One really great thing to do every day of the week. by Dave Segal WEDNESDAY 11/20   Following Space Community Opening (VISUAL ART) Celebrate the opening of Seattle Art Museum's latest two-person exhibition, Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder, for free at this gathering. Curator Catharina Manchanda will offer a 15-minute overview of the exhibition, and pianist/composer Victor Noriega will add a touch of class with layered, complex compositions. Docents will lead tours of the show to provide additional context, and cocktails and snacks will be available for purchase. (Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave, 6–9 pm, free) LINDSAY COSTELLO THURSDAY 11/21   Beautiful Freaks, Mikey Moo, and Chinese American Bear (MUSIC) Chinese American Bear are riding the massive wave of popularity enjoyed by Asian pop over the last decade. The married Seattle duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten create instantly enjoyable dance music with melodies that urgently seek to brighten your day. On CAB's 2022 self-titled debut album, the fusion of Chinese pop (and occasional Mandarin lyrics) with Western beats and instrumentation is as smooth as noodles, and the production positively gleams. The record's most popular tune, "Love Bus," has a deceptive funkiness even as it spirals skyward with diaphanous euphoria. On this year's superior follow-up on Moshi Moshi Records, Wah!!!, CAB continue to construct their adorable sonic confections into an indestructible fortress of escapism in which—given the oncoming Project 2025 shitstorm—we'll need to take refuge from time to time. On the new album, everything sounds punchier, more vivid, and ready for prime time. If Chinese American Bear aren't tickling large festival crowds by next year, I'll slowly shake my head in disbelief. With Beautiful Freaks and Mikey Moo as part of Cloudbreak Music Festival. (Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 7 pm, $10, all ages) DAVE SEGAL FRIDAY 11/22   Julefest: A Nordic Holiday Celebration Æbleskiver!!!!!!!!! NICK KLEIN (COMMUNITY) The National Nordic Museum’s annual Julefest is a weekend filled with holiday celebrations, including music, dancing, and winter fare from northern Europe. Modeled after a traditional Christmas market, it includes photos with Santa, wares from dozens of local artisans, and tasty Scandinavian snacks like æbleskiver for when you need to warm up your insides. New this year, the market will open on Friday evening for the 21-and-up crowd with festive drinks in the Valhalla Beer Hall and giving adults first dibs on goodies from vendors like Hygge Chocolates and Sky River Mead. (National Nordic Museum, 2655 NW Market St, Fri-Sun, $5-$20, Fri is 21+, Sat-Sun is all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH SATURDAY 11/23   Seattle International Butoh Festival 2024 (PERFORMANCE) At this recurring festival presented by the Seattle-based organization DAIPANbutoh Collective, attendees can feast their eyes on the fascinating art of butoh, a contemporary form of Japanese performance inspired by ghosts, anguish, rapture, and the grotesque. (If that sounds incredibly cool to you, that's because it is.) Guest artists Mari Osanai (from Japan) and Eugenia Vargas (from Mexico) will lead workshops, and dancer-activist Tebby Ramasike's unique work will be shared via video. (Yaw Theater, 6520 Fifth Ave S, Nov 22–24, $20-$225, free and sliding scale) LINDSAY COSTELLO SUNDAY 11/24   United Indians Native Art Market           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by United Indians of All Tribes (@uiatf) (COMMUNITY) Put your money where your land acknowledgment is and support the Indigenous community at this curated market and exhibition featuring goods from local Native artists. The market runs for a weekend in November and December, so there's ample opportunity to choose from a wide range of gifts, including clothing, jewelry, art prints, woodworks, and instruments. Already finished with your holiday shopping? That's fine—these high-quality creations will be in style all year round, and you’ve earned a little something for yourself, don’t you think? You can also visit the online gift shop, which supports the mission of United Indians of All Tribes Foundation. (Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, 5011 Bernie Whitebear Way, Nov 23–24 and Dec 21–22, free, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH MONDAY 11/25   Meow Brow Alexis Trice, 'A Good Cry.' See it as part of the Meow Brow show at Gallery ERGO through December 9. COURTESY OF GALLERY ERGO (VISUAL ART) When life gives you lemons in the form of a worst-case-scenario presidential election, make lemonade by attending a cat-themed art show. Look, I can't promise this exhibition will cure your existential dread. I can, however, promise that Gallery ERGO has curated an "insanely good lineup" of artists, all of whom have worked their magic on "birch cat head-shaped panels." Plus, 10% of all proceeds from the show will be donated to a local animal shelter. There's still hope for humanity, you know. (Gallery ERGO, 1501 Pike Pl Ste 314, through Dec 9, free, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO TUESDAY 11/26   BEAT (MUSIC) Most folks—including this writer—consider UK prog-rock legends King Crimson's peak to span from 1969 to 1974. However, the three sporadically brilliant albums that master guitarist/leader Robert Fripp and a different crew cut in the first half of the 1980s have their champions, too—KC guitarist Adrian Belew and bassist Tony Levin among them. Now, those two badasses, plus guitar maestro Steve Vai (who's assuming the Fripp role) and Tool drummer Danny Carey, have formed the virtuosic group BEAT in order to play songs from Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. These records combine art rock, new wave, disco, and a Westernized strain of gamelan into eventful and complex compositions that sound little like "21st Century Schizoid Man" or "Starless." Eighties tracks such as "Elephant Talk," "Thela Hun Ginjeet," and "Sleepless" even got dance floors moving—something that first-phase Crimson never really did. The BEAT repertoire also includes some glistening ballads, serene ambient pieces, and contorted art rock. If you can handle Belew's David Byrne-alike vocals, you're in for a powerful treat. (Moore Theatre, 1932 2nd Ave, 8 pm, $75.50 and up, all ages) DAVE SEGAL