WEDNESDAY 6/18Â Â
Rocking with William Shatner & Neil deGrasse Tyson
(SCIENCE) Beam us up, Scotty. Actor William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in the Star Trek franchise for over 25 years, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson are sitting down for a cosmically candid convo, spilling stories "from Earth, space, and their recent Antarctic journey." I had no idea these two were buddies, but it honestly tracks. And, their matching jackets are pretty sweet. I'm curious to hear more about Shatner's experience in space, which he wrote about in his 2022 book, Boldly Go. "I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living things," he writes. "I had a different experience, because I discovered that the beauty isn't out there, it's down here." (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, all ages) JANEY WONG
THURSDAY 6/19Â Â
(FESTIVAL) On Juneteenth, Africatown Community Land Trust and King County Equity Now are "commemorating the liberation of our ancestors from chattel slavery and collectively envisioning and exploring what future freedom and equity can look like." Death Row Records-signed R&B artist October London, who has won Grammy awards for his work on NXWorries' album and The Color Purple soundtrack, headlines a stacked lineup of acts including local musical theater star Isaiah Banks and 13-year-old South Seattle rapper Skye Dior. Bring your dancing shoes; Southern line dancing group PNW STEPPAZ will lead a "Boots on the Ground Unity Step," where every dancer who joins in will earn a $1 donation for King County Equity Now. Attendees can check out dozens of market and food vendors, panels, and family-friendly activities in Jimi Hendrix Park right next to the Northwest African American Museum. (Jimi Hendrix Park, noon–8 pm, free, all ages; see more Juneteenth events here) SHANNON LUBETICH
FRIDAY 6/20Â Â
Wild Powwers, Biblioteka, M.O.S.S.
(MUSIC) I typically roll my eyes all the way back into my head when femme-fronted rock bands are compared to Bikini Kill or Sleater-Kinney, but hear me out, Wild Powwers’ new album, Pop Hits & Total Bummers Vol. 5, legitimately belongs in the same sentence as the riot grrrl and post-riot grrrl bands. Lara Hilgemann and Lupe Flores’s overlapping vocals give the songs a welcome tension that is delightfully released when their vocals join in harmony. They will be joined by fellow garage-rock trio Biblioteka and the self-identified “twangy sludgy country slacker doom pop” band M.O.S.S. (Baba Yaga, 7 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
SATURDAY 6/21Â Â
(PRIDE) The wonderfully gritty and industrial backdrop of Seattle’s oldest neighborhood will become awash with color as a street fair, parade, and dance parties take over for Georgetown Pride. Start the day off with carnival games, flash tattoos, and a bagel-eating competition at Bloom Bistro, then head to Oxbow Park for a parade at 3 p.m. Bars and businesses will host a variety of evening parties, including Hot Dog Prom 2.0 at Seattle Tavern with DJ Wax Witch and an open mic at Great Notion Brewing. (I also can't get over the event's poster design featuring Georgetown’s iconic hat landmark squeezing mustard and ketchup onto a couple of Cybertrucks above the slogan, "Bigger, Hairier, and Queerer.") (Georgetown, 11 am, free, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
SUNDAY 6/22Â Â
(MUSIC) The cover for Valerie June’s latest album, Owls, Omens, and Oracles, looks like an Instagram photo from 2011—washed-out filter and all. Coincidentally, the early 2010s is when June first began releasing music. The new album doesn’t just take aesthetic inspiration from her musical beginnings, but returns to her indie roots with a raw, gritty, rock-infused soul sound. What varies from her humble beginnings is the collaborations on the album—Norah Jones and the Blind Boys of Alabama—dream guests for any jazz, blues, or soul artist. She will support the new album alongside Irish folk singer-songwriter Mick Flannery. (The Showbox, 7 pm, all ages) AUDREY VANN
MONDAY 6/23Â Â
(VISUAL ART) Curated by Washington Ensemble Theatre, this "sensory indulgence" at Slip Gallery celebrates Pride with an intriguing question: "What does queer joy feel like, sound like, smell like?" My guess is that it sounds like echoing laughter and freshly baked cookies, but I'm sure this immersive experience is more creative than that. Inspired by quotes and ideas from LGBTQIA* folks in Seattle, queer joy seems purposefully open-ended; the installation "examines the big bold brashness of queerness, and the subtleness that is being a queer person day in and day out." To find out what that means, head to Belltown. (Slip Gallery, daily through July 5, free) LINDSAY COSTELLO
TUESDAY 6/24Â Â
Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins
(MUSIC) I first came under the spell of Jonathan Richman after seeing a clip from his performance of “Vampire Girl” on the Conan O’Brien show in 1993. Richman croons about intriguing goth girls with an almost child-like spirit, strumming his hollow-body electric guitar with a huge grin while shaking his hips and maintaining intense eye contact with the crowd. The result of this performance should be kind of fucked up, but it’s undeniably charming and refreshingly authentic. This “so wrong it’s right” contradiction is what makes Richman an enduring counter-culture icon and godfather of punk rock. Seriously, his music has influenced a long list of music legends, including Brian Eno, the Sex Pistols, Joan Jett, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop. The modern-day Buddy Holly, striped-shirt icon, Velvet Underground fanboy, man, myth, and legend, Jonathan Richman, is coming to the Tractor Tavern for five shows across four days alongside his trusty sidekick, drummer Tommy Larkins. (Tractor Tavern, times and age-ranges vary) AUDREY VANN
 Prizefight!Â
Win tickets to rad upcoming events!*
Capitol Hill Block Party
July 19 & 20
Contest ends June 23 at 10 am
Post Malone
June 26, T-Mobile Park
Contest ends June 23 at 10 am
PRIDEFEST
June 29, Seattle Center
Contest ends June 26th at 10 am
