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FILM
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Indie horror ace Ti West (The Sacrament, The House of the Devil) returned in 2022 with a Southern-fried A24 slasher. Following a gang of youth cruising through rural Texas in the ’70s, X drew clear inspiration from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but still managed to craft a pretty fresh story centered around a psychopathic elderly villain. West made the best of it, quickly releasing the follow-up backstory Pearl and the to-be-released trilogy conclusion MaXXXine. Who’s the common denominator? Mia Goth, our 21st-century version of Shelley Duvall. She’ll star again in MaXXXine, and you can catch six minutes of footage from the upcoming film at this screening of X. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown)
PERFORMANCE
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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 with the show’s season five divas. They’ll share the stage with the hot-yet-terrifying Niohuru X, the world’s reigning Drag Supermonster. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
JUNETEENTH
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On Juneteenth, Africatown Community Land Trust and King County Equity Now are “commemorating the liberation of our ancestors from chattel slavery and collectively envisioning and exploring what future freedom and equity can look like.” Socially conscious hip-hop duo Dead Prez will host a panel on reparations and freedom, “Bed” singer J. Holiday will headline a lineup of music performances, and attendees can check out over 100 market and food vendors. The festivities will take over Jimi Hendrix Park, next to the Northwest African American Museum. JW
(Jimi Hendrix Park, Central District)
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In the words of Frederick Douglass, “Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.” Head to the Northwest African American Museum for this Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States with free admission, a book giveaway, craft activities, and fresh exhibitions on display, including EverOut pick Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See. LC
(Northwest African American Museum, Central District)
SPORTS & RECREATION
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Celebrate the efforts to make the outdoors accessible to all with an entrance fee-free day on Juneteenth. On a typical day, access to one of these natural gems will set you back $10 for a one-day pass or $30 for an annual pass, so fee-free days like this help make the outdoors accessible to all. The closest parks to Seattle proper are Bridle Trails in Kirkland and Saint Edward State Park on the northern shores of Lake Washington; both are about a 30-minute drive. SL
(Various locations)
LIVE MUSIC
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Seattle indie-rockers Car Seat Headrest began in 2010 as a solitary project of frontman Will Toledo, who self-released ten albums throughout his college career. Now, on Making A Door Less Open, the band’s second album as a full four-piece, the quartet continues experimenting with their sound by incorporating buzzing electronics. On the album, Toledo takes on an alternate persona called “Trait,” a mysterious gas-masked character who embraces party music. “Trait is a creature filled with exuberant energy,” he told theGuardian. “The character is a way to be an embodiment of that energy rather than some schmuck with a microphone.” AV
(Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge)
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If there were an award for music that’s “the best reminder to give your Mexican dad a phone call,” or one that makes you “most nostalgic for a time you never knew,” Chicano Batman would definitely win both. The Los Angeles-based quartet smoothly integrates two wistful genres: the romantic ’60s psychedelia so many brown kids grew up listening to on Saturday mornings, and the inescapably sun-soaked sound of Southern Californian indie. And nobody rocks the soulfulness of the organ like Chicano Batman. With appearances at big festivals like SXSW and Coachella under their belt, the band has amassed a fanbase that extends far beyond its Latino cult-following.” The psych-soul trio will swing through town to support their latest album, Notebook Fantasy, after an opening set from Latin synth-pop gem Lido Pimienta. AV
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
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Indie-folk top dog Iron & Wine (aka Sam Beam) has dedicated the majority of the past nine years to collaborative projects—releasing albums with Calexico, Jesca Hoop, and Ben Bridwell. Now, Beam is back with a new solo album, Light Verse, which returns to form with the finger-picked tear-jerkers he’s known for. Southern Gothic folk artist Amythyst Kiah will open. AV
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)
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Portland Mercury arts and culture editor Suzette Smith writes: “I started listening to Vampire Weekend in design school for their consistent versatility: You can draw to it, talk over it, or you can take it and the rhymes by singer/guitarist Ezra Koenig pretty seriously. With the departure of the group’s synth player and all-around genius Rostam Batmanglij in 2016, fans stepped into the new record cautiously, and waited for their subsequent albums patiently.” And, luckily, the five-year-long wait for Only God Was Above Us was well worth it. Drawing inspiration from 20th century New York City, Koenig and co. ponder the generation’s existence in the shadows of the past; notably, long gone famed New Yorkers and defunct storefronts. Guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of Phish Mike Gordon will open. AV
(Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown)
PERFORMANCE
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Reality Gays is a reality TV podcast that connects many of my disparate interests: sex positivity, classic literature, queer history, ’80s country music, and absolute garbage television. No, they don’t cover the polished oeuvre of Bravo—but lower-budget filth like 90 Day Fiancé, Seeking Sister Wives, Love After Lockup, and the god-forsaken, questionably incestuous dating show MILF Manor. Hosts Matt Marr (nicknamed “Matty”), a clinically trained therapist, makeup artist, and actor, and Jake Anthony (nicknamed “Poodle”), a music teacher, composer, and life coach, flex their talents in psychology, music, comedy, and cosmetology to dissect trashy television into content that is both hilarious and heartfelt. Just in time for Pride Month, Matty and Poodle will bring the If You Can Dream It tour to Seattle for a live taping of the podcast that is sure to include plenty of improv, risqué costumes, and tragic stories about their Southern upbringings. AV
(Triple Door, Downtown)
COMEDY
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The Daily Show with Trevor Noah contributor and Crazy Rich Asians actor Ronny Chieng released a cynically sweet Netflix special, Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy, back in 2022, but his name might also ring a bell if you binged John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA last month. (He was on the “paranormal” episode with the bewigged hypnotist.) Chieng will drop by the Pacific Northwest on a new tour, perhaps to explain why we should outsource ass-kickings to the government. LC
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)
READINGS & TALKS
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Cultural critic, pop culture YouTuber, and former Stranger staff writer Matt Baume’s 2023 tome Honey, I’m Homo! Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture was a deep dive into the “subversive” queer comedy storylines that transformed the American sitcom and continue to shape cultural attitudes toward LGBTQ+ folks today. The author will drop by Elliott Bay again (and just in time for Pride Month) to chat about television history’s most beloved quartet of old ladies, who were also steadfast queer allies. Baume will walk through key lessons from The Golden Girls, like “helping friends to come out on their own terms, learning why marriage equality matters, [and] combating stigma around HIV.” LC (Elliott Bay Book Company, Capitol Hill)
COMEDY
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This edition of the recurring improv show Mad Science could crack up the sturdiest Bunsen burner. First, you’ll learn a few factoids from a selection of STEM smarties; then, a wacky cast of improv comics will twist the duo’s scientific research into surprisingly scholarly giggles. No lab coat required. LC
(Fremont Abbey Arts Center, Fremont)
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Comedy titan Marc Maron, known for his long-running and wildly successful podcast WTF with Marc Maron, will bring self-revelatory anecdotes, biting cultural analysis, and (one hopes) in-depth updates on his cats to the stage. JW
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
COMMUNITY
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Welcome the summer season on a serene stroll through the Pacific Bonsai Museum’s world-renowned collection of trees on the longest day of the year. (Seems iffy that it’s not actually summer yet, but I don’t make the rules.) Visitors can observe bonsai-making demos or take part in Tai Chi classes, and those who dig “dynamic breathing and crystal singing bowls” can join complimentary sound bowl sessions. If you tend toward the less-woo end of the hippie spectrum, try it anyway. You might be surprised by how chill you become as meditative sound waves wash over you in the middle of a bonsai museum. LC
(Pacific Bonsai Museum, Federal Way)
FILM
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Northwest Film Forum’s Pride Month film series offers a radical selection of queer-centered flicks, carefully curated to ensure a wide range of perspectives and illustrating shifts in understanding across decades. This week, Lizzie Borden’s ’83 post-punk challenge Born in Flames follows the aftermath of a feminist Black revolutionary’s murder. LC
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill)
JUNETEENTH
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For the 23rd year, Atlantic Street Center welcomes the community to celebrate Juneteenth with a day full of live performances, delicious food, local vendors, family-friendly activities, and a resource fair. If it’s anything like last year, you can expect step performances, tap dancing, jump rope tricks, and hip-hop. Juneteenth commemorates the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865 (it was signed two years earlier!) in Texas at the end of the Civil War, and modern celebrations spotlight Black excellence and connection. If you can’t make it out, don’t worry! The whole thing will be streamed on Rainier Avenue Radio. SL
(Rainier Beach Community Center, Dunlap)
LIVE MUSIC
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Hailed by illustrious publications such as Pitchfork and NPR, Big Thief frontwoman Adrianne Lenker employs homey guitars, acoustic pianos, and grounded-yet-whimsical storytelling on her latest output, Bright Future. The album was recorded straight to tape with a small group of musicians, for a result that is raw, warm, and delightfully imperfect. Anticipate a similarly intimate sound as Lenker swings through Seattle for a rare solo show. AV
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)
PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
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Chances are good that Queer Prom Seattle will be a little cooler than your high school’s shindig. The rainbow-hued hop will return with more DJs, dancing, and sparkly vendors. Once again, the bash will close out with a Queer Court competition hosted by Rebecca Mm Davis and a step-down performance by last year’s King Sherwood Ryder, leading to the crowning of a new Queer Monarch. Think of it like a traditional school prom court of popular kids, but like, less jocks and cheerleaders and much, much more glitter. LC
(The Crocodile, Belltown)
PERFORMANCE
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Have you ever dreamed of walking the RuPaul’s Drag Race mainstage? Consider this “look party” to be the next best thing. Dazzle the crowd in a gag-worthy ensemble as rotating DJs, drag performers, and go-go dancers turn up the heat. This week’s theme is “denim on denim.” That’s right, take inspiration from Britney Spears at the 2001 American Music Awards with a head-to-toe dungaree dress. Canada’s Drag Race queen Denim will complete the jean theme alongside DJs alongside DJs Mixx America, T Mattel, and Dolly. AV
(Massive, Capitol Hill)
PRIDE
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Georgetown decided it was about time the neighborhood had its own Pride party! Swing by Bloom Bistro for an all-ages afternoon hang with music, food, face painting, and a clown appearance, but make sure to head over to Oxbow Park by 3 pm for the first annual parade, escorted by Dykes on Bikes and a brass band. There won’t be any organized floats, but folks are invited to join on foot, roller skates, and other human-powered wheels. Shotgun Ceremonies will offer free shotgun weddings at Georgetown Trailer Park Mall all day, before DJs including Wax Witch and Rainbow Tay spin at bars along Airport Way into the night. SL
(Various locations, Georgetown)
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MoPOP’s day-long queer extravaganza will celebrate Pride with short flicks screening throughout the day, zine-making and drag workshops, and a futuristic pop-up exhibit with artifacts from the set of The Matrix. Seattle Public Library and Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center will provide a “Queer Visions reading and resource list,” so show up to learn more about pop culture’s queer creatives and make something of your own. LC
(MoPOP, Uptown)
FILM
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Multi-talented artist Saul Williams’s punky sci-fi vision comes to life in Neptune Frost, a turbulent, Afrofuturist thrill ride. The musical film blends thoughts that William explored in his 2016 album MartyrLoserKing with input from co-director Anisia Uzeyman, a Rwandan-born artist. The flick follows a gaggle of miners-turned-computer hackers in the Burundi hilltops, and sends a powerful message of technology’s capacity for progression and radical change. We’re enamored by the cool character names, like “Tekno” and “Psychology,” but the film’s quirks and artistic displays of bravura aren’t just for show—Neptune Frost is grounded in anticolonialism, anticapitalism, and liberation. It’s important that films like this exist, so go show your support. LC
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill)
FOOD & DRINK
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Channel your inner Viking and sip the nectar of Valhalla at this celebration of Washington mead. Nine local meaderies will pour some early summer offerings at Skål’s covered outdoor street cafe. Chat with the producers and purchase bottles to take home with you if you find a favorite.
(Skål Beer Hall, Ballard)
LIVE MUSIC
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Argentine singer-songwriter Juana Molina has lived many lives. The daughter of famed parents (tango singer Horacio Molina and actress Elva “Chunchuna” Villafañe) made a name for herself as a popular comedic actress before pursuing a career as an experimental musician. Although her debut album perplexed Argentinian fans and media, Molina eventually moved to LA where she released her sophomore album, Segundo, an experimental folk masterpiece that utilizes electronics and looping. She will return to Seattle this month on a solo tour, performing old and new material with lots of improvisations, some of which will be crowd-directed. AV
(Triple Door, Downtown)
COMMUNITY
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Founded by Kaitlin Fritz in 2022, Cutie Fest is an alternative craft market that offers an accessible, inclusive alternative to other similar events, requiring no vendor fee. Since its inception, the festival has also spawned a nonprofit called the Cutie Foundation focused on empowering young artists. In the past, Cutie Fest has taken place at Cal Anderson Park, but excitingly, this iteration will be the first to take place at Bell Street Park in downtown Seattle and to be supported by the Downtown Seattle Association, meaning there will be capacity for food stalls, live music stages, and amenities like bathrooms. It’s been so heartening to see this scrappy grassroots movement grow, and I can’t wait to be there with a fun beverage in hand, ready to throw money at everything from handmade Crocs charms to Shrinky Dink keychains. Prepare to make lots of new queer friends. JB
(Bell Street Park, Downtown, Saturday-Sunday)
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I’m gonna be real with you: I’ve never been to the Fremont Fair. It always falls on Father’s Day weekend so I’m typically with my pops, but this year, he’s traveling! So I will without a doubt be soaking up the sun and all the Fremont quirkiness on a weekend full of market stalls, street performances, local bands, and general free-spirited merriment and artistic expression. If you’re around Saturday afternoon, you literally can’t miss the Solstice Parade, known for its elaborately painted nude cyclists, stilt-walkers, and giant puppets, among a stream of floats. Who’s got a bike and some body paint I can borrow? SL
(Fremont, Northlake, Saturday-Sunday)
FILM
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“I am not a whore…that’s just an expression. I’m an artist who paints with blood,” Patricia Highsmith once said. You might be tempted to be like, “Well, okay then,” and move on with your life, but here’s another idea: You should sink into the essence of Highsmith’s bloodiness with this round-up of some of the best cinematic interpretations of her work. Lesbian romance Carol is curiously not on the docket, but never fear: The American Friend and sociopathic romp The Talented Mr. Ripley more than make up for it. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, Tuesday & Sunday)
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I never anticipated needing to explain that Rachel Sennott is “currently funny,” but this flick’s title leaves me eager to confirm that she’s hilarious. (Although, if you’ve seen Shiva Baby or Bottoms, you’re already well aware.) In Ally Pankiw’s I Used to Be Funny, a stand-up struggling with PTSD seeks out a missing teen who she used to nanny. Sennott always understands the assignment, so I’m anticipating something vulnerable and comical and a little weird. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, Friday-Sunday)
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John Carpenter’s apocalyptic trilogy of species-eliminating flicks kicks off with The Thing, which might be my favorite film from the delightfully grumpy director. When a plucky bunch of puffer coat-wearing research scientists helps shelter a strange sled dog in remote Antarctica, they slowly learn that the pooch isn’t all that he seems. The icy classic horror stars a young Kurt Russell battling it out against—ya guessed it—a cold-hearted, shape-shifting alien. What better way to say hey to summer than by staring into a frosty abyss? LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, Monday-Saturday)
LIVE MUSIC
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Get lost down the rabbit hole into a swirling wonderland of electronic dance music, dazzling art installations, out-of-this-world dancers, carnival rides, and idyllic views from the Gorge at this two-day festival. The lineup this year, which features over sixty artists (!!), includes big-name producers like Mellodeath (Marshmello with SVDDEN DEATH), Zedd, Dillon Francis, Wuki, Deorro, SIDEPIECE, Disco Lines, Biscits, Odd Mob with OMNOM, Dimension, and Adventure Club. AV
(Gorge Amphitheatre, George, Saturday-Sunday)
PERFORMANCE
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As a Pulitzer Prize winner and 2007 MacArthur genius, Lynn Nottage often centers working-class people in her storytelling—her 2015 play Sweat centered small-town Pennsylvania factory workers facing job insecurity, racism, and class disparities. This time around, she had me at “play about a sandwich.” Nottage’s Clyde’s follows a team of formerly incarcerated kitchen staff who navigate life after lock-up while on a “quest to create the perfect sandwich,” so I hope you brought napkins. Check out this interpretation of the play for a funky cross between The Bear and Abbott Elementary. LC
(ArtsWest, Junction, Thursday–Sunday)
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We can hear the cackling from down the street. The Pacific Northwest’s premiere “internationally tolerated Jewish narcoleptic drag queen” Jinkx Monsoon will cast a campy spell and bring more of the weirdo dramatics for which she’s known and loved on the concert tour Together Again, Again!, which sees the two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner flex her musical chops alongside “musical prodigy” Major Scales. Water off a duck’s back! LC
(Seattle Repertory Theatre, Uptown, Tuesday-Sunday)
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Offering local directors the spotlight (and the opportunity to hone their craft), this three-week arts festival, which aims to create an experimental forum and public workshop for theater vets and drama newbies alike, will kick off its third year of programming. SJAM24 bills itself as the “largest professional arts event of its kind on Capitol Hill,” with directors Leah Adcock-Starr, Greg Carter, and Christie Zhao presenting their distinctive takes on four theatrical works this year. LC
(12th Avenue Arts, Capitol Hill, Thursday-Saturday)
VISUAL ART
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For better or worse, none of us can escape the experience of living in a body. AMcE digs into it in their latest group exhibition, which thinks carefully about embodiment through a series of pensive, dreamy works. Artists Alfred Harris, Rachel Maxi, Vander McClain, Megan Prince, Cara Tomlinson, and others all share their unique perspectives in Embodiment—I’m especially responsive to Orlovski’s earth-toned body part collages and Brooks Shane Salzwedel’s tiny box paintings. LC
(AMcE Creative Arts, Miller Park, Monday-Sunday)
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Even if you consider yourself a counterculture connoisseur, you might not be familiar with the West Coast’s alternative art history, which tends to be left out of art history classes. Enter Poke in the Eye, a new exhibition spotlighting ’60s- and ’70s-era aesthetic practices that shirked the minimalist, chilly movements coming out of the East Coast at that time. Seattle and Bay Area artists were “intentionally offbeat,” splashing color across figural and narrative compositions and making weird mouth sculptures. Hey, it’s always been a little irreverent out here, right? LC
(Seattle Art Museum, Downtown, Friday-Sunday; opening)
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Nadia Ahmed and Shannon Hobbs’s exhibition See Through feels uniquely delicate, relying on soft, luminous wax to reflect on the inherent fleetingness of relationships. The concept of “ephemerality” is mentioned pretty often in artist statements, but Ahmed and Hobbs seem to take a refreshing look at the idea, considering how impermanence can feel weighty and structured. “How much do you give or take in a relationship?” they ask the audience. Show up to feel seen. LC
(The Vestibule, Ballard, Thursday–Saturday; closing)
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The Seattle Japanese Garden is already a tranquil sanctuary and a solid place to refill your creative cup, but do you know what would make it even better? Original watercolor paintings of cats wearing backpacks. Japan-born, Seattle-based artist Mari Ichimasu will present her signature series, Fur Coats and Backpacks; The Travel Cats, during the garden’s lushest season. Visitors can participate in a “commemorative original stamp rally” and are welcome to bring their sketchbooks to draw inspiration from the on-the-go kitties. LC
(Seattle Japanese Garden, Madison Park, Tuesday–Sunday)
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Queer diasporic Chinese artists Antonia Kuo (who was born in 1987 in New York City) and Martin Wong (who was born in 1946 in Portland, and passed in 1999) represent artistic resonance across generations. Twilight Child will mount Wong’s “rarely exhibited biomorphic clay sculptures,” paintings, and archival materials, each carefully chosen in partnership with Kuo as part of the Frye’s “artists’ artists” series of collaborations. Alongside Wong’s work, Kuo will share “photochemical” paintings that respond to Wong’s poems and sculptures created at her family’s local industrial metal casting company. LC
(Frye Art Museum, First Hill, Wednesday–Sunday)
EverOut Staff
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