Want more? Here’s everything we recommend this month: Music, Visual Art, Literature, Theater & Performance, Film, Food & Drink, This & That.
Big Star Quintet
Nov 4
Band reformations featuring only one original member should always draw skepticism—such as this one with drummer Jody Stephens representing Memphis power-pop legends Big Star. Would you really want to see Ringo performing Beatles songs with a pick-up group of acolytes? Wait… Anyway, Big Star should’ve been at least half as popular as the Beatles, but instead they’ve become perhaps the ultimate cult rock unit. Led by guitarist/vocalists Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, Big Star released three studio albums that abound with ebullient, earworm-heavy rockers and heart-melting ballads. I’ve listened to #1 Record (1972), Radio City (1974), and 3rd (1978) hundreds of times without tiring of their brilliance, and I’m far from alone. For this tour, Mike Mills, Jon Auer, Pat Sansone, and Chris Stamey join Stephens in reanimating Big Star’s timeless tunes. (Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages) DAVE SEGAL
Heavens to Betsy, Nudity
Nov 5
When Corin Tucker’s pre-Sleater-Kinney band with Tracy Sawyer, Heavens to Betsy, announced their first show in 32 years, they did it the old-fashioned way: by plastering fliers around Portland. Nevertheless, the show sold out almost immediately, and I, all the way in Seattle, was seething with envy. The 1994 album Calculated is one of my most treasured pieces of music and my favorite to come out of the riot grrrl movement, and it soundtracked so many angry walks through my high school hallway. When Tucker shouts, “I’m going crazy, do you wanna watch? Do you wanna come?” on the lyrically and sonically seething “Axemen,” I felt that in my bones. Luckily for me, the duo has since announced a reunion tour with a stop at Neumos alongside Olympia-based psychedelic-rock band Nudity. (Neumos, 7 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
Shanghai Qiutian, Dabda
Nov 5
We don’t see many South Korean rock bands coming through town, so when one as nice as Dabda tours, attention must be paid. Their early work harmoniously blends math-rock complexity with shoegaze-y glimmering, topped by Jiae Kim’s dulcet vocals. With the new LP ON(詄), though, the crystalline guitar ripples and Explosions in the Sky-esque builds and crescendos have given way to a brasher, more muscular rhythmic attack. There’s a maximalist, Cornelius-like vibe to much of ON, as if Dabda received a huge wattage boost before hitting the studio. The casually heroic rock of China’s Shanghai Qiutian makes them ideal bill mates for Dabda. If you want an inkling of what modern Asian rock sounds like, you could do much worse than this show. (Vera Project, 7 pm, all ages) DAVE SEGAL
IROIRO, Mt Fog, Ononos
Nov 5
You may know synth wizard Michiko Swiggs and guitarist/theremin virtuoso Kento Oiwa from their time with electronic-music chameleons IQU. Their new group IROIRO deviates from that mode and creates space-rock epics that make your world feel limitless and bursting with possibilities. Recorded at Avast! with Stuart Hallerman and mixed with vintage equipment, the Seattle quartet’s self-titled debut album—for which this show is the release party—contains six instrumentals that use repetition as a means to sonic transcendence. Throughout, drummer Justin Schwartz and bassist James Drage lock in for exceptional motorik rhythms that underpin Swiggs and Oiwa’s extravagant skywriting. After seeing IROIRO perform a few times, I declared them Seattle’s greatest rock band. Their spectacular new album on K Records only reinforces that belief. (Chop Suey, 8 pm, 21+) DAVE SEGAL
Baba Obscura Fest: The Black Angels, Provoker, Mdou Moctar, Rose City Band, Black Mountain, and Many More
Nov 5–8
As you may have heard, Freakout announced back in May that their annual psychedelic festival isn’t returning this year. Thankfully, Baba Yaga has stepped in with their own new Baba Obscura festival, which is not associated with Freakout, but fills the psilocybin mushroom-shaped hole in the heart of Seattle. The four-day, six-venue festival will feature big-name acts, like the Black Angels (who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Passover), post-punk trio Provoker, Nigerien rock guitarist Mdou Moctar, Portland alt-country stars Rose City Band, psych-rock outfit Black Mountain, and garage-rock revivalists the Gories. There are also plenty of local favorites on the lineup, including Dark Chisme, the Black Tones, Zookraught, and Linda From Work. (Various venues, times vary) AUDREY VANN
mary in the junkyard, Lefty Parker
Nov 7
One of my favorite pieces of lore about mary in the junkyard is that in 2024, the London trio asked the audience for a place to crash for the night while on stage in New York City. They received an offer from actor Todd Eckert, who happens to be the partner of performance artist Marina Abramović. The band has since become “firm friends” with Abramović, and has even played a private concert for her and her friends. Their debut album, Role Model Hermit, revisits all of my favorite 2010s indie-rock sounds without making it feel overly nostalgic or trite. On “Crash Landing,” singer/guitarist Clari Freeman-Taylor sings whimsical earworm lyrics in a heavy British accent à la Lilly Allen (seriously, I can’t stop thinking about the lyric “You opened up like a coconut”). The instrumentation, featuring viola player Saya Barbaglia and drummer David Addison, has the infectious repetition of the xx. (Barboza, 6 pm, all ages) AUDREY VANN
Jon Spencer, Genre Is Death
Nov 9
For over 40 years in Pussy Galore, Blues Explosion, Boss Hog, and other feral units, ex-Ivy Leaguer Jon Spencer has adopted a lewd, shit-kicking persona, the better to make rock and roll sound savage, gritty, and reckless. It’s a shtick, sure, but Spencer’s utterly riveting with it. Even in his 60s, dude still rages. Late-career garage-rock heaters such as Spencer Sings the Hits!, Sick of Being Sick!, and the new Songs of Personal Loss and Protest prove that Jon can still find countless ways to transform primal urges into sonic art. With drummer Spider Bowman and bassist Kendall Wind in tow, Spencer continues to convert his anger at the state of the world and sadness over personal hardships into adrenaline-spiking, soul-inflating rock. (Sunset Tavern, 8 pm, 21+) DAVE SEGAL
Ms. Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean: Celebrating 30 years of Fugees’ The Score
Nov 10
Lauryn Hill is one of hip-hop’s truly outstanding rappers. Her name is on two albums in the hip-hop canon—the Fugees’ The Score (1996) and her solo work The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). There is also the raw boom-bap/dancehall style track “Lost Ones,” which is on Miseducation. It alone put any doubt about her skills on the mic in the grave and solidified her reputation among the elite. And this, ultimately, is what matters in the game or rap and reality: her mic skills, her impeccable record, her undying commitment to what has almost entirely vanished from present-day rhymes; namely, “saying something” and never “fakin’ the funk.” So, let’s just show Hill the respect she deserves; few golden era rappers can match her accomplishments. (Climate Pledge Arena, 8 pm, all ages) CHARLES MUDEDE
Syd
Nov 10
Sydney Loren Bennett, aka Syd, first rose to fame as a member of the LA-based alt hip-hop collective Odd Future and formed the alternative R&B spinoff the Internet with fellow Odd Future member Matt Martians in 2011. I’ve listened to her 2017 debut solo album Fin, which showcases Syd’s satin-smooth, self-assured vocals, countless times—the sultry track “Body” (produced by Beyoncé collaborator MeLo-X) remains the single sexiest sapphic song I’ve ever heard. Five years later, she followed it up with the breakup album Broken Hearts Club. Her latest album, Beard, released in July, sees her fully come into her own—the title comes from her growing out her “peach fuzz” mustache, embracing her own standards of beauty and stepping into a more mature, secure era as a married queer woman. “Jasmin 17” is a sensual ode to her lover’s Le Labo fragrance, while “Closet” paints a picture of lesbian domestic bliss (“You could leave your clothes in my closet”). Her West Coast tour stop at the Moore might just be the perfect dyke date night. (Moore Theatre, 8 pm, all ages) JULIANNE BELL
Tiny Vipers, Evelyn Frances, Estate Plan
Nov 10
Jesy Fortino (aka Tiny Vipers) is to Washington what Liz Harris (Grouper) is to Oregon. Both artists capture the essence of landscapes through ghostly ambient sounds, picked guitars, and reverbed vocals. Both are masters at negative space and use silence as an instrument itself. Both artists literally mirror each other on their collaborative project, Mirroring. On her latest album, Tormentor, the first Tiny Vipers album since 2017, Fortino returns to the minimal acoustic sound, established on her early albums, reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan and Mount Eerie. Don’t miss opening sets from experimental electronic artist Evelyn Frances and post-punk band Estate Plan. (Sunset Tavern, 8 pm, 21+) AUDREY VANN
Armand Hammer, Sha Ray, DJ Haram
Nov 11
When the world is on fire, radical compassion is one weapon, and trauma-bonding through bleak, back-alley art-rap is another. There are only two options. Armand Hammer, the binary star comprising New York rappers billy woods and Elucid, has that medicine, and their latest effort, last year’s acclaimed Mercy, a second team-up with everywhere man The Alchemist, takes the world to task. Politics, social ills, and petty annoyances are all handled with typical street corner soothsayer panache, woods stringing together rap-noir micro vignettes that Elucid bounces right back in the form of raspy, big picture, stream-of-consciousness bars. Never ones for undue optimism, the two emcees have nevertheless hit middle age with a head full of steam, itself a testament to the ability to thrive in the face of the static we’re all forced to wade through daily. AH continues to be a crucial antidote for the common ill, and only seems to be getting better with time. (Crocodile, 8 pm, all ages) TODD HAMM
Emerald City Soul Club 21st Annual Rare Soul Weekender
Nov 12–16
Emerald City Soul Club’s annual five-day shindig provides a much-needed respite from the bass-heavy EDM tunes that fill most of Seattle’s nightclubs. For the 21st anniversary (they grow up so fast!), hop and bop across five venues to rare soul and funk, played by big-wig collectors/DJs from the US and Europe. The festivities kick off on Thursday with a meet-and-greet with the DJs at Revolver Bar. On Friday and Saturday, the main events will take place, Soul Nite #1 and #2, at Black Lodge (formerly the Lo-Fi). There’s also a daytime Record Swap & Chill gathering at Narwhal (Unicorn basement) on Saturday, an all-day Soul Survivor Party at Screwdriver on Sunday, and in case you haven’t gotten enough of these people, a farewell brunch at the Lucky Liqour on Monday. In sum, plenty of opportunities to do the mashed potato, the funky chicken, and the James Brown. (Multiple venues, times vary, all ages and 21+) AUDREY VANN
Radio Gaza & Wo’Pop Present: A Benefit For Palestine
Nov 14
If you’ve been feeling helpless on your doomscroll, here is something positive for you to actually do! Radio Gaza is a series that uplifts and celebrates Palestinian culture through music, art, poetry, and fundraising. Their next event is at Clock-Out Lounge and will benefit the organization Heal Palestine. The night is co-presented by KEXP’s Wo’Pop, and the lineup includes musicians Clarissa Bitar, Shelby Natasha, Intisaar (who was just featured on The Stranger’s live music podcast, Noise Complaint), PEN, and KEXP DJ Jyoti B.Fly. There will also be henna tattoos by Jo Sleem, poetry and Tatreez art by Hala Saleh, merch by Sweetmalson, and art from Seattle Artists for Palestine. All of this, plus Arabic treats and beverages by Ya Hala. (Clock-Out Lounge, 8 pm, 21+) NICO SWENSON
Russian Circles, Primitive Man
Nov 15
The American Progressive Sludge Association is an organization I just made up, but if it existed, Russian Circles would chair its monthly meetings. There would be coffee (black) and donuts, and controlled burn build-ups ribbed with thick, haymaker breakdowns. There would also be no talking. Chicago’s Mike Sullivan and Dave Turncrantz, along with local darling Brian Cook, let their glimmering, serrated guitar lines, thunderous cymbal and kick strikes, and mountain-cragging bass, respectively, do all the communicating necessary. The instrumental trio released their ninth album…Nine, this summer, and their formula has yet to wear thin; their studio jamming always seems to stumble upon new effects to kick things off with (“Empath”), fresh angles to introduce sonic violence ( “Arletta,” “Seventh Seal”), and the like. Especially tuned to live performance, Russian Circles’ music reads like a journey, and they’re not afraid to take you along for the ride. (Showbox, 8 pm, 21+) TODD HAMM
Always All Ages Fest: AJJ, Deerhoof, Kimya Dawson, Sol, Iron Lung, and Many More
Nov 18–21
Always All Ages: The Vera Project and Black Lodge are hosting a week of FREE shows and classes to celebrate 25 years of all-ages music, art, and community. Between the big names like AJJ, Deerhoof, Kimya Dawson and comedy by Chris Gethard and Demi Adejuyigbe, Friday and Saturday went quick, as free tickets do. Sometimes all-ages shows make me feel like a weird old guy with his arms crossed, but mostly they make me feel really glad that these resources are available to kids who are cooler than I was at that age anyhow. If you’re just finding out about these shows here in the newspaper, don’t fret, there will be very limited tickets available at the door—not to mention a banging local lineup on Wednesday Nov 18 featuring stand-outs Jackie Tulsa (whose 2026 album Good Year rules). (Vera Project and the Black Lodge, times vary, all ages) DYLAN BUECHE
Julien Baker, Great Grandpa
Nov 19–21
How lucky are we that Julien Baker chose Seattle for her three-night rock club residency tour. Just five cities made the cut: Salt Lake City, UT; Cambridge, MA; Carrboro, NC; Lawrence, KS; and Athens, GA. First the Seahawks win the Bad Bunny Super Bowl and now this? Mayor Katie Wilson’s Seattle really is where dreams come true! Baker may most commonly be known as one-third of boygenius, but she’s an incredible solo talent. Her songs, sometimes laden with sweeping piano and always packed with raw emotions, take hold of your heart and squeeze it until it starts to hurt and you start to squirm, but the squirming is where the healing happens. Judging from previous setlists, she seems to pull from the same pool of songs each night (good to know for anyone hoarding tickets to all three shows hoping for some kind of complete multi-day retrospective), but all Baker eras are there—Sprained Ankle, Turn Out the Lights (aka my depression’s personal soundtrack), and Little Oblivions—as well as yet-to-be-released tracks. Go ahead and skip your antidepressant for the day. Let Dr. Baker heal you. (Neumos, 7 pm, all ages) MEGAN SELING
A Bloody Bloody Disco: Mobiius, Kota Kira, Sophixi, Keypr
Nov 21
A darkwave, synth-heavy, post-punk, techno disco that gets fired up by 8:30 p.m.? I don’t think anything could be more perfectly tailored to Seattle. OUTLAND presents A Bloody Bloody Disco with the dark industrial MOBIIUS, Seattle’s queen of witch-house Kota Kira, and DJ sets by OUTLAND residents Sophixi and Keypr. They encourage you to “dress to kill in your sharpest dark-disco attire.” Personally, I love it whenever Clock-Out Lounge turns into a dance floor, and the timing of this one is a special treat for the millennial+ punks and goths who want a night of music and dance while maintaining a respectable bedtime. (Clock-Out Lounge, 8:30 pm, 21+) NICO SWENSON
Thundercat, fera
Nov 20
Grammy-winning bassist/vocalist/real-life anime character Thundercat has made a career out of narrating the benign trials and tribulations of loner goofballs who like video games and forgetting to call girls back. The fact that he has reliably done so in a down comforter-plush falsetto planted among some of the slickest yacht-funk on the airwaves has made him perhaps the most agreeable artist of our generation (see: this spring’s Distracted, his fifth solo effort, for confirmation). This is not to detract from his monumental skill set, but more to assure any taggers-along that regardless of your familiarity with the man’s catalog, chances are, you’ll have a good time. To that end, Thundercat is a delight to see live in a full-band setting. His inhuman quickness on the fretboard, honed by years of collaborating across genres spanning thrash/punk (Suicidal Tendencies), rap (Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller), R&B/jazz/fusion (Kamasi Washington, the Internet, DOMi & JD Beck) and beyond (Flying Lotus), is famously on full display. The well-traveled, well-connected, and now well-heeled ’cat usually also has some stories to tell. (Showbox SoDo, 8 pm, 21+) TODD HAMM
Haley Heynderickx
Nov 27
Like her critically acclaimed debut, I Need to Start a Garden, Haley Heynderickx’s 2024 follow-up, Seed of a Seed, looks to the natural world to ponder philosophical questions about love and life. If you’re a fan of indie-folk gems like Angel Olsen, Shana Cleveland, and Feist, then you’ll adore Heynderickx’s emotive vocals. And if you’re a listener of classic folk guitarists like John Fahey and Robbie Basho, you’ll appreciate her melodic and complex finger-picking. (Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages) AUDREY VANN
More
Cut Copy (DJ Set) Nov 4, Substation, 9 pm, 21+
Teddy Swims, Allen Stone, MarcLo Nov 5, Climate Pledge Arena, 7 pm, all ages
Countess Luann de Lesseps Nov 5, Showbox, 8 pm, 21+
Global Rhythms: Corey Harris and Cedric Watson Nov 6, Town Hall Seattle, 7:30 pm, all ages
Deante’ Hitchcock, Joe the Poet, Shane Diamanti, Coaster Nov 6, Hidden Hall, 7:30 pm, 21+
John Scofield Electrospective Nov 6, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages
The Smashing Pumpkins Nov 6, Climate Pledge Arena, 8 pm, all ages
CRY, Wizard Moded, Eve Defy, nohup Nov 6, ANTiPODE Art Gallery, 10:30 pm
Jiyucho Happy Hour: Tomo Nakayama, Tiny Vipers, Sasha Sarene Nov 7, Rabbit Box, 4 pm, all ages
Squirrel Flower, Sour Widows Nov 7, Tractor Tavern, 8:30 pm, 21+
Black Angels, Ghostwoman Nov 8, Showbox, 8 pm, 21+
Jake Xerxes Fussell, Dougie Poole Nov 8, Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, 21+
Beck Nov 8, Benaroya Hall, 7 pm, all ages
Aterciopelados Nov 8, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages
Genesis Owusu, After Louise Nov 8, Neumos, 8 pm, 21+
Big Freedia, Hoodriah Nov 8, Substation, 9 pm, 21+
Lucy Bedroque, pinponpanpon Nov 9, Showbox, 8 pm, all ages
River Shook, ISMAY Nov 9, Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, 21+
Isaiah Rashad Nov 10, Paramount Theatre, 8 pm, all ages
L7, NOBRO Nov 10, Showbox, 8 pm, 21+
Allison Russell, Autumn Nicholas Nov 11, Showbox, 8 pm, 21+
Sassy 009, enereph Nov 11, Substation, 8 pm, 21+
Craig Finn & the Band of Forgiveness Nov 11, Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, 21+
The Residency: A Night of NW Hip Hop Nov 12, Neptune Theatre, 7 pm, all ages
Clouds of the West Nov 12, Royal Room, 7:30 pm, all ages
Seattle Pop Punk Festival: Iron Chic, Boris the Sprinkler, Ramona, Evelyn’s Casket, Four Lights, and many more Nov 12–14, Slim’s Last Chance, times vary
Prom Queen, Dirty Verbs, Caitlin Sherman Nov 13, Rabbit Box, 8 pm, all ages
Los Chismosos (Dark Chisme Punk Set), Anthers, Beautiful Freaks Nov 13, Sunset Tavern, 9 pm, 21+
Serial Hawk, Melancholia, Bathypelagic Nov 14, Substation, 21+
Chris Acker, Ray Wolff Nov 15, Sunset Tavern, 7:30 pm, 21+
DAMAG3, the Neighborhood Kids, Connor Cristi Nov 16, Nectar Lounge, 7 pm, 21+
Tyla Nov 17, WaMu Theater, 8 pm, all ages
Dev Lemons, Venus & the Flytraps Nov 17, Nectar Lounge, 7 pm, all ages
Agriculture, Uniform, Pure Hex Nov 17, Substation, 7 pm, 18+
KATSEYE Nov 17, Climate Pledge Arena, 8 pm, all ages
Natural Child, Smoker Dad Nov 17, Tractor Tavern, 8 pm, 21+
KINO Nov 18, Showbox SoDo, 8 pm, all ages
Todd Rundgren Nov 18, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages
Rodrigo y Gabriela Nov 19, Moore Theatre, 7:30 pm, all ages
Mister Blank, the Fabulous Downey Brothers, MuerteMen Nov 19, Hidden Hall, 7:30 pm, 21+
Hard Maybe, Bad Peanut, Sugar Bones Nov 19, Nectar Lounge, 7:30 pm, 21+
Gary Numan, Tremours Nov 19, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages
Chrome Lakes, Pachinko Royale, Moon Letters Nov 20, Sunset Tavern, 9 pm, 21+
The Cactus Blossoms, Devin Champlin Nov 20–21, Tractor Tavern, 8:30 pm
The Circle: 1,000 Person Choir and Concert In-the-Round Nov 20–21, St. Mark’s Cathedral, times vary
GWAR, Midnight, Mac Sabbath, Nailed Shut Nov 23, Showbox SoDo, 7:45 pm, 21+
Emma Ruth Rundle, These Killing Times, Cinder Well Nov 24, Neumos, 7 pm, 21+
6th Annual Amateur Night: Dead Bars, Bad Tats, Tripe, Danbert Nobacon Nov 25, Sunset Tavern, 8 pm, 21+
Steve Lacy Nov 28, WaMu Theater, 8 pm, all ages
Seattle’s Tribute to The Last Waltz: Melanie Radford, Eric Howk, Stephanie Anne Johnson, Shaina Shepherd, Cameron Lavi-Jones, and many more Nov 28, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages
Wolf Parade Nov 29, Showbox, 8 pm, all ages
Neurosis, Blackwater Holylight, Great Falls Nov 29, Showbox SoDo, 21+
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve Nov 29, Climate Pledge Arena, 3 pm and 7:30 pm, all ages
Isaiah Sharkey, Midpak Dec 1, Hidden Hall, 7:30 pm, 21+
Find all these listings and more on our sister site, EverOut Seattle! EverOut.com/Seattle
The post Things to Do in November: Music appeared first on The Stranger.
