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FRIDAY
1. Alexander McCall Smith
Hugely popular author Alexander McCall Smith (best known for penning the No. 1 Ladiesâ Detective Agency books) will read from and speak about the latest installment in the series, Precious and Grace. (First Hill, $5)
2. Automotive Steamhorse, Miss Bermuda Dunes, Support Group
Experimental indie rockers Automotive Steamhorse bring some shoegazey vibes to Barboza, with Miss Bermuda Dunes and Support Group. (Capitol Hill, $8)
3. Back Bar Flea Market
Enjoy the free all-ages diversely dispersed spread of local vendors every second Friday as a part of the Belltown Art Walk inside the Crocodile Back Bar. Support regional makers while you use the photo booth and snack on a buy-one-get-one-half-off pizza with the family. (Belltown, free)
4. Bootie Seattle: â00s MASHUP NIGHT â Tâ00 Sâ00N?
Seattle's only all-mashup dance party throws down for an all-out decade battle by paying tribute to the first ten years of this weird century with all the '00s club bangers you can remember. (Capitol Hill, $10)
5. Colin Dickey
Learn about America's most haunted locations from Colin Dickey, author of Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places. (First Hill, $5)
6. Difret: Arts Gumbo 2016 Film Screening
Watch two movies at this screening: documentary Madaraka ("a story about self-empowerment, entrepreneurship and sustainability") and feature film Difret, which is "based on the inspirational true story of a young Ethiopian girl and a tenacious lawyer embroiled in a life-or-death clash between cultural traditions and their countryâs advancement of equal rights." Presented as part of Arts Gumbo 2016: Pan Africa, Pan Arts. (Rainier Valley, $10)
7. Great Spiders, Mr. Night Sky, Tincho
As Great Spiders, Shambacher's mode of Steve-Miller-meets-Kurt-Vile songwriting and delivery need to be documented for the masses. Luckily for us Seattleites, more venues lately seem to be catching on to his sound, so shows are happening with more frequency. GRANT BRISSEY (University District, $6)
8. Paul Komada and Melissa Feldman
2016 Neddy finalist Paul Komada will speak with exhibition curator and Neddy director Melissa Feldman about the work recognized by the Neddy Artist Awards, including his own. Presented in conjunction with the exhibit Neddy Artist Awards: 20 Years. (South Lake Union, free)
9. Punk the Vote: The Ousters, Deep Sleep, Gruft
Feeling cynical? Tempted to do the millennial thing and sit out the vote? The super-fun guitar-slammers The Ousters, the uptempo bawlers of Deep Sleep, and the "sludge-grunge" ladies of Gruft are here to drum up your democratic fervor. Now you have no excuse. (Seattle Center, $5)
10. Reece Jones
Reece Jones, author of Border Walls: Security and the War on Terror in the United States, India, and Israel will read from Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move. According to Kirkus, "With the building of border walls and the deaths of migrants much in the news, this work is both timely and necessarily provocative.â (Capitol Hill, free)
11. reSET
Curated by Mark Haim, Babette Pendleton, Ali Mohamed el-Gasseir, and Alice Ghosti, reSET is a sort of arts-share dance series put on by the Washington Ensemble Theatre. Choreographers perform new pieces using the set for whatever play the company happens to be producing at that timeâthis time, Revolt. She said. Revolt again.. RICH SMITH (Capitol Hill, $10)
12. Second Annual Fall Faerie Formal: The Raven King's Ball
Immerse yourself in the stylized universe of 19th century English fashions in the book Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell with this costume ball based on the character of the Raven King. Prepare your plumed finery for an evening of dark provocateurs and enchanting music underground. (Capitol Hill, $5)
13. Skates!, Fighting Sides, Amsterdam, Dream Big
Hot-shit surf punks Skates! headline a night of riffage with Fighting Sides, Amsterdam, and Dream Big. (Eastlake, $5/$8)
14. Sleeping Lessons, Draemhouse, Soft Sleep, Dreamcatchr
Sleeping Lessons have reunited and are back to playing indie rock with a synth-heavy backdrop, with bill support from Draemhouse, Soft Sleep, and Dreamcatchr. (Capitol Hill, $8/$10)
15. Stuporhero, Blanco Bronco, Botherations, Pops Spoiler & His Deadbeats
Glass-shard candy-punks Stuporhero break out their patented fervor rock with Blanco Bronco, Botherations, and Pops Spoiler & His Deadbeats. (West Seattle, free)
16. Taste of Iceland Literary Reading, Author Q&A, Music and More
Reading Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings without reading the Icelandic sagas is like eating banana bread without ever tasting a banana. But of course, Icelandic lit has much more to offer. This Taste of Iceland event offers a talk by multiple-award-winning author GuĂ°mundur Andri Thorsson on "Paper Vikings: Past and Present" followed by a panel on the great Norse myths with Ărnolfur Thorsson and Dr. GĂsli SigurĂ°ssonn. Finally, there's a traditional performance called a RĂmur and a photo exhibition. Come give these glacial artist friends a warm welcome. (Seattle Center, free)
17. Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell
In 1983, Erin Blackwell was a Seattle-area 13-year-old who moved out of her mother's house, governed by her mother's alcohol addiction, and onto the streets. There, she sold sex to make money to eat and buy clothes and drugs. She became an addict. But, having felt completely alone, she also found her people. She belonged, and she dreamt of a future where she would have 10 kids and belong in that big family, too. Blackwellânicknamed "Tiny"âand the other, similar, kids on Pike Street met documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark that year. Tiny became a strange kind of star, the most compelling subject in the anguishingly compelling documentary film Streetwise, which was made by Mark and her husband Martin Bell. Tiny is an important figure in Seattle, and she has more to say that's worth hearing. In fact, it's more worth hearing her every day that goes by. That's why it's more important to see this new movie, Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell, also by Bell and featuring Mark, than even to fall in love with the 13-year-old again. "Tiny" isn't tiny anymore. She has so much to reflect on, and it's not all pretty, and she doesn't hide. Her ability to open her life is incredibly remarkable in itself. At this library screening of the new movie, Tiny will be there for a Q&A afterward. So will filmmaker Bell, and a housing advocate will be on hand to talk about its relevance in the current climate of Seattle, where homeless encampments are being swept regularly, sending their residents... nowhere more stable. JEN GRAVES (Downtown, free)
18. Tokyoidaho, Voyager One, The Knast, Fotoform
Tonightâs the final show for Seattle psych-rockers Tokyoidaho. For the last half decade, they tapped into a cool, sleek vein of Anglophile rock that peaked in the early â90s with groups like Ride and the Verve. Tokyoidahoâs songs have instantly amiable hooks, but they can also trance out on an epic scale, as âDeep Cushionsâ proves. They bow out supporting their new album, The Void (on local label Neon Sigh), a slightly more electronic take on their interstellar rock, with a surprisingly solid dub tangent. Iâll miss these guys. Tonight also marks the one-off reunion of Voyager One (featuring Tokyoidahoâs Peter Marchese), one of this cityâs exemplars of spacey, oneiric rock from the â00s. DAVE SEGAL (Eastlake, $10)
19. Trolling Stones, Queen Annes, El Steiner
Rowdy jokers the Trolling Stones take over Slim's with the help of local alt rockers El' Steiner and The Queen Annes. (Georgetown, $8)
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
20. Seattle Fashion Week: Convergence Experience
This multidisciplinary expo will bring together fashion, art, and tech for two days of VR experiences, live artists from the Crowd Control Collective, a local art exhibition, and musical performances by Adam Dwork and Suss Out. (Pioneer Square, free)
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
21. Function in the Junction
Celebrate the grand opening of Origins recreational cannabis with a weekend of food, music, (un-infused) samples, and giveaways. (West Seattle, free)
22. Harry Potter Marathon
Before the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them next month, theaters across the country are screening all of the original eight Harry Potter films this week. In Seattle, the Pacific Science Center and Thornton Place Stadium will screen them all in IMAX, and, outside of Seattle, you can see them all at Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue, AMC Southcenter in Tukwila, and the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood. (Various locations, $6.30-$10 per film)
23. Thought Experiments: Memory and Identity 2016
This theater festival will feature four original plays created by scientist/playwright teams "examining the question of what it means to be human in light of current developments in science and technology." Look forward to Rift (by Kristina Sutherland Rowell with assistant professor of psychology Andrea Stocco), The Cosmic Background Radiation Polka (by Dawson Nichols with psychology professor and chair Sheri Mizumori), Forget Me Do (by Sara Porkalob with associate professor of physiology and biophysics Elizabeth Buffalo), and The Door (by Emily Conbere with anthropology professor and chair Janelle S. Taylor). (University District, $5-$25)
SATURDAY
24. Canine Happy Hour
This "canine happy hour" offers a range of free goodies for you and your dog: drinks (you), portraits (your dog), dog treats (your choice) and more. (Sodo, free)
25. Ceremony: Halloween Edition
Re-bar's long-running night of goth, industrial, and darkwave music is back for a special Halloween edition. Dress to distress for a night of '80s music and beyond. (Downtown, $5)
26. Community Outreach Gathering: Asian Art Museum Renovation
Weigh in on plans for the Asian Art Museum's impending renovationâwhich includes an expansionâat this community outreach gathering. (Capitol Hill, free)
27. Eric Blu & The Soul Revue, The Freams, Boxcar String Band, IVES
Eric Blu's sound is a return to classic soul with an emphasis on heavy bass lines, a turn at clever storytelling, and a full set of horns, flutes, strings, and percussion to back up his work. He'll be joined by his Soul Revue, The Freams, Boxcar String Band, and IVES. (Pioneer Square, $5/$8)
28. F-Holes, Swedish Finnish, Sin Driver, Loud Motor
Rowdy Northwesterners the F-Holes take on Slim's with Swedish Finnish, Sin Driver, and Loud Motor. (Georgetown, $8)
29. Geist & The Sacred Ensemble, Alto!, Arrington de Dionyso, Katsura Yamauchi
Portland trio Alto! deal in mantric repetition within a (kraut)rock context. Through motorik rhythms, heavily FXâd guitars, and noisy, Allen Ravenstineâlike keyboard ornamentation, Alto! ramrod you into submission in a most ecstatic manner. However, on their latest full-length, LP3, they swerve into a warped, quasi-gamelan soundworld and concoct more intricate, interlocking rhythms while also deviating into stoner metal. Itâs a strange, exotic record that should appeal to fans of the Sublime Frequencies and Abduction labels. Saxophonist/vocalist Arrington de Dionyso constructs utterly compelling outrĂŠ rock and drones informed by Indonesian music and throat-singing techniques that make it seem like his voice is emanating from the earthâs core. Heâs an upsetting force of nature. Geist & the Sacred Ensemble take Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds to a remote forest and scare the crap out of âem with their stark, merciless psychedelic folk. DAVE SEGAL (University District, $10)
30. The 8th Annual Food Sovereignty Prize Award Ceremony
Learn about the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and the Farmworkers Association of Floridaâand what they're doing to promote community-led efforts to eradicate poverty, hunger, and climate changeâat this winners' ceremony for the Food Sovereignty Prize (awarded by the U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance). (First Hill, free)
31. Halloween Trilogy
Venerable voice actor Tommy Cook heads an ensemble that brings to lifeâor to undeath!âthree spooky tales from Kipling to Poe in a tribute to "vintage radio theater." (Phinney, free)
32. Leave a Message at the BEEP!
This recurring event, curated and hosted by Anastacia Renee, offers "a hybrid space/safe place for writers to stir up audience members with their creative grit, gifts and germinations." This month, the theme is "I Put a Spell on You," and the lineup of literary gems includes Michelle Goodman, Reagan Jackson, Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, Kamari Bright, Naa Akua, Afrose Fatima Ahmed, Angela Wilhite Espiricueta, and Sierra Golden. (West Seattle, $5-$20 Suggested Donation)
33. Magnolia Movie Matinee: Strange Brew
Two unemployed Canadians stumble across an evil brewmeister's plan for world domination in this Oktoberfest-themed comedy. Booktoberfest brings you this silly celebration of Northwest slacker derring-do. (Magnolia, free)
34. Melanie Voytovich
Local percussionist Melanie Voytovich has developed an evening of collaborative works and layered interactive performance pieces, featuring Storm Benjamin, Scott Langdon, and Maggie Brown on supportive percussion, Brad Hawkins on cello, and Ella Maher with modern dance. (Wallingford, $5-$15)
35. More Fats More Femmes Witch Market
Shop for jewelry and plus size vintage clothingâand enjoy tarot readers and a "finale surprise"âat this market hosted by Indian Summer owner Adria Garcia, ex-IS manager (and current Stranger music calendar editor) Kim Selling, and current IS shopgirl Abby Cooke. (Capitol Hill, Free Entry)
36. Nathan DiPietro and Margie Livingston
Two Neddy winnersâNathan DiPietro (2016) and Margie Livingston (2010)âwill speak about their work at this event presented in conjunction with the exhibit Neddy Artist Awards: 20 Years. (South Lake Union, free)
37. Ocean Greens Second Anniversary
The shop whose slogan is "It's always 4/20 here" will have food, drinks, live music, and special deals for their second anniversary. (South Lake Union, free)
38. Open Studio #26
Watch artists test-drive their shows and experiment with dance performance at this open studio highlighting new and experimental work. This edition's choreographers/performers include L. Nicol Cabe, Conor Eifler, Carl Lawrence, Hayley Shannon and Devin Bews, and Janusphere Dance Company. (Queen Anne, $5 Suggested Donation)
39. Reykjavik Calling with Fufanu, JFDR (JĂłfrĂĂ°ur ĂkadĂłttir of Samaris), Kinski
Celebrate another year of the sisterhood between the cities of Seattle and Reykjavik with KEXP's Reykjavik Calling, a concert that showcases musical talents from both places as part of Taste of Iceland. This year, enjoy live sets from Icelandic bands Fufanu and JFDR, aka JĂłfrĂĂ°ur ĂkadĂłttir of Samaris, who will be performing selections of her new solo material. Representing Seattle will be Kinski, purveyors of visceral guitar rock and avant-psych instrumentals. (Capitol Hill, free)
40. Slab Lab Record Show
Kicking off the new life of the ex-Cairo, now Generations space is SLAB LAB, an all-day, all-ages, free record show and vendor market with Aesthetic Mess' head genius DJ Goo Goo at the helm, with more to follow. Expect refreshments, weird tunes, and a full spread of local record vendors. (Capitol Hill, free)
41. SSDD, Hounds of the Wild Hunt, Guests
It takes guts and smarts to make punk rock sound vital in 2016. On their debut EP, First Comes Money, the wild bucks in SSDD (Steal Shit Do Drugs) found a way to do just that, harnessing the libidinous whirlwind of Fun House-era Stooges, whoop-ass elements from Pussy Galore circa Right Now!, and channeling Flipper in Generic mode. SSDD are Seattleâs whirlwind arsonists of rock decorum. DAVE SEGAL (Ballard, $8)
42. Stranger Things 80s Film Fest: Firestarter and Poltergeist
Come see the atmospheric '80s horror that nourished the rich retro-creepout spirit of Stranger Things. Booktoberfest presents a free double feature with telekinetic little girls and ghostly apparitions. (Downtown, free)
43. Tie My Tubes Podcast Premiere with #SYA, Women.Weed.Wifi, & Hella Black Hella Seattle
Tie My Tubes is a radio documentary that follows one woman's journey to exist child-free, and this premiere party promises to join together many parts of Seattle's art and social justice communities for a late morning of pancakes, Shout Your Abortion merch, zines from Women.Weed.Wifi, prints by local artist Sofia Lee, and shared air with Hella Black Hella Seattle. (Central District, free)
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
44. TurkFest
Enjoy a vision of the contemporary influences and cultural touchstones that make up modern-day Turkey, in the forms of live music, dancing, food, visual arts, and an authentic Turkish tea house. (Seattle Center, free)
SUNDAY
45. A History of Dance
Valeria Viniarskaia and Tetiana Olenska will guide you through tarantellas, classical dances, and other delights with their History of Dance, backed by the Russian duo GalAnd. (Downtown, free)
46. Eating Rite, The Lulls, Hammerhead, Grayscale Family
Enjoy a night of genre and gender-bending folk pop and acid rock courtesy of Eating Rite, The Lulls, Hammerhead, and Grayscale Family. (Ballard, $8)
47. Luke Winslow-King, Louis Ledford, Ole Tinder
Renowned slide guitarist Luke Winslow-King will show off his other qualities as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and lyricist, with a live set steeped in pre-war blues, traditional jazz, and delta-folk music. He'll be joined by Louis Ledford and Ole Tinder. (Ballard, $8)
48. Moon Honey, Mr. Night Sky, Wall of Ears
Acid rock and indie folk project Moon Honey expand their rabid pastoral sounds at Barboza, with bill support from tender-stringed psych-guitarist Mr. Night Sky, and Wall of Ears. (Ballard, $8)
49. Mourning Market
Grab some weird stuff for Halloweenâor, y'know, just everyday spooking aroundâat this all-ages "dark theme market" that promises drinks and strange goods. (Eastlake, $1 Entry)
50. Movie Night: Young Frankenstein
Watch Young Frankenstein (and celebrate the late, great Gene Wilder) at this spooky screening that promises truffle popcorn and discounted wine and cocktails. (Capitol Hill, free)
51. Nerd Grinder
Nerd Grinder is a swap meet/market offering comics, movies, toys, games and more. (Ballard, free)
52. Peter Wohlleben
German forester and author Peter Wohlleben will read from The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They CommunicateâDiscoveries from a Secret World, the new North American edition of a German bestseller that has been greatly anticipated ever since The New York Times wrote about it in January. (Capitol Hill, free)
53. Racial Equity in Design Training
This workshop (facilitated by Minh Nguyen and Aletheia Wittman) will demonstrate the inequality and inaccessibility in much of design, urban planning, and architecture, and "provide tools for participants to make architecture and design programming more accessible to a broader public." They promise light snacks, coffee, and lunch. (Downtown, free)
54. Ridiculous Vices: Molière Improvised
This high-energy improv show, inspired by Molière's farcical societal critiques, will be shaped by audience suggestions. (Downtown, $10)
55. Seattle CD & Record Convention
Go spend your life savings at the annual CD & Record Convention, where you can browse thousands of classic records and compact discs (if those are more your speed) in Seattle Center's Pavilion Room B. (Seattle Center, free)
56. Seattle Made Pop Up Shop
Shop bags, ceramics, audio gear, clothes, sweets, and other essentials from Seattle creators at this Seattle Made Week pop-up. (South Lake Union, free)
57. SHRIEK: Women Directors of Horror Festival!
Celebrate women directors of horror at this weekly series hosted by Evan J. Peterson and Heather Marie Bartels. Tonight's film is Karyn Kusama's 2015 The Invitation. (Greenwood, $10/$25)
58. Ted Dortch Quartet
Ted Dortch, a longtime Northwest purveyor of soul jazz, swing, and blues, brings his quartet to Capitol Cider for a night of South Sound inflection. (Capitol Hill, free)
