phil elverum, at mfnw. photo credit: josh

• Tonight’s lineup at the Vera Project could be hazardous to your perception of reality. Or at least that’s how it seems. Phil Elverum’s latest recording as Mount Eerie, Wind’s Poem, famously takes its inspiration from black metal. Performing on this tour with a band, some of the songs unsettlingly abandon Elverum’s recent traditions of introspection in favor of the sounds of the sky and trees splitting at their very fabric. When Yoni Wolf, of headliners, WHY? sings, the universe seems to bend and flutter in unexpected ways. More words than seem possible seem to fit and fold into spaces far too small without even slightly upsetting the linear course of engaging stories. It falls into some uncharted realm between hiphop and indie rock, compelling awestruck attention. $13, 7:30 pm, with No Kids. [veraproject]

photo via trail of dead [myspace], who play tonight at neumo’s

• I confess that I didn’t follow Austin’s … And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead much beyond the temporal cocoon surrounding their near-perfect (or, according to pitchfork at the time, 10.0) early century Source Tags and Codes. In the intervening years, the guitar-swinging, piano trashing, soul-bearing art rockers have left both Texas and Interscope, funding this year’s The Century of Self on their own. Tonight, their tour brings them to town with Future of Left , born from two-thirds of the remains of mclusky. When they played at this summer’s block party, nearly everyone who saw them stumbled back onto the sidewalk beaming. Arrive early, Born Anchors open. $15, 8pm. [neumos]

starfucker, this summer.

• At this summer’s Capitol Hill Block Party it was difficult to find a crowd going more dance crazy than the pack crushed against the stage for Starfucker. In an effort to book more family friendly venues and tours, the band is retiring their name and replacing it with something generated from an online contest, hoping to attract fewer asterisks or “unpublishable” references in less liberal print outlets. Dance like crazy and give the great old name a proper send off. Friday, 7:30, $10. [veraproject]
• Japanese post-rock outfit MONO make the sort of music that could take down crumbling viaducts while keeping a smile on everyone’s melting faces. Friday, 8 pm, $13 [neumos]
• Watch your neighbors getting naked in the Stranger’s annual two-day festival of amateur pornography fleeting superstardom. Most shows sold out. On the Boards. Friday-Saturday. [hump]
• The slickest and besweatered sexy Canadian dance rock this side of the rockies. Junior Boys tour in support of their new album. 9pm, $15. [chop suey]
• Can’t make it to DC to march for equality? Have vigil, rally, and bar crawl in solidarity on our own Capitol Hill instead. With R-71 on the ballots, local efforts are every bit as important as the drama playing out on the national scene. Friday-Sunday [seattleoutprotest.org]
• Runners, walkers, and fans of music will converge in Seward Park on Sunday for a 5k run/walk to support The Vera Project. Those who find strenuous morning exercise less than thrilling may be goaded into participating not just for the great causes of local music and art, but also by the presence of live music, eighties dancers, food, and fundraising prizes. Sunday, 8:30am-3pm. Registration is free, suggested fundraising goal, $100. [runverarun.org]
• Passion Pit’s promotional materials call this year’s Manners a “a bird-flipping break from the blogosphere by a 21 year old with much more on his manic mind than girls, girls, girls.” I call it an album that I resisted initially yet found myself hopelessly addicted to in the middle of summer. Their live performances reportedly simmer until they drive audiences to hand waving wildery. Tickets are sold out; so try your chances or drop in at their a free in-store at Easy Street at 2 pm. 8pm, $20. [showbox] Both shows are cancelled due to illness in the band; at minimum, the Showbox event will be rescheduled and tickets for the original will be honored.

photo by ray tracing [flickr] via our group pool [#]

• Art walks in West Seattle [wsaw] and Capitol Hill [blitz] duke it out for your autumn evening attentions.
• In West Seattle, the opening party for an exhibition of photos by Chona Kasinger, who’s easily one of the best rock photographers in the city. Though she’s not yet allowed into 21+ shows, she’s nevertheless assembled a drool-worthy portfolio of just about every band who matters for just about every outlet that counts. Highlights are on display at Cupcake Royale.
• Richard Dawkins cheers up the evolutionists at Hec Ed. Arrive early and bring pom poms. [ubookstore]
• the Stranger gets happy at Pony with free books, a drawing for hard-to-come-by HUMP tickets, and happy hour specials. [slog]

loney dear, this spring at the Moore. Photo, by me.

• Visqueen show off their long-awaited album, Message to Garcia in the headline spot in a dual record release party with Throw Me the Statue. If, by some insane chance you haven’t yet picked up these discs yet, bring some cash and buy them directly from the bands on Saturday, 8pm. $12. [crocodile]
• All day Saturday, Ballard will be consumed with Reverb Festival, with tons of mostly local bands playing club shows [preview at kexp]. A wristband gets you into everything. Saturday, maximum $10. [reverb]
• Um, has it already been a month? I’m not sure that I’ve yet recovered from the last time Emerald City Soul Club took over Lo Fi (and Victory and Black Mountain for an awesomely comfortable and maze-like triple feature), yet here they are again presents “Talcum”. You know what that means, bring your particulate filter mask and dancing shoes and make a plan to escape for pancakes after closing time. [lofi]
• Asobi Seksu & Loney Dear, whose album, Dear John has grown on me song by song and month by month to be one of my favorite quietly symphonic and unassuming records of the year, warm your Sunday night. $10-12, Sunday, 8pm. [chopsuey]
• Ponder the universe in which Bob Dylan is touring in advance of a record of Christmas Carols in October. Amazingly the smaller Sunday show at the Moore still has tickets, as does the Monday show at WaMu. $45-55, Sunday, 7:30pm

kyp malone at coachella, in town tonight as rain machine. photo by me.

• Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio is rocking his beard and a solo project tonight at Neumo’s. [kexp]
• Star photographer Jenny Jiminez is showing her TIFFs at Skylark in a 10 year retrospective of her rock photography. The show features a guys-only wet t-shirt contest for prizes and likely unforgettability. [weekly]
• It’s a quiet First Thursday in Pioneer Square, but Greg Kucera responds that it’s not over. [anotherbouncingball]

6:00 PM – Julie Whitesel Weston: The Good Times Are All Gone Now: Life, Death and Rebirth in an Idaho Mining Town
Elliott Bay Book Co.
The story of how a small town turned into a Superfund site. I think it has something to do with mining, the usual reason in the American West. Of course, I live near a Superfund site that has nothing to do with mining, so what do I know?
[LINK]

6:00 PM – Selden Edwards: The Little Book
Queen Anne Books
Romance, history, and time-travel.
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Greg Hofmann: No Surrender
Richard Hugo House
“Local artist, writer and zinester Greg Hofmann reads from his debut illustrated novel, “No Surrender.” Featuring additional performances by author Isaac Marion and musical acts Bagheera and Josh Powell.” -RHH
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Rowan Jacobsen: The Living Shore: Rediscovering a Lost World
University Bookstore U-District
Jacobsen is slightly less alarmist about our wee sweet Olympia oysters, than he was about honeybees. Did you know that honeybees are not native to North America? Olympia oysters are. Perhaps one should keep such things in mind when writing books about THE END OF THE WORLD.
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Dr. Donald C. Johanson: Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins
Town Hall Seattle
Ah, yes, where did we come from, or rather, who?
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Ryan Boudinot: Misconception: A Novel
University Bookstore U-District
I am looking forward to reading this book, but I hate titles that end with “A Novel.” No, really? Finding it in the fiction section apparently is not clue enough, I need “A Novel” writ large on the cover and spine?
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Glen Chilton: The Curse of the Labrador Duck: My Obsessive Quest to the Edge of Extinction
Town Hall Seattle
Winner of this month’s “Most Awesome Title” Award. I want to see Chilton’s collection of 55 stuffed ducks. Hey, he’s Canadian: I’m sure if I stopped by unannounced one day, he’d totally invite me in for tea and duck-gaping.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Lauren Weber: In Cheap We Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue
Elliott Bay Book Co.
I’m fascinated by the new interest in frugality, savings, and conservation, really. Suddenly, I’m not a cheap-skate, TV-less freak of nature: I’m thrifty and admirable. How charming.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Ray C. Anderson: Confessions of a Radical Industrialist: Profits, People, Purpose—Doing Business By Respecting the Earth
Town Hall Seattle
Hear a carpet company CEO talk about creating a sustainable business. Bill McKibben thinks Anderson is a “hero.” YMMV.
[LINK]

8:00 AM – Diane Ackerman: Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day
Elliott Bay Book Co.
I’m sure that having a morning presentation about a book on the joys of dawn is a lovely idea, but I have to get up at O’Dark-Thirty to catch a bus for work. And on a Monday, no less. Wah!
[LINK]

7:00 PM – John Webster: discusses Shakespeare
University Bookstore U-District
Totes awesome!
[LINK]

7:30 PM – David Byrne w/ Others: Bicycle Diaries
Town Hall Seattle I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book, but tickets are $30! If you have the dosh, go see Mr. Byrne be his interesting self in re: bicycles.
[LINK]

Saturday, September 26, 2009

12:00 PM – Carola Dunn: Sheer Folly
Seattle Mystery Bookshop
#18 in a series set in the ’20s. Adorable.
[LINK]

5:00 PM – Robert L. Bergman: Mindless Psychoanalysis, Selfless Self Psychology and Further Explorations
Elliott Bay Book Co.
“Plain spoken and deeply personal yet theoretically sophisticated essays on questions that matter to psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and anyone with a serious interest in human nature. Written with humor and grace, [this book] takes us on a remarkable exploration of the author’s own psyche as well as our own. Dr. Bergman’s first book is a gift, a deep meditation about what our field and, more importantly, about the mysteries of being human.” – Daniel Jacobs, M.D.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – William Dewey: Without a Soul to Move
Elliott Bay Book Co.
Another post-9/11 novel, set in Denver, by a New Zealand-based writer.
[LINK]

*

Sunday, September 27, 2009

2:00 PM – June Cotner: Dog Blessings
Barnes & Noble University Village
“Calling all Pet Owners and Lovers — Enjoy a special visit with author June as she shares her wonderful book of dog stories and blessings — you’ll laugh, cry and bond with all our guests and their pets!” –B&N
[LINK]

2:00 PM – ReAct Theatre: The Agony & The Agony
Elliott Bay Book Co.
The last offering in Elliott Bay’s Tenth Annual Staged Play Reading Series.
[LINK]

6:30 PM – Dahr Jamail: The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan
University Temple Church
A benefit for Coffee Strong.
[LINK]