NIGHT LIGHTS: If anyone calls you a witch,/burn for him; if anyone calls you/less or more than you are/let him burn for you./It’s a dangerous mission. You/could die out there. You/could live forever. This is an excerpt from Tess Gallagher’s poem “Instructions to the Double,” first published in 1976 and included in Midnight Lantern, a retrospective released this year. A Port Angeles native and UW alumnus, Gallagher returns to Washington for a reading from her new release that also includes 30 new poems. Her works include 12 poetry books, 3 fiction books, 2 essay collections, and a published conversation with Buddhist nun Jakucho Setouchi. She was also married to fellow Washingtonian Raymond Carver. more ›

Donte is taking advantage of cheap post-holiday travel by heading down to SFist territory to see Lindstrom's only west coast date on this mini-tour, since Where You Go I Go Too was one of last year's best releases. more ›

STRONG, WILY OL'D MAN: My! Oldominion, a legendary and superdope Northwest hiphop collective boasting members who happen to be some of our area's strongest and most creative artists, certainly has aged well. The group turns ten years old this year, and to celebrate, they're throwing a family reunion/party/show combo at Neumos this weekend. On the bill: The Saturday Knights, Grayskul, and assorted extremely important members of the crew. We're just saying, Oldominion knows how to party. more ›

GIRLS WITH STRONG GASTROCS: The Pacific Northwest Highland Games are up in Enumclaw this weekend! Have you ever seen a troupe of Highland dancers, or examined any of their calves? Those ladies have serious plantar flexion skillz. And the National Highland Dance Competition's not all that's going down. We're talking pub piping, Scottish sing-alongs, a full-blown ceilidgh (it's more than just a barn dance!) and of course the field games! Seattlest's Scottish blood thrills to the thought. more ›

We've been looking forward to this day for weeks. Mainly because ZooTunes is one of our very favorite concert series. Who doesn't love an excuse to sit out on the grass at the zoo, grab a plastic cup of some local beer, a picnic dinner, and watch world class singer/songwriters have at it? more ›