Hate to break it to ya, but there’s officially only four weekends left in summer. Take advantage of our dwindling sunny days at cheap and cheerful events from the Hawthorne Street Fair to the Volume Bomb Block Party IX and from Log Lady Day to the Smile Boat Parade along the North Waterfront. For more ideas, check out our top picks of the week.
FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC
Puerta Negra (Album Release) with Odor Eater and Observation Room + Piggy Bank
After Mark Arciaga heard about a dark punk band with Spanish vocals—a rare thing to come across in Portland—he saw María Aguirre perform with her band Vueltas and was blown away. The two became friends and formed the synth-punk group Puerta Negra, which means “black door” in Spanish, crafting ’80s-influenced songs about the horrors of colonialism and nationalism. Odor Eater, another local synth duo, makes danceable tracks with more pop and new wave influences (think female-fronted Devo). Both bands celebrate the release of new records at the Six on Friday with support from distorted synthpunk trio Piggy Bank. Brooklyn band Observation Room also adds their moody synthpop to the lineup as part of a West Coast tour. SHANNON LUBETICH
(The Midnight PDX + The Sïx, Sunnyside, $10-$15)
