Philip Levine is one of the most accomplished poets of all time, but you can’t hear him read in Vancouver this month.
However, you can hear Neil Aitken, a poet who has won the distinguished Philip Levine Prize, speak at Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic, which begins at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at Angst Gallery, 1015 Main St., Vancouver; free admission. Aitken, a native of the other Vancouver (British Columbia), is the author of “Babbage’s Dream” (2017) and “The Lost Country of Sight” (2008), which won the Levine Prize. Open mic sign-up begins at 6:30 p.m. and closes at 7 p.m. 360-253-1742 or printedmattervancouver.com
This group of youngsters will give you faith in millennials. The Metropolitan Youth Symphony will perform “Jamming with PROJECT Trio” from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway, Portland; $20 to $35. PROJECT Trio is a high-energy chamber music ensemble consisting of three Brooklyn, N.Y.-based performers, who blend classical training with eclectic musical styles. 503-239-4566 or playmys.org
Even in the big ol’ city of Portland, it can still get a little folksy. The inaugural Portland Folk Festival will feature some of the best folk and Americana acts on the West Coast such as Portland-based Those Willows, Worth, Pretty Gritty, Hammerhead, Papa Bear and the Easy Love, Haley Johnsen, Onward Etc. of Bend, Ore., and Fox and Bones. The festival starts at 4 p.m. Jan. 20 at the White Eagle Saloon, 836 N. Russell St., Portland; $15 to $20, 21 and older. 503-282-6810 or www.mcmenamins.com/events/175952-portlands-folk-festival
