Noel Fielding, A Meeting of the Aaron Huffman Admiration Society, Killer Mike, And More Picks for April 4-10
by Stranger Things To Do Staff
This week, our arts critics have recommended the best events in every genre—from a meeting of the Aaron Huffman Admiration Society to an evening with British comedian Noel Fielding to a talk featuring Atlanta MC, Outkast associate, and Bernie Sanders advocate Killer Mike. See them all below, and find even more events on our complete Things To Do calendar.
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MONDAY
THEATER
Bard in a Bar
Shakespeare would no doubt approve of Bard in a Bar: rowdy, crowdsourced, and boozy presentations of his plays. Tonight, head to Solo Bar (where scripts and props will be provided) and help participate in Much Ado About Nothing.
READINGS & TALKS
Rob Spillman
Rob Spillman, founding editor of the Tin House literary journal, will read from his new memoir, All Tomorrow's Parties, about growing up in West Berlin. Then, he'll give a talk titled "Editor, Edit Thyself."
MUSIC
Bane
This is the final farewell tour of a well-loved hardcore band that was a key player in the explosion of the sound in the late ’90s and early ’00s. Experience your final stage dive. KEVIN DIERS
TUESDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Ask the Oracle
Presented by Hugo House, this mystic event about precognition features writers Sarah Galvin, Brian Castner, and Sonora Jha, and is hosted by Johnny Horton. Before the show, audience members will write down questions about their futures (e.g. will I get my dream job or should I move to a new city), and Horton will pose them to the "writer-oracles," who will answer by reading a random passage from a book.
Touré
In addition to his roles as journalist, culture critic, cohost of The Cycle on MSNBC, and extremely prolific Tweeter, Touré is also the author of Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness: What It Means to Be Black Now. ... His talk, "Microagression: Power, Privilege, and Everyday Life," however, will focus on the everyday racism that people of color endure while just standing on line at the grocery store. RICH SMITH
MUSIC
Generation Axe: A Night of Guitars
All y’all formerly hair-piled-high butt-rock fans need to take note of this Generation Axe show. ...This lineup of guitarsonists looks like a proper guitarmageddon. No doubt they will be emptying their guitarsenals of their heaviest guitartillery and guitarmaments of riffin’, shreddin’, and the deepest of whammy-bar dives. MIKE NIPPER
THEATER
Assassins
In Assassins, the Stephen Sondheim musical running through May 8 at ACT Theatre and produced in partnership with 5th Avenue Theatre, everyone from John Wilkes Booth to John Hinckley Jr. gets a chance to explain themselves: Some are driven by insanity, some by politics, some by a desire to be remembered. Their motives and circumstances vary, but their common bond is that they all grasped for power by taking shots at some of the most powerful men on earth. The cast members of Assassins face the exhausting task of identifying with killers and trying to convince the audience to take their side. (Through Sun)
brownsville song (b-side for tray)
The New York Times called brownsville song (b-side for Tray) a "moving if somewhat predictable play" that's both "elegy and polemic." The plot involves a Brooklyn high school senior writing a scholarship essay trying to distance himself from the stereotype that he's a "poor black boy from the violent ghetto," only for him to be victimized by gang violence immediately after he finishes writing it. According to the Times, "The drama moves back and forth in time, vaulting from the weeks and months before Tray’s shooting to its aftermath." CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE (Through Sun)
COMEDY
Comedy Nest Open Mic: Barbara Holm
The rules of this pro-lady stand-up night are refreshing in their simplicity: no misogyny, racism, homophobia, hatred, or heckling. Tonight's show features Barbara Holm, who has performed at Bumbershoot and has written for The Portland Mercury and The Huffington Post.
WEDNESDAY
FILM
Seijun Suzuki Retrospective
The dominant image we have of Japanese culture is that it’s a very orderly society. Rules are rigidly followed, a person knows who is above and below them, there is lots of bowing, and women speak softly. But that view of Japan is very limited and is contradicted by the films of directors who constitute what is known as Japan’s silver age, 1960 to 1980. One leading figure of this moment is Seijun Suzuki, whose movies are celebrated for their visual and narrative excesses. His work often overflows with violence, sex, madness, and criminals. It’s not at all surprising that they influenced Quentin Tarantino. The copresented (Northwest Film Forum and Grand Illusion) Seijun Suzuki Retrospective will provide an excellent opportunity to enter and absorb the genius of this director, who is still alive. CHARLES MUDEDE
READINGS & TALKS
Silent Reading Party
Invented by Stranger editor-in-chief Christopher Frizzelle, the reading party is every first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. That's when the Fireside Room at the Sorrento Hotel goes quiet and fills with people with books tucked under their arms. (And, occasionally, a Kindle or two.)
THEATER
Mrs. Warren's Profession
Seattle Shakespeare Company presents George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession (how cheeky and coy!) directed by Victor Pappas, about a young woman who discovers a scandalous secret about mom. (Through Sun)
The Tempest
New City Theater presents William Shakespeare's dramatic, fantastical romance The Tempest, starring Mary Ewald and Mary and Peter Crook, and featuring Susan Corzatte, Kevin McKeon, Seanjohn Walsh, Brandon J. Simmons, Cynthia Whalen, Harry Todd Jamison, and Amelia Garcia. (Through Sat)
QUEER
The Gay Uncle Time
It's an avuncular variety show starring Santa-esque comedian Jeffrey Robert and a rotating cavalcade of local stars, drag queens, storytellers, and weirdos. Get a healthy dose of history, comedy, and song from the gay uncle you always wished you had and his friends you always suspected were up to no good. MATT BAUME
MUSIC
Deep Medi 10 Year Anniversary Tour: Mala, Kahn & Neek, Gorgon Sound
It’s cool for London dubstep label Deep Medi Musik to celebrate a decade of sound-system-shaking in Seattle. These cats rarely make it to the Pacific Northwest, so you should prioritize this occasion. ... To give you an idea of how revered Deep Medi has become, copies of the label’s first release, Kromestar’s “Kalawanji”/“Surgery” 12-inch, currently sell for as much as £500. DAVE SEGAL
Diarrhea Planet
For all their immature excess—the name, the album title, the fact that they have four guitarists—Diarrhea Planet know how to write a song with punch and the kind of adolescent longing that made pop punk briefly the lingua franca of American teenagers in the early ’00s. They swerve away from the shine and snarkiness or their forebears, however, in exchange for grit and the pentatonic blues scale. JOSEPH SCHAFER
Tanya Tagaq: Nanook of the North
Inuk experimental artist and throat singer Tanya Tagaq was probably best known as one of Björk’s supporting players on the Medulla album before she won the prestigious Polaris and Juno prizes—not necessarily because people care about awards, but because her awards performance in front of a list of Inuit survivors of domestic assault went viral. Tagaq combines traditional throat singing with electronic arrangement, punk attitude, and some death-metal vocal flourishes to create dramatic music with a political slant. At this show, she will perform a live score reclaiming the classic (and racist) silent film Nanook of the North. JOSEPH SCHAFER
THURSDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Killer Mike
Killer Mike—the Atlanta MC / Outkast associate / Bernie Sanders advocate who represents half of the mighty Run the Jewels—will appear at the University of Washington to discuss his music and social/political activism. There aren't 10 rappers alive whose opinions on both those subjects would be more worthy of attention. SEAN NELSON
Seattle StorySLAM
A live amateur storytelling competition, hosted by Lindy West, in which audience members who put their names in a hat are randomly chosen to tell stories on a theme (tonight, it's "jokers"). Local comedians tend to show up, but lots of nonperformers get in on the action as well.
FOOD & DRINK
Cochon555
Cochon555 is a series of national events that began as a way to educate chefs and diners about heritage breed pigs, exceptionally tasty animals raised responsibly on small family farms. Local chefs in cities across the country are each given a whole pig and tasked with creating up to six dishes from the animal; the winner advances to national competition. ANGELA GARBES
Guest Chef Night: Eric Johnson
FareStart is a fantastic organization that empowers disadvantaged and homeless men and women by training them for work in the restaurant industry. Every Thursday, they host a Guest Chef Night, featuring a three-course dinner from a notable Seattle chef for just $29.95. This week FareStart welcomes Chef Eric Johnson of Vietnamese/French restaurant Stateside.
GEEK & GAMING
Emerald City Comicon
Emerald City Comicon is the biggest comic-book (and general geek pop culture) convention in the Pacific Northwest. The convention will feature panels, screenings, workshops, contests, exhibitions, and lots of guest appearances. The few leftover Thursday tickets will sell out soon, but, even if you can’t go to the convention itself, you can still watch downtown transform, with cosplayers taking over the streets, and participate in other related nerdy events throughout the city. Check here for a complete list.
ART
First Thursday Art Walk
Exhibit openings, people watching, and (generally) free wine at the city's central and oldest art walk. This month, don't miss the opening receptions for Kamrooz Aram, Adam Ekberg, George Rodriguez, Glass Box Gallery, Seán Slemon, and Xavier Toubes, as well as CoCA's 35th birthday show.
Imagined Futures: Science Fiction, Art, and Artifacts from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection
The surprise second show at Paul Allen's Pivot Arts and Culture opens today, and will feature works by a vast array of big name artists, including "modern masters of the speculative and fantastic," pieces by "contemporary and modern artists who have dreamed of space and the future for mankind," and even large-scale models created by infamous/renowned scientist Wernher Von Braun.
THEATER
Mariela in the Desert
Latino Theatre Projects presents Karen Zacarias' Mariela in the Desert, a family play about creativity, loss, and secrets, set in Northern Mexico. (Through Sat)
MUSIC
Brahms Symphony No. 4
Conductor David Zinman comes to Seattle to lead the orchestra for Brahms' magisterial fourth symphony. Prokofiev’s second violin concerto will also be reimagined by violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja.
Grim Reaper, Zero Down, Skelator, and Blasphemous Creation
Heavy metal was once populated by kings of the falsetto.... These days, though, the typical metal vocal more closely resembles a hissing cat or a grumbling Cookie Monster. However, local heroes Skelator take it back to the days of old, with vocalist Jason Conde-Houston’s signature falsetto shriek leading the band’s old-school speed-metal attack. KEVIN DIERS
Los Lobos
I’ve maintained a low-key love of East LA’s Los Lobos for three decades after having, um, accidentally witnessed them playing on the Mall in DC. Thankfully, loving them since has never been a stretch, as they’ve proven to have remarkably consistent top-class songwriting skills. They have a relatively new album out called Gates of Gold... [which] is a good album full of classic Los Lobos: a mix of rock, soul, and Tejano jams. MIKE NIPPER
FRIDAY
COMEDY
An Evening with Noel Fielding
Though best known as Vince Noir, the glam-rock half of the Mighty Boosh, Noel Fielding has spread his mischievous, legitimately psychedelic (have you seen his Luxury Comedy?) imagination paste over the comparatively realist (and often mean) landscape of British comedy for the past decade, with thrilling effect. Now he brings his elaborately produced stage show, replete with characters, costumes, props, and animation to the Moore, where the show had to be moved after immediately selling out the Neptune. SEAN NELSON
THEATER
The Mis-Education of the Well-Meaning Liberal
This collaborative performance event exploring social justice topics, from race to adoption to education to gentrification, will feature stories by six writers, each exploring different themes. Produced by Donte Felder and directed by Marcel Davis. (Through Sat)
Stupid Fucking Bird
A funny, modern "sort-of-adaptation" of Chekhov's The Seagull, which sticks to the original themes close enough to include plenty of inter-generational bickering on a country estate. (Opens today)
MUSIC
Power Trip
It’s been nearly three years since Texas thrash punks Power Trip unleashed their debut album, Manifest Decimation. While three years might be a suitable break between albums for more established artists or for bands working within more nuanced musical territories, it can feel like an eternity for fans of ripping riffs and unapologetically brutish breakdowns. But Manifest Decimation was such an unexpected barn burner—an undeniably catchy melding of old-school timbres, modern barbarism, and youthful exuberance—that the album still feels fresh, and the band is still picking up momentum. BRIAN COOK
Wild Powwers
Tonight is the record-release show for Wild Powwers’ (formerly just Powers and/or Powwers) second full-length, Hugs and Kisses and Other Things. Much like its predecessor, Doris Rising, Hugs finds the Seattle trio dispersing an ardent guitar-driven rock record with its share of mixtape/playlist fodder. GRANT BRISSEY
SATURDAY
THEATER & DANCE
Alice Gosti: a tiny act of kindness
Award-winning Seattle dancer, choreographer, and "architect of experiences" Alice Gosti presents a new durational work in which people lay down and "repeating a caress." As the Henry describes it, "As the action recurs, variations of the intimate gesture emerge, inviting shifts in meaning, both as experienced in the body of the dancers, and perceived by viewers."
FOOD & DRINK
Vegfest
Vegfest is a food festival celebrating—you guessed it—healthy vegetarian food. Enjoy free food samples (over 500 kinds to try), see cooking demonstrations, hear about nutrition from medical doctors, receive free health checks, and get a free deluxe tote swag bag filled with free food and coupons.
Farm Days
Harvest and identify edible sea creatures at this free, hands-on series of events hosted by Hama Hama Oyster Company in Lilliwaup.
MUSIC
Anoushka Shankar
Imagine the pressure of following in the footsteps of your father and musical guru, the most famous and respected sitarist in the world, Ravi Shankar. But Anoushka Shankar has handled stratospheric expectations with grace and developed her own grandiloquent skills on her family’s main instrument. A composer steeped in Indian classical music (of course), Shankar began studying with her pop at age 7 and even began playing tamboura onstage with him at age 10. With such a rigorous apprenticeship, it’s not surprising she developed into a world-class musician. DAVE SEGAL
Drone Cinema Film Festival
Created and curated by Kim Cascone—respected ambient-music producer behind Heavenly Music Corporation and assistant music editor for David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and Wild at Heart—Drone Cinema combines drone-based music with complementary filmic imagery. Seems like a pretty straightforward concept, but with a mind as immersed in immersive sound and vision as Cascone’s, you can expect some deeply meditative and transportive sensory stimuli. DAVE SEGAL
Night Beats
Seattle’s Night Beats have gone far since The Stranger profiled them in 2009. They’ve cut three solid albums of steely nerved, gimlet-eyed garage-psych in the 13th Floor Elevators/Moving Sidewalks vein and toured all over the world, and now they’re back home headlining Neumos while supporting their new LP, Who Sold My Generation. DAVE SEGAL
Santigold and DoNormaal
At her best, Santigold makes songs that take you somewhere. It’s a place where pop, reggae, thrashing guitars, synths, and, most important, grimy beats all belong together—a place where the air is hot and sticky, the streets are dusty, and all the fruit is overripe and juicy. Her nearly emotionless delivery of disaffected lyrics confirms what black and brown women have known all along: By nature we are more powerful than you, yes, and we understand this is why you work extra hard to keep us down. ANGELA GARBES
QUEER
SuperHard Comicon
Celebrate Emerald City Comicon with a totally unofficial, totally unsanctioned, totally hot superhero party at, where else, the Eagle. From the nerds who bring you Pink Party Prime and Pink Party Comicon comes SuperHard, featuring go-go lust objects Tyler Rush and Cass Bolton (of Watts the Safeword) and DJs Krot and Rob Winter. But wait, what's that in the sky? It's Zan Christensen of Northwest Press with guests Justin Hall and Dave Davenport, giving away copies their new gay porn anthology Hard to Swallow! MATT BAUME
Cucci's Critter Barn
Hosted by Cucci Binaca, Critter Barn has already made itself known for some wild drag from the likes of Amoania, Hellen Tragedy, Mona Real, Menorah, and Cookie Couture.
Look Ball
Kremwerk presents the first edition of their competitive, judged fashion show, where there's a $250 prize for the winner in each of three categories: Down to Fashion, Down to Clown, and Down to Hot Glue.
ART
Artist Talk: Gretchen Bennett
Presented by INCA and "This Might Not Work," the Open Forum series features monthly events centered around art, poetry, history, culture, and more. Today, they welcome Seattle's Gretchen Bennett, whose work has been shown internationally and who is currently working on personal essays and converting drawings to photographs, for an artist talk.
Artist Talk: Jason Hirata
Jason Hirata (whose recommended "funny, sad, wonky, scruffy Brink Award show" The Brink is on display at Henry Art Gallery) will speak with University of Washington professor Chandan Reddy.
Georgetown Art Attack
Once a month, the art that resides in the tiny airport hamlet of Georgetown ATTACKS all passersby. In more literal terms, it's the day of art openings and street wonderment. This month, don't miss the opening reception for Jueqian Fang's Orchids That Look Good in Bad Lighting.
I Wasn't Just Saying What You Wanted To Hear
I Wasn't Just Saying What You Wanted To Hear, an installation at The Alice featuring video and sound works by Katherine Behar, Constance DeJong, Ellie Krakow, Jaeeun Lee and Elise Rasmussen, closes today.
SUNDAY
COMMUNITY
A Meeting of the Aaron Huffman Admiration Society
Family, friends, and fans gather to celebrate the life of Aaron Huffman, a beloved member of the Seattle music and arts communities, with songs and stories. The event is free, but donations to offset medical expenses for his family are always welcome. SEAN NELSON
FOOD & DRINK
Seattle Restaurant Week
It's a two-week "week" that comes twice a year: Sunday through Thursday, 150-plus restaurants offer set-menu, three-course dinners at a somewhat discounted rate. How much do you save? Depends, but generally it's like getting dessert free (and not getting to choose from the whole menu).
Sunday Pig Roast
A ticket to the Sunday Pig Roast includes tender meat, crispy skin, citrus chili garlic drippings, and housemade Bannock bread. It's all served on a wooden board for family style or individual servings.
READINGS & TALKS
National Geographic Live: I Bought a Rainforest
Join photographer/videographer/artist Charlie Hamilton James in this trek across North America. James is known for immersing himself on set in rural locations.
QUEER
Mimosas with Mama
Good morning, Baltimore/Seattle. Mama is back from tour with her show, "30 Minute-ish Hairspray," which features all your favorite songs from the Broadway show plus some elaborate quick-change drag-queen magic. They've mushed together the best of the original film and the Travolta travesty for a whirlwind of big-boned euphoria. But that's not all. The musical is just the culmination of the experience: The first half of the two-ish hour experience is a delightful drag cabaret/brunch buffet, with singing, dancing, comedy, and more naughty entendres than you can shake a stick at. MATT BAUME
COMEDY
Wine Shots: Comedy's Happiest Hour
This all-female comedy variety show comes complete with an all-female Michael Bolton cover band, Lightning Bolton. Organized by the very funny Elicia Sanchez, it’s every second Sunday of the month in the Grotto at the Rendezvous, and every audience member gets a free shot of wine.
Stranger Things To Do's weekly roundup of great events in Seattle comes out weekly on Monday. To submit events for consideration, email us at calendar@thestranger.com.