July 6, Wednesday
Collecting the Dead Signing Former Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office crime analyst Spencer Kope brings his debut mystery/thriller Collecting the Dead to Pioneer Square’s longest-running independent bookstore. Collecting is about an FBI agent with the power to track anybody anywhere—except for the one serial killer who previously escaped his grasp. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., 587-5737, seattlemystery.com. Free. All ages. Noon. PAUL CONSTANT
Health Health’s glowering guitar flourishes always seem like they’re fracturing into a million crystalline shards, a tonal landscape the band used to conjure rapturous, primordial noise-rock masterpieces throughout the ’00s. After writing the soundtrack to the Max Payne 3 video game, the group took a somewhat unexpected left turn with last year’s long-anticipated Death Magic LP—sculpting its trademark din into mutated Top 40 pop chimeras. With Yumi Zouma, Cuff Lynx. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, thebarboza.com. $3 with Red Bull Sound Select RSVP/$10 without. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KELTON SEARS
July 7, Thursday
Dwight Yoakam The ’80s and ’90s are known in country music as the time the genre ditched honky-tonks and headed for arenas. Today, now cast in the darkness of corporate Nashville, it appears to be a regrettable turn, but listening to Dwight Yoakam reminds one how great the early melding of pop sensibilities and steel guitar could be. Yoakam’s 21st album came out last year, and he still has the pipes and knack for a tune to sweep you up in twangy revelry. Snoqualmie Casino Amphitheatre, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, 425-888-1234, snocasino.com. $50. 7 p.m. DANIEL PERSON
Brett Hamil Seattle is a better city because of Brett Hamil. In both his live talk show The Seattle Process and his YouTube channel “Where I’m the Important Guy Who Gets to Say What’s What,” the comic digs deep into city politics and culture, excavating deep belly laughs. His stand-up is broader, but his talents are still undeniable. With Jesse Weyrick. The Comedy Underground, 109 S. Washington St., 628-0303. $12–$55. 21 and over. 8:30 p.m. Through July 9. MARK BAUMGARTEN
PALMS There will certainly be a lot to see and hear in Paige Barnes’ newest work, with a triple-decker stage serving as a home to dancers, musicians, and poets. But as always, the thing that draws us into her world is a direct and elemental relationship with movement. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., northwestfilmforum.org $17–$20. 8 p.m. Thurs., July 7–Sat., July 9. SANDI KURTZ
July 8, Friday
Away With Nancy Pearl Calling librarian Nancy Pearl a “Seattle treasure” undercuts her wide-ranging appeal; she belongs to the world now. But Seattleites do have the unique honor of attending Pearl’s monthly book club at University Book Store. This month she’s discussing novelist Amy Bloom’s magnificent immigrant novel Away. Go bask in Pearl’s heroic literacy. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400, www2.bookstore.washington.edu. Free. All ages. 6:30 p.m. PC
DANCE This This showcase of local youth dance takes the roof off the theater every summer. Each group is a blast on its own, repping for its individual style, but then the finale brings them all together onstage and pulls the audience to their feet. The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org. $18. 7:30 p.m. Fri., July 8–Sat., July 9. SK
West Seattle Summer Fest For 34 years, West Seattleites have been celebrating their city-within-a-city through an annual shindig filled with live music, food, beer, and hyperlocal crafts. Fill up on fried dough, then check out some SW faves: Grace Love & the True Loves, Chastity Belt, and DoNormaal. West Seattle Junction, California Ave. S.W. & S.W. Alaska St., 228-8193, wsjunction.org/summerfest. Free. All ages. 10 a.m. Fri., July 8–Sun., July 10. SARA BERNARD
The Exquisites These Seattle punks seek and destroy on their own terms. Front man Jason Clackley flips between soulful croons and ragged screams while bombastic riffs rattle and crumble around him. The band blends the delicate with the devilish expertly on its 2013 self-titled debut, and is hard at work on a new full-length coming in November. With Dogbreth, Get Married, Churn. Hollow Earth Radio, 2018 A E. Union St., 905-1250, hollowearthradio.org. Free. All ages. 8 p.m. DUSTY HENRY
July 9, Saturday
Ballard SeafoodFest Summer in the PNW means three things: sunshine, salmon, and outdoor drinking. Ballard has been celebrating it all since 1974. This year’s two-day extravaganza will have everything from fish burgers to leather goods to local funk stars Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme. 2208 N.W. Market St., 784-9705, seafoodfest.org. Free. All ages. 11 a.m. Sat., July 9–Sun., July 10. SB
Food Justice Dinner Hear Anuradha Mittal, author of Decolonizing Our Food System, deliver the keynote address, and rub Birkenstocks with middle-class hippies who want everyone to be able to afford the organic, fair-trade, gluten-free granola bars they buy from their local grocery co-op. University Christian Church, 4731 15th Ave. N.E., cagj.org. $40–$100 (need-based discounts available). All ages. 5–9 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK
Deerhoof Oblique, ecstatic, and described by Pitchfork as “the best band in the world,” experimental noise-pop group Deerhoof has released more than 17 studio albums since 1997. Singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki’s soft, dreamy vocals add a pleasant touch to the otherwise noisy weirdness on classic albums like The Runners Four, Apple O’, and the group’s newest, The Magic. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. $15 adv. All ages. 8 p.m. ANDREW CALLAGHAN
July 10, Sunday
Southern Biscuits Cooking Class Fuck brunch. Why bother waiting in a ridiculous line with your hungover friends to pay way too much for weird bread products when you could learn how to make nature’s perfect brunch instead? Brian Medford of the pop-up bakery Idlewild Biscuits and Bakes will teach a class of 10 how to make sweet and savory biscuits. Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave. N., 397-4271, booklarder.com. $70. All ages. 9:30 a.m. PC
July 11, Monday
The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!) Reading Anna Pulley started writing haiku when her girlfriend dumped her. It quickly became an obsession. Now her new collection boasts a gushy blurb by Tegan and Sara calling it “an adorable and hilarious way to start the day!” and urging the reader to—count these exclamation points—“Check it out!!!!” Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC
July 12, Tuesday
Cha Wa This funk band carries on the rich musical and decorative traditions of the “Mardi Gras Indians,” prolific tribes of black Carnival revelers famed for their performances and extravagantly colorful feather suits. “Cha Wa” is slang for “We’re comin’ for ya,” and this band is definitely comin’ to rock Seattle. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. $20. All ages. 7:30 p.m. AC
