Today's pick:

1. Last year, when cops broke up the West Seattle “Nickelsville” homeless encampment, two things happened: Nickelsville continued, but with its ranks considerably diminished.

The brighter spin-off is People’s Place, which occupies a house in Beacon Hill and, unlike the SHARE/WHEEL-run Nickelsville, tries to set up residents with work opportunities and more permanent living situations. Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote about People’s Place back in October .

People’s Place is holding a cross between an information session and a fundraiser tonight. It’s $35 for a great cause.

At El Centro de la Raza (2524 16th Avenue South), tonight. Suggested donation is $35.

On this weekend's calendar:

1. Paul E. Nelson is reading Sunday in Wallingford from an epic poem he wrote about the history of Auburn, Washington--"from the myths of Native people to the xenophobia toward Japanese-Americans, from the urge to control to the hunger for liberation," the press release says.

I hope it's like this.

Sunday at 3 pm, at Open Books in Wallingford (2414 N 45th St). Free.

2. Robert Horton, film columnist for the Everett Herald and KUOW contributor, is giving a lecture at the Frye Art Museum tomorrow called "The Movie Mashup: Wild Literary Adaptations." It's basically a look at films that ascribe to and diverge from their literary predecessors in unexpected ways (Contempt and O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Spike Jonze's relevant comment, "Adaptation").

On Sunday, January 24 at the Frye Art Museum, at 2 pm.

3. Arts in Motion is putting on their first annual "Freedom Festival" at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center tomorrow night. Arts in Motion is a "community school" that facilitates art classes for kids in Rainier Valley. Their event is something of a community shindig that features performances by students and faculty of the school, including a choral performance—by the kids!—of a piece by Duke Ellington (there will also be dance and spoken word performances).

From 6:30 to 8:30, at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center (3515 S. Alaska St.).

4. Music Nerd Anand Balasubrahmanyan said exactly what I've been thinking about Phoenix—they're the Strokes 2.0. Which is a compliment as far as I'm concerned. I dug the Strokes (albeit self-consciously—they embarrassed rock aficionados by appealing equally to teenagers and beer-pong champs), but their music was too damn good. Unfortunately, they've since gone into solo career land.

Luckily, we have Phoenix. Compare their video for "1901" with the Strokes' "12:51." They're like exactly the same, but Phoenix's video is better. And they have a better song. They're buzzing like the Strokes were in '03, only this time we don't have to be embarrassed.



Tomorrow night, at Showbox SODO (1426 1st Ave). At 8pm, tickets are $24.