CONCERTS
Sat, July 30Modest Mouse and Brand NewIn the age of social media, there’s a certain allure to bands that keep their admirers in the dark. Before album hashtags and official Snapchat accounts were a thing, Modest Mouse and Brand New were already cultivating fan bases that always wanted more. It took eight years for Modest Mouse’s 2015 Strangers to Ourselves to emerge, and enigmatic Brand New continues to hint at a follow-up to 2009’s (Modest Mouse–influenced) Daisy. The bands coheadline at KeyArena with full sets and no openers. KeyArena, $32–$52[1]
July 28–31Seagaze FestivalDrown your ears in electrified noise as Lo-Fi hosts Seagaze Festival. The new four-night fest brings together some of the Northwest’s best shoegaze, post-punk, and psych rock acts like Seattle music maven Erik Blood and Portland goth band Shadowhouse. Escape from the summer sun, and embrace the shadowy trance of Seagaze’s musical vibe. Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, $10–$12; Festival pass $35[2]
DANCE
Fri & Sat, July 29 & 30 Strictly SeattleWhen dancers of all levels come together every year for Velocity Dance Center’s three-week intensive summer program Strictly Seattle, the public wins. See the results of the performers’ immersion into the local dance world when they wrap up the program with new works developed in collaboration by scene standouts Zoe Scofield, Alice Gosti, Amy O’Neal, KT Niehoff, Mark Haim, Marlo Martin, and Rosa Vissers. Broadway Performance Hall, $20[3]
VISUAL ART
July 29–31BAM ARTSfairThe summer’s biggest free arts and crafts event marks another decade milestone as Bellevue Art Museum hosts the 70th annual BAM ARTSfair. An array of artists show off their works in a vibrant outdoor market, NE 6th Street becomes a chalk massive canvas, KIDSfair offers children a chance to create their own mini-masterpieces, and free admission to the museum offers visitors a chance to check out the the style of Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair and the stitching of Bren Ahearn: Strategies for Survival. Bellevue Arts Museum, Free[4]
THEATER
Thru Sept 25Hotel L’Amour[5]Teatro ZinZanni brings classic romanticized Parisian flair with help from 83-year-old Tony-winning actress Liliane Montevecchi. She stars as the Madame, reflecting on her life during a visit to Hotel L’Amour, whose staff features a cast of illusionists, acrobats, comedians, singers, and jugglers. As The New York Times states earlier this year, “If any entertainer could be described as ‘Paris incarnate,’ it might be Liliane Montevecchi.” Teatro ZinZanni, $99–$174
Thru July 31A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder[6]It’s the final weekend to catch one of the cleverest musicals to hit the Seattle stage in some time. Monty Navarro believes in a very twisted version of upward mobility. When the poor Edwardian-era lead of the 2014 Tony winner for best musical learns he’s actually a distant heir to a previously hidden family fortune, he begins picking off those above him in the line of succession. Can Monty achieve his devilishly comedic goals while balancing a mistress and fiancée? A gentleman never tells. 5th Avenue Theatre, $29–$146
Sun, July 31Wooden OTo see, or not to see: That should not be the question. Of course one should take the time to check out Seattle Shakespeare’s Wooden O productions of Hamlet and Love’s Labour’s Lost. The company’s consistent quality means that the tales of tragic royal revenge and love-struck young men comically at odds with their tenuous vows of temporary chastity should energize the parks this summer. This Sunday the touring production makes its annual stop at Seattle Center for a doubleheader of both shows. Seattle Center, Free [7]
MUSEUMS
Thru Sept 25Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70sToys offer a surprisingly accurate gauge of the times. The traveling exhibit shows off a collection of playthings that reflect the rise of TV, the politics of the age, and gender roles. Explore faux living rooms inspired by toys like the Barbie Dreamhouse. Thankfully, many are available for hands-on play. Museum of History and Industry, $20[8]
FILM
July 28–31Seattle Transmedia and Independent Film FestivalWhen is a film festival not a film festival? When it’s the Seattle Transmedia and Independent Film Festival. Instead of narrowly focusing on the medium (film), the festival puts an emphasis on storytelling across platforms. STIFF’s free Transmedia Gallery at Factory Luxe features narratives delivered via virtual reality, video games, 360 video, and more. But STIFF also doesn’t abandon film, screening a documentary about being unable to detach ourselves from our technology (Screenagers), a movie about extra-terrestrial marijuana (Star Leaf), and plenty of shorts. Factory Luxe, Free–$30; Festival pass $60 [9]
Sat, July 30Movies at the Mural: The Princess Bride Quote-alongOn a list of the Seattlest things you can do during summer, watching beloved blockbusters under the Space Needle ranks pretty high. Maybe the most balanced outdoor movie slate of 2016 features Mad Max: Fury Road (2015’s best film), the timeless best picture–winning musical West Side Story, Life of Pi’s animal adventure, and the sci-fi comedy cult classic Galaxy Quest. Movies at the Mural begins its 2016 run this weekend with a quote-along screening of The Princess Bride. Inconceivable? Hardly. Seattle Center, Free[10]
THE SPORTING LIFE
Sun, July 31Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy[11]The post–Sigi Schmid era begins as the struggling Sounders attempt to build any sort of momentum for the final few months of the season. Playoff chances look slim at this point, but a victory over the despised Galaxy would certainly be a step in the right direction. CenturyLink Field, $28–$125; Televised on ESPN
References
- ^ Modest Mouse and Brand New (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Seagaze Festival (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Strictly Seattle (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ BAM ARTSfair (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Hotel L’Amour (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Wooden O (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Seattle Transmedia and Independent Film Festival (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Movies at the Mural: The Princess Bride Quote-along (feedproxy.google.com)
- ^ Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy (feedproxy.google.com)
