In the summer of 1940, Olivier Messiaen (French composer, Catholic
mystic, and Allied soldier) was captured by the Nazi army and sent to
prison camp Stalag VIIIA. There he composed Quatuor pour la fin du
temps, an ethereal and frightening quartet for cello, piano,
clarinet, and violin, and premiered it for 300 prisoners and their
guards. Tonight, Seattle’s cello wunderkind Joshua Roman will
play Quatuor, as well as Fractured Jams by Dan Visconti
and a medley of songs by Radiohead, with Sarah Rudinoff, John
Osebold, and others. This is a night of excellent music by excellent
musicians. (Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, www.brownpapertickets.com. 7:30 pm, $15–$20, all ages.)

Brend an Kiley has worked as a child actor in New Orleans, as a member of the junior press corps at the 1988 Republican National Convention, and, for one happy April, as a bootlegger’s assistant in Nicaragua....