Tattoo

(DANCE) Seattle choreographer Pat Graney has made a name for herself nationally as a creative force in modern dance, so any chance to view her latest work must be considered a hot ticket. With promises of a strikingly unique experience, On the Boards is presenting the world premiere of Tattoo, Graney's multimedia piece exploring the emotional imprint of history and memory. Composers Ellen Fullman and Amy Denio have created an original score for Graney's fine company of dancers; the evening should be a treat for the ears as well. STEVE WIECKING

On the Boards, 100 W Roy, 217-9888, Thurs-Sun at 8 pm, one weekend only through Jan 16, $18-20.

(THEATER) What good is sitting alone in your room? The Tony-award winning revival of Cabaret, staged by American Beauty director Sam Mendes, hits town this week and wants you to come hear the music play. Though it's lacking the Broadway charisma of Alan Cumming's Master of Ceremonies, and Ellen's Joely Fisher is no Liza (but, then, who ever is?), the deceptively scrappy physical particulars of Mendes' unnerving vision are not beyond the scope of a touring production. For extra incentive, there is always the dark gem of a score by Kander and Ebb, with teasing, insinuating songs that dare to give a paying audience the occasional creeps. STEVE WIECKING

Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, 292-ARTS, Tues-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 7:30 pm, matinees Sat & Sun at 2 pm, through Jan 30, $21-$50.

Heroic Trio

(LIVE MUSIC) If the idea of a band comprised of former members of Some Velvet Sidewalk and Juned sounds intriguing to you, then Heroic Trio should be on the top (or bottom, as it were) of your "To Do" list today. They'll bring their discordant blend of pop and rock to the Breakroom to play with Kent 3, Leatherboy, and the Congratulators. KATHLEEN WILSON

Breakroom, 1325 E Madison, 860-5155, 10 pm, $6.

AFI Shorts Night

(FILM) Film students face the challenges of pathetic budgets, limited equipment, time and location restraints, creative pressure, and convincing decent actors to work for coffee and cigarettes. The results? Sure, there's always the Tarantino rip-off and MTV-style editing; but in the midst of all the cinematic fumbling, a handful of success stories emerge. See for yourself, as New York City's American Film Institute presents an impressive program of student films -- the cream of the crop -- from its Cinema Studies class. AFI staff and alumni will be present to discuss and introduce the award-winning works. Who knows? You just might discover the next Spike Jonze or Tim Burton; or the next... whoever it was that made Hudson Hawk. MIN LIAO

911 Media Arts Center, 117 Yale Ave N, 682-6552, 8 pm, $4.

Margaret Cho

(COMEDY) I think that Hooters is a great institution, because there would never be a female equivalent. Women would never go to a restaurant called Balls. Having survived a documented encounter with both alcoholism and soul-eating network-executive puppeteers on the mid-'90s ABC sitcom All-American Girl, Margaret Cho managed to escape with her career (and life) intact. She is currently piling up well-deserved laurels for her one-woman show, I'm the One That I Want. JASON PAGANO

Meany Theater, UW campus, 543-4880, 8 pm, $24/$29.

Mos Def

(LIVE MUSIC) The most handsome man in hiphop is Mos Def. He is lanky, with a face that looks young and "well traveled with years" all at once. This is the sort of face you stare at without finding the right words... its beauty eludes language. True, his music is great; his performances are great (there is so much energy in that slim body!); and he is the current star of New York's underground hiphop scene. But the reason I watch his shows and videos is for his fine looks. The men in Black Anger, who are opening for the "most highest," are not as good looking as Mos Def, but they do have skills. (For those who doubt me, try the single "Third Eye" on Classic Elements -- impeccable!) In a word, this should be a perfect show, as we have content from the talented Black Anger coupled with the form of Mos Def's exquisite and expressive face. CHARLES MUDEDE

UW HUB Ballroom, 543-1447, 8 pm, $18.

Murder City Devils

(LIVE MUSIC) I know some people dismiss the Murder City Devils as all show and no substance; I know some people complain that they're sick of them. Well, to those people I say, "Boo Fucking Hoo." Have some pride -- you have to take it where you can get it in today's sparse local scene. Whether or not the Devils' rapid action tunes are your bag, they're without question one of the best bands in Seattle. And I don't see stage fire at many other rock shows these days. There's a reason we write about them all the time. There's a reason they're playing two shows tonight -- one all ages and one 21+. The Murder City Devils are the cream of the rock crop. If you're looking for a quiet night, head over to the Cha-Cha, which surely will be conspicuously empty when the Devils take the stage. ERIN FRANZMAN

Breakroom, 1325 E Madison, 860-5155; 4 pm, all ages; 10 pm, 21+; $8.

Cut Your Own Hair

(HOME PROJECT) Remember Sunday mornings when you were a kid, and your mom would spit-slick your hair down just before church or visiting the grand-mammies? If the cowlick didn't stay put, sometimes she'd whip out the scissors and a bowl, and you'd be in for a quick trim. Relive those bucolic days by giving yourself a haircut today! You'll need a nice sharp pair of scissors, a mirror, and a fine-toothed comb. Line up the comb so that it looks like a straight line parallel to your brow line -- and voilà! A whole new, mom-approved you. TRACI VOGEL

Your bathroom, free.

MLK Celebration

(READINGS) Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday rings out at Third Place Books, which continues its philosophical mission with this community-oriented reading, sing-along, and poetry festival, led by local poet Gloria Burgess. The work presented will celebrate King's life and activism. TRACI VOGEL

Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3300, noon, free.

Miller's Crossing

(ART) A pair of unrelated artists with the surname of Miller show new stuff at Howard House. Jesse Paul Miller has been a stand-out at numerous shows, everywhere from alternative spaces to juried exhibitions to a small installation at Seattle Art Museum. But this is his first show in a Seattle gallery, which means for the first time one should be able to take in the scope of his achievements, including sound works, drawings, paintings, and sculptural installations. Sean Miller, a former Seattleite who helped found the Soil Artists Co-op, shows paintings combining elements of pop art (bright colors, clean lines, conventional forms) and surrealism. ERIC FREDERICKSEN

Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399, Tues-Sat 11 am-6 pm, through Jan 29.

To Be Young, Gifted and Black

(THEATER) Lorraine Hansberry helped change the face of both theater and society in this country with her biting yet tender look at a black American family, A Raisin in the Sun. To Be Young, Gifted and Black: A Portrait of Lorraine Hansberry in Her Own Words celebrates the life of that crucial playwright and poet in an acclaimed show, which had a record run in its off-Broadway incarnation. This University of Washington production is directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, and features a cast combining student and professional actors. STEVE WIECKING

UW Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave NE, 543-4635, Tues-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm, runs through Jan 23, $7-$10.

Outside In: New Chinese Film

(FILM) If all that comes to mind when you think of Chinese art is chunky jade, oversized vases, and milky maidens, then snap out of it. You're at least one century behind the times. The folks at Seattle Art Museum, Henry Art Gallery, and the Tacoma Art Museum hope to enlighten you by presenting their new avant-garde art exhibition, Inside Out: New Chinese Art, and in conjunction with that, they're screening a thoroughly modern and compelling string of Chinese films by various Chinese directors (including Wayne Wang, who's enjoying the recent success of his decidedly un-Chinese Anywhere but Here). Yim Ho's Hong Kong noir The Day the Sun Turned Cold (1994), in which a young man puzzles the police by accusing his mother of killing his father 10 years ago, kicks off the series in gorgeous 35mm. MIN LIAO

Seattle Art Museum Auditorium, 7:30 pm, $6; for more info, call 625-8900.