Can't Miss It: Thursday

PRET-A-PORTER: The Art Institute of Seattle's fashion and design students take over the Showbox SoDo tonight for "Peace, Love, Fashion," their eleventh annual psychedelic-themed fashion show/student portfolio exhibition. There are two chances to see it, at 5 and 7 p.m. High school students can get into the earlier show for free with their student IDs.

4:30 doors // 1700 First Ave. S. // $25 door, all ages, bar w/ID

MGMT THEORY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW: Radio host and author extraordinaire Tavis Smiley comes to town for a special free event at the Central Library tonight, in support of his new book Accountable: Making America As Good As Its Promise. In it, Smiley seeks to teach the importance of accountability, something as applicable to judging our politicians' performance as our own, and through this management-speak, we can somehow deal with all our problems.

6:30-8:30 // Seattle Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. // free, first come, first served

NORSE STORY: Christina Sunley's new novel, The Tricking of Freya, is the story of a Canadian-Icelandic girl named Freya and her travels around the globe as her family tries to escape, but is constantly being pulled back to, the tiny, frigid island nation of their birth. It's also the story of that island's history, because history and family become intertwined in such a place. It's a fascinating book and it sounds a lot better than listening to Tavis Smiley regurgitate business terminology as the panacea for all our woes.

7:30 p.m. // Elliott Bay Books, 101 S. Main St. // free!

CARNAGE: Austin art rockers ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead return to Seattle tonight to pound the hell of the Neumo's sound system in support of their new album, The Century of Self. With Funeral Party and Midnight Masses.

8 p.m. doors // Neumo's, 925 E. Pike St. // $12, 21+