Giving thanks for great live music - this week's picks

Don't have to say much about how thankful we all should be about the amazing musical community in this city.  The level of quality of live music in Portland is recognized nationally and deservedly.  We should be thankful so many wonderful artist are willing to play on some nights for way too little money and to way too few people. So get out to some live music - it will support the artists, support the venues, and do your soul some good ...

This could be my only post of this weekend, so I'll hit the highlights of the Thanksgiving week/weekend ...

Wednesday
Always seems to be a Thanksgivings eve of some pretty cool shows in town ...
Blind Pilot does a hometown show in the midst of touring to support their fine new CD, We Are The Tide, at the Crystal ... Point Juncture, WA opens ... 8 pm, $20

Steve Wilkinson is mid-way through his week at Al's Den ...tonight with guest Rob Stroup ... 7pm, no cover

Swing Papillon is at the Press Club .... 8:30 pm, no cover

Nancy King and Steve Christofferson will be at Touche ... 8:30 pm, $5

Redwood Son are at the White Eagle ... 8:30 pm, no cover

Jay Koder & the Soulmates are at Vie de Boheme .... 8 pm, $5

Lewi Longmire and Denver will play to a packed pre-TG crowd at the Laurelthirst ... 9 pm, $7

Billy D & The Hoodoos will be on the west side at the Rock Creek Tavern ... 9 pm, no cover

Candye Kane will be bringin' the blues mama blues to Duff's Garage ... 9:30 pm, $12

And now on to a few shows of note for your post-TG weekend ...

Friday
Cascade Zydeco Association dance with the Bay Area's Mark St Mary at PPAA (618 SE Alder Street) ... 8 pm (dance lesson at 7), $15

At Mississippi Studios Tony Furtado and band will be doing a live video recording for what will be a DVD release. Tony raised almost $20k via Kickstarter to fund this project ... 9 pm, $15

Tracy Grammer makes a quick and welcome trip into town for a gig tonight at The Space in Beaverton ... 8 pm, $??

Fernando is throwing a fundraiser to finish his new CD at the Blue Monk ... 9 pm, $10-20 sliding scale

Miss Michael Jodell and Matt Brown will play the Press Club ... 8:30 pm, no cover

Paris Slim is back in town and at Duffs tonight (and at Halibuts on Sat) ... 9:30 pm, $?

Saturday

The show that I really want to feature this weekend is The Next Waltz at the Alberta Rose Theatre.  Putting this together has been a labor of love for local songwriter and music journalist Jeff Rosenberg (along with about 60 contributing musicians). It is a celebration of the 35th anniversary of The Band's final concert at Winterland that was immortalize in Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz.  To raise money for the Jeremy Wilson Foundation and the Oregon Food Bank, an all-star contingent of Portland's amazing music community are coming together to play all of the songs (and in order) that The Band and their friends performed in that legendary concert.  You can check out a full description of the show here. ... 8 pm, $17 advance/$20 door



And if you're feeling blues and really need to dance, check out the Lloyd Jones Quartet at the Trails End Saloon ... 9 pm, $?? .... or the Robbie Laws Band at Duff's  ... 9:30 pm, $??

If The Next Waltz wasn't happening, I'd probably check out three very popular roots rock bands from 90s Portland - Haymaker, Thrillbilly, and Gravelpit - who will do a reunion show at the Someday Lounge ... 9 pm, $??

Here's a little preview of one of the many tunes you'll hear on Saturday ...