Even if the Mercury weren't hosting their annual Chili Jamboree, the weekend would still resemble a big ol' bowl heaped tall with quality food for your soul. Friday and Sunday have some tastiness to spoon up, but Saturday is the meat of the weekend, and there's a ton of stuff to dig into all around, not least of which includes metal-fueled holiday shopping parties, a local all-star tribute to College Rock's 1980s heyday, a couple well-known, well-loved comedy podcasts, An alcoholic Festivus for the rest of us, and so much more. Hit the menu below and load your plate accordingly.
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Friday, Nov 18
Lupe Fiasco, The Boy Illinois, RXMN
Over the years Chicago-based Lupe Fiasco has given us some catchy-ass hits with a powerful message. Call me corny but I really enjoy that “Old School Love” collab with Ed Sheeran, and 2011’s “Show Goes On” still feels relevant as ever. The Crystal’s bouncy floor caved in at the Rae Sremmurd show last week, but here’s hoping someone comes out and fixes that bitch in time. JENNI MOORE
9 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $27.50-50
The 4th Annual Chili Jamboree
FINALLY. It's time once again, my chili-loving brothers and sisters, for the Mercury's Chili Jamboree! We're gonna take over the White Owl Social Club with amazing chili concoctions from a dozen of Portland's greatest and most famed chefs—including Rick Gencarelli of Lardo, Carlo Lamagna of Clyde Common, and Ryan Day of Podnah's Pit! But that's not all—there'll also be plenty of beer, cocktails, and country music from the Lonesome Billies! Saturday afternoons don't get much better than this. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Noon, White Owl Social Club, $20
Water is Life
A fundraiser to help support the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, and bring light to local water protection issues, with spoken word, short documentaries, live music, speeches, and a silent auction.
6 pm, The Cleaners at Ace Hotel
Orycon 38
The state's longest-running science-fiction and fantasy convention returns for its 38th year, with special guests David Mattingly, Diana Gill, Mark Osler, and Leslie Hudson in tow, as well as the expected array of quality panels, vendors, fan tables, games, and costume contests. Visit 38.orycon.org for more information.
10 am, Marriott Downtown Waterfront
Sleigh Bells
Musicians’ use of overt femininity in pop is an unexpectedly effective tool for battling misogyny. Pop music is closely linked to girl-ness; it’s historically been used to manipulate young women into submitting to capitalism by demeaning their interest in the genre and labeling it cute and kitschy, which undermines its value as art. Sleigh Bells wields this ownership of femininity with strength, taking the core, recognizable components of pop and then warping them with noise and screams. Lead singer Alexis Krauss’ vocals tie up each track with a pretty pink bow, evoking Grimes and Britney Spears while also conveying guttural states of anguish. The band’s newest single gives Krauss room to expand on her conventionally impressive range, but in doing so loses much of the avant-garde appeal that hooked listeners six years ago. EMMA BURKE
9 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $25, all ages
Agent Orange
In recent years, many seminal punk and hardcore bands from the early ’80s have felt impelled to “reunite,” often with only one original member. Southern California’s Agent Orange is no different. The band, led by Mike Palm on vocals and guitar, released its debut, Living in Darkness, in 1981, featuring the now-classic punk anthem “Bloodstains.” As the first punk band to incorporate surf-rock elements, Agent Orange showed promise in what was a very large and fertile field of California punk. But multiple lineup changes and a dearth of recorded output consigned the band to compilation discs and video game soundtracks, while its last full-length album, 1996’s Virtually Indestructible, was virtually indistinguishable from most other ’90s power-punk bands. Palm continues to lead Agent Orange, but there’s no denying the group’s limited appeal as a nostalgia act for aging punks just waiting for the opportunity to sing along to “Bloodstains” one more time. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
9 pm, Dante's, $12
Amos Lee
Amos Lee's 2011 LP, Mission Bell, signaled the maturation of an artist who'd for some reason or another been relegated to the easy-listening set. While maintaining roots planted in a tradition of honest blues and folk, Lee's tendency to eschew much experimentation was given a sound makeover with Mission Bell, thanks in no small part to producer Joey Burns of Calexico. Since then, Lee's output has continued to expand, splicing his heartfelt acoustic ballads with denser arrangements and more dramatic movements. RYAN J. PRADO
8 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $39.50-52.50, all ages
Sales, Tangerine, Calm Candy
SALES has built steady buzz over the last couple of years with a series of small lo-fi releases, culminating in this year’s self-titled and self-released debut full-length. Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih’s stripped-down arrangements layer drum loops and ambient electronics beneath the sort of restrained electric guitar work that would otherwise place them alongside bedroom-auteur peers like Frankie Cosmos and R.L. Kelly. The effect is endearing, if somewhat precious, but the Orlando laptop-pop duo manages to toe that line with assurance: Song titles like “Pope Is a Rockstar” and “Sorry Bro” suggest a band willing to embrace the goofy awkwardness of their aesthetic, and there’s even a post-ironic shout-out track at the end of the record for anyone who somehow missed the preceding 40-odd self-aware minutes. There’s nothing forced; the shtick is as unassuming as Morgan’s melodies, catchy if you let them sink in, and Shih’s beats, danceable if you feel like it. NATHAN TUCKER
9 pm, Missisisppi Studios, $13-15
The Way Up
You can find DJ Solo (originally from Accra, Ghana) burning up dance floors at first Thursdays at Fifth Avenue Lounge and first Saturdays at Local Lounge with his signature blend of current and throwback dancehall, hip-hop, Afrobeat, and Top 40 remixes. His nights bring in a diverse crowd looking to get sweaty and stretch out their hips dancing to globally minded pop music with a tropical feel. For The Way Up Afro/Caribbean Dance Party he’s teaming up with veteran DJ Freaky Outty, who’s behind events like SNAP!, Body Party, and 50: A Possible History of Dance Music. With their combined reservoirs of heaters, the duo will bring a worldly perspective to Holocene’s Wednesday lineup with a spirited mix of dancehall, soca, Afrobeat, reggae, reggaeton, and all manner of international club music. It’ll be a polyrhythmic and Caribbean-tinged departure, so come prepared to give up those gray days for a moment and add some sunshine to your night. DANIELA SERNA
9 pm, Holocene, $10
Saturday, Nov 19
Portland Night Market
Thousands of Portlanders will flock this weekend to the old Produce Row warehouse in the Industrial District for the final Portland Night Market of the year. Take a friend and browse through the 175 vendors that will be there— it’s a perfect spot to both grab some food and drinks while picking up something cool and local to give to someone you like for Christmas. DOUG BROWN
4 pm, 100 SE Alder, free, all ages
Cockeye, Magic Mansion, Creature to Creature
Portland’s Cockeye plays vicious, thrashing queercore punk that sounds like it could shatter glass. The duo released their four-track debut EP, Gold Star, at the beginning of 2016. Admission to tonight’s show is free with a sealed box of tampons or pads—all proceeds will be donated to the Bradley Angle women’s shelter. CIARA DOLANRead our story on Cockeye.
8 pm, Black Water Bar, $5, all ages
Welcome to the Neighborhood Live
XRAY FM’s friendly and informative Welcome to the Neighborhood show, hosted by DJ Klyph, is having its first-ever live remote broadcast! After the interview segment there will be a live show spotlighting a new locally-based hip-hop collaboration: These? Blacks. Comprised of New Orleans-born beat-maker DaiN, hardworking lyricist Jon Belz, and rapper/producer Theory Hazit, the group will get a dually stacked introduction to the scene. Word on the Twitter streets is there will also be giveaways and a special guest appearance. JENNI MOORE.
8 pm, The Fixin' To, $5
Doug Loves Movies
Do you live inside the Venn diagram between cinema lovers and stoner-comedy aficionados? Well, have I got the live podcast taping for you! Beloved stand-up comic Doug Benson’s podcast Doug Loves Movies is coming to town. It’s great news for anyone who owned VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever as a child and now enjoys watching bad movies while stoned. That’s all of us, right? See you there! MEGAN BURBANK
4:20 pm (hurr hurrr), Helium Comedy Club, $22
Cherry Festivus
A delicious drinkable holiday for the rest of us! Bazi Bierbrasserie hosts this celebration of cherry beers and ciders, with chocolate pairings to accompany your tastings of rare and one-off brews.
3 pm, Bazi Bierbrasserie, $20-30
Johnny Marr, Fred Armisen
Legendary Smiths guitarist (and one-time Portland resident) Johnny Marr reads from his long-awaited memoir, Set the Boy Free. Marr will be joined in conversation by disgraced Portlandia star Fred Armisen.
4 pm, Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
Cash'd Out, The Delta Bombers
One of the West Coast's better known Johnny Cash tributes brings their show to the Mississippi Studios stage.
7:30 pm, Mississippi Studios, $16.50-20
Dirty Fences, Danava, Mean Jeans, Andy Place & the Coolheads
NYC-hailing garage rock outfit Dirty Fences make the trip out west to round out a stacked farewell show at the Know that also includes local heavy hitters Danava, Mean Jeans, and Andy Place & the Coolheads.
8 pm, The Know
Raffi
As a child, my younger sister listened to Raffi so goddamn much that “Baby Beluga” is still burning in my ears. Overexposure drove me to maniacally create my own version, setting the Canadian Egyptian singer/songwriter’s lyrics to the melody of Dobie Gray’s rendition of “Drift Away.” It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, yet impressed no one, least of all my parents. Raffi is now coming to Portland, and both of his shows are sold out—likely because he is a lovely and talented man who has dedicated his life to honoring children through goofy, playful music. If Gray (himself an iconic soul/R&B singer) hadn’t passed away in 2011, I’d still be dreaming of a Raffi-Gray co-headlining tour. CIARA DOLAN
1 pm, 4 pm, Aladdin Theater
Back Fence PDX: Snooping Around
Portland's best-known live storytelling series returns with true tales from five great storytellers.
8 pm, Alberta Rose Theatre, $16-24
Off!, Plague Vendor, Worws
Leave it to the old dudes in Off! to keep doing punk the right way. The SoCal supergroup, which formed in 2009 out of nowhere, keeps ripping across America and beyond, making barebones hardcore and playing as though time has stood still. These lifers’ breakneck songs—which usually clock in at under two minutes—nod to their former bands (Redd Kross, Black Flag) and are a testament to the idea that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s no surprise that Plague Vendor would join Off! on the bill. Although the band takes a slightly more nuanced approach to punk rock, the results are equally potent. As with Off!, Plague Vendor’s songs rarely pass the two-minute mark, but they dynamically hit on garage rock’s unbridled rawness and the more ominous mood of new wave and post punk. With both bands firing off two-minute ragers, it’ll be hard to catch your breath. MARK LORE
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre
Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts, Awkward Energy, Break Up Flowers, Shelley Short
What can’t Jeffrey Lewis do? He’s the world’s leading authority on Watchmen, a noted comic book artist, and a brilliant (anti-) folk singer and lyricist. Tonight he’ll be backed by Los Bolts, performing songs from their latest, Manhattan. (Juggling. I bet he’s absolutely terrible at juggling.)
8 pm, The Analog Cafe & Little Theater, $10
Cranksgiving 2016
The fourth annual treasure hunt food drive hits Portland, with teams of 2-5 riders going store to store to fill out their assigned lists to help Outside In provide services for homeless youth.
1 pm, Velo Cult
Sunday, Nov 20
Colin Mochrie and Friends
The United States has lost its dignity, so we urge to you applaud Canadians. Start tonight, when improv comedy legend Colin Mochrie takes Revolution Hall by storm, with a hand-picked array of local improv specialists offering support. You’ve been watching this dude for years. You know it’ll be good. Plus: the Canadian thing.
7:30 pm, Revolution Hall, $30-35, all ages
Wild Arts Festival
A benefit for the Audubon Society of Oregon, featuring a silent auction, original bird-themed art from Northwest artists, an opportunity to meet highly acclaimed authors, and more.
11 am, Montgomery Park, $8
From Smiths to Smithereens: A Tribute to '80s College Rock
“College rock” as a category of alternative music might seem like a misnomer in 2016—campus stations these days are mainly shriveled appendages of the grandstanding blogosphere, more than happy to peddle acts who are already thoroughly established—but in its ’80s pre-internet heyday, college radio provided a real alternative to the barren mainstream airwaves (which is perhaps proof that an artistic countermovement can only be meaningful when the prevailing artistic culture is totally fucking vapid). Tonight’s two shows feature a handful of great and diverse Portland acts paying tribute to alternative rock’s forebears: heavyweights like the Smiths and the Smithereens (obviously), but hopefully also underrated icons of the era like the dBs, Let’s Active, and XTC. Tonight’s two shows are also benefits for p:ear, an organization that pledges to form relationships with homeless and transitional youth through art and education. MORGAN TROPER
8:30 pm, Doug Fir, $12-15
Aan, Minden, Kelli Schaefer
Aan’s 2014 debut Amor Ad Nauseum was a long time coming, released eight years after guitarist/vocalist Bud Wilson first started self-recording songs under the name after a previous band’s demise. Not quite two years later, Aan is back with a follow-up, Dada Distractions, out this week on Party Damage Records. There are probably a number of reasons for the quick turnaround, but one thing’s for sure: Wilson has had no shortage of personal hardship to fuel his writing. In 2015 alone, the guy had two close friends die, a six-year relationship end, and some bandmates move on from Aan. On Dada Distractions, Wilson’s songs soar and skitter with unconventional grace, a restless union of prickly pop-rock, weirdo rhythms, and psychic pain dipped in acid and left to sparkle in the sun. The results are beautiful and slightly disorienting. BEN SALMON
9 pm, Rontoms, free
Black Sunday: Gifts & Riffs
There’s nothing more terrible than Christmas music. Nothing. During the equally unbearable shopping season, this cheesy hokum is virtually inescapable. The wretched clangor of sleigh bells and holiday melodies is guaranteed to pipe into your helpless ears no matter what mall, shop, or restaurant you visit. If selling your soul to corporate consumerism while being force-fed musical “joy” is not your bag, then the second annual Black Sunday: Gifts and Riffs will probably fall in line with your “Bah Humbug!” attitude. Peruse 30 vendors’ worth of handmade goods while being leveled by local acts Shrine of the Serpent, Hungers, and Nightfell. Doom/death factions Shrine of the Serpent and Nightfell are the antithesis of cheer. Both bands’ crawling pace and riffs give songs girth, and their dark, depressive vibes will serve to wash away the terrible feeling you get after hearing “Jingle Bells” for the millionth freakin’ time. Shrine of the Serpent is fairly new on the scene, and Nightfell rarely offers up live performances, so seize the opportunity to get some “Frosty the Snowman”-free shopping done, and hear some tectonic plate-shifting tunes. ARIS HUNTER WALES
2 pm, Eagles Lodge (F.O.E. #3256), $4-7
MNDSGN, Swarvy, Survival Skills, Philip Grass
Vocally delicate and rhythmically dense, LA producer Ringgo Ancheta creates tracks that go right to the brain’s pleasure center, feeding both id and ego with glowing soul radiation. Using the moniker Mndsgn and armed with dusty drum machines, endless caches of rubbery bass lines, and a shimmering chord palette, Ancheta probes for the meaning of life while easing sultry rhythms into your ears at caramel-like BPMs. Sensationalism aside, Mndsgn’s output is further evidence that Los Angeles is at the nexus of the new hip-hop/R&B avant-garde. It’s no surprise that Stones Throw Records is nearby to shine a nurturing light on the vibrant local beat-making scene he sprouted from. On his newest LP, Body Wash, Mndsgn’s mastery of futuristic nostalgia and throbbing positivity is on full display, touched with just enough psychedelia to transport listeners to the grooviest of realms. CHRIS SUTTON
9 pm, Holocene, $12-15
The Smartest Man in the Room
Greg Proops is the smartest man in the world... well, at least according to the name of his popular podcast. The witty, irreverent stand-up thematically darts between topics like the literal genius of Hedy Lamarr to San Fran's most famous stripper Carol Doda, and Martians to Michael Crichton. Hang on! It's going to be a funny ride. COURTNEY FERGUSON
7 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $20
Fall Bizarre
Alberta Street Pub hosts an afternoon bazaar with an array of of local artists selling their works, live music, and craft beer samples from local breweries. Vendors include MotoKitty, TotesMagoats, The Lovely Rustic Jewlery, RaisingTwoJays, Lodestar Goods, Hustle & Sew, TMFT, Red Star Art, Jason Traeger Art, and more. Entry is free with a suggestion donation of toiletries to The Rahab Sister's.
3 pm, Alberta Street Pub, free
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!