The Stranger

(MUSIC) Ten years and a certain band member's newly discovered life-threatening allergy to soy (of all things!) haven't slowed Sleater-Kinney down, and this year-end show promises to rock you to the floor. If you haven't seen the band translate the raw murk of their May release The Woods live, you haven't truly seen Sleater-Kinney. Drummer Janet Weiss opens the show with her other great band, Quasi, and Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks co-headline—so get there early. (Showbox, 1426 First Ave, 632-8499. 8 pm, $15, all ages.) ANNIE WAGNER

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(ANTI-NEW YEAR'S PARTY) If the name of the event seems grandiose, take this: I have it on good authority that this will be the best night of your life. With music by Harvey Danger, "Awesome," John Roderick, Love Hotel (last show ever), Jacob James, Gavin Guss, Levator, and the All-Girl Comb Choir, plus comedy by David Schmader, Champagne, and Black Daisy, tonight's variety show is energized by the premise that New Year's is always a drag, so why not celebrate a night early instead? The inimitable Sean Nelson hosts. (Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8000. 9 pm sharp, $8, 21+.) CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE

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(NEW YEAR'S PARTY) Want to forget this nightmarish annum and welcome '06 with open chakras? Hie yourself to this multimedia-riffic celebration. Dance-music connoisseurs can sweat their way into January with John Tejada, Tipper, Abstract Soul, and FCS North. Enthusiasts of burlesque and subversive circus antics can thrill to the Atomic Bombshells and Circus Contraption, respectively. Projections by Killing Frenzy and visual installations assure eyeball dazzlement. Plus: Diem, WD4D, food, six bars, dodge ball, pillow fights, and 16 toilets! (Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave N, 381-3218. 8:30 pm, $30 adv/$35 DOS, VIP $60 adv/$70 DOS, www.ticketwindowonline.com, 21+.) DAVE SEGAL

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(DJ NIGHT) Kincora and the Comet are two of the best rock dives the Hill has to offer—and while live shows at the former are few and far between, Kincora does offer a great selection of rock DJs whose vinyl collections can turn you evergreen with envy. Tonight Bobcat takes to the turntables for Skatevisions, where skate punk and old-school metal reign supreme. (Kincora, 518 E Pine St, 325-0436. 9 pm, free, 21+.) JENNIFER MAERZ

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(FILM) Let the first movie you see in 2006 be Buster Keaton's The General. It's got everything you could want in a movie: trains falling off cliffs, sight gags performed with balletic precision, and a girl named Annabelle Lee. (Grand Illusion, 1403 NE 50th St, 523-3935. 7 and 9 pm, Dec 30–Jan 5.) ANNIE WAGNER

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(FOOD) If you're in West Seattle, you'd be wise to stop into Blackbird Bistro, a classy new blue-hued restaurant specializing in organic, seasonal food, brought to you by the owners of Mission. The last time I ate there we devoured a delicious mix of pan-fried whole trout, baby-spinach salad with pecan-encrusted goat cheese, and garlic-rich sautéed calamari (with peppered ahi), all of which was affordable and very filling. (Blackbird Bistro, 2329 California Ave SW, 437-2875. Dinner seating until 10, bar open until midnight.) JENNIFER MAERZ

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(FILM) Since its 1968 release, Roger Vadim's Barbarella has remained a touchstone of trash-pop culture, inspiring numerous musicians (from Prince to Duran Duran) and vast masturbation (Jane Fonda spends the majority of the film in a bikini and go-go boots). Here's your chance to see the legendary space spoof—"a kind of sexual Alice in Wonderland of the future," proclaimed Vadim upon the film's release—in a brand-new 35mm print. (Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 267-5380. 7 and 9 pm, Dec 30–Jan 5.) DAVID SCHMADER

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