Wednesday, July 13
Toro y Moi (DJ Set) Prolific South Carolina-based indie-pop singer and producer Chaz Bundick, who has worked closely with artists such as Neon Indian, Tyler the Creator, and Travi$ Scott and performs under the moniker Toro y Moi, will spin a solo DJ Set at Q Nightclub. Moi’s atmospheric, psychedelic sound has been described as “chillwave,” however throughout his career as a creative powerhouse, he has experimented with a diverse array of instruments and genres including disco pop, funk, R&B, rap, deep house, and electronic dance music. Q Nightclub, 1426 Broadway, 432-9306, qnightclub.com. $15. 21 and over. 9 p.m. ANDREW CALLAGHAN.
HEX Reading Dutch author Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s horror novel HEX was a worldwide bestseller even before it was translated into English. Now it should become a bestseller in America, too; it’s got all the elements of a good horror yarn, including a witch’s curse, imperiled teens, a plague of suicides, and the fate of the known universe. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT
Thursday, July 14
Knowmads Formed at Roosevelt High in the mid-aughts and now L.A.-based, Knowmads are the hip-hop duo of Tom Pepe and Tom Wilson, aka Cheef. In their teens, the Outkast-like group had a cult following in north Seattle and opened for local rap acts such as the Blue Scholars and Macklemore. At first lyrically wrestling with dark topics like depression and drug addiction, Knowmads’ music took a surprisingly Vitamin-D-fueled positive turn after they relocated. With the Bad Tenants, All Star Opera, DJ Indica Jones. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. $12. All ages. 8 p.m. AC
Timber! Outdoor Music Festival Music lovers gather in bucolic Carnation this weekend for an annual family-friendly celebration of all things summertime. The largely local lineup includes Langhorne Slim, Jesse Sykes, and Telekinesis, as well as the Moondoggies and the Maldives, who’ll join up to pay tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Also on tap: REI-guided adventures, such as kayaking, and a 5k. Tolt-MacDonald Park, 31020 N.E. 40th St., Carnation, timbermusicfest.com. $30–$75. 5 p.m. Through July 16. SARA BERNARD
Friday, July 15
We Love You Cara Joy! A benefit for local music fan Cara Joy Clausen, this evening’s lineup is, frankly, mind-boggling. The A-Frames, who in the aughts won over Clausen and many others with three of the best rock albums to come out of this city, are reuniting to raise money to cover Clausen’s cancer treatments. Joining them will be punk stalwarts the Spits and tender-hearted, quick-witted troubadour Jonathan Richman—who agreed to join the bill following a personal request from Clausen, confirming that he is, indeed, an angel among us. Chop Suey, 1325 Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. $18 adv./$20 DOS. 21 and over. 8 p.m. MARK BAUMGARTEN
Represent This! Beloved Greenwood hangout spot the Couth Buzzard presents a political-minded cabaret of music, stories, poetry, and comedy. I’m most looking forward to Seattle poet David Fewster, long a very funny open-mic mainstay who just published his first collection with the Couth Buzzard’s brand-new press. Couth Buzzard Books, 8310 Greenwood Ave. N., buonobuzzard.com. Donation. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC
Sérgio Mendes In a few weeks, athletes will gather in Rio for the Summer Olympics, and what better way to get in the spirit than enjoy a retrospective from Mendes, whose jazz-inspired bossa nova came to represent Brazilian music for Americans since he charted a smash hit in 1966 with “Mas que Nada” (which he re-recorded in 2006 with the Black Eyed Peas). Enjoy Mendes, sans Fergie, during his four-night stand in Seattle. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729. $59. Through Sunday; times vary. DANIEL PERSON
Biketopia Music Festival In early July, a collective of musicians launched a 1,000-mile bicycle tour from Vancouver, B.C., to San Francisco, hosting completely fossil-fuel-free shows along the way. The audience can help power the sound by riding stationary bikes and applauding such acts as Bicicletas Por la Paz, which performs “Latin Circus Funk.” With Heather Normandale, Fossil Fool, Kristina Bennett. Peddler Brewing Co., 1514 N.W. Leary Way, 360-362-0002. 7 p.m. More shows at other locations Saturday and Sunday; see pleasantrevolution.org for details. SB
Seattle Butoh Festival The roots of butoh dance go back to post-WWII Japan, but since then the nature-oriented practice those Japanese artists developed has been shared around the world, so it’s no surprise that this year’s guests for this annual festival come from Poland. They will join local ensemble Daipan Butoh and fellow performers from Olympia for a series of events inside and outdoors. Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way S.W., 729-2054. $15–$18. Through Sat. 7:30 p.m. SANDRA KURTZ
Saturday, July 16
Second Life Reading SJ Watson writes the kind of twisty psychological thrillers that Hollywood swarms over like horny locusts. Before I Go to Sleep became a movie starring Nicole Kidman, and his newest, Second Life, has already been optioned by Reese Witherspoon, who also produced Gone Girl. Tonight Watson will be interviewed onstage by Seattle memoirist Sonya Lea. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400. Free. All ages. 3 p.m. PC
Bodies of Water Last year, choreographer Alice Gosti filled St. Mark’s Cathedral with hours of dancing and vivid performance-art installations in How to Be a Partisan; this summer she’s taking to the waterfront. As with her other long-duration works, you can drop into Bodies of Water at any point during the five-hour event, but the full impact comes from the accumulation of images. Gosti’s kinetic world is replete with images of birds and animals. Her innovative design sense will make new meaning out of a familiar landmark. Waterfront Park, 1401 Alaskan Way, 325-8773. Free. 5 p.m. Also Sat. SK
Sunday, July 17
Asher Roth & Larry June Remember the platinum-selling, Bud Light-shotgunning fraternity-house anthem “I Love College,” released in 2009? That was Asher Roth, and he’s on tour, attempting a comeback. Traveling with him is Larry June, the up-and-coming S.F.-based rapper and Whole Foods aficionado who has collaborated with Seattle artists such as MackNed and Key Nyata. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. $16. All ages. 8 p.m. AC
Die Antwoord Few artists present a bleaker picture of humanity. The group, hailing mostly from South Africa, seems obsessed with the monstrous—the lecherous, the deformed, the menacing—and uses its dark hip-hop and darker videos (which play like tawdry soap operas) to take you as far into their twisted world as you’re willing to go. By the looks of it, plenty of people are; Die Antwoord’s concert has been moved from Marymoor to WaMu to accommodate a larger crowd. WaMu Theatre, 800 Occidental Ave. S., 628-0888. $37.50. All ages. 7:30 p.m. DP
Tuesday, July 19
The Nordic Theory of Everything Reading For a year, Bernie Sanders talked up the Scandinavian way of life: free health care, income and gender equality, and other so-called “socialistic” government programs. In her new book, Finnish journalist Anu Partanen discusses the values Scandinavian government is based on, and whether those philosophies are compatible with everyday life in the U.S. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
Avenue of the Dead Seattle’s visionary noise musician and cinematographer Eric Ostrowski will premiere his latest feast for the eyes and ears, a performance utilizing multiple projectors, video feedback, 16mm film loops, hand-painted frames, and other manipulated elements accompanied by a swirling cacophony of violin, sure to induce a “subconscious meltdown.” Grand Illusion Cinema, 1403 N.E. 50th St., 523-3935. $6–$9. All ages. 7 p.m. MEAGAN ANGUS
