NINTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY: JONNYX AND THE GROADIES , GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH, THE MEMORIES, BOOM, EDIBLES, TIMMY THE TERROR AND THE WINTER COATS, SEXHAIR, BILL PORTLAND(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) Quintessential local all-ages music venue the Artistery celebrates its ninth anniversary with a BBQ that features—you guessed it—great local music. Basement sounds provided by electro-grind-metal outfit JonnyX and the Groadies, excellent surf rock trio Guantanamo Baywatch, and more. The event also marks the grand opening of the Biz, the Artistery's new local record and tape shop. ANDREW MICHAAN
SLAYER, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ANGELS OF BABYLON(Washington County Fair Complex, 873 NE 34th, Hillsboro) Read our article on Slayer.
LITTLE BEIRUT , HELLO MORNING(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Nearly every song on Fear of Heaven, the third album from Little Beirut, sounds to me like it should be on the radio. I don't mean that as a slight, either. Yes, there is plenty of garbage on the radio dial, to be sure, but Little Beirut—their moniker coming from Portland's nickname, coined by the staff of George Bush Sr. after he was greeted with protests on his visits to town—transcends the lowest-common-denominator dreck that makes up so much of rock radio. Their melodies sparkle and sheen with tightly composed arrangements, immaculate production, and consummate playing. "Nadia," in particular, is a perfect, triple-step pop song, and there's plenty more on Fear of Heaven—the kind of record that epitomizes the term "radio ready," if that phrase didn't imply so much rawk-block terror. So let's call it "listener ready," or perhaps say it's "great," and leave it at that. NED LANNAMANN
As always, you can find our complete live music listings here.