Night Boss knows how to play a godamned bar show. Photo by Allyce Andrew

June 15

Wednesday

Grunt Reading Perhaps you’ve read one or two of Mary Roach’s very funny investigations of weird everyday science (Stiff, about death and dying, was her debut; Bonk, about sex, was another high point). Her latest, Grunt, is about the science of war, and it promises more shocking, ridiculous, and downright disgusting revelations. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT

Trans Workers’ Rights Forum Responding to conservative attempts to force trans people to use the wrong bathroom, the King County Labor Council is hosting a trans workers’ rights forum. Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 First Ave., 441-8510. Free. 7 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK

Miscomings If you like your scrappy DIY punk full of high-pitched, maniacal squealing, Miscomings are your new favorite band. The no-wavers put out one of our favorite local records of 2016 thus far back in January, Bag of Knives. With Teeth, Newlywed, Paranoid Time. Hollow Earth Radio, 2018 E. Union St., hollowearthradio.org. $7–$10. All ages. 8 p.m. KELTON SEARS

Words West West Seattle’s finest reading series celebrates the conclusion of another stellar season with two excellent writers. Christopher Robinson is the co-author of a novel called War of the Encyclopaedists. He’s joined by Michael Schmeltzer, who wrote the Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Award-winning book Elegy/Elk River. C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave. S.W. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC

June 16

Thursday

Secure Scheduling Story Slam Do you know your work schedule ahead of time? Do you like microphonic story jams? If your answers are no and yes, then call out at work and come in to listen to the wage slaves of the world sing their wounds. The event will be hosted by Seattlish’s Hanna Brooks Olsen and Working WA’s Mallory “Killing Machine” Hagel. Impact Hub, 220 Second Ave. S., 430-6007, workingwa.org. $6 adv./$12 DOS. 5:30 p.m. CJ

Laurel Halo This night of excellent local electronic acts—featuring the textural ambience of Vancouver, B.C.’s You’re Me, the hypnotic techno of Bardo:Basho, and purveyor of New Age transcendence, DJ Explorateur—is topped off by internationally renowned progressive electronic artist Laurel Halo. The Midwest-born/Berlin-based producer’s recent In Situ EP takes techno’s rigid structures to refreshingly organic, gurgling realms. Kremwerk, 1809 Minor Ave., 682-2935, kremwerk.com. $14. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KS

Film Court: Space Jam The latest in Central Cinema’s series, which re-examines old beloved films and asks the audience (or “jury”) to vote whether they’re truly good or guilty of “cinematic crimes,” will investigate the fondly remembered 1996 NBA/Looney Tunes crossover Space Jam. Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave., 686-6884. central-cinema.com. $10. All ages. 8 p.m. KS

Night Boss There’s something special about getting blasted with loud music in Cha Cha’s dark, red-lit, luchador-themed basement. Night Boss is the closest thing Seattle has to a legit luchador band right now—the purveyors of shit-kickin’ rock have been producing WWE-style videos about their increasingly heated rivalry with fellow Seattle heavies Stallion. With Charms, Zen Mother, Cool Ruins. Cha Cha Lounga, 1013 E. Pike St., chachalounge.com. Free. 21 and over. 9 p.m. KS

June 17

Friday

Ultimate Bicycle Owner’s Manual Reading

Self-described “Bike Snob” Eben Weiss has become one of the loudest and most-quoted bicycling advocates in the United States; if the Wall Street Journal needs a biking expert, he’s who they’ll call. So when he titles a book The Ultimate Bicycle Owner’s Manual, he knows what the hell he’s talking about. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400, bookstore.washington.edu. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC

June 18

Saturday

Labor of Love Reading Moira Weigel’s book Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating is billed as a “history of sex and romance in America.” While she probably could’ve written 500 tantalizing pages on forbidden pilgrim sex alone, the book aims to be a comprehensive survey, from petting parties to drive-in sex to OKCupid. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC

Future Crystals Hip-hop heads pay attention: Tonight is a one-of-a-kind showcase of 16-plus excellent underground rap-weirdos from Washington, California, and Arizona. Thraxxhouse’s leanest vegan Yung Bruh, Tacoma’s occult-crazed Crimewave, and Seattle power couple Raven Matthews and DoNormaal will appear, among many others. Bonus points: The show is in a barbershop. Prana Cuts Barbershop, 7615 Aurora Ave. N., Ste A. $5 (ladies free until 10 p.m.). All ages. 8 p.m. KS

Decolonizing Our Activism Spend your Saturday learning how to be an environmental ally to Native Americans. Hosted by Idle No More and the American Friends Service Committee, these workshops will put contemporary issues of Native sovereignty and environmental justice into historical context so that participants can face the past and build a future, together. White-guilt fetishists need not apply—as the event post notes, “Everyone’s heritage is good.” University Friends Meeting, 4001 Ninth Ave. N.E. Free. All ages. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. CJ

June 19

Sunday

Staged Reading of Ulysses You shouldn’t read James Joyce’s Ulysses on your own. You should come at it with study guides and David Lasky’s famous comic adaptation and this performance by Seattle’s own Wild Geese Players. Seeing and hearing the text come alive is one of the very best ways into one of the very best books in the English language. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 386-4636, spl.org. Free. All ages. 2 p.m. PC

June 20

Monday

I Almost Forgot About You Reading Terry McMillan is a goddamned legend, a bestselling and hugely influential literary figure. Her books broke through the shelves of those embarrassing “African-American Literature” ghettos that Borders bookstores used to keep next to their fiction sections and delivered African-American literary voices to the mainstream. A new novel from her is always an event. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 386-4636, spl.org. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC

June 21

Tuesday

All Those Vanished Engines Reading Every summer, Seattle sci-fi writing workshop Clarion West brings big-name authors to town for a reading series. This year, they’re kicking it off with Paul Park, whose Princess of Roumania fantasy series was a huge critical and popular success. His latest, All Those Vanished Engines, combines Park’s own family history with a sci-fi alternate history of the U.S. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400, bookstore.washington.edu. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC