COMEDY

Thur, Feb 18
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah is doing a good job so far handling the unenviable task of taking over The Daily Show hosting duties from Jon Stewart. How do we know? The Internet isn’t in a rage about it. And the Internet loves to be in a rage about things like this. Much like Stewart before him, Noah had an established standup career pre-Daily Show. But since he was based in South Africa, his stateside performances have been comparatively rare, but now Seattleites have a chance to see him live. Paramount Theatre, $43–$49

Thru Feb 21
Seattle Festival of Improv Theater
Got a hankering for laughs reminiscent of Whose Line is it Anyway?, but need something fresh? The Seattle Festival of Improv Theater is here to satisfy that craving. Featuring 28 comedy groups (106 total performers) from eleven cities around the world, the five-day festival packs in more spontaneous laughs than any normal gut can handle without busting. Come ready with suggestions (though maybe something other than Trump... I’m sure they all get that one a lot). Jet City Improv Theater and SFIT Second Stage Theater, $18; Festival pass $60

FILM

Feb 19–21
Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2016
While Asian American voices have slowly begun to emerge on television with shows like Fresh Off the Boat and Master of None, the big screen remains elusive.The Seattle Asian American Film Festival provides a much needed outlet for the marginalized filmmakers as they attempt to break into the Hollywood system. Northwest Film Forum, $11–$18; festival pass $75

Feb 19–Feb 26
Eight Days of Oscar
The Academy Awards are mere weeks away (February 28), so you’re running out of time to catch up on any movies you missed before the statues are handed out. Thankfully, Cinerama is once again here to help. The theater hosts Eight Days of Oscar, a cinematic celebration where each Best Picture nominee (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, Bridge of Spies, Room, Brooklyn, Spotlight, The Big Short, and The Revenant) will be screened for a day. If you missed it last summer, don’t miss the chance to see Mad Max: Fury Road on the big screen (the way the masterpiece is meant to be seen). Seattle Cinerama, $15

DANCE

Feb 18–21
Rambunctious 2.0
Donald Byrd and his Spectrum Dance Company are sick of today’s insular, do-nothing conversations about race, and they plan to make an artistic statement to disrupt the system. Just look at Spectrum’s 2016 season title: #RACEish: An Exploration in America’s 240 Years of (Failed) Race Relations. The charged season kicks off with Rambunctious 2.0, which features five world premiere dances centered around music by black American composers. Cornish Playhouse, $40

Sat & Sun, Feb 20 & 21
Bill Evans
Bill Evans put Seattle dance on the national stage in the late 1970s with Bill Evans Dance Company’s electrifying combination of tap and modern styles. All these decades later he’s still at it, and to mark his 75th birthday the ever-spry Guggenheim Fellow returns to Velocity Dance Center for a pair of solo performances. Velocity Dance Center, $20–$25

SPECIAL EVENTS

Feb 19–21
Marvel Universe Live!
The first couple months of the year are always a dumping ground for subpar new movie releases that lack the gravitas for award season or the pizzazz of summer flicks. Fill the cineplex blockbuster deficiency at KeyArena with the superhuman arena theatrics of Marvel Universe Live! There’s no CGI here, as the narrative stunt show brings together the Avengers, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and more favorites for a family-friendly spectacle of action-packed fight scenes, web slinging, and even motorcycle escapades. KeyArena, $28–$90

CONCERTS

Fri, Feb 19
Gazebos: Die Alone Release Show
When it comes to exuberant oddballs, Gazebos reigns supreme in the Seattle rock scene. Fronted by local tattoo art star Shannon Perry, the group creates a mussy musical collage of bug-eyed punk energy, thrift store glam, weirdo art rock, and tripped out ’80s dance parties. Gazebos heads to Chop Suey to release its first Hardly Art LP Die Alone with help from Midday Veil and Wild Powwers. Chop Suey, $10–$12

Fri, Feb 19
Palehound
Boston's Palehound (aka Ellen Kempner) channeled post-breakup depression into a some delightfully unstable indie rock tunes on 2015's debut LP Dry Food. With complex tongue-twisting lyricism, it's hard to avoid comparisons to Speedy Ortiz (whose singer was once Kempner's childhood camp counselor), but that's quite the compliment. Get cozy and catch Palehound's emerging sound at the Crocodile's Back Bar with local support from Great Grandpa and Heavy Petting. The Crocodile (Back Bar), $10

Sat, Feb 20
Rabbit Wilde: The Heartland Release Show
Bellingham folk pop quartet Rabbit Wilde specialize in sweet harmonic tunes with a rural feel-good spirit that feel like more sincere version of the Lumineers. The group heads to Nectar Lounge to unveil its fresh collection of upbeat toe-tappers from the new LP The Heartland. With a lineup that also includes the Warren G. Hardings and Crow and the Canyon, the show doubles as the kickoff party for this year’s Wintergrass festival. The Nectar Lounge, $10–$15