Zolita: The Queen of Hearts Tour -w/ Meg Smith – Early show! – All Ages
Zolita has always viewed her songwriting through the lens of a camera, envisioning how each lyric and note might play out on screen. While beginning her career in music, the multi-hyphenate artist was sharpening her filmmaking skills at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Marrying these two artistic mediums into vibrant, narrative-driven music videos, Zolita’s unique approach to storytelling has earned her hundreds of millions of streams, a sold-out headline tour and a fanbase captivated by the rich characters she brings to life. From the debut of her first song and viral video, to the breakout success of her “Somebody I F*cked Once” Trilogy in 2022 and now to her upcoming project, Queen of Hearts, her passionate and unapologetic approach to visual storytelling is at the core of her artistic identity. Zolita’s forthcoming sophomore album, Queen of Hearts, is built around a pair of equally ambitious themes. The first offers a bold celebration of queer love, joy and acceptance— an invitation for her fans to embrace their individuality and live authentically. The other offers a more personal, introspective meditation on her past relationships. “I feel like I got to explore things that I had never written about before—things that maybe I was a little bit afraid to write about,” she says. This vulnerability and honesty in her songwriting is a moment that the artist born Zoë Hoetzel has been building toward for a long time. The project’s first single, “Bloodstream,” a gauzy track about the intense feeling of “wanting to crawl into somebody’s skin and know everything about them,” marks the beginning of the Queen of Hearts visual era. After Zolita read about the love story between Mariana Varela and Fabiola Valentín—former Miss Universe contestants who met and fell in love at a beauty pageant—she dove into writing a script inspired by them. “I was so intrigued by their story,” she recalls. “I was obsessed with the idea that these two women found each other in an environment that seems so heteronormative and ‘traditionally’ feminine.” The resulting short film, which Zolita wrote, produced, directed and edited, combines that fascination with her penchant for showcasing and uplifting queer relationships. The female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ led cast and crew included Zolita’s co-star, Kyra Green, who made headlines when she paired up with a woman on Love Island Games in 2023. “It felt so natural to have her be a part of this project,” says Zolita. “In the film, she ends up choosing me at the end instead of the crown, which mirrors her own life really beautifully.” Featuring other notable guest stars and comedians as pageant queens, the short film offers only a preview of Zolita’s feature length ambitions. “I’ve always felt so lucky because my fanbase is primarily queer, so most of my experiences with them have had to do with that,” Zolita says. “They’re not just loving my music—it’s, ‘You helped me come out,’ or, ‘You helped me realize who I was.’ That has given my whole life a very different level of meaning and purpose.” Zolita VIP Package Available! This includes: – 2 Song Acoustic Set and Q&A – Official VIP Pageant Sash – Photo op with Zolita – Custom Glam Bag – Signed Page From The “Somebody I F*cked Once” Script
Spend The Night 9 Year Anniversary: Todd Edwards b2b Conducta, w/ Spend the Night Residents – 21+
Spend The Night celebrates 9 years with a very special extended back-to-back set from two titans of house & garage, Todd Edwards & Conducta! STN residents Ben Tactic, Leeonn, Nathan Detroit and Sunrise Energy Club will be tagging to warm things up. House legend, Daft Punk collaborator, and Grammy winner, Todd Edwards, is credited as one of the godfathers of UK garage. In addition to his own legendary productions, Edwards has remixed Phoenix, Justice, Matthew Dear, Hot Chip, Spank Rock, Boris, Appaloosa, Klaxons, Surkin, Robin S, Zoot Woman, St. Germain, and Dimitri From Paris. Conducta is an icon and trailblazer who has led the charge for the resurgence of UK Garage. In addition to DJing and producing, Conducta is also the founder and head of Kiwi Rekords, a hub for a new wave of garage producers to thrive.$25 advance and before 10pm at the door$30 after 10pm
Drew McDowall (of Coil) – w/ (arsonist) – 21+
Scottish experimental/electronic musician Drew McDowall’s lifelong interest in an elegiac solo bagpipe style called pibroch (ceòl mòr in Gaelic) has been an inspiration for much of his previous work (including Coil’s legendary Time Machines). This form, often traditionally used for laments and for tributes to the dead, fuses modal drones with flickering dissonance and plaintive melody evoking an ancient, solemn mood. His latest work, A Thread, Silvered and Trembling, both incorporates and transforms these elements via exploratory electronic processing, weaving an electro-acoustic tapestry of strings, shudders, voids, and voices, alternately disembodied and displaced. Co-produced with engineer Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios in Brooklyn, the collection’s four pieces capture McDowall at his most elevated and elusive, in thrall to “the ineffable – that which refuses to be spoken.” McDowall’s palette here is unusually eclectic, sourced from a dynamic orchestral ensemble arranged by Brent Arnold and comprised of cello, viola, violin, harp (Marilu Donovan of LEYA), and french horn. Ebbing between shrouded electronics and enigmatic, sometimes spectralist orchestration, the album moves with a seething, simmering energy, surging into elegant, uneasy crescendos. The first two pieces are inspired by a liberatory hijacking and inversion of a grim biblical story (and by a cryptic and strange UK simple syrup branding). Opener “Out of Strength Comes Sweetness” shivers with short echo and resonant pads, before shifting into the album’s centerpiece: the 14-minute saga “And Lions Will Sing with Joy.” A murmuring electrical storm of keening strings and disorienting drones gradually grows darker and denser, until suddenly there’s a crack in the clouds, revealing mutated choral voices and sparkling harp. McDowall describes the track as “an incantation to help usher in a break, and a new beginning.” The record’s latter half evokes a deep untamed animism shot through with spiraling radiance. “In Wound and Water” sways with harp, plucked strings and eerie cello undertows while lush layers of disorientated electronics hang in the dusk. There is no resolution, only a faint gradient of fragile dissipation, leading into the album’s harrowing and climactic closer, “A Dream of a Cartographic Membrane Dissolves.” Processed voices (credited on the liner notes to “The Ghosts Who Refuse to Rest”) contort, whisper, and gather as the rest of the ensemble sharpens, poising to strike. Then it does – grand, tragic stabs of strings and horns lashing the sky, storming heaven by force. The fallout is poetic and inevitable, raining embers into a dark sea. But the journey and catharsis of A Thread linger long after it goes silent. Like so much of McDowall’s multifaceted catalog, this is music of immanence and alchemy, attuned equally to the sacred and the profane, to the tile and the mosaic. {arsonist} is the solo project of Portland based composer and producer Danielle Rager. Collaging raucous, algorithmically sequenced electronics, manipulated vocals, and her mother-tongue of lush orchestral arrangements, {arsonist} kindles a unique symphonic form of computer music that The Wire magazine praised as “digital soundscapes that step into the fantastical”. Her live sets bridge multiple A/V frameworks including the live-coding musical language TidalCycles, Ableton Live, and reactive visual platforms OpenFrameworks and GLSL. {arsonist} released her acclaimed full-length debut Reality Structure on Unifactor Tapes in 2020, which explored the mystique common to the symbolic languages of dreams and mathematics.
Simple Town – Early show! – 21+
Simple Town is a comedy group based in New York City. Their work lies somewhere between the high brow, the absurd, and the stupid, but always really funny— think I Think You Should Leave, Kids in the Hall, or The State. They regularly go viral and their videos have been on Adult Swim, Comedy Central, and Cracked, and they’ve performed to sold out crowds around the country. Join them for an hour of nonstop, frenetic, surprising sketch comedy.
Peach Tree Rascals: For You Tour – w/ Monét Ngo – All Ages
Peach Tree Rascals are a collective, dedicated to collaboration and community. They are a brotherhood, coming together to be more than the sum of their parts. Comprised of producer/mixer Dominic “Dom” Pizano,rappers-singers Issac Pech, Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq, Joseph Barros, and creative director Jorge Olazaba, the group started as a teenage “do-it-yourself” attempt at music, based out of a shed in San Jose, California. With most of the members being second generation Americans (the sons of Palestinian, Filipino, and Mexican immigrants), they quickly realized a deep, natural connection with one another, and grew into a single, harmonious unit. As the band grew, they added Jasper Barros, the mastermind behind some of the guitar tracks on their biggest hits and EJ Atienza, Jorge’s right-hand man assisting him with all things creative. 16 songs and a debut EP later, the group has accumulated over 300M streamsand have received certified gold for their track, “Mariposa,”which also reached #1 on the Alternative Radio Chart. The Peach Tree Rascals have stayed true to the DIY mentality they had when they first started working together. As Issac puts it, “The future of PTR depends on what we wish to accomplish. It’s totally in our hands and work ethic, but we know we want to be as big as possible.” Signed to 10k/Homemade Projects, the Rascals are poised to ascend to even greater heights and are gearing up for some highly anticipated new music and live shows this year.Peach Tree Rascals Meet & Greet Package available! This includes:-One general admission ticket -VIP early entry into the venue -Exclusive Meet & Greet with Peach Tree Rascals -Personal photograph with Peach Tree Rascals -Autographed tour poster -Official meet & greet laminate & lanyard -Priority merchandise shopping -Limited availability
Holocene and Creative Music Guild present: Bill Orcutt / Zoh Amba / Chris Corsano Trio – w/ TWANS – 21+
In February 2023, the day after saxophonist Zoh Amba and drummer Chris Corsano finished up a duo tour of the west coast they entered the studio with guitarist Bill Orcutt. From this session came an album released summer 2023 called The Flower School. Chris and Bill are decades long collaborators perpetually adapting, adjusting, and challenging one another so that every performance by their duo seems to spring from a different inspirational source, but this was the first time Orcutt and Amba had ever played together. Through the recording session it is obvious that the level of communication and rapport between the trio feels eternal. This performance will be the West coast premiere of the trio of Zoh Amba, Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt performing music from their new LP “The Flower School.”———————————————————One of experimental music’s most influential guitarists, Bill Orcutt weaves looping melodic lines and angular attack into a dense, fissured landscape of American primitivism, outsider jazz, and a stripped-down re-envisioning of the possibilities of the guitar. Whether he’s playing his decrepit Kay acoustic or gutted electric Telecaster (both stripped of two of their strings, as has been Orcutt’s custom since 1985), Orcutt’s jagged sound is utterly unique and instantly recognizable, and is compared with equal frequency to avant-garde composers and rural bluesmen. The New York Times has called him a “powerful musician… a go-for-broke guitar improviser,” and described his sound as “articulated sprays of arpeggiated chords and dissonance.”Zoh Amba is a composer and instrumentalist from Tennessee residing in New York. Her music blends avant-garde, noise, and devotional hymns. Before studying music at the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music, New England Conservatory and studying with David Murray in New York, she spent most of her time writing and practicing saxophone in a remote forest near her home alone where she started to develop her distinct sound and approach. Today, her powerfully unique avant-garde music is full of folk melodies, mesmerizing refrains, and repeated incantations. Amba released her first two records in 2022. Her debut record O, Sun which was produced by John Zorn and released on his prestigious label Tzadik. Zoh Amba’s second record, Bhakti features Micah Thomas, Tyshawn Sorey, and Matt Hollenberg. Bhakti has become the moniker for Amba’s ongoing live and recording ensemble project with ever changing members, Amba also has a regular band with musicians Shahzad Ishmaily, Jim White (Dirty Three), and Steve Gunn.Chris Corsano is a drummer who has been working at the intersections of free improvisation, avant-rock, and experimental music since the late ’90s. He’s a rim-batterer of choice for some of the greatest contemporary purveyors of “jazz” (Joe McPhee, Paul Flaherty, Mette Rasmussen) and “rock” (Sir Richard Bishop, Bill Orcutt, Jim O’Rourke), as well as artists beyond categorization (Björk for her Volta album and world tour, Michael Flower, Okkyung Lee). Appearing on over 150 albums and touring in an ultra-wide array of collaborations, Corsano has developed a highly personal musical language through ecstatic free improvisation, extended percussion techniques, and an innovative approach to the drum kit that includes resonating drum heads with bowed strings and circular-breathed reeds. He’s been called “one of the world’s great drummers” by The Guardian, “a peripatetic ace of the avant-garde” by The New York Times, and “arguably the most riotously energetic and creative drummer in contemporary free jazz” by Wire Magazine.
LAFFY TAFFY: Twerk / Hip-Hop / R&B / Reggaeton / Dancehall party w/ DJs BNick, Jack and Priime – 21+
Alpha Pack Presents: Laffy Taffy – Twerk In all Ass-sorted Flavors Twerk | Hip-Hop | R&B | Dancehall | ReggaetonPortland’s Hottest Twerking Monthly!Vibez inspired by: Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, City Girls, Bad Bunny, Cardi B, Beyonce, Lil Uzi, Nicki Minaj, Rae Sremmurd, Saweetie, Drake, Rihanna, 21 Savage, Tyga, Travis Scott, Daddy Yankee, J. Balvin and many more! Nonstop sounds that are guaranteed to keep you sweating on the dancefloor. Laffy Taffy features resident DJ BNick (Blow the Whistle/Solid Gold/The Get Down/AirPlane Mode); featuring monthly rotating guests. Music will have NO boundaries, but it will be ALL fuego!!!! Heavy hitting Twerk 808s, ratchet Trap anthems, pulsating Dancehall favs, and GROUNDBREAKING Reggaeton bangers!!! This party will not disappoint. FREE BEFORE 10PM WITH RSVP (subject to venue capacity, early arrival is recommended)$12 advance and before 11pm at the door $15 after 11pm at the door Resident DJ: BNick @djbnickGuest DJs: DJ Jack @jack Slimguini
JUICE Drum & Bass: DRS, LSB, SL8R, Lunchmoney, Sol Elicio, MC Questionmark – 21+
Heading into the summer of our 19th year, we are thrilled to share with you our next event welcoming the incredible vibes of LSB & DRS (UK) to JUICE Saturday June 29th at Holocene! On the heels of DRS’ brand new album “Everything Must Go” along with LSB’s just released EP “Home,” these two will be creating a soulful DnB landscape of epic proportions. Topping it off, very special guest SL8R (V Recs/Hospital/Dread-UK) will be joining this lineup for his Portland debut! Local Pacific Northwest support will be top notch with Lunchmoney (DnB Tuesdays), JUICE resident MC Questionmark, and another very special JUICE debut with Sol Elicio—one to watch in PDX! Headliners start to finish as we do…Come early, dance and stay late! It’s JUICE’s mission to continue to showcase the best that deep soulful DnB offers with a hybrid of in-person & livestream feature sessions on select last Fridays & weekends of the month. Our next IRL after this will be Sunday October 27th. Looking for more JUICE in between shows? For the last four years, you can find us every week for “InBetween Sessions” on twitch.tv/juicedrumandbass from 7-11pm PST Tues/Thurs/Sun with the JUICE crew, keeping the music fresh, and growing these streams as a staple for listeners worldwide. More info at: https://www.juicedrumandbass.com/ Many thanks to Jupiter Hotel’s sponsorship contributions to this show! If you’re traveling in from out of town, use promo code SLEEPWITHJUICE at check out for an additional 10% off your stay! Check out their super cool environment at https://www.jupiterhotel.com
RENAISSANCE / RENAIDDANCE: Celebrating Beyoncé – 21+
PORTLAND HOLD ‘EM 👏 📍 Holocene 🐝 Saturday, June 22 🌵 9PM 🤠 21+ RENAIDDANCE is a celebration of Act I & II of Queen B’s ‘Renaissance’. 🪩 We’ll be celebrating the ballroom, country, disco, & techno scenes that inspired it all. Expect to hear all of your favorite songs from Beyoncé and more! Sounds by @timothy.bee & @djsappho Follow us @thedanceparties 🥳
Dance Yourself Clean – An Indie dance party – 21+ event
An Indie Electronic dance party with a festival feel, stage production, lasers and tons of fog playing music by: Rufus Du Sol, Tame Impala, Odesza, SG Lewis, The Knocks, Fred Again, Empire Of The Sun, Tove Lo, and more. 2nd Fridays bi-monthly alternating with Candi Pop dance party!