FEATURED EVENT
FESTIVAL
33rd Annual Wordstock Literary Arts Festival
9 a.m.
Portland Art Museum
$15–18, all ages
Portland’s biggest book and literary festival, featuring big names like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Lidia Yuknavitch, Jenny Han, Adam Gopnik, Claire Messud, Chuck Klosterman and more. Check back for our coverage of Wordstock.
Tuesday, Nov. 7
EMPLOYER ON CAMPUS
Central Intelligence Agency
2 p.m.
Neuberger Hall 491
Free, all ages
While I don’t think working for the CIA is exactly like Seth MacFarlane and Patrick Stewart make it out to be, I don’t not know that. Go find out.
THEATER
The Bodyguard: The Musical
7 p.m. (staged Nov. 8–12)
Arlene Schnizter Concert Hall
$25–100, all ages
Grammy winner Deborah Cox portrays Rachel Marron, the diva role originated by Whitney Houston in the iconic 90’s movie that gave us songs like “Queen of the Night,” “I Have Nothing,” “I’m Every Woman,” and her legendary cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
Wednesday, Nov. 8
CHAMBER MUSIC
David Rothman
Noon
The Old Church
Free, all ages
The pianist plays two Schubert sonatas for the Lunchtime Free Concert Series.
FILM
The Central Park Five (2012)
7 p.m.
Whitsell Auditorium
Donation, all ages
To see Sarah Burns’ documentary about the five boys whose lives were ruined by racial profiling (and who were viciously and repeatedly slandered by Donald Trump), donate to the Oregon Innocence Project.
AMERICANA
Kate & the Crocodiles
7:30 p.m.
Winningstad Theatre
$15–25, all ages
Gavin Bondy (Pink Martini) hosts his friend Kate Morrison and her band for an evening of jazz-infused singer-songwriter music.
FILM
Tim Ellis Archive Exhibition
7:30 p.m.
The Old Church
$25, all ages
Director Tiffany Ellis shares rare archival footage that may-or-may-not appear in her new movie, This is Tim: A Musical Life, about her father Tim Ellis, a Portland rock music personality who was prominent in the 1980’s and passed away last year.
Thursday, Nov. 9
INDIE ROCK
Cathedral Pearls
Noon
PSU Park Blocks
Free, all ages
The Spokane-based trio will perform in Parkway North if weather does not permit the Lunch @ Noon series to play outdoors.
ART RECEPTION
Black Portlanders, Black Portlands | Intisar Abioto
6 p.m.
Littman Gallery
Free, all ages
Photographer Intisar Abioto holds a reception for her exhibition of photographs documenting the members of the African Diaspora who live in Portland.
ART RECEPTION
f/w 18 | Eric Long
6 p.m.
White Gallery
Free, all ages
PNCA student Eric Long exhibits a new series of photography and installation works.
SINGER-SONGWRITER
Julianne R. Johnson, Storm Large
6:30 p.m.
The Old Church
$30–40, all ages
The Portland local has been nominated for a Grammy and holds other honors. She is starting a new series at The Old Church, and is joined tonight by friend and local legend Storm Large.
CONTEMPORARY POP
The Music of Michael Jackson
7:30 p.m.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
$35–95, all ages
The Oregon Symphony, with rock band additions and vocalist James Delisco, takes the audience through a medley of The King of Pop’s most memorable songs.
Friday, Nov. 10
VARIETY SHOW
Lofi
7 p.m.
Winningstad Theatre
$16–22, all ages
Laura Gibson, Tommy Pico, Melissa Febos and Lemony Snicket (yes, that one) join Andrew Dickson, B. Frayn Masters, Arthur Bradford, Emily Overstreet and Mindy Nettifee for an evening of “comedy, music, stories, poetry, video, raucous readings and weird stuff” ahead of Wordstock.
FILM
The Decameron (1971)
7 p.m.
Whitsell Auditorium
$5–9, all ages
Remember The Little Hours from earlier this year? This movie is based on the entire eponymous work by Boccaccio which inspired it. Screenwriter/novelist Jon Raymond attends for Wordstock.
SINGER-SONGWRITER
Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, Nick Jaina
7 p.m.
The Old Church
$12–15, all ages
Two members of The Be Good Tanyas embark on a new project as a duo for The Minor Key Concert Series.
FILM
Eva Hesse (2016)
7 / 9:30 p.m. (screening 11/11–12)
5th Avenue Cinemas
$4–5 (free w/PSU ID), all ages
New documentary about postwar artist Eva Hesse, who helped start the minimalist movement in the United States.
Saturday, Nov. 11
FILM
Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
7 p.m.
Whitsell Auditorium
$5–9, all ages
Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) leads a gang of affluent misfits in a Girl Scout-style youth club. Edan Lepucki attends as part of Wordstock.
SYMPHONY
Portland Youth Philharmonic
7:30 p.m.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
$5–50, all ages
The Portland Youth Philharmonic opens its 94th season with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, among other classic and contemporary favorites. Read our breakdown of how to listen to symphonies at psuvanguard.com.
JAZZ
Jason Moran & the Bandwagon
7:30 p.m.
Winningstad Theatre
$35–45, all ages
The Kennedy Center honorees perform in support of their newest albums, Thanksgiving at the Vanguard and BANGS.
Sunday, Nov. 12
BOOK SIGNING
Chuck Palahniuk
Noon
Powell’s City of Books
Free, all ages
Purchase a copy of Palahniuk’s new color-able novel, Legacy, and meet the author!
FILM
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
2 p.m.
Whitsell Auditorium
$5–9, all ages
Based on the Roald Dahl classic, James (Paul Terry) travels across the Atlantic Ocean in the titular peach with a crew of giant, sentient insects (Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Leeves, Susan Sarandon, David Thewlis, Miriam Margolyes) to find his parents and escape his horrible aunts (Margolyes, Joanna Lumley). Free with admission to PAM.
BRASS MUSIC
Steven Mead & Jamie Hood
4 p.m.
The Old Church
$5–10, all ages
The Salvation Army is co-sponsoring this duo of brass instrument players.
SYMPHONY
Music from the Americas
7:30 p.m.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
$11–40, all ages
Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Concert Orchestra and Interlude Orchestra perform Gershwin, Gabriela Lena Frank and selections from Mariachi Una Voz and Mariachi Tradición.
Monday, Nov. 13
FILM
Double Blind (No Sex Last Night) (1996)
7 p.m.
Whitsell Auditorium
$5–9, all ages
Sophie Calle documents the destruction of her romantic relationship with photographer Gregory Shepard as they take a road trip across America, with twin camera, and document their frustrations unbeknownst to each other.
CHAMBER MUSIC
Pacifica Quartet
7:30 p.m. (performing 11/14)
Lincoln Performance Hall
$30–55, all ages
Guest cellist Eric Kim joins Pacifica Quartet in playing the works of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Schubert, Atar Arad, and Julia Wolfe.