We are balls deep in summer 2023, and there’s so much still yet to see. Pickathon is just a week out, and we’ll have our recommendations for who to see at the area's favorite farm fest soon. We're also saving the date for this year’s PDX Pop Now!—happening August 16-19. For now, check out two big mode local drops and a pricey spa concert series that might just be worth the sticker shock. 

MUST SEE:

Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s).

Knot Springs Concert Series

Swanky day spa Knot Springs is set to revisit their summer show series, and will host Portland artists for weekly patio concerts, starting every Thursday in August. First up: on August 3, jazz-fusion trio THREEDOM jam on improvisational instrumentals. Guests can either and listen to the show from the spa's soaking pools or on its patio, which overlooks the Burnside Bridge and greater city skyline. Subsequent shows feature Hawaiian indie-folk artist Isabeau Waia'u Walker, cellist Alexis Mahler, and indie folk-rock singer-songwriter AC Sapphire respectively. One stand-out installment is that of eclectic jazz and groove-driven trio Greaterkind, AKA drummer Cory Limuaco, keyboardist Charlie Brown III, and guitarist Peter Knudsen. We’re still waiting on their second EP, El Corazon, which Willamette Week wrote was due out in 2021, but here’s hoping that their patio show provides an opportunity to hear what they’ve been working on since 2020’s two-track Humphrey EP. The concert booking isn't cheap ($89), but includes access to the soaking pools, sauna, and steam room during the 6-8 pm window. Twenty percent of all ticket sales will be donated to the Jeremy Wilson Foundation, a nonprofit that provides resources to regional musicians during medical crises. (Knot Springs, 33 NE 3rd, Suite 365, Thursdays Aug 3, Aug 10, Aug 17, Aug 24, Aug 31, 6-8 pm, $89 booking includes spa use, tickets here, 18+)

MUST LISTEN: 

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

“The Way It Goes,” Dame D.O.L.L.A.

Shortly after the announcement of his official exit from Portland, outgoing Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard, released a new Dame D.O.L.L.A. music video for “The Way It Goes.” His cousin, rapper Brookfield Duece, directed the video, shooting the scenes on an iPhone. And the Portland hip-hop community’s most in-demand videographer Riley Brown edited it. Having Brown work on a music video in any capacity is like a right of passage for Portland hip-hop artists, so it’s only right that Dame gets the Riley treatment before his imminent trade to a (hopefully) more promising franchise. While the majority of Dame’s songs show a positive, self-assured rap persona—talking his shit and backing it up—on “The Way It Goes,” Dame leans into insightful melancholy. He raps, “I feed 'em with a slingshot/ Never know who just might pull up with a green dot/ Wanna see a nigga self esteem drop/ But when I'm humbled I show why I'm really cream of crop, different/ Been anointed since an infant/ It was love when I started, then it was distance/ I tried to tackle some issues and got resistance/ Been getting lifted and finding peace with forgiveness, I'm shifting.”

ADDED TO THE QUEUE: 

Some upcoming music buzz to put on your radar.

Heavy Gold, Mal London, Bird Bennett

Next month there’s an exciting bill of local hip-hop that’s worth trekking to St. Johns for: a night where record label and collective Heavy Gold is billed as the show’s headliner. The label is home to several local artists, and one would expect to hear some of its better known players, like producer Weez Beats and rapper-producerr Fountaine—whose work we’ve raved about. Just as exciting as the mysterious headliner (who will perform exactly?) the bill’s supporting artists start off with singer-songwriter Bird Bennett, followed by melodic hip-hop producer/rapper Mal London, who may even perform songs from his forthcoming collab EP with JxJury, Gone, Leave A Message. (The Fixin’ To, 8218 N Lombard, Sat Aug 19, 8 pm, tickets are not yet on sale, but you'll be able to find them here, $15, 21+)