Performing Arts❯Open Mics

November 4, 2026

Special Concerts

The Philip Glass Ensemble returns to Portland for Powaqqatsi, an artful cinematic experience that speaks to the impact of modernization and industrialization on traditional ways of living. Seen through the lens of communities across the globe, the narrative is amplified by compositions from Philip Glass that feature native, classical, and electronic instruments. Enjoyed alone or as the second in The Qatsi Trilogy, you won’t want to miss this thought-provoking performance from The Philip Glass Ensemble and conductor Michael Riesman.

po.waq.qa.tsi (from the Hopi language, powaq sorcerer + qatsi life) n., an entity, a way of life, that consumes the life forces of other beings in order to further its own life.

• Michael Riesman Conductor
• Members of Portland State University Chamber Choir Ethan Sperry, Conductor
• The Philip Glass Ensemble
• Oregon Symphony

This concert is part of the Special Concerts series, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only). Concert length is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. No intermission.

Concert begins promptly at the time listed.

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026) Directed by Sasha Waters Freyer. 1hr 31min. Not Rated.

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Best-selling poet and Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, queer and out but intensely private—Oliver’s poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites. She was America’s unlikely, contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself—and us, her readers—to the known and unknowable world. Sasha Waters’ beguiling portrait features poems read by Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Jesse Welles, and Oprah Winfrey.

This film is featured as part of Portland Book Festival’s Cover to Cover.

We do not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, and films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of PAM CUT or the Portland Art Museum. In addition to the synopses, trailers, and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com.

James Spooner joins PAM CUT for a screening of his film Afro-Punk, followed by an author talk for his new book It Starts With Anger. Books will be available for sale on site.

It Starts With Anger is a coming-of-age graphic memoir exploring race, identity, and rebellion through James Spooner’s teenage years in 1990s New York into his young adulthood in the early 2000s. Confronted with systemic racism, microaggressions, and Nazi extremism within punk spaces, Spooner traces how reactionary anger evolved into a creative force and a path to self-determination, along the way following the founding of the Afro-Punk movement, his eventual decision to leave the company, and an ongoing raw examination of the tensions between underground culture and mainstream success.

While not a traditional graphic memoir, It Starts With Anger combines black-and-white, zine-inspired visual elements including photos, illustrations, and cartoon panels with traditional narrative in a unique package that recounts the story behind Afro-Punk. James Spooner has not talked publicly about his reasons for quitting Afro-Punk previously, and the book is a damning indictment of its corporatization. But more importantly, it also offers a look at issues of Black identity, representation, and the lack thereof in a movement that had often prided itself on allyship, while being completely myopic to all the ways it fell short in that regard as a scene that was ironically both liberating and alienating for the Black people drawn to it.

ON SCREEN: Afro-Punk

2003. Directed by James Spooner. Runtime: 1 hour 6 minutes.

This film, which many may assume is a historical punk documentary, is actually an honest and needed treatment of race and identity. Punk and Hardcore music are simply the microcosm in which it is told. First-time director, James Spooner, in telling this story, has opened new dialogues on these crucial subjects both intra- and interracially. Many times funny, sometimes sobering, a wake-up call to America. An examination of the duality of racial identity that DuBois called “double consciousness.” What could have been “The Bad Brains Story” is a story about kids, alienated by two cultures and two communities. Many of these punk and hardcore kids have never questioned their role in the punk scene or the black community until their interviews, and it’s obvious as they struggle on camera to reconcile a fragmented self.

This program is co-presented by Literary Arts as part of the Cover-to-Cover program.

A documentary detailing the storied history of drug-addled teen punks-turned-icons.

Featuring interviews with Fat Mike, Eric Melvin, Aaron ‘El Hefe’ Abeyta, and Erik Sandin.

Doors open at 6:30 PM. Film at 7:00 PM.

• Director: James Buddy Day
• Year: 2026
• Country: United States
• Runtime: 120 minutes

Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, notorious Silicon Valley founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss. From boundary-pushing directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim comes You Can See Everything.

Black Arts PDX is a display of ephemera and an extended documentary trailer that foregrounds the history of the Black visual arts community in Northeast Portland. Curated by Dr. Kiara Hill, this rotating installation sheds light on the practices of key figures who were instrumental in shaping the perception of Black arts and culture in Portland. Whether utilitarian or decorative, these materials highlight ways Black artists sought to beautify the city and utilize their technical skills to address the needs of Black people. Black Arts PDX stems from a collaboration between Dr. Hill and Cultural Bearers Archive, Inc., on an archival project dedicated to preserving the unique lived experiences of Black artists and cultural workers in Portland.

CREATE SPACE is an interactive environment within the Black Art & Experiences (BAE) galleries that invites visitors to slow down, reflect, and respond. Designed as a rest area, reading room, art studio, and community gathering space, it supports connection, creativity, and dialogue. Through artist-led programs, hands-on activities, and quiet areas for reading or reflection, visitors can engage with the Black Art and Experiences gallery in a personal, generative way. This first year, CREATE SPACE is activated alongside Conductions: Black Imaginings II, which centers Black performance art and its archives. Both spaces emphasize process — research, writing, improvisation, and experimentation — as essential to the creative journey.

What is a StorySLAM? The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5‑minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show. Tonight’s Theme HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Prepare a five-minute story about embracing every aspect of the holiday season. From the chaos of family gatherings, an unexpected

Warren Miller’s “Days Off” will play at the Kiggins Theater from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 1. Host Katie Burrell will show what the pros do on their days off. Go skijoring in Banff, join Craig McMorris and friends in Whistler, and explore Alaska’s spines with Sam Kuch and Craig Murray. Watch Jess Kimura push snowboarding forward and inspire the next generation in Hokkaido, Japan. Head to Chamonix for an intense high-alpine pivot with Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger. Hit Deer Valley with Ted Ligety, Kaylin Richardson, Pep Fujas and Chuck Mumford. Get tickets ($32) at kigginstheatre.com/movie/warren-millers-day-off.

Elite ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson fell deeply in love while reaching the pinnacle of their sport. Their drive sharpened into a shared dream: to climb and ski the direct North Face of Everest - the most difficult and dangerous climb on the mountain and the most coveted ski line on earth. Thousands have summited the mountain via Nepal's southeast ridge, but only a handful have ever reached the top by this route — and no one has successfully skied down. Already known for their extraordinary feats in the mountains and no strangers to loss, Morrison and Nelson stake everything on this daunting challenge.

“Everest: The Other Side” is directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, and produced by Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Bob Eisenhardt, Janet Yang. The executive producers are Carolyn Bernstein, Tim Horsburgh, Nina Fialkow, David Fialkow, Andrew Reiner, Elizabeth Reiner, Moudhy Al-Rashid, Sam Frohman, Kenneth A. Howery, Jason Bowden, Will Griffith, Bettina Kadoorie. The film is edited by Bob Eisenhardt, ACE, and Simona Ferrari. The directors of photography are Clair Popkin, Jimmy Chin, Christopher Murphy.

Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month at Literary Arts, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry, witness others, and participate in community.

Hosted by Julia Gaskill. November’s featured poet will be announced soon.

Ornette: Made In America (1985) Directed by Shirley Clarke. 1hr 17min. Not Rated.

Guest programmed by Rob Lewis, PAM CUT @ The Whitsell presents Ornette: Made In America (1985). This freewheeling documentary is a portrait of Ornette Coleman’s life, legacy, and evolution over three decades. Featuring William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Buckminster Fuller, Don Cherry, Yoko Ono, Charlie Haden, Robert Palmer, Jayne Cortez, and John Rockwell, the film features a free-jazz approach and style, using video collage and experimental segments to tell Coleman’s story.

“I’ve always been interested in films about artists. I think because they end up being a conversation not just between filmmaker and subject in a traditional way but also between two uniquely creative people. This film is a really interesting study of that relationship and connection.” – Rob Lewis

Rob Lewis is an artist and art director living and working in Portland, Oregon with his wife Joy Alise Davis, M.A. who serves as the Executive Director of Portland based, Black advocacy organization, Imagine Black.

Co-presented by KMHD.

We do not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, and films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of PAM CUT or the Portland Art Museum. In addition to the synopses, trailers, and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com.

Here is an opportunity to share or listen to one page of work in progress from talented writers from everywhere. Come with a single page of work and sign up to read – or come to listen and prepare to be inspired.

Our host is the one and only, Emme Lund. The featured reader for November is H.G. Dierdorff.

Come join us every Sunday from 8pm-Midnight for karaoke. Whether you're a seasoned pro or it's your first time, the stage is yours!

Comedy: Dia de los Muertos Open Mic at Kilo D'Cofi.

@the_lowlow_show presents: Sunday Songwriter Revival ❤️‍🔥 . Sunday, June 5th at 7 pm PST @thewaypost presents four fantastic artists! . We’re doing this round style which is one of my favs. All the artists will take turns sharing a song at a time & the story behind it 📖 ....

See the best local comics at Helium Comedy Club's Open Mic Night. On nights there is a show in the Main showroom, the Open Mic will be held in the Neon Room.

Think you have what it takes to make people laugh?

Open Mic Night is open for signup to new talent as well as seasoned comics. The signup list is posted outside the club from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., and the final line-up is posted at 7:30 p.m. in the lounge. The line-up is chosen by random lottery. Please note that you will not be able to sign up in person earlier than 6:00 p.m.

Join us every Monday from 6:30–10 PM at The Hostel Cafe for our weekly Open Mic Night, a cozy, community-focused space where local and traveling musicians share original songs, covers, and acoustic sets. Enjoy live music, good vibes, and cafe drinks while discovering new talent and supporting our featured performers. If you're looking for open mic music events in Portland or a friendly spot to play, The Hostel Cafe is the place to be every Monday night. This is a free event, but we encourage you to tip our featured performers!

Clark College welcomes award-winning journalist Abby Martin of the Empire Files for a screening of her documentary film, “Earth’s Greatest Enemy,” 6-9:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in Foster Hall. This free community event is sponsored by the Clark College ASCC Student Life Philosophy Program. This film reveals a truth behind the climate crisis: the role of the U.S. military as the world’s largest institutional polluter, tracing the link between war, empire and ecological destruction. Drawing on powerful testimonies from veterans, scientists and frontline communities, it uncovers how military operations poison ecosystems, accelerate global warming and sacrifice the future for expansion.

Led by Joe Offer, new Zoom link posted every week, just before doors open: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=168014&messages=37.

Tickets available at the door Fundraiser for Snowday’s Foundation; raffle ticket included! LIFEFORM broadcasts the exploits of 10 riders on the vangaurd of gritty, urban riding as they seek out spots, stack shots, and travel the globe in order to bring their regimen of style and progression to screens everywhere. Directed by Justin Meyer.

Monthly on every first Tuesday

We want your BOLD stories!

Come to our monthly open mic to share your latest work in progress or previously published piece. We welcome short stories, personal essays, poetry, slam, and other spoken word art forms.

10% off for performers!

BOLD is a safe place. We strive to uplift stories by and about people from underrepresented and diverse communities. We do not tolerate hate speech of any kind.

See you there!

See full details at tomorrowtheater.org.

Jump into Artichoke Music’s Songwriters Circle hosted by Kelly Brightwell and Woody Moran, held every 3rd Sunday of the month from 2 pm - 4 pm in the venue, free (donations support Artichoke). Bring your Instrument (piano available) and original songs, or even the occasional cover, to share with others. This is also a great opportunity to listen and gain insight from other songwriters as they play their original songs. This is not a jam. What happens when you pair a gravel-voiced groove master with a sensitive Americana-infused soul? When you mix the detailed observations of a world traveler with storytelling that brings emotional landscapes to life? You get the award-winning songwriting team of Brightwell & Moran.

Tap That Open Mic: Comedy Night is here. Hosted by Umi Om and TapTap, this is your sign to laugh louder, eat better, and vibe harder.

Comedians get 7–10 minutes to bring the heat. Whether you’re testing new jokes or just pulling up for a good time, this open-mic night is for you.

Good food. Big laughs. Real community. Pull up, tap the mic, and make it a night.

Picture a Sunday night with family and friends around watching a movie and playing games. Come to our Soulful Sundays at Albina! Play Spades, Dominos, Uno and more! Happening every 1st and 2nd Sunday of the month through November! All ages are welcome.

Featured Film: MARY LOU WILLIAMS: THE LADY WHO SWINGS THE BAND (running time 1Hr 10min)

Tomorrow Theater is teaming up with MUBI for this screening of Eleanor Coppola’s Making Marie Antoinette, a lush, intimate documentary about Sofia Coppola creating Marie Antoinette. The mother-daughter duo began creating this documentary at the beginning of the COVID lockdown, and Sofia finished the film after her mother passed in 2024.

In 2005, Sofia Coppola shot her third feature film, Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman, at the Palace of Versailles, securing unprecedented filming permission that had never before been granted to any production. Her mother, acclaimed documentarian Eleanor Coppola, accompanied her on set, capturing approximately eighty hours of footage chronicling her daughter’s journey throughout the making of the film. This year, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the release of Marie Antoinette and in fulfilment of her mother’s wish, Sofia Coppola reviewed that previously unseen material. Making Marie Antoinette explores the craftsmanship and care that brought the film to life, follows legendary costume designer Milena Canonero at work, and offers a glimpse into what it meant to be a young female director at that time. The result is a fascinating look at the creative process behind a landmark film and, at the same time, a surprisingly intimate family portrait.

Toolbox Gallery ishonored to welcome the highly regarded Milwaukie Poetry Series for its biannual invited poet readings followed by an open mic.

A special screening of Jem Cohen’s (Museum Hours) 2015 documentary with a live score by award-winning jazz pianist Todd Marston & Micah Hummel’s Advancing Composers Ensemble.

In fifteen linked chapters shot in locations ranging from Moscow to New York to Istanbul, Counting merges city symphony, diary film, and personal/political essay to create a vivid portrait of contemporary life. Perhaps the most personal of Cohen’s films, Counting measures street life, light and time, noting not only surveillance and over development but resistance and its phantoms as manifested in music, animals and everyday magic

• Director: Jem Cohen
• Year: 2015
• Country: United States
• Runtime: 111 minutes

Rando is a singer/songwriter who plays acoustic folk music around Portland, OR. They moved here in 2021 after 10 years of busking through the south and midwest with their dog, Bandit. Community and love are at the center of their ethos, and their lyrics are a vulnerable exposition of their heart.

Open weekdays noon until midnight

Open weekends 11:00 am until midnight, minors welcome until 9:00 pm

Phone: 503-287-4801

Email: [email protected]

Closed New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas

Roadless follows three adventurers as they set out on foot through the Alaskan wilderness with a goal: to follow the entire 211-mile length of the proposed Ambler Mining Road. 160 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the team crosses vast tundra, wild rivers, and pristine forests, bringing audiences directly into one of the most remote and ecologically intact landscapes in North America.

As the miles accumulate, so do the challenges — injuries, exhaustion, hunger, relentless mosquitoes, and the harsh reality of traveling difficult terrain without roads or trails. But the expedition also reveals a landscape few people will ever experience firsthand. Encounters with wildlife, 24-hour sunlight, and the vast Arctic ecosystem offer a glimpse into a remarkable environment that has remained largely untouched by human development.

Roadless is an adventure film about endurance and natural beauty, while exploring what could be lost if the Ambler Road is built.

62 minutes | 2026 | Rated G

Join us Tuesday from 7:30-11PM. All ages until 9PM. Sign-ups begin at 7:00, music starts at 7:30PM. $5-10 suggested donation at the door.

This open mic was created to keep continuity for the Atlantis Underground community as the program takes a hiatus. We hope to honor the tradition that has been laid down, as well as bring a fresh perspective to the night.

Hosted by Mo Schulte and Kyle J. Glenn

**Atlantis Lounge is All Ages until 9:00 PM, at that time any minors will be asked to leave the space. Thanks for your understanding!

Come sign up and check out new music in the community! La Playa Open Mic is hosted by Road Trip Records

1pm-4pm Free Admission 21+

Show up early to sign up! Bring your own instrument. House guitar and mic provided.

WonderLove is a burgeoning food cart pod with a growing number of carts, united by an impressive vision for eating, imbibing and entertaining. Come for the meal and stay for the tri-level bar and TV lounge.

Free. All ages.

Monday Mic Night is an open mic event. Bring whatever you’d like to share—music, poetry, a soliloquy, a painting, even a magic trick. All ages and talent levels are welcome. Non-performing audience members are welcome too.

This event is free, all ages, and open to the public.

Date: Monday, November 9
Time: 7-9pm (Signups start at 6:30pm)
Location: Sherwood Center for the Arts, Maera Boughey Theatre
22689 SW Pine Street, Sherwood OR 97140

More information at our website: Monday Mic Night | Sherwood Center for the Arts

Pacific University and the Indigenous Student Alliance is partnering with OPB to bring the film “First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath” to the Forest Grove Campus on Thursday, Nov. 5

Poetry Open Mic and Slam in Portland, Oregon. It is the mission of Slamlandia to provide an open mic and poetry slam that is creative, fun, and welcoming to all literary communities in Portland. They strive towards a safer space for poets to share work, witness others, and participate in the community.

When three American doctors—Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian—enter Gaza to save lives, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth.

• Director: Poh Si Teng
• Year: 2026
• Country: United States, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Malaysia, Qatar, Denmark
• Runtime: 91 minutes

Join an open, welcoming night of live music. Musicians of all levels and styles are invited — this is a fun-loving, respectful space for anyone who wants to play, sing, or just listen. No cover charge. There is a full backline and a gorgeous stage with professional lights and sound, ready for solo acts, small groups, and unusual arrangements alike — if you can dream it up, The Barrel Room can probably make it work.

Sign-ups start at 5 p.m.; performances start at 5:30.

No cover charge — just good vibes, great music, and an amazing crowd to cheer you on. Grab your friends, sip on your favorite drinks, and enjoy a night of unforgettable performances.

Get ready to shine.

21+ with valid ID