21+ // 7:00 pm Doors // Tickets $8

XRAYFM and Mississippi Studios present Local Love Letters, a monthly series featuring local Portland area artist. This month we've got:

Slender Gems:
Formed in 2018 by longtime DIY musician Jordan LeVeque, whose punk rock bonafides include a stint as  the final resident/booker of North Portland standby Fail House, Slender Gems are a murderer’s row of some of the city’s finest musical talents. Equally influenced by the big, opened-tuned chords of 90s slacker-rock and the elegant shredding of 70s AOR, they are at once grandiose and intimate, with LeVeque’s acerbic observations of our spiritually bankrupt world, a resounding clarion call over their guitar pyrotechnics. 

NUG:
Nug is a musical group made up of four friends in Portland, OR. Blending and bending the genres of Post Punk, Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Nu-metal, Psych Rock, and probably some other things, Nug has been described we-think-affectionately as “Parquet Courts meets Grateful Dead” and “a jam band for people who hate jam bands” and “really friendly guys making loud music”. Nug’s debut record “Kerfuffle” released in February of 2025 and remains released to this very day. Thanks!

Killmer:
Killmer is a rock band formed by three best friends: Nico Carrera (Guitar/Vocals), Austin Gardner (Drums), and Brett Sparrey (Bass/Vocals). Before forming the band they attended many shows together, such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Wand, White Denim, and Ty Segall, as well as many inspiring performances at Pickathon. These sonic adventures forged Killmer’s sound into a bionic blend of psychedelic rock with soulful blues overtones, teeming with an undercurrent of garage rock and punk. Utilizing both improvisation and songwriting acumen to put on shows that are bombastic, yet intimate, they implement dual lead vocals to trade off within verses or blend lush harmonies, creating vastly unique soundscapes. With an EP (2024’s Lost and Profound) and debut full-length album (2025’s primo!) in their rear-view, Killmer has already started work on their second studio effort - due autumn 2026 - that proves they are on a journey worth following.