Skip to main content
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Saint Valentine: A Valentine's Day Party by Reva Devito
Reva Devito is one of Portland R&B's sultriest singers, and probably the person you'd most trust to curate a truly lit Valentine's Day party. Chicago's smooth-gliding Drama Duo sets the mood, then Devito herself seals the deal. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 503-239-7639, holocene.org. 8:30 pm. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+.
Natty by Nature
Natty by Nature is an oyster-fueled, hip-hop-themed party for some of the best natural wine available—orange wine from Central Europe, light reds from Italy, and "damn good Champagne"—curated by celebu-somm Dana Frank. Tournant, 920 NE Glisan St., 503-206-4463, tournantpdx.com. 6-10 pm. $49 advance, $59 door.
Thursday, Feb. 15
Dua Lipa
Americans are finally embracing Dua Lipa. The British-born singer's brand of pop is Swedish in its streamlined perfection, seamlessly blending EDM, synth pop and soft rock. Her tropical house-styled single "New Rules" is peaking on the charts, and with a new album in the works, Lipa won't stay playing rooms this size much longer. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., 971-230-0033, roselandpdx.com. 8 pm. Sold out. All ages.
Me, Myself & It
After every show for the past six years, drag "clown" Carla Rossi has pressed her full-face makeup into a makeup wipe, creating a negative print. Now, dozens of those makeup portraits are hung on clothespins around Littman Gallery. Maybe it's the eyelashes clinging to some of the wipes, but the show feels as humorous as it is intimate. Littman Gallery, 1825 SW Broadway, 503-725-4452, littmanandwhite.com. Noon-6 pm. Through March 2. Free. See page 39.
Friday, Feb. 16
Sabertooth Micro Fest
It's touted as a celebration of "the historical role the Crystal Ballroom played through the previous half-century of psychedelic music," but this year's Sabertooth festival defines "psychedelic" in broad terms. Oregon doom-metal overlords Yob, rant-rockers Parquet Courts and noise-freak icon Thurston Moore headline. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 503-225-0047. See sabertoothpdx.com for ticket information and schedule. Through Feb. 18.
NW Black Comedy Festival
Last year, the first NW Black Comedy Festival was bursting at the seams. This year, it's expanded to four days instead of just two, and the lineup is still packed with many of the city's funniest comedians. On the second night, there'll be a local standup showcase plus a set from Portland's nationally lauded improv group Broke Gravy. Billy Webb Elks Lodge, 6 N Tillamook St., facebook.com/dirtyangelent. 6-11 pm. Feb. 15-18. $10-$150.
Saturday, Feb. 17
Magellanica
A world premiere by Portland playwright E.M. Lewis, Magellanica is an odyssey about a group of researchers working in Antarctica. It has a five-and-a-half-hour run time, but Magellanica isn't something you sit through to prove that you can—full of intoxicating images and intense emotions, it's a seamless fusion of spectacle and intimacy. Artists Repertory Theatre, 515 SW Morrison St., artistsrep.org. 5:30 pm. Through Feb. 18. $25-$50.
Zwickelmania
This year, as every year, the brewers of Portland thrust open their backroom doors and allow the needy beer nerds of the city to tour their brew tanks and sample their wares. It is a wonderful day, unless you're a brewer. For participating breweries, see oregoncraftbeer.org/zwickelmania.
Sunday, Feb. 18
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border
Francisco Cantú—a third-generation immigrant-turned-Border Patrol agent—has written a book haunted by both his own family history and the things he found on the border, hauling in the dead who couldn't cross the desert. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323, powells.com. 7:30 pm. Free.
The Pride
The Olivier Award-winning play tells parallel stories of a relationship between the same two men set in two different time periods: 2008 and 1958. It's the kind of play that requires both boldness and tenderness from a production team, which Defunkt Theatre is more than capable of providing. Defunkt Theatre, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-974-4938, defunkttheatre.com. 7 pm. Pay what you will, $20 suggested.
Monday, Feb. 19
Mary Timony Plays Helium
In the '90s, Helium's sludgy, medieval dirges turned ennui into inspiration. After two albums, the band dissolved, and leader Mary Timony went on to several other successful projects. Twenty years later, she's revisiting her most beloved outfit, playing the "hits" backed by Brooklyn indie band Hospitality. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895, mississippistudios.com. 9 pm. Sold out. 21+.
Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Stanley Kubrick's satire about government idiots was always a masterpiece, but lately, it's also a masterpiece that seems more relatable. "It's funny because it's true" with every new cycle. Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark St., 503-252-0500, academytheaterpdx.com. Various times through Feb. 22. $4.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Princess Nokia
If Cardi B is the reigning queen of New York rap, Princess Nokia is, well, the princess. "The weird girl that's runnin' shit," as she calls herself, has a tough-talking flow, while the production is a left-field reimagining of Southern trap. It's a vibrant, bold, subversive joy. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 503-284-8686, wonderballroom.com. 8:30 pm. Sold out. All ages.
Willy Vlautin
The movie based on Willy Vlautin's Portland horse-track novel, Lean on Pete, hits theaters in March, but Don't Skip Out on Me, his new, heartbreaking book about a Native American boxer ashamed of his heritage, drops this week. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 800-878-7323, powells.com. 7:30 pm. Free.