Welcome to $15 or Less, our eclectic, weekly events calendar for cash-strapped devotees of arts and culture.
Cheap Wine & Poetry
Richard Hugo House, Thursday 4/18 at 7 p.m., FREE
Hugo House hosts another one of its great boozy literary events. This time, readings by local poets Christine Deavel, Timothy Sanders, Marjorie Manwaring and Luke Johnson — or read something of your own if you're so inspired.
Collision Theory: The Finale
On the Boards, 4/18-4/21 at 8 p.m., $12 under 25 ($20 general)
K.T. Niehoff has been a prominent member of Seattle’s contemporary dance scene for years, and her most recent project seems to be the most ambitious of all. Collision Theory: The Finale is the result of a year-long project, culminating in this interactive night of dance and music.
KEXP Hood-to-Hood Celebration
Throughout the U District, Friday 4/19, FREE (some suggested donations)
Support local business and listen to great music in the U District all day (and night!). KEXP DJs will be broadcasting live from UW's Red Square during the day, hosting beloved local musicians such as Damien Jurado and Ravenna Woods. When the sun goes down, the DJs fan out across the ‘hood. Of particular interest: Café Racer Love, a benefit for victims of last year’s shooting, hosted by DJs Don Slack and Greg Vandy.
Record Store Day
Saturday 4/20- ALL DAY!
Expand (or start) your record collection on the apex of all music-browsing days. Check out local record stores like Easy Street and Sonic Boom for special vinyl releases (and re-releases) by Sigur Ros, The Band, Jimi Hendrix and the Flaming Lips. AND, the band Maps & Atlases (see Sunday listing), whom I love, will be playing at Sonic Boom at 4 p.m.
Pedaler’s Fair
Underground Events Center in Belltown, 4/20 and 4/21, 11 a.m.-5p.m., FREE
In its second year, Pedaler’s Fair is a marketplace for cyclists, featuring dozens of local bike-based businesses, and celebrating the joys of biking with live music, presentations and workshops.
Cathedrals 5
St. Mark’s Cathedral, Saturday 4/20 at 8 p.m., $15
Indie rock folk artists Mirah, The Moondoggies and Shenendoah Davis will each play a set, specifically adapted for the acoustics of St. Mark's lovely, cavernous cathedral. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the seating will be informa. Feel free to bring blankets, cushions or chairs to enjoy this truly one-of-a-kind evening.
Peter Rock
Elliott Bay Book Company, Sunday 4/21 at 3 p.m., FREE
Portland author Peter Rock will read from his latest book The Shelter Cycle, described as “a shape-shifting novel that keeps the reader off balance and can’t be fully appreciated until its climax.” Rock’s haunting 2009 book My Abandonment, the tale of a 13-year-old girl and her father living in Portland's Forest Park, is one of my favorites.
We Are Winning, Don't Forget
Northwest Film Forum, Sunday 4/21 at 7 p.m., $10
Experimental documentarian Jean-Gabriel Périot turns all-archival footage and photos into unique, moving narratives. A collection of his films — which vary in length from 3 to 28 minutes and take on an array of (very political) historical events — will be showing at the NWFF, and Périot will be there!
Maps & Atlases
The Crocodile, Sunday 4/21 at 8 p.m., $12 advance
After sweetly stopping by to celebrate local record stores on their way to Bellingham on Saturday, Chicago band Maps & Atlases returns to Seattle to play The Crocodile. They’re a bit upbeat rock, a tad folk, world music-tinged, and always a lot of fun.
Swan Lake by the Pacific Northwest Ballet
McCaw Hall, Through 4/21, $15 for under 25
I haven’t been to a ballet since The Nutcracker, but $15 just seems like way too good a deal to pass up Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky at his finest -— and most affordable. The PNB production of this quintessential classic is a rare, gorgeous treat.
What are you doing this weekend? Let us know in the comments area below. And if you hear of any interesting – under $15 - events in or around our grand city, please email editor@crosscut.com.
