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Portland Monthly

Arts & Culture

BEST OF THE CITY 2016

Best of the City 2016: Seven Curators and Creators Share Top Picks from Portland’s Arts Scene

From in-your-face theater to a bold magazine for women guitarists, here are some of Portland’s best things to watch, hear, and read.

06/13/2016 By Fiona McCann and Rebecca Jacobson

THE ESSENTIALS

M. Ward to Tin House Readings: July’s Pop Culture Hot List

The concert, reading series, and book you can’t miss this month.

06/13/2016 By Fiona McCann

B-SIDES

How Rapper Cool Nutz and Trail Blazer CJ McCollum Make Great Radio in Tigard

Every week, the local hip-hop godfather and shooting guard dish on their favorite jams—and the off-court life of a rising NBA star.

06/13/2016 By Casey Jarman

POMO PICKS

Top Things to Do This Weekend: June 9–12

Funkmasters Ural Thomas and the Pain celebrate their debut LP, Caravan Palace brings electro-swing to the Crystal, Weekend at Bernie's returns to the stage, and Pedalpalooza kicks off a month of bike fun.

06/09/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson, Ramona DeNies, Lisa Dunn, and Fiona McCann

BOOKS AND TALKS

How Do You Make White People Laugh? Negin Farsad Has Some Suggestions

The Iranian-American filmmaker and comedian is in town with new book How to Make White People Laugh. She talks about standing out among the "white guys with brown hair and glasses."

06/09/2016 By Lisa Dunn

DANCE

Portland Vogue Dancers Show You How to Buy Groceries

These stars of Portland’s vogue battle scene are fast going viral with their video of shopping at QFC.

06/09/2016 By Fiona McCann

MUSIC

What the Festival Roars Back For Its 5th Year

Oregon's big little dance party is all grown up.

06/09/2016 By Marty Patail

PHOTOGRAPHY

What Does Childhood Look Like as It Passes?

Oregon photographer Blake Andrews captures the fleeting rush of childhood in a new exhibit at Blue Sky.

06/09/2016 By Fiona McCann

BOOKS

Five Reasons You Should Read Lindy West’s Shrill Like, Yesterday

The sharp-as-a-tack writer cruised through town earlier this month to read from her essay collection, Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman. If you missed her in person, get your hands on the book, stat.

06/07/2016 By Lisa Dunn

DESIGN

Portland Designer Resurrects Painted "Ghost Signs" of Advertising's Past

Turn-of-the-century advertisements get new life.

06/07/2016 By Marty Patail

Popular Content

    11 Must-See Holiday Light Displays in Portland and Beyond

    Kristen Stewart’s Chronology of Water Captures the Book’s Emotional Force

    Kristen Stewart’s Chronology of Water Captures the Book’s Emotional Force

    Ex-Hasidic Queer Comedian Robby Hoffman Was ‘Totally Normal’ Growing Up

    Your Quintessential Portland Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in Town

    The Complete Guide to Portland's Holiday Shows

COMEDY

The 11 Best Jokes from the Bridgetown Comedy Festival

Funny people flocked to Portland this weekend for the ninth annual fest. Here are the moments that made us laugh longest and hardest.

06/06/2016 By Marty Patail, Rebecca Jacobson, Katie Vaughan, and Lisa Dunn

Film

Portland’s Lost Boys Are Coming to a Screen Near You

A group of this city’s homeless youth are the protagonists of a new documentary, following them as they make their own film version of Peter Pan.

06/02/2016 By Fiona McCann

MUSIC

June: A Month of Portland Concerts in 20 Songs

From legendary filmmaker and composer John Carpenter to local R&B favorite Kimberly Monique, Portland in June promises a killer lineup of live performances.

06/02/2016 By Lisa Dunn and Rebecca Jacobson

POMO PICKS

Top Things to Do This Weekend: June 2–5

Hot, hot, hot. Yes, the weather. But also the weekend, stacked with comedy, Afro-Caribbean dance music, murderous barbers, make-believe islands, and nuclear photography.

06/02/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson, Ramona DeNies, and Kailla Coomes

THE LONG PLAY

PODCAST: Courtenay Hameister on Dating and Mating in Portland

The writer and former Live Wire host logged 28 first dates in a year, all entered on her Excel spreadsheet. She dishes on the data-paved road to love.

06/01/2016 By Fiona McCann With Sika Stanton

BIRD: ON IT

Yes, Portland Has an Official Bird—for 30 Years Now

As Great Blue Heron Week enters its 30th year, we answer all your burning questions. Like, which beer should I drink to celebrate, and what poem should I recite?

05/31/2016 By Marisa Russell

COMEDY

Eight Can't-Miss Shows at the 2016 Bridgetown Comedy Festival

All-lady lineups. Comic deconstruction. Heaps of hometown (and formerly hometown) heroes. Here are our top bets for this year's fest.

05/27/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson and Marty Patail

COMEDY CABARET

Jane Lynch Is Back, but This Time without the Tracksuit

Cabaret meets rap meets hit-you-between-the-eyes humor: Jane Lynch comes to town with See Jane Sing. We caught up with the former Glee star ahead of her Newmark show.

05/26/2016 By Claire Colby

POMO PICKS

Top Things to Do This Weekend: May 26–29

Sticking around town for Memorial Day? Fill your weekend with Chelsea Wolfe's goth-folk, books about pit bulls, last-chance gallery exhibits, and a Prince double feature.

05/26/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson and Ramona DeNies

FESTIVAL

A New Festival Memorializes Vanport, Beyond the Flood

At the Vanport Mosaic Festival, former residents of what was once Oregon's second-largest city—destroyed by a 1948 flood—tell their stories.

05/26/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson

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