October 18, Wednesday
Translation Is a Mode As part of the Bagley Wright Lecture Series on Poetry, Seattle poet and translator Don Mee Choi “will discuss Walter Benjamin’s bread, Korean cornbread, warships, Ingmar Bergman’s The Silence, and Kim Hyesoon’s mirrors in her exploration of translation.” Translation is one of the most difficult-to-explain aspects of literature, and the experience of having a mind like Choi’s describe it for us is a blessing. Sorrento Hotel, 900 Madison St., 622-6400, hotelsorrento.com. Free. 21 and over. 7 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT
Mayoral Debate Watch Nikkita Oliver and Mike McGinn question mayoral candidates Cary Moon and Jenny Durkan in a Southeast Seattle-specific debate moderated by Sharon Maeda. Rainier Arts Center, 3515 S. Alaska St., 725-7517, RainierArtsCenter.org. Free. All ages. 7–9 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK
October 19, Thursday
SISTERS Since their first single back in 2014, “Back 2 U,” Seattle duo Sisters has been hinting at the uncut funk/soul roots their particular brand of indie pop emerges from. While the pop has tended to dominate, their new album, Wait Don’t Wait, finally leans fully into the funk and soul at the core of their own musical soul, resulting in some of the most swagger-filled songs they’ve written. With Spirit Award, Sundries. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. $10–$12. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KELTON SEARS
Peggy Piacenza Yes, Piacenza’s The Event is full of her unique worldview, where items from our personal histories become jumping-off points for spectacular movement. And yes, cotton candy is involved. But just as sweet as that sticky stuff is the cast itself, a collection of wonderful movers bringing their kinetic chops to the work. Ezra Dickinson, Kim Lusk, Wade Madsen, and Amelia Reeber join Piacenza in this exploration of what happens between birth and death. BASE, 6520 Fifth Ave. S,., #122, 850-3613, thisisbase.org. $18. 8 p.m; also 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat. and 4 p.m. Sun. SANDRA KURTZ
October 20, Friday
The Trade Reading Journalist Jere Van Dyk was kidnapped in Afghanistan. After his release, his employers and the government weren’t telling him the truth behind what happened, so six years later he went back to Afghanistan to uncover the real story. Tonight the Washington native returns to read from his book about the whole harrowing, frustrating experience. PATH Auditorium, 2201 Westlake Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
Spectrum Dance Theater performs its convictions: Donald Byrd brought a focus on social justice and equity when he came to the company in 2002, and its repertory holds a mirror up to our times and our troubled public lives. The company’s main season won’t open until the new year, but you can get an early look at some powerful dancing in this preview showing. Occurrence explores the experiences of dancers in the studio, the place where they are most at home. Madrona Dance Center, 800 Lake Washington Blvd., 325-4161, spectrumdance.org. $20. 7:30 p.m. SK
October 21, Saturday
Experimental Animals Reading Thalia Field’s new novel, Experimental Animals: A Reality Fiction, is based on the true story of Claude Bernard, a French vivisectionist who was married to an animal-rights activist, and who invented and popularized the scientific method. Field has committed two decades to the research in this project, translating work from French and piecing together the complicated history of a complicated man. Hugo House, 1021 Columbia St., 322-7030, hugohouse.org. Free. All ages. 4 p.m. PC
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile For a certain section of the populace, Barnett and Vile teaming up was bigger than Brangelina. While both Pitchfork indie darlings, the two wouldn’t seem like a natural pairing. Barnett sings with urgency, trying to cram as many observations and slant-rhymes into her three-minute songs as possible; Vile tends to vamp on riffs for hours at at time. Yet their opposites attract in a wonderful way. The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., stgpresents.org. 8 p.m. $40.50. DANIEL PERSON
Expand Upon This new series of staged play readings has commissioned playwrights Rachel Atkins and Seayoung Yim (author of Do It for Umma) to write short plays responding to a theme selected by community members. This round, folks chose institutional racism as the topic. If you feel like it, stick around after the reading to discuss the narratives with the playwrights themselves. Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., depts.washington.edu/ecc. $15. All ages. 8 p.m. BECS RICHARDS
Yaeji There’s something indisputably, classically cool about Yaeji. The New York electronic producer/vocalist’s songs always land at that elusive, sought-after line between not trying at all and clear, thought-out intentionality. Her mellow house (and recently hip-hop) production is always as understated and fabulous as her singular voice—a hypnotic, leisurely lilt she uses in the service of instantly catchy mantras and melodies on songs like “Feel It Out.” With Bake. Kremwerk, 1809 Minor Ave., kremwerk.com. $9–$12. 10 p.m. KS
R Day It just wouldn’t be the Northwest without the Northwest’s favorite brand of alcoholic water, Rainier. Come celebrate Seattle’s spirit beer with KEXP at the Old Rainier Brewery, where local bands will take the stage for two nights—including My Goodness, Bread and Butter, and Naked Giants on Saturday and Thunderpussy and Hobosexual on Sunday. The Old Rainier Brewery, 3100 Airport Way S., kexp.org. Free. 21 and over. 5–11 p.m. Also Sun. KS
October 22, Sunday
Reactions Reading You’ve likely seen Theo Gray’s gorgeous book The Elements, an illustrated guide to every element on the periodic table. His newest book, Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules, and Change in the Universe, shows what happens when those elements combine: Basically, those reactions are responsible for everything. Rainier Arts Center, 3515 S. Alaska St., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 6 p.m. PC
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Master of the beastly modular Buchla synth, this composer and Orcas Island native turns the machine’s electronic chirps and whirrs into gorgeous, organic songs that sound like the soundtracks to alien nature documentaries. Her lush new record, The Kid, is a concept album meant to track the development of a human from birth to death. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., thebarboza.com. $15–$17. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KS
October 23, Monday
An Evening With G. Willow Wilson Humanities Washington brings Seattle memoirist, novelist, and comics writer G. Willow Wilson for a conversation about creating the world’s most famous Muslim superhero, what it means to be a political writer, and how to juggle fame across two or three literary disciplines. Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S., 682-1770 x102, humanities.org. $20. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC
October 24, Tuesday
Loud Mouth Lit This special edition of memoirist Paul Mullin’s reading series is curated by Seattle Times reporter Brendan Kiley. Readers include David Schmader, Sydney Brownstone, and Anna Minard. They’ll all be talking on the theme of “political nausea,” a commodity in no short supply these days. Saint Andrew’s Bar and Grill, 7406 Aurora Ave. N., 523-1193, standrewsbarandgrill.com. Free. 21 and over. 8 p.m. PC
