A little yoga, some indie rock, artisanal cocktails and a good old-fashioned pancake breakfast (no religious guilt or affiliation necessary!). I’m particularly looking forward to the return of Town Hall events with The Distraction Addiction talk on Monday. And don’t forget First Thursday when admission to the museums around town is FREE.
Off Label
Northwest Film Forum, 9/6- 9/12 at 7 and 9 p.m., $10
Thinking about the pharmaceutical industry can be depressing, perplexing and maddening. However, expect to be stimulated by this 2012 documentary, which digs into the drug industry via the people its products affect – be they patients, healthcare professionals or professional guinea pigs – in a totally down-to-earth way.
Objects of Meditation: Yoga at MOHAI
Museum of History and Industry, Saturdays in September from 8:30-9:45, FREE
If you haven’t visited MOHAI’s new armory location in South Lake Union yet, this is a perfect opportunity to get a glimpse (before it even opens!). The commuters will be asleep (and thus getting there will be a breeze), the lake will be picturesque and second only to free yoga at a sculpture park is free yoga (Hatha style, from 8 Limbs instructors) in the bright atrium of a museum, encircled by artifacts from Seattle history. Bring your own mat.
Swedish Pancake Breakfast
Swedish Cultural Center, Sun. 9/8 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $9
Welcome in the fall with live Scandinavian folk music, real Swedes and Swedish pancakes (not unlike a crepe with oh-so-much lingonberry) aplenty, served up with ham, milk, Swedish coffee and orange juice.
Cocktails at Carmelita
Carmelita, ‘til September 29th, $6 and up at happy hour
This Phinney Ridge gem is the kind of vegetarian restaurant that doesn’t make you miss meat one bit. Dishes showcase local, seasonal ingredients (right now, shallots! Chanterelles! Stone Fruits!), combined in inventive, inspiring ways. I have never eaten anything there that didn’t blow me away (I’m still trying to recreate their seemingly simple roasted Moroccan carrot spread). Their cocktails are terrific too, either the daily rotating specials or the dozen classic and vintage drinks (with touches lavender syrup, fennel salt rims, housemade tonic water, etc.). Carmelita closes forever on September 29th so you don’t have much time. I highly recommend pizza and the trio of spreads.
The Dodos
Neumos, Sun. 9/8 at 8 p.m., $15 advance
When I asked my friend Melody to describe The Dodos, she aptly said “melancholy music you listened to when you were younger that you wouldn’t be embarrassed by now.” For me, this rather short list includes Bob Dylan and Belle & Sebastian, and like those artists, listening to The Dodos remains pleasant and electrifying regardless of the nostalgia. The San Francisco drum and guitar duo (usually acoustic, but increasingly electric of late) is touring in support of its latest album, Carrier. The single “Confidence” is The Dodos at their best: stomping drums, driving guitar melodies and crooned lyrics.
The Distraction Addiction
Town Hall, Mon. 9/9 at 6 p.m., $5
The Distraction Addiction, Stanford technology scholar Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s new book, focuses on the nexus of neuroscience, social history and the nature of attention in order to shed light on our current relationship with technology (about which one could say “It’s Complicated.”) Pang presents his notion of contemplative computing, or “learning to use information technologies in ways that help you be more focused and mindful, and protect you from being perpetually distracted.” Don’t forget to “pencil” this date in to all six of your virtual calendars.
