portland
friday 10-sunday 19
The Match.com Monologues
Dating in the 21st century is rough. Emails, Googling, Skype, Facebook stalkers, sexting, retweets and online dating profiles all complicate the already mucky courting routine, replacing real-live human interaction with online non-dates, non-relationships and other technological fabrications of love and lust. This can lead to some seriously sidesplitting mishaps, so why not exploit the technological age for a few good laughs? Called hilariously offensive, and written by our very own editor at the Source, Phil Busse, The Match.com Monologues does just that. 8 pm, Fri, Sat & Sun through May 19. Northwest Dance Project. $10-$14.
tuesday 14
Jim James
Jim James, the long-haired psychedelic Southern rocker and lead singer of My Morning Jacket, is a performer of the highest caliber. In a 10,000-person arena, he holds all the attention of a crowd whether he's wearing a grubby T-shirt, a vintage three-piece suit, or a cape (none of which are out of the ordinary). His prolific vocals often take on a preachy quality—James sings like he's the solo vocalist in the church choir. A reverb devotee, he used to record his vocals in an empty grain silo to get the desired echo, meaning he'll easily fill the Crystal Ballroom with the airy tracks and marathon guitar solos of his third solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God. 8 pm. Crystal Ballroom. $25-$29.
wednesday 15
The Milk Carton Kids
Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan are an ideal comedic team. One is a tall, thin, soft-spoken, glasses-sporting fella who tends to drone on in between song banter in a shaky tenor only to be cut off by his counterpart, a short, stout, overly confident acoustic finger- picking guitar hero with the remarkable ability to make you laugh and tear up in the same minute (see the song "Memoirs of an Owned Dog"). Both artists had largely unsuccessful solo careers, but their collaboration, The Milk Carton Kids, has been a win-win, a modern incarnation of Simon and Garfunkel. On top of their act being inherently hilarious, the two create perfectly balanced harmonies and dual guitar lines matched with thoughtful lyrics to create phenomenal contemporary folk-pop. 8 pm. Aladdin Theater. $15.
thursday 16
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo has acquired a cult following since its humble beginnings in Hoboken, N.J. in 1984. In the late '90s, YLT was rediscovered by a generation of indie-loving pre-hipsters, cementing it as a critic's model band; YLT does everything right without ever achieving full-blown mainstream success. Its exhaustive repertoire of cover songs—everything from "Raw Power" by The Stooges to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by the Eurythmics on the band's 31-track covers album Yo La Tengo is Murdering the Classics—makes for great gems in their live sets. 7:30 pm. Wonder Ballroom. $18.50-$20.
