Haley Heynderickx

Mar 1, Mississippi Studios
This is the year for Portlander Haley Heynderickx, whose sweet, slurred vocals lay down lyrics deep and intimate and kinda wacky. Her debut album, I Need to Start a Garden (March 2, Mama Bird), is a layered and mesmeric marker. Listen now so you can call yourself an early adopter when she goes global.

Portland Kids’ Film Festival

Mar 2–4, Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater
Back for its third year, this cinematic fest features animated and live-action films from more than two dozen international filmmakers, for kids age 2 and up. There’s also a presentation from Laika and animation workshops.

Patton Oswalt

Mar 6, Powell’s City of Books
The comedy giant takes a break from stand-up to read from a just-released book by his late wife, Michelle McNamara, who died suddenly in 2016. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark follows her quest to identify a California serial murderer.

The Holler Sessions

Mar 8–11, Artists Rep
That jazz skeptic friend of yours? Show them the light with Frank Boyd’s solo show, in which the Seattle actor and writer plays a Kansas City DJ who is  maniacally evangelistic about Ellington and Coltrane.

Death and the Maiden

Mar 8–25, The Vault Theater  
How does a country come to terms with an oppressive regime and transition back to democracy? Ariel Dorfman’s 1991 play may be set in a post-Pinochet Chile, but there’s plenty of relevance to 2018 America. Bag & Baggage’s new associate artistic director Cassie Greer makes her solo directorial debut with this tale of private revenge and public reckoning.

Compañia Jesús Carmona

Mar 14, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Flamenco meets ballet in the fleet footwork and rhythmic hand claps of Barcelona star Jesús Carmona, who visits Portland for the first time with a bevy of dancers and live musicians.

Hedda

Mar 15–17, Newmark Theatre
Northwest Dance Project’s Sarah Slipper puts a modern choreographic spin on Henrik Ibsen’s 19th-century play about a bored and jealous newlywed bent on manipulation. Hedda shares the billing with new work from Cayetono Soto.

Matthew Dickman

Mar 16, Powell’s City of Books
The Portland poet’s third collection, Wonderland, paints an evocative portrait of growing up poor and white in Lents in the 1980s, a world of skateboards and violence. But Dickman’s verse remains lucid and lovely, suffused with love and longing for his home.

Sondra Perry

Mar 17–Apr 29, Disjecta Contemporary Arts Center
A digital media artist interested in technology and black oppression, Perry brings a “more experimental” exhibit to Disjecta to riff on sci-fi and horror.

Superorganism

Mar 22, Doug Fir Lounge
What is this kooky eight-person ear-worm pop production unit with a teenage singer who exudes a paradoxically zippy ennui? Find out at the Doug Fir.

Trevor Noah

Mar 24, Moda Center
When this South African 34-year-old first took over The Daily Show, Americans were skeptical. But he’s won fans with his straight-talk skewering of systemic racism, gun violence, and our 45th president.

Watch It

An endearing peek into ’90s teenagedom, Everything Sucks!—set at Boring High School and filmed last summer in Oregon City—finds A/V nerds and drama club exhibitionists teaming up to make a movie. Buckle up for serious ’90s nostalgia, from VHS tapes to slap bracelets to an Oasis-heavy soundtrack. Stream all 10 episodes on Netflix now.

Hear It

Portland’s resident indie rock royals the Decemberists are back, with added synth. I’ll Be Your Girl (Capitol Records) marks a sonic departure, dance beats and distorted vocals rubbing shoulders with the familiar guitar strums and soaring balladry of yore.