Friday, October 24, 2008
*Writer Greg Melville and his college chum, Iggy, drove cross-country in a grease-powered Mercedes. Then Melville wrote about it in Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, a Car Powered by Vegetable Oil, and a Cross-Country Trip in Search of a Greener World. Tonight at 7:00 PM, Melville will be at the U-District UW Bookstore to talk about writing about driving. He’ll also be signing. While not as funny as the title might suggest, this otherwise lightweight travelogue does offer an interesting practicum on alternative fuels.

* The Richard Hugo House’s literary series features authors Aimee Bender and Matt Ruff, and poet Marie Howe presenting new work on the theme “Road Trip.” Laurie Katherine Carlsson will provide the music. Afterwards, it’s party time! Woot. I’ll give an author signed copy of a book of my choice to the person who stands on a table and sings “We Are Family”. Video evidence required. Tickets are $15-$25 through www.brownpapertickets.com. Oh, and the event begins at 7:30 PM.

* Also at 7:30 PM, Elliott Bay Books hosts Northwest poets Michael Daley (To Curve) and Tim McNulty (In Blue Mountain Dusk).

Saturday, October 25, 2008
* Matt Ruff will be back at Richard Hugo House at 11:00 AM to talk about writing and being a writer with The Stranger books editor Paul Constant. Or maybe, Ruff is staying over. Will there be pancakes for breakfast? If Ruff were staying at my house, there would be pancakes. Everybody likes pancakes. Tickets are $5, or free if you were at Friday’s event.

* Author Lynn Maslen Kertell will be at the SPL Ballard Branch from 11:00 – 11:30 AM to sign her new books, My First Bob Books: Alphabet and My First Bob Books: Pre-Reading Skills.

*Local author Theo Pauline Nestor will be at the SPL Ballard Branch at 2:00 PM to discuss her memoir, How to Sleep Alone in a King-size Bed. I’m not sure if that title is hopeful or depressing.

* Also at 2:00 PM, at the SPL Greenwood Branch, local author Robert J. Ray will lead a class in memoir-writing. Ray has written seven novels, created the Weekend Novelist Series, and published a book on small business. He’s also taught writing for the UW’s Distance Learning program.

* Michelle Goodman, author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide, returns to Elliott Bay Books to promote My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire at 2:00 PM. Goodman’s advice is practical, usable, and funny. If you want out of the cube-farm, go see Goodman. And buy the book. Actually, buy both books. If you ask nicely, she’ll probably sign them, and when you are finally living that creative freelance lifestyle that you longed for, you can sell them on EBay before you starve to death.

* At 7:30 PM, Elliott Bay Books hosts Alan Cheuse, author of To Catch the Lightning: A Novel of American Dreaming, and NPR commentator. Cheuse’s novel is a fictionalization of photographer Edward S. Curtis’s life and work, and includes photographs by Curtis. Cheuse is a gifted speaker, something that not all writers are, so his talk is sure to be an absolute pleasure.

(Better late than never.) Last Friday, I finally found myself at the Vera Project, an all ages venue located next to Key Arena. This tiny venue showcases local bands and art from local artists (Chicken Kid, Kinoko, Eli H. to name a few). On the agenda for the evening: God Gave Up The Ghost, Parenthetical Girls, and the Evangelicals. I had never heard of any of these bands, so I started out with no expectations.

God Gave Up The Ghost is a one-man show. As you can see in the photo, he’s wearing a strand of Christmas lights, definitely not what I was expecting when he hopped on stage. He used a keyboard and other instruments to create a cacophony of music, sometimes with a catchy beat and other times bordering (and even crossing the line) on experimental. I’m not entirely sure I liked it, but it was definitely unique. For the finale, he used a screwdriver to play a guitar…innovative to be sure. After the show, I talked to him (and forgive me, I can’t remember his name) for about 10 minutes and he reminded me a lot of friends that I’ve had (and I’m sure everyone else has had) who has dabbled in music. It seemed to be a healthy outlet for him, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come again to the Vera Project.

Parenthetical Girls have apparently come a long way in the last two years if you compare the notes between another Metblog author and myself. The show was entertaining. The lead singer discovered that his mic was wireless and used it to his full advantage: singing while weaving through the small crowd, leaning on the shoulder an audience member seated at one of the few booths, and at one point, even singing from the lobby while the rest of the band stayed on stage. Some of the songs were quite catchy. I would give them a few more years to refine their style before picking up an album though.

The Vera Project, being all-ages, does not serve alcohol at this venue. Luckily for those who are 21+, there are a few bars in the area that are within walking distance. My husband and I took off between God Gave Up The Ghost and the Parenthetical Girls to grab a quick beer at McMenamins at the base of Queen Anne Hill. Need to go back there sometime for dinner…

The Evangelicals were by far the most put-together group of the night. I thought their songs were well-done, catchy (I keep using this word), and I could imagine hearing them in the background at a bar or while doing homework.

So my verdict: check out the Evangelicals if you can, check out the (cheap) shows at the Vera Project, and do what I did: check out new music and support local artists. Maybe eventually I can learn to write better reviews of bands and venues too.

Friday:

-Drinks at Union, then a potluck at a friend’s house

-Sitting at various tables at Linda’s/Cha Cha/Redwood

-See Dave Attel at The Moore

Saturday:

-Girl’s Day with a BFF, brunch at Etta’s, walk the waterfront, wander Pike Place Market and stop for drinks at a nice bar with a sidewalk cafe.

-HUMP!

-Trannyshack at Chop Suey

-Whidbey Island for digging in a garden, Ivars, ferry riding and peace and quiet.

-Hitting up the farmers market for Tsugaru apple, going to the yarn store for supplies on Amiguri presents, getting a new car because of an unfortunate lemon, lunch at Smartypants and a massage.

-Yoga and getting a bag at the new Lululemon that opened in Pacific Place.

Sunday:

-Moving, eating pizza, unpacking and eating leftover pizza.

-Read Vorkosigan novels for an entire day as well as crocheting, cooking, doing chores and making sure to never leave the house.

-Carve a pumpkin.

-Brunching at Linda’s and going to the last McLeod Residence karaoke.

-Picking up a CSA box at the Farmer’s Market, checking out any and all open houses in the area, taking advantage of the wine sale at the Wine Outlet and running outside…maybe.

Enjoy your weekend folks. I think we all need this one!

Tastelessly branded Hendrix Electric Vodka seemed to be making an effort to quell concerns about selling alcohol named a guy whose not-completely-explained death may have been somewhat alcohol-related [wiki] by splashing their homepage with a long list of Hendrix relations — siblings, nieces, nephews, children, and cousins — who hold shares in the company. Nevertheless, a federal court told them that it’s time to stop the presses. Drink up while you can, or save your stash for a special occasion. [bigblog]

• The Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival winds up its remaining days with films at a variety of venues including NWFF, The Admiral Theater, The Harvard Exit, the King Cat Theater, Central Cinema, and more. Films include shorts from Canada, a documentary about the band Pansy Division, The Art of Being Straight, the Online Indie Fest winners, and the closing night gala, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark with a live, onstage interview by Peaches Christ of Elvira herself.
• The Grand Illusion screens a trio of horror films: Halloween III: Season of the Witch got a bad rap for deviating from the “Halloween” franchise’s established universe, but I’ve always thought that its flaws are more than made up for by conspiracy-theory plot that alternates between seriousness and satire. Asylum is an anthology movie framed by device of having a young psychiatrist apply for a job at a mental institution where the current director challenges him to listen to four stories of madness from the asylum’s inmates and identify which one of them is the former director gone mad. Peter Cushing and Charlotte Rampling have starring roles in stories by noted horror writer Robert Bloch, author of Psycho. Galaxy of Terror is a sci-fi horror tale in which an alien being turns a spaceship crew’s deepest fears against them. Friday the 24th is the Grand Illusion’s Cocktail Fundraiser: Enjoy a drink or two with your films and help support the Grand Illusion’s quest to continue showing movies that often can’t see anywhere else.
• Hordes of women consider John Cusack’s character in Say Anything to be the embodiment of romantic charm, but if you ask me, I’ll tell you that Lloyd Dobbler is a creepy stalker and I just don’t get the appeal. I do like him very much in this weekend’s Midnight at the Egyptian selection, the lesser known but far more entertaining Better Off Dead. Teenaged Lane Meyer loses his girlfriend, struggles to deal with his frustratingly quirky family, feuds with a pesky newspaper delivery boy, competes with the jerk his girlfriend dumped him for, and falls in love with a French foreign student who must pretend she knows no English to survive the horrible family with whom she’s staying, all with failing miserably in his various attempts to take his own life. A big part of what makes the dark comedy so appealing is that no matter how outlandish the humor gets, Cusack’s character plays like a real person.
• SIFF kicks off its “Dark Nights” series with a Frankenstein double feature.

If you want to get a head start on Halloween, then scroll down to the end for a list of weekend Halloween happenings. If you’re like me, and you think that one day of Halloween is just plenty, thank you, then here’s some non-Halloween weekend fun:

Family Day at SAM

Art activities, games and live performances to celebrate the opening of the S’abadeb exhibit of Pacific coast Salish art.

Family day activities are from 10am – 3pm on 10/25. The exhibit runs through 1/11.

Greenwood Fall Carnival

Face painting, bouncy houses, games, music and food. Proceeds benefit art and music programs at Greenwood Elementary. While you’re there you can hit the Greenwood Safe Trick or Treat from noon – 3pm.

10/25, 1-5pm at Greenwood Elementary

Family Concert at Town Hall

Chic Streetman comes to Town Hall as part of the Saturday Family Concert series with a performance entitled, “What are Mom and Dad voting for?”

10/25, 11am and 1pm, Town Hall

Fall Festival at Swansons Nursery

Hayrides, face painting, vegetable car races and more. Plus, planting containers are 40% off.

10/25 – 10/26, 11am-3pm, Swansons

Day of the Dead craft activity

Create and decorate a skeleton mobile at the Greenwood library to celebrate Day of the Dead.

10/26, 1-2pm, Greenwood Library

Halloween Happenings

• Mt. Baker Trick or Treat Party – meet at Bradner Gardens Park. 10/26, 2-4pm. Come in costume. Bring your own apples and cup to make your own apple cider on a manual apple press.
• Pacific Science Center has tricks, treats and science feats and nightly Haunted Hikes.
• Un-haunted house at Moonpaper Tent
• Trick or treat on the waterfront with entertainment and activities at the Aquarium
• Pumpkin prowl at the zoo
• Eco-green Halloween at Camp Long
• Halloween Hoopla in Wallingford, supports Boys and Girls club

SIFF celebrates the spooky season by presenting their new “Dark Nights” series, a celebration of classic horror films made back in the days when thrills were generated more by interesting stories, skilled cinematography and strong directing than by the use of gory special effects, although many of the special effects in these films remain as strong to modern eyes as they were to the eyes of contemporary audiences at the time of their releases. The thirteen films in this series are each classics of one sort or another, original films that for better or worse inspired countless followers after them.

The series begins Friday night, October 24, with a Frankenstein double feature: Frankenstein stars Boris Karloff in the ironically unbilled role of the monster, the performance that rightfully established him as one of the brightest stars ever in the horror genre. His monster is both frightening and sympathetic. Frankenstein was one of the best known films of legendary director James Whale whose excellent film making skills are one of the reasons this movie remains one of the best made. It’s paired with its Whale-directed sequel, Bride of Frankenstein in which “The Monster demands a mate!”

Saturday the 25th it’s Claude Rains portraying another classic horror icon in a film directed by James Whale: The Invisible Man. A mysterious stranger, his body fully covered in bandages wrapped tightly around him, takes a room at an inn in a small English town and mayhem ensues. The story is suspenseful and and exciting, but what really makes the film are the special effects by John P. Fulton, John J. Mescall, and Frank D. Williams. Astonishingly novel at the movie’s 1933 release, they remain stunning today, cleverly accomplishing through a series of physical and camera techniques what would now be done on computer.

Sunday the 26th is a blood-sucking double feature: Bela Lugosi in his signature role as Dracula in the 1931 Tod Browning film that set the mold for just about every horror film that came after it. Thousands of imitations and parodies, both good and bad, have made Lugosi’s turn as the creepy count from Transylvania an important entry in the pop culture lexicon, but nothing can touch the original’s lasting power. It’s paired with the obscure official sequel, Dracula’s Daughter in which the title character begs vampire hunter Professor Van Helsing to cure her of her father’s curse.

Monday the 27th is an animalistic double feature with The Wolfman, starring Lon Chaney as the follicularly-cursed Larry Talbot and The Black Cat, the first film pairing of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in an eerie tale of bitterness, revenge, and satanic ritual with a scene ranked at #68 on Bravo TV’s “100 Scariest Movie Moments”.

Tuesday the 28th brings The Body Snatcher, another Karloff and Lugosi pairing, and I Walked With a Zombie, a schlocky title for a chilly thriller based loosely on plot elements from classic novel Jane Eyre and Stylus Magazine’s “fifth best zombie movie of all time”.

If you’ve ever seen the 1982 remake of Cat People, I’m very sorry: you can wash the bad taste from your mouth on Wednesday the 29th by taking in the 1942 Jacques Tourneur original, a film noir sort of horror that gains more power from what you don’t see than from what you do.

Thursday the 30th is a special presentation of The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari featuring a talk by Germany’s Gunter Buchwald who will provide a live soundtrack for the silent classic on piano and violin.

Celebrate Halloween night with Tod Browning’s controversial Freaks. Heavily edited at the time of release and banned in many places for decades afterwards, Freaks went on to become a cult classic, popular not just for the murder scheme that forms its primary plot but for its looks at the lives of the actual sideshow performers cast as the “freaks” of its title. Win tickets to this movie! One lucky Metblogs reader will get a chance to see the movie for free, courtesy of SIFF. Enter to win by sending an e-mail to seattle.metblogs@gmail.com by Monday, October 27. The movie plays again on November 1st.

The series concludes with a six-day run of Rosemary’s Baby in which Mia Farrow discovers that the neighbor from hell just might be exactly that.

snapshot of notwist’s artwork

• Some of us will be hanging out at Artemis Cafe tonight. It’s at the corner of Bellevue & Bellevue on the edge of Capitol Hill. You’ll find us snacking, drinking, gossiping, planning dance-offs, and hoping that you’ll drop in to say hello and steal some beer from us. You’re especially encouraged to attend if you’d like to praise, heckle, or join our ranks. 7 pm , 757 Bellevue Avenue. [metblogs]
• I didn’t get into the the Notwist until they’d dosed their hard metal with hefty doses of electronics to rebirth themselves as IDM-infused laptop-pop. That was in something like 2003, and when I first heard their record it was an immediate addition to my “how the world should sound all the time” playlist. They’ve waited until this year to release a much-anticipated to the melancholy dream of Neon Golden. With Jel and Odd Nosdam. $15, 8pm [neumos]

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. announced yesterday that part of its newest restructuring effort will be closing its South Lake Union-based basic research facility and cutting or transferring about 300 jobs [PSBJ]. Most of the research is currently being done at Rosetta Inpharmatics, a company that Merck acquired in 2001 that develops technologies for drug discovery. A lot of those scientists will be offered a transfer to Boston [PI].

Lots of biotech companies have been having layoffs and income drops, but the closing of a whole facility makes me wonder if the future of SLU as a biotech hot zone is going to turn out as bright as it was supposed to be. I work in SLU myself, and have been watching all of the construction of new buildings that boast lab space. It will be interesting to see how quickly those fill up now, in an economic climate that is not exactly supportive of science.

While perusing yesterday’s USA Today, I came across this item on the front page of the Sports section:

Seattle-Tampa draws lowest NFL rating

NBC’s Seattle Seahawks-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game ended up with the lowest national rating ever — 6.3% of U.S. households — for a prime-time broadcast network NFL game

So what milesone is next for our Seahawks?