SPECIAL EVENTS

June 5–7
Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show
The Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show offers an oasis of flashing lights, whirling sound, and blissful nostalgia. While the pinball machines may be the showpiece, don’t sleep on the arcade lineup. With the free-play setup, the event offers players a chance to conquer those quarter-sucking cabinets that were economically impossible to beat as a child (I’m coming for you, The Simpsons Arcade Game). Tacoma Convention Center, $20–$30; weekend pass $65

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

CLASSICAL AND MORE

June 5–7
Seattle Pops: Tribute to Ray Charles with Ellis Hall
It didn’t matter if Ray Charles was playing gospel, R&B, jazz, blues, or country, he injected his soul into the music in a way that made everything his own. The Seattle Pops series pays tribute to the musical icon with the aid of his protege Ellis Hall. Benaroya Hall, $34–$95

VISUAL ART

June 4–28
Parallel Frequencies
Tucked away in the greenery of Stanwood, Washington, the Pilchuck Glass School offers a creative escape for a handful of innovative artists every year via its Hauberg Fellowship. And now that the 2014 fellowship recipients' residencies done, they’re trekking out of the woods to Seattle’s Traver Gallery, where they’ll show off their intricate sculptural, glassblowing, and engraving works. Traver Gallery, Free

THEATER

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

DANCE

Sun, June 7
PNB Season Encore
Carla Körbes isn’t merely Pacific Northwest Ballet’s premier dancer, she’s a transcendent talent; the best performer in Seattle in any medium. She employs her weightless fluidity of movement to command the stage in the way a superstar athlete dominates a game, which makes her impending retirement at the age of 33 that much tougher to swallow. After Körbes’s final bow at PNB’s Season Encore performance, the company should raise her pointe shoes to the rafters. (The performance will also be live streamed online starting at 6:30 on pnb.org/live.) McCaw Hall, $35–$200

FILM

Sun, June 7
SIFF 2015 Closing Night Gala: The Overnight
Alex (Adam Scott) and Emily (Taylor Schilling) struggle to meet new people after moving from Seattle to Los Angeles with their son RJ. While taking RJ to the park, they encounter another dad named Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) who invites them over for a family play date. After the kids are put to bed, it becomes playtime for the adults as Alex and Emily find themselves in ever-escalating moments of comedic discomfort and sexual tension. Cinerama, Sold out (Standby)

CONCERTS

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

Thur, June 4
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel became an indie rock legend after its initial demise, thanks to the enduring majesty of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It only cemented that status when it reunited in 2013 and began touring its emotionally charged weirdo folk road show once again. Now the band embarks on its “last tour for the foreseeable future,” and considering that the previous hiatus lasted 15 years, this could be fans’ final chance to enjoy the glorious communal experience of Neutral Milk Hotel live. Paramount Theatre, Sold Out

Fri, June 5
Shania Twain
By blending country, pop, and rock, Shania Twain found a hit-making formula that’s still being copied (we’re assuming Taylor Swift pays Twain residuals). And despite releasing only four albums (none since 2002), she’s still the top-selling female country artist ever. Twain brings the chart toppers to KeyArena to kick to her Rock This Country tour, which she claims will be her farewell. KeyArena, $46—$136