Performers and Shows Announced!
"We’re proud to present the preliminary lineup for the ninth installment of the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, taking place June 1-5, 2016. With performances from recent Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award-winner Rachel Bloom of CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Oscar nominee Aimee Mann, rock legend Ted Leo, long-form improv from alums of SNL, Best in Show and The Office, and standup from greats including Eddie Pepitone, Martha Kelly, Matt Braunger, Baron Vaughn and Karen Kilgariff, this year’s fest is not to be missed. Tickets go on sale soon, with festival passes and select individual show tickets available for purchase.
Stay tuned for more lineup announcements over the coming weeks, and in the meantime browse our list of performers and shows to see what’s in store for this year’s Bridgetown, and we’ll see you in June!" -Bridgetown
Discogs and XRAY have joined forces to bring some of our favorite DJs together for one night at Dig a Pony. They'll take turns selecting from their crates (playing nothing but rare vinyl) all night long. Come hang out with Discogs and XRAY and hear sets that sound like no others:
Cuica (Missisippi Records)
DDDJJJ666 (Hipsters Suck, Crossroads Records)
Morning Remorse (Blind Dates with Morning Remorse)
Rev Shines (Lifesavas, Today's Good News)
Drink Specials for XRAY Members (Bring your Membership Keychain!)
FREE
In April 1985 Valerie Day, John Smith, and their band Nu Shooz, released the five-song EP ‘Tha’s Right!’. Acting on a dare from a local music writer, Gary Bryan of Portland Oregon’s KKRZ put the song “I Can’t Wait” on the air. Listener reaction was strong and immediate- the kind of response known in radio jargon as ‘Instant Phones.’
But this was no overnight sensation. By the time the whole world heard about the Soul band from Oregon, they’d spent seven years onstage, four hours a night, four or five nights a week. So, when their spotlight moment came, the Shooz could get up and play.
By the end of the year “I Can’t Wait” was a regional hit. But the song really took off when it was remixed by Dutch DJ Peter Slaghuis. Atlantic Records signed the band in January 1986. “I Can’t Wait” eventually reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other hits followed. Nu Shooz was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 1987.
What a long, strange, beautiful trip it's been.
Fast forward to the present…
After a lengthy hiatus from the world of pop/funk and soul, (to raise a family and play other styles of music,) Valerie and John revive the Nu Shooz sound. The husband and wife team are back on the road as part of the Super Freestyle Explosion Tour and the live eight piece band, Shoo-Horns and all, are playing shows for the first time in 25 years.
$ 20.00 General Admission
$45 VIP Tickets: Limited quantity. Ticket includes band meet & greet at sound check, signed CD, drink ticket, and special VIP area seating. Only available on the Nu Shooz ‘Bagtown’ Pledgemusic page:
www.pledgemusic.com/projects/bagtown
Not in Portland but would like to see the show?
Nu Shooz is excited to be partnering with Portland's own local event streaming company Audioglobe.
$5 Livestream on Audioglobe:
http://www.audioglobe.com/event/254/1026
Age Limit:
21+
Bayou Maharajah explores the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker, the man Dr. John described as “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” A brilliant pianist, his eccentricities and showmanship belied a life of struggle, prejudice, and isolation. A wild genius with a style that combined elements of rhythm-and-blues, jazz, ragtime and classical music, he gained the nicknames “Piano Prince of New Orleans”, “Black Liberace” and “Bayou Maharajah”. Illustrated with never-before-seen concert footage, rare personal photos and exclusive interviews, the film paints a portrait of this overlooked genius.
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/bayou-maharajah/#sthash.9vg7EB1h.dpuf
$9 | Buy advance tickets here.
When guitarist and composer Robbie Basho died in 1986, he was so little-regarded that all his records were out of print. In the 30 years since, a small but fervent cult has coalesced around Basho’s mystic air; his masterful synthesis of country-blues picking with classical and global influences; and his keening, otherworldly voice. Liam Barker‘s doc seeks to unravel the mysteries of this cryptic artist’s music and mind with help from a Basho fan himself, Pete Townshend, and fellow acolyte of the Sufi spiritual master Meher Baba.
See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/voice-of-the-eagle-the-enigma-of-robbie-basho/#sthash.8k539aCz.dpuf
$9 | Buy advance tickets here.
Sonic Cinema is back with MAD TIGER!
Friday, April 15 at 9:30pm | $9 | Buy advance tickets here.
Yellow and Red have been best friends, band mates, and business partners touring the United States in a performance-art punk band called Peelander-Z for the last fifteen years. When Red decides to quit, their relationship is tested by life beyond the band.
Part of our Sonic Cinema Festival which presents the best in new and classic music documentaries on the big screen… with big sound! A feast for the eyes and ears, the festival explores a wide range of musical artists, genres and styles.
Sonic Cinema Sponsored by:
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/mad-tiger/#sthash.9co9aexk.dpuf
Design Week Portland is a week-long, city-wide series of programs exploring the process, craft, and practice of design across all disciplines. Our mission is to increase appreciation and awareness about design and its far-reaching effects on matters of cultural and social relevance, including community development, education systems, and the economy.
Portland has always been a bit different. And within the last decade or so, the rest of the world has taken notice. Forever pushing forward, our compact city continues to emerge as a dynamic center of creativity, composed of a vital community of designers and makers at its core. We create. We collaborate. We try new things. We grow. And so, to best reflect the culture here, Design Week Portland stitches together the events and happenings that will connect, educate, and inspire.
Featuring January’s Winner, Works for Portland Public Schools + Improviser at Brody Theater Chris Williams (PDX), with returning crowd faves: Co-Producer of Those Who Can’t, Writer for Arrested Development Joey Slamon (LA), Talent Acquisition Coordinator, 3-Time Russian Roulette Winner Shannon Balcom (PDX), Writer/Performer for Live Wire! Jason Rouse (PDX), and new-comers: Writer/Performer, Former Associate Producer of Live Wire Radio! Tyler Hhughs (PDX), Veterinary Technician, Animal Rescuer & Caregiver Kahlie Towle (PDX), and Bartender at Bunk Bar Matt Brown (PDX).
Created, Hosted, Produced by B. Frayn Masters & Mindy Nettifee
Music by Bobby D from XRAY
$16-$20 Advance | $18 Door
More about Russian Roulette
How it works: each show begins with a full wheel of juicy story prompts. One of our 7 seasoned storytellers will be randomly drawn. To determine the random prompt for their story, they’ll spin the giant game show wheel. They can play or pass. 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 that prompt! It’s like we invented a new game called truth and dare.
At the end of the night, the audience will select a winner who will receive 50 bucks and some other cool prizes, like bragging rights for life. The winner will be invited to come back to the next show.
And one lucky audience member will also win prizes.
* Storytellers subject to change without notice.
* Stories will quite likely contain explicit language and/or subject matter.
Late Night Action is an original live talk show that features high profile guests, personalities, bands, comics, and more. Think Jimmy Fallon or David Letterman set to a Portland soundtrack.
The show is hosted by PDX comedy veteran Alex Falcone (The Portland Mercury, Bridgetown Comedy Festival,Portlandia) and feature Alex's breezy crowd work, original writing, and quick wit. He's supported by a dynamic group of professionals from all over the Portland comedy scene, including sidekick Bri Pruett (Curious Comedy, The Portland Mercury, Bridgetown Comedy Fest), and a great sketch team made up of the best and brightest comedic voices from the Pacific Northwest.
XRAY RECORDS is being born. Come bear witness as we pull it from the womb and feast on its placenta.
Featuring real-time quasi-interactive musical demonstrations by:
SUN ANGLE
Non-sequitor shred benders, love them again like it's the first time for yet another time.
https://sunanglemusic.bandcamp.com/
THE GHOST EASE
Rock, roll, and then some.
http://www.theghostease.com/
$10 advance
$12 at the door
First 100 people through the door will receive a free Heavy Breather postcard/album download. Special collector's item! Guaranteed to depreciate in value!
UPCOMING SCREENINGS: THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST
The Hollywood Theatre’s Sonic Cinema Festival presents the best in new and classic music documentaries on the big screen… with big sound! A feast for the eyes and ears, the festival explores a wide range of musical artists, genres and styles.
Thursday, April 7 at 7:30pm | $9 | Buy advance tickets here.
THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST: MALIAN MUSIC IN EXILE is a feature-length documentary following musicians in Mali in the wake of a jihadist takeover and subsequent banning of music. Music, one of the most important forms of communication in Mali, disappeared overnight in 2012 when Islamic extremists groups rose up to capture an area the size of the UK and France combined. But rather than lay down their instruments, Mali’s musicians fought back. Watch trailer here.
- See more at: http://hollywoodtheatre.org/sonic-cinema/#sthash.y0nbtLSN.dpuf
The greatly expanded OFTS II Festival this year is a 2-night festival (with a warm-up show on Thursday night, details below) featuring 26 bands, including, in order (subject to change):
[Thurs @ Black Water]:
Warm Hands (PDX)
Neptune Skyline (PDX)
Silence in the Snow (Oakland)
Shadowlands (PDX)
Lord Alba (PDX)
This is a FREE show for ADVANCE 2-DAY BRACELET BUYERS; $5 entry otherwise.
[Fri @ Panic Room]:
Annex (McAllen TX)
In Letter Form (San Francisco)
The Prids (PDX)
Underpass (Olympia)
Vice Device (PDX)
Terminal A (LA)
Lust Era (Puerto Rico)
Weird Candle (Vancouver BC)
Spirit Host (PDX)
Ghost Noise (LA)
[Sat @ Panic Room]:
New Politicians (New Jersey)
Spectres (Vancouver BC)
Arctic Flowers (PDX)
Soft Kill (PDX/Chi)
Shadowhouse (PDX)
LUNCH (PDX)
Das Fluff (London/Berlin)
Shadow Age (Michigan)
Forever Grey (VIrginia)
Ganser (Chicago)
Dignitary (LA)
A benefit for XRAY.fm presented by Soundcontrol PDX and XRAY radio show Songs From Under The Floorboard.
$12 per night, $20 for a 2-night bracelet.
We're two! Join XRAY.FM as we ring in our first two years in style with Mic Capes, Summer Cannibals, and the Ghost Ease. Featuring XRAY DJs in between bands and all night at Bar Bar. Hosted by comedian Bri Pruett and featuring our biggest RAFFLE yet.
FACEBOOK INVITE HERE
$10 General Admission <---Tickets Available There!
$5 with XRAY member keychain at the door, or $5 advance with member code. (Check the upcoming XRAY Newsletter for the code!) All proceeds go to XRAY FM.
Mic Capes Music
Summer Cannibals
The Ghost Ease
Thank you DJs, board-ops, staff members, listeners, underwriters, and of course XRAY Members.
RADIO IS YOURS!
Join XRAY.FM for Candace's "New Future" Record Release party at Star Theater!
Candace is celebrating & kicking off their West Coast tour with dræmhouse!
:✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦::✦:
✦ Candace ✦
https://candaceisaband.bandcamp.com/
✦ Cat Hoch - band ✦
https://cathoch.bandcamp.com/
... See More
Soul'd Out Productions and XRAY.FM Present... The Flavr Blue! with HEARTWATCH (SF) and Blossom (PDX)
After a 2015 of major milestones, the Seattle-based trio The Flavr Blue sets out in support of their newest release, the Love Notes EP, a collection that marries the group's crackling energy with a soulful musical wisdom inherited from influences ranging from Cut Copy and Miike Snow to Feist and Sade.
Last year, the trio performed on dozens of stages, from the main stage performance at Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party to a sold out Exchange LA performance for 30 Days in LA. They've seen their single "We Can Go Blind" play in heavy rotation on Sirius XM, and had one-off collaborations "U Crazy" and "Pretty Girl" crack 100,000 plays on Soundcloud. Their latest single, "Majesty," was premiered on Fader and is in rotation at Seattle's vaunted indie station KEXP, and they've gotten enthusiastic coverage from the likes of Billboard, Earmilk, Dancing Astronaut, and Complex.
The band's success is driven by the way its members -- lead singer Hollis Wong-Wear, whose voice graced the Billboard Top 20 hit "White Walls" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and singer/producers Lace Cadence and Parker Joe, each with a litany of Seattle hip-hop and R&B releases under their belts -- weave their voices and eclectic experimentalism within a rich electronic landscape. It's been that way since the beginning, when they first built tracks in a half-bedroom turned studio in Parker's Beacon Hill townhouse. It grew as they translated the sounds to wild live shows, for crowds both charmed and electrified by their combination of heartfelt soul and energetic electronica. Even Questlove tweeted his affection for the band's live performance after watching their set at the Brooklyn Bowl.
Love Notes pushes the Flavr Blue's sound further still, toward an even deeper musicality; they effortlessly blend a range of textures that recall Aaliyah's slinky sensuality, Beach House's washed out reverberations, and Prince's fidelity to the pop hook. The music is still passionately handmade; Love Notes, like releases before, is a true collaboration between three creative minds (and, like their earliest music, was recorded mostly in that same half-bedroom). It's that spirit -- a collective enveloping and integrating of new sounds, their DIY ethos matched with a captivating polish-- that truly defines the Flavr Blue, and makes their future so promising.
The Flavr Blue will tour from February and March in select cities across the country in February and March in support of Love Notes. Find all tour dates on their website, theflavrblue.com.
21+, $10 adv // $12 day of
We Out Here Magazine & XRAY.FM present
The Thesis - March 3rd 2016
21+ · $5 · 9 PM
Portland's best monthly live hip hop event is back with another dynamic line up for March 2016.
...featuring...
Vinnie Dewayne · Wool See (IAME (of Sandpeople/Oldominion)) · Näkyo͞oəs formerly known as Deuxpamine
of course our DJ, Verbz will be on the one's and two's.
RSVP via Facebook
DJ Lamar LeRoy
Blossom
Coco Columbia
Rare Diagram
PULSE is a quarterly music event curated by Willamette Week showcasing the diverse and talented musicians and producers under the radar and on the rise within the Portland music scene.
Hosted by Holocene Portland, PULSE shines a spotlight on an eclectic mix of hip-hop, R&B, soul and their extended genres. Expect up and coming MC’s and DJ’s, as well as rock bands with rhythm and creative individuals marching to the beat of their own drum machine.
Thursday, February 18
Holocene
8:30 p.m. doors + DJ / 9 p.m. show
21+
$6 cover at door, with $1 supporting non profit partner XRAY.FM
Runaway Productions 15 year anniversary Party
featuring
Speaker Minds (NEW CD "GUMBO GROOVES" OUT NOW)
Bad Habitat
Serge Severe
Mic Crenshaw
La Puerta Felonia - Talilo - Russ A Bus
hosted by DJ Klyph of Welcome To The Neighborhood radio show on XRAY.FM and DJ Figs
Plus a special guest or two to help make this the biggest Friday night hip hop show of the year.
- Fernando with Full Band (Only show here in the states for 3 Months)
- Trujillo band (featuring Freddy Trujillo of Caguama and Richmond Fontaine) with Special guest drummer Luther Russell
- Joshua James and the Runaway Trains
- Michael Dean Damron (Solo acoustic set)
$8 Advance tickets available at www.ticketweb
Bike love is in the air.
Join us for the sixth annual Live the Revolution, presented by Sugar Wheel Works. It’s a bicycle-themed storytelling event that benefits the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Safe Routes to School education program. For the past five years, Sugar Wheel Works has been celebrating its anniversary with this great event as a way to inspire the next generation to ride!
“I remember my first bike—a little pink Schwinn ‘My Fair Lady’ spec’d with a banana seat and a bell! I had the training wheels for half a summer before I declared them useless and in one afternoon I had learned the art of the two-wheeler. Once I had a bike no television could keep me inside—the world was mine to discover. Today I ride a pink Sweet Pea bicycle spec’d with a brooks saddle, bell and no training wheels!”
-Jude Gerace, Owner Sugar Wheel Works
Get your ticket here. And one for your date.
What is Live the Revolution?
Live the Revolution is a collection of stories told live by your favorite Portland personalities. This year’s storytellers are (drumroll):
- Leah Benson, Gladys Bikes
- Donnie Kolb, Velodirt
- Diana Rempe, Street Books
- Mychal Tetteh, Community Cycling Center
SPECIAL GUEST: Brad Ross, Emcee. Join us in congratulating him on his retirement and celebrating his work with Cross Crusade.