CONCERTS

Sat, Oct 11
Prom Queen: Midnight Veil Release Show
With Midnight Veil, Prom Queen (Leeni Ramadan) has gone beyond making an album of catchy retro pop tunes; she's made created a whole visual world to accompany the music. Prom Queen made a music video for each of Midnight Veil's 12 tracks and strung them together in a movie that's sensory overload of dark B movie camp, psychedelic belly dancers, '60s rock nostalgia, and mischievous cabaret sensuality. The extensive production premieres at Fred Wildlife Refuge with a full screening and live performance by the band. Fred Wildlife Refuge, $10.

Oct 10–Nov 11
Earshot Jazz Festival 2014
Be prepared for a few surprises from the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival. While set highlights include the opening Monk 10/10 concert—where 10 Seattle pianists play solo works by Thelonious Monk before uniting in a single ensemble—and a performance by jazz sax legend Pharoah Sanders, Neil Welch, and other local saxophonists who also plan to add popup sax solos all around Seattle. Various venues, free–$47.

Sat, Oct 11
Cuong Vu Trio
As a virtuoso trumpeter and UW chair for jazz studies Cuong Vu is both creating Seattle’s jazz present and shaping its future (he made our 2013 list of the 50 Most Influential People in Seattle). The acclaimed Cuong Vu Trio takes the home campus stage as a (rare) local part of the UW World Series. Meany Hall, $20.

Sat, Oct 11
Reykjavik Calling 2014
KEXP once again bridges the continental gap between Seattle and Iceland with another edition of Reykjavik Calling. The free concert pairs Seattle acts with top Icelandic musicians for a night of completely unique collaboration. This years lineup features Say Hi, Cataldo, Seattle Rock Orchestra's string quartet on the Washingtonian side and Sin Fang, Sóley, Júníus Meyvant acting as musical ambassadors from abroad. Neumos, free.

CLASSICAL & MORE

Oct 10–12
The Movie Music of John Williams
There’s a case to be made that John Williams impacted cinema iconography over the past 50 years more than anyone else. The composer has crafted some of film’s most memorable music, from Star Wars’ ominous “Imperial March” to Jaws’ fear-inducing two-note leitmotif. it’s music that elicits deep emotional responses. Seattle Symphony Orchestra honors the 49-time Oscar nominee with three nights of his classic compositions. Benaroya Hall, $44–$105.

BOOKS & TALKS

Sun, Oct 12
Wordless!: Art Spiegelman and Phillip Johnston
Part lecture, part art exhibition, part jazz concert, part Vaudevillian show, Wordless! is unlike anything else coming to town this fall. Art Spiegelman, the pulitzer prize–winning cartoonist behind the Holocaust graphic novel Maus, delivers a history lesson on the woodcut wordless novels of the early twentieth century that led to modern graphic novels, while jazz composer phillip Johnston scores the night’s proceedings. Moore Theatre, $37–$47.

COMEDY

Oct 9–11
Jen Kirkman
Jen Kirkman’s cynical sincerity makes her a standout as a regular on Chelsea Lately and during her stellar appearances on Drunk History. Her comedic voice also shines through in her book I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales from a Happy Life without Kids. Don’t expect any motherly doting when Kirkman brings her distinctive standup viewpoint to the Tacoma Comedy Club stage. Tacoma Comedy Club, $10.

Sat, Oct 11
Whose Live Anyway?
Improv can sometimes make for a risky proposition, but when elite improvisers are on the same page there’s an in-the-moment electricity that few other mediums can provide. Whose Line Is It Anyway? vets Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, and Jeff Davis are joined by Joel Murray (Bill’s brother) to bring absurd short scenes to life based on audience suggestions in Whose Live Anyway?. Moore Theatre, $35–$70.

FILM

Oct 9–19
Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
LGBT themes tie together all the films at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, but the fest is no different than SIFF or Sundance. Over the course of a week at cinemas strewn across town, patrons take in a wide spectrum of touching dramas, uproarious comedies, eye-opening documentaries, and short film collections. Various venues, $5–$33; festival pass $85–225.

FAMILY

Sun, Oct 12
Seattle Children's Festival
Seattle Center and Northwest Folklife host the inaugural Seattle Children’s Festival. The free multicultural celebration includes live animals, kiddie music from Recess Monkey and Caspar Babypants, world dance from India, Africa, and Brazil, and more. Seattle Center, free.

VISUAL ART

Oct 11–Apr 26
Ann Hamilton: A Common Sense
Artist Ann Hamilton’s museum-wide exhibit examines the relationship of humans and animals through assets taken from across UW: portraits from the Henry, illustrated books from the UW library, fur coats from the Burke Museum. It should make for a fascinatingly exhaustive look at how humans appreciate and use other species. Henry Art Gallery, $10.