Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley
(ART) A little disclosure here: I've known Kamala for years--since the days when she painted her little bull terrier, Ziggy, with two eyes intact, to more recently, when that one remaining eye started becoming clouded in a blue tint--and her art always continues to amaze me. Using watercolor, a little glitter, and ornate frames she salvages from thrift stores, Kamala creates worlds dense with dark foliage and crawling with cool critters, from her aforementioned pet to butterflies, lizards, and sea creatures like jellyfish. Her paintings are like walks through gothic fairytales, and the attention to detail in her work only serves to pull you further into the visual stories she tells. Tonight she showcases a solo exhibition titled Les Enfants Sauvages. (King County Art Gallery, 506 Second Ave, Suite 200, 205-8592, opening reception 6-8:30 pm, free. ) JENNIFER MAERZ
FRIDAY JULY 4
Independence Day
(BOOM!) Elsewhere in this despicable rag, real live Canadians soil our pages with praisings of their own country. But today is not about Canada (is any day?), but rather about our own freedom here in the good ol' U.S. of A. And though George W. Bush and his cronies are certainly diminishing that freedom, maybe their nefarious agenda offers us a theme this year. Said theme: Celebrate American independence and enjoy your freedom, 'cause chances are it ain't gonna last. BRADLEY STEINBACHER
'George Washington'
(FILM) Because director David Gordon Green's most recent feature, All the Real Girls, was a 2/3 brilliant romantic dissection that only played in Seattle for a week, it is imperative that you go and see Green's debut, George Washington. It fared a little better in town when released (2000), and is a disquieting, deeply Southern micro masterpiece. The real reason to check out this revival, though, is to prime yourself for discovering All the Real Girls when it comes out on video. (Grand Illusion, 1403 NE 50th St, 523-3935. Fri-Thurs July 4-10, 7 and 9 pm, $7. ) SEAN NELSON
SATURDAY JULY 5
Miranda July
(ABJECT JEALOUSY) Miranda July. It's a loaded succession of syllables, isn't it? Her reputation (maniacal, bewildering, transcendent) and resumé (from the Joanie 4 Jackie and Big Miss Moviola film projects, to her numerous releases on Kill Rock Stars and K Records, to her regular NPR spots, to her performances and film screenings at the Whitney Biennial, MoMA, and the Guggenheim, to her... to her, gasp!) precede her by a mile--and regardless of your two cents, she's more accomplished, capable, and respected at age 29 than you could ever hope to be. Tom Landowski Gallery presents July's first commercial exhibition, comprising her altered photography, video, and sound recordings. Be there--and wear green. (Tom Landowski Gallery, 403 Cedar St, 448-0284, opening reception 6-8 pm, free. ) ZAC PENNINGTON
SUNDAY JULY 6
In Flagrante Gothicto
(THEATER) Drawing deeply on the Gothic-romance trinity (Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights), In Flagrante Gothicto is a camp-comedy nightmare come true. The show's not perfect, bogged down in spots by some overlong scenes and an occasional muddiness of tone. But thanks to sharp production values, a stellar cast, and what has been called the most hilarious fight scene in Seattle theater history, audiences exit In Flagrante giddy with pleasure. (Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 547-7500. $25-$40. Tues-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 7:30 pm. Through July 20.) DAVID SCHMADER
MONDAY JULY 7
Heidi Julavits
(READING) A member of the sprawling McSweeney's mafia, tonight Maine-born, Brooklyn-based Julavits reads from her follow-up to The Mineral Palace, titled The Effect of Living Backwards. The Mineral Palace received a great deal of praise when it was published two or so years ago, and almost every critic in New York City says her new book is very funny. As the always quotable Zac Pennington recently said somewhere in this office of ours, "The Effect of Living Backwards is the best title I have seen this week." (Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free. ) CHARLES MUDEDE
TUESDAY JULY 8
kaitO, Koufax
(MUSIC) Save for coworkers and a few close friends, most people don't know that just prior to leaving for SXSW, I clumsily brained myself and was punished with six weeks of amnesia. Consequently, I recall the performances of only three bands of the many I'm told I saw there, one of which was kaitO, a fun bunch of Brits with an energetic, spunky sound like Kenickie and the nearly forgotten (but not by me!) Yatsura--and I'm sure about that. Koufax's 2002 release, Social Life, reminded me of a modern-day version of Joe Jackson's 1979 debut, Look Sharp!--poppy, punky, and snarky at once--ensuring tonight's show will be memorable for all. (Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave, 441-5611, 9 pm, $8. ) KATHLEEN WILSON
WEDNESDAY JULY 9
Boomblast
(DANCEHALL NIGHT) There is now no doubt in my mind that Jamaican dancehall is very soon to have its day in the sun of American pop music. Though it has experienced significant surges of popularity in the past (as occurred with Shabba Ranks and Shelly Thunder), never before has it come so close to the center of an entertainment industry that has been dominated by R&B and hiphop for so long. Indeed, dancehall's current success is not a surge but a hostile takeover of America's dance floors. Seattle's DJ Soul 1--featured tonight at Baltic Room's Boomblast--spins, from what I can tell, pretty much the real thing coming out of Kingston, JA. (Baltic Room, 1207 Pine St, 625-4444, 9 pm, $5. ) CHARLES MUDEDE
