Skip to main content
GO: Drive ‘N Drag Saves 2021
It’s not the only drag show of the week (see feature, next page), but at least this one allows in-person attendance. Drag drive-ins were one of the most novel pandemic pivots, particularly in Portland, which saw the legendary Darcelle perform at Zidell Yards and local queens entertain customers waiting for pickup orders at Shine Distillery. This tour, however, is perhaps the biggest application of the concept, with appearances by recent RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Rosé and Gottmik, the latter being the first transgender man to ever compete on the show. Clackamas Town Center, 12000 SE 82nd Ave. 7 pm and 9:30 pm Wednesday, May 12. $75-$399.
CATCH UP ON: Mare of Easttown
In one sense, HBO’s Mare of Easttown is simply the TV murder mystery of the moment—another show about a burned-out detective trying to solve a horrific crime as their personal life falls apart. But while the plot can feel MadLibbed together from the structures of similar miniseries, it’s elevated above that crowded field by the two elements that make up its title. The way-too-small Philadelphia suburb in which the show is set is fictional yet drawn with such specificity, from the relationships to the accents, that it becomes more familiar with each episode. And then there’s Kate Winslet, delivering a remarkable performance as the titular detective rapidly suffocating under the collapsing ruins of her life in a town that gives her zero breathing room as it is. It’s equally claustrophobic to watch, and certainly a bit dreary, but enough pinpricks of humor pierce the darkness that it feels almost Coens adjacent. There are three episodes left, so now’s a good time to jump in. Streams on HBO Max. New episodes air Sundays at 7 pm.
STREAM: Funny Ha Ha
Marnie is 23, stuck in that post-grad rut, ping-ponging between different temp jobs and crushing on her friend Alex even though he loves someone else. Shot on 16 mm and cited as the first mumblecore film in the canon, Andrew Bujalski’s naturalistic 2002 dramedy demonstrates how the seemingly trivial issues of being a 20-something can still feel monumental. Streams on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Kanopy and other platforms.
STREAM: Night Heron Album Release Show
Night Heron was a staple on the city’s indie club circuit before the pandemic, so it’s somewhat surprising the band is only now releasing their first album. Founded by Radiation City’s Cameron Spies and featuring members of several other well-known Portland bands, Night Heron brings together a breezy mix of lo-fi psychedelia and smooth R&B on Instructions for the Night. Their livestreamed album release show promises to be just as chilled out and dreamy. 8 pm Friday, May 14, at twitch.tv/holocene. Donations accepted.
GO: Skatemobile Skate Pop-Up
Indoor rinks may be closed, but there’s finally a way for Portlanders deprived by the recent skate shortage to get in on the pandemic roller skating craze. Rose City Rollers has been hosting outdoor skating meetups for skaters of all levels, including those without skates. At the roller derby club’s weekly event, you can rent skates or bring your own, and choose between gliding along the waterfront or sticking to Portland Opera’s flat parking lot. Masks and social distancing are required, of course, but it’s still a great opportunity to get acquainted with Portland’s thriving skating community. Hampton Opera Center, 211 SE Caruthers St., rosecityrollers.com. 1 and 3:30 pm Sunday, May 16. $5-$20.
WATCH: Situations & Conversations With Tra’Renee
After departing the KATU lifestyle program Afternoon Live last year, Portland TV and radio staple Tra’Renee Chambers sought to refocus her broadcasting on social justice issues. She is now the first Black woman to host and produce a TV show in the greater Portland area. Chambers’ guests often come on to unpack challenging lived experiences, like racial insensitivity within their own families, discrimination against children of color, and sex education roadblocks. And just as often, both guest and host are so present, so involved in the interview that commercial breaks sneak up from nowhere. Situations & Conversations With Tra’Renee airs on KATU at 4:30 pm Sundays.
LISTEN: Shelley FKA DRAM
If your image of DRAM isn’t the joyful prankster of “Cha Cha” and “Broccoli” but of a man standing rapturously in front of a Tiny Desk Concert band, beaming and treading water with his hands, Shelley FKA DRAM is for you. Now using his birth name, Shelley Massenburg-Smith devotes his second and best album to smooth, romantic, slightly goofy funk soul guided by drums as slow and impassive as the ones Questlove used to motor D’Angelo’s Voodoo down the Styx. Streaming on Spotify.
STREAM: Kenari Quartet
Chamber Music Northwest has managed to keep up an impressively prolific virtual programming schedule during the pandemic. The classical music organization is capping its first digital season with a distinctly modern instrument. The all-saxophone Kenari Quartet will play everything from Bach to French neoclassical and contemporary music. 7 pm Saturday, May 15, at cmnw.org. $20.
STREAM: SH/FT: An Experiment in Fashion Design
See feature here.