Be queen of the neighborhood.WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16
MUSIC—Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson loves music more than you. Hell, the hi-hat-battering luminary behind the Roots might very well love Portland more than you (he named it his favorite city in a 2011 interview). At tonight's DJ set, expect him to share that love, with deep cuts, chill beats, and just generally pleasant sounds. DVH
w/Moon Hooch, Steven Vaughn Kray; Alhambra Theatre, 4811 SE Hawthorne, 10 pm, $20
FILM & COMEDY—Mashing up movies and stand-up comedy, the beer-loving cinephiles at movieboozer.com present John Hughes' beloved Ferris Bueller's Day Off—preceded by a set from comedian Amy Miller. Ferris would approve. EH
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, comedy at 8 pm, movie at 8:30 pm, $5, 21+
THURSDAY, APRIL 17
MUSIC—There be treasure buried on this island, and the music scene's currently enjoying its unearthing: If you've yet to see the revived soul of Ural Thomas and the Pain, time to rectify. Plus, legendary Portland jazz singer Shirley Nanette's just had her 1973 release Never Coming Back re-issued, and will be joining the Pain to perform its songs in a show that may well make for a new legend of its own. MS
w/Ancient Heat, Rev. Shines; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $15-18
FILM—If you missed the NW Film Center's annual Northwest Filmmakers' Festival, here's your CliffsNotes version. For two nights, the Film Center is bringing the Best of the 40th Northwest Filmmakers' Festival to Portland, showing off the nine best short works from the festival's regional filmmakers in an easily watchable 72 minutes, with filmmakers in attendance. EH
Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park, Thurs 7 pm, Sat 5 pm, $8-9
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
MUSIC CRUISE—Those crazy kids at KPSU have been working their butts off this month to raise money for an FM signal for their radio station. They're throwing all sorts of fun events, culminating with the raging KPSU Kruise—ON A BOAT! Get your ass down low and shake it to and fro for Magic Mouth, and buoy up to the floating bar then out on the floor for the irresistible rhythms of Orquestra Pacifico Tropical. CF
Portland Spiritat Salmon Street Fountain, 1020 SW Naito, board 10:30 pm, cruise leaves 11 pm, $10, 18+
COMEDY—Sketch comedy duo Shelley McLendon and Michael Fetters—who perform together as the Aces—are two of the funniest actors in town. Described as "sketch comedy plus theater plus gym class," their shows push the boundaries of sketch, layering emotional resonance over considerable absurdity. AH
Ethos/IFCC, 5340 N Interstate, Fri-Sat 8 pm, through May 3, $15-18
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
COMEDY TALK— Local chat fests don't get much better than Late Night Action with Alex Falcone. This very clever comic (who also writes for the Merc) happens to be a great interviewer, and tonight he wags tongues with Bill Oakley (The Simpsons, Portlandia), hot-poop game designer Steve Gaynor, musical guest Laura Gibson, and more! WSH
Secret Society, 116 NE Russell, 9 pm, $10-15
RECORD STORE DAY—In the olden days, if you wanted to hear your favorite song, you couldn't just magick it up on your phone. You had to physically enter something called a "record store." Funny thing, though. Record stores still exist. And today, on Record Store Day, is a good time to visit one. Locations will make it worth your while with special releases and maybe even live performances. DCT
Independent record stores everywhere, all day, for more info visit recordstoreday.com
MUSIC—While Brooklyn's the Men have sandblasted off some of the wilder edges of their music, they have concurrently shaped themselves into one of the most consistently rockin' bands around. Provided you can pry it out of dad's CD player, their new album, Tomorrow's Hits, is a rip-roarin', guitar-struttin' good time, and these dudes deliver live. NL
w/Gun Outfit; Dante's, 350 W Burnside, 9 pm, $12
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
EASTER—You need neither church nor children for a fine Easter Sunday: Pix is hosting an Easter egg hunt, each of which contains a golden ticket good for up to $50 of yum. Plus, reserve your spot for a proper high tea, complete with an array of sweet and savory treats plus a pot of Townshend's. MS
Pix Patisserie, 2225 E Burnside, 2 pm (with additional teatimes at 3 & 4 pm), $30
HIPHOP—On the heels of the expanded, almost-20-year-anniversary reissue of Mobb Deep's classic The Infamous album, Prodigy and Havoc roll through town on the calendar's highest holy day. Never content to rest on their laurels, the hardcore East Coast rappers' influence courses through the pulse of hiphop today. NL
w/Brothers from Another; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $20-23
MONDAY, APRIL 21
SPEED—You've dominated poky commuters in Portland's bike lanes for too long—time to test your mettle on the track. Even if you've never considered a formal race, check out Portland International Raceway's Monday night bicycle races. The events take place all summer, and are geared specifically toward neophytes curious what glory tastes like. Just show up with a race-ready bike, helmet, $15, and the will to destroy. Or just go watch. DVH
Portland International Raceway, 1940 N Victory, races begin at 6:15 pm Mondays through August, $15 entry fee, FREE for spectators
BOOKS—We can all agree that reading is great, right? Tonight, Portland authors Cheryl Strayed, Paul Collins, Chelsea Cain, and more will discuss the books they love, at the Portland kickoff party for World Book Night, which invites readers to share books in their community. (If you really love books, you'll make it a twofer and swing by the reading from the terrific Meg Wolitzer at the Hawthorne Powell's.) AH
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
MUSIC—Electropop goes mainstream pop when the effervescent Ellie Goulding hits the stage. Her album Lights launched her worldwide, but her newest release Halcyon Days, with its lead single "Burn," continues and improves upon Goulding's wickedly smart pairing of high-strung emotion with bubbly, club-ready beats. WSH
w/Conway; Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 8 pm, $39.50, all ages
FILM—I don't know about you, but I haven't seen 1992's Reservoir Dogs in many a moon. So let's all grab a beer and a slice at the Laurelhurst, revel in the smartly dressed gang of Messrs. Colors, and check out Quentin Tarantino's ultimate ear-worm scene set to "Stuck in the Middle with You." It should be a bloody good time. CF
Laurelhurst Theater, 2735 E Burnside, see Movie Times, $4