Don't Get S.A.D. Just Yet

Seattle summers are a time for frolicking and play, while the gray winters here are well-suited for quiet reflection. The transition is an all too quick one, since the Seattle autumn lasts all of a month, more of a switch than a season. This weekend is a good time to bid farewell to blue skies and welcome the fall by helping out the less fortunate before beginning your winter hermitage.

Saturday the folks at Innerflight are seeing summer off in style, with DJs playing into the night at Golden Gardens Park. This reminds Seattlest of Sundazed, the very much missed summer series of DJs in various Seattle parks. While that didn't happen this year for various reasons, it still holds its spot as one of the best things about the Emerald City. There's just nothing like listening to good music while reading a magazine outside in the fresh air, watching the confused passers-by stare suspiciously at the people dancing in the grass. The party there goes until eleven, before the afterparty kicks off at Nijo.

Saturday night is also one of the first Katrina benefits from the DJ scene, which is definitely worthy of your attention (and money). The Baltic Room is bringing together a wonderful mix of talent sure to garner a good crowd, an active dancefloor, and hopefully lots of money for our Gulf Coast brethren. Brandy Westmore, hands-down one of Seattle's best DJs, will showcase her mix of sexy house and techno, the Sun Tzu Sound collective will bring their eclectic mix of the funkiest downtempo/broken-beat tracks you'll hear in all of the Northwest (hopefully including their new material, already getting airplay on the BBC), and DJ Collage will bring some dancehall flavor to the evening. With promised "special guests," raffles from DC Shoes, Electric, and around for the moment Lib Tech, there's no reason to not show up and have fun for a good cause. Consider it sunshine for the soul.