June 8

Wednesday

Homegoing Reading It’s hard to turn anyone’s head with a dust-jacket blurb these days, but the rare appearance of a Ta-Nehisi Coates blurb on Yaa Gyasi’s debut novel Homegoing—calling the book an “inspiration” and citing its “so fully realized, so elegantly carved” characters—is a rare meaningful instance. It announces this book as something worth your time. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT

Navvi Seattle-duo Navvi make noirish, glimmering electro-pop that fans of Purity Ring and Phantogram will instantly dig. Although the band skews slightly darker and weirder than those acts on its most recent record Omni from Hush Hush records, there’s still an undeniable pop undercurrent on tunes like “Polychrome,” a lighters-up late-night anthem that could close out a festival. With DJAO, IG88. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., thebarboza.com. $8. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KELTON SEARS

June 9

Thursday

Newaxeyes and Zen Mother Tonight’s bill features two exciting Seattle bands deftly bending experimental electronics and noise into coherent, fascinating new forms. Newaxeyes’ pummeling, glitched-out dirges are a can’t-miss, especially live, where you can witness the inhuman speed of Bret Gardín’s finger drumming. Zen Mother’s apocalyptic din is a sound bath worth dipping into—it’s actually pretty soothing in the middle of the storm they make. With Grey Waves, Bog, Chocolate Chuck, Kblanq. LoFi, 429 Eastlake Ave. E., thelofi.net. $7. All ages. 9 p.m. KS

Fast Pitch: Taking Risks to Change the World Come hear a flurry of two-minute pitches on how to fix big problems using buzzwords like “disruptive” and “out of the box” and rub shoulders with world-improvers of the technocratic persuasion. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, 440 Fifth Ave. N., globalwa.org. Free (registration at globalwa.org required). 5:30–7:30 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK

Final Art Walk at Cairo Everything in painter Baso Fibonacci’s world is constructed of the tiniest Technicolor lines, feathering out gorgeously into animal and plant forms. That gently psychedelic vibe is shared with Uná Blue, a photographer whose work is drenched in a gauzy, dreamlike atmosphere, and Bristol Hayward-Hughes, a multidisciplinary artist with a penchant for tripped-out shifting flowerscapes. Cairo, 507 E. Mercer St., templeofcairo.com. Free. 7–9 p.m. KS

Sam Mickens Sam Mickens, whose searching, hyper-vibrato voice provided The Dead Science’s most haunting moments, has been all over the map with his solo releases. 2014’s Kayfabe: Laamb of G.O.D. is something of a goth-pop opera; another record, Occulted Star, is a terrifying plunge into found sound. All of it is sharp and mesmerizing. Mickens now lives in L.A., so catch him while he’s back in town. With Ziemba and Aeon Fux. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., thebarboza.com. $8 adv. 21 and over. 7 p.m. DANIEL PERSON

June 10

Friday

Writers Opening Night For months now, Seattle artist Christine Marie Larsen has created portraits of local and historical literary figures as a weekly feature in The Seattle Review of Books. Tonight she’s debuting her first show of author portraits, with three of her subjects—Maged Zaher, Sarah Galvin, and Lesley Hazleton—in attendance. Plus: a Little Free Library! Essentia, 2008 First Ave., 441-0321, push pullseattle.weebly.com. Free. All ages. 6 p.m. PC

Pollens This art-rock band, whose six members used their formal musical training to produce delightfully naturalistic music (think meadowlarks and cicadas), seemed to fall off the face of the earth sometime around 2014. Now they’re re-emerged as a four-piece living in Brooklyn, workshopping music for an opera at On the Boards. Only one of the original members is still part of the group, Jeff Aaron Bryant, who says the band’s sound is “pretty different” these days. Still, snippets of the new music suggest lots of harmony, odd beats, and yelps of joy. In that way it’s no different at all. With Ellis (Morgan of the Blood Brothers) and Northern Thorns. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, thebarboza.com. 7 p.m. $8 adv. 21 and over. DANIEL PERSON

Clock That Mug or Dusted Jody Kuehner’s newest work, for her alter ego Cherdonna Shinatra, opens with a collection of creamy blank fabric—covering the floor, the props (including a larger-than-life-sized rag doll), and the artist herself. By the end, they’re all covered in a beautifully chaotic rainbow, made with everything from paint to peanut butter. The tricky part is what happens in between. Velocity Dance Center, 1621 12th Ave., 325-8773, velocitydancecenter.org. $20–$25. 7:30 p.m. Fri., June 10–Sun., June 12. SANDI KURTZ

OUT-spoken Whim W’him director Olivier Wevers shops for his repertory as well as making work from scratch, commissioning new works for his company and creating new choreography. Wever’s newest, a dystopian view of Romeo and Juliet, is joined by a highly articulated duet by James Gregg and a witty commentary on Pulp Fiction by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, returning for her fourth time with the company. Whim W’him is closing their season with a bang, literally. Cornish Playhouse, 201 Mercer St., whimwhim.org. $25. 8 p.m. Fri., June 10–Sat., June 11. SK

Strange Coupling Strange Coupling is a unique UW tradition that pairs up-and-coming students with professional local artists for collaborative projects. Tonight’s exhibition will feature student/pro pieces from sculptor Kalina Chung and dancer/choreographer Alice Gosti; Anna Mlasowsky and essayist/visual artist/singer Emily Pothast; Clare Halpine and Coldbrew Collective, Seattle Weekly’s best visual artists of 2015; and a whole boatload more. King Street Station, 303 S. Jackson St. Free. All ages. 6–8:30 p.m. KS

June 11

Saturday

Used Book Sale at Third Place Books The best bookstores are the ones that mix in used books with new books. Today at all three Third Place Books locations, including the beautiful new Seward Park store, all used books in stock are 40 percent off their sticker price. Go buy a stack of books the length of your arm, guilt-free. Third Place Books locations, thirdplacebooks.com, 366-3333. Free. All ages. 9 a.m. PC

Georgetown Carnival Last time I was at the Georgetown Carnival, I saw a guy with no shirt on walking around with a boa constrictor wrapped around his neck. I don’t think he was part of the circus, though. However, there will be proper circus folks, as well as power-tool drag racing, a stacked musical lineup, beer gardens, and tons of local art at the fair. If you’re new to Seattle and have never been to that part of town, now’s a great time to see Georgetown in all its freaky splendor. Various locations on Airport Way South, georgetownmerchants.org/georgetown-carnival.html. Free. All ages. Noon–10 p.m. KS

Volunteer Park Pride Fest Before the ginormous Pride Parade rainbow shimmers all the way across Seattle, you’ve also got a more low-key option to celebrate over at the Volunteer Park Pride Fest—a breezy, sunny day of food trucks in the park, LGBTQ arts and performance, and music from locals like Boyfriends, Hell’s Belles, and Aeon Fux. Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Galer St., seattlepride.org. Free. All ages. Noon– 7 p.m. KS

Cairo Last Daze The little boutique on Capitol Hill that could, Cairo has hosted hundreds of incredible DIY bands, visual artists, and performers over the years, giving scrappy weirdos a place to flourish and grow. Celebrate the impact it’s had on the community at its big 12-artist farewell show tonight—as they note on the Facebook page, “don’t cry bc it’s over, laugh bc it lasted so long. Posi vibes only.” With Vats, Dude York, Gazebos, Jeena Joshi, and more. Cairo, 507 E. Mercer St., templeofcairo.com. $12. All ages. 2–11 p.m. KS

Good to Die Fifth Anniversary Heavy riffs from the Northwest have found a loving home on Nik Christofferson’s Good to Die Records, which for five years has served as a bastion for bands who deal in no-nonsense, gut-rumbling rock. In celebration of the label’s anniversary, flagship band Sandrider is joining a slew of labelmates for a night that will kick your face in, including a reunited Absolute Monarchs. With Gaytheist, Blood Drugs, Merso. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., neumos.com. $12 adv. 21 and over. 8 p.m. KS

June 12

Sunday

Sci-Fi Bike Ride New-to-Seattle author Adam Rakunas celebrates his new novel about an interplanetary labor union, Like a Boss, with a bike ride featuring fellow sci-fi/fantasy authors Laura Anne Gilman and Brenda Cooper. The ride starts at Husky Stadium Station at noon and continues for 2.6 miles to Café Solsticio in Fremont for a 1 p.m. reading. Café Solsticio, 1110 N. Northlake Way, 547-0404, solsticiofremont.com. Free. All ages. 1 p.m. PC

June 13

Monday

Leveraging Female Political Power It’s clear that women will decide the election this November, either by showing up to vote against Donald Trump or by staying home out of disgust at the electoral process. Time reporter Jay Newton-Small will share everything she knows about American women and democracy—from Hillary Clinton’s deal-making to surprising demographic information—in a talk tonight. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhall seattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m. PC

Thank You Donnie Chin: A Community BBQ Last July, local hero Donnie Chin was shot and killed while responding to gunfire in the International District. Join neighbors and friends as they remember that hero—called the Batman of the International District by some—and plan for the future. Canton Alley, Eighth Avenue South and South Weller Street, apifoodfightclub.com. Free. All ages. 6–9 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK

June 14

Tuesday

Sweet Lamb of Heaven Reading Lydia Millett’s delightfully creepy novels are full of sticky secrets, missing people, and monstrous obsessions. Tonight she’s joined by Seattle’s own Stacey Levine—herself no stranger to bizarre and uncomfortable fictions. This pairing makes so much sense it’s ridiculous; these two writers will either become best friends or light each other on fire. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC