MONDAY 6/29
Recuperate From Pride With Snacks
(FOOD & DRINK) Pride weekend was exhausting. The Stranger was passing out papers during Sunday’s parade, and I am still sore from walking and yelling, “Who wants a free germaphobe-approved guide to eating ass?!” for four hours. I need a nutritious, life-affirming snack. All month, local eateries have been serving up colorful treats to celebrate Pride. (The best I’ve sampled so far is the rainbow concha at Tacos Cometas.) There are still a couple of days left to enjoy several of the offerings. Taste the rainbow at A la Mode Pies, with a funfetti cake packed with a fat layer of cheesecake filling. At Little Jaye, their shokupan donut flavor of the month is, appropriately, Fruity Pebbles. Rather drink your calories? Mioposto’s Shelly’s Disco, a tribute to Shelly’s Leg (Seattle’s first openly gay nightclub, iydk), is a mix of vodka, creme de violette, ube, and lime, and a portion of the proceeds goes to Lambert House. It’s as gorgeous as it is generous! MEGAN SELING
TUESDAY 6/30
Black Ends, Give Me The Money, The Wameki, Dim Desires
(MUSIC) On Black Ends’ debut album Psychotic Spew, the local trio continues to shape their self-invented “gunk pop” genre, employing catchy pop hooks, metal guitar riffs, and funk basslines. The result sounds like the musical offspring of the Pretenders, Suburban Lawns, ESG, and No Doubt (yes, Gwen Stefani’s ska band) in the coolest possible way. Don’t miss opening sets from electronic noise duo Give Me The Money, Tokyo-based indie rock band the Wameki, and local post-punk trio Dim Desires. (Chop Suey, 8 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
WEDNESDAY 7/1
All the President’s Men in 35mm
(FILM) I’ll admit that I didn’t understand the magnetism of Robert Redford until my grandmother made me watch Out of Africa—the hair-washing scene alone changed my mind (he’s hot). This led to marathoning films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson, and, of course, All the President’s Men. The 1976 film follows the run-up to the 1972 elections, as Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward (Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) research the botched burglary of the Democratic Party Headquarters, aka the Watergate Scandal. The acting is understated, and the visuals are simplistic, which lets the bubbling of tension be the star of the show. Take advantage of the 50th anniversary of the film by seeing it in gorgeous 35mm. (SIFF Film Center, 7 pm) AUDREY VANN
THURSDAY 7/2
In Spite of Ourselves: A Celebration of the Music of John Prine
(MUSIC) I’m a simple man: I see a John Prine tribute, I go to the John Prine tribute. Because while the late great folk savant may be gone (fuck COVID), his music lives on. And not only through recordings but also through the countless musicians touched by his artistry. Like those behind In Spite of Ourselves, a tribute that began as a casual gathering of friends paying homage to Prine’s catalog, but has since grown into a full-fledged celebration of the songwriter. Featuring musicians Doug Cox, Tom and Kalissa Landa (of the Paperboys), and Steve Mitchell, the group approaches Prine’s songs with equal parts reverence and playfulness, capturing the warmth, wit, heartbreak, and humanity that made them so enduring in the first place. (Triple Door, 7:30 pm, all ages) LANGSTON THOMAS
FRIDAY 7/3
(PUPPETS) This weekend is our nation’s semiquincentennial! If you’re feeling a little lost about what to do or how to feel, you’re not alone. Fortunately, Fussy Cloud Puppet Slam is offering an adult-friendly activity to the usual lineup of booze, barbecues, and burning things to the ground. Fussy Cloud is the Pacific Northwest’s premier puppet cabaret, co-produced by two self-proclaimed puppet nerds (Cass Bray and Zane Exactly) on a mission to bring puppetry to the masses. This evening of anti-patriotic shorts circling the American drain is hosted by Tootsie Spangles and features an ensemble of Seattle, Brooklyn, and Portland-based puppeteers, like Seatown Proletariat Puppet Uprising and the Puppet Pervs. Pull up a hot dog and kick back for some catharsis.
(Theatre Off Jackson, 7:30 pm, 16+) AMANDA MANITACH
SATURDAY 7/4
Celebrate Algae
(PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS) To celebrate the birth of our nation 250 years ago, we recommend, for reasons that will become obvious, that you watch Episode 10, Season 3 of the “re-imaging” of Battlestar Galactica that aired in the first decade of this still young century. The name of the episode: “The Passage.” Its story: The humans from a cluster of planets called Colonies of Kobol are still fleeing from the human-made robots, Cylons, who destroyed their home world. While looking for a new settlement in the galaxy, their food goes bad, and the humans have little or nothing to eat. To their joy, they chance upon a planet with lots of—you guessed it—algae. This sentient lifeform, which, on Earth, ruined the current president’s ill-conceived plan to make the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American blue” (it’s now green), is for the humans in Battlestar Galactica, who have been reduced to crumbs, a matter of survival. Algae is food. You can do all sorts of almost tasty things with it. But getting to the green planet is a bit tricky. Can they reach the algae in time? Will they starve to death? Happy 4th of July. CHARLES MUDEDE
SUNDAY 7/5
(DRAG) There is only one way to celebrate Independence Day this year without looking like a nationalist fool: the Dolly Parton Drag Brunch at Emerald City Comedy Club. The club will morph into a utopian America where Mrs. Backwoods Barbie is our president, our flag is rainbow, and drag queens make the rules. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Irene the Alien will host the afternoon of wigs, whiskey, Western tunes, and wacky drag performances. (Emerald City Comedy Club, 3 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
