[ 1 ] Seafair

You’ve seen the pirates and you’ve dealt with the clowns. After a month of fun, the staple Seattle summer event wraps up its 60th year with the Chevrolet Cup, fireworks, and the always-spectacular Blue Angels air show.

[ 2 ] Catch Me If You Can

The real-life cat-and-mouse game between an FBI agent and a teen fraud genius takes on a new musical twist thanks to composer Marc Shaiman, his colyricist Scott Wittman, and the Tony-winning Hairspray creative team.

[ 3 ] Anna Macrae: Intuition

Erratic brushstrokes, spontaneous colors, and schizophrenic patterns define the abstract expressionist’s textured canvases.

[ 4 ] Alice Wheeler: Women Are Beautiful

Revered for epic photographs of the Seattle grunge scene, the local arts icon directs her lens toward women and the ways they shape their public identities.

[ 5 ] Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Barcelona

After welcoming England’s Chelsea FC last month, the Sounders again host a friendly with a big-name overseas team. This time it’s FC Barcelona and its superstar lineup of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, and Andres Iniesta who invade Qwest Field.

[ 6 ] The Fray

Following a double-platinum smash debut and 2005 chart-topping singles “How to Save a Life” and “Over My Head (Cable Car),” the mom-rock quartet from Denver is back at it with their self-titled sophomore release.

[ 7 ] Dyme Def: Concerts at the Mural

The trio exploded onto the hip-hop scene with their 2007 debut Space Music and made a similar slamming impression with July’s follow-up, Panic. They make an appearance for KEXP’s Concerts at the Mural series.

[ 8 ] Penguins, Episode 1

Instigating big laughs in the mildly profane but utterly hilarious vein of Monty Python, playwright Scot Augustson expands on the success formula he found with his Sgt. Rigsby silhouette shows. Parodying gratuitous HBO dramas, Penguins stages an ongoing turf war between nuns and priests—hilarity and sacrilege ensue.

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[ 9 ] Seattle Lindy Exchange

Swing dancers from around the world converge at Westlake Plaza, Century Ballroom, and other halls to celebrate the jazzy dance popularized in the ’20s and ’30s.

[ 10 ] Depeche Mode

The British electro-poppers ruled the early ’80s with singles like “Just Can’t Get Enough” and “People Are People.” After selling more than 75 million albums worldwide they keep the synths thumping with their 12th album Sounds of the Universe. Swedish indie-rockers Peter Bjorn and John open.

[ 11 ] Ed Cohen

The emerging painter’s canvas acrylics are colorful impulses, like splatter-paint patterns of genetic material.

[ 12 ] Ahmad Jamal

Long before Common, Nas, and Jay-Z were sampling the pianist’s beats, this formidable jazz force was winning over the likes of Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett with innovative rhythms and dramatic sound effects.

[ 13 ] Joan Baez

No matter the generation, no matter the era, the influential folk songbird’s three-octave soprano carries political messages that resonate loud and clear.

[ 14 ] The Ring

Audiences from around the globe pack McCaw Hall after waiting four years for the return of The Ring, Seattle Opera’s signature Wagner show. Don’t miss internationally acclaimed music director Robert Spano lead the epic production.

[ 15 ] Ready, Set, Go… Cook!

The University District Farmers market plays host to Top Chef—or at least Seattle’s version of it. Joule’s Rachel Yang steps up against BOKA’s Juli Guillemette in a mad dash to create the most innovative and delicious dishes with nothing other than ingredients found at the market.

[ 16 ] Seattle Hempfest

The annual summer celebration (or “protestival, if you will) attracts a lengthy lineup of speakers—doctors, professors, musicians —advocating for the decriminalization of pot. They lend some credibility to the assertion that the sociopolitical goals of the event aren’t just a cover for, well, you know, man.

[ 17 ] Aerosmith

Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and the rest of the electric rockers play the 1975 legendary disc Toys in the Attic—home to hits such as “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion”— in its entirety for the first time. Bearded wonders ZZ Top support the Hall of Famers.

[ 18 ] Titus Kaphar

Only a couple weeks left to catch the intriguing work of this Yale grad. He crumples, whitewashes, and reconstructs eighteenth- and nineteenth-century portraits into a subversive commentary on history, race, and society.

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[ 19 ] Pete Yorn

Before the September release of Break Up, a collaboration with Scarlett Johansson, the tender-voiced guitarist tours on the heels of June’s Back and Fourth.

[ 20 ] The Dead Weather

Talk about a rock tour de force: Jack White’s latest side project unites Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs, Alison Mosshart of The Kills, and Dean Fertita of Queens of Stone Age. Less than six months after their first collaboration, the quartet arrives in Seattle supporting last month’s Horehound.

[ 21 ] The Flaming Lips

Wayne Coyne’s outfit of psychedelic acid-pop vagabonds is as well known for surreal and elaborate stage shows as spacey music, and their limited appearances on the tour circuit only add to the impact of their spectacle. A chance to hear new songs from upcoming September release Embryonic is icing on the cake.

[ 22 ] KZOK’s Zok Stock

This is no doubt the day to satisfy any classic rock fix you’ve been craving. Foreigner, who made their mark on the late ’70s and early ’80s with “Hot Blooded” and “Juke Box Hero,” headlines, while Seattle’s premier Led Zeppelin tribute band No Quarter guests.

[ 23 ] Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes

The oh-so-cool crooner who effortlessly crosses pop, punk, and new wave comes to Seattle riding the wave of his June release, Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane.

[ 24 ] Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics

Quietly beocming playoff hopefuls, the M’s look to boost their winning record with a victory over the last-place AL West competitors from California.

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[ 25 ] Seattle Storm vs. Washington Mystics

The Sonics are gone—for now—but in the meantime get used to the other team in town holding court. Make sure to watch standouts Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson lead the WNBA playoff contenders.

[ 26 ] Amos Lee

The soulful and fleet-fingered crooner—best known for his often-featured song “Colors” (House, Grey’s Anatomy, et al.)—builds jazz, blues, and folk around sparkling vocals. Philadelphia singer-songwriter Mutlu guests.

[ 27 ] The Maldives

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Tractor Tavern calls on Seattle’s favorite roots rockers and masters of gripping Americana to entertain with old favorites and new treats from upcoming September release Listen to the Thunder. Bonus: Up-and-comers The Moondoggies open.

[ 28 ] John Legend with India.Arie

Legend lives up to his surname with songs straddling so-smooth R&B and retro groove, while Arie bewitches critics and fans alike with her grounded, retro groove and acoustic sensitivity.

[ 29 ] Harvey Danger

The UW college-rock group that rose into guitar-driven alt-rock success with 1998 single “Flagpole Sitta” ends their 15-year career with this show. Yup, that’s right, this is your last chance to watch Harvey Danger live. Meaning: Go.

[ 30 ] Evergreen State Fair

This all-American mashup of fried food, carnival rides, and farm animals can only mean one thing: fair time. The 100-years-and-running family tradition also features a rodeo and musical guests like Queensryche and Diamond Rio.

[ 31 ] AC/DC

The hard rockers from Sydney have been taking us down their “Highway to Hell” for 30 years. Now they’re bringing the Black Ice World Tour to our doorstep following the 2008 release of the same-named album, their first in eight years.