MUSIC

There may not be a better encapsulation of 2018 than Jeff Rosenstock’s opening punk yelps on “USA,” the first song off his new album POST- : “Dumbfounded, downtrodden, and dejected./Crestfallen, grief-stricken, and exhausted.” POST- stands out as the year’s best pop-punk record, mixing frayed, pessimistic musings, frenetic power chords, and deceptively catchy hooks that seem like old, crusty, booze-drenched friends by the second listen. Expect a sweaty, angsty punk sing-along when Rosenstock makes a pit stop in Seattle with Lisa Prank and Salt Lick. Neumos, neumos.com. $15. 8 p.m. Sun., Aug. 19.

Can I interest you in a little free local music? No? How about a lot of free local music? Mercer x Summit Block Party brings many of the city’s best local musicians to Capitol Hill for an all-day summer celebration. The lineup boast a very solid mix of indie rock (Telekinesis, Hibou, Cumulus), hip-hop (Porter Ray, DoNormaal), and other noise-makers. Think of it as the D.I.Y. Capitol Hill Block Party. Summit Avenue (between Mercer and Roy Street), mercerxsummit.com. Free. 1:30–11 p.m., Aug. 18.

CLASSICAL, ETC.

Mozart gets a sprinkling of 9 to 5 in the Core Ensemble’s workplace-set, #MeToo-inspired take on Don Giovanni. 12th Avenue Arts, thecoreensemble.com. $10–$20. 2 p.m. Aug. 19 (preview), 25, & 26; 8 p.m. Aug. 21, 22, 28, & 29.

SPECIAL EVENTS

See three days of amazing skin art at the Seattle Tattoo Expo, with vendors, seminars, contests in various categories (including Worst), plus music, sideshows, and burlesque performances. Or just take a chance and get one yourself on the spot. Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, seattletattooexpo.com. One day $20, three-day pass $50. 2–10 p.m. Fri., Aug. 17; noon–10 p.m. Sat., Aug. 18; noon–8 p.m. Sun., Aug. 19.

While it may not have the same luster in the post-legalization climate, Hempfest still offers a communal bash for the cannabis-inclined. Whether you’re a smoker, dabber, vaper, or fan of edibles, there’s an array of speakers, musicians, vendor shopping, and more to keep you busy while buzzed, high, or stoned. Myrtle Edwards & Centennial Parks, hempfest.org. $10 (suggested donation). Noon–8 p.m. Fri., Aug. 17; 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Sat. & Sun., Aug. 18 & 19.

FILM

The anthology Talking Pictures: The Origins of Sound Cinema, 1895–1929 includes rare samples of shorts, cartoons, jazz, comedy, feature films, and more, including footage of Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, Bessie Smith, George Bernard Shaw, Robert Benchley, and others. Grand Illusion, grandillusioncinema.org. $5–$9. 7 p.m. Tues., Aug. 21.

The Cinerama’s Sound & Vision Film Festival, Aug. 17–30, is a lavish banquet of cult faves that demand the theater’s epic screen and state-of-the-art technology—mostly sci-fi and adventure, but also movies like Blue Velvet (5 p.m. 8/20), Purple Rain (9 p.m. 8/22), and Stop Making Sense (5:45 p.m. 8/29). $15.

COMEDY

While not a household name, Neal Brennan could retire tomorrow and still have an elite comedy resume. That’s what happens when you co-created Chappelle’s Show (I’ll give you one guess who the other co-creator was). While he’s dabbled in directing, producing, writing, and consulting post-Chappelle’s Show, stand-up has been his go-to for comedic expression. After years of running 3 Mics—a live show where separate mics were dedicated to one-liners, traditional stand-up, and reflections on depression and his dad—returns to the road with a fresh batch of jokes. The Neptune, stgpresents.org. $28. 7:30 p.m., Aug. 17.

Hell hath no fury like a high school girl scorned. Or like … whatever. For the next month and a half, the women of Unexpected Productions gather on Sunday nights to create Little Bitches, fully improvised high school movies inspired by films like Mean Girls and Clueless. Expect plenty of timeless tropes about cliques, crushes, and awkward adults played for maximum laughs. Unexpected Productions, unexpectedproductions.org. $8–$10. 8:30 p.m. Sundays, Aug. 19–Sept. 30.