Mon, June 1
No Lights No Lycra
Originally started in 2009 by two dance students in a church hall on a winter night in Melbourne, Australia, No Lights No Lycra now boasts a plethora of communities across the globe who congregate for stress-relieving, all-ages, come-as-you-are, free-form dancing in the dark. Shake it out in a nonjudgmental environment (at little cost to your wallet), under the mysterious and liberating cover of darkness. Fremont Abbey, $5

Tue, June 2
Dead Meadow
Washington, DC, trio Dead Meadow offers rocking, trance-inducing psychedelia without the hassle of having to time travel to the 1970s. The band wraps wah-wah-infused wavy guitar riffs with thumping—yet lazily smooth—drums and echoey (sometimes nasal) vocals into a bombastic and alluring mix of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Tame Impala. If you feel like you missed the best era of music, fear not. Dead Meadow provides a Woodstock-worthy acid trip. The Crocodile, $13

June 3–7
Sandbox One-Act Play Festival
Whether set in a trailer in the middle of the New Mexico desert or politically charged Seattle circa 2011, the works of this year’s Sandbox One-Act Play Festival continue the annual celebration of fresh theatrical brevity. It’s a showcase where award-winning playwrights and first-timers stand on equal ground so the works can speak for themselves. West of Lenin, $20

Thur, June 4
31: Songs of R.E.M.
In the style-heavy ’80s pop music scene, R.E.M. was the quiet kid in the corner who ended up crashing the party. Records like Murmur and Reckoning paved the way for alt-rock bands to gain mainstream notoriety and success. Now more than a dozen local acts, including Brite Lines and the Jesus Rehab, gather to honor the group’s legacy with covers for 31: Songs of R.E.M. Columbia City Theater, $8—$10

June 5–14
NW New Works Festival
Few events capture the manic energy of creation like NW New Works Festival. The two-weekend extravaganza at On the Boards values the experimentation and on-the-fly adjustment of in-progress theater, dance, and performance projects over perfect end products. It’s an essential and thrilling launch pad for area artists. On the Boards, $14