Some quick picks for the weekend

My weekend is going to be busy with Pickathon ... like last year, I'll be one of the video directors as part of the massive effort to bring folks a live video stream from the festival. With multiple stages for three days, that's a lot of video. If you're not going, here's a message from the festival about how you can see it:

If you absolutely cannot make it out the farm this weekend, we have an amazing live broadcast, being led by local livestream masterminds, Stumptown Bliss. The best places to catch the stream will be at KEXP.org or with our good friends at Paste Magazine. You'll be able to tune in beginning Friday, August 3, at 12pm Pacific and we'll be shutting it around noon on Monday.

 If you don't know Pickathon, I think it's a truly unique festival ... check out more about it with stories at Oregon Music News, Willamette Week, and the Oregonian .... and if you're out at Pendarvis Farm, drop by the Workshop Barn ... you might find me around the video gear.

So ... what music might you catch otherwise around town?

Tonight, at 72 years young, he's still one of the innovators of electric blues guitar ... Guitar Shorty ... and he's at Duff's ... 9 pm, $15

Need some happy hour tunes to get your weekend started early? The always dependable Lewi Longmire is at the Laurelthirst .... 6 pm, no cover

Get your funky dance groove going with Philly's Phunkestra at The Goodfoot ... 9 pm, $5

Friday
It's a first Friday again, so that means a few of my favorite happy hours - the James Low Western Front at the Laurelthirst, Wendy & the Lost Boys at the Hawthorne Theater Pub, and Swing Papillion at the Secret Society ... all at 6 pm, no cover

Hang around at the Secret Society and catch the My Oh Mys,  the Golden Motors, and Redray Frasier ... 9 pm, $8

There's a solid songwriters show at the Alberta Rose with Joe New,  Kurt Hugat, and Steve Cameron ... 8:30 pm, $10

And at Duff's catch the Duffy Bishop Band ... one of the best blues voices in the NW ... 9:30 pm,  $??

Saturday
Speaking of Duffy Bishop, she'll be performing tonight with the Bobby Torres Ensemble at Jimmy Mak's ... now that's going to be a hot show ... 8 pm, $10

At the Oregon Zoo, it's South Africa's Johnny Clegg Band with Ladysmith Black Mambazo ... 7 pm, $28/48

Kasey Chambers pays a visit from down under and you can catch her over at the Aladdin ... 8 pm, $25

Sunday
3 o'clock patio music at Mississippi Studios with Matt Sheehy ... and at the Doug Fir with Dolorean ... both free and great ways to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Two chances to catch one of the best harp players around, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats ... a free show at Music Millennium at 3 pm, and then at Duff's at 8 pm, $15

And there's a fundraiser at the Mission Theater with a fine bunch of local bands ... you can read about it here...

OK ... that all for now ... more next week! Get to the parks, the festivals, the venues ... check out live local music this summer!