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TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Black Flag
Punk luminaries Black Flag have taken on many forms over the years, most notably forming with vocalist/Circle Jerk frontman Keith Morris before being replaced with perennial high school bully Henry Rollins. One thing that's stayed consistent is guitarist (and primary songwriter) Greg Ginn, the sole continuous member of the band. On this tour, pro-skater-turned-punk vocalist Mike Vallely will front the band in a performance of the seminal, grunge-infused 1984 album, My War, in its entirety. AV 
(Bossanova Ballroom, Buckman)

THURSDAY

COMEDY

Kickstand Comedy Presents: Secret Aardvark Past Event Like List
Over 30 of Portland's best improvisers will gather again for this who's who of Rose City comedy. Named after the organizers' favorite local hot sauce, each Secret Aardvark event features an extra-special mystery guest (past guests have run the gamut from David Lynch to random high school theater students). This holiday edition of the show should be wrapped up in a particularly funny bow. LC
(Kickstand Comedy, Ladd's Addition)

FILM

BOWIE BIRTHDAY BASH // The Man Who Fell to Earth Past Event Like List
Who better to play a unique, newly Earth-bound extraterrestrial than David Bowie? (After all, he released the eerie masterwork Station to Station the same year that this freaky fantasy was released.) Nic Roeg's '76 fever dream The Man Who Fell To Earth is the perfect way to celebrate Ziggy Stardust's would-be 74th birthday. Tomorrow Theater will serve up party hats and face-painted lightning bolts, and yes, the best-costumed Bowie will be crowned. LC
(Tomorrow Theater, Richmond)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

On A Night Like This: A Kylie Minogue Dance Party & Drag Tribute Night Past Event Like List
If you haven't heard about the cultural phenomenon that is Kylie Minogue's "Padam Padam," then I suggest that you catch up on your herstory STAT. During the summer of 2023, the song took the queer community by storm, echoing through Pride parades, clubs, and Sephoras around the globe. The sleeper hit came nearly four decades into her career which is evidence of Minogue's robust stardom. Celebrate the Princess of Pop at this dedicated dance party by moving to hits from "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" to "The Loco-Motion" with DJ Sappho and taking some Kylie-centric drag performances in your eyes. AV
(Holocene, Buckman)

FRIDAY

COMEDY

The Broke Gravy Show Past Event Like List
The Broke Gravy dudes (Chris, Leon, and Eric) have forged a unique path in improv comedy, using the off-the-cuff medium to inspire deeper conversations on their perspectives as Black Americans. (They're also funny AF.) Fresh off their sold-out shows at The Turnout and Portland Mercury’s Undisputed Geniuses of Comedy, they'll head to Kickstand for an hour of "unfiltered conversation, idiosyncratic characters, and the joy of unknown possibilities." LC
(Kickstand Comedy, Ladd's Addition)

The Nancy Boys and Friends Past Event Like List
Hilarious hubbies Nick and Justin Condon will present The Nancy Boys, their campy, tongue-in-cheek improvised mystery series set in the imaginary town of Gayport, USA. Starring as the plucky Nancy brothers, the duo cracks a head-scratching caper for each performance with assistance from the audience. As a nerd, the production appeals to me for several reasons: Obviously, I loved Nancy Drew as a child, but this twist on teen crime-solving promises to be a blend of '50s sitcoms, snarky commentary, and weirdo Americana. LC
(Echo Theater, Richmond)

Swiped Out! Past Event Like List
If your love life could use a new year's kick-start, why not do something utterly terrifying and allow a pack of "professionally trained dating experts" (aka comedy improvisers) analyze your dating profile on stage? Kickstand's CVLT members (Rachel Rosenthal, Kristen Schier, Sky Mcleod, Natalie Haddad, and others) will perform improv sets "inspired by Portland's dating scene" (gulp) and potentially help you send the perfect message to your app matches. What could go wrong? LC
(Kickstand Comedy, Ladd's Addition)

FILM

SOCIAL CINEMA // Polite Society with DJ Anjali Set Past Event Like List
This 2023 Sundance favorite follows a martial artist-in-training who plans an ambitious wedding heist to "save" her older sister from her impending marriage. Written and directed by We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor, the action-comedy blends South Asian aesthetics with East Asian martial arts—one scene sees the sisters "fight in fully embroidered anarkalis (long, traditional South Asian dresses) along with gold tikka (jewelry worn on the forehead)" (The Guardian). DJ Anjali, who's "concerned with creating a collective memory through songs, dance, and imagery while pushing forward a working-class, immigrant feminist agenda on the dance floor," will spin tunes after the screening. Cool! LC
(Tomorrow Theater, Richmond)

LIVE MUSIC

Molly Parden Past Event Like List
Molly Parden's new album, Sacramented, is a true hidden gem. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter employs delicate guitars and crystalline vocals for contemplative indie-folk tracks like "Where Do All of Our Passing Days Go?" and "Maybe It Will Stay, Maybe It Will Grow." If you're a regular listener of Angel Olsen, Faye Webster, or Laura Marling, then I bet you'll love Parden, too. AV
(Alberta Street Pub, King)

The Space Lady Past Event Like List
Performing in a winged Viking helmet since the early '80s, Colorado-born outsider artist the Space Lady (aka Susan Dietrich) is known for her reverb-heavy, Casio-forward covers of classic rock hits like Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” and Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like An Eagle." I am personally obsessed with the Space Lady and her live sets never disappoint! For this performance, her spellbinding, out-of-this-world tunes will be accompanied by "cosmic projections" on the Hollywood Theatre's big screen. AV
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District)

SATURDAY

FILM

Koyaanisqatsi Past Event Like List
If time is a flat circle, Koyaanisqatsi is a set of interlinked rings in a magician's grab bag. The rollercoaster tone poem collages the cyclical nature of humanity with soul-stirring time-lapse photography and a hypnotic score by Philip Glass. A quick sensation upon its 1983 release, the cosmic flick became the first entry in the Qatsi trilogy; in case you were curious, the title is drawn from a Hopi word meaning “life out of balance.” LC
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy)

FOOD & DRINK

Korean Food and Dance Social Past Event Like List
Clark College's Korean Culture Club is throwing a lively social with nosh from local Korean comfort food heavyweights Frybaby and Kim Jong Grillin, who will both be vending in Vancouver for the first time. Take in a dance performance from Victorious Performing Arts, bust some moves of your own, and browse wares from local AAPI sellers. A portion of proceeds will go to a fund to help the Korean Culture Club members embark on a trip to Korea. JB
(Clark College-Geiser Hall, Vancouver)

LIVE MUSIC

Common Tones: A Tribute to McCoy Tyner Past Event Like List
Philip Emilio Baker (of Pink Martini) will lead a group of talented musicians for an evening that pays tribute to the iconic jazz pianist McCoy Tyner. Known for his work with John Coltrane and his decades-long solo career, Tyner has influenced generations of musicians (including the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir) with his genre-melding style. AV
(The Old Church, Downtown)

Days of Bowie Presents: Black Tie/White Noise - Aladdin Sane with The Christopher Brown Quartet Past Event Like List
The Christopher Brown Quartet will ring in the Thin White Duke's birthday with a performance of David Bowie’s seminal sixth album, Aladdin Sane, in its entirety. While it might seem odd that a jazz quartet would take on such an album, the cabaret-style piano in like "Aladdin Sane," "Time," and "Lady Grinning Soul" will make for a perfect match. AV
(Jack London Revue, Downtown)

SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

Disney’s The Lion King Past Event Like List
NAAAAAAAAAANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA. (Fun fact: That's Zulu for "Here comes a lion, father.") It's The Lion King!! You know the drill...the whole-ass Serengeti roars to life and Pride Rock juts out from the mist as a lion cub is revealed to the sky. It's majestic and beautiful and, in my opinion, a solid way to stampede into 2024. Director Julie Taymor's interpretation of the story has won six Tony Awards, and yes, you'll hear all the Elton John tunes your soul craves. LC
(Keller Auditorium, Downtown)

MULTI-DAY

EXHIBIT

Orcas: Our Shared Future Past Event Like List
Those who keep up on regional wildlife news are likely already aware of a dire situation in the Puget Sound, where Southern Resident Orcas are on the brink of extinction due to pollution, vessel traffic, and a dramatic decline of their primary food source, Chinook salmon. (Unsurprisingly, humans have played a central role in the animal's critically endangered state.) The orca, aka the apex predator of all oceans and an utterly majestic creature that deserves to thrive, is the central focus of Orcas: Our Shared Future. The new exhibition of over 100 Orcinus artifacts includes life-sized replicas, fossils, original artwork from Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples, and more, offering a rare opportunity to deep-dive into the animal's complex social structures, its connections to humans, and the surprising consequences of orca captivity. LC
(OMSI, Central Eastside, Tuesday-Sunday)

FILM

American Fiction Past Event Like List
If the words "incisive literary satire" perk up your ears, then boy, does director Cord Jefferson have the film for you!! In his new dramedy (an adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure), Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a novelist who's understandably aggravated by the establishment that profits from "Black" entertainment and its exhausting tropes. When Monk writes a book under a pen name, he finds himself paddling in the same phony waters he admonished in the first place. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Thursday-Sunday)

The Boy and The Heron (Subbed and Dubbed Screenings) Past Event Like List
Over the last 30 years, Studio Ghibli has become legendary for its lush visuals, emotional and affecting storytelling, and poetic, intelligent approach to nature and the more-than-human world. One of its central figures is (duh) cofounder Hayao Miyazaki, who has made some of the studio's most revered flicks (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki'sDelivery Service among them). He's also the most endearingly idiosyncratic director, like, maybe ever, and has announced, then broken, his retirement a total of four times. Never change, Miyazaki!! Anyway, if you're a Ghibli fan, you probably know all of this and are already jazzed for his first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and The Heron. It's a hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical fantasy that seems likely to fall in line with all of the reasons you love him already. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Tuesday-Thursday)

The Iron Claw Past Event Like List
In The Iron Claw, an insanely jacked Zac Efron dons a shaggy wig and a pair of tiny shorts and hits the wrestling ring. He plays one of the Von Erich brothers, a real-life inseparable clan that made waves in the early '80s professional wrestling world while navigating a family "curse" and a domineering dad. Jeremy Allen White is in it, too, so expect lots of sweaty zaddy moments, tacky costuming for the gods, heartfelt reflections on brotherhood, and a side of self-destruction. LC
(Cinema 21, Northwest Portland, Tuesday-Thursday)

Poor Things Past Event Like List
Real Lanthimos heads know that he doesn't direct anything without dystopic, black comedy underpinnings and plotlines that make audiences ponder why they're on the planet at all. He is weird, as directors should be, and you're either in or you're out. This time around, he's adapted a '92 Scottish novel for the screen, painting the picture of a young woman (played by Emma Stone, who is raven-haired and looks charmingly bananas) brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist (played by my famous dad, Willem Dafoe). Best part? Poor Things "saved" my other dad, Mark Ruffalo, from "depressed dad typecasting." Praise be. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Tuesday-Thursday)

PERFORMANCE

Ama, the Diver Past Event Like List
Extremely cool performance alert: Based on a "prehistoric" Japanese play whose origin is not precisely known, Ama, the Diver is a Noh adaptation that tells of a noble young man seeking the truth about his superhuman seaweed-diving mother. (Noh is a traditional form of Japanese dance-drama that dates back to the 14th century.) Beloved Seattle cellist Lori Goldston will perform a live score for the production, which will be directed and performed by NYC theater artists Katiana Gonçales Rangel and Jim Fletcher. LC
(Performance Works NorthWest, Foster-Powell, Saturday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

AIDS Memorial Quilt Past Event Like List
Conceived in 1985 by human rights activist Cleve Jones, the AIDS Memorial Quilt aimed to honor those who died of AIDS and document the lives of those living with the devastating impacts of the disease. Today, it's a 54-ton tapestry and a living symbol of a lost generation. "As we have recently experienced, science communication, information sharing, and awareness building are crucial in combating pandemics," says OMSI in this exhibit's promotional materials. Selected panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display at OMSI; the quilt can also be viewed in its entirety online. (Before you head to OMSI, I suggest reading Duane Puryear's powerful quilt panel.) LC
(OMSI, Central Eastside, Friday-Sunday; opening)

I am a city of bones Past Event Like List
ILY2's winter exhibition includes pieces by New York DJ/artist Juliana Huxtable, buzzy painter Pace Taylor, Mexico City-based found object master Martin Soto Climent, and several others. I am a city of bones draws from Afaa Michael Weaver's "Flux," in which the poet describes his body as a city of bones; the show "focuses on works that push into the abstractions called to mind by the use of the word 'body'" and ponders how the word is abstracted, twisted into metaphor, and/or made concrete and singular. LC
(ILY2, Pearl District, Wednesday–Saturday)

Rick Bartow: What the Crow Knows Past Event Like List
Rick Bartow, an enrolled member of the Mad River Band of Wiyot Indians, Vietnam War veteran, and leading voice in the contemporary Native American art movement, passed in 2016. Those unfamiliar with his work shouldn't miss this exhibition of his printing collaborations with Mika Aono and master printer Seiichi Hiroshima of Moon and Dog Press. Bartow's expressive, gestural style comes to life in brilliant mark-making and naturalistic storytelling. LC
(Froelick Gallery, Pearl District, Tuesday–Saturday)

Secret Room Work•Shop Pop-Up Past Event Like List
Risograph print studio and comics and art publisher Secret Room Press has joined the other lovably artsy weirdos at Lloyd Center and opened a sparkly new pop-up art gallery and print shop. The Secret Room Work•Shop home to Life on Earth: A RISO Art Show, "a RISO art show showcasing over 25 cartoonists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond," plus weekly events and workshops and a curated selection of books, cassettes, vinyl, and VHS. Drop by the next time you're headed to Floating World Comics. LC
(Lloyd Center, Lloyd District, Thursday-Sunday)

Turn Me Over: Molly Lecko Herro and Alim Ringgold Past Event Like List
Life sucks, then you die—or perhaps it's more complicated than that. Enter Molly Lecko Herro and Alim Ringgold, whose plasmatic ceramic-framed illustrations, glowy sequential imagery, dreamy sculptural vessels, and ceramic burial objects think carefully about dying, the body as a vessel, and "immaterial substances" that make both animate and inanimate bodies interesting. Consider holes, cavities, and containers—the human body kind of is one, right?—then ponder your impermanence at this show. LC
(Well Well, Kenton, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

WINTER

Woodsy Winter Village and Ice Rink Past Event Like List
A new ice skating rink and marketplace is popping up at the west end of the Morrison Bridge this holiday season! Ice skating will be open every day through January 28, costing $20 for adults and $12 for kids under 12, including skate rental. Pro tip: spend at least $20 at a central city business (peep the map to see what qualifies), bring your receipt, and get a $5 discount on your skate ticket. If you need a little help on the ice, you can pay an extra $10 for an unreasonably cute skate aid named Bobby the Seal. The marketplace will feature local vendors, food trucks, warm beverages, and a "cozy lounge" with board games and warming pods. SL
(Morrison Bridgehead, Downtown, Tuesday-Sunday)

Zoo Lights Past Event Like List
Lions, tigers, and bears will have you saying "oh my!" in childlike wonder at the Oregon Zoo's immersive holiday lights experience. Be mesmerized as you walk through tunnels of sparkling lights, take a ride on the zoo train, and enjoy treats like elephant ears and hot cocoa. SL
(Oregon Zoo, Washington Park, Friday-Sunday)