Seattle Entertainment, Activities, Events : Seattle on the Fringe by Stacey Merrick : Music, Dancing, Clubs, Bars, Movies, Burlesque, Dining, Bicycle, Hobbies, Extreme Sports, Comedy, Offbeat, Unusual

I'm leaving for the Blogher Conference tonight and I'll be there all weekend.  That's right, there is such a thing as a women's blogging conference.  I'm pretty excited about the conference and I hope to gain lots of new knowledge about blogging this weekend.

In the meantime, if you're looking for something fun to do in Seattle this weekend:

• Shoreline Solarfest
• Bite of Seattle (not my favorite festival, but if you're in the neighborhood it might be fun to check out.  Free admission.)
• SeaFair Indian Days Pow Wow

This Friday, Jan 18, is Gay Night at Century Ballroom 9pm - 12:30pm.  There will be all sorts of dancing including salsa, swing, and other favorites.  Lesson at 8:30pm.  Gay ballroom dancing... love it! 

Century Ballroom has all sorts of different dance nights for straight people, too.  I randomly stumbled in there a couple of Thursdays ago for salsa night.  My friends and I were walking around Capitol Hill one night and we passed by Century Ballroom.  We heard the lively music and we just had to check it out.  That night I attempted to salsa dance with a very patient stranger who probably had very bruised toes the next day from me stepping on them repeatedly.  The best part of salsa night at Century Ballroom was there were a lot of available dance partners.  I have gone to swing dance events in the past where they claimed "no partner needed" but everyone else came with a partner and I did, in fact, need a partner.  I was pleased to discover there was no need to bring a dance partner to Century Ballroom for their salsa night. 

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The annual Fremont Solstice Parade is happening tomorrow in the Center of the Universe.  Organized by the Fremont Arts Council, the parade celebrates the first day of summer with floats, dancers, music, and art.  Oh, and naked bicyclists.  I can only describe this event as a cross between Carnival and Burning Man.  Visitors come to see the floats and dancers and art, but they stay for the naked bicyclists.

Warning:  There are images of naked bicyclists in the below video.

I warned you, but you watched the video anyway, didn't you?  If you want to be a naked bicyclist in the parade tomorrow, get details at the Painted Cyclists website. 

If you want to keep your clothes on and just check out the parade, it starts at noon, but I suggest getting there a lot earlier than that so you can get a good spot to watch the parade.  Tips and parade route from Seattle Times: 

Here's a tip from parade veterans. People tend to cluster at the front and middle of the parade route. The best viewing is often found along the second half of the route, around North 34th Street near Stone Way and along Northlake Avenue North, near Gas Works Park.

The parade begins at noon Saturday just west of Fremont at Northwest 36th Street and Third Avenue Northwest, heading east along Northwest 36th, then it turns down Fremont Avenue and continues east on North 34th before taking a jog onto Northlake Way, ending at Gas Works Park with the Gateway.

The parade is quite popular and gets very crowded.  If you're driving, please note that parking will be impossible.  If you can, take the bus or ride your bike.  I promise if you ride your bike they won't make you get naked.

After the parade, be sure to check out the Fremont Fair, which continues through Sunday.  There are many craft booths and lots of food.  Bring cash because not all booths take cards.

Location:  Fremont District
Date and Time:  Saturday, July 21, 12pm
Price:  Free

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So, the title of this post pretty much explains what this event is all about.  People race each other rolling down a hill in office chairs.  Watch the video from last year:

This year I imagine people are going to be a little more creative with office chairs in the race.  Last year everyone discovered that office chairs don't cruise down the hill as fast as expected.  I would expect to see some bigger wheels on office chairs this year and perhaps some more custom-made creations.

The race is tomorrow, Friday, April 4, "after work whenever people start showing up."  There might be a more specific time nailed down at this point but I am guessing people will start showing up around 5:30pm.  The location is near the Pacific Science Center and Key Arena.  I believe the starting point is on the corner of Warren and John.  Here's a map, you'll find the race in the general vicinity of the starred location.

Things to prepare for if you plan on racing this year:

• Wear protective gear, you'll probably crash because everyone crashes.
• Bring your own office chair.  If you have more to spare, bring those, too.
• Bring a camera, there will be many lovely photo opportunities.

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This weekend I went for a Sunday evening bicycle ride out to Alki Beach. I took the picture from Jack Block Park, a great place to enjoy a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline.

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I'm not big on Valentine's Day shenanigans. I feel like it's a holiday designed to make people miserable.  If you don't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, then you feel like a loser.  If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, then you feel like the pressure is on to prove your love.  Either way, ugh.

That's why I'm so excited The Stranger's Valentine's Day Bash is happening again this year at Neumo's.  I went last year and it was the 10 year anniversary of the event and they SAID it was going to be the last year last year.  But, no!  It's happening again this year.

At the Bash, you have the opportunity to bring a memento from a failed relationship, give a little background on the shortcomings of said relationship on a stage in front of a venue packed full of strangers and possibly people you know (IE. coworkers), and then allow Dan Savage to destroy your memento in any number of creative ways.  Last year, I brought a dozen dried roses and Dan Savage dipped them in liquid nitrogen and smashed them to bits.  I gotta say, it was my best Valentine's Day ever.

My advice if you go is bring a keepsake and sign-up to have Dan Savage destroy it.  Seriously, once you get there, you will want to be a part of the fun, despite the certainty of embarrassment.  There is something special, something cathartic about having the famed sex columnist smash/set on fire/tar and feather a relic some jerk left in your possession after he/she broke your heart. 

Make sure you get there early and sign-up on the list right away, otherwise you could spend all night holding that teddy bear/sweater/poem/engagement ring waiting for it to finally be destroyed.

Date:  February 14, 2008
Time:  8pm
Location:  Neumo's (map)
Price:  Free (who can put a price on love publicly humiliating your jerky ex?)

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The Seattle Public Library is hosting an afternoon which celebrates comics this Saturday at the Central Library.  The event appears to be marketed towards teens, but I strongly doubt I will be the only adult in attendance.  Comics have long since evolved from a media reserved for the pimpled youth.  Like many adults, most of my pimples are gone now, but my love of comics is still strong.  The schedule for Comixtravaganza is:

2:00pm - Comic Workshop:  make your own mini comic.
3:30pm - Panel of experts discusses what it's like being in the industry of comics.
4:30pm - Cartoonist Ellen Forney talks about stuff.

Speaking of Ellen Forney, Fantagraphics has released a new book with Ellen Forney's illustrations called LUST: Kinky Online Personal Ads From Seattle’s The Stranger.  It features Forney's artistic renditions of those zany personal ads in The Stranger's LustLab; definitely not marketed towards teens.  You can view samples of the personal ads and illustrations on her blog.  The book release will be at Fantagraphics on February 9 from 6-9pm, and the party will include a multimedia presentation of the book by Forney.  Forney is not only funny and witty on paper, but she has a great sense of humor in person, too, so I highly recommend seeing her speak either at Fantagraphics on February 9 or this Saturday at the Seattle Central Library.

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I'm headed to warm and sunny (and smokey) Venice, CA, this weekend, which will be lovely trip, but I will be missing some fun happenings in Seattle.  This Sunday is I Heart Rummage, a monthly urban craft show of cool local independent artists.  Generally the first Sunday of every month from 12pm - 4pm at the Crocodile Cafe, people of all ages can browse, buy, and socialize with other crafters and craft connoisseurs.  Also, anyone can apply to be a part of the event and showcase their own DIY treasures (advanced notice required). 

IHR continues its commitment to provide a platform for all up-and-coming craftsters that want to show new, edgy, and dynamic work. Every month you’ll find 45 hardworking designers and crafters presenting the latest in style and hip crafts - some seasoned vendors, as well as new work that has never been shown. Relevant local charitable and indie businesses are also spotlighted each month as IHR’s "special guest of the month".

What makes this craft show different from other craft shows?  This show is less likely to have macrame pot holders made by your grandmother.  Not to say your grandma doesn't make great pot holders, but, come on, we're hip urbanites, and we crave art with a bite.  Cassandra Lanning, the director of the event, said in an interview:

IHR is an event that showcases handcrafted works with an indie/urban/edgy appeal. Irony and balls (not literally) definitely have an edge on getting in. For all the vendors that apply that do not make the cut, I do try to refer them to and encourage them to sell with some of the "suburban" craft shows which have their own following.

This Sunday is IHR's 6th Birthday Show, with special guests Nova School, and music by DJ Huggy.  Go prepared to find lots of treasures, and even grab some brunch at the Croc while you're at it.  I'm going to have to catch the next one on Dec. 16.

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I have zombie mania.  Zombie is the new hip trend and I have caught zombie fever.  Zombie is the new pirate.  Zombie is the new black.

If you like zombies as much as I do (I even like Rob Zombie), then listen up;  a new zombie movie is being filmed in Kitsap County called Zombies of Mass Destruction.  Cool, eh?  Well, they are looking for zombie extras to be in the movie!  The movie is being filmed now through November 17 in Port Gamble, WA, and they need a bunch of zombies.

If you are interested in being a zombie in a feature film, please contact:

• Email: foregroundbackground@gmail.com
• Phone: 425.246.2725

Shooting Schedule and Other Zombie Details

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Critical Mass happens once a month in Seattle and all major cities in the U.S., and it's happening tonight.  The last Friday of every month, bicyclists gather downtown and take over the streets normally ruled by cars. 

How did this all begin?  According to wikipedia:

The first ride took place on Friday, September 25, 1992 at 6 P.M. in San Francisco. At that time, the event was known as Commute Clot and was composed of a couple dozen cyclists who had received flyers on Market Street.
Shortly after this, some participants in that ride went to a local bicycle shop for a screening of Ted White's documentary Return of the Scorcher, about bike culture overseas. In that film, American human powered vehicle and pedicab designer George Bliss noted that, in China, both motorists and bicyclists had an understood method of negotiating intersections without signals. Traffic would "bunch up" at these intersections until the back log reached a "critical mass" at which point that mass would move through the intersection. The term caught on and replaced Commute Clot as a name at the time of the second event.

By the time of the fourth ride, the number of cyclists had increased to around 100 and participation continued to grow dramatically, reaching about 1,000 riders, on average.

The name was soon adopted as a generic label by participants in similar but independent mass rides that were either initiated in various locations around the world at around the same time, or had already existed before 1992 under other names. It is estimated that there are Critical Mass-type rides in more than 325 cities to date. The term "Masser" is sometimes applied to frequent participants.

This is a social gathering and a protest.  The thing that bothers me about Critical Mass is sometimes some of the bicyclists get all riled-up and pick fights with people in cars, or vice versa.  Critical Mass blocks motor vehicle traffic, and this often causes tension between motorists and bicyclists.  I love how Critical Mass is a huge presence and makes people who do not ride bicycles aware of bicycles on the road.  However, I feel that when cyclists get aggressive towards motorists at bicycle protests, it only angers motorists and, thus, makes them even more disrespectful of bicycles on the road, which is very dangerous for cyclists.

In Seattle in the summer, there are often hundreds of cyclists on a Critical Mass ride.  However, according to faithful attendees of this event in Seattle, there are fewer bicyclists on the ride this time of year, due to rain and bad weather, and it will be a more mellow ride tonight than a ride in the summer.

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