WEDNESDAY 1/3
Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir: Wayfinders
(VISUAL ART) Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir's pensive, androgynous sculptures reflect on the universality of the human experience—gaze into their blank eyes and you might catch a glimpse of yourself. In Wayfinders, Þórarinsdóttir has designed a site-specific installation that greets museum visitors and "guides their path" through the space with 13 life-sized works and a selection of watercolors. The figures represent life stages and periods of transience and resettlement, reflecting on the Nordic American experience but also embodying a sense of ambiguity. (National Nordic Museum, 2655 NW Market St, Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm, free-$20) LINDSAY COSTELLO
THURSDAY 1/4
(MUSIC) Molly Parden's new album Sacramented is a true hidden gem. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter employs delicate guitars and crystalline vocals for contemplative indie-folk tracks like "Where Do All of Our Passing Days Go?" and "Maybe It Will Stay, Maybe It Will Grow." If you're a regular listener of Angel Olsen, Faye Webster, or Laura Marling, then I bet you'll love Parden, too. NYC-via-Nashville indie pop project Shane T will open. (Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave NW, 8 pm, $15-$20, 21+) AUDREY VANN
FRIDAY 1/5
(COMEDY) Millennial laugh masters Joel Kim Booster and Patti Harrison, both of whom you may have seen on Shrill, will hit the stage with local comics, podcasters, and musicians for this three-day comedy festival across the Crocodile's venues. I'm particularly jazzed for the Reptile Rave on January 6, which will be hosted by Therapy Gecko, a man-sized, anthropomorphic gecko named Lyle who doubles as a soft-voiced, wholesome counselor on his slithery podcast. (The Crocodile Complex, 2505 First Ave, Jan 5-7, $53.50-$175, 21+) LINDSAY COSTELLO
SATURDAY 1/6
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(FOOD) Just because vegans abstain from eating animal products doesn't mean they want to spend the rest of their days eating nothing but piles of quinoa and leafy greens. The roving pop-up Vuture Food has come to the rescue with plant-based fried and battered delights that are just as hedonistic as their carnivorous counterparts. Look forward to hearty dishes like crispy chik'n sandwiches and loaded crinkle-cut fries. (Lucky Envelope Brewing, 907 NW 50th St, 1-5 pm) JULIANNE BELL
SUNDAY 1/7
Speaking of Delicious Vegan Food...
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(FOOD) If your New Year's resolution involves reevaluating your meat and/or dairy consumption, adopting a vegan diet, or going plant-based for the annual "Veganuary" challenge, you've got plenty of delicious local options to ease you through the transition. We've rounded up a list of Seattle-area restaurants with some of our favorite vegan dishes, including the whimsical doughnut haven Dough Joy, beloved brunch spot Bang Bang Kitchen, and the Thai comfort food classic Araya's Place. (All of which are open on Sundays, go eat something tasty!) JULIANNE BELL
MONDAY 1/8
Thou Art Dust and Food for Worms: Dark Ages
(FILM) It's January, which means the dreariest days of the year are upon us. I recommend leaning into it with the Beacon's latest film series, which showcases the best cinematic depictions of the Dark Ages—it should feel appropriately bleak and self-sacrificing, with a side of poetry, torchlit dread, and some comedy, too. First up is Orson Welles's 1965 film Chimes at Midnight, which the Beacon describes as the culmination of his "lifelong obsession with Shakespeare’s ultimate rapscallion, Sir John Falstaff." Follow the lumbering antihero as he navigates court politics during the War of the Roses. (The Beacon, 4405 Rainier Ave S, 7:30 pm, $12.50, series runs Jan 5-31) LINDSAY COSTELLO
TUESDAY 1/9
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(BOOKS) Activist Alice Wong will join Town Hall Seattle remotely for a moderated conversation with insights from her 2022 memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life. I'm stoked to dig into the inspiring tome—Ms. deemed Wong's last book, Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, "essential." (In the book, Wong, the founder of the online community Disability Visibility Project, discusses her experience finding community through disability activism.) Penguin Random House described Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life as a "hybrid memoir" that showcases the "richness and nuance of disabled life, while also challenging nondisabled readers to confront their ableism." (Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave, 6:30 pm, free, in-person and virtual passes are available) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Prizefight!
Win tickets to rad upcoming events!*
Wet City Comedy Fest
Here-After at the Crocodile
Friday, January 5, 6 pm, 21+
Contest ends January 4 at noon
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