Slabtown’s not the only kid in town with a birthday. Portland’s best-situated club turns eight years old, and to celebrate, they’ve packed the weekend up with a solid lineup of shows. Here’s what’s in store:

Tonight’s show features:
- The Nice Boys, who ape ’70s pop music that was aping ’50s pop music
- The Family Gun
- The Rebel Drones, Matt Hollywood’s new band
- and, uh, this guy.

However, the real excitement comes from Saturday night’s line-up, which includes:
- Portland’s beloved Richmond Fontaine
- and the great John Doe (formerly of X).

And it doesn’t end there. Sunday night will see a show by Alaska’s Whipsaws, who seem to have a bit of a Neil Young fetish. Not only do they cover “Mr. Soul,” but they also have a song called “Ode to Shakey” – Shakey being a well-known nickname for the illustrious Mr. Young. Listen to ‘em here.

And here are some MP3s to whet your appetite for the weekend.

MP3:
John Doe with Kathleen Edwards - The Golden State
The Nice Boys - Johnny Guitar
Richmond Fontaine - Making It Back (live at the Doug Fir)