WEDNESDAY 1/17Â Â
Dinosaur Jr.: Celebrating 30 Years of Where You Been
(MUSIC) If you're one of those Dinosaur Jr. fans who says "I only like their old stuff," perhaps you'll be pleased to see that the alt-rock legends are on tour marking the 30th anniversary of their fifth album Where You Been. The 1993 album marked the band's transition from the avant-noise of Bug to a more refined, '70s rock-inspired sound. With that polish came the most commercial success the band had ever seen, with the album's lead single "Start Choppin" landing on the Billboard charts. The original lineup of J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph will swing by Seattle for two nights to play the album in its entirety along with a few other classics and covers sprinkled throughout. (Neptune Theatre, 1303 NE 45th St, Jan 17-18, 8 pm, $50, all ages) AUDREY VANN
THURSDAY 1/18Â Â
Book Launch: Traverse by Kevin Craft
(BOOKS) Some of the brightest and funniest poets in the Pacific Northwest plan to gather at Folio to read in celebration of Kevin Craft's latest collection of poetry, Traverse, out now from Lynx House Press. If the cold snap and ongoing gloom soured your mood in recent weeks, then this occasion, which will also feature some pickin' and slidin' from guitar player Chris Haugen, will undoubtedly leave you feeling watered and interested in the world again. Lots of people employ the word "explores" when they describe books of poetry, but, in the new book, Craft, who used to run Poetry Northwest and now runs Poetry NW Editions, literally explores mountains and forests and other geographical marvels and then sets them in relation to his relations, his adopted and chosen and biological families, which, like our rocky foundations, remain fixed and yet ever-changing. Also, he's just a great reader of poetry and he knows how to throw a party. (Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, 93 Pike St. #307, 7 pm, free with registration, there will be wine) RICH SMITH
FRIDAY 1/19Â Â
Anida Yoeu Ali: Hybrid Skin, Mythical PresenceÂ
(VISUAL ART) Tacoma-based artist Anida Yoeu Ali's solo debut at the Seattle Asian Art Museum blends elements of performance, religious aesthetics, and mythical heroines to disrupt notions of otherness, "transcend the ordinary," and reflect on her upbringing as a Cham-Muslim refugee who migrated from Cambodia. In Hybrid Skin, Mythical Presence, two site-specific performances by AliâThe Buddhist Bug and The Red Chadorâare explored through transformative "artifacts," including garments worn by the artist and others during the performances, plus videos, photographs, and installation art. Visitors can return later in spring to see the artifacts come to life: Ali will perform The Buddhist Bug on March 23 and The Red Chador on June 1. (Seattle Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park, 1400 E Prospect St, Thurs-Sun 10 am-5 pm, free-$17.99) LINDSAY COSTELLO
SATURDAY 1/20Â Â
Rachel's Bagels & Burritos Pop Up at Peel & Press
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(FOOD) It takes more than an hour to get to Ballard from West Seattle by bus, so you West Seattle residents are forgiven if you have yet to taste the chewy, tender perfection that is a Rachelâs Bagel. But your excuses end today because Rachelâs is braving the bridge to bring their housemade bagels, sandwiches, and one-pound breakfast burritos to Peel & Press on California Avenue from 10 am-1 pm. There will be everything, sesame, cherry-poppy, zaâatar, and togarashi bagels all begging to be topped with huckleberry, tarragon, harissa, and black truffle cream cheese. The sandwiches will be stacked with sweet and savory ingredients, from northwest wild lox to roasted pears to Spanish ham, and the burritos will be stuffed with eggs, potatoes, and your choice of dry-aged steak, carnitas, oyster mushrooms, and queso Oaxaca. Thereâs still lots of winter leftâstock your freezer for the cold days ahead. (Peel & Press, 6503 California Ave SW, 10 am-1 pm, see the full menu here) MEGAN SELING
SUNDAY 1/21Â Â
Weird and Wonderful: The Satirical Films of Tim Smith
(FILM)Â Off-kilter filmmaker Tim Smith, a Portland legend in his own right, captured a long-gone Rose City through the lens of a 16mm Bolex camera. Smith's sardonic films, which feature a plucky cast of his family and friends (including future Simpsons creator Matt Groening), radiate with his love for cinema. They often act as parodies of '60s- and '70s-era genre flicksâwe're especially intrigued by the anti-drug drama Drugs: Killers or Dillers? This selection of his most weird-out movies was digitally captured at 2K with support from the Al Larvick Conservation Fund. (Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 7 pm, $10-$14, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
MONDAY 1/22Â Â
Declare Your Love in the Next Print Edition of The Stranger!
(LOVE)Â Are you in love? In lust? In a complicated situationship that started because of a drunken and convenient New Year's Eve kiss but now you're ready to take things to the next level by publicly declaring your adoration in the permanency of newsprint? Good news, The Stranger's reader Valentines are back, and they're IN PRINT for the first time in years! That's right, we're collecting all of your little love notesâ150 characters maxâand cramming them into our next print issue, which hits the streets on February 2! Only the first 2,000 entries are guaranteed to appear in the paper, and submissions must be received by 9 am Wednesday, January 24 for possible inclusion. All entriesâso long as they aren't mean or nonsenseâwill appear online. Declare your love now! THE STRANGER'S PROMOTIONS DEPARTMENT
TUESDAY 1/23Â Â
(MUSIC) Buck Meek, whom you probably know as the Big Thief guitarist with an arsenal of cool Western shirts, will head out on a solo tour to support his latest album, Haunted Mountain. As you may expect, the album leans into country rock with mystical lyrics about UFOs, getting lost, and passionate love affairs (Ă la Big Thief). What differentiates Buck's solo work from his aforementioned band is his earnest Sufjan Stevens-esque vocal quality, making for a lighter, breezier feel than Big Thief's emotionally heavy works. Buck will be joined by his brother, jazz pianist Dylan Meek. (The Crocodile, 2505 First Ave, 8 pm, $20, 21+) AUDREY VANN
