that isn’t just a tired rehashing of something from the ’60s.
Django’s Tigers Hot Jazz Duo
McMenamin’s Edgefield
2126 S.W. Halsey
6 p.m.
Free, 21+
That Pete Krebs! Between playing solo, playing with the Kung Pao Chickens, and the Hazel reunion show, wouldn’t you think he’d be busy enough? Apparently not, since he’s playing in Django’s Tigers Hot Jazz Duo, which performs gypsy swing and jazz in the tradition of Django Rinehart.
Mr. Plow/Automatic
Twilight Caf퀌�
Cover
Mr. Plow is a posse of Texas rockers who have a special page on their website dedicated to their fog machine. As if this touching display weren’t enough to win hearts, they have a sweet tour van with flames and its own web page as well. Apparently, they fall into the category of “stoner rock,” which means to prepare for riffs and plenty of Big Muff distortion.
Friday, Feb. 6
“Yemaya’s Belly”
El Centro Milagro
525 S.E. Stark
$14-17
“Yemaya’s Belly” is a surrealistic tale about reality, myth and the self-discovery of a boy named Jesus, who is played by a super hot actor.
Iommi Stubbs, Yob, Shamelady
Twilight Caf퀌�
Cover
Super-heavy rock gods of Eugene Yob team up with more heaviness courtesy of Portlanders Iommi Stubbs and Shamelady. Their leaden majesty is definitely worth spending the night partaking of.
Gomez, Leona Naess
Aladdin Theater
7 p.m.
$16.50, $18 door
Gomez is one of those bands whose name I have heard a million times, yet I have yet to hear them or meet anyone who is into them. They play indie pop (according to their website) and wear vintage t-shirts. Really, if you’re going out tonight, go see Yob.
Low, The Grails (ex laurel canyon)
Dante’s
8 p.m.
$13/$15 door, 21+
Somber, evocative instrumentals juxtaposing violin, guitar, piano, and drums are the trademark of The Grails. With them are Low, who describe themselves as “Joy Division meets Simon and Garfunkel.” This is the concert you should go to if you don’t like heavy music and you aren’t at the Yob show.
The Jealous Sound, Audio Learning Center, Oliver
Nocturnal
8:30 p.m.
$8
Audio Learning Center brings Christopher Brady of Pond together with Steven Birch of Sprinkler. Pond was great. Sprinkler was great. So Audio Learning Center should hopefully have some greatness in there as well.
Doernbecker Benefit w/ Aftertaste, Spare Lead, Third Man Out, Standard Issue
Meow Meow
7:30 p.m.
$5
Last time I heard Spare Lead, I was in high school and so were they. Honestly, they’re pretty good, as far as fast poppy punk hardcoreish music, or whatever you call it, goes, but to me they will always be a part of a profoundly unpleasant time in my life. As such, I can only recommend them if you don’t want to see Yob.
Leftover Salmon
Crystal Ballroom
Feb. 6 and 7, 8 p.m.
$15/$18 door
A jammy-fusion style band with tendencies toward bluegrass, folk, jazz and a really, really stupid name.
Starsailor
Berbati’s Pan
$12.50/$15 door, 21+
This band’s been listening to its share of Tim Buckley, who is good, so you might want to check them out.
Saturday, Feb. 7
TSOL, Thought Riot, Red Tape
Ash Street Saloon
8:30 p.m.
Out of the ashes of the ’80s rises TSOL, with the same anti-establishment message that was the trademark of the punk of the time. This time, however, it’s not Reagan.
Dear Whoever CD Release, Ever We Fall, The Empty, The Clarity Process
Meow Meow
8 p.m.
$7
A CD release party for a band I’ve never heard of, with some guests I’ve never heard of. Maybe I’m missing out, or maybe these bands suck and I’m not at all. Although it’s unfair to judge a band by its name, these bands all sound like a bunch of whiners.
Herkemer, Everyday Victory
Twilight Caf퀌�
Cover
Everything I could find out about either of these bands mentioned intensity. So I would imagine that they’re intense.
Raze
Paris Theater
$7
A Jesus band, if I’m not mistaken.
Sunday, Feb. 8
Lynyrd Skynyrd, The New Iberians
Roseland Theater
7 p.m.
$39.50, 21+
Ah, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Once cool, now a bloated carcass churning out ridiculous patriotic ditties and peddling their corpulent name for sustenance. Don’t go to their show. Don’t give them money. Just listen to your old Skynyrd albums and pretend that they aren’t around anymore.
Mr. T Experience
Meow Meow
9 p.m.
$8
Seminal pop-punkers bring their act to the Meow Meow, where they will no doubt be received with open arms by an adoring crowd. At least these guys were pioneers of their genre. You have to respect them for that.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Mest
Aladdin Theater
7 p.m.
$13.50/$15 door
Bad, bad music by a bad, cookie-cutter teen anthem band. Bad.
-The Calendar Boy