It’s a busy weekend in the neighborhood with tons of art and concerts. See our Events calendar for more happenings.
It’s the weekend of our neighborhood’s huge annual Artwalk – The BIG One, which brings artists and musicians to more than 70 art galleries and other venues throughout Phinney Ridge and Greenwood from 6-9 p.m. Friday and 12-5 p.m. Saturday. Friday is opening night for the NW Fine Arts Competition (photo below) at the Phinney Center Gallery, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., on the second floor. The show will be up through June 9. The first (hopefully annual) Seattle Recycled Arts Festival plays out at several venues during the Artwalk, with the main site being Urban Light Studios, 8537 Greenwood Ave. N., Suite 1, where you’ll see work by several NW artists who use discarded items to create unique artwork. See the Artwalk website for a complete list of all participating businesses and artists, plus many restaurants are offering food and beverage discounts.
Empty Sea Studios, 6300 Phinney Ave. N., presents Gustavo Alonso Lopez and special guests performing Lopez’s full album “Punto Lejano,” at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets in advance are $25, or $30 at the door.
Gustavo Alonso Lopez is a flamenco guitarist based in Seattle, Washington. The son of a Salvadoran father and a Caucasian mother, he grew up in the dry, desert landscape of southern Idaho. His music is grounded in traditional Spanish flamenco and incorporates elements of jazz, classical, and world music, openly reflecting his cross-cultural identity. He recorded his first full-length studio album, Punto Lejano, at Empty Sea Studios in 2014. It was originally performed by a 6-piece ensemble and consists of four long-form arrangements. This show will present the album in full, rearranged for a smaller group. Amongst a wide array of influences, Gustavo draws inspiration from the great masters of flamenco, such as Paco de Lucía, Tomatito, and Pepe Habichuela.
Bluebird Ice Cream is giving out free (tiny) malted milkshakes from 5-9 p.m. on Friday to showcase its partnership with Skagit Valley Malting.
Couth Buzzard Books, 8310 Greenwood Ave. N., presents a Pacific NW Folklore Society concert with Lindsay Street at 7:30 p.m. Friday; Pint & Dale — Songs of the Seven Seas at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and Open Jazz Jam with Kenny Mandell (all levels welcome) from 2-4:30 p.m. Sunday. (Looking ahead to next week, Couth Buzzard welcomes Seattle Times reporter Percy Allen and local author David Shields at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 18, in a wide ranging discussion of sports writing, Shield’s in-progress movie about Marshawn Lynch, and many other topics.
Seattle Folklore Society presents Hanneke Cassel at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. Tickets in advance are $18 general; $16 SFS/PNA members, seniors and students; kids half price (all tickets are $2 more day of the show).
“Exuberant and rhythmic, somehow both wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness,” says the Boston Globe about Hanneke Cassel’s playing. Such charismatic fiddling has brought the native Oregonian many honors and awards, including the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship. Cassel holds a Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance from Berklee College of Music and has performed and taught across North America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, China, and India.
Traffic-wise this weekend:
- Upstream Music Fest + Summit 2017 continues through Saturday in Pioneer Square with the Main Stage at CenturyLink Field North Lot, free public stage in Occidental Park, concerts at various Pioneer Square venues, and a two-day speaker Summit at WaMu Theater.
- The Color Run begins and ends at Seattle Center on Sunday, with a route through South Lake Union and downtown.
- U-2 – The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 starts at 6:30 p.m. at CenturyLink Field.
