SUNDAY 5/31
SIFF: Love in the Late Afternoon
Fubbi Karlson
Peaches knows what to do with your pain.
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Elder porn, let alone elder sex, has become kind of an ewww! punch line. But let's face it, we're all headed there one day or another. That's why the bracingly frank Cloud 9 is so remarkable. We meet a normal German woman in her 60s, a wife and grandmother, who's contented enough with her husband. That changes when she, a seamstress, visits one of her clients—a septuagenarian bicycle coach, still pretty fit and vigorous, evidently a widower. As many SIFFgoers will know from personal experience, sex on the floor with a stranger can happen to anyone at any age. Cloud 9 is hardly pornographic, though Ursula Werner and Horst Westphal deliver brave, unashamed performances. Sagging bodies don't mean sagging passions. "It doesn't matter if I'm 16 or 60 or 80," says the seamstress. After three decades of dull, predictable married life, she's been given a second chance at love, and she takes it. But her actions have consequences, and Cloud 9 acknowledges how love can be complicated, and painful, for all parties affected. Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave. N., 324-9996, www.siff.net. $8–$11. 11 a.m. (Also: 7 p.m. Tues., June 2.) BRIAN MILLER
MONDAY 6/1
Sports: Bedarded
Talented but injury-prone lefty Erik Bedard has been great this year (when healthy). But you know what? The trade that sent reliever George Sherrill, outfielder Adam Jones, and a trio of talented minor-leaguers to Baltimore in exchange for the soon-to-be free agent still ranks as one of the worst in Mariners history. Why? The 23-year-old Jones is starting to live up to the expectations of those who had him pegged as Willie Mays reincarnate. If he were still a Mariner, Jones would be leading the offensively anemic team in batting average and runs batted in. As for Sherrill—J.J. Putz's onetime set-up man who's now Baltimore's closer—the bullpen certainly wouldn't kick him out of the sack, especially in light of Brandon Morrow's recent struggles. And let's not forget about Chris Tillman, a promising starting pitcher who's tearing it up in Baltimore's minor-league system. So unless the 30-year-old Bedard remains a Mariner for the next half-dozen years, guiding the team back to elite status through a series of healthy, 17-plus-win, 200-plus-strikeout seasons, this one'll remain the dud it looked to be last year. With the Orioles in town through Wednesday, Mariners fans will get a uniquely frustrating glimpse at what could have been their future. Safeco Field, 1250 First Ave. S., 622-HITS, www.mariners.com. $7–$65. 7:10 p.m. MIKE SEELY
Music: Salacious Lessons
Berlin-based electroclash artist Peaches (Merrill Nisker) was working the whole sans-panties shtick light years before Lady GaGa picked up her disco stick. The former elementary-school teacher achieved international success in 2000 with her sharp-witted dance track "Fuck the Pain Away," which spawned countless covers, including a hilarious YouTube parody starring Miss Piggy. Since then, Peaches' sexually provocative material and androgynous appearance have inspired countless dance artists and fashion spreads. Her new album, I Feel Cream, is in the same vein as her previous work, infused with sexy rasps, screeching guitar riffs, and pulsating beats. The wild songstress is known to make security guards' jobs difficult by refusing to stay onstage, ensuring that tonight's show should be entertaining as hell. Drums of Death opens. Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, www.showboxonline.com. $18–$20 (all ages). 8 p.m. ERIKA HOBART
