If you're planning on hitting up Sub Pop's three-day 20th anniversary celebration, you best be getting those tickets now. Friday's comedy extravaganza at the Moore (featuring funnymen David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Eugene Mirman, and Todd Barry) just sold out, and tix to Saturday's event at Marymoor Park are long gone. That leaves you with two options for Sub Pop-related revelry this weekend: the Gutter Twins and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth at the Showbox Saturday......

Before last night's screening of SIFF's opening film Battle in Seattle, amidst all the self-congratulatory speeches, Mayor Nickels remarked that the 1999 WTO riots are "strongly rooted in the fabric of our city" and that every Seattleite would be well-served to have their feelings of the events "validated by an outside perspective." We'd be apt to agree---if only the outside perspective that followed wasn't such ham-handed dreck. Battle in Seattle isn't as bad as......

Just before lunch we were bicycling down Broadway and this guy on the sidewalk asked us where the place was you can buy pizza by the slice. "Pagliacci," we called back. "What's to-day, my fine fellow?" he asked. "To-day!" we replied. "Why, Christmas Day!" That last part was not quite true. But it's like Christmas because Pagliacci Pizza is hosting a concert benefit, “A Night for Elise," at Neumo’s tonight, and that seems really nice.......

DANCE: "Feral ballet" choreographer Zoe Scofield, visual designer Juniper Shuey, and composer Morgan Henderson bring "The Devil You Know Is Better Than The One You Don't" to On the Boards for its Seattle premiere. We're told it builds off "hard luck accounts of adolescence and the suckiness of group dynamics." Dancers are Christiana Axelsen, Ezra Dickinson, Lizzy Melton, Zoe Scofield, and Allison Van Dyck. We're going, we expect good things. 8 p.m. // On......

Just announced: The 34th Seattle International Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, May 22 with the premiere of Battle in Seattle, a gripping dramatization of events that rocked the world when Seattle was host to the World Trade Organization. The evening unfolds at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall with a red carpet welcome for expected guests Charlize Theron and Martin Henderson, stars of the film, and director Stuart Townsend. A gala party will......

Things are pretty dead, what with all the local music folk in Austin. Here's your limited options: Saturday night, everybody's favorite Portland country-blues-punkabilly duo Hillstomp brings their buckets and slide guitar to the Tractor for what's sure to be a rambunctious rainy night in Ballard. Sunday night, Manchester Orchestra (neither from Manchester, nor an orchestra) plays Neumo's. We could not give a good goddamn about the other three bands on the bill (including headliners Say......

FRIDAY ART: Roq la Rue and its sister gallery BLVD are having joint openings tonight. At Roq la Rue, San Francisco artist Robert Burden explores the joys and soulless commercialism of the toybox. At BLVD, Wastelands and Wilderness features new work by Parskid and Chip 7. Parskid's work evokes the mystical dark forests of the Pacific NW, while Chip 7's work is a paranoid exploration of sci-fi fantasy and globalism. Plus, at BLVD you......

Alice in Chains’ former lead singer would be blowing out candles today had he not said yes, yes, yes to drugs. The Chains gang would likely still be making both crunchy (Dirt) and beautiful (Sap) music. Jerry Cantrell, who co-founded the band with Layne, probably would have written some lighter lyrics and cut his hair. Seattlest would have had the pleasure of seeing Alice in Chains—or the supergroup Mad Season—live. Even more importantly, had Layne......

FILM: The NW Film Forum is screening the potentially watchable Climates, which won a less than inspiring 71% at the rotten tomato site. Of course you can't go by those ratings since a masterpiece like Anchorman scored a feeble 64%, but an over-rated gorefest like Pan's Labrynth won a ludicrous 95%. That's worse than Al Gore losing to George Bush. 7, 9:30 // 1515 12th Ave // $8.50 MUSIC: The last time we did......

Sunday 12/10 @ Neumo's Juno Ted Leo + the Pharmacists Junior Boys Cold War Kids SOLD OUT! Sunday was the much ballyhooed Part Two of the sold-out KEXP Yule Benefit. These are always great shows because the crowd is diverse and the mood is chill. The bands know they are playing for KEXP music afficionados like ourselves so they also tend to put on a slightly better show. Sunday was no exception. This odd......

Last night at Neumo's, the 4th annual KEXP Yule Benefit was chockablock with music. We missed out on local band The Hands and showed up mid-set for Annuals, for whom we saw enough of their Arcade Fire-meets-Neutral Milk Hotel-meets Animal Collective sound to know that we need to see them in their entirety whenever they come to town again. Next up was Junior Boys, who put on a solid set with their mixture of......

Tuesday, December 5 >>> Peter Walker at El Corazon. Not to be confused with Paul Walker or Peter Weller, Peter Walker's in town to support Young Gravity, his second album. We have read, though, that Walker evokes another Pete--Yorn. With maybe a bit more bite. 7pm doors; $10. All ages. With Division Day. Wednesday, December 6 >>> Victrola's own folk chanteuse Molly Rose headlines a singer/songwriter parade of not-yet stars at the Sunset Tavern.......

Jagshemash! Borat is a hit. It's getting rave reviews, grossing millions, and definitely the most quotable thing we've seen in ages. But Borat seems to have missed most of the -ist cities, and we were all wondering how the film would have been different if he'd made his way around the world on the -ist tour. In Shanghai, Borat would be observing Inane Learnings of Penis Photos for Make Benefit Glorious Flat World of......

Hollywood babbles on: Babel [info and showtimes] Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan [info and showtimes] Flushed Away [info and showtimes] The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause [info and showtimes] Indy films and the temple of the marketplace: Central Cinema Dr. Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick): 7 and 9:30pm Fri-Sun The Harder They Fall (Bogart!): 3pm Sunday The Egyptian The Monster Squad ("Wolfman's got nards!"): midnight Fri and Sat Grand......

Tuesday 17th >>> Beirut at The Croc. This 20-year-old wunderkind from Albuquerque is the latest entrant into Who Wants To Be a Gypsy Rock Star Millionaire? 9pm;$10 >>> The Secret Machines at The Showbox. The sonically huge psych rockers will be performing tonight in the round, each member of the trio on an elevated platform on the venue floor. If nothing else, it's something different. 8pm doors; $14adv/$16dos. All ages Wednesday 18th >>> The......

As fall settles in and another calendar page gets turned, thoughts turn from bbq's and vacations to holidays and the realization that '06 is coming to an end. With all that going on, with change in the air, we wonder what is it that made that makes the -ists ponder? Phillyist is concerned that the war on Trans fats could affect it's beloved cheese steak sandwiches, something for which we should all be concerned.......

God, we're so sick of Snakes on a Plane that we want to kill anyone and everyone that makes a "something on a something" joke. But then we realized that there was no way we could ever win this fight, and, hell, if you can't beat them, we might as well join them. And with that, you have the theme of this weeks' Gothamist network post. Austinist makes it easy for us, with Candidate......

Tired of sitting around with your friends looking stupid? Of course you are! So get off your ass and check these shows out… Tuesday 14th: -Dr. John’s at Dimitiou’s Jazz Alley Admission: $26.50 to $28.50; 7:30 pm -Varmint: Wayne Horvitz + Robin Holcomb + Tim Young (and featuring Charlie Beck and Joe Fulton from The Tallboys) at Lottie Motts Admission: $5.00; 8:00 pm Wednesday 15th: -“Start a nuclear war! At the gay bar!” -Electric Six......

With the weather having finally made its turn, and daylight savings coercing us to retire for the evening at ridiculously early hours, it's hard to convince yourself to make it out. Staying at home is an all-too-easy and oh-so-warm option, but you'll have to fight that temptation and make it out. It's good for the spirit as well as the body (well, provided you don't abuse the body too much with drink specials). A healthy......

Here's a shot at a fun night out for a very good cause: The Lawnmowers, Alicia Dara, and the X-Ray Eyes are playing a benefit Wednesday night at the High Dive in Fremont for CASA's hurricane relief effort. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) trains community volunteers to serve as court advocates for abused and neglected kids. Imagine being one of those and on top of that dealing with the effects of Katrina...now imagine getting......

Saturday night offered quite the dilemma for indie rock fans: Should one buy tickets for the KEXP Benefit show at Neumo's or Franz Ferdinand at the Paramount? Luckily, Franz was also playing the following night, which allowed Seattlest to attend both shows and not miss a thing. The KEXP Benefit show featured six acts, so it started early---doors at 5, first act at 6:30pm early. Had that first act been anybody but Math and Physics......

1) Mercir (EMP Sky Church) - We started the day with some electro indie rock. With moody vocals, usually more atmospheric than lyrical, this three piece uses guitars, keyboards and a latop computer to create a rich wall of sound. 2) Citizen Cope (Main Stage) - We keep hearing about how great Citizen Cope is. That “Bullet in a Target” song is everywhere. Prior to Saturday, the other songs we heard by him (aka Clarence......