MONDAY 8/4
(FOOD) In the summer, I tend to have insatiable cravings for all things sour, sweet, salty, and spicy, so I can’t get enough of Mexican-style fruit cups doused with Chamoy and Tajín right now. I first happened upon a vendor selling spears of mango, cucumber, pineapple, and watermelon downtown in Westlake Park, which ignited my obsession. The same day, I purchased a mango on a stick, carved into a flower, and covered with spices at Aquí Mercado by the waterfront. If you’re looking for a similar option, try El Lugar Capitol Hill, which now offers fruit cups as well as Chamoy-coated sour candy (I’m hooked on the watermelon licorice). Antojitos Jalisco on Broadway also offers fruit cups, spicy mangos, mangonadas, and chamoyadas (a frozen mango pop with a cup of Chamoy for dunking). JULIANNE BELL
TUESDAY 8/5
Vote!
(CIVIC DUTY) It’s Election Day! Have you voted yet? I’m gonna guess no, given our abysmal primary election voting record. Just 40 percent of registered King County voters participated in last year’s Washington State primary election. Sad! Some very vital decisions will be made today, with or without your vote. We’ll narrow down the crowded mayoral candidate field, decide who’ll take on Republican Seattle City Attorney incumbent Ann Davison, and find out who’s ready to make a run at NIMBY-loving Sara Nelson’s City Council seat, to name a few. Ballots must be submitted by 8 p.m. Tuesday night! Read through our endorsements, then find the ballot box near you, and VOTE! MEGAN SELING
WEDNESDAY 8/6
(MUSIC) Like Gaga’s signature mixed drink, the kalimotxo (red wine topped with Diet Coke and maraschino cherries), her sixth album, MAYHEM, is a freaky blend of rich, jazzy vocals and fizzy pop perfection. When she announced the tour earlier this year, Gaga noted that she opted to keep this one in arenas rather than stadiums: “I wanted to create a different kind of experience—something more intimate—closer, more connected.” However, this show still promises an opulent theatrical experience with designer costumes, Broadway-quality sets, and songs that span her career. If you’re still a Gaga hater who believes she’s a cheap Madonna rip-off, learn your herstory! Madonna pointed out the absurdity of these criticisms, stating: “God forbid a woman takes inspiration.” (Climate Pledge Arena, 8 pm, all ages) AUDREY VANN
THURSDAY 8/7
(VISUAL ART) Iran-born artist Tala Madani’s first solo exhibition in Washington State promises a spicy, funny-yet-critical blend of “mural-like” paintings, animations, and a glimpse of a forthcoming feature-length film. Through projected light and surreal characters (often “naked, bald, middle-aged men”), Madani’s slapstick violence drags viewers into dreamlike spaces that disturb and intrigue. The artist is renowned for her provocative, often unsettling explorations of power and vulnerability, tackling everything from bodily fluids to suicide with razor-sharp wit. (Safe to say that Be Flat comes with a big ol’ visitor advisory.) See the show before it closes later this month, on August 24. (Henry Art Gallery, free, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
FRIDAY 8/8
(FILM) My phone’s storage is constantly full because I have approximately 10,000 hours of footage taken of my giant long-haired tuxedo cat, Whisper. For me, everything that Whisper does is worth documenting, and I know I am not alone because CatVideoFest exists. Each year, crazy cat owners submit their favorite feline footage—spanning animation, music videos, viral classics, and home movies—to be screened in theaters as a part of a giant compilation reel. The best part is that funds are donated to cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters. (SIFF Cinema Uptown, times vary) AUDREY VANN
SATURDAY 8/9
(MUSIC) Small, independent music labels are vital in keeping underground music alive and thriving in Seattle. Kay Redden, founder and sole employee of local tape label Den Tapes, is doing the lord’s work, one cassette release at a time. Den Tapes will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a supercharged edition of its annual festival featuring two nights of live music, including grunge trio Wild Powwers, indie-pop outfit Soft Boiled, garage-rock band Teenage Toad, singer-songwriter project Don Piano, and many more. Don’t forget to bring some extra money to buy tapes! (Sunset Tavern, Aug 8–9, 7 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
SUNDAY 8/10
(MUSIC) It was the hard launch heard round the lesbian world: Lucy Dacus confirmed her long-rumored relationship with collaborator and boygenius bandmate Julien Baker in an interview with The New Yorker in March. Her newest album, Forever Is a Feeling, finds the introspective singer-songwriter solidly in her lovergirl era, with swoony, intimate queer ballads like “Best Guess” (a surefire new sapphic wedding standard) and “Ankles.” Guests on the album include tourmate Jay Som, as well as Hozier, Bartees Strange, Madison Cunningham, Blake Mills, Baker, and fellow boygenius member Phoebe Bridgers. Remlinger Farms will provide a bucolic background for Dacus’s romantic musings and vulnerable lyrics. (Remlinger Farms, 5 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL
Prizefight!
Prizefight! Win tickets to rad upcoming events!*
My Morning Jacket
August 9, Chateau Ste Michelle
Contest ends August 8 at 10 am
Simple Plan
August 9, WAMU Theater
Contest ends August 8 at 10 am
*Entering PRIZE FIGHT contests by submitting your email address signs you up to receive the Stranger Suggests newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.
