Events

FREE + open to all!  // Get more Information

May 12 @ 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm

21+ // Doors 7pm, Show 8pm

GET TICKETS // $35 Advance, $30 PDX Jazz Members Advance

Born in Beirut in 1980, Ibrahim Maalouf is currently the most popular instrumentalist in the French music scene and one of the most recognized internationally. Nominated for the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2023, his genre-crossing work has led him to fill Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena, sell out the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York,or perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and travel to over 40 countries around the world. In 2016, he became the first jazz musician in history to fill France's largest concert hall, the Paris Bercy Arena, selling out 8 months in advance for a historic show. "The virtuoso" according to The New York Times, has received 2 "Victoires du Jazz", 2 "Victoires de la Musique" (making him the first and only instrumentalist to beawarded in the history of this ceremony), an "Echo Jazz" in Germany, a "César for Best Film Music", a "Prix Lumières" for Best Film Music, as well as honorary awards of Knight of the Order of Merit and Knight of Arts and Letters.

As a teenager, Ibrahim was already winning major international classical music competitions and starting a solo career. In the 2000s, he became essential in pop, jazz as well as the "World" music scene. Sting, Salif Keita, Amadou & Mariam, Tryo, Matthieu Chédid, Lhasa de Sela, and many artists of very diverse styles call on him. Between 2007 and 2023, Ibrahim produced, composed, arranged, and directed more than 20 albums for himself and other artists. He also composed more than 10 symphonic pieces and twenty movie scor

In 2017, Quincy Jones Productions became his representative in the United States, and his North American career took off anew. The American Media’s reviews of his album "Queen of Sheba” - in a duet with the Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo - are rapturous. "The most interesting album of the year" according to the legendary magazine Spin, "Without a doubt one of the most important world music albums of the year" according to Glide Magazine, another leading American music magazine.In 2022, Ibrahim composed the soundtrack for "Reste un peu" by Gad Elmaleh. One of the greatest French directors, Claude Lelouch, offered him to compose the music for his 51st feature film. Meanwhile, Ibrahim has never stopped expressing his love for the trumpet and improvisation.

In 2022, he relaunched after 17 years of absence, and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Maurice André International Trumpet Competition, thus putting the name of the man who was his father's teacher and a true mentor, at the center of French cultural media interest.

In 2021, Ibrahim released a book entitled "Petite philosophie de l'improvisation" and initiated "Improbox", aradio program on TSF Jazz that highlights the importance and place of improvisation in all professions. He sees himself as an activist for the reintegration of improvisation into musical learning as well as national education. Ibrahim Maalouf is an artist who is committed. He was present alongside Sting during the reopening of The Bataclan, as well as the funeral of Tignous, one of the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, and composed a tribute songin tribute to the victims of the 2015 attacks, sung by Louane, written by his uncle Amin Maalouf, and performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

On July 15, 2021, Ibrahim performed a personalized version of La Marseillaise in front of 6 million viewers and 500,000 people gathered on the Champs de Mars. He also stays close to his country of origin, Lebanon. In 2020, he organized a major fundraising concert at the Olympia, broadcasted on France 2 and all Lebanese television channels to help Lebanon after the explosion at the port of Beirut. Donations exceeded 2 million euros.

Featuring DJ Ambush & DJ Klyph

Ambush and Klyph are back, celebrating the women of Hip-Hop. Portland-based DJ Ambush and DJ Klyph bring an evening celebrating Golden Era and inspired hip hop to the White Eagle. Come through for this FREE event and hear classic cuts and remixes while grabbing a hot plate and cold beverage. You can dance if you want, but this night is about the head nod. "It's not a party, it's a vibe".

GET TICKETS!

21+ // Doors 7pm, Show 8pm 

General Admission $20 // Member Pre-Sale March 13th at 10am, Public Onsale March 15th at 10am 

Members: Check your email for your pre-sale code!

Celebrate 10 YEARS of XRAY with us in an all-out Birthday Bash with some certified rock stars, a whole lot of the XRAY DJs you know and love, and an exciting announcement you'll just have to be there to see. 

We haven't held an official birthday event since Year 5 (2019) for...perhaps obvious reasons. In the past, these have usually sold out so get your tickets early! 

Your hosts for the night will be the incomparable Arthur Bradford AND B. Frayn Masters!!!

The Minus 5

...is a rock/folk/pop collective captained by Scott McCaughey (see: “Scott McCaughey” c/o “The Internet”, for further reliable information), with Peter Buck often aboard as navigation officer. By design from its inception, the line-up for recordings and live appearances is completely fluid, dependent on musician availability, whim, and wind direction. Collaborators regularly feature friends from R.E.M. (as it once were), Wilco, Decemberists, Posies, and literally hundreds and hundreds of other recalcitrant comrade combos.  Everyone gives their all, and no one need be counted on.

Abronia

A lot of bands who fly the psych banner these days have a minimalist view of the music, and choose a sort of post-shoegaze lassitude to present their “vision.” This can be astoundingly great, of course, but it also fails to address the central gobble-crazed nature of true psychedelia. Many of history’s greatest psych outfits were hewn from bizarre hybrids of disparate parts. Frankenstein monsters in search of sacred ecstasy. One gets the same vibe off of Abronia. Totally unexpected bits pop up amidst their rhapsodic jamming, conjuring shards of memory as disparate as Relf-era Renaissance, Joseph Byrd’s United States of America, and even (at least in spots) real early Siouxsie. These are just a few examples of how wide Abronia cast their net. Their instrumental brunt moves from neo-prog to folk rock to thunderheads cast in the same mold as the Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s (I shit you not!).

Arthur Bradford (Co-MC)

Arthur Bradford is best known, at XRAY and only at XRAY, for hosting Sex, Drugs, & Basketball on Thursday nights. But he's best known everywhere else as a prolific and award-winning author and documentary filmmaker (bet you weren't expecting an Emmy nominee to be the same person that hosts a show where only topics about sex, drugs, or basketball are allowed!). His stories have been heard on The Moth Radio Hour, This American Life, and BackfencePDX. You may have seen some of his films--they're pretty popular--like How's Your News? or 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park. 

B. Frayn Masters (Co-MC)

Frayn is prolific when it comes to telling stories of all kinds, and XRAY has been proud to call her a friend of the station in several capacities throughout our time on the air. Currently, her biggest project is leading the charge at BackfencePDX. Since 2008, series creator, artistic director, and host Frayn Masters along with Backfence story producers Mindy Nettifee, Brian S. Ellis, and Chris Williams have been curating powerful and engaging story shows for the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The most exciting part of a storytelling show is we get to mix things up and put wildly different kinds of people together on the same night in a way that will never happen again. A funeral director on stage with author of Wild Cheryl Strayed, a high school science teacher with Parenthood's Joy Bryant, a poker player taking wild chances with Bridesmaid's Wendi McLendon-Covey, a pet psychic with Superstore's Colton Dunn, and a blood spatter expert with Shrill author Lindy West.

SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE

GET TICKETS // Multiple Tiers Available, $15 - $115

The One Motorcycle Show, North America's BEST custom bike show, is returning to Portland, Oregon's historic Zidell Yards Barge Building April 19th, 20th, 21st, 2024 for an anniversary ride you don’t want to miss!

Since our inaugural event in 2010, The One Motorcycle Show has been a celebration of the weird, rare, and unconventional bikes, embracing it in a way that speaks to everyone's passion for two wheels. What started as a fun side project has turned into a force of nature that has undergone an incredible transformation over the years. Some years were hard learning experiences, some years blossoming into progression. All years contributing to the creation of something that is meaningful to the greater community.

We're pulling out all the stops for Year 15! Brace yourself for the perfect mix of nostalgia, new memories, and fun for everyone! Join us Friday, April 19th to Sunday, April 21st, 2024. Grab your The One Motorcycle Show tickets here before they sell out!

The One Motorcycle Show is nothing without a good race, which is why we’re also partnering with Flat Out Friday to bring one of the world’s largest indoor flat track races to Portland! Witness the spills and thrills firsthand April 19th, 2024 at the Portland Expo Center! Get your tickets for Flat out Friday here!

What to expect?

300+ Custom Motorcycles On Display - Indoor Motorcycle Racing - 21 Helmets Custom Helmet Art Show - Motorcycle Inspired Art Shows - Live Music - Motorcycle Riding Demos - Electric Bike Riding Demos - Custom + Classic Car Show - Industry Vendors - Food & Beverage - Kids + Family Activities - Freestyle MX Stunt Shows, 85+ year Old Motorcycle Drill Teams, Wheelie Stunters, and much more…

All Ages // Doors 7pm, Show 8pm

$15 Advance, $20 Day of Show // GET TICKETS

HOOVERIII

Time after time, we all talk about ... well, time - often in aphorisms and cliches. X is "a waste of time," while Y is "time well spent." We are all apt to lose track of time but, perhaps in equal measure, we have plenty of time on our hands. We think we have all the time in the world -- until we remember that time flies, after which our time runs out and we're dead (for a long time).

Since 2020, internal clocks have had to be readjusted with the pace of life ebbing and flowing. For Los Angeles psych-rock sextet Hooveriii (pronounced "Hoover Three") that adjustment seeped its way into their songwriting and ultimately their forthcoming album, A Round of Applause.

The record cherrypicks from an array of genres - pop, girl-group ditties, synth-ish keyboards and funk -but the end result is a cohesive long-player with songs that revolve around the Spanish Inquisition ("Stone Man"); or follow "the legendary Peruvians who run long distances in the Andes Mountains ("The Runner"). "I let my imagination run wild," Hoover said. Elsewhere on A Round of Applause, the Hooveriii frontman finally recorded a song, "The Pearl," that he wrote in 2017. "It sounds like a Harry Nilsson jingle like to me, a fantasy song," he continued. "It's more like a nursery rhyme than a song with an important message. You know, it's just like keeping things fun. ... Nilsson didn't take everything so fucking seriously. We want to avoid that self-seriousness. We're a bunch of goofy musicians."

Rarefaction

Rarefaction is a 4-piece garage-rock band from Portland, Oregon with elements of psych and progressive rock.

GET TICKETS // Reserved $49.75, PDX Jazz Members $44.75

All Ages // Doors 7pm, Show 8pm 

Aside from being one of the principal innovators of modern jazz guitar, John Scofield is a creative artist of an even rarer sort: a stylistic chameleon who has forged a consistent, rock-solid aesthetic identity. A triple Grammy award winning artist with more than 40 recordings to his credit, Scofield has expressed himself in the vernacular of bebop, blues, jazz-funk, organ jazz, acoustic chamber jazz, electronically tinged groove music, jam band style and orchestral ensembles with ease and enthusiasm. Now he adds yet another credit to his resume: solo guitarist.
 
“My main focus in guitar playing has always centered around being part of a group; exploring the music that happens when musicians listen to each other and improvise together. Quite frankly, until now, I’ve avoided playing solo concerts and before starting this endeavor had done only one solo performance in public since I was a child. I still have occasional nightmares about playing Greensleeves for my sixth grade class!  It gets pretty lonely up there by yourself and I hadn't considered solo guitar as the perfect platform for improvising. Not to mention that I’m no Segovia either! All that said, after playing guitar for 56 years, I’m finally interested in going it alone and exploring the possibilities. It's taken me decades to realize that I’ve been playing unaccompanied guitar at home or in hotel rooms every day since 1962! I’ve put a lot of thought in lately to how I can present an evening of solo guitar that represents my passions and sensibilities. My idea is to keep it song based, playing jazz, country and rock tunes that I love as well as some of my original compositions. I plan to employ my Looper pedal occasionally when I want to play over myself. I've been preparing for nearly a year, working my brain in new directions while looking forward to these shows with excitement and a small bit of trepidation. I hope you enjoy being on this journey with me.” - JS

All Ages // Doors 7pm, Show 8pm

GET TICKETS // GA $39.75, PDX Jazz Members $34.75

Cyrille Aimée grew up in a multilingual household full of music where dancing was an everyday activity, soundtracked by the Afro-Caribbean sounds of her mother’s native Dominican Republic. The family home was in Samois-sur-Seine, the location of the Django Reinhardt Festival, and the teenage Cyrille would climb out of her bedroom window at night to mingle with the players, igniting a passion for jazz.

Moving to New York City, her talents quickly gained her a reputation among her peers as a matchless interpreter of song. She performed and recorded with Roy Hargrove and stole the show in front of the notoriously hard-to-please crowd at the Harlem Apollo. Steven Sondheim invited her to star in a tribute at New York’s City Centre, backed by Wynton Marsalis. Her 2019 album Move On featured versions of Sondheim’s songs which received praise from Sondheim himself, and her version of "Marry Me a Little", was nominated for a 2019 Grammy Award.

At the height of her New York success, new horizons beckoned. Visiting New Orleans, she fell in love with the energy and diversity of the city and made it her home. Linking back to New York to connect up all the dots, she teamed up with producer/multi-instrumentalist Jake Sherman, and together they have created her latest album, A Fleur de Peau. to be released on a new label, the London-based imprint Whirlwind Recordings.

Combining the depth and sophistication of jazz, the immediacy of pop, the irrepressible dance rhythms of the Caribbean, it’s more intimate and more accessible than anything Cyrille has done before.

Save the date for XRAY's Spring Fund Drive! 

Fund Drives are very special times at XRAY, because, above all, we believe they should be fun! Rather than spending all that airtime only talking about giving money, we enhance our programming--by covering topics we don't normally, bringing on special guests, putting on live broadcasts, and much more. They're also a great time to get a peek under the hood, hearing from folks that may otherwise not spend much time on air and getting a firsthand look at what's coming next for the station. 

Plus, while listeners can become members at any time of year, we bring out the perks during drives. That means limited edition merchandise designed by different local artists, major giveaways every day of the week, new thank you gifts for those becoming members, and the elusive matching gifts that let you double your impact (which our Board of Directors and Staff work extra hard to make happen in the weeks and months leading up to a drive). 

Join us in having a blast this drive! Or don't, we're not the boss of you, but we'll keep at it anyway. 

No Cover // 21+ 

Join DJ Joe Ball (Long Distance Call) + Provoke for an all-vinyl city pop and boogie dance night at Donnie Vegas!

Portland based DJ Ambush x DJ Klyph bring No Requests! to the White Eagle Saloon.

Come through and feel the vibes. A night of Classics. Remixes.
Straight Boom Bap. 90's Hip-Hop and Golden Era inspired.

2 DJ's. 4 Decks. No Requests!
DJ Ambush
In a time when DJ's come a dime a dozen, I was faced with the obstacle of separating myself from the pack. And through years of trial and error, I've come to find that the best way to do that is consistency. Stick to the script and give the people what they want. Consistency doesn't mean playing the same records each week. But it does mean giving a quality performance every time you pick up the headphones.

Ambush!!
DJ Klyph
Always pushing the foundation, the definition of hip-hop. Peace. Love. Unity and Having Fun.

Free to Attend, All Ages Welcome

Join ILPS Portland, Unite Oregon, Portland DSA, and Sisters of the Road for the next installment of the Community Voices Town Hall where we will unite together to find answers to these questions.

For too long, policy and politics in the city of Portland have favored big business and the wealthy elite. Meanwhile, the people’s efforts toward community control of public services, mutual aid, and transparent governance have been squashed and silenced. Who really runs Portland, and how do we take it back?

Featuring a panel of organizers who have been waging pro-people campaigns in our community over the years. The panel will discuss the ongoing struggle for grassroots people power in the city, followed by a group discussion about how to get involved in the fight to take back Portland.

18+ (18-20 must be accompanied by a guardian) // Doors 7pm, Show 8pm

GET TICKETS! // $22 General Admission, $28 Reserved Seating, $17 Party Pack Group Rate (5+ people)

Hosted by FRAYN MASTERS & MINDY NETTIFEE

Music by: CHAACH

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BACKFENCE: ROULETTE SHOW DESCRIPTION

Each show begins with a giant game show size wheel packed with juicy story prompts. One of our five seasoned storytellers is randomly drawn. To determine the random prompt for their story, they spin that giant wheel! They can play or pass their prompt (once). If they pass, another teller can steal their prompt. Then the risky part… each storyteller has only 5 minutes to come up with a true 5-minute story based on their prompt! It’s like we invented a new game called truth AND dare. The audience votes on a winner at the end of the night – both the storyteller winner and one lucky audience member win a veritable bevy of prizes!

March 7-March 24, Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm

Before the digital era, T. Eric Monroe, photographer, captured thousands of intimate moments in music history. These images were kept out of the public eye for decades...until now.

Come see them on display at Benchmark Gallery for a limited time.

Opening event, March 8th 7-9pm, featuring No Requests DJs: DJ Ambush and DJ Klyph