Seattle Weekly, December 17, 2014 by Sound Publishing

DECEMBER 17-23, 2014 I VOLUME 39 I NUMBER 51

SEATTLEWEEKLY.COM I FREE

THE BEER BOSS » PAGE 13 LBJ RISES » PAGE 15 IS MUSIC FAILING US? » PAGE 27

THE YEAR OF ”GOVERNING AT LIGHTNING SPEED.“

BY ELLIS E. CONKLIN » PAGE 8

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

inside» December 17–23, 2014 VOLUME 39 | NUMBER 51

» SEATTLEWEEKLY.COM

»PULLOUT

news&comment 5

BUDGET BLUES

BY ELLIS E. CONKLIN | Our legislature,

the courts, and the taxpayers want all sorts of things. But how to pay for them? Plus: The Donut Lady takes to the streets, and Twitter fuels the NFL soap opera.

IN THE ED ZONE

BY ELLIS E. CONKLIN | Wonky, deeply spiritual, and a first-rate coalition builder, our mayor—an Irish pol for the 21st century—has had a remarkable first year.

food&drink

13 ALE CAESAR!

BY ZACH GEBALLE | Meet a cicerone:

basically a sommelier for beer, with a similar level of expertise.

13 | FOOD NEWS/THE WEEKLY DISH 14 | COFFEE CORNER

arts&culture 15 RISING FROM THE RUINS

»27 Editor-in-Chief Mark Baumgarten EDITORIAL Senior Editor Nina Shapiro Food Editor Nicole Sprinkle Arts Editor Brian Miller Music Editor Gwendolyn Elliott Editorial Operations Manager Gavin Borchert Staff Writers Ellis E. Conklin, Matt Driscoll, Kelton Sears

Contributing Writers Rick Anderson, Sean Axmaker, James Ballinger, Michael Berry, Roger Downey, Alyssa Dyksterhouse, Jay Friedman, Margaret Friedman, Zach Geballe, Chason Gordon, Dusty Henry, Rhiannon Fionn, Megan Hill, Robert Horton, Patrick Hutchison, Seth Kolloen, Sandra Kurtz, Dave Lake, Jessie McKenna, Jenna Nand, Terra Clarke Olsen, Brian Palmer, Kevin Phinney, Jason Price, Keegan Prosser, Mark Rahner, Tiffany Ran, Michael Stusser, Jacob Uitti PRODUCTION

BY BRIAN MILLER | Playwright Robert 15 | THE PICK LIST 17 | STAGE REVIEW | The downfall of

Art Director Samantha Wagner

Lyndon Baines Johnson.

18 | PERFORMANCE/EAR SUPPLY

OPENING THIS WEEK | Steve Carell

as killer, the final Hobbit epic, and Ben Stiller’s last night at the museum. 24 | FILM CALENDAR

27 MUSIC

BY GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT AND KELTON SEARS | What is music doing

to express—or better, heal—the turmoil of our times? Two writers reflect.

29 | THE WEEK AHEAD

odds&ends |

31 CLASSIFIEDS GIFT GUIDE #4 | Follows page 16.

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Singer-songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov crafts wistful, hypnotic soundscapes with hints of his influences, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen.

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news&comment

Red Ink Stains

A state budget battle looms, as does the question: Do we have the guts to tax ourselves out of this fiscal mess? BY ELLIS E. CONKLIN Taxing times at the state Capitol.

Profiles in Protest The Donut Lady

PATRICK HUTCHISON

BY PATRICK HUTCHISON

CACOPHONY VIA WIKIMEDIA

All told, McCleary is going to cost around $2.5 billion in the upcoming biennium. The ruling has become an urgent matter the legislature can no longer delay. In September, the high court held the legislature in contempt for not making enough progress, but has held off on sanctions. The real budgetary headache comes when lawmakers grapple with Initiative 1351, the class-size-reduction measure that voters passed in November. Washington’s budget office has projected that I-1351 will require 7,500 new teachers and more than 10,000 additional school staff statewide, and cost an estimated $4.7 billion over the next four years—at least $2 billion of which would come in the current budget cycle. One option is to amend the initiative. But that would take a two-thirds vote of the legislature, and, quips Hunter, “I can’t get two-thirds for lunch.” Shelton predicts the legislature will punt this session on complete implementation of 1351: “I think we’ll find a nice place to park it for a while.” On Monday, Inslee presented his education budget, which proposes to go halfway on meeting the standards of I-1351: spending $1.3 billion to reduce average class sizes, but only for kindergarten through third grade. “We’re focusing first on the K-through-3 area, where it has the most success as far as bang for your buck,” said Inslee. His 2015–17 budget also would sharply increase early childhood and K–12 funding by $2.3 billion, which he believes will go a long way toward meeting the state’s McCleary obligations.

Compounding the state’s financial plight is yet another state Supreme Court ruling, from August, that said it was unconstitutional to warehouse mentally ill patients in hospital emergency rooms—a controversial practice known as “psychiatric boarding”—when there isn’t space at certified psychiatric treatment centers. So far the state has responded with $100 million in new capacity, but many more millions will be needed, says Hunter. “Look, here’s the thing,” he says. “Do we have the votes for more taxes? Probably not. But are there votes for a lot of cuts? No, there aren’t.” “I look at the glass as halfway full,” says Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler (R-Ritzville). “We need to step back, see what we have, and then work together.” Hunter, the House’s chief budget writer, is all for working together, but in the end, says the well-respected veteran lawmaker, “We all need to figure out how we want this state to look. Do we want to live in a state that is in the lowest 20 percent in education funding? Do we want to live in a state where we board up the mentally ill? “We want all this stuff, but we’re paying the same taxes as they pay in Fargo. We have to be adults. The fairest way to pay for what we want is to raise revenues.” That is if we want a budget that contains within its ledgers as much morality as it does fiscal restraint. E

econklin@seattleweekly.com

animal house » Is Zillow a Zoo?

On Monday, yet another lawsuit was filed against Seattle-based online real-estate company Zillow, claiming, among other charges, racial discrimination and painting the Orange County Zillow office as “an adult frat house.” Our readers responded: “They need to be more careful who they hire especially in groups prone to whining and complaining.” —terrilynnmerritts “The tech sector [...] is the 21st century’s version of the 19th century’s antebellum plantations, a bastion of white male privilege, exploitation, and arrogance.” —Purrlie “I’m a woman in marketing [at Zillow] and have been here just over a year, and I literally cannot wait to come to work every day.” —kelsey

•

t last Monday’s protests a bright pink umbrella caught my attention, but it was the waterlogged box of Top Pot doughnuts that a protester named Carter clutched with one arm that made me approach her. Originally from New Jersey, the 51-year-old former programming director fell in love with Seattle on a trip here for SIFF and decided to make the city her home. That was eight years ago. Do you always bring donuts to protests?

Ha, no, but I like to try and bring something. I’ve been to protests before and found myself absolutely starving. Have you protested in Seattle before? Yeah. I’ve been coming to these protests since the first day, when the Ferguson decision came out, but I’ve been to other protests in the city. It started with John T. Williams for me. Are there any cases that you’re particularly connected with? You know, I think I still have

the strongest connection to the John T. Williams case.... For me, whether or not the officer was guilty just wasn’t debatable.

What do you think the protests are doing to help? If nothing else, it’s getting people talk-

ing. Even if they’re just talking about being annoyed with the protesters, it’s getting the issue debated, which is good. I think the biggest problem is a severe lack of education and awareness of the issues. People don’t know enough about these cases. If they did, there’d be more protesters out here.

Why else do you think there aren’t more protesters? It takes a certain kind of person to con-

sider themselves a protester. A lot of people are outraged, but they’re shy. They think they have to be loud and active. Or they’re scared of being arrested or getting caught up in violence.

Why do you think people have those impressions? The media does a great job at highlight-

ing the violent outbreaks, even though they aren’t at all representative of our protests. I even asked one of the camera crews for a news station why they showed only the violent parts of a protest when I saw him walking around, witnessing the peaceful parts all night. He said simply, “It makes better news.” E

news@seattleweekly.com

Portraits in Protest is an ongoing series spotlighting local activists involved in the Black Lives Matter protests.

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

n a frosty February morning in 2009, in the midst of the Great Recession, state House Speaker Frank Chopp implored a gathering of labor leaders to convince his legislative colleagues that fixing the $8 billion budget deficit must not undermine the needs of the vulnerable. “It is important,” said Chopp, “to look at the budget not just as a financial document, but as a moral document.” Five years later, after a long uphill slog, the economy is on the uptick. The state is not in high cotton, though at least the roiling sea of red ink has receded. An estimated $2.7 billion in new revenues is forecast, but still, when all the dust settles on the balance sheet, a serious budget shortfall, in the neighborhood of $2.5 billion to $3 billion, is all but certain for the 2015–17 spending cycle. Lawmakers anticipate a heated, high-stakes tug of war over what to cut and what to spare when they convene next month. On Thursday, when he unfurls his overall state operating-budget blueprint, Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to propose more than $1 billion in new taxes and other new revenue sources. “I don’t think the public is going to go for a tax increase,” Sen. Tim Sheldon tells Seattle Weekly. The conservative Mason County Democrat, who will again caucus with Republicans (giving them a 26–23 majority in the Senate), adds, “There are two Washingtons: King County, and then there’s the rest of us. Things may be getting better in King County, but there are places that are really struggling, and they are not going to go for new taxes.” In terms of finding ways to reel in more dollars, everything is on the table, says House Appropriations Committee chair Ross Hunter (D-Medina)—save, most likely, for a state salestax increase (Washington’s is already the fourth highest in the nation, at 8.87 percent) and a state income tax. Which means a tax on capital gains is in the mix. The idea currently being batted around is a 5 percent tax, with exemptions for the first $10,000 and the sale of primary homes, which could raise $1.3 billion per biennium. As Chopp told Seattle Weekly in a recent interview at a Wallingford coffee house, “A tax on capital gains would certainly make our tax system in Washington a lot fairer. It’s definitely something we’re going to look at.” The impending deficit that must be rectified during the legislative session is largely the result of mandated education funding increases. Most of this hinges on the 2012 State Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, which demands that Washington fully fund basic K-12 education.

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

news&comment» And Now, About Those Russell Wilson Cheating Rumors…

SEATTLELAND

The second story, from Classicalite.com, was headlined “After Russell Wilson Ashton Meem Divorce and Joseph Fauria Feud, Seahawk Accused of Girl Stealing.” The story rolled both tales into one, noting Tate was blamed in the first incident and “Now, the tables have turned and Wilson is the one being accused of alleged girl-stealing.” Even if Fauria regretted his tweet, the story concluded, “the words were said and the damage was done. There must be something about the Super Bowl Ring wearing Seahawk that attracts feuding over women.” The story was published Saturday, sounding as if this had just happened. I’m no expert. But if the first rumor is any indication, it shouldn’t be long until this one becomes breaking news. E

randerson@seattleweekly.com

Rick Anderson writes about sex, crime, money, and politics, which tend to be the same thing. His latest book is Floating Feet: Irregular Dispatches From the Emerald City.

City of Seattle

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

JEREMY DWYER-LINDGREN

even months back, we told you about a story that may not be true, but had been spreading across the Internet. The May 13 Seattleland column, headlined “About Those Russell Wilson Divorce Rumors . . . ”, related gossip about an extramarital affair that supposedly caused the 26-year-old Seahawks star quarterback to split from his wife of two years, Ashton Meem BY RICK ANDERSON Wilson, 26. As we noted then, it was off-the-wall speculation, and the rumor seemed to be dying a deserved death. Then an odd thing happened. Without being asked, Wilson’s former teammate, receiver Golden Tate, now with the Detroit Lions, publicly stepped forward and denied he’d had an affair with Wilson’s wife. “I strongly advise the ignorant folks blowing this situation up and spreading this rumors [sic] to shut the hell up,” Tate said in a series of comments on Twitter. “Go watch the nba playoffs.” Rather than tamp down the fire, Tate’s tweets stoked it. Newspapers and websites picked up on the denial, effectively spreading the GoldenAshton rumor further. As a popular Seahawks website observed, “Maybe Tate is denying the allegations about sleeping with Ashton because he wants to defend his reputation—maybe [the allegations] actually happened.” Wilson and Meem were silent about the claim, but Tate’s girlfriend Elise Pollard joined Golden in publicly refuting it. She also tracked down Internet trolls. Just a few weeks ago she responded to a commenter who brought up the divorce rumor and called Ashton a bitch on Pollard’s Instagram account. Responding on the Instagram account of the “pathetic gossiper,” Pollard claimed Ashton was her best friend and said the troll’s comment made her sick. The rumor “was made up by a blogger. Golden, Russell, Ashton and I know how stupid it is . . . ”, she said, adding that Golden was or is planning to sue the unnamed website, and the troll might now be included in the lawsuit, too. I know this, having read these details on Deadspin, along with a quarter-million other visitors, including hundreds who left comments. It’s further indication of how denying a rumor gives it new life. Even our May column about the denials continues to haunt Seattle Weekly’s “Now Trending” box, rising to #1 almost every weekend since the NFL season began. For anyone Googling “Ashton Meem” or “Russell Wilson Divorce,” the column pops up on the first page. If the story eventually dies down, it may only be due to the rise of yet another Russell Wilson rumor. It too involves a Detroit Lions player. But rather than deny the rumor on Twitter, tight end Joseph Fauria spread it on Twitter. His current girlfriend, Erika Hammond, was cheating on him with Wilson, Fauria indicated. “Hey @DangeRussellWilson enjoy her @ErikaAnnHammond. She had me thinking she was a loyal GF. I almost feel you,” he tweeted last week. There were no further details, and no claim of sex. No problem. “It appears to be a declaration by Fauria that Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson was doing the two-humped camel with his

girlfriend,” deduced SportsGrid.com. “Their predicament is just one of the love triangles recently to hit the NFL,” noted the Chicago Sun-Times network, referring in part to free agent Brennan Clay’s recent accusation that Dallas Cowboys star DeMarco Murray was sleeping with his wife. (On Twitter, Clay published sext messages between the two, and has now filed for divorce). TheBigLead.com added that “Maybe the most interesting part of all this (depending on your definition of ‘interesting’) is that Fauria is now teammates with Golden Tate. You may have heard some rumors about Tate and Wilson and Tate’s wife that surfaced after Tate left Seattle.” Yet the next morning, Fauria denied his own accusation, generating even more headlines. He deleted the tweet and posted a new one: “I apologize for what I said last night. I make mistakes. I didn’t have all the facts & emotions got the best of me.” What led to the accusation? No one seems to want to explain. Fauria hasn’t commented further, and Wilson and Hammond have said nothing. They’re apparently aware that in such cases, silence trumps denial and sends rumors to an early grave. Curious, this week I Googled “Russell Wilson Divorce.” The first story that came up was a P-I piece about the divorce. The third was the Weekly column about the Golden-Ashton rumor.

THE YEAR OF

ED In his first 12 months, Seattle Mayor Murray has pushed a progressive agenda, soothed the City Council, and ruffled some feathers. And he sure seems to be enjoying himself. BY ELLIS E. CONKLIN

NATE WATTERS

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

he morning of November 25 broke dark and wicked cold. Ed Murray had been up late the night before. Weary and worried, he didn’t get to bed at his north Capitol Hill digs until after 1 a.m. A grand jury’s decision the evening prior not to indict Officer Darren Wilson had oozed out like a sore badly lanced, and as fiery protests sparked in the racially inflamed St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Mo., Murray wondered what this might portend for Seattle. He prayed it would not be anything like a repeat of the WTO riots that shook the city in the late fall of 1999, the mishandling of which cast a lingering pall over the tenure of then-Mayor Paul Schell. At a hastily called news conference that Monday night outside his seventh-floor office at City Hall, Murray, flanked by Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, appealed for peace as dozens of demonstrators marched through Seattle, some blocking Interstate 5. At one point, his words sloppy, he characterized the fatal shooting as the “murder of Mr. Brown,” prompting his press secretary Jason Kelly to later clarify that the mayor had meant to say “death.” Later in his remarks, Murray steered close to overegging the pudding when he said his message to young AfricanAmericans was this: “We in this city hear you. We in this city love you.” But that’s Edward Bernard Patrick Murray for you. While it’s true he’s as pragmatic as a bar of Ivory Soap, a first-rate political collaborator and coalition-builder, the mayor is also an emotional man. He’s quick to anger, but even quicker to laughter and self-deprecating humor. Still, unlike most Irish pols—such as his hero, Robert Kennedy—Murray is a policy wonk by trade and, by his own admission, an introvert by nature. I remember watching him before a mayoral debate in the summer of 2013, a few weeks before the August 5 primary. All the other candidates were chatting it up with reporters and the Town Hall audience that had come to witness the tussle. But Murray—then an accomplished State Senator—stood alone, awkwardly so, until at last, mercifully, one of his rivals, City Council member Bruce Harrell, sidled up next to him to say hello. Glad-handing is not his strong suit. And neither is he a gifted public speaker, often coming across as

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

THE YEAR OF ED

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

» FROM PAGE 8

stiff, unblinking. But watch him hit the high notes when he’s not reading from a prepared text. Murray loves power and the theater of politics. Just before taking office, he inhaled If Mayors Ruled the World by Benjamin Barber, a treatise on how mayors are the most effective and pragmatic of all political leaders because they have to get things done. Murray’s an avid reader of political biographies. I ran into him at the Seattle Rep the Sunday before our interview that late November afternoon. He and his husband Michael Shiosaki had come to see the enthralling political drama All the Way, a Tony-award-winning play chronicling Lyndon Johnson’s strong-arm efforts to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act. When I mentioned the play during our interview, Murray said, “Johnson took things very personally; I don’t.” The mayor is at his happiest when he’s immersed in briefings from department heads, being “deep in the details,” as he likes to say. A Seattle Department of Transportation official confides, “Ed totally gets off reading the dullest shit you can imagine. He’s like Dukakis that way. Remember him?” At the same time, Murray needs some time away from the spotlight’s glare, whether it’s walking his dog, a King Charles spaniel named Rory; or bird-watching in fields near the University of Washington; or heading off to Carmel, as he did this past July, for a reflective respite at a Benedictine monastery. “I’m not sure people know just how deep his faith is. He’s a very spiritual person,” says Democratic Party strategist Christian Sinderman, a key architect of his mayoral campaign. When we convene in his office, Murray is relaxed and smiling. He’d weathered the long night before. As for his ill-chosen verbiage regarding Michael Brown, the political fallout—save for some testy taunts from a few conservative talk-show hosts—is minimal, a mere pimple on a relatively unblemished and, by most accounts, extremely successful and productive first year in office. Now, as the sun drifts downward and the lateafternoon skies turn apricot, the mayor’s got a glow on. He’s having the time of his life, and it shows. In a span of just eight months, he’s accomplished a lot. In late April, he won passage of a $15 minimum wage. A month later, he landed a highly regarded police chief more than three months after launching a national search and assembling a 12-member Search Committee, cochaired by former King County Executive Ron Sims and human-rights activist Pramila Jayapal. In mid-June, he reached a deal that eliminated a limit on the number of ride-share drivers who can be on Seattle roads. In the August primary, the mayor was victorious in landing his annual $54 million parks-district funding, for which he spent considerable time stumping. And then in November, voters approved by landslide margins the Murray-backed four-year, $58 million universal pre-K program (Prop 1B)—despite confusion over a rival measure (Prop 1A) heavily bankrolled by unions—as well as a $45 million Metro-funding tax increase (Prop 1). “Ed understands politics, and that’s why I like dealing with him. He knows what he’s doing,” observes Nick Licata, the dean of the City Council, having served since 1998. “There’s not a lot of show-horsing with him. He wants to get things done, and he has.” “He has accomplished more in one year than what most mayors accomplish in a full term,”

enthuses Jeff Reading, Murray’s former communications director. Reading is biased, of course, but the case can be made that Murray is off to one of the most ambitious beginnings we’ve seen from any mayor in quite some time. (If you’re keeping score, note that former Mayor Greg Nickels passed six initiatives over eight years—two housing levies and the so-called “Bridging the Gap” measure to raise money for transportation improvements. Murray’s predecessor Mike McGinn, during his four years in office, succeeded on three ballot measures: the families and education levy, the seawall, and a libraries funding initiative.) “I’m very, very pleased, and a little surprised,” Murray says. “This city wanted to move forward and feel good about itself, and I think people in this country, and in Seattle, want to see a government that is functioning well.” After a soft laugh, he adds, “I’m having fun. I’ve never had so much fun in elective office as I have had this past year. I have never been able before to accomplish so much in so short a time.”

“Ed has been a champion of progressive policies that represent the views of Seattle residents.” Recall that Murray ran a campaign that was not exactly big-picture. His was a goodgovernment message that essentially told voters that he’d be a regionalist, a cooperative listener, and would—unlike McGinn, he argued—bring a more conciliatory demeanor to City Hall. In May, longtime Seattle journalist David Brewster wrote in Crosscut that Murray came across during his mayoral bid as “a plumber to unclog the big projects like the waterfront, Bertha, 520.” But Murray, Brewster went on, turned out to be “more a high-risk plunger than plumber.” Seattle, as it turned out, wasn’t looking for only a Mr. Fix-It. The new mayor quickly realized that Socialist Kshama Sawant and the energy her vocal supporters brought to the issues of social justice and wealth disparity during her successful fall 2013 campaign for a City Council seat struck a deep chord—that the city was indeed craving transformative progressivism. “I doubt we would have done minimum

“THIS IS THE BEST FIRST YEAR I’VE SEEN OF THE LAST THREE MAYORS WE’VE HAD,” SAYS NICK LICATA. For a politician known during his 18 years in

Olympia for his go-slow, incremental approach, most notably on attaining gay rights, Murray stamped harder on the accelerator than many imagined. While there have been a few notable blunders along the way—his handling of police disciplinary actions, for one—complaints have been few and accolades plentiful. His approval rating is off the charts: 70 percent favorable to just 23 unfavorable, according to an EMC Research poll taken in late October. “Ed has brought a level of sophistication we haven’t seen here before,” says Licata. “This is the best first year I’ve seen of the last three mayors we’ve had.” “I don’t think anyone thought he’d take on so many big issues so quickly,” says Michael Wells, executive director of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. “Ed’s been governing at lightning speed,” marvels Council member Tim Burgess. “Overall, he gets an A, as far I’m concerned,” says restaurant and bar owner Dave Meinert. Council President Sally Clark concedes she harbored doubts in the beginning whether Murray could make the transition after all those years in Olympia. “But apparently there was an executive hiding inside him.” “He has exceeded expectations, probably even his own,” says Sinderman. “Eighteen years in Olympia was too long for a guy who wants to do big-picture policy stuff. He needed to get out of there and spread his wings.” “As mayor,” says House Speaker Frank Chopp,

wage without Sawant, but that’s not a knock on Ed,” says Clark. “He led the effort to get it done very skillfully.” In his inaugural address on January 6, it wasn’t pothole repairs that Murray promised. Rather, he went large. The 59-year-old son of a steelworker who grew up in Seattle’s Alki neighborhood said he wanted to lead the city on “disparity in pay and in [affordable] housing, in urban policing, on the environment, and providing universal pre-K.” As Murray told me, “We came from an environment [in Olympia] where the incoming fire was from the right. Now the incoming fire is from the left. You can’t be left enough when you are the mayor of this city, or, really, most big cities in America.” David Freiboth, executive secretary of the King County Labor Council, says the political establishment has failed to recognize “how far left Seattle has swung” over the past few years. “There was the feeling that Sawant would be marginalized, but really she is now part of a progressive bloc that includes [Council member Mike] O’Brien and Licata. So for Ed, it is both a threat and an opportunity. You see, the progressive wing may threaten him politically, but it has also given him the opportunity to express his own progressivism.” He continues, “Fact is, I don’t know anyone who has complained that this administration doesn’t know what it is doing. Many of us [in labor] wanted a more functional City Hall, and we got that.” Seattle businessman Howard Wright, who cochaired Murray’s 24-member Income Inequality

Advisory Committee, which the mayor formed in January to hammer out a $15 minimum-wage agreement, believes the mayor has lurched too far to the left. “I would like to see a course correction and see him move back to the more moderate center. I don’t want the mayor to go so far left that he leaves me behind.” The CEO of Seattle Hospitality Group worries that labor has greater access to Murray than the business community does—a feeling shared by others in the business sector—and says that the mayor sometimes allows himself “to be distracted” by the extreme left, here in the form of Sawant. Wright says Murray’s appointment of Kate Joncas, the longtime president of the Downtown Seattle Association, as deputy mayor “increased my comfort level with him.” He continues, “I think his heart is in the right place. His vision is good, but he has the opportunity to not respond to every shot from the left that comes across his bow.” From the outset, Murray set to work repairing

frayed relationships with councilmembers which had soured during the past two administrations. Mayor Nickels was often aloof, preferring to dispatch his deputy mayor Tim Ceis—widely known as “The Shark”—to attend to their needs and concerns. McGinn also did little to ingratiate himself; from the council’s perspective, he was combative, secretive, a high-plains drifter unwilling to be inclusive. The level of anger and resentment that still persists over McGinn’s tenure is quite remarkable. Murray falls neatly into the council’s comfort zone. As one City Hall veteran told me, asking not to be identified, “Ed knows all about how to do the care and feeding of the council. He has their cell-phone numbers, and he treats them like it’s a caucus. He invites them on ride-alongs. He’s always coming down to the second floor to visit. But that comes natural to him. He was one of them in Olympia, so he understands.” “He has made a very strong effort to reach out to the council,” says Burgess. “Unlike with the other guy, there have been few surprises. We know where he’s heading, and he’s been pushing the envelope.” “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this mayor,” says Council member Jean Godden. “He’s been in my office four times.” Godden to this day fumes that in January 2010, McGinn—just 10 days on the job—called a press conference on the waterfront to ask Seattle voters to tax themselves for the reconstruction of the downtown seawall. He had decided to call for a $241 million bond measure without waiting for new designs on the seawall replacement—and, to the council’s everlasting chagrin, without notifying them (especially Godden) of his intentions. “Ed can be very humble, and McGinn, well, he walked in like he was the smartest person in the room,” opines Bruce Harrell. “Murray has flipped the whole script. He’s cooperative and collaborative with us, and so is his cabinet.” Apparently it is very important to the council that the mayor hop in the elevator and descend five floors as often as possible. Listen to Burgess: “He’s been on our floor more times in 10 months than McGinn was in all his four years.” All of which prompts O’Brien, who was a close political ally of McGinn, to sniff, “It is interesting to see how a council acts when they go out of their way to make a mayor successful.” His implication is clear: McGinn never got a honeymoon, while Murray, Burgess concedes, “has enjoyed an extended vacation.”

“I know what it feels like to be a legislator,” Murray muses, growing more expansive now. “I’m sometimes asked what I miss about Olympia, and what I miss is being able to grab a colleague and go somewhere and talk about a piece of legislation.” Murray goes on. “Also, I’ve learned that I can’t have the same relationship with the media as I did in Olympia. I can’t mix it up like I used to do.” Murray is deeply aware of the fishbowl that encases him. The off-the-cuff remark or verbal faux pas that would never find its way into print in the capital—where you are but one of 157 lawmakers in a town where press coverage has grown increasingly scant—is all over Seattle’s papers, radio, blogs, and TV. “Everyone wants to know the mayor, talk to the mayor, and so, being introverted and contemplative, yes, that’s been an adjustment,” Murray says. “The other adjustment has been dealing with the bureaucracies. They’ve moved a lot slower than I had hoped.” Murray can be impatient, and when he is, his

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temper can flare. As one journalist who covered Murray for a number of years in Olympia put it, “He can be prickly. He has moments when he’ll go into the red zone, but it never lasts long. He’ll call you right back and apologize.” “I haven’t seen the red yet, but I’ve seen him go slightly pink,” cracks Licata. The Council’s budgetcommittee chair was referring to Murray’s ill-fated maneuver in October to balance the city budget by “underspending”—in other words, asking city departments to spend 1.5 percent less per year than their budget allows, thereby balancing the budget, based on wishful accounting, without having to cut services up front. Licata recalls that he and others on the council firmly told him no. Raising the minimum wage will likely be Murray’s most memorable achievement in his first year as mayor—maybe in his entire tenure. There was a lot of pressure, plenty of moving parts, and heated arguments about the length of the $15-an-hour phase-in and how many workers would constitute a “small business.” It was like herding cats. For the still-untested mayor, much was at stake politically. Most union endorsements went to McGinn, save for the powerful Service Employees International Union 775, led by David Rolf. The SEIU threw its support to Murray just before the August primary when Murray, at a candidate forum, became the only contender to come out in favor of a $15 minimum wage. It was a tough go for the mayor, balancing the interests of labor and business, all the while keeping in check Sawant and a mobilized force of organized fast-food workers and low-wage workers. “Ed knew when to apply pressure and when to back off,” Rolf told me earlier this year. “He was really quite skillful at heading up the whole effort.” “He could get mad, red in the face,” recounts Michael Wells, who sat on the committee. “But I always had a sense that he was play-acting. He badly wanted this deal, and he got it. It was impressive.” Freiboth of the King County Labor Council says that Murray, for the minimum-wage fight he’s waged and for leading the charge to pass the pre-K measure opposed by SEIU Local 925 and the American Federation of Teachers, managed “to get everyone a little irritated with him, but that’s a good thing. This is a competent administration, and overall I’d give him a B.” The biggest stumble of his maiden year came early on. In his first month, Murray demoted since-retired interim Seattle police Chief Jim

Pugel, a popular figure in the department whom reformers lauded for his work to shake up the SPD status quo. Onto the scene came Harry Bailey, a Seattle police officer for 35 years whom Murray trotted out of retirement. The results were disastrous. Bailey kicked up a huge PR nightmare for the new mayor by reversing misconduct findings against six officers—including one who had threatened a now-former editor of The Stranger, who was taking pictures of a man being detained at a transit station. At a hastily arranged news conference at City Hall on Feb. 21, the mayor, who was heavily invested in instituting police reform, said he was solidly behind Bailey’s decision to overturn the findings. Murray’s wrongheaded decision worsened when he told reporters that the cases resulted from a “backlog of grievances,” and that all Bailey did was sign off on actions endorsed by his predecessor, Pugel. But Pugel had never settled the cases—he just sent them to the city attorney for an opinion. “I made a mistake,” Murray told me of his decision to support Bailey’s move to erase the misconduct findings in favor of training and education requirements. “I was depending on information I relied on, and I didn’t get the right information. During this whole year, there’s been no issue that has gotten my attention more than police accountability and police reform.” After a quiet moment, he adds, “I guess this was my own version of the Bay of Pigs. I didn’t realize then how the policediscipline process was in this city.” There have been other bumps in the road, but most of them can be chalked up as embarrassing hiccups. “Other than maybe the police thing, it’s all been pretty minor stuff,” says Burgess. As the police-accountability fuss was beginning to quiet down, Murray’s first press secretary, Rosalind Brazel, sent out a Murray-attributed statement mourning the death of Jim Diers, the former director of the city’s Department of Neighborhoods. “I’m very saddened by the death of Jim Diers,” it read. Diers was, of course, still alive. Murray stripped her of her post as his chief spokeswoman in March. Brazel later filed a $1 million discrimination complaint against the city. In it, she said her dealings with the mayor were often unpleasant and that he “often snapped at her about media events she had scheduled for him.” After the suit was brought to light, Murray issued a statement: “The first days of my administration were chaotic and pressurefilled, as my office worked to bring significant change to city government while immediately addressing a number of major issues facing our community. In many ways, all of us were learning by doing, and there is no doubt that we all made mistakes—myself included.” Says Licata: “He has managed to correct his mistakes very quickly.” In June, Murray took some heat when his office awarded mayoral rival Peter Steinbrueck a $98,000 no-bid contract with the city’s Department of Planning and Development to assess “neighborhood sustainability” in Seattle. There was squawking that it was a quid pro quo— payback for the urban architect’s endorsement, which came several weeks before the November election. Not so, Murray said at the time: “I hire people with skills that we need.” The following month, Murray again got into hot water when he was forced by an avalanche of negative publicity to back off a previous and ill-conceived commitment to give City Light CEO Jorge Carrasco, the city’s second-highest-

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THE YEAR OF ED » FROM PAGE 11

paid public employee (behind only SPD Chief O’Toole), a $60,000 raise. Carrasco, plagued by stories of a con job by two men pretending to be Native American who convinced him to donate 20 tons of city-owned copper and scrap metal to their fake charity, did himself no favors when he was forced to admit that he’d lied in a KIRO radio interview when he said that he had never asked Murray to hike his salary of $245,000. No mayoral victory will likely ever overshadow Murray’s role in the passage of Referendum 74, which upheld the state legislature’s vote to recognize same-sex marriage. At least not in his eyes. “I could have lost my campaign for mayor,” declares Murray. “I could have lived with that, but I couldn’t have lost that campaign. I’d been fighting for this for my whole political career. It was personal.” Next to his long struggle over gay rights, Murray says he is proudest of his work in securing passage of the Seattle preschool program. Murray knows his victory to raise the minimum wage has gotten him the most attention and plaudits, but winning that property-tax levy to help cover pre-K education costs for families with 3- and 4-year-olds, “that was a very good moment for this city,” he says. “Kids are going to be getting up in the morning and going somewhere that’s going to radically change their lives.” Looking forward, “affordable housing will be the most important thing we do next,” Murray says. “It will determine the future of this city. We’ve taken some small steps on police reform, but that’s only the beginning. It will take time to turn this around.” The mayor goes on. “We can’t just continue to add more density without amenities. We’re going to need transit that will make a difference. And the waterfront will be huge. I want to have something like what we did in putting together the Seattle World’s Fair.” The waterfront could well define the mayor’s second year, but perhaps not the way he hopes. With the continued failures surrounding the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project— which involves the future removal of the sinking viaduct and a stalled tunnel dig—it is likely the mayor will become embroiled in an issue that he has managed to keep at a distance all year— despite his support for the multibillion-dollar megaproject while in Olympia. Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel machine, went on the blink just weeks before Murray took office, and hasn’t moved an inch since. In September, Murray announced that the deep-bore woes associated with the 1.7-mile underground highway could add millions to the cost of the downtown waterfront’s transformation. As he told The Seattle Times, “I don’t believe at this point we can move forward aggressively with planning until we actually solve the Bertha issue.” Even without that headache, the mayor knows the laws of political gravity will be at work in year two, and he will invariably be knocked down a peg or two. Many political leaders have enjoyed lengthy honeymoons: LBJ, for one, had a tremendous first year in 1964, but even he knew—and of course he was right—that it could not and would not last. But for now, Murray has a bounce in his step, and as Sally Clark points out, “Every time I run into him, he seems to be in a good mood. He seems to be really enjoying himself.” E

econklin@seattleweekly.com

food&drink FoodNews

The Rise of the Beer Buff

BY JASON PRICE

Will cicerones become as revered as sommeliers?

morningfoodnews@gmail.com

TheWeeklyDish

Noodle Bowl at Le Petit Cochon

Steve Little, cicerone at The Burgundian. Steve Little is one of the 20 or so certified cice-

The vocabulary for beer tasting is still in its infancy too, much like the cicerone program in general. While wine has a rich (and perhaps comical) lexicon, beer terminology doesn’t go much beyond basics like “malty,” hoppy,” “crisp,” or “floral.” The Siebel Institute of Technology’s Brewing School in Chicago is striving to change that, but part of the challenge might be that most beers still taste like, well, beer. Since many drinkers tend to lock onto a style or two they like, they end up unaware of the vast diversity out there, even as new styles are being invented seemingly daily. Little, naturally, proposes the growth of the cicerone program as a way to address some of that ignorance. “Certainly it’s not gonna solve everything, but as the industry, and drinkers, grow and mature, that increased knowledge is something we need. Studying for my exams forced me to get a very good basic understanding of beer. Yet now that I have that, there’s still way more to learn.” Is that heightened knowledge enough to change long-held assumptions about the differences between beer and wine? It very well could be; there’s no doubt that beer drinkers are more discerning than ever, and more willing to spend money on quality beer. But the verdict is still out on whether they’ll want and need cicerones to guide them. E

food@seattleweekly.com

I’m not sure that anyone in Seattle knows how to cook pork better than Derek Ronspies at Le Petit Cochon in Fremont. I still consider his 18-ounce, bone-in “Phat-Ass” pork chop the best in the city. So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that he also can make a mean pork noodle bowl—basically, a take on tonkotsu ramen. It’s more noodles and meat than broth; the chunks of pork practically melt before you’ve had a chance to chew them, and the addition of kale, black trumpet mushrooms and pickled garlic scapes provide a wonderful vegetal foil and zing to this rich dish. The small pool of milky broth that these hand-cut, chewy linguine noodles are served in has been rendered down to the most savory essence of pork (made from pork bones and the head of the pig). Every drop is a concentrated testament to how good a lovingly made soup base can be. The topper: a luscious sixminute cooked duck egg. If it weren’t so darn good, it’d be a perfect starter to share. But take it from me: You’ll want every last bit of it to yourself. E

nsprinkle@seattleweekly.com

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

rones in the Seattle area, but the only one who actually runs a beer bar, Tangletown’s The Burgundian. (Most cicerones work for breweries.) While he appreciates the technical grounding the program gave him, it’s the chance to taste a vast array of styles that helps him daily. “Through the cicerone program I was forced to try just about everything, like a northern English brown ale,” Little explains. “Doing so gives you a really good idea what that style tastes like . . . and I don’t like it. Yet having that understanding helps me when a guest wants that kind of beer, because then I can give them something they’ve never had before and will love.” The rise of the craft-brewing industry has widely expanded beer drinkers’ options, but there’s also been a lot of experimentation without much practical knowledge. While that can sometimes yield delicious results, it can also be a challenge for people like Little who run beer bars. “When you’re trying new beers, you have to know how the stuff is made to really get inside that bottle,” he explains. “Part of the problem is that the level of knowledge within the industry is being outpaced by the amount of beer on the scene. Recently I tried a beer that was obviously flawed, and the brewer didn’t even know something was wrong. We’re putting lots of stuff out there, but not everyone knows what they’re drinking or making.”

BY NICOLE SPRINKLE

NICOLE SPRINKLE

NATE WATTERS

lot of attention has been paid to sommeliers in the past few years. Given the complexity of the wine industry, it’s no surprise that many diners and drinkers prefer to turn over authority to a trained professional; there are centuries of cultural precedent. But a relatively new organization is hoping to offer a similar degree of service for beer drinkers, yet it remains to be seen if they’ll garner anywhere near the same level of fame. Modeled after the now-famous Court of Master Sommeliers exams, the three levels of the Cicerone Certification Program, begun in 2008, are designed to test a candidate’s knowledge (of brewing, proper pouring techniques, and the correct way to change a variety of kegs) and ability to understand and identify a wide range of styles of beer. At the first level, the exam is written, while the higher two levels incorporate tasting and service along with additional writing prompts. As a certified sommelier, I was interested to find out the differences between the two exams. Unsurprisingly, most of them reflect the differences between making beer and wine. “Beer is a process,” says Cody Morris, owner and brewmaster at Seattle’s Epic Ales. “The focus on the product is there, but large breweries are running 24/7.” While certain beer styles are more seasonally driven than others, beer in general isn’t a slave to the calendar like wine is. Plus, beer can be made just about anywhere: Even if hops or barley don’t grow well locally, they’re much easier to ship (and less fragile) than grapes. That means you can make English, German, or Belgian-style beers just about anywhere, while aping Old World winemaking techniques is much trickier. Storage and technology are other areas where the exams diverge. Wine technology has remained largely unchanged over centuries: You put bottles somewhere dark and cool, then open them gently. While the rules for beer bottles are basically the same, kegs and casks use myriad different closures and tap technologies, many of which can be bewildering. Learning how to attach, clean, and repair all those taps can be hard without an exam as motivation, so it’s a skill most bartenders never acquire. More than once at a bar I’ve been told that they’re out of a given beer not because they don’t have a backup keg, but because the bartender doesn’t know how to change it. That skill may make a certified cicerone an attractive candidate for a job at a beer bar, but explaining the specifics of different pressure systems or how to properly clean a faucet isn’t exactly compelling over-the-bar conversation. While the exams do involve a tasting component, it’s more focused on recognizing common faults in beer than on identifying what makes a given beer unique.

COURTESTY OF RUMBA

If you’re looking for a way to say “Mele kalikimaka” with friends and strangers, you’ll want to stop by Rumba (1112 Pike St.) for Wednesday Tiki Nights starting today, Dec. 17. Come on in with your vintage hipster Hawaiian shirt, coconut bikini, and flip-flops and get away from it all at this authentic tiki bar. Spam sliders? Check. Mai tais? Check. Dick Dale on surf guitar? Check. Aloha! The bottle shop at Ballard Beer Company opened last Saturday. They’ll be adding a wide selection of bottles to go with their 15 rotating taps featuring local Washington brews. The MmmHmm Coffee pop-up most recently located within Anchored Ship on Ballard Avenue has just opened an installation across the street in the Sanborn Building at 5325 Ballard Ave. N.W. Stop in for expertly prepared espresso drinks (made from Counter Culture beans) as well as a killer chai. E

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Banh making a proper Vietnamese coffee.

ur fair city is known for a number of iconic foods—salmon, oysters, and the like—but coffee trumps them all. Several years ago I had my first proper Vietnamese coffee in Singapore, a delectable concoction of thick coffee slowly brewed, then stirred into a pool of sweet, rich condensed milk: a hypercaffeinated revelation. While I can get decent Vietnamese food in this town, I simply can’t find good Vietnamese coffee. So I called Eric Banh of Monsoon and Café Ba Bar to talk about the art of brewing proper Vietnamese coffee, and where in Seattle to get one.

SW: When did coffee cultivation begin in Vietnam?

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SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

Eric Banh of Ba Bar talks about how to make it Seattle-style and where to find the best.

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Banh: The French brought coffee in in the 1800’s when the country was colonized. It became a profit-generator for them. It was also nice for the local agrarian culture as it was sweet, it wired you, and kept you alert. What are the main characteristics of Vietnamese coffee?

Everywhere I go people are using robusta beans—not Arabica, which is more refined and commonly used in espresso and filter coffee. Vietnam is the largest robusta producer in the world, and this is why the coffee is so strong. The only way to get away with using these overroasted, bitter, earthy coffees is to add sweetened condensed milk to them. The best way to put it is in comparison to wine: Arabica is like a fine Burgundy, robusta is like a burly Australian shiraz. I love the beautiful smell of the premium Arabica beans, and the bouquet is key for me. How do you prefer to make it?

When I was trying out coffees to make here, I tested Sumatra beans and found that they were substantially more acidic. They turned sour once you added in ice. Then I tested a blend of beans from Caffé Vita, which is what we use here. They worked perfectly for what I wanted to achieve—a more finessed version of Vietnamese coffee. That said, using condensed milk with the Arabica beans just does not work as well as robusta. The nature of the roast is very delicate, and so we froth it up to create

our own version that works. We put ice in the glass and stir it quickly to create a foamy, airy texture. I cannot use robusta beans living in this town. There’s nothing wrong with the traditional version—it just doesn’t satisfy my palate. By combining the original concepts with the quality of beans we have here, we create something that tastes pretty damned delicious. What does Vietnamese coffee culture mean to you?

It’s a huge part of the Vietnamese culture. Bars aren’t social places there, and going to them carries a stigma—you are considered either an alcoholic or low-class. So instead you go to the cafe. You can sit, watch the slow drip of the coffee, and have a conversation—it replaces alcohol as a budget-fitting social tool. And it takes a minimum of an hour. It slows you down and acts as therapy to calm you down. I also love the romance and the slowness of it. I remember growing up in Saigon as a kid—people give you coffee at an early age. At 9 a.m. my dad would bring me to this place where we’d have this strong coffee, with a scoop of coconut ice cream, peanuts, and some coconut meat—it was awesome. What makes good Vietnamese coffee?

Three things, in this order: a talented barista, the grinder, and the quality of the beans. You have to be passionate about what you are making. The person making it needs to love what they are doing and has to want to make a great cup of coffee. A simple way to ruin Vietnamese coffee is to not tamp it down properly. If it’s too loose, it just drips through. The longer the coffee is in contact with the water, the more caffeine will be extracted. For it to be right, there must be one drop every two seconds. Where can I go in Seattle to get the best?

Well, we do an espresso version here at Ba Bar, and we may bring back a traditional version in the future. Also, Saigon Deli in Little Saigon—they tamp the coffee down correctly and know how to do the job well. Hoang Lan on Beacon Hill does a nice job too. E

food@seattleweekly.com

arts&culture

ThisWeek’s PickList

Rising From the Ruins

How the Tony-winning author of the Rep’s acclaimed new LBJ plays is helping to resurrect a president—and the political deal-making—from a bygone era.

THURSDAY, DEC. 18

House of Games

BY BRIAN MILLER

At the same time, his two plays seem overwhelmingly topical—one reason for the hunger I observed in the audience for a president who transcends gridlock, twists arms, makes deals, and gets things done! “The relevancy of LBJ to our current political situation is remarkable and overlooked,” says Schenkkan, who notes the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights

The Doctor (Crouse) considers the loot.

SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE

As a child, Schenkkan actually met (but didn’t remember) LBJ.

Act of 1964, the passage of which supplies the dramatic impetus for All the Way. Still, Schenkkan didn’t foresee such timely import when he began the project six years ago. He explains, “I’ve come to this over time. Bill Rauch [of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival] approached me about this commission for the American Revolutions Project. The premise being, can American writers do with American history what Shakespeare did with Tudor history? By taking an individual or event out of our past to shed light on today and where we might be headed? I was the first writer they approached, and I said yes immediately. And I said LBJ. That was 2008. It was pre-Obama, well before the election.” During the writing process, Schenkkan intentionally targeted All the Way’s Oregon premiere for the 2012 election year “as a really great time to re-examine Johnson.”As Obama’s election and re-election raised notions of racial progress and past legislative milestones, says Schenkkan, “I honestly hadn’t thought how we’d be hitting all these anniversaries. But that was providential.” (Speaking of timing, Schenkkan is now penning an HBO adaptation of All the Way, with Steven Spielberg producing and Cranston to star, set to air before the 2016 elections.)

Where we are today, post-midterms, is with a widely unpopular black president and a South flipped entirely to Republican control—just as Johnson predicts in All the Way. (Rueful laughter rippled through the audience following that line.) With Martin Luther King Jr., George Wallace, J. Edgar Hoover, Democratic segregationists, and Republican liberals variously contesting with or allying themselves (and sometimes both) with LBJ in his two plays, Schenkkan reminds us how “in ’64 both parties were big tents. Both parties, Republican and Democrat, had a large liberal wing and a very substantial center and a very sizable conservative wing. Party unity meant trying to keep those three factions functioning together. “We are much less diverse, sadly, today in terms of both parties. Is there a liberal Republican wing? Not that I can think of. For Republicans and Democrats alike, there is a more unified, bloc-ish mentality. I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing. It makes it that much harder, for one thing, to make a deal. People have demonized the idea of making a deal. The idea of compromise is now anathema. That’s absurd! The other party is not going to have a Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus moment and suddenly come over to your point of view. In order to get things done, everybody’s got to give a little. And you make that impossible, then you make work impossible. And that’s very much where we are.” For all his flaws in the two plays, Johnson reminds us of a different time in American politics—still ugly and sometimes petty, but productive. Says Schenkkan,“I certainly don’t make any apologies for Johnson’s foreign-policy disaster. But that has clouded or obscured his considerable domestic-policy achievements. He really is the civil-rights president. I really do think we are seeing a re-evaluation of Johnson’s legacy. And I’m proud to say that I think these two plays are part of that.” E

bmiller@seattleweekly.com

ORION

All the Way depicts a political triumph, its sweeping action crammed into the eventful year following JFK’s assassination. Premiered earlier this year in Ashland (also under Rauch’s direction), The Great Society is “a tragedy,” says Schenkkan. “Whereas All the Way leads you up to a certain point . . . this [The Great Society] brings you full circle. And, I hope, to a clearer understanding of how we are the way we are today.”

Shot here in Seattle, the 1987 House of Games concludes SAM’s fall noir series, but how noir it is matters not one bit. This was playwright David Mamet’s first time behind the camera, filming a taut, tense, and twisty script he co-wrote with Jonathan Katz (yes, the guy behind the animated ’90s show Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist). The story is basically how a shrink (Lindsay Crouse, then married to Mamet) gets conned by a suave grifter (Joe Mantegna, never finer). She’s intoxicated—as are we—not just by his colorful cohort and criminal schemes, but by the sheer dextrous language of deception. House of Games is a film about language—what it reveals, conceals, and secretly imports with double meanings. All day the shrink listens to patients who can’t control their tongues; no wonder she falls for a guy who lies so fluently for a living. This was Mamet’s breakthrough in Hollywood, and it features a gallery of rogues who’d figure in memorable crime movies ahead (by Mamet and others): J.T. Walsh, Ricky Jay, and William H. Macy. Few cinematic con jobs have ever been so fun or so nasty. Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First

Ave., 654-3121, seattleartmuseum.org. $63–$68 series. $8 individual. 7:30 p.m. BRIAN MILLER

Critics Wrap 2014

It’s that time of the year again. By now we Seattle film critics have seen most—but not all!—of the movies that’ll dominate the year-end lists and Oscar nominations. That means Boyhood and Birdman, Inherent Vice and Ida, plus some titles you may never have heard of. (Our 10-best lists will run in next week’s paper.) But to get an erudite overview of the cinematic bests (and perhaps worsts) of 2014, tonight you could ask for no better host than our senior film critic Robert Horton, who’ll lead a critics’ year-in-review panel. What does he expect to be the prime topics of conversation and/or contention? “We usually get a good mix of rapturous consensus and pointed disagreement,” says Horton. “I sense general support for Only Lovers Left Alive, less so for Boyhood. I’ll make a case for The Grand Budapest Hotel as a new classic. Plus, it’s fun to hear passionate defenses for outlying films—things you might not have thought of for a 10-best list. The audience is encouraged to join the conversation.” Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., 622-9250, fryemuseum.org. Free. 7 p.m. BRIAN MILLER

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

itting at the dining table of his comfortable North Seattle home, Texasraised playwright Robert Schenkkan and I are trying to establish—without resorting to Google—if Lyndon Baines Johnson died on the exact January day in 1973 that would’ve marked the end of his second term. (Had he run for that term, which he didn’t, as we see in The Great Society, reviewed on page 17.) In fact Johnson died two days after Nixon’s second inaugural following four years of quiet retirement, a figure swiftly forgotten amid the turmoil of Watergate and Vietnam. Back then, too young to have actually voted for Johnson (whom he met as a child), Schenkkan recalls how Johnson had been reduced to caricature—an uncouth Texan who lifted beagles by the ears and showed his surgery scars. “The country turned on him,” says Schenkkan, whose Bryan Cranston-starring All the Way earned a Tony for last year’s run on Broadway. (Here it alternates with The Great Society through January 4 at Seattle Repertory Theatre.) “He left under such a cloud. When people think about Johnson, the instinctual reaction is Vietnam, which was such a painful trial for the country. That animus got expressed in many unfortunate ways. It was so easy to mock the Southernisms. For a cartoonist, it was a field day—those jowls and those ears!” It wasn’t always such. “Pre-1964, he was a great man. He was a liberal Democrat,”recalls Schenkkan, whose father dealt with LBJ while bringing public television to Austin. “We were big LBJ fans. The shock was this shockingly fast transformation from ’64 to ’66, ramping up in Vietnam—this steady leakage of information that Johnson had lied about the circumstances leading up to the war and the conduct of the war. And the country seemed to be tearing itself apart. It was a very painful time. There was a sea change in attitude toward Johnson.” That change is what we see in The Great Society, as the nation, Democratic Party, and LBJ himself come undone. Though he immersed himself in the history of Johnson’s presidency, visited the Johnson library in Austin, and listened to LBJ’s voice in recorded speeches, Schenkkan is no historian. Instead, like so many dramatists before him, he’s borrowing an historical figure to explore timeless themes of “power and morality. And Johnson is such a fantastic lens to investigate these thematic concerns,” says Schenkkan. “How far can one go, should one go, in order to do good? LBJ as a dramatic character is so extraordinary. He’s truly Shakespearean.”

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 15

arts&culture» » FROM PAGE 15

‘The MosT Purely enjoyable nighT of The year’

FINE LINE FEATURES

NEW YORK TIMES

Agee in a fleeting moment of triumph. FRIDAY, DEC. 19

Hoop Dreams

Almost three hours long, this great sports documentary from 1994 is poignant for a couple of reasons. First, it’s been restored and reissued in the same year that the doc Life Itself—about the late Roger Ebert, who championed Hoop Dreams—came out. Life Itself is on this year’s Oscar shortlist, and it’s a sentimental favorite to make the actual cut of five nominees—as Hoop Dreams failed to do, which was something of a scandal at the time. (Ebert, of course, led the outraged critics’ community.) Second, consider the subject matter. Filming over six years (!), James creates a sociological portrait of poor black teens grasping for a way out of the Chicago housing projects. High-school basketball may be the putative topic here, but James’ real focus is on the pressures, expectations, and wishful thinking of two players, Arthur Agee and William Gates, who somehow hope to transcend circumstance and reach the NBA like Michael Jordan. (It’s no spoiler to say those dreams don’t come to pass.) There’s a near-certain likelihood that our basketball-loving future president saw this doc while teaching at the University of Chicago in the ’90s, before his meteoric political rise. Agee and Gates weren’t so lucky or talented or whatever quality it is that separates the occasional AfricanAmerican star—in politics or sports—from the common fate. Hoop Dreams isn’t tragic, exactly, yet it illustrates the few choices available for so many young black men even today. (Through Sun.)

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

January 15-18 The Moore TheaTre

‘i alMosT asPhyxiaTed Myself wiTh laughTer’

Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., 267-5380, nwfilmforum.org. $6-$11. 7 p.m. BRIAN MILLER

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Maybe it’s just that they played in a church—but many local small orchestras do, and they don’t evoke the magic of the pathbreaking, venerable Academy of St Martin in the Fields quite like NOCCO did at its November debut. There’s a lot of chamber-orchestra repertory you probably first encountered thanks to the Academy (founded in London in 1959) and its large discography—and NOCCO’s first concert evoked that same arresting sense of excitement and discovery, as if I were hearing those Handel, Britten, and Shostakovich pieces for the first time.

Conductorless (which may have something to do with it), and founded on a core of about 20 string players (adding winds and brass as needed), NOCCO’s zing and polish will be tonight deployed in three of Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concertos: the Third, with its thrilling, torrential string writing; the Fourth, a pastoral interlude with a tootling pair of recorders as soloists; and the Fifth, with its wild, rhapsodic, slightly unhinged harpsichord cadenza. Magnolia United

Church of Christ, 3555 W. McGraw St., nocco. org. $10–$20. 7:30 p.m. GAVIN BORCHERT TUESDAY, DEC. 23

Pop Departures

Yes, Tuesday. Ordinarily SAM would be closed today, but the museum has tweaked its hours to accommodate the huge interest in this survey show, which runs through January 11. (It’s also open the next two Tuesdays . . . as is the gift shop, by some strange coincidence.) The idea is to attract more holiday shoppers to see Warhol, Lichtenstein, Oldenburg, and company. Pop Departures ranges from the old, white elders of Pop to their heirs of the ’80s and beyond—call them the Departees, perhaps? The grabby images are up front, mixing roadside iconography (Ed Ruscha), Hollywood faces (Warhol), comic-book panels (Lichtenstein), and even familiar plates of diner food (Oldenburg’s sculptures). They still have the power of their simple graphic clarity, their appropriation of the commercial lexicon of advertising, signage, and celebrity. Further in, we detect a growing sense of irony and criticism as we proceed through later examples of borrowed imagery, including Richard Prince’s cigarettead cowboys and Barbara Kruger’s framing of Warhol’s own iconic face. Jeff Koons’ gilded kitsch further collapses notions of high and low culture (even while commanding very high price tags). Moving past the millennium, SAM curator Catharina Manchanda sees “the foregrounding of a culture of display,” more engagement with the market and commodification. Here, unlike the elegantly reproduced old Brillo boxes and gas-station signs, younger artists reject any lingering notions of beauty. Uncle Andy would not be amused. Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave.,

654-3121, seattleartmuseum.org. $12–$19. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. BRIAN MILLER E

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My heart lies with the last-minute shopper. Whether a product of biology or environment, I too tend to leave gift purchases until the last minute. It certainly does not make for a stress-free holiday. But some of us thrive on that stress. Unfortunately, the rest of you have to live with us. For this I am deeply sorry. But it must be. Like the rush that accompanies a job at the helm of an ever-churning, deadline-driven publication, the combination of a ticking clock, a long list of names, and an empty basket focuses my muddled mind on the task at hand. My nostrils flare. It is go time. But it is a highwire act. While mulling that list for weeks has produced myriad ideas for my loved ones, there are no guarantees that the stockingstuffers will be in stock, that the presents will be present. Here is where the improvisational mind takes over and that most primary principle takes hold: “Never say no.” Behind every shop’s door is possibility. The most unlikely spot—a used-record store, a taxidermy shop— could contain a treasure you didn’t even know existed, and that your recipient didn’t even know they wanted. And perhaps won’t realize that they cherish until years from now. I do realize that is a horrifying way to go about shopping for most people. And so, for you who prefer not to wait until this, the final week of the shopping season, but have somehow ended up alongside the professional procrastinator, I present this, the final Seattle Weekly Gift Guide of the 2014 holiday season. Inside you will find more great gifts from local shops and makers, just as you have found in the past three installments (read them all at seattleweekly.com). There are amusing games for the bored teenager in your life, as well as artful objects for any home. And for those who don’t have time to run to the store to purchase these wares, we have compiled thoughtful gifts that you can just slip into a card in the comfort of your home. Your loved ones will cherish the gift of a night out at one of Seattle’s best restaurants or a membership to one of its most worthy arts organizations. And you will not have to worry about running into the likes of me as I storm the aisles of commerce, nostrils aflare. Mark Baumgarten Editor-in-Chief

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CREATION ITSELF

Author, editor, proud resident of South Seattle

The action paintings of Jesse Higman give elegant form to the chaos of life.

New Paradigm for South Seattle

When I tell anyone residing north of the I-90 corridor that I’m from Rainier Beach/Skyway, most are stunned that I have no visible battle scars or PTSD from all those years spent surviving drive-bys that you might think take place 15 minutes past every hour—more reliable than the Metro bus system, mind you. Seriously—statistically we have less crime and more artists per capita than the northern portion of the city. Shocking? It shouldn’t be.

BY T.S. FLOCK Different forms of abstraction and action paint-

Compassionate Light-Rail Fare Enforcement

$2.50. Sure, that’s barely enough for half a meal at any fast-food place, but for those who can’t pay that amount for fare, it’s enough to get you kicked off, detained, arrested, and/or fined should Sound Transit’s uncompromising sentinels discover you’re riding “dirty.” There are warlords who would look down in disgust at leaving the elderly and children stranded in torrential rain and cold without recourse to get home. There’s got to be a better way. Moratorium on the Word “Awesome”

Higman at the helm.

Over one million words in the English language and this is the one we’ve designated as the only perishable adjective that must be used up before expiration. If we could stop using it in response to everything from the extraction of belly-button lint to the exhalation of oxygen that would be so . . . so . . . damn, you got me. The Undoing of Racism

After 250,000 years of civilization, maybe a technological advancement could solve society’s most vexxing problem—perhaps an app that reminds us that the pigment of someone’s skin isn’t an automatic “Danger, Will Robinson!” moment. We’re moving into 2015, and we’re still shooting first and (maybe) asking questions later.

WYNNE H. EARLE

An Italian Family Pizza Location in South Seattle

I normally loathe pizza, but this downtownSeattle staple has me in its grip. When money was low, in between book residuals, I have sold televisions, iPads, and a portion of my childhood comic-book collection just to get a taste of Italian Family Pizza and briefly experience an amalgam of Christmas, Utopia, and what Idris Elba must feel like every day of his life. E Read Green’s coverage of his community in the South Seattle Emerald at southseattleemerald.com. Find his novel, A Year Without April, at amazon.com.

SEATTLE WEEKLY’S 2014 HOLI DAY G IFT G UI DE • PART FOU R

ing have been born over the past century, but the watery and mysterious Illuvium technique developed by Seattle artist Jesse Higman is among the most stunning and unusual. Higman is confined to a wheelchair and has limited use of his arms, but through his innovative and philosophical thinking, he invented a method wherein he pours iridescent flakes of mica and pigment onto a prepared surface, which creates flowing forms that dry into shimmering snapshots of wave movements, river deltas, swarms, the flow of life itself. For our watery clime, the style seems particularly apt, but they truly have universal appeal. The results make abstract art more accessible and representative of the balance of chaos and order underlying the process. Order: The pristine preparations around a specially designed table create bends in the surface of painted masonite, establishing the direction of the flow. The pigments are diluted in ratios to achieve specific effects. The surface is wetted. Chaos: The pigments are poured, and no one can predict just how everything will react and settle as it dries. There are just far too many variables, making it an elegant allegory of life itself, of creation in all forms. Higman knows deeply and personally how this unpredictable flow of life can result in chaos, and how the creative impulse is a means of making sense of it all. He has the calm energy of a true shaman, but is also a bit of a wild child. He’s close to a lot of rock royalty, having designed album covers for Heart, Alice in Chains, and other major acts. Like his art, Higman is a balance of order and chaos, dictated by a clear mind and heart. He has big plans for the coming year. A major grant from the city is allowing him to construct larger tables, at which he hopes to unite as many as 20 people to work on a pour simultaneously. He works large and small, but at any size the work is accessible. Black blackgrounds with carefully chosen palettes in abstract forms fit into most any environment. As a gift, going with a more modestly sized piece is smart, as it will be easier to place. The pictured piece, Reverie, is indicative of the Illuvium technique, but no two pieces are alike. Consider the shapes and colors available, and you may just end up with the perfect gift for the art lover in your life. E Prices vary. jessehigman.com.

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hot chocolate and go. If you do need specific titles, there’s no going wrong with University Book Store (4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400). The feminist on your list, for example, will treasure a copy of Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, or Unspeakable Things by Laurie Penny. Stay along the Ave for a while and hit Shiga’s Imports (4306 University Way N.E., 6332400) for items from the orient; Om Zappy (1409 N.E. 45th St., 661-1762) for free-trade tapestries and clothes from Nepal, Thailand, and India; Moksha (4542 University Way N.E., 632-2622) for edgy fashion; and, of course, Gargoyles Statuary (4550 University Way N.E., 632-4940) for gargoyle statues. Then finish your day off the Ave on Brooklyn. Down a flight of stairs beneath the Neptune Theatre, the understated exterior of Neptune Music Company (4344 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., 632-0202) hides a cultural bounty. The store is covered wall to wall in music; it even spills out into precarious stacks on the floor. This isn’t a shop you can casually browse, but a place where you carve out an entire afternoon to sift through tons of bins and piles to come across that gem: a rare Smiths single for your brooding nephew or an original-pressing Frank Zappa album for your vinyl-hound sister. E

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With its oversaturation of college students, the U District can often be overlooked, intentionally or not, as a great place for holiday shopping. But there are treasures to be found here. Sure, University Village on the opposite side of the University of Washington campus is an obvious choice for those looking for the conventional holiday feel (twinkling light-lined buildings and trees) and high-end retail (Apple, Microsoft, Williams-Sonoma, Anthropologie). But University Way, colloquially known as The Ave, offers something a little funkier, at times even charming. The bustle of frantic college students battling finals on the cusp of winter break is surprisingly festive. You could even visit the campus on a shopping break to take in that collegiate holiday feel. Think Hogwarts. Making your way up The Ave from Northeast 43rd Street, you’ll want to hit Heads Up (4305 University Way N.E.) first. This novelty shop is your stop for stocking stuffers: postcards, mugs, lunchboxes, T-shirts, and keychains with everything from the Beatles to My Little Pony on them. It’s Hot Topic without the corporate chain feel and moody teenagers. Next, Magus Books (1408 N.E. 42nd St., 633-1800) is a must for the bibliophile on your list, filled as it is with used, rare, and out-ofprint books. The space is small but packs a huge and expansive inventory; that and a friendly and knowledgeable staff gives this bookstore a charming intimacy. If you don’t have a specific title in mind, this is a great place to browse books on teasingly diverse topics. Along with a great fiction selection, you’ll also find sections on UFOs, chess, and potpourri. Tucked right behind Magus in the alley between University Way and 15th Avenue Northeast is your rest stop, Café Allegro (4214 University Way N.E., 633-3030). Seattle’s oldest and possibly most romantic and rustic coffee shop, this is a great place to grab some coffee or

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textures, and patterns, are enough to make you rethink your entire approach to interior design. For the Francophile on your list, visit Three French Hens (1100 Harris Ave., 756-1047) located inside a historic bank building. They do the dirty work of scavenging markets to create a unique shop brimming with gifts, vintage hats and jewelry, wall hangings, and apparel with a French flair. Finally, before you head back south, stroll through downtown’s Alley District between State Street and Railroad Avenue to find inspiration in its visionary and collaborative community. This creative hub boasts colorful murals and a diverse mix of artisans, cafes, bars, businesses, a community bike shop, and a community darkroom and photography studio. Toward the end of the alley, you’ll find Tide Lines (220 E. Maple St., 441-2368), a charming, unforgettable shop owned by jewelry designer Chelsea Jepson, who features artists from within a 100-mile radius. E

COURTESY SANDMAIDEN SLEEPWEAR

excitement,” which, as we head into the holiday shopping homestretch, is preferable to “the city of supremely stressed-out excitement.” There are more reasons than a slogan to head 90 miles north on I-5. First, there’s Allied Arts’ annual Holiday Festival of the Arts (alliedarts. org/holiday-festival-2014), a five-week familyfriendly festival featuring locally sourced and handmade goods, artist demos, local music, and fun activities for kids. And it’s procrastinatorfriendly, wrapping up on Christmas Eve. Also, Bellingham seemingly has the hottest art scene and most independent shops in Washington—next to Seattle, of course—with a culture that’s hyperconscious of buying locally and supporting small businesses. Bellingham also keeps its shopping sustainable, which is why you’ll need to BYOB (bring your own bags). You can find locally made specialty items just about anywhere, from downtown Bellingham to Fairhaven, Lynden, Barkley Village, and Ferndale. For a romantic gift, visit Sandmaiden Sleepwear (1216 Harris Ave., 312-4059), Bellingham’s very own lingerie and loungewear shop. Owner and designer Amanda Boyd integrates feminine ballet-inspired touches to her designs of wraps, tunics, cardigans, palazzo pants, and even swimwear, cut and sewn in-house using natural fibers. They’re admittedly sexy and form-fitting in all the right places, and functional enough to wear outside without looking like a sleaze. Whimsey (1200 10th St. #104, 733-5568) in Fairhaven sells expertly curated and handpicked works from more than 40 unique local jewelers, sculptors, and independent artists. Their wall-art collection is impressive; the dye-on-silk paintings and “sugar skulls,” hand-painted in various colors,

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In a small, welcoming space in Wallingford, chef Soma’s specialty is soba noodles served with little bowls of decadent broths flavored with the likes of black truffle oil, assorted mushrooms, and leeks, or grated Japanese

For the Couple: Lloyd Martin

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Soba noodles and broth at Miyabi 45th.

COURTESY MIYABI 45TH

Lloyd Martin, tucked all the way up on Queen Anne Avenue, is still one of the most intimate spots in town. Its tiny jewel-box space has only 10 seats, and the bar and kitchen are an arm’s reach away. Here, under atmospheric low lighting, chef Sam Crannell serves pristine three-course tasting menus that draw heavily on the season and local ingredients. Expect beauties like matsutake bisque, rabbit ravioli with Italian porcini and saba and huckleberry cake with whipped mascarpone. The wine list is extensive and calls for a special bottle shared by two. NICOLE SPRINKLE 1525 Queen Anne Ave. N., 420-7602, lloydmartinseattle.com.

Poppy

JOHN GRANEN

Oysters at Westward.

SARAH FLOTARD

Over one year in, Westward has yet to let me down, whether for weekend brunch, a drink and raw oysters at happy hour, or a proper dinner. The stylish, award-winning, nationally lauded spot on Lake Union delivers the best seafood, meat, and produce, which then gets chef Zoi Antonitsas’ unique Mediterranean twist. Standouts include their always-fresh oysters on the half shell; braised lamb shoulder with herb & onion salad, pomegranate, tzatziki, and pita; and whole roasted branzino with roasted fennel and its pollen and avgolemono sauce. NS 2501 N. Northlake Way, 552-8215, westwardseattle.com. For the Sushi Connoisseur: Mashiko’s

Yes, your loved one will have to travel to West Seatttle and make reservations if you want to snag a seat at what’s widely considered Seattle’s best spot for sushi. But with a focus on sustainability, chef Sato serves nigiri and sashimi you likely won’t find elsewhere, such as the rainbow trout I had on a recent visit. Omakase (or chef ’s choice) here is truly an adventure, and will allow you to sample ultra-fresh and interesting preparations of things like uni and matsutake mushrooms. No monster-sized, cream-cheese-laden sushi rolls here. NS 4725 California Ave. S.W., 935-4339, sushiwhore.com. For the Seasonal Food Fanatic: Poppy

Seattleites in general have been conditioned to expect the freshest food available. But for that person in your life who truly lives by the seasonal creed, a gift certificate to Poppy should do the trick. Nearly everything on its menu reflects the growing season. Fall’s menu, for instance, includes a lavender-crusted duck leg with pomegranate red cabbage, and, of course, their signature nigella-poppy naan bread. Spring bonus:

SARAH FLOTARD

SE ATTLE WEEKLY’ S 2014 HOLI DAY GIFT GUI DE • PA RT FOU R

For the Seafood Lover: Westward

Westward

mountain yam, aonori, and quail egg. But it’s not all about the noodles here; she also serves items like foie-gras tofu with honey-roasted grape; kabocha pumpkin shrimp bisque; and housemade duck meatballs with fried duck egg and sautéed sunchokes. NS 2208 N. 45th St., 632-4545, miyabi45thseattle.com. For the Sweet Lover: Hot Cakes Molten Cakery

It’s a no-brainer. Hot Cakes in Ballard (soon

to come to Capitol Hill) gives the sweettoother in your life a choice of stocking up on Autumn Martin’s homemade treats, like rye-whiskey caramel sauce or a s’mores kit, or taking a seat and indulging in grilled chocolate sandwiches, boozy shakes, spiked drinking caramel with mezcal, and seasonal specials like apple bread pudding. No matter the date, lines weave outside the door for summery icy treats or wintery warm ones. NS 5427 Ballard Ave. N.W., 420-3431, getyourhotcakes.com.

For the Wine Lover: Nell’s

Nowhere in Seattle are serious wine lovers catered to more. Its list features both iconic bottlings and nerdy favorites; the staff is practiced and easy to converse with; and whatever night you show up, you’re almost certain to run into a collector or two opening a special bottle. The prices on the list are quite reasonable, as is the corkage policy, and the menu is flexible enough to accommodate just about anything you might want to pair with it. ZACH GEBALLE 6804 E. Green Lake Way N., 524-4044, nellsrestaurant.com.

in Seattle. But what’s rarer is the swanky restaurant that also serves first-rate food—in this case, Middle Eastern. Enter Mamnoon. This shiny, spacious, open-kitchen establishment on Capitol Hill allows you to indulge in small plates like charred eggplant and minced lamb or Armenian beef tartare with cracked wheat, flowering oregano, basil radish, tomato, turnip pickle, and cilantro. NS 1508 Melrose Ave., 9069606, mamnoonrestaurant.com. E

For the Night Owl: Toulouse Petit

Two things I want from late-night meals: a decent selection and an atmosphere lively enough that I don’t feel totally isolated. Lower Queen Anne’s Toulouse Petit nails both: Its menu is eclectic and available until 1 a.m., and it always feels both animated and romantic. ZG 601 Queen Anne Ave. N., 432-9069, toulousepetit.com. For the Vegetarian: Plum Bistro

There’s a reason Plum Bistro attracts celebrities to its stylish Capitol Hill digs: owner Makini Howell’s vegan delights, such as spicy Cajun mac ’n’ yease or jerk tofu-and-yam burger. But it’s not all comfort food. Elegant dinner entrées include the likes of rosemaryand sage-rubbed seitan steak with butter-bean and pumpkin succotash and oyster-mushroom fettuccine with kale, seitan, parsley, and garlic. NS 1429 12th Ave., 838-5333, plumbistro.com.

COME IN AND ENJOY OUR HOLIDAY TRADITION AT AGAVE

Pretty great presents for kids 15-17.

Word Dominoes

Perfect for the word nerd in your life, this party game brings a new twist to a traditional game. Players take turns linking pictures to create various words and phrases, resulting in hilarious and imaginative answers. Easy to play, the game offers endless creative freedom, ensuring every round is different. Created by local gaming company Forrest-Pruzan Creative, Word Dominoes comes with 42 dominoes (84 images in total). TERRA CLARKE OLSEN $25. Queen Anne Book Company, 1811 Queen Anne Ave. N., 2842427, queenannebookcompany. indiebound.com. Control-AltHack Game

A tabletop game all about “white-hat hacking”

(ethical computer hacking to ensure security). Based on game mechanics by Steven Jackson Games (creator of the popular game series Munchkin) and developed by game designers from the UW Computer Security and Privacy Research Lab, Control-Alt-Hack presents players with different missions that require various hacking skills. Geeks and non-geeks alike will enjoy it because of its fun gameplay and humorous scenarios. TCO $30. Ada’s Technical Books and Cafe, 425 15th Ave. E., 3221058, seattletechnicalbooks.com.

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Madison Backpack

Made by Alchemy Goods, this is the perfect gift for the destructive teenager. Made from 56 percent upcycled material—used bike tubes, with shoulder straps forged from seat belts—the backpack has a divider for a laptop and multiple pockets. Locally made, the Madison Backpack offers a unique look, and is waterproof and durable. Best of all, Alchemy will repair any manufacturing defects for free! TCO $148. Alchemy Goods, 1723 First Ave. S., 484-9469, alchemygoods. abesmarket.com. E

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Porcelain Fortune Cookies

Let’s face it: Even if a fortune cookie is palatable, it isn’t what you choose to eat. We just want the fortune inside, which is often just dull inspiration instead. Boo. But with a new year approaching, a little good fortune is in order. Consider the microsculptures of artist Aleksandra Pollner: porcelain fortune cookies with messages by a Seattle-based psychic. Untouched, they’re elegant little symbols of luck and what could be. Open them and . . . well, you’ll find out. TSF $16. Available at the Frye Museum Store, 704 Terry Ave., 6229250, fryemuseum.org.

Fused Glass Chopstick Rests

In addition to sculpture, Pacific Northwest artist Kurumi Conley makes gorgeous tableware from fused glass in geometric, traditional, and natural motifs—pinnate leaves, candy-colored squares, contemporary blends. Her chopstick rests make great gifts for those who love Asian cuisine. Whether the recipient likes to coordinate with the season or just loves a little color at the table, Conley’s creations are bound to please. T.S. FLOCK $25 for a set of 5. Available at ArtXChange, 512 First Ave. S., 839-0377, artxchange.org.

LISA COLE

SE ATTLE WEEKLY’ S 2014 HOLI DAY GIFT GUI DE • PA RT FOU R

Lovers’ Teapot

Ceramicist Adrien Miller of Florentia Clayworks creates intricate sculptures and busts in addition to functional art. Teacups and teapots bear soft, dreamy faces, giving the already-beautiful natural materials an added humanity. The lovers’ teapot is an especially humanistic offering, following principles of feng shui which state that images of pairing increase harmony in a home. It’s one of many unique works that will bring an extra meditative touch to one’s teatime. TSF $150. etsy.com/ listing/122259109/lovers-teapot-porcelainrelationship.

English Walnut Salad Bowl and Peruvian Walnut Salad Servers

A combination of functional art and perfect form, this English walnut bowl was made by Dale Larson of Oregon. Larson turns bowls from local hardwoods such as Pacific madrone and burled maple. Bellingham’s Tiplin Taylor makes the elegant but sturdy servers using a bentwood process—two thin slices of wood are employed to create the distinctive bend. A match made in heaven. LISA COLE Salad bowl $375, servers $28. Available at Northwest Woodworkers Gallery, 2111 First Ave., 625-0542, nwwoodgallery.com. Glassybaby Hot Toddy Drinker

Since 2001, glassybabys have been lighting homes in fashionable and colorful ways. One of the latest additions to The Drinker, a slightly rounder, thinner drinking glass that comes in more than 30 colors, is the Hot Toddy. The Drinker is a hip way to serve party cocktails or set a table, and makes a beautiful bedside drinking vessel. You can be a giver, too, as a percentage of Drinker sales benefit the Department of Veterans Affairs to support the health needs of veterans. LC $55. glassybaby.com. E

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SEATTLE WEEKLY’S 2014 HOLI DAY G IFT G UI DE • PART FOU R

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11:00 PM A Festival Candlelight Eucharist Pre-Service music begins at 10:40 Served by the Chancel Choir, Handbells, Flute, and Harp

ALL ACCESS

Getting inside the arts with memberships and more. Seattle Art Museum Membership

Frye Art Museum Membership

The Frye is arguably Seattle’s most inventive and exciting large art space right now. And it’s free! But that freedom is maintained in part by memberships. So by giving one, you’ll be giving the gift of support for adventurous exhibits, plus a 10 percent discount at the Museum Store and at Daniel Smith Artists’ Materials and a 25 percent discount at all U-Frame-It shops. So this isn’t a handout by any means. AS $50 and up. Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., 622-9250, fryemuseum.org. Henry Art Gallery Membership

Why should students have all the fun? While the Henry is free for those matriculated at UW, a membership allows unfettered access to the adventurous art museum, as well as exclusive access to previews, opening parties, and events inside and outside the museum. AS $10 and up. Henry Art Gallery, 4100 15th Ave. N.E., 543-2280, henryart.org. Seattle Symphony Gift Certificate

An outing at Benaroya Hall is always a memorable evening, an uplifting event espe-

cially perfect for the gloomy season. Be a part of that moment by comping the night with prepaid tickets for friends. Seattle Symphony asks that customers expect later delivery during the holiday season, and to keep in mind that certificates expire three years from date of purchase. AS Prices vary. 200 University St., 215-4700, seattlesymphony.org.

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Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley Gift Card

At Seattle’s premiere jazz joint, live music, cocktails, and dinner are all part of the experience. But imbibing all that jazz can put a dent in anyone’s wallet. Help out a friend with a gift card that can be used for tickets, food and drink, and merchandise. Available online in $25 increments up to $500. To designate a specified amount, phone the club. AS $25 and up. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729, jazzalley.com. Intro to Dance Class at Velocity Dance Center

For the would-be, could-be, won’t-stop-talking-about-it dancer on your list, there’s Velocity, and this class is perfect for getting in on the ground floor. Students don’t just practice dance, but also proper etiquette and technique, receiving instruction on body awareness through group exercises. The program is divided into two series, the variants being day, time, and instructor. Each lasts six weeks. AS $70. Velocity Dance Center, 1621 12th Ave., 325-8773, velocitydancecenter.org. ACTPass

Give the gift of endless great theater—or three months of it, at least. ACTPasses are sold in three-month increments, up to a maximum of 12. Each month the holder can attend up to six shows in A Contemporary Theatre’s many performance spaces, including plays, film, music, dance, and more. Membership begins the month in which the enrollment is processed, so purchase accordingly. AS $90 and up. ACT, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. E

SEATTLE WEEKLY’S 2014 HOLI DAY G IFT G UI DE • PART FOU R

Open the world of Seattle’s premiere art experience. Members are granted unlimited admission to SAM, the Asian Art Museum, and the Olympic Sculpture Park, as well as a 10 percent discount at SAM Books, Shop, and Taste. Purchase online, call in, or stop by the museum. ABBY SEARIGHT $69 and up. Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., 654-3100, seattleartmuseum.org.

ACTPass

For unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is given: And the government will be upon His shoulders. And His name will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

SE ATTLE WEEKLY’ S 2014 HOLI DAY GIFT GUI DE • PA RT FOU R

» Stage

Power and Its Price

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE CLASSIC FILM

The second of Robert Schenkkan’s two LBJ plays is equally sweeping but more tragic.

BY MARGARET FRIEDMAN

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War. LBJ’s personal secretary (Bakesta King), her son in the Navy, has perhaps the most wrenching arc among these. Others are lighter, such as LBJ’s rivalry with Bobby Kennedy (portrayed by Danforth Comins as a Trump-coiffed dandy with a New England accent bordering on a speech impediment). Meanwhile J. Edgar Hoover, George Wallace, and Chicago mayor Richard Daley rationalize their racism as anticommunism—or patriotism, even. King’s civil-rights coalition decries the war, Stokely Carmichael declaring “No Viet Cong ever called me ‘nigger.’ ” The war toll visibly erodes Willis’ LBJ, chided by seemingly the entire universe— from protesters to hawks to Walter Cronkite. As in All the Way, most actors here perform multiple roles with crystalline specificity, a tribute to Bill Rauch’s direction, Tom Bryant’s dramaturgy, amazing costuming and makeup stunts, and the overall exacting professionalism. (Most of the same Oregon Shakespeare Festival ensemble has been doing these two plays since 2012, from Ashland to Broadway and back.) This is a huge-cast, huge-cost, huge-theme, huge-talent, and hugepleasure play that will not come around often. The three hours pass speedily, fueled by myriad political and social parallels with today: police violence against blacks, the perfect as the enemy of the good, people voting against their interest (if at all), racial privilege, the cost of a foreign war versus domestic spending . . . the list goes on. Schenkkan’s plays implicitly ask whether moral conscience will always be political suicide. Humphrey, the progressive Minnesotan, sacrificed his vision on the altar of fairness (to Richard Nixon, egad). Idealists MLK and Bobby got shot (painfully relegated to margin notes here). Despite his hardball political genius, LBJ had a noble heart that finally left him feeling like “a jackass in the middle of a hailstorm.” This is what theater was invented for. Don’t miss it. E

CHRIS BENNION

yndon Johnson was 13 of the most interesting and difficult men I ever met.” Thus spake Bill Moyers about his old boss. We get to meet at least that many versions of our 36th president in Robert Schenkkan’s epic history plays All the Way and The Great Society. (The latter opened last week; both alternate through January 4.) Part of my enjoyment of All the Way derived from its masterful architecture: All that historical background, social context, and character revelation accomplished in each individual beat. In The Great Society, by contrast, there’s nary a spare moment in its four-year span to notice the deep structure. The homework is past; this second play is pure, breathtaking entertainment. After buttering up his punching bag of a liberal VP Hubert Humphrey (Peter Frechette), the newly elected president ( Jack Willis) mocks any potential indignation about political means and ends: “‘Oh my God, he’s lying!’ Like that’s never happened before in the history of the Republic. George Washington and his fucking cherry tree.” That may sound craven, but then he tells us in poignantly plain speech why, back in his congressional days, he did whatever was necessary to bring electricity to his rural corner of Texas. In a glance Willis reads the room’s mood, then re-acidifies: “Do you think any of those women [who got electricity] thought, “Oh no, I can’t use this. Lyndon lied.” While the audience chuckles, the subject of lying ricochets past the growing tally of Vietnam War dead—projected above the incrementally crumbling set—and lands in Martin Luther King’s strategy room, where LBJ’s delay on voting rights feels like a lie. There also the ghost of Jimmie Lee Jackson, murdered by a state trooper in Selma, relates his story with Spoon River-like matter-offactness to King (Kenajuan Bentley). Such flights of magical realism combine with all-too-real (and still topical) tableaux of racial injustice: from the police attacks on the Edmund Pettus Bridge to riots in Watts and Chicago. All the theatrical elements excel in these vivid scenes. At least a dozen stories interweave then converge at the pernicious maw of the Vietnam

The war has more than one cost for LBJ (Willis, with King as his grieving secretary).

arts&culture» Performance Stage OPENINGS & EVENTS

THE GOOD FUN SHOW A stand-up showcase, every

third Saturday; this month, Finn Cottom, Isabela Comerford, and Leah Mansfield. Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave. $10–$12. 10:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20. LATE NIGHT HOLIDAY CABARET Camp and fabulousness with Captain Smartypants, Sensible Shoes, and Arnaldo! Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-893-9900, kpcenter.org. $25. 8 & 10:30 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19. OLDE TIME HOLIDAY SHOW If drag’s not your thing, KPC still has you covered, promising “singers, dancers, circus performers, illusionists, and Celtic Christmas favorites.” Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-893-9900, kpcenter.org. $15. 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m., Sat., Dec. 20–Sun., Dec. 21.

CURRENT RUNS

• ALL THE WAY Seattle playwright Robert Schenkkan’s

broad, bustling Tony winner reframes our view of the Lone Star magician/politician Lyndon B. Johnson, played by the excellent Jack Willis. Schenkkan packs scads of information and backstory into chorus-like powwows among various factions. It’s dizzying, but it conveys the scramble that Johnson had to navigate to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964—all the while consolidating power for his passion project, the War on Poverty. That effort, and the Vietnam War, will fill LBJ’s tumultuous four-year term in Schenkkan’s The Great Society, which alternates with All the Way. MARGARET FRIEDMAN Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St. (Seattle Center), 443-2222. $17– $150. 7:30 p.m. Tues.–Sun., plus Wed. and weekend matinees; see seattlerep.org for exact schedule. Ends Jan. 4. APPALACHIAN CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING Tales of three generations, with lots of live roots music, for the holidays. Taproot Theatre, 204 N. 85th St., 781-9707. $20–$40. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., plus some weekday matinees; see taproottheatre. org for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 27. ATTACK ON EMERALD CITY Six superhero-themed short plays. Ballard Underground, 2220 N.W. Market St., 800-838-3006, facebook.com/AttackonEC. $5. 10 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends Dec. 20. THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER What happens when bad kids take over the holiday play? Presented by Youth Theatre Northwest. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island, 232-4145, youththeatre.org. $13–$17. 7 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends Dec. 21. THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER The 14th annual production by Seattle Public Theater. Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake, 7312 W. Green Lake Dr. N., 524-1300, seattlepublictheater.org. $5–$32. 2 & 4 p.m. Sat.–Sun. plus Dec. 22–24. Ends Dec. 24. BOB’S HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY Comic havoc is wrought at an Iowa insurance agent’s bash. Burien Community Center Annex, 14501 Fourth Ave. S.W., Burien, 242-5180, burienactorstheatre.org. $7–$20. 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 21.

Pictured: Ariana Lallone

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES/THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER A Dylan Thomas/Thornton

Wilder double feature. Stone Soup Theatre, 4029 Stone Way N., 633-1883. $20–$25. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., plus more performances Xmas week; see stone souptheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 24. A CHRISTMAS CAROL He may be a miser onstage, but Scrooge’s been very generous to ACT over the years. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676. $27 and up. Runs Tues.–Sun.; see acttheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 28. A CHRISTMAS CAROL A musical version. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., 425-881-6777, second storyrep.org. $5–$10. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Dec. 20. A CHRISTMAS CAROL JR. Mrs. Claus and the elves retell the Dickens tale. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $5–$10. 1 & 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends Dec. 21. A CHRISTMAS STORY This year instead of catching it on TBS’ 24-hour broadcast, see the musical version onstage! 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., 625-1900, 5thavenue. org. $29 and up. 7:30 p.m. Tues.–Wed., 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., 1:30 & 7 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 31. CHRISTMASTOWN A new “holiday noir, ” complete with a hard-boiled gumshoe and a sexy elf, by Wayne Rawley. Seattle Public Theater, 7312 W. Greenlake Dr., N., 524-1300. $5–$32. Runs Fri.–Sun. plus more performances Xmas week; see seattlepublictheater.org for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 24. DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT An orphan finds himself in the big city of London, where he meets a remarkable cat. Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Center, 441-3322. $20 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sat., see sct. org for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 21.

THE DINA MARTINA CHRISTMAS SHOW An all-new

show from the adored, tireless, must-be-seen-to-bebelieved entertaineress, with Chris Jeffries on keyboard. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 800-838-3006. $22–$25. Runs practically daily; see brownpapertickets.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 31. THE GREAT SOCIETY SEE PROFILE, PAGE 15, AND REVIEW, PAGE 17. HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS: FEAR THE BACON The annual holiday sketch show from Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt (aka Dos Fallopia). Another visit from the Sequim Gay Men’s Chorus is promised. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. $30–$35. 7:30 p.m. Wed.– Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends Dec. 21. HOMO FOR THE HOLIDAYS This burlesque ex-dragaganza stars BenDeLaCreme, Kitten LaRue, Lou Henry Hoover, and plenty more. (Idea for a nom de burlesque: Plenty Moore!) West Hall, OddFellows Building, 2nd Floor, 915 E. Pine St. $25–$35. Runs practically daily; see strangertickets.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 27. A(N IMPROVISED) CHRISTMAS CAROL Dickens, rewritten by you. Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 587-2414, unexpected productions.org. $5–$15. 8:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 7 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 28.

•

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO SHOW

Twelfth Night Productions presents Joe Landry’s Capra adaptation. Kenyon Hall, 7904 35th Ave. S.W., 800-8383006, brownpapertickets.com. $18–$20. 7:30 p.m. Fri.– Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 14. JUDY’S SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS In this musical fantasy, Judy invites her Hollywood friends—from Lillian Hellman to Liberace— for a holiday TV special. (If you have to ask which Judy, this show is so not for you.) ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. S.W., 938-0339, artswest. org. $17–$36.50. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., plus 7:30 p.m. Tues., Dec. 23 & 5 p.m. Wed., Dec. 24. Ends Dec. 28.

LAND OF THE SWEETS: THE BURLESQUE NUTCRACKER Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann return

for the ninth annual staging of this festive and titillating tradition. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333. $40–$65. Runs practically daily; see thetripledoor.net for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 27. MARY POPPINS After little Jane and Michael Banks turn and burn a string of governesses, an Edwardian version of Super Nanny appears to transform the naughty kids and their unhappy elders with alchemy and adventure. In the title role, Cayman Ilika finds a Julie Andrews-esque balance of cool and compassion. ALYSSA DYKSTERHOUSE Village Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, 425-392-2202. $40–$72. Runs Tues.–Sun.; see villagetheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends Jan. 4. (Runs at the Everett PAC Jan. 9–Feb. 8.) PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Richard Nguyen Sloniker, the Darcy in Book-It’s brisk and bubbling version of the beloved Jane Austen novel, carries off some splendid scenes with the sharp, subtle Elizabeth of Jen Taylor. The casting is just as ideal all the way through, the 15 actors adept at weighting and coloring every laugh line to make it land and deftly avoiding caricature even where it’s most tempting. Marcus Goodwin ably directs his Austen adaptation, previously staged in 2000 and 2004. GAVIN BORCHERT Center Theatre at the Armory (Seattle Center), 216-0833. $25–$60. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see book-it.org for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 28. RECKLESS Craig Lucas’ comedy starts on Christmas Eve with a husband’s guilty confession. Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., fantasticz.org. $10–$20. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Dec. 20. SNOWGLOBED Five short new holiday-themed plays. Theater Schmeater, 2125 Third Ave., 324-5801, schmeater.org. $10–$12. 11 p.m. Fri.–Sat. Ends Dec. 20. SORRY! WRONG CHIMNEY! A department-store Santa is suspected of adultery in this holiday farce. Renton Civic Theatre, 507 S. Third St., Renton, 425-226-5529, rentoncivictheatre.org. $15–$22. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 20. SPAMALOT A musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As you know. Bainbridge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, 842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org. $19–$27. 7:30 p.m. Fri.– Sat., 3 p.m. Sun.. Ends Dec. 21. TEATRO ZINZANNI: HACIENDA HOLIDAY In TZZ’s new show, Showbiz couple Vivian Beaumount and Clifton Caswell (Christine Deaver and Kevin Kent) return to a swanky hotel to renew their vows, in a romantic tale as spicy as the Southwest-inspired menu. GAVIN BORCHERT Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015. $99 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun. plus some Wed.; see zinzanni.com/seattle for exact schedule. Ends Jan. 31. TINY TIM IS DEAD In Barbara Lebow’s cheerily titled play, a group of homeless people stage A Christmas Carol. Presented by Play Factory Theatre. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 800-838-3006, playwrights-theatre.org. $20–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 6 p.m. Sun. Ends Dec. 20.

•

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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arts&culture» Performance » FROM PAGE 18

Classical, Etc.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE: LIVE! Three episodes from

• THE MET: LIVE IN HD Wagner’s generously proporDie

the cult TV series adapted for the stage. Theater Schmeater, 2125 Third Ave., 324-5801, schmeater.org. $18–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends Dec. 20. UNCLE MIKE RUINS CHRISTMAS Relive your worst family holiday traumas in this improv show. Jet City Improv Theater, 5510 University Way N.E., jetcityimprov. org. $12–$15. 10:30 p.m. Sat. Ends Dec. 20. UPSIDE DOWNTON: THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Everyone’s fave Brit period piece gets sent up, improvstyle. Jet City Improv Theater, 5510 University Way N.E., jetcityimprov.org. $12–$15. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri. Ends Dec. 19. WONDERLAND The Can Can’s fantastical winter cabaret. The Can Can, 94 Pike St. $40–$100. Runs Wed.–Sun.; see thecancan.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 28.

Dance

NORTHWEST BALLET: NUTCRACKER • PACIFIC While it’s not a going-out-of-business sale, there’s

a certain last-chance feeling to this year’s run of Nutcracker. Pacific Northwest Ballet premiered this production, choreographed by Kent Stowell and designed by Maurice Sendak, in 1983. PNB was just 11 years old at the time, and the goal was to create a world-class production. Thirty-one years later, I think we can say they succeeded. This time next year we’ll see George Balanchine’s iconic choreography set to new designs by Ian Falconer (of Olivia the Pig fame). What will I miss about this annual holiday production? The careful storytelling, with key elements of the drama laid out multiple times, so even the smallest audience members can follow the E.T.A. Hoffmann tale. The antique-store density of Sendak’s set design—I’ve seen it many times, and still find new things to marvel at in the details. The vintage quality of the theatrical tricks, especially the stage-within-a-stage for the trip to the Pasha’s kingdom, with its unrolling panorama and old-fashioned waves (complete with leaping dolphins on the piccolo flourishes!). And the charming way that the Pasha’s court “applauds” using ASL, waving their hands above their heads. If you don’t already have tickets, try to get some. SANDRA KURTZ McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. (Seattle Center), 441-2424, $35–$136. See pnb.org for near-daily schedule. Ends Dec. 28.

INTERNATIONAL BALLET THEATER: NUTCRACKER

They’re taking their show on the road. Meydenbauer Theater, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue, 425-2840444. $25–$50. Runs Fri.–Sun. plus Dec. 22 & 23; see IBTbellevue.org for exact schedule. DASSDANCE: MINI-NUTCRACKER A family party, with breakfast and a visit from Santa. Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave., 800-838-3006, dassdance.org. $15–$20. 11 a.m. Sat., Dec. 20.

Just a Song at Twilight

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sixth speaker will gather and respond to these strolling sounds. The promised result: sounds as subtle and fragile as the ephemeral shifting colors of the year’s earliest sunset. (Not to mention it’ll be a welcome break from carols.) 1250 Denny Way (between Pontius and Yale), allriseseattle. org. Free. 4–5:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21.

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

EARSUPPLY

•

NAT EVANS

Seattle’s most improbable art space—for years a hulking gray Greyhound bus garage, now a scarcely more attractive empty lot, next spring to be an electrical BY GAVIN BORCHERT substation—is ALL RISE, the omnibus name for a series of performances and installations. This weekend’s work, Nat Evans’ The Lowest Arc, is a bit of both, in the shape of a Cageian participatory “happening.” Evans derived music, to be played from five speakers, by superimposing graphic representations of movements of the sun and moon (the title, of course, refers to the winter solstice) onto staff paper. The participation comes through music boxes (pictured) borne by visitors as they stroll about the site. The hole patterns on the paper rolls for these fanciful gizmos—whose toy-like aspect suggests another seasonal celebration—trace the dots of winter constellations as seen on star maps. Then a

tioned comedy (six hours, including intermissions) Meistersinger von Nürnberg. See fathomevents.com for participating theaters. 6:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 17. NORTHWEST SYMPHONY BRASS QUINTET Holiday faves. Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 Fourth Ave. S.W., Burien, $10. 7:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 17. PACIFIC MUSICWORKS Three Bach cantatas, sections of his Christmas Oratorio. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island, 7:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 17, and St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave., 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19. $10–$40. 800-838-3006, pacificmusicworks.org. MEDIEVAL WOMEN’S CHOIR Music by Hildegard of Bingen and other Christmas works. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., noon, Thurs., Dec. 18 (free), and St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave., 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20 ($25–$30). 264-4822, medievalwomenschoir.org. SEATTLE LABOR CHORUS With John McCutcheon, the tale of the 1914 WWI Christmas Truce in story and song. University Temple Methodist Church, 1415 N.E. 43rd St., seattlelaborchorus.org. Free. 7 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 18. SEATTLE SYMPHONY Cristian Macelaru conducts Messiah. Benaroya Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 2154747, seattlesymphony.org. $23 and up. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19; 1 & 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20; 2 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21. NORTHWEST BOYCHOIR The traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols at venues all over Seattle, Dec. 19–23; see nwboychoir.org for complete info. $10–$25. SEATTLE CHORAL COMPANY “On Christmas Night.” St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E., 363-1100, seattle choralcompany.org. $25. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19. INVERSE OPERA A reprise of their staged, theatrical Messiah, launched last year. Isaac Studio at Taproot Theatre, 208 N. 85th St., 800-838-3006. $25–$30. Runs 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat. plus some matinees; see theinverse opera.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 20. SEATTLE REPERTORY JAZZ ORCHESTRA A revival of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music concerts of the ’60s. Benaroya Recital Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 800-8383006, earshot.org. $14–$38. 7:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20. THE LOWEST ARC SEE EAR SUPPLY, BELOW. MARK O’CONNOR The master fiddler presents “An Appalachian Christmas.” Meany Hall, UW campus, 5434880, uwworldseries.org. $10–$55. 7 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21. NORTH CORNER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 16. SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS For many, it wouldn’t be Christmas without their holiday show. Benaroya Hall, Third Ave. & Union St., 388-1400, flyinghouse.org. $28– $78. 7:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21–Mon., Dec. 22.

arts&culture» Film

Annie

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

OPENS FRI., DEC. 19 AT MERIDIAN AND OTHER THEATERS. RATED PG. 119 MINUTES.

Musical-theater purists can be almost as fussy as Star Wars fanatics, so expect a certain amount of kvetching over the new adaptation of Annie (previously filmed in ’82). The beloved 1977 Broadway show gets a thorough reworking, with rewritten lyrics, funked-up music, and a timeshift to the present day. (The comic-inspired original was a Depression-era fable, complete with cameo by Franklin Roosevelt.) Though it’s going to get lambasted, this new Annie is actually kind of fun on its own terms, with a rapid-fire pace and actors who aren’t afraid to be silly. The role of Annie usually goes to girls who sound as though they’ve swallowed Ethel Merman’s trumpet, but here the part is played by soft-voiced Quvenzhané Wallis, the kid from Beasts of the Southern Wild. Annie’s no longer a little orphan, but a foster child, raised in a Harlem group home by the booze-swilling Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). The campaign managers (Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale) of a billionaire mayoral candidate named Will Stacks ( Jamie Foxx, in good form) determine that this child would look great in pictures with their guy. So Annie becomes the ward of the workaholic tycoon, and you know where it goes from there. The storyline has been changed and some songs and characters trimmed, but we still hear the plaintive throb of “Tomorrow” and the kicky fun of “It’s the Hard Knock Life.” They’re just . . . rearranged a little. (The film’s producers include Jay-Z, who made a memorably weird hip-hop mashup out of “Hard Knock Life” some years ago.) The movie gets messier as it goes, but the actors are peppy and a sense of goodwill pervades—even mean Miss Hannigan is revealed to be misunderstood. Director and co-screenwriter Will Gluck showed his antic talents in Easy A and Fired Up, and he keeps this film popping along with in-jokes and non sequiturs. He doesn’t display a particular gift for musical num-

bers, but then neither did John Huston in the odd 1982 movie adaptation. Gluck’s comic touch also keeps this film a little too zany to nail the Broadway show’s bet-your-bottom-dollar sentimentality, so the purists will have a point there. On the other hand, you’d really have to go out of your way to complain that the show’s two biggest roles have been given to black actors—but if you check the comments sections of online references to the film, you’ll find plenty of people going out of their way. Sigh. Tomorrow is only a day away, right? ROBERT HORTON

Elsa & Fred OPENS FRI., DEC. 19 AT SUNDANCE CINEMAS. RATED PG-13. 97 MINUTES.

Fifty years ago Shirley MacLaine was doing adorable-pixie roles in movies like Irma La Douce and What a Way to Go! and Christopher Plummer was, well, the Captain in The Sound of Music. Both actors are doing just about the same thing in Elsa & Fred. She’s still an unstoppable force of life, and he’s still moping around the house. MacLaine doesn’t break into a chorus of “My Favorite Things” to shake him out of his doldrums, but she does insist that they re-create the fountain-jumping scene from La Dolce Vita. Which is not a bad way for an old curmudgeon to get his mojo back, it turns out. The film is based on a 2005 picture from Argentina of the same title. MacLaine plays Elsa, who takes on the challenge of waking up her new neighbor Fred (Plummer) to the pleasures of life. Fred, recently widowed, has been dumped in his apartment by his needy daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) and her overbearing husband (Chris Noth). Fred would prefer to be left alone, but that isn’t going to happen with Elsa kicking his butt. The movie doesn’t have many surprises in store, but director Michael Radford (Il Postino) adds a few dashes of vinegar around the general feel-good mood. The cast is pretty strong for the low-budget trappings, with George Segal dropping by as Fred’s old pal, James Brolin as a man from Elsa’s past, and the underused Erika Alexander as Fred’s caretaker. You might recognize the kid who plays Fred’s grandson as Jared Gilman, the boy from Moonrise Kingdom. Like other threads in the script, the grandson gets set up without much of a payoff.

OPENS FRI., DEC. 19 AT SUNDANCE AND MERIDIAN. RATED R. 134 MINUTES.

Repeat after me: “Ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist.” Now imagine your future livelihood and independence depend on delivering that phrase correctly. Ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist—it’s so easy, right? Only the wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), who won gold in the 1984 Olympic Games, is having a little trouble with the words. Mark, to put it nicely, isn’t very bright. He’s got a puppy-dog earnestness; his ears have turned to cauliflowers after so much time on the mat; he’s accustomed to taking orders from his older brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo), who also won gold in ’84. Now Mark’s on his own, flying in a helicopter for the first time, doing cocaine for the first time, about to give a speech prepared by his new patron, the eccentric multimillionaire John E. du Pont (Steve Carell), on whose helicopter he’s riding, whose coke he’s snorting. One more time: Ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist. Du Pont keeps repeating the self-aggrandizing benediction to the point of absurdity—as if those words will somehow bestow the status he so desperately seeks as a leader of men. Only then, about midway through Bennett Miller’s clinically chilly true-crime tale, are we sure he’s insane. Foxcatcher’s murderous outcome is never in doubt. One brother will perish and du Pont go

Vanessa Redgrave (playing du Pont’s patrician, disapproving mother). With his birdlike prosthetic nose, craned neck, and opaque, upper-toothed smile, Carrell’s du Pont remains a mystery, but not an interesting mystery. His character recedes into a dull void. He’s got no spark or intelligence (like Mark); and Dave, the only guy here with any good sense, is absent for half the movie. Du Pont makes for a hollow, creepy villain whose inferiority complex is too obvious and whose sexual orientation is oddly uncharted. What does he truly want from Mark, and what did Mark give him? Mark’s midfilm debauch, with hair grown out and blonde highlights added, suggests he’s become a rent boy. But if he and du Pont were ever lovers, this Schultz-family-authorized film isn’t saying. SCOTT GARFIELD/SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Opening ThisWeek

Foxcatcher

NEW LINE/MGM/WARNER BROS.

MICHELE K. SHORT/MILLENNIUM ENT.

Final fountain? Plummer and MacLaine.

The running theme about La Dolce Vita—the Fellini classic is Elsa’s favorite movie, and you know she’s going to wade into the Trevi Fountain before the fade-out—is pretty cute, but in general you keep wishing Elsa & Fred would shake itself out of the sitcom approach. Of course the main draw here is the two leads, and they play the whole thing with a great deal of zest. MacLaine is relentless and doesn’t miss a beat, and Plummer (who turned 85 last week) continues his elegant run of silver-fox roles. In the end, neither is given enough meat to chew on, which leaves us with a choice: cherish the chance to see two old pros stretching it out, or lament the fact that they don’t have better material. If you’re a fan, the glass is half full. ROBERT HORTON

Mark (Tatum) can’t quite say what he wants.

Like Miller’s Moneyball, Foxcatcher is strongest on process: Dave and Mark methodically practicing their moves in a great, near-wordless scene that’s both tender and full of latent resentment; or Mark rolling and feinting alone on an open lawn—he doesn’t know how to respond to freedom, even while pining to “become my own person.” Certainly Tatum is becoming his own actor: Once mocked, like Mark, as a lunkhead, he’s also been given the chance in the Jump Street movies and Magic Mike to show inchoate currents beneath that bulging brow. Even if Miller can’t find a satisfying dénouement for Foxcatcher, Mark becomes a clay-footed figure of inarticulate tragedy. BRIAN MILLER

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies OPENS WED., DEC. 17 AT CINERAMA AND OTHER THEATERS. RATED PG-13. 144 MINUTES.

Azog is back to meet his just dessert on the battlefield.

to jail (where he died in 2010). There was the same kind of underlying criminal inevitability to Miller’s 2005 Capote, where the surprise lay in how a talented, frivolous writer created his unlikely masterpiece. Here, I’m sorry to say, there’s no such consolation. Foxcatcher is uniformly well crafted and acted, though Carell playing the villain isn’t really the selling point. There was never any reason to expect that he, a trained professional, couldn’t share scenes with the likes of Ruffalo and

If you see the names Thranduil, Tauriel, Azog, and Thorin Oakenshield, and you know instantly who they are and how they fit into Middle Earth, then you are probably ready for the third part of the Hobbit trilogy. If you can’t place the names, please consider rewatching the first two films and probably the entire Lord of the Rings box set as well. Because it’s going to get very thick around here. Peter Jackson’s crowded final film of the J.R.R. Tolkien universe begins in mid-breath.

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Ricky Gervais (right) returns as Stiller’s prickly boss.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb OPENS FRI., DEC. 19 AT MAJESTIC BAY AND OTHER THEATERS. RATED PG. 97 MINUTES.

All franchises have to end ( James Bond perhaps excepted), most announce that intent, and the lucky ones make it to three. Here the end is predicted during a prologue in 1938 Egypt, where a young lad watches his archaeologist father grab a golden tablet said to bear a curse. (Later the thing will be revealed to work its magic, dwindling with disastrous results, by recharging itself with moonlight; thus the plot will seem familiar to anyone

who’s sought to charge their iPad in the airport before a long flight.) After two Night movies, the core cast is well established: Ben Stiller’s security guard Larry overseeing a magically animated menagerie of historical characters (played by Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, etc.) and beasts (most notably an incontinent monkey). The plots of the Night trilogy aren’t important or even interdependent. What’s this one about? my 10-year-old companion asked. Not having seen the first two, I hedged: Oh, a bunch of museum exhibits magically come to life, and there are lots of chases. Good, he said, I like chases. So do I, and though the balance of familyfriendly comedy to life lessons is quite palatable, Secret of the Tomb is actually lighter on the chases and anarchic wreckage than expected. By now, the museum’s nighttime secret has become a showbiz attraction and humble Larry a backstage impresario trying vainly to get his ostriches, T. rex skeletons, and Neanderthals to perform on cue for their black-tied museum donors and guests. (Stiller also doubles as a dumb, sweet Neanderthal named Laaa, who has a mighty appetite for Styrofoam packing kernels.) But here comes the curse/plot: The Egyptian tablet has a corrosion problem that can be solved only by transporting the gang to the British Museum, where the mummy prince (a dryly funny Rami Malek) has mummy parents who know how to fix the enchanted device. Apart from the chases, peeing monkey, and medieval ninja antics of Sir Lancelot (Downton Abbey’s quite amusing Dan Stevens), all pleasing to kids, parents will appreciate the interplay among the not-quite-condescending cast. Ben Kingsley, as a once-despotic pharaoh, has a nice bit about Larry’s tribe (“I love the Jews!”), while Coogan’s sour little centurion keeps slipping daft utterances and cowardly gibes. The latter, along with Wilson’s likewise tiny cowpoke, have buddy-movie chemistry. Yet other than Stiller, no one—including Williams in his rather stiff final role—has enough time to establish character. Larry’s teenage son is a split-demographic bore, and we don’t care about Larry’s parenting duties either. What comes through most in this enjoyable hodgepodge adventure is Stiller’s all-too-recognizable brand of impatience and fatigue: a bit of the indie-world midlife panic from Greenberg, the realization that I’m getting too old for this shit. Larry can’t say it (nor can Stiller, obviously), though it’s significant that he skips the movie’s joyous final dance-party coda. But, hey, Laaa is thrilled to go in his place. BRIAN MILLER E

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Fiery breath: The flying dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) was loosed at the end of Part Two, and his flaming rampage is in full swing as Five Armies commences. With no memory-refreshing from the previous chapters, we launch into a dozen or so plotlines: all those names and all those creatures, plus cameo appearances from LOTR cast members. (The Hobbit takes place years before the LOTR saga.) The hubbub renders nominal hero Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) a team player rather than a true protagonist. The second half of the picture is overwhelmed by a giant battle (there may be five armies involved, but I’m a little vague on that), which ping-pongs between thousands of computer-generated soldiers and clever hand-to-hand combat involving the principals. Jackson is as resourceful as ever at exploiting cool locations—crumbling bridges and iced-over lakes—for cartoony stunts. When pointy-eared archer Legolas (Orlando Bloom) climbs a set of collapsing stairs (one of several scenes that seems expressly designed for 3-D), we see how much more Jackson delights in pratfalls over carnage. Such ingenuity is at the service of a project that lost its emotional core when Jackson decided to take Tolkien’s relatively streamlined novel and pump it up into three plus-sized movies. (Five Armies is the shortest of the bunch, at 144 minutes.) It’s still pleasant to see Bilbo in the company of the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), but the rest of the cast hasn’t taken up the slack. Richard Armitage, as corruptible dwarf leader Thorin, and Evangeline Lilly and Aidan Turner as star-crossed lovers (an elf and a dwarf—it can never work), do not match the charismatic ensemble of The Lord of the Rings. That terrifically entertaining trilogy looms especially large in this installment of The Hobbit: Jackson takes time for multiple foreshadowings of his 2001–2003 epic, which only underscores the suspicion that the Hobbit movies constitute a very long prelude to the main event. ROBERT HORTON

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SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

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ers, director Terry Zwigoff’s 2003 film is calculated to affront anyone who holds the holidays sacred. It is vile, hateful, and—for most of its 90-odd minutes—utterly soulless. That said, I can’t imagine chortling so heartily, and guiltily, at a blacker black Christmas comedy. Billy Bob Thornton plays a self-loathing, foul-mouthed, alcoholic safecracker who annually dons white beard and red suit for his criminal M.O.: He and his elfin cohort (Tony Cox) loot a department store every Christmas Eve and live large for the rest of the year. Whoomp, there’s your plot. (R) ANDREW BONAZELLI Ark Lodge, 816 Rainier Ave. S., 721-3156, arklodgecinemas.com. $7-$11. 8 p.m. Thurs. THE BEST OF VHSXMAS Those naughty curators from Scarecrow Video bring out all the most groan-tastic Yuletide video fodder from the shameless ’80s. Wear your ugly Christmas sweaters in tribute if you like. (NR) Grand Illusion, 1403 N.E. 50th St., 523-3935, grandillusioncinema.org. $5-$9. 9 p.m. Sat. BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT Ridley Scott’s vanguard science-fiction epic from 1982 has been digitally tweaked in hundreds of ways, most of which will be noticed only by the most pious of fanboys. Mainly, the rerelease is a good excuse to indulge once more in Scott’s iconic and highly influential vision of a future Los Angeles choked by rain, neon, and cheap pleasure palaces, where Harrison Ford’s bounty hunter trolls the godforsaken urban landscape for those renegade “replicants.” Of course, there comes a steely-eyed brunette (Sean Young), who may be a replicant herself. It has always been difficult to discuss Blade Runner—one of the few genuine masterpieces of the forlorn 1980s— without focusing on its style, and yet it is a movie where style becomes content and vice versa, as the romantic fatalism of ’40s film noir freely intermingles with Philip K. Dick. (R) BRIAN MILLER SIFF Cinema Egyptian, 801 E. Pine St., 324-9996, siff.net. $7-$12. Midnight Fri. Noon Sat. & Sun. ELF In the surprise 2003 Christmas hit, directed by Jon Favreau, Will Ferrell embraces the cutesy confection of its plot. As Santa Claus doles out presents at an orphanage, a wee human crawls into his sack of toys, winds up at the North Pole, and is subsequently raised as an elf. Eight zillion sight gags constitute the first act, in which a giant-sized Ferrell bangs his head into low ceilings, squats on miniature crappers, and botches even the most remedial toy-making duties. Ferrell finally discovers he’s the bastard son of James Caan, now a distant, terse Manhattan publishing-house exec. Innocent, syrup-swilling Ferrell then goes to big, bad NYC, meets Zooey Deschanel, and hilarity often ensues. So frantic, off-the-cuff, and self-aware in his ad-libs, Ferrell owns the movie the way Santa owns Christmas. (PG) A.B. Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave., 686-6684, central-cinema.com. $7-$9. 7 & 9:30 p.m. Sat.-Tues. Also 3 p.m. Sat. & Sun. matinees. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Times are tough in Frank Capra’s 1946 holiday classic. Banks are failing. People are losing their homes. Veterans are returning from a bloody war abroad. Families are falling apart. And all these stresses converge during the holidays, when there may not even be enough money in the household to buy any presents. Sound familiar? In the GI’s 44th-annual screening of this seasonal classic, the distressed town of Bedford Falls could today be Anytown, USA. And beleaguered banker James Stewart could be any small businessman struggling to remain solvent amid our current financial crisis. If It’s a Wonderful Life is arguably the best Christmas movie ever made, that’s because it’s certainly one of the most depressing Christmas movies ever made. Our suicidal hero is given a future vision—courtesy of an angel (Henry Travers)—of bankruptcy, death, poverty, and evil, unfettered capitalism (hello, Lionel Barrymore). Even his wife (Donna Reed) ends up a spinster in the alternative universe of Pottersville. Before the inevitable tear-swelling plot reversal, the movie is 100 percent grim. Yet amazingly, 68 years later, it preserves the power to inspire hope for better days ahead. (NR) B.R.M. Grand Illusion, 523-3935. $5-$9. See grandillusioncinema.org for showtimes. Runs Fri., Dec. 12-Thurs., Jan. 1.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW The 1975 cult

film makes a Cap Hill return for its loyal cadre of fans, some of whom can be expected to dress in character. (R) SIFF Cinema Egyptian, $7-$12. Midnight Sat.

Ongoing

• THE BABADOOK How did this children’s book get

into the house? Nobody seems to know. This one—it shares its title with the movie we are watching—is called The Babadook, almost an anagram for “bad book,” and that’s the effect it has on Amelia (Essie Davis) and her 6-year-old son Sam (Noah Wiseman). They’re especially vulnerable to its dark magic. Among other issues, the death of Sam’s father some years earlier is very much in the background of the scary little tale that unfolds. The Babadook himself is darksuited and creepy-fingered, and he wears a cape and a Victorian hat, like a creature from an earlier era of horror—suggesting that what’s scary never really goes out of style. This is the debut feature of writer/director Jennifer Kent, who skillfully keeps us locked into the moment-by-moment thrills of a monster movie, but also insists that this Babadook is clearly a stand-in for the other problems that afflict the lonely household. The Babadook may be a monster, but he’s the monster Amelia and Sam needed. (NR) ROBERT HORTON Sundance, SIFF Cinema Uptown BIRDMAN A movie star in a career skid since he stopped playing a masked superhero named Birdman back in the ’90s, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is preparing his big comeback in a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver stories, funded and directed by himself. Obstacles abound: Riggan’s co-star (Andrea Riseborough) announces she’s pregnant with his child; his grown daughter (Emma Stone) is his assistant, and not his biggest fan; a critic plans to destroy the play. And, in the movie’s funniest headache, Riggan must endure a popular but insufferable stage actor (Edward Norton, doing a wonderful self-parody) who’s involved with the play’s other actress (Naomi Watts). This is all going on while Riggan maintains a tenuous hold on his own sanity—he hears Birdman’s voice in his head, for one thing. To create Riggan’s world, director Alejandro González Iñárritu and Gravity cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki present the film as a continuous unbroken shot. Birdman serves so many heady moments it qualifies as a bona fide happening. (R) R.H. Seven Gables, SIFF Cinema Uptown, Pacific Place, others CITIZENFOUR Fugitive leaker Edward Snowden has invited documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras (The Oath) and The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald into his Hong Kong hotel room. In this absorbing character study, they debate how and when to spill the information he took from his job at the National Security Agency. This straightforward documentary may be smaller-scaled than a political thriller, but it has similar suspense: Everybody in the room realizes the stakes—and the dangers—of exposing a whistleblower to public scrutiny. One man’s whistleblower is another man’s traitor, a debate that Poitras doesn’t pause to consider, so confident is she of Snowden’s cause. Having this access to Snowden in the exact hours he went from being a nonentity with top-secret clearance to a hero/pariah is a rare chance to see a now-historical character in the moment of truth. (NR) R.H. SIFF Cinema Uptown THE HOMESMAN This movie is so good it makes you wish director and co-star Tommy Lee Jones could somehow make a Western a year, just to keep exploring the pockets of American frontier experience that still need filling in. This one offers a series of new wrinkles, beginning with its route: The story goes from west to east, the opposite of most Westerns. During the 1850s, Nebraska “spinster” Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank, a fine and precise performance) volunteers to transport three women back to Iowa. They’ve been driven mad by the prairie and their men, or at least they have become no longer socially acceptable. Claimjumper and full-time scalawag George Briggs (Jones) will accompany Mary on her grim, weekslong job. Their episodic adventures bring them into contact with a variety of frontier types along the way. The setup suggests the potential for showing the West from the female characters’ perspective, which isn’t entirely the case, although the story does depict the unfairness of frontier life for women. The real subject is the West itself—the brutality of it and the price paid for settling it. (R) R.H. Sundance, Pacific Place, others

•

(HIGHEST RATING)

STARTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19

arts&culture» Film

Tim

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•

THE PRINCESS BRIDE/WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Two family favorites are

running on a complicated weekend schedule through New Year’s Day. The 1987 Bride is being screened as a quote-along presentation (“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die” etc.) while the 1971 Wonka features “Smell-O-Vision,” so be warned if you’re fragrance-intolerent. (NR) SIFF Film Center (Seattle Center), 324-9996, $7-$12. See siff.net for showtimes. Continues through Thurs., Jan. 1.

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arts&culture» Music

Sounding Off

Two staff writers respond to the question of music and meaning in the modern age. BY GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT AND KELTON SEARS

Just Gimme Some Truth By Gwendolyn Elliott

MARINA CHAVEZ

Joan Baez

and how there must be “at least the feeling of a movement,” a comment she made about Obama’s first presidential campaign stuck with me: “Maybe out of that some songs would have come; I don’t think they had the time.” Revisiting the conversation, I’m stuck on they. Who didn’t have the time? Campaign organizers? Democratic voters? Songwriters? What would it take now to create and popularize a song like “We Shall Overcome,” which Baez says was formed out of “deep politics and deep organizing” and involved “much activity and togetherness”—a song that fulfills Scott’s concept of art that “sum[s] up the injustices and worries of the times, and put[s] a human face on the impersonal movements of history”? Today’s music landscape is more compartmentalized, highly tailored to the tastes of its intended audiences. There’s a Nickelback song about Ferguson, “Edge of a Revolution,” that’s insincere and filled with platitudes—generated seemingly for mindless mass consumption. There’s a cameo-studded track from The Game, “Don’t Shoot,” with a poignant message—but rap music, especially a track like this featuring a controversial figure like Rick Ross, can be polarizing. There’s Bill Callahan’s “America,” a tonguein-cheek view of heartland values, or Father John Misty’s “Bored in the USA,” but their fans are a niche subset of the indie world. These blips on the radar are worth mentioning, but ultimately they fail to meaningfully capture the average digitally tethered attention span for very long. What’s more, none, as far as I can tell, have unified a listenership enough to coalesce the prevailing feeling of the times into any kind of lasting movement or message.

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

“We are in the midst of hard times now,” A.O. Scott wrote, “and it feels as if art is failing us.” I was floored by the thought, though it’s not as though feeling let down by the usual suspects— the politicians, the corporate execs—is anything new these days. But musicians? My favorite bands and artists, my heroes? It was a sobering notion, and not because it was off-base—but because I realized I’ve been feeling the same. Among the cultural figures (including rapWe have music festivals aplenty—Coachella, per J. Cole, filmmaker Ken Burns, playwright Bonnaroo, Sasquatch!—but they seem more Lisa D’Amour, and others) Scott queries, asked about having a good time than raising any kind if it is “the responsibility of artists to address of awareness. What about Farm Aid, Live Aid, social issues like race and class in their work?” concerts for Tibet and Bangladesh? Supposthe panel’s sole musician, Cole, replies: “It’s sad. ing the aim of art, and music in particular, is There was a time when you looked to musicians, to reflect our hard times, shouldn’t artists be writers, poets— collaborating like the creators—to that more than These blips on the radar are put social condiever, on a grand tions in words you worth mentioning, but ultimately scale, regularly? can hold onto or Or write meanthey fail to meaningfully capture ingful lyrics about feel challenged by. Hopefully, it will domestic violence, the average digitally tethered come back.” as Tracy Chapman I hope so, too. did over 20 years attention span for very long. But I wonder how ago? Or homeand when. In October I asked Joan Baez how lessness, like Guthrie and Dylan? How about a she gauged the artist’s response to Ferguson, song about the mentally ill, depleting oceans, or about the role of protest music in the digital global warming cracking the Billboard 100? age, and whether she thought lasting change Themes of gun violence and police brutality could come about the way she and her contemare coming back into view—as they should be— poraries made it happen in the ’60s. Her replies but what kind of chance does Cole’s heartfelt “Be were well-articulated and thoughtful, yet she Free,” about Michael Brown, stand to register seemed unsure what, if any, revolution might be on pop consciousness when the two top video brewing within contemporary music as a means results for it total fewer than a million views— for change—or, as Scott writes, “to tell the compared to something like Taylor Swift’s truth.” Speaking about the need for an anthem, “Blank Space,” fast approaching 200 million?

MORGEN SCHULER

Here music editor Gwendolyn Elliott and staff writer Kelton Sears examine a question asked in a recent essay by New York Times art critic A.O. Scott: “Is our art equal to the challenges of the times?” Both writers and regular music contributors are responding to whether modern pop music, in its various forms, is up to the task.

“Double Bubble Trouble,” in which kids flash 3D-printed guns. I’ve probably learned more about the world through M.I.A. than I have The New York Times. In interviews, M.I.A. has talked about being influenced by the sounds of Public Enemy bumping through the walls of her childhood flat in London. I also grew up listening to Public Enemy and politically charged hip-hop. (Is there really any hip-hop that isn’t politically charged?) I can remember learning the words to N.W.A.’s “Express Yourself ” in sixth grade after discovering the song on a ’90s rap party mix I burned from a friend. I rapped the song to my dad to impress him—he was proud, but also curious if his 12-year-old was listening to Straight Outta Compton. I hadn’t even gelliott@seattleweekly.com heard of it, but you can bet I downloaded it on Limewire soon after and immediately learned I’ve Learned More From M.I.A a hell of a lot about race politics. Than From The New York Times Killer Mike still does that for me. His dad By Kelton Sears was also a police officer, funnily enough. Listen to “Reagan” from his album R.A.P. Music and When I read A.O. Scott’s article in the New York try not to learn something. In a CNN interTimes, I immediately thought of M.I.A. More view about Ferguson, Mike proclaimed he was than any other artist throughout my life, M.I.A. a proud “gangsta rapper” before clarifying, with has tricked me into ingesting and confronting a grin, that he chose his stage name because “I the world’s harsh political realities by getting me kill microphones, and I trust that people are to shake my ass while doing it. She’s the reason intelligent enough to my tiny 14-year-old self had a conversation with These are things I definitely get that.” He went on to deliver one of the my stepfather about the wouldn’t know about if I’d most insightful interSri Lankan civil war, the views on Ferguson I’ve Tamil Tigers, the refugee stuck to Blink-182. seen to date. experience, and all the “If I want to understand the dreams of heady things I’d learned simply by being an M.I.A. the gentry and the nightmares of the poor in fan in 2005. (He’d asked because of the “terrorist” early-19th-century England, I turn to Jane Ausimagery on the cover of her first album, Arular.) ten and William Blake,” A.O. Scott writes. “All These are things I definitely wouldn’t know about the news you need about class divisions in Paris if I’d stuck to Blink-182. and London later in that century can be found in the pages of Balzac, Dickens and Zola. And M.I.A. now? Should we be looking high or low?” Fifty years from now, if you want to know what 2014 was like in America, listen to Killer Mike’s albums with El-P, performing as the duo Run the Jewels. There’s a reason the first line you hear after you hit play is, “You might wanna record the way you feelin’ like history being made.” Killer Mike even calls out Chuck D about a minute later. Run the Jewels and its sequel will undoubtedly be just as vital a historical record of today’s political, sociological, and economic climate as Straight Outta Compton or It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back are indelible records of the realities of America circa 1988—or as Blake’s poems are of early-19th-century England. As J. Cole says at the beginning of the roundtable, “It’s not anyone’s responsibility to do [what] they don’t want to do, if you don’t feel it. But don’t just act like you care. I don’t want to hear that song.” This I think is the key. Art doesn’t always have to confront the challenges of the times. Sometimes it’s simply an escape. I would call Caribou’s new album Our Love To date, M.I.A. has never stopped teaching an amazing work of art, but it doesn’t make me think me about the world. The notorious 2012 video about the world at large, race, inequity, or capitalism. for “Bad Girls,” starring a gang of women in hijabs pulling insane car stunts, taught me about It makes me think about love and dancing—two things that are also important to the human condithe Women to Drive Movement, an Arabic tion. But then as Ken Burns says, “It is not so much female-empowerment group fighting for the a question of should artists address social issues like right to drive motor vehicles, an action historirace and class in their work. For some, it is unavoidcally denied by the Saudi regime. I didn’t really able.” And for people like Killer Mike, M.I.A., and dig into Wikileaks until she had Julian Assange a bounty of other contemporary artists (Mykki open for her in New York via Skype. At her Blanco, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Beyoncé), Sasquatch performance, she cheekily flew this will always be unavoidable. E drones over the audience that she’d rigged with LED peace signs, left over from her video for ksears@seattleweekly.com 27

Perhaps comparing today’s music with that of the ’60s—or even the ’80s, the decade that produced songs like “Fight the Power” and “We Are the World”—is unfair. A genre like rap didn’t exist during the Civil Rights era, and there were fewer styles of popular music for listeners to identify with. Perhaps it was easy for “We Shall Overcome” to unify the masses because that’s all there was. But there’s no question there has been a huge shift in how music reflects the times, and I keep waiting for something; a song, an album, as Scott says, something like “a Woody Guthrie ballad,” to cut through the fog, to strike at something deep and powerful; a piece of work that moves millions as opposed to factions—and I’m still waiting. E

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arts&culture» Music

TheWeekAhead Wednesday, Dec. 17 Thanksgiving behind us, it’s officially time to break out the holiday music. Hosted by Gavin Guss of XMAS Maximus, the local group that takes Christmas spirit to a whole new level, CHRISTMAS ON TV features the band performing holiday classics like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “C’est Noel,” and “Sleigh Ride,” while TV-loving quartet Sit Ubu Sit brings your favorite theme songs, including those from The Office, WKRP in Cincinnati, and The Addams Family, from the small screen to the stage. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088, columbiacitytheater.com. 8:30 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and over.

Thursday, Dec. 18

El Corazon

Friday, Dec. 19 If there’s one thing all music fans understand, it’s the pain of having to wait for months for new music from a favorite band after it’s begun work on a new release. LONELY MOUNTAIN LOVERS fans have surely been feeling impatient for new tunes these past few months after the twangy-rock six-piece announced it was entering the studio to record its debut full-length in September. An October update noted the end of the first phase of recording, so new music should be on its way soon. Until then, there’s “Friendly Ghost” and “Be Kind,” two demos the band recorded earlier this year, to tide fans over. With Day Laborers and Petty Intellectuals, Stubborn Son. Columbia City Theater. 9 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and over. Los Angeles, X’s debut album, is Punk Rock 101. The dual vocals from singer Exene Cervenka and singer/ bassist John Doe are off-balance at times; drummer DJ Bonebrake doesn’t stop for a second across the album’s nine tracks; and guitarist Billy Zoom looms large and in charge with big riffs. There’s even a cover of the Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” for good measure. And 34 years after its release, Los Angeles is still one of the most respected punk albums around, landing on multiple best-of lists over the years. On this visit, X is playing two shows—two chances for young punks to learn from these enduring icons. With the Blasters, Girl Trouble, the Boss Martians. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazonseattle.com. Through Saturday. 8 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. 21 and over. Seattle heavy-metal trio SANDRIDER takes its name from the people who ride giant sandworms in (Washington native) Frank Herbert’s Dune series. Appropriately, the band’s sophomore album, Godhead, is just as epic. And like the sandworms, Sandrider’s sound is massive and impossible to ignore. Singer/ guitarist Jon Weisnewski and drummer Nat Damm, formerly of Akimbo, and singer/bassist Jesse Roberts, of The Ruby Doe, mix raging vocals, sludge-metal guitar riffs, and classic-rock elements into one brutal package, especially on the nearly seven-minute title track. Expect more ferocity on the band’s upcoming split with post-rock quartet Kinski. With He Whose Ox Is Gored, Leatherdaddy. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over.

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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with El Norte, The Ram Rams, Something Strange Lounge Show. Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 7:30 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $8 ADV / $10 DOS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH

NICK THOMAS (of The Spill Canvas) with My Body Sings Electric, Kight, Moments, Dylan Yuste Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $10 ADV / $12 DOS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19TH

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21ST THE REBELS ON THE RUN TOUR FEATURING:

MOONSHINE BANDITS with Big B, Demun Jones (of Rehab), Con-Crete, Crosby Tyler Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $15 ADV / $17 DOS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23RD

PASCAL

with Jesus Chris & C-LeGz, Poison Jams, The Cinematks, Open mic cypher Lounge Show. Doors at 7:30PM / Show at 8:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $8 ADV / $10 DOS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27TH

MIKE THRASHER PRESENTS:

THE NAUGHTY LIST II FEATURING:

with The Blasters, Girl Trouble Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00 21+. $25 ADV / $30 DOS

with Showtime, Vessels, Stories Away, Avoid The Void Doors at 6:30PM / Show at 7:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $10 ADV / $12 DOS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20TH MIKE THRASHER PRESENTS:

with The Blasters, The Boss Martians Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00 21+. $25 ADV / $30 DOS

LAKEVIEW DRIVE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27TH

THE LATE NIGHT SWING

with Run From Cover, The Naked Giants, Raven Zoe, Plus Guests Lounge Show. Doors at 7:30PM / Show at 8:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $8 ADV / $10DOS

JUST ANNOUNCED 12/26 LOUNGE - SHIVER TWINS 12/31 - JEREMY ENIGK (SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE) 1/4 - CHAINBANGER NIGHT 1/10 - PIG

DESTROYER 1/17 - ZEKE 1/30 - THE FALL OF TROY 2/7 - JUCIFER 2/14 - PIRATEFEST FEAT. ALESTORM 2/20 - SUICIDE SILENCE 2/21 - REAGAN YOUTH 3/8 - MOTIONLESS IN WHITE 3/11 - ENSLAVED / YOB 3/19 - MOD SON 3/25 - JARABE DE PALO 4/28 LOUNGE - AMERICAN STANDARDS UP & COMING 12/28 LOUNGE - THE SKY RAINED HEROES 12/29 - LOVE THE LOST 1/2 - I DECLARE WAR 1/4 LOUNGE - SURVIVAL 1/6 LOUNGE - THE FRAIDIES 1/9 LOUNGE - NO BRAGGING RIGHTS Tickets now available at cascadetickets.com - No per order fees for online purchases. Our on-site Box Office is open 1pm-5pm weekdays in our office and all nights we are open in the club - $2 service charge per ticket Charge by Phone at 1.800.514.3849. Online at www.cascadetickets.com - Tickets are subject to service charge

The EL CORAZON VIP PROGRAM: see details at www.elcorazon.com/vip.html and for an application email us at info@elcorazonseattle.com

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Shannon and the Clams’ latest, Dreams in the Rat House, came out decades ago, not in 2013. That’s how spot-on the Oakland trio is with its ’50s doo-wop and ’60s psychedelic flair. The album’s vintage feel makes it seem like the hidden treasure in a discounted box of vinyl, which makes the band a fun choice to headline DANCER & PRANCER EXTRAVAGANZA. On night one, the group will be joined by Connie & the Precious Moments, Gazebos, Dancer & Prancer, and DJ Matthew Counts. Night two features La Luz, Fe Fi Fo Fums, and DJ Brian Foss getting things started before Shannon and the Clams (and Dancer & Prancer again, in the Dragon Lounge) return to the stage. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. Thurs., 9 p.m. Fri. $12 adv./$15 DOS. 21 and over. Though The National has been making music since 1999, it seems as if the world really jumped on board with the indie-rock band only in 2013, with the releases of the band’s sixth album, the somber Trouble Will Find Me, and Mistaken for Strangers, a documentary that brought front man Matt Berninger’s brother on the road to join him and brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Bryan and Scott Devendorf. At A TRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL, Chris Cunningham (Ravenna Woods), Whitney Lyman (Pollens), Pete Jordan (Cloud Person), Dark Hip Falls, and Brenda Xu will honor the band that made “dad rock” a cool genre. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $12 adv. 21 and over. While most artists who use a Lil’ or Young/Yung as part of their stage name are well into adulthood, 18-year-old Jonatan Leandoer Håstad, aka Swedish rapper YUNG LEAN, fits the moniker. Lean, who performs as onethird of Sad Boys along with Yung Sherman and Yung Gud, started generating buzz in 2013 after posting a music video for “Ginseng Strip 2002.” With his recently released full-length debut, Unknown Memory, under his belt, Lean is now gaining attention for his melancholic mindset and lyrics about complicated relationships and drug use. What he lacks in life experience, he makes up for in earnestness. With Gravity Boys.

The Maldives

HAYLEY YOUNG

Secret Evil, the latest from Detroit’s JESSICA HERNANDEZ & THE DELTAS, is compelling from beginning to end. Across the album’s 11 songs, Hernandez and her quintet move from genre to genre while maintaining a dark pop edge. When Hernandez is feisty, especially on songs like “Sorry I Stole Your Man” and “Caught Up,” she can sound like a fiercer Duffy, while tear-jerking ballads like “Cry Cry Cry” and “Lovers First” show her softer side. The Deltas effortlessly back Hernandez while bouncing among Motown-era soul, funk, rockabilly, R&B, and good ol’ rock & roll. As vocals and music combine, the band walks the line between retro and contemporary. With the Dusty 45s. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 8 p.m. $15. 21 and over.

SHERVIN LAINEZ

Jessica Hernandez

Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. All ages. INDUSTRIAL REVELATION is not your grandparents’ jazz quartet. Sure, the band’s latest, Oak Head, finds Ahamefule Oluo playing the quintessential smoky-jazzclub trumpet riff (especially on “Victorious Kite” and “Color of Caliman”) and pianist Josh Rawlings tickling the keys while drummer D’Vonne Lewis and bassist Evan Flory-Barnes set a smooth pace. But the group also infuses its classic jazz sound with elements that are just left-of-center, like up-tempo swing on “The Lake” and electric guitar on the experimental “Shadow Boxing in the Wind.” This mix of classic and avantgarde gives the album both a spontaneous and coolly composed tone. With Cataldo, Add Ode. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9 p.m. $10. 21 and over. Dread the thought of enduring the holidays with family members? Why not spend a few evenings with like-minded folks at the MALDOGGIES FAMILY CHRISTMAS? For three nights, country-rock septet the Maldives and roots-rockers the Moondoggies will celebrate the seasonal spirit with classic seasonal tunes and perhaps a song or two from their latest albums, Listen to the Thunder and Adios, I’m a Ghost, respectively. In its ninth year, Maldoggies offers all the togetherness you crave around the holidays, without the arguments that quickly dissolve into awkward silence around the dinner table. It’s a win-win! With Fauna Shade, Goodbye Heart, Lowman Palace. Through Saturday. Tractor Tavern. 9 p.m. $15. 21 and over.

2033 6th Avenue (206) 441-9729 jazzalley.com

a&c» Music » FROM PAGE 29

Saturday, Dec. 20

JAZZ ALLEY IS A SUPPER CLUB

They say “It’s better to give than to receive,” but I say “It’s better to give while also checking out a show with a stellar lineup like the KEXP YULE BENEFIT.” It’s a little wordy, but you get the point. This show will help the radio station’s campaign to build a bigger live room for in-studio performances. Garage-rock quartet Cabana will open, followed by indie-rocker Jenn Ghetto, formerly of Carissa’s Wierd, who performs as S, and New York rock four-piece Cymbals Eat Guitars. Strand of Oaks, the folk-rock project of Timothy Showalter, will close with tunes from his latest, HEAL. Neumos. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over. Held in the Paramount Theatre lobby, A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS is a more low-key, but no less spirited, celebration. Soul singer and former The Voice contestant V. Contreras, Mycle Wastman, singer/songwriter Alessandra Rose, producer/engineer Martin Feveyear, and local musicians Jeff Fielder, Rebecca Young, William Stover, and Aaron O’Neill will be on hand to perform tunes from the holiday songbook. The Melodic Caring Project will also be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys during the show. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 682-1414, stgpresents. org/paramount. 7:30 p.m. $20. All ages. CHROME LAKES didn’t waste any time getting the ball rolling after forming in May. After making their live debut at Sunset Tavern playing with Sword for Arrows and Yonder, the rock quintet released a song called “Revolutionaires” and picked up gigs opening for Ohio’s Foxy Shazam at Neumos and The Last Internationale, a project of Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, at El Corazon. If the band keeps this momentum going, there’s no telling what they could accomplish by this time next year. With My Goodness, Haunted Horses. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $12. 21 and over.

JOEY DEFRANCESCO TRIO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

WED, DEC 17

The finest jazz organist on the planet!

A BOBBY CALDWELL CHRISTMAS THURS, DEC 18 - SUN, DEC 21 Soul-stylist and in-demand pop and R&B songwriter, blending holiday tunes and his classics!

THE SENATE MON, DEC 22 - TUES, DEC 23

Two acoustic guitars, an upright bass and three voices, pushing boundaries!

SARA GAZAREK- HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FRI, DEC 26 - SUN, DEC 28

in This Bring T And ge n o p Cou Tizer e p p A one 2 oFF! For 1/

Seattle’s own impeccable jazz singer returns by popular demand!

PONCHO SANCHEZ LATIN JAZZ BAND MON, DEC 29 - NYE!! Legendary Latin jazz master conguero and his 7-piece band ring in 2015 (4 package options available for NYE. Visit JazzAlley.com for details)

Sunday, Dec. 21

Singer/songwriter DAVID BAZAN is perhaps best known for fronting Pedro the Lion and for his two solo albums, Curse Your Branches and Strange Negotiations. With the Passenger String Quartet, led by Andrew Joslyn, the songwriter is reimagining tunes from both stages of his career on Volume 1. Longtime Bazan fans needn’t worry; the songs are not reworked beyond recognition. Instead, the orchestral arrangement elevates what Bazan created. The songs feel fresh without losing the emotion behind his lyrics. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 7099951, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over.

all ages | free parking | full schedule at jazzalley.com

Q NIGHTCLUB PRESENTS

2015

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

JAY SCROGGINS/ARTICULATE FLAVOR

NEW YEARS EVE

WITH

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31ST, 2014 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT W W W.Q N I G H TC LU B .CO M

Tuesday’s

Wednesday’s

Porter Ray Ishmael Butler’s first official Sub Pop signee, PORTER RAY, is adding another voice to Seattle’s experimental hip-hop sound with his latest, Fundamentals, the followup to the trilogy of BLK GLD, WHT GLD, and RSE GLD. On Fundamentals, soul samples accompany Ray as he raps about the highs and lows of life, including his relationships, drug use, and his brother’s death. There’s no sugarcoating, but Ray’s conversational cadence makes each story worth listening to. With Romaro Franceswa. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $10 DOS. All ages. PATTI LABELLE, aka the “Godmother of Soul,” has earned her title and then some. The singer’s 50-yearplus career includes an extensive discography through work with the BlueBells, as a solo artist, on Broadway and film, and, earlier this year, in American Horror Story: Freak Show, plus numerous awards and nominations for both singing and acting, including nine lifetime-achievement awards from different organizations. But is anyone really surprised that LaBelle has had such a distinguished career? Her voice is unbelievably powerful, yet she makes singing with so much emotion sound effortless. Long live the Godmother. Snoqualmie Casino, Ballroom, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, 425-8881234, snocasino.com. 8 p.m. $40 and up. 21 and over. BY A Z AR IA C . P O D P LE S K Y

Send events to music@seattleweekly.com. See seattleweekly.com for more listings.

Free FORUMS & CHATROOM 206-753-CHAT 253-203-1643 425-405-4388 MAN to MAN Free chatrooms! 206-753-CHAT 253-359-CHAT 425-405-CHAT WebPhone on LiveMatch.com

Tired of talking to your cat? 206-753-CHAT 253-203-1643 425-405-4388 WebPhone on LiveMatch.com Ladies free to talk w/VIPs!

Employment Computer/Technology Engineering Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, invention and patent portfolio management and licensing company, has opening in Bellevue, WA for a Sr. Software Engineer: Design, develop, and implement business intelligence software solutions in an n-tier .NET and Java environment. Mail resumes & ref job title to IV Management, Attn: HR J.D, 3150 139 Ave SE, Bldg 4, Bellevue, WA 98005.

Employment General

WARNING HOT GUYS! Seattle

206.877.0877 Tacoma

253.882.0882

FREE to listen and reply to ads!

FREE CODE : Seattle Weekly

1-888-MegaMates

ART DIRECTOR Seattle Weekly, one of Seattle’s most respected publications and a division of Sound Publishing, Inc. has an immediate opening for an experienced editorial art director. The art director is responsible for the overall design quality and integrity of the publication. He/she must be able to conceptualize and produce modern, sophisticated, and vibrant design for covers, features, and editorial pages. This individual must be an exceptionally creative designer who has experience commissioning high-quality photography and illustration, negotiating fees, clearing rights and managing a budget. The art director will work with and manage other designers in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment so will need the ability to balance strong leadership with strong collaboration in order to thrive in a team environment. Applicants must have a superior understanding of typography and expert-level skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat. Editorial design experience is a plus. The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and organizational skills and the ability to juggle several projects at once. Knowledge of PDF and postscript technology is beneficial. Other talents such as illustration or photography are desirable, but not required. Sound Publishing offers competitive salaries and benefits including healthcare, 401K, paid holidays, vacation and sick time. Qualified applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and a few samples of your work to: hreast@soundpublishing.com Be sure to note ATTN: HR/ADSEA in your subject line. Sound Publishing, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Visit our website at: www.soundpublishing.com to find out more about us!

Employment General DONT SETTLE FOR SEASONAL WORK YEAR-ROUND We are looking for motivated, independent, individuals who don’t mind talking to people. No sales involved just short conversations face to face with home owners. Work outdoors around your own schedule. Earn $500-$750 per week/ top reps make $1200+ Allowances for Cell phone, travel, medical compensation can be earned Company provides all market areas, apparel & training. Vehicle, DL, Cell phone & Internet access req. Email resume to recruiting@evergreentlc.com or apply online at www.tlc4homesnw.com

GUARANTEED INTERVIEWS!! The new Home2 Suites by Hilton is opening soon in Tukwila and needs Full Time and PT

Room Attendants, Front Desk Agents, House Persons/ Shuttle Drivers, Maintenance Techs, Sales Admins, Laundry Attendants, Night Auditors. Job Fair on January 6th 2pm to 7pm and January 7th, 10am – 3pm at 1035 Andover Park West, Suite 200, in Tukwila. Seasonal Job Ending? Now’s the time to start applying! RGIS Inventory takers needed! Starting pay $10.75/hr. Regular part time work. Paid Training. Promotion opportunities. Regular wage reviews. No Experience Needed. Must have access to reliable transportation. EEO Employer/Veteran/Disabled. Apply online at www.rgis.com. Job # INV00240

Employment General

Multi-Media Advertising Consultant SEATTLE

CALENDAR ASSISTANT Seattle Weekly

Be a part of the largest community news organization in Washington! Do you have a proven track record of success in sales and enjoy managing your own territory? Are you competitive and thrive in an energetic environment? Do you desire to work in an environment which offers uncapped earning opportunities? Are you interested in a fast paced, creative atmosphere where you can use your sales expertise to provide consultative print and digital solutions? If you answered YES to the above, then we are looking for you! Seattle Weekly, one of Seattle’s most respected publications and a division of Sound Publishing, Inc. is looking for self-motivated, resultsdriven people interested in a multi-media sales career. This position will be responsible for print and digital advertising sales to an eclectic and exciting group of clients. As part of our sales team you are expected to maintain and grow existing client relationships, as well as develop new client relationships. The successful candidate will also be goal oriented, have organizational skills that enable you to manage multiple deadlines, provide great consultative sales and excellent customer service. This position receives a base salary plus commission; and a benefits package including health insurance, paid time off, and 401K. Position requires use of your personal cell phone and vehicle, possession of valid WA State Driver’s License and proof of active vehicle insurance. Sales experience necessary; Media experience is a definite asset. Must be computer-proficient. If you have these skills, and enjoy playing a proactive part in impacting your local businesses’ financial success with advertising solutions, please email your resume and cover letter to: hreast@sound publishing.com ATTN: SEA. Sound Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employee (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Visit our website to learn more about us! www.soundpublishing.com hreast@soundpublishing.com

MUSIC

EVENT S

W W W. S E AT T L E W E E K LY. C O M / S I G N U P

PR OMO TIONS

HAPPY HOUR

NEWSLETTER

HAPPY HOUR

DIRECTV is currently recruiting for the following position in Lynnwood: Site Manager If you are not able to access our website, DIRECTV.com, mail your resume and salary requirements to: DIRECTV, Attn: Talent Acquisition, 161 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, CO 80112. To apply online, visit: www.directv.com/careers. EOE. Tree Climber/ Trimmers Experienced Tree Climbers Wanted Full Time/ Year Round Work. Must have own Gear & Climb Saw Reliable Transportation & Driver’s License req. Email Work Exp. to recruiting@evergreentlc.com 800-684-8733

AR T S AND ENTER TAINMENT

Seattle Weekly, one of Seattle’s most respected publications and a division of Sound Publishing, Inc. has an immediate opening for a calendar assistant. This is a Part-Time position, working approximately 16 hours over 3 days per week. The calendar assistant will assist both the arts and music editors in the creation and upkeep of Seattle Weekly’s extensive events listings. He/she must be detail oriented, able to comb press releases and online calendars and manually transcribe mind-numbing information with great accuracy and gusto. A proven ability to write succinct, lively copy is a must, as is a working knowledge of most art forms and familiarity with Seattle’s arts and music scenes, from the high-art institutions to the thriving underground. Obsessive knowledge about one or two particular disciplines (Appalachian folk songs and Kabuki, say) is not required, but is definitely a plus. If you have trouble meeting deadlines, don’t apply. Applicants must have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office. The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and organizational skills and the ability to juggle several projects at once. Qualified applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and a few samples of your writing to: hreast@soundpublishing.com Be sure to note ATTN: HR/CASEA in your subject line. Sound Publishing, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Visit our website at: www.soundpublishing.com to find out more about us!

Employment Services WANTS TO purchase minerals and other oil & gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557, Denver, Co 80201

Employment Social Services VISITING ANGELS Certified Caregivers needed. Minimum 3 years experience. Must live in Seattle area. Weekend & live-in positions available. Call 206-439-2458 • 877-271-2601

Employment Career Services THE OCEAN Corp. 10840 Rockley Road, Houston, Texas 77099. Train for a new career. *Underwater Welder. Commercial Diver. *NDT/Weld Inspector. Job Placement Assistance. Financial Aid avail for those who qualify 1.800.321.0298

Employment Volunteers Needed

SPEAK UP FOR A CHILD! Be a Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate Children in Dependency/CPS Cases. Children in High Conflict Family Law Cases.

YOU can be a voice for a child! Volunteer * Donate Tell a Friend 206.296.1120 beacasa@kingcounty.gov 206.748.9700 admin@familylawcasa.org

Announcements

NORTHEND MASSAGE FOR YOUR HEALTH LAURIE LMP #MA00014267 (206) 919-2180

Washington Real Estate For Sale TONASKET

20 FLAT ACRES. Tired of paying utility bills? Water, sewer, garbage and electricity getting too expensive? Own your own Off-The-Grid Power Solar panel, well, septic all installed. 2 BR, 2 BA, fenced. 24’x56’ dbl wide mobile. Plumbed to propane. 15 min to Tonasket $35,000 (cash) 206.619.9674. Announcements KING COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND PARKS NOTICE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISCHARGE PERMIT APPLICATION NO. 7915-01 TAKE NOTICE: That Sound Transit - Northgate Link Extension - University District Station located at 4300 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105 has filed an application for an industrial waste discharge permit to discharge wastewater into the West Point Treatment Plant from its construction dewatering operation in the amount of 216,000 gallons per day following treatment and controls and in compliance with rules and regulations of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks; Washington State Department of Ecology; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The approximate point of discharge is 4300 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Any person desiring to express their view, or to be notified of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks’ action on this application, should notify the King County Industrial Waste Program at 201 South Jackson Street, Room 513, Seattle, WA 98104, in writing, of their interest within 30 days of the last date of publication of this notice. Publication dates of this notice are: December 17, 2014 December 24, 2014 KING COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND PARKS NOTICE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISCHARGE PERMIT APPLICATION NO. 7916-01 TAKE NOTICE: That Sound Transit -- Northgate Link Extension – N125 Cross Passage Dewatering located at Maple Leaf Portal to University of Washington Station, Seattle 98115 has filed an application for an industrial waste discharge permit to discharge industrial wastewater into West Point from its construction dewatering operation in the amount of two million gallons per day following treatment and in-plant control and in compliance with rules and regulations of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks; Washington State Department of Ecology; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There are multiple proposed discharge points along the alignment of the future Sound Transit Northgate Link Extension tunnel running from the Maple Leaf Portal, located at 9560 First Avenue NE to the University of Washington station, located at 3720 Montlake Boulevard NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Any person desiring to express their view, or to be notified of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks’ action on this application, should notify the King County Industrial Waste Program at 201 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-3854, in writing, of their interest within 30 days of the last date of publication of this notice. Publication dates of this notice are: 12.17.2014; 12.24.2014

Professional Services Music Lessons GUITAR LESSONS Exp’d, Patient Teacher. BFA/MM Brian Oates (206) 434-1942

Real Estate for Sale Jefferson County Custom built home, $409,000 Master bd + 2 bonus rooms Pleasant Tides Community Deep water Marina, WF park Prudential NW Real Estate MLS # 634050, 360-250-3308

Real Estate for Sale San Juan County EASTSOUND, 98245.

3.98 AC IN PARADISE Well, septic & garage on site. Perfect site for establishing a 3 BR, 2 BA residence $200000 Harriet 360-317-5745 Real Estate for Rent King County AUBURN, 98049.

FULLY FURNISHED 1 Bedroom with all utilities and cable paid! Private entrance. Full kitchen. One person only. Non smoker. No pets. $700 / month and $400 deposit. Call Bob 253-906-0410 or 253-939-3199. WA Misc. Rentals Rooms for Rent Greenlake/WestSeattle $400 & up Utilities included! busline, some with private bathrooms • Please call Anna between 10am & 8pm • 206-790-5342

U-DISTRICT $450-$550 All Utilities Included! Call Peir for more info (206) 458-0169

WA Misc. Rentals Want to Rent

SEEKING A ROOM Rental in South King county, within 10 miles of Burien. I’m Christian, a senior citizen male. Please call with details 206-439-1485. Firewood, Fuel & Stoves

NOTICE Washington State law requires wood sellers to provide an invoice (receipt) that shows the seller’s and buyer’s name and address and the date delivered. The invoice should also state the price, the quantity delivered and the quantity upon which the price is based. There should be a statement on the type and quality of the wood. When you buy firewood write the seller’s phone number and the license plate number of the delivery vehicle. The legal measure for firewood in Washington is the cord or a fraction of a cord. Estimate a cord by visualizing a four-foot by eight-foot space filled with wood to a height of four feet. Most long bed pickup trucks have beds that are close to the four-foot by 8-foot dimension. To make a firewood complaint, call 360-9021857. agr.wa.gov/inspection/ WeightsMeasures/Fire woodinformation.aspx agr.wa.gov/inspection/WeightsMeasures/Firewoodinformation.aspx

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

ADULT PHONE ENTERTAINMENT

Home Furnishings

ENTERTAIN THIS YEAR W/ YOUR RETRO DINING ROOM

Classified

Call

@ 206-623-6231, to place an ad

$ TOP CASH $

PAID FOR UNWANTED CARS & TRUCKS

$100 TO $1000

ALL STAR TOWING

425-870-2899

HomeWell Senior Care Franchising is growing! Recession proof business. Only 8 available territories in Western Washington. $85K Initial investment includes Franchise Fee. Next Step: Visit www.HomeWell.biz

Do you have PTSD and alcohol problems? Paid research opportunity. Call the APT Study at

206-764-2458.

WWW.KIRKLANDGOLDBUYER.COM

“Seattle Stu”

Jazz Trio or Quartet for Hire Available for Parties & Restaurants (TOPPS!) Please Call: (206) 223-1110 from 1pm -7pm E-mail: sinison@comcast.net

7 Days * 24 Hours Licensed + Insured

Seeking free treatment?

MOST CASH PAID 4 GOLD JEWELRY 20%-50% MORE 24/7 CASH 425.891.1385

Severe Allergies or Autoimmune Disease? Earn $200 - Donate Plasma plasmalab.com 425-258-3653

Singing Lessons

FreeTheVoiceWithin.com Janet Kidder 206-781-5062

Solid Maple table, beautiful sideboard and 6 padded chairs. Sleek design from the late 1960’s. Clean lines. Very good cond.! $450. Call for details.

Vashon Island

206-304-1451 Appliances AMANA RANGE Deluxe 30” Glasstop Range self clean, auto clock & timer ExtraLarge oven & storage *UNDER WARRANTY* Over $800. new. Pay off balance of $193 or make payments of $14 per month. Credit Dept. 206-244-6966

Appliances KENMORE FREEZER

Repo Sears deluxe 20cu.ft. freezer 4 fast freeze shelves, defrost drain,

interior light *UNDER WARRANTY* Make $15 monthly payments or pay off balance of $293. Credit Dept. 206-244-6966

KENMORE REPO Heavy duty washer & dryer, deluxe, large cap. w/normal, perm-press & gentle cycles. * Under Warranty! * Balance left owing $272 or make payments of $25. Call credit dept. 206-244-6966 NEW APPLIANCES UP TO 70% OFF All Manufacturer Small Ding’s, Dents, Scratches and Factory Imperfections *Under Warranty* For Inquiries, Call or Visit Appliance Distributors @ 14639 Tukwila Intl. Blvd. 206-244-6966

REPO REFRIGERATOR Custom deluxe 22 cu. ft. sideby-side, ice & water disp., color panels available

UNDER WARRANTY!

was over $1200 new, now only payoff bal. of $473 or make pmts of only $15 per mo. Credit Dept. 206-244-6966

W E E K LY

Abandoned Vehicle Auction City Wide Towing 14045 Midvale Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98133 December 22, 2014 10AM Preview 2 Hours Before 1987 Ford F250 1989 Mercury Mystique

STACK LAUNDRY Deluxe front loading washer & dryer. Energy efficient, 8 cycles. Like new condition * Under Warranty * Over $1,200 new, now only $578 or make payments of $25 per month

(206) 364-7070

%206-244-6966%

FFFFFFFF

Dogs

2 CHIHUAHUA’S ARE seeking a new home together. Long haired, one year olds with current vaccinations. Male and female puppies can be registered. Health forces sale. Asking $500 for the pair. Call Anna 253-8785470.

Classified Ads Get Results!

In accordance with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 46.55.130),

Triple J Towing DBA Smitty’s Towing #5081 will sell to the highest bidder select onsite vehicles on

12/23/14 @ 8:00am

Prior inspection will be from 7:00am - 8:00am. This company can be contacted at 425-888-1180 for questions regarding this Auction.

The Sale Location Is: 14112 452nd Ave SE North Bend

W W W. S E AT T L E W E E K LY. C O M / S I G N U P

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D I N I NG

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The inside scoop on upcoming shows and the latest reviews.

EVENTS

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filtering the best of

SEATTLE WEEKLY • DECEMBER 17 — 23, 2014

THE NORTHWEST!

MEDICINE MAN FILM WELLNESS CENTER

HAPPY HOUR

Walk-ins Welcome

On-Line Verification Available Providing Authorizations in Accordance with RCW 69.51A

$99 includes Authorization and Card Doctors available Tuesday 2 - 6 • Thursday 11 - 3, Friday 11 - 6

Also Open Sunday 12 - 4

4021 Aurora Ave N. Seattle, WA 98103 • 206-632-4021 www.medicinemanwellness.com Now accepting all major credit/debit cards!

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