(VISUAL ARTS) Sophia Arnold might be one of my favorite contemporary artists—her oil, acrylic, and watercolor compositions of surreal scenes are intoxicating, lush, and seemingly full of secrets, reminiscent of Elizabeth Malaska's paintings. In the group exhibition Hourglass Lying Down, Arnold's works will appear alongside Polaroids by Autumn Knight, luxuriant paintings by Klara Glosova, and collages by Serrah Russell. Anticipate a dreamy feast for your eyeballs. (Koplin Del Rio Gallery, 6107 13th Ave S, every Wed-Sun through Jun 8, free, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
THURSDAY 5/9Seattle International Film Festival 2024
Don't miss 'We Can Be Heroes' at SIFF Tuesday, May 14 and Friday, May 17. COURTESY OF SIFF
(FILM) SIFF will return for its 50th year with the best in international and independent cinema à la mode from across the globe, and you know the drill—the city's most well-recognized hybrid festival, which boasts hundreds of films from 84 countries and regions this year, will present screenings virtually and at SIFF venues citywide. Some standouts from this year's lineup include the June Squibb-fronted Thelma, the buzzy A24 drama Sing Sing, Ilana Glazer’s Babes, Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow, and Harmony Korine’s infrared vaporwave nightmare Aggro Dr1ft. Stranger staffers watched and reviewed dozens of the festival's films here, if you want some help deciding what should make it on your to-watch list. (Various locations, May 9-19, see the full schedule at siff.net) LINDSAY COSTELLO
FRIDAY 5/10Thunderpussy with the Seattle Symphony
(MUSIC) Thunderpussy almost didn’t make it. The future looked bright for the band when they released their debut full-length Thunderpussy in 2018. They earned critical acclaim for their riff-filled brand of ’70s-inspired rock, got featured in Rolling Stone as Mike McCready’s “favorite new band,” and ended the year signing to a major label, Republic Records’s subsidiary Stardog. In the years that followed, though, things took a turn. It wasn’t clear whether the band would ever release a second record, let alone exist. But, after years full of heartbreak, loss, and uncomfortable but necessary metamorphosis, Thunderpussy are back, they’re stronger than ever, and they’re ready to blow the lid off Benaroya Hall on Friday. In the ultimate celebration of the band’s survival, Thunderpussy will (finally!) release their second full-length, West, alongside the full 54-piece Seattle Symphony in a boundary-pushing immersive show. (Read the full story here.) (Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 8 pm, $50-$145, all ages) NATHALIE GRAHAM
SATURDAY 5/11(MUSIC) Thirty-five years into their career, Glasgow-based luminaries Teenage Fanclub are still churning out gloriously catchy, charming, and slightly sad indie rock songs. Last year, the band released their twelfth album Nothing Lasts Forever, which takes cues from '60s rock bands like the Byrds for rich harmonies, warm guitars, and a slight country twang. Welsh folk singer Sweet Baboo will open. (The Crocodile, 2505 First Ave, 6 pm, $30, 21+) AUDREY VANN
SUNDAY 5/12
Seattle Art Book Fair is May 11-12 at Washington Hall. courtesy of SABF
(BOOKS) Prepare your tote bags, people: The Seattle Art Book Fair, an annual roundup of experimental publishers, DIY designers, and independent creatives who consider books to be Art with a capital A, will return this month. The festival celebrates all things art book-related, with a variety of talks, activities, and (natch) artists slinging chapbooks and zines. Far-flung creatives and local presses will be present. Don't forget, you live in a UNESCO City of Literature. Act like it!! (Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave, May 11-12, free, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
MONDAY 5/13SIFF 2024: Grasshopper Republic
(FILM) Grasshopper Republic begins with an incredibly niche premise—the capture and sale of grasshoppers as food—and opens up to the broader question of where "natural order" begins and ends. In his twist on the "nature" documentary, Daniel McCabe zooms in on everything from delicate grasshopper larvae to work-savaged human faces, while a narration-less narrative follows a procession of tangled, overwrought grasshopper traps from cities to farms, and from centuries-old jungles to disastrous mudslides. Every person and animal in this film gets a fair moment to perch silently, examine its surroundings, and do whatever it can to survive—and McCabe's greatest success is to portray each of these moments without judgment, and with incredible beauty. A must-watch—especially once its sky explodes with dense, green clouds of harvested grasshoppers. (SIFF Cinema Downtown, 2100 Fourth Ave, 12:30 pm, $16.50-$17.50) SAM MACHKOVECH
TUESDAY 5/14Author Talk: Koreaworld, Deuki Hong & Matt Rodbard
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(FOOD/BOOKS) With their new cookbook Koreaworld, chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard delve into the thrilling world of modern Korean cuisine, including "sweet-spicy barbecue, creative rice and seafood dishes, flavor-bombed stews, and KPOP-fueled street food," telling stories through interviews with chefs and home cooks as well as splashy photography. Dig into craveable, complex dishes like giant short ribs, samgyetang roast chicken, pineapple kimchi fried rice, and cold broccoli salad with ssamjang mayo. Hong and Rodbard will be joined in conversation by Sara Upshaw of OHSUN Banchan, followed by a Q&A and signing. (Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave N, 6:30 pm, $39.55, admission includes a copy of Koreaworld) JULIANNE BELL
Prizefight!
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Thunderpussy
May 10 at Benaroya Hall
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NEEDTOBREATHE
May 11 at White River Amphitheater
Contest Ends 5/10 at noon
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