GLASNOST: The Cold War Kids bring their bluesy, vaguely Southern-sounding brand of piano-based indie rock to the Showbox/Market tonight. The Cold War Kids first gained notice back in 2006 with their debut LP Robbers & Cowards and the get-off-the-sauce single "Hang Me Up to Dry," which is, ironically, a great drinking song. Their second album, Loyalty to Loyalty, dropped last week. Tix for tonight are still available as of this morning.

8 p.m. doors // Showbox/Market, 1426 First Ave. // $17, all ages

USA TODAY: Fifty writers (many associated with McSweeney's) have come together to write an essay on their state, to produce a literary portrait of America today, entitled State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. Contributors includes Dave Eggers, Benjamin Kunkel, George Packer, William T. Vollman, and Sarah Vowell. Tonight, editor Sean Wilsey and Washington's contributor Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney take the stage at Town Hall to discuss and to show the Powell's Books-produced film, Out of the Book, Volume 3: State by State, featuring ten of the contributors who couldn't be here tonight in person.

7:30 p.m. // Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Avenue // $5

CHINA RISING: After the Olympics in Beijing, it feels like Americans entered China-overload; as amusing as all the little weirdnesses were (the little girl who wasn't pretty enough to be on t.v., the fake fireworks, etc.), we all kinda got fed up with it. Yeah, yeah, it's a society undergoing massive transformation and development that will probably be rich enough to buy us all someday. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But for those who want a more subtle, insightful look at China today, SIFF is screening director Jia Zhang-ke's Still Life. The film tells the story of farmers displaced off their ancestral lands by the construction of the massive Three Gorges Dam, a symbol of China's economic might if ever there was one. The juxtaposition of traditional culture and modernization make this film a must-see for those grasping to understand China.

7:30 // SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St. (@ McCaw Hall) // $10