High Notes: The Best Live Music in Portland This Week

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

John Chandler, GoLocalPDX Contributor

If variety is the spice of life, then we’ve got the makings of a gumbo that could take top honors on ‘Chopped.’ This week’s concert picks include twin tunesmiths from Canada, radical rappers from Oakland, reformed psychedelic savants, and Portland’s own Kings of Punk, Poison Idea. 

Tegan & Sara

Nov 12 @ 8pm

Yes, identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin look like they still get carded for buying beer, but they’re seasoned professionals with seven albums and three Junos (Canadian Grammys) on their resume. They’ve recently opened for Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift, which accurately reflects their gradual transition from indie darlings to mainstream monsters, with a knack for penning synth-pop anthems like “Closer”, a tune that had the honor of getting covered by the cast of ‘Glee’ last year. Tegan and Sara are also relentless touring warriors, with a huge international fanbase that stretches from the Taiwan to Tierra del Fuego. 

$28. Roseland Theater, 8 NW Sixth Ave. 

The Coup

Nov 13 @ 8pm

Led by furious frontman Boots Riley, a former community organizer, The Coup is a politically charged hip-hop ensemble from Oakland that’s made a career of defying authority and exhorting listeners to do the same. From its 1993 debut ‘Kill the Landlord’ to its most recent release, ‘Sorry to Bother You,’ Riley and his revolutionary crew, who’ve been known to stage guerrilla gigs on the backs of flatbed trucks, continue to foment radical change, challenging everyone to throw off the yoke of oppression and “Move! If you’ve got the nerve.”

$15-17. Hawthorne Theater, 1507 SE 39th Ave.

Rain Parade

Nov 14 @ 10pm

Rain Parade was one of the brightest and most influential groups to emerge from the so-called Paisley Underground movement (i.e., guys from the ’80s who wanted to sound like guys from the ’60s). This Los Angeles combo fused ear-friendly songwriting and meandering fuzz-guitar odysseys, with a distinctive melancholy pall that confirmed the band name wasn’t just for starting conversations. Rain Parade broke up in 1986, but reformed two years ago. Original member David Roback went on to further notoriety by teaming up with singer Hope Sandoval in Mazzy Star. The more you know…

$12. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 

The Bug

Nov 14 @ 9pm

‘Angels & Devils’ is the latest album from Brit musician and studio wiz Kevin Martin (he who is The Bug), and it’s a virtual tour of the myriad facets of Bug music. Flowing from brooding ambient soundscapes such as “Void” (with guest vocals by Grouper’s Liz Harris) to dancefloor dub thumpers like “Function,” the record serves as a sonic hedge maze that leads to The Bug’s beating heart. If his concert follows a similar structure, you’ll be bobbing in place for the first half and contorting madly for the second. 

$14. Rotture, 315 SE Third Ave. 

Mudhoney, Poison Idea

Nov 15 @ 9pm

Old school is now in session. Seattle’s Mudhoney has proven to be a durable vessel for more than 25 years and nine albums worth of no frills, punk-flavored Northwest rock. But the true elder statesmen on this bill is Poison Idea, who’ve been fronted by sturdy fire-breathing singer Jerry A, in one form or another since 1980. That’s a very long time in punk years. But raging slabs of metallic thrash like “Alan’s On Fire” and “The Badge” still burn to the touch, and respect must be paid.

$20. Dante’s, 350 W Burnside St. Sandy Blvd. 

John Chandler has been writing about rock and/or roll for 25 years with The Rocket, Portland Tribune, Portland Monthly, Magnet, Dagger, No Depression, and Puncture. He also writes about beer, booze, and bars for Portland'sBarFly website and plays in a couple goofy bands when the mood strikes him. He can most often be found at the wheel of horrificflicks.com, a review website dedicated to horror movies.

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