The Mercury's Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for Sept 7-13

September's starting to show off a little. On Labor Day, make some time to peruse the dahlias at an annual festival devoted to the blossom. Portland Institute for Contemporary Art's Time-Based Art Festival kicks into gear on Wednesday (say hey to the Mercury on opening night!), and you've got a choice between a romance festival or brews with zookeepers later in the week. Staying home seems downright irresponsible. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Swan Island Annual Dahlia Festival The Pacific Northwest offers some of the most spectacular flower sniffing/viewing in the world. Perhaps the most fragile, complicated, lovely flowers—dahlias—are still blooming throughout the Willamette Valley. The Swan Island Dahlia Festival is the place to see them, offering more than 50 acres in a rainbow of colors, and over 375 varieties. Purchase fresh cut blooms to enjoy now, and bulbs to adorn your own garden next year. Weekends at the festival also bring live music, and you can check the festival's calendar for food truck appearances and special workshops. The fest is generally closed Mondays and Tuesdays, but they're petals out for Labor Day! (Swan Island Dahlias, 995 NW 22nd, Canby, through Sept 30, Weds-Sun 9 am-5:30 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Tame Impala Tame Impala's recent record Deadbeat surprised me. 'Dracula,' which has been getting a ton of radio airplay, is a pretty typical song for Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, full of psych-rock rhythms, electropop hooks, and his breathy falsetto. The rest of the record takes some unexpected turns, with the seven-minute instrumental techno track 'Ethereal Connection' and the Michael Jackson-inspired synth-funk bass line at the beginning of 'Afterthought.' The album closes with the infectiously chill 'End Of Summer,' which won the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Recording. Tame Impala's first Portland show in five years includes support from alternative pop-rocker Dominic Fike. (Moda Center, 1 N Center Court, 7 pm, $121.50+, more info, all ages) SL WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Live Wire Presents An Evening of Poetry and Songs: A Benefit for the Alano Club of Portland Join celebrated writers Hanif Abdurraquib, Kaveh Akbar, and musician Kasey Anderson—all of whom are so acclaimed that I cannot possibly fit their accolades into this article's word count—for a very important fundraising event. Hosted by Live Wire Radio, this evening of poetry, music, and discourse benefits the Alano Club of Portland, which offers free resources for those seeking recovery services for addiction and addictive disorders. This includes seminars, workshops, yoga, meditation classes, sobriety-focused events, and more. Show up for this righteous cause while connecting with some legendary artists! (Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta, 7 pm, $31.25, more info, all ages) STARLY LOU RIGGS Altin Gün Some bands need an elevator pitch, but sometimes, you can say 'Dutch Turkish psych rock' and let the sonic possibilities do the talking for you. Amsterdam-based quintet Altin Gün has tapped into a deep well of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' songsmithery, re-interpreting Turkish folk music through a delectable, multi-cultural sonic lens that works especially well in a live setting. Their newest record, Garip, is a 10-song tribute to Anatolian virtuoso Neşet Ertaş, so chances are strong that getting your face melted as they blast through 'Niğde Bağları,' 'Bir Nazar Eyledim,' and the rest of their catalog will probably be one of the best things you get to do this week—no matter how nerdy you are about Anatolian folk music. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $45.96, more info, all ages) HOLLY HAZELWOOD Garip by Altin Gün Time-Based Art Festival Reader, take heed: You're busy during the second week of September. Portland Institute for Contemporary Art's (PICA) shiniest experimental performance jewel returns, kicking off with Elbow Room's fundraiser bingo party on opening night and packed with performances by Allie Hankins, Holland Andrews, Alex Tatarsky, and other must-sees. The organization has pivoted to a five-day marathon of programming after last year's experiment with stretching the lineup across two weekends. Plan to feast your eyeballs on something weird, don't forget to hydrate, and read all about it in Suzette Smith's preview of the festival. (Various locations, times, and prices, more info) LC Note: The Mercury is a sponsor of TBA this year, and since the Fall Arts Issue comes out on September 9, we'll have a stack of issues at the opening night party and be selling subscriptions—50 percent of the proceeds will go to PICA! THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra—Jazz Titan Thursdays Looking for some classic jazz? Well, there are legends among us right here in Portland! As part of Jack London Revue's Jazz Titan Thursdays series, contrabassist Chuck Israels (who's played with the likes of Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and John Coltrane) is on the calendar every other Thursday alongside a rotating lineup of talented virtuosos. For the weeks in between, catch jazz titan Mel Brown (session drummer for names like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Diana Ross) with his B-3 Organ Group, featuring prominent PNW talent. (Jack London Revue, 529 SW 4th, 7 pm, $26.24-$206.49, more info, 21+) STARLY LOU RIGGS Mount Eerie No matter what name or form Anacortes, WA denizen Phil Elverum takes—be it Mount Eerie or the Microphones—it's almost always a good excuse to see what he's been cooking up. It's been almost two years since Elverum released Night Palace, which means his return to the Revolution Hall stage could sound like anything, a fact that will fill any Elverum devotee with complicated delight. Worth noting: The night after this, he'll be playing The Glow Pt. 2 in Seattle to honor its 25th anniversary. We won't bet money on him doing anything similar at Rev Hall, but if you were hoping to hear 'I'll Not Contain You' or 'I Felt Your Shape,' it's more likely here than anywhere else. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $40.31, more info, all ages) HH Night Palace by Mount Eerie FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Romancing Portland Wait, what? The Rose City's brand new baby romance festival, debuting this fall, actually contracted swoopy-haired princes to attend? Fans of fantasy romance lit will probably care more about the presence of best-selling authors like Jasmine Guillory and Katee Robert, who'll be signing books and speaking on panels throughout the weekend, but LeftField Media (who also run Rose City Comic Con) planned quite a party, complete with a lore-heavy masquerade ball on Saturday. They've hired two actors to fulfill the roles of rival princes—Prince Caedros (Jonah Scott) and Prince Reyvion (Nick Meyer) of the kingdom of Hallowshade. This sounds like such sweet, goofy fun for fans, and I know Portland loves to put on a corset. (Sentinel Hotel, 614 SW 11th, through Sept 13, hours vary , $31.10-$355.10, more info, all ages, ball 18+) SUZETTE SMITH Stitchfest Sewing is sew hot right now. Mingle with other sewists (or sewers, but that looks weird spelled out) at Wildcraft Studio School, show off your work, and take home some new skills at this annual event, now in its fourth year. Attendees will get to try out textile marbling, block printing, and leather tag monogramming, and check out chainstitch and embroidery demos. Beer and wine are provided with the purchase of a ticket, and there's even a fashion show to show off your own creations. (Wildcraft Studio School, 1439 NW Marshall, 5-8 pm, $59-$69, more info, all ages [under 18 with guardian]) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON Zootoberfest Lions, tigers, and beers, oh my! Over three dozen local breweries (and distilleries, kombucha brewers, and cideries) will mob the Oregon Zoo for a 21+ Oktoberfest-themed beer festival among the animals, with each brewery offering two or three pours. Live music will be flowing from two different stages, and lederhosen, dirndls, and animal costumes are encouraged. Caveat: Because the event takes place after typical zoo hours, some of the animals may have gone to bed for the evening—but the keepers are scheduled for chats with guests throughout the event. Plus, the carousel will be open. (Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon, 5:30 pm-9:30 pm through Sept 12, $60 [$35 for non-drinkers], more info, 21+) KCH AMP Fest The Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) is a local non-profit using the healing power of artistic expression (among many other strategies) to empower Portland youth experiencing houselessness. Good deeds aside, their two-night fundraiser lineup is a doozy: Pete Krebs! Jenny Don't & the Spurs! The Mistons! Altar Girl! The big one, though, is Is This Real?, a Wipers tribute act helmed by legendary Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron. Holy shit, right? A well-spent hundo buys you a ticket to both nights, a t-shirt, and a poster. Plus, you get the peace of mind that comes from knowing the Benjamin you dropped (or less, depending on which night you attend) is going to a truly dynamite cause. (Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 8 pm, $25-$100, more info, all ages) HH Also worth it: Rose City Comic Con, Oregon Convention Center, more info Cosplayers and nerds abound at this year's con, where guests Vincent D'Onofrio, Danny Trejo, and Lena Headey will be in attendance alongside comic book authors and genre novelists. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Tokyo Story In Yasujirō Ozu's modest, effective Tokyo Story (1955), an elderly couple travel from their rural village to Tokyo to visit their adult children, who now have little time for them. In the meantime, the couple connects deeply with Noriko, their son's war widow. Their relationship is complex: affectionate but grief-tinged, bittersweet, and somewhat obligatory. Ozu explores the passing of time—and the debts we do (or don't) owe our parents—with his characters' glances and gentle bows, the views through doorframes, and visits to the baths. Read more repertory picks in Second Run Portland. (Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, 11 am, $9, more info, not rated) LC Tomato Fest Strawberries, cherries, peaches—the phases of an Oregon summer are marked by what's in (micro)season that week. For me, tomato (yes, it's a fruit) season towers above them all. Any way you slice it, Wellspent and the Culinary Breeding Network's annual fest dedicated to the juicy orbs is back with its biggest lineup yet. They promise 'tomato tastings from OSU's breeding program; dry-farmed tomatoes and melons grown without a drop of irrigation; demos from Kachka, Sauvette, Fulamingo, and Hot Mama Salsa; pies from Lauretta Jean's; pizza from Scottie's; gelato from Pinolo; and a whole section devoted to buckwheat.' Bring a Tide pen… you know, just in case. (Wellspent Market, 3402 SE Division, 12-4 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) JANEY WONG Anthony Jeselnik Some people don't like 'dark' comedy. I get that. It's a dark world, so if you prefer your jokes to be of the Jerry Seinfeld 'what's up with fill-in-the-blank' variety, no one can blame you. However! If you don't mind the occasional joke about cancer and dead kids performed by a comedian who somehow never punches down, and builds each gag like it's advanced calculus, then Anthony Jeselnik is the stand-up for you. The build-up, tension, and sheer mathematical genius of Jeselnik's jokes makes him a comedic powerhouse up there with the greats. (OH! And like me, he doesn't believe in cancel culture and thinks those actually offensive jar-head comedians should take responsibility for the shit they say and do. Take note, Louis CK.) (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7 pm, $43.75-$110.45, more info, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Vieux Farka Touré Vieux Farka Touré lore incoming: The Malian artist rejected his family's expectations in order to pursue a passion in music, creating a sound distinctly different from the bluesy riffs of his acclaimed father Ali Farka Touré. Yet, the renowned elder musician wished for his son to carry on the familial tradition of soldierhood. Learning guitar in secret, Touré developed his idiosyncratic, not-quite psych, not-quite classic rock approach. With the help of family friend/kora master Toumani Diabaté, he received his father's blessing to pursue a music career, and they even recorded some father-son tracks before Ali's passing in 2006. Touré has since toured the world, founded the Amahrec Sahel charity (which offers humanitarian support for children and young musicians in Mali), and will soon light up the Aladdin Theater stage. (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 7 pm, $44.39, more info, 21+) STARLY LOU RIGGS Samba by Vieux Farka Touré Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!