Don't know what you're doing this weekend? You will after skimming our weekend guide, which features low- and no-cost events from Portland Independent Bookstore Day to the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade & Carnival and from HeART of Portland: A Portland Public Schools Arts Showcase and Miller Family Free Day to Ceasefire: Aaron Hankins, an ongoing protest art installation at One Grand Gallery. For more ideas, check out our guide to the top events of the week.

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Classical Up Close
Classical Up Close is the Oregon Symphony's spring concert series that shares the tradition of chamber music with new audiences through free, casual pop-up performances. This weekend, the series will continue at Hillsdale Community Church with the classic works of Pärt, Haydn, Madsen, Fibich, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. AUDREY VANN
(Hillsdale Community Church, Hillsdale, free)

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland! My notes from yesterday, about today's news, simply read: "moilun rogue’s windmill blades fell off," so that's the sort of day I (and apparently Moulin Rouge) was having yesterday. How about you? I CAN'T HEAR YOU! IT'S TIME FOR THE NEWS!

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Today's top story is grizzlies (sometimes called brown bears) in the PNW. National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service announced yesterday—they've been talking about this for years—that they're going to actively move forward with a plan to move grizzly bears from "other ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains or interior British Columbia" to the North Cascades. Yeah, that's Washington, but what if some of them came over here? This is the only way I see us getting into Fat Bear Week, people.

• In keeping with the nationwide protests on college campuses, a group of activists set up a camp in the South Park Blocks at PSU last night. Curious what law overruled these folks' First Amendment rights. Park closure hours? For real?

A group attempting to occupy a portion of the South Park Blocks has refused to leave despite several warnings from @PDXParksandRec Rangers that the park closed at 9p. Officers are clearing the park now. Portland supports free speech activity when done lawfully!

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) April 26, 2024

• What if Portlanders could take 2 percent of the city's budget and spend it on the city in the way they choose? Well, Taylor Griggs talked to some participatory budgeting advocates about an initiative they're trying to get on the city's November ballot.

• [clinking of cowboy boots] There's a new camping ordinance in town (which still requires a final council vote) that'll replace city code adopted last June... which never went into effect because a lawsuit and subsequent court injunction prevented it. Want to know what's in the almost real ordinance? Courtney Vaughn made a bullet list.

• We all got that AMBER alert Tuesday night; the sad story behind it is beginning to shake out. OPB's Conrad Wilson reports "police in Oregon identified a former Washington state police and school resource officer who allegedly kidnapped his 1-year-old son and killed a woman and teenage girl, including the child’s mother, in West Richland, Washington."

The head of Oregon's state police is on administrative leave after shooting at an Amber alert suspect. https://t.co/aEJw7kYTLP

— Ryan Haas (@ryanjhaas) April 25, 2024

This week, a Portland rap prodigy releases her first-ever single, Nasalrod's long-awaited vinyl split has arrived, and Blossom teases a rock song from her new album! Come get into the new music news that’s happening Hear in Portland.

MUST LISTEN: 

New release(s) from a Portland-relevant artist. 

“Swish,” J Prodigy

According to local legends, Portland-based teen rapper J Prodigy has been free-styling since she was just a toddler; we know for sure she's been performing her rhymes since the age of nine—where she impressed crowds at the likes of PDX Pop Now! and Mic Check. On March 22, the young emcee released her first-ever single, “Swish,” at the age of 14. Over production by Token and Echo the Savage, punctuated by that “nothing-but-net” sound, "Swish" pulls inspiration from hooping—perhaps best exemplified the chorus that repeats “Does she ever miss?” The song comes at a perfect time as women’s basketball is on fire. (In case you’ve been living under a rock, this year’s women’s basketball NCAA championship was the most-watched in history.) Along with social media promoting the album came the welcome news that J Prodigy signed  to Unlimited Vibe Records. She’ll release her forthcoming debut EP with Unlimited Vibe and be managed by Nigerian artist Izzy-Baba-Melo. 

If Portland residents were given access to a percentage of the city’s budget to work on projects most important to them, what would they choose? According to participatory budgeting (PB) advocates, the results could be much more reflective of community needs, and the process would get more people, from more walks of life, involved in local politics. 

PB proponents are currently gathering signatures for a November ballot initiative that would allow residents to make spending decisions about 2 percent of the city’s annual discretionary budget. Using the city’s current budget as a reference, this would be about $15 million a year. 

Similar plans have been adopted in thousands of cities around the world, including New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Barcelona. 

Friends and frequent collaborators Charli XCX & Troye Sivan are teaming up to make their fans sweat. Indie pop singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers asks that you don’t forget her—or to buy tickets to her upcoming tour. Plus, Neil Young & Crazy Horse will swing through Bend this summer for a plugged-in set. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 26

MUSIC

Arooj Aftab
Aladdin Theater (Jan 22, 2025)

Bonny Light Horseman
Revolution Hall (Fri Oct 11)

Boris 'Amplifier Worship Service'
Revolution Hall (Tues Oct 1)

On a list of heinous crimes, cannibalism and filicide sit right at the top. But in a fairy tale, it's business as usual.

The Brothers Grimm collected and published over 200 folktales in the early 19th century—some winnowed from hundreds of oral retellings—wherein Cinderella's wicked stepsisters cut off portions of their feet and Snow White's own mother demanded her liver and lungs for a meal. Readers might feel drawn to one story more than another, but the archetypes and journeys therein are ripe for reimagining. That's what we've always done with them. From oral tradition to Grimm documentation to sanitization for sensitive audiences, we take pieces of fairy tales out and put them back in. To borrow from critic April Wolfe, "it's not what happens, but how it happens that matters."

There is perhaps no other theater in Portland more interested in how something happens than Shaking the Tree, and the company's spring production, The Brother and the Bird, adapts a short story by Alissa Nutting, which was based on the Brothers Grimm's "The Juniper Tree," into a tight 60-minute play filled with tension, suspense, and stray rays of humor. 

After a series of proposed changes and late-stage amendments, Portland City Council is on track to relax its city codes regulating houselessness. 

The Council took an initial vote Wednesday to approve amendments to a revamped public camping ordinance put forward by Mayor Ted Wheeler, with changes from Commissioners Carmen Rubio and Mingus Mapps.

The new ordinance, which still requires a final council vote, replaces city code adopted last June that was met with a lawsuit and subsequent court injunction, preventing it from ever going into effect. 

Portland’s new regulations:

• Clarify the definition of camping;
• Prohibit anyone from camping in public if they have access to reasonable shelter, or if they decline an offer of shelter;
• Prohibit camping in public right-of-ways like sidewalks;
• Specifically call out bike accumulation and assembly; fires, camp stoves, and any erected or makeshift structures near a campsite as illegal;
• Impose fines of up to $100 or seven days in jail for non-compliance, with a provision encouraging diversion and services before resorting to criminal or civil penalties

Unlike the ordinance adopted in 2023, the new policies don’t restrict what time of day a person may rest or camp, and the new rules will hinge on the availability of enough shelter beds. 

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Drew Holcomb on May 6 at Revolution Hall!

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors play Revolution Hall on May 6th! Vibrant roots songwriter and Emmy Award-winning artist Drew Holcomb returns to Rev Hall in support of his brand-new album, Strangers No More. Get your tickets now or enter to win here!

Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, Mon May 6, 8 pm, $25-$110, all ages

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Yellow Days on May 9 at the Aladdin Theater!

Yellow Days plays Aladdin Theater on May 9! Drawing influence from Ray Charles, Mac DeMarco, and Thundercat, LA-via-UK artist Yellow Days is known for his psychedelic soul-pop and the throaty, yearning vocals that accompany it. Listen LIVE as the indie songwriter shares new tunes from his forthcoming release, Hotel Heaven! Get your tickets now or enter to win here!

Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Fri May 9, 8 pm, $25, all ages

BUENOS DIAS, BRAINY BOTTOM! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And this week, your brain will be tested on how much you know about our city commissioners (up to their bullshit again), local restaurants making it big around the world, and YOUR choice for the sexiest fast food mascot! (Be honest... you won't be arrested, we promise! 😬🤞)

But first, how did you do on the previous quiz? Ooh-la-la, pretty dang good! And as usual, I'm loving your majority choice for which celebrity Nike shoes you want on your feet! (I'll take mine with extra rhinestones, please! 🙏)

OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! For those who haven't been getting enough soaking rain in your life, today is your day. Expect steady dampness all day long, with a high of 57, and an increasing chance of wet pants. And now here's your steady downpour of NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• In a lengthy (and often cantankerous) city council meeting yesterday, three out of five commissioners shot down Commish Rene Gonzalez' ping-pong ball of an anti-homeless ordinance that he introduced last week and changed on almost a daily basis before yesterday's vote. In an attempt to put some sharp, bloody teeth in Mayor Wheeler's proposal (that was trying to avoid legal action against the city), Gonzalez first proposed fining poverty-stricken homeless campers $500 per citation and up to six months jail time, and later changed it to a $1000 fine (!!) and no jail time. (I think Commissioner Gonzalez has trouble comprehending what "poverty" means.) In any case, the council voted in favor of Wheeler's new homelessness ordinance (with additions from Commissioners Rubio and Mapps), which in line with the current law allows homeless people to camp in public when there's no city-provided shelter available, while also banning the use of propane fires, blocking private entrances, and other illegal activities. And so, once again, a terrible, cruel, and thoughtless plan from mayoral wannabe Gonzalez blows up in his face. It's almost like he doesn't know what he's doing and isn't fit for holding public office, isn't it?

For those tracking Portland's evolving rules on public camping, Commissioner Gonzalez has another (updated) proposal for Council to consider today. New version incorporates changes requested by Commissioners Rubio & Mapps, and removes jail time, but increases fines up to $1K. 🧵

— Courtney Vaughn (@C__Vaughn) April 24, 2024

• A 56-year-old driver was arrested on the charge of vehicular homicide outside of Seattle for striking and killing a motorcyclist—but get this: The driver is blaming the death on his Tesla's autopilot driving system which he says was in use at the time. This follows Tesla's December move to recall more than two million of their vehicles in order to fix a defective autopilot system, which despite the name, does NOT allow drivers to operate Elon Musk's killing machines hands-free. Please make a note of it.

[Welcome to our second annual "SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND" issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds]

Before I get started, (and piss people off), I should start by saying this: “house keys not handcuffs,” “care not jail,” and “stop the sweeps”—I breathe that. 

Now, once you get past mantras, there’s some real life outside that we all have to acknowledge about the mounds of policy failure that has become Portland, and now Oregon’s massive homeless problem: our streets are wild. 

The endless needles, pipes as common as the rain, the undiagnosed person throwing a chair into a grocery store window, the trash tumbleweeding every which way—it’s a lot. 

Even when we recognize the scourge on the streets has been created by decades of government terror and disinvestment, as well as over-fidelity to the most deep-pocketed by those in power—those failures have turned into a more materially unstable and unsafe place for all of us if we’re telling the truth. 

Which, speaking of disinvestment—did you know that in Oregon, which is just 2  percent Black, the most racially diverse county in the state, Multnomah, is just 7 percent Black? Despite that fact, we Black people make up almost a quarter of the growing thousands of homeless people in Multnomah County. 

And this ironically, is where the good stuff starts to happen—at least in this story. The good stuff is in the brain and heart of LaQuida “Q” Landford, a Portland-by-way of Belize activist who embodies “the work.” She’s the founder and Executive Director of AfroVillage PDX, a non-profit on the frontlines of tackling Black homelessness in Oregon. All the aforementioned issues with our homeless problem, be it the cause or the consequence, LaQuida is well aware of and more. 

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

Are you looking for a hilarious, live comedy show where YOU can walk away with a fabulous PRIZE (or two)?

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town: TWO EVILS! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide between TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely! 

Plus, this time around we'll be welcoming special guest comedian ZAK TOSCANI! SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: TONIGHT, Wednesday, April 24, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!

I’m a cis gay man in Canada. Other than my supportive enby partner of five years and a few close friends, most people in my life don’t know that I’m a fetish content creator. My stuff delves into the foot porn/macrophilia (love of giants) space. I don’t make enough to live off, but it’s a good side hustle; I earn enough to help with bills and groceries. Plus, creating this content has resulted in meeting people with the same paraphilias and fantasies. Being a kink content creator has many more pros than cons and it allows me to share my sexual interests with willing and understanding people — which is a great thing, as my combination of fetishes is pretty rare. I do all of this faceless. Save for the handful of times I’ve posted a glimpse of my face on my OnlyFans account, I’ve never shown my face on public platforms. I am self-employed, so I don’t have to worry about my boss finding out and firing me, since I am my own boss. But the “internet is forever” and I fear repercussions if I change careers in the future. How best to navigate this?

Fearful About Coming Employment Situation

“The internet is forever,” said Aaron, a 30-year-old gay man and BDSM content creator. “I see news articles every week about people losing jobs after someone sent their OnlyFans account to their employer.” Which is why Aaron and his fiancé John, a 25-year-old gay man who shares his love of bondage, both wear masks in the videos they share on their JustForFans account. “Until we live in a world where no one is shamed for their sexual interests and what they choose to do in their free time,” said Aaron, “showing our faces is not worth the risk to our careers or our relationships with friends and family.”