All Ages | Thu Aug 3rd - Sun Aug 6th
Check out the full music lineup!
See the full Pickathon DJ Lineup!
As usual, this year's fest features several XRAY DJs including:
- Wayward Girls Soul Club of The 'IN' Crowd Saturdays 2-3pm.
- Tom Humphrey of Backroad to Nowhere Sundays 6-7pm
- Morning Remorse of Meaningful Connections with Morning Remorse Thursdays 8-9pm
- Bobby D of Night School (formerly 6pm Fridays) and content partner The Albina Music Trust
You'll also find several other friends of the station and XRAY DJs as part of the festival, including as performers, MCs, and behind-the-scenes staff. Look out for:
- Dave Fulton of 12 Steps Beyond Prog Thursdays 12-2am, performing with his band Motrik
- Friends of Noise of Friends of Noise Presents Mondays 2-3pm, hosting performances of teen bands at 4pm each day of the fest in the family-focused Coyote Neighborhood
- Ross Beach of Alive with Pleasure Fridays 2-4pm as an MC
- James Dineen of Sessions from the Box Saturdays 10am-12pm as an MC
We've almost certainly missed several XRAY folks in this list, and plenty of us will be around as attendees or doing press coverage. See you there!
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TICKETS | $39.50-$79.50
Doors 7 PM | Show 8 PM
With Special Guest Monica Martin.
There is a 6 ticket limit per household.
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six albums between 1993 and 2006. The band broke out in 2000 with a platinum-selling self-titled album produced by Alison Krauss, earning a number of Grammy and CMA nominations.
Their fourth album “This Side” won a 2003 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Following a fifth studio album and a compilation album, the band announced an indefinite hiatus at the conclusion of their 2007 Farewell (For Now) Tour. Following numerous solo projects from the band members, Nickel Creek reformed in 2014 with announcement of a new album and subsequent tour.
After intermittent performances between 2014 and 2019, Nickel Creek began writing new material in early 2021. On January 24, 2023, Nickel Creek announced a new album titled Celebrants, slated for release on March 24, 2023. The lead single “Strangers” was released the day the album was announced.
TICKETS | $15 advance, $17 day of show
All Ages Welcome
Since first forming in 2014, New York trio THICK have triumphed at turning the harshest truths into wildly exhilarating punk songs. On their second album Happy Now, vocalist/guitarist Nikki Sisti, vocalist/bassist Kate Black, and vocalist/drummer Shari Page deliver their most complex and confessional work yet, exploring everything from self-sabotage and insecurity to victim-blaming and destructive relationships. Raw, irreverent, and brutally honest, Happy Now ultimately offers both joyful catharsis and much-needed instruction for living well in turbulent times.
Bandcamp:
Instagram:
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Spotify:
Music 8pm
Bart Budwig is a Cosmic Country Lawn Gnome who sings like John Prine, plays like Hoyt Axton, and looks like, well… Bart Budwig
TICKETS | $30 advance, $35 day of show, $40 21+ advanced reserved balcony, $45 21+ day of show reserved balcony
with ADULT. & KANGA
6:30 pm doors, 8 pm show
Hailing from Chicago’s renowned Wax Trax! Records stable of recording artists, MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT have been conjuring up sonic tales of sex, blasphemy and kitschy horror since 1987. Along with label mates such as Front 242 and Ministry, TKK (as often abbreviated), helped develop the industrial music genre, yet have consistently evolved their sound, creating one of the most diverse repertoires in modern day music. They can be described as electronic rock, heavily influenced by both disco and punk, with the distinctive use of spoken-word samples lifted from B-movies laced throughout their songs. The band has released 14 studio albums, a slew of compilations and singles, and has appeared on a variety of soundtracks.
ALL AGES | $15 | ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Sir Richard Bishop and Descending Pharaohs present a special evening of conjuring and deviance for a rare live show w/ film accompaniment at the historic Clinton St. Theater on Friday, May 19th, 8pm sharp.
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Sir Richard Bishop is an American composer, guitarist and singer best known as a founding member of experimental rock Sun City Girls, who during their 26 years (1981–2007), produced an extensive discography of over 50 full length albums. He has toured with Will Oldham, Animal Collective, Bill Callahan, and many others. His solo work, along with his band Rangda, has released several albums on Drag City and other labels such as 2182 Recording Co., Southern Lord, Southern, Locust, Unrock, VDSQ, and Revenant Records.
Descending Pharaohs are an ethno-psych project, vibing fight scenes of near-eastern films and guided by Arabic/Anatolian electric, spiritual jazz, and heavy psych. Live, they are accompanied by a backdrop film collage that matches their heady Middle Eastern sounds made by the oud, saz, baglama, guitar, bass and drum kit.
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May 11th, 12th, 13th | 21+ | The Coffin Club | TICKETS $17-25/day, $50 three-day pass
Songs from Under the Floor Board presents:
OUT FROM THE SHADOWS 2023 : a benefit for Trans Lifeline and XRAY FM
Out From The Shadows, established in 2015, is finally back in the form that made it so special and renowned in the first place The last time the 3-night event happened was 2019 and here, four years later, we’re back! Held at the Coffin Club May 11-13, OFTS 2023 presents 16 bands over those three nights and features such stellar acts as Bestial Mouths, I Ya Toyah, Blaklight, Astari Nite, Panic Priest, Black Rose Burning and many more, including local bands Darkswoon, Dead Astronauts and Luscious Apparatus. Check out the full lineups below and grab your tickets as soon as possible. This is the stuff that dark dreams are made of.
THURS May 11
Bestial Mouths https://bestialmouths.bandcamp.com/
Panic Priest https://panicpriestngp.bandcamp.com/album/psychogoria
Void Vision https://voidvision.bandcamp.com/
The Wheal https://thewheal.bandcamp.com/
DJ Crankenstein + DJ Barbie Saint
Doors 8pm /Show 8:30
Dancing until 2:15
FRIDAY May 12
I Ya Toyah https://www.iyatoyah.com/
Komrads https://komrads.bandcamp.com/
BlakLight https://blaklight.bandcamp.com/album/innocence-lost
The Mystic Underground https://themysticunderground.bandcamp.com/album/peter
The Russian White https://therussianwhite.bandcamp.com/music
Luscious Apparatus https://lusciousapparatus.bandcamp.com/track/bricks-bones
DJ Glittery Ghoul + DJ Skully
Doors 6:30/show 7:00
Dancing until 2:15
SATURDAY May 13
Astari Nite https://officialastarinite.bandcamp.com/music
Push Button Press https://pushbuttonpress1.bandcamp.com/album/black-swan
Black Rose Burning https://blackroseburning.bandcamp.com/
Dead Astronauts https://deadastronauts.bandcamp.com/
Ashes Fallen https://ashesfallenmusic.bandcamp.com/
Darkswoon https://darkswoon.bandcamp.com/
DJ Just Dave + DJ Straylight
Doors 6:30/show 7:00
Dancing until 2:15
21+
****net proceeds of event will be donated to Trans LifeLine and XRAY FM
TICKETS:
- 3 day pass: $50
- Th May 11: $17 adv /$20 dos
- Fri /Sat May 12, 13 : $20 adv /$25 dos
BEATS & RHYMES II
ALL AGES | TICKETS $14-$60/day // $110/weekend pass
Join us in Portland, Oregon this April for a new dimension of fun at the 14th annual One Motorcycle Show!
⚡Since its inception in 2009, the One Show has grown to be the largest, most-renowned custom motorcycle show in the world.
⚡ The heart and soul of the show remain the unparalleled collection of 300+ custom-built motorcycles that will be on display inside the historic Zidell Yards Barge Building.
⚡ The almost century-old abandoned shipyard smells of old grease and metal work and is the perfect textured backdrop to celebrate custom motorcycles, community and fun.
⚡ Attendees of all ages are invited to come see all the best bikes, bands, cars art, helmets, professional stunt shows, bike demos, Portland food trucks, vendors and sponsors the world has to offer during cushy three-hour time blocks and all weekend long.
⚡ Check out the One Moto Live Music Lineup
TICKETS | $14
This event was rescheduled from February 24, 2023. All original tickets will be honored.
THIS EVENT IS 21+
VALID U.S. ID OR PASSPORT REQUIRED
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
For full, up to date information, please visit dougfirlounge.com/covid
Divvers are a dream punk from the land of Dead Moon & the Wipers.
Wild Powwers are a dynamic trio who come from the dark, dank corners of a basement in Seattle, WA. Throughout their several years relentlessly writing & touring as a band, they have grown their sound using the vastly different influences in their lives. The result being "the sort of carfree grunge riff-rock that gets better the dirtier it gets. Each layer of meticulously gnarly distortion, each off-kilter lyric, drenched in garage-echo reverb, is pure Pacific Northwest filth." -KEXP.
Using guitars, vocals and sparse electronic elements, Gary V pulls from various visual and musical inspirations to create waking dream sub-realities that devastate and elate.
TICKETS | $14
THIS EVENT IS 21+
VALID U.S. ID OR PASSPORT REQUIRED
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
For full, up to date information, please visit dougfirlounge.com/covid
Do I Look Like I’m In Love?, the new full-length from The Prids, illustrates the Portland dark pop band’s mettle through keen lyrical observations, but also in its attention to sonic detail and song craf
Sun Atoms bends and blends song to song through luminary influences Leonard Cohen, The Cure, Moon Duo and Nick Cave in a resulting amalgamation that combines psychedelic, dark wave and post modern-pop.
Bridal Veil is an American four-piece goth shoegaze band from Portland, Oregon inspired by the simple lush nostalgia of the 90’s — the last era to know what life was like without a cell phone in every hand.
ALL AGES | TICKETS $27 | Doors 7:00PM | The Old Church (1422 SW 11TH Ave, Portland, OR 97201)
Guitarist and co-founder of The String Cheese Incident, Bill Nershi, and wife Jilian Nershi, join together as a duo of harmonies and driving acoustic guitar, immediately drawing in the listener. An inspired journey through various styles and influences, a throwback to the roots of American music, the Nershis have a relaxed way of connecting with the audience through the stories in their songs. Constantly finding ways to make the music sound complete as a duo, unique arrangements and a deep catalogue of original songs highlight the couple’s dedication to their craft.
ALL AGES | TICKETS $20 | Doors 7:00PM | The Old Church (1422 SW 11TH Ave, Portland, OR 97201)
When Rich Price (Burlington, VT), Greg Naughton (NYC), and Brian Chartrand (Phoenix, AZ) met by chance, at jam-session , in 2008, the three instantly recognized a kinship and musical union, which lead them to overcome geography, and set aside solo-careers to form The Sweet Remains (tSR).
Driven by forceful lyrical and melodic writing of three gifted singer-songwriters, their music appeals to fans of contemporary folk-rockers like Jason Mraz, Ray Lamontagne, and John Mayer. It is their lush three-part harmonies, however, which distinguish tSR from throngs of guitar-toting troubadours, reminiscent of super-groups of the 60's and 70's, like the Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel and CSN. Independently amassing over 38 Million Spotify plays, a fourth studio album in the works for 2019, a live DVD, and an acclaimed new feature film, tSR is positioned for their ever-rising demand to tour.
After that chance jam-session, Rich, Greg, and Brian began writing and recording together during breaks in their solo touring. Before long, they played these new pieces, for producer Andy Zulla, who ultimately has collaborated on many of their projects. Together, they recorded tSR’s debut CD, Laurel & Sunset. In the fall of 2010, tSR embarked their first European tour through Denmark and Germany. In 2011, their song, “What I’m Looking For”, was featured in Eddie Bauer and Subaru ad campaigns. In 2011, another composition, “Dance With Me” was featured in Putumayo Music’s compilation “Acoustic Cafe” and sold in cafe’s and gift shops world wide. Next, the trio released their DVD & CD, Live at The Canal Room (2012), followed by their sophomore studio album, North & Prospect (2013,) and their most recent release, Night Songs (2015). Feature-length ‘dramedy, The Independents , created by and starring The Sweet Remains, premiered at the 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, to the plaudits of festival-goers and critical accolades. The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as, "Extremely engaging... Unconventional and sharply written...Deserves to find an audience beyond the [film] festival circuit."
The Sweet Remains continues garnering critic acclaim. USA TODAY selected two of their songs as its “pick-of-theweek”. The BOSTON HERALD declares, “It has been a long time since three-part harmonies this lush were yoked to songs this melodically gorgeous”. Winning fans globally, The Sweet Remains’ music has been utilized in several feature films and television shows. Numerous artists have covered their soulful, original song. They tour regularly in North America and Europe with dynamic live-shows, ranging from simple core-trio acoustic sets, to their elaborate sextet combo.
ALL AGES | TICKETS $20 | Doors 6:30PM | The Old Church (1422 SW 11TH Ave, Portland, OR 97201)
Jenny Conlee will be celebrating the release of her new solo album “Tides: Pieces for Accordion and Piano” at the Old Church on Sunday March 26th. The 1st set will be a full performance of the album, which will be a suite of solo accordion pieces and then a set of 5 piano pieces. The acoustics of the old church and the lovely grand piano should make it a perfect setting for this music.
Jenny Conlee, the multi-instrumentalist best known for her 23-year tenure as a member of indie icons The Decemberists, is stepping once more to center stage this year with the release of Tides: Pieces for Accordion and Piano. The humble yet deeply emotional album of instrumentals (out on March 24 via Jealous Butcher Records) finds Conlee pulling from her vast well of influences and knowledge to work in a more neo-classical mode.
One half of the LP is made up of a suite of accordion pieces written using the seven Greek modes, centuries’ old musical scales that are each named for a specific place in Greece. “The idea of composing using the Greek modes has been in the back of my mind for a long time,” Conlee says. “These modes may have a sad, unsettling, or dissonant sound to modern ears, and I wanted to experiment with them.” Written during a week-long artist’s retreat on the coast of Washington State, Conlee found inspiration within the natural environment she was surrounded by: the ocean, sand, dune grass, wind, and a hawk she spotted hunting along the beach. The finished compositions are like an oil portrait of a seaside scene — multi-colored, richly textured, and able to draw on sense memories buried deep within the mind and body.
Conlee pairs that suite with a series of piano pieces that she has been slowly writing over the past three years. These five instrumentals are built from a foundation of ostinatos, repeated musical phrases heard in the bassline of each track. Though these delicate and sometimes playful works came about organically, when Conlee had finished the writing she realized the debt she owed to Children’s Songs, a 1984 album by the late jazz artist Chick Corea. “I have always loved listening to and playing Children’s Songs,” she says. “I realized how much they influenced my writing and I need to acknowledge it and give credit where it is due.” Conlee also points to the work of another pianist, Bill Evans, for his inspiration on “Shore Pine,” a somber and moving piece written during the recording of Tides that closes the album with “a different feel and had more of a sense of resolve,” she says.
Combined, the two sides of Tides are new angles through which to view Conlee’s dynamic musical mind and unstoppable talent.
ALL AGES | TICKETS $25-30 | Doors 7:00PM | The Old Church (1422 SW 11TH Ave, Portland, OR 97201)
THE INVISIBLE LOVE EXPERIENCE
- Sound Healing Ceremony
- Susie Suh Live Musical Performance
In addition to singing and performing her own songs, Susie will perform a sound healing ceremony where crystal bowls and other instruments will be played to harmonize the body. Sound therapy has been known to help calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety and stress, along with many other benefits.
As this is a multi-sensory experience, pure natural essential oils will be used.
TICKETS (prices go up March 1st!) | More info here
Check out XRAY's past Treefort coverage on our YouTube and blog!
ALL AGES | TICKETS $25-30 | Doors 7:00PM | The Old Church (1422 SW 11TH Ave, Portland, OR 97201)
Väsen-Duo, Mikael Marin and Olov Johansson have, after 37 years of interaction and touring, refined their sound and their stage presence to the extent that today they are unique in their kind. With their playful and perfect interplay, they seem to defy the laws of physics in what appears to be a telepathic communication.
The music is intense and full of humour. They create their very own musical language which in its appeal is as modern as it is ancient. With the foundation firmly rooted in the traditional music of Uppland, they have always looked curiously at new musical goals. They perform on a variety of stringed instruments, including a silverbasharpa, oktavharpa, three-rowed Nyckelharpa, violoncello da spalla and a blue electric viola.
Formed by Amy Hakanson in 2018, Varelse is a unique combination of various traditions, instruments,and histories. Nyckelharpa, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and various world percussion instruments cometogether to create a sound that is simultaneously old andnew. Weaving together Scandinavian folktradition, North American fiddle tunes, and Western European melodies, along with African and MiddleEastern rhythmic traditions, Varelse is pushing the boundaries of folk fusion.
Varelse’s live performances showcase their tunes from their debut album Creature Comforts, as well asnew compositions and creative arrangements of traditional melodies from Scandinavia, the British Isles, and North America.
TICKETS | $30 advance, $35 day of show, $40 21+ advanced reserved balcony, $45 21+ day of show reserved
"I've been in the game a long time, but I've always considered myself a student," says G. Love. "Finishing this album with Keb Mo' felt like graduation."
Recorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, 'The Juice' is indeed diploma-worthy. Co-produced and co-written with GRAMMY-winning icon Keb Mo,' it's an electrifying collection, one that tips its cap to more than a century of blues greats even as it offers its own distinctly modern pop spin on the genre, mixing programmed beats and hip-hop grooves with blistering guitar and sacred steel. G. Love's lyrics are both personal and political here, artfully balancing his appreciation for the simple joys in life with his obligation to speak out for justice and equality, and his performances are suitably riotous and rousing to match, with infectious call-and-response hooks and funky sing-along choruses at every turn. Easy as it is to succumb to cynicism these days, the songs on 'The Juice' refuse, insisting instead on hope and determination in the face of doubt and despair.
All Ages | $12 advance, $15 day of show
"Walloping heaviosity threaded with streams of blues and thrash... doesn't begin to describe The Macks' sound. This is music that takes you places." (WIllamette Week)
The Macks are brothers Josef and Ben Windheim, Sam Fulwiler, Jacob Michael Perris, and Aidan Harrison. In 2022, the band came out with their lockdown project "Rabbit." Their raw and progressive take on rock and roll launched the band towards festivals and tours from Idaho to Mexico City.
After Willamette Week dubbed The Macks "the masters of controlled mayhem" and Portland's Best New Band of 2022, the band could have taken a breather. Instead The Macks finished the year with another full-length album release.
Self-produced in their Portland home, "Dajiban" builds on the creative successes of "Rabbit." The album drives listeners deep into expansive, catchy, gnarly, and unmistakably "Macks" territory. "Dajiban" is "Elemental rock ‘n' roll" that "flourishes in a liminal space between raw creation and perfection." (Eugene Weekly)
"The approach of this album was to avoid overdeveloping anything," says lead guitarist Ben Windheim. "We're in a creative hot spot. Our group cohesion is at an all-time high. It's at the point we don't have to think about the idea a whole lot. If we're enjoying playing it together, then we can trust that process and see it through."
The band's 2017 "Camp Poppa" and 2019 "Yup" LPs documented their lively shows and garage rock energy. 2022's "Rabbit" was born in pandemic isolation and made solely for themselves. The result was adventurous and eclectic.
Now The Macks are embracing opportunities to play live again in bigger spaces. With shows at Crystal Ballroom in Portland and the MonkeyBee Festival III in Mexico City the band is focused on meeting the moment.
The Macks began in 2015 with Sam (vocals), Ben (guitar), Josef (drums). Jacob (keys) joined the band in 2020 to create and record Rabbit. In 2021 Aidan (bass) began touring and recording with The Macks.
ALL AGES | TICKETS $15 | Doors 7:00PM | The Old Church (1422 SW 11TH Ave, Portland, OR 97201)
Some albums are monoliths, compressed under the weight of a singular circumstance bearing down on an artist. Heather Maloney’s “Soil in the Sky” is a collective memory. Stitched together from personal and universal ecstasy, loss both intimate and ancient, Maloney's fourth full-length release is a collage of tremulous folk, existential ballads, and assertive rock. Taken as a whole, it’s a constellation that looks a lot like life.
The artist holds the center. The Massachusetts-based “writer song-singer” found music in the midst of three years at a meditation center, honing a sound moored in days of silent reflection and reverence for storytellers like Joni, Rilke and Ken Burns. On “Soil in the Sky,” she takes us to the midwest’s existential crisis, a barstool scooching against fate, a make-my-day reckoning with society's old guard. They’re roads less traveled and she keeps good company. Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith lends a distinctive duet to “We Were Together,” a rare love song from Maloney that nods to a Walt Whitman poem; Maloney and Rachel Price form a harmonic Voltron on
“Enigma,” a triumphant uppercut to oppressive power structures. The album is sonically rounded out by an all-star cast of players including longtime collaborator Ryan Hommel, Griffin Goldsmith, Jared Olevsky, Reed Sutherland, Dave Eggar and Jay Ungar.
In sound and sentiment, these 12 songs cover an immense amount of territory. But they’re all powered by the same source. There’s a spiritual thread throughout the record. That inspiration doesn’t necessarily come from above -- Maloney has a patchwork metaphysical support system -- but from all around: the glow of humanity gathered in the people and places that lap out in our wake.
Heather has toured nationally as a headliner as well as in support of acts like Lake Street Dive, Shakey Graves, Gary Clark Jr., Colin Hay, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and many more. The New York Times called her music “utterly gorgeous, visceral” and SPIN Magazine described her as “stunning, breathy, and starkly memorable”. “Soil In The Sky” is out on 6/14 via Signature Sounds.
“Lyrics that cut to the chase” – Huffington Post
“Her not-so-secret weapon is that voice ”– Boston Globe
“Delicious... really excellent” – Graham Nash
