Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 8:30 – 10pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 8 – 10pm

Repertoire
Mason Bates: The Rise of Exotic Computing (2013)
Corey Chang: What’s Next? (2024, premiere)*
Sean Shepherd: Simple Machines (2024)

*New Music Ensemble Commission

More info: events.iu.edu…

Musical Arts Center
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 7:30 – 9:30pm

Premiering just last year, Jacobs faculty choreographer Sasha Janes’ updated, stereotype- shattering version of this most popular ballet tells the story from the perspective of curious young Marie.

With the help of her Aunt Drosselmeyer, Marie learns to unleash the power of her imagination to take the audience with her on a wild adventure.

This fresh take on a fantastical story still features the incomparable score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

“It was hands down the most magical version of The Nutcracker I have ever seen.” – Pointe Magazine 2023 Readers’ Choice

Cost: $25-$45
Ticket Web Link: operaballet.indiana.edu…
More info: operaballet.indiana.edu…

Gayle Karch Cook Center Grand Hall, Maxwell Hall
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 7:30 – 9pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 8 – 10pm

Violinist James Ehnes is professor of practice in violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A Grammy Award winner, Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage as a concert soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

One of the most sought-after soloists and chamber music collaborators of his generation, Orion Weiss is widely regarded as a “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) with “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post). He has dazzled audiences with his passionate, lush sound and performed with dozens of orchestras in North America including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 5 – 6:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 8 – 10pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Boys and Girls Club
311 S Lincoln st.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 11am – 2pm

This event is for our neighbors that are unhoused, or at risk of becoming unhoused. There will be over 20 tablers that provide assistance in some way to the unhoused community. There will be big raffle items and supplies to stay warm outside this winter!

Presenter: Kaley Smith
Contact: 8126182715
Cost: free!
More info: www.facebook.com…

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Friday, November 29, 2024, 5 – 9pm

Join the BSO for a treasured tradition as we celebrate the holiday season with two concerts. Our 5pm early show is perfect for families with small children, and finishes just in time for you to watch the City’s Canopy of Lights. The second, slightly longer 8pm program will top off your evening with a festive mix of holiday music from around the world. With a new “elf” leading us as Music Director, you can expect a fresh treat or two!

More details at bloomingtonsymphony.com/cts2024

Doors open 30 minutes before each performance.

Presenter: Bloomington Symphony Orchestra
Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: $16 - $29
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

217 N 7th St, Mitchell, IN 47446
Saturday, November 23, 2024, 7 – 9pm

Mitchell Opera House will have Sounds of Summer performing on November 23rd at 7pm. Doors will open at 6:15pm. We ask guests to not bring any outdoor food or drinks. Seating is first come, first serve.

Presenter: Mitchell Opera House
Contact: Opera House Manager Gary Rayhill
Cost: $30 for Adults $15 for kids under 12
Ticket Web Link: www.eventbrite.com…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: www.mitchelloperahouse.com

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 8 – 10pm

Pianist Paul Lewis is internationally regarded as one of the leading musicians of his generation. His cycles of core piano works by Beethoven and Schubert have received unanimous critical and public acclaim worldwide and consolidated his reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 – 6:30pm

Ik-Hwan Bae was professor of music in violin and chamber music at the IU Jacobs School of Music from 1999 until his passing in 2014. He was born in Seoul, Korea, and made his professional debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at age 12. He studied with Ivan Galamian at The Juilliard School and was busily engaged in concertizing and teaching throughout his career.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 N. Fee Lane
Bloomington, IN 47408
Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 7 – 8pm

SING FOR JOY is a performance based community choir that welcomes all singers including the other-abled, and those living with dementia. This concert highlights the music of the 1960's. The choir will be supported by rock band musicians, feature soloists, and small groups. There will be a guest appearance by the Quarryland Men's Chorus.

Presenter: SING FOR JOY! Choir
Contact: Sandra Freund
Cost: Free
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County
More info: www.facebook.com…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8:30 – 10pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 8:30 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 8 – 9:30pm

For Şirin Pancaroğlu, praised by The Washington Post as a “major talent of international caliber,” discovering a variety of musical identities for the harp is a central endeavor. Trained as a classical harpist at the Geneva Conservatory and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, she is as active in the realms of Turkish music, improvisation, contemporary music, tango, and semi-staged performances as she is in mainstream harp repertoire.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Monday, November 11, 2024, 7:30 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 8:30 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 8 – 10pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Recital Hall, Merrill Hall
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 7 – 8pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4 – 6pm

An Afternoon Salon

More info: events.iu.edu…

Metz Carillon, Arboretum Gazebo
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4 – 5pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Recital Hall, Merrill Hall
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3 – 4:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3 – 4pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 2 – 3:15pm

Peter Ellefson is professor of music in trombone at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he was previously chair of the Brass Department.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 1 – 2pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 11am – 12pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Allee Willis was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan. Allee Willis was a truly fascinating, wildly-creative artist who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes. She was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan. Allee Willis: creative force behind the Friends TV Show Theme, Dangerous Woman to Soviet newspapers Allee Willis: Creative Force, Dangerous Woman, Queer Songwriter Behind Friends' Theme Further Proof That Friends Is Queer-Coded by Melissa Locker

Whether you watched the show or not, you can probably hum the theme song to Friends. Do you know who wrote it for the Rembrandts? And "September"—the Mercury's second favorite song—do you know who co-wrote that with Earth Wind and Fire's Maurice White?

Not to sound like a weird TV pitchman, but what if I told you they were written with the same person. Specifically,  Allee Willis—who was once dubbed “the most dangerous woman in the world” by Pravda, the the official newspaper of the prelapsarian Soviet Union.  

Willis is the star of a new documentary, The World According to Allee Willis, which celebrates its Oregon premiere at the QDoc Film Festival on November 16. The doc is worth your time to burnish your bar trivia skills, but also because Willis was a truly fascinating, wildly-creative artist who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes. She was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan.

Willis had insisted on documenting her life, since 1978, long before reality TV was a thing, so there's plenty of her archival video found in the film. "I've always known that my final art piece would be someone putting together the trail I've left behind," she says in one clip. 

In 2019, Willis died at age 72, and director Alexis Manya Spraic became responsible for following that trail. Spraic intersperses the footage with a cavalcade of famous faces—Paul Reubens, Lily Tomlin, Cyndi Lauper, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig, Sex and the City director Michael Patrick King, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, as well as—somewhat inexplicably—billionaire Mark Cuban. Their interviews confirm that Willis really was a Hollywood power player, even if you don’t know her name.

Raised in Detroit as Alta Willis, the artist admits that growing up in the shadow of Motown influenced her work. She also did a stint in New York where she wrote her one and only album, Childstar, which had “great reviews and zero sales.” Eventually Willis moved to California because “if she was going to starve to death, she was going to do it in the sun.” ["Not me!" -Portland creatives.]

Willis lived on welfare in that sun, until "Godmother of Soul" Patti LaBelle heard her music, and kickstarted Willis’ songwriting career. Then came Earth Wind & Fire and “September,” the track that made Willis a songwriting star.

"Allee said she was lucky to meet us. We were lucky to meet her, too,” the group's bassist Verdine White says in the film. “That was life-changing for all of us.”

Earth Wind & Fire followed the success of "September" by co-writing another hit “Boogie Wonderland” with Willis, helping her become the music industry’s go-to “rock doc” who could fix up a song and turn it into a hit. 

In addition to being a wildly successful songwriter, Willis was also an art director and set designer, creating the backdrops for Debbie Harry music videos, among others. She continued to collaborate on songs, behind the scenes, and won both a Grammy and a Tony for her work on the musical The Color Purple.  The Friends theme was nominated for an Emmy, but didn't win.

While Willis was able to find professional success, that never quite translated into financial solvency. She also faced challenges in her private life—partially because she was queer at a time when it was extremely difficult to be open and out. She struggled with loneliness for much of her life, Lauper says during one of the film's interviews.

Willis did eventually find love, and then had to contend with the near-universal struggle of balancing work, creativity, and her personal life. When you’re looking at The World According to Allee Willis, it's a wild,  wonderful, and sometimes painful view, but well worth watching.

The World According to Allee Willis screens as part of QDoc Film Festival at Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Sat Nov 16, 4:30 pm, $12, tickets here. Some streaming starting Nov 22. Visit alleewillisdoc.com for more.

Portland’s City Council races are still being tallied, but preliminary results have held firm since Tuesday night. by Taylor Griggs

Multnomah County has released its second round of preliminary results for the Portland mayor and City Council races, adding roughly 47,000 more citywide votes to the election night count. The results are essentially the same as Tuesday’s report, with all leading candidates maintaining their standing from the county’s election night tally. 

Still, the county hasn’t counted all the ballots it’s received—and more ballots are still in the mail—so it’s possible that a larger shift could occur in city races. According to a Multnomah County press release, the county’s Elections Division received a single-day-record number of ballots on Election Day, with voters submitting 132,436 ballots on Tuesday alone. The county has received a total of about 420,000 ballots so far, and is projecting overall turnout will reach 75 percent once it receives all ballots. 

Mayor’s race

Right now, Keith Wilson is sitting at a comfortable lead in the mayoral race, having received about 62 percent of the vote after Wednesday’s final round of elimination in the ranked choice voting (RCV) tally. He maintained a roughly 24 percent lead over Carmen Rubio, who is currently coming in second place in the mayor’s race. According to voting data, Wilson nabbed the number one spot on 35 percent of ballots counted so far. Rubio and Rene Gonzelez were ranked number one by 21 and 19 percent of voters, respectively. 

The latest results were enough for the Oregonian to call the mayor’s race for Wilson, writing there is “no plausible path for Rubio to overcome [Wilson’s] dominating lead.” 

Following the county releasing its second round of preliminary results, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler congratulated Wilson on social media, calling him the city’s “mayor-elect.” 

“Portland’s future is bright and I am committed to supporting you as you transition into your role leading this incredible organization,” Wheeler wrote. “Can’t wait to roll up our sleeves together with the newly elected city council.”

District 1

District 1’s leading candidates are Candace Avalos, Loretta Smith, and Jamie Dunphy. District 1, which includes all of East Portland, has historically seen lower voter turnout than the city at large. So far, about 29,100 votes have been counted in District 1—substantially lower than the number of votes tallied in other districts, despite roughly equal population. 

District 2

In District 2, which includes North and most of Northeast Portland, about 53,700 votes have been counted so far. The leading candidates in this district are current Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, and Sameer Kanal. If their positions hold, Ryan will be the only person currently on Portland City Council to have a spot in City Hall come 2025, despite three of his colleagues running for mayor. 

District 3

Leading District 3—where the county has tallied about 60,200 votes so far—are former Portland Commissioner Steve Novick, Tiffany Koyama Lane, and Angelita Morillo. Novick’s spot on the future City Council is all but certain, considering he reached the 25 percent threshold on the first round of RCV eliminations. Koyama Lane and Morillo also appear to solidly positioned to represent the district that encompasses most of Southeast Portland west of Interstate 205. The candidate currently coming in fourth place, Kezia Wanner, only nabbed 13 percent of the total vote by the last round of eliminations. 

District 4

Olivia Clark, Mitch Green, and Eric Zimmerman are ahead in District 4, which includes Portland’s entire west side, including downtown, plus neighborhoods in inner Southeast Portland including Sellwood. About 56,600 votes have been counted in District 4 so far. Like Novick, Clark secured more than 25 percent of the vote in the first RCV round, all but securing a Council seat. 

The next RCV results are expected by 6 pm Thursday. By then, about 80 percent of the vote should be counted, spelling out an even more certain picture of what the future City Council will look like. 

Multnomah County Board of Commissioners

Meanwhile, Meghan Moyer and Shannon Singleton have won their seats in the races for seats on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. In District 1, Moyer beat her opponent Vadim Mozyrsky, by nearly 20 points. Singleton has been elected to a spot in the county’s District 2, beating former Portland Mayor Sam Adams by more than 10 percent.

by Taylor Griggs

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

Good morning, Portland. I need to keep it real with you—I'm not doing too hot on an emotional level. I know I'm not alone in that feeling. But it's going to be 60 degrees and sunny out today (ahead of cold and rain for days to come) so I recommend going outside, taking a walk, trying to breathe. Now, am I going to do that? HELL NO! Just as your elementary school teachers lived in the school, I live in the computer and I cannot get out, even when it would serve me and others to do so. Okay, fine—I will try to take a short walk today. But you have to, too. I'm going to stop talking to myself now because I know what you came here for was the NEWS, not little platitudes about self-care. But, I mean, we should take care of ourselves. 

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• THE SECOND ROUND OF CITY COUNCIL RESULTS ARE IN...and nothing has changed. Well, okay, the candidates who were leading on election night are still in good positions to win, though Multnomah County has more than 100,000 ballots left to count (and more are likely en route to the Elections Office).

Right now, it's looking like there's going to be a pretty solid progressive majority on City Council, with candidates Tiffany Koyama Lane and Mitch Green (both endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America) in good positions to win a seat. Other notable progressive candidates in the top three of their districts include Candace Avalos (D1), Sameer Kanal (D2), and Angelita Morillo (D3). This evening's drop should bring a bit more certainty, but there's good reason for optimism.

Business poured a ton of money into these races and money was unable to compete with community, a strong ground game, and the literal power of love and friendship (yes I’m talking about me and Tiffany ????)

— Angelita for PDX (@pnwpolicyangel) November 7, 2024

BUT! I buried the lede here, because we do know one thing: Keith Wilson is going to be Portland's next mayor. Current Mayor Ted Wheeler posted his congratulations on social media, and mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez said he conceded the race. We ranked Wilson second on our list of endorsements, and his win is a pretty resounding disapproval of our current City Council members, three of whom ran mayoral campaigns of their own. Also...our city sure has a type. 

• Commissioners Rene Gonzelez, Mingus Mapps, and Dan Ryan have dropped their controversial, expensive plan to terminate the city's homeless services agreement with Multnomah County. Why? Well, as much as I'd like to think common sense prevailed, it seems more likely that Gonzalez and Mapps are just not in the mood for political stunts following their poor showing in Tuesday's mayoral election. The trio pulled the agenda item to consider terminating the joint homeless response agreement a little more than 24 hours before it was set to be considered by Council today.

And folks, this is a win! Terminating the Homelessness Response Services Intergovernmental Agreement between the city of Portland and Multnomah County would've cost about $40 million in cold hard cash and even more in wasted energy and political capital. Plus, with the intergovernmental agreement dissolution off the table, it's official: Gonzalez really did not do ANYTHING during his short time in Portland City Hall. (And I feel confident saying he will not be productive in his lame duck period.) No matter what happens with the new City Council, it's only uphill from here.  

Last night was a repudiation of this kind of politics. Good to pull it as 2/3 of its sponsors will not even be on the next council. I'm calling on council to also pull the Clean and Safe ESD vote from next week's agenda. Let the next council take that up. https://t.co/I0e6DXbDCB

— Mitch Green for Portland City Council, District 4 (@mitch4portland) November 6, 2024

• If you're looking for some non-election related news, our Corbin Smith has you covered with a wonderful recap and stunning photos from the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Global Championship this past weekend, where Portland's roller derby squad won the day. Smith says the roller derby championship was "sports. Major sports." So READ ALL ABOUT IT RIGHT HERE. 

• There's really not much local news available right now that's not related to the election (which is fair and good and obviously important but I figure you guys might want to read about something else for a second of your day). But there is this: Intel is bringing back free coffee and tea for employees. This was an employee benefit it slashed during budget cuts last summer, but in an attempt to improve employee morale, it's back. The chipmaker is currently doing layoffs at its Oregon facility and has cut other, more important employee benefits that will likely not return, but I guess a cost-benefit analysis showed saving money on coffee wasn't worth the fight. If Mike Rogoway at the Oregonian deems it important, who am I to disagree? (That wasn't sarcasm, Rogoway's a great reporter.) 

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: 

• The country is reacting to the news of a second Trump presidency, and there are obviously some different takes. I took note of a few notable perspectives during the rare moments when I was able to make the outrageously difficult effort to lift my head from my pillow yesterday. Senator Bernie Sanders (of "Bernie would've won" fame) probably said it best, IMO.

Sanders wrote in a statement yesterday that "It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change." He also acknowledged the futility of asking the "big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party" to "learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign."

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Bernie Sanders (@berniesanders)

"Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful Oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not," Sanders wrote. 

DAMN. That's harsh but real. I hope others will join Bernie in calling on the Democratic Party to meet the moment instead of handing their ass to the increasingly fascistic Republicans. I do believe the election results also need to fall on the MAGA fools who have sold their soul to the devil in exchange for the promise of cheaper gas, but we aren't going to win by further alienating the working class. The Democrats better start bringing something to the table, or it'll be even more Joever than it is right now. 

• Among the MANY deep concerns I have about Trump's reelection, the climate crisis ranks at the top. Trump is a known climate denier and has stated his desire to boost oil production, get rid of subsidies for electric cars, and overall do a bunch of damage to any small amount of progress we've been able to make on the climate crisis in the last four years. So I'm freaking out, because this issue isn't exactly something we have time to fuck around on. 

Something that made me feel a bit better: Clean energy analysts and activists say though a second Trump administration will make it harder to transition to renewable and clean energy, it won't make it impossible. The market has already embraced clean energy for its financial benefits and the economic devastation that climate change is and will continue to cause. And that's not changing. (Obviously, the free market is not going to solve the climate crisis, but that reality would remain the same under any capitalist president.) 

Also, there are a lot of climate activists and scientists and lawyers who are a lot smarter than I am and already planning their resistance to Trump's inevitably horrible policies. If you, too, are deeply worried about climate action under Trump, consider supporting or joining an environmental organization or law group. Also, ride your bike more. Even if it won't solve the climate crisis on its own, it'll make you feel a little better. 

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by NRDC (@nrdc_org)

Now, topic change needed for my sanity. Sorry.

• A federal labor judge ruled Amazon workers in Alabama should get a third chance to vote on unionizing. The first time warehouse workers at a facility in Bessemer voted about unionizing in 2021, they voted no, but labor officials ruled that Amazon influenced the vote and the result shouldn't be expected. Workers voted again in 2022, but the election was too close to call and has remained in limbo. Now, a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge has ordered a third election. But Amazon, AKA Union Busters R US, will surely contest the decision and continue to stomp union activity wherever it can. And under a Trump NLBR...ugh. The doom is creeping in. Sorry. Just here to report the news. 

• There's a major wildfire in Southern California, just northwest of Los Angeles, prompting evacuation orders for more than 10,000 people. Powerful winds are fanning the flames and the fire has already destroyed dozens of homes and blanketed neighborhoods in smoke. Hoping for more favorable fire-fighting conditions soon.

• Finally, there's this. Happy Thursday. TTYL.

Many people will continue struggling to come to terms with the election results, but there’s still a lot you can do:

1) Be irritable at work
2) Withdraw from people who love you/need you
3) Make an impulsive and self destructive major life decision

— Noah Garfinkel (@NoahGarfinkel) November 6, 2024

by Wm. Steven Humphrey

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Reverend Horton Heat on February 27 at Crystal Ballroom!

Seeing REVEREND HORTON HEAT live is a transformative experience. Flames come off the guitars. Heat singes your skin. There’s nothing like the primal tribal rock & roll transfiguration of a Reverend Horton Heat show. Get your tickets now, or enter to win here!

Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Thurs Feb 27, 8 pm, $35-$50, all ages

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Des Demonas on November 17 at Polaris Hall!

A favorite of Henry Rollins and Iggy Pop, Washington, DC’s DES DEMONAS blend post punk, funk, blues, psych rock, Afro beat, and more into their own unique sound — listen LIVE when they share new tunes from their highly-anticipated sophomore LP, APOCALYPTIC BOOM! BOOM! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth Ct, Sun Nov 17, 8 pm, $15, 21+

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Karina Rykman on November 15 at Mississippi Studios!

She’s opened for Khruangbin, performed on America’s Got Talent, soundchecked with Phish at MSG, and much more — catch dynamic jam rock bassist Karina Rykman LIVE when she returns to Portland! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Fri Nov 15, 9 pm, $20, 21+

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Mason Jennings on November 16 at Mississippi Studios!

Hawai’i-born, Minneapolis-based folksinger Mason Jennings returns to Mississippi Studios with tunes from his latest record, Holy Dive, and beyond! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Sat Nov 16, 8 pm, $30, 21+

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see The Bygones on November 17 at Aladdin Theater!

Luminous indie folk duo The Bygones share nostalgic songwriting from their debut, self-titled release! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Sun Nov 17, 8 pm, $25, all ages

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Sam Grisman Project on November 16 at Aladdin Theater!

A longtime Dawg Trio member with his father David Grisman, Bay Area bass player Sam Grisman upholds the legacy of Dawg music with his new musical project. Don’t miss their return to Portland! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Sat Nov 16, 8 pm, $32.50, all ages

GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday. Check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!

by Wm. Steven Humphrey

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! ????

Who's had a busy weekend of actively IGNORING all the spectacularly bad takes following last week's election? Wow, these so-called Democrats are the only people I know who, instead of blaming the actual people involved, love kicking each other in the scrabble bag when they're disappointed. Even worse, a few of these bad actors are saying we should have capitulated to the white supremacists and the hateful half of the country that voted for Trump... as if that would have somehow changed the outcome? LOL! Make a note, friends... despite the fact that a sizable part of the nation is in thrall of a convicted felon/cult leader, we should NEVER water down our ethics or sense of justice to appease people who want the rest of us (and especially marginalized communities) to stop existing. If you absolutely must blame someone, try focusing your ire on those who refuse to properly educate themselves and have lost their moral compass. Our pathway is UP—the rest of 'em can either keep up or get the fuck out of the way. 

And that's your Monday Morning Mini-Rant™—now, let's look at some NEWS!

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Local election update! Now that only a very few votes (4,000 as of Saturday) are left to be counted, I think it's safe to say "OH, HELLO THERE!" to our newest incoming mayor, Keith Wilson, and our new city council, which is as follows: District 1: Candace Avalos, Loretta Smith, and (probably) Jamie Dunphy (waiting for the final count to clarify that one); District 2: Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Sameer Kanal, and current City Commissioner Dan Ryan ????; District 3: Steve Novick, Tiffany Koyama Lane, and Angelita Morillo; and District 4: Olivia Clark, Mitch Green, and most likely Eric Zimmerman... or possibly cop Eli Arnold (neither are great). In any case, that right there is a majority progressive council, with a few Portland Business Alliance puppets thrown in—which in theory should make the ever-conniving big business/realtor community happy, but rest assured they'll be pulling some anti-democratic shenanigans before you know it. Keep an eye on 'em! ????

Portland: Our new mayor Keith Wilson shows encouraging signs on transportation, above all his obsession with observation and data. Good profile by Jonathan Maus at Bike Portland.

bikeportland.org/2024/11/07/p...

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— Jarrett Walker (@humantransit.bsky.social) November 10, 2024 at 12:56 PM

• In other good election news, in the hotly contested (and way too close) Oregon's 5th Congressional District race, Democrat Janelle Bynum scored a win over Republican incumbent Lori Chavez DeRemer, flipping the US House seat from red to blue! While there is currently a narrow path to victory for House Democrats, it's still very tight—so at this moment, every Democrat win counts. (And in case you missed it, in Washington state, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is the presumptive winner in the 3rd Congressional District, beating out dipshit MAGA candidate Joe Kent.)

• In the first baller move of his administration, mayor-elect Keith Wilson allegedly pressured current city commissioners Rene Gonzalez, Mingus Mapps, and Dan Ryan into dropping their theatrical stunt to end Portland's homelessness services agreement with Multnomah County. As our Courtney Vaughn reported, the three crybaby candidates were threatening to end the deal with the county, even though it would cost the city $40 million to do so. But according to Ryan—who is now furiously backpedaling on his bonehead decision—Wilson called the trio, and "made it clear that he would like us to take that off the table.... So out of respect for the new mayor, it just was good manners." HAAAAAAAAA! Right. Or maybe it was that Gonzalez and Mapps' run for mayor just blew up in their faces, and Ryan was left alone in the wilderness holding this particular bag of shit. In any case, an absolutely embarrassing way to end their obstructive, but mostly useless term—and I am here for it! ????

• The Portland Trail Blazers suffered an absolutely crushing defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies last night... 134-89? OUCH. Terrible shooting, poor defense, and a harsh 23 turnovers reportedly had the normally stoic coach Chauncey Billups reportedly issuing this post-game message to the players: “Anybody that sleeps well tonight, you’re a loser. It’s just that simple." Once again, with feeling: OUCH.

• Today in death: Pioneering climate scientist Warren Washington—who grew up in Portland—has died at the age of 88. Washington is credited with developing early models of global warming. Also, longtime Blazer radio announcer Brian "Wheels" Wheeler has died after an extensive illness; he was 62.

Ahead of the Blood Brothers' sold out show at Revolution Hall next week, we spoke with the band's two frontmen about the group's intense, abstract song lyrics. ⁠ We did not expect: Their shared theater history. The influence of Pulp's Jarvis Cocker.

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) November 8, 2024 at 12:26 PM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Despite exciting Democratic wins in Oregon and Washington, Republicans are getting closer to keeping control of the House, which after capturing the senate would mean that many of Trump's evil schemes could become a reality. Currently the GOP is four congresspeople away from securing the necessary 218 seats; the Dems are at 203. ????

• Trump has chosen former ICE director Tom Homan to serve as his “border czar,” as the incoming president ramps up his plan to launch "the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history" (without presenting a plan on how it can be done or the billions it will cost us now and in the future). The recently elected convicted felon has also picked longtime loyalist/minion Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York to become the next US ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik is a staunch supporter of Israel and their genocide, and has pushed for ending relief to war-torn Palestinians. The only potential good news here: Taking Stefanik out of her current job could lead Republicans into losing the House.

This is not great

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— Molly Jong-Fast (@mollyjongfast.bsky.social) November 11, 2024 at 7:49 AM

• In escaped monkey news: Twenty-four out of 43 monkeys who escaped a South Carolina research lab last week have been recovered—and staff has eyes on another "sizable" group. Locals are being advised to avoid touching the monkeys, and instead call 911. (Take it from someone who briefly lived there, South Carolina hates it when you touch your monkey.)

Your body, my choice

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— Berit Glanz (@beritmiriam.bsky.social) November 11, 2024 at 2:23 AM

• Toymaker Mattel has apologized for accidentally including a porn website address on packaging for dolls from the upcoming movie Wicked. The company is advising parents to either throw away the packaging or obscure the web address before kids accidentally stumble on to any "Two Witches, One Cup" videos. (On a scale of one-to-ten, how mad are you at me right now? I'm at, like, a seven.)

• And finally... a visual representation of what will happen to the economy five minutes after Trump takes office:

@vehiculeracing -caniparkhere? #boat ♬ original sound  - VÉHICULE

See her Tuesday in Portland at Jack London Revue. by Dave Segal

Recording for Flying Lotus's Brainfeeder label, Salami Rose Joe Louis (Lindsay Olsen) has blazed a distinctive trail in that fertile sector of California's underground where electronic music and jazz converge. On early releases by this multi-instrumentalist and producer—such as 2019's Zdenka 2080—Olsen sings in a hushed, dulcet manner over sparse, melodious electronic music that wears its jazz inflections gracefully. Faint echoes of '90s and '00s introspective, minimalist IDM (intelligent dance music, if you don't know) acts such as Múm insinuate themselves, too. It's ultimately dream pop, but not in the cloying way manifested by the genre's try-hards.

With 2023's Akousmatikous and this year's collab with Flanafi, Sarah, SRJL's rhythms get jazzier and the instrumentation fuller, with help from Soccer96 and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, among others. The songs are more kinetic while the vocals retain their breathy, Julee Cruise-like sweetness. The music's levitational feel and smooth propulsion belie lyrics about catastrophic ecological degradation and the dangers of propaganda/disinformation. Enchanting listeners through understatement and mutedly sparkling tones, Olsen offers the most pleasant dystopian sci-fi soundtracks extant. At Jack London Revue she'll be joined by guitarist Flanafi, bassist Tone Whitfield, and drummer Luke Titus—most of whom played on the exceptional new Salami Live at 2131 North Kacey Street EP.

<a href="https://salamirosejoelouismusic.bandcamp.com/album/salami-live-at-2131-north-kacey-street">Salami Live at 2131 North Kacey Street by Salami Rose Joe Louis featuring Flanafi, Tone Whitfield, Nazir Ebo</a>

Soul'd Out Presents Salami Rose Joe Louis at Jack London Revue, 529 SW 4th, Tues Nov 13, 8 pm, tables for 4-6 persons available from $140-$210, tickets here, 21+ w/ Omari Jazz

by Anonymous

Why is there a One Way sign pointing traffic to go the wrong way down a one way street? What does this mean?!?!?

Six years after playing at Tell Me More's first anniversary, the the jazz group performs as the show closes.

Utility companies have been sued to bankruptcy over downed power lines that caused deadly wildfires in Hawaii and California. A Colorado utility's power shutoff to prevent fire also caused problems.

This week on Basic Black: In the wake of the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, a look at Massachusetts' "stand your ground" proposal and recent efforts to pass or block the legislation. Also, the pending Supreme Court decision on the Obama administration's health care reform legislation: however they decide, what are the political ramifications for President Obama's re-election campaign and the impact on communities of color.

Our panel:
- Callie Crossley, host and executive editor, The Callie Crossley Show
- Kim McLarin, author and assistant professor of writing, literature, and publishing, Emerson College
- Peniel Joseph, professor of history, Tufts University
- Phillip Martin, senior reporter, WGBH Radio



(Image source via Creative Commons: xtopalopaquetl)

Today, we received this message from the leadership of the Shakespeare Association of America. It's intended for the Shakespeare theatre members of SAA, but has farther reaching implications so we felt it was important to share on our blog and elsewhere. --------------- American members of the SAA have the chance to make a diffe...

Freeman Colby was a young schoolteacher from New Hampshire who joined the Union Army during the American Civil War. For the first nine months, Colby kept detailed notes of his service and wrote to his family members. Marek Bennett of Henniker drew on these rich resources for his graphic novel, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby. In that volume, Bennett stuck close to Colby's exact language. Recently, he's published Volume II, in which he takes some liberties and draws on new sources for inspiration. NHPR's Peter Biello sat down with Marek Bennett to talk about Volume II.

Miriam Levine's new collection of poetry is, as she describes it, a book about loss and consolation. In Saving Daylight, poems recall small moments: a chance meeting outside a theater, an encounter with a mosquito, watching a harmless spider walk across someone's hair. Levine lives in Concord for part of the year, and she sat down with NHPR's All Things Considered Host Peter Biello to chat about her new collection.

Writer Stacia Tolman worked for many years as a high school English teacher at a private school in New Hampshire’s Monadnock region.

Expect cloudy skies with sporadic rain showers for our Sunday. Breezy winds out of the south-southeast 10-20 mph. This week, temperatures will stay above the seasonal average, reaching the 50s.

A welcome soaking for parts of Minnesota.

A low-pressure system brings rain to Minnesota Tuesday.

Minnesota's drought conditions are showing signs of improvement. Recent rounds of rainfall have helped alleviate some of the dryness, with a few areas seeing a reduction in drought severity.