Carrie Brownstein will be in Seattle on November 6 to talk about her new memoir. Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock
This November, big names like David Sedaris, Carrie Brownstein, and Chance the Rapper are coming to town, and many of them are already close to sold out. Here are 23 events happening next month (which is not as far away as you think it is!) that you should buy tickets for, stat.
READINGS & TALKS
National Geographic Live: Measuring a Mighty Wilderness
National Geographic explorers Steve Boyes and Jer Thorp, who led an expedition across the Botswana's Okavango Delta, will tell behind-the-scenes stories of their experiences on the expedition. (Nov 1, $20-$40)
Carrie Brownstein
Carrie Brownstein, of Portlandia and Sleater-Kinney fame, has a new book out: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. She'll talk about it with 2015 Stranger Genius nominee in literature Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (Nov 6, $43.50)
Gloria Steinem in Conversation with Cheryl Strayed
Writer, activist, and Ms. magazine founder Gloria Steinem just released her first book in 20 years, My Life on the Road. She will discuss it with author Cheryl Strayed, who is also celebrating the release of her new book of quotations, titled Brave Enough. (Nov 8, $15-$60)
David Sedaris
The witty, self-depricating, hilariously judgmental David Sedaris is visiting Seattle and speaking at The Washington Center and Benaroya Hall. Drawing from both his old and recent works, Sedaris will treat us to a reading. (Nov 11 & 15, $65-$296)
Jonathan Lethem & David Shields
MacArthur fellow Jonathan Lethem, author of classics like Motherless Brooklyn and Fortress of Solitude, will read from and discuss his current (unreleased) project that deals with surgery, the body and mortality. He is joined in conversation by David Shields, Seattleite and author of bestselling works like Reality Hunger and The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead. (Nov 13, $5)
Anthony Doerr
Doerr's most recent novel, All the Light We Cannot See, won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. (Nov 18, $20)
Hugo Literary Series: Leslie Jamison, Roger Reeves, Alexis M. Smith, and Yves
This iteration of the Hugo Literary Series features a bunch of youthful writers whose books have seen heaps of critical praise. They'll all present new works based on the cliche, "Beggars can't be choosers." (Nov 29, $25)
MUSIC
Mad Krew 20th Anniversary
Rap legend Kurtis Blow helps kick off "hiphop history month" with local legends Abyssinian Creole and a whole raft of other rappers. (Nov 1, $10)
Lemolo
Meagan Grandall's dream pop project Lemolo are finally back with a new album, celebrated tonight at the Crocodile. (Nov 6, $15/$17)
Chance the Rapper
Mega-talented Chicago sensation Chance the Rapper comes to Seattle on his Family Matters tour. (Nov 19, $40.75/$46.25)
A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Danny Brown and Vince Staples
Four omnivorously talented, exquisite practitioners of rhyme, melody and groove take the stage at WaMu Theater. (Nov 11, $49.50)
'Mo-Wave Music & Arts Festival
Queer music and arts festival 'Mo-Wave returns for its third year with a three-day spree of goodness at Chop Suey and Vermillion. Featured artists this year include rapper Le1f, Seth from Hunx & His Punx, lounge-hop artist Destiny, Dai Burger, and more. (Nov 13-14, $15-$36)
Ride
Shoegaze pioneers Ride return to Seattle, with their beatific guitar whorls intact. (Nov 16, $35)
THEATER
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play
About ACT Theatre's post-apocalyptic, Simpsons-inspired play, Brendan Kiley says, "it's simultaneously cheeky, touching, and sad." (Through Nov 15, $20-$68)
Festen
A family drama about the false cheeriness of families by David Eldridge, based on the Danish film of the same name. The 60th birthday dinner of a wealthy patriarch turns queasy when his son reads an alarming speech. This New Century Theatre Company production is directed by Tony nominee and Seattle Rep regular Wilson Milam. (Through Nov 21, $15-$30)
Sgt Rigsby & His Amazing Silhouettes: The Ballad of Karla Fox
For years, playwright Scot Augustson has delighted Seattle audiences with his shadow puppet company Sgt. Rigsby and His Amazing Silhouettes. This new show is a "super intense and really dark psychological thriller/shadow puppet show" about a fox that learns about the evil in the world after her parents die in an accident. (Nov 5-21, $5-$15)
Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales: Unwrapped
There are no words for how brain-explodingly brilliant Jinkx Monsoon is. You think she was funny on RuPaul’s Drag Race? You don’t know the half of it. She brought down the house in The Vaudevillians at Seattle Rep last year, which was such a smash hit Seattle Rep offered the performers “an open invitation to come back to us with a new show.” This is it! Lucky us. (Nov 25-Dec 13, $16-$67)
DANCE
Emergence
After its success in 2013, Pacific Northwest Ballet brings back Crystal Pite's mind-bending Emergence, which begins with a single dancer hatching and metamorphosizes into a stageful of swarming, clicking, hissing dancers. (Nov 6-15, $37-$187)
Mark Morris Dance Group
The celebrated post-Balanchine choreographer brings Cargo, A Wooden Tree, Whelm, and The to the Moore Theatre. (Nov 20-22, $38-$85)
The Nutcracker
After retiring its much-loved Nutcracker last year, Pacific Northwest Ballet unveils a fresh one with new-to-the-company choreography by George Balanchine and a mystery design by illustrator (and theater designer) Ian Falconer. Generations of Seattle dance-heads are counting down the days to see what it'll be like.
(Nov 27-Dec 28, $40-$156)
COMEDY
Eugene Mirman
Excellent and weird comedian Eugene Mirman (who performs the voice of Gene on the also excellent and weird TV show Bob's Burgers) deserves to be witnessed live. (Nov 12, $26)
FOOD & DRINK
Wild Fish Soirée & Benefit Auction
Fine food, great wine, and advocacy: this event will feature Lennie John, Ahousaht First Nation member and leader of the recent B.C. salmon farm conflict, tying together our food and politics. He will speak about his fight against Cermaq (described as "one of Japan's largest and most powerful corporations") for food security and his nation's territorial rights. (Nov 7, $125)
FILM
Hump! Film Festival
When’s the last time you sat down in a dark, crowded theater to watch triple-X hardcore, softcore, animated, kinky, vanilla, straight, gay, lez, bi, trans, and genderqueer and/or humorous short films celebrating that thing WE ALL LOVE so much: S-E-X? I bet it’s been too too long! HUMP!—The Stranger and the Portland Mercury’s 11th annual amateur-produced porn film festival—is hands-down the best, and maybe the only chance, you’ll have all year to do this. (Nov 5-15, $20-$25)