Wednesday Mar 26top

King Corn, free screening

While those yellow ears of plump, sweet goodness seem innocent enough, they play a large part in our nation's changing farming economy—and ever-expanding waistlines. After a free screening, filmmaker Curt Ellis will be on hand to discuss the issues he explores in the film with a local panel of food-systems advocates including a community supported agriculture farmer, the president of New Seasons Market and the food resource manager of the Oregon Food Bank. If you're craving dinner with that movie, Proper Eats, a vegan joint just across the street, will offer a discount to film-goers. St. Johns Twin Cinema, 8704 N Lombard St., 285-6780. 7-9 pm. Free. Map

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo

Cirque du Soleil's latest show to hit Portland is something of a back-to-basics package, with little of the tacky flash of the company's Vegas shows. The usual series of acrobatic acts is strung together from the reminiscences and fantasies of a dying clown. The flimsy conceit evaporates entirely by the second half, but that's OK. There is one thing Cirque does better than anyone else, and it’s front and center here: beautiful people performing stunning feats of athleticism you could never even attempt. Lovely ladies in negligees spinning and writhing about, dangling from enormous, swinging chandeliers! Bare-chested men turning themselves into human wheels with huge silver rings! Boys bouncing 20 feet in the air on a springboard! And on and on and on. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of filler—boring comedic sketches that let the acrobats take a rest but pad the show beyond a reasonable runtime. Is it perfect? No. Is it worth the price of entry? Oh yeah. Grand Chapiteau, Southwest Moody Avenue, by the Marquam Bridge., 800-678-5440. 8 pm Tuesdays-Thursdays, 4 and 8 pm Fridays-Saturdays, 1 and 5 pm Sundays. Closes April 13. $35-$205. All ages. Map

Go, Dog. Go!

Kids of all ages will love this colorful, clever and comic production. The live band and over-the-top costumes set the Technicolor tone of the light-on-words show, a simple musical adaptation of P.D. Eastman’s classic book about the wacky lives of dogs. Parents of smaller kids, be prepared to seat your child on your lap for the whole show or bring your own thick booster seat—while some of the sets are vertical, action that happens on the stage itself can be difficult for wee ones to see from the pewlike seats. They won’t want to miss a wink! DEEDA SCHROEDER. NW Neighborhood Cultural Center, 1819 NW Everett St., 222-4480. Noon and 3 pm Saturdays-Sundays and March 25-28. Closes April 6. $10-$20. All ages. Map

Nada Surf, Sea Wolf

[POWER POP] There's no denying Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws' knack for writing a catchy melody, but sometimes his songs are so darn infectious you forget to take note of his equally extraordinary voice. As an early-year acoustic showing at the Doug Fir attested, the clear and sometimes remarkably high vocals gracing Nada Surf records are not the result of studio magic: Caws actually sounds more amazing live, his lofty croon soaring above the band's driving choruses and poignant lyrics—which, on most recent effort Lucky, move on from the life-crumbling breakup stories of 2005's The Weight Is a Gift into ruminations on self-discovery and moving on. Despite its overall upbeat tone, Lucky certainly isn't lacking in insight: On anthemic opener "See These Bones," Caws finds inspiration in mortality, and on new-relationship ode "I Like What You Say" he reveals absolute truths—"They say you have to have somebody/ They say you have to be someone's/ They say if you're not lonely alone/ Boy, there is something wrong"—on a par with those of the band's brilliant '02 effort, Let Go. And, Jesus, is "Whose Authority" ever addictive. If capacity kept you out of the Fir, Nada Surf's plugged-in, explosive pop is no poor substitute, believe you me. AMY MCCULLOUGH. 8 pm. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. $15 advance, $17 day of show. All ages. Map

Vanishing Kids, Hot Victory, The Transport Assembly, Radar Skinny

[POST-PUNK] Despite heavy layers of reverb and black eyeliner signifying a gloomy goth vibe, I always thought the Vanishing Kids' leaders, Jason Hartman and Nikki Drohomerecky, were cute as the dickens, like a post-punk Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland (replete with "let's put on a show!" brio). When their band, er, vanished back into the Madison, Wisc., from whence it came, I worried that my friend Nikki had mistakenly heeded my pet rendering of her surname ("Gohomea'ready"). But the band's departure from Portland was only temporary, and hardly spelled the end of the Kids' career. Back in town since late '06, the band released new album Skies In Your Eyes last November. Tonight, the group commences on a West Coast tour. JEFF ROSENBERG. 7:30 pm. Satyricon, 125 NW 6th Ave., 231-1606. Cover. All ages. Map

Justice, Diplo, Fancy

[EIFFEL ELECTRONICA] So maybe Justice didn't win the college remix contest that gave the French pair its start, but the contest wasn't a complete loss. The duo's entry—a crunchy, rock-influenced remix of Simian's "Never Be Alone," later retitled "We Are Your Friends"—went on to soundtrack every dancefloor known to mankind and garner the Parisians acclaim far and wide. Last time Justice stole through town, the twosome produced a sweaty night of dancing for a sold-out crowd from behind its trademark cross. This time, with Diplo and Fancy along for the ride, it's bound to get even more physical. So grab your sweatbands; it's time for Justice to be served. NILINA MASON-CAMPBELL. 9 pm. Roseland, 8 NW 6th Ave., 219-9929 (Grill), 224-2038 (Theater). $22. All ages. Map

Balkan Circus Party

San Francisco-based Brass Menazeri and Portland’s Vagabond Opera team up to create an evening of Eastern European music, cabaret and burlesque. Fresh from their European debut, Vagabond is throwing a homecoming party, which will feature new songs and music, as well as fire-dancing and hoola-hooping. DJ Ruckus will spin between sets. JOHN MINERVINI. Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave., 248-1030. 9 pm Wednesday, March 26. $10-$12. Map

OGLE GALLERY

Alexis Mollomo's eerie narrative paintings. With their Breugel-meets-Henry-Darger style, these domestic narratives offer a thought-provoking take on the creepier aspects of feminism, marriage, and motherhood. 310 NW Broadway., 227-4333. Closes March 30. Map

BULLSEYE GALLERY

Cobi Cockburn's glass works. 300 NW 13th Ave., 227-0222., 227-0222. Closes April 5. Map

PUSHDOT

Ann Ploeger's photos. 1021 SE Caruthers St., 224-5925. Closes March 28. Map

NEWSPACE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Bobby Abrahamson's photos. 1632 SE 10th Ave., 963-1935. Closes March 30. Map

BUTTERS

Elise Wagner's encaustic paintings and prints. 520 NW Davis St., 2nd floor., 248-9378. Closes March 29. Map

PULLIAM DEFFENBAUGH GALLERY

James Boulton's paintings, which combine classical geometric shapes with spraypainted, grafitti-like scrawls. 929 NW Flanders St., 228-6665. Closes March 29. Map

FROELICK

Virgil Grotfeldt's works, Terrell James' works. 714 NW Davis St., 222-1142. Closes March 29. Map

AUGEN (DESOTO BLDG)

Jim Riswold's witty, irreverent portraits of kitschy Jesus memorabilia, David Levinthal's Jesus toys. 716 NW Davis St., 224-8182. Closes March 27. Map

AUGEN GALLERY

David Hockney's prints. 817 SW 2nd Ave., 224-8182. Closes March 27. Map

MARK WOOLLEY GALLERY

Brigitte Dortmund's paintings, Jo Ann Gilles' paintings. 817 SW 2nd Ave., 224-5475. Closes March 29. Map

TILT

Ethan Rose's project. 625 NW Everett St., #106., 908-616-5477. Closes March 29. Map

PORTLAND CITY HALL

"Keep Portland Weird" group show curated by Bryan Grimes. 1221 SW 4th Ave., 823-4000. Closes March 31. Map

PNCA

Untraceable, group show curated by Reed College's Stephanie Snyder, focusing on political coercion, violence, and torture. 1241 NW Johnson St., 226-4391. Closes March 28. Map

QUALITY PICTURES

Mark Hooper's photos, Laura Fritz's video installation. 916 NW Hoyt., 227-5060. Closes April 26. Map

ROCKSBOX GALLERY

Dave O' Johnson and Brian Wasson's collaboration, "Man Friends Forever". 6540 N Interstate Ave., 971-506-8938. Closes April 20. Map

Thursday Mar 27top

The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)

What’s the best way to play the Bible in two acts? Follow the example of this show’s musical nuns—take a double shot of Gordon’s dry gin and “go to.” Cacophony Productions’ debut features Terrance and Phillip as Pharisees and Sadducees, Paris Hilton as Salome, a singalong Noah’s Ark, and an amateur magic show by (who else?) Jesus himself. Actors Royal Hebert, Phillip Meyer and Jeff Gardner work well as a comedic team—think Laurel and two Hardys, only one of the Hardys is in drag—and they’ve got a good script. One quibble: The song-and-dance numbers are underprepared. But what The Bible lacks in high-concept glitz and comedic finesse it makes up for in sheer balls. If there is a God, these guys have definitely pissed him off. JOHN MINERVINI. The Firehouse Theatre, 1436 SW Montgomery St., 310-0771. 8 pm Thursdays-Saturdays. Closes March 29. $7-$12. All ages. Map

Star of Hope

The three set designers (Director Lorraine Bahr, Barry Hunt and Brett Beserock) for Sowelu Theatre’s remount of Lea Floden’s 1995 Drammy-winning comedy have accomplished the seemingly impossible task of transforming the Back Door Theater into a pleasant living room. The cramped, cold, mildewed venue has recently made an excellent barracks, a prison and a kangaroo court in the Romanian mountains; now it’s actually cozy. A storage room masquerading as a home is an apt setting for this absurdist play in which no one is who they say they are: A nice couple take a pregnant girl into their home—only she isn’t pregnant, and they aren’t that nice. The very fine cast plays the layered false identities for laughs, and the first hour or so is excellent. But the script’s Pinteresque menace devolves into Pythonesque silliness—aliens are involved—and pointless pistol-waving, and delight at the show’s mysteries turns to irritation. This show needs a rewrite, not a revival. The Back Door Theater, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 730-9066. 8 pm Thursday-Saturdays, 4 pm Sundays. Closes April 5. $12-$18. All ages. Map

Birdmonster, LoveLikeFire, Cement Season

[WARM AND FUZZY] LoveLikeFire plays art rock with heart, or is it heart rock with art? In either case, the San Francisco outfit reminds of Rainer Maria with a Nico complex (in her darker moments, frontwoman Ann Yu reminds of the pale-faced model/singer, though she's just as capable of belting out scale-climbing choruses), and the results are glorious. Hypnotic buzzsaw riffs move slow and oceanic over a crowd transformed into mere swaying seaweed. Fellow San Franciscans Birdmonster moves from folksy acoustic crawl to Kings of Leon-style spastic rock in the blink of an eye, and both sound dang good. Should be a great Thursday night bill. CASEY JARMAN. 9 pm. Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place., 241-8696. $6. 21+. Map

Gravy Train!!!!, New Bloods, Fleshtone, DJ Beyonda

[HOT ELECTRO POP] Fresh out of the birth canal, new release All the Sweet Stuff showcases a seductively smoother side of Gravy Train!!!!. The San Francisco quartet has been making titties bounce for almost a decade—it was splattered across both the alt-porn film Neu-Wave Hookers and the cockeyed camp of Malaqueerche television. Propelled by synth and offering performances laden with campy rap breakdowns, vacuum metaphors and enough Spandex to catapult fans across the Willamette, GT has enough sass to leave your cheeks pink well into the week. ANIKA SABIN. 8 pm. Hippodrome, 315 SE 3rd Ave., . $8 advance, $10 day of show. All ages. Map

Why Shamanism Now?

Imagine having the following dream: A spider appears, tells you that you need an “ego death,” and then rips you to shreds. You might think that was a bad thing. You’d be wrong. If you look up “spiders,” “ego death” and “dismemberment” in your handy-dandy Encyclopedia of Shamanism, you’ll discover that, shamanically speaking, this dream is in fact a powerful gift from the Spirit. Intrigued? Come join shaman author Christina Pratt for a book signing and a discussion titled “Why Shamanism Now?” Elephants Delicatessen, 115 NW 22nd Ave., 299-6304. 7 pm. Free. Map

Bloody Thursday

Wanna write mysteries? Join five—count ’em, five—authors whose debut mystery novels were published in the past year, as they discuss the rocky road to bookdom. Authors include Ashna Graves (Death Pans Out), Bob Napier (Love, Death, and the Toyman), Doc Macomber (Wolf’s Remedy), Gregg Olsen (A Wicked Snow) and Bill Cameron (Lost Dog). Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1040 NW 22nd Ave., 232-3690. 7 pm. Free. Map

Dr. Date

It’s tough to meet someone in Portland, right? Wrong. According to author Paulette Kouffman Sherman, alias “Dr. Date,” the problem is you. Join Dr. Date and learn how to stop reinforcing your fears and dangerous dating stereotypes. Hadn’t you heard? Love doesn’t have to be a disease-ridden, hellbound roller coaster—it can be a “transformative journey,” full of nice things like “self-discovery quizzes” and “a dating journal.” Cynical? You don’t stand a chance against Dr. Date. , 71 SW 2nd Ave., 222-2155. 6:30 pm. Free. Map

Gene Bauer

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were all vegan? Farm Sanctuary scribe Gene Bauer thinks so. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., 238-8899. 7 pm. Free. Map

Friday Mar 28top

Dreamgirls

[EXTENDED RUN] I’ve been harshly critical of Kirk Mouser’s work at Stumptown Stages over the past two years, so I hope you understand that I am entirely serious when I say Julianne Johnson-Weiss’ delivery of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” is the most affecting musical performance of the season, period. She sings with enough emotional force to bring even the most reptilian critic to tears. Johnson-Weiss is in good company here: Joann Coleman gives a manic, aggressive performance as Deena, and towering Eugene Blackmon (Jimmy Early), sporting a James Brown wig and a succession of silly suits, pulls comic-relief duty while showing off his remarkable stylistic range. Are there problems? Oh, hell yeah. The chintzy set squeezes most of the non-nightclub action into a four-foot alleyway at the front of the stage, and the acting is passable at best and wooden at worst—besides Blackmon and Johnson-Weiss, none of the cast seems comfortable in his or her part once the music stops. But who cares? With singing this good, everything else is parsley. BEN WATERHOUSE. Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N Interstate Ave., 8 pm Fridays-Saturdays, 2 pm Sundays. Closes April 12. $25-$27. All ages. Map

Throwing Bones

A grieving mother (Gretchen Corbett) goes to South Africa to meet a traditional healer, Tata (Victor Mack), and find out if he might have been able to help her daughter. Based on director Maureen Towey’s experiences in South Africa, staged in a nursing classroom and punctuated with African drumming and dance, there are about a million ways this new production by Sojourn Theatre could have fallen into tiresome cliché. It doesn’t. While certainly not the best work we’ve seen from this company, Throwing Bones succeeds as an examination of culture clash, medical and otherwise. Hannah Treuhaft gives a remarkable performance as a white South African with a mysterious ailment who gives up on Western medicine and, despite her skepticism, turns to the sangoma for care. Other noteworthy moments: the emotional climax of dance and drums and dirt, and the best visual pun of the season. Garden beds? BEN WATERHOUSE. Concordia University Nursing Skills Lab, 2805 NE Liberty St., #M105., 971-544-0464. 8 pm Thursdays-Sundays. Closes April 13. $10-$15. All ages. Map

José González, Mia Doi Todd

[INDIE FOLK] What does it mean if an artist's second big hit is yet another cover song? Swedish singer José González's first was a version of the Knife's "Heartbeats" in 2005—a brilliant acoustic rendering filled with subtle nuances in his voice and guitar, not unlike a more down-to-earth Devendra Banhart. Now, on his sophomore LP, In Our Nature, González covers Massive Attack's "Teardrop" for his leadoff single. If these covers were his only trick, he'd be forgettable—just the guy who sang that song in the Sony commercial—but the depth and beauty of the original songs that fill out his body of work demand to be heard. What another cover means, then, is that casual fans of González might never delve deeper than those two songs. Maybe it's his fault, but it's still a shame. JIM SANDBERG. 8 pm. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994. $19 advance, $20.50 day of show. All ages. Map

Bob Mould & Band, Saturna

[JUST DÜ IT] By now, Bob Mould should be a household name—if the household is made up of Midwesterners and fans of '80s punk, at least. Mould was the vocalist, songwriter and guitarist for Hüsker Dü, the legendary hardcore-turned-melodic punk band from Minneapolis that would influence the rise of alternative rock during the '90s. Mould and his bandmates became as well-known for their music as their in-fighting, and the band’s breakup led Mould to record solo albums and form the alt-rock band Sugar. After a three-year hiatus, he released District Line in February. Although his solo work sounds much more like Sugar’s college-friendly radio rock than Hüsker Dü’s guitar-driven punk, Mould’s voice is unchanged after 30 years in the business. His vocals remain deep and monotone—but above all else, honest. PAIGE RICHMOND. 9 pm. Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. $15. 21+. Map

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (7:30 pm)

[THE BOSS] Just in case you had the impression Bruce Springsteen was a flag-waving patriot—an impression his biggest hit "Born in the U.S.A." might leave, were you not paying close enough attention to the lyrics—he's not. The Boss does have a knack for Americana, though his take on America can be dark, from cross-country killing sprees to dying auto towns and harrowing, non-politicized descriptions of 9/11. Springsteen can't be described as working class these days, of course, though his stage shows embrace an ethic in keeping with those values: By the end of a performance, he's covered in sweat and gasping for air. He's also kept much of his original E Street band—cancer-stricken keyboardist Danny Federici being a notable exception—intact over the last few decades, so expect plenty of Clarence Clemons' rock saxophone, smiling Max Weinberg's deceptively gentlemanly drums and "Little" Steven Van Zandt's hot licks to move you. Just forget about Bono, Steven Tyler and Mick. Heck, forget about Dylan. Bruce Springsteen keeps it real, even in a stadium setting. And did I mention that his new favorite band is Against Me!? All hail the Boss. CASEY JARMAN. 7:30 pm. Rose Garden, 1401 N Wheeler Ave., 235-8771. $65-$95. All ages. Map

Copacrescent (CD release)

[SOUL-HOP] See album review, coming soon. 10 pm. Crown Room, 205 NW 4th Ave., 222-6655. $10 (includes album). 21+. Map

Jennifer Larmore

Atlanta-born Jennifer Larmore has the distinction of being the most-recorded mezzo-soprano of all time: She has been featured on over 70 CDs to date, and one of her most recent, Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel, won a Grammy. She’s not bad live, either—her acclaimed performances at the Met include Strauss’s Die Fledermaus and Picker’s An American Tragedy. Accompanied by pianist Antoine Palloc, she will perform pieces by Mozart, Bizet and Rossini, among others. JOHN MINERVINI. Kaul Auditorium at Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., 777-7755. 7:30 pm Friday, March 28. $5-$37. Map

Saturday Mar 29top

Mazamas Used Equipment Sale

As with Filmed by Bike’s opening day (April 11), my advice here is no different—arrive ridiculously early! Last year a few humans took the early bird out of the equation by arriving around 6:30 am and forming a stealthy line before the sale doors even cracked. Popularity aside, what’s cool about Mazama’s annual sale is that anyone can sell their used stuff (equipment drop-off is on Thursday, March 27, from 4 to 8 pm) and peruse the discards of others. Fair-game items include snowshoes, Nordic/telemark skis, camping/backpacking gear and even a few cycling goodies such as helmets and attire. As this is a fundraiser, 20 percent of each sale is donated to the local mountaineering group. So much for sleeping in! Mazama Mountaineering Center, 527 SE 43rd Ave., 227-2345. 9 am-2 pm. Free. Easy.

X, Skybombers

[L.A. PUNK ROCK] X is inevitably described as seminal, but Appalachian lyrics over Chuck Berry riffage did not break punk. The band hasn’t recorded new material since 1993. Its best-known song bum-rushes racial touchstones nowadays unthinkable (though “Los Angeles” remains the town’s unofficial anthem and should really be used by the Lakers). Yet, the quartet seems to launch reunion tours every other season. Vocalists John Doe and Exene Cervenka are best known to the iGeneration for (respectively) co-starring in Roswell and divorcing Viggo Mortensen. And the X 31st anniversary—DJ Bonebreak and Billy Zoom very much included—should still be the hottest ticket of the year JAY HORTON. 8 pm. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. $20. All ages. Map

Asylum Street Spankers

[ROOTS COMEDY] "Stick a Yellow Ribbon on Your SUV" is the archetypal Asylum Street Spankers song. It starts with profanity, then moves into political satire with lyrics like "It's a bummer that my Hummer isn't armored to a T/ To show me your support you spent a dollar ninety-three." Then there's the chorus that riffs on "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ol' Oak Tree"—all to a swingy roots-Americana tune played with great flair and musicianship. I'd say the band never needed to write another song, but that would be a shame. BRANDON SEIFERT. 8 pm. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994. $18 advance, $20 day of show. All ages. Map

Amaretta, The New Urban Decay, DT’s Hammer, Secnd Best (7 pm)

[BASEMENT POP-PUNK] The mystique of the Artistery has been explained many times before (including in these hallowed pages), but it’s still hard not to get totally floored seeing some scummy punk band in a basement that actually features decent sound and serves yummy homemade vegan goods. It also serves as the perfect outlet for discovering new sounds—and tonight brings us a healthy dose of local bands that lean toward the poppy side of punk. Amaretta lists a bunch of ’90s alt-rock bands as its influences, but one can’t help but hear a bit of Be Your Own Pet’s teenage snarl in the faster tunes. Damn you, OLCC, I never had a high-school hangout like this! MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. 7 pm. Artistery, 4315 SE Division St., 803-5942. $5. All ages. Map

Floater (acoustic)

[MOSS ROCK] See music feature, coming soon. 9:30 pm. Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. $15 advance, $18 day of show. 21+. Map

Tudor Choir

The Tudor Choir’s recordings have been praised by Gramophone and The New York Times, and it has appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. For the first time in eight years, the Seattle-based choir is returning to Portland. Directed by Doug Fullington, it will sing works of Italian and English polyphony, including works by Allegri, Palestrina and Sheppard, most notably Allegri’s “Miserere.” Presented as a part of the Cappella Romana Concert Series. JOHN MINERVINI. St. Mary's Cathedral, 1716 NW Davis St., 800-838-3006. cappellaromana.org. 8 pm Saturday, March 29. $15-$30. Map

Sunday Mar 30top

The 24-Hour Plays

CoHo Productions locks 30 actors and four writers in a room for 24 hours to cast, direct and perform four original one-acts. It's always a fun time. The CoHo Theatre, 2257 NW Raleigh St., 220-2646. 8 pm Sunday, March 30. $20. All ages. Map

PUMP 20th Anniversary Ride & Party

In the same week that the author of Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life—which highlights at length Portland’s bicycle prowess—speaks at Powell’s (March 27), one of the fixtures of our city’s bicycling community just so happens to be celebrating its 20-year history. And it’s no wonder the Portland United Mountain Pedalers—which started in 1988 as a response to a then-proposed ban of mountain bikes in Forest Park—are kicking things off with a celebratory trail ride through that very park before culminating at the Lucky Lab to put a little air back in their tires (no, really, there’s a fix-a-flat contest) with beer and cake. All are welcome. Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby St., 1 pm (ride), 5 pm (party). pumpclub.org. Free. Easy-Moderate.

Louis XIV, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Carolina Liar

[NEW WAVE SAUSAGE] If most normal folks were confronted with the question “What made Milwaukee famous?” on a multiple choice test, I’m guessing they’d go with one of two options—beer or the sausage race that occurs at the bottom of the sixth inning at every Brewers home game. And no doubt they’d be correct (how can you argue against people dressed in giant sausage costumes?), but after a few spins of What Doesn’t Kill Us, the indie-rock school board has decided it’s OK if you picked the band with the same name. Though they hail from Austin, WMMF have a sound that's deeply rooted in the punchy power-pop and New Wave of the ’80s—which, in my book, is always a good thing. Come early and stand close for WMMF, which should enable you to hit the bar when the unfortunately named headliner Louis XIV takes the stage, berating you with bland post-punk tunes and tales of illicit sex. MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. 8 pm. Hawthorne Theatre, 3862 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 233-7100. $15. All ages. Map

Portland Lounge Series: Laura Gibson, Per Se, Meyercord

[BEHIND THE MUSIC] Portland Lounge Series is a monthy event where we invite our favorite local artists to do short on-stage interviews and play a few songs. And songs are what tonight's crew is all about. Laura Gibson will bless us with some smart, folky tunes from her forthcoming record before she heads out on a mega-tour with Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy. We'll talk dreams (Gibson is a dreamer) and recap our respective SXSW adventures. The charming Anne Adams (a.k.a . Per Se) is finally putting her debut record together, and stokeder we could not be. Adams' singular, peculiar sound will be on full display tonight, and the interview should be just as fun as the music. Ben Meyercord saw more shows in 2007 than you've seen in your whole life, and he apparently learned a few songwriting tricks along the way. The AristeiAn will share talk about quiet home recording and rocking the fuck out. Plus I'll be your host! CASEY JARMAN. 9:30 pm. Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place., 241-8696. 21+. Free Map

Opus One

Come hear the West Coast premiere of “Green Torso,” composer Marc Neikrug’s musical contemplation on a Hopi sculpture. What’s a “West Coast premiere,” you ask? It means that we got it before California and Washington, but not before New York (or weirdly, in this case, New Mexico). The piece will be performed by acclaimed chamber ensemble Opus One, a quartet that has played in some of the most prestigious venues across the country. Other pieces on the program include Mozart’s Quartet in G Minor for Piano and Strings, and Dvorak’s Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 87. JOHN MINERVINI. Kaul Auditorium at Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., 777-7755. 3 pm Sunday, March 30. $10-$43. Map

Angela Hewitt

When it comes to Bach, Angela Hewitt is the bee’s knees. Her performances have been lavishly praised in Gramophone and The New York Times, and her eleven-year project to record all of Bach’s major keyboard works has been described as “one of the record glories of our age.” These days, she’s devoted her entire 2007-2008 touring season—which includes stops in London, Zurich, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Cape Town—to performing The Well-Tempered Clavier in its entirety. And guess what? She’s coming to Portland. JOHN MINERVINI. Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway., 248-4335. 4 pm Sunday, March 30. 7:30 pm Tuesday, April 1. $24-$42. Map

Monday Mar 31top

Pleasure Dome w/ Spencer Doran & John Root; Starfucker, Atole, DJ Nate C

[LIVE ELECTRONIC] Electronic dance music is normally best served in venues with tons of room for dancing. After all, dance culture isn't supposed to be about any one performer, it's about holy communion out on the floor; an ocean of bodies swaying as one mighty ocean; beats digging so deep that an audience can't help but be moved. But what if we could have it both ways: the performance of a great rock show and the transformative experience of a crazy-ass rave? We can! That's what the four-man collaborative techno of Atole is all about. The brainchild of electronic/experimental music stalwart Manny Reyes, Atole makes intelligent dance music (the kids say "IDM") that stays live like a rock band without sacrificing the sound theatrics of techno. Starfucker, a crossover act that has recently been embraced by Portland's electronic-music community, will pack two drum sets into Tube and thrash along to pre-recorded synths and Josh Hodges' self-harmonizing. This shit is going to go off, and it's looking more and more like the "Portland Sound" has a beat you can dance to. CASEY JARMAN. 9:30 pm. Tube, 18 NW 3rd Ave., 241-8823. $3. 21+. Map

Nic & David Sheff

See Hotseat, page TK. Barnes and Noble, Clackamas Town Center, 12000 SE 82nd Ave., 786-3464. 7 pm. Free. Map

Tuesday Apr 1top

Dressed To Kill Hike 

Like a lopsided gluteus maximus, there’s a growing divide when it comes to clothing in Portland. One half prefers to be dress­ed down, such as the Naked Bike Ride or No Pants on MAX while the other side prefers to dress up: the Pretty Red Dress Ride, the Red Dress Party (April 12) and now this—a hike with a dress code in Forest Park. Here’s the lowdown: 75 members from the Portland Hiking Meetup Group (and anyone cheeky enough to join in) will don dresses and strut their decked-out asses, starting at the zoo, then out along the Wildwood Trail, down to the Pittock Mansion and back again. Why? To keep Portland weird, of course! And, in the spirit of diversity, the hike’s official dress code even allows for tuxes, evening gowns and clubwear so long as “it’s completely inappropriate for hiking.” You’re cautioned (and for good reason) against sporting heels—but hey, if you fall on your ass, at least it'll be covered with taffeta. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road., Meet by the MAX Station. 5:30 pm. hiking.meetup.com/19/calendar/7403987. Free. Easy.

Anoushka Shankar

[MAGIC SITAR LOINS] Goddamn, Ravi Shankar’s loins are an impressive institution. While he was in his 60s, those magical things brought both Norah Jones and sitar prodigy Anoushka Shankar into the world. With daddy as her teacher, the 26-year-old Anoushka has grown far beyond being just “Ravi Shankar’s daughter”—she’s emerged as one of the planet’s foremost Indian and world music pioneers. Anoushka’s newest album, Breathing Under Water (featuring guests like her father, half-sister Jones and even Sting), keeps the haunting virtuosity of her sitar at the forefront of each number, but fuses it with hypnotic chants, frenetic industrial and trance beats, and experimental, electronic awesomeness. When it comes to the delicious mind-fuck of the sitar—it doesn’t get any better than the Shankars. LANCE KRAMER. 8 pm. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994. $27.50 advance, $29 day of show. All ages. Map

Luciano w/ Mikey General & Jahmessenjah Band, Copacrescent, Shocks of Sheba

[SOUL-HOP] See album review, coming soon. 9 pm. Lola's Room at the Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. $20 advance, $22 day of show. All ages. Map

BULLSEYE GALLERY

Jane Bruce's formalist glass works. New York artist Jane Bruce’s Contained Abstraction tackles ideas of art vs. nature with glass—using the vessel as her point of departure. Bruce is not interested in the vessel; she is interested in the idea of a vessel, and so in piece after piece, she starts with jaunty, graphic outlines of a vase, flask and bowl, then switches into meta mode, flattening the timeless forms into thin rhomboid planes that appear 2D from most angles. With their primary colors, the works exude a Platonic formalism tempered only by the skewed, cartoonish outlines of the über-vessels themselves. Side by side, one atop the other, or separated by handlelike dividers, these glass “houses” are anything but cozy. 300 NW 13th Ave., 227-0222., 227-0222. Closes May 17. Map

FROELICK

Gabriel Manca's works, Ron van Dongen's photos. 714 NW Davis St., 222-1142. Closes April 26. Map

PDX CONTEMPORARY ART

James Lavadour's paintings, Jenevive Tatiana's window project. 925 NW Flanders St., 222-0063. Closes April 26. Map

OGLE GALLERY

Scott Wayne Indiana's installation. 310 NW Broadway., 227-4333. Closes April 26. Map

Muhammad Jaradat & Eitan Bronstein

As Israel celebrates its 60th birthday, it’s easy to forget the 9 million Palestinians who were expelled or dispossessed when that country was created. At this event, a Jewish Israeli and a Palestinian Arab discuss the importance of remembering and recognizing these Palestinian refugees, as well as their continuing struggle for the right to return home. Muhammad Jaradat is the cofounder of Badil Resource Center, which seeks durable legal solutions to the problem of the Palestinian diaspora. Eitan Bronstein represents Zochrot, a Tel Aviv-based advocacy group dedicated to raising awareness about the expulsion of Palestinians among Israelis. Presented by Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights and American Friends Service Committee. Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., 771-1112. 6:30 pm. Free. Map

John Glenn

Haven’t heard of John Glenn? Born in a barn? Suffice it to say, he is one of few Americans to have seen Earth—small, round and blue—through a windshield. The recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and a former U.S. senator from Ohio, Glenn will speak at PSU’s annual Benson Awards Dinner, which recognizes two Oregon philanthropists. This year’s honorees are Sam Wheeler and the Gwen Burns family. But be warned—awards dinners for philanthropists aren’t cheap. Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 235-7575. 6 pm. $250-$5,000. Map