High Notes: The Best Live Music in Portland This Week

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

John Chandler, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Courtesy Linda Hornbuckle's Facebook Page

Portlanders can pay their respects to the late Linda Hornbuckle tonight at the Crystal Ballroom, along with several of her musical mates. But save some room later in the week for local heroes Blitzen Trapper, who will re-imagine a classic rock masterpiece from 1972, a bygone era well before the conception of the band members themselves. Finally, lavish some love on longtime Canadian tunesmiths Sloan, who should rightfully be world famous and living aboard a luxury yacht. Attend Sunday’s show and you can help right this terrible injustice.

More Love for Linda

Oct 14 @ 7pm

Friends and colleagues of Hornbuckle, the beloved Portland soul and gospel singer who sadly passed away October 4, gather to pay fitting tribute at a benefit concert for her family. Chart-toppers Quarterflash, with whom Hornbuckle sang backup on occasion, will headline the show, with performances by Hornbuckle’s band, R&B star Liv Warfield, sax man Patrick Lamb, and guitarist Eddie Martinez, among many others.

$20-25. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside

Ex Hex, Speedy Ortiz

Oct 16 @ 9pm

Probably best known as Carrie Brownstein’s guitar foil in Wild Flag, Mary Timony returns with new trio Ex Hex and a debut album out on Merge Records called ‘Rips.’ It’s very much in keeping with the spontaneous rocking spirit of spirit of Wild Flag, a buoyant collection of Velvets-cool power-pop nuggets that simply kick ass like it’s nobody’s business. Massachusetts mischief-makers Speedy Ortiz, who turned a few heads at the recent Project Pabst festival, will do their best to steal the spotlight.

$13-15. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave.

Blitzen Trapper

Oct 17 @ 5pm & 9pm

As if to prove once and for all that hippies are indeed hip, the high-profile Portland outfit Blitzen Trapper will cover Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ album in its entirety at consecutive Doug Fir shows—one for all-ages fans and one for the over-21 crowd. At this point it is unknown who will sing the backup parts originally performed on the album by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, but chances are they’ll have the requisite hearts of gold.

$25. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St.

The Melvins, Photo Credit: Mackie Osbourne

The Melvins

Oct 19 @ 8pm

There are many, many band out there for whom the descriptive term “heavy” is frequently applied, but the Melvins, an Aberdeen, Washington group that inspired a young Kurt Cobain to begin howling and abusing his guitar in similar fashion, are the heaviest. Founders Buzz Osbourne (guitar, vocals) and Dale Crover (drums) are currently aligned with former members of the Butthole Surfers (guitarist Paul Leary and bassist Jeff Pinkus), for a new album titled ‘Hold It In,’ which Osbourne eloquently describes as a “refreshing piece of fiction in a boring world of fact and bullshit.” Any other questions?

$16-26. Roseland Theatre, 8 NW Sixth Ave.

Sloan

Oct 19 @ 8pm

Snuggled safe and sound in their home turf of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sloan has been dishing up fantastic and tragically overlooked pop albums since the waning days of the first Bush Administration. The band’s 1992 debut record ‘Smeared’ contained the single “Underwhelmed,” a song so gloriously catchy that it should have rocketed these tuneful Canadians to the dizziest heights of stardom. Undaunted, Sloan is still out wowing adoring crowds, this time behind their 11th album ‘Commonwealth.’

$15. Star Theater, 13 NW Sixth Ave.

John Chandler has been writing about rock and/or roll for 25 years with The Rocket, Portland Tribune, Portland Monthly, Magnet, Dagger, No Depression, and Puncture. He also writes about beer, booze, and bars for Portland'sBarFly website and plays in a couple goofy bands when the mood strikes him. He can most often be found at the wheel of horrificflicks.com, a review website dedicated to horror movies.