I'm convinced that MadArt Studio's practice of allowing visitors to check out the art fabrication process during their Open Studio time has made my brain, like, 20 times bigger. Because the gallery challenges each artist to make an installation specific to their space, there's a beauty in seeing an established artist translate their interests and modes of expression to fit the concrete site.

Currently, Seattle-based artist Henry Jackson-Spieker is tinkering away at Interstitial Volume, an exhibition that "explores visitors’ physical and philosophical perceptions of space" via three installations. In an interview, Jackson-Spieker said he's specifically curious about the interplay between "tension, perception, and environment." The show officially opens on Thursday, February 9, but visitors have a chance to take a gander now. 

When I visited MadArt last week, I nearly walked into one of Jackson-Spieker's pieces. In the front half of the gallery, he and his crew installed an intricate sculpture composed of tensed string suspended from the ceiling and anchored into parabolic wooden slats on the floor. Though the string is black, it's virtually invisible, blending into its surroundings. I suddenly became deeply aware of how my body and movements figured into the space. And to Jackson-Spieker, that sense of tension is kinda the whole point. 

Folks, a sincere and hearty Happy Black History Month to you. I’ve got a ton this week to catch you up on, from more layoffs to strikes to some factory workers coming into serious cash. Let’s get into it.

Layoffs will continue until worker morale improves: Let’s get it over with. REI, the Washington-based outfitter, reported $3.7 billion in revenue and $97.7 million in profits in 2021 (the most recent year available), but they laid off 167 workers from their Seattle, Issaquah, and Sumner offices. According to WARN data, Compass in Redmond laid off 110 workers, Bittrex laid off 83, and NC Interactive laid off 23. Highspot laid off 100 workers as well.

The Bandcamp Fridays of 2023 are looking selective; there are only nine of them: Feb 3, March 3, April 7, May 5, Aug 4, Sept 1, Oct 6, Nov 3, and Dec 1. And while Bandcamp HQ is always pretty quick to point out that the celebrated day—where the audio platform waives its revenue share so more money goes to the musicians—only adds a little more scrill to your favorite artists' bank statements, Bandcamp Friday is still an occasion.

In that spirit, the Mercury and The Stranger teamed up to recommend some picks today. Maybe they released something recently, maybe they're playing Portland or Seattle soon. In the grand tradition of Portland and Seattle pretending we're the only cities in the Pacific Northwest, we give you TEN picks for Bandcamp Friday:

Rock Cod and Pumpkin Congee

Mike’s Noodle and Congee House, $13

Vats of spitting rice porridge steam furiously in the back kitchen window of Mike’s Noodle House on Maynard Avenue in Chinatown-International District. The women behind the straightforward operation speed about in sensible black shoes and aprons fastened at the waist. 

The Northwest has a strong track record of producing game-changing heavy music. From polished but potent heavy metal acts like Metal Church and Queensrÿche that made their mark in the early '80s to the more abrasive underground artists like the Accüsed, the Melvins, and, later, Botch and the Blood Brothers, this region has a rich history of inspiring many influential riff masters.

But don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a nostalgia piece. There are a dozen or so books, podcasts, and documentaries dissecting the value and significance of the Seattle scene through the past few decades, most of which focus their attention on the G word. Instead, let's shine a spotlight on the noise being made right now by artists who are meeting the challenge of shuttering venues and skyrocketing rent.

Every week it seems like a new demo from an upstart Northwest hardcore, punk, or metal band pops up on my Bandcamp feed. It would be damn near impossible to highlight every single excellent local band making a ruckus, so, for now, here are just a few to get you started down your path of ear-drum destruction.

There's nothing better to welcome the weekend with than cheap and cheerful events, and we've got plenty of suggestions, from Lunar New Year Celebration - Year of the Rabbit to National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day and from Pon De Riri: Rave to Rihanna to the 2023 Grave Plot Film Fest. For more ideas, check out our top picks of the week.

FRIDAY

COMEDY

Mad Science
At this evening of surprisingly scholarly laughs, you'll first learn a few factoids from a selection of STEM smarties, then hear from a wacko cast of improv comics who twist scientific research into something hilarious.
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, $15)

With socialist Matthew Mitnick and urbanist Ron Davis in the race to replace outgoing Council Member Alex Pedersen as the representative from Seattle's District 4—which covers the U-District, Wallingford, Windermere, and Sand Point—voters will have an opportunity to increase the pro-density power on the council ahead of next year’s critical vote on the comprehensive plan, a document that guides the city’s growth for the next decade. 

Of course, District 4 homeowners will likely find an anti-density champion or two to run on preserving the property values of their Laurelhurst bungalows, housing crisis be damned. The man behind the failure of the Legislature’s “missing middle” housing abundance bill, Rep. Gerry Pollet, is considering a run. The NIMBY who Seattle City Council Member Teresa Mosqueda crushed in 2021, Kenneth Wilson, is already in.

Bad year for Bezos: Amazon lost $2.7 billion in 2022. The company pointed most of the blame at Rivian, an electric vehicle startup in which the local bookseller invested $2.3 billion. Rivian has struggled "with production delays and market upheaval." Yikes, I wouldn't want to be Rivian. Amazon, on the other hand, will be okay. They dumped 18,000 employees and are pressing pause on their grocery ventures to balance out the scales. Easy fix for a soulless mega corporation! 

US employers added 517,000 jobs in January: Despite all the high-profile tech layoffs, jobs seem to be doing a-okay in the US. The unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, "its furthest point since 1969," writes the New York Times. This isn't good for rising interest rates and the Federal Reserve's attempts to cool those down. The Fed raised interest rates again on Wednesday—its eighth time doing so in a year—in an attempt to discourage businesses from spending too much, including on hiring.  

Listen closely. Listen so closely you can feel the music... maybe even taste it. Now do that in a public space with several other respectful music appreciators in a room kitted out with a superior sound system. In 2023 America, this is a radical idea, though it's been popular in Japan for about a century.

In recent months Seattle DJs Jason Justice and Justin Cayou have been gearing up to translate the concept of the jazz kissa (jazz cafe) to the Emerald City under the name Maiden Voyage—a nod to the title of legendary jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock's 1965 album. (Justice—who was part of the Sun Tzu Sound crew—is a Hancock superfan, collecting any albums that feature covers of “Maiden Voyage.”)

So far, the duo has thrown two Maiden Voyage events, both in 2022: one at the Photon Factory loft in Georgetown and another at the Grocery Studios on Beacon Hill. For these sessions, the middle-aged dudes transported their Technics SL-1210GR turntables and mixer, massive Klipsch speakers, and Schiit amps to the venues, along with meticulously curated vinyl recordings, to optimize the listening experience. The next one happens February 3 at Lo-Fi. Maiden Voyage will take over that venue's front room from 8-10 pm as part of DJ Rizoma's Global Groove monthly.

Get your Ticketmaster game plan ready: alien superstar Beyoncé has announced her Renaissance world tour and it’ll surely break your soul if you miss out on tickets. Pop bad boy John Mayer has plans to head out on tour this spring. Soft rock royalty Bryan Adams will take you back to the summer of ‘69 with help from hard rock icon Joan Jett. Plus, god-tier internet jokester Druski breaks into stand-up on his new tour. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

ON SALE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

MUSIC

Banda MS
WaMu Theatre (Fri Sept 22)

Beyond Wonderland
Gorge Amphitheatre (June 17-18)
On sale at noon

Bryan Adams with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Climate Pledge Arena (Thurs Aug 3)

We moved to a cul-de-sac in 2018 as young thirtysomethings progressing to the next relationship level. We were surrounded by families, retirees, and widows. While they were perfectly pleasant, we didn’t have much in common with them.

Over the years of attempting to bond, my husband M has helped with chores around neighborhood, all with a smile and a beer with the blustery husbands on the block. Their wives are … fine, nice enough but not enough to be BFFs.

Snow Mountain Buns

Hong Kong Bistro, $6.25

Hong Kong Bistro lies along a strip of Chinatown-International District restaurants that are always open for any American holiday, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. This dynamic is a remnant of when Chinatowns across the country navigated the dualities of both extreme Westernization in aesthetic representation, while also maintaining their focus as economic and social centers for AAPI communities. If you are lucky enough to avoid the crowds of diners that swarm the Bistro during lunch or dinner, carefully sift through the menu of infinite possibilities and seek out the “雪山包,” or “Snow Mountain Buns,” which feature a shattered top crust like the more traditional Pineapple Buns. Snow Mountain Buns, however, are filled with a delectable taro filling, balancing the line between creamy and earthy. Like other root vegetables, taro has its place in the savory and sweet dishes of East Asian cuisine, but there is an element of intrigue to its appearance in this dim sum delicacy. ANN GUO

Three weeks ago an ad appeared on Craigslist Seattle looking for servers and kitchen staff for Beth’s Cafe—the crunchy 1950s diner at 73rd and Aurora that closed suddenly around Labor Day of 2021, to great local heartbreak. "We will be reopening on or around January 25th," it read, but then the day came and went and the doors stayed shut.

There was talk over on Reddit about it being a cruel hoax. We all remembered Beth’s fleeting reopening in July of 2022, which lasted a couple months before funds ran out. The city was afraid to hope.

Well, the rumors are true, you guys! Yesterday, quietly and without any ads or internet fanfare, Beth’s turned on their neon OPEN sign. Despite whispers that the diner had been sold, the restaurant is still owned by Hazel Dalton, who ran the cafe with her husband Chris from 2002 until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2020—and veteran cook Ed Soder is back on the grill too. 

If this election cycle goes the way City Council Member Teresa Mosqueda wants it to go, then Seattle will need to need to find another progressive workhorse who can win citywide sometime in the not-too-distant future. 

This morning, she announced her campaign for King County Council District 8, the seat Council Member Joe McDermott plans to vacate at the end of his term. She's coming in swinging with nearly 90 endorsements and a bag of legislative accomplishments from her 5+ years on council. If she wins, she'd become the first Latina ever elected to the King County Council, and she'll shake up an already pretty shook-up local political landscape.