[BRASSY, SASSY CIRCUS FUNK] Portland's MarchFourth Marching Band, the go-to brass ensemble for block parties, political rallies and food co-op grand openings, has its schtick down to a science. With a live show that's a cross between a New Orleans funeral procession and a low-budget Cirque du Soleil knockoff—the collective features stilt-walkers, dancers and plenty of hair dye—the group is as much about spectacle as it is about big, brassy party jams. You haven't really experienced the whole Keep Portland Weird scene until you've been caught in the middle of a M4 performance in the middle of downtown. It's hard not to appreciate the fine musicianship that keeps MarchFourth more than just a curiosity. On new album Magnificent Beast, the squad delivers all the organic/explosive live energy that fans of M4's carnivalesque live shows could ask for, even if the exceedingly obnoxious ska-rap number "Soldiers of the Mind" nearly spoils it early on.

Where: Star Theater
Address: 13 NW 6th Ave.