“Seattle has better Chinese food than New York, anyway,” Xian Zhang quips from the couch in her new office, overlooking Second Avenue. “Well, in New York, it’s mainly Cantonese food. But I find Chinese food from the north actually better here. I’m from the north, so I like the handmade dumplings and hand-pulled noodles, that kind of thing. Seattle does it better.”

Before she even landed, word was already on the street that the Seattle Symphony’s new music director is a massive foodie. Sure enough, it’s only a few minutes before she’s comparing our restaurants to those in her home of the last decade.

Zhang is still pulling double duty between Seattle and the New Jersey Symphony, where she’s been the resident music director since 2016. “My son, it’s his junior year,” she explains, “and it’s too late for him to change schools, so he’s finishing high school there. I don’t wanna mess up his life!” But since accepting a five-year contract in Seattle last year, she admits, she’s been feeling a little more at ease out here.

“I grew up in a climate just like this—cold, a little humid and windy,” Zhang says, motioning toward the window. “And we had lots of shellfish,” she grins, bringing it back to food. “That’s my thing—my favorite! So Seattle is perfect for me, actually.”

It’s mutual, babe. Scoring Zhang is a monumental win for Seattle, and not only for her enormous talent and fiery vivacity. Alongside having no music director at all following Thomas Dausgaard’s sudden email ragequit in 2020, the Seattle Symphony’s had 17 conductors in its 123 years, and they all looked more or less the same—white and presumed male—until Zhang. It brings a li’l tear to the eye of this former Cornish piano major, who could only find one female American conductor to look up to in the late ’90s (the legendary Marin Alsop). Down around Benaroya Hall, when you see all the colorful media paraphernalia heralding Zhang’s arrival—there are vinyl stickers glued to the actual sidewalk, reading XIAN!—it seems like overkill at first. But then you’re like: You know what? Let them cook. This is the Seattle Symphony’s Cinderella moment.

Friday the 13th occurs three times in 2026—the most it’s possible to have in a calendar year—which means more flash tattoos and more fun. This month, the inky tradition coincides with Valentine’s Day weekend, prompting fun designs that are both creepy and cute. Whether you’re looking to get your first tatt or you’re running out of skin space, we’ve compiled a list where you can get inked as part of the occasion. Don't forget your photo ID!

Blood Orange Tattoo
It’s citrus season, and this shop has the juice. With dozens of adorable designs, Blood Orange Tattoo will run a flash event on Sunday and donate part of the proceeds to Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Get some ink and spread the love, y’all. 
Fremont

Green Tulip Tattoo
Grab an appointment at this tattoo collective on Valentine’s Day to select from one of their four talented artists’ flash sheets, which include a number of stick and poke designs. They’ll be taking clients from 11 am to “whenever,” and offering up treats, merch, and “LOVEly vibes.”
Uptown

Illustrations by April Finfrock

If you need proof that there is still love in the world, look no further than our February issue. It's packed with hundreds and hundreds of reader-submitted love notes, all gushing with sweet sentiments and declarations of admiration. 

There's a Valentine for Pookie Mamacita, Kitty, and Goose. There are people celebrating love landmarks like anniversaries, moving in together, and having a baby. I think there's even a marriage proposal? 

MONDAY 2/9  

Asher Perlman & Tom Toro

(LITERATURE) If you’ve ever found yourself shedding a tear at a comic strip or recoiling with existential dread from a political cartoon, this one’s for you. New Yorker contributors Asher Perlman and Tom Toro are coming to Elliott Bay Book Company to discuss their new cartoon collections, Hi, It’s Me Again and And to Think We Started As a Book Club…. The former from Perlman (also a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) pairs sharp, surreal humor with relatable existential spirals, while Toro’s new release skews wry and whimsical. With both artists exploring everything from anxiety to mortality to modern bureaucracy, expect a dynamic conversation about why life’s strangest moments often make the best punchlines. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 7 pm, free with RSVP, all ages) LANGSTON THOMAS

TUESDAY 2/10  

Olivia Barton: For Myself and For You Tour

(MUSIC) It's hard to ignore the similarities between Orlando-born indie folk artist Olivia Barton and folk-rock darling Phoebe Bridgers. Barton's recent track "Dad Song" brings to mind Bridgers' "Kyoto"—both songs allude to complicated relationships with their fathers as Barton laments "God, I'm such a hypocrite, writing this instead of picking up the phone" and Bridgers sings "You called me from a payphone / They still got payphones / It cost a dollar a minute / To tell me you're getting sober." Barton also explores queer love, heartbreak, and anxiety on her third full-length For Myself and For You, which was co-produced by Pinegrove’s Sam Skinner and highlights her songwriting talent and ability to balance delicacy with an emotional punch. Don't miss this show from the singer-songwriter who's toured with Lizzy McAlpine and Madi Diaz; this time, she's headlining with support from confessional Utah artist Rachael Jenkins. (Barboza, 7 pm, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH

WEDNESDAY 2/11  

Blood Cultures

(MUSIC) They’re an anonymous, experimental indie-pop band who rock out on chillwave in hoods. What more do you need? I’m all about bands wearing disguises, and with the Residents out of commission for the moment (sigh), a quartet that tinks and reverbs and chirps along to videos of themselves (or somebody in hoods) lifting weights, shooting guns, making a mess with Chinese takeout, and turning themselves into scarecrows, just might fill dat gap. That was the gist of their video for the “Set It on Fire” single from their 2021 album LUNO, at least. What they’ll do in concert, I have no idea whatsoever, but it’s got to be conceptual. (Neumos, 7 pm, 21+) ANDREW HAMLIN

THURSDAY 2/12  

Depths of Wikipedia

(COMEDY) Launched in 2001 as an end-all, be-all online encyclopedia, Wikipedia has fully reached cultural icon status in today’s world—not necessarily for its reliability (s/o misinformation and donation pop-ups), but for the absolutely ridiculous humans who write, edit, and speedrun it ad nauseam. Wildly popular (1.6 million followers and counting) account Depths of Wikipedia bears witness to this chaos, spotlighting the site’s strangest corners. Comedian and journalist Annie Rauwerda, who helms the site, has turned the most absurd Wikipedia gems into a live show that’s part comedy, part podcast, part beautifully deranged PowerPoint presentation, and she’ll kick off the latest tour in Seattle! I have no idea what to expect, but that’s kind of the point. (Neptune Theatre, 7 pm, all ages) LANGSTON THOMAS

FRIDAY 2/13  

Till We Have Faces

(THEATRE) In one of his letters, C.S. Lewis wrote that he believed that his final novel, Till We Have Faces, was “far and away” his best, “but it has, with critics and the public, been my greatest failure.” So when I saw that Taproot Theatre was premiering an adaptation of the book, I figured it was time to read it. I’m happy to report the critics were wrong. The book is a reinterpretation of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, written from the perspective of Psyche’s older sister. She’s filing a complaint to the gods (relatable). Taproot’s staged production is the first of its kind—a passion project of the theater’s producing artistic director Karen Lund—and it’s only running through this month. (Taproot Theatre, 7:30–10 pm, 16+) HANNAH MURPHY WINTER

SATURDAY 2/14  

Valentine's Day Show: Glenn Hendrick with John Bellows, babyboy, and Plastic Wildflowers

 

 

 

 

 

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(MUSIC) Disclaimer: My best friend Kirsten is helping organize this event and will be performing, but even if they weren't, I'd still recommend it—it's a night of excellent artists at a cozy, intimate venue, all in support of some truly essential causes. The lineup includes the lush, groovy quintet babyboy, the nostalgic yet lyrically frank Cleveland group Plastic Wildflowers, and the San Juan Island artist and musician Glenn Hendrick, who weaves "heartbreaking lyrics with stripped down hooks to reel you into the apocalypse" and will perform alongside singer-songwriter John Bellows. Merch sales and a raffle will raise funds for Gaza and for supporting Seattle families with legal fees for immigration court. What better way to spend your Valentine's Day than honoring art, love, and community in all of its myriad forms? (The Rabbit Box Theatre, 8 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL

SUNDAY 2/15  

Cécile McLorin Salvant

(MUSIC) Cécile McLorin Salvant has the most exciting voice in contemporary jazz. It’s not just her pitch-perfect voice, which reaches the heights of Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and Kate Bush, but the inventiveness with which she flexes her vocals. On her most recent album, Oh Snap, the three-time Grammy Award winner and MacArthur Fellow croons through a dozen short, intimate original songs (plus an a cappella cover of the Commodores’ “Brick House”) that she never intended to see the light of day. Setting out on a personal creative quest to place spontaneity and joy at the heart of her writing process, Salvant tinkered with home recording programs to craft personal songs inspired by the music that soundtracked her childhood in 1990s Miami, from grunge and pop boy bands to classical and folk music. The result of the album is a delightfully chaotic audio journal that will please fans of traditional jazz as well as genre rule-breakers like Erykah Badu and Solange. (Jazz Alley, 7:30 pm, all ages) AUDREY VANN

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After a decade of media dominance, the world finally must admit: Asians got swag. And somehow we are still facing an Asian birth-rate crisis (to the specific chagrin of my mother). So given the circumstances, and with Valentine’s Day on the way, let me show you how to go on a date like an Asian person, in Seattle. Let me know how it goes!

Pregame at Costco
Getting your date kicked off by flexing membership at an exclusive club is never a bad idea. And if you don’t know, Asian people feel the same way about Costco that white people feel about Trader Joe’s and Hispanic moms feel about Ross. It’s our mini Disneyland. It delights us.

Take a stroll and reacclimate to being around people after a long week working from home. Costco also gives you a chance to flex your financial prowess early by starting things off with a $1.50 hotdog combo, aka the Kirkland Signature aphrodisiac. This move will also save you both money on future eating opportunities—big-brain moment.

Find Gems at Uwajimaya and Kinokuniya Bookstore
Imagine if Barnes and Noble were an otaku, in a good way. That’s Kinokuniya, the bookstore at Uwajimaya in the CID. You’ll have a blast walking between the shelves, pointing at things you both like. This is also a great way to determine if your date can read.

The major play alert is the magazine section. The racks are teeming with more special interests than a community college catalog, like: POPEYE (for Japanese “city boy” fashion), Brutus (for culture and home inspo), or the Japan Railfan Magazine (for train lovers, plainly). Japanese magazines are a different breed, and while you probably can’t read them, you’ll still find a lot of inspiration and delight inside the pages. Browsing here is a concise way to learn more about your date’s interests, and for them to learn more about you, too. Look behind the counter for magazines that come with cool niche-interest gifts, like Sanrio or even Bape accessories.

Before heading out, pick out a couple snacks with your date at Uwajimaya, perhaps from the deli. Try a Mogu Mogu bottled drink if you haven’t yet—nata jellies (those translucent, chewy cubes made from fermented coconut water) are like a fidget spinner for your mouth.

The Seahawks Won Benito Bowl LX: They did it. On Sunday, for the second time in the franchise’s 50-year history, Seattle won the Super Bowl. They beat the New England Patriots 29-13 and got to have their redemption arc after losing to the Pats in 2015. Get ready for the parade downtown on Wednesday! Not a football fan? Hometown pride not enough for you? Let me offer you this: Thanks to the Seahawks, Trump had a bad day on Sunday. He wanted the Pats to win so badly. 

Benito Also Won the Benito Bowl: Thanks to Trump’s hissy fit about having a Spanish-language performer for the halftime show, Bad Bunny’s performance was always going to be political, and holy shit did he kill it. The entire performance was a love letter to Puerto Rico. The only English he spoke in the whole show was to say “God Bless America,” before listing all of the countries on the American continent. And when he appeared on stage with the Puerto Rican flag, it was the one with the light blue triangle—the independence flag. And on top of that, it was an impeccable performance. The set was a series of vignettes—including Benito giving a 5-year-old Latino boy his Grammy and an actual fucking wedding—and it was without a doubt the most lush, joyful performance I’ve seen on the Super Bowl stage. Watch it in full here.

Meanwhile, at the “All-American Halftime Show”: Because watching a Puerto Rican perform might make conservatives’ dicks fall off, TurningPointUSA hosted an “alternative” to the Super Bowl halftime show on YouTube. Apparently, about 2 million people streamed the pre-taped TPUSA fundraiser on YouTube, filling the live chat with American Flag emojis while Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett performed. Pete Hegseth threw a football. And that’s about all that happened. 

February is Black History Month, a time to recognize the contributions and struggles of Black Americans throughout our nation’s history. In the face of rising bigotry, continuing the work of antiracism and investing in Black futures remains as important as ever. Read on to find out ways you can honor and celebrate the month, from Melodies of the Diaspora: Celebrating 100 Years of Black History Month to America 250: The Verdict Is?

2026 Call to Conscience Black History Month Museum
South Seattle is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse areas of the city, which makes Call to Conscience essential viewing for Black History Month. This curated museum experience presented by Rainier Avenue Radio transforms the historic Columbia City Theater into a living archive of Black history around the Sound. While many installations run throughout the month, the experience evolves weekly, exploring everything from the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party to Jackson Street jazz and the legacy of Quincy Jones. Add in rotating exhibits on Black Tacoma, Black athletes in the Metro League, and the foundational work of blackpast.org, plus talks and special programs, and no two visits feel the same.
Columbia City Theater, Rainier Valley (Through Feb 28)

The world is full of lemons, but thank god there’s Purple Lemonade. This performance collective has taken over the city with their charisma, cross-genre dance, and scantily clad performances. As they strut the stage, you might see elements of hip-hop, reggaeton, flavors of camp—a whole glorious blend of street, club, and contemporary movement that refuses to be boxed into a singular style. From nightlife venues to theater spaces, their acts fill any venue with an ass-shaking confidence that radiates their mission of promoting playful self-expression.

The troupe was cofounded by Ronnie Gatsby and Kristen Puckhaber in 2016. The name pays homage to two of Gatsby’s big artistic influences: Prince and Beyoncé. “Lemonade,” a nod to Beyoncé’s 2016 album, “was Beyoncé taking a shitty experience and making something great,” says Gatsby. “The thing people used to ridicule me for, being flamboyant, is what has made me a place in the world. I turned that shit into lemonade.”

The collective has taken many forms in the past 10 years, but has always centered around a tight-knit, collaborative friendship. “What we value the most is being able to create cool shit together,” says Gatsby. “We love each other. We get to do what we love with friends.” That core value has stayed true as Gatsby passed the role of artistic director to Carlos Vidal.

Vidal joined Purple Lemonade two years ago. “It changed my life,” says Vidal. One of the things he found empowering was the expansive inclusion of styles. “As a performer, you can do whatever you want to do, just be you and show people how talented you are.” That mindset is why the group has expanded into other areas of entertainment, including drag shows, burlesque, and performing at major
venues like the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Rep, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Last summer, they performed at halftime with the cast of Tush for Seattle Reign’s Pride Match at Lumen Field. As regulars in local drag shows, they frequently work with local icons like Betty Wetter. “Collaborating with Purple Lemonade is a dream,” says Wetter. “They’ve created an environment full of love and support, so everyone shines when it’s showtime.”

When asked what people can expect to see, Vidal says “ass out.” The collective’s magnetism sends audiences into a frenzy. For Vidal, the inspiration it ignites in
others is a highlight of the work. “Whether that’s a feeling of ‘I’m going to be braver, I can be more expressive, I’m going to show more ass.’ You can make people feel confident, that’s the best part.”

The group creates in a very joint-effort way, with both the founders still part of the family and process. That connective energy will help them tackle a full and exciting year ahead. J’Adore at the Triple Door in February, Live Nude Mammals at Queer/Bar in March, and Hotel Gatsby at Intiman Theater in April are among upcoming events. “We want to be queer everywhere,” says Vidal. “With everything happening right now, we want to bring joy to people and have fun.” 

Welcome back to Pop Loser! This week, we dig into some highlights from the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. In another edition of Immaculate Collection, local punk band Biblioteka share their treasure troves of funky shoes, creepy dolls, and Magic: The Gathering cards. Plus, I have two moody song recommendations to get you through the rest of the week.

Ally Ang sparks up this city with a distinctively queer, raucous energy that’s nerdy, enthusiastic, genuine, and joyful. “Reading a really good book of poems is so exhilarating,” Ang told me, when I spoke with them around the release of their debut poetry collection, Let the Moon Wobble. “I get hype off of it. It feels like downing cold brew or something. It makes me feel so, just, like, alive. Nothing else gives me that feeling. I'm so addicted to the feeling of reading really exciting poetry.” 

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt anywhere near this excited about much lately, which is another reason why Ang is a beacon in Seattle. Bestowed with the honor of an NEA grant in 2023, they shot into a wider collective public consciousness, but as they’ll tell you themselves, they’ve been publishing poems in zines and anywhere else that would have them for 12 years and counting. This seemingly sudden arrival to the poetry scene with their debut collection was in fact built from years of work with mentors, studying craft, and honing their voice. 

In fact, “the earliest poem of the book was written in 2018, and most of them were written from 2019 through 2022,” Ang said. The collection has “undergone somewhere between 10 and 100 revisions.” You could say they learned to write through the creation of this book. “I used to be a little bit anti-form, because I was like, oh, poetry shouldn't have rules. After reading a lot more poems, and reading a lot more poets who work really heavily with form, I began to see that it opened up a lot of possibilities, as opposed to being restrictive. My relationship with form has evolved, and I have a lot of fun with it now.”

And there is more to come. “I am working on something that will hopefully be a second book someday,” said Ang. “But right now it's just a bunch of poems in a Google Doc. What I'm thinking through in the new project is gender as a form, and how queerness is breaking that form and recreating it.” 

Today marks the 107th anniversary of the 1919 Seattle General Strike, a five-day work stoppage protesting low wages and rampant union-busting by wealthy corporation owners. Sound familiar?

The strike began in the union shipyards and spread to the entire city. Shipbuilders were furious when shipyard owners, rich off World War I profits, offered a pay increase only to “skilled” workers in an attempt to divide their union. A citywide poll found a strike was very popular. It was on. Of Seattle’s 315,000 residents, 65,000 (20 percent) hit the streets. During the work stoppage, Seattleites took care of the city and one another, collecting garbage and opening food halls. But it was nothing like business as usual. Shops closed. Streetcars stopped.

A participant recalled, “Nothing moved but the tide.”

Me: Pink raincoat You: Bruce Harrell

Standing in the doorway of the US Bank Center, on the phone, in your Columbo-ass raincoat (he wore it better). Blocking a doorway, on the phone, presumably avoiding the rain (it had stopped raining). Typical Brucie Baby, unaware of others and being in the way.

Cute Dude in Rain That Slipped

Walking down Spring St. Me with small dog, you with umbrella. You slipped on a metal plate. I made sure you were okay and we chatted for a few blocks.

LFG Seattle! Hawks are in Benito Bowl and we've got weekend picks from Hidden Hall's Super Bowl LX Watch Party to the Lunar New Year Night Market and from Linda From Work, Zookraught, & Killbuzz to the Seattle Bike Swap. Check out our top picks of the week for more things to do.

FRIDAY

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

Down the Rabbit Hole
Step right up, girls, gays, and theys for Queer/Bar’s one-night-only floral, acid-trip dance fantasy takeover! What is a floral, acid-trip fantasy? No idea, but it sounds wonderfully whimsical, and that’s enough. For this Alice in Wonderland-esque evening, the bar splits into two microcosms. Downstairs is a garden rave with go-gos, vendors, and silky house grooves from Ash Wave and Café Nico. Upstairs, the mini bar morphs into the Rabbit Hole Stage, where Bearbie and Pauliné deliver a darker, dirtier set amplified by lasers, lights, and mind-melting visuals. Come dance, wander, trip, “but not to fall.” LANGSTON THOMAS
(Queer Bar, Capitol Hill, $10-$15)

Tacoma Detention Facility Sued: Three Black men detained at Northwest ICE Processing Center are suing the facility's owner, GEO Group. They claim guards "engaged in sexual assault, violent beatings and retaliation" and that the Tacoma Police Department deferred abuse complaints to GEO Group, allowing the company to investigate itself, according to KING5. A 2025 report from the University of Washington's Center for Human Rights affirms the claims about TPD. According to that data, out of 150 reports of abuse at the facility, only two led to prosecutions. But in both cases, the alleged victims were GEO group employees.

Waterfall for Sale, Heftily Used: The owner of  Oregon's iconic Abiqua Falls plans to auction it off . A private buyer could restrict public use of the waterfall and that state isn’t in the market for more land.