Lizzo, Dizzy Fae
Last year Minneapolis-based soul singer/rapper/flautist Lizzo dropped her major label debut, Coconut Oil, an exuberant follow-up to her 2015 full-length, Big Grrrl Small World. Throughout the new EP Lizzo radiates warmth, drawing listeners closer to gather around like she’s a bonfire, and directing her own attention inward for six tracks of pure self-love. Within seconds you’re reminded that Lizzo’s voice is unparalleled but also versatile as fuck—horn-heavy opener “Worship” finds her channeling Aretha as she demands not just to be respected, but worshipped. Then she blazes through the bars of “Phone,” which is about the very relatable experience of losing your cellular in the club. “Scuse Me” is the body-positive centerpiece of Coconut Oil: Lizzo pauses to appreciate her reflection in the mirror, singing “I don’t see nobody else/’Scuse me while I feel myself” amid slow-burning R&B tempo changes and glittery keys. “Deep” is the EP’s vibrant, danceable standout, a lush detour into West African rhythms. And the feel-good anthem “Good as Hell” is a final hair toss to toxic relationships, centered on stomp-clap beats and the call-and-response mantra “Baby how you feelin’?/Feelin’ good as hell!” The final song (and title track) of Coconut Oil is the release’s most reflective moment; it begins with organ and flute, her first instrument, and includes sound bites from her family’s church. In an interview with Nylon, Lizzo explains: “In this place in my life right now, it’s all about my self-care. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to take care of myself in all of this. Coconut oil is the definition of that to me—it’s the answer to all things... ‘Coconut Oil’ connects to my girls—black and brown, my afro girls—but it also represents much more.”Coconut Oil is playful and joyous, and though it’s shorter than 20 minutes, it sounds like Lizzo’s completing an intimate cycle of emotional renewal. CIARA DOLAN
9 pm, Doug Fir, $15-17
Blazers vs Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are coming to Portland again, and it'll be worth your money to witness the always-entertaining matchup of Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, two of the best point guards in the world. The Warriors are unquestionably the top NBA team right now—with superstars Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and dick-kicker Draymond Green, but let's pelase make sure the Moda Center isn't full of obnoxious blue-and-gold-clad Bay Area transplants. Buy a ticket and yell your ass off for an important Western conference game. DOUG BROWN
6 pm, Moda Center, $93, all ages—If you can't get in, Revolution Hall is screening the game for free, too.
Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet
Portland has the chance to witness otherworldly musician Stefan Jackiw perform sonic miracles with his fiddle. Our hometown orchestra shares the stage with Jackiw to perform Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2—a fascinating composition from 1935 guaranteed (at least with this virtuoso at the helm) to astonish the uninitiated and satisfy even the most rabid, hardcore classical fans in the crowd. Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the band open the program with a 21st-century work and shut it down ironically with the Romeo and Juliet overture from Tchaikovsky. In other words, prepare yourself for what just might be the highlight of the Oregon Symphony’s utterly spectacular 120th season. BRIAN HORAY
7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $23-105, all ages
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Even if you’ve never heard the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo, you may well have heard them sing. The South African vocal ensemble’s place on Paul Simon’s seminal 1986 album Graceland launched a globe-trotting career that’s included four Grammies. This breakthrough also embroiled the group in the controversy surrounding Graceland, given that Simon had broken the cultural boycott imposed on the apartheid regime by the rest of the world. This seems a bit overwrought in hindsight—after all, championing black artists performing traditional mbube vocal music isn’t exactly tacit support for South Africa’s segregationist government, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo have since become among the country’s preeminent cultural ambassadors. Besides, what’s more egregious is Graceland’s absurdly exaggerated ’80s production, which Ladysmith’s performances are presumably free of these days. NATHAN TUCKER
7:30 pm, Aladdin Theater, $35, all ages
Kevin Wilson
Kevin Wilson reads from his new novel, Perfect Little World, the eagerly awaited follow-up to his New York Times best-seller, The Family Fang.
7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books
Do Right Sunday
A monthly showcase from two of Portland's best DJs, making you shake your ass while also raising funds for the community.
9 pm, Dig a Pony
Steelhymen, Lee Corey Oswald, Cool Schmool, The Goobs
Mississippi Studios hosts a benefit for Portland's Call To Safety, featuring a night of post punk, indie rock, psych, and slacker pop from an eclectic barrage of local acts.
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $8
Mad Max: Fury Road: Black & Chrome
A brutal, beautiful, two-hour action overdose injected with a welcome feminist bent. Black & Chrome is director George Miller's preferred cut of the film—entirely in black and white.
7 pm, Hollywood Theatre, $9
Silent Reading Party
Shhhhhhhhh! Bring a book (or an e-reader) but leave your conversation at home at the Silent Reading Party. Sit down with a cocktail for two hours of gloriously uninterrupted reading time in the company of other quiet readers. It’s like being at the library, but with beer and ambient music. SHELBY R. KING
3 pm, Beech St. Parlor, free
Grilled Cheese Disco
Not too many other DJ nights can offer you a blend of beats and cheese.
9 pm, The Liquor Store, $5-10
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!