THURSDAY APRIL 26


Alexis Rockman: Future Evolution

(ART/LECTURE) What happens when nature is subjected to continual and careless tinkering? New York artist Alexis Rockman puts genetic engineering in the cross hairs, and his aim is dead-on. Part meticulous Audubon illustration, part horror show, Rockman's paintings show us what kinds of flora and fauna might evolve in the terribly compromised circumstances we're creating on Earth. The newer works featured in Future Evolution take his map of ideas to rather startling new places: a square cow, three-winged chickens. The intersection of science and art is not a new subject, but Rockman's take is fresh and frightening and very, very hot in New York, where not much is natural anyway. EMILY HALL

Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, 543-2281, 7 pm, $8. Exhibit runs through Aug 19.


Merce Cunningham

(DANCE) You may not know the name, but you've surely seen pictures of RainForest. It's the Merce Cunningham dance for which Andy Warhol created a set of helium-filled silver Mylar pillows; every arty montage of late-'60s images includes those floating pillows. Cunningham has always choreographed as though he were a Martian--only superficially aware of the abilities and limitations of the human body. His dances are supremely interesting; they're dense and purposeful, like a modern automobile engine, requiring special long, crooked tools to assemble or pick apart. Cunningham says, "When I dance, it means: This is what I am doing." His dances have no narratives, no message, often no feeling--except wonder. Wonder is enough. BARLEY BLAIR

Meany Theatre, UW campus, 543-4880, $36, Thurs-Sat at 8. One weekend only.


FRIDAY APRIL 27


Modest Mouse

(MUSIC) "Modest Mouse" spelled out in lights on the Paramount's marquee may come as a surprise to those who still think of the band as three introspective kids from Issaquah. But the trio has been selling out theaters across the U.S. and in Europe for some time now, thanks to last year's critically lauded major-label debut, The Moon and Antarctica. Live, Modest Mouse is truly a sight to behold; frontman Isaac Brock is an unpredictable performer who can be counted upon to wrest unique interpretations out of songs he's played hundreds of times, making a show like tonight's--with its picturesque, historic setting--a definite must. KATHLEEN WILSON

Paramount Theatre, Ninth & Pine, 628-0888, 8 pm, $17.


Cornel West: Race Matters

(LECTURE) One thing we can say about our society is that intellectuals play a very small role in shaping public opinion: Most people who comment about recent events on the evening news or run for public office are not smart at all, and if they are, they attempt to appear as if they know very little about anything. This is not the case with Cornel West. He is, in the old sense of the term, a public intellectual. He doesn't hide his erudition, his learning, his arrogant grasp of difficult concepts, and yet he has made, since the late '80s, important contributions to the national dialogue on race. In fact, at one point he was as visible, vocal, and eccentric as Al Sharpton (both are very concerned about their appearance: hairstyle and clothes); and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a great accomplishment for any intellectual. CHARLES MUDEDE

Kane Hall, Room 130, UW campus, 634-3400, 7 pm, free (tickets required).


SATURDAY APRIL 28


The Sound and the Fury IV

(SKATE/MUSIC FESTIVAL) Already the largest amateur skateboarding competition in the country, the Sound and the Fury skate and music festival continues to grow, as MTV's skate-centric Jackass has become every adolescent boy's assjack. The two-day, all-ages festival features a dozen bands (including skate rock legend Ray Stevens and Clay Wheels), DJs, food, and demonstrations with a bunch of pros; qualifying rounds take place on Saturday, with the top 20 finalists advancing to Sunday competition. Visit www.raincityskatepark.com for a complete schedule and music/event lineup. JASON PAGANO

Sand Point Naval Air Station, Hangar 27, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, noon-6 pm, $7. Also Sun April 29, noon-6 pm, $8.


Shafted

(FILM) Seattle needs to watch more race films. Here is a great place to start: Shafted, a movie about a white man who thinks he is Shaft. His concerns are ordered by Shaft's concerns: He hates cops, is pro black power, sports sharp threads, maintains a serious Afro, and is a bad mother--shut your mouth! The movie, however, doesn't end with the white man's madness; the world itself turns out to be completely race mad. People aren't actually who they are, but instead believe they're pimps, drug dealers, kung fu masters, and so on. Under the weight of all these bulky B-movie characters, the movie collapses into perfect nonsense. CHARLES MUDEDE

Grand Illusion, 1403 NE 50th St, 523-3935, Fri-Sat at 11:30 pm.


SUNDAY APRIL 29


Titlewave Reading Series

(READING) Like a strange little pool of funk in lower Queen Anne, Titlewave Books has been offering up monthly readings for the past seven years, curated by Stranger contributor Doug Nufer. Tonight's reading brings together three local writers who are also dedicated to ground-level literary work: David Lloyd Whited, author of, most recently, the poetry collection The City of Destiny; Elizabeth Shé, a poet who helped organize this year's Seattle Poetry Festival interactive poetry clothesline at Hugo House; and Paula Gilovich, researcher for The New York Times, Stranger contributor, and Seattle Arts and Lectures teacher-in-the-schools (reading from Sex Life, a book in progress). It promises to be one of those evenings that lays open fantastic things going on in the city, behind the hype. TRACI VOGEL

Titlewave Books, 7 Mercer St, 324-6379, 7:30 pm, free.


MONDAY APRIL 30


Circle of Fire

(BREAKDANCING) It may have died out in the public consciousness after the release of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, but breakdancing never disappeared. Every Monday night, for instance, Seattle's Circle of Fire crew takes over the Nation restaurant atop I-Spy to dazzle onlookers with moves that are both beautiful and (seemingly) dangerous at the same time. Nationally recognized, Circle of Fire isn't like you and your friends fooling around on a piece of cardboard in the basement. Its members take breakin' seriously--so seriously that they're gearing up for the upcoming Lords of the Floor competition being held here on May 12. Tonight gives you a chance to watch them work out some new moves, and at a measly three bucks, it's well worth it. BRADLEY STEINBACHER

Nation, 1921 Fifth Ave, 374-9492, 10 pm, $3.


TUESDAY MAY 1


Dame Edna

(THEATER) Having served as an advisor to the British royals isn't something a sane person would brag about--if Elizabeth, Charles, and Andrew have all been following your advice for the last 20 years, well, you would do well to get the hell out of England. Which is just what Australian-born, London-based superstar Dame Edna has done, taking her one-woman show, Dame Edna: The Royal Tour, first to New York City (where it won a Tony) and now on a national tour. Edna is the creation of Australian character actor Barry Humphries, who has been playing Edna on and off since 1956. Humphries' Edna isn't tired--she's perfect. Dame Edna doesn't do much but lounge around while offering observations on life, love, and certain unlucky audience members' taste in clothes. If you're burned out on drag performance, this show will restore your faith in the comic potential of a grown man flouncing around in an appalling frock. DAN SAVAGE

Moore Theatre, Second and Virginia, 292-ARTS. Tues-Thurs at 7:30; Fri-Sat at 8; Wed, Sat-Sun at 2; $30-$50. Through May 13.


Crocodile Cafe Turns 10

(MUSIC) Today the Crocodile enters its 10th vainglorious year as Seattle's flypaper to the stars--on any given night it's not uncommon to find an assortment of rock stars lurking about the club's interior, alternating between "throwing shade" and "throwing chunks." To celebrate, the Crocodile's bookers have gone completely apeshit: J Mascis & the Fog, Kristin Hersh, Imperial Teen, Placebo, Mudhoney, David Byrne, the Fastbacks, the Supersuckers, the Posies, Idlewild, Tight Bros from Way Back When, Watery Graves, Starlight Mints, and even (just for laughs?) Evan Dando are scheduled over the next four weeks. Spend this month at the Crocodile. JEFF DeROCHE

Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave, 441-5611.


The Mekons

(MUSIC) Politics often ruins music, but the Mekons have always been smart and invested enough to transcend contrived sloganeering or elitism. The band formed in 1977, cutting their teeth in Leeds, England, a violent, racially tense atmosphere where the time saw politics and punk rock inseparable by virtue of social necessity--other bands that came up with the Mekons include Delta 5 and the Expelaires. Throughout the decades since, the Mekons have grown most noticeably from the addition of Sally Timms' heartbreaking voice and an evolution into a more rooted, country sound. Die-hard punk rock veterans that they are, the Mekons make even cooler grownups than they did kids. JEFF DeROCHE

Graceland, 109 Eastlake Ave E, 381-3094, 9:30 pm, $10.


WEDNESDAY MAY 2


Talk Dirty

(EROTIC FICTION) Let host Tamara Paris and the fine folks from the Stranger alternative personals spin you into an erotic frenzy this evening. For the past month, sex-obsessed readers have been calling in their homespun smut, and it's rumored the results have raised the level of pheromones citywide. Judges include Charles Mudede, dominatrix Mistress Matisse, and a staff member from Toys in Babeland. It's warm outside... give in to the spring fever, baby. TRACI VOGEL

Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 223-9873, 8 pm, $5.