The month of May is very quickly approaching, and it brings with it plenty of opportunities to go out and do things (aside from drinking margaritas on Cinco de Mayo). Unfortunately, tickets for concerts like Beyoncé and the Violent Femmes are already sold out, but we’ve compiled the best events happening next month that you can still get tickets for, which you should do as soon as you possibly can. You’ll find them all below—from a talk featuring Bitch Media co-founder Andi Zeisler to a Blonde Redhead concert to the return tour of HUMP!—and, if you’re craving even more events, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
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MAY 3-4
Joey DeFrancesco Trio
Mr. D has got the chops, intuition, rich phrasing, a deep understanding of what his Hammond B3 can accomplish if pushed, and for sprinkles on top, he might break out a trumpet or break into song. He was 17 when he joined Miles Davis’s group. He won’t be here forever. ANDREW HAMLIN
MAY 4
Complex Exchange: Media | Representation
SAM hosts the final event in Complex Exchange, a series dealing with race, power, and the politics of representation as they relate to artistic depictions like those at SAM (Kehinde Wiley) and NAAM (The Harmon & Harriet Kelley Collection). The guests, organizer Elmer Dixon and Stranger Genius Award-winning artist C. Davida Ingram, will focus their discussion on issues of media and representation. This event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged.
MAY 5
Cinco de Mayo Roofdeck Party with El Vez
Hispanic heartthrob El Vez hits the streets this Cinco de Mayo for a live show on the roof deck of Mezcaleria Oaxaca. Prepare yourself for some hip-shaking, earth-quaking, all-around boozy Mex-Americana party vibes.
Geoff Manaugh
Author Geoff Manaugh will speak about A Burglar’s Guide to the City, a book that promises to transform your urban afternoon stroll into a potential prowling (or superhero crime-stopping) spree.
So Pitted, Naomi Punk, and Youryoungbody
Sub Pop ripper weirdos So Pitted finally return to Seattle with a Chop Suey show that thankfully has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo. Expect flashing strobes, snarling vocals, and very potent baselines from them, Olympia thoughtful scuzz punks Naomi Punk, and local electro-dreamtrippers Youryoungbody.
MAY 5-7
Seattle Blind Cafe
This event promises a “vegan sensory tasting experience” alongside a concert of original music…served by blind wait staff, in the dark. You’ll learn about visual impairment in a Q&A session, while also heightening your other senses and experiencing something pretty unique.
The Martha Graham Dance Company
The highly acclaimed Martha Graham Dance Company will perform at Meany Hall as part of their 90th anniversary tour, with works including Nacho Duato’s Rust, Martha Graham’s Acts of Light, and Kyle Abraham’s Lamentation Variations.
MAY 5-8
Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya
Back in the 1980s, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) only operated between five in the afternoon and midnight, and in the hour or so before programing started, their station would accompany the transmission test pattern with music. Often this music was by Abdullah Ibrahim (who in the deep past of Cape Town, South Africa, was known as Dollar Brand), and often the tunes that flowed from the TV’s speakers were either Ibrahim’s exquisitely affirmative “Zimbabwe” or his masterpiece of jazz-jive “Mannenberg.” What Ibrahim accomplished as an artist was to end the split between lyrical sensitivity and aggressive percussiveness. He is one of the giants of Africa. CHARLES MUDEDE
MAY 5-22
The Enchanted Life and Temporary Death of Sadie December
Poet and performer Dorothy Frances Kent presents The Enchanted Life and Temporary Death of Sadie December, a multi-genre piece about Kent’s personal experience “becoming a trans woman, feminist, femme dyke and artist,” with animation by Clyde Peterson and music by Lori Goldston and Leah Gold.
MAY 6
Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
Amy Goodman, founder of excellent alternative news source Democracy Now!, will join Denis Moynihan for an exploration of the “state of the nation and American media” as well as why we need to draw political information from diverse, independent sources.
Foreverland: A 14 Piece Tribute to Michael Jackson
Genres collide with a full night of homage, featuring Foreverland (a Michael Jackson tribute experience) with Life During Wartime, a Talking Heads tribute group, and set support by DJ Indica Jones.
More Music at the Moore
More Music features young musicians collaborating and playing in a variety of styles, after mentorships from music industry folk, production and promotional support, and local musicians.
MAY 7
Bacon and Beer Classic
It’s time to indulge your evolutionarily ordained preferences for the finer things in life: bacon and beer. Enjoy over 50 different bacon-inspired dishes from local restaurants, sip on local brews, and enjoy live music, photo booths, and more.
Epilogue/Prologue: A Celebration of Hugo House
Celebrate Hugo House’s old location at this “going-away/coming-back” party, where you can let your creativity run wild as you write on the walls (literally) of the house. There will also be “poetic surveys” and a performance by The Vis-à-Vis Society (Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler), a “confession booth” for Frances McCue’s film Where the House Was, a photo booth, the Skillet food truck, and more. Free beer or wine if you RSVP!
Puget Soundtrack: Erin Jorgensen Presents Daisies
The young and beautiful stars of the 1966 surrealist Czech film Daisies, Jitka Cerhová (Marie I) and Ivana Karbanová (Marie II), date and dump older men, giggle a lot, eat a lot, walk around the city, get drunk and rowdy, play with each other in bed, get philosophical about life and desire. They came from nowhere; they are going nowhere. They are happy to be here forever. What a lovely movie. Erin Jorgensen, who will provide a live soundtrack for Daisies tonight, says it is like a page from her diary. CHARLES MUDEDE
Fred and Toody Cole (Dead Moon), Riffbrokers, Trees an Timber, Radio On
PNW rock legends Fred and Toody Cole bring their decades of psych garage talent to Highline, with Riffbrokers, Trees and Timber, and Radio On.
MAY 7-10
Translations: The Seattle Transgender Film Festival
This is the tenth year of Translations, Seattle’s transgender film festival. 2016’s lineup features films including Game Face, Ascendance: Angels of Change, and Two 4 One, as well as a live performance by Seattle band ManDate.
MAY 7-21
The Flying Dutchman
Wagner’s classic opera about a cursed ship captain and his adventures following a storm at sea, The Flying Dutchman ushered in the beginning of his most acclaimed work.
MAY 8
Blake Lewis and Eliott Yamin
American Idol veterans Blake Lewis and Eliott Yamin hit the Nectar stage on their Soul Box tour.
Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkeybirds, Bread and Butter
We oughta feel lucky to get to see Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds—who are touring in support of their most recent LP, La Araña Es La Vida—because they are ALWAYS such a good goddamn time. At this point in the game, Powers should be considered a rock-and-roll godhead. Over the course of his career, he’s played with heavy groups like the Gun Club, the Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and, well, I reckon he may be the last of the ancients who is still active AND still knowingly nodding to the 1960s. MIKE NIPPER
Primal Fear
No metal band has more kickass tunes about how kickass it is to be in a metal band than Primal Fear. These fist-pumpin’ German power metallers are more self-referential than a Rickey Henderson postgame interview. Sample jams: “In Metal We Trust,” “Metal Is Forever,” “In Metal,” “Metal Nation,” etc. All of them kick subtlety right in the nuts with upper-register vocals powerful enough to shatter the windshield of an earthmover, incessant dual-guitar peacockery, and totally non-wimpy keyboards. JASON BRACELIN
MAY 10
Bob Mould
No one ever really wins the argument about who invented emo. Sure, the young’uns think some Warped Tour band came up with it. Slightly older fans might point to some band that packaged its first 7-inch in a manila envelope. The old guard steadfastly point to DC and the bands of Revolution Summer. But the guy who inadvertently invented emo managed to, by and large, avoid the increasingly pejorative tag. Let’s be real: Bob Mould showed us that you could ache and rage at the same time. Whether it was with the bittersweet thrash of Hüsker Dü, the earnest power-pop of Sugar, or his recently reinvigorated solo career, Mould has always excelled at channeling heartache, angst, and self-loathing through a handful of well-chosen chords and his trusty MXR distortion pedal. BRIAN COOK
David Rolf
Labor union leader David Rolf will give talk about The Fight for Fifteen, a book about raising the minimum wage.
Epic Movie Night: Mary Poppins Sing-Along
Relive your childhood and watch the classic on the big screen, where singing along is highly encouraged. Central Cinema is also having a sing-along on May 5, but tickets are sold out, so get your tickets for this showing soon.
Therese Huston
Therese Huston will speak about How Women Decide, a cultural and psychological analysis of the complicated, socially careful decision-making that women deal with on a daily basis.
MAY 11
Givers with Anna Wise
Southern dance pop meets soulful Kendrick Lamar collaborator when Givers and Anna Wise hit the Tractor stage.
MAY 11-14
Ballard Jazz Festival
The 14th Annual Ballard Jazz Festival is happening again this year at various locations around the neighborhood, including New York Fashion Academy, Conor Byrne Pub, and the Nordic Heritage Museum. Enjoy live sets from local and national acts like the Hal Galper Trio and Mike Stern with the George Colligan Trio, a jazz walk down Ballard Avenue, and colloquial treats like the Swedish Pancake Jazz Brunch on the last day.
MAY 12
The Thermals, Wimps, Dude York
Nerd punk dreamboats The Thermals are bringing their special sauce conversational resentment rock to Neumos, with local cuties Dude York and Wimps.
MAY 13
Andre Nickatina with Guests
Fillmore thizz legend Andre Nickatina is bringing a full crew to Studio Seven this May, with Husala, Deadly Poets, Concrete, Lunatics, and Fizz.
Selena Gomez
In promotion of her critically lauded album Revival, pop ingenue Selena Gomez embarks on her “Revival Tour” across 41 major cities, including Seattle, with DNCE as her opener.
Sonic Evolution: This is Indie!
Sonic Evolution combines extravagantly rendered visual and audio art for a unique performance event, featuring work by indie filmmaker Bill Morrison, composer Michael Gordon, pianist and multimedia artist Tomoko Mukaiyama, composer William Brittelle, and musicians Fly Moon Royalty. Co-presented with SIFF.
MAY 13-14
Debacle Fest 2016
Experimental noise mecca Debacle Fest returns for their 9th rotation around the sun. Their eclectic lineup includes Hive Mind, Brett Naucke, Benoit Pioulard, Spectrum Control, Newaxeyes, Monika Khot, Diogenes, Graham, and more on two stages over two days.
HUMP! Film Festival Tour with Dan Savage
The touring production of beloved HUMP! Film Festival features short and sexy films by Pacific Northwest amateur porn stars. At this screening, you’ll see 18 choice films from the 2015 festival and be treated to an intro by none other than our own Dan Savage.
MAY 15
The Who with Slydigs
British rock icons The Who get back on the road with rescheduled dates (thanks to Roger Daltrey’s meningitis) for their North American The Who Hits 50! tour.
MAY 15-17
National Geographic Live: Ocean Wild
Photographer Brian Skerry is an expert at capturing shots under the waves, having spent more than 10,000 hours underwater using his camera to portray rare and isolated creatures. Come to this National Geographic Live event for Brian’s wildlife photography, and stay for the educational material on the wonders of the sea.
MAY 16
Andi Zeisler with Amelia Bonow
Andi Zeisler (co-founder and head creative/editorial honcho of Bitch Media) will speak at Town Hall about her newest book, We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement, about the commercial co-optation of feminism, in a conversation moderated by Amelia Bonow of #Shoutyourabortion.
MAY 17
SassyBlack with Guests
SassyBlack is one half of the galactic powerhouse that is THEESatisfaction, and will be dropping her solo album May 17th. Prepare your brain for a deep submergence in gorgeous Afro-futuristic soul and the heart of one of the most talented musicians in Seattle right now.
Tanya Tagaq Presents Nanook of the North
Tanya Tagaq, an Inuk throat singer who uses orchestral arrangements and solo harmonizing to create a unique and disturbing sonic majesty all her own, presents a personal interpretation of Nanook of the North, a film both responsible for shedding light on First Peoples’ culture while also fostering much of the violent stereotypes regarding indigenous communities.
MAY 18
The Moth Mainstage
Five storytellers take the stage at Benaroya for a night of memoir-ish oral history, as part of radio sensation “The Moth”‘s Mainstage series.
MAY 19
Seattle International Film Festival
The 42nd year of SIFF brings 150,000 attendees to 25 days of over 450 films from 90 countries.
Twister in Hecklevision
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the 1996 disaster drama film starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as storm chasers, Central Cinema will play Twister, but with a twist (har, har). Before the film, Matt Auflick of the City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management and Ted Beuhner of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service will give a talk, and, during the film, you can text a number to have your “disaster-related questions, comments, jokes, or cow noises” posted on screen.
MAY 19-20
reSET
Curated by Mark Haim, Babette Pendleton, and Ali Mohamed el-Gasseir, reSET is a sort of arts-share dance series put on by the Washington Ensemble Theatre. Choreographers perform new pieces using the set for whatever play the company happens to be producing at that time. Marc Kenison (aka Waxie Moon) and Alice Gosti! (aka durational performer who once wrapped herself in pounds of toilet paper while people told her stories) will reimagine the stage for The Things Are Against Us to suit their artistic needs. RICH SMITH
MAY 20
Billy Joel
Everyone’s favorite Piano Man and Christie Brinkley-ex comes to Safeco Field for a night of romance and ’80s memories.
Gluck’s Orphee
Tenor Aaron Sheehan, who just won a Grammy for his role as Orphée in Charpentier’s opera, now brings his talents to the same role in Pacific Musicworks’ production, directed by Gilbert Blin and conducted by the Grammy-winning Stephen Stubbs.
MAY 20-22
International Ballet Theatre: Don Quixote
International Ballet Theatre presents Cervantes’ classic story of Don Quixote, traditionally choreographed in the style of Marius Petipa’s 1869 production.
Sci-Fi at the Pops
Combining the equally nerdy communities of classical enthusiasts and sci-fi geeks is a great idea, so tonight the Symphony performs works from such iconic films as Star Wars and Avatar.
MAY 21
Blonde Redhead
Dreamy noise rock pioneers Blonde Redhead, breaking musical barriers and convincing many teens of their innate alt-ness over the last 23 years, are coming to Neumos with bill support from Dralms.
MAY 22
Campout Cinema: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
EMP presents this screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (considered by some the best in the Star Trek franchise) as part of their Campout Cinema series, where you get comfy in the Sky Church with your pillow and sleeping bag, and there is a bar and snacks like hot dogs and s’mores.
Out of Darkness
Notable composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer have written an opera after Auschwitz. Their work in three parts, each part premiering in Seattle with Music of Remembrance, begins with the life and work of daring Auschwitz survivor, poet, and songwriter Krystyna Zywulska. Now comes the third and final part of Out of Darkness, called For a Look or A Touch, written for baritone and actor. It’s based on the story of the young lovers Gad Beck and Manfred Lewin, just two of the so many gay men persecuted and killed in the Holocaust. JEN GRAVES
Porter Ray with Guests
Hit up that Crocodile back bar for a night of incredible local hip hop acts, including Sub Pop’s current heir apparent Porter Ray, with Kung Fu Grip, Nu Era, and Donormaal.
MAY 23
An Evening with Siddhartha Mukherjee
Pulitzer Prize winner Siddhartha Mukherjee presents his latest book, The Gene, about the connections between genetic type and seemingly unbelievable factors like personality, disposition, and decision-making ability.
MAY 24
Benjamin Britten’s Second String Quartet
In 1945, the 32-year-old English composer and pacifist named Benjamin Britten met the American Jewish violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and the two set out on a tour performing music to survivors of the concentration camps in Germany. Their audiences were barely surviving, and came to hear the music wrapped in blankets. After Britten returned home, he wrote his Second String Quartet, to be performed here by the remarkable cellist Joshua Roman, NY violinist Arnaud Sussman, Canuck violinist Karen Gomyo, and Westchester Philharmonic violist Kyle Armbrust. Also on this program is the newly commissioned piece by Grammy-nominated pianist Andrius Zlabys, and Zlabys will be here performing with the other four musicians in his own work as well as in the piano quintet by Shostakovich, another composer haunted by authoritarian terror. JEN GRAVES
MAY 25
Comedy Bang! Bang! Live
Very popular comedy podcast Comedy Bang! Bang! comes to Seattle for a live taping, with host Scott Aukerman and expert improvisers Paul F. Tompkins, Lauren Lapkus, and Neil Campbell along for the ride.
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman with Lindy West
Local social-commentary genius Lindy West will come to Town Hall to talk about being a fat, loud feminist on the internet and in the writing world, and to speak about her memoir Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman (for the first time in Seattle).
MAY 26
Geoff Dyer with David Shields: Traveling for a Purpose
Acclaimed author Geoff Dyer (The Search and Yoga for People Who Can’t Be Bothered to Do It) presents White Sands, a compilation of Dyer’s personal journeys. This event will be both a reflection on that work and an address to the audience, about their own potential and as-yet unrealized pilgrimages and adventures.
MAY 27-30
Sasquatch 2016
Sasquatch returns to the Gorge for another long Memorial Day weekend of great music and overpriced food (pack your own snacks, trust us.) Highlights this year include the Cure, Vince Staples, Purity Ring, Grimes, M83, Sufjan Stevens, Kurt Vile, Savages, Vic Mensa, and Yo La Tengo. Plus a boatload of local talent like Tacocat, Dave B, Grace Love, Briana Marela, and Wimps.
MAY 27-29
Crypticon
A weekend celebration of everything terrifying, Crypticon bills itself as “the largest gathering of fans of the macabre in the Pacific Northwest.” Come for author events, costumes, elaborate make-up, and the chance to mingle with people who embrace the creepy side of life. Just two of the numerous guests are Tony Todd (star of bizarre horror film Candyman) and Special FX makeup artist Kenneth Calhoun (Jurrasic World, The Revenant, and X-Men Apocalypse).
