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SATURDAY, AUG. 6:
Portland’s The Decemberists appeal to the part of the brain that craves overwhelming detail. Rejecting good taste and cool indie cynicism, Colin Meloy and his crew craft prog-folk epics so dense with historical allusions and obscure language that an annotated collection of lyrics wouldn’t be a bad idea for a merch item. Opening for them at McMenamins Edgefield is the wonderful folk singer Jake Xerxes Fussell, whose reverent reinterpretations of gnarly old ballads will prepare listeners to dive into the world of historical arcana with the Decemberists. McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale. 6:30 pm. $47.50. All ages.
SATURDAY, AUG. 6:
In 2015, Shamir was on track to becoming a pop star. His hit “On the Regular” bumped out of party-bus windows and advertisements alike, and his striking countertenor voice sounded like nothing else on the charts. Instead, he went in another direction, releasing crudely recorded and starkly arranged albums filled with meditations on racist violence and queer nonconformism. Though he’s spent the past half-decade flipping the bird to the music industry, his star power is still undoubtable—and he might just be the best singer in the whole lo-fi indie-grunge universe. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St. 9 pm. $15. 21+.
TUESDAY, AUG. 9:
When Florist singer-songwriter Emily A. Sprague released the solo record Emily Alone under her band’s name, it seemed to confirm the Brooklyn “friendship project” as more of a solo act. But for a new self-titled album, the band decamped to upstate New York for a largely instrumental record that’s their wildest, woolliest and most collaborative work yet, making use of sounds from the local environment across its 19-track sprawl. The whole band will perform with support from Marc Merza and Babytooth. Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth Court. 8 pm. $15. All ages.