June 7, Wednesday
Reading Through It Book Club Every month, Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Review of Books team up to bring you a current-events book club for our Trump-possessed times. This month’s selection, unfortunately, turned out to be especially timely in this era of light treason. Join us as we discuss Masha Gessen’s The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. Third Place Books Seward Park, 5041 Wilson Ave. S., 474-2200, thirdplacebooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT
June 8, Thursday
The Hope of Another Spring Reading A collection of experts celebrate the life and work of Takuichi Fujii, an artist who left Japan in 1906 to live in Seattle. His illustrated diary from the World War II internment camps have been praised as “the most remarkable document created by a Japanese-American prisoner during the wartime incarceration.” Third Place Books Lake Forest Park, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., 366-3333, thirdplacebooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
Garden of Faggy Delights Seattle artist Andrew Lamb Schultz (whose pastels and tender linework you can find in our Comix section this week) presents this solo show of “Scenes of a utopic queer daydream, a brief reprieve from the way things are, into the way things could be. Tableaux of leisure, self-care, daydreams, and the highs of late spring, early summer.” If world events have got you feeling down, Schultz’s work is joyful, life-affirming, and a potent pick-me-up. Calypte Gallery, 1107 E. Denny Way, calyptesings.tumblr.com. Free. All ages. 5:30–8:30 p.m. KELTON SEARS
Michael Ian Black In his popular podcast, his recent memoir, those goofy Stella comedy YouTube videos (“youwanna da pizza!”), Wet Hot American Summer, and his current standup tour, Michael Ian Black offers comedy oozing in irony and meta-commentary on entertainment. More astonishing than the variety of media he presents his material in is that he pulls it off without succumbing to the obnoxious. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. $25. 8 p.m. All ages. DANIEL PERSON
Erik Blood Seeing Erik Blood perform live is like getting sucked through a portal into a mysterious crystalline dimension. The costumes he and bandmate Irene Barber wear are certainly part of that equation—dichromatic face paint, Holy Mountain headgear, flowing black and white clothing—but the gorgeous, all-enveloping alien shoegaze pouring out of the amps is what really does the transportive work. Blood’s guitar and Barber’s harmonies will make you believe in magic. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., neumos.com. $12–$14. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KS
June 9, Friday
Mistreated Reading
Doctor Robert Pearl explains why, even though Americans believe they have the greatest health care, our country has fallen to the lower half in quality among the industrialized world. One reason: Physicians sell out to drug companies regularly. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC
Death Cab for Cutie In fitting protest fashion, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard (as well as the Decemberists and Sera Cahoone) will take the stage tonight with only acoustic guitar in hand to raise money for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood and to lead the crowd in some sing-songy anti-fascism. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 800-745-3000. $51–$146. All ages. 7:30 p.m. MARK BAUMGARTEN
Queers 4 Nikkita Pride Launch Party Join Peoples Party mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver, supporters, and a live DJ for a meet-and-greet, schmooze-and-booze in anticipation of the larger Seattle Pride festival later this month. ReBar, 1114 Howell St., 233-9873, ReBarSeattle.com. Free. 21 and over. 7–9 p.m. CJ
John Van Deusen Former Lonely Forest front man John Van Deusen has re-emerged after a lengthy hibernation, and tonight will celebrate the release of The Universal Sign, an earnest, poppy, and very welcome album. With Ashley Eriksson, R. Turner. Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mt. Vernon, 360-336-8955. $15. All ages. 7 p.m. MB
June 10, Saturday
Northwest New Works The specifics change every year, but the event stays the same: two weeks of the next new thing across art forms. Heads up this first weekend for Cameo Lethem’s classic postmodern ensemble; Kim Lusk and colleagues romping across the space; Kaitlin McCarthy channeling Arthur Miller’s pilgrims; and Waxie Moon doing what he does best. Wipe the slate the following week and look for Gender Tender’s dancing architecture (really) and Wade Madsen’s multiple profiles of local dance talent. On the Boards, 100 W. Roy St., 217-9888, ontheboards.org. $8.50–$16. Studio Theater programs 8 p.m. Fri., June 9 and 5 p.m. Sat., June 10–Sun., June 11, Fri., June 16, Sat., June 17–Sun., June 18. Mainstage programs 8 p.m. Sat. & Sun., June 10–18. SANDRA KURTZ
Georgetown Carnival Almost every neighborhood has its own festival once the summer months arrive, but Georgetown’s is still the only one with power-tool races. This year’s free fest also features a performance from grunge legends Mudhoney, acrobats, belly dancers, magicians, and of course an array of deep-fried, greasy carnival grub. Georgetown, various locations, georgetownmerchants.org. Free. All ages. Noon–10 p.m. KS
Volunteer Park Pride Festival The Pride Parade is still the main attraction, but in the past few years, the concurrent Volunteer Park Pride Fest’s increasingly stellar musical lineups have threatened to steal the show. This year is one of the best yet, featuring Big Dipper (whose “La Croix Boi” is the unofficial official 2017 summer jam); the pure, uncut rapture of Double Duchess; and local favorites like Sassyblack, Sisters, Prom Queen, and others. Volunteer Park, 1247 15th Ave. E., seattlepride.org. Free. All ages. Noon–7 p.m. KS
June 11, Sunday
Lily and the Octopus Reading It’s not every Sunday that a bestselling author comes to town, but this afternoon screenwriter Steven Rowley reads from his literary phenomenon, which is about a sad man named Ted Flask who finds meaning in an octopus attached to his dog’s eye. How did this book top bestseller lists nationwide? Maybe Rowley can explain. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400, bookstore.washington.edu. Free. All ages. 3 p.m. PC
June 12, Monday
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. Reading Seattle novelist Neal Stephenson’s follow-up to the magisterial Seveneves is a novel, co-authored with Nicole Galland, about a language expert who gets wrapped up in a secret government agency over some documents which supposedly prove that magic has always existed. Set in the near future, this one looks like it might appeal to fans of Stephenson’s lighter side. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC
June 13, Tuesday
Chain Letter Capitol Hill’s newest reading series presents its third installment with zine advocate Joseph Raisanen, nonfiction writer Cassandra DeKanter, and publisher and Babel/Salvage co-founder Bryan Edenfield. After these three, everyone will be invited to read in an open mic. Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar, 1508 11th Ave., 709-9797, vermillionseattle.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
