SPACE

Next Wednesday, May 27, we delight in welcoming longtime USM professor 𝙍𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡, who 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨 with musical accompaniment from 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙮/𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮/𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡, a bespoke improvisational trio of musicians 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙮, 𝙍𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮, and 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡. Join us for the next edition of this public forum from 6:30-7:30 pm.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨 is a new SPACE series where distinguished community members share and read selected news items, articles, nonfiction passages, reviews, or other material before a live audience, with musical or movement accompaniment. At a time when the news is both difficult to engage with and impossible to ignore, this program shifts the practice of media consumption from the private to the public.

𝙍𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 (aka Lorrayne) 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡 teaches and publishes in the areas of early American literature with a specialty in captivity narratives and indigenous studies. Her book, Rhetorical Drag: Gender Impersonation, Captivity, and the Writing of History was published by Kent State University Press. She is retired Associate Professor from the University of Southern Maine.

𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙮 is a musician and programmer from Portland, Maine. His work focuses on abstract synthesis and contemporary computer music. He runs the Traced Objects record label and co-organizes the series.

𝙍𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 is a graphic designer, audio engineer, photographer and musician in Portland, Maine. He plays in experimental rock band An Anderson, maintains a synthesis- and field recording-based solo practice, and also co-organizes the listening series.

𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 is an experimental musician and audio engineer based in Portland, Maine. He records and performs as Dinky Mirage, and hosts Diamonds In The Dust Bin as Frothy Cascade on

May 27 • Wed 6:30-7:30 pm
𝙍𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨 with //𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡
$5 advance and at the door

Stoked to report that Philadelphia-based psych/punk/alternative trio 𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙄𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙃𝙄𝙑𝙀 returns to SPACE for the first time in nearly a decade. The band is still cruisin' on their 2024 record 𝘠𝘖𝘜'𝘓𝘓 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘛𝘖 𝘓𝘖𝘚𝘌 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎, and understandably so (it rips). Tickets are on sale now at SPACE538.ORG.

For the past decade, 𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙄𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙃𝙄𝙑𝙀 have honed an aesthetic like no other. They’ve chopped up samples, chewed them up, spit them back out again, baby birded it. Across four albums and a smattering of EPs, Zack Schwartz, Corey Wichlin, and Rivka Ravede have fully solidified their stance as some of rock’s weirdest and best deconstructionists. 2018’s Hypnic Jerk was a study in noise punk sampledelia. It was a breakthrough for the band. Frank Ocean became a fan, spinning “fell asleep with a vision,” on Blonded Radio. 2021’s 𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘛𝘈𝘐𝘕𝘔𝘌𝘕𝘛, 𝘋𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏 was nasty dream pop by way of K-Mart realism and hitting the channel search setting on an old TV set.

Their last release, 2023’s 𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺, explored the breakup between Schwartz and Ravede, setting the stage and emotional territory for the band’s fifth record, 𝘠𝘖𝘜'𝘓𝘓 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘛𝘖 𝘓𝘖𝘚𝘌 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎. This latest offering is the most crystallized version of the band’s aesthetic, a continued meditation on the end of relationships and the unsteadiness that follows. It is a meticulous, beautiful, and quietly heartbreaking collection of songs. More often than not, it sounds like listening to a walkman from inside of a hurricane, like the YouTube videos you’d watch in bed for 18 hours straight after you break your wrist from a skateboarding accident.

July 22 • Wed 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$20 advance, $25 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

In 𝙀𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙘𝙟𝙖, screening Friday, May 22, a volcanic eruption strands Bethany (Charli XCX) and her soon-to-be fiancé, Rob (Will Madden) in Warsaw, Poland. In this romantic vacation gone awry, Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to ditch her baggage, reunite with childhood friend Nel (Lena Góra) and traipse across lofts, clubs and back alleys, all the while becoming entangled in an emotional web that challenges her sense of self.

We're psyched to screen this charming and delightful anti-romantic comedy about the pains and pleasures of being in love from American maverick Pete Ohs, who wrote, directed, edited, photographed, and produced.

May 22 • Fri 7 pm, doors at 6:30
𝙀𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙘𝙟𝙖 🎞
dir. Pete Ohs • 71 min.
$10, $7 for SPACE members

🎞 On Tuesday, May 19, we're screening 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙, the new film by acclaimed Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel. Called "the most disturbing true crime you'll see this year" (IndieWire) and "a powerful work of reclamation and advocacy for native peoples who have long been disenfranchised and dehumanized by systemic forces in colonial Argentina" (RogerEbert.com), 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙 (𝙉𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖) is a strongly recommended film by one of our favorite directors. Tickets at SPACE538.ORG.

In October 2009, Javier Chocobar, a member of the indigenous Chuchagasta community in northwest Argentina’s Tucumán Province, tried to defend himself and his people from being forcibly evicted from their land by a local landowner and two former police officers.

As a result, the 68-year-old Chocobar was shot and killed, and two other community members were wounded. In her expansive and enlightening first feature documentary, Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel (𝘡𝘢𝘮𝘢, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯) takes a sweeping approach to this tragic true story, triangulating the murder trial of the three men, the lives of Chocobar and his fellow Chuchagasta people, and the centuries-old, colonialist legacy of land and property theft across Latin America.

With a ravishing, at times vertiginous visual approach to filming the natural beauty of the contested land, Martel pays cinematic tribute to people whom others systematically tried to erase from history.

May 19 • Tue 7 pm
𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙 (𝙉𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖) 🎞
dir. Lucrecia Martel • 122 min. • In Spanish with English subtitles
$10, $7 for SPACE members

Just announced...𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙜 returns to SPACE! Celebrating his 84th birthday in July, the legend of country soul and R&B returns with a brand new album, 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

SPACE members, check your inboxes shortly for news on an exclusive pre-sale. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 4 at 10 am.

From producing classic soul for Atlantic Records to iconic album covers, from making Richard Nixon’s “enemies list” to kickstarting Dr. Dre’s career, from Muscle Shoals to collaborations with John Prine and Bon Iver, “the original D-O double G” might be the most interesting man in the history of American music.

Released on Juneteenth, 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 is Swamp Dogg’s 27th album. Featuring guest collaborations with Jenny Lewis, it's the latest in a seven-decade career that’s long outgrown any single definition. Born Jerry Williams Jr., he’s continued to work with a restlessness that resists nostalgia or winding down, instead pushing into new conceptual territory.

𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 will be pressed on gold vinyl, prompting 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙢𝙥 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙜 to say, “I’ll finally have a gold album.” In truth, while Swamp Dogg has never received a gold disc as an artist, he’s been awarded gold records for recordings by other artists in which he either produced, wrote or was the source of samples, including Gene Pitney, Johnny Paycheck, Tracy Byrd, Freddie North, Z.Z. Hill, DMX, and MC Breed.

June 20 • Sat 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$40 advance, $50 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

On May 23, American roots music meets jazz improvisation as 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙊𝙡𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 play a SPACE show that’ll be recorded for an upcoming live record! Tickets on sale now at SPACE538.ORG!

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙊𝙡𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 is a Brooklyn collective reimagining American roots music — fiddle tunes, country songs, spirituals, and blues — through modern jazz improvisation. Think Ornette Coleman playing Robert Johnson and the Carter Family: two saxophones (doubling on banjo and pump organ), bass, and drums. Earthy and energetic.

The band features Petr Cancura on saxophone and mandolin, Jeremy Udden on saxophone and organ, Aryeh Kobrinsky on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums.

May 23 • Sat 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$20 advance, $25 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members
Co-presented by ’s Dimensions in Jazz

Support added for 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙛𝙨 3’s on May 7: the Western Mass band 𝙑𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩. The Western Mass noise rock band joins in support of the legendary group fronted by Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle, Faith No More), returning to SPACE for the first time since 2011. Tickets are available at SPACE538.ORG.

Cut from the still-living body of Western Mass noise rock fixtures Made Manifest, 𝙑𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩 combines the improvisational ethos of that band with tightly arranged songwriting and an ever expanding set of influences. Lyrically the band has predicted every major geopolitical event of the year…

May 7 • Thu 8 pm, doors at 7:30
with .wav
$30 advance, $35 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

Screening May 13, 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 explores the films, archive, and ongoing cultural impact of experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, revealing her ingenious lifelong artistic effort to create and record le***an histories, personal and societal. Tickets available at SPACE538.ORG.

Through her own images and words, the film centers Hammer as a prism of the cultural ecosystems around her—through the feminist and q***r movements in 1970s San Francisco, the male-dominated New York art world of the 1980s, the New Q***r Cinema movement of the 1990s, and expanded LGBTQIA+ representation in art and culture in the 2000s.

Driven by her canon of over 80 films, a vast collection of unreleased archival materials—hundreds of hours of footage, personal photographs and ephemera, and extensive audio interviews—𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 tells Barbara Hammer’s story through her own voice and visual perspective, making her the expert on her life, vision, and motivations. This exploration of both Barbara Hammer’s life, work, archive, and her ongoing legacy provides an urgent, necessary story of q***r life, feminist history, and American cinema.

𝘐𝘧 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. – Barbara Hammer

May 13 • Wed 7 pm, doors at 6:30
𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 🎞️
dir. Brydie O’Connor
$10, $7 for SPACE members

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨, the solo project of Los Angeles-based alt-pop songwriter Lexi Vega, comes through SPACE in September to conclude a broad U.S. tour anchored to the acclaimed album 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘐𝘵 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯. Tickets on sale to SPACE Members on Thursday, April 30, at 10 am and Friday to the general public.

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨’ intimate blend of indie and alt pop explores the tension between self-doubt and persistence. Her recent album 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘐𝘵 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯 unravels cycles of disappointment and growth, emotional loops that echo in both personal relationships and her journey through the music industry.

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨‘ 2025 headline tour saw sellout shows across the US including L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, DC, NYC, Boston, and more. In the past, she has supported Julien Baker, Death Cab For Cutie, Yumi Zouma, Hovvdy, Jay Som, and others.

September 22 • Tue 8 pm, doors at 7:30

$18 advance, $22 day of show • $2 off for SPACE members

📣 Sharing out this call to action from artists and fellow venues with .music.alliance about the Portland City Council vote on Monday, April 27. It’s another big one, voting on a proposal to increase the buffer zone between large entertainment venues to 750 feet.

Visit .music.alliance for more info about this major civic issue affecting Portland life! Plenty of available material about the parties involved, their track records, and their motivations.