MONDAY 7/14
Find a Good Patio
(SUMMER) Monday’s weather is shaping up to be a perfect summer day—low 70s, cool breeze, slight cloud cover so the sun doesn’t bake you alive. So today, forget all your responsibilities and treat yourself to an afternoon on a really great patio. A few favorites of mine include Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle, which is far enough from Alki Beach to avoid the maddening crowds and terrible traffic; Bongos in Green Lake, which actually has a sandpit so you can run your toes through soft beach sand while eating alllll the tostones (get the chocoflan, too!); and Flora Bakehouse‘s rooftop patio, and not just because THEY PUT SOFT SERVE IN A CROISSANT. Don’t forget sunscreen. MEGAN SELING
TUESDAY 7/15
(MUSIC) Ghanaian highlife luminary Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is known for Afrobeat tunes that blend soul, folk, and jazz with traditional African rhythms. He will bring his eight-piece band out to the Tractor to play his seminal 1975 debut album, Simigwa, in its entirety. The album was heavily influenced by the horn-heavy funk of James Brown, complete with references to being a “sex machine” and plenty of screams, shouts, and lively ad-libs. This show is a must for fans of Fela Kuti, Cymande, or Studio One compilations. (Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
WEDNESDAY 7/16
(BOOKS) In a 1989 essay for Essence titled “Birth of a Writer,” the visionary writer Octavia Butler created the term “positive obsession” to describe channeling a deep, unwavering passion into a specific objective against all obstacles. Butler herself possessed this relentless drive for success, despite the resistance she faced as a young Black woman with financial hardships—have you ever seen her famous handwritten journal manifestation page in which she enumerates her goals to be a bestselling author? In her new biography, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler, author and scholar Susana M. Morris takes us into the legendary dreamer’s lived experiences with interviews, letters, previously unpublished material, and more. (Third Place Books Lake Forest Park, 7 pm, free, all ages) JULIANNE BELL
THURSDAY 7/17
(VISUAL ART) The Seattle Art Fair—founded by noted art collector Paul Allen—is returning to Lumen Field for its ninth year, filling the football stadium with weird, avant-garde contemporary art from all over the globe (take that, jocks!). This year’s list of contributors includes galleries from South Africa, Ukraine, China, France, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Argentina, India, Iran, and Japan, as well as plenty from Seattle, Portland, and other nearby cities. (Lumen Field, July 17–20) AUDREY VANN
FRIDAY 7/18
Vashion Island Strawberry Festival
(FOOD) There are few joys in this fucked-up world as unalloyed as biting into the first red, ripe, juicy strawberry of summer. Add the quaint, idyllic island community vibes of Vashon to that mix, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula. Since the early 1900s, Vashon Island has hosted an annual festival to commemorate the island’s history as a hub for strawberry production, and it’s since grown into a cherished tradition full of parades, live music, a classic car show, kids’ activities, and local vendor booths. It’s volunteer-run and family-friendly, as well as an ideal excuse to escape from the city for a bit via ferry ride and microdose being on vacation. (Vashon Island) JULIANNE BELL
SATURDAY 7/19
Opening Weekend: Actualize AiR Summer Showcase
(VISUAL ART) Actualize AiR, a community center and artist residency in downtown Seattle, was “founded to foster and accelerate the careers of artists by creating space and opportunity,” allowing its residents to chase their creative whims without being forced to fill a quota of completed projects or adhere to a single medium. During Seattle Art Fair weekend, stop by to see a year’s worth of works from the program’s first cohort of 27 residents, curated by resident artist Mary Anne Carter and featuring installations, sculptures, performances, video, textiles, painting, fashion, and more. You’ll get to enjoy refreshments and meet the artists themselves, as well as check out the Charles Mudede-approved exhibition icons: Alissa Dymally Williams and Noelle Whitaker in the basement. (Actualize AiR, July 19–20, 1–5 pm) JULIANNE BELL
SUNDAY 7/20
(MUSIC) America’s foremost experimental music group who also happen to be a gay married couple, Matmos have been bringing Dadaistic playfulness and conceptual rigor to their albums and mind-boggling live shows for 30 years. Every record by Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt is created under clever, self-imposed limitations, to keep things fresh and surprising. For example, they generated the tracks on new album Metallic Life Review strictly from, you guessed it, metal objects, both mundane and arcane. With help from members of Horse Lords, Water Damage, Half Japanese, and the late pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, Matmos have created a weird species of ritualistic music. Some may think of it as novelty music for intellectuals, but it’s still a rarefied treat. (Here-After, 8 pm, 21+) DAVE SEGAL
Prizefight!
Prizefight! Win tickets to rad upcoming events!*
Katy Perry
July 21, Climate Pledge Arena
Contest ends July 18 at 10 am
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