Our music critics have already chosen the 60 best music shows this week, but now it's our arts and culture critics' turn to recommend the best events in their areas of expertise. Here are their picks in every genre—from Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience to a night of comedy with Craig Robinson, and from the opening of Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum to an evening with Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. See them all below, and find even more events on our complete EverOut Things To Do calendar.
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MONDAY
COMMUNITYIndigenous Peoples’ Day
This year, the theme of Daybreak Star Center's annual Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration is "Love Knows Know Borders," featuring a rally and march downtown followed by speeches, Native performances, and a community dinner.
Orcas Island Film Festival 2019
The Orcas Island Film Festival has done it again—put together a fantastic lineup of films, that is. Now in its sixth year, the fest’s organizers have curated 39 feature films (five more than last year) that consist of internationally lauded titles and encompass more than 60 screenings overall. Attendees will have the chance to see some films twice or catch a film they might’ve missed the first time, as OIFF is expanding onto three screens this year. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Tonight's best films include Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Whistlers, and Clemency.
Indigenous Peoples' Day
Stop by the newly reopened Burke Museum for a full day of Indigenous performances from UW groups.
Jonathan Gruber: Jump-Starting America's Economy
Jonathan Gruber, an economist and MIT professor worried about the effects of wealth inequality on the middle-class, will discuss his co-written book Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream, in which he makes a case for massive public investment.
Seattle Style: Fashion/Function
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the phrase “Seattle fashion” is North Face windbreakers and hiking shoes worn to the mall. This exhibition will explore “how elegance and practicality co-existed and converged in Seattle wardrobes” with pieces from the MOHAI’s extensive clothing collection. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Closing Monday
MONDAY-TUESDAY
VISUAL ARTHayden Stern: Trans Tarot
Stern asked for selfies from the trans community, then transformed these pictures into a tarot deck representing gender as "a mystical process of transformation." Come see these reverent expressions of self-confidence and self-love, and pick up a deck for your queer divination purposes.Â
Closing Tuesday
ALL WEEK
FILMSeattle Queer Film Festival
Local shorts, indie features, and national or international releases will stoke and satisfy your appetite for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, enby, and otherwise queer-focused films, from historical romances to incisive documentaries to perverse suspense flicks. This week, catch the centerpiece drama Lucio Castro's emotional and erotic End of the Century (Wed), set in Barcelona; the documentary Queer Japan (Wed); and the closing film, acclaimed French director Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Sun).
Li'l Woody's Fast Food Month
For the month of October, local burger joint Li'l Woody's is cleverly recreating fast food favorites for its weekly specials. This week brings the Jack in the Box-inspired Sourdough Woody (through Monday), with garlic mayo, sliced tomatoes, Hill's bacon, Swiss cheese, grass-fed beef, and ketchup on sourdough. (Curly fries are also available for that week for the full experience.) The better part of the week brings the McDonald's dupe Li'l Big Mac (Tues-Sun).
Nightmare on Wall Street
Continuing a spooky-season tradition started last year, Belltown’s award-winning tiki bar Navy Strength will temporarily transform into a “fully immersive haunting experience,” with libations inspired by horror films like Friday the 13th, The Babadook, Midsommar, The Ring, Pet Sematary, and more. They’ll switch out their usual kitschy drinkware for vessels like pumpkins and Jason Voorhees–masked tiki mugs, and employ ingredients like “candy corn orgeat.” Frightening horror-film soundtracks will contribute to the spine-chilling milieu. JULIANNE BELL
TUESDAY
FOOD & DRINKTamales + Tres Leches
Close out Latinx Heritage Month with this event with appearances from Tres Lecheria/Cubes Baking Co. owner Kevin Moulder and Jess the Dessert Geek, and nibble on Tres Lecheria tres leches cake and mini tamales from Frelard Tamales.
Clyde W. Ford: Think Black
This prizewinning author will read from his new book about his father, John Stanley Ford, who became the first black software engineer at IBM in 1947 and had to weather his white coworkers' harassment and cruelty. Ford (junior) reflects on the cost of enduring a racist environment for both John Stanley Ford and his family, and delves into "how his hiring was meant to distract from IBM’s dubious business practices including its involvement in the Holocaust, eugenics, and apartheid."
Survivor Café: An Evening with Elizabeth Rosner
None other than Pulitzer Prize-winner Viet Thanh Nguyen called Rosner's Survivor Café, published in 2017, "a breathtaking overview of events as varied as the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, the Rwandan genocide, and Japanese American internment." Rosner will discuss her nonfiction examination of trauma and survival.
Timothy Egan: A Pilgrimage to Eternity
The beloved author of The Immortal Irishman, The Big Burn, and other works of history, travel writing, and true crime tackles nothing less than Christendom itself. As he travels the Via Francigena, a route to Rome via France and Switzerland, Egan reflects on the history of the Catholic Church and its current upheaval in secular Europe and beyond.
WEDNESDAY
READINGS & TALKSJeanette Winterson: Frankisstein
Lesbian literary icon Winterson has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for this queer modern-day take on Frankenstein. A trans doctor named Ry Shelley encounters a couple of powerful men, Ron Lord and Victor Stein, who want to use them for sketchy trans- or posthumanist purposes. Stein is an idealistic but arrogant scientist; Lord, crudely misogynist, sounds Jeffrey-Epstein-cuckoo. Hear Winterson read and stay on for a Q&A.
Paul Theroux: A Mexican Journey
The acclaimed travel writer Theroux will read from On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey, his firsthand account of driving along the US-Mexico border and his explorations of Chiapas and Oaxaca, where he encountered such people as Zapotec mill workers, Zapatistas, and families of migrants. If you're sick of US media stereotyping of Central and South Americans as either victims or villains, Theroux's talk should be a good corrective.
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCEBeware the Terror of Gaylord Manor
The world-famous Seattle-based drag queen BenDeLaCreme has written and performed three acclaimed solo shows, but Beware the Terror of Gaylord Manor, which premiered in 2017, was the artist's first foray into writing, directing, and starring in an original play of her own. It's a spooky, campy twist on the horror-flick genre, featuring ghosts, dancers, music, and special effects. The chemistry between BenDeLaCreme and Scott Shoemaker alone is worth the price of admission. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE
THURSDAY
COMEDYNever Naughty
Seattle-raised Courtney Karwal (named Sammamish High's "never naughty" student in 2007) is now based in Los Angeles, where she was named Comic to Watch at Riot. She created the Funny or Die series Check Your Surroundings. Welcome her home to perform a set in which she'll read from her high school diary. She'll have backup from Bo Johnson, Erin Ingle, Alyssa Yeoman, and others.
Japanese Whisky & Wagyu Dinner
Chef Andre Decker will prepare a four-course meal centered around Miyazaki Prefecture Japanese A5 Wagyu filet mignon and Imperial domestic Nebraska Wagyu filet mignon paired with Hakushu 12 Year, Yamazaki 18 Year, Hibiki Harmony and Legent Bourbon.Â
Taste of Iceland
Seattle and Reykjavik aren't just close pals, they're sister cities. In fact, Seattle is home to more Icelandic people than anywhere else in the United States. To celebrate the culture of the magical Nordic land, Seattle invites Icelandic chefs (this week's Icelandic Dinner), musicians, writers, artists, and filmmakers to town every year for the 10-day Taste of Iceland festival.
HalloQueen4Queen
Pony's recurring drag takeover Queen4Queen will get the Halloween treatment, promising extra-witchy numbers from Cookie Couture, Rowan Ruthless, Monday Mourning, and Franzia.
Hair Flip Presents: Hallow-Queen Extravaganza!
Enjoy spooky drag from local queens Americano, Angel Baby Kill Kill Kill, and Old Witch set to tunes from DJs Waxwitch and KoolHand at this release party for the second issue of the local comix newspaper Hair Flip. Plus, pick up stickers, pins, and totes.Â
Richard Kenney
Richard Kenney is the best local poet you've probably never heard of. But this guy is the real deal. He won a MacArthur "genius" grant for inventing new ways to create and pattern rhymes. That's right. Before Kenney started writing (and writing about writing, a speciality of his), we had fewer ways to find rhymes, which is one of the major food groups in poetry. If that's all he did, he'd deserve your full attention for at least one evening. But he's also given the world several books of poetry that are worth keeping close by. Using syntax to probe science, and diving deep into the evolutionary origins of language, Kenney refreshes the language that daily dies in our mouths, and he brushes the dust off old feelings like joy and love so that we can feel them again as if for the first time. RICH SMITH
Halloween Tour 2019
Step inside a world of temptresses and enchanting occultists in Unsettling Femininity: Selections from the Frye Art Museum Collection in the Frye's special Halloween tour, which also includes Pierre Leguillon's exhibition Arbus Bonus.Â
THURSDAY-FRIDAY
COMEDYStabbin' Cabin
A cast of energetic improvisers will play teen screamers straight out of '80s summer-camp slasher movies in this send-up of the genre.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCEIan Bell's Brown Derby's Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stroker's Ruth's Chris Dracula
The Brown Derby Series always presents a goofy staged reading of a—let's say—heavily altered film script. Local producer, director, and comedic actor Ian Bell has been running it for years, and the show has developed a strong cult following. This time he's taking on Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous epistolary novel, both canonical pieces of goth culture that are ripe for parody. I don't know who's going to play Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, but if they don't wear that powdered, butt-shaped wig with the psychotic rat-tail I'm going to be pissed. And will the actor in the role as Keanu-Reeves-playing-Keanu-Reeves-with-a-slightly-English-accent be able to nail it? There's no way this isn't going to be a good time. RICH SMITH
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCESean Dorsey Dance: Boys in Trouble
Queer dancer/choreographer Sean Dorsey has dedicated most of his work to excavating and preserving queer history through dance. But in this show, he's taking a look at contemporary expressions of masculinity, including its intersections with race and class. For the last two years, Dorsey has been holding community forums on masculinity, and he's using the stories he heard from students to shape the movements and dialogue used in the show. Like everything Dorsey's done to date, expect this piece to be poignant without being too self-serious, funny without being too clever, and legible without being overdetermined. RICH SMITH
Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum
The Capodimonte Museum in Naples is a treasure trove of delights, ranging from the Renaissance to the Neapolitan School. And they are going to be bringing some of those delights to our little corner of the Northwest. Focusing on how the human body can express “love and devotion, physical labor, and tragic suffering,” viewers will get the chance to revel in the unwieldy greens of El Greco, the soft, cloudlike skin of a Titian figure, and all around badassery of Artemisia Gentileschi. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Community opening Thursday
Myra Lara: Everyday Cry-sis
Urban living is a lot—especially in a city like Seattle where the disparities between the rich and poor are at untenable levels. We pride ourselves on being liberal, green, and socially conscious, and yet we don’t tax big business, we don’t have enough public transit, and we let rents go through the roof. It’s exhausting! Artist Myra Lara will be exploring “the realities of life, political priorities, and social justice” in our fair, emerald, technocratic city in her latest cartoon series, Everyday Cry-sis. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Opening Thursday
Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience
This region—Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma in particular—are giant international hubs of glass artists and glass art. Refract is a glass festival that showcases and celebrates the use and art of glass in the Pacific Northwest as well as those that work with it and admire it. In the festival’s first year, there will be live demonstrations, tours, films, exhibitions, talks, and open studios. Don’t miss the Benjamin Moore, Inc. studio tour, the Western Neon School of Art exhibition, the opening party for Transparency: An LGBTQ+ Glass Art Exhibition at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, a live demo by Raven Skyriver, and Fused: A Festival of Glass at Pratt Fine Arts Center. JASMYNE KEIMIG
FRIDAY
FOOD & DRINKBrewology
What if your sixth-grade museum field trip grew up to be the boozy evening of your dreams? Such is the premise behind this geeked-out craft beer fest, where you're invited to imbibe as many four-ounce samples as you can handle from breweries and cideries and learn the science behind your favorite beverages. Talk to the brewmasters to get the scoop on their processes, take a toasty trip through the Science Center, and participate in hoppy hands-on activities and demonstrations that would make Bill Nye proud. JULIANNE BELL
House Party 2019
Celebrate the museum dedicated to Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Seattle at this annual party, which will invite drag artists, dancers, musicians, and artists to entertain you.
Thriftease: Camp My Style
At Thriftease, a quarterly event with a lot of moving parts, five models of different sizes, genders, races, and ability walk the runway wearing two different thrifted outfits. One is carefully curated by a guest stylist. The other is curated by Mona Real, a drag performer known for her vintage looks, who hosts the show. As Mona calls out bids, Thriftease creative director Isador Vorpahl, a TUF-affiliated DJ (MMMelt), spins more beats. Some items go for much lower than expected, others much higher. Once a winner is declared, Mona calls out the paddle number and agreed-upon price to scribes backstage. The model then sensually strips the garment off their body. Then the process starts all over again until the model—either an amateur or an experienced performer—is left in only their skivvies to float cheekily offstage to claps and whoops. Thriftease is an all-encompassing experience, one that's utterly affirming, fun, and also kind of hot. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Chris Abani: Mining for Awe
Nigerian author and activist Abani was jailed three times and even sentenced to death in his own country for his political writings. Nevertheless, he has held on to a sense of awe and compassion. Learn from his approach to the writing life and the world at this Word Works talk.
Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton: Gutsy Women
The former Secretary of State HRC will appear with her daughter and co-author to introduce their new book The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience, highlighting women of history who didn't shy from danger and conflict.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
FOOD & DRINKLeavenworth Oktoberfest
Since Leavenworth is Washington's Bavarian-style village all year round, we believe them when they say that their Oktoberfest celebration is "the next best thing to Munich." Kicking off with an opening ceremony complete with a keg tapping and an oompah-style marching band dressed in dirndls and lederhosen leading a procession, the festival promises German-style fare like bratwurst and coleslaw, family activities, and enough beer to keep your stein full at all times.
SATURDAY
COMEDYHalloween Hell Harvest of Comedy 2019
If you're very, very brave, venture forth to laugh and scream with some ghoulish comedians. A "Pumpkin Guts" cocktail will no doubt soothe your nerves!
International Independent Video Store Day
Hang out with the great folks who keep Scarecrow Video Store, one of the most comprehensive video libraries in the US and a cultural treasure, alive and running. Stop by for games, big sales, food, giveaways, music, and more, and take part in the online auction.
Trucktoberfest 2019
Twenty-five Seattle food trucks and over 30 breweries will convene curbside for a day of Bavarian-inspired feasting at the fourth annual Trucktoberfest, which also includes live music and lawn games.
Lusio Lights
If you've never seen the rare tropical plants of the Volunteer Park Conservatory illuminated by light artists, now's your chance. Drink, dance to beats by DJs Livwutang and Joey Webb, and bathe your eyeballs in light work by Marcell Marias, Blazinspace, Black Water Stars, Caitlin Pontrella, and more.Â
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
Cinderella
If you think opera is all bombast and tragic onstage death, the music of Gioachino Rossini will reveal the genre's capacity for outright bubbliness. Seattle Opera's Lindy Hume will take inspiration from English music hall comedy and Victorian decor for this extravagant-sounding production.
SUNDAY
COMEDYCraig Robinson
Craig Robinson is a comic, actor, and musician who looks (and kind of sounds) like the late, great fusion keyboardist George Duke. On the screen, he’s been an animatedly deadpan laff riot in The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hot Tub Time Machine, Pineapple Express, and other projects. His stand-up routines are actually more like a sit-down act, as Robinson deftly plays keyboards and sings soulfully, as he rewrites the lyrics of popular tunes to hilarious effect. While comedy rarely works in music, music in comedy has a much more successful hit-to-miss ratio. To get an idea of Robinson’s ingenuity, check out the “sexy public domain songs” segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden, in which he reinvents utterly shopworn songs into something fresh and funny. DAVE SEGAL
Stephen King Unexpected
Expect to see (we're guessin') gruff Northeasterners battling clowns, vampires, sentient cars, and/or the undead in this improv tribute to the horror maestro Stephen King, a perfect show for Halloween.
A Fall Foraged Dinner at Lark with Langdon Cook
Aspiring mycologists and other lovers of mushrooms would do well to check out this edifying dinner with Langdon Cook, a food writer and noted foraging expert. He’ll demystify the region’s “most prolific” wild fungi of the season, all while you tuck into a four-course feast prepared by James Beard Award–winning chef John Sundstrom of Lark and accompanied by wine pairings. You’ll leave feeling full, blissful, and inspired to scrounge seasonal delicacies from the land yourself. JULIANNE BELL
Midnight Mecca: The Journey Continues
Chef Tarik and the Midnight Mecca team will highlight five spices from across the glove (including Mayan cocoa, Turkish curry, and Syrian za'atar) for a multi-course dinner paired with Damon Bomar of Brown Liquor Cocktail Co. cocktails.Â
Ta-Nehisi Coates
The eminent author of Between the World and Me and We Were Eight Years In Power and "The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration" is not such a great novelist, according to Charles Mudede. Mudede writes: "The main flaw with the novel The Water Dancer is Coates wrote it to sound and feel like a novel. The story—which is set in Virginia, and is narrated by a young man, Hiram Walker, who has a photographic memory (one of the two superpowers he possesses)—is told with the deliberate gravity of a writer who believes he's writing a major work of fiction." Despite this apparent misstep, you should still see Coates, because he's a brilliant essayist and an important voice for addressing the deep wounds and injustices afflicting the African American community.