The Weekend List: The arts and culture guide to Seattle's good life

A pop-up gnocchi eatery, philosophy-dance, live Miro-inspired painting and Dan Webb's wood-sculpted life.
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"Cut Flamed Spalted" by Dan Webb

A pop-up gnocchi eatery, philosophy-dance, live Miro-inspired painting and Dan Webb's wood-sculpted life.

* Denotes $15 or less

*Fragile Fortress: The Art of Dan Webb

I know you’re not supposed to touch them, but consider the detailed realism of the carved pieces Dan Webb creates: the lifelike arms, the gloved hands, a pillow freshly-creased from someone’s slumber. This is the first solo museum show for the Seattle sculptor, who is self-taught; whose name will become etched in your brain because his pieces are so dead-on cool. Consider how he uses the grain of the wood to give an almost veined muscled look to a carved forearm. And, seriously, back to that pillow. Awesome. – F.D.

If you go: Fragile Fortress: The Art of Dan Webb, Bellevue Arts Museum, Through June 15, ($8-$10).

Real Estate

Dream pop seems to have found a home in the Pacific Northwest. Something about the ethereal subtlety of bands like Beach House, Wild Nothings and Real Estate resonates especially well with the gray and drizzle of our late winter/early spring. The Real Estate show falls on a Thursday, which is a smart booking decision as the band’s shimmery surf guitar and whispery vocals might not satiate a Friday night Capitol Hill crowd. A friend and fan once described the band as “chillwave,” which I think is strikingly appropriate. The band’s third album, “Atlas,” just dropped, so expect heavy inclusion of those tracks in the set list. Crucial side note: This concert has excellent date-night potential. - J.S-H.

If you go:  Real Estate, Neumos, March 6, ($20). 21+.

Miguel Gutierrez & The Powerful People: “And lose the name of the action”

Miguel Gutierrez creates full-length hybrid dance-performance-spoken word pieces that are grounded in philosophical questions. He’s also more interested in how an audience experiences his work versus actually understanding it. He describes his pieces as a type of “slow art.” 

This latest work is billed as an evening-length séance about the language of dance and the ever-present specter of death. The New York-based dancer has performed and taught at Velocity, but this marks the first time he and his six performers are appearing at On The Boards. Word around town (and who doesn't buy into that?) is that this is a must-see. - F.D.

If you go: Miguel Gutierrez & The Powerful People: “And lose the name of the action,” On the Boards, Through March 9, $25.

*Community Night Out at SAM

From now through May 16th, SAM is hosting Miró: The Experience of Seeing, focusing on the Spanish surrealist’s later work from 1963 until his death in 1983. Miró was the first visual artist I discovered and I still find his work, whether it’s his whimsical doodles or his wall-sized abstract paintings, to be incredibly affecting. A thread of jocularity runs though his art and you can take it all in with some Community Night Out extras: a live painting workshop with Xavier Lopez Jr. and Ryan Henry Ward (as in “Henry,” whose murals are all about town). The night also features a performance by Flamenco Seattle. - N.C.

If you go: Community Night Out at SAM, Seattle Art Museum Downtown, March 6, ($9 admission for the Miró  show; free for the first 500 visitors).

Bryan John Appleby

When it comes to neofolk, there’s the quietly indomitable Damien Jurado; the widely popular The Head and the Heart; and Bryan John Appleby, whose songs are built on acoustic guitar (and other stringed instruments) with a Ben Gibbard-meets-Colin Meloy singing style. They even have nice folksy-sounding names like “The Road,” and “Honey Jars.” The real selling point of this performance by the Seattle musician, though, is the venue. St. Mark’s has, well, heavenly acoustics and the staff insists on keeping the audience nearly silent in order to fully appreciate the experience. A mellow show well worth the investment. Bring blankets and cushions and listen. – J.S-H.

If you go:  Bryan John Appleby, St. Mark’s Cathedral, March 8, ($18). All ages.

*DocBrunch: Girl Rising

“If you try to stop me, I will just try harder. If you stop me, there will be other girls who rise up and take my place. I am change.” That’s just one of the many inspiring lines in this documentary about the lives of nine girls in Nepal, India, Cambodia, Haiti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Peru, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, whose perseverance and courage in the face of nearly insurmountable odds is nothing short of moving.

At last, two of my favorite things (brunch and documentaries) have been paired and this particular screening also includes free mini-cupcakes! A discussion with local activists about women’s rights follows the film. – N.C.

If you go: Girl Rising, SIFF Cinema Uptown, March 9, ($8). All ages.

Gnocchi Bar Pop-Up

Chef Lisa Nakamura closed her Orcas Island restaurant Allium in September and since then, she’s been popping up to serve handmade, inventive gnocchi every few months. Wallingford’s Miyabi 45th is the next to host the locavoracious Nakamura, who makes this pillowy and always satisfying Italian dumpling the star. 

As a lover and maker of my own (pretty damn good) gnocchi, this menu is tantalizing and inspiring: polenta gnocchi with sage meatballs; russet potato gnocchi with braised beef short ribs and blue cheese; not to mention a leek soup with black pepper goat cheese dumplings. Seats are going fast. -N.C.

If you go: Gnocchi Bar Pop-Up, Miyabi 45th, March 9, ($28).

Lori Goldston, Tara Jane ONeil and Dan Sasaki

There’s a gorgeous music video of Lori Goldston playing the cello in Seattle’s Union Station. It’s shot in black-and-white and it sweeps you up the way a profound piece of music or a richly-detailed narrative transports. Goldston will forever be known as the cellist who toured with Nirvana, but she’s widely sought after by all kinds of performers. She’s also scored films.

Now she’s teaming up with two friend-collaborators, guitarist Tara Jane ONeil and drummer Dan Sasaki. They will likely improvise. They will likely move you the way a Goldston solo swallows you up with its moody, soulful sound. The venue here is a Central Area bike shop run by a former sound engineer.

“I love bicycles and I’m happy to be performing in a bike shop,” Goldston says. - F.D.

with Lori Goldston from Hand Shakes on Vimeo.

If you go: Lori Goldston, Tara Jane ONeil and Dan Sasaki, 20/20 Cycle, March 9. All ages.

*Nick Waterhouse

The photo for this performance, as posted on the Neumos webpage, shows a grainy picture of Waterhouse with ‘50s hair, Buddy Holly glasses and a dark suit and tie. Which speaks to his music: full of nostalgia but not lacking in originality. In the same way Jack White pays homage to classic blues by contributing personal twists to the genre, so does Waterhouse, allowing classic soul and Motown to inform — not eclipse — his contemporary musical contributions. – J.S-H.

If you go:  Nick Waterhouse, Neumos, March 11,  ($15). 21+.

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About the Authors & Contributors

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Joseph Sutton-Holcomb

Joseph is a full-time landscaper, part-time journalist and full time culture junkie discovering the hidden joys of life as a UW graduate in Seattle. When not taking care of plants or writing, he spends his time in the company of good friends enjoying film, music and the great outdoors.