Our arts critics have already recommended 44 great things to do this week and our music critics have picked the 38 best music shows, but there are still lots more events happening—including a few on Memorial Day. To prevent some of the quirkier and more extraordinary ones from slipping through the cracks, we've compiled them here—from TRL: "As Long As You Love May" Edition to PaizoCon, and from the Seattle Red Dress Party to Bascule: A Concert with Fremont Bridge Resident Paurl Walsh. For even more options this week, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
Found something you like and don't want to forget about it later? Click "Save Event" on any of the linked events below to add it to your own private list.
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- National Geographic Live — Day to Night
In the latest multimedia show led by a NatGeo photographer, Stephen Wilkes will show how photos can change public perceptions. He has experience in the matter: According to publicity materials, his long-term study of Ellis Island's south side led to a restoration of its historical medical buildings, while his snapshots of the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy called attention to climate change. He'll give you insight into his latest series, Day to Night, in which he composites images taken from a stationary camera over 30 hours. - Shane Koyczan
The YouTube-famous Canadian spoken word artist will sling his heartfelt verses about bullying, illness, and other serious subjects. COMMUNITY
- Terrarium Garden Workshop
Design your own terrarium inspired by Chihuly’s work. FILM
- Meaningful Movies: The Living Salish Sea
Discover the gorgeous—and threatened—treasures of the Salish Sea and learn how you can fight for their welfare at this screening. FOOD & DRINK
- Crafting Libations: Absinthe
Jared Wegner will teach you to make delicious cocktails with everyone's favorite milky green spirit, absinthe. No psychedelic visit from the green fairy here, just tasty anise-flavored libations. MUSIC
- Phil Parisot Plays Soundgarden
Drummer Phil Parisot and his quintet will play their renditions of songs by Northwest grunge-rock legends Soundgarden. READINGS & TALKS
- Arvin Ahmadi: Girl Gone Viral
In order to track down her missing father, a young coding genius enters a contest at the world's biggest virtual reality platform, WAVE, in order to meet the billionaire founder who worked closely with her dad. Author Arvin Ahmadi will talk about his young adult novel with science fiction author Margaret Stohl. - A Time For Unity: The Impact of Mass Incarceration on Native Communities
A panel of formerly incarcerated Indigenous community members will talk about the widespread problem of mass incarceration among Native peoples and how to address it. VISUAL ART
- Lavish: QTPOC Art Showcase
Queer and trans people of color and their allies show off their performing and artistic skills.ÂTUESDAY-WEDNESDAY
MUSIC
- The Messenger Legacy - Art Blakey Centennial Celebration
Legendary jazz drummer Art Blakey, who performed with the likes of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine in the 1940s, will be the centerpiece of this centennial tribute show with the Messenger Legacy, an elite lineup of alumni members of one of the genre’s most influential bands, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.TUESDAY-THURSDAY
PERFORMANCE
- The Amazing Acro-cats!
Unless you're going to Chicago, where these cats live, it's probably safe to say that this will be your only opportunity to see circus-trained felines perform—"jump through hoops, roll on balls, ride skateboards, and more."TUESDAY-FRIDAY
VISUAL ART
- Made By Sea
See work by an array of contemporary Southeast Asian ceramicists, including Aor Sutthiprapha, Aung Myint, and Chanakarn Semachai.
Closing FridayTUESDAY-SATURDAY
VISUAL ART
- Because It Rains
Laura Bartunek, who won AIA Seattle's 2018 Emerging Professionals Travel Scholarship, will show architectural designs that engage with rain as "an ecological and cultural phenomenon" rather than an enemy of buildings.
Closing Saturday - Steve Walker
Enter the fabulous and fanciful worlds of Steve Walker, whose interests seem to range from kings and queens to giant tentacles to airplanes to dragons.
Closing SaturdayTUESDAY-SUNDAY
COMEDY
- Brett Druck Brewery Comedy Tour
Stand-up comic Druck will tell jokes at Northwest breweries on this beer-centric tour.WEDNESDAY
FILM
- 'Trickle Down Town': Movie Screening and Conversation with Director Tomasz Biernacki
Seattle filmmaker Tomasz Biernacki's detailed, intimate documentary about homelessness in our city humanizes the victims of the housing crisis and dispels harmful myths. Biernacki will give a short talk before the screening. GEEK
- Astronomy On Tap: Stars, Planets, Black Holes!
Still reeling over the first-ever captured image of a black hole? UW astronomy professor Dr. Emily Levesque will dive into just how difficult that picture was to capture. Then, Astronomy on Tap founder Brett Morris will discuss the links between planets and the stars that host them. - Mario Kart 8 Tournament
Replace your childhood beverage of choice with a berry rosé or Field Day IPA from Two Beers Brewing and prove your Mario Kart skills. - MovieCat Trivia Night!
Show off your screen smarts with some quality movie nerd company, plus "cats drawn into movie scenes." - Signs, Seals and Sigils: The Occult Science of Magic Script
Learn about magical alphabets, asemic writing, and the symbols, signs, and signets of practical occultism. MUSIC
- Passages: A Fable in Six Cycles
Chamber quartet TORCH will play live while Scott Kolbo's animated film is projected onto the stage in this piece about immigration. PERFORMANCE
- A Nightcap with Betty Wetter
The glamorous Betty Wetter will host a friendly night of drag and storytelling, featuring Monday Mourning and One. Don't forget to tip! - OOT Needs a Spritzer!
Opera on Tap will team up with special guest drag queen Miss Anita Spritzer for some queer and classical fun. READINGS & TALKS
- George Packer: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century
In Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century, Atlantic staff writer and Pulitzer-nominated author Packer tells the story of the titular diplomat, a man who helped drive American interventionist foreign policy for decades, beginning with the Vietnam War. - Martha Silano, Kevin Craft, Laura Da’
Join acclaimed Pacific Northwest poets Martha Silano, Kevin Craft, and Laura Da' for a group reading. - Timber Hawkeye in Seattle
Join Timber Hawkeye, author of Buddhist Boot Camp and Faithfully Religionless, for a talk and Q&A about his "non-sectarian approach to being at peace with the world."THURSDAY
COMEDY
- Seattle's Dark Brew Comedy Show
The highly caffeinated Seattle's Dark Brew comedy troupe is a combination of the Fresh Brew lineup (newer comics) and the Reserve Blend lineup (comedy vets). COMMUNITY
- Sound Conversations: Knowing and Loving Orcas—the Ocean's Greatest Predator
Unsurprisingly, humans have played a huge part in the current critically endangered state of Puget Sound's Southern Resident Orcas. Jeff Renner, author of Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean’s Greatest Predator, will talk about how you can help protect the local marine environment. FILM
- The Cold Blue
William Wyler (the director who won Academy Awards for Ben-Hur, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Mrs. Miniver) flew with combat missions in order to capture footage of the WWII Air War in 1943 Germany for Memphis Belle. The raw color footage, which was recently discovered in the National Archives, was used to make an entirely different film, The Cold Blue. See a screening and learn about the making of the film. - Hecklevision: Waterworld
Kevin Costner develops gills to adapt to marine life after the polar ice caps melt and all land sinks underwater. If this narrative sounds a little too plausible, deal with your stress by sending your snarky texts to the screen while you watch Kevin Reynolds's 1995 fantasy flick. MUSIC
- All Out for Kshama Sawant: Drag Show & Concert
Local queens Atasha Manila and Thadayus will sing and dance in support of Socialist Alternative City Council candidate Kshama Sawant's campaign. - Bascule: A Concert with Fremont Bridge Resident Paurl Walsh
Local composer and Fremont Bridge Resident Paurl Walsh presents an "idiosyncratic musical piece" that combines electronic and chamber music with visuals. The organizers describe it as "a dark and expressive meditation on depression and the shared emotional trails that come with being human." - Dead & Buried - 2 Years in the Grave Anniversary Party
The Goth-centric dance party Dead & Buried will celebrate two years of life with tricks and treats from DJs Maxx Destrukt and Nervosa. - JoJo Siwa
JoJo Siwa, a Nickelodeon star and teenage YouTube sensation, will show an otherworldly level of human excitement at her D.R.E.A.M. tour stop, which will feature her latest sparkle-pop efforts. PERFORMANCE
- Bang the Gong
In honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, this drag variety show will feature Asian American performers Whispurr Water-Shadow, Aleksa Manila, Atasha Manila, Kylie Mooncakes, Rowan Ruthless, and Rylee Raww. - One Thing
Watch a staged reading of Scott Stolnack's One Thing, a play about three siblings gathering in Chicago to bury their abusive father and confronting his literal ghost and other hauntings of the past. - RuPaul's Drag Race 11 with Cookie & Mila
Watch every episode of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11 with two local drag queens, Cookie Couture and Mila Skyy. READINGS & TALKS
- Kate Mulgrew: How to Forget
In Kate Mulgrew's novel How to Forget, an actress reluctantly returns home to Iowa to care for her ailing Irish Catholic parents, only to discover family secrets. - The Source Spring Speaker Series
The Friends of Waterfront will host a series of community events, like tonight's talk on the effects of the Seattle seawall on wildlife with UW researcher Jeff Cordell. - Violence & Vulnerability: Poetry for Chaotic Times with Deborah Landau and Heidi Seaborn
Poets Deborah Landau and Heidi Seaborn will read recent work and talk about the process of "living and writing through chaos." VISUAL ART
- Art Battle Seattle
Twelve local painters will compete to snag the prize at this 20-minute-long competition. The paintings will be available afterward for a silent auction.THURSDAY-SATURDAY
GEEK
- Something Magical With David Parr's Cabinet of Curiosities
Magician David Parr will choose an artifact from his collection of magical knick knacks to use in his show. Will it be a macabre toy from 18th-century France? A golden goblet from a dinner party in Renaissance Italy? No one knows. VISUAL ART
- Aaron Coberly: Breaking the Surface
These pastoral landscapes and portraits emulate 19th-century impressionist style with almost uncanny accuracy.
Closing SaturdayTHURSDAY-SUNDAY
COMEDY
- Dave Burleigh
Dave Burleigh will come to town with his impressions of Charlie Sheen and other celebs. PERFORMANCE
- Office Hour
Julia Cho's tense play is about a professor trying to reach a student who's been writing scary, morbid stuff. A topical choice, Office Hour addresses gun violence, immigration, and other urgent topics.FRIDAY
COMEDY
- Adam Ray
LA-based Adam Ray (Ghostbusters, The Heat) will return to his hometown of Seattle for a comedy set. - Hannah & Matt // The “Responsible” “Adults” // Chris Last Presents
Hannah and Matt will perform sketches about robots; "Responsible" "Adults" will dole out comedy "even your mom would love; and Chris Last will take the stage for silly scenes and songs. - Slick Tarp: Hacked to Bits // Summit Team Jeffrey
Sketch horror-comedy troupe Slick Tarp will bring the thrills and chills of a slasher movie night to the stage. Next up, Summit Team Jeffrey will perform all-new comedy sketches. FILM
- 31 Short Lectures About Taylor Swift
Self-proclaimed Taylor Swift scholar Mocha James Herrup will present their film Thirty One Short Lectures About Taylor Swift, followed by a dance party dedicated to the pop star everyone loves to hate (or hates to love). MUSIC
- Butt Club, Wreckless Freeks, Cody Choi
Body-positive burlesque troupe Butt Club will put on a night of tantalizing variety performances with the Wreckless Freeks Sideshow and Cody Choi. - Dr. Crüe, Disposable Zeros, The Warning, Bullet in Your Head
Billing itself as "the region's hottest Mötley Crüe tribute band," Seattle's Dr. Crüe will helm a night of '80s punk-rock covers with support from Metallica tribute Disposable Zeros, Mexico's the Warning, and Rage Against the Machine tribute Bullet in Your Head. - Hell's Belles
Join AC/DC tribute band Hell's Belles—endorsed by lead guitarist Angus Young himself—for a night of your favorite face-melters. - Retro Remix: '80s, '90s, and '00s Dance Party
Playful Noises DJs will fit a few hours of '80s, '90s, and '00s remixes into your Friday.
- TRL: "As Long As You Love May" Edition
"Seattle's only tribute boy band" #ALL4DORAS and DJs Indica Jones and HandZ will team up for a Top 40 dance party. PERFORMANCE
- Burlesque 202 Graduation Recital
Elsa Von Schmaltz's foxy students will show off what they've learned in the past six weeks. - Dedicated To...
Performers between the ages of 13 and 21 will perform pieces dedicated to something, someone, or someplace they admire. - The LickHer Cabinet: A Dark Diamond Tasting
The all-POC ensemble Dark Diamonds will thrill you with a night of burlesque and slam poetry inspired by their favorite booze, with each member representing a different spirit (including Amaretto, absinthe, and whiskey). READINGS & TALKS
- Where Have All the Sockeye Salmon Gone?
The Ballard Locks are seeing lower and lower counts of Sockeye salmon each year. At this talk, salmon naturalist Roger Urbaniak will discuss why this is and share some ideas for their recovery.FRIDAY-SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Keith Carey
"Husky, bisexual weirdo" Keith Carey prides himself on toeing the line between "silly and offensive."Â PERFORMANCE
- Dark at Dusk: The Final Suicide
Poet Nic Masangkay's highly personal show stars many queer artists of color in a multimedia-heavy story of an attempted suicide. PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
- Funhouse Tonight!
Join host Jake Foerg and "hype man" Lee Yang for a two-night music and comedy showcase with two different lineups. Friday guests include Annie Barry, Pearl Townsend, Sarah Mack, Michael Glatzmaier, and the Fabulous Downey Brothers, while Saturday welcomes Jim Allen, Ali Kahn, Emmett Montgomery, Clothing Optional, and Narrow Tarot. VISUAL ART
- Holly Ballard Martz: The Greatest Show on Earth
"No need to run away to join the circus, the circus has come to you," writes Martz. In a symbol of modern American insanity, Martz has cut and stitched honest-to-gosh 50 sanctioned flags into a 30-foot circus tent.
Closing SaturdayFRIDAY-SUNDAY
MUSIC
- Susquatch 4
Sasquatch! is gone forever, but this local replacement for the Memorial Day weekend music festival looks just as good, if not better. Catch two days of performances by hometown heroes like Youryoungbody, Raven Hollywood, 회사AUTO, Lindseys, Malcolm Rebel, and so many others. PERFORMANCE
- #adulting
Lowbrow Opera Collective will continue its mission of making opera accessible and fun to the laypeople of Seattle with a new work titled #adulting. The story follows four Craigslist-bred roommates who share their first forays into the world of bills and affordable couches.ALL WEEKEND
FESTIVALS
- 26th Annual Juan de Fuca Festival
Fans of music, comedy, and dance will fill the lovely waterfront town of Port Angeles with melodies and festivities for a whole weekend. GEEK & GAMING
- PaizoCon
Paizo Publishing, a Redmond-based adventure gaming company that specializes in spin-offs of the classic role-playing games Pathfinder and Starfinder, hosts this annual convention filled with panels, workshops, special guests, and, of course, chances to try out games for yourself. PERFORMANCE
- Time to Tell
The latest United Nations climate report states that "Human actions threaten more species with global extinction now than ever before"; a hazy layer of smoke hangs in the air across the West Coast in the summer months; salmon are dying in the Puget Sound. Climate change isn't new, but people are becoming more aware of its imminent dangers. This short, fast-paced hybrid performance "provides an opportunity to complicate our biases and bring our confusions into the light."SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Channel Surfers
These comics will commandeer the remote and remind you of cable television's forgotten moments. A portion of ticket sales will go to the Yellowhammer Fund, an Alabama-based reproductive justice nonprofit. - Market Ghost Stories: A Haunted Excursion
You shouldn't be too surprised to learn that Pike Place Market is haunted (those cobblestones! Those myriad dark corners!). On this excursion, Unexpected Productions guides will lead you through the open-air market's unusual arcades and alleys while sharing some oft-overlooked local history. - Video Sketch Showcase
Award-winning comedy teams will perform their most bizarre experiments. - XLR Comedy: Standup Showcase
Each comic at this brand-new stand-up comedy showcase hosted by Seattle's own Taylor Clark will get a musical introduction. COMMUNITY
- Community Talk w/ Chinatown Art Brigade
Hear stories of displacement and gentrification in Chinatown with the Chinatown Art Brigade. FESTIVALS
- Seagull Calling Festival
In this unique Memorial Day festival that combines bird calling with chicken wing tasting, try to lure seagulls by imitating their cries (and bribing them with treats). After that, taste a variety of chicken wings made by amateur chefs for $1 a piece. FILM
- Saturday Night Party - Top End Wedding
At SIFF Uptown, see a screening of Wayne Blair's rom-com about a pair of Australian newlyweds who journey back to the bride's Indigenous hometown to search for her missing mom, then talk about it over drinks at Open House Studios' after party. FOOD & DRINK
- Romanian Night at Connect Lounge
The Connect Lounge claims to be the only place in Seattle serving Romanian cuisine on its menu. For this monthly event, they'll offer an expanded all-Romanian menu featuring owner Iulia Bejan's mother's recipes. - Tea-Infused Ice Cream Pop Up at Addo:incubator
Ice cream maker Milk & Leaf Collective will serve their signature tea-infused frozen treats, with flavors like Genmaicha Smacks, Vanilla Chai, and Jasmine Green Tea. MUSIC
- Bach & Pancakes
Marimba player Erin Jorgensen will prove that Bach's music needn't be contained to symphony halls at this brunch-y concert series, where she'll play two cello suites by the famous composer complete with pancake breaks. - Bhangra Evolution USA Live
Bhangra, a traditional Punjabi dance, will be highly celebrated at this massive dance party with performances by G Sidhu, Manak E, and DJ Karpz, with additional surprise guests. - The Grindylow - Tour Documentary Premiere Party
Heavy rock trio the Grindylow, who are featured in the mini-documentary "City of Cranes" (about Seattle's rapid urban growth), will play live with bill support from Mad Cap Pusher and Black Cheer after a screening of the film. - Kalimba: The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire
I like my tribute groups ambitious, damn it. Tackling the big-band funk and celestial soul of Earth, Wind & Fire involves serious arranging, playing, dancing, and falsetto-singing skills. The nine-member-strong local ensemble Kalimba, the Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire definitely have EW&F’s many hits down to a science, but what I really want to know is this: Do they play the amazing early stuff that didn’t tear up the radio, like “Bad Tune,” “Energy,” “Drum Song,” “Zanzibar,” or anything off the Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song soundtrack? I'm not finding anything online to suggest they are. Those were the real kalimba-tastic works, you know. DAVE SEGAL - Punk As Folk with The Bad Things and Danbert Nobacon
Experience a night of switch-flipping, genre-bending musical throwdown as Silent City Productions presents the seventh annual Punk As Folk, a celebration of punk-inspired folk music and folk-inspired punk music. This year, Punk As Folk returns to the Conor Byrne with a stacked lineup of real PNW folk-punk enthusiasts including Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba, and the Bad Things. - Trap Karaoke
Trap Karaoke will come to Seattle to bring you a "user-generated concert experience."Â PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
- Seattle Red Dress Party 2019
Local queens Gaysha Starr, Kahlua Ice, and Aleksa Manila will host this Pride dance party to benefit HIV/AIDS prevention/recovery advocacy organizations AMP and POCAAN. In addition to genre-bending jams from DJs Toya B and Freddy King of Pants, look forward to a performance from RuPaul's Drag Race vet Jiggly Caliente Brooks, BeautyBoiz, and others. PERFORMANCE
- Damaged Disco
Who says disco is dead? Certainly not Angel Baby Kill Kill Kill, Evie Tartt, Ivanna Von Lay, or any of the other queens performing at this drag/variety celebration of "the damage within." - Derek Hough: Live! The Tour
Dancing with the Stars Emmy winner Hough will embark on his first solo tour, melding hiphop, salsa, tap, and ballroom. SHOPPING
- Rare Treats Pop-up Mall
Shop for vintage clothes, handmade ceramics, tie-dye goods, and more from eight local vendors and artists—including local drag queens Cucci Binaca and Mona Real. VISUAL ART
- Art Supply Swap
Swap out your old and new supplies (as long as they're usable) and swap with friends. New supplies means new projects! - Trio De Femmes’ Fun-House Fundraiser 2019!
Join local performance art collection Trio De Femmes and other local talents like Carly Martin (music and comedy) and Andy Zadrozny (stand-up bass) for a night of strange games, silent auctions, "kitschy-pink vegan vittles," fortune telling, and more.SATURDAY-SUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- Hood Canal Shrimpfest
Venture out to the rich waters of the Hood Canal for this shrimp- and seafood-centric weekend festival featuring craft and food booths, local music, belt sander races, exhibits, activities for kids, and more. PERFORMANCE
- The Phantom Tollbooth
Delight to Arnold Black and Tony winner Sheldon Harnick's musical adaptation of Norton Juster's quirky classic. It's about a boy who's transported to the Kingdom of Wisdom, which has been in decline since the king of letters, Azaz, and the Mathemagician had a falling-out. Starring a clock-dog named Tock!SATURDAY-MONDAY
COMMUNITY
- Family Science Weekend
Families can participate in hands-on science activities all weekend, from octopus investigations to coral propagation demos.ÂSUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- Pride ASIA Fest
Local queen Aleksa Manila will host the eighth annual Pride ASIA Fest, joined by local activist EJ Agoot, DJs Moist Towelette and Phenohype, and many other queer icons in the local Asian American LGBTQ+ community. FILM
- The Big Lebowski & LebowskiFest
Abide with the Dude at this screening of the Coen Brothers slacker classic about a friendly stoner named Lebowski mistaken for a very different Lebowski, who's mixed up in some bad stuff. - Hecklevision: Predator
Your wise-cracks will be hitting the screen all night as Arnold Schwarzenegger is hunted by a creature with superhuman strength. FOOD & DRINK
- Sunday Brunch! Waffles & Beer Cocktails at Lowercase Brewing
Have a lazy Sunday and leave the breakfast cooking to Lowercase Brewing, who'll supply you with waffles made from spent grain, plus maple syrup made with their English-style eSB (extra-special bitter), bacon, cold brew, beer, Side Hustle Doughnuts, and micheladas and mimosas made with their beer. MUSIC
- Afrobeats Meets Bollywood Night
Get down to a mix of Afrobeat and Bhangra party jams with DJ Prashant. - Memorial Day Weekend at Queer Bar with Quake
Dance in the good company of hot Quake rugby boys at Nark Mag's Memorial Day weekend dance party, featuring special guest DJs Alfonso Tan, Mr.Linden, Erin O'Connor-Drew, and Hyasynth. READINGS & TALKS
- Celebration of Northwest Native Writers
Join Northwest Native writers Laura Da’, Storme Webber, Skyler Reed, Natalie Martinez, Sara Marie Ortiz, Dawn Pichón Barron, and Celeste Adame for a day of writing and conversation. VISUAL ART
- The Let It Go: Art Exhibition Closing Party
Celebrate work by the Unapologetic Artists and Creatives, namely Chi Moscou Jackson, Ariella Tai, and Howard Mitchell. Come around 3 pm for an artist talk and enjoy Brown Liquor Company booze and Def Chef catering, as well as music by DJs Blendiana Jones and Toya B.