Wednesday, May 25

Facing LGBTQ Homelessness As we’ve reported in the past, being homeless while queer suuuuucks. Come hear Ryannah Quigley, Danni Askini, and Kora Bates of the Gender Justice League talk about their own experiences with homelessness, and how to effectively help solve this decades-old problem. UW campus, Parrington Hall, room 309. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK

Maiah Manser This local pop songstress writes ornate tunes that fuse “the digital and the organic,” and sings in the kind of powerful, clear, stirring register that has propelled Florence Welch to the top of the charts. She’ll be performing at Bumbershoot and BIG BLDG Bash this summer, but if you want to catch her for free before then, tonight’s your chance. With IG88, Ian Hale and the Legacy, and more. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. Free. All ages. 8 p.m. KELTON SEARS

Thursday, May 26

A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and His Month of Song As recounted in these pages just a few weeks ago by news editor Daniel Person, who wrote a book about it with KEXP DJ Greg Vandy, it has been 75 years since folk hero Woody Guthrie arrived in Washington state to do a little work for the Bonneville Power Administration. Tonight an incredible lineup of musicians—including John Doe, Ian Moore, Tim Easton, Gerald Collier, and Dave Alvin—will mark the occasion by performing the 26 songs that Guthrie wrote as a kind of soundtrack to the Grand Coulee Dam. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., 215-4800, seattlesymphony.org. SOLD OUT. MARK BAUMGARTEN

The Coup Seattle rapper Draze, who recently made waves with his anti-Uncle Ike’s anthem “Irony on 23rd,” also called out the lack of real talk in contemporary hip-hop on his song “Ain’t Nobody Talking About No Real Shit.” If you feel similarly let down, The Coup is your answer, a fiercely political, Marxist hip-hop group from Oakland who have been keeping it very real since 1992, releasing classic albums like Genocide and Juice and Party Music, which featured my personal favorite, the disco funk cut “5 Million Ways to Kill a C.E.O.” With Mic Flont, DJ Seabefore. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. $18. All ages. 8 p.m. KS

Merle Haggard Memorial Night Until his death in April, Merle Haggard remained a kind of enigma. A law-abiding Okie from Muskogee to some, a hell-raising outlaw to others, Haggard proved impossible to nail down. What was clear was that he had one of the most endearing voices in the history of country music, a lyrical mainline to the heart of America, and an understanding of the duality of human nature (something he shared with our other recently passed stars, Bowie and Prince). All those qualities will be on display tonight as Country Lips, The Ramblin’ Years, Ole Tinder, and more pay tribute. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. $6. 21 and over. 8 p.m. MB

White Sands Reading Geoff Dyer writes nimbly about tricky concepts that are exceptionally difficult for most writers to explain; he once wrote a book about not writing a book about D.H. Lawrence. White Sands is about travel, and the idea of travel, and living in the world; I can’t explain it, but I know Dyer can. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT

Friday, May 27

Anvil A seemingly unstoppable force of nature, the Canadian metal godfathers in Anvil continue to power forward through hell and high water. More than 40 years after forming and setting the template for Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer (as well as Spinal Tap), and eight years emerging from obscurity on the back of the critically acclaimed documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil, the band is back with its 16th full-length, Anvil Is Anvil, and will surely drop something heavy on its Seattle fans. With Unleash the Archers, Graveshadow, Sausage Slapper, Red Rouletta, Severhead. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482. $15 adv./$20 DOS. 21 and over. 7:30 p.m. MB

Paper: Paging Through History Reading In both Cod and Salt, Mark Kurlansky wrote huge, well-researched books about seemingly tiny topics which expand into nuanced histories of the entire world. His newest, Paper, promises to do the same with paper and the written word—though it also looks forward, to the prospect (threat?) of a paperless future. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC

Squall Tonight is the second anniversary of the reoccurring Seattle noise night—one that more than lives up to its name. Ambrosia Bartosekulva, who recently moved to Chicago, is returning to Seattle to perform as wrtch, a soundscapey project that invokes the feeling of, well, an invocation. With Timm Mason, Subliminal Genocide, DJ Maire. Kremwerk, 1809 Minor Ave., 682-2935, kremwerk.com. $5. 21 and over. 6–9 p.m. KS

Saturday, May 28

Nail Polish As Cairo prepares to close for good, checking out Nail Polish’s set at one of the venue’s final shows is an especially fitting way to say goodbye. The bass-driven post-punk band’s songs lyrically tackle the state of the rapidly changing city, and drummer Gems D. was a longtime booker for the space, bringing tons of quality regional DIY punk bands to town. With Versing, Figures, Breeze. Cairo, 507 E. Mercer St., templeofcairo.com. $7. All ages. 8 p.m. KS

Apocalypse Dad Release If you happen to find yourself down in Olympia, Seattle Weekly comics contributor Taylor Dow will be hosting a release party/reading for his gorgeous new 44-page comic Apocalypse Dad, which he calls “a critical response to the ‘cool dad with beard and baggage protects his daughter from the apocalypse’ trope that’s been prevalent in pop storytelling for the past few years.” The book’s bleak landscape is full of trash, but the physical book itself is anything but trashy, Risograph-printed by Seattle’s Cold Cube Press. The New Moon Café, 113 Fourth Ave. W., Olympia, 360-357-3452. Free ($8 for the book). All ages. 4–8 p.m. (reading at 6 p.m.) KS

Almost Live: The Show That Wouldn’t Die Now that we’re a world-class city with our very own giant Amazon balls, it’s hard to remember that Seattle used to have its own local low-budget Saturday Night Live. Bryan Johnston’s history of Almost Live includes interviews with nearly every cast member, making it a must-read for the three natural-born Seattleites who can still afford to live here. Third Place Books Lake Forest Park, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., 366-3333, thirdplacebooks.com. Free. All ages. 6:30 p.m. PC

Atriarch The lineup on this doomy, blackened bill is a who’s-who of regional metal excellence. Portland’s Atriarch specializes in a ritualistic, occult-leaning sound that’s a thrill to see live, while Seattle’s Addaura dwells in the post-rocky reaches of black metal, crafting songs as beautiful and graceful as they are pummeling. Olympia’s Huldrekall are the fiercest of the three, belting out what they call “Psychedelic Cascadian Black Metal.” Substation, 645 N.W. 45th St., 403-8883, substationseattle.com. $15. 21 and over. 9 p.m. KS

Kaytranada Of the myriad careers Soundcloud has launched, Kaytranada is among the cream of the crop—an exceptionally inventive Haitian-Canadian hip-hop producer who just released his excellent debut studio album 99.9% earlier this month. The wait was worth it—there’s not a bum track among the star-studded 15 songs here, which all showcase Kaytranada’s complex, funky rhythmic sensibility—which, somehow, never overtakes the prevailing feel-good, chilled-out vibe. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxpresents.com. $20–$25. All ages. 9 p.m. KS

Sunday, May 29

Aelter This side project of one of Boise’s best bands, Wolvserpent, breaks from that group’s organic take on black metal and instead refocuses that gloom and dark majesty onto Americana, Western, and folk music—the kind of music desert-wandering cowboys dressed in all black would enjoy, or the sort of tunes a creepy band at Twin Peaks’ Bang Bang Bar might play. With Geist and the Sacred Ensemble, Thunder Grey Pilgrim, Meridian Arc. Highline Bar, 210 Broadway E., highlineseattle.com. $8–$10. 21 and over. 9 p.m. KS

Literary Events at Folklife All weekend long Folklife hosts literary events, like readings from the youth-poetry saints of Pongo Publishing, Greg Vandy’s book about Woody Guthrie, and more. On Sunday alone, you can find a whole bunch of children’s storytelling events and a reading from the Jack Straw Fellows hosted by beloved local poetry advocate Kathleen Flenniken. Seattle Center, nwfolklife.org. Free. All ages. 11 a.m. PC

Paul Simon There’s a moment in Paul Simon’s new single “Wristband” when Simon fills a down moment in the song by scatting a few bars. It feels like a throwaway interlude until the horns come in behind him, mimicking him note for note, and that effortless little ditty turns into the best part of a good song. Simon’s now in his fifth decade of writing tight pop music, and he doesn’t seem to be loosening at all with his latest offerings. Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, 425-488-1133, ste-michelle.com. $70. 21 and over. 7 p.m. DANIEL PERSON

The Wind and the Wave This Austin duo, Patricia Lynn and Dwight Baker, plays a powerful kind of Americana that mixes myriad influences from blues rock to psychedelia and is delivered with Lynn’s transfixing vocal. But the highlight is their covers of pop songs, which include moving renditions of R Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” and Sia’s “Chandelier.” With Silver Torches. 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. $12. 21 and over. 9 p.m. MB

Monday, May 30

Author: The JT LeRoy Story In the late 1990s, everyone was obsessed with JT LeRoy, a media-shy author who wrote thinly veiled novels about his own life as a drug-addicted homeless youth. Then LeRoy was outed as a middle-aged woman named Laura Albert. Jeff Feuerzeig’s documentary about LeRoy/Albert is coming to SIFF, and today I’ll join him for a post-screening interview. Shoreline Community College, 16101 Greenwood Ave. N., 464-5830, siff.net. $13. All ages. 3 p.m. PC

Tuesday, May 31

Tribe Reading Sebastian Junger is not just one of the dreamiest authors alive—a hottie who fearlessly launches himself into dangerous situations—he’s also one of the most compassionate. His newest book, Tribe, documents the many pitfalls that befall veterans when they return to normal life in America, including suicide, PTSD, and drug abuse. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC