Post Halloween highlights include SIFF's new HBO documentary series — entirely FREE — microbrew celebrations at Two Beers and yet another installment of Town Hall’s Scholar in Residence program.
7th Annual Halloween Bash at Neumos
Neumos, Thurs., 10/31 at 8 p.m., FREE
The Halloween celebration marches on, with the day itself finally here. If you’ve still got some Halloween juice left in you, Neumos will be hosting its annual bash with dancing, costume contests and, of course, candy. My Halloween season already peaked on Sunday when at 9 a.m. on Capitol Hill, I saw a very distressed pirate do a walk of shame. He paused at a corner, sword at his side, to use his costume handkerchief to dab at his face.
Sgt Rigsby and His Amazing Silhouettes in Animal Cruelty
Theatre Off Jackson Thurs. to Sat. at 8 p.m., $15
Animal Cruelty, a so-called “live shadow puppet noir,” tells the story of Southern dame Chicken Jenny. While the puppet troupe’s description doesn’t give a lot away, Stranger writer Paul Constant says it’s a “rare noir-fueled comedy that works,” not to mention the thrill of any show that utilizes puppets, which are generally inventive, dark and so much fun.
Cari Luna
Elliott Bay Book Company, Sat. 11/2 at 7 p.m., FREE
Cari Luna took part in Lit Crawl last week and we’ll have the pleasure of hearing her solo at Elliott Bay as she reads from her debut novel The Revolution of Every Day, which tells the story of a group of squatters on New York's Lower East Side in the '90s. Enjoy some fiction on a Saturday night and, if you like, read an excerpt of Luna’s work before you go.
Two Beers Brewing Company 6th Anniversary Party
The Woods Tasting Room, Sat. 11/2 from 2 -7 p.m., FREE (beer for purchase)
To celebrate its sixth anniversary, local brewery Two Beers will be releasing a couple more beers and throwing a party at their tasting room. Support a local microbrew and try their awesome concoctions before they appear on beers lists around town. I’m particularly smitten with their pumpkin ale, which among the many pumpkin ales out there, stands out for having just the right amount of spice. There’ll also be food from Where Ya At, Matt? and creations from Seattle Cider Company on tap.
Lemony Snicket
Third Place Books, Tue. 11/5 at 7 p.m., FREE
Barnes and Noble Wed. 11/6 at 6 p.m., FREE
Since finishing his masterpiece A Series of Unfortunate Events in 2006, Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) has, among many other things, worked on a prequel titled All the Wrong Questions. While the four-book prequel was only announced last year, he’s already on book two, which he’ll read from this week. Handler is an all-around talent (he’s also written books for adults AND played accordion with the Magnetic Fields) and a giver. He works with 826 chapters around the country. Read a children’s book and be enlightened with nuggets such as: “Reading is one form of escape. Running for your life is another.”
Stories from My Pet Rocks
Town Hall, Wed. 11/6, $5
Town Hall Scholar in Residence David Montgomery will share a dozen or so rocks from his personal rock collection — along with their stories, geological and personal, and maybe a few songs. As if this event could get any cuter, audience members are invited to bring along their own favorite rock, drop their name into a hat upon arrival, and if chosen, come on stage and share the rock’s story. Learn about our geological past, while getting validation for your rock collecting obsession. (Hopefully, it’s not just me…)
Veterans Press 1
SIFF, Wed. 11/6 at 7 p.m., FREE
SIFF and HBO present a series of documentaries, which will debut on HBO on Wednesdays in November. The series kicks off with Veterans Press 1, which focuses on the suicide epidemic among American veterans. More have died by their own hand than in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. There are many more chilling stats explored in the film (and discussed by director Ellen Goosebenberg afterward). More information on the series here.
