Have an event coming up you’re looking to spread the word about?
Send an email to events@xray.fm to see how we can help!
When emailing please include:
- Any relevant info about the event (dates/times, location, ticket links, info sheets etc.)
- What you're looking for from us, preferably in the subject or early in the email.* This could be things like being a media sponsor, paid underwriting packages, inviting us to attend, PSAs* AV services, getting an on-air interview, booking an XRAY DJ, having us be present there, etc.
- Who this event is for, so that we can place it appropriately on our schedule. If music, let us know the general genre/style. If non-music, what topics will someone that goes to this care about?
Timeline: For those new to working with us, without an established event promotion relationship or agreement, we need to receive your submission at least three weeks prior to your event for inclusion on our events calendar or newsletter, and preferably six weeks if you are interested in a radio spot about your event (i.e. underwriting). We are unlikely to consider last minute requests.
Please Note: We have a very limited capacity and unfortunately cannot accommodate all requests. The clearer your ask and the more obvious of a fit with our programming and/or mission, the more likely we'll prioritize it. We unfortunately cannot respond to every request, but welcome you nudging/following up with us to get it on our radar if it's a good fit and we haven't replied.
*Only nonprofits and/or things benefitting the wider community (such as something like demonstrations, disaster relief, mutual aid campaigns, etc.) are eligible for PSAs typically, with anything else being up to our discretion and typically done on media trade, paid campaigns, or as an act of good will because we feel strongly about something. All scripts need to be approved by us for our FCC compliance standards--even if a recorded file already exists.
Come celebrate Record Store Day at Mint Gallery Records (3912 N Mississippi Ave)! Live music will be going all day, including XRAY's own DJ Wednesday of Six Beats Under! Over 200 special limited edition RSD releases will also be available.
Join us for music, art, drinks & treats!
All Ages // 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Show // $33 Advanced Tickets
Etran de L’Aïr (or “stars of the Aïr region”) welcomes you to Agadez, the capital city of Saharan rock. Playing for over 25 years, Etran has emerged as stars of the local wedding circuit. Beloved for their dynamic repertoire of hypnotic solos and sun schlazed melodies, Etran stakes out a place for Agadez guitar music.
Etran is a family band composed of brothers and cousins, all born and raised in the small neighborhood of Abalane, just in the shadow of the grand mosque. Sons of nomadic families that settled here in the 1970s fleeing the droughts, they all grew up in Agadez. The band was formed in 1995 when current band leader Moussa “Abindi” Ibra was only 9 years old. “We only had one acoustic guitar,” he explains, “and for percussion, we hit a calabash with a sandal.” Over the decades, the band painstakingly pieced together gear to form their band and built an audience by playing everywhere, for everyone. “It was difficult. We would walk to gigs by foot, lugging all our equipment, carrying a small PA and guitars on our backs, 25 kilometers into the bush, to play for free…there’s nowhere in Agadez we haven’t played.”
Whereas other Tuareg guitarists look to Western rock, Etran de L’Aïr play in a pan-African style that is emblematic of their hometown, citing a myriad of cultural influences, from Northern Malian blues, Hausa bar bands, to Congolese Soukous. It’s perhaps this quality that makes them so beloved in Agadez. “We play for the Tuareg, the Toubou, the Zarma, the Hausa,” Abindi explains. “When you invite us, we come and play.” Their music is rooted in celebration, and invokes the exuberance of an Agadez wedding, with an overwhelming abundance of guitars, as simultaneous solos playfully pass over one another with a restrained precision, forceful yet never overindulgent. Yet even at its most serious, Etran’s music is engaged and dynamic, reminding us that music can transmit a message while lighting up a celebration. This is music for dancing, after all.
21+
Sliding scale at the door $10 - $20
21+ // early show 7 PM Doors, Show 8 PM late show 9:30 PM doors show 10 PM // $35 and up
All Ages // Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM // $58 GA $52 PDX Jazz Member
Since Hiromi’s debut album Another Mind (2003), the world-renowned pianist’s sound has evolved with every release, erasing the lines between jazz and classical, composition and improvisation. Now she changes tack again with her heaviest, funkiest album yet: Sonicwonderland.
Hiromi describes the hard-hitting nine-song set as “a new journey of adventure,” one that began in her imagination. As motifs, phrases, and timbres blossomed in her mind, she began thinking about players who could help her realize this specific sound. “Making a record is like making a movie, and I’m the director looking for the perfect actor for each role.” For her new quartet, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, she cast bassist Hadrien Feraud, drummer Gene Coye, and trumpet player Adam O’Ferrill.
The genesis of Sonicwonder begins in 2016, when Feraud subbed for bassist Anthony Jackson at some gigs with Hiromi’s then-current trio. “When I was playing with Hadrien in that setting, I started to feel like I wanted to write some music just for him,” she recalls. “That was the first thing that made me want to go in this direction, and what made me want it to form this band.”
For the drums she sought a warm, organic sound, rendered with joy and humor, and thought of Coye, who she’d met when they played shows together with the Stanley Clarke Band. Feraud and Coye both reside in Los Angeles, and had made music together many times, another important consideration. “I feel that it's always very important to have great chemistry between bassist and drummer.”
As she continued composing, Hiromi heard one more instrument in her head: trumpet. Again, she wanted a very specific sound. “What I really love about the trumpet is its low mid-range, and I was looking for somebody who can play in that range with a beautiful tone.” After reviewing some of O’Farrill’s performances online, she invited him to a casual jam session, and the ensemble was complete.
Born in Hamamatsu, Japan, Hiromi began studying piano when she was six years old. When she was 17, Chick Corea invited her to play with him at a Tokyo concert. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she was mentored by jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. A prolific artist, Sonicwonderland is Hiromi’s twelfth studio full-length and second album of 2023; earlier this year she recorded the soundtrack to Blue Giant, an animated feature film based on the popular manga.
Hiromi is a perennial favorite on DownBeat’s Annual Critics and Readers Poll, and has performed at the world’s finest jazz festivals, including Montreux, Umbria, North Sea, Newport, and Monterey. Her work has been celebrated by media including the New York Times, NPR and NPR Music, and the Washington Post, and she was a featured performer at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony in 2021.
All Ages // 7:30 PM // $45 Orchestra or Balcony
April is DJ Klyph’s birthday month, and we’re celebrating in true hip-hop fashion! No Requests returns with DJ Klyph and DJ Ambush on the decks, spinning nothing but golden era hip-hop—classic joints, deep cuts, and anthems that defined the culture. No requests, just pure vibes!
Come through, show love, and celebrate another year of music, community, and hip-hop excellence. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new to the movement, this is one you don’t want to miss!
No cover!
21+ // 7pm doors, 8pm show // $28.10 advance, $35 day of show
Katie Boyle is an Irish comedian living in New York City.
Her favorite stand-up topics are her journey through American culture, dating, therapy and shame! She performed as a "New Face" in the 2023 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and was featured in NY Funniest showcase and New York Comedy Festival in 2022.
Katie's debut album and special, I'll Do It Myself, was released through Pinch Records in summer of 2023. The album hit #1 on iTunes Comedy Charts and is currently available to stream on all major platforms. Her last special, Don't Tell, premiered in November 2023. Her second full-length special, Terapy, is set to release in early 2025.
All Ages // 10am - 7pm // Free!
The beloved St. Johns Bizarre returns Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown St. Johns! (Find us at N. Philadelphia and N. Lombard — and all across the surrounding blocks!) We'll be serving up another a dynamite lineup of musicians, artisans, makers, creators, food vendors, community groups, and more, all ready to go — so you can sing, dance, eat, shop, and make merry 'til your heart's delight.
The St. Johns Bizarre street festival is a single-day event in the heart of North Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood, celebrating the unique character of the area. The festival has traditionally coupled itself to the St. Johns Parade, one of Portland’s longest-running parades. Last year, after we expanded our footprint, the Bizarre featured a record 180 vendors, selling an impressive array of handmade art and craft items, including jewelry and clothing, home goods, photography, and paintings. Also featured each year are a number of food vendors, as well as booths featuring local community organizations.
21+ // 7pm doors, 8pm show // $36.41 advance, $41.77 day of show
Mike Hanford is a comedian, writer, and actor. Currently, Mike stars alongside his Sloppy Boys bandmates Tim Kalpakis and Jefferson Dutton in the feature-length documentary BLOOD, SWEAT AND BEERS, about the making of the Sloppy Boys' latest album with legendary producer and musician Money Mark. Mike has written for THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON and he co-created and starred in the critically acclaimed series THE BIRTHDAY BOYS, which ran for two seasons on IFC and was executive produced by Bob Odenkirk. Currently, Mike voices several roles in the Paramount+/Comedy Central animated series DIGMAN! starring Andy Samberg. Mike played the recurring role of "Wade" on the Netflix comedy LOVE. Mike has written for and appeared on IFC's COMEDY BANG! BANG! and Comedy Central's ALTERNATINO. Hanford is a frequent guest on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast and is host of Questions for Lennon with John Lennon. Mike's television credits include THE UCB SHOW and BAJILLION DOLLAR PROPERTIE$, as well as Netflix's W/ BOB AND DAVID, Comedy Central's KROLL SHOW, IFC's PORTLANDIA, and NBC's PARKS AND RECREATION. Mike is also co-host of The Sloppy Boys Podcast with Tim Kalpakis and Jefferson Dutton, which Vulture named one of the best comedy podcasts of 2021. Mike regularly performs stand-up in NYC and is host of Mike Hanford and his Funny Friends.
Join XRAY's own DJ Wednesday (Six Beats Under, Mondays 9-10pm) for a night of curated live performances by
Guest Directors, Ten Million Lights and Mayray
Saturday, May 16th at the Fixin' To on N Lombard
21+
$10
Doors at 8pm
Join DJ Wednesday from the XRAY show Six Beats Under (Mondays 9-10pm) for a curated evening at Holocene
Performances by Mercury's Antennae, Among the Black Trees (release party), Darkswoon and Bridal Veil. DJ Set by DJ Wednesday
7pm, 21+
$10 in advance, $12 at the Door