OPENING THIS WEEK: JANICZA BRAVO'S ZOLA AT VARIOUS THEATERS
Ok, ok, ok. You've read the hilarious and "full of suspense" 148-tweet long thread by Aziah "Zola" King detailing a stripper saga in Florida gone totally wrong. You've probably read it twice because it's that damn good. Hell, maybe you even bought A24's hardcover book of the tale because you're that big of a fan. And this week, you can now plop down into one of several Seattle-area movie theaters playing Zola, possibly the first-ever movie adapted from a Twitter thread. And boy it's going to be good.
Directed by certified weirdo Janicza Bravo and co-penned by Jeremy O. Harris of Slave Play fame, Zola stars the wonderful Taylour Paige as our eponymous protagonist. The Detroit waitress gets talked into the worst weekend of her life by an unhinged white girl named Stefani (Riley Keough), who says they both could make a lot of money stripping for a couple of days in Florida. But Stefani is also bringing her wimpy-ass boyfriend Derrek (Nicholas Braun) and her pimp X (Colman Domingo) along for the ride, launching 48-hours of white nonsense so thoroughly ridiculous it's become a modern legend. Don't miss this. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Find tickets and showtimes to Janicza Bravo's Zola here.
THURSDAY: TONS OF SHOWS AT THE NEUMOS COMPLEX
It's here, everyone. The day when FINALLY we'll be allowed to congregate with strangers, pay too much for a gin and tonic, and rock out to LIVE MUSIC just like we used to do in 2019, baybeeee! Today marks the end of most COVID restrictions that have been in place for 15 months, and live performance venues can let the masses in once again. And what better way to celebrate than Neumos's Official Reopening Party? The complex's three venues—Neumos, Barboza, and The Runaway—kicks off tomorrow by emphasizing our local music scene.
Snag tickets for Neumos to catch Seattle-based bands Antonioni and Black Ends open for Spirit Award's album release party. DJ Morgan of KEXP will also DJ. If a relatively cool basement is calling your name, DJ and Stranger cover star Chong the Nomad is headlining a show down at Barboza. Seattle pop star Archie and producer/vocalist Slow Shudder will get the crowd warmed up. And be sure to get there early to snag a truly gorgeous show poster designed by Stevie Shao. Or if you're not quite ready to be held captive by a show, The Runaway will host a free set from breezy and disco-driven Double Sunrise Club, whom you can enjoy while chowing down on Bok a Bok and dipping outside every 30 minutes to smoke cigarettes that you've told everyone you gave up during quarantine. Don't worry—I understand. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Get your tickets for the Spirit Award album release here and Chong the Nomad's show here. Doors are at 8 PM!
FRIDAY: SAFEWORD RETURNS TO KREMWERK
Sex is funny — the weird faces, the goofy noises, the slippery sweaty pratfalls — so why not turn it into a whole comedy show? Host Bobby Higley welcomes you to Safeword, a night of sexy (but not explicit) queer kinky comedy, with a lineup of four kink-positive comedians. There will be some audience interaction, including “kink challenges,” but if you’re shy you needn’t worry; consent reigns over all at this show, and nobody will be made to jump into the proceedings if they don’t want to. Kremwerk is one of the weirdest performance spaces in the city with all its misshapen subterranean protrusions, and though it’s been many things over the years, a sexy underground dungeon is perhaps the most natural fit. MATT BAUME
The monthly Safeword returns this Friday, July 2, to Kremwerk from 7 to 10 PM.
4TH OF JULY FOOD KITS: MAMNOON AND DELRIDGE GROCERY CO-OP
I would just like to begin with a special shoutout to Mamnoon in general. Over the last several weeks the restaurant's little side window and its attendant four-seat outdoor counter saved me on more than one occasion when every other restaurant was
Oh, and don't forget dessert. While you're out and about, pick up the s'mores package from the Delridge Grocery Cooperative. The kit includes "Annie's Organic Honey Graham Crackers, Dandies Air Puffed Vegan Marshmallows, and three Equal Exchange chocolate bars — Chocolate Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt (55%), Chocolate with Coconut Milk (55%), Mint Chocolate with a Delicate Crunch (67%)." They're offering a gluten free version as well. The money goes toward opening their food box operation into a full shop in November, which is a project well worth funding. The Feds labeled Delridge a food desert, and getting the space to open up a co-op in the area has been a whole ordeal. Pick up the package in the store, or have them deliver it along with a DGC Essentials produce box, which gets you 10 pounds of produce for $20. RICH SMITH
Find more 4th of July food specials here.
FRIDAY: SPICE WAALA SERVES IT SOFT
I remember the big-ass line that seemed to instantly wrap around Spice Waala's Indian street food truck when it debuted at the South Lake Union Saturday Market in 2018. The couple behind the operation, Aakanksha Sinha and Uttam Mukherjee, grew up in Delhi and Kolkata, respectively, and thought to cook up two street foods from their hometowns: chaat, a savory snack from Delhi that features a mix of potatoes, chickpeas, and spices (Spice Waala serves three different kinds); and kathi rolls, a roll from Kolkata that can come with everything from lamb kabab to fried potato patties. Both were big hits in Seattle, and these staples have supported Spice Waala from its street market days in 2018 to its current life as restaurants in Capitol Hill and Ballard. This Friday, perhaps inspired by this week's miserable heat, Spice Waala's Capitol Hill location will begin serving soft serve ice cream with constantly rotating Indian-inspired flavors. The restaurant says it'll be $5 a cup, and the first flavors offered will be rose and cardamom for the month of July. After that, expect rotating flavors like watermelon and fennel, mango lassi, and pistachio and cardamom. CHASE BURNS
Spice Waala's Capitol Hill location starts serving soft serve ice cream this Friday, July 2. They're located at 340 15th Ave E and are open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 2:30 PM, and 5 to 9 PM. Tuesdays are open 5 to 9 PM. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
SUNDAY: BEAUTYBOIZ'S REVIVAL AT SUPERNOVA
Listen, there's nothing more patriotic than partying into the wee hours with random strangers on Fourth of July after a whole-ass year of not partying into the wee hours with random strangers. And BeautyBoiz's REVIVAL at the much-gossiped about Supernova will be a perfect space for tons of queers in the city to NOT celebrate the gross legacy of this country. Instead we should all celebrate being together again. The SODO club with a long-ass mirrored hallway debuts this weekend to a spate of programmed events. No one knows what to expect—owner Zac Levine described the club as "the Studio 54 of 2021," which is certainly...a vibe! At REVIVAL, clubgoers can expect DJs spinning "Pride anthems, house music, and current dance hits" as well as a "rotating cast of Go-go’s, drag queens and dancers" giving pop up performances. All you gotta do is fork over $20 to enter ($25 after 10 PM), not including drinks—ahhhh, yes, THIS is what the Before Times felt like :) See you there! JASMYNE KEIMIG
BeautyBoiz's REVIVAL kicks off at 8 PM and runs until 4 AM at Supernova. Tickets are $20 before 10 PM, $25 after.
SUNDAY: MOXIE MONDAY GOES BIKE CAMPING
Trans, non-binary, female and femme people are invited on a daylong bike camping trip on Bainbridge Island this Sunday. Moxie Monday, a group of women-identified people who love bikes, host monthly bike rides. This month's ride starts at Occidental Park at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, snakes onto a ferry, and journies 8 miles to a campsite at Fay Bainbridge Park. Then, a "casual July 4th campout" will commence. The route is perfect for beginners. You'll need to bring fare for the ferry and $7 for camping, plus your own bike, food, and camping supplies. However, if you want to join but don't have the means or a closet full of REI swag, you can ask the organizers for help when you RSVP to the event. Do all of that here. NATHALIE GRAHAM
Follow Moxie Monday on Instagram for more info and rides.
WHILE YOU'RE OUT, MUDEDE SAYS TO PICK UP SOME FLORAL SHIRTS AT POLYNESIAN STORE & DELI
There are few things more beautiful to wear in summer than floral clothes—floral dresses, floral shorts, floral shirts. Flowers, flowers, flowers. And even more flowers. Inside of the architecturally interesting Polynesian Store & Deli, which is right by the much unloved Rainier Beach Station on MLK, they are found all over the shirts that hang from the ceiling. Some are made by Blue Hawaii, a company based in Hawaii. Some have flowers, pineapples, and parrots. Almost all are not cheap. (The Blue Hawaii ones cost around $55.) And they are not cheap because they are the real deal. Not all floral wear obtains the high quality of the shirts hanging and stirring in Polynesian Store & Deli. Also, the food here (all take-out) is good. CHARLES MUDEDE
You can find the Polynesian Store & Deli @ 8825 Martin Luther King Jr Way South.
