It's a big week for big names here in Seattle, Washington. From a night of stand-up with Ronny Chieng Past Event Like List to a concert with Laura Marling Past Event Like List , from SMooCH 2021 Past Event Like List with Modest Mouse, Shaina Shepherd, and Josiah Johnson to a virtual chat with Annie Leibovitz Past Event Like List , and from the Dina Martina Christmas Show Past Event Like List to A Charlie Brown Christmas Past Event Like List with the Jose Gonzales Trio, we've compiled our picks through Sunday below to help you sort out your schedule. 

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Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day

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MONDAY

FILM

Silent Movie Mondays Past Event Like List
Every year, the Seattle Theatre Group pairs screenings of under-appreciated silent films with live musical scores, often performed on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ. This year's series kicks off with Yakov Protazanov's sci-fi classic Aelita: Queen of Mars, making way for Santa-centric silents next week.
Paramount Theatre (Downtown)

MUSIC

PUBLIQuartet Past Event Like List
Hailed by The Washington Post as a "perfect encapsulation of today's trends in chamber music," PUBLIQuartet will help revive Town Hall's music series with a night of energetic strings. 
Town Hall (First Hill)

READINGS & TALKS

An Evening With Nancy Pearl Past Event Like List
Seattle's most famous librarian is the 2021 recipient of the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Join her on Folio's virtual stage as she receives her well-deserved prize from Washington Post lit critic Ron Charles at the 72nd National Book Awards Ceremony.
Online

Joy Has a Sound Book Release Past Event Like List
A new anthology edited by Rachel Kessler and Elisheba Johnson gives a home to "essays, poetry, scores, scripts, and silences" by Black luminaries. Join Wa Na Wari at this book-release celebration complete with readings and interactive activities that "merge joy with sound."
Online

WEDNESDAY

MUSIC

TV Girl - 6 and ½ year anniversary of French Exit Tour featuring Jordana Past Event Like List
The Los Angeles indie-pop outfit will bring their danceable blend of electro-washed dream pop and neo-psychedelia to town to celebrate the anniversary of their French Exit Tour.
The Crocodile (Belltown)

THURSDAY

PERFORMANCE

Sugar Plum Gary Past Event Like List
A misanthropic disposition combined with a strong satanist worldview distinguishes Sugar Plum Gary from other yuletide figures. Every year around this time, "somewhat beloved storyteller and comedian Emmett Montgomery" slips into a red onesie and takes the stage to give audience members completely unsolicited advice on how to best navigate the season, and it's often pretty funny if you're into dark, absurd humor. What's his favorite holiday decorating tip? In an interview with Brett Hamil in City Arts, Sugar Plum Gary gives his answer: I like to "find a dark place and put myself in a corner and wait," he says, with a creepy uncle grin. Merry Christmas. RICH SMITH
18th & Union (Central District)

READINGS & TALKS

Washington State Book Award: Take a Stand: Art Against Hate Past Event Like List
Poems, stories, and images from 117 writers, 53 artists, with 69 illustrations comprise the winning tome of the 2021 Washington State Book Award for Poetry, edited by Seattle-based writers Anna Bálint, Phoebe Bosché, and Thomas Hubbard. Tune in as Bálint moderates this event featuring readings by contributors Ronda P. Broatch, Catalina Cantu, Maiah Merino Risa Denenberg, Patrick Dixon, Thomas Hubbard, Rob Jacques, Priscilla Long, and others.
Online

FRIDAY

MUSIC

Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme Past Event Like List
The many-membered funk party band Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme will perform both before and after a set from Unsinkable Heavies, a subgroup of funky local favorites Polyrhythmics.
Neumos (Capitol Hill)

Joni Mitchell's Blue: 50th Anniversary Celebration Past Event Like List
Wish you had a river you could skate away on? Join Kuinka's Miranda Zickler, The Dip's Tom Eddy, and other great Seattle singers for a 50th-anniversary tribute to Joni Mitchell's iconic Blue.
The Royal Room (Columbia City)

Seattle Symphony: Holiday Pops Past Event Like List
Acclaimed conductor Stuart Chafetz and Broadway star N'Kenge will headline this annual program of holiday favorites with the Seattle Symphony.
Benaroya Hall (Downtown)

PERFORMANCE

Ginger Minj's Winter Wonderland Past Event Like List
RuPaul's Drag Race star Ginger Minj will team up with her bestie, Gidget Galore, in what bills itself as a "non-denominational, musical romp through the holidays." 
Broadway Performance Hall (Capitol Hill)

Queer/Bar Seasons Series: Olivia Lux Past Event Like List
The lovely RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 contestant Olivia Lux will open for the MX crew. 
Queer/Bar (Capitol Hill)

A Very Drunken Christmas Carol Past Event Like List
The Drunken Tenor gets bonked on the head and wakes up in a strange new world where the ghosts of Christmas lead him to and fro in this wobbly and opera-infused retelling of the classic Dickens tale. Don't forget to wear your ugliest sweater for the chance to win a prize. 
Opera Center (Queen Anne)

READINGS & TALKS

Annie Leibovitz Past Event Like List
One of the most influential fashion photographers of our time will share work from her latest book, Wonderland, on Elliott Bay's virtual stage. 
Online

SATURDAY

COMEDY

Ronny Chieng Past Event Like List
Malaysian-Singaporean-Australian-American comedian and actor Ronny Chieng, a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, will once again crack audiences up with his unique perspective on Asian culture on his latest tour supporting his new sitcom Ronny Chieng: International Student (which you can catch on Comedy Central and Netflix). 
Neptune Theatre (University District)

MUSIC

Ben Ottewell + Ian Ball of Gomez Past Event Like List
The members of '90s-bred English indie-rock band Gomez have gone their separate ways for the most part, but Ben Ottewell and Ian Ball will join up for a special duo tour. Join them for a night of fan favorites (including their 1998 breakout hit "Bring It On," surely) and solo work.
Barboza (Capitol Hill)

Joseph: The Requests Only Tour, with Natalie Schepman Past Event Like List
The Oregon-based sisters and bandmates have avoided the sophomore slump with their second album, Good Luck, Kids, a collection of songs highlighting the band's signature storytelling and emotional complexity. Now they'll stop in Seattle with a set exclusively curated by you, their biggest fans. Their third member, Natalie Schepman, will also play solo work off her new album, Fresh Water in an Empty Vase.
Ballard Homestead

Laura Marling Past Event Like List
Since the release of 2008's Alas I Cannot Swim, Hampshire-born singer-songwriter Laura Marling's pop-folk has become even more raw and astonishing. Don't miss the BRIT Award-, Mercury Prize-, and Grammy-winning artist as she swings through town on her latest solo tour. 
Neumos (Capitol Hill)

Laura Veirs Past Event Like List
Portland singer-songwriter Laura Veirs sits most comfortably in the indie-folk camp, but her songs' breezy, forward movement suggests her appreciation for good old four-four pop. Maybe she'll play her song "Riptide," featured in Lynn Shelton's My Effortless Brilliance. 
Fremont Abbey Arts Center

Seattle Men's Chorus: Snow Business Past Event Like List
In a slight spin from their landmark holiday event, the Seattle Men's Chorus will perform dazzling tracks of the season, like their own revamped takes on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Festival Gloria," "Here We Come A-Caroling," and many more.
Benaroya Hall & Federal Way Performing Arts Center

Sera Cahoone with Margo Cilker Past Event Like List
If you haven't heard any of her three critically acclaimed solo albums, you might know Seattle musician and longtime Sub Pop artist Sera Cahoone from her work in beloved indie rock bands like Carissa's Wierd or Band of Horses. Over the last 10-plus years, Cahoone has found her element in Americana and alternative country-rock. Her comfort in the genre could have to do with her home state of Colorado, where her father sold dynamite for a living. (Wile E. Coyote, anyone?) Cahoone's music is nostalgic but not played out—songs like "Deer Creek Canyon" (from her 2012 record of the same name) exemplify her direct, emotional songwriting. ANNA MCCLAIN
Tractor Tavern (Ballard)

SMooCH 2021 with Modest Mouse, Shaina Shepherd, Josiah Johnson Past Event Like List
The charity circuit will get an indie-rock soundtrack as a pitch-perfect lineup gathers to help raise funds for Seattle Children's Hospital. Attendees will get the unique treat of pairing their online concert-viewing experience (the lineup for which includes Modest Mouse, Shaina Shepherd, Josiah Johnson) with a culinary party box from all-star local chefs and wineries like Ethan Stowell, Mark Ryan Winery, and Sleight of Hand Cellars.
The Showbox (Downtown)

PERFORMANCE

Last Podcast on the Left Past Event Like List
Delight your ghoulish sensibilities with a live edition of this frighteningly addictive comedic podcast dedicated to freaky and violent real-life events (or events that a lot of people believe in), including cultish shenanigans, demonic apparitions, alien abductions, and more. Join Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, and Ben Kissel to "laugh at things you will probably feel guilty about later." (True enough, but the humor is at the expense of killers and charlatans—and the occasional Slender Man erotic fanfic—so let that temper your shame as you will.)
Paramount Theatre (Downtown)

SHOPPING

Handmade Holiday Market Past Event Like List
Purchase handmade gifts from over 35 local makers and enjoy a hearty fare from Kiss My Grits. 
Second Use Building Materials (Georgetown)

VISUAL ART

Very Open House Past Event Like List
The Georgetown artist studios will celebrate 15 years on the scene with an open house filled with fun festivities in its four buildings, from live music to artist demos to beer gardens and food trucks. 
Equinox Studios (Georgetown)

SUNDAY

MUSIC

​A Charlie Brown Christmas Past Event Like List
The Jose Gonzales Trio returns to Strawberry Theatre Workshop for the tenth annual edition of their jazzy Christmas party centering the classic Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, whose "Christmas Time Is Here" has been deemed "one of the most beautiful pieces of jazz ever composed" by The Stranger's Charles Mudede. This year's concert will be bolstered by a silent auction featuring an array of holiday gifts, plus fine chocolates by Meg Maggie Margaret. 
Cornish Playhouse (Seattle Center)

Nirvana Live @ The Paramount 30th Anniversary Screening Past Event Like List
Seattleites who were around in 1991 may remember Nirvana's Halloween homecoming show at the Paramount, which came on the heels of their seminal album Nevermind. In honor of the event's slightly belated 30th anniversary, see a screening of the concert (shot in 16mm), plus live performances from Seattle's THEM and The Black Tones. There will also be a silent auction and a '90s-themed photo booth, which will of course necessitate your most tattered flannel.
Paramount Theatre (Downtown)

Supaman Past Event Like List
Christian Parrish Takes the Gun (aka Apsáalooke rapper and dancer Supaman) will bring down the house with his unique rhymes.
Chop Suey (Capitol Hill)

PERFORMANCE

Heylo Sessions LüChi Takeover Past Event Like List
Together with PAX, Seattle's favorite drag duo, LüChi, will host a glorious evening of drag performances, live music, giveaways, and "mystical wonder" at the club. Special guests include drag stars Mila Skyy, Kennedy Colby, and Velicity Dior Black; burlesque diety Shadae Simone; and musician Charlie Cash. Before the main event kicks off, show up for a meet and greet with LüChi and a holiday market touting local artisans. 
Supernova (Sodo)

Mimosas Cabaret: "A Boob Job For The Holi-Gays" Past Event Like List
Isabella Extynn, Ruby Bouché, and the rest of Mimosas Cabaret's usual suspects will get in the holiday spirit with a raucous brunch show set in Hooterville, where the Green Bitch is out to ruin Christmas for the Holi-Gays. 
Unicorn (Capitol Hill)

READINGS & TALKS

Short Stories Live: Rogue’s Christmas 2021 Past Event Like List
A Town Hall Short Stories Live tradition returns with a collection of unconventional holiday tales read live by Jean Sherrard, Kurt Beattie, Marianne Owen, and special guest Ken Workman, a Duwamish elder and descendant of Chief Seattle. 
Town Hall (First Hill)

MULTI-DAY

FILM

House of Gucci Past Event Like List
Sure, Lady Gaga's Italian accent could use some work, but anyone interested in fashion and juicy family plots should have a grand time admiring the gorgeous fabrics, giant sunglasses, and biting marital conflict paraded throughout Ridley Scott's new film that spans three decades of the iconic Gucci family—culminating in the murder of the former head of the Gucci fashion house, Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver).
SIFF Cinema Uptown, Queen Anne (Monday-Thursday)

Seattle Turkish Film Festival Past Event Like List
The Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington will present the ninth annual edition of their community-driven, volunteer-led festival featuring a rich panorama of new Turkish films. This year's program will feature a mix of virtual and in-person screenings of films by the likes of Ferit Karahan (Brother's Keeper), Uluc Bayraktar (9,75 Square Centimeters), Nisan Dag (When I'm Done Dying), and Nesimi Yetik (It's All About Peace and Harmony).
Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill (all week)

FOOD & DRINK

Miracle on 2nd Past Event Like List
In 2014, New York bar owner Greg Boehm temporarily transformed his space into a kitschy Christmas wonderland replete with gewgaws and tchotchkes galore. Now the pop-up has expanded to more than 100 locations all over the world and will be returning to Belltown’s Rob Roy this year. The specialty cocktails are no ordinary cups of cheer: Beverages are housed in tacky-tastic vessels (a drinking mug resembling Santa’s mug, for example), bedecked with fanciful garnishes like peppers and dried pineapple, and christened with irreverent, pop-culture-referencing names like the “Bad Santa,” the “Yippie Ki Yay Mother F**r,” and the “You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out.” Nearby siblings Navy Strength Like List and Vinnie's Wine Shop Like List will host the spin-off holiday-tiki-themed pop-up called "Sippin' Santa Past Event Like List ," which asks you to "imagine Santa on a surfboard instead of a sleigh and palm trees instead of pine."
Rob Roy, Belltown (all week)

MUSIC

The New Pornographers Past Event Like List
The Canadian power-pop and indie-rock juggernaut headed up by singer-songwriters Carl Newman and Neko Case returns to town for two back-to-back headlining shows.
Neptune Theatre, University District (Thursday-Friday)

PERFORMANCE

Christmastown: A Holiday Noir Past Event Like List
If your holiday season lacks slinky dames, growling gumshoes, and hard-boiled bosses, try Seattle playwright Wayne Rawley's Christmas noir, back onstage once again.
Seattle Public Theater, Green Lake (Thursday-Sunday)

A Christmas Carol Past Event Like List
ACT Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol is a dependable, simple pleasure, with just enough variation to warrant returning year after year. For the 46th (!) edition, Julie Beckman will direct, and Amy Thone and R. Hamilton Wright will alternate as Scrooge.
ACT Theatre, Downtown (Tuesday-Sunday)

The Dina Martina Christmas Show Past Event Like List
Watching Seattle drag legend Dina Martina perform is a bit like having a Christmastime flu. You will sit there, confused and warm, your thoughts disassociating, a fever addling your brain, while the holiday cheer twinkles all around you. Truly, there’s no performer who is more like a strong dose of Nyquil than Dina Martina. She is cozy but disorienting. You will laugh without knowing why. Take her with alcohol and double the danger. CHASE BURNS 
Moore Theatre, Belltown (Friday-Saturday)

A Very Die Hard Christmas Past Event Like List
Seattle Public Theater will restage this hit holiday musical from a script by the top-notch sketch comedy outfit The Habit (plus Jeff Schell), which peppers the rip-roaring action with songs, jokes, and more.
Seattle Public Theater, Green Lake (Wednesday-Sunday)

Jingle All the Gay! Past Event Like List
A mashup of burlesque, cabaret, dance, drag, and music, this queer-tastic holiday tradition is brought to you by Seattle beloveds like Kitten N' Lou, Cherdonna Shinatra, Markeith Wiley, and a slew of fabulous fruitcakes from afar. 
Odd Fellows West Hall, Capitol Hill (Wednesday-Sunday)

Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker Past Event Like List
Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker is a lascivious holiday show experience with sugar plum fairies, exciting clothes-dropping times, and more swanky fun.
Triple Door, Downtown (Wednesday-Sunday)

Pacific Northwest Ballet: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker Past Event Like List
If you haven't seen this Christmas classic since you were a kid, give it a go this year. In 2014, Pacific Northwest Ballet replaced its beloved Maurice Sendak set with one by Ian Falconer, who did the Olivia the Pig books, and I'm glad that they did. The new set is gorgeous in a Wes Anderson-like way, and it reflects the genuine weirdness and beauty in the story. I mean, the last 45 minutes of this thing is a Katy Perry video starring dancing desserts and a glittery peacock that moves like a sexy broken river. Bring a pot lozenge. RICH SMITH
McCaw Hall, Queen Anne (Thursday-Sunday)

SHOPPING

Renegade Seattle Past Event Like List
"The broadest reaching curated craft showcase in the world," Renegade will return to Seattle for a "festival wintertime marketplace" complete with plenty of gifts for everyone from skincare enthusiasts to plant parents, plus food and drink offerings. 
Magnuson Park Hangar 30, Sand Point (Saturday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Portraits and Identity: Photographs from The Collection of Robert E. Jackson Past Event Like List
Inspired by the age of selfies, these mostly vintage photographs collected by Seattle's Robert E. Jackson show how cameras have been manipulating not only appearances but also identities since long before iPhones were invented.
Photographic Center Northwest, Central District (Monday & Thursday); closing

WINTER HOLIDAYS

Christmas Ship Festival Past Event Like List
The Puget Sound is filled with lights throughout the holiday season, but no vessel can compete with Argosy Cruises' Christmas Ship, which docks in 65 waterfront communities to serenade people onshore and onboard with its resident choir. Those who choose to board the ship will enjoy photos with Santa, a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," and kids' activities. For a less family-oriented option, you can trail behind in a 21+ boat with rotating themes each week. It's also free to watch from the shore.
Various locations (all week)

WildLanterns presented by BECU Past Event Like List
The Woodland Park Zoo is taking a more realistic approach to its beloved annual holiday light display by lining its paths with glowing lanterns in the likeness of tigers, snow leopards, aquatic creatures, zebras, and other exotic animals.
Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney (all week)