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MONDAY

PERFORMANCE

Criminal - A Podcast About Crime 10th Anniversary Tour Past Event Like List
If you're a true crime junkie of any caliber, you're probably already familiar with Criminal, Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer's award-winning podcast that steers clear of all of the worst elements of sensationalized, garbage-y true crime circles (gore, salacious details, litigating crimes, assigning mental health diagnoses, etc.) in favor of air-tight reporting and nuance. Episodes come out twice a month, but you can also head to this live edition to get your fix. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

TUESDAY

READINGS & TALKS

Kristin Hannah Past Event Like List
If you're a ravenous reader, Kristin Hannah's work is kind of a no-brainer: The New York Times bestselling author has penned over 20 novels, including The Nightingale, which has been published in 45 languages. She must be doing something right! (I especially recommend picking up The Nightingale if you're into historical fiction.) Hannah will head to Seattle to chat about her new novel, The Women, which follows a 20-year-old student who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. LC
(Benaroya Hall, Downtown)

WEDNESDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Superchunk & Fucked Up Past Event Like List
Throughout their 35-year-long career, indie rock quartet Superchunk has experimented with the sweet release of loud aggressive music as well as the ease of soft indie pop. On their 2022 album, Wild Loneliness, they move away from the politics-driven aggression of their previous album, What a Time to Be Alive, and into a sense of peace that Pitchfork writer Steve Kandell described as "a deep sigh after their Trump-era primal howl." Canadian psychedelic hardcore outfit Fucked Up will open with tracks from their critically acclaimed album One Day. AV
(The Crocodile, Belltown)

The Kills Past Event Like List
With the Cold War Kids, Grouplove, Silversun Pickups, and now the Kills touring, it’s shaping up to be a big month for indie sleaze. Throw on any song by the Kills, new or old, and be transported to a grimy underground club circa 2008 with glitter particles floating through the air and American Apparel disco pants abound. The duo will play songs from their first album in six years, God Games, which guitarist Jamie Hince described as "godless spirituals." AV
(Showbox SoDo, SoDo)

READINGS & TALKS

Tamara Payne: The Life and Legacy of Malcolm X Past Event Like List
Tamara Payne's father, the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Les Payne, had an ambitious goal: Over 30 years, he interviewed anyone who had once known Malcolm X, and began compiling hundreds of hours of interviews (alongside Tamara, his principal researcher) with "all living siblings of the Malcolm Little family, classmates, street friends, cellmates, Nation of Islam figures, FBI moles and cops, and political leaders around the world" into an unparalleled portrait of the civil rights leader. Following Payne's death in 2018, Tamara took the lead, completing the final biography, The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X. (If you find this talk inspiring, I recommend heading to X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X later this month for an operatic take on his life.)
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)

THURSDAY

COMEDY

Ilana Glazer Past Event Like List
"Never has she ever read a newspaper," but batshit Broad City angel Ilana Glazer will still head to Seattle to spread the good news. (What's the good news? That she still exists and she's still hilarious. Try to keep up.) Ilana has been voicing the plucky deuteragonist on Netflix's Green Eggs and Ham for the last few years, a role that feels somehow perfect for her. I'm hoping she shares the details on her toy collection and love of sandwiches. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

FILM

Little Shop of Horrors with Baron Von Terror Past Event Like List
Fans of carnivorous plants, aliens, and doo-wop will appreciate this sci-fi frolic, wherein a seemingly benign new plant at a flower shop develops an unfortunate fondness for human blood. Frank Oz's Little Shop of Horrors is also the freakiest Muppet movie—it includes frankly incomparable puppetry straight from Jim Henson's workshop, it's set to a swinging Motown soundtrack, and it offers an unexpectedly pointed capitalist critique. What more do you want?! Baron Von Terror will lead the way, helping viewers survive the film's terrifying dentists and mean bosses. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District)

LIVE MUSIC

Eric Bellinger Past Event Like List
R&B singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger is known for his unbelievably silky vocals and knack for writing soul hits. Over the past couple of years, he has become a go-to songwriter for big names like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Usher. Bellinger will honor the 10th anniversary of his debut album, The Rebirth, with support from fellow neo-soul artist Zae France. AV
(The Showbox, Downtown)

FRIDAY

FILM

Happiness in 35mm Past Event Like List
Your internet besties (former Stranger staff writer Jas Keimig and former editor Chase Burns) will introduce the February 9 screening of Happiness, which has no recent home video or streaming release, as part of their ongoing project Unstreamable. Burns and Keimig have written "more than 350 (!) blurbs and reviews about offbeat, forgotten, and otherwise unobtainable pieces of cinematic history" (Matt Baume), and the project has since blossomed from the Scarecrow Video blog column into a live screening series. Dark comic misery master Todd Solondz's Happiness, screening here in 35mm, is a testament to his ability to entangle the darkly disturbing with the somehow hilarious. Plus, Philip Seymour Hoffman is in it (RIP), which is my favorite reason to watch anything. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District)

LIVE MUSIC

Dark Star Orchestra Past Event Like List
Dark Star Orchestra keep the indomitable legacy of the Grateful Dead twinkling with their spot-on tribute concerts. They plunder the mother lode of the jam-band progenitors' vast output for Deadheads who miss the real deal or for those unfortunates who never had the chance to witness them live. DSO's MO is to replicate momentous Dead set lists from the group's deep archives, and then nail every facet of the music. Clearly, DSO have their inspiration's wonderfully tight/loose chops, fluid sense of time and space, and that all-important stamina to keep on truckin' through the transitive nightfall of diamonds. STRANGER CONTRIBUTOR DAVE SEGAL
(The Showbox, Downtown)

READINGS & TALKS

Ijeoma Oluo Past Event Like List
Self-proclaimed "internet yeller" Ijeoma Oluo is also the author of the New York Times bestseller So You Want To Talk About Race and the follow-up book Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, both of which offered critical perspectives on how to navigate the issues of racism and white male supremacy embedded in American culture. But for those wondering "Okay, what now?" Oluo's latest book might answer your question. Be A Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World — and How You Can, Too looks closely at how folks are enacting change from within the powerful, garbaggio systems that be. Creating seismic shifts for intersectional racial equity is not only possible, it's necessary, and Oluo's got thoughts on how you can find an entry point. In this discussion, Oluo will share "how to take conversations on race and racism out of a place of pure pain and trauma, and into a place of loving action." LC
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)

SATURDAY

COMEDY

Joe "Mr. D" Dombrowski Past Event Like List
Joe Dombrowski's viral spelling test prank may have landed him on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, but the creative stand-up had been working crowds for 20 years before his rise to fame. Often regaling audiences with his experiences as an elementary school teacher, the Seattleite also produces the Social Studies podcast, where he shares wackadoo stories from teachers near and far. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

LIVE MUSIC

The Temptations & The Four Tops Past Event Like List
My cat Whisper loves the oldies station. Every night, I tune intoKIXI (880 AM) and observe his reactions to solid gold classics. Some of his favorites include Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," Henry Mancini's "Moon River," the Temptations’ "My Girl," and the Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." For that reason, I like to imagine an alternate universe where cats are allowed to attend concerts. In that fantasy, Whisper is joined by fellow kitties who share his affinity for Motown. Alas, I may have to attend this concert in his honor. Be grateful that you're not a feline so that you can witness iconic vocal groups the Temptations and the Four Tops, both of which still have at least one founding member several decades into their careers. AV
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)

LUNAR NEW YEAR

Lunar New Year Kick-Off at Lucky Envelope Brewing Past Event Like List
Cofounders Raymond Kwan and Barry Chan named their Ballard craft brewery Lucky Envelope for the colorful red envelopes traditionally stuffed with money and given out on Chinese New Year to bring good fortune, so it only makes sense that it's the perfect place to ring in the Year of the Wood Dragon. The festivities kick off with the release of their fifth Highland Brewing collaboration brew Highland Brewing collaboration brew, Year of the Dragon: Dragonfruit Wheat, as well as Power and Elegance, an oolong tea lager made in collaboration with Austin Beerworks. Panda Dim Sum will sling Chinese cuisine from a converted school bus from 3-8 pm, and Year of the Wood Dragon T-shirts will be available for sale. And in case you needed an extra incentive to get there early, red envelopes will be distributed to the first guests to arrive.
(Lucky Envelope Brewing, West Woodland)

Lunar New Year Night Market Past Event Like List
Seattle's largest indoor night market is celebrating Lunar New Year with an adults-only evening of entertainment, delicious eats, and a makers’ market full of wares and treats from dozens of AAPI-owned businesses. On our hit list: checking out the drunken lion dance and more dance performances from K-POP Seattle, slurping hot noods from Oh Dang, and browsing delightfully cute creations from Peachy x Noodle. There will even be a bar dedicated to two of Seattle's favorite things: alcohol and boba—a dream come true! General admission tickets are just $15, but for ten bucks more you can treat yourself to "All Day Happy Hour," which includes a tote bag, access to the express bar, and two drink tickets. SL
(Magnuson Park Hangar 30, Sand Point)

READINGS & TALKS

Bushwick Book Club 2023-24 Season: Bushwick Bestiary Past Event Like List
The Bushwick Book Club isn't some stuffy after-school program; they're a collective of local musicians who are also avid readers. This week, the ensemble will enter the "sixth chapter" of their 2023-24 season with a concert inspired by Dav Pilkey’s Dogman. The children's book series follows the adventures of Greg the police dog and his cop companion—begging the question, is the Captain Underpants creator pro-police abolition or is this a work of copaganda? AV
(The Rabbit Box Theatre, Pike Place Market)

SUNDAY

FILM

Dietrich & Von Sternberg: Dress for The Image Past Event Like List
I'm taking notes from Marlene Dietrich, who once said, "I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men." As Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg sought out the next screen siren, his working relationship with Dietrich became the stuff of legend: The pair made bliss, beauty, and opulence come to life on screen in six Paramount-produced films throughout the '30s. Dietrich did it all—she was a "sultry chanteuse, a cunning spy, and the hedonistic Catherine the Great," for starters—and von Sternberg's chiaroscuro lighting captured it all. Dress for the image and head to the Beacon for screenings of all six of the films, continuing with Blonde Venus this weekend. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City)

LIVE MUSIC

Meet Me @ The Altar Past Event Like List
Following on the path paved by female-fronted pop-punk heavies Paramore, the high-energy trio Meet Me @ The Altar brings a level of raw emotion and empowerment that is generally lacking in the male-dominated genre. The band will play tracks from their sophomore album (and Fueled by Ramen debut), Past // Present // Future. In an interview with Exclaim! the band described the album as a "homage to the music we loved growing up while reflecting our modern-day lives, sounds, and experiences." Arrive in time to catch opening sets from the LA-based pop-rock duo Honey Revenge, punk soloist John Harvie, and dark pop artist Elliot Lee. AV
(Neumos, Capitol Hill)

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox Past Event Like List
In a reimagining of contemporary pop hits in the styles of jazz, ragtime, and swing classics of the '20s through the '50s, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox defies genre with a rotating collective of musicians and vocalists who cross musical boundaries and generations. Think Bruno Mars in the style of Frank Sinatra or the Spice Girls in the style of The Andrews Sisters. You get the picture! AV
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)

Tourist & Amtrac Past Event Like List
You may not think you're familiar with English electronic artist Tourist (aka William Phillips), but in a roundabout way, I bet you are. Remember Sam Smith's 2014 tearjerker "Stay with Me"? That was written by Phillips—in fact, it won him a snazzy Grammy Award for Song of the Year. His solo project Tourist experiments with atmospheric electronics and sound collage while staying true to his pop roots. He will be joined by indietronica producer Amtrac. AV
(The Showbox, Downtown)

SPORTS & RECREATION

My Better Half Marathon 2024 Past Event Like List
With the Better Half Marathon, it's easier than ever to take the next step (and then the next, and then another one, ad nauseam) in any relationship. Enter in one of four categories: bromance, besties, lovers, and lonely hearts, and choose from 5K, 10K, and half marathon races. If you're really trying to show someone you can't do it without them, sign up for the half marathon relay. Entry includes a running hoodie, race photos, and a hot post-race meal (nothing says sexy like sweatily scarfing down oatmeal together). My sister, a runner who completed her first half marathon last year, tells me My Better Half is supposed to be a "great race" because the course is "along the water and downhill, and also the medal is cute." SL
(Seward Park, Seward Park)

MULTI-DAY

EXHIBITS

Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign Past Event Like List
An often-overlooked 1968 social justice movement confronted poverty head-on and reimagined American activism, but you've probably never heard of it. The Smithsonian's traveling exhibition Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign looks closely at the nearly six-week-long protest, which took place in a constructed "Resurrection City" in DC and drew attention to the impact of poverty on Americans. Everyone from rural Appalachians to residents of Puerto Rico and Native communities showed up for demonstrations and demands for jobs, living wages, access to health care, and more. Organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy, the Poor People's Campaign was the "first large-scale, nationally organized demonstration to take place after King’s death." Head to this exhibition to learn more about it through photographs, oral histories, and political ephemera. LC
(Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, Tuesday-Sunday)

FILM

American Fiction Past Event Like List
If the words "incisive literary satire" perk up your ears, then boy, does director Cord Jefferson have the film for you!! In his new dramedy (an adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure), Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a novelist who's understandably aggravated by the establishment that profits from "Black" entertainment and its exhausting tropes. When Monk writes a book under a pen name, he finds himself paddling in the same phony waters he admonished in the first place. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Monday-Thursday)

Children's Film Festival Seattle 2024 Past Event Like List
Relive your lunchbox-toting years at this annual hybrid festival, which promises a "cine-magical extravaganza for tots, teens, and everyone in between." Sound corny? WHO CARES?? CFFS has presented an annual lineup of children's flicks for 19 years and has grown to become the largest film festival on the West Coast dedicated to kids and their families. Get into it—you're basically guaranteed to see something sweet and life-affirming. This year's slate includes a youth-juried roundup of over 150 films by international artists, plus affordable "field trips" for educators and their students, cosmic-themed workshops, and more. LC
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill, Monday-Saturday)

2024 HUMP! Film Festival Past Event Like List
Dan Savage's pioneering erotic film fest will premiere an all-new lineup of sexy films featuring all genders and orientations at On the Boards this year. Since 2005, HUMP! has brought inclusive, creative, and kinky films to the big screen—scope out the sex-positive fest in person for a tantalizing treat. This year's fest features not one but two feature-length lineups—part one includes a feast of "24 brand-spanking-new films" for your eyeballs. It's worth a venture outside of your sex dungeon, but you can still wear the latex catsuit. LC
(On the Boards, Uptown, Thursday-Saturday)

The Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy Past Event Like List
Life is short. Spend 10 hours of it watching Peter Jackson's entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, then spend another 10 hours watching his entire Hobbit trilogy. (Don't say I never gave you any good life advice.) As someone who just read The Hobbit for the first time over Christmas, I'm rather enraptured by J.R.R. Tolkien's world of talking bears and breakfast-loving little guys like Bilbo, and Middle-earth seems as good a place as any to defrost from a long winter. On February 3, the newly minted SIFF Cinema Downtown will screen the entire LOTR trilogy for diehard Ringers, but you can also catch individual screenings February 2-15. LC
(SIFF Cinema Downtown, Belltown, Monday-Sunday)

My Brother’s Wedding in 35mm Past Event Like List
After producers rushed a rough cut of the film to an '83 festival screening, where it received a mixed review from the New York Times, Charles Burnett's My Brother's Wedding scared off distributors. The film didn't receive its flowers until a quarter century later, when Milestone Films acquired the rights and Burnett was able to finish the editing and re-release it. The result is definitely worth scoping out in lush 35mm—it's a "belated realization of a nearly-lost work of art" and a South Central LA tragicomedy that reckons with the realities of working-class Black life in America. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, Monday/Wednesday)

Poor Things Past Event Like List
Real Lanthimos heads know that he doesn't direct anything without dystopic, black comedy underpinnings and plotlines that make audiences ponder why they're on the planet at all. He is weird, as directors should be, and you're either in or you're out. This time around, he's adapted a '92 Scottish novel for the screen, painting the picture of a young woman (played by Emma Stone, who is raven-haired and looks charmingly bananas) brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist (played by my famous dad, Willem Dafoe). Best part? Poor Things "saved" my other dad, Mark Ruffalo, from "depressed dad typecasting." Praise be. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Monday-Thursday)

6th Annual Sámi Film Festival Past Event Like List
Originating in 2018 as a partnership between the National Nordic Museum and the cultural association Pacific Sámi Searvi, the Sámi Film Festival has blossomed into a hybrid event with extensive in-person and virtual film programming from Sámi (indigenous Northern Scandinavian) cultures. This year's festival explores the work of "newly released and classic Sámi features, documentaries, and short films" selected by guest curator Liselotte Wajstedt, including an in-person screening of Katja Gauriloff's Je'vida, the first film in the Skolt Sámi language. LC
(National Nordic Museum, Ballard, Thursday-Sunday)

Space Is The Place Past Event Like List
Kick off Black History Month in the grooviest way possible with the Afrofuturist masterpiece Space Is The Place, which sees space prophet Sun Ra and the whole Intergalactic Solar Arkestra return to Earth (Oakland, to be exact) after a cosmic trip to prep Black people for an impending apocalypse through teleportation tunes. Their music aims to transport listeners to a "planetary paradise away from violence and racial prejudices"—if you haven't seen the sci-fi classic yet, make this the year you fix that. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District, Monday-Wednesday)

The Zone of Interest Past Event Like List
If you've been keeping up with A24's films by international directors lately, including solid entries like After Yang and Dream Scenario, you're probably already jazzed for The Zone of Interest, which is a co-production between the US, the UK, and Poland. Filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (who directed the Scarlett Johansson-as-an-extraterrestrial flick Under the Skin) tells the story of a Nazi commandant and his family, who attempt to build a happy life near the Auschwitz concentration camp. Call me presumptuous, but uh, I'm not rooting for them. The film has been shortlisted for Best International Feature at this year's Oscars. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Monday-Thursday)

LUNAR NEW YEAR

New Year’s All Year Round: Theater, Dance & Sound Past Event Like List
Wing Luke's New Year's All Year Round exhibit is back in the Uwajimaya Kidplace Gallery, celebrating the Year of the Dragon with displays on lion dances, New Year's demonstrations, and food traditions. LC
(Wing Luke Museum, Chinatown-International District, Monday/Wednesday-Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

Madame Mars’ Mystic Society: A Mardi Gras Spectacular Past Event Like List
Let them eat king cake! Emerald City Trapeze will channel some Mardi Gras spirit with this blend of magic-conjuring cabaret, flying trapeze, circus, and drag performances, all set to live music within the portal of Madame Mars's pink-lit, "magnificent parlor." Show some extra love for the Bayou State by heading to the 21+ show on February 10, which will laissez les bons temps rouler with a moonlit after-party beneath the big top. LC
(Emerald City Trapeze Arts, Industrial District, Friday-Saturday)

Swan Lake Past Event Like List
Chances are good that you're already familiar with this ethereal story of love, agency, and good versus evil. Swan Lake is a must-see for the uninitiated, and a graceful reminder of ballet's power for die-hard fans. Crafted "by the light of [theatrical set designer] Ming Cho Lee’s luminous moon," Kent Stowell’s ultra-dreamy adaptation of the wing-flapping masterpiece envelops viewers in the tale of Prince Siegfried and Odette, Queen of the Swans set to Tchaikovsky’s original score. LC
(McCaw Hall, Uptown, Thursday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Black & Boujee Past Event Like List
Aiming to redefine stereotypes and notions of luxury in Black culture, the group exhibition Black & Boujee challenges the Eurocentric conception of opulence, centers Afrocentric aesthetics, and will likely expand your perceptions on all things expensive. The show is a great reason to visit Bainbridge Island—it'll showcase works by Black artists and designers working in painting, sculpture, and other mediums to investigate the "complexity of navigating luxury in a society shaped by racial inequalities." LC
(Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Winslow, Monday-Sunday)

Elizabeth Malaska: Like Honey Among Thorns Past Event Like List
If you're into Elizabeth Malaska's solo exhibition All Be Your Mirror, currently on view at the Seattle Art Museum, I have a humble suggestion for you: more Elizabeth Malaska. Like Honey Among Thorns, presented in conjunction with Malaska's SAM show, further explores the murky depths of what makes her work great; expect more moody figures, subtle patterning, and drippy, gestural flora and fauna forms. Materials run the gamut from Study for One Leopard, a stark rendering of (you guessed it) a leopard in charcoal, to pensive horses in Flashe and trickling flowers in sumi ink. LC
(Greg Kucera Gallery, Pioneer Square, Tuesday-Saturday; closing)

Ginny Ruffner: Project Aurora Past Event Like List
Last February, I described Atlanta-born sculptural glass artist Ginny Ruffner's work as "perfect for this time of year—it's colorful, tactile, and nature-inspired, imparting a sense of hope in the viewer." I still feel that's the case. Ruffner has a way of shaking off my winter doldrums. This time, though, she seems to be upping the ante—her solo installation Project Aurora is a 20' wall of light that's "programmed to undulate, evoking the Aurora Borealis." As someone who has never made it to Lapland, I'm here for the glowy interpretation. LC
(National Nordic Museum, Ballard, Friday-Sunday; opening)

Merry Go Round of Pleasure and Understanding: Melissa Messer and Ian Kurtis Crist Past Event Like List
In this joint show Merry Go Round of Pleasure & Understanding, two artists, Melissa Messer and Ian Kurtis Crist, share vastly different approaches to capturing the human form. Messer's paintings of people—some solo, some warmly wrapped up in one another—will invite your eye to linger on the long brush strokes and lulling colors that shape their bodies. Crist's work, however, is initially unsettling—stark scenes of sex, violence, and questionable characters will leave you wondering if I should be looking at all. Along with the show, which hangs at Koplin Del Rio through March 2, Messer and Crist are hosting a variety of complementary events including a free, bring-your-own-art-supplies figure drawing night (February 17), an artists' salon (February 24), and a film night at the Beacon where the theater's own Tommy Swenson will screen a secret movie inspired by the artwork (February 21). STRANGER ARTS EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Georgetown, Monday-Sunday)

Overburden: Katie Miller Past Event Like List
Inspired by a recent residency in Joshua Tree National Park, which is home to delightful "Don't Die Today" signage and over 300 historic mines, Katie Miller's solo exhibition Overburden blends kiln-fired glass, photographic weavings, and hand-cut paper to think about the sociological influence of historic and modern mining and mineral extraction practices. A quick peek at Miller's Instagram reveals ultra-detailed compositions that remind me of the Joshua tree's spiky leaf growth. LC
(The Vestibule, Ballard, Friday-Saturday; closing)