The Stranger Suggests
September 1 - September 8
Lawrimore Project 2.0
Art
The last time Scott Lawrimore opened a gallery, it was a fantasia. The rooms were many, each with its own character. That place, on Airport Way South, was unceremoniously shuttered recently—and tonight, in Pioneer Square, Lawrimore Project 2.0 begins. Lawrimore has been secretive, so we'll all see his unveiling at the same time, during First Thursday Art Walk. The art will be photography by Isaac Layman, the last artist to show in the former space; Lawrimore is keeping the drama low for this first show. But he's a sneaky one; keep your eyes peeled for little shocks and signs. (Lawrimore Project, 117 S Main St, Ste 101, www .lawrimoreproject.com, 5–8 pm, free)
See what else is happening Thursday »
'Cairo Time'
Film
I will say it again: One of the best films you will see this year is Cairo Time. Directed by Arab-Canadian Ruba Nadda, the movie is about an American woman who visits Cairo, meets an Arab man, and falls in love with the city. And the man falls in love with the dreamy way she falls in love with the city that he loves. Very early in the movie, the American woman wakes up in her hotel room. She has just completed her first night in the city, and the light of dawn is filling the sky. She climbs out of bed, walks onto the balcony, and bathes in the view of the great city and the great river. Life has much of its meaning in moments like this. (See Movie Times: thestranger.com/film)
See what else is happening Friday »
Wheedle's Groove
Bumbershoot
They may be grayer and paunchier than they were in their '60s/'70s heyday, but the musicians who encompass the sprawling soul/funk collective Wheedle's Groove remain commanding performers today. These artists—who heated up Seattle's club scene four decades ago but came to prominence after Light in the Attic's 2004 Wheedle's Groove compilation unearthed several classic tunes—play as if they still have much to prove. In addition, excerpts and outtakes from Jennifer Maas's Wheedle's Groove film doc will be shown at SIFF Cinema at 2:00 p.m. (Fisher Green Stage, Seattle Center, 3:45 pm, $22/$40, all ages)
See what else is happening Saturday »
Bacon
Chow
Too much—far, far too much—has already been said about bacon. So, offered without comment: a celebration of International Bacon Day at the Swinery (also known, somewhat disturbingly, as the Temple of Porcine Love), including various bacon-filled brunch items, $5 bacon burgers, and $2.50 bacon dogs. (The Swinery's bacon dogs are not bacon-wrapped: They are 60 percent beef and 40 percent bacon, "whipped and piped" like a regular hot dog so that the bacon is inseparably incorporated.) Also: free bacon chocolate-chip cookies. And music. (The Swinery, 3207 California Ave SW, 932-4211, 10 am–3 pm)
Check out some reader reviews of The Swinery or write your own »
1994 Redux
Music
Plunge yourself back into the year that brought NAFTA and the clubbing of Nancy Kerrigan with the creators of 1994's greatest records: Pavement (whose Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was as good as anything they ever did) and Hole (whose Live Through This is the crowning achievement of Courtney Love's entire existence). Courtney & Co. will hit Bumbershoot with a 75-minute set that could be a complete fucking disaster, while Pavement rock the Paramount with a full set guaranteed to be ravishingly ramshackle. (Pavement at the Paramount, 911 Pine St, 682-1414, 8 pm, $32, all ages; Hole at Bumbershoot, Memorial Stadium, Seattle Center, 7:30 pm, $40, all ages)
See what else is happening Sunday »
Shelter Lounge
Chow/Booze
Shelter Lounge is Ballard's stylish bar-with-food that won my heart with its ridiculous appetizers. The Avocado Fries ($6) are panko-breaded-and-deep-fried avocado slices that will make you swoon, while the PB&J Jalapeño Poppers ($7) defy logic by being the opposite of disgusting. They're fresh, panko-breaded jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and peanut butter (?!?) and served with a sweet-and-spicy pepper jelly. Neither dish is anything you want tons of, but nibbling with drinky friends is perfect. (Plus, during happy hour—daily 4–6 pm—appetizers get cheap.) (Shelter Lounge, 4910 Leary Ave NW, 829-8568, 4 pm–1:30 am)
William Gibson
Books
It's hard to praise William Gibson without sounding like an old geezer: "Way back in the 1980s, he predicted the internet! And he invented cyberpunk! You know, like that Johnny Mnemonic movie with the Keanu Reeves?" His newest book, Zero History, concludes the modern-day trilogy he began with 2003's Pattern Recognition, a thriller about a marketing consultant who is allergic to advertising. Gibson's still telling us what we're going to be doing the day after tomorrow, and he's doing the best work of his career at the same time. Show some goddamned respect. (University Village Barnes & Noble, 2675 NE University Village St, 517-4107, 7 pm, free)
See what else is happening Tuesday »
Dr. John and the Lower 911
Music
Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack) is one of the coolest Caucasians ever. This gravel-voiced ivory-tickler is a veritable New Orleans music-history lesson, filtering blues, jazz, soul, and funk into earthy, hearty compositions that also serve as monuments to his audacious personality. The Night Tripper's in town for a six-night run supporting his latest album, Tribal, but let's hope he also dips into his swampy, Creole-delic classic, Gris-Gris. "Walk on Gilded Splinters" to this show, if you have to. (Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave, 441-9729, 7:30 pm, $30.50, all ages)
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