The Stranger

This is not an exhibition of an art form that’s ancient and dead. Australian aboriginal art has been gaining steam and notoriety since the 1970s, and this exhibition will bring several practicing contemporary artists to Seattle along with more than 100 paintings and sculptures from the last 40 years, extending traditions that go back thousands of years. Those who love pretty things to look at will be satisfied; so will those who want to ask, “Why do people make art?” (Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave, www.seattleartmuseum.org, 10 am–5 pm, $17 suggested) by Jen Graves

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Dan Bejar, the brains behind Destroyer and a frequent contributor to the New Pornographers, wasn’t gifted with the golden cords of a canary. His voice is frankly creepy. It’s the kind of taut, whispery voice you’d expect to narrate a police lineup of rage-prone clowns, or advise a blind man with a broken cane to look on the bright side. Kaputt, Destroyer’s most recent release, combines the seedy hopefulness of a saxophone with Bejar’s knack for breathless, intelligent lyrics and super-creepster singing. The result is fucking delightful. (Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave, www.showboxonline.com, 7 pm, $18 adv/$20 DOS, all ages) by Cienna Madrid

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A quirky young woman lives in a house with a bunch of cats. She has a pull-cart that she takes out with an array of kitties in baskets, and she uses a megaphone to announce her wares: “Feeling lonely? I’ll rent you a cat.” When someone is interested in a certain one, she visits the person’s home and they end up telling her their dreams and problems and life stories. This lighthearted film is funny and adorable and very Japanese. (Egyptian Theatre, 805 E Pine St, thestranger.com/siff, 9:30 pm, $11) by Gillian Anderson

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Late spring—that’s now, people!—is a marvelous season to eat at a Seattle restaurant that has a menu of very-freshest local greatnesses. What’s been on the blackboard at tiny, awesome Blind Pig Bistro recently: chilled radish-top soup. Asparagus with farro, tapenade, arugula, and currants. Fava beans with walnuts, lovage aioli, lemon. There’s meat, too, but right now, vegetables are king: Crown them in your heart by putting them in your stomach. (Also on offer at the Blind Pig: “HUGS—SEE SERVER.”) (Blind Pig Bistro, 2238 Eastlake Ave E, 329-2744, 5–10 pm) by Bethany Jean Clement

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Ten years ago, aspiring authors loved to hate Nell Freudenberger. Her books won acclaim and big sales, and she was declared one of the New Yorker’s 20 great writers under 40. It’s the kind of celebrity that inspires the bloggy masses to pounce on any slip in ego or talent. But Freudenberger just kept writing. Her latest novel, The Newlyweds, is about a Bangladeshi woman who moves to New York to marry a man she met on the internet. To some, she’s a mail-order bride. In Freudenberger’s hands, the truth is more complex—and more beautifully told—than that. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, 624-6600, 7 pm, free) by Paul Constant

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