Are y'all getting excited about this year's City Arts Fest yet? There's so much goodness packed into only three days! Since Victoria did such an incredible job picking stuff you can't miss,  I thought I'd join the fun with a list of my must-sees: 

Thursday 10/20

MUST SEE
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Movie Sing Along
SIFF Cinema
8pm | $12 
buy tix 

How do I even being to express my love for this movie? I can't. It's too much. If you've never seen it, you HAVE to. Like, right now. And if you have, how can you pass up a chance to sing "The Origin of Love" and "Sugar Daddy"? I mean, seriously. you guys. seriously. I only wish I had an official foam Hedwig hat/wig/thing to wear to this. 

RUNNER UP
Crystal Castles 
w/Crypts, Nightmare Fortress 
Showbox SoDo
7pm | $27.50 adv, $32 doors
buy tix

These guys won my heart with their cover of Platinum Blonde's "Not in Love" featuring Robert Smith. I proceeded to buy their CD immediately and fall for their crazy retro electonic-y pop tunes. I kind of bet they're adorbs on stage too. 

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Are you one of those hardcore music festival-goers who buys tickets before you even know who’s playing? Or do you prefer to wait to see who’s taking the stage before you fork out the $$$?

Either way, if you’re planning on/thinking about going to the Sasquatch! festival this year, you can find out the lineup for sure on Sunday, February 6. Showbox at the Market will be hosting this year’s launch party, with performances from The Thermals, Mad Rad, and Das Racist. Comedian Todd Barry will be manning the mike, and tickets to this even are free free free!

Just head over to Verizon stores downtown (6th & Olive), at Northgate, or in Bellevue Square starting tomorrow, Thursday, 2/3 to pick up a pair (limit 2 per person). Just an FYI: tix don’t guarantee you entry, so plan on bundling up and waiting in line for a bit to get in and get a good spot.

Sasquatch! 2011 Launch Party
sponsored by Verizon
Showbox at the Market
Sunday, February 6
Doors @8pm
21+

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Fresh off the presses from our inboxes comes this week's launch of GIVE -- 30 downloadable tracks from a variety of Seattle artists, who are donating their songs to benefit Arts Corps and local area foodbanks. The $7.00 (!) compilation, which was produced, curated, and funded by Caffe Vita, will be available online here. Physical compilations can be picked up at all Caffe Vita locations, Easy Street Records, Sonic Boom Records, University Book Store, The Crocodile, EMP, Neumo's, and Sorrento Hotel. The in-hand compilations will include a physical card with a redemption code for the download, and a prettied-up sleeve to make it a ready-to-give present.

Here's the full track listing -- nearly all of which are exclusive to the compilation:

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Yesterday, I wrote about what I was sure would be an epic event: The Beard/Off at the Funhouse between Sir Thomas Gray of Champagne Champagne and Terry Radjaw of Mad Rad. By all accounts (my Twitter feed went crazy last night), it was a great game. Line Out has the most detailed recap I've read yet.

Tonight, Mad Rad is playing their first show with a beardless Radjaw. The press release that went out this morning said:

Our pals in Head Like A Kite are murdering it lately, gaining all sorts of much-deserved praise and attention.  The boys in Dyme Def will be returning to the stage, and we are still loving that EP they released a little while back.  And, Mad Rad?  Forget about it, we’ve got some big Northwest history taking place with them this August 14.

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I've written enough about beards and Seattle that a) a friend recently asked me if I feel the urge to shave more often than most people, lest I be seen with a five o' clock shadow and b) a special category on TIG was created called "Beard Alert".

Having said that, there is a bazillion good reasons for recommending this Beard/Off tonight at the Funhouse. That it is one event that is guaranteed to reduce Seattle's beard population is but one of many. This event begins with a 1-on-1 basketball match between Champagne Champagne's Sir Thomas Gray and Mad Rad's Terry Radjaw. The contest is simple and is spelled out on the poster: "Loser shaves; winner gloats".

I don't have a dog in this race as I like both Champagne Champagne and Mad Rad equally (ie, a lot) but it gets even better as following the game there will be performances by some of the best local hip hop acts, including They Live and Fresh Espresso (which features Radjaw's Mad Rad bandmate P. Smoov).

It's $8 and begins at 7pm, 21+. I really hope this takes off and becomes so successful that the next Beard/Off pits Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav against Iron & Wine's Sam Beam.

Here's the video to They Live's "My Weed" (and one more video that features no performers from this event but one that I couldn't resist including):

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Seattle has some of the most picturesque vistas (most of which are found within local clubs like Chop Suey and the Comet Tavern). It's no surprise that TIG photographer Kyle Johnson has a stack of photos he loves that have been taken by some of Seattle's finest photographers.

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