Wednesday 1/25

PacSci Happy Hour

(SCIENCE) Prepare for a cosmic journey that will transport you to the far reaches of the universe, where you will be able to experience the wonder and beauty of the cosmos while indulging in the pleasures of food and drink... and without a billion screaming children running around. I present to you: PacSci Happy Hour, an opportunity for adults over the age of 21 to explore the mysteries of the universe, immerse themselves in the wonders of science, and quench their thirst for knowledge. Take in a show at the Laser Dome and Planetarium, or visit the Tropical Butterfly House and experience the delicate beauty of these winged wonders up close while sampling cocktails, wine, and beer, earthly delights. (Please note that food and drinks are not included in the ticket price.) The proceeds from the event will go to support STEM education programs, ensuring that future generations will have the opportunity to explore the universe and follow in your inquisitive footsteps as they satisfy their thirst for knowledge. It will be an interstellar experience that you will never forget, unless you drink too much. (Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave N, 5:30 pm, $20-$25) MATT BAUME


Thursday 1/26

Block Printing Class: Paper and Fabric

That strawberry is not backward. COURTESY OF TIFFANY SMITH-FLEISCHMAN

(CRAFTS) I tried block printing once. I got very into a snowflake design without any guidance or practice because how hard could it be? You cut a shape and print it! Blinded by my enthusiasm, I forgot to take into consideration that the resulting print is a mirror image of the carving. syadiloH yppaH, idiot. This week at Monster, textile artist Tiffany Smith-Fleischman will provide everything you need to successfully draw, carve, and print your own block print design on both paper and fabric. Once you get the hang of that, there will be enough time in the 2.5-hour class to experiment with patterning techniques, how you get different results with different kinds of inks and printing surfaces. Start the year with a new skill! Make your own cards! Stamp yourself a new tea towel! Maybe make some stickers and plaster them all over the city to see if you can get spotted in an upcoming edition of Jas Keimig's Sticker Patrol! Smith-Fleischman will also make sure you don't do anything backward, probably. (Monster, 1716 NW Market St, 6:30 pm, $90) MEGAN SELING


Friday 1/27

Den Tapes Winter Jam: Fluung, Salt Lick, Crazy Eyes, and New You

(MUSIC) Late January is really when the winter depression really begins to hit its stride. And it's even more reason to bundle up, trudge outside, and groove with a crowd of warm bodies to excellent music. Seattle tape label Den Tapes is providing an excuse to do so this Friday with its Winter Jam at Tractor Tavern featuring a stellar lineup of label bands. Fluung's gritty energy, Salt Lick's introspective jams, and Crazy Eyes' fuzzy punk tunes will more than boost your serotonin levels. The band I'm most stoked to see is Tacoma's New You, who have a fun sound that combines 2000s-esque pop punk with a millennium rock 'n roll attitude for a fresh, new perspective on both. It's going to be a good night. Also! Bring cash and pick up some tapes. (Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave, 9 pm, $11) JAS KEIMIG


Saturday 1/28

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, Part II, Chapter 1 by Neal Kosaly-Meyer

(BOOKS/MUSIC) Neal Kosaly-Meyer has finally reached the halfway point of his impossible and wonderful and funnaminal project, which is reading all of James Joyce's last (and, in my opinion, very unreadable) novel (Finnegans Wake) from memory. In this session, which should be experienced more as a musical than literary performance, Kosaly-Meyer channels the novel's ninth chapter, which, as he informed me, has my favorite line from the work: "It darkles, (tinct, tint) all this our funnaminal world" (fun/animal/phenomenal/fundamental). We also owe the name of the most basic stuff of matter, quarks, to Finnegans Wake: "Three quarks for Muster Mark." (Chapel Performance Space, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, 7 pm, $5-$20) CHARLES MUDEDE


ESG

(MUSIC) Well, Seattle, this is your first and last chance to catch ESG in the flesh. The legendary Bronx group's calling it quits after 45 years of energizing dance floors with their exhilarating, stark funk. Formed by four Scroggins sisters (including vocalist/guitarist Renee, the sole original member still active) and their conga-playing buddy Tito Lebran, ESG led with deep, FUNdamental bass lines, irradiated guitar spray, punchy drums, peppy congas, and Renee's take-no-shit vocals. Their '80s recordings are seductive, party-starting, and empowering, all stripped-down and optimized to make you get loose. Do not mistake ESG's simplicity for basicness, though. They've honed their rudimentary music to a hedonistic science, one that's influenced many artists in the decades following ESG's initial burst of creativity: Bikini Kill, LCD Soundsystem, and Tussle, to name but a few. ESG's 21st-century songs slap, too, if not with the revelatory zing of their early efforts. Regardless, this show—featuring Renee plus Nicole Nicholas (bass, vocals), Nicholas Nicholas (congas, hand percussion, vocals), Mike Giordano (drums)—should be an exciting farewell to an essential group. (The Crocodile, 2505 First Ave, 6 pm, $40) DAVE SEGAL


Sunday 1/29

Belle de Jour in 35mm

(FILM) If you have not heard, the building that one of Seattle's most important cinema institutions, the Grand Illusion, calls home is now on the market. And looking at how the University District is changing, and how developers may relocate all of their profit-driven energy from an uncertain South Lake Union (a tech hub) to a more certain world-class university that attracts students from around the world, now might be the time to watch movies at the much-loved cinema. And this week it's screening a classic of cinema, Luis Buñuel's Belle de Jour. Maybe we can make some sense of Grand Illusion's situation from a film about the essence of bourgeois sexuality. (Grand Illusion, 1403 NE 50th St, multiple screenings Jan 27-31, $5-$11) CHARLES MUDEDE


Monday 1/30

A La Mode's Lemon Meringue Pie

 
 
 
 
 
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(FOOD) Summer is still something like 20 weeks away. More than 140 days. That is more than 8,500 hours of *looks up at gray, dull sky* this. What might help? A sunlamp, sure, and maybe a vitamin D supplement if you want to be practical. But I have a better idea. Go to A La Mode Pies—they have locations in Phinney, West Seattle, and Ballard—and get a slice of their new-to-the-menu toasted lemon meringue. The crust? Crushed buttery and crispy vanilla wafers. The filling? A cool, creamy lemon curd-like mixture that is neither gluey nor too gelatinous (the cursed fate of many similar concoctions). The topping? A cloud of soft, light-as-a-feather-plucked-from-a-baby-hummingbird meringue that has been toasted to add just a wisp of burnt sugar depth to the meringue's delicate sweetness. The best part? That first bite. The lemon filling is tart enough to tickle right behind your ears, forcing a smile whether you're in a good mood or not. From there, the pie takes over. Everything gets a little brighter, a little sunnier. Summer is now. (A La Mode, various locations, $8 for a slice, $38 for a whole pie) MEGAN SELING


Tuesday 1/31

Barry Johnson: for real though

(VISUAL ART) Barry Johnson is all over the city. Perhaps you have seen his abstract work on the sides of the Midtown Building on 23rd and Union or the statue of Dr. James Washington just around the corner or the "E" in the Black Lives Matter street mural on Capitol Hill. Johnson has been BUSY these last couple of years. That's what makes his Winston WĂ€chter debut show, for real though, all the more impressive in how expressive and urgent it feels. Composed mainly of self-portraits, Johnson's vibrant exhibition at the South Lake Union gallery explores the interiority and intimacy of identity. "A lot of my figurative work is a form of protest," he told Crosscut's Margo Vansynghel. There's an artist reception on Saturday should you want to chat with Johnson himself, but—pro tip—try visiting on a weekday. It's nice to have the gallery to yourself. It gives you more space to think. (Winston WĂ€chter Fine Art, 203 Dexter N, 10 am-5 pm, free) JAS KEIMIG