Happy Wicked week to all who celebrate! Despite the sad news that Lollipop Shoppe will be closing its doors around Thanksgiving this year, a closure which Mercury music editor Nolan Parker covered last week, Portland's music scene still has much to, ahem, be thankful for. Later on in the season, there's some light and fun excuses to get out of the house, like Cool Nutz' two-night hip-hop showcase at Alberta Street Pub, hosted and headlined by Portland rapper and radio personality Cool Nutz. There are at least two new releases from Portland-based musicians to check out as well. Let's get into it!
Upcoming local event(s) featuring local artist(s).
Good news for Portland hip-hop fans in search of a couple nights out on the town this winter: On December 12 and 13, veteran Portland emcee Cool Nutz is putting on two nights of his namesake holiday showcase -- Festivale Cool Nutz -- with a rap-heavy lineup of locals closely resembling last year's bill. In addition to Cool Nutz himself, night one lists Mikey Vegaz, Maniac Lok, and Northside Tego will be playing, while night two will see Vary, DBOI Ltd, King Wess, Bobby Barrz, along with DJ Danny Merkury, and DJ Fatboy. There will also be a "Fashion Village," including pieces from Bryan Walden's local streetwear brand Black Mannequin, sneakers and gear from Stackin Kickz (usually located inside Lloyd Center), and merch from Profit + Loss Lifestyle (TrapKitchen's brand curated by Mikey Vegaz), and Jus Family PDX, AKA the lifestyle and apparel brand of Cool Nutz' hip-hop label Jus Family Records. (Alberta Street Pub, Fri Dec 12 & Sat Dec 13, 9 pm, more info here, 21+)
Portland-based musician and film editor Steven Golliday -- who originates from Los Angeles, and who was also a longtime NYC resident -- released a single from his forthcoming full-length. Written and produced by Steven Golliday for SGEXP Music, "Depends Whom You Ask" was released November 12, and features a slew of guest musicians including drummer Matt Mayhall, keyboardist Todd Marston, guitar by Alex Callenberger, trombone by Chris Shuttleworth, and saxophone by Dustin Laurenzi. If the single is any indication, the album will be packed with super chill instrumentals that make ideal background tunes for computer work, chores, or even funky elevator music -- fusing genres like R&B, funk, jazz, post-rock, and psych soul.
Portland-based folk-pop sister band Joseph recently dropped a new single, "Closer to Me," from their forthcoming album Closer To Happy, due out January 30. The song is inspired by one of the sisters (Meegan Closner) and her experience with chronic pain, and the turbulent emotions that often come to those who experience it. In the single's press release, Meegan gives background for her songwriting: "I wanted to write a song that would help me wake up on mornings where my body is experiencing pain and shift my mindset towards loving and nurturing myself and move it away from self-hatred and shaming myself for not having answers for why my body feels the way that it does." The project will mark their first full-length since the Closner sisters -- twins Meegan and Allison, and Natalie -- announced via a teary-eyed Instagram video about the departure of co-founding member Allison to "pursue other dreams." In the video, Allison teases that she heard a sneak peak of the album and thought it may even be the best Joseph album yet. The now duo also announced a 2026 tour run that will take them to 25 cities across the US, including a hometown show at Revolution Hall on March 4. (Revolution Hall, Wed Mar 4, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)