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LIVE MUSIC
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Likening their legacy to the King of Filth John Waters, punk outfit Redd Kross has built a name for themselves by making subversive music in a “high pop celebrity style.” Tracks like “Annette’s Got The Hits” and “Candy Colored Catastrophe” bring an effortless “fuck it” attitude to self-aware satires of ’60s pop and ’70s rock hits. But don’t get it twisted—Redd Kross is not a parody band—their tracks are cheeky and fun without being a mockery. AV
(Tractor Tavern, Ballard)
READINGS & TALKS
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Speculative fiction champions Clarion West are offering some serious interplanetary inspiration with a “Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy,” which includes a reading series with luminary authors. The talks continue this week with award-winning author and indie singer-songwriter Sarah Pinsker. Show up to expand your horizons. LC
(Seattle Public Library – Central, Downtown)
COMEDY
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This interactive comedy show wants to help you feel better about your daily struggles. Aww, thanks, comedy show! Audience members will be prompted to jot down their woes on slips of paper before the performance. Comedians (Tré Walker, Courtney Brennan, Don Gavitte, and Chris Mejia this time around) will then draw them from a box, using the audience’s unique problems to create an improvised set. Don’t worry, they’re not really laughing at your expense—it’s more like a rare moment of catharsis, where you’ll chuckle at the batshittery of your own life alongside a bunch of strangers. If that sounds like your bag, don’t miss it. LC
(Comedy/Bar, Capitol Hill)
FILM
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This year’s outdoor movie offerings at Marymoor Park are old-school, dog-friendly, Americana F-U-N, complete with live music and familiar flicks beneath the barely visible stars. (We live in a light-polluted city—can’t have it all.) The much-loved summer film series will kick off on July 10 with the DeLorean-powered classic Back to the Future. Snuggle up, bring a picnic, or chow down on bites from the food trucks on site. LC
(Marymoor Park, Redmond)
LIVE MUSIC
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Singer-songwriter Indigo De Souza writes intimate lyrics about her life then wraps them up in grungy indie rock riffs inspired by ’90s alt-rock heroes like the Breeders and Dinosaur Jr. She will swing through town with songs from her critically acclaimed album, All of This Will End, which reflects on “childhood memories, collecting herself in parking lots, the ecstatic trips spent wandering Appalachian mountains and southern swamps with friends, and the times she had to stand up for herself.” Don’t miss an opening set from alt-pop duo ill peach. AV
(The Crocodile, Belltown)
COMEDY
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Comedy performer Allison Goldberg’s dating show has made waves recently, showing up in LA Magazine, Thrillist, Time Out LA, and elsewhere. Let’s do as the Angelenos do, shall we? The show should appeal to those of us who are sick of swiping—and sick of men’s voices. In Love Isn’t Blind, a handful of fellas will compete on stage for one bachelorette, with the little caveat that they can’t speak. Like, at all. Instead, the audience will sort through the pickings by calling the boys’ moms and unlocking their phones. The last man standing will go on a date with the bachelorette. Sound weird? Almost certainly!! No weirder than dating in general, though. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown)
FILM
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Know what’s better than one movie? Two movies. Hear me out. While double features are lengthy, butt-numbing, and potentially exhausting, they also offer the viewer something that’s typically unachievable when watching a single film: Additional cultural context. After all, cinema is not created in a vacuum, and all art informs all other art in one way or another. What does Hiroshi Shimizu’s 1936 road portrait Mr. Thank You have to do with Speed, starring Sandra Bullock and her tousled bob? How did the Beatles frenzy flick I Wanna Hold Your Hand inform Eckhart Schmidt’s poppy art horror Der Fan? The Beacon will make it easy for you to find out this month. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City)
LIVE MUSIC
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Portland-based indie rock legends Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Wild Flag) and Sam Coomes (Heatmiser) will head up I-5 to play their beloved 1998 album, Featuring “Birds”, in its entirety for the first time. The album is known for its dark, heartbreaking lyrics hidden beneath a wall of saccharine harmonies and catchy pop songwriting. They will be joined by NYC indie pop group Ribbon Stage. AV
(The Crocodile, Belltown)
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Compton-born rapper YG, best known for his collaborations with artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, Meek Mill, and Snoop Dogg, will stop by on his JUST RE’D UP tour named after his forthcoming album, JUST RE’D UP 3 (out August 16). Originally announced on his social media in 2016 (and again in 2017), the DJ Mustard-produced album will finally see the light of day. Fellow rappers Doe Boy and DJ Vision will open. AV
(Showbox SoDo, SoDo)
PERFORMANCE
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Seattle Theatre Group’s DANCE This program has celebrated diverse cultures through dance for 26 years, so if you haven’t yet caught its yearly performance, now’s the time. Assembling youth and adult dancers, this year’s vibrant program includes performances from Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, Spectrum Dance Theatre, Whim W’Him, Jeroboam Bozeman of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and Broadway professionals. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
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“I think this place is haunted.” RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 Miss Congeniality is here to spread the good news that she’s stunning, but that’s not all: Sapphira Cristál’s also a classically trained opera singer and a composer who attended the same Houston church as Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. I’ve never been so instantly jealous of someone’s church attendance before, but there’s a first time for everything, I guess! Sapphira will stop by Seattle to spread some optimistic realness. LC
(Neptune Theatre, University District)
FILM
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Secret Cinema is exactly what it sounds like—just show up and prepare to be seduced by whatever pops up on screen. Opportunities to be entirely surprised by a film don’t come along very often, so try it out as a reminder that there are still mysteries to uncover in the world. Or maybe you’ll hate it. Who knows! That’s the fun of the whole shebang. Go forth, switch off your brain, and let the enigma reveal itself. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City)
FOOD & DRINK
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Mingle with fellow beer enthusiasts at this annual fundraiser hosted by the Phinney Neighborhood Association. The event will showcase microbrews, including IPAs, lagers, farmhouse ales, pilsners, sours, and more, from over 30 Northwest breweries and cideries. Your ticket includes free pub snacks like pretzels and popcorn, but if you’re feeling particularly peckish, Barking Dog Alehouse will sling bánh mì, ahi tuna, and veggie sliders. JB
(Phinney Neighborhood Association, Phinney Ridge)
PERFORMANCE
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I’ll go ahead and ask what we’re all wondering: What eldritch horrors loom in the shrouded hills of old Appalachia?! Steve Shell and Cam Collins may be the only folks who know for sure. The co-creators of the fictional horror anthology podcast Old Gods of Appalachia summon a Lovecraftian level of macabre imagination to weave the web of an alternate, or “shadow” Appalachia. Historical elements may feel familiar, but Shell and Collins’ hills and hollers are just a smidge off-kilter. The duo’s live show will take the form of an old-timey radio play, which is already a pretty creepy format if you think about it. A rotating cast of actors and musical performances will enhance your shivers. LC
(Neptune Theatre, University District)
SHOPPING
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Comic connoisseurs, art book aficionados, and DIY zinesters, gather ’round—the 11th annual Hot Off the Press Book Fair showcases self-published and small press works by boatloads of regional indie artists and publishers. Find out what the cool kids have been working on at the evening showcase, with participating artists including Megan Kelso, Short Run, Riot Grrrl Records, and others. Indie-poppers LAKE, Whidbey Island singer-songwriter Grant Fairbrother, Lori Goldston, Penta Swanson, and other local musicians will sling some lo-fi tunes. LC
(Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery, Georgetown)
VISUAL ART
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Research-based multimedia artist Lauren Ruiz and Washington-based poet/novelist Ocean probe the depths of “horological decay, compression, sempiternity, and aqueous time” in this multimedia, speculative fiction-inspired installation, which blends video and sculptural pieces with text-based works. Not sure what “horological decay” or “sempiternity” means? That’s okay—just imagine you’re exploring the artworks in ( ((elapse)) ) from aboard a subterranean research vessel. LC
(The Vestibule, Ballard; opening)
FILM
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Whether or not you spend much time thinking about the guy who made Robocop, Paul Verhoeven’s oeuvre is worth a deep dive—the Dutch provocateur has earned cult status for his dark, satirical, and distinctly anti-Hollywood flicks. Like Basic Instinct, for starters! If you’re into labyrinthine seduction, murderous ravers, and coke-snorting detectives, this one’s for you. Seattle showgirl Monday Mourning will turn up for this screening, so anticipate some additional dazzle. LC
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill)
FOOD & DRINK
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Bastille Day—the joyous French holiday that celebrates the 1789 storming of the Bastille and the fall of the French monarchy—falls on Sunday, July 14, this year. Lucky for Francophiles, you don’t have to get on a plane to fête like the French. The beloved bistro Le Pichet will throw a soirée in the name of liberté, égalité, and fraternité, complete with baskets of snacks, live music from Bar Tabac, “lashings of red, white and pink wine,” and plenty of dancing on a makeshift dance floor. JB
(Le Pichet, Pike Place Market)
LIVE MUSIC
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Hear, hear, elder emos, mainstream punk fiends, and skater boys who bullied me in middle school—the original blink lineup of Travis Barker, Tom DeLonge, and Mark Hoppus are bringing their One More Time tour to the Gorge this month. Despite its name, this isn’t a farewell tour—rather, it’s named after the band’s ninth album, which marks the return of founding guitarist Tom DeLonge (who took a hiatus in 2014 to conduct alien research, but I digress…) Pop-punk outfit Pierce the Veil will open. AV
(Gorge Amphitheatre, George)
PERFORMANCE
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This immersive, month-long foray into Seattle’s dance community offers unique opportunities to watch, study, and learn alongside other movement artists. The Seattle Festival of Dance + Improvisation has helped dancers build community in the Pacific Northwest for nearly 30 years—this time around, they’ll offer cohort-based intensives (who will “spend three weeks working toward a live performance at 12th Ave Arts”), plus drop-in classes and workshops for novices and experienced practitioners alike. LC
(Velocity Dance Center, Eastlake)
COMEDY
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“Hello. I’m a girl.” LA-based stand-up and Vulture “Comedian You Should and Will Know” Irene Tu will visit Seattle on the heels of a viral Comedy Central YouTube video, offering the Pacific Northwest her “quick wit, relaxed stage presence, and hilariously off-the-wall observations” (Paste Magazine). LC
(Laughs Comedy Club, University District, Friday–Sunday)
COMMUNITY
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Seattle Art Museum’s summer-long series of free visual art, music, and community offerings will come to life at Olympic Sculpture Park again this year. On Thursday nights, attendees can expect live music and art activities, while Sunday mornings will serve up movement classes and guided tours of the park’s sculptures. The festivities kick off on July 11—visitors can groove around to a live performance by alt-poppers Terra Nobody and Indonesian American DJ Chong the Nomad, then create stenciled art with Scott Mexcal. Sri Lankan food cart Kottu and The People’s Burger will serve up snacks. LC
(Olympic Sculpture Park, Belltown, Thursday & Sunday)
FESTIVALS
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Originally started as a celebration of the neighborhood’s fishing industry in 1974, this festival has expanded over the years to include a salmon dinner, a crab shack, a beer garden replete with local craft brews, food and artisan craft vendors, a skateboarding competition, and live music. This year’s music lineup includes Rubblebucket, Naked Giants, Wild Rumours, and Nite Wave, among many others. Gluttons for punishment can enroll in the lutefisk eating contest, an annual competition to see who can scarf the most of the salty, gelatinous fish. JB
(Various locations, Ballard, Friday–Sunday)
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Northwest Tune-Up will transform downtown Bellingham into a peak-PNW oasis celebrating all things bikes, beer, and music. After a long day of exploring the world-class mountain bike singletracks and competing in (or spectating) bike races, wind down with some live music and local brews. Highlights from the musical lineup include rapper Lupe Fiasco, bluegrass ensemble Yonder Mountain String Band, and indie rock gem Indigo De Souza. Plus, there will be plenty of product vendors, family-friendly activities, and food trucks. AV
(Waterfront Waypoint Park, Bellingham, Thursday–Sunday)
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If you thought West Seattle Summer Fest was just a music festival, I wouldn’t blame you—the lineup is stacked. Bands including SF-based groovy folk group Sonny & The Sunsets, sister-fronted indie rock band La Fonda, and local Fleetwood Mac tribute the Little Lies will keep the music going across two stages basically nonstop from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. But that’s not all! There’s a kids’ zone with giant inflatables, dozens of vendors, sidewalk sales, a beer garden, and the usual West Seattle farmers market on Sunday. Before you start complaining about how far away West Seattle is, keep in mind that it’s 100% free to attend. SL
(West Seattle Junction, Junction, Friday–Sunday)
FILM
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Collide-O-Scope has been melting brains with freaky found footage and expertly curated ephemera for over a decade. This mish-mash of music, oddities, and pop culture obscurity is well suited to the weirdo in all of us—plus, attendees have the chance to win sick prizes throughout the night. The show is the brilliant brainchild of Shane Wahlund (The Stranger’s very own video wizard) and Michael Anderson—they’ll team up with Vanishing Seattle’s Cynthia Brothers for this collab, which will present a “special concoction of vintage video, freaky film, and found-footage fun in celebration of the Seattle you once knew. LC
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, Monday–Tuesday)
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Since it opened just shy of a year before the pandemic, it’s hard to believe The Beacon has been trucking along for five years already. When The Stranger reported on the single-screen cinema’s opening back in 2019, co-owners Tommy Swenson and Casey Moore planned to screen “an eclectic, curated selection of both new and old, avant-garde and mainstream films,” and they’ve definitely fulfilled that promise. Along the way, they’ve discovered what they deem the “essence of cinema”—ten pillars of storytelling that constitute the artistic quest of filmmaking. The pillars include “kung fu,” “blood,” and “a woman losing her mind,” so count me in. Buckle up for this screening series and find out what photogénie is all about. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, Saturday–Sunday)
FOOD & DRINK
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Show some love for the beer-makers up and down Washington’s I-405 corridor by visiting dozens of participating breweries in Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, Duvall, Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, and Renton. Look forward to tap takeovers, special releases, brewery tours, tastings, and more. JB
(Various locations, Saturday–Sunday)
LIVE MUSIC
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If we break down Seattle’s summer music festivals in terms of the generations they cater to, Capitol Hill Block Party is for Gen Z, Bumbershoot is for Gen X, and DIDO undoubtedly caters to the millennials. This year, the fest will be headlined by pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen, Seattle-born indie folk band Head and the Heart, and Jack Antonoff’s Springsteen-esque project Bleachers. Other highlights include Peach Pit, Men I Trust, Suki Waterhouse, and opening DJ sets from beloved PNW bands like Acapulco Lips, King Youngblood, and La Fonda. All performances will take place on a single outdoor stage in the heart of Seattle with access to food trucks, vendors, and views of the Space Needle. AV
(Fisher Pavilion, Uptown, Friday–Sunday)
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The Seattle Symphony will take on the score of J.J. Abrams’ space epic Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which follows the scrappy heroine Rey (played by Daisy Ridley). Relive the magic of the film in high-definition on a giant screen amid John Williams’ unforgettable compositions. AV
(Benaroya Hall, Downtown, Friday–Sunday)
PERFORMANCE
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“Flames! Flames on the side of my face!” Inspired by the cult film and the board game Clue, this theatrical interpretation expands on the long-held notion that murder is sometimes a little funny (you know, as a treat). The play’s premise is a perfect fit for the stage, aka Boddy Manor, where six weirdo guests will assemble with candlesticks, daggers, and ropes in tow. It’s a real whodunnit! I think Tim Curry would approve. LC
(The 5th Avenue Theatre, Downtown, Tuesday–Sunday)
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Up-and-coming bicultural and experimental theater company Yun Theatre, whose works question convention and confront sociopolitical issues impacting marginalized communities, will premiere their latest production, June is the First Fall. Centering a gay Chinese man whose return to his Hawaii home rips open old familial wounds, the show was deemed an “endearing study of culture, family and personal growth” by Broadway World. Director Christie Zhao described the play as “a coming out Asian queer story, [which is] rare in Seattle but resonates deeply with many.” LC
(Theatre Off Jackson, Chinatown-International District, Thursday–Sunday)
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Throw on your old-timey feathered caps and get thee to a nunnery—or maybe just head outdoors for Greenstage’s always-free Shakespeare in the Park, which returns for its 36th season this year. They’ll offer up productions of the Bard’s Henry VI—Parts Two and Three and familiar rom-com Twelfth Night, plus some scaled-back “Backyard Bard” one-hour shows, including “problem play” All’s Well That Ends Well, at parks across Seattle. Peep their calendar for performance times and locations. LC
(Various locations, Friday–Sunday)
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I initially read the title of this event as “Starball: A Dreamy Musical Astrology Show,” and was a little excited to see how they’d interpret my Big Three. But hey, cosmological inquiry is great too. Enter John Kaufmann and Dan Dennis, who have performed this astronomical musical at planetariums the world over. Developed while the pair worked at the Pacific Science Center, Starball blends theater, improv elements, and original tunes to think creatively about constellations and cosmogonies. The show even pulls inspiration from audience visions, so bring your dream journal. LC
(West of Lenin, Fremont, Wednesday–Sunday)
VISUAL ART
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Little has been revealed about Seattle-based artist Claudia Fitch’s solo exhibition Models and Messengers, but I’m already intrigued. The artist’s smart, playful sculptural work is always a quizzical journey for the eyeballs, often sourcing cultural narratives from pop and art history to bold, inventive ends. I’m excited to see what she’s come up with this time—will she be working in bronze, ceramic, cast resin, or another medium entirely? (Fitch has also created quite a few of the city’s public works; see if you recognize any.) LC
(Greg Kucera Gallery, Pioneer Square, Tuesday–Saturday)
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Artist, musician, and filmmaker Clyde Petersen designed his latest solo show at J. Rinehart Gallery to be more approachable than your traditional gallery exhibit. Instead of protecting perfect original prints behind glass, several pieces in Naïve Melody were printed in limited runs of 20, 40, 50, or more, and they’re all hanging on the walls, ready to be taken home that very day. Though they’re fully on display, flipping through the hanging posters feels intimate, not unlike peeking at pages of private journals. The collection of song lyrics, poems, sketches, and memories lays bare a path to who Petersen is today. For example, the piece “1993” (which was excerpted in our recent Queer Issue) is a letter to his younger self that recalls the moments that helped him find, define, and embrace his queerness, from buying a used copy of Lesbian Poetry, an Anthology at Open Books to surviving the mosh pit at a sweaty Sleater-Kinney show. As you examine these artifacts, you’ll start to think about your own roadmap and what you might display if ever tasked to define yourself for all to see. STRANGER ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(J. Rinehart Gallery, Pioneer Square, Tuesday–Saturday)
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Weaving together Shinto mythology and contemporary feminist ideologies, local artist Hanako O’Leary’s origami works in Kamon create a unique visual vocabulary embedded with stories from her recent travels to Japan’s Setonaikai Islands and her childhood summers by the Seto Inland Sea. If you saw Izanami, O’Leary’s first solo museum presentation at the Frye earlier this year, Kamon is an essential follow-up. O’Leary will lead an artist talk and origami workshop “intended for those who identify as women or daughters” on July 27. LC
(Gallery 4Culture, Pioneer Square, Thursday–Sunday; opening)
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As former Stranger staff writer Jas Keimig wrote back in 2022, “To be an arts writer in Seattle is to be continually in awe of the site-specific works dreamed up by artists-in-residence at MadArt Studio.” Sadly, MadArt’s final exhibition is upon us, and the group show will pay tribute to the organization’s 15-year legacy. All past MadArt artists were invited to “propose works that referenced, extended, or resonated with their original MadArt creations,” leading to a whopping 51-piece showcase that incorporated lesser-visited areas of the MadArt space, like the mezzanine office and the kitchen. It’s a fitting final tribute to MadArt’s immersive art ethos. LC
(MadArt, South Lake Union, Wednesday–Saturday; closing)
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