Category: Portland, Oregon Local News

For months, protesters and residents near the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility have been repeatedly subjected to a chemical haze from tear gas used by federal agents.

The Portland City Council has tried to intervene by passing a detention center fee ordinance in December 2025. It was intended to address public nuisance impacts associated with detention facilities—particularly those that draw protests—by effectively putting a cost on contamination and health hazards from tear gas and other munitions law enforcement deploys on protesters. 

The new ordinance is among the most effective tools the city currently has for accountability for federal agents’ actions at the ICE facility, but the city can’t enforce it just yet. It still needs to go through a formal rulemaking process to establish the fee structure and implementation.

Now, councilors worry that the city’s administrative branch may be moving hastily in response to their requests for quicker action to get the new code implemented. They say without a solid, permanent fee structure and rules around how the city enforces the code, it won’t serve its intended purpose. Even temporary rules could set the city up to fail in court if it faced a legal challenge.

City Councilors Angelita Morillo (D3) and Mitch Green (D4) sent a joint letter to Mayor Keith Wilson and City Administrator Raymond Lee on February 26 urging the administration to implement strong rules undergirding the new city law.

Even though the ordinance was added to city code, the city hasn’t been able to issue penalties or fees because the fine details have yet to be ironed out on the city’s administrative side. Making new rules to conform with city code typically includes input from staff to make it legally sound. The city administrator could add a less sturdy temporary rule, but that could make the law legally vulnerable.

Now, Morillo and Green want to ensure that the rules are strong enough to pass legal muster, and are doubling down on demands that the administration implement an enforcement process that does what the law intended.

“Labor and immigrant rights groups across this city have seized on this policy as a central demand because it proves that our local government can push back against harms inflicted on our community,” the letter said.

The letter was co-signed by 16 local labor and environmental organizations, as well as the Cottonwood School, which was forced to move last year due to federal agents’ violence.

“While we recognize that the City has limited authority to constrain the federal government, we refuse to accept that as a reason not to use the power we do have,” the letter said.

Wilson’s office did not immediately respond to the Mercury’s request for comment. 

Thursday’s letter comes on the heels of a letter Morillo and Green sent in January asking the mayor to act quickly to write and enforce the rules. They say the mayor can, and should, operate swiftly and effectively in the interest of Portlanders.

Currently, the detention center fee would predominantly impact the sole ICE facility in Portland, but it could also deter property owners who allow properties to be used as a detention facility in the future. 

The nuisance provisions outlined in the city code state that a detention facility’s landlord cannot cause, allow, or fail to prevent chemical agents beyond the building’s premises, contaminate neighboring structures, or threaten public health. If a tenant violates the law, the city will investigate and potentially fine the landlord.

Morillo and Green’s letter asserted that those nuisance provisions are the most important and sensitive pieces of the law. They argued the city needs strong rules dictating how the city responds to violations, and how enforcement works—including what dollar amounts are attached to violations.

How the rules are written could also determine how well the policy will hold up in court if the law is challenged. Without a record of how and why staffers from multiple city bureaus, county departments, and state agencies decided to structure the rules, a lawsuit could tank the law altogether for being arbitrary. That’s what Morillo, Green and a chorus of supporters want to avoid.

Instead, the councilors’ letter argued for a fee scale that represents community members’ experiences when they are harmed, technical and scientific expertise on public health and environmental impacts of those harms, and a plan for how city staff conduct investigations.

“When rules are grounded in documented harms, informed by experts, and shaped by community experience, they are far more likely to work as intended and withstand scrutiny,” the letter said.

Portland Jobs with Justice, a local labor coalition of more than 100 member organizations, signed onto the letter because the facility has been the source of pain in the neighborhood. Tyler Fellini, Portland Jobs with Justice executive director, noted federal agents tear gassed a peaceful labor march on January 31, including many attendees and their children.

“We think that every worker should have a right to work, harassment free in their workplaces,” Fellini said. “And we see ICE as a really antagonizing agent in the community.”

Fellini said the January rally appeared to be a turning point for many in the local labor movement, as some members who were previously less engaged in the streets found themselves on the other side of federal agents in a way they did not anticipate.

“That has woken up labor in a really powerful way,” Fellini said.

Fellini said it seems whatever Portlanders do, the city is likely to remain in the crosshairs due to the consistency with which Portlanders have protested and spoken out against injustice. 

“That’s a legacy to be proud of and to honor with action, not to cower and try to avoid federal scrutiny,” Fellini said. “I wish that the mayor was more comfortable embracing those ethos of Portlanders.”

The way authoritarianism is defeated, Fellini said, is “death by 1,000 cuts.” He said he hopes the letter urges the mayor to consider how his inaction may help the federal government get away with policies that harm people at risk of deportation.

“The more you can slow down this machine, the more you can disrupt deportations,” Fellini said. “And people are literally dying when they get deported. So, it’s not hyperbole to say that people’s lives are at stake here.”

Signatories include: The Cottonwood School, Sierra Club Oregon Chapter, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Sunrise Movement PDX, Breach Collective, Braided River Campaign, 350PDX, Oregon for Human Rights, Portland Jobs with Justice, Oregon Working Families Party, Federal Unionists Network PDX, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, Union of United Staff Affiliated with Teamsters Local 223, City of Portland Professional Workers Union, Communications Workers of America Local 7901, Portland Democratic Socialists of America.

On Saturday, February 28, Fubonn Shopping Center on Southeast 82nd Avenue will be more than a place to stock up on Asian groceries, get fitted out in an ao dai, and grab Filipino-inflected breakfast at Balong (what more could you want?). In true Portland DIY community spirit, it’ll also be home to Portland’s first Azn Zine Fest, where over 100 Asian American zinesters will take over the mall’s hallways and vacant storefronts to sell their wares and connect with other creatives from noon to 5 pm.

Despite Portland’s thriving zine scene—the Portland Zine Symposium has taken place every year since 2001, and the Portland Zine Meetup happens twice a week—this is Portland’s first zine fair of this size centered around Asian Americans.

“The Azn Zine Fest is to show Portland there’s a fuck-ton of Asian creatives,” says A’misa Chiu, Reed College’s zine librarian and one of the festival’s co-organizers. “When we put out the call for vendors, we were like, ‘Maybe 30 to 50 people will respond to our call.’ We had probably 120 respond.”

Chiu is one of seven Portland Asian American zinesters co-organizing the event, along with Envy Estacio, Julia H Kim, SJ Anderson, Sarah Joy Calpo, Yoko O.K., and Natalie Soutonglang. The organizers, along with several vendors, also compiled a Year of the Horse-themed zine, Hold Your Horses, that they’ll launch at the festival, with pieces about everything from grandmothers to bowl cuts.

Organizers secured funding from PICA’s Precipice Fund and APANO, while Fubonn owner Michael Liu donated use of the space. Those donations not only allow zine vendors to table for free, but also provide funding for guest artist Yumi Sakugawa from Los Angeles, whose work covers topics including self-care, meditation, and creative practice. Sakugawa will be speaking at the kickoff event with artist Helen Oji on Friday, February 27 at 6 pm at Reed College’s Vollum Lounge, as well as reading her work at the afterparty along with other artists on February 28 at 7 pm at APANO.

Though Azn Zine Fest is new, its organizers say its spirit is rooted in radical history.

“There’s been a lot of Asian American zinesters—they didn’t even call themselves zinesters, they’re pamphlet makers, organizers, activists—who were making zine-like things in the ’60s and ’70s talking about political issues, and because zines are a very accessible format, it was very cheap and easy to proliferate that information,” says Chiu. “I think zines still have that power to communicate that information, and now we want youth to pick up on that radical format.”

Azn Zine Fest takes place at Fubonn Shopping Center, 2850 SE 82nd, Sat Feb 28, noon-5 pm, FREE, all ages. 

Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill to boost funding for wildlife conservation efforts and help protect the state’s most imperiled species. 

House Bill 4134, also known as the 1.25 Percent for Wildlife bill, would increase the state’s lodging tax to 2.75 percent, directing most of the additional revenue to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for wildlife conservation programs. Oregon’s lodging tax, currently 1.5 percent, is calculated against the rates charged by a hotel, AirBnB, or other short-term lodging site. 

The bill received bipartisan support from Oregon House members Tuesday. Three Republicans, Representatives Bobby Levy (R-Echo), Mark Owens (R-Crane), and Greg Smith (R-Heppner), joined most Democrats to pass the bill. Democrat Representatives Daniel Nguyễn (D-Lake Oswego), Shannon Jones Isadore (D-Portland), and John Lively (D-Springfield) voted against it. The bill will now be taken up by the state Senate. 

Lawmakers and advocates have worked for years to find a solution for the ODFW’s funding woes, which particularly impact its ability to carry out conservation work to protect non-game animals. The state agency is primarily funded through revenue from fishing and hunting licenses and a federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and fishing gear. 

Wildlife advocates say ODFW’s current funding strategy has incentivized the agency to focus on game species conservation, even as hundreds of other native animal species—from amphibians to marine mammals to birds—are threatened due to issues including habitat loss, invasive species, and the increasingly dire effects of climate change. Marine animals like humpback whales and sea turtles are also at risk due to conflicts with commercial fishing and crabbing, which ODFW oversees. 

State legislators brought forward a similar version of the bill during last year’s legislative session, but it failed to cross the finish line after two Republican senators used procedural tactics to stall it during the last week of the 2025 session. 

HB 4134 is notable for its broad base of support. Not only is it backed by legislators across the political spectrum, but it’s also been commended by an unlikely coalition of advocacy groups. The Oregon Hunters Association and Oregon Cattlemen’s Association are both in favor of the bill, as are wildlife conservation groups including the Bird Alliance of Oregon, Humane Voters Oregon, Western Environmental Law Center, and Willamette Riverkeeper. 

If passed, HB 4134 is expected to generate about $37 million annually. Most of the new funding would be dedicated to implementing ODFW’s State Wildlife Action Plan, which identifies at-risk wildlife populations in Oregon, and outlines protection strategies. Proceeds would also go toward wildfire prevention, anti-poaching measures, and compensating livestock producers for wolf-related losses. 

While the bill received overwhelmingly positive testimony from Oregonians across the state, it found some detractors from business owners and business advocates, especially in the tourism industry. Opponents say the tax increase would be detrimental to the state’s economy, discouraging people from traveling to or around Oregon. 

Supporters argue the impact of a small bump to Oregon’s lodging tax—currently the lowest state lodging tax in the nation—would be negligible. Besides, they say, more funding is necessary—not just to help vulnerable species across the state, but also to protect Oregon’s wildlife, which is a key driver of tourism to the state. 

Rep. Ken Helm (D-Beaverton), HB 4134’s lead sponsor who has spent the last decade trying to address ODFW’s budget concerns, said it would be a mistake not to pass the bill. 

“The opportunity [to pass a similar bill] will not come again soon, if ever, and it will likely not come in this form, where you have Republicans and Democrats that have come together to create a very good bill that’s very precise and does what it says it’s going to do,” Helm said ahead of Tuesday’s vote. “Don’t tell yourself, ‘Oh, we’ll get to it next session.’ Don’t tell yourself that we’re somehow going to solve this problem with the general fund someday. That’s a fantasy. I’ve lived it.” 

Action needed to protect wildlife 

Oregon teems with diverse natural beauty and wildlife, from the frogs and newts residing in western Oregon’s forests, to the bighorn sheep in the Wallowa Mountains, to the seals and whales that can be spotted along the coast. But those animals, along with many other species, are struggling. 

In its most recent assessment, ODFW identified more than 300 species of “greatest conservation need.” The list includes amphibians, birds (including multiple owl species), reptiles, fish, and mammals. 

ODFW’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) identifies ways to help the imperiled wildlife through habitat and ecosystem restoration, among other measures. But Oregon has historically lacked stable funding for such programs, especially when it comes to protecting non-game animals. 

Jim Greer, a former ODFW employee who served as the agency’s director in the late 1990s, said the bill “may be the last life-line for the hundreds of fish and wildlife species in Oregon currently in decline or needing help to secure adequate habitat to sustain populations into the future.” 

Greer said the ODFW’s conservation plan has been “held up as one of the best plans in the country, and a standard that other states looked to as a model.” 

“The SWAP addresses the needs of the myriad of species that are not hunted or fished, but [the plan] has never had adequate or consistent funding,” Greer wrote in public testimony to the Oregon Legislature. ““HB 4134 eliminates the fight for limited general fund or lottery dollars, rectifies past funding shortfalls and now has bipartisan support to finally address and turn the corner on long-term funding needs of hundreds of declining wildlife species.” 

Cattlemen and conservationists unite

A key reason that HB 4134 has found success so far is due to support from rural Oregonians whose livelihoods rely on state wildlife management programs. The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has been one of the most outspoken groups in support of the bill, sending representatives to the Capitol for the House vote earlier this week. 

The Cattlemen’s Association has been particularly enthusiastic about the bill’s dedicated funding—about $3 million per biennium—for the state’s wolf management and compensation program. 

Wolves were reintroduced to the American west in the 1990s, starting in Yellowstone National Park, and their presence has had positive effects on the ecosystem. But they pose a threat to livestock, and with ranchers forbidden from killing the animals before they can get to their cattle, the state came up with a plan to pay livestock ranchers for their losses. Still, ranchers have called on the state to cough up more money for wolf mitigation and compensation. 

Oregon Cattlemen’s Association President Diana Wirth said ranching communities “value healthy ecosystems,” but “the costs of living with wolves fall disproportionately on the families and operations most directly affected.” 

“When livestock, horses, or working dogs are lost to wolf depredation, the impacts extend far beyond market value, [creating] financial strain, operational disruption, and ongoing uncertainty for producers already operating on thin margins,” Wirth testified.

A dedicated source of funding for the wolf compensation program could limit conflict between wildlife conservationists and ranchers, who have fought over limited resources in the past. The support from livestock ranchers has convinced some Republican lawmakers, who are typically opposed to tax increases of any kind, to support the bill. 

The lodging tax 

Lawmakers and advocates supportive of the bill say they turned to Oregon’s Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) as a solution following previous attempts to increase funding for ODFW through the state’s general fund have failed. 

Oregon’s statewide lodging tax is currently 1.5 percent, making it the lowest in the country among states among the 48 states that collect statewide lodging taxes. Colorado employs the second-lowest rate, at 2.9 percent, meaning Oregon’s lodging tax would remain the lowest even with the 1.25 percent bump. 

However, many jurisdictions across Oregon supplement the state lodging tax with additional taxes on short-term rentals. Portland imposes two lodging taxes at the city level: A 6 percent occupancy tax and a 3 percent Tourism Improvement District fee. Multnomah County also imposes a 5.5 percent lodging tax. When combined with the state charge, this adds up to a 16 percent tax on all hotel stays in Portland. The local taxes support Travel Portland and other programs to promote tourism. Proceeds are also directed toward supporting Portland’s cultural amenities, and a portion is directed into the city’s general fund. 

HB 4134 opponents say an additional increase to the state’s lodging tax would be detrimental to Oregon’s tourism industry. Portland Metro Chamber President Andrew Hoan claimed the bill is “the exact opposite of what we should be doing in this moment.”

“Instead of making it easier for people to come to Portland from around the state or country, we are raising the ticket price,” Hoan testified in a letter to the Legislature. “This would deal a major economic blow to an already declining private sector.” 

With an additional state lodging tax of 1.25 percent, the tax imposed on Portland hotel stays would total 17.25 percent. For a $300 hotel room, this would result in an additional charge of $3.75 compared to current rates. 

Rep. Mark Gamba (D-Milwaukie), who voted in support of HB 4134, was dubious of claims that such a tax increase would impact tourism. 

“I have never once looked to see what the bed tax was to make a decision on where to [travel],” Gamba said ahead of the House vote. 

Gamba also pointed out that, unlike most jurisdictions with comparable lodging tax rates, Oregon doesn’t have a sales tax. In Seattle, for instance, the citywide hotel tax is 15.7 percent, with an additional 2.3 percent imposed on large hotels downtown. Those visiting Seattle will also pay a 10.25 percent sales tax on purchases at restaurants and shops. Even so, tourism to Seattle has been on the rise in recent years. 

Rep. Helm said the lodging tax is unique, and the small proposed increase “is not going to bust anyone’s budget.” 

Greer, the former ODFW director, said those opposed to the bill should consider the stakes. 

“The tradeoff between paying an extra $3.75 for a $300 room and seeing many of Oregon’s species become listed as threatened or endangered or even worse, going extinct, would be self-serving for the few, at the expense of the many,” Greer wrote. 

Proponents say the bill is designed to protect Oregon’s nature and wildlife, which drives tourism to and within the state. More than 100 Oregon businesses, including several outdoor gear stores, fishing guides, food and drink establishments, and hotels, signed on to a letter supporting the bill, calling it a “reinvestment in the reason so many visitors travel to Oregon.” 

A Senate hearing on HB 4134 is set for 5 pm Thursday, February 26. So far, nearly all the written testimony submitted to the Senate has been supportive. 

A few years ago, a large group of local elected, business, and community leaders met in private to discuss the economic future of Portland’s central city. It wasn’t a governing body, exactly, but it included a mix of government leaders working in tandem with well-connected business people and a smattering of non-profits. The group was convened at the behest of Governor Tina Kotek.

The result? A handful of recommendations, including a moratorium on new taxes, an increase in daytime services for homeless Portlanders, and drug recriminalization. It also resulted in a roadmap document, “All In on Portland’s Central City,” which outlined the express goals of increasing foot traffic, bringing office workers downtown, and building housing units.

Kotek’s task force sent its recommendations to Oregon Business and Industry in December 2023.

Now, the city of Portland has announced a new group focused on carrying out some of the recommendations of the governor’s task force, called the Central City Roundtable. It covers downtown, and the east side of the Willamette River from OMSI, to Lloyd Center, and north to the Albina District. 

In a February 24 press release, Mayor Keith Wilson touted the new group as a strong public-private partnership, saying downtown recovery depends on those collaborations.

“Portland has a downtown like no other, and the latest foot traffic statistics prove what we all know—the energy is coming back,” Wilson said. “We’re assembling a cross-sector team of senior leaders capable of transforming that spark into an innovative, ambitious, sustainable civic revitalization. We have all the ingredients we need to attract opportunity and supercharge the kind of economic activity that lifts our entire community.”

A close look at the membership of the roundtable, as well as who is not invited, gives insight into who is vested in the future of downtown.

Kotek’s full task force developed the roundtable’s charge. The Central City roadmap document outlined the role of the roundtable, which it said would begin operating in 2025. Its first meeting is scheduled for March 6.

“(The roundtable) would serve as a catalyst for investment and innovation, ensuring that Portland’s Central City remains a dynamic hub for commerce, culture, and community life,” the document said.

Molly Hogan, the executive director at Welcome Home Coalition, said she supports the idea of the roundtable, and wants the city to take working class people’s perspectives seriously.

“I love the idea of spending focused energy on revitalizing Portland,” Hogan said. “It’s a beautiful city and has so much potential. I love the idea of offering more public support to help small businesses thrive.”

Welcome Home is a coalition of nearly 60 organizations and dozens of individual members focused on housing justice. It strives to eliminate inequities in housing outcomes. While Wilson’s roundtable includes the city’s largest homeless services organization, Central City Concern, neither Welcome Home nor any of its member organizations were invited to serve on the roundtable.

Wilson will co-chair the roundtable alongside Nolan Leinhart, a principal and director of planning and urban design at ZGF Architects. Leinhart was on the “Value Proposition” committee of Kotek’s task force. The firm designed the new main terminal at Portland International Airport, and is working on the Lloyd Center redevelopment and the Lan Su Chinese Garden expansion. 

ZGF Architects, which has offices in seven US cities, also designed the 630,000-square-foot expansion of a Department of Homeland Security building at Washington D.C.’s St. Elizabeth’s campus, expected to be completed in 2027.

Members of the roundtable largely include executives from companies like the commercial real estate developer Melvin Mark, Nike, health insurance company Regence, and the real estate company TMT Development. All participants are unpaid volunteers, according to the city.

The group also includes top brass at Portland State University, Oregon Health and Science University, and the Swickard Group—the auto dealership chain, owner of “Big Pink” and new owner of its neighboring building, Five Oak, which Swickard announced the same day the city announced the roundtable.

The restorative justice non-profit Albina Vision Trust and Central City Concern are the two voices on the roundtable that may benefit the city’s low-income and unhoused Portlanders.

Albina Vision Trust works to address racist urban planning practices and displacement, redeveloping the east side of the Willamette River to restore access for Black Portlanders, including through building affordable housing. Central City Concern supported 16,000 people with housing, health care, addiction services, and employment assistance in 2024, according to its annual report. 

Still, moneyed interests appear to carry an overwhelming voice in the group, while smaller organizations that are concentrated downtown, are left out.

Hogan said if the city is genuinely trying to create a holistic, revitalized society, it must include people from all class backgrounds, ages, and abilities.

“There’s so much institutional, existing power,” Hogan said. “We see this over and over again in governments, saying they’re representing all of the people, but it’s really institutional power making decisions. And it’s not an authentic representation of the working class.”

Hogan, through Welcome Home, led focus groups during Kotek’s task force, asking people what a revitalized central city would look like. She said those conversations largely focused on building affordable, mixed-class communities, where poor and working class people can thrive with inclusive access to public spaces.

“We are passionate about people closest to the issue of homelessness and housing insecurity being closest to the solutions,” Hogan said.

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Central City Roundtable members:

Peter Andrews, COO and VP | Melvin Mark
Jorge Casimiro, Chief Public Policy Officer | Nike
Michael Cole, President | Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Dr. Ann Cudd, President | Portland State University
Heather Davis, CEO | Portland Timbers
Dr. Sharif Elnahal, M.D., President | Oregon Health and Science University
Kurt Huffman, Owner | Chefstable
Dr. Andy Mendenhall, M.D., President and CEO | Central City Concern
Lisa Mensah, President and CEO | Oregon Community Foundation
Erik Nordstrom, Co-CEO | Nordstrom
Andrew Proctor, Executive Director | Literary Arts
Rob Stuart, President and CEO | OnPoint Community Credit Union
Vanessa Sturgeon, President  | TMT Development
Jeff Swickard, President and CEO | Swickard Group
Winta Yohannes, Executive Director | Albina Vision Trust

Funders and Sponsors:

Oregon Business Council’s Action Lab
Staffed by ECOnorthwest in partnership with MSH Strategy

Who decided to make Saturday, February 28 Portland’s busiest night for music in 2026? Future local legends Pileup are throwing an album party for their new one Leave The Light On at Leaven Community, while present day local legends Forty Feet Tall will be burning it down a few blocks away at Mississippi Studios. Earlier in the day The Cosmic Tones Research Trio play an in-store at Music Millennium and Larry Peace-Love Yes plays a show with Darci Phenix at Grace Memorial Church—both free. And lest we forget Shanea—bassist of Dustbunny—is releasing their solo debut album Animal Instincts at The Six with Like St. Joan and Laska. What the actual fuck?? If timed correctly, I reckon four shows can be caught on this new Portland holiday. 

And don’t even get me started on the rest of the week… The Sun Ra Arkestra plays three nights at Hollywood Theatre, Clipping. is back in town, local hardcore legends Dry Socket play Black Water, and Bathysphere Records are releasing the second installment of their Dive series at Shanghai Tunnel—rumor has it Bathysphere will be live-recording the show for future release. 

Sheesh. 

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Wednesday, February 25 to Friday, February 27

The Sun Ra Arkestra

For fans of the planet Saturn, riding spaceways, time as social construct 

If you have not seen the Sun Ra Arkestra on one of their Portland sojourns—the city they call their “West Coast home”—it is time, the spaceways are calling. Formed by and around galactic jazz giant Sun Ra, the Arkestra continues putting the stellar in interstellar under the direction of bandleader Marshall Allen. At 101 years old, Allen is the last remaining Arkestra member to have played with Ra before his transition away from this temporal plane in 1993. Though Ra is most often pegged as an Afrofuturist, his and the Arkestra’s music runs the gamut of jazz music, sometimes dipping into pop and show tunes. It’s a privilege to see this music live; a deep well of gratitude to Portland’s Lonely God for facilitating the ceremony. (Hollywood Theatre, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)

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Thursday, February 26

Clipping. / Open Mike Eagle 

For fans of Billy Woods, Shabazz Palaces, Partyof2

The clip at which Clipping. leader Daveed Diggs raps is out-of-control fast. Since the release of their 2014 mixtape Midcity, the LA trio has continually pushed the boundaries of political rap deeper and deeper into the realm of harsh noise with the production prowess of William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. Signed to Sub Pop since their studio album debut CLPPNG, it’s been apparent to anyone listening that the elevated consciousness the band is trying to achieve is infectious. Call me a millennial, but a favorite track has to be Clipping’s recent rework of J-Kwon’s 2004 meisterwerk “Tipsy.” (Wonder Ballroom, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)

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Friday, February 27

Dry Socket / Xui / Therapy / Arsenal Mall

For fans of Circe, Gulch, Labrat

There’s been a lot of local Dry Socket shows happening lately, which rules! The Portland band has reached that level of notoriety where they’re not playing so many shows around town anymore, so savor these moments as their Rose City gigs may become fewer and farther between. The reason for this particular show? Dry Socket ride-or-dies Therapy are in town from San Diego. What better reason for a show than the buds pulling up? Not to be confused with Xiu Xiu, Xui are also up from California to destroy what needs to be destroyed. (You.) Enjoy those bands only if you don’t perish during the Arsenal Mall set… good luck! (Black Water, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)

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Saturday, February 28

The Cosmic Tones Research Trio

For fans of Angel Bat Dawid, Moor Mother, Onyx Collective

Did anyone catch Visible Cloaks’ Reflections performance over the weekend? Had you, you would have clocked Cosmic Tones Research Trio multi-instrumentalist Harlan Silverman playing cello with Visible Cloaks. Harlan and the Trio’s sonic exploration of ancestral bonds holds the power of deep nourishment and love, not to mention they’re at the very heart of our city’s spiritual jazz awakening. Gratitude to the mystery! (Music Millennium, 5 pm, FREE, more info here, all ages)

Forty Feet Tall / Jonny’s Day Out / Femme Cell

For fans of Parquet Courts, Viagra Boys, Idles

After catching the boys for the first time NYE at Trouble Bar, Forty Feet Tall’s Clean The Cage album has been on heavy rotation. This Mississippi show catches the four piece mid-tour, just getting back from a California run (including a Zebulon date), and right before taking off for a brutal South By Southwest schedule. The horn-inflected chaotic-good of Jonny’s Day Out does us right in the middle slot, with the inimitable Femme Cell pulling up to open the gig. After seeing Femme Cell play Nonbinary Girlfriend’s album release show a couple weeks ago, Portland musician Matt Vuksinich exclaimed without hesitation, “Femme Cell’s my new favorite band.” (Mississippi Studios, 8:30 pm, more info here, 21+)

Larry Peace Love Yes / Darci Phenix

For fans of Michael Hurley, Half Shadow, Mountain Man

A better world is possible. A better world is possible in our lifetimes. A better world is possible right now! This has been proven beyond the pale of any doubt on Larry Peace-Love Yes’ nourishing 2025 album Everyone On This Planet Is Family. If you believe then let’s get going. If you don’t, let Larry’s music change your heart. Don’t forget about Darci Phenix (as if anyone ever could) and her exquisite album Sable from last year as well. This is a small showcase of Portland’s best folk music in the here and now, dig it. (Grace Memorial Church, 2 pm, FREE, more info here, all ages)

Related: Read Mercury writer Ben Salmon’s review of Darci Phenix’s Sable.

Like St. Joan / Laska / Shanea 

For fans of Tracy Chapman, Pale Violet, Big Joanie

The absolute popstar Like St. Joan and the Laska sisters are incredible facets of Portland’s DIY and indie music scenes, but have you fallen in love with Shanea yet? Bass player to the gods in Dustbunny, Shanea’s got a solo discography stretching back to 2020, this evening at The Six acting as a release show for the latest entry in their catalog. Their new album Animal Instincts continues Shanea’s deep introspection, with sonics ranging from somber dream-pop to wall-of-sound indie. There’s even some moody plucking on the album, don’t sleep on this musical polyglot… or else! (The Six, 9 pm, more info here, 21+)

Pileup / As Above / Swinging 

For fans of Diiv, Helen, Slowdive

The second of two album releases on Saturday, February 28 is that of Pileup, a real contender to wear the crown of Portland’s best shoegaze band. Their new album Leave The Light On crushes the air out of you by sheer force of towering distortion and reverb. If Kevin Shields was a 20-something in 2026 Portland, he’d be dying to join Pileup. If you caught their set opening for Dustbunny in January, you know you’re in for a treat. Middle spot undeniables As Above don’t yet have a full-length, but you better believe we’re pulling up for this set and that one when the day comes. Opening the release party are Swinging, purveyors of fine noise-folk. (Leaven Community Center, 7:30 pm, more info here, all ages)

Related: Read Mercury staff-writer Lindsay Costello’s review of Swinging’s 2025 debut album My Bed Is a Boat.

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Sunday, March 1

Bathysphere Records: Dive 2: Sonoluminescence

For fans of Derek Hunter Wilson, Visible Cloaks, Grouper

Having met while working in the Portland music industry, the heads behind LA-based Bathysphere Records still have deep ties to PDX music scenes. In the second installment of their Dive Series, Dive 2: Sonoluminescence, Bathysphere is releasing a suite of songs by Portland collaborators Brass Clouds, Fog Net, and Volcanic Pinnacles. The tracks were recorded in a single afternoon of improvisational exploration, perfectly imbuing the recordings with the natural aspects present in the names of the three bands: the mystical luminance of clouds, the eerie mystery of fog, and the dynamism of volcanic happenings. There are only 24 copies of the album available—yes, you read that correctly—for presale on Bandcamp. And actually, I’m getting one… so there’s only 23! Hopefully there will be a couple at the Shanghai Tunnel release party. (Shanghai Tunnel, 8 pm, more info here, 21+)

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Tuesday, March 3 to Wednesday, March 4

Tortoise / Spacemoth

For fans of Ui, Jeff Parker, The Durutti Column

Playing two nights at Aladdin supporting the late-2025 release of their Touch album are Chicago’s Tortoise. Not not jazz, and not not krautrock, Tortoise have been delivering and defining cool since the early-’90s. Is this what the Grateful Dead would sound like if they were good? Hard to say, but Tortoise are real good and real hard to define with any certainty. Replacing SML as the opener, Spacemoth pulls up sounding like she sat between Broadcast and The Fiery Furnaces in Stereolab’s class. (Aladdin Theater, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)

Also very worth it…

Garrett Foster Brown / Patrick Barber at Dream House – Feb 25, more info here

Abronia / Jackie O Motherfucker at Mississippi Studios – Feb 26, more info here

Rum.Gold at Polaris Hall – Feb 26, more info here

Zyanna at Keys Lounge – Feb 26, more info here

Bed Bug Guru / Conspire / Horse Bag / House of Warmth at High Limit Room – Feb 27, more info here

Felix Martin (Hot Chip) DJ set at The Get Down – Feb 27, more info here

Grizz Cll / Glori / Blood Rave at The Coffin – Feb 27, more info here

HAAi at Holocene – Feb 27, more info here

Spoon Benders / Ogre / Unspeakable Carnage at Polaris Hall – Feb 27, more info here

Cold Cave / Buzz Kull / Rosa Anschutz at Roseland Theater – Feb 28, more info here

Cumbia House Party ft. DJ Flor Violenta, Sebrujo, DJ Mala at Dream House – Feb 28, more info here

Lily Breshears / Stevie Schmidt / A Lot of Water / The Bread at Wyrd Hut – Feb 28, more info here

Myriads / Vista House / Songs for Snowplow Drivers at Bunk Bar – Feb 28, more info here

Zyanna at The Downbeat – Feb 28, more info here

Carny Cumm / Bottom Blade / Happy Death Men / Festering Estate at High Limit Room – March 1, more info here

Gorilla Biscuits / Ignite at Hawthorne Theatre – March 1, more info here

Silver Horse at Dante’s – March 1, more info here

Bloodshot Bill / Tomorrow’s Goners / Amy Beth & The Creeps at Turn! Turn! Turn! – March 4, more info here (This should absolutely be in the featured section of MMP, go to this show!)

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New Music Portland:

The Big Box Set, Portland’s favorite public access TV-style variety show, is back with a new episode. On this, their 19th outing, BBS invite local punks (egg or chain I can’t remember) Cherry Cheeks to play their hand-built set. This episode’s theme is wrestling. Celebrity Death Match ain’t got nothing on Big Box Set!

Portland’s own DJ Dissolve was featured on NYC’s The Lot Radio last week. A resident DJ at Process, Dissolve did just that on his Lot show: He dissolved the borders between tech, disco, acid, and more. Peep his set here and catch him at Process next on March 7. 

Family Worship Center, probably a cult, are back with a new music video for “Malibu by Midnight”—a shimmering disco departure from the Family’s usual yee-haw funk. Does this mean we can expect more soon? A source close to the Family says yes. Stay tuned in, stay turned on, keep droppin’ out. 

The Afro arts and music collective Be Present Art Group, helmed by Roman Norfleet, has released a five-song EP titled Unreleased. I’m grateful for this nourishing morsel to get us through until the Group’s next full length.  

To celebrate 15 years of championing underground music, Portland’s Universal Broadcast Network has released Vol. 1, their first-ever compilation of pan-American hardware music. The comp goes hard from the jump; it’s music you want to hear in a sweaty basement venue after midnight. Hey Shanghai Tunnel, hey UBN, let’s get this poppin’!

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Portland Music News: 

Two big Portland music announcements dropped this last week. PDX Live is back at The Square this summer with a genre-disregarding lineup including Vince Staples, Ani DiFranco, Tomahawk, Japanese Breakfast, Acid Bath, Modest Mouse, The Breeders, and more. Check out our picks for the series and try not to get whiplash. 

Sadly, Roger Eno has dropped from the 2026 PDX Jazz lineup. Why? We don’t know this. But fret not, the festival still features heaps of good music including appearances by Mavis Staples, Jeff Parker, SML, Shirley Nanette, Dreckig, Charlie Brown III, and more. Our picks for the fest are unchanged, except you Rog.

Waterfront Blues Festival also announced their initial lineup for 2026 this week. Portland legends Ural Thomas and Toody Cole are coming, as are Tank and the Bangas and Hailu Mergia. Don’t forget Lo Steele and the Steele Family Band, Orquestra Pacífico Tropical, and Jenny Don’t & the Spurs! Full lineup and festival details here. Pro-tip: The festival is FREE for those with EBT/SNAP cards, as well as blues fans 12 and under.

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