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Wednesday, October 4
Unrest Portland Premiere
Director Jennifer Brea was initially told by doctors that her suffering was "all in her head." Taking things into her own hands, she began filming her life with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, discovering a vast network of people living with the lifetime illness. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd.,
7 pm. $9 adults, $7 students and kids under 12.
Damian Marley
Welcome to Jamrock, the youngest Marley's 2005 breakthrough, was the best album to bear his surname since his father dropped Exodus in 1977. It took him over a decade to follow-up, but the newly released Stony Hill confirms Junior Gong is one of the most potent voices in modern reggae. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033, roselandpdx.com. 8 pm. $34. 21+.
Thursday, October 5
Pepper Pepper
Art party emcee and drag queen Pepper Pepper will debut an interactive, outdoor sound installation. Pepper has described the installation as "a staged feedback loop for participants to practice drag, lip-sync" in order to create "kaleidoscopic transformations." Awesome. Regional Arts & Culture Council, 411 Northwest Park Ave., opensignalpdx.org. Begins at dusk. Free.
Sour Power and the Funky Bunch
Loyal Legion is filling over 20 of its taps with wilds and sours to kick off the fall, with heavyweights like De Garde, Little Beast, Logsdon, Pfriem and Cascade. And if that's not enough for you, fuck it—Cascade Brewing is just a few blocks away. Loyal Legion, 710 SE 6th Ave., loyallegionpdx.com.
Friday, October 6
The Weeknd
Abel Tesfaye is R&B's smoothest degenerate. Sex, drugs and self-loathing were the tentpoles of his mixtape days, and now that he's a legit popstar, his destructive urges have only grown more opulent. Last year's Starboy was his flashiest effort to date, yet still toxic at its core. Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., 503-235-8771, rosequarter.com. 7:30 pm. $39-$306. All ages.
Pop-Up Shabbat
International cookbook author Martha Holmberg is inviting Jews and goyim alike to a traditional Shabbat dinner with Israeli inspired food, house-baked challah and whatever wine is cool in Israel. The meal starts with blessings and ends in singing, led by New York food writer Devra Ferst. Meal at Martha Holmberg's loft. Tickets at breakingbreaddinners.com. $50.
Saturday, October 7
Caught
The cryptic play tells the story of Chinese artist and activist Lin Bo, who served a two-year sentence in a Chinese detention center. There's way more to the maze-like experience than that, but to explain any further would reveal Caught's sleight of hand. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St., artistsrep.org. Oct. 1-29. $25-$50.
Peche Fest
Peche Fest is back, and it's a peach—25 kick-ass beers all made with fuzzy fruit, with classics like Logsdon Peche 'n Brett and Upright Fantasia or crazy-ass one-offs like a mixed-vintage Breakside Dog and Pony Show, which they say is their most sour beer ever. The Bad Habit Room at Saraveza, 1004 N Killingsworth St., pechefest.com. 3-10 pm. $15, or $30 VIP entry at 1 pm.
Sunday, October 8
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
With Tame Impala going pop, it's left to King Gizzard to fly the freak flag for the Australian psych-rock scene. Sketches of Brunswick East, their third album this year alone, is like a '60s drug experiment, a kaleidoscopic whorl of jazz samples, synths and video game techno-fuzz. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 503-225-0047, crystalballroompdx.com. 9 pm. $22. All ages.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
In the sprawling World War II play, multiple storylines and a play within a play form around a peasant woman who finds an abandoned baby. To make it even more epic, it will be produced by the fearlessly abstract Shaking the Tree Theater. Shaking The Tree, 823 SE Grant St., shaking-the-tree.com. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Sunday, Oct. 6-Nov. 4. $10-$30.
Monday, October 9
Nomadland
Jessica Bruder spent three years in the field for her latest book. The author and journalist immersed herself in a world of "workampers," older transient Americans who traded in their homes for "wheel estate"—trailers, vans and RVs that serve as a new kind of mobile home. Powell's on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne, powells.com. 7:30 pm.
Boris
In a genre dominated by Black Sabbath retreads, Japanese doom-metal adventurers Boris have innovated for a quarter-century, veering off into thrashing riff-fests, punk noise and even ambient compositions. To celebrate 25 years of restless eclecticism, the trio will perform songs from across their discography, including their back-to-basics new album, Dear. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-231-9663, dougfirlounge.com. 8 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Tuesday, October 10
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is celebrating the centennial anniversary of the first jazz recording with a trilogy of albums in 2017. On each, hip-hop drum machines and modern synths join classic jazz instrumentation, creating a sound that seamlessly shapeshifts between new and old. Jack London Revue, 529 SW 4th Ave., 866-777-8932, jacklondonrevue.com. 8 pm and 10 pm. $20. 21+.
Randy Newman
Randy Newman is perhaps most famous now for his Disney movie scores, but occasionally the 73-year-old songwriting legend returns to the dark satire he first made his name on. Dark Matter, his latest, proves his cynicism and humor are still intact—see the gospel-tinged title track, which pits prayer against science in the way only he can get away with. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., #110, 503-288-3895, revolutionhall.com. 8 pm. $59.25. All ages.