WEDNESDAY 8/28
Anna Marie Tendler with Jen Soriano: Men Have Called Her Crazy
(BOOKS) In her memoir Men Have Called Her Crazy, Anna Marie Tendler has checked herself into an inpatient psychiatric center for self-harm, depression, and intense anxiety. While describing a battery of tests, therapy sessions, and relationships with the medical professionals around her, Tendler also relates decades of negative experiences with men, leaving one man conspicuously out of the narrative: her ex-husband, former "wife guy" John Mulaney. Responses to the book have been polarizing. Some view Tendler as a poster child for white feminism—someone with boundless financial privilege and little direction—while others see her book as a mordant, frank portrayal of mental illness and womanhood in the 21st century. Whatever your opinion, it's safe to say that Men Have Called Her Crazy complicates the narrative of Tendler as merely someone's ex-wife. She'll be joined in conversation by Jen Soriano, author of Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing. (Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave, 7:30 pm, $39.99–$64.99 sliding scale with book included, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
THURSDAY 8/29
(VISUAL ART) I've had more than my share of transcendent experiences in traditional "white box" galleries, but criticisms of these spaces are valid, too. Hushed, austere art spaces tend to "leave many feelings out of the narrative," FRESSSSSH! argues. One approach? A partnership between the Office of Arts and Culture and Seattle City Light is presenting a "summer Young Adult/Youth Curatorial Residency" Fresh Perspectives. Aiming to spotlight those who may not feel represented in traditionally curated spaces, this exhibition by BIPOC youth curators includes works by stellar BIPOC artists Damon Brown, Aramis Hamer, Warren W. Pope, and Kellie Colemon. (King Street Station, S Jackson St, Wed-Sat 11 am–5 pm through Oct 5, free, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
FRIDAY 8/30
(GAMES) Unsurprisingly, PAX (originally the "Penny Arcade Expo") was started in our tech-centric neck of the woods. Since its 2004 founding, the expo has expanded to include multiple annual meetups across the globe, with Seattle hosting PAX West every Labor Day weekend. This massive video game convention and celebration of all things gaming boasts panels with special guests like famed voice actors Suzie Yeung, Britt Baron, and Briana White, new game demonstrations, hands-on activities, and an exhibit hall with booths spanning multiple fandoms. Tickets can be on the pricey side, but there are always lots of fun (and cheaper) affiliated parties going on around town. (Seattle Convention Center, 800 Convention Pl, Aug 30–Sept 2, $66–$250, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
SATURDAY 8/31
(MUSIC/ART) Bumbershoot is back for another year! After a four-year hiatus due to financial problems, low attendance numbers, and production shakeups, local collective New Rising Sun and nonprofit arts/education organization Third Stone revived Seattle’s most iconic festival last year for a 50th-anniversary celebration that expanded the definition of "artist." With promised attractions like a cat circus, pole dancing pavilion, and wig farm, this year’s festival feels reminiscent of Bumbershoot 2008, when I saw a sex-positive paper bag puppet show right after being trampled at the main stage as Paramore performed "Misery Business." Ah, the good old days! Get ready for two days of local and national acts, including Pavement (who first played the festival in 1999!), the Polyphonic Spree, Cyprus Hill, James Blake, Carl Cox, Freddie Gibbs, Aly & AJ, Thee Sacred Souls, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Kim Gordon, and BADBADNOTGOOD. (Seattle Center, Aug 30–Sept 1, $70–$350, all ages) AUDREY VANN
SUNDAY 9/1
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(COMMUNITY) Northwest African American Museum's annual Freedom Day offers free admission to the cultural space once a year so that visitors can "expand their knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of the histories, arts, and cultures of people of African descent." The event is a no-brainer for families or folks with a free Sunday on their hands: This year's Freedom Day will include live musical performances, a classic car exhibition, face painting, and more, but don't miss the opportunity to duck into the museum's galleries for Emmett and Mamie-Till Mobley: Let the World See. (Northwest African American Museum, 2300 S Massachusetts St, 10 am–5 pm, free, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
MONDAY 9/2
Derek Jarman: Do We Continue to Grow Marigolds Even as the Emergency Sirens Blare?
(FILM) Although his death of AIDS-related illness in '94 cut his life and career criminally short, Derek Jarman's revolutionary directorial style sent shockwaves through the queer cinema canon that still reverberate now. Modern directors using avant-garde aesthetics, poetic sensuality, and experimental storytelling techniques like Andrew Haigh, Xavier Dolan, and Luca Guadagnino have Jarman to thank—I said what I said. Jarman's gutsy, myth-drenched films will make your September more vivid and romantic, with screenings of the homoerotic Roman era Sebastiane (opening the series on Monday, September 2, complete with a Brian Eno score), the writhing, angry AIDS crisis epistle The Garden (featuring Tilda Swinton), and BLUE, Jarman's final work, in which the director "fills the screen with blue—still and unyielding for an hour and nineteen minutes." (The Beacon, 4405 Rainier Ave S, Sept 2–25, $12.50) LINDSAY COSTELLO
TUESDAY 9/3
(MUSIC) During this current cultural juncture that includes the Eras tour, the Renaissance tour, and the Chromatica Ball, the caliber for touring female pop stars is in the heavens—and Pink is reaching it (LITERALLY). Pink has long been known for her stunts—aerial silks, acrobatics, trapeze, and other gymnastics—but takes it to a whole new level on her Trustfall tour by catapulting herself into the air and flying around the arena. In the same spirit as the infamous Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran meme, women are out here shooting themselves out of cannons while Ed Sheeran just stands there on stage in a hoodie (just sayin'). Similar to Taylor Swift's Eras tour, Pink’s set is divided into four acts, marking each epoch throughout her career. My favorite is her M!ssundaztood era. "Don't Let Me Get Me" belongs in the Great American Songbook! (Tacoma Dome, 2727 East D St, Tacoma, 7:30 pm, tickets started at $99 at press time, all ages; this show was originally scheduled for Oct 17, 2023—previously purchased tickets will be honored) AUDREY VANN
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Lindsey Stirling
September 3, WAMU Theater
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September 7, Gorge Amphitheatre
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