MONDAY 6/8
Bleak Week: Dancer in the Dark
(FILM) At the heart of Bleak Week, a weeklong film fest that, the Beacon says, “spotlights some of the greatest films from around the world that explore the darkest sides of humanity, as well as some of the bleakest points in human history,” is Dancer in the Dark, a movie by Lars von Trier, the modern master of melancholy cinema. Starring Iceland’s pop icon Björk and featuring a Bernard Hermann-esque score by the star, Dancer in the Dark is something like the point at which Douglas Sirk meets Edvard Munch. Trier’s film is unremittingly dark. Things go from worse to worse. And its ending enters a world that can only be described as hell, which is not a place but, instead, the total absence of hope or, put another way, despair. The Bleak Week series, which also includes Gus Van Sant’s Elephant (screening on Tuesday), might mark the stage when our society transitions from sadness to depression. (The Beacon, 7:30 pm) CHARLES MUDEDE
TUESDAY 6/9
Channel One Sound System feat. Ras Sherby, Kid Hops, DJ Cray
(MUSIC) Here is what you must do right now. Go to Instagram and request videos of Channel One Sound System. The evidence of what I have to say in this preview will be provided. Indeed, some of the videos, such as the one of a Channel One set at London’s Notting Hill Carnival, are viral. That said, this sound system is operated by Mikey Dread (not to be confused with other reggae legend, the late Mikey Dread—“I was walking down the street in the afternoon, when I saw a natty dread in a barber saloon—he cut off all his locks… he was an idiot”). These days, it’s hard to find a deeper dub, which can only be spiritual, than the one Channel One rocks. You are a fool to miss this show. (Clock-Out Lounge, 8 pm, 21+) CHARLES MUDEDE
WEDNESDAY 6/10
lowercase, Thrones, Caustic Resin
(MUSIC) Who remembers the important indie-rock band lowercase? They released three strong albums in the ’90s on Amphetamine Reptile and Vern Rumsey’s Punk in My Vitamins label in the vein of methodical quiet-loud slowcore groups such as Codeine and Seam, with hints of Slint’s tumultuous, brooding rock. On LPs such as All Destructive Urges…Seem So Perfect and Kill the Lights, Imaad Wasif’s hoarse, distressed vocals rumble over nuanced yet noisy rock, reflecting the over-the-top emotions of youth. The title “Rare Anger” perfectly encapsulates lowercase’s sound and vision. Surprisingly, lowercase reunited last year to do some shows with Unwound, Brainiac, and others. Drummer Brian Girgus tells me that “the reception has been awesome and we can’t wait to take the show up to the Pacific Northwest.” For this tour with bassist Bobb Bruno (the For Carnation, Best Coast, etc.) replacing Tiber Scheer, lowercase will play a couple of new songs and also be selling vinyl reissues of Kill the Lights and The Going Away Present. (Barboza, 7 pm, 21+) DAVE SEGAL
THURSDAY 6/11
Capitol Hill Art Walk at The Stranger
(VISUAL ART) This Thursday, come visit us at The Stranger’s office for our second ever Capitol Hill Art Walk event, featuring work by Timothy White Eagle in collaboration with Adrain Chesser and Steven Miller. We’ll be exhibiting a selection of video and photographic works from Once Wild River (on view at Mini Mart City Park through June 20) and Beaster & Bear, an ongoing collaborative exploration of the artists’ trickster alter egos and complex narratives that explore the politics of gay culture, spirituality, and man’s relationship to nature. (The Stranger, 5–8 pm, free) AMANDA MANITACH
FRIDAY 6/12
(FILM) In 1941, Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas signed a stupid and sexist law that banned women and girls from playing sports such as soccer and rugby because they were “incompatible with the conditions of their nature.” That ban was lifted in 1979, but women weren’t allowed to form official teams until 1983, two years before the collapse of the country’s conservative military dictatorship. This is the setting for Ícaro (Francisco C) Martins’s and José Antonio García’s “erotic” and “anarchic” comedy about a group of young women in São Paulo forming the Gaivotas Football Club amid a media circus. Naturally, it’s gay, and until now, it has never been released outside of Brazil. (Northwest Film Forum, 7 pm) VIVIAN McCALL
SATURDAY 6/13
(VISUAL ART) It’s the second installment of ONCE REMOVED, a curatorial stroke of genius that softens the blow of gentrification, just a little. The first event happened in February in a little bungalow in Greenwood, where a group of artists were given the keys to a house slated for demolition and had five days to race the excavators and transform the place into a piece of temporary poetry. This time, the artists (Julia Monté, Michael Higgins, Chloe King, Hannah Simmons, Isabella Rinald, and Beni McAllister) have a longer runway and an even bigger house to fill with installation, sculpture, video, music, and DJs. Sofiiak will be on decks for the night, with a performance by atm/overdraft. For the address, message ONCE REMOVED on Instagram or email them at hello@onceremoved.org. (A House in West Seattle, 6–10 pm, all ages, free) AMANDA MANITACH
SUNDAY 6/14
(MUSIC) Legendary Japanese all-female rock trio TsuShiMaMiRe comes to Ballard touring in support of their 27th anniversary and new digital single “Oversized American Dreams.” Big in Japan since 1999, their musical style ranges from art punk to indie pop, with concerts featuring noisy distortion and high kicks throughout. If you caught Otoboke Beaver at the Pier last year, you’ll definitely love this band. The Sunset is Seattle’s most reasonably sized room, and without a doubt the ideal place to discover for yourself this criminally underrated band. And $20 certainly ain’t bad. With local punks Brute! opening, it’s sure to be an exciting evening—check out TsuShiMaMiRe’s KEXP in-studio session from 2024 if you don’t believe me. (Sunset Tavern, 8 pm, 21+) DYLAN BUECHE
