North (N)

A Tuareg singer/songwriter and guitarist who is known for his innovative and intense playing style, Mdou Moctar rose from a small village in Niger to earn viral success among West Africa's cell phone-trading network. An appearance on an American compilation in 2010 led to international recognition and further exploratory releases on the Sahel Sounds label. After starring in a Tuareg-language homage to Purple Rain, Moctar's sound continued to evolve as he pushed his musical boundaries as a multi-instrumentalist on 2017's Sousoume Tamachek. Subsequent albums like Ilana: The Creator (2019) and Afrique Victime (2021) found him infusing his African influences with wild electric psychedelia and full-blast rock and roll to widespread acclaim. 2024's scintillating Funeral for Justice saw Moctar take a stronger political stance on the injustices faced by Niger and the Tuareg people. A reimagined, all-acoustic version of the album was released in early 2025 as Tears of Injustice.

Join community artist, teacher, and storyteller Drea Robideau to learn Native Games and explore the healing power of play!

Made possible by The Library Foundation through support from The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Fund.

Mantra, music, and storytelling to awaken the heart. Sacred Dharma is a Pacific Northwest kirtan-fusion jam band. At its core, they facilitate the devotional practice of chanting Sanskrit mantra. The music is colored by world influences ranging from Indian classical to jazz and psychedelic rock, enhancing the mood so that each repetition of the Name can awaken the heart.

Led by Sitaram Dass with Jeanette Kangas on tabla, Clark Stacer on bass, Lance Jordan on guitar, and a rotating selection of some of the PNW's finest musicians.

Sitaram Dass (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is an author, teacher, kirtan singer, and spiritual counselor. As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to provide affordable, free, and donation-based offerings as a praxis of Sacred Community.

$25 Advance / $30 Door

(No one turned away for lack of funds)

¡Los invitamos a la biblioteca a celebrar con nosotros el Día de Muertos!

Habrá cuentos, manualidades y mucha diversión. Completamente gratis y no es necesario registrarse.

El Día de Muertos es una tradición cultural festiva y colorida celebrada a través de América Latina, México y España para recordar a los seres queridos que han partido al otro mundo.

Este programa será en espanglish.

Monday Swing is a weekly vintage swing dance practicum and social dance on Monday nights with DJ'ed music in a cozy NE PDX setting.

All ages! No partner needed!

7:00 - 8:00 Lesson — How to Practice w/ Dianne and Dan
8:00 - 10:00 Practicum & Social Dance

Lesson — $10
Dance — $10
BOTH — $15

Class Description:

In this class, we'll be sharing everything we know about practicing. We’ll cover what to practice, how to practice, and effective strategies for getting the most out of your time. We'll be sharing decades of our own personal learnings about how to be your own best teacher.

So here’s the nitty gritty… We’ll go over how to notate movement, how to seek out and break down canonical sources, how to borrow effectively from professional dancers / competition footage, and how to develop your own "voice" as a dancer. We'll discuss how to prioritize your practice in accordance with your dance values, and how to develop systems for yourself that lead to your dance goals and better dancing in general. We’ll touch on how to build choreography, how to communicate, how to open up space for creativity, and how to connect your practice to the roots and historical traditions of the dance while still being innovative and true to your own voice.

Whether you're practicing with a dedicated partner, by yourself, or with a group, this class will cover techniques to help you show up for yourself and others on your journey to meeting your dance goals.

__________________________________________________________________________________________>> What's a practicum and social dance?
We DJ music just like a regular social dance. You can come out and just dance like normal, or you can come planning to work on something: Ask for feedback, work on a move, play with variations, master a routine.

>> Have a specific question?
Experienced dancers and local teachers are available at practicum to help out with sticky spots.

>> Balboa? Shag? Solo? Learning swingouts?
Let the DJ know what you're working on if you have specific music requests!

This building is not physically accessible to enter. If you have accessibility concerns, please contact PLS.

Bridgetown Sextet Sun, Nov 15 TICKETS $25 | ALL AGES

Andrew Oliver, Piano

Sam Dechenne, Trumpet

John Moak, Trombone

David Evans, Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone

Doug Sammons, Guitar & Banjo

Chris Shuttleworth, Tuba

Tyson Stubelek, Drums

Performing music by icons of early jazz such as Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Clarence Williams, and Bix Beiderbecke, as well as lesser known musical stylists, territory bands, and innovators such as Bennie Moten, Alex Hill, and Jabbo Smith, the Bridgetown Sextet has cemented its reputation as a favorite among both listening audiences and dancers in the Pacific Northwest. The band was founded in 2008 by Andrew Oliver and Scott Kennedy and has seen various personnel changes over the years as band members have come and gone from the Portland area. Now a seven-piece band with the recent additions of Sam Dechenne on trumpet and Tyson Stubelek on drums, as well as Andrew’s return from London in 2020, the Sextet continues to refine its visceral, joyful, and authentic approach to traditional jazz, stomp, and swing. The band has performed at the Portland Jazz Festival, Portland Lindy Exchange, Camp Jitterbug in Seattle, the Seaside Jazz Festival, traditional jazz socities around the Northwest, and all the major Portland area clubs past and present including the Jack London Revue, the 1905, Jimmy Mak’s, the Blue Monk, Secret Society and Duff’s Garage.

05:30 PM SHOW 07:30 PM SHOW

An all-star Portland group of musicians including Eric Stern and Michael Beach, the group performs music from the Middle East and features bellydancers.

**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!

Children ages birth to 6 along with their families, elders, aunties and uncles are welcome for songs and stories celebrating Native cultures and building language and literacy skills. Presented by Native library staff. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Workshop Description:

Trickeration is an iconic Authentic Jazz Dance routine choreographed by The Queen of Swing, Norma Miller. Legend has it, she used this routine as audition piece for her dance company The Norma Miller Dancers.

This choreography is an absolute treasure trove of rhythms, breaks and step combinations. We're so lucky she continued to teach it to our community!

Open level workshop, some solo jazz vocabulary and experience will be beneficial, but enthusiastic beginners ready for a challenge are welcome.

Instructor Bio:

Nika Jin is a Lindy Hopper, jazz dancer and community organizer for Track Town Swing in Eugene, OR. She has a special passion for solo movement, is a fiend for historical clips, and has shed tears over great swing music many times.

Trickeration is an iconic Authentic Jazz Dance routine choreographed by The Queen of Swing, Norma Miller. Legend has it, she used this routine as audition piece for her dance company The Norma Miller Dancers.

This choreography is an absolute treasure trove of rhythms, breaks and step combinations. We're so lucky she continued to teach it to our community!

This is an open level workshop.
Some solo jazz vocabulary and experience will be beneficial, but enthusiastic beginners ready for a challenge are welcome.

Nika Jin is a Lindy Hopper, jazz dancer and community organizer for Track Town Swing in Eugene, OR.

She has a special passion for solo movement, is a fiend for historical clips, and has shed tears over great swing music many times.

There is a 15% discount for PLS Everything Members and a 20% discount for PLS Patron Members. Please use codes PLS15 and PLS20 respectively. We will be reviewing all purchases and will refund and cancel registration for anyone who uses these codes improperly.

Cost: $35

Check in: 1:15pm

Workshop: 1:30-3:30pm

There is a 15% discount for PLS Everything Members and a 20% discount for PLS Patron Members. Please use codes PLS15 and PLS20 respectively. We will be reviewing all purchases and will refund and cancel registration for anyone who uses these codes improperly.

Please note: The Baker Building is not physically accessible to enter. If you have accessibility concerns, please contact PLS.

The African and Black American experience comes alive for children from birth to age 6 (with their favorite adult/family members). Have fun with books and stories, songs, and movement activities in a positive and affirming environment. Black Storytime builds language and literacy skills your child needs to be ready for kindergarten. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

This will be a special night for all dance lovers!

Come at 8PM and get a Forró Dance class!

Josephina Del Norte: The Argentinian DJ, singer and multi-instrumentalist Josefina Del Norte will start the night playing a mix of Latin American Cumbia and Forró music from Brazil.

Forró Beleza: Led by Pyata Penedo, a Brazilian lead singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and owner of Figure 8 Sound Recording Studio, the band performs a variety of music from Northeastern Brazil known as forró.

Forró is a lively Brazilian music and partner-dance tradition rooted in Northeastern Brazil, where it developed through community gatherings centered around music, dancing, and social connection. Popularized nationally by legendary artists such as Luiz Gonzaga, its distinctive sound is traditionally created by the accordion, zabumba drum, and triangle, producing rhythms that feel both grounded and flowing.

The dance brings people together through a warm embrace, shared movement, playful turns, and a close connection to the music. Although it may remind newcomers of the intimacy of tango, the energy of salsa, or the grounded feeling of blues, forró has a joyful and welcoming character entirely its own.

More than simply a style of music or dance, forró is a celebration of Brazilian culture and community—and the best way to understand it is to come experience it for yourself!

Join us for an afternoon of drinks and conversation about ancient Rome. There are no set topics and no agenda; the discussion goes wherever the group takes

Join us at Migration Brewing for swing jazz and dancing.

****PLEASE NOTE**** This month’s jazz jam is on the 3rd Sunday of the month to avoid overlapping with Tracktown Throwdown happening in Eugene the second weekend of the month.

There is no cover for this event, but please purchase food and drink to show appreciation to the venue for hosting us.

No partner needed! All ages welcome!

The jazz jam is open to everyone and highlights swing-era jazz. If you're a musician and you'd like to participate, bring your instrument! We hire a house band and bring a piano, a small sound setup, and fake books.

For more information, click here.

Celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories while making space for community, furthering a historic tradition of queer bookstores, and serving as a third space for queer and trans people in the service of the liberatory power of community.

Sign-ups 6:30 p.m. Mic w/ feature 7:00 p.m. $5 suggested donation/ AF (Give As You're Able, Friends) Paypal: @queerpdxpressions Hosted by Given @givenqdaviswrites with a featured poet every month

As always, events are sober, sensory-friendly, and masks are required. Testing is highly encouraged prior to attending. (You can pick up a test from Always Here Bookstore for free)

Modern Old-Time Music for the Bluegrass and Folksong Jamboree

Children ages birth to 6 along with their families, elders, aunties and uncles are welcome for songs and stories celebrating Native cultures and building language and literacy skills. Presented by Native library staff. Attendance is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.