Unusual, quirky, offbeat events happening Feb 7-12 in Seattle.
by Stranger Things To Do Staff
Our arts critics have already recommended 54 great things to do this week, our music critics have picked the 25 best concerts, and we've compiled all of the Black History Month, resistance, and Valentine's events happening this week—but there are still many more events happening you might not yet know about. To prevent some of the quirkier and more extraordinary ones from slipping through the cracks, we've compiled them here, ranging from Laser Dome shows (the premiere of Laser Beyoncé and the Bravo! Laser Opera) to The Naked Show, and from a Bushwick Book Club performance of Americanah-inspired music to the Seattle Shakesbeerience's season announcement party. For even more options this week, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
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Jump to: Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
TUESDAY
1. Dead West DVD Signing
Join the cast and crew of Dead West, a crime thriller about an outlaw on a cross-country gynocidal spree and his pursuer, for a launch party and DVD signing.
2. From Stonewall to Pulse: The Intersections of Race, Sexuality, and Religion
Feminist speaker and syndicated columnist Irene Monroe will lecture on religion and how it shapes anti-LGBTQ discrimination in minority cultures. (Monroe, an ordained African American minister herself, stresses that she does not think Christianity is inherently discriminatory.)
3. Future Machine Conversations: "Idea" with Electric Coffin and Jennifer-Navva Milliken
Bellevue Arts Museum will open the exhibit Electric Coffin: Future Machine, a seven-month morphing installation that imagines the future and its technology. Meet the artists of the Electric Coffin collective—Patrick “Duffy” De Armas, Justin Kane Elder, and Stefan Hofmann—and curator Jennifer Millikan in a conversation led by Dave Rosencrans.
4. Havana Hustle Daiquiri-Off
Sample the artistry of Seattle bartenders who will compete head-to-head in a frenzied battle to pour the most daiquiris in a set time. Your entry fee gets you a daiquiri and benefits the Carlos Acosta Foundation, whose mission is to rebuild the National Dance Center in Cuba.
5. The Mammoth #9
"Everyone gets stage time" at this long-form improv jam. Novices and hardened stage veterans are welcome to say "Yes, and..." to each other. Learn and practice this far-from-prehistoric art form.
6. Mark Rozema and Ana Maria Spagna
At this event, hear from three-time Washington State Book award finalist Ana Maria Spagna (Reclaimers) and 2015 Washington State Book Award winner in Biography/Memoir Mark Rozema (Road Trip).
7. Salon of Shame
Writing that makes you cringe ("middle school diaries, high school poetry, unsent letters") is displayed with unapologetic hilarity at this Salon of Shame.
8. Venus
In Susan McNally's play, a man who falls in love with Venus will discover the nature of love—" a deadly trap, or an opportunity for a new life." Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth will direct this Parley production.
TUESDAY-SATURDAY
9. Through the Plot Hole
This meta fairy tale play follows Elana, a princess who becomes aware of her status as a character and feels the urge to escape—and maybe she will, with the help of the mysterious Cat. They bill it as "a combination of Inception and Who Framed Roger Rabbit."
There will be no performance on Wednesday.
TUESDAY-SUNDAY
10. As You Like It
You've heard that "all the world's a stage," and that's from Shakespeare's beloved As You Like It: a deeply funny play that says a lot about the foolishness of love. This production, directed by Jeffrey Fracé, is set in America in the 1950s.
There will be no performance on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY
11. DIY Venue Harm Reduction: Community Discussion
The horror of Oakland's Ghost Ship fire has prompted DIY venue leaders to examine what they can do to prevent future tragedies. Join S. Surface and other advocates for a talk on "fire safety and building codes, medical emergencies, race/class/gender, violent aggressors, consent, disability and accessibility, and more."
12. Donald T. Phillips: Lincoln on Leadership For Today
What would Lincoln do in these times? To find out, start with this talk by scholar Donald T. Phillips, who's spent his life studying Lincoln's life and administration. Phillips will explain Lincoln's views on crucial issues that challenge us today, like "race relations, terrorism, economic gap, gun control," and others.
13. Federal Taxes for Artists with Neil Sussman
Doing taxes sucks, especially when you're self-employed—as an artist, for example. Neil Sussman will tell you what you need to know for your 2016 tax return, covering deductions, forms, record-keeping, and how to forestall the dreaded audit.
14. Ghost in the Shell: English Dub
The Guild will screen Mamoru Ishii's techie-paranoid anime classic (not to be confused with the controversially-cast Hollywood film coming out soon), a story of a cybernetic agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, battling a computer virus that enslaves human brains. Follow the heroic Major on her quest to expose the Puppet Master.
15. I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel
Two men—writer Caleb Powell and writer/UW professor David Shields—star in a documentary that seems designed to drive them both crazy: they put their already-contentious friendship to the test by spending four days in an isolated cabin with the poor film director (one James Franco) for company. Will they discover true friendship, or will they punch each other in the face? Powell will attend the February 8 screening; Shields will attend a safe seven days after.
16. Jason Goad, Brent Flyberg, D.J. Martinez, Natalie Holt, Matt Valdespino
Laugh with (and at) a comic who makes "frank jokes about terrible things." Goad has performed with the likes of Neil Hamburger and Tom Rhodes, and he's previously been seen at Bumbershoot and the Redwood Comedy Festival.
17. Len Vlahos and Leah Thomas
Two authors will read from their latest books: Len Vlahos's Life in a Fishbowl recounts the tribulations of a paterfamilias diagnosed with brain cancer who signs his family up to appear on a reality show. The book explores many different perspectives, including that of the tumor itself. In Nowhere Near You, Leah Thomas explores the friendship of two "mutant boys" who can echolocate.
18. Pundamonium: The Seattle Pun Slam
Puns are the highest and lowest form of humor: They somehow refresh the materiality of language, reminding you that a word is a figure, a thing that can be looked at from several different angles. So whoever wins the pun competition Pundamonium, hosted by Forest E.I. Ember, will likely be one of Seattle’s great crafters of language, both in a Renaissance fair kind of way but also in a literary genius kind of way. The contestants will be chosen from the audience on a first-come, first-served basis, so the title could go to anyone. RICH SMITH
19. State of the Hill 2017
The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce will celebrate another year with a speech by its executive director, Sierra Hansen, over food by Barrio, Homegrown, Oddfellows, Other Coast Cafe, Cafe Pettirosso, Tallulah's, Tango, Via Tribunali, ad the Wandering Goose, plus drinks by Rachel's Ginger Beer and beer and wine. Win prizes and cheer for the recipient of the Spirit Award. Each ticket includes two drinks.
20. Terrapin Flyer with Melvin Seals and Andy Coe
Grateful Dead inspired group Terrapin Flyer has been jamming extensively for going on 16 years now, and are considered one of the premier Grateful Dead homage touring acts in the nation. They'll be joined by Melvin Seals and local Deadhead extraordinaire Andy Coe.
21. Wasted Words
Experience the wonder of a truly dedicated Seattle-based Allman Brothers tribute band, Wasted Words. They'll be playing a career-spanning buffet of Allman Brothers classic astride a complex blend of styles, covering everything from the Bobby Blue Bland to Miles Davis and anything in between.
THURSDAY
22. Butterflies of Death, The One Legged Bandit, Van Brown, Medusa's Maidens
"Doomgrass" outfit Butterflies of Death headline the Funhouse, with bill support from The One Legged Bandit, Van Brown, and Medusa's Maidens.
23. The Central Comedy Show
This month's stand-up showcase will feature local treasures Liz Donahue, Genevieve Ferrari, Bo Johnson, and Sam Miller alongside headliner Kermet Apio. Hosted by Isaac Novak at the wonderful Central Cinema theater.
24. Certain Vibes: GLENN, Quincy James, Ramos, Cameron, Baloogz
Share some hazy wintery vibes with a night of atmospheric beats and warmed up hiphop remixes in this curated monthly night from Fish Tank Friends with sets by GLENN, Quincy James, Ramos, Cameron, and Baloogz.
25. Charles R. Wolfe: Seeing the Better City
In this age of renewed activism, writer/photographer Charles R. Wolfe's Seeing the Better City advises urban residents on how to improve their cities by democratizing planning and land use, for example by "cataloguing neighborhood dynamics like land use and traffic patterns" with your phone and keeping an "urban diary." Hear the author at Town Hall.
26. CICAP Artist Talk—Cameron Rowland
Philadelphia-born artist Cameron Rowland, whose internationally exhibited works interrogate "legal and economic structures that enforce contemporary life," will offer his insights at this free Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice lecture.
27. Creation Station
Quite simply, this is a shared space for creative people to work on projects in a convivial atmosphere. Use Mokedo's tables, easel, and wall space for projector-based art. For $10, participate in a group art piece and paint something on the theme "Anew" (supplies provided). Mokedo will provide tea, hot cocoa, and apple cider.
28. Different Strokes '00s Rock Night Debut
New DJ night in town Different Strokes hits Central Saloon in a flurry of hits and obscurities of the early '00s, served up by DJs Charlie's Alien and Michael Gill. Enjoy a night of NY rock, dance-punk, NW indie, Midwest emo, Chicago post-rock, and much, much more.
29. An Evening with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, activist and author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, will speak on colonialism and history at this talk and signing brought to you by Seattle University's Indigenous Peoples Institute.
30. Omni Danse!
Immerse yourself in an evening of extrasensory elation courtesy of DJs Caravaggio's Lover and Najiska, here to play you all the best in early synth, new beat, and international disco from Japan, France, Germany, Pakistan, and more. Local queen Betty Wetter will make an appearance for the sake of fun performance drag set to many synths.
31. Seattle Loop Collective Presents: A Live Looper Showcase
Seattle Loop Collective has organized a night of loop-based music, with live performances by Emily McVicker, Carl Marti Germain, The Sean Fear Novelty Act, Timothy Scallon, and Lexhart.
32. Shakesbeerience 2017 Season Announcement
The Shakesbeerience drunken Shakespeare festival ("script in one hand, drink in the other") will host a party to announce its three new plays. Come for a drinking game, a "pick the cast at random" scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a mysterious "special treat." Put a sway in your iambic pentameter.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY
33. Britain's Baking Challenge
During this improvised comedy show, the actors (portraying reality show contestants on the very popular Great British Baking Show) will bake real confections live on stage, which will then be evaluated by the "judges."
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
34. Bert Kreischer
Party boy Kreischer, the inspiration for National Lampoon's Van Wilder, has gone on to host a travel show, Bert the Conqueror. See him in person at the Parlor.
35. QWERTYUIOP
In this silly show, author Jack loses control over the characters that populate his adventure series. What do you do when imaginary people prove to be as strong-willed as you are? The producers promise "Stage combat! Silly accents! Characters running amok! And, a catsuit."
36. Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine
Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine sounds a bit like Dante's Inferno—but with a fairy-tale spin and plenty of puppets. Mary must endure nine horrible nightmares to save her soul. Written by Amy Escobar and directed by Eddie DeHais.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
37. The Naked Show
Totes naked babes will perform "art and smut" in this brazen yet philosophical revue, baring the talents of Bearenstoned Bears, Bella Bijoux, Briq House, Chesty LaRue, Eddie Van Glam, Emperor Fabulous, and many more. Hosted by Elsa Von Schmaltz and featuring Lola Frost. For ages 21 and up; sorry, kids.
FRIDAY
38. American Visionaries: Immigration. Innovation & Freedom
What does a country lose when it stops accepting immigrants? A roster of prominent immigrant speakers will give you some idea by sharing personal stories of their work in society. They include Luis Ortega of Storytellers for Change, public servant MyTam Nguyen, Yurij Rudensky of Columbia Legal Services, Ardo Hersi of RadioActive Youth Media, Rekha Kuver at the Seattle Public Library, Scott Kurashige of the University of Washington, Nataly Morales from the office of Senator Patty Murray, youth organizer Andrea Lopez-Diaz, and Shankar Narayan, the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Director.
39. Bravo! Laser Opera
Seattle Opera takes over the Pacific Science Center Laser Dome for one night only in a TRON-esque preview of the upcoming season. This annual BRAVO! tradition features a live laser show choreographed by Pacific Science Center Laser Dome resident artists to a soundtrack of operatic favorites, with track-by-track commentary from Seattle Opera staff. BYOPillows and blankets if you really want to enter that extra comfort zone.
40. Bushwick Book Club: Original Music Inspired by Americanah
Performers including JR Rhodes, Goodsteph, Nottingham/Wicks, and Shontina Vernon will perform music based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah, a book about which, in August 2013, Paul Constant wrote, "This isn't the kind of book that Barnes & Noble's marketing staff would sell as a 'summer read.' But I can't imagine a more perfect book for this summer, when George Zimmerman walked free and in so doing revealed all the maggoty harm hiding just beneath the surface of America."
41. Craft Cocktail Class
You'll be taught how to concoct beautiful and elegant drinks with the Field Trip Society and Oola's founder, Kirby Kallas-Lewis. Start with a tour of the distillery, end with a new repertoire of unique cocktails.
42. The Fellowship of Convenience
Hapless comedians will play live, goofy D&D before your eyes. Dungeon master Daniel Isherwood (Improlympia) will guide your heroes (Nam L. Huynh, Jason Goad, Daniel Gray) through the perilous First Edition Island as you drink and DJ Andy Miller spins. Move along to Murphy's Pub afterwards for a post-adventure party.
43. Full Moon Run
Run six miles in the dark like the moonchild athlete you are, with good company from SEA in the DARK. Information on the route will be sent when you sign up, but it seems like there may be a beach on the way.
44. The Icarus Kids, Kirby Krackle, Harder Than Contra
The Icarus Kids went from a group making "Seattle's favorite video game remixes" to a transformed live rock act that doubles as a light show dance party. They'll be joined by local favorite nerd rocker Kirby Krackle and Harder Than Contra.
45. The Led Zeppelin Experience
Previously known as No Quarter, The Led Zeppelin Experience has been ascending the proverbial stairway to heaven for 15 years, further expanding their attempt at authentically reproducing the live Led Zeppelin show experience for a new generation of rock lovers.
46. Nancy Jo Sales: American Girls Gone Wild
Nancy Jo Sales of Vanity Fair spoke to over 200 girls to research social media and its effects on today's maturing young women. Her findings, which she will present in American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers, are not wholly uplifting: she witnessed "ever-more-extreme social and sexual norms" and "a self-undermining notion of feminist empowerment." Hear more in this exposé of online culture.
47. Seattle Playwrights Salon: Not Around Gordie
Jorj Savage's Not Around Gordie, written in 1961, dramatizes the generational clash between a couple of Santa Monica teenagers and their father, a businessman hoping to take advantage of the influx of new residents. Come for a historical glimpse into the trends that have shaped Southern California.
48. Sound Off! Semifinals #1
For the 16th year, the EMP's Sound Off! pits local, under-21 bands against each other in this concert series that rewards the first-place winner with a performance slot at Bumbershoot. The semifinals will feature the winning band from each of the previous weeks' competitions, including Mission 253, Cult Bride, Fluencie, and Jason McCue.
49. Spilled Milk & And Eat It Too! LIVE
Matthew Amster-Burton and Molly Wizenberg will live-tape their comedy podcast Spilled Milk, in which they start talking about a food topic and end up.... who knows where. begin with a food related topic and run with it as far as they can go. Molly Gilbert and Sarah Barthelow, co-hosts of the podcast And Eat it Too!, will also provide a special opening performance.
50. STA: The Sounds of Trance with Alex M.O.R.P.H.
Seattle Trance Alliance will be celebrating their one year anniversary as an organization of trance music supporters, and they've invited Alex M.O.R.P.H., already on his Not All Superheroes Wear Capes tour, to play a live set of global dance music to mark the occasion. If you really want to go all out, come dressed as your favorite cosplay character.
51. Your Cousins Fall in Love
Sketch comedians will make fun of love. Join them for
a co-performance with Crackfics Live! (reading terrible fanfic from the internet).
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
52. Laser Beyoncé Premiere
Lay back and see the rainbow lasers dance to the blasting music of our Queen at "largest and longest operating domed Laser Theater anywhere in the world."
53. Pinspiration Market
This Pinterest-inspired fair will let you shop fun stuff from vendors organized by Linda Albers of the Funky Junk Sisters.
SATURDAY
54. The Art of Rube Goldberg: Opening Day Celebration
Celebrate the opening of MoPOP's The Art of Rube Goldberg exhibit with talks, Q&As, design challenges, film screenings, and all-ages activities.
55. Artifact ID Day
Antiques Roadshow for artifacts! But instead of giving appraisals, they'll explain the cultural and evolutionary significance of your item. They can help identify "Native American, Asia and Pacific Islands cultural objects, artifacts, rocks, feathers, shells and fossils."
56. Batsheva Dance Company: Last Work by Ohad Naharin
The Batsheva Dance Company (a world renowned dance company based in Tel Aviv) presents Last Work by Ohad Naharin, which is a piece that incorporates a treadmill and was described by critic Jordan Beth Vincent as "a meditation on futility."
57. Comics in Print Workshop with Elk Paauw
Learn more about printing artwork and comics from Push/Pull member Elk Paauw, who works in the printing industry. The workshop will cover set-up, inkjet archival printing, offset printing, and risography.
58. Cosmic Quest
In Pocket Theater's interactive show, a smooth ride on an experimental spacecraft will turn into a challenging quest to right your ship and explore the universe with your fellow "cadets" from space academy.
59. H I G H L I G H T E R // P A R T 2
Discover works by artists from historically underrepresented backgrounds at the pop-up H I G H L I G H T E R art show, curated by Rachel Robillard and Kristine Helgager. This event will raise money for DIY event spaces as part of Seattle DIY month, and will also benefit sex worker support organizations.
60. Human Ottoman
Portland, OR's favorite up-tempo experimental cello-drums-guitar trio will visit Seattle for a night of "groove and outer space."
61. Jamal Elias
Jamal Elias, professor in the Humanities, Religious Studies, and South Asia Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Aisha's Cushion: Religious Art, Perception, and Practice in Islam, will lecture on "Images and Emotion: Society and Art Practices in the Islamic World" as part of a series on Islam in Asia.
62. Magic by Alaka-Sam!
Alaka-Sam will welcome volunteers to the stage to help him make magic, and will "craft you a thank-you balloon sculpture that you get to keep!" See classic magic acts like transformations, mind-reading, perversions of physics, and harmless decapitation.
63. New Year Celebration: Guam
This Lunar New Year celebration by Tacoma's Asia Pacific Cultural Center promises 70 booths for food, arts, shopping, cultural demos, and more. The theme of this year is the vibrant Pacific Island territory of Guam.
64. Queer Prom & AzuQar Latinx Dance Night
Seattle Dyke March brings you a night of dance (and Sizzle Pie pizza and cupcakes and goody bags) for all genders and orientations. Take your honey to a Winter Wonderland prom at 7 p.m.; at ten, AzuQar! DJs Cristina Ortiz and Julie Herrera will take over and spin Latin tunes.
65. Seattle Ignited Women Project
How do people understand success as a woman, and how can we reshape these perceptions? Join activist Erin Brown, soccer athlete Lori Lindsey, and ESPN anchor Dianna Russini for this talk on careers and solidarity. Some food provided.
66. Show Your Love For Folklife
Show your support for Seattle's favorite hippie fest with this benefit show for Northwest Folklife, with local musicians like Xolie Morra & The Strange Kind, Katie Kuffel, Smith & Whitaker with Jones, and Sleeping Lessons gathering in support of our arts community.
67. Svet the Violinist
Electro-hiphop violinist Svet moves from America's Got Talent to the Hard Rock stage.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
68. Ailey II
Watch the young dancers of Ailey II (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's youth corps) perform daring and varied works from the classic Ailey repertoire, as well as pieces from rising choreographers.
69. Anansi the Spider
Paul Mesner's puppets will act out four African/Caribbean myths around Anansi the Spider, the lovable trickster: "How the Stories Came to the World," "Tiger Becomes a Riding Horse," "The Magic of Five," and "Dinner for Two."
SUNDAY
70. Byron Schenkman & Friends: Russians & Jews
Renowned harpsichordist and Klezmer music scholar Byron Schenkman helms the piano for a session of music by composers associated with the Russian Society for Jewish Folk Music, as well as Glinka and Prokofiev.
71. Mixed Media: Women in the Arts
Liz Donahue will host an interdisciplinary show highlighting women's musical and comedic talent. Catch comedy by Erin Ingle, Mary Lou Gamba, and Unexpected Productions cast as well as music by Audra Tapia.
72. Noisy Kids
Take your children (or just yourself) for an afternoon of electrosonic experimentation on "kid friendly modulars, minimoogs and more." Jonathon Womack will do a light show to complement your little Eno's stylings. Snacks provided.
73. Open Space Edition 13
A brief evening interlude of laying on the floor to contemplative music by candlelight, thanks to the dulcet tones of different local musicians each month. This month will bring us the explorations of experimental pianist Aura Ruddell. BYOCushionsPillows&Blankets, doors are at 8pm, and be sure to silence your phones, shut your mouths, and take off those loud shoes you're always wearing.
74. Raisins in a Glass of Milk
The Raisins ensemble will present scenes and monologues in a one-act play about being actors of color. Their goal: "[T]o show that People of Color should finally be seen as a standard, essential part of storytelling as opposed to stereotypes, controversies, and out-of-date statements."
75. Seattle Bike Swap
Rendez-vous with the Cascade Bicycle Club and other velocipede enthusiasts for a "huge garage sale." Proceeds benefit the Major Taylor Project for youth bicycling. $25 gets you in an hour earlier than everyone else.
76. Seattle Obscura Society: Seattle Earthship—Trash Studio Tour
Earthships, as the Obscura Society explains, aspire to be "entirely self-sustaining, independent, inhabitable structures." What does that look like? Find out at Trash Studio, an Earthship based in a Columbia City driveway built from recycled materials and designed to harvest water and naturally maintain its temperature. Florian Becquereau, founder of Earthship Seattle, will give a history of the movement, which originated in New Mexico in the 1970s.
77. Shriek! A Women of Horror Film Class
The Shriek! series is dedicated to critically thinking about women in horror films. For this edition, watch and discuss the Joss Whedon-produced wicked deconstruction of teen slashers, The Cabin in the Woods (2012).
78. Small Lion
A participatory one-woman show about privilege and "the nature of passion." Stay for a Q&A afterwards to give feedback and help the performer shape the play.
79. Velocity Movement Jam x The Antenna Project
Chris Hydinger of the Antenna Project will live-score improvised moves by dancers of all levels of experience. Join them for "contact improv glory" and help them create an ephemeral group performance. Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.