FEATURED EVENT
FILM
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Dec. 8–12 (no screening Dec. 10)
Clinton Street Theater
$8, all ages
Not clear if KBOO is sponsoring the sub or the dub of this anime film loosely based on a now 114-year-old novel about three men who discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve (changed to three homeless people in ’00s Tokyo).
Tuesday, Dec. 5
CABARET
Lady Stockholm’s Winter Holiday Show
7 p.m.
Star Theater
$15–20, 21+
Lady Stockholm’s burlesque theatrical productions sees her haunted by spirits in her mansion, portrayed by a dozen burlesque and boylesque performers.
LECTURE
Treknology: The Real-Life Sciences Behind Star Trek‘s Technology
7 p.m.
Alberta Rose Theatre
$8–15, all ages
Theoretical physicist and author Ethan Siegel, PhD, discusses his book, which shares its title with his Science on Tap talk.
THEATER
Twist Your Dickens
7:30 p.m. (staged through Dec. 31)
Portland Center Stage at The Armory
$25–82, all ages
This A Christmas Carol parody adds an improv comedy twist and usually sells out.
FILM
Strike of the Panther (1988)
7:30 p.m.
Hollywood Theater
$7–9, all ages
One of a duo of Australian martial arts movies, the other being Day of the Panther. With Strike of the Panther, Jason Blade (Edward Stazak) rescues the daughter of a powerful businessman from a Dalkeith brothel. Later, Blade’s girlfriend gets kidnapped by a drug lord.
DRAG
The Shit Show
8 p.m.
Local Lounge
Free, 21+
Nae Nae Dominatrix and four drag queens entertain patrons on $1 Taco Tuesday.
Wednesday, Dec. 6
ART RECEPTION
Jake Johnson + Josh Gates
4 p.m.
Alberta Street Pub
Free, all ages
One of our contributors is featured prominently in this duo art exhibition, on view through Jan 16.
WORKSHOP
SEO & Google Analytics 101
4 p.m.
Jupiter Hotel
$34–55, all ages
Learn the basics of how to boost your website’s ranking in search engine results and track who is looking at your website.
INDIE ROCK
Peach Pit
6 p.m.
Analog Cafe & Little Theater
$10–12, all ages
The Canadian indie rock band comes to Portland in support of their new album Being So Normal.
FILM
Contact (1997)
7 p.m.
Hollywood Theater
$7–9, all ages
Not to be confused with The Contact, a South Korean film that is also turning 20. Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) tries to save the SETI program by establishing contact with aliens.
FILM
The Snow Queen (1986)
8 p.m.
Clinton Street Theater
$5–8, all ages
The Finnish, now 31-year-old version of the classic Hans Christian Anderson story screens through Church of Film.
ALT-POP
Jhené Aiko, Willow Smith, Kodie Shane, Kitty Cash
8 p.m.
Roseland Theater
$28, all ages
Jhené Aiko’s show was sold out recently, but the venue released some last-minute tickets. Snatch those tix. Are you even looking at that lineup?!
FILM
Home Alone (1990)
8:30 p.m.
Mission Theater
$3–4, all ages
Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) defends his family home from intruders in the classic holiday family movie.
DANCE PARTY
Noche Libre
9 p.m.
Holocene
$5, 21+
Latin groove dance party with music from Luz Elena Mendoza, Jene Etheridge and Emily Prado.
Thursday, Dec. 7
GALA
Precipice Fund Awards & PICA Winter Social
6 p.m.
PICA @ Hancock
Free, all ages
Find out who won the Precipice Fund Awards, an artist grant program between $500–5,000. Dance party after the awards grant with music by DJs Light Asylum and VNPRT.
FILM
Kon-Tiki (1950)
6:30 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
This Oscar-winning documentary chronicles Thor Heyerdahl’s raft expedition from Peru to the Polynesian Islands. Screening benefits the Human Access Project.
COMEDY
Queer: An Open Mic
7:30 p.m.
Local Lounge
$10, 21+
Standup comedians Rochelle Cote and Kevin Johnston lead an open mic comedy night to benefit Food Not Bombs PDX.
ART RECEPTION
(Music) For a Time and Space | Ben Glas
8 p.m.
Variform
Free, all ages
Sonic artist Ben Glas’ new sound installation is curated by Sounds et al. On display through Dec. 31.
ROCK
Nikki Hill, The Get Ahead, Kris Deelane
8 p.m.
Dante’s
$15–18, 21+
The R&B, soul and garage rock-influenced Nikki Hill comes to Portland in support of her new album Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists.
DANCE PARTY
POPgoji, DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid
9 p.m.
Holocene
$8–10, 21+
POPgoji is a seven-piece Brazilian pop band that celebrates its fourth birthday with a warmup set by Bollywood dance party authorities DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid.
DANCE PARTY
Better Health
10 p.m.
Nyx
$8, 21+
Music from DJs Fatherfannie x Perfect Health and Rakeem x Pantøne.
Friday, Dec. 8
COMEDY
Show Show!
6 p.m.
PNCA
Free, all ages
Pacific Northwest College of Art students animated VR segments based on standup sets by Chris Ettrick, Marcus Coleman, Caitlin Weierhauser, Becky Braunstein and Mechlo.
FILM
Thelma (2017)
Multiple screenings through Dec. 14
Cinema 21
$7–10, all ages
Norwegian student Thelma (Eili Harboe), who has a religious background, falls in love with a woman after she moves to Oslo, which awakens strange powers.
POETRY
raphael, Lohmann, Maziar
7 p.m.
Passages Bookshop
$5, all ages
Poets dan raphael and, as a duo, Sam Lohmann and Paul Maziar, read from their respective new books Everyone in this Movie Gets Paid and New Kind of Neighborhood.
FILM
Plain Talk: Films by Jon Jost and Pam Minty
7 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
Filmmakers Pam Minty and Jon Jost attend screenings of their short films: High Lakes (2017) and Plain Talk and Plain Talk & Common Sense (Uncommon Senses) (1987).
FILM
A Night Inside The Room with Greg Sestro
8 p.m.
Cinema 21
$10, all ages
Greg Sestro, best known as Mark from The Room, the character portrayed by Dave Franco in The Disaster Artist and the author of the book upon which The Disaster Artist is based, comes to Portland to answer questions about his time as Tommy Wiseau’s roommate and to screen his documentary about the behind-the-scenes making of The Room.
BENEFIT SHOW
Twerk du Soleil
8 p.m.
Dante’s
$10–20, 21+
Four DJs and a dozen circus artists and fire dancers gather to benefit Performers Without Borders’ upcoming trip to Kenya.
ROCK
Blitzen Trapper, Lilly Hiatt
8 p.m.
Revolution Hall
$26, all ages
The all-ages section for Blitzen Trapper’s show is almost sold out. The Portland band comes home to promote their new album Wild and Reckless.
COMEDY
The Siren Theater’s BRAND NEW Best Christmas Ever
8 p.m.
Siren Theater
$10–18, all ages
Jed Arkley, Janet Scanlon and Portland Mercury EIC Wm. Steven Humphrey are among the comedians taking the stage with holiday-themed sketch comedy.
INDIE ROCK
Skull Diver, This Patch of Sky, Lasagna Palace
8:30 p.m.
Tonic Lounge
$7, 21+
A trio of Portland indie rock bands put on a high energy show.
DRAG QUEENS
NecroNancy
9 p.m.
Lovecraft Bar
$10, 21+
Seattle’s James Majesty, a season 2 contestant on the web series Dragula: The Search for the World’s Next Drag Supermonster, pays Portland a visit.
DANCE PARTY
Walk the Night
9 p.m.
The Eagle PDX
$3, 21+
Old-school gay dance party featuring DJ Stormy Roxx and guests.
NIGHTLIFE
Afriqua, Andy Warren
9 p.m.
The Liquor Store
$10, 21+
German electronic musician Afriqua comes to Portland to release their new album.
DANCE PARTY
Dance Yourself Clean
9 p.m.
Holocene
$5–8, 21+
Monthly 2000-2010s indie pop dance party.
DANCE PARTY
Ettabration
9 p.m.
Mission Theater
$8–10, 21+
La Rhonda Steele, Tyrone Hendrix, Kyle Molitor, Andre J. Zapata, Amy LeSage and other musicians pay tribute to Mz. Etta Ward.
Saturday, Dec. 9
NATURE
Free Day
9 a.m.
World Forestry Center
Free, all ages
Gain free access to the World Forestry Center’s Discover Museum.
FILM
A Christmas Story (1983)
2 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$6, all ages
Is it weird in 2017 to watch a Christmas movie about a gun-obsessed little boy?
POETRY
Slant: Live Queer Storytelling
7 p.m.
Mississippi Studios
$13–15, 21+
Carla Rossi hosts Irene Tu, Imani Sims, Laurence Jones, Eduardo Sotelo, Zachary Thornhill and more as their share stories about their lived experiences being queer.
BENEFIT SHOW
The Living Room Silent Auction
7 p.m.
Ford Food & Drink
$10–20, all ages
Mr. Sweetheart, the Sweethearts of Portland and The Living Room for GLBTQQ Youth team up to raise funds for the latter nonprofit. The night will include a silent auction, and a percentage of proceeds from the bar directly benefitting the organization.
ROCK
The Dandy Warhols, Federale
7 p.m.
Crystal Ballroom
$20, all ages
The Dandy Warhols host their annual Portland Christmas party. They will also be playing at Edgefield earlier this week if you can’t make this show.
THEATER
Black Nativity
7:30 p.m. (through Dec. 17)
Greater St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church
$7–20, all ages
PassinArt and director Jerry Foster stage Langston Hughes’ reimagining of the Nativity pageant.
AMERICANA
The Shook Twins, Korgy & Bass
8 p.m.
Wonder Ballroom
$20–22, all ages
Identical twins Katelyn and Laurie Shook perform an array of instruments, including a giant golden egg, and perform in support of their new E.P. 2.
ROCK
Metz, Moaning, Deathlist
8 p.m.
Doug Fir Lounge
$20, 21+
The Canadian punk band Metz comes to Portland in support of their new album, Strange Peace. Read our concert preview, including our interview with Metz guitarist Alex Edkins, here.
ROCK
Cindy Wilson, Sara Jaffe, Mini Blinds, Strange Babes
9 p.m.
Star Theater
$20–35, 21+
The B-52’s founding member/singer/songwriter comes to Portland, supported by female-fronted rock bands and solo artists, to support her new solo album, Change.
DANCE PARTY
Cake
9 p.m.
Killingsworth Dynasty
$5, 21+
DJ Automaton’s monthly dance party centered around queer people of color.
FILM
Christmas Evil (1980)
9:45 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
Mentally ill toy maker Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) goes on a killing spree after suffering a mental health crisis where he believes he is Santa Claus.
DANCE PARTY
Jump Jack Sound Machine
10 p.m.
Mississippi Studios
$8, 21+
The “Heauxliday” edition of Mississippi Studios’ monthly queer dance party encourages you to put the ho, ho, ho in the holiday season.
Sunday, Dec. 10
DRAG QUEENS
Holiday Drag Brunch
10 a.m.
23Hoyt
Free, all ages
Enjoy the lip syncs and humor of CC Slaughter’s Superstar Divas as they take over a NW 23rd restaurant with Christmas-themed numbers.
CHAMBER MUSIC
Sounds of the Season
2 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
Columbia River Theatre Organ Society presents Martin Ellis, Dean Lemire, Jonas Nordwall and Donna Parker on piano and organ, with accompaniment by trumpeter Rick Homer and vocalist Amanda Zentz-Alo, in a holiday pop concert benefitting the ongoing installation of the Hollywood Theatre’s Beverly Ruth Nelson Memorial Organ. Hosted by KQAC 89.9 FM’s Edmund Stone.
HOLIDAY FUN
Photos with Krampus
2 p.m.
World Class Athletics
$10+, all ages
Get your photos with the European Christmas Monster who punishes naughty children.
FILM
The Fencer (2015)
7 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
Biographical drama about Estonian fencer Endel Nelis, who develops a fencing program in Soviet-occupied Estonia after almost all the country’s men have been declared criminals after being forced to fight for Germany in WWII.
CABARET
A Very Mary’s Holiday
7:30 p.m.
Mary’s Club
$8–12, 21+
One of Portland’s longest-running strip clubs throws a holiday-themed show featuring burlesque, drag, comedy and good old fashioned exotic dancing and stripping.
Monday, Dec. 11
FILM
Coming to Terms (2013)
7 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
Jon Jost attends the screening of his fictional drama about a fractured family facing a death within its ranks.
LECTURES
Nature Night
7:30 p.m.
Hollywood Theatre
$7–9, all ages
Audubon Society of Portland hosts an array of nature specialists speaking about the Pacific Northwest and the surrounding areas.