OCTOBER 26, Wednesday
The Hidden Lives of Owls Reading Look, screw the election; it’s time to talk about owls. Leigh Calvez is an owl expert who will explain why they are simultaneously cooler and more disgusting than the Harry Potter books ever let on. Maybe she’ll also explain why they’re always wearing graduation caps in cartoons even if they haven’t graduated from college. Third Place Books Lake Forest Park, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., 366-3333, thirdplacebooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT
Sunset Rollercoaster First off, it’s cool that this band from Taiwan is playing Seattle at all, but it also helps that 1) Their swanky, ’70s-’80s inflected lounge rock is breezy as hell 2) Frontman Tseng Kuo Hung is known in the Taiwanese indie scene as “Pepe,” due to his resemblence to the frog meme, whose spirit we should all be sending love to after the alt-right’s idiotic co-opting led to Pepe’s bizarre ADA classification as a hate symbol. With Distant Station, Astrol Waters. Central Saloon, 207 First Ave. S., centralsaloon.com. $5–$8. 21 and over. 9 p.m. KELTON SEARS
The Orb In 2016, legions of squeaky-clean electronic producers have filled the swollen post-dubstep void with a safe, exceedingly shiny strain of “ambient house,” but way way back in 1988, before it got scrubbed and sterilized, ambient house was an exciting new genre being trailblazed by Alex Paterson and KLF’s Jimmy Cauty as The Orb. Celebrate the pioneers at their show tonight as the group marks its 25th anniversary and its brand-new, very appropriately titled album, COW/Chill Out, World! With Vox Mod and R-Pal. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., neumos.com. $18. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KS
OCTOBER 27, Thursday
Emerald Reflections Anthology Release Our jounalistic colleagues at the excellent South Seattle Emerald are releasing their first print anthology. Read Paul Constant’s review and then come join the party. Third Place Books Seward Park, 5041 Wilson Ave., 474-2200, thirdplacebooks.com. All ages. Free. 7–8:30 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK
OCTOBER 28, Friday
On Translation Seattle poet Maged Zaher and Alejandro de Acosta will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of translation. Zaher is the editor of The Tahrir of Poems, an anthology of Egyptian poets, and de Acosta has translated essays and a book of literary criticism of the works of H.P. Lovecraft from Spanish to English. Open Books, 2414 N. 45th St., 633-0811, openpoetrybooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
Sweeney Todd Just in time for Halloween, Stephen Sondheim’s twisted tale of a devious barber and his pie-making accomplice gets a unique refresh from Seattle Musical Theatre, which has brought on Gypsy-punk outfit Devotchka to provide an adaptation of the Tony-award-winning score. Seattle Musical Theatre, 7120 62nd Ave. N.E., 363-2809. $35–$40. Ends Nov. 20. MARK BAUMGARTEN
The Big Meal Dan LeFranc gives new meaning to the idea of dinner theater with this comic drama that follows a Midwestern family through five generations and over the course of many meals. The script is filled with both humor and humanity, and New Century Theatre Company’s able and dexterous players should be up to the task. 12th Ave. Arts, 1620 12th Ave., 253-906-3348. $20–$37. Ends Nov. 19. MB
Blitzen Trapper These indie-rock vets’ releases aren’t quite getting the attention they used to, which is as good a reason as any to start digging into the archives. The band comes to town on its Songbook tour, which is billed as a “night of stories and songs” that lets the crowd in on the inspirations behind their most beloved tunes. It sounds like VH1 Storytellers, with less Stevie Nicks. With Sera Cahoone. Tractor Tavern, 5223 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. $20. 21 and over. 9 p.m. DANIEL PERSON
OCTOBER 29, Saturday
Halloween Comic Fest For the fifth year in a row, participating comics shops are celebrating by giving away free comics to anyone who drops by. While May’s Free Comic Book Day aims more at adults, this one is for kids, with a bunch of age-appropriate books for preschoolers to teens. Various locations, halloweencomicfest.com. Free. All ages. 10 a.m. PC
Create Change: Youth, Family Homelessness, and the Arts Join local advocates and artists for a day of creation and discussion oriented toward one of Seattle’s most pressing social injustices: homelessness. Come for “lighting round talks” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; from 1 to 3 p.m., create comics, silkscreening, costumes, and poetry. Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 386-4636, spl.org. Free. All ages. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK
Chat Room Local artist Minh Nguyen’s excellent conversation series about art in the age of the Internet returns for its newest installment—this time focusing on “Ownership and Property.” The web, where art is often immaterial and the identity of the artist can quickly get blurred, certainly makes the concept quite a bit more slippery—something the panel for tonight, including UW art law professor Zahr Said and Mohawk artist Skawennati Tricia Fragnito (joining via Second Life), should shine much-needed light on. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., nwfilmforum.org. $8. All ages. 7 p.m. KS
OCTOBER 30, Sunday
Lake View Cemetery Walking Tour The Seattle Obscura Society leads a historical tour of Seattle’s highest-profile cemetery, from well-known tourist destinations (Bruce and Brandon Lee’s graves) to sites marking some of the darker moments in Seattle history. Did you know the brother-in-law of Confederate President Jefferson Davis is honored in Lake View Cemetery, as well as the keeper of Seattle’s most infamous brothel? Lake View Cemetery, 1544 15th Ave. E., atlas obscura.com. $20. 2:30 p.m. PC
OCTOBER 31, Monday
Halloween Puppy Parade Human Halloween is pretty whatever, but holy butts, puppy Halloween? Starting at Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill’s furriest will dress up in costume and waddle with their masters on a parade through the neighborhood. These puppers are definitely about to earn their treats—bring them the tastiest kibble you can find and grin as they nom it out of your plastic Pumpkin bowl. Parade begins at the Volunteer Park Sun Sculpture and continues through Pike Street and Broadway. Free. All ages. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. KS
The Shadow Knows If you enjoy podcasts like Serial or Welcome to Night Vale, you’re actually participating in a century-old form of storytelling. Seattle’s Sandbox Radio is dedicated to reviving the misunderstood art of the radio play. Come enjoy a full theatrical cast give voice to original spooky audio performances with live musical accompaniment. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhall seattle.org. $25. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
NOVEMBER 1, Tuesday
What Light Reading Young-adult author Jay Asher’s novel Thirteen Reasons Why was a runaway success that’s now being adapted into a Netflix series. Nine years later, he’s finally ready to present his next book: What Light, about a young woman who falls in love with a boy with a bad reputation. Secret Garden Books, 2214 N.W. Market St., 789-5006, secretgardenbooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
