The Stranger

(RESTAURANT) The name couldn't be stupider if it were "Beau Thai." The neighborhood is odd, distant, and homely. Still, after enjoying my first meal at Lake City Way's Thai One On, I immediately began planning my return. The pad thai is a near miracle, achieving the perfect blend of lightness and spice, and bearing almost nothing in common with the ketchup-heavy tangles dished out by other Thai joints. If you want to make the punny name a reality, there's a mod-styled bar in back. (Thai One On, 12343 Lake City Way NE, 362-6999.) DAVID SCHMADER

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(THEATER/FILM) This Dutch production is half live (awkward characters failing to cope with an unnamed tragedy) and half filmed (the actors' empty offstage lives) and is supposed to be funny. I hate to suggest something sight unseen, but On the Boards is on a roll and Kommer only runs for one week. A review of the show from Theaterkerk Wadway, filtered through a computer translator, produced the following sentence: "A combination of humour-false-driven, romantiek, and onbenulligheid; this theatre show concerns acute sorrow." (On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217–9888. 8 pm, $22.) BRENDAN KILEY

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(READING) Jared Diamond is the wildly popular science writer whose fat tome Guns, Germs, and Steel spent years on the best-seller lists. When he last spoke at Town Hall, the line wrapped around the block and 100 people (including me) didn't get in. I'll hustle this time. Diamond's talk will draw from his most-recent book, Collapse, about environmental contributions to the collapse of societies throughout history, from the Easter Islanders to the Norse settlers in Greenland. (Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave, 652-4255. 5:30 and 8 pm, $5 at the door.) ANNIE WAGNER

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(HIPHOP ART) Those who are into skateboards will instantly recognize the name Jeremy Fish. I know nothing about skateboards, so the name means nothing to me. But I do know a lot about hiphop, which is why I recognize the name Ramm:Ell:Zee—the legendary NYC rapper, artist, and b-boy theorist whose work joins that of the aforementioned Fish, Ricky Powell, and many others in the Scion Installation Art Tour. (Roq La Rue Gallery, 2312 Second Ave, 374-8977. Opening reception 6–10 pm, free.) CHARLES MUDEDE

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(LAST-EVER GAS HUFFER SHOW) Remember when we finally convinced our parents to let us go to a concert by ourselves and we chose Gas Huffer because Jon wore their badass T-shirts during gym and we loved the band, which was poppy enough to adore and subversive enough to be cool, and we lost our naive little minds and decided that rock 'n' roll was about the best thing ever? Yeah, me too. (Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave, 441-5611. 9 pm, $8, 21+.) BRENDAN KILEY

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(CLUB NIGHT) The geniuses that bring you Comeback and Lick transform Vito's Madison Grill into a thumping paradise of rhythm, booze, and sexual promise featuring an eclectic mélange of A-list club DJs, no cover, and drink specials all night! Nobody is rushing to label the event "queer"—it's for "whomever likes to dance and get drunk for real cheap"—but... you know. (Vito's, 927 Ninth Ave, 682-2695. 8 pm–2 am, no cover, 21+.) ADRIAN RYAN

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(STAGED READING) Ian Bell's perennially popular Brown Derby Series takes on "a screenplay that will drive you Swayze!" If jokes like that make you want to die, stay far away from Re-bar's three-night run of Dirty Dancing, the surreally stupid '80s-meets-the-'50s dance flick reborn here as a trampoline for Bell and company's aggressive camp. Star Andrew Tasakos will undoubtedly illuminate shades of Baby that Jennifer Grey never dreamed of. (Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 233-9873. 8 pm, $10 at the door, 21+. Through Wed Jan 18.) DAVID SCHMADER

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