The Stranger

Shellac frontman Steve Albini is one of those sharp-witted curmudgeons who's always seemed older than his years. Now he's nearly 47, and it doesn't seem odd that he still cranks out Mensa-level tough-guy rock that's as tense as a Mexican standoff. Shellac—which also includes drummer Todd Trainer and bassist Bob Weston—has wrenched out five riveting albums of immaculately analog-recorded dissonance and white-knuckled dynamics. Go for the tightly executed molten rock; stay for the barbed between-song witticisms. (Vera Project, Seattle Center, 956-8372. 7:30 pm, $13/$12 with club card, all ages.) by Dave Segal

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It's a bit of a grower, but Art Brut's latest album, Art Brut vs. Satan, proves to be a totally solid addition to the band's fine catalog of sharp, smart-alecky pop rock 'n' roll. Frontman Eddie Argos is on again about being broke, working shit jobs, and listening to too much music. And the band, here recorded by Frank Black of the Pixies, sounds as effortlessly tight as ever. They're unbelievably fun live, and tonight's show is part of the Noise for the Needy concert series benefiting Transitional Resources, so it's for a good cause. (Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 709-9467. 8 pm, $13, all ages.) by Eric Grandy

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Based on the novel by Clare Allan, Benjamin Ross's Poppy Shakespeare tells the platonic love story of two women: N, a devoted patient of a mental-health clinic in London, and Poppy, a violently unhappy new admission who's as certain of her sanity as N is of her own compromised mental state. The result is a rich, stylizedblack comedy illuminating the vast perversities of "mental illness," executed with an assured and meaningful quirkiness reminiscent of young Jane Campion. (Harvard Exit, 807 E Roy St, thestranger.com/siff. 9:30 pm, $11.) by David Schmader

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You know who's one of the funniest movie stars of all time? Bugs fucking Bunny, that's who! If you haven't watched the crossdressing, duck-taunting wiseass since you were a kid, you'll be blown away by this program of 12 cartoon classics. It's shocking how funny—and how nasty—Bugs can be as he pricks at his foes' inflated egos, revealing them as the simpering, blubbering fools they really are. Bonus points to the Grand Illusion for including two of the best cartoons of all time: "What's Opera, Doc?" and "Rabbit of Seville." (Grand Illusion, 1403 NE 50th St, 523-3935. 7 and 9 pm, $8.) by Paul Constant

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Getting somewhere: This is what Seth Kinmont is into. A descendent of a long line of California pioneers and engineers, Kinmont is at Open Satellite, hand-building three state-of-the-art electric cars based in part on 19th-century European coach models. One is an urban touring coach/hearse, another is an all-terrain vehicle, and the third is a two-person, glass-topped sports coupe. The cars are marked with strange symbols that represent another vehicle: an algorithm Kinmont devised for investing. For 12 years he's been going from zero to a million dollars, and it's working. This is an artist whose brain you'd like to meet. (Open Satellite, 989 112th Ave NE, Suite 102, Bellevue, 425-454-7355. Noon–6 pm, free.) by Jen Graves

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After identity politics, then what? I'd expect some fireworks from this discussion because it's led by Seattle artist/resident firecracker Mary Ann Peters. It goes along with the blazing group show at the gallery, I.D.: Individual Demographics, in which artists such as Glenn Ligon, Jack Daws, Kara Walker, Kerry James Marshall, Tom of Finland, Alice Wheeler, and John Waters explore what it means to be defined. Peters's cotalkers are Ki Gottberg, playwright and Seattle University drama professor, and artists John Feodorov and Margot Quan Knight. (Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. 7 pm, free.) by Jen Graves

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What's so great about the packed group show at Western Bridge this summer: It's dumb. It's also uncomplicated and beautiful, and it's about water. You know, about how water looks when it reflects light, and how it feels when you're in it and it takes hold of your hair and your scalp notices. It's about how many ways you can jump into it, and about how many colors it can be. The art is from the Trues' collection, so it's good and important. But all you need to know about is water. (Western Bridge, 3412 Fourth Ave S, 838-7444. Noon–6 pm, free.) by Jen Graves

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