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SATURDAY, JULY 15:
Anyone with an interest in drag or ballroom culture ought to check out Kevin Aviance, one of the most prominent and successful ambassadors of this underground LGBTQ+ tradition and an accomplished musician and designer. That’s him ad-libbing at the beginning of Beyoncé's “Pure/Honey,” and his influence can be heard on Britney’s “Work Bitch” and “Gimme More.” If you like those songs and their smoldering, sassy attitude, come see Aviance as he headlines Holocene’s Switch Pride party. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St. 7 pm. $10-$50. 21+.
SUNDAY-TUESDAY, JULY 16-18:
The great avant-garde pianist and philosopher Sun Ra left this mortal plane 30 years ago, but his music lives on through the Sun Ra Arkestra, led by 99-year-old saxophonist Marshall Allen, one of the oldest working musicians in the world. The band continues to put out new material, including last year’s excellent Living Sky, and Mississippi Records is hosting Allen and cohorts for three evenings at Star Theater, which offer an opportunity to see one of the weirdest and best big bands on the planet. Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave. All shows at 8 pm. $30 a night, $80 for a three-day pass. 21+.
TUESDAY, JULY 18:
The Aquabats started their career crashing SoCal punk shows with kiddie-matinée costumes and theatrics—and their embrace of pageantry and ridiculousness has since led them on a nearly 30-year career as one of rock’s last bastions of family-friendly but side-splittingly idiosyncratic fun. It’s no coincidence that leader Christian “MC Bat Commander” Scott has a side gig in bizarre kids’ programming (Yo Gabba Gabba! is his brainchild) given his band’s mission to make the world weirder and more delightful. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 6 pm. $27.50. All ages.