While the city's music calendar still isn't as full as it normally would be this time of year, it truly seems like things are looking up for Portland music fans. From the return of Rontomsâ Sunday Sessions, to Dig A Pony's promising, new, local-music-loving owners, to Pickathon's grand return, we may not be at full party mode but the tent poles are going back up. Read on for all the updates, including one new track from Drae Slapz and Hunter Love.
MUST-SEE:
Two canât miss upcoming shows.
Rontoms Sunday Sessions: Roselit Bone
The next installment of Rontomsâ Sunday Sessions, which is newly back from hiatus, will showcase stalwart Portland seven-piece band Roselit Bone. It's also one of the final dates of their West Coast spring tour. The country/Americana/apocalypse-folk four-piece hasnât released a new project since 2019âs excellent Crisis Actor, an 8-track EP that saw the band merge and blend everything from surf rock to cosmic country and rockabilly. In addition to hearing live versions of songs from :Crisis Actor, the show may also provide an opportunity to get a taste of some new music theyâve been working on. Country rock band Family Worship Center backs the bill and will no doubt perform songs off their four-track 2020 EP Sunday A.M..
(Sun April 10, 8 pm, Rontoms, 600 E Burnside, FREE, w/Family Worship Center)
Vintage Bollywood Vinyl: Anjali & the Incredible Kid
Thereâs less than two months left of Dig A Pony being Dig a Pony. (Read the full story on Dig A Ponyâs incoming, promising owners.) As part of the outgoing bar and nightlife spotâs farewell programming, eclectic Global Bass DJ duo and Portland institution, Anjali & the Incredible Kid, will say goodbye to Dig as we know it by spinning vintage Bollywood vinyl records in the barâs hip space on SE Grand. Pull up a chair, grab a burger, one of the barâs signature cocktails, and/orâmay we suggestâsome ricotta gnocchi in vodka sauce while you still can. Dig A Pony deserves to go out with a bang and you deserve to groove the night away, at least as well as anyone can on a weeknight.
(Thurs April 28, 9 pm, Dig A Pony, 736 SE Grand, FREE)
MUST-LISTEN:
One great new release from locally relevant artists.
âThriving,â Drae Slapz, Hunter Love
On March 23, Portland producer/rapper Drae Slapzâknown prominently for his collaborations with St. Johns rapper Mic Capesâreleased a new single with producer/saxophonist/vocalist Hunter Love. Over an ethereal, dynamic beat that lasts just under three minutes, âThrivingâ sees Love intro, singing a chorus: âIâm on top of the world/ Donât you mistake this/ Now Iâm thriving Iâm gone/ It took me a minute/ Now look itâs a long way to get hereâŚâ Slapz then delivers the first verse, in his signature raspy drawl: âFive am alarms and dreams of marble floors/ In reality is he saying âit could all be yoursâ?/ Success a little different with the right one/cause anytime I stumble, she says âSlapz, you ainât done/Tears from my eyes when I see what we build/ a real nigga from the north, they said my future sell/ My niggas looking at me like I came from money/ Thatâs godâs light shining on me, no darkness can stunt meâ Listen to the full track on all streaming platforms, Bandcamp perhaps.
ADDED TO THE QUEUE:
Some upcoming music buzz to put on your radar.
Pickathon 2022
After being on hiatus the last couple summers, Pickathon 2022 is finally scheduled to return this August 4â7, and tickets are on sale now. Set on Happy Valleyâs Pendarvis Farm, the music festival is acclaimed for its attempts to operate in harmony with nature, and make conscious choices around consumptionâlike the no-disposable-dishes-and-utensils rule, and BYO-water-bottle rule. This year, Pickathon promises that the fest will be a ânew world,â and settle into its natural environment like never before: âWhen the sun is high in the sky, youâll discover new forested music stages, set under the natural shade of the evergreen trees of the Pacific Northwest,â a statement on the festivalâs blog read. âAs the sun sets, youâll move to meadows with sweeping vistas of Mt Hood to enjoy open air programming on stages that come alive at night.â For folks (like me) who didnât think Pickathon could get any better, this is superb news. Organizers will release the full lineup on Tuesday, April 12 at 10 am PST.
