APRIL 8-14, 2015 I VOLUME 40 I NUMBER 14
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FOOD COULD THE NEW SHIRO’S ACTUALLY BE BETTER THAN BEFORE? PAGE 14
THE GREAT RED HOPE Seattle catches Mars fever. BY NINA SHAPIRO
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A NEW ERA FOR VERA
THE BELOVED INSTITUTION EMERGES FROM A ROCKY PERIOD WITH NEW LEADERSHIP AND A NEW MISSION THAT LOOKS VERY FAMILIAR. BY KELTON SEARS PAGE 28
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OWING PAINS
BY CASEY JAYWORK | How Seattle businesses are handling the jump to an $11 minimum wage, en route to $15. Plus: Afghan immigrants who worked for our government endure relocation struggles.
MEN FROM MARS
BY NINA SHAPIRO | Like something out
of science fiction, a voyage to the Red Planet may not be that far away— and some people are literally signing their lives away to get in on it.
food&drink 14 SHIRO’S 2.0
BY JASON PRICE | Meet the new guys
in charge of Seattle’s sushi mecca. 15 | FOOD NEWS/THE WEEKLY DISH
arts&culture 16 THIS AMERICAN DANCE
BY KELTON SEARS | A Q&A with Ira Glass about his new stage show. 16 | THE PICK LIST 18 | OPENING NIGHTS | School
integration and dragons spawned from Mt. St. Helens. 19 | PERFORMANCE/EAR SUPPLY 21 | VISUAL ARTS/THE FUSSY EYE
22 FILM
24 | FILM CALENDAR
Editor-in-Chief Mark Baumgarten EDITORIAL Senior Editor Nina Shapiro Food Editor Nicole Sprinkle Arts Editor Brian Miller Music Editor Kelton Sears Editorial Operations Manager Gavin Borchert Staff Writers Ellis E. Conklin, Casey Jaywork Calendar Assistant Diana M. Le Editorial Interns Kate Clark, Warren Langford 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, Marcus Harrison Green Robert Horton, Patrick Hutchison, Seth Kolloen, Sandra Kurtz, Dave Lake, Terra Clarke Olsen, Jason Price, Keegan Prosser, Mark Rahner, Tiffany Ran, Michael A. Stusser, Jacob Uitti PRODUCTION Production Manager Sharon Adjiri Art Director Jose Trujillo
ADVERTISING Marketing/Promotions Coordinator Zsanelle Edelman Senior Multimedia Consultant Krickette Wozniak
BY TAYLOR DOW | This cartoonist
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“A well-reasoned, nuanced and civil discussion on gentrification? It must be April Fools Day.”
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HOME, AGAIN
Last week, property manager Brian E. Robinson responded to Janice Harper’s open letter “Dear Landlord” with his own tale of a tenant facing homelessness, but with a very different conclusion (“Dear Tenant,” April 1, 2015). “A system that relies on tenants begging for disparate charity from landlords is not working for anybody,” Robinson argued.
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
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Box Office: (425) 392-2202 I VillageTheatre.org
There seems to be a lot we don’t know about the auditor’s past—he was a federal prosecutor who went after people who do things like he did? In reading this, I can see now why he didn’t want the details of this case revealed. You can audit but you can’t hide. Pearlmann, via seattleweekly.com
It sounds like you went above and beyond for your tenant . . . and you have a good point. A landlord is not a social worker, physician, Something about his picture just screams shady psychiatrist, etc. Clearly, there were issues in liar, the type of person you wouldn’t want to these people’s lives that need addressing beyond accept a free gift from. Then I read the story and their housing plight, but see. Lawyer and former federal agencies providing medical, prosecutor for white-collar Send your thoughts on mental health, and social crimes? Ah, now I gotcha. It this week’s issue to services are clearly as overwasn’t that he didn’t have good burdened as the subsidized letters@seattleweekly.com answers because he was dumb, housing system. he didn’t have good answers because he was smart. Nicola, via seattleweekly.com Thebriang, via seattleweekly.com A well-reasoned, nuanced and civil discussion on gentrification/housing prices/homelessness? It “Something is rotten in the State of Denmark.” must be April Fools Day. John Gray, via seattleweekly.com Hutch84, via seatteweekly.com In the end, homelessness is an extremely personal issue that few suffering it will want anyone to know about. It is embarrassing and debilitating in every way imaginable on a personal level. To those that have witnessed the extremes such as suicide, it is not your fault. You didn’t create the situation and you will never solve it. Gary Gibbons, via seattleweekly.com
ON STAGE IN ISSAQUAH MAY 14 – JULY 3
if he’s got nothing to hide, why is he hiding? Kermit, via seattleweekly.com
People who can’t plan ahead, whatever the reason, almost always end up on the streets, institutionalized, or in the slammer. If anyone has a “constitutional” solution that doesn’t involve giving them a month’s worth equivalent of “living wage” every month, I would like to read your solution. Maybe Seattle Weekly could make it into an ongoing discussion. bill wald, via seattleweekly.com AUDITOR, AUDIT THYSELF
Rick Anderson added to the recent drama surrounding State Auditor Troy Kelley by revealing that feds are looking into his failure to pay taxes on $3.8 million (“Paying the Piper,” March 30, 2015). He also explored the public official’s questionable past, filled with accusations of lies and fraudulent behavior. This is the most thorough take on this story that I’ve read. It makes you wonder what else we don’t know about Kelley. It’s an old political question—
SMOKE SCREEN
Last week, Daniel Person suggested several reasons that 18 percent of Americans continue to suck down cigarettes (“Why Do We Still Smoke?,” April 1, 2015). “Here’s the thing,” Person wrote. “Smoking has a gravity-defying ability to remain a red-flag indicator of antiauthoritarianism.”
Sucking on that little phallic substitute in public is just about as pathetic as you can get. For what? A sad, cheap, little high? If anyone sprayed cancer-causing chemicals in public they would be arrested or assaulted—why are tobacco addicts still given a free pass? Unrepentantcapitalist, via seattleweekly.com Cancer-causing chemicals have been sprayed in public for years. It’s called car exhaust. eyemale, via seattleweekly.com “Journalist” my rear end. For six decades, the United States government has been lying in our faces, and you fake “journalists” have been jamming it down our throats. The anti-smokers commit flagrant scientific fraud by falsely blaming smoking for diseases that are really caused by infection . . . For the government to commit fraud to deprive us of our liberties is automatically a violation of our Constitutional rights. CarolAST, via seattleweekly.com Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
news&comment
How’s the Boss?
The Big Tech Moves Reshaping Seattle
As the new minimum wage takes effect, Seattle business owners adapt. BY CASEY JAYWORK
BY KATE CLARK
M
W
Island Soul owner Theo Martin was ready for the change. He already paid an $11 wage.
a key negotiator in the final deal—explained that the company decided to push the Salmon House’s minimum wage up to $15 per hour immediately, while also raising the wages of more senior staff “based on the complexity of their position and their tenure.” (At other Ivar’s locations, the minimum wage has remained at $11). To pay for the raises, Ivar’s eliminated credit-card tipping and added the amount of an average tip (17 percent) to menu prices. The new revenue from higher prices didn’t quite balance out the newer cost of labor, he says, so they upped prices further, to 21 percent. Donegan says customer response to the new policy has been mostly positive, though some resent losing the ability to reward or punish servers via tipping. “I think it’s gonna take three months for this to work its way through,” says Donegan. “There will be people who are very, very angry and will never come back,” and others who will come in for the first time because they like the policy and/or the food. “I think it’s going to be a polarizing issue for a while.” Of course, for some small-business owners,
the wage implementation has caused nary a ripple. “$11 was [already] my minimum,” says Theo Martin, owner of Columbia City’s Island Soul restaurant. He says that $15 is too high, but adds that he’ll find a way to make it work—mostly by trimming the fat from his other operating costs. For instance, he says he’s paying more attention to serving size: making sure that there’s exactly enough on someone’s plate to fill them up, but not so much that they ask for a takeout box (which costs Martin another 10 or 15 cents per order).
And Molly Neitzel, the owner of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, recently raised her prices by five cents a scoop—not to meet the new $11 minimum, but to keep graduated pay scales intact and to pay for increasingly expensive dairy. She’s psyched at the prospect of simultaneously raising pay for Seattle’s worst-compensated workers and pumping extra cash into the local economy. “We’re gonna have hundreds of thousands of people in Seattle with more money in their pockets,” she says. “And these are people who don’t take the [money] they get and put it in a savings account. They spend that money.” She’s talking about what $15 Now advocates call “middle-out economics”—as opposed to “trickledown economics.” In trickle-down economics, government interference (like taxation or a minimum wage) is said to discourage job growth by making jobs more expensive for hyper-rich “job creators.” In middle-out economics, on the other hand, a robust minimum wage is seen as a tool for encouraging job growth, since well-paid workers have more money to spend at local businesses. So depending on which side of the ideological divide you’re on, Seattle’s new minimum wage can be either a weight dragging down trade, or it can be an injection of extra gas to the engine of our local economy. Neitzel admits that there’s an element of truth to the trickle-down side. “I’ve heard that [Seattle’s minimum wage is] discouraging some chain companies, big-box companies, from expanding more inside Seattle city limits,” she says. But wait for the punch line: “I think that’s great, because that is leaving our city to local business owners.” E
cjaywork@seattleweekly.com
More people. As more tech moves in, Seattle should continue its streak as one of the fastestgrowing cities in the U.S., which means things will only be getting cozier. So the upcoming migration of Expedia to the former Amgen Inc. campus (which it bought for a cool $228.9 million) begs a telling question. With 75 percent of its 3,000 employees currently living on the Eastside, will those workers move or drive? The former will squeeze a tight housing market, the latter will exacerbate our traffic problems. It’s enough to make you want to jump on the next plane outta here. Brought to you by Expedia. More jobs. A study released last month by the Washington Technology Industry Association found that for each new techie hired here in Washington state, 2.7 jobs are added. Additionally, companies within the information and communication technology (ICT) sector paid $22 billion in wages in 2013. Not bad. “Despite the smaller stature as a startup ecosystem, the Washington ICT sector has been a consistent pioneer in the most successful new products and services,” the report says. “The region’s prowess in Cloud Computing and high density of ICT talent has attracted significant private investment.” More expensive. Last but definitely
not least the tech takeover is making things more expensive. The residential and business rental markets have tightened as Amazonia has spread. And this won’t be ending anytime soon—Amazon announced last week that it would soon occupy another 817,000 square feet of office space in South Lake Union. According to the Zumper National Rent Report released last week, Seattle is the 10th most expensive city to rent in. Ironically, companies like Alibaba are said to be choosing Seattle to house their flagship because of cheaper rents. But with demand driven by more tech companies moving in and more high-paid tech workers following, how long can we stay “cheap”? Can the cranes build fast enough to keep up? Will that even matter? Stay tuned. E
news@seattleweekly.com
SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
Up on the north shore of Lake Union, Ivar’s Salmon House got around the fact that it’s too big for a tip credit by simply assimilating tips into both customers’ bills and employees’ paychecks. Bob Donegan—Ivar’s president and an early opponent of the $15 Now movement who went on to become
ore and more tech giants are knocking on the doors of Seattle’s real-estate agents begging for office space with each passing week, it seems. Last week, Expedia announced that it would vacate its Bellevue offices and head to the Seattle waterfront in 2018. Crossing a much larger body of water could be China’s Alibaba, the world’s largest e-commerce company, which, as Geekwire reported last week, is considering Seattle as its U.S. homebase. Add Amazon’s ongoing office-space grab, and it’s clear that the industry is literally changing the shape of the city. Here’s how.
MORGEN SCHULER
hen Seattle’s minimum wage jumped to $11 per hour last week, bypassing the state minimum of $9.47 and giving the city its first taste of what a higher wage floor looks like in action, neither did the sky fall nor the earth tremble. Likewise, angels did not descend to sing the praises of a mandatory living wage. In the words of local restaurant tycoon Dave Meinert—who sat on the city committee that ultimately hashed out the labyrinthine deal, of which the new $11 minimum wage is the first step—the raise was “ultimately not that huge of a change . . . Just some accounting changes, really,” he added. To be fair, Meinert has it comparatively easy: As a small business owner, he’s allowed (for now) to count tips toward the $11 minimum wage. Not so for larger companies like Starbucks (which declined to be interviewed for this article) or Ivar’s (more on them in a minute). In case you missed it: The minimum wage deal that labor and business representatives cut a year ago was a messy compromise. Labor, riding a wave of public anger about wealth inequality, demanded “$15 Now”; on the other side of the bargaining table, businesses wanted either a smaller wage hike or a bigger set of loopholes that would include counting tips or employee benefits toward the minimum wage. The resulting agreement was a victory for labor tempered by temporary concessions to business. Seattle will eventually get to a $15 minimum wage, but different businesses have different amounts of time to get there, depending on how big they are and what benefits they offer. Large businesses (employing more than 500 people) must comply the soonest, while smaller businesses (500 or fewer employees) get a couple of extra years and can count tips toward workers’ wages through 2024. While the economic effects of the new wage itself are still invisible, some business owners charged with executing it made headlines last week with brash statements and bold actions. Celebrity chef Tom Douglas roused public ire by adding a 2 percent “Wage Equality Surcharge” to counter the new cost of labor in his restaurant empire, which employs too many people to qualify for the tip-credit exemption. He also published, then removed, a somewhat bitter blog post in which he castigated the mayor and city council for giving large businesses less time and leeway to phase in the new minimum wage. “This is a multimillion-dollar discrepancy between large and small employers and completely tilts the playing field in a very competitive industry,” Douglas wrote in the post, which he removed in the face of public backlash. He also dumped the 2 percent surcharge, saying in a later post that new labor costs would be “reconciled in the menu price increases.”
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news&comment»
Lost in Translation
When Adil helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan, he put his family in danger. Now living in Lynnwood, they are waiting for the security that was promised them. BY JASON BACAJ
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JASON BACAJ
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
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dil wakes up most weekday mornings before the sun’s rays have pierced the few windows of his family’s one-bedroom apartment in Lynnwood. He does his morning prayers, mindful to face toward Mecca, and has breakfast before departing on the first leg of his journey. His destination is one of two social-services offices he visits each week for workforce training, a requirement to receive a little more than $400 each month in cash assistance from the state of Washington. The trip to either Everett or Mountlake Terrace, depending on the day, takes two bus passes. For this, Adil receives free bus passes from the state to ease the difficulty of traveling. And yet the trained engineer, who from 2010 until this past January worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan before moving to the United States, goes to great lengths to preserve even this small allowance. He leaves his apartment each morning 45 minutes early and walks three miles to a bus station farther along the route. “I am only paying one ticket,” Adil says proudly. “And in this I am saving the resources of the government.” The workforce training has helped Adil put together a resume and craft both a cover letter and a follow-up thank-you letter. These are things he never used in Afghanistan, but which he knows he’ll need to succeed in his new home—crucial tools, since he is not likely to return to his home country anytime soon. Adil chose to leave Afghanistan under dire circumstances. He was the subject of regular death threats from militants because of his work with the U.S. government. The fear has followed Adil, who requested that Seattle Weekly identify him by only his last name and not photograph his or his wife’s face out of fear of reprisal against family members back in Afghanistan. In 2006, Congress created the Special Immigrant Visa program for people like Adil: Iraqi and Afghan interpreters helping the American military and thus endangering their own lives and the lives of their families. The program is intended to expedite the immigration process, offering asylum and promising threatened families safety, housing, furnishings, food, and a guided orientation to American culture. Yet more than two months after receiving the visa and moving to the U.S., hardly any of that has come to pass, says Adil as he sits cross-legged on a foam mattress pad, one of three that constitute the furniture in his ant-infested apartment off Aurora Avenue. The pads were purchased with some of the $3,300 he received through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Reception and Placement Grant when he and his family arrived. After paying the security deposit and two months’ rent on this apartment, it was all Adil was able to afford, along with a month’s worth of food, a vacuum, an iron, and some bus tickets. It’s a very different existence than the engineer, who made $48,000 USD in his last year with the Army Corps of Engineers, expected.
Adil went from a $48,000 salary with the Army Corps of Engineers to food stamps.
to search for work in Kabul, rather than talk Worse, says Adil, is the feeling of isolation. freely about how he made thousands of dolHe and his wife don’t leave the apartment lars each month working with the American much aside from grocery shopping, and there’s government as it sought to win the war and no one for his wife to talk with. She doesn’t successfully stabilize Afghanistan. speak English and is just developing her burAdil contributed to the war effort by geoning writing skills in her own language. inspecting construction In Afghanistan, Adil funded by U.S. recalls, relatives and Going back to Afghanistan projects dollars, translating docuneighbors visited every day. When he would mean even more ments from English to the local language, and interand his family arrived hardship. It was there preting for Army Corps at SeaTac in February, Engineers supervisors only one of the four that militants threatened of at job sites and meetings. relatives who live in Adil is one of tens of thouthe area was there. Adil’s family. sands of interpreters who “Even now my wife worked with the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan says, ‘Please buy us ticket to get back,’ ” during the two decade-long wars, and one of Adil says. roughly 2,900 since 2007 who have emigrated But going back to Afghanistan would mean to the U.S. after their lives were threatened. even more hardship. It was there that militants (More than 10,000 SIVs were issued last year had slipped threatening letters under the front to Iraqis and Afghans who worked for the U.S. door of Adil’s family home, stating that he and government in other capacities, according to his family would be murdered if they continState Department figures.) ued to work with the U.S. forces. They moved Adil’s hopes that he and his family could from his home village in Logar, a rural provstay in their homeland ended in March ince in eastern Afghanistan, to Kabul. Mili2013—three years after he began working as tants continued to track him. Adil responded a translator and project inspector with the by changing apartments and his car every few USACOE—when he was nearly abducted on months to keep them at bay. his way to inspect a U.S.-funded project. That He asked his extended family in Logar to month he started a SIV application. tell neighbors he was unemployed and had left
The SIV program was largely unknown to the American public until 2013, when it emerged under a cloud. Reports of immigrants’ experiences with the program began to surface in the media, with the process being described as “prohibitively complicated and painfully slow” by PBS NewsHour in 2014 and as something beyond Kafkaesque, as John Oliver explained on Last Week Tonight in October 2014, “because compared to this, waking up as a cockroach is normal.” The process was recently streamlined, and its effectiveness is clear. The number of Afghans who, like Adil, worked for the U.S. government and were granted SIVs jumped from a low of three in 2011 to an estimated 3,441 in 2014, according to State Department data. Still, the average time applicants spend waiting for approval is somewhere between three and four years, according to Matt Zeller, a former soldier and head of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of Iraqi and Afghans who have worked with U.S. forces in war zones. As an SIV applicant, Adil had three major hurdles to clear. First he had to show that he had provided a year of service to the U.S., then prove that that service put him in clear danger. And finally his application had to be reviewed and independently cleared by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security to be absolutely sure that he didn’t pose a threat to America. If any one agency deemed Adil a threat, he would have been turned down. Adil was able to get through the process faster than most, making it onto U.S. soil just shy of two years after he started his headlong run through the bureaucratic gauntlet of the SIV process. After he arrived in the United States, however, more, unforeseen challenges emerged. Along with his relative from Lynnwood, Adil was greeted at the airport by a representative of the International Rescue Committee, one of nine charitable organizations, with branches spread across the country, that help SIV recipients adjust to life in America. The DHHS doles out money to these groups so they can provide SIVs the basics required by Congress, such as a place to live, furniture, food, clothing, and job placement training, as well as help navigating their new community and figuring out public-assistance programs. Within a few weeks, with the DHHS money gone, Adil and his family needed more assistance. The IRC does offer what it calls a “matching grant program” that covers rent for up to six months; provides volunteers to help orient immigrants; and donates goods to 150 of the roughly 550 people it helps relocate to the Seattle area, both SIVs and refugees. But to receive these benefits, the immigrants must live near the IRC’s office in SeaTac, explains Bob Johnson, executive director of the IRC’s Seattle office.
JASON BACAJ
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SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
entrants, asylees, trafficking victims, and unacJohnson says the program has a de facto companied children. Last year’s budget for the geographic requirement because the IRC ACF contained enough for about $600 per provides bus fare to participants, and the orgaperson, according to figures from the DHHS’s nization doesn’t have the money to pay for report, titled “Justification of Estimates for someone traveling from a distance. “Since he’s Appropriations Committees” for fiscal year in [Lynnwood], he can’t really participate in 2016. And the number of SIV recipients enterthe matching grant program,” Johnson says. ing the country from Iraq and Afghanistan is Adil didn’t learn that he wasn’t eligible until growing, as is the number of unaccompanied after his family had settled into the Lynnwood children—mostly from Central America— apartment. He called the IRC to find out how which has more than doubled to nearly 57,500 he could get furniture for the apartment. He was between 2013 and 2014, leaving officials to told to come into the office. A $300 taxi ride later, Adil learned that he lived too far away from the IRC’s office. “It’s like something jokes . . . I said, ‘Pretend I’m close to your office,’ ” Adil says. “It’s hard for me to come because I have nothing.” The IRC did help Adil enroll for food stamps, but left him to find his own way through other available benefit programs. Adil says he ended up traveling to the social-services office three times over a five-week period before he was able to enroll in a welfare program that pays $478 each month. For all the difficulty, however, Adil said the program’s mandatory workforce-training classes have helped. His resume and cover letter are now in line with American standards, and he’s taken to applying online each night for a dozen or so jobs. After fielding questions from a reporter, representatives from the IRC brought Adil beds, a nonfunctioning television set, and toys for his daughter, along with a promise to bring furniture. They also brought a $500 check, which Adil and his family rarely leave the apartment. Adil says he combined with his figure out how to stretch the government’s cash assistance check to pay rent for April. money to provide mandated services to an ever-growing population. One of the unintended consequences of the new streamlined SIV process—which has seen the number of Afghans entering the country Zeller feels that America owes these interpretthrough the program increase by more than ers a debt. He views the translators as soldiers, 500 percent from 2013 to 2014 alone—is that veterans who stood shoulder to shoulder with there is now a lack of money available for U.S. forces, and people who wouldn’t be in the organizations like the IRC to help, says Zeller. country if the U.S. had succeeded in stabilizing It’s led to a massive decrease in the quality of Iraq and Afghanistan. help organizations such as the IRC can pro“If you want to call them refugees, they’re vide, which is bad for both the SIV recipients refugees of our own creation, which means we and the U.S., Zeller adds. owe them more,” Zeller says. “The way that we “When you realize that people are so distreat these people as they arrive here will ultigusted with their treatment here in America mately be reflected on our forces who are still that they would rather choose to potentially go fighting down range.” home and die . . . People are gonna come to The path forward is clear for Adil. He plans see the promises that America made as essento get a job, any job. Then a better job. Then tially meaningless,” Zeller says. Adil plans to move into an entry-level posiJohnson counters that funding is not the tion in the engineering field and start working issue. The IRC and organizations like it work toward his master’s degree. He’s determined. with DHHS to determine the number of SIVs After all, this isn’t the first time his family has and refugees each group can take on and manhad to start over in a new country; when he age over the course of a year. Johnson, who’s was young his parents fled to Pakistan when been with the IRC for 39 years, says the numthe Russians invaded. ber of people his chapter helps each year has “We are learning to learn new culture and stayed steady at around 550. new life here and, like we were in the refugee The section of DHHS responsible for camp in Pakistan, we started from zero,” Adil administering the SIV program, the Adminsaid. “Here is also again the second time in my istration for Children and Families, also prolife to start from zero.” E vides money for refugees, Cuban and Haitian news@seattleweekly.com
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A Microsoft programmer and dozens more sign up for a one-way trip to the Red Planet. Scientists are fascinated— and horrified.
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Bold words: Cutline here cutline here cutline here
WIKIMEDIA
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
BY NINA SHAPIRO
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author Frank Herbert tells the tale of a young arl LeCompte’s Oreo milkshake comes man whose family takes over a desert planet. with little cookies surrounding the straw. But he says that the “biggest thing” to contribIt’s a shake befitting someone young, ute to his decision was his hopes for our species. “I innocent, and appreciative of sensory don’t want humanity to be stuck on Earth,” he says. pleasures. “My little indulgence,” he calls it “I feel a big part of what makes us what we are is after collecting the concoction and an that we try to become more than what we are.” Italian sandwich at a Redmond Potbelly. He goes on to explain that our space missions The 29-year-old Microsoft programmer, a to this point haven’t accomplished that, in part member of the team responsible for Internet because they’re round-trip. Although he can’t quite Explorer, also likes walking on the beach, hiking articulate why, he believes that it’s important to in the woods, and feeling the wind on his face “go somewhere and stay there.” And he holds that and the rain in the air. He also enjoys a fairly Mars is the best candidate. Unlike the Moon, it active social life. Today, a Thursday in late Februhas a measurable atmosphere, even if oxygen is ary, he’s carrying dice in his backpack that he only a tiny part of it, the rest being mostly carbon will later take to a weekly session of Dungeons dioxide. Mars also has ice—at its poles and underand Dragons. On Fridays he meets another ground—that theoretically could be turned into set of friends to play board games like Settlers drinking water. And hey, at least it’s not a hellish of Catan. Tuesday nights he devotes to group screenings of the Star Trek series Deep Space Nine. fire of a planet that rains sulfuric acid, like Venus. Not at all. Mars’ average temperature is -81 F. In other words, LeCompte, dark-haired, Not that he’s going to be getting outside goateed, and on this day sporting a black much. Due to dangerous levels of radiation, he hoodie, seems like a lot of bright, outdoorsy, and figures he’ll walk in the open maybe “a few hours unabashedly geeky Northwest techies. Except for every few days,” and only then in a spacesuit. one thing. He’s planning to give it all up—the Unappealing as that may sound, a veritable wind on his face, the rain in the air, his weekly Mars fever has broken out get-togethers, and most defirecently, especially in the nitely Oreo milkshakes—to Northwest, which has unexgo to a place that’s barren and pectedly deep ties to space possibly uninhabitable, devoid exploration efforts past and of even the most basic earthly present. Mars One, in particdelights, like breathable air, ular, has attracted not only a drinkable water, and anything flood of applicants but some resembling food. respected scientists. Among In mid-February, a private its “ambassadors” charged Dutch outfit called Mars One with spreading the word is a announced that LeCompte Dutch physicist and Nobel was one of 100 finalists—out Prize winner named Gerard ’t of a pool of 200,000 applicants Hooft. He recently got some from around the world— press for stating that the miswhom it had selected to go on sion might take exponentially a mission to Mars. It would be longer than planned. His a one-way mission—meanremarks added to the cascade ing the rest of these fledgling of skepticism and scrutiny astronauts’ lives, as long or that has greeted Mars One in short as they may be on the Carl LeCompte, aspiring Martian. the last few months. Red Planet, if they even get Yet, reached by phone there alive. Mars One appears from the Dutch town of Utrecht, ’t Hooft tells to be serious about this, as does LeCompte. me that although he sees “the dangers and obstaA couple of years ago he read an article about cles a bit more,” he still thinks the mission is a the mission. Mars One’s founder, Bas Lansdorp, noble effort that will one day succeed. “I’m quite an engineer and former wind-energy entrepresurprised how far they’ve gotten, actually.” neur, had announced that his new enterprise Then there’s Elon Musk, the charismatic intended to establish a permanent colony on entrepreneur who made a fortune as co-founder the fourth planet from the sun, a place that has of Paypal and CEO of Tesla Motors and now served as an endless source of fascination for heads SpaceX, one of a new breed of private Earthlings. As Mars One puts it on its website, space companies started by tech billionaires “the next giant leap for humankind” is to expand (including Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch Systems and into the universe, and there are “obvious techniJeff Bezos’ Blue Origin). Musk came to Seattle cal advantages” in making it a one-way mission. in January to announce the opening of a new Getting to Mars will be difficult enough without SpaceX office in Redmond, which, he told a hauling all the equipment needed to launch a Seattle Center crowd, would build a satellite sysrocket back to Earth. The article LeCompte read went on to say that tem to pay for his eventual goal: “a city on Mars.” Even NASA, whose funding and ambition has Mars One was looking for 24 would-be astrowaxed and waned since landing the first man on nauts and “aspiring Martians,” as the candidates the Moon in 1969, has announced plans to take came to call themselves on a Facebook page. The humans to Mars in the mid-2030s. This is a turnfirst four-person crew, consisting of two men and about for the space agency. In 1981, when a group two women, would depart in 2024. of graduate students organized a conference at the “Do I feel I could do something like that? Do University of Colorado to discuss human exploraI feel it’s worth it for me?” LeCompte says he tion of the Red Planet, the subject was “taboo,” asked himself. We’ve walked from Potbelly to a remembers Chris McKay, one of the graduate nearby Starbucks to eat lunch. The chatter at the students, who now works as an astrobiologist sandwich shop was too loud for LeCompte, who at NASA’s Ames Research Center. His group likes to focus on the matter at hand. became known as the “Mars Underground.” “I’ve always been interested in fiction about people trying to survive hostile environments,” One momentous question helped changed the he says, explaining his eventual decision to apply official mind-set: Could there have once been life to Mars One. He recalls loving the 1965 scienceon Mars? For that matter, could life exist there still? fiction classic Dune, in which Tacoma-born » CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
9
MARS FEVER » FROM PAGE 9
At approximately 4 a.m. on July 20, 1976, the
A communication satellite would relay images, videos, and other data from the Mars surface.
Percival Lowell published a book that hypothesized about the origin of canals he and others thought they saw on Mars. The waterways were, he wrote, the creation of “intelligent creatures, alike to us in spirit, though not in form.” He was wrong. As NASA’s missions would later show, there were no canals. Since then, the idea of life on Mars—whether native to the planet or imported—has inspired
The Mars Transit Vehicle that would carry the astronauts from Earth orbit to Mars.
countless works of science fiction. Lynnwood author Greg Bear ticks off some of the classics: Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1917 A Princess of Mars; Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles of 1950; the kitschy 1967 film Mars Needs Women. Bear, who himself has written about Mars several times, recently published War Dogs, in which Mars serves as a battlefield for human colonists fighting beings from another solar system. Bear
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MARS ONE
mer flood plain, suggesting that water had flowed on Mars billions of years ago. But Mariner 9 was a flyover. Viking actually landed, enabling a wealth of detail. James Tillman set up a computer lab at UW that eventually received data directly from the landers. Speaking on a conference call with his daughter from a retirement home in Seattle, the now82-year-old scientist recalls being surprised by the variability of great global dust storms. Viking saw two the first year and none the second. The mission also provided evidence to Tillman’s lab—despite the average freezing temperature—of “four seasons, just like us,” he says. Viking had an even greater purpose than charting Mars’ geography and atmosphere. It was the first feasible search for life on the planet. The subject had been a source of speculation for ages. In 1908, an amateur astronomer named
BRYAN VERSTEEG
Mars One’s Living Unit.
MARS ONE
first close-up pictures of Mars began to appear, pixel by pixel, on a screen at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Eleven-year-old Rachel Tillman was staying up late to watch them come in. In a nearby room was her dad, a University of Washington atmospheric-science professor named James Tillman, who played a key role in the mission. “All of us were looking at these big rocks,” recalls Rachel Tillman, who now lives in Portland and heads the Viking Mars Missions Education and Preservation Project, which is creating a digital archive of documents, data, and oral histories related to the mission. The rocks were “bumpy and porous, not smooth like river rocks.” They cast shadows amid their own crags as well as on the ground. The images reminded her of the rugged desert landscape in Joshua Tree National Park in California, where her family liked to camp. NASA already knew that Mars had striking geography. The space agency’s Mariner 9 mission, which five years earlier had sent probes to orbit the planet, took pictures of massive volcanoes. One, Olympus Mons, “would make Everest look like a mere hill,” according to UW planetary scientist David Catling. The images also captured the solar system’s biggest canyon— which on Earth would stretch from California to New York—and what appeared to be a for-
“It was very disappointing to many,” says Rachel Tillman. “It shut down the Mars program for the next 20 years.” Yet the soil had exhibited a reaction when tested. Essentially, it fizzed. What was that? Some thought it was a chemical reaction, but others suspected organisms at work. Something even more important kept the idea of Martian life alive, according to McKay: our knowledge that the planet had once contained water. “Water is the essential requirement for life on Earth.” So NASA eventually returned to Mars missions. And the agency found even more evidence of water. The Curiosity rover, on Mars since 2012, discovered ancient lake beds that once would have made excellent homes for microbes—the starter organisms for life. Meanwhile, a Science magazine article revealed just last month that analysis from observatories back on Earth suggest that the planet once had a vast ocean. And even if living matter doesn’t exist on Mars, and never did, why not transplant life there? That’s the view of McKay, who is involved with planning future Mars missions as well as interpreting data from Curiosity. “If we take life as a thing we value, than spreading life around the universe is enhancing that value.” McKay—who served on Mars One’s board of advisers until NASA told him that holding such a position with a private firm is verboten—goes one step further. “Our goal should be to enhance the richness and diversity of life.” What he means is that whatever we plant—ourselves, animals, or actual plants—“will take off on its own evolutionary trajectory.” “Who knows what it will create?” McKay’s dream is one thing. NASA’s actual plan is another. As he sees it, the agency doesn’t have a “clear path” to Mars. A lot needs to be figured out first—for instance, the impact on humans of a prolonged stay in space. NASA projects its first mission to Mars will take at least two years— four times the length of the typical stay at the International Space Station. Just getting to Mars would likely take six to eight months. Unlike Mars One’s planned journey, NASA’s would be round-trip. No government agency could tolerate the risks of dispatching people into space forever. As ’t Hooft, the Dutch physicist, points out, Mars One doesn’t have that problem. “Nobody’s going to pay any tax for it,” he tells me. “It’s fine to ignore” naysayers. Another thing Mars One is doing that a bureaucratic agency is unlikely to is pitching its mission as a reality-TV show. ’t Hooft predicts that it will be a “media spectacle.” After all, Mars is sexy—much sexier than the Moon. At least that’s what ’t Hooft says CEO Lansdorp told him when the physicist asked about the possibility of first colonizing the Moon, a mere
» CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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BRYAN VERSTEEG
says he used the planet as a proxy for the real-life battlefield of Iraq. Mars has served a number of other functions in science fiction, and for that matter in our collective imagination. For some, it’s a refuge—the place we can go when our foolish, global-warming ways destroy Earth. For others, it’s grist for the ultimate adventure fantasy—an Antarctica for the space age. Ironically, Kim Stanley Robinson, one of the most famous science-fiction authors to write about Mars, expresses impatience with such notions. Given the poisonous atmosphere, he says, speaking by phone from his home in California, he can’t understand why the lunacy of settling Mars—at least anytime in the next, say, 10,000 years—“isn’t just as obvious as the nose on your face.” Maybe it’s an Internet thing, he speculates, as “young people with too much time on their hands” peruse various Mars sites. (One, ExploreMarsNow.org, features an interactive design that allows users to virtually enter imagined future habitats on the planet. ) Yet Robinson’s Mars trilogy from the ’90s— Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars—contributed another way of imagining Mars: as a utopia. His novels, which he stresses are a “thought experiment,” not a road map, envision a planet where land is communal and environmental values reign. His description of Mars was not entirely a product of his imagination, however. Robinson says he was inspired by the Viking mission’s pictures. Here was a landscape that looked to him like the “American Southwest on steroids,” with “amazing mountains” that “looked both familiar and completely strange.” While space exploration inspires science fiction, the reverse is also true. The interplay of the two realms, along with the tech sector, is long-standing and tremendous. When Robinson has a question about Mars for a novel, he says he calls NASA’s Chris McKay, who convenes a lunch seminar for him at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. And on the day we speak in early March, Robinson is planning to deliver a talk about his views on Mars at SpaceX the following week. Bear says he and his wife Astrid have gone to dinner with SpaceX’s Elon Musk, who sought the couple’s views on space-tourism pricing (a quarter-million dollars sounds about right, they all agreed, far below the going rate). The couple has also snagged a rare tour of Bezos’ Blue Origin facility in Kent, which is working on enabling “lower-cost” space travel. “Big, beautifully outfitted—a spaceship factory!” Bear enthuses. Yet science has not yet aligned with science fiction, especially when it comes to life on Mars. Viking played a formative role on that point. When the landers arrived, they discovered no creatures, intelligent or otherwise, roaming the planet. Nor any plants. None. No trees, no flowers, no tumbleweed. And when the landers tested the soil for organic matter, none appeared.
Mars One’s new Martians would be preceded by six cargo units containing the building blocks of an artificial habitat.
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three or four days’ journey. Mars One says a media contract will help it raise the projected $6 million needed for its venture. Yet a deal with the British TV production company Endemol fell through. In a company-produced video posted on the firm’s website on March 19, Lansdorp says Mars One is working with a new, unnamed production company—one that is still pitching broadcasters. Meanwhile, Lansdorp said his organization had completed two investment rounds among unspecified financiers, the largest of which resulted in an agreement with a “consortium.” He conceded, however, that the relevant “paperwork” is “taking much longer than we expected.” Consequently, he announced that Mars One is delaying the mission by two years, with the first astronauts now scheduled to depart in 2026. While it nails down its funding, Mars One, which calls itself a nonprofit, is pushing merchandise: $50 hoodies, $18 mugs, and a $85 laser-engraved miniature of a Mars One “outpost.” The colony is depicted as a series of connecting white huts—the lander modules—two of which have inflatable tubes sticking out of them: tubes intended to serve as the colony’s main living area, and where the aspiring Martians are supposed to grow their own food. In mid-March, writer Elmo Keep published an article on the website Medium that accused Mars One of “ripping off ” its astronaut applicants by awarding them “points” if they buy merchandise and make donations. The article quoted an e-mail written to applicants that suggested that they take money for press interviews and donate 75 percent of the profits to Mars One. (No sources were paid for this article.) In his recent video, a response to the Medium article and mounting criticism, Lansdorp said that any such donations are “not related at all” to the candidates’ prospects. Perhaps. But getting swindled ranks as the least of the fledgling Martians’ potential problems. Just talk to Sydney Do. After hearing about Mars One, Do, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student, sat down with colleagues to study the organization’s plan. Do, who studies aeronautics and astronautics, is far from cynical about space travel. The 28-year-old Australia native tells me that he came to the U.S. because his home country has no significant space program. He’s wanted to be a part of one ever since he was 5. He wonders how it would feel to experience what astronauts call “the overview effect,” whereby you’re far enough away from Earth to see it as a whole. Apparently, he says, that “changes your entire perception.” He’s already gotten a taste of what space would be like by flying in the so-called “vomit comet”—an aircraft that flies in a particular arc that allows those inside to feel weightless. “That was like being reborn,” Do says. “It was incredible—like you’re literally flying.” He would like to go to Mars. “But I don’t personally see that happening anytime soon.” Which brings us to his and his colleagues’ analysis of the Mars One mission. “First off, we assumed that you could get to the surface.” This was no small assumption. As Do points out, there’s no technology yet available to take humans, as opposed
Scientists evince a push-pull as they contemplate human exploration and colonization of Mars. The result is that such missions seem at once more credible than you might have thought and utterly crazy. “I would be quite happy to work on the first human mission [to Mars],” says the UW’s Catling, speaking in his campus office, which boasts both a wall map and a globe of Mars. He’s been studying Mars since he was a graduate student at Oxford two decades ago, and participated in both the disastrous 1998 “polar crasher” to Mars (as it became known, after the lander did go splat on the surface) and the successful Phoenix mission a decade later. While Phoenix and other robotic missions
THEVIKINGPRESERVATIONPROJECT.ORG
MARS FEVER
to robots, to Mars. Musk, the SpaceX founder who hypes Mars colonization more than just about anyone, said as much when asked about Mars One last October at an MIT symposium. He noted that the Mars One illustrations he’s seen have its mission using both rockets and spacecraft (for carrying the crews) designed by SpaceX. “That’s cool, we’ll certainly sell them,” Musk said with an amused look on his face. Yet, he added, “I’d recommend waiting for the next generation of technology.” For one thing, the crew would be spending months on end in “something with the interior volume of an SUV.” If they survived that and reached the vicinity of Mars, the crew would then need to land in one piece—another challenge. A spacecraft has to travel at extraordinary speed to get to Mars and something needs to “catch” it, Do explains. Whatever that thing is obviously needs to be more careful with humans than with robots. “You don’t want to go splat on the surface of Mars,” Do says. But OK, say the crew lands safely. What are its members going to eat? Unless science figures out a way to grow food in Martian soil, which by the way is permeated with toxic salt, the colonists will subsist entirely on the plants they harvest inside their Martian living quarters—and perhaps, as some affiliated with Mars One have suggested, the insects they bring. To produce enough food for just the first crew of four, Do and his team calculated, the growing space would need to be four times larger than the 50 square meters Mars One initially planned. After the MIT team published its findings in September, Mars One changed its design accordingly on its website. But that only exacerbates other problems detailed in the paper. Chief among them would be the dangerous level of oxygen released by the plants. “It would result in the crew suffocating,” Do explains. Mars One could tinker with the design again and separate growing and living areas. Or possibly technology could be developed to moderate the oxygen level. But all that means bigger modules, more equipment, and a stream of spare parts, driving costs to an unsustainable level, in the judgment of Do and his colleagues. When we talk, Do plays out that scenario even further. “Say the company back on Earth goes bust.” Who, if anyone, he wonders, would pay for sending more spare parts to Mars? It’s not as though the Mars One folks can just hop on a rocket and come back. Even if they brought launch equipment with them, which they won’t, the trip is feasible only once every 26 months, due to the varying distance between Mars and Earth as they orbit the sun. When you think about it, as many beyond MIT are now doing, the ethical and logistical questions are mind-blowing.
University of Washington atmospheric-science professor James Tillman and the Viking spacecraft he helped land on Mars.
“There are always risks. If you know what happens on Mars, then you don’t need to go there.” have sent back an enormous amount of information, “humans could do so much more,” Catling says, echoing an oft-heard rationale. He also says he thinks it is possible that we could one day create a habitat suitable for humans on Mars. But since we don’t have one yet, he says he wouldn’t affiliate himself with Mars One. “I don’t want to be involved with killing somebody, which is really what a one-way mission is.” Putting aside the obvious calamities for a minute, he wonders what would happen if somebody needed surgery. Or, he asks, “What happens if there’s a couple and one of them gets pregnant? You don’t have a midwife on hand. You don’t have an education system.” A child born on Mars would grow up in an environment with roughly 40 percent less gravity than Earth, he points out. We don’t know what effect that would have. There are other unforeseen dangers. James Tillman, the Viking mission veteran, says it would be “stunning, just stunning” if a mission were to discover life on Mars. But he also recognizes the possibility that such life could be dangerous—say, a virus unknown on Earth. “The idea that people could even be allowed to come back after being exposed to something like that . . . ” he muses, trailing off. If they were, he says, they should have to go to a facility that isolates people who have been exposed to biological warfare. “You’d want to stick them in there for a year or two or three.” Norbert Kraft, the chief medical officer of Mars One, doesn’t sound concerned. “There are always risks. If you know what happens on Mars, then you don’t need to go there.” The Austrian native is speaking by phone from San Jose, Calif. That’s near NASA Ames, where an agency spokesperson confirms that Kraft once worked as a contractor on a joint project with the Federal Aviation Administration studying fatigue among air traffic controllers. That contract came to an end in late 2011. “It was exactly when Mars One approached me,” Kraft recounts. His equanimity when it comes to the Dutch mission may relate to his need for a job, or it may have something to do with his unusual personality. The latter became apparent in 1999, when he was working for Japan’s space agency and opted to participate in a 110-day spaceshipsimulation exercise in Moscow. “I had no prob-
lems to be in a ‘tin can,’ ” he tells me cheerfully, saying he kept himself occupied by “little things,” like making decorations for his crewmembers’ birthdays. Other members of the crew, meanwhile, were going nuts. Two Russians got into a bloody fight, so traumatizing a Japanese member of the team that he quit early. A Canadian woman on board also had problems with the Russians—in particular one she accused of sexually harassing her. Kraft chalks the problems up to culture clashes—a phenomenon that one might presume would also arise among Mars One’s crews, which are supposed to be international. The medical officer, who is in charge of picking the astronauts, says he’s screening candidates carefully. In video interviews, he relates, he asks them what they would do if after three years on Mars, they had the chance to come home. Would they go? “If they say yes . . . then they’re out.” That would convey an attitude of “me, me me,” he says, because how would the crew members who remained behind manage? This doesn’t exactly address the question of culture clashes, though. Kraft says that will come in the next selection round, when candidates will be divided into teams and put in an “isolated environment.” Nor does the selection process Kraft describes address the full range of ethical issues involved, although he says he did ensure that none of the participants planned on starting a family in space anytime soon. And if accidents happened? Well, they are “mature people,” he says. “They are responsible for themselves.” How would the child even be delivered? I ask. And what about other medical needs—for example a crew member getting cancer, a very real possibility given the level of radiation in space? “All applicants have to learn all professions,” he calmly replies. “Medicine, dentistry, geology . . . ” For eight to 10 years, he says, Mars One’s astronauts will train full-time at some yetto-be-designated location. For the more technical questions raised by Do and his colleagues, Kraft refers me to Lansdorp, who declines, via a company spokesperson, to make himself available. But Kraft, 52, says he’s confident enough in the mission to plan to go to Mars himself, with his wife, when they retire. He says a low-gravity environment alleviates pain caused by aging bones and joints. As we talk for about an hour, I am acutely aware
that I have way more access to Kraft than the people who are willing to risk their lives on the Mars One mission. According to LeCompte, the company scheduled 15 minutes for each video interview with Kraft. LeCompte’s ran short, just seven or eight minutes. The only time I see LeCompte hesitate is
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when I ask him whether he feels funny about making such a big decision after such little interaction with Mars One. “A little,” he concedes. That’s why he says he’s trying to keep his eyes open as events develop. In particular, he is awaiting a feasibility study that Paragon Space Corporation was supposed to deliver to Mars One in early March. As of press time, the company had not made it public. A couple of weeks after we meet, I call LeCompte to ask if he is having any second thoughts. “Not particularly,” he says. I ask him one more time if this is for real. “I hope I’m going to Mars,” he says. But, he allows, “In terms of whether or not I’m actually going to go, this may or may not succeed. An endeavor like this is a long shot.” Anyway, he says, if Mars One doesn’t work out, he might just look into working at Musk’s new Redmond facility. Actually, LeCompte could stay on the Microsoft campus and go to Mars—well, virtually, anyway. In January, the company unveiled technology that it had been secretly working on for years: a holographic device called HoloLens. It has a lot of applications, but one of the most fascinating is its use for scientific research on Mars, a project that Microsoft has been working on with NASA. Using images from Curiosity, Microsoft has created 3-D holographic images of the actual Mars landscape. With them, scientists in different locations can examine and analyze the geology together, with each seeing the same vivid images. It’s another Mars Underground, if you will. The warren of rooms where HoloLens team members have been designing and testing the technology lies beneath the main floor of the Microsoft Visitors’ Center—an interesting place to keep a secret, note the team members who show me around one day in mid-March. After being led into a white-walled room, I put on the HoloLens headset, and the space fills with light-filled images. Instantly I understand why Mars reminds people of American deserts. The ground, with just the faintest reddish tinge, is barren but not overwhelmingly bleak. The scattered, craggy rocks provide visual interest. The images are so sophisticated that I can look underneath one rock and see the crevices beneath. Mainly, though, I’m struck by the mountains. These aren’t massive, like Olympic Mons. They’re human-scaled, gently undulating and bathed in a hazy light. They’re beautiful. For a few minutes, it doesn’t feel so crazy to want to hike them. In fact, I can hardly believe, at this moment, that the planet is awash in dangerous air, salt, and radiation. It looks so familiar and alluring. And I realize it’s happened to me. However fleetingly, I’ve come down with Mars fever. E
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SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
T
hose of us who have lived in Seattle for some time all know the legend that is Shiro—the master sushi chef who presided over the counter at his namesake restaurant. People have come from far and wide to Shiro’s for more than 20 years, drawn by its well-deserved reputation. But all good things must come to an end; last year, Shiro’s founder decided to move on. Sushi enthusiasts from Seattle and beyond were certainly stunned, and many wondered what would happen to what had become the closest thing to a sushi institution in our town. Would it change? Would it ever be the same? After visiting with head chef Jun Takai and sous Aaron Pate, I can give you a definitive answer—no. It’s not the same. In fact, in many ways it’s better. Takai-san first worked in the fish markets in Kyoto (he had no choice—he was born into it), then moved on to become an apprentice at his uncle’s sushi restaurant. He wasn’t allowed to touch the fish at first, and instead spent a year learning to make rice. Yes, just rice. Why a year? Because that’s how long it takes to understand the many factors involved in rice: crop variations, harvest season, how you wash it, water ratios, timing, and how you cut the rice with vinegar. If not done right, rice becomes too starchy to use for sushi. After this, Takai-san was promoted to make rolls, followed by making sashimi in the kitchen. Nearly three years later, he finally found himself at the actual sushi bar. What followed was another 18 years of working all over Japan in Yokohama, Tokyo, and Osaka, and even a stint in San Diego, before coming to Shiro’s in 2012. When I ask Takai-san how Shiro’s maintains a level of quality comparable to that of Japan, he says, “Of course, the quality is better in Japan because of the freshness of the fish.” But he goes one step further by throwing down the gauntlet: “No one in Seattle is bringing in some of the fish we have here. And no one does edomae [roughly translated as raw fish over rice] here like we do. This is the closest you are going to get to Tokyo.” Pate adds, “The fish we’re bringing in from Japan is cared for better than anywhere else in the world. Our sources bring in good product on direct flights—especially some of the great, lesser-known fish from Japan that is seasonal. We want to educate people about some new fish before they eat up all the popular varieties.” The day I arrive to meet Takai-san and the team, he’s busy fileting a small fish called an akamutsu or nodo guro: a line-caught black-throat sea perch from the Sea of Japan north of Kyoto. It’s also known as the “otoro [tuna belly] of whitefish,” and is very rare—so much so that each fish, weighing just over a pound, costs $50. They have only two a night on rare occasions, and it goes quickly. Beyond that delectable little fish are others such as kawahagi (thread-sail filefish) and ishidai
At Shiro’s, a wide variety of quality fish is broken down and served up.
(striped beakfish). But the highlight of the scene is the 300 pounds of giant bluefin tuna waiting on the counter to be broken down. And this is only half the fish. No other sushi restaurant in town can handle the kind of volume it takes to move through that amount of bluefin. And while bluefin certainly does not fall into the “lesser-known” fish category, Takai-san says that his comes from a large, sustainably run fishery in Spain. Using mature, farm-raised bluefin allays many fears that overfishing and harvesting juveniles will threaten the species. Besides quality sourcing and an obsessive attention to rice, I’ve long wondered what makes good sushi good. Watching Takai-san at work helps answer that question. He deftly trims the loins to rid them of the metallic-tasting bloodline, and breaks them into workable blocks for aging prior to becoming nigiri and sashimi. Tuna needs to be aged two to three days before serving so the flavor can deepen and become more pronounced. This is a problem in some other restaurants, general manager Tiger Nakawake tells me, as many serve their tuna “too fresh,” and it can be bland.
The otoro is massive—approximately 35 pounds. I ask Tiger its street value; “Probably about $2,500–$3,000 if you were to buy it retail,” he says. But the more stunning realization is that the belly itself looks just like wagyu, the famous Japanese cattle that gets massaged and fed beer and sake: unctuous, marbled fat that I just want to take a bite out of right then and there. Training and diversity in background plays a
big role at Shiro’s too. The team comprises chefs from all over Japan: One chef is from Fukushima, another from Shizuoka. And Pate, the American on the team, hails from Maui. Good sushi chefs are in demand, and the restaurant uses a Japanese sushi-chef headhunting company to find top talent in the U.S. I ask Takai-san about the training his chefs receive. “If you learn from the right person, it makes a big difference,” he says. “They all have styles based on where they learned and came from—Tokyo, Osaka, Northside. Each of these places has different traditions and teaching/ learning processes.” He adds, “But we all learn
the Shiro style here. And I mean the ‘new’ Shiro style of doing things.” Takai-san also has great praise for his Western sous chef. “Aaron has experience working in Japan,” he says. If you sit in front of him at the bar, nobody can beat his character. He’s passionate, and it shows in his food. Recently he went to Kyoto for the Washoku World Challenge, and while he didn’t win, the judges all loved him. His knowledge of fish and the craft impressed them all. Even chef Murata of Kitcho, which is probably one of the best restaurants in all of Japan—he loved Aaron!” But that doesn’t mean Pate always gets treated by customers the same as the Japanese chefs. He tells me that “Once in a while, someone will walk in and they won’t want to sit on my side—but it’s their loss. Which is the opposite of when I was in Japan. Japanese customers treated me very well, and they were interested in eating the food I made. They wanted to have something different, and I was a bit of a novelty. There aren’t many Americans making sushi in Japan!” Anyone who’s seen the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi knows that Japanese sushi culture is almost obsessively steeped in tradition. One need not look further than Jiro’s son Yoshikazu, who at 50 was still waiting to take the reins from his octogenarian patriarch. I ask Takai-san how traditions are changing in Japan with the training of new cooks. “There are so many sushi schools in Japan, but it’s usually only a three-to-six-month program, so you just get the basics,” he says. “And now there are these ‘sushi robots’ making rice and rolls, and it’s like fast food—I don’t like it.” And so the change for the better at Shiro’s stems from the exploration of tradition in Japanese sushi culture. Sure, you can still find your maguro and hamachi here, but both the quality and variety of options cannot be beat. On any given night you’ll find up to 25 different fish in the case—several of which you may never have seen in this city. When I ask Takai-san the unavoidable question—how it feels to take over for a Seattle sushi legend like Shiro—his response is simple: “It feels the same. The most important thing I learned from him was how to talk to customers. He’s really an entertainer!” Pate adds, “I’m very lucky to be where I am. I experienced working with great chefs in Tokyo, which enabled me to come here. To work with these guys is an honor for me. Just after one year, there are so many great things happening for me.” E
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SHIRO’S 2401 Second Ave., 443-9844, shiros.com. 5:30–10:30 p.m. daily.
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Citizens of Seattle and people of the land, you will have easy access to fresh produce and meat this summer courtesy of the Pike Place Farmers Markets. From June 16 through October 2, the pop-up markets will appear at five locations across the city: City Hall, Pioneer Square, South Lake Union, First Hill, and outside the original Market itself. E
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I’m always looking for ways to make a great tasting soup that 1) doesn’t take all day and 2) my 7-year-old daughter will like. To that end, this weekend I experimented and came up with a delicious soup with sausage, pasta, and acorn squash. The great thing about sausage is that it imparts instant savory flavor, which means you can get away without making a soup stock or cooking it for hours. In this case, I sautéed two yellow onions and four garlic cloves in olive oil (in a stock pot) until they were soft, about five minutes. To that I added about 1½ pounds of spicy Italian sausage (cut in small chunks) and let that all cook for another five minutes. Next came one butternut squash, cubed (though you could also use sweet potatoes or acorn squash). I brought all that to a boil, then let it simmer for about five more minutes until the squash softened. Then in went 1½ cups of pasta (I used farfalle, but penne or orecchiette would work just fine too). Let that all cook until the pasta is al dente. If you want to make it healthier, throw in some greens at the very end, like kale. They’ll cook instantly, and you’re done! My daughter loved it, and the whole process took only about one hour. I like to make a lot for leftovers during the week, but you could halve this recipe for a dinner for four. E
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arts&culture This American Dance
ThisWeek’s PickList
Ira Glass talks about his new dance show, Shakespeare, musicals, and molten lava. BY KELTON SEARS
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
W
unnecessary. It’s something nobody wanted at all and has no right to exist. It’s a completely frivolous thing. And also, it’s a show that has everything I like in it. It feels like an episode of the radio show when it’s at its best.
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
You’ve always been eager to play with the forms journalism can take and the varying shapes you can mold it into. Is this project just a sort of logical or illogical extension of that drive?
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Totally. In the last year, we’ve done some really different projects on the radio show. Like, we produced two musicals. One that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote for us—he’s about to go star on Broadway with this musical he wrote called Hamilton—and another that Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields wrote for us. Plus we had two mini-operas, one of them by Philip Glass, my cousin. We also started this podcast that tried to invent a totally new way to tell a journalistic story, called Serial. [Laughing] Yeah, I’ve heard of it.
And then now we have this dance. All of this is just part of the people I work with trying to do new things with journalism that we thought would be fun.
Were you nervous that such an odd gamble, pairing dance with journalism, would just fall totally flat?
Oh, yeah, of course. For a while, it wasn’t entirely clear how to make the project work. It wasn’t entirely clear how we would combine these two forms in a way that wouldn’t be totally corny. Like, there was a bunch of initial stuff we tried that we ended up killing. It was hard to figure out some moves—like, I even talk about this in the show—the first idea we attempted was the easiest. It was, like, “Well, I could tell a story, a true story, about dancers,” and Monica could invent some movement to go with it. That was obvious and I felt like of course it should be able to work.
So we did that, but what we immediately learned is that the dancers can’t just illustrate what I’m saying—it seemed really dreadfully corny, like hula or something. Like if I start talking about lava coming out of a volcano and they start pretending they are the lava using their hands or something—just really, really dumb. What we learned is, it’s almost like I have to be telling one story with the words, and they have to be doing a parallel thing that is not the same in movement. Sometimes they get laughs on what they’re doing with the dance that I’m not getting in the talking. In that number, the one I’m talking about where I actually talk about dance, Monica gets laughs on two of their entrances, it’s funny. So while I’m talking, trying to get laughs, it’s almost like they have this entirely separate relationship with the audience, and they’re all getting their own laughs. It’s funny you say that, because dance is often construed as this very austere discipline. It’s not really something people see for its humor.
Dance is hindered by the fact that it’s capable of great beauty. I think any art form that’s capable of great beauty, has trouble with funny. Like opera—doesn’t have a lot of great funny stuff. Think about it, is there any great classical stuff you’d classify as funny? I think there’s a certain kind of visual art that can be very funny and witty, but the type of people doing it who are aspiring towards beauty generally don’t also live in the world of funny, just because the moves are so different. I know you got in a lot of trouble for your “Shakespeare sucks” tweet—is that lack of “classical funny” part of what made you say that?
For the record, I don’t think Shakespeare sucks. It was just a tweet. It wasn’t a verdict on one of the icons of Western culture. You know, just to be clear where I’m standing on that. Also, I think it’s kind of silly that whole episode was a thing at all. Twitter is a silly place in general. I read that when you were researching the This American
People come back over and over again to Swan Lake, in part because the starring part is such an iconic challenge for a ballerina. And in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production, we get a chance to see three different women in the central role(s) of Odette/Odile, each at a different point in her career. Laura Tisserand is debuting in the role with this production. Lesley Rausch is deepening her earlier interpretation. But it’s Carla Körbes’ performances that are likely to be the most fraught for the audience: After 10 years at PNB, and almost 20 since venturing from Brazil to New York’s School of American Ballet, she’s retiring at the end of this season in June. (Ends April 19.) McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. (Seattle Center), 4412424, pnb.org. $45–$192. 7:30 p.m. SANDRA KURTZ
Life archives for stories you’d done on dance that you might be able to use for this project, you came across one you’d done on a touring Riverdance company who got bored doing the same routine every night, so they began inventing new ways to keep themselves entertained. Was this dance project partially your own reaction to feeling bored doing TAL every week?
No, my job is hard enough that it’s not boring. I don’t need to do anything but the radio show to stay interested in what I’m doing. It’s continually a source of fascination and difficulty and pleasure. But, but, it was definitely me going, “I think it would be really fun to try this new thing.” To work with new people whose craft is totally different than yours. Like right now, I’m working on this project with David Byrne he invented that involves color guard, that thing where kids march around at halftime with fake rifles and sabers and throw them in the air. It’s like an artsy version of that, where these composers compete against each other—like Nelly Furtado and St. Vincent. I’ve been teamed up with a composer, Nico Muhly, to create a piece that will actually mimic one of the dance numbers in our show. It’s this piece where I interviewed Monica and Anna, the two dancers, about what they think about when they’re dancing, and you hear the audio of them talking about that as they actually perform the piece onstage. There’s a whole class of things people can work on, an enormous range. You can do it out of boredom, or you can do it because it seems fun. In journalism, as with anything else, you need to be in it for your own amusement if it’s going to be any good. One of the things that made This American Life stand out from other shows on public radio is that we were always out for our own amusement, even with otherwise serious stories. E
ksears@seattleweekly.com
THE PARAMOUNT 911 Pine St., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org. $26.25–$75. 8 p.m. Sat., April 11.
ANGELA STERLING
SW: I heard that you’ve called this show your favorite project you’ve ever been a part of— what is it about this project you love so much? Ira Glass: It’s just completely unlikely and
Swan Lake
DAVID BAZEMORE
riting about music is like dancing about architecture.” That famous axiom is supposed to illuminate the absurdity of crossing two unrelated media, but This American Life host Ira Glass is coming to Seattle to present a live stage show combining dance and radio. So all bets are off, really. As Glass explained recently by phone, Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host was born after the beloved, bespectacled radio host saw a performance by New York choreographer Monica Bill Barnes, whose work shares TAL’s sense of humor, emotional grounding, and element of surprise. Barnes, who’s always attempted to reach beyond traditional dance audiences, worked with Glass to create a hybrid show combining his journalistic storytelling with her modern dance choreography, which she performs with Anna Bass. (The trio first performed together at Carnegie Hall in 2013.)
From left, Bass, Glass, and Barnes in performance.
Körbes as Odette.
ByDesign
This short annual film festival most appeals to architects, graphic designers, urban planners, and plain old font freaks. And yet it’s not without topical, practical interest in our increasingly congested and expensive city. Case in point: the hour-long doc Microtopia (7 p.m. Sat.), which presents nine examples—or at least hypothetical design studies—of tiny domiciles with minimal carbon footprints. Not all are cheap or practical; one Greek architect envisions open-walled studios raised on cherry-pickers, angling this way and that to catch the best view or sun exposure. But those who are encouraged by Olympia’s “Quixote Village,” a micro-housing answer to our own Nickelsville homeless encampments, will find inspiration here. There are ways of getting around restrictive building codes—chiefly by putting shacks on wheels, without water or electricity, then clustering them around shared facilities. Some solutions are more whimsical,
like a rolling barrel house in Denmark; another in Montreal amounts to a wearable tent. The missing 10th segment I wish Swedish director Jesper Wachtmeister had filmed would be on “apodments” in dense urban areas like SLU and Capitol Hill. Not all of us are homeless, or can move off the grid to northern California. Microtopia Part II ought to focus on the needs of single young professional urbanites who care more about broadband than a parking space. (Running through Tuesday, ByDesign opens tonight with a 7 p.m. party and 9 p.m. screening of Fresh Dressed, a documentary history of hip-hop apparel.) Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., 267-5380, nwfilmforum.org. $6–$11 individual, $30–$60 series. BRIAN MILLER
Coriolis Dance
There aren’t too many events that feature an alien encounter, but Unfixed Arias by Coriolis Dance includes an array of inquisitive extraterrestrials, among a host of other characters. With a loopy scenario that feels like outtakes from Edgar Rice Burroughs performed dead serious, this highly eccentric evening will either be right up your alley, or leave you scratching your head. Either way, you’ll have a close encounter with some very talented dancers and singers. (Ends April 19.) Open Flight Studio, 4205 University Way N.E., 632-0067, coriolisdance.com. $20–$25. 7:30 p.m. SANDRA KURTZ
No Way to Treat a Lady
This strange musical comedy, reworked since its last appearance at Village Theatre in 1999 (also directed by Steve Tomkins), was originally inspired by the Boston Strangler—according to source novelist William Goldman. Predictable as something on LMN, Douglas J. Cohen’s 1987 gore-free, family-friendly show is one part murder-porn-gasm, one part hokey musical, and all parts fun. Suffering a deadly devotion to his late mother (a celebrated actress), failed thespian Christopher “Kit” Gill (Nick DeSantis) dons various disguises and adopts different dialects whilst murdering women who remind him of her. (If he can’t be famous, he decides, he’ll be infamous.) Dissatisfied with his media mentions, he begins an antagonistic telephone relationship with NYPD detective Morris Brummell (Dane
N. (Issaquah), 425-392-2202. $35–$67. 2 & 8 p.m.
VISIT WWW.GOFOBO.COM/REDEEM AND ENTER THE CODE xGvQT83842 TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PASSES! RATED PG-13 FOR A SUGGESTIVE COMMENT. Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theatre is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theatre (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theatre, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.
IN THEATERS APRIL 24
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ALYSSA DYKSTERHOUSE
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
Courtney Maum
While British painter Richard may not seem all that different from the multitudes of cheating, caught-in-the-throes-of-midlife-crisis protagonists of so much fiction, the misadventures he has in trying to save his marriage are. In Maum’s debut novel I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You (Touchstone, $16), Richard’s young mistress leaves him behind in Paris, returning to America to marry. His French wife Anne-Laure has forgiven him his trespass, until she uncovers a cache of letters documenting the intense affair. Meanwhile, Richard has finally found a gallery willing to let him return to his past pop-culture/political style, something he’s been desperate to do since painting a series of conventional, pricey works. When one of those paintings—created for Anne-Laure when she was pregnant with their now-5-year-old daughter—sells, he becomes fixated on buying it back from its mysterious new owners, certain that the gesture will help him reunite with his wife. Though Richard is the novel’s main character, it’s Anne-Laure who steals its pages with her elegance, French stoicism, and ultimate revelation of fragility. This finally makes Richard realize that he’s idolized, rather than taken care of, his wife for too long. In one of the book’s best and most heart-wrenching parts, Richard, kicked out of his home, holes up with his traditional parents in London, there videotaping a series of interviews about their own enduring marriage. The tapes become part of his groundbreaking new gallery show, where the fate of his own marriage will be decided. University Book Store, 4326 University
Way N.E., 634-3400, bookstore.washington.edu. Free. 7 p.m. NICOLE SPRINKLE E
SEATTLE WEEKLY WED: 4/15/15 BLACK & WHITE 4.83” x 2.69” SS
ALL.AOA-P.0415.SW
SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Stokinger). This cat-and-mouse script smartly balances engaging action with witty dialogue and lyrics. This ensemble enchants with energetic singing and excellent acting. Notable are Jayne Muirhead as the cop’s suffocating Jewish mother; Jessica Skerritt as Morris’ shiksa love interest; and Bobbi Kotula, this production’s versatile champion, who distinctly depicts Kit’s mother and his victims. (Ends April 26; then runs May 1–24 in Everett.) Village Theatre, 303 Front St.
SOLARISFILM.SE
John Wells in his off-the-grid Texas shack.
YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF
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arts&culture» Performance
Opening Nights PThe Best of Enemies
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
TAPROOT THEATRE, 204 N. 85TH ST., 781-9707, TAPROOTTHEATRE.ORG. $20–$40. 7:30 P.M. WED.–THURS., 8 P.M. FRI., 2 & 8 P.M. SAT. ENDS APRIL 25.
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Five years ago my elderly Orange County doctor declared of his old hometown, “Detroit was fine until the Negros took control.” Aghast, I failed to muster any response. In liberal Seattle, where we are supposedly educated and enlightened, being that bigoted seems incomprehensible today. Flash back to Durham, North Carolina, in 1971, however, and racism is the norm. Segregation is a fact of life, as confronted by two locals nominated to the federally mandated school-integration committee. One is a black civil-rights activist, Ann Atwater (Faith Russell), the other a white KKK member, C.P. Ellis (Jeff Berryman). Both are poor, and both were real people featured in journalist Osha Gray Davidson’s 1996 book. (This recent dramatization is by Mark St. Germain; Scott Nolte ably directs.) Ann and C.P. form an odd alliance indeed, though the play first has them air bulletproof biases from opposite sides. Both vomit vitriol until they nearly asphyxiate from their animosity. Enemies opens with C.P. extolling whoever executed “Martin Lucifer Coon,” giving Ann every reason to hate this ignorant redneck. Russell imbues Ann with a Medea-esque fierceness, yet eventually she somewhat softens. Otherwise there’d be no play, no dramatic resolution. Enemies thus takes its antagonists on an inevitable journey toward racial reconciliation, along the way exploring notions of poverty and education that still bedevil the South today. The federal mediator overseeing the mismatched pair, Bill Riddick (Corey Spruill) furnishes a flawless foil for these fighting factions, most notably when spewing an equal-opportunity list of ethnic slurs in order to show the rage on both sides. Enemies is full of such venomous dialogue, though the small ensemble occasionally blunders its enunciation, so I missed some of the spiteful nuances. Still, the true story makes compelling theater, full of droll moments, disgusting diatribes, and deep transformations. There are subtle comic touches, too, as when C.P. and Ann try to get in synch while collating survey results. Richard Lorig’s simple set consists of three chairs and a table, juxtaposed against a backdrop of old news headlines. Mark Lund’s sound and video design adds further context from this tumultuous time, well serving the drama from not-so-distant times. How far have things changed in four decades? Watching then writing about Enemies makes me feel both sad and optimistic. Schools have been integrated in legal principle if not practice. Racism is more widely abhorred than ever. Yet the 24-hour news cycle, political punditry, and social media permit a polarization that C.P. and Ann could never have predicted in 1971. ALYSSA DYKSTERHOUSE
Lizard Boy SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE, 155 MERCER ST. (SEATTLE CENTER), 443-2222. $17–$67. 7:30 P.M. WED.–SUN. PLUS MATINEES; SEE SEATTLEREP. ORG FOR SCHEDULE. ENDS MAY 2.
Do a Google image search for “lizard boy” and you’ll find some startling images of a gentleman who has undergone extensive reptilian facial
transformations, including tooth-sharpening, tongue-forking, and subcutaneously implanted eyebrow ridges. The plastic surgery involved is expertly done, which perhaps makes it all the more horrifying. Justin Huertas’ new musical is a similar sort of smoothly engineered but unnatural graft. One component is a sort of slice-of-life look at dating and relationships in contemporary Seattle, centered on a lonely young gay man, Trevor (Huertas), who, though scarred emotionally (recently) and physically (permanently), needs to get back on that horse while trying to jump the hurdle separating meaningful connection from superficial one-nighters. (This is not a fresh theme, covered near-exhaustively in Paul Rudnick’s Jeffrey 20 years back, but admittedly it’s one each new queer generation probably needs to re-explore for itself.) Trevor has a unique backstory, though: As a kindergartener he was doused in the blood of a dragon that escaped from Mt. St. Helens and landed (there to be slaughtered) on his school playground. Hence the physical scars, and hence the mysterious, Harry/Voldemort-ish mental connection that draws him to damaged rock star Siren (Kirsten deLohr Helland). Here the show pivots into extravagant comic-book fantasy, including superpowers, mind control, a dragon attack, and a climactic battle. By itself, the fantasy could have made for a fun and flamboyant camp extravaganza, no question. But the reason it so thoroughly doesn’t work when paired with the real-world relationship stuff is that it’s played with exactly the same earnestness. It really has to be seen to be believed: No one in the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company ever performed King Lear with straighter faces than director Brandon Ivie asks of Lizard Boy’s cast while delivering dialogue like “Siren, let him go!” “I’ll let him go all right—let him go DIE!” To their credit, the cast’s commitment to that earnestness is total and unflinching. (William A. Williams completes the trio as Trevor’s new friend Cary.) That said, I’m perfectly ready to concede that the reason Lizard Boy had so little to offer me was that it never intended to. In its very first scene, Trevor sets up a Grindr profile: so not my demographic. (Which makes the Rep’s decision to commission and stage it all the more noble: How many other Easter Sunday matinee attendees had any clue what Grindr was?) And this seems to explain another puzzling juxtaposition: that what is so obviously a personal labor of love for Huertas, with journal entries and his own coming-out story as source material, comes out so stilted and unspontaneous. This is going to sound supremely bitchy, but that doesn’t make it any less true: If you’re 14 or 15 and, well . . . haven’t seen much theater, you will enjoy Lizard Boy far more than I did. Your target audience won’t mind the show’s self-conscious calculatedness—from the local references to the off-putting whimsy of the instrumentation, which includes kazoo and (gaaah!) two ukuleles. Nor will you keep thinking of Rent, American Idiot, Spring Awakening (with which Huertas toured), or any number of other recent pop musicals in which people half my age assume that singing about how hard it is to be half my age is enough to build an evening-length show. Lizard Boy drove me up the wall, but I won’t claim it doesn’t very skillfully do just what it sets out to. GAVIN BORCHERT E
stage@seattleweekly.com
Stage OPENINGS & EVENTS
ALICE IN WONDERLAND Andre Gregory’s avant-garde
take on Lewis Carroll, from 1970. Stone Soup Theater, 4029 Stone Way N., 633-1883, stonesouptheatre.org. $15–$25. Previews April 8–9, opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends May 3. CHE/THE GATE Leonard D. Goodisman’s pair of one-acts. Eclectic Theater, 1214 10th Ave. $12–$25. Preview April 9, opens April 10. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends May 9. FAMILY AFFAIR Jennifer Jasper’s “hilarious, twisted, and ultimately relatable” cabaret on the theme of family. JewelBox Theater at the Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., jenniferjasperperforms.com. $10. 7:30 p.m. Wed., April 15. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Sondheim’s Greek-inspired farce. Seattle
Musical Theatre at Magnuson Park, 7120 62nd Ave. N.E., Building 47, 800-838-3006, seattlemusicaltheatre. org. $20–$35. Opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., plus 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 23. Ends April 26. GRAND HOTEL The opulent ’20s-set musical. Cornish Playhouse, Seattle Center, 800-838-3006, cornish.edu. $5–$17. 8 p.m. Wed., April 8–Fri., April 10, 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., April 11. INTO THE WOODS Sondheim’s dark fairy-tale mashup, presented by STAGEright Theatre. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., seattlestageright.org. $17.50– $22. Opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sat., & Mon., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 25. SEX’D Handwritten Productions updates/techs up Schnitzler’s 1897 La ronde. Lab at INScape, 815 Seattle Blvd. S., handwrittenproductions.org. Pay what you will. Opens April 10. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 25. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: THE BURLESQUE ALICE IN WONDERLAND Lewis Carroll’s adventur-
ous stories for his young Victorian friend are almost too perfect a fit for burlesque artist Lily Verlaine. From the Queen of Hearts to Alice herself, they barely need any translation to serve as a framework for her saucy choreography. SANDRA KURTZ The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. $35–$50. 7 & 10 p.m. Wed., April 8–Thurs., April 9; 7 & 10:30 p.m. Fri., April 10–Sat., April 11.
CURRENT RUNS
ARCADIA Tom Stoppard takes us from the present to
1809 and back at the Coverly estate. Renton Civic Theatre, 507 S. Third St., Renton, 425-226-5529, rentoncivictheatre.org. $17–$22. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 18. BEAU JEST The Seattle Jewish Theater Company presents James Sherman’s comedy about a woman’s invented, then impersonated, boyfriend. Various dates and venues through April 26; see seattlejewishtheater. com for full info. THE BEST OF ENEMIES SEE REVIEW, PAGE 18.
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Faith Russell, Corey Spruill, and Jeff Berryman in Taproot Theatre’s Best of Enemies. See review on page 18.
1114 Howell St., 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com. $20–$25. 8 p.m. Fri–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 26. DR. SEUSS’S THE CAT IN THE HAT The bringer of havoc is back. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $5–$10. 1 & 3 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Ends April 19. FAIL BETTER: BECKETT MOVES UMO Themes of Samuel Beckett’s work are explored through UMO’s unique style of physical theater. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, umo.org. $30. 8 p.m. Wed.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., plus other matinees; see acttheatre.org for exact schedule. Ends April 26. GOODNIGHT MOON Based on the bedtime book by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, this musical debuted here in 2007. Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Center, 441-3322. $20 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun.; see sct.org for exact schedule. Ends April 26.
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JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL & LIVING IN PARIS The 1968 off-Broadway revue made the
Belgian crooner Jacques Brel briefly famous in the U.S. But most Americans didn’t get it—we were all swooning over the Beatles’ playful transgressions and Sinatra’s new masculinity. Back home, his songs were a touchstone for postwar Europe, their fragililty and terror, beauty and hopefulness a reflection of the world around him. It’s not a bad fit in our current world, either, and this production, directed by the 5th Avenue Theatre’s artistic director David Armstrong, tries hard to make that point. A rousing performance of “The Middle Class” is set in the streets of downtown Seattle, with the ensemble’s three men, drunk, sneering a translation of Brel’s lyrics, “The middle class are just like pigs/The older they get, the dumber they get.” Brel’s condemnation of matador culture, “The Bulls,” is here cloaked in the trappings of American football. Not every tune works, but Brel’s genius carries the night. His musical punch lines are crisp, his desperation real, his anger frightening. And the cast does a fine job of bringing these songs to life. Eric Ankrim, in particular, is a joy to watch, his pronounced physicality and devilish demeanor imbuing the material with the uncanniness it requires. The star of the production, though, is Kendra Kassebaum, whose aching renditions of some of Brel’s most heart-wrenching balladry are undeniable. MARK BAUMGARTEN ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org. $15–$49. 7:30 p.m. Tues.–Wed., 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., 2 & 7 p.m. Sun. Ends May 17. LIVE! FROM THE LAST NIGHT OF MY LIFE In Wayne Rawley’s black comedy, a gas-station attendant vows to off himself at the end of his shift. 12th Ave Arts, 1620 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, theatre22.org. $14–$25. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. plus 2 p.m. Sun., April 12 & 8 p.m. Tues., April 14. Ends April 18. LIZARD BOY SEE REVIEW, PAGE 18. MOISTURE FESTIVAL The 12th annual varieté overload: comedy, circus, and burlesque acts of all descriptions. Runs Wed.–Sun. through April 12 at Hale’s Palladium, 4301 Leary Way N.W., with a special event at Teatro ZinZanni April 8. See moisturefestival.org for full schedule and info. THE MOST DESERVING
TREAT A LADY
SECONDSTORY ORIGINALS Three
local writers, three plays, three weekends. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond, 425-881-6777, secondstoryrep.org. $15. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. Ends April 18. SLOWGIRL As Monica Lewinsky and Amanda Knox have incidents in their youth that will shadow their lives forever, so too does Becky, the flashier half of Greg Pierce’s poignant two-hander about a mouthy 17-year-old who visits her uncle in Costa Rica after a recent tragedy. A tragedy in her past, Becky (Hannah Mootz) is wrestling with ERIK STUHAUG
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ONE RADIO HOST IRA GLASS, MONICA BILL BARNES, ANNA BASS
THREE ACTS TWODANCERS ONE RADIO HOST IRA GLASS, MONICA BILL BARNES, ANNA BASS
April 11THE ParamounT THEaTrE presented by
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» CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
EMERSON STRING QUARTET
April 21
SIMONE
DINNERSTEIN April 23 Meany Hall on the UW Campus / 206-543-4880 / uwworldseries.org
SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
Catherine Trieschmann’s comedy examines the snakepit that is civic artscouncil grant-giving. Theater Schmeater, 2125 Third Ave., 3245801, schmeater.org. $22–$29. 8 p.m. Thurs.– Sat. Ends April 18.
SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 17.
geek’s favorite TV saga. Jet City Improv, Jet City Improv, 5510 University Way N.E., jetcityimprov.org. $12–$15. 8 p.m. Thurs.–Fri. Ends May 22. DINA MARTINA—TONIGHT! All-new songs, stories, and videos from the incomparable, indescribable entertaineress, with Chris Jeffries on keyboard. Re-bar,
TWODANCERS
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THREE ACTS
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» FROM PAGE 19
Dance
her conscience. Her apparently benign, geeky Uncle Sterling (Kevin McKeon) has some secrets of his own. Everything about this small jewel of a production— directed by Kelly Kitchens—feels right, from terrific acting to the vine-covered jungle set (by Andrea Bush) to Pierce’s strong, naturalistic 2012 script. Slowgirl’s compassionate portrait of people who, regardless of their courtroom guilt or innocence, made some terrible decisions, feels very much of our moment. Most of us have had a “slowgirl” in our past—someone whom, however momentarily, we did not treat kindly. Slowgirl dwells in the an ambiguous zone of dispassionate moral scrutiny, a place where one’s past sins can be addressed and forgiven. MARGARET FRIEDMAN Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse, 7312 W. Greenlake Dr. N., 524-1300, seattlepublictheater.org. $5–$32. 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 12. TARTUFFE In Molière’s 17th-century comedy, a mendicant holy man (R. Hamilton Wright) entraps wealthy Orgon (Peter Lohnes) and his family. Seattle Shakespeare Company has transported this classic to post-World War II America, a time when the world was rebuilding and searching for new guidance. (Any period resemblance to Scientology and The Master is entirely intended, says director Makaela Pollock.) Molière’s neat comedic structure reflects the growing certainties of the Age of Enlightenment: A deviant tries to upset the status quo; his ambitions are thwarted (not without some resistance); and all’s well that ends well. Despite the updated mid-century backdrop, not much is added to the play except dapper suits and pretty dresses. Nobility and reason are always rewarded, and swindlers never win. Pollock’s players perform their roles to stock-character, one-dimensional perfection. Wright makes Tartuffe an amusingly sleazy, slapsticky villain. Also worth praise are the side-splittingly comic performances by Bhama Roget as the harlequin maid and Maya Sugarman as Orgon’s overly dramatic daughter. IRFAN SHARIFF Center House Theatre (Seattle Center), 733-8222. $25–$48. 7:30 p.m. Wed.–Sat. plus weekend matinees; see seattleshakespeare.org for schedule. Ends April 12. TEATRO ZINZANNI: THE HOT SPOT Frank Ferrante and Dreya Weber return for TZ’s new show, in which “love and magic in the digital age collide.” Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., 802-0015. $99 and up. Runs Thurs.–Sun. plus some Wed.; see zinzanni.com/seattle for exact schedule. Ends June 7.
DELFOS DANZA CONTEMPORANEA Mexico’s pre-
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EARSUPPLY
• PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET: SWAN LAKE SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 16. CORIOLIS DANCE SEE THE PICK LIST, PAGE 17. • LOUIS GERVAIS His solo piece shapeshifter incorpo-
rates gender bending, commedia dell’arte mask work, and improvisation. Velocity Dance Center, 1621 12th Ave., 800-838-3006, velocitydancecenter.org. $15–$50. 8 p.m. Fri., April 10–Sun., April 12.
HREE ACTS, TWO DANCERS, ONE RADIO HOST • TSEE PREVIEW, PAGE 16. CARMONA FLAMENCO Traditional music and dance.
Café Solstice, 4116 University Way N.E., 932-4067, carmona2@comcast.net. $15–$20. 8 & 9:30 p.m. Sat., April 11.
Classical, Etc.
• MUSIC OF TODAY Music by British composer Jonty
Harrison, co-presented by DXARTS and the UW School of Music. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, music. washington.edu. $12–$20. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 9. SEATTLE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA SEE EAR SUPPLY, BELOW. SEATTLE MODERN ORCHESTRA SEE EAR SUPPLY, BELOW. NORWEGIAN MALE CHORUS Singing Norwegian music, I guess—though one should never assume. Kent Lutheran Church, 336 Second Ave. S., Kent. $5. 3 p.m. Sun., April 12. MOSTLY NORDIC Music + smorgasbord: Soprano Lena Moen and pianist Lena Johnson play Swedish music; clarinetst Sean Osborn joins them for a little Schubert. Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 N.W. 67th St., 789-5707, nordicmuseum.org. $47–$55 (concert only $22–$27). 4 p.m. Sun., April 12.
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B Y G AV I N B O R C H E R T
Send events to stage@seattleweekly.com, dance@seattleweekly.com, or classical@seattleweekly.com
Jolley, and Franco Donatoni, as the guest of the Seattle Modern Orchestra; while Carrie Krause is the violin soloist in an evening of Vivaldi concertos with the Seattle Baroque Orchestra. SMO: Chapel Performance Space, 4649 Sunnyside Ave., seattlemodernorchestra.org. $10–$20. SBO: Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., earlymusic guild.org. $20–$45. Both 8 p.m. Sat., April 11.
Australian violinist Graeme Jennings.
COURTESY SEATTLE MODERN ORCHESTRA
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
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In the arresting, proclamatory opening of Luciano Berio’s Sequenza VIII for violin (1976), a single note is hammered out repeatedly while other notes just above and below clash with it. One of these clashes, A vs. B, becomes the piece’s main motif—or, as the comBY GAVIN BORCHERT poser put it, “act[s] as a compass in the work’s rather diversified and elaborate itinerary.” For Berio, this two-note underpinning connected the piece to Bach’s chaconne in D minor for solo violin, which also spins virtuoso variations on a repeated foundation. To me, the Sequenza’s most obvious reminiscence is to the early-19th-century Caprices for solo violin by Paganini—especially a long, rapid perpetual-motion passage at the work’s center—and this in turn, going back another century to a third Italian composer, reminds me of the driving agitation of “Summer” from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” By coincidence, the Berio and the Vivaldi, two showpieces from opposite ends of the Italian violin tradition, are being played simultaneously this weekend. (Not in the same venue, sadly, which would be a lot of fun.) Graeme Jennings plays the Sequenza, alongside other solo pieces by Salvatore Sciarrino, Jérémy
mier contemporary dance company integrates dance, video, computer animation and music. Meany Studio Theatre, UW campus, 543-4880, uwworldseries.org. $30. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 9–Sat., April 11. Company members will participate in a free public roundtable discussion with Seattle’s Pat Graney at Velocity Founders Theater, 1621 12th Ave., at noon Wed., April 8.
Exploring the Commons (4/8) Matthew Crawford Overcoming Society’s Distraction Addiction
» Visual Arts
W W W. S E AT T L E W E E K LY. C O M / S I G N U P
(4/9) The Moth presents GrandSLAM Championship II When Worlds Collide
TOWN HALL
Openings & Events
to update the U.S. on shifts in contemporary art created outside mainland China. Most works are small, concerned with the body and functionality. CoCA Georgetown, 5701 Sixth Ave. S., 728-1980, cocaseattle.org. 11 a.m-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri. Ends May 15. IMOGEN CUNNINGHAM 17 photographs of Cornish, its students, and founder Nellie Cornish, taken in 1935 by the pioneering Northwest photographer. Cornish College of the Arts, 1000 Lenora St., 726-5151, cornish.edu. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends June 30.
WALLY BIVINS Tell Your Friends “I’m an Artist!” features
new work from PNW’s executive director. Opens Sat., April 11. Pottery Northwest, 221 First Ave. N., 2854421, potterynorthwest.org. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Fri. Ends May 1. CAPITOL HILL ART WALK Check out Things on Things at Ghost Gallery, Brett Douglas Davis at Cloud Gallery, After Seattle at Seattle U’s Hedreen Gallery, and Emily Gherard’s Until the Well Runs Dry at Calypte Gallery. See capitolhillartwalk.com for full roster of attractions. 5-8 p.m. Thurs., April 9. GEORGETOWN ART ATTACK Hannah Patterson’s Wish You Were Her is a collection of new gif, video, and print work at Interstitial. Transverto is a joint show at Eight and Sand from Rhodora Jacob and Krissy Downing featuring organic illustrations and surreal paintings. Seven married couples share photography, paintings, etc. in Marriage Is a Work of Art, at Krab Jab studios. And there’s much more to see at Equinox Studios, Georgetown Arts & Cultural Center, and beyond. Downtown Georgetown, georgetownartattack.com. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Sat., April 11. CABLE GRIFFITH AND SARAH TEASDALE The artists’ paintings bring exterior landscapes into interior settings in their show, Coded Landscapes. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Thurs., April 9. Vermillion Gallery, 1508 11th Ave., 709-9797, vermillionseattle.com. 4 p.m.-midnight. Tues.-Wed., Sat.-Sun. 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Ends May 9. GROUP SHOW Night Life, from gallery artists Dianne Bradley, Karen Dedrickson, Lori Duckstein, and Sally Drew, is featured in the main gallery. In the guest gallery, Black Lives Matter deals with racism and violence. Opens Wed., April 8. Columbia City Gallery, 4864 Rainier Ave. S., 760-9843, columbiacitygallery. com. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wed.-Sun. Ends May 17. WARNER SALLMAN A selection of works from the kitsch artist (1892-1968) who created the rec-roomfamiliar Head of Christ image is on display. Opens Sat., April 11. Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 N.W. 67th St., 789-5707, nordicmuseum.org. $6-$8. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Noon-4 p.m. Sun. Ends April 21.
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DIN I NG
W E E K LY
FILM
Ongoing
MU SIC
H A P P Y H OUR
BY D IA NA M . LE
TONY ANGELL The owls are not what they seem. From
the local sculptor, The House of Owls makes connections between these mysterious birds and humans.Foster/ White Gallery, 220 Third Ave. S., 622-2833, fosterwhite. com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends April 30.
1 Bed, Water Vu, Kindling Included THEFUSSYEYE
EV EN T S
PR O M O T I ONS
(4/13) Jeremy Smith & Christopher Murray Pioneering Ideas in Global Health 2-for-$5 Double Feature! (4/14) Robin Banner Climate Change in Coastal Vietnam
(4/14) Joseph Gaydos and Audrey DeLella Benedict Extraordinary Tales from the Salish Sea (4/15) Anne Lipton The Seven Steps to Caring for Someone with Dementia
EVENTS NEWSLETTER
(4/15) Seattle DOT presents Janette Sadik-Khan Blueprints for a New Road Order
A weekly A R T Scalendar A ND E NT E R TAI NM E NT (4/15) TC Boyle ‘The Harder They Come’ of the city’s at Hotel Sorrento best offerings. 2-for-$5 Double Feature! (4/16) Paige TOWN HALL
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Northway WWW.TOWNHALLSEATTLE.ORG Improving Magnetic Measurements in Space (4/16) Cedric Villani Journey into the Mind of a Genius (4/16) Robert Putnam America’s Opportunity Gap, Failing Today’s Youth
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(4/17) Joe Wenke, Gisele Alicea, and Aidan Key Gender Identity in Seattle and Beyond
would pay $300 a month, I bet. Transit connections are excellent, though the trolley bell might keep you awake at night. But it comes provided with wallpaper—actually photographic prints of the shadows cast by the branches.) Open to the weather, stuffed with weathered sticks, the hut has an ephemeral aspect. By the time those new high-rises sprout across Valley Street, it’ll be gone, as if washed away by the tide. Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave. N., davidwsimpson.com.
(4/17) Simple Measures: Simple Measures with Turtle Island Quartet
SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
BRIAN MILLER
Because the scale and pace of construction are so jaw-dropping in SLU (what happened to Glazer’s?!?), any little Edith BY BRIAN MILLER Macefield-style holdout earns automatic goodwill. The last few timber-framed homes and apartments are doomed, and the paradox of Beach House is that it’s actually a temporary art installation on some very valuable real estate. Last September, artist David W. Simpson originally erected the roofless, driftwood-filled little shack on Westlake at the north end of the trolley line. Then it was displaced by a Pronto bike-share station to its current site opposite all those rising new office towers. (The city hasn’t set an end date for the installation.) The contrast with Amazon’s wealth couldn’t be any more striking: bare plywood walls, framed incongruously on the outside, open doors and windows, plus that jumble of firewood inside. Emptied out, Beach House might measure the size of a closet or office cubicle. Put a blue tarp on top, and you could live there. (The rent? Someone
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COMMUNITY
(4/11) EMG & SBO present ‘The Four Seasons’ with Carrie Krause
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ARTS & CULTURE
(4/11) Saturday Family Concerts Soyaya
EMERGE/EVOLVE 2014: RISING TALENTS IN KILNGLASS This traveling group show from Portland’s
Bullseye Glass Company gallery features about two dozen artists pushing the boundaries of their medium. Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., 425519-0770, bellevuearts.org. $5-$12. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Ends June 14. CHARLES EMERSON AND GUY ANDERSON The two painters take inspiration from the Northwest landscape. Sisko Gallery, 3126 Elliott Ave., 283-2998, siskoworks.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Ends May 3. PETER FERGUSON Prime Meridian is a showcase of his new paintings, stylistically old school, yet featuring the whimsical, grotesque, and absurd. Also on display is Uchronia, a group show exploring alternate histories. Roq La Rue, 532 First Ave. S., 374-8977, roqlarue. com. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends May 2. JOHN GRADE Middle Fork is a partial replica of a giant Western hemlock created with plaster molds and cedar chunks. MadArt, 325 Westlake Ave. N., 623-1180, madartseattle.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Apr. 25. MAÏMOUNA GUERRESI Inaugurating the new gallery is a selection of photos from the Italian/ Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave., 467-4927, marianeibrahim.com. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.Fri. Noon-5 p.m. Sat. Ends May 1.
SCIENCE
(4/10) Thor Hanson The Dominating (and Essential) Power of Seeds
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CIVICS
(4/10) Arts Corps presents Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam 2015
CHANGE-SEED Twenty-five artists from Hong Kong seek
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arts&culture» Film happy marriage, and generally describe a comfortably rustic, Ralph Lauren-style summerhome existence. October Gale is a pleasant place to visit, though a dull, predictable movie to watch. Though if you have a place in the San Juans to decorate, the film supplies many catalogue pages to mentally fold back. Clarkson and director Ruba Nadda made a slightly more interesting romance in 2010’s Cairo Time, where the older woman/younger man dynamic rested on an exotic location, unhurried by killers knocking at the door. For their next collaboration, I recommend Tahiti and Keanu Reeves as a mysterious marine biologist/surfing instructor. That way Clarkson won’t even have to cut off his shirt. BRIAN MILLER
Opening ThisWeek Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
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Ned Rifle OPENS FRI., APRIL 10 AT SIFF FILM CENTER. NOT RATED. 85 MINUTES.
It arrives with something less than the heated expectations of, say, the Avengers sequel, but Ned Rifle is nevertheless the climax of a movie trilogy. You have to be a follower of the career of longtime indie hero Hal Hartley to really appreciate this closure, but apparently there are enough fans out there to have crowd-funded the budget for this typically modest finale. Hartley got on
Plaza acquits herself like a Hartley regular.
the map with The Unbelievable Truth and Trust, tiny-scaled films with dialogue written as 1930s screwball patter but underplayed by a hip, pokerfaced ensemble. The writer/director’s visibility waned after an epic-scaled character study, Henry Fool (1997), the movie that inspired the scattered sequel Fay Grim (2006) and now Ned Rifle. This one won’t pay off unless you know the previous installments. It’s a tribute to Hartley’s work with actors that essentially all of his main players from Henry Fool return to their roles (along with other Hartley regulars, such as Martin Donovan and Bill Sage). This includes Liam Aiken, who was only 7 when he debuted in the ’97 movie and has since had a successful career as a child actor. He plays the title character, the son of big-talking philosophical jerk Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan) and the currently incarcerated Fay Grim (Parker Posey, razor-sharp in her few scenes). Ned plans to kill his father for all the trouble he’s caused, but has to find him first. This leads him to his uncle, Simon Grim ( James Urbaniak), the garbageman-poet previously mentored by Henry, but also to a jumpy grad student named Susan (Aubrey Plaza). She is obsessively stalking Simon, but her reasons won’t become clear until after she and Ned travel across the country—to Seattle and Portland, according to this entirely New York-shot film. As much as I generally enjoy revisiting Hartley’s world, there’s a touch of half-baked off-offBroadway theater about Ned Rifle. Some of its effects are downright cornball. Still, the film is much more in the groove than Fay Grim, and it has some signature Hartley non sequiturs. The cast understands how to deliver the material, and the newcomer—Plaza, the Parks and Recreation grump—doesn’t take long to fall into the house style. A technique as artificial as Hartley’s can be a kind of trap, but the ending of this 85-minute exercise feels like a real rounding-off (it’s as stirring as the end of Henry Fool ). And it suggests the possibility of something different for Hartley next time out. ROBERT HORTON
October Gale OPENS FRI., APRIL 10 AT SUNDANCE CINEMAS. NOT RATED. 91 MINUTES.
A New York Times essay recently suggested that Hollywood abandon the so-called “four-quadrant” marketing plan, in which a single movie can supposedly attract viewers male and female,
old and young. The current success of Furious 7 (young, male) proves the impossibility of that task, as do franchises like Insurgent (young, female) and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (old, mixed). Back in the day, Douglas Sirk and other melodramatists made what were forthrightly labeled women’s pictures, and October Gale slots comfortably into that distaff AARP demo. First of all: Patricia Clarkson, aging gracefully, cast as a recently widowed physician, trapped by a storm on a coastal Canadian island with a mysterious stranger. (Also a handsome younger mysterious stranger, as in All That Heaven Allows.) He’s a tattooed, wounded fugitive; she removes the bullet from his shoulder before
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This movie never leaves the courtroom or its antechamber, but that’s not the only reason things are unbearably claustrophobic. The limited range of movement perfectly sums up the situation of an unhappy wife, whose suit for divorce against her estranged husband takes years to untangle. Why would it take years? Because the courtroom in Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem is not a civil one, but a religious one. The scenario feels like it was dreamed up by Franz Kafka on a grouchy day, but it’s one that is unfortunately still possible in Israel. Israeli brother-and-sister filmmakers Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz have made two previous films chronicling the breakdown of an arranged marriage, To Take a Wife (2004) and 7 Days (2008). Having not seen them, I can say with complete confidence that you do not have to to fully comprehend Gett, which takes the same characters and actors and puts them in this terrible endgame. Viviane (Ronit Elkabetz) has employed a charismatic lawyer (Menashe Noy) to represent her case for divorce. Husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian)—when he bothers to show up in court—refuses the divorce, which means Viviane must make her case to a tribunal of rabbis, who basically keep asking Elisha whether he’ll let Viviane go. No? Then maybe she should move back in with him for three months. Then maybe six months. Maybe another year. Each grueling stage is enacted in the same cramped, dreary room, with much of the action played out across Ronit Elkabetz’s extraordinarily grave face (she was a memorable presence in the excellent 2001 Israeli film Late Marriage). She has to give a great performance with her face and body, because Viviane only occasionally has a voice—this matter is for the men to talk about and decide. For a film so militant in airing its cause, Gett is adept at unspoken communication; for instance, something in their glances suggests that Viviane and her attorney have a mutual attraction going on. But for all we know, such an attraction might still be completely unacknowledged. The movie’s not entirely grim—there are colorful supporting characters and moments of comedy—but the experience is absolutely nervewracking. Unlike in Twelve Angry Men, there’s no Henry Fonda character to steer the proceedings into satisfying completeness. Given the film’s political nature, that’s as it should be—Gett is meant to agitate, not gratify. ROBERT HORTON
POSSIBLE FILMS
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
OPENS FRI., APRIL 10 AT SIFF CINEMA UPTOWN. NOT RATED. 115 MINUTES.
POf Horses and Men RUNS FRI., APRIL 10–THURS., APRIL 16 AT GRAND ILLUSION. NOT RATED. 80 MINUTES.
Icelandic humor. Could it become a thing? It seems possible in the wake of Of Horses of Men, a supremely droll movie that weaves together a collection of equine-related anecdotes. Like the human population of that northerly island, the horses of Iceland come out of a limited gene pool. They don’t look quite like other horses, with their short legs and jumpy gallop—a visual joke that director Benedikt Erlingsson uses for repeated effect. The opening section lets us know the kind of mortifying black humor we’re in for: A prideful trainer (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson), out for a public ride, must sit on the back of his immaculate mare while the animal is unexpectedly mounted by a randy local stallion. The latter has unexpectedly broken loose from its pen, much to the embarrassment of his owner (Charlotte Bøving)—though her reaction may
Proud Kolbeinn (Sigurdsson) and his stallion.
a raging fire (after cutting off his shirt and loosening his belt, of course); and later, like any good hero of romance fiction, he’ll also have occasion to save her life and advance a firm but gentlemanly kiss. This is the kind of movie that will cause hot flashes even in men. Second, though presented as a thriller (and two bodies do eventually hit the floor), the action begins only in the last 20 minutes, with the arrival of Tim Roth’s polite, Brit-accented killer. For reasons he’ll explain in the movie’s big plot twist (its only twist), the fugitive (Scott Speedman, from the Underworld movies) must die. The prior 70 minutes of scene-setting illustrate Dr. Helen’s grief, show us flashbacks of her past
be colored by the fact that she harbors some lusty feelings for the proud rider herself. In fact, she may be inspired to try something similar herself, a little later in the movie. Other characters include a local drunkard who “rides” his horse out to a Russian cargo ship in search of vodka; an immigrant who gets lost in the snow with only his horse as shelter; and a crank whose habit of cutting through barbed wire to exert his right-of-way catches up with him in a grotesque manner. These folks mingle in their rural area—in fact, they’re constantly spying on one another, as the reflections off their binoculars regularly remind us. Along with this dark comedy, Of Horses and Men offers rare informa-
tion on how to corral horses in the wild and how to survive a frozen night. (The part about swimming on the back of a horse to a passing ship is probably not sound practical advice, however.) Each vignette begins with a close-up of a horse’s eye, as though suggesting that the film’s deadpan style might be an animal’s resigned way of watching the absurdities of human endeavor. The way Erlingsson frames the action supports this: His camera watches the big moments from a distance, allowing us to savor the ridiculousness of the situations. Incidentally, rest assured that no horses were harmed in the making of this movie, according to the end credits. The same can’t be said for the human characters, who are on the receiving end of some well-deserved satire. ROBERT HORTON
PWhile We’re Young OPENS FRI., APRIL 10 AT SUNDANCE, PACIFIC PLACE, THORNTON PLACE, & LINCOLN SQUARE. RATED R. 94 MINUTES.
White God OPENS FRI., APRIL 10 AT SIFF CINEMA EGYPTIAN. NOT RATED. 119 MINUTES.
There are movies about good dogs (Lassie, Benji, etc.) and bad dogs (Cujo, White Dog, and so on), but it’s hard to accomplish both in the same picture. Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó begins White God with a promising, eerie prologue on the bad-dog side of the fence: an empty city, almost like that of 28 Days Later, with a small 13-year-old girl riding her bike through the desolate streets. Behind her, a marauding pack of feral dogs slowly grows in size, numbering into the hundreds, until they finally, deliberately pursue her. Lili (Zsófia Psotta) pumps her legs madly, totemic trumpet in her backpack, until she’s finally overtaken. Rendered in slo-mo, it’s a strikingly good sequence, a nightmare. Then the movie loops back to the start of its story, revealing the snarling future pack leader to be Lili’s beloved gentle pet. How did good dog Hagen turn bad? I wish, after that auspicious opening, the answer were more magical and enchanting. White God initially suggests fairy tale or fable, then splits into familiar, parallel accounts of two rebels brutalized by the cruel system. Hagen’s you can easily guess: cast out of Lila’s father’s apartment because of a neighbor’s complaints; roaming wild with other unwanted street mutts; pursued everywhere by animal-control authorities; and captured by a dog-fighting ring. (Those latter sequences are nowhere near so realistic as in Amores Perros.) Lila, her mother remarried and on a trip, meanwhile acts out in the usual ways: mouthing off to her school orchestra leader, running away from home, following an older boy to a disco, swigging vodka, etc. After the recent Planet of the Apes reboot, with CGI Caesar (Andy Serkis) leading his simian troops, we’ve come to expect a lot more from the revolt-of-nature genre. There’s a nice potential irony to global insurrection being led by the family dog curled up by the hearth, but Mundruczó doesn’t have the tools or the ambitions to push beyond the symbolic Lila/Hagen dyad. (Her father is no ogre, so the symbolism doesn’t really hold up anyway.) Psotta has the solemn, delicate countenance of a fairy-tale heroine who deserves more than Lila’s typical tween adventures. White God never ventures into real Cujo-style horror, and violence against animals is barely shown (it’s OK for kids 12 and up, I’d say). There’s also a political aspect to the purebreds-versus-mongrel theme that Mundruczó fails to develop. You remember the first shots, and the last, but the film never really finds its footing. BRIAN MILLER E
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SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
Ben Stiller spent years and God knows how many millions on his recent Walter Mitty remake, a statement movie that no one wanted to see. Noah Baumbach could’ve saved him the time, trouble, and expense—a dozen times over. The writer/director previously deployed Stiller’s peevish wit to fine effect in Greenberg (2010), and While We’re Young is a career-best comedy for them both: generous, wise, and finally consoling for those facing their forlorn 40s. In outline, this is a Gen-X midlife-crisis movie: documentary filmmaker Josh (Stiller) and producer wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are stalled in careers and marriage. He can’t complete his weighty, unwatchable opus (something to do with geopolitics and a disheveled Chomskyian scholar, played by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary); together they’ve IVF’d once for kids, failed, and are settling into a staid, childless rut. They need a shakeup, and it arrives in the form of a spontaneous, fun-loving Brooklyn couple half their age: would-be documentarian Jamie (Adam Driver, from Girls) and wife Darby (Amanda Seyfried, recently seen in Lovelace and Les Misérables). Jamie, who professes to love Josh’s prior work, is not what he seems, but such third-act revelations are best unmentioned here. While We’re Young sends cynical Josh into unexpected bromance, and much of the movie’s charm lies in our being swept along, too. Jamie freshens his newfound mentor’s perspective on film, revamps his wardrobe, and invites him into new, more adventurous social circles. (One, with musician Dean Wareham presiding as a shaman, involves an ayahuasca ceremony and copious vomiting; the physical humor here is broader than in Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale.) The appeal for Cornelia is more diffuse: Oppressed by the Park Slope mommy cult, she’s liberated by the younger couple to take hip-hop dance classes. Still, the female characters aren’t so skillfully drawn as the males, who include gray-muzzled new father Fletcher (the Beastie Boys’ Adam Horowitz), the only guy who can speak truth to Josh’s blind infatuation. Charles Grodin also brings welcome, sour appeal as Josh’s disapproving father-in-law, who lords his filmmaking success over him. Is Josh deluded and ridiculous? Of course he is, and yet that’s not the movie’s real source of laughter and inspiration. In denial about his fading eyesight and arthritis, Josh will discover that being foolish and confounded is good for
the system, a tonic. If Jamie is a hustler, he’s also like a personal trainer—pushing his client (who forever picks up the lunch tab) into discomfort. As the two collaborate on a doc about a PTSD veteran/children’s-birthday-party clown, the younger man rejects Josh’s purist ethics, yet Baumbach doesn’t condemn this comic betrayal or reward Josh’s outrage. More than a generational clash, this is a satire of an entire class of narcissists (the director perhaps included). By the time Cornelia and Josh have woken from their spell, they’ve absorbed the movie’s best gag and fundamental irony: Accepting that you’re old takes no less imagination than pretending you’re young. BRIAN MILLER
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Local & Repertory THE HOMESTRETCH Discussion follows this new docu-
mentary about homeless Chicago youth. (NR) Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., 622-9250, fryemuseum.org. Free. Noon, Sat., April 11. KILL ME THREE TIMES A late addition to the schedule, this new comic thriller stars Simon Pegg as an assassin who finds he isn’t the only guy assigned to the job. (NR) Seven Gables, 911 N.E. 50th St., 632-8821, landmarktheatres.com. $10.50. Opens Fri.
HUGHES AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM • LANGSTONNineteen features and some two-dozen FESTIVAL
shorts are featured during the fest, which begins with the documentary profile August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand (6 p.m. Sat.), about the Pulitzer-winning playwright of Fences and other works, who lived the last 15 years of his life in Seattle. Other highlights include An American Ascent (about black climbers on Denali), the nuptial rom-com Christmas Wedding Baby, Oscar Micheaux’s 1920 silent film Within Our Gates, and the new doc Cincinnati Goddamn, about race and politics in that city. Various panel discussions are also planned; see website for full festival schedule. (NR) Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S., langstoninstitute.org. $7-$12 individual, $50$150 series. Sat., April 11-Sun., April 19. MEMENTO In Christopher Nolan smart, surprising 2001 breakthrough, a man bent on avenging his wife’s murder is hindered by short-term memory loss incurred during the assault. Although not an amnesiac, he must use an elaborate system of self-prompting to recall the clues in the case. His pockets full of Polaroids and Post-it notes, his skin covered with mnemonic tattoos, Leonard (Guy Pearce) becomes the unwitting agent of predetermined retribution. Ingeniously, Mememto employs a backwards narrative structure: Each scene begins with a missing context supplied by the one that follows (for us), which is the one that precedes it for Leonard. Storytelling is as much the subject here as vengeance. Moreover, Leonard’s unreliable narration, though often funny and affecting, leads the spectator astray. Among those involved in Leonard’s unpredictable investigation are Carrie-Anne Moss’ Natalie, whom he believes, and Joe Pantoliano’s Teddy, whom he doubts. (R) BRIAN MILLER Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave., 686-6684, central-cinema.com. $7-$9. 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Wed. NOIR DE FRANCE Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1956 paean to American gangster pictures, Bob le Flambeur, didn’t even reach the U.S. until 1982—unfairly making it seem an imitator, not an innovator. “Flambeur” translates not as mere “gambler” but “high roller,” which describes our down-on-his-luck hero (played by Roger Duchesne), who clings to his chivalric code despite a bad losing streak. His tools? Hat. Trench coat. Cigarette. The usual. Melville provides hard-boiled yet elegiac voice-over narration, calling Bob “an old young man, legend of a recent past.” Even as Bob plans to knock over the casino in Deauville, the cop on his trail is more concerned friend than avid pursuer. Meanwhile, Bob takes time to set up his protégé with a teen sex kitten, showing almost paternal tenderness to the pair. Everybody loves Bob, but as his barmaid pal warns, “You’re no kid anymore.” He’s a man out of time, and Bob le Flambeur is in this way Melville’s ode to the lost prewar demimonde of Paris’ Montmartre and Pigalle districts. (NR) B.R.M. Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., 654-3121, seattleartmuseum.org. $63–$68 series, $8 individual. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through May 21. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Stella! Elia Kazan’s 1951 Brando-starring classic has oft been parodied, but its star—reprising his Broadway role—is amazing. And in this adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play, Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden, and Kim Hunter are no less fine. The latter three won Oscars, while Brando lost to Bogie in The African Queen. (PG-13) Central Cinema, $7-$9. 7 p.m. Fri.-Tues. (Also 3 p.m. Sat.Sun. matinees.) VESSEL Dutch nurse Rebecca Gomperts creates a floating abortion clinic in this recent doc by Diana Whitten. Discussion follows (NR) Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Pl. N., 632-6021, meaningfulmovies.org. Free. 7 p.m. Fri.
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WHITE GOD UPTOWN "A stunning canine version of The Birds" - New York Post
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SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
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• 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 (disguised with artful digital seams). Birdman serves so many heady moments it qualifies as a bona fide happening. (R) ROBERT HORTON Crest DANNY COLLINS As related in this simultaneously hackneyed and likable rock-’n’-roll redemption tale, there really was a guy who, 40 years after the fact, discovered that John Lennon had written him a letter telling him to stay true to his art. Al Pacino plays Danny as a music celebrity living high on his legacy, doing what looks like a lounge-act version of Mick Jagger on the casino circuit. He’s on showbiz autopilot, performing his greatest hits for the AARP demo. The belated arrival of the Lennon letter sends Danny to a sleepy New Jersey Hilton. From there, he hopes to finally connect with his neglected son Tom (Bobby Cannavale), born from a backstage hookup. It’s hard to get worked up over the emotional journey of a spoiled celeb who’s milked a bubblegum pop anthem into a fortune. What exactly happened to the earnest young folk singer of the prologue? We never learn. Yet such questions fade as Danny becomes part of Tom’s family. Pacino’s chemistry with Cannavale and Annette Bening (as his not-quite-but-getting-closer-to-age-appropriate love interest) overrides the plot contrivances. Like Danny, Pacino has also been a showman verging on—if not spilling over into—self-parody in recent decades, but he turns Danny’s showmanship into a character trait, a reflexive instinct to connect with and charm everyone he meets, whether a sold-out concert hall or a gobsmacked parking valet. Even in a momentary bit of banter, Pacino makes that moment feel genuine. (R) SEAN AXMAKER Sundance, Meridian, Lincoln Square, others IT FOLLOWS David Robert Mitchell’s suburban thriller creates constant anxiety. The premise itself is simple, if faintly absurd. A teenager, Jay (Maika Monroe, excellent in The Guest), sleeps with her handsome new crush; he then informs her that she is now the target of a relentless, shape-shifting ghoul, which will pursue her to death. Her only escape is to have sex with someone else, who will then become the target. Mitchell canny about using the camera to evoke mystery. Every time someone drifts into the background of a shot, we have to wonder: Is that just a random passerby, or is that, you know, “It”? There’s also a wild musical score by Disasterpeace that provides an aggressive—at times maybe too aggressive—accompaniment to the film’s eerie mood. If the use of teen sex as a horror convention seems tired, rest assured that Mitchell seems less interested in a morality play than in sketching the in-between world of suburban adolescence. (R) R.H. SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Sundance, Ark Lodge, Cinebarre, others KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER The setup here might promise routine road comedy: A sad and lonely Japanese woman, who somehow believes the 1996 Coen brothers movie Fargo is a documentary, ventures from Japan to the frozen Midwest to find the cash Steve Buscemi buried in the featureless snow. Yet filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner have no interest in obvious gags. Half their movie is scene-setting in Tokyo, where dejected office drone Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi, from Babel) is a Eleanor Rigby-like loner. More than shyness or defeat, an ever-widening distance separates her from the world beyond her imagination. Kindly strangers, including a widowed Minnesota farm wife and a sympathetic cop (David Zellner), barely register. Unseen in Seattle, the Zellners’ prior two features, Kid-Thing and Goliath, also dealt with alienated loners. The well-crafted Kumiko can likewise be seen as a character study; though, like her supposed treasure, it’s not certain if that character actually exists. A stubborn obstinacy lies at Kumiko’s core, but also delusion. (NR) B.R.M. Sundance MR. TURNER Must the great man also be a nice guy? Mike Leigh’s comprehensive biopic tempers our admiration for the English painter J.M.W. Turner (1775– 1851), unquestionably a genius, and recognized as such in his day. Turner (Timothy Spall), when we meet him, is famous, prosperous, and possessed of a nice London home. His cagey old father (Paul Jesson) aids in the family business, as does the devoted maid Hannah (Dorothy Atkinson), who’s plainly, painfully in love with her indifferent master. During the last 25 years of his life, Turner and his art—in late career tending
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toward abstraction—are mutable. He travels under an assumed name to the coastal village of Margate, where he eventually takes a new lover, Sophia (Marion Bailey), to replace poor Hannah. As for the final nature of this selfish, sensitive, uncompromising artist, Leigh simply frames him in a portrait, leaving us to grope for psychological shapes and colors. (R) B.R.M. Sundance
THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
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unbridled asshole for art’s sake, a petty Stalin figure inside the Juilliard-like music academy that greets the innocent Andrew (Miles Teller). Andrew has fled Long Island and his kindly, weak mensch of a father (Paul Reiser) to be the best drummer in the best studio band at the best school in the country. That means pleasing the imperious, bullying Fletcher, a man who seems end- “I cannot say enough about this extraordinary film. lessly displeased with the world’s lax standards. (The facebook.com/seattleweekly Oscar-winning Simmons doesn’t oversell the villainy or froth at the mouth.) How Andrew responds to such ” abuse—quite calculated, as we shall learn—is the - Dennis Dermody, Paper heart of this thrillingly propulsive drama, an intense, Voted Best Movie Theater brutal, and often comical tale of mentorship gone “The great thing about the film is that amok. Chazelle, a genuine new talent, has compared F By Seattle Weekly Readers! his Sundance prizewinner to a war movie or a gangster 2014 picture; yet it’s a battle where the two antagonists Thank You!! W INNER share the same musical goals. (R) B.R.M. Crest WILD Though I have reservations about the fulsome emotional blasts of director Jean-Marc Vallée (like .” - Athony Lane, The New Yorker his Dallas Buyers Club), and though the adaptation by Nick Hornby (About a Boy, An Education) leans SE AT TLE rather too hard on the death of bestselling memoirist 4500 9TH AVE. NE • 206-633-0059 Cheryl Strayed’s mother (played by Laura Dern), this is a movie that—like its solitary hiker heroine—cannot be stopped. Reese Witherspoon’s ironclad casting makes matters even more inevitable. Here is a woman who bottoms out—with men, drugs, and grief—then straightens out while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon, even without disavowing all her past actions. Wild is essentially a memory trip, presented non-sequentially, as Cheryl plods north. Don’t mistake Wild for an easy, conventional healing narrative (though healing does of course come at the end). Monday is $6 ORCA Day Rather, it’s more a coming-to-terms account. Or as our Show Your Orca Card and heroine puts it, “Problems don’t stay problems. They ALL Seats are $6 ($7.50 for 3D). turn into something else.” (R) B.R.M. Crest WILD TALES The opening sequence to Damián Szifrón’s Tickets Avail at Box Office Only. Not good on holidays. Argentine anthology movie sets up a Twilight ZoneTuesday is Girls Movie Night Out! style series of revelations, compressed into just a few 2 or more ladies get $5 ($6.50 for 3D) Admission All Day. minutes. Passengers riding on a suspiciously underfilled plane begin to realize that there might be a reaTickets Avail at Box Office Only. son for their presence there, beyond the obvious business of getting to a destination. Szifrón wants to get WHILE WE’RE YOUNG DANNY COLLINS his movie started with a bang, and he does—though the rest of Wild Tales doesn’t live up to the wicked WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS curtain-raiser. But there are enough moments of irony and ingenuity to make it worthwhile. In one episode, OCTOBER GALE IT FOLLOWS a lone driver has a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE which allows the slowpoke he antagonized earlier to stop by and exact revenge. In another, an explosives KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER expert becomes enraged by a parking ticket—rage that leads him to lose everything. But there’s a twist. A MR. TURNER lot of these segments rely on a twist, a technique that doesn’t quite disguise how in-your-face the lessons SEYMOUR: AN INTRODUCTION are. The twists also can’t disguise the way some of the tales rely on illogical behavior to allow their plots to THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL develop. Wild Tales is a showy exercise (you can see why Pedro Almodóvar signed on as a producer), and *Tickets available at the box office. Szifrón has undoubtedly punched his ticket for bigger and better things. (R) R.H. Guild 45th WOMAN IN GOLD The last time Helen Mirren went up against the Nazis, in The Debt, it was really no contest. So you will not be surprised to learn that the Austrian art thieves of the Third Reich fare no better against her Holocaust refugee Maria Altmann. Woman in Gold takes its title from the alternate, Nazi-supplied moniker for Gustav Klimt’s 1907 Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Adele was Maria’s beloved aunt, and Maria became the plaintiff in a long-fought art-restitution case, begun in 1998, against the Austrian government. As Maria’s sidekick in this true-life-inspired tale, Ryan Reynolds plays the unseasoned young attorney Randy Schoenberg (forever judged against his genius forebear Arnold Schoenberg). This odd couple is obviously going to prevail against the stubborn, post-Waldheim Austrian establishment. As Maria says, “If they admit to one thing, they have to admit to it all.” Were the writing better, this would’ve made a good courtroom procedural (Elizabeth McGovern and Jonathan Pryce show up as judges), but director Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn) instead chooses to add copious flashbacks to the Anschluss era and Maria’s narrow escape from the Nazis. So while this is a serviceable star vehicle that depends on Mirren’s reliably purring HOSTED BY V-12 engine, two other actresses play Maria at different ages—depriving us of the regular pleasure of her smackdowns upon poor Randy. (PG-13) B.R.M. Guild 45th, Pacific Place, Ark Lodge, Cinebarre, Kirkland, Lincoln Square, Thornton Place, others
A REVENGE FANTASY THAT’S LIKE NOTHING YOU’VE SEEN ON SCREEN BEFORE. “
A series of soaring, astonishingly choreographed scenes.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
“I cannot say enough about this extraordinary film.
WILDLY EXHILARATING.
THE MORE YOU COMMAND IT TO SIT AND STAY THE MORE IT SLIPS ITS LEASH AND RUNS AMOK
Two Ways To Save At Sundance Seattle
SUNDANCECINEMAS.COM
APRIL 23
SIFF CINEMA UPTOWN 5:30 PM HAPPY HOUR 6:30 PM FILMS 11 FILMS FOOD & DRINKS SILENT AUCTION RAFFLE
WILDLY EXHILARATING.” - Dennis Dermody, Paper
“The great thing about the film is that
THE MORE YOU COMMAND IT TO SIT AND STAY THE MORE IT SLIPS ITS LEASH AND RUNS AMOK.” - Athony Lane, The New Yorker
REMARKABLE. Tender, harrowing and
“
heartbreaking.
THE FINAL SCENE IS AS TRANSCENDANT AS ANYTHING I’VE EVER SEEN IN THE MOVIES.” – Amy Taubin, ArtForum
WHITE GOD a film by
KORNÉL MUNDRUCZÓ
MAGPICTURES.COM/WHITEGOD
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT STARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 10 SEATTLE SIFF Egyptian Theatre (206) 324-9996
TICKETS & INFORMATION washingtonwatertrust.org 206.675.1585
BY B R IA N M I LLE R
Send events to film@seattleweekly.com See seattleweekly.com for full listings = Recommended
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WASHINGTONWATERTRUST.ORG
SEATTLE WEEKLY
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SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
The plot devices in this sequel are so stale that the movie itself loses interest in them halfway through its dawdling 122 minutes—and this is a good thing. By that time the contrivances of Ol Parker’s script have done their duty, and we can get to the element that turned the film’s 2011 predecessor into a surprise hit: hanging around with a group of witty old pros in a pleasant location. There are many worse reasons for enjoying movies. Director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) mostly allows Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, and Penelope Wilton to float around on many years’ worth of accrued goodwill. (New to the expat ensemble is Richard Gere.) Especially fine is the spindly Bill Nighy, whose shy Douglas is a hesitant suitor to Dench’s Evelyn, a still-active buyer of fabrics. Even when the story has him fulfilling sitcom ideas, Nighy maintains his tottering dignity and sense of fun. Second Best will be a hit with its original audience, and maybe then some. The languid mood is laced with an appreciation for getting to the End of Things, especially as Smith’s formerly snappish Muriel mellows into a melancholy leave-taking. (PG) R.H. Sundance, Kirkland, Meridian, Thornton Place, Lincoln Square, others SEYMOUR: AN INTRODUCTION Right from the first scene, in which pianist Seymour Bernstein talks his way through his thought process for fingering a passage in a Scarlatti sonata, it’s gratifyingly clear that Ethan Hawke’s documentary portrait isn’t going to be afraid to dig seriously into music. Hawke’s own search for artistic purpose (why acting?) led him to examine the life of the pianist, a casual acquaintance who became a role model for a life devoted to art, not to the trappings of art. “I’m not so sure that a major career is a healthy thing to embark on,” says the 88-year-old Bernstein, who, despite acclaim, retired from public performance at age 50 thanks to stage fright and a disdain for the showbiz side of the classical-music world. The concertgoer’s loss was the aspiring pianist’s gain; from the onscreen evidence here, scenes with private pupils and master classes, he’s a fantastic teacher. He’s also a captivating raconteur (wait until he starts talking about his time in the army in Korea, playing recitals for soldiers on the front) and a fount of aphorisms (“Every piano is like a person. They build them the same way; they never come out the same way”). You have to admire Hawke’s patience (courage, even) just to stand back, point his camera, and let the man play. (PG) GAVIN BORCHERT Sundance SONG OF THE SEA Dazzling in its visual presentation, though not so thrilling in its conventional storytelling, the Irish-animated Song features a plot is drawn from Celtic folklore, specifically the tradition of the selkie, those mythological shapeshifters who can live on land or sea, as humans or seals. Our hero is Ben (voiced by David Rawle), a young lad whose mother vanishes under dramatic circumstances the night his mute younger sister Saoirse is born. They live on a wee shard of an island with their mournful father (Brendan Gleeson), a red-bearded lighthouse-keeper, but a series of marvelous events lead Ben into a secret world of magical creatures and spell-spinning songs. Director Tomm Moore lets the movie’s forward momentum run aground at various moments, but he and the Cartoon Saloon crew seem more interested in creating the gorgeous vistas that occupy virtually every frame. (PG) R.H. Crest WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS The premise is ’90s-stale: basically MTV’s The Real World cast with vampires, presented as direct-address documentary. This droll comedy comes from the brain trust behind 2007’s Eagle Vs. Shark: Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Taika Waititi, who play neck-biters Vladislav and Viago, respectively. Our three main vamps are a hapless lot. They can’t get invited into any of the good clubs or discos—ending up forlorn in an all-night Chinese diner instead. After all the aestheticized languor of Only Lovers Left Alive (and the earnest teen soap opera of Twilight), the silly deadpan tone is quite welcome. Clement and Waititi know this is a sketch writ large (forget about plot), so they never pause long between sneaky gags. The amsuing and essential conflict here is between age-old vampire traditions and today’s hook-up customs. These neckbiters have been at it so long that they’re only imitating old vampire stereotypes. Things have gotten to the point, Vladislav admits, where they’re even cribbing from The Lost Boys. (NR) B.R.M. Sundance, SIFF Cinema Egyptian
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WHIPLASH Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) is an
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TS E PRESEN T A N T S O I S N INGTO EEF COMMIS H S A W B
E L T T SEA
G N I T TAS
&
S ’ Y L WEEK
DS R A AW D O FO RD
M M AT 6 P P E 0 1 C 0 N 7:3 ENTRA EEN Y L U R Q A E M P VI PRO
23 APRIL TRE BY A C I E S H U T LIVE M OUNT / M S A T R PA OGIS L O X I / 10+ M S T N URA A T S E +R
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
40
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K OK BOO • CHINO EASY A Ñ E L BIG INA JEMIL’S • CANT MBRIA HOMMAGE • ORI BAKERY U E F F A ID VINE • HISKEY NIR • C GH • M AFE MU AF • HARVEST RACKEN TOU • RADIATOR W C • E N K ICS PAG MC N LE ATHLET • GREE FE CAM ARKET • PIZZA RO • CA • GOOD BAR TT’S IN THE M RO • QUALITY IRS • VERACI T IS B A T IG A D P T M L IS S • B D A P ER EU ERY IMA BLIN • THE G ILL WIN OQUITOS • PR Y CAVIAR • TH B GIN • ATHTU • GELATIAMO DS • MARYH R P B T • • • L E R L O R . NE • BASTIL RX FOO ION • POME NEBUR • F.A.S.T BARRIO AKE ROYALE MNOON • MA BILE • PINTXO T & CO • STO EEF COMMISS • R A B U A C B A O O P B E M M N • T U • S A IE C O T • BISTR TON S CAFE • DEGA • LUCID L MARKETS • P THE NEEDLE FUSION TIONS T ASHING A O ALICIA’S OP • COLLEC URUZA • LA B • PCC NATUR O • SKY CITY A MISSION • W H K AR C R COM ICANS CHOP S NACKS • KU W MEX SAN JUAN CIG INGTON BEE E S N E D H T • KIN WASH NUTS • ROCKCREEK Y-O-DO • Y O R MIGHT B RO AT
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arts&culture» Music
SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
27
arts&culture» Music
5/30
4/15
9PM
BLUE OCTOBER with HARVARD OF THE SOUTH
+ ASHLEIGH STONE
4/17
7:30 PM
GRAMATIK with GREAT DANE
4/24
with “IPOD ON A CHAIR”
9PM
REEL BIG FISH + LESS THAN JAKE with THE INTERRUPTERS
8PM
JJ GREY + MOFRO 5/28
with ETHAN TUCKER BAND
with BULLY
with ALEX WINSTON
+ YES YOU ARE
8PM
SCOTT BRADLEE + POSTMODERN JUKEBOX 6/16 SALVATION TOUR 2015
KMFDM with CHANT + BLACK DECEMBER
7/18–ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10AM
9PM
SAY ANYTHING 7/23
CYMBALS EAT GUITARS +HARD GIRLS
8PM
SHOWBOX SODO
TYLER,
SHOWBOX AND KNITTING FACTORY PRESENT
TECH N9NE
with KRIZZ KALIKO + CHRIS WEBBY + MURS + KING 810 + ZUSE + NEEMA 4/24
8:30 PM
THE CREATOR with TACO
7/1
9PM
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
KISW AND SHOWBOX PRESENT
28
APOCALYPTICA RISE AGAINST 5/29
ON SALE FRIDAY AT NOON with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE + LETLIVE.
with ART OF DYING
9PM
WAMU THEATER
8/7 – ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10AM
8:30 PM
NEPTUNE THEATER
UNCLE SNOOP’S ARMY, KUBE93, THE STRANGER, & SHOWBOX PRESENT:
SNOOP DOGG JEFF AUSTIN BAND
featuring JEFF AUSTIN FROM YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND
4/19
with G-EAZY, TY DOLLA $IGN, E-40
8PM
Tim Lennon, Vera’s new executive director.
NEON TREES
with MODERN BASEBALL +
8PM
BY KELTON SEARS
9PM
8PM
SHOWBOX & KGRG PRESENT
5/13
6/4
THE GREAT IMPRESSION TOUR
9PM
With a fresh executive director at the helm, the re-energized youth center is hoping to change the world (again).
7;30 PM
BEST COAST 6/6
RICHARD CHEESE & LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
4/30
with HOLYCHILD
A New Era of Vera
5/2
with FRUITION + POOR MAN’S WHISKEY
SHOWBOXPRESENTS.COM
8PM
KELTON SEARS
RAEKWON & GHOSTFACE KILLAH
WALK OFF THE EARTH
W
hen you look at the Vera Project, that spunky little youth engagement center and all-ages venue, you probably don’t think politics. You probably think about its silkscreened-poster workshop, the one time your friend from high school ran sound for your favorite band there, or how you took that class that illuminated the arcane art of miking a drumkit. Fourteen years after its birth, the Vera Project just seems as if it’s always been there. And that’s part of what Tim Lennon—the Vera Project’s brand-new executive director who just started at the beginning of this month—is hoping to change. He wants the Vera to get back to its roots as a direct citywide force for change and empowerment, rather than focusing simply on what happens in “those four walls at Seattle Center.” “Since [Vera was created in 2001] there hasn’t been as much political engagement,” Lennon says. “Not that there should’ve been—but that energy of ‘We’re going to take on the world and change it,’ and then doing it, is something I’d love to see us get back into. ” Lennon moved to Seattle to begin a long career in arts-event coordination in 2001—the same year the Vera Project was founded in direct response to a citywide cultural crisis created by the Teen Dance Ordinance. A cartoonish law straight out of Footloose, it effectively banned all-ages shows by making them outlandishly expensive for venues to host. “We were dealing with this weird culture from leadership trying to push away our musical identity to be quote-unquote ‘world-class’ like other cities,” James Keblas, a Vera co-founder and current City Council candidate, tells me over the phone. “We were trying to say, ‘No, we don’t need to be like other cities, we need to be like us.’ ” Vera achieved its goal at breakneck speed— after putting pressure on the nightlife industry and the Seattle City Council, the organization helped overturn the Teen Dance Ordinance a year later. Ironically, that quick victory has become the source of Vera’s biggest struggle. In separate interviews, both Lennon and Keblas said the same thing: “The Vera is a victim of its own success.” “Seattle has a big history of resting on its laurels,” Keblas says. “We get engaged [with an issue], go ‘Oh, we got it!’, and then when it goes
away, we all say ‘Well, wait, what happened?’ ” It’s a phenomenon that Kate Becker, another Vera co-founder and current director of Seattle’s Office of Film & Music, explained in more detail. “Once an organization exists for a while and seems stable, there is naturally something that happens, and it’s something I’ve seen happen with several programs I’ve started. When there’s not that immediately urgent, initial compelling need for everyone to jump in and be involved like there was at the beginning, things start to get taken for granted. It gets a little taken for granted that Vera will be there, Vera will exist, and that great things will continue to happen at Vera. I wouldn’t call it complacency, but I’d certainly say Vera is evolving.” Without that driving mission to overturn the Teen Dance Ordinance, things at Vera got rocky. Its old split “triforce” leadership model, which shared power among programming, managing, and fundraising directors, started to break down over the past two years, igniting practical and philosophical conflicts that in March 2014 led the Vera’s board to elect to hire a single executive director instead. The idea received a lot of pushback from Vera members concerned that the single-leadership model would be too authoritarian, so an interim executive director was hired in April 2014 to test it. Andy Fife of Seattle artsmanagement and policy-consultation firm Shunpike was brought on to fill the experimental role. “I came in and said, well, there’s a functioning operational system here, and I don’t want to upset it by changing everything suddenly, because it’s already upset emotionally,” Fife says. “I assessed the situation for a month and wrote up this big 40-page report on what was good, what was bad, and where the story was missing, and just started addressing those issues one by one. It was six months of unraveling—it was a very challenging time for Vera.” Fife’s contract, initially set for only five months, was reupped twice due to the unexpected volume of work. (When he leaves this week, he’ll have been there a full year.) During that period, staff turnover spiked, making things even harder. “Every two months somebody left,” Fife says. One by one, the talent buyer, the program manager, the development director, and the operations manager moved on. Despite the turnover and the daunting structural reworking that was
ksears@seattleweekly.com
The Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., will host a public reception/meet and greet for Tim Lennon on Thurs., April 9 at 8:30 p.m.
SEATTLE WEEKLY • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
needed, Vera saw some very tangible positive momentum, most noticeably in its year-end fundraising campaign. From 2013 to 2014, numbers jumped dramatically from $15,000 to $55,000. “I think part of that was the fresh story,” Fife says. “When Vera came out of the cannon it was shot out of in 2001, it had an immediate community-wide mandate and incredible impact on day one. Fast forward to now: Almost every arts organization in town has a youth advisory board. The platform of youth inclusion into culture has really grown, and Vera was the tip of the spear. The burden of that success was that the Vera started focusing more on how to keep its doors open in Seattle Center than on its impact on the entire community in the city.” According to Fife, the narrative at Vera became far more internalized than its initial community-oriented mission—staff conflicts and the minutiae of Vera’s inner workings started to consume the contagious energy that had led to its success. “Just by coming out and saying, ‘Vera is ready to come back out of its shell and look at the city and ask what’s needed?’ —that helped everything immensely.” In light of Fife’s success, Vera members voted to elect a permanent executive director, and given its “fresh story,” Tim Lennon was “a perfect, really exciting choice,” Fife says. In his career, Lennon has often invited the city into new spaces. At the Office of Arts & Culture, he oversaw the city’s Concerts in the Park series and worked on the spacefinderseattle.org project, a website that connects artists with artist space in a city chronically deprived of it. And Lennon had already participated in Vera’s new politically engaged vision, sitting on a highly successful “Ferguson: Mobilizing Our Community” panel hosted at the teen center in January. “That event was an example of the best of Vera,” Lennon says. “That was a case of the members very intentionally centering young people and people of color in the conversation in this DIY way. The best part of the panel was when we panelists stopped talking and it turned into an open conversation with a lot of young folks engaging each other. I felt like I learned more in that conversation than I had anywhere else. We’re creating the world we want to see in that space, whether it’s with these conversations, through visual art, or putting on a show. Rather than seeing it as a refuge from the issues we face in our city right now, it’s about inviting the whole city in.” For Lennon, “inviting the whole city in” also means taking Vera to the people, hosting shows and classes in further-away neighborhoods like Rainier Beach or Ballard so that youth can “hang out in Vera spiritually and emotionally” on their own turf rather than just physically down at the Seattle Center, a location that can be hard to get to. “We need to have Vera everywhere—the space as a headquarters will always remain, but we need to get Vera out there in order to really empower youth and get these resources to them.” And as Lennon is quick to point out, even though it seems like a new idea on the surface, this current evolution is actually a nod to Vera’s past. When the organization was born, it hosted shows all over the city in a variety of venues before it found its current home in 2006. “At this moment in our city, we need to get as many people living that Vera spirit as possible, inside and outside our four walls, if the city is going to survive and thrive. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” E
29
a&c» Music
JOE BONAMASSA
TheWeekAhead
Wednesday, April 8
Sunny California and dreary Midwest winters collide on Santa Barbara quintet GARDENS & VILLA’s sophomore album, Dunes, which finds the synthrock band giving up beaches for beanies and relocating to Michigan’s Key Club studio. Depeche Mode jams like “Colony Glen” and “Thunder Glove,” the funky “Bullet Train,” and the equally danceable “Echosassy” are reminiscent of the group’s home state, but ominous synths from Adam Rasmussen and singer Chris Lynch’s lyrics, which seem to center on feelings of anxiety and isolation, keep things chilly. The influence of the studio’s surroundings is most evident in songs like “Avalanche,” as Lynch sings “Lay me down in the ground/Bury me/Let me disappear/Chill you with the frozen leaves.” With Shana Cleveland and the Sandcastles, BellaMaine, Vox Mod. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $3 with RSVP, $10 without. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY Chicago’s DISAPPEARS sounds sort of like Liars would if they spent a lot of time in cold German warehouses wearing black turtlenecks, listening to kraut, and thinking about the austerity of modern architecture—which is another way of saying they sound really cool. The band’s sinister minimalism on its latest record Irreal will make an interesting pairing with this show’s strong local opening acts— Ephrata’s lush, poppy, shoegaze-worship and SSDD’s glam-punk debauchery (featuring Seattle’s most deranged front man, Kennedy Carda, who almost swallowed his microphone whole the last time I saw him perform). The Sunset, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 8 p.m. $13. 21 and over. KELTON SEARS
MAY 14, 15 & 16 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
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Thursday, April 9
It’s been quite awhile since THE REPLACEMENTS toured the U.S. How long? Well, a baby born the year the punk group disbanded (1991) most likely has a college degree and can legally drink booze now. But founding singer/guitarist Paul Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson shook off the dust by releasing an EP in 2012 called Songs for Slim, which benefitted former bandmate Slim Dunlap. Then the group played a handful of successful gigs at Riot Fest, Coachella, and Bumbershoot the following years (with drummer Josh Freese and guitarist David Minehan). Suddenly it just made sense for Minneapolis’ favorite sons to come fully out of retirement for the “Back by Unpopular Demand” tour. So to all those boozed-up, college-degreed 1991 babies—now is your chance. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/paramount. 8 p.m. $46.25. All ages. ACP
2033 6th Avenue (206) 441-9729 jazzalley.com
JAZZ ALLEY IS A SUPPER CLUB
30
Jazz drummer Willie Jones with his superlative quintet!
GOAPELE THURS, APR 9 - SUN, APR 12
Soul and R&B singer/songwriter blending genres including jazz, soul and hip-hop, infused with her own poetry.
JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BANDS MON, APR 13
Join us in the Trophy Room for Happy Hour: Thursday Bartender Special 8-Close Fridays: 5-8pm RESERVE THE TROPHY ROOM FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT!
Award winning performances!
OMAR SOSA’S QUARTETO AFROCUBANO TUES, APR 14 - WED, APR 15
Cuban pianist exploring the roots of his culture as if through a kaleidoscope! CD release celebration of Ilé
WAR THURS, APR 16 - SUN, APR 19
Mixing up funk, jazz, R&B and rock & roll!
all ages | free parking | full schedule at jazzalley.com
COCKTAILS • TASTY HOT DOGS • LOTSA PINBALL
2222 2ND AVENUE • SEATTLE
206-441-5449
KARI CHAMPOUX
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
WILLIE JONES III QUINTET with EDDIE HENDERSON, ERIC REED, RALPH MOORE AND BUSTER WILLIAMS WED, APR 8
Airport Bassist Jayson Kochan of local hypno-groove outfit Midday Veil is also coming up under the name AIRPORT, his disco/electro solo project. You know you’re doing something really right (or really wrong?) when local media has referred to you as “THE disco revivalist.” Airport is what Ross’ “wordless sound poems” from Friends would sound like if he’d dutifully pursued a music career: a cacophony of futuristic sounds paired with some fabulous outfits (instead of Ross’ cable-knit sweaters, Kochan rocks a luminescent body suit during performances). Airport’s heat-inducing 12” single, “Sweat/Pleasure,” is out now on Motor. With Sean Pierce, Patternmaster, DJ Slow. Kremwerk, 1809 Minor Ave., 682-2935, kremwerk.com. 9 p.m. $5. 21 and over. DIANA M. LE
tractor TIMES
compilations, remixes, and full-length albums. Released last year, Tecuciztecatl is the band’s 14th studio album; it features some solo-heavy fever-dream pop with hazy vocals over layers and layers of noise. Under the “Artists We Like” section of its Facebook page is a single link to a video of “Every Thin Lizzy Guitar Solo 1971–1983.” Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, the barboza.com. 7 p.m. $15. 21 and over. DML
THURS,
KEITH JOHNSON
Friday, April 10
(ALBUM RELEASE PARTY )
THE HORDE & THE HAREM, CASTLE DWELLERS FRI,
DARCI CARLSON, DECEPTION PAST SAT,
THE BROTHERS COMATOSE MARTY O’REILLY SUN,
Tuesday, April 14
Ever since ARIANA GRANDE traded dyed red hair (the trademark of the character she played on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and Sam & Cat) for a high ponytail and a microphone, Mariah Carey comparisons have been rampant. True, both singers have some serious multioctave pipes, but with every move, Grande is setting herself apart from the elusive chanteuse. Grande’s second album, My Everything, as well as her features on songs like Jessie J’s “Bang Bang” and Cashmere Cat’s “Adore,” move away from the throwback R&B that marked her debut, Yours Truly, and into EDM and electro-pop territory. Her chameleon-like ability to fit into each genre will make her one to watch for years to come. With Rixton. KeyArena, 305 Harrison St., 684-7200, keyarena.com. 7:30 p.m. $25.50 and up. All ages. ACP Send events to music@seattleweekly.com. See seattleweekly.com for more listings.
9PM - $15
APRIL 12 th
THE ONE AND ONLY
JUNIOR BROWN EASY LEAVES
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10PM - $15/$17
APRIL 30 TH “SEVERAL ARROWS” 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
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in This Bring T And ge n o p Cou Tizer e p p A one 2 oFF! For 1/
4/8 GENERAL MOJO’S KEY PROJECT 4/15 CHRIS PUREKA 4/16 JOSEPH 4/17 THE DIP 4/18 TWO GALLANTS 4/23 COUNTRY LIPS 4/24 DOWN NORTH 4/25 MIKAL CRONIN 4/28 NORA JANE STRUTHERS 5213 BALLARD AVE. NW 789-3599
www.tractortavern.com
El Corazon E orazon www.elcorazonseattle.com
109 Eastlake Ave East • Seattle, WA 98109 Booking and Info: 206.262.0482
WEDNESDAY APRIL 8TH EL CORAZON
SATURDAY APRIL 11TH EL CORAZON
KGRG & TAKE WARNING PRESENT:
TAKE WARNING PRESENTS:
Singled Out, Bill Conway (head writer of The Hard Times) Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 7:30 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $12 ADV / $15 DOS
with Masked Intruder, La Armada, Success! Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $18 ADV / $20 DOS
BANE with Backtrack, Malfunction,
THURSDAY APRIL 9TH EL CORAZON
STRUNG OUT
MONDAY APRIL 13TH EL CORAZON
MUSICWERKS SEATTLE & EL CORAZON PRESENT:
MIKE THRASHER PRESENTS:
Post Rapture Party, The Spider Ferns Doors at 8:00PM / Show at 9:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $13 ADV / $15 DOS
with Doyle, The Family Ruin, Sanction VIII, Kill Closet Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $20 ADV / $25 DOS
VOLTAIRE with Jeff Ferrell,
THURSDAY APRIL 9TH FUNHOUSE BRIAN FOSS PRESENTS A BENEFIT FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT FEATURING:
THE WITCHES TITTIES
with Fabulous Downey Brothers, The Dumps, Wølfhämmer 3 Doors at 8:00PM / Show at 9:00 21+. $7
FRIDAY APRIL 10TH EL CORAZON + FUNHOUSE KISW (99.9 FM) METAL SHOP & EL CORAZON PRESENT: D.R.I with The Real McKenzies, White City Graves, No Buffer, Hurry Up And Die at EL CORAZON. Doors at 7:00PM / Show at 8:00, 21+. $15 ADV / $17 DOS THE D.R.I. AFTER SHOW PARTY 21+ FUNHOUSE featuring live music from The Load Levelers FREE Music begins at the conclusion of the D.R. I. show.
MUSHROOMHEAD
TUESDAY APRIL 14TH EL CORAZON NATIVE WORLD INC & PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS PRESENT
APRIL FOOLS FOOLIN TOUR 2015 FEATURING:
Axe Murder Boyz, Big Hoodoo, Enasnimi, ABK with Cyclone n Lolife, Unmasked Entertainment
(Homegrown Psychotherapy, Da JNX, Severed Triple Six, B-Low, Freight Train), CON-CRETE, Justinsayne N8v, KST Blunt Trauma, Randum45 Doors at 6:300PM / Show at 7:00
ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $15 ADV / $17 DOS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 15TH EL CORAZON MIKE THRASHER PRESENTS:
THE MAINE
with Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, The Technicolors Doors at 6:30PM / Show at 7:00 ALL AGES/BAR W/ID. $20 ADV / $25 DOS
JUST ANNOUNCED 4/18 FUNHOUSE - BITCH SCHOOL 4/24 FUNHOUSE - DAIKAIJU 5/8 FUNHOUSE - ICARUS THE OWL 5/19 - TRUCKFIGHTERS 5/27 FUNHOUSE - KILLER BEE 6/9 - CROWBAR 6/20 - SUBJECT TO DOWNFALL (SINGLE RELEASE) / HIDDEN HISTORY (CD RELEASE) / BENEATH THE SPIN LIGHT (EP RELEASE) 7/15 - THE ADOLESCENTS / THE WEIRDOS 7/24 - VALADARES 10/3 - THE PANCAKES & BOOZE ART SHOW 11/5 - METALACHI 11/6 - DAN REED NETWORK UP & COMING 4/16 FUNHOUSE - PEELANDER-Z 4/17 FUNHOUSE - DARIUS KOSKI 4/18 - KINGS OF CAVALIER (CD RELEASE) 4/19 - ENTER SHIKARI 4/20 - DEFEATER 4/20 FUNHOUSE - RUINES OV ABADDON 4/21 - RICHIE RAMONE 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 • APRIL 8 — 14, 2015
The self-described “hippie with soul,” ALLEN STONE got it spot on. His crunchy-granola look, accented by thick oversized frames, is totally reminiscent of Janis Joplin, “The Queen of Psychedelic Soul” herself. His voice is like a perfect chocolate candy bar—rich, milky, packed with sensual caramel gooeyness and surprising nougaty patches. *HEAVY BREATHING* Though I wouldn’t be surprised if this hippie with soul refuses to eat anything with a soul. With Maiah Manser. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetriple door.net. 6 p.m. SOLD OUT. All ages. DML
9PM - $12/$15
APRIL 11TH
KBCS PRESENTS BAY AREA FOLKGRASS
COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
At last month’s Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards, avant-jazz quartet INDUSTRIAL REVELATION won Alternative Jazz Group of the Year and bassist Evan Flory-Barnes was honored as the N.W. Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year. Seeing as the nominees and winners are decided by local jazz fans, it’s safe to say Seattle has a pretty big sweet spot for the band— Flory-Barnes, drummer D’Vonne Lewis, Ahamefule Oluo on trumpet, and Josh Rawlings on Fender Rhodes/ piano—a group that has entertained crowds with a mix of classic and modern-jazz elements since 2006. Industrial Revelation is currently hard at work in Robert Lang’s storied studio on a follow-up to its latest, Oak Head. With Whitney Monge. Blue Moon, 712 N.E. 45th St., 2675-9116, bluemoonseattle.wordpress.com. 9 p.m. $10. 21 and over. ACP Warren Defever started HIS NAME IS ALIVE in the late ’80s in his basement recording on a 4-track. He remains the only constant member of the project, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. In that time, the band has produced a massive output of EPs, live records,
COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
Industrial Revelation
MICKY & THE MOTORCARS
Allen Stone
Saturday, April 11
8PM - $8
APRIL 10 TH
AUSTINICANA
decide to use their combined superpowers for good, not evil. The band, which came together in 2012, features former and present members of Undertow, These Arms Are Snakes, Minus the Bear, and XVIII Eyes, and falls somewhere between heavy rock and shoegaze, as heard on its debut album, Dragon Mouth. It opens with an ambient instrumental track called “Pounding” before moving into songs like “Months,” which is heavy through and through and features Irene Barber’s expansive wail. P.S.: This is one of Chop Suey’s weekly Kill the Keg! shows, which means drafts on select kegs are only $1 “until they blow!” With Charms, Art Fad, Leatherdaddy. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 3248005, chopsuey.com. 4 p.m. $5. 21 and over. ACP Ahmir “QUESTLOVE” Thompson, the legendary drummer himself, is so insanely CrazySexyCool that he will never have to fight for relevancy in pop culture. Along with his bandleader duties in the Roots (the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) and his day job as a NYU music professor, he still produces (Common, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, John Legend, etc.) during his free time, which he says lies between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. This DJ set will be his only Northwest appearance. With dj100proof, DJ Roy. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over. DML
Monday, April 13
Alex Guy, the woman behind LED TO SEA, is a seasoned violinist who approaches pop music delicately, with great respect for the craft. Her vocals are soft and playfully charming, similar to those of Mirah, whom she has toured with. She is sometimes accompanied by Paul Kikuchi (percussion) and Jherek Bischoff (bass), two incredibly talented staples of the local scene. For this special CD release party for her third full-length, she’s joined by even more of Seattle’s most hXc musicians. Tonight is going to be a total master class for all you amateurs out there, so bring notepads. With Tomo Nakayama, Lori Goldston. Columbia City Theater, 4916 Rainier Ave. S., 722-3009, columbiacitytheater.com. 8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. 21 and over. DML
APRIL 9 TH
POCKET PANDA
DUST MOTH is what happens when local musicians
I can’t think of a better band to usher in the rebirth of The Funhouse than THE WITCHES TITTIES, a group of anarchistic no-wavin’ witches whose punk magick transforms any venue it touches into an unholy rock-’n’-roll ritual site. In addition to its six musical members, the coven includes two “hype witches,” a branch of spellcasting I didn’t even know existed. Also of note: Tonight, Funhouse booker Brian Foss will make good on his post-Funhouse demolition promise to shave his giant beard onstage at the new Funhouse as soon as he found a home for it. It’s going to get hairy up in there. With the Fabulous Downey Brothers, the Dumps, Wølfhämmer 3. The Funhouse, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazonseattle.com. 8 p.m. $7. 21 and up. KS
MIN. BEFORE.
PROGRESSIVE INDIE ROCK
Sunday, April 12
The Witches Titties
DOORS 30-60
OPEN
LISTED ARE
SHOW TIMES.
31
odds&ends» Runner’s High
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
T
32
here’s no doubt that marijuana is good for all kinds of things: stimulating the appetite, creative brainstorming, giggle-fests . . . but exercise? Yes, apparently. According to an article in last month’s Runner’s World, athletes who use cannabis benefit from stress relief and reduced inflammation. Now I’m no marathoner, but I do understand the pain and nausea that kind of grind might cause; hell, I “hit the HIGHERGROUND wall” on BY MICHAEL A. STUSSER walks from Starbucks to the car. And long-distance runners are now claiming that the pain relief associated with marijuana is also a huge benefit for their grueling efforts, helping athletes achieve an idealized state earlier in their run. “When you have runner’s high, you have feelings very similar to those you would feel if you were smoking marijuana,” stated neuroscientist Arne Dietrich in Runner’s World. The prefrontal cortex of the brain regulates both feelings, Dietrich notes, including “sedation, analgesia, mild happiness, the loss of the sensation of time, and a loss of worries.” What? Where was I? It makes sense that the CBDs that help to block the input of pain for medicinal purposes and act as anti-inflammatories can also help athletes struggling with joint pain in various sports. And we’re not just talking about snowboarders or Ultimate Frisbee Golf jocks either. A Wall Street Journal story recently interviewed ultra-marathon runners, who run up to 200 miles over 20-hour periods, and many noted that cannabis aids with the stomach cramps and intense muscle pain they endure along the way. “The person who is going to win an ultra is someone who can manage their pain, not puke, and stay calm,” said veteran runner Jenn Shelton. “Pot does all three of those things.” I have a better suggestion for these masochistic ultramarathoners: moderation! Even the World Anti-Doping Agency and U.S. Track & Field are coming around on dope. Last year the WADA raised the acceptable amount of THC a runner can have in his or her system, flagging only runners who use pot on the day of competition. Using marijuana during training sessions or as a sleep aid the night before a race is all good. There’s a reason the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, is from Jamaica, mon! Running high as a kite is not for everyone. Chronic smoking has been related to pulmonary irritation and symptoms of chronic
bronchitis (including hocking loogies). “There are cardiovascular effects, like increasing heart rate,” says Gregory Gerdeman (The Pot Book) in the Runner’s World piece. “These may be minimal in young athletes or those with tolerance, but should be considered seriously by anyone at risk for coronary heart disease. Plus, there have been some studies that suggest it influences blood flow to the brain, which can influence the risk of stroke.” Still, cannabis smoking doesn’t have nearly the negative effect on the lungs that tobacco does. The National Institutes of Health did a study in 2013 that I wish I’d been chosen for. They exposed a group of adults to up to seven “joint years”—one joint per day for seven years—and found that even those extremes didn’t diminish lung function. In fact, marijuana users in the study performed a little better than nonsmokers on a lung-function test, because ganja smokers were basically “training” over time by taking deep breaths and holding smoke in. Outside did its own piece on stoned running (“Know Before You Go!”), and, while not condoning the practice, gave IN SH helpful tips, A C NA including not getIAN BR ting lost, bringing munchies along the way, and “dosing” in a safe environment: “You don’t want to be 10 miles into the mountains and suddenly feel like you need to take a nap because THC makes you sleepy, then find yourself dozing off in the middle of the woods with no food or shelter.” Their advice on dosing was a little . . . high: “While lower doses often lead to a relaxed physical state and sense of well-being, or a ‘body high,’ high doses can bring on an acid-trip type of experience with hallucinations and possible paranoia. Once the drug kicks in, the high can last from four to 10 hours, or possibly longer.” Not sure where they’re getting their ganja, but I want some. Wow! My own advice is to use marijuana as a sort of reward after you exercise. The perfect indulgent treat? The CannaBar! It’s a protein candy bar made using almonds, honey, and hemp-based cannabidiols—with less fatty ingredients that the Clif bars you’re shakily shoving in midmarathon. Sadly, the CannaBar is made with a cannabis sativa without much THC, so it doesn’t get you high; you’ll want to do that in the traditional way—and by that I mean taking off your Brooks, collapsing on the couch, and sucking down bong hits. E For more Higher Ground, visit highergroundtv.com.
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Employment Media
Employment Media
Employment Computer/Technology
EDITOR Sound Publishing has an immediate opening for Editor of the Port Orchard Independent. This is not an entry-level position. Requires a handson leader with a minimum of three years newspaper experience including writing, editing, pagination, photography, and InDesign skills. editing and monitoring social media including Twitter, FaceBook, etc. The successful candidate: Has a demonstrated interest in local political and cultural affairs. Possesses excellent writing and verbal skills, and can provide representative clips from one or more professional publications. Has experience editing reporters’ copy and submitted materials for content and style. Is proficient in designing and building pages with Adobe InDesign. Is experienced managing a Forum page, writing cogent and stylistically interesting commentaries, and editing a reader letters column. Has experience with social media and newspaper website content management and understands the value of the web to report news on a daily basis. Has proven interpersonal skills representing a newspaper or other organization at civic functions and public venues. Understands how to lead, motivate, and mentor a small news staff. Must develop knowledge of local arts, business, and government. Must be visible in the community. Must possess reliable, insured, motor vehicle and a valid Washington State driver’s license. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K (currently with an employer match.) If you are interested in joining the team at the Port Orchard Independent, email us your cover letter, resume, and up to 5 samples of your work to: hr@soundpublishing.com Please be sure to note: ATTN: EDPOI in the subject line.
REPORTER (POULSBO, WA)
Software Test Team Lead (Bothell, WA) Coord delivery of transformational sftwr test projects & programs for major telecom srvc provider stakeholders. Setup disaster recovery/failover models. Coord project-related escalations. Dvlp risk/issue mgmt plans. Reqs: BS comp sci, comp eng’g, or electron eng’g + 2 yrs telecom customer care & billing sftwr test exp. Exp w/ C, C++, Visual Basic, PL/SQL, Oracle, SQL, Java, Unix, Linux, Winrunner, QuickTest Pro, HP Quality Center, Sprinter, & Microsoft Project. Exp w/ wireless number portability processes, srvc oriented arch, distributed op systems, & semantic computing; exp w/ 4G comm. systems incl srvc arch. components & roles of CDMA & OFDM in 4G comm. Resumes: Amdocs Inc., careersta@amdocs.com; Ref: HR-0359
Sound Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Check out our website to find out more about us! www.soundpublishing.com
WARNING:
The North Kitsap Herald is seeking a competent & enthusiastic FT news reporter to cover local government and community news. InDesign, page layout and photography skills preferred. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K (currently with an employer match.) If you are interested in joining the team at the North Kitsap Herald, email us your cover letter, resume, and up to 5 samples of your work to: hr@soundpublishing.com Please be sure to note: ATTN: REPNKH in the subject line. Sound Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Check out our website to find out more about us! www.soundpublishing.com REPORTER The award-winning newspaper Journal of the San Juans is seeking an energetic, detailedoriented reporter to write articles and features. Experience in photography and Adobe InDesign preferred. Applicants must be able to work in a team-oriented, deadlinedriven environment, possess excellent writing skills, have a knowledge of community news and be able to write about multiple topics. Must relocate to Friday Harbor, WA. This is a full-time position that includes excellent benefits: medical, dental, life insurance, 401k, paid vacation, sick and holidays. EOE . No calls please. Send resume with cover letter, three or more non-returnable clips in PDF or Text format and references to hr@soundpublishing.com or mail to: HR/GARJSJ Sound Publishing, Inc. 11323 Commando Rd W, Main Unit Everett, WA 98204 Employment Computer/Technology Software Engineer, Webstore sought by Zulily in Seattle, WA to dsgn cstrm-facing sys & ftrs. Req Mstr deg in Comp Sci or rltd fld. Req knowl of sftw dvlp in 1 or more of the fllwng: C/C++, Java, PHP, CSS, XML, HTML, MySQL, SQL, JavaScript, HTTP, MongoDB. Ablty to trnslt biz reqmts into code. Req perm US wrk auth. Aply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com ref#2156
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Razorfish LLC seeks candidates for the following positions in Seattle, WA: Director, Commerce Practice (Job ID 2015-17047), MS in IT, CS or rel field + 3 yrs exp or BS in IT, CS or rel field + 5 yrs exp req’d, Travel req`d up to 75%; Sr. Software Engineer (Job ID 2015-17050), MS in CS, EE or rel field + 3 yrs exp or BS in CS, EE or rel field + 5 yrs exp req’d; telecommute from home ofc; travel req`d up to 50%. To apply, go to http://www.razorfish.com/ careers/alljobs.htm and refer to Job ID. EOE. Principals only. Software Engineer (Member of Technical Staff): Design & develop large scale distributed data storage systems for commercial software product. Req Master’s or foreign equiv in Comp Sci, Comp Eng, Math, Info Sys, Info Mgmt or rtld + 1 yr wrk exp designing, implementing & testing s/w using C or C++ prgm lngs & data structures & algorithms & netwk concepts & protocols & protocol analysis. Exp must incl 6 mnths wk exp in: applying distributed systems theory & dbse theory, optimizing s/w sys, performance meas of s/w sys, agile dev method, & Python prgm lng. Exp. may be gained concurrently. Position at Qumulo Inc. in Seattle, WA. To apply, please e-mail resume & cover letter to: engineer.staffing@qumulo.com Software Engineer(s) sought by zulily in Seattle, WA. Req MS in Comp Sci, Comp Engrg or a rltd fld OR a BS in abv flds + 5 yrs exp. Req know of: pro sftw engrg best prac incldng codng stds, cd rvws, src ctrl mgmt, contnuous intgrtion, auto tstng & oprtns & dsgng, bldng & deplyng scalble, hghly avlb sys & comp sci fndmntls in data strcs, algo dsgn, prob solvng & cmplxty anlys. Strong bkgrnd w/ mod tools & envirs (e.g., XML, web serv, ver ctrl sys, bug/iss trkng tools). Prfcncy in at least 1 pgmmng lng such as C, C++ or Java. Famliarty w/ SQL. Emplyr will accpt any suitble combo of educ and/or exp. Req perm US wrk auth. Aply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com ref#2125
Employment Transportation/Drivers
DRIVERS Premier Transportation is seeking Tractor-Trailer Drivers for newly added dedicated runs making store deliveries MondayFriday in WA, OR, ID. MUST have a Class-A CDL and 2 years tractortrailer driving experience. • Home on a daily basis • $.41 per mile plus stop off and unloading pay • $200/day minimum pay • Health & prescription insurance • Family dental, life, disability insurance • Company match 401K, Vacation & holiday pay • $1,000 longevity bonus after each year • Assigned trucks • Direct deposit For application information, call Paul Proctor at Premier Transportation: 866-223-8050. Apply online at www.premiertrans portation.com “Recruiting.” EOE Employment General ECO ELEMENTS METAPHYSICAL BOOKS & GIFTS Immed opening for PT sales person. Energetic, flexible, committed, EXP. & knowledgeable in metaphysical. Also looking for an experienced Psychic Tarot Reader. Drop off resume in person & book list to: 1530 1st Ave (serious inquiries only) Experienced Pruners for Shrub Crew Positions are fulltime, yearround. Bi-Weekly Pay. Production and Safety Incentives can be earned daily for good performance. Up to $120/day Potential. Group Medical and Voluntary Dental Available. Requirements: Must have Vehicle and Valid drivers’ license. Able to lift 50lbs on a regular basis. Email experience to recruiting@evergreentlc.com or call 800-684-8733 ext. 3434
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
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As the world leader in next generation mobile technologies, Qualcomm is focused on accelerating mobility around the world. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, has the following position available in Bellevue, WA: • Senior Software/Systems Test Engineer: Proficiency in C/C++; Python Scripting req’d (FR-IM02-P) Mail resume w/job code to QUALCOMM, P.O. Box 919013, San Diego, CA, 92191-9013. EEO employer: including race, gender, disability & veterans status
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As the world leader in next generation mobile technologies, Qualcomm is focused on accelerating mobility around the world. Qualcomm Atheros, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, has the following position available in Bellevue, WA: • Sr. Software Engineer / Windows Driver: Proficiency in Windows Driver Development; and Wireless Communications or related req’d (FR-IM10-P) Mail resume w/job code to QUALCOMM, P.O. Box 919013, San Diego, CA, 92191-9013. EEO employer: including race, gender, disability & veterans status
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35030 SE Douglas St., Ste. 210, Snoqualmie WA 98065-9266 NOTICE OF PERMIT APPLICATION REQUEST: Commercial Building Permit for Addition & Remodel File No.: ADDC15-0109 Applicant: Kevin Mackey Location: 9635 Des Moines Memorial Dr. So. Proposal: Convert exist retail bldg into cultural museum & youth fitness ctr w/2nd floor for assembly & office space Project Manager: Kevin LeClair 206-477-2717 COMMENT PROCEDURES: DPER will issue an environmental determination on this application following a 21-day comment period that ends on May 4, 2015. Written comments and additional information can be obtained by contacting the Project Manager at the phone number listed above. Published this 8th day of April 2015
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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VIETNAM WAR COMMEMORATION
Steve Northup/UPI
Galloway with US Marines in Danang in August 1966. Has a Nikon F camera over his shoulder and is holding a Swedish K 9mm submachine gun. ntributed USMC/Co r 4 helicopte arine CH-3 ary 1966. M a rd a o u elmet, ab on in Jan center in h bat operati Galloway, y to a Marine com on his wa
Galloway on the day of the ceasefire in the Persian Gulf War, 1991, with 24th Infantry Division (Mech) outside the gates of Basra, Iraq.
50 ANNIVERSARY VIETNAM WAR COMMEMORATION th
LOCAL EVENTS APRIL 12-17
Seattle and Washington State have an unusual role in the Vietnam War Commemoration, a national initiative to thank Vietnam veterans a half century after the United States rapidly escalated its deployment of troops to South Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Many of the troops who returned home were met with disdain rather than with the thanks that veterans of other conflicts received. Joe Galloway, the Vietnam correspondent who authored the book “We Were Soldiers Once... And Young” (adapted into the 2002 film “We Were Soldiers”), is in Seattle for a week of interviews with local Vietnam veterans. He will speak at Seattle Rotary’s noon luncheon April 15 and will be featured at a breakfast interview session at the Columbia Tower Club on April 17. The Vietnam War Commemoration is aimed at spurring events and activities in states, cities and towns around the country to recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.
SEATTLE WEEKLY • AP RI L 8 — 14, 2015
The partners’ program is designed for state and local communities, veterans’ organizations and other nongovernmental organizations to assist in thanking and honoring Vietnam Veterans and their families.
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To learn how to become a part of the 50th Vietnam Veterans Commemorative, communities may seek information or apply to become a Commemorative Partner by going to: www.vietnamwar50th.com/commemorative_partners/commemorative_partner_program
THEKEMPER KEMPER FREEMAN FREEMAN FAMILY THE FAMILY
Vietnam author Galloway to visit Seattle Joe Galloway, the Vietnam correspondent whose book “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young” and the movie “We Were Soldiers” that was produced from it, will be in Seattle doing a week of interviews with Vietnam veterans as a special project for the 50th Anniversary Commemorative. Galloway has been going around the country doing three two-hour interviews a day with Vietnam veterans from across the services spectrum and by now has well over 75 two-hour interviews done, as he explained it, “beginning with Colin Powell and working outward.” Galloway was a Texas boy who became a correspondent for United Press International and, in the battle of Ia Drang that his book and its movie adaptation made famous, he was decorated for heroism on the battlefield, receiving the bronze star for rescuing two wounded soldiers while under fire. He was praised by the late Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf as “the soldiers’ reporter” because of his caring and regard for those whose battles he covered.