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MONDAY

FILM

Silent Movie Mondays Past Event Like List
Honoring the fascinating history of the Paramount Theatre, which opened its doors in 1928 with a screening of the silent comedy Feel My Pulse, this silent film series continues on May 8 with a screening of the 1926 Beatrice Lillie-led film Exit Smiling. The zippy comedy was the debut of droll character actor Franklin Pangborn, and it was also Lillie's first, and only, silent film role. (One Letterboxd reviewer describes Lillie as having "some real Greta Gerwig vibes.") Christian Elliott will perform a supplementary score on the theater's Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ; don't miss the pre- and post-screening film discussions with Anne Francis of Broadway Across America.
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)

LIVE MUSIC

79.5 with Lovetempo Past Event Like List
Have you noticed? The saxophone is making a comeback. For several years now it's been worming its way into indie, punk, and modern rock music, but this summer will be the season of the saxophone. Mark my words. You can get an early start on your inevitable lust for Adolphe Sax's greatest invention when New York's 79.5 bring their steamy, disco-kissed dance music to Madame Lou's. The band's self-titled album, out May 5 on Razor and Tape, has earned comparisons to Donna Summer, Grace Jones, and Patti Labelle, and right there in the center of it all is, you guessed it, the sultry, horny-for-honking saxophone (played by Izaak Mills, who also kicks in some impressive flute action). One-person dance party Lovetempo opens. STRANGER EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(Madame Lou's at the Crocodile, Belltown)

TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Dermot Kennedy: The Sonder Tour
Past Event Like List Dermot Kennedy's sound is simultaneously heart-wrenching and uplifting. His sincere vocal delivery transcends the typical self-help-pop of bands like Imagine Dragons or X Ambassadors while always maintaining radio appeal. Just click on any one of his music videos and you'll find thousands of commenters noting the solace that his music has offered them through dark times. Kennedy will stop by Seattle to promote his sophomore album Sonder, with support from soulful pop artist Kevin Garrett (the co-writer/producer of Beyoncé's "Pray You Catch Me"). On this tour, Kennedy is offering the second opening slot to a local act in each city, so show up for a surprise! AV
(WaMu Theater, SoDo)

WEDNESDAY

FILM

Life is a Feast: The Cinema of Federico Fellini
Past Event Like List Fellini's sensuous spirit, wry realism, and carnivalesque hallucinations add up to a lush cinematic universe you'll want to spend weeks basking in. That's why this screening series makes sense. SIFF Cinema Uptown theater will welcome spring by showcasing 10 of the director's best films restored by the Fellini Foundation, Martin Scorsese, and Gucci. The series continues this week with La Dolce Vita, the episodic masterpiece that won the 1960 Palme d'Or.
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown)

FOOD & DRINK

More Than a Bake Sale: Fundraiser for Indigenous Women Rising | with Natasha Pickowicz + More!
Past Event Like List Thrice-James Beard Award-nominated, Brooklyn-based pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz, who just published her debut cookbook More Than Cake, has become known not only for her lovely confections, but also for her buzzy bake sales. Ever since Trump was elected in 2016, Pickowicz has been harnessing the power of baked goods to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits. Now you, too, can be a part of her sugar-fueled movement: On the Seattle stop of her book tour, she'll join a group of some of Seattle's most sought-after bakers, recipe developers, and cookbook authors to throw a happy hour bake sale. This is a rare chance to snatch up treats from Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille, Saint Bread, Temple Pastries, The Pastry Project, Twin Flower Baking Co., Samantha Gainsburg of Bakers for Abortion Access, and Pickowicz herself, all in one place. 100% of proceeds will go to Indigenous Women Rising, an organization that supports Indigenous and undocumented people seeking abortions and strives to make sexual health and reproductive justice accessible for all Native people. Pre-sale tickets are already sold out, but a limited quantity of tickets will be available at the door, so show up early. JB
(Book Larder, Fremont)

LIVE MUSIC

M83
Past Event Like List Throw on M83's "Midnight City" if you want to be instantly transported to a time of moody Tumblr posts, American Apparel disco pants, and galaxy print everything. For better or worse, the French electronic ensemble no longer sounds like an audio representation of indie sleaze—but they're still going strong! Their latest album, Fantasy, employs groovy disco beats and futuristic synths for a blissful dance party soundtrack. They will take over the Showbox for two consecutive nights alongside LA-based electronic DJ Jeremiah Chiu. AV
(Showbox SoDo, SoDo)

READINGS & TALKS

Dave Barry: Florida Man Releases Book
Past Event Like List The somewhat corny but still goofily vulgar and curmudgeonly writer—whose column ran in the Miami Herald for nearly 20 years—will get almost as far from Florida as possible in this country to celebrate the release of his comedic new crime novel, Swamp Story. Per Kirkus Reviews: "Florida’s humorist laureate finds chaos and comedy in the Everglades....Gold bars, pythons, and TikTok videos of swamp monsters add up to a hilarious Florida tale....Barry makes mirth of all this mayhem with his usual aplomb."
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)

In Person Author Talk: Natasha Pickowicz, More Than Cake Past Event Like List
It's hard not to fangirl over three-time James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef and all-around It Girl Natasha Pickowicz. Pickowicz, who resides in Brooklyn and has worked for top New York restaurants like Flora Bar and Café Altro Paradiso, has made a name for herself with her lovely, unfussy, oft-imitated treats, which are often bedecked with flowers or fruit in a nod to her love of nature and California upbringing. Besides her enviable style and effortlessly gorgeous creations, Pickowicz is also known for her wildly successful bake sale fundraisers, which have amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars for Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits. Thanks to her debut cookbook More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes Built for Pleasure and Community, now you can recreate her recipes for delights like fennel seed squiggles, chocolate and Earl Grey mousse, and passionfruit coconut tequila layer cakes at home (and hopefully borrow a little of her coolness in the process). During her visit at Book Larder, she'll chat with Everyday Cake author and Book Larder culinary director Polina Chesnakova and sign copies of her book. JB 
(Book Larder, Fremont)

THURSDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band with Diminished Men
Past Event Like List Portland-based reissue label Mississippi Records has teamed up with Seattle world music specialists Sublime Frequencies to present guitar shredders Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band. Coming to us all the way from Burkina Faso, the ensemble fuses together Mandingue, high life, Afrobeat, and rock music for danceable tunes that are a perfect marriage of Fela Kuti rhythms and Captain Beefheart riffs. Don't miss an opening set from instrumental rock outfit Diminished Men. AV 
(High Dive, Fremont)

Hayley Kiyoko
Past Event Like List This one’s for the girls! There are more pop stars singing about queer relationships than ever before, but Hayley Kiyoko’s 2015 hit “Girls Like Girls” was an undoubtedly pivotal moment in this sapphic shift. Since her public coming-out, the singer, dancer, actress, and winner of RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race has been dubbed “Lesbian Jesus” by her fans because of her work to normalize lesbian relationships through her music. She truly is, as former Stranger music calendar editor Kim Selling once called her, “the pop star we deserve.” Catch her on tour supporting her sophomore album Panorama, which aims for a “darker” side of the pop universe than her uplifting debut, Expectations.
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

READINGS & TALKS

In Person Author Talk: Sarah Kieffer, 100 Morning Treats Past Event Like List
Who wouldn't want to start off their day with baked goods like cardamom pistachio twists, everything breakfast pretzels, or cream-filled Danishes alongside their morning cup of coffee or tea? Baker and cookbook author Sarah Kieffer of the Vanilla Bean Blog shows you how to do just that in her new book 100 Morning Treats, which contains recipes for muffins, rolls, biscuits, sweet and savory breakfast breads, quiches, doughnuts, and more. (Kieffer is also the genius mind behind the viral pan-banging chocolate chip cookies, so trust that she knows her stuff.) She'll join Book Larder's culinary director Polina Chesnakova in conversation at this event. JB 
(Book Larder, Fremont)

FRIDAY

FILM

Jon Behrens’s Seattle: A City in Four Parts
Past Event Like List See Seattle through the eyes of the late experimental filmmaker who passed last year on what would have been his 59th birthday. Expect both previously released and unreleased shorts "celebrating the ongoing beauty and mystery of our local landscape in double-exposed, optically printed, hand-painted, sculptural film." You'll see subjects like Kerry Park and the Elephant Car Wash like you've never seen them before.
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill)

LIVE MUSIC

Psychopomp Projects Presents: REPOSADO with Ural Thomas & The Pain Past Event Like List
Blending the tenets of soul, funk, Afrobeat, and jazz, REPOSADO strives to shake a full-bodied cocktail of flavors that they like to call "tequila funk." I am personally most excited to see Ural Thomas & The Pain on the bill—the Portland soul legend has shared stages with James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, and Etta James, just to name a few. AV 
(Tractor Tavern, Ballard)

PERFORMANCE

Dragula Titans with the Boulet Brothers Past Event Like List
If you prefer your alt-drag shows with a side of gore and guts, you probably already revel in the chaos of the Boulet Brothers, whose punkish brand of eleganza often features bugs, gauged needles, pig brains, and live burial. (Contestants on The Boulet Brothers' Dragula don't exactly sashay away—they're "exterminated" in a freaky death scene. Okay then!!) Grab your hello uglies fan and gag for the duo's ghoulish glam when they drop by Seattle on their international tour. They'll share the stage with their recently crowned, hot-yet-terrifying Supermonster.  
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

SATURDAY

FOOD & DRINK

CocoPandan Pop-Up Past Event Like List
A scroll through the pop-up CocoPandan's Instagram reveals a bevy of Southeast Asian treats that are (almost) too stunning to eat, tinted shades of pastel green and imbued with a wonderfully squishy-chewy texture. Owner Michelle Chan's specialties include chiffon cakes, kueh, martabak, coconut milk buns, kaya jam, and more. She'll join the acclaimed Bainbridge Island restaurant Ba Sa to share her lovely pastries and will offer favorites such as erimuka kueh (sticky rice with coconut pandan custard), pandan-and-rainbow layered kueh (steamed mochi cooked with coconut milk), and pandan and ube chiffon cake. Pre-orders, which begin on May 8, are highly encouraged to ensure you snag your desired goods, although a limited selection will also be available for purchase. JB 
(Ba Sa, Winslow)

LIVE MUSIC

Bonnie "Prince" Billy Past Event Like List
Maybe you know him as singer-songwriter Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Maybe you know him as indie movie actor Will Oldham (if not, watch Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy!), or possibly under band names/aliases like Palace, Palace Music, Palace Songs, or Palace Brothers. Whatever you know him as, we hope you know that he's one of the most captivating songwriters of our time, crafting intimate, innovative, and individual folk songs that have made an undeniable mark on indie rock over the last three decades. Catch him on the heels of the release of his first-ever children's book, Shorty's Ark, with a performance of old favorites and a bounty of new material. AV
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

Ella Mai
Past Event Like List R&B singer-songwriter Ella Mai initially blew up with her now seven-time platinum debut single "Boo'd Up," which has broken several Billboard chart records. Not surprising, considering the song’s insanely infectious hooks and smooth-as-hell production (seriously, this song has been stuck in my head for six straight years and I’m not even mad about it!) Now touring on her second album, Heart on My Sleeve, Mai continues to meditate on her own vulnerability and resilience through stripped-down ballads and hip-hop-tinged beats. Don’t miss an opening set from the early aughts-inspired pop and R&B artist Thuy. AV
(Showbox SoDo, SoDo)

Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs The Beatles: Abbey Road & Let It Be
Past Event Like List Children of Beatlemaniac mothers, listen up! The self-proclaimed “coolest orchestra in town” will pay tribute to the Fab Four’s seminal rock masterpieces Abbey Road and Let It Be as they continue their Mother’s Day tradition of reimagining the Beatles’ classic albums. AV 
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

SUNDAY

MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day Here Today Past Event Like List
If beer and pastries are a couple of your mom's favorite things, bring her to enjoy both at the vibey brewery Here Today. Maddy O’Donnell's pop-up Maddy's Bakeshop will be slinging sweet and savory croissants and pleasingly squiggly floral cakes from 11 am-3 pm. (The cakes are gluten-free, so moms with dietary restrictions are in luck.) She'll surely appreciate the pastel vaporwave digs and inventive beers, as well as savory brunch fare like breakfast tacos and migas.
(Here Today, Seattle Waterfront)

FOOD & DRINK

L'Ecu et Les Huîtres Past Event Like List
I've heard certain Seattle food industry veterans joke that "Muscadet is every day," because the refreshing, bone-dry Loire Valley wine (pronounced "muh-skuh-day") is versatile enough for any and all occasions. That goes for Mother's Day, too: The charming French bistro L'Oursin will host a Muscadet and oyster happy hour from 4-7 pm on the holiday, with guest winemakers Fred and Claire Niger from France-based Domaine de l'Écu (one of the world's top Muscadet makers). They promise the "crispiest of crispy mineral bomb white wines" and plenty of briny bivalves. JB 
(L'Oursin, Central District)

LIVE MUSIC

Andrea Bocelli Past Event Like List
Are you looking to wow your mom this Mother's Day? Leave it to the world-renowned, dulcet-toned, Italian opera crooner Andrea Bocelli, whose larger-than-life arena concert features songs from his wide-ranging repertoire. Look forward to a soothing blend of early fan favorites, traditional arias, weepy love songs, and tracks off of his latest album, Believe. AV 
(Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown)

Seattle Baroque Orchestra and Auburn Symphony Orchestra: Everything Old Is New Again - Phillip Glass Harpsichord Concerto Past Event Like List
The Seattle Baroque Orchestra and the Auburn Symphony Orchestra are joining forces for an afternoon of contemporary works inspired by baroque traditions. Renowned harpsichordist Jillon Stoppels Dupree will perform Philip Glass’ dazzling Harpsichord Concerto, followed by other works that nod to the past while making a push toward the future. AV
(Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center)

The Guess Who Past Event Like List
How is it that a single band created both one of my favorite and least favorite songs of the '60s/’70s? I'm talking about the glittering romance of “These Eyes” and the sexist blues-rock trash that is "American Woman." The first is dreamy, tender, and emotional, and the latter is aggressive, harsh, and kind of demeaning. I guess I have to give big props to the Guess Who for being a band that can do both. Whatever version of the band you prefer (I am not judging!) I'm betting that they'll play it all. AV 
(Pantages Theater, Tacoma)

MULTI-DAY

COMEDY

Ashley Gavin Past Event Like List
Ashley Gavin will take a breather from having gay sex for a Seattle stop on her nationwide tour. The Brooklyn stand-up and "professional ballbuster" (Chicago Reader) has gone viral for her crowd work videos on TikTok, so if you head to her show, you might even become a part of it—but don't expect her to go easy on you. Gavin's proud to report that she's "the only angry lesbian beloved by all, including old, straight, white guys;" if you don't believe her, consider the fact that she was Carnival Cruise Line's first openly gay comedian. LC 
(Neptune Theatre, University District, Friday & Sunday)

Second Annual Upper Left Comedy Festival Past Event Like List
Upper Left Comedy Fest will return for its second year with three days of solid stand-up acts and after-parties for laugh addicts. The buzzy festival showcases some of the best in local and national talent, including side-splitters and audience faves like the sweetly dangerous Amy Miller, profanity-free crowd vet Kermet Apio, wizardly ex-Mormon Emmett Montgomery, and Dewa Dorje, the Tibetan American host of comedy talk show Dee's Nuts. You'll find gigs at Here-After, the Rendezvous, and Rabbit Box Theater, so head out for guaranteed giggles and a lot more fun than car camping.
(Various locations, Thursday-Saturday)

FESTIVALS

BonsaiFEST! Past Event Like List
Have you ever looked at a tree and been like, "This is great and all, but what if it were smaller?" If so, bonsai are your best bet. Pacific Bonsai Museum’s annual BonsaiFEST! will bring together bonsai fans and the bonsai-curious for a day of celebration of the artsy, portable trees again this year. The event boasts live bonsai care demonstrations, docent-led tours of the bonsai collection, a nature-lover's merch shop, and an audio tour option. Bring your mom, who almost certainly enjoys cool, small things and avant-garde botanicals. LC
(Pacific Bonsai Museum, Federal Way, Saturday-Sunday)

FILM

A Pocketful of Posey
Past Event Like List Parker Posey stans, assemble, and don't forget your club kid accessories: Daisy von Scherler Mayer's '95 comedy Party Girl kicks off Grand Illusion's "A Pocketful of Posey" film series this week, which pays homage to the indie queen. Party Girl has everything, and that's hardly an exaggeration. Posey stars as a devil-may-care 20-something It Girl in Manhattan's club scene, where she meets a hunky food cart vendor, dons stolen vintage fashions to die for, and grooves maniacally to a soundtrack featuring Tom Tom Club. The cult classic might also teach you something new about the Dewey decimal system. Who could resist?! Party Girl cemented Posey as a quirky darling of the era and even led to a (short-lived) sitcom, so don't miss this chance to bask in its Gen X glory. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, Friday-Sunday)

Seattle Arab Film Festival 2023
Past Event Like List Emerging and established Arab filmmakers are front and center in this two-day festival, which will return in its fourth iteration with 13 compelling short films. We think you should see 'em all, but themed screenings allow festival-goers to choose what interests them—on May 13, Northwest Film Forum will screen short documentaries (including O'ud, which tracks the life of late Palestinian refugee artist Mohammad El Agha) and a "Loss and Resilience" series, while May 14's screenings will spotlight stories on "Family Matters" and "Luck of the Draw" themes, like tortoise-full road trip flick The Luck of the Turtles.
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill, Saturday-Sunday)

Seattle International Film Festival 2023
Past Event Like List SIFF returns for its 49th year with the best in international and independent cinema à la mode from across the globe. The hybrid festival, which boasts an impressive 200 films on the docket this year, will present screenings virtually and at SIFF venues citywide. Chase Hutchinson has the scoop on can’t-miss flicks and where to score tickets to the festival; we’re stoked for Mami Wata, a black-and-white film set in a West African village.
(Various locations, Thursday-Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

How I Learned What I Learned
Past Event Like List Twenty years ago, I entered Seattle Repertory Theatre and watched one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, August Wilson, walk onto a stage, hang his cap and coat on a hanger, sit on a comfortable armchair, and perform his one-man play How I Learned What I Learned. The audience was mesmerized by his presence and presentation, which in my mind was similar to how Mister Rogers welcomes viewers to the "beautiful day in [his] neighborhood." Wilson's neighborhood, however, was the Hill District, the part of Pittsburg that became Black in the 1920s. Here, we learned, is where, with the help of local artists and the library, Wilson discovered the poet in him. A few weeks ago, I entered Seattle Rep and watched Steven Anthony Jones perform How I Learned What I Learned. Though this version was less intimate than Wilson's, it convincingly emphasized the part of the play that concerned the young artist's repeated and soul-challenging encounters with American racism. Jones' moral outrage is much more forceful and objective than Wilson's. And this makes perfect sense when one considers our increasingly "anti-woke" (meaning, anti-Black) times. Even the richest man in the world doesn't try to hide his racism. We are not going forward but backward in time, back to the days when the last thing America wanted was woke Blacks like Wilson. Do not miss this play. STRANGER SENIOR WRITER CHARLES MUDEDE
(Seattle Repertory Theatre, Uptown, Wednesday-Sunday)

ZACH Past Event Like List
Directed by one of our favorite local artists, Sara Porkalob, this world premiere play by Christian St. Croix is a "satirical comedy that lovingly skewers the popular tropes of the 90s teen sitcom." Two actors play many parts in the ensemble cast of this production, which tells the story of a Black girl and a Latino boy at a majority-white California high school who have to deal with the repercussions of becoming friends with the titular Zach, the "white, charismatic, prank-happy new kid at school." Comedy and social commentary ensue.
(ArtsWest, Junction, Thursday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Flying Woman: The Paintings of Katherine Bradford Past Event Like List
Katherine Bradford, East Coast painter of UFOs, swimmers, and luminous earth-dwellers, will present a survey of works arranged chronologically in Flying Woman, which spans the last 20 years of her career. Gently defiant of societal expectations of women, Bradford's abstracted, androgynous figures float in ethereal realms or go about their daily routines—it's all fair game in her magical, unapologetic approach to art-making.
(Frye Art Museum, First Hill, Wednesday-Sunday; closing)