Music
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Pleather Pleather is a brand-spankin’-new band featuring Claire Nelson, a talented Seattle shredder who lent her bass-plucking skills to local DIY punk lords FF, and Andrew McKibben, the long-haired founder of one of this city’s best independent record labels, Couple Skate, as well as of the Northwest lo-fi-worshipping trio M. Women. This will be the band’s very first show, so you can say you were there when it alllll started at the future Seattle premiere of the harrowing rock-doc Montage of Pleather, out in 2035. With Chastity Belt, Mommy Long Legs. All ages. KELTON SEARS Cairo, 507 E. Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98102 $10 (presale tickets only) Saturday, May 9, 2015, 8pm
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Mandate “Remember when you liked Sonic Youth?” asks Mandate, the brand-new multimedia experience brought to us by local punk/video artist extraordinaire Clyde Petersen as part of Translations, the Seattle Trans Film Festival. While my interest is piqued by Petersen/the whole concept (this live musical performance is in a movie theater, mind you), invoking Sonic Youth in any era seems a bit dubious. Not for lack of trying, my Sonic Youth heyday was brief to say the least. That aside, I’m still curious-this is bound to be a spectacle. Also, it “contains adult themes and imagery,” so that’s definitely a plus. All ages. WL Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 $15 Saturday, May 9, 2015, 9:30pm
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Childbirth I love a good jokey punk band-especially if that band is Childbirth and has a serious feminist vagenda. And why can’t talking about menopause be fun? I also have a deep respect for any band who unironically enjoys and projects episodes of Pretty Little Liars behind them onstage. With Mommy Long Legs, the Dee Dees, Listen Lady. 21 and over. DML Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., Seattle, WA 98122 $5 Sunday, May 10, 2015, 3pm
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Harry and the Potters Snape’s alive! Just kidding, he’s dead, but Harry and the Potters are alive, and their musical incantations will have you J.K. LOLing and J.K. RAWKing all the way to Gringotts. Myself? I’ve read none of the books and enjoyed all but one of the movies. If you must know, it was Harry Potter and the Time-Traveling Werewolf Man. Listen, any band themed on a children’s book series featuring volumes way longer than any of the adult books I’ve ever read has my utmost support and well-wishes. Dumbledon’t miss this. All ages. WL The Vera Project, 305 Harrison St. (Seattle Center), Seattle, WA 98109 $10 Sunday, May 10, 2015, 6pm
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Neil Diamond When he tells you you’ll be a woman soon, you’ll be a woman soon. When he says Caroline is sweet, you sing along in agreement. When he declares that he’s coming to America, you travel with him. His name is Diamond, but you already knew that. Tonight, the legendary crooner-74 years young-will pack the Key with a very particular demo: women from the baby boom (second husbands, boyfriends, and perhaps their daughters reluctantly in tow), raised on jukebox pop and AM radio, their ears transporting them back to teenhood at the first few bars of “Cherry, Cherry.” The man got his start penning songs in the Brill Building and placed early hits on The Monkees. He’s a part of musical and pop-cultural history, a complete egotist and ham, and utterly beloved by his fans. Lower Queen Anne will be ablaze with rhinestones tonight, and the tip jars will be full at Keys on Main during the preshow festivities. T. BOND KeyArena (Seattle Center), 305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109 $61 and up. Sunday, May 10, 2015, 8pm
Liam Kyle Cahill The folk singer/songwriter tours in support of his new album, The Key to Happiness. Fix Coffeehouse, 6900 E. Green Lake Way N.Seattle, WA Free Friday, May 22, 2015, 7pm
