THURSDAY: TALKING TRACKS: PUBLIC POOL AT THE RENDEZVOUS
In their first publicly ticketed event, Seattle music blog Dan's Tunes is hosting the latest installment of their entertaining Talking Tracks podcast at The Rendezvous in Belltown. The series features Dan Ray (the Dan of Dan's Tunes) and a local band, who plays every song on their latest record as Ray interviews them track-by-track. It's a great behind-the-scenes look at how albums come together. The guest of honor this time around is Boston-made, Seattle-based band Public Pool, who will bring their kinda-grimy-yet-effervescent brand of surf rock to the Rendezvous stage. Join Ray as the quartet chats shop about their debut album, Feel Better Tomorrow, and plays it in full. If you can't make it down to the show, you can tune in to the live stream by downloading the app LiveMo, and if you can't tune in to that, then the recording will go up in full on Spotify. You have no excuse! JASMYNE KEIMIG
Tickets to Dan's Tunes' Talking Tracks: Public Pool are $25, and doors are at 7 PMâget yours here.
FRIDAY: ACTIONESSE + MIRRORGLOSS AT DRUNKY TWO SHOES IN WHITE CENTER
The powerful combination 2021 needed is the coming together of Actionesse, Drunky Two Shoes, and Mirrorgloss.
A line that's stuck with me for years comes from former Stranger writer Dave Segal, who said the local "post-horncore" group Actionesse's bulging bass guitar riff "can't decide whether it wants to beat you senseless or impregnate you." The first time I heard Actionesse IRL was at a house party in Wedgwood in 2018, and the accuracy of Dave's line came through loud and clear. (Don't let their noise fool you: I've found the group to be welcoming, friendly, and excellent at stirring up a crowd.) And the first time I went to Drunky Two Shoes BBQ in White Center, I had the unique experience of eating bone marrow next to a table full of gay pups. (Not pups as in French bulldogs, but pups as in dudes in puppy masks panting next to their daddies.) The pups eyed me as I poured Drunky's famous "Doom Sauce" onto my marrow. It was so hot it made my scalp tingle. "Bad to the Bone" played poignantly in the background. The pups watched, wagging.
Drunky's and Actionesse's wild energies will combine on Friday to create an assuredly spicy evening, joined by local electro-pop band Mirrorgloss, who also really know how to throw drown. CHASE BURNS
This outdoor, mask-required event starts at 8 PM at Drunky's in White Center. Tickets are $10.
FRIDAY: AN ABBA-INSPIRED DANCE PARTY AT NEUMOS
The terrible secret of dance parties is that they reached their peak in the 1970s with disco, and theyâve been going downhill ever since mainstream music decided that queers and people of color shouldnât be allowed to have fun. Return to the hot sweaty glee of the past with an ABBA dance party at Neumos, where youâll be able to live your Mamma Mia fantasy. DJ Disco Vinnie will transport you to 1970s Sweden, a happier time when none of your modern-day problems existed, presumably because you were not yet alive. Feather your hair, dress in easily-removed clothing, and bring however many men you wish to be your daddy. MATT BAUME
Mamma Mia: An ABBA Dance Party kicks off at Neumos this Friday at 9 PM.
FRIDAY: QUEEN4QUEEN AT PONY
Queen4Queen is back. Nature is healing.
Pony's monthly drag takeover, which the pancetta sadly put on pause, is roaring back to life this Friday night. Fun and fierce Seattle queens Cookie Couture and Rowan Ruthless are in total control of the night, performing and DJing in the intimate, dick-decorated space. Joining them is fellow Seattle queen Butylene O'Kipple, who will give tarot readings to patrons/admirers (a dream of mine is to have my future divined on the sticky countertop of a gay bar). Also on the roster is guest diva Ava Magnum, who will no doubt turn the party from atop Pony's high "stage." The party starts at 9 PM, but you can expect performances to kick off around 11:30 PM. Tip your queens, thankyouverymuch. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Queen4Queen at Pony goes from 9 PM 'til 2 AM.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY: THE WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST
This year, West Seattleâs taking a step back from the usual hoot and holler of Summer Fest by returning to their roots. Rather than throwing a whole big festival, theyâre returning to the more modest affairs of decades past with a sidewalk sale, augmented by some online events. Tables will be set up along California Ave, hosting wares from various local merchants and crafters, and there will be goodie bags and boxes. (Whatâs inside? âSummer Fest Feelings,â organizers say. Oh okay!) Events include a Paint and Sip, both virtual and in-person, with participants encouraged to paint an inspiring orca; a mayoral town hall broadcast; and a mayoral candidate forum, at which there is a three hundred percent chance there will be questions about the West Seattle Bridge. MATT BAUME
West Seattle Summer Fest events run this Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: TWO DAYS OF BOARD GAMES
Hey, remember friends? Those people you used to enjoy spending time with, in the same physical location? Well, theyâre back! âHaving friendsâ is the hot new trend of 2021, and if youâd like to obtain some of your very own, now you canâby going to a store. Phoenix Comics and Games, to be specific. Game nights are back on the agenda, with a full weekend of tabletop shenanigans planned for this weekend: Start with the Queer Geek Board Games Meetup on Saturday, then allow yourself to glide into Sunday with a second day of games hosted by XL Bears. Proof of vaccination is required, as is a mask, and the store is limiting attendance to around two dozen. Phoenix expanded just before the pandemic, so nowâs your chance to finally stretch out, make the most of the embiggened floorspace, and acquire some of these âfriendsâ everyone has been talking about. MATT BAUME
Two Days of Board Games kicks off on Saturday from 1 to 6 PM and returns on Sunday from 5 to 9 PM at Phoenix Comix and Games.
SATURDAY: SANGO, DAVE B, AND STAS THEE BOSS AT THE NEPTUNE
Truly nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing the return of live music in Seattle. This Saturday, Neptune swings its doors open to the city after nearly a year and a half of closureâand the line-up is stacked. Taking the stage are three artists with deep roots in the area: Stas THEE Boss, Dave B, and headliner Sango. The now Brooklyn-based Stas will bring her signature swagger to the stage, having blessed us with an album of singingâappropriately called Sang Stasia!âlast fall. You can expect to hear some fresh material from Seattle's Dave B, whose fantastic EP Vista dropped today (pro tip: "Ego Trip" featuring Rexx Life Raj is A Summer Vibe). Finally, DJ and producer Sango will close out the night with his Brazilian funk-influenced stylings and incredible remixesâhis spin on Frank Ocean's "Nights" got stuck in my head for months. Don't miss out! JASMYNE KEIMIG
Tickets to Sango, Dave B, and Stas THEE Boss at Neptune are $25 and doors are at 8 PMâget yours here.
SATURDAY: A FOUNDING MEMBER OF FISHBONE AT CLOCK-OUT LOUNGE
What we now celebrate as afropunk has a significant part of its roots in Fishbone, a black band that formed in the late-70s in Los Angeles and ruled the underground for much of the '80s with their inimitable blend of ska/funk/rock. These brothers were really out there and, as far as I can tell, are still out there. Saturday, one of the founding members of Fishbone, the guitarist and vocalist Kendall Jones, performs at the recently reopened Clock-Out Lounge with a number of guests that includes the local singer and soul/hard rock/punk star Om Johari, who, the night before (Friday), performs the music of Tina Bell at the Central Saloon with her Bad Brains tribute band Re-Ignition. If your afropunk soul has been in the wilderness during the long shutdown of music venues, the Kendall Jones show at Clock-Out Lounge will certainly bring you back home on Saturday night for just $15. (The Bell show on Friday is, however, asking for ten times that amount.) CHARLES MUDEDE
Tickets for Hardened Booking Presents Kendall Rey Jones Experience are here.
TICKET ALERT: DAY IN DAY OUT, TUSH, AND MORE
Will the newly announced Day In Day Out festival become Seattle's next Bumbershoot? Not according to its producersâDaydream State, the people behind Capitol Hill Block Party, the Neumos/Barboza/Runaway complex, and moreâwho told Capitol Hill Seattle Blog that the new Labor Day weekend music festival happening at Seattle Center on September 4 and 5 isn't replacing Bumbershoot or Capitol Hill Block Party. But the two-day big-fest, featuring the likes of Kaytranada, Parisalexa, AminĂŠ, and Chong the Nomad, will definitely stand in for those two fests this year. Tickets might sell out, so grab them soon if you're interested*. We'll be there! We'll also be at the return of Clock-Out Lounge's typically sell-out drag event, TUSH, which comes back this July 29. I expect it will also run out of tickets. People are ready to get out and experience live events, so plan ahead, Seattle! CHASE BURNS
*PS: Seattle announced today that the city is partnering with Daydream State to give away 100 free one-day tickets to the Day In Day Out fest to the first 100 people vaccinated at the City's "Welcome Back Week" clinics. If you still haven't gotten your jabs, here's info from their press release:
The first 100 people vaccinated at the Cityâs Welcome Back Week clinics will receive a free one-day ticket to the Day In ⢠Day Out music festival. Seattle Fire Department (SFD) Welcome Back Week pop-up vaccination clinic dates and times are as follows:
Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Saturday, July 17, and Sunday, July 18, 1 â 7 p.m.Occidental Square, 117 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104
Saturday, July 24, 10:30 a.m. â 3 p.m.Westlake Park, 401 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
Sunday, July 25, 12 â 8 p.m.
