GIRL TROUBLE: KM FIZZY, DJ MAGIC BEANS, DJ WOMB SERVICE, DJ CUICA, DJ HONEY OWENS, PASHLY, PATRICIA FURPURSE, LINGER(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Holocene wants to get your showboat shakin' with their Girl Trouble DJ night. It's girls, girls, girls, on the turn, turn, turntables. The evening starts off with soul and girl-group pop, finishing up with house and disco beats to make your dancing feet feel all neat. COURTNEY FERGUSON
SLABTOWN BENDER: THE PAUL COLLINS' BEAT, HEAD, THE TRANZMITORS, APACHE, THE MEAN JEANS, THE BLIND SHAKE, & MORE(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Portland's most beloved and booze-soaked rock 'n' roll fest returns, kicking off a weekend with one of the strongest Bender lineups yet. Tonight brings notable touring acts like veteran Minnesota rockers the Blind Shake. They're a fine example of the power of Midwestern wreckage, as two brothers, Mike and Jim Blaha, battle with fierce vocals and guitars (Mike on baritone, which adds a unique, melodious tone), while Dave Roper explodes on syncopated drums. Locals on the bill include perennial partiers the Mean Jeans and the Pure Country Gold duo, who have dropped the bombshell that this will be their last show for the indefinite future. This is a thought too devastating to comprehend, as no group brings a get-down dance party to Portland's backyards and bars like Patrick Foss and Jake Welliver. So for tonight, maybe for the last time, let's get down. MARANDA BISH
JOURNEY TO FREEDOM LAUNCH PARTY: DEAD PREZ, TYREE HARRIS, AARON OB SMITH, URBAN TRUTH, SPEAKER MINDS, LUCK-ONE, TONY OZIER(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Even when they're dormant, Dead Prez can still put all other emcees to shame. Information Age, their much ballyhooed full-length, has been delayed for years, yet the duo of stic.man and M-1 have kept us satiated with Pulse of the People: Turn off the Radio Vol. 3 and its free sequel, the DJ Drama collab Turn Off the Radio Vol. 4: Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz. While it's been rumored the political hiphop outfit might be joining ranks with Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint—and thus becoming labelmates with the single greatest artist of our generation, Willow Smith—there is still no release date set for Information Age. Ask them what's the holdup at tonight's intimate launch show for the educational Journey to Freedom Project. EZRA ACE CARAEFF
A complete listing of this week's shows can be viewed here.