Here's hoping better days lie ahead as a new president takes the helm Past Event Like List this week (which you can celebrate over inauguration day takeout specials Like List ). Below, you'll find our picks for online events honoring the occasion, as well as a slew of other ways to stay entertained at home (including an Inauguration Night Special Past Event Like List hosted by Tom Hanks), from a Bazzooka Past Event Like List virtual premiere and watch party to readings with E.J. Koh Past Event Like List and Maggie Smith Past Event Like List to Solos for a Brand New Day: A Benefit for the South Hudson Music Project Past Event Like List . Plus, check out our StreamLocal events hub and stay tuned for a roundup of the best socially distanced things to do this weekend. 

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TUESDAY

COMMUNITY

2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Past Event Like List
The University of Puget Sound's 35th annual MLK Day celebration, taking place online, will revolve around a keynote speech from multi-genre writer and former Seattle Civic Poet Anastacia-Reneé. 

Nationwide COVID-19 Memorial Past Event Like List
As part of their weeklong series Past Event Like List of inauguration events, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will honor the thousands of people across the country who have lost their lives to COVID-19. 

FILM

PBS: American Portrait Past Event Like List
The crowdsourced PBS docuseries American Portrait focuses on individual experiences across the country during the pandemic, and Emma Hellthaler, the owner of the 1934-founded University District music venue and watering hole Blue Moon Tavern, is the latest subject, featured in tonight's new episode. Echoing the struggles of many small business owners, Hellthaler shares the immense financial burden brought on by COVID and how she's had to think on her feet (enter: an espresso machine for to-go coffees) to keep the historic business afloat. In the process, she reveals her own story, which includes taking care of her husband, who suffered a brain injury last year, and shares some of the tavern's history. 

Reel Black: Afrofuturism Past Event Like List
As part of SIFF's Reel Black workshop series, novelist and writer/director Nicole Pouchet (whose film Retch won Best Film at the 2020 Seattle Black Film Festival) will lead an online class about Black speculative movies like Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer.

FOOD & DRINK

Virtual Author Talk: Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez Past Event Like List
The head chef of Fred's in Paddington, Australia, will discuss her latest cookbook, Always Add Lemon, with Olaiya Land of Lionesse and Book Larder. 

MUSIC

Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out Past Event Like List
Longtime Seattle bard Jim Page will celebrate the end of Trump's reign with a night of "topical songs" with support from Dune Butler on bass, Jessica Lurie horns, Joel Litwin percussion, and JR Rhodes with the vox. 

READINGS & TALKS

Marie Benedict with Kristina McMorris - The Mystery of Mrs. Christie Past Event Like List
Lawyer and writer Marie Benedict (The Only Woman in the Room) fictionalizes the events surrounding the 11-day disappearance of the prolific mystery writer Agatha Christie in 1926, about which Christie claimed amnesia upon return. The author will be joined in conversation by novelist Kristina McMorris.

WEDNESDAY

COMMUNITY

Celebrating America: Inauguration Night Special Past Event Like List
In light of the pandemic and the dense security at the Capitol planned for January 20, President-elect Joe Biden's inaugural committee is producing a celebrity-packed TV special for the night of his inauguration in lieu of in-person festivities, giving special attention to those who have served on the front lines during the pandemic. It's hosted by Tom Hanks and will feature performances by Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons, Jon Bon Jovi, and Lady Gaga, who will be singing the National Anthem. Watch it live on ABC, CBS, and NBC, as well as CNN and MSNBC.

2021 Presidential Inauguration Past Event Like List
Despite his attempts to retain his presidency through haphazard legal battles and claims of a false election spewed via his now-canceled Twitter account, the man who thinks those who stormed the Capitol are "very special" will officially be given the boot as Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States alongside Kamala Harris (and thousands of National Guard members), who will be the first woman and the first person of color to take on the role of VP. Pre-inauguration festivities will start as early as 6:30 am PST, with the main event scheduled for 9 am PST. You can watch it on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, MSNBC, and C-Span and the White House's social media channels.

READINGS & TALKS

History Café: Emerald City Hip-Hop with Dr. Daudi Abe Past Event Like List
With a foreword by local legend Sir Mix-a-Lot, Seattle Central College professor Daudi Abe's book Emerald Street: A History of Hip-Hop in Seattle traces our city's long line of hip-hop greats, exploring how and why hip-hop culture flourished in the local scene. He'll join MoHAI virtually tonight as part of their History Café series. 

Virtual Silent Reading Party Remind Like List
After years of prompting out-the-door lines at the lovely Hotel Sorrento, the simple pleasure Christopher Frizzelle's Silent Reading Party, which invites people to read a book in a comfy chair while pianist Paul Matthew Moore plays soothing lounge music, endures on the internet, at least until the global pandemic subsides. 

THURSDAY

COMMUNITY

Finding Your Roots Washington: Old Growth to New Beginnings Past Event Like List
What did Seattle look like before westward expansion pushed it into a frontier town, a port city, and a tech hub? This talk with KCTS9's Knute Berger, UW's Dr. Quintard Taylor and Josephine Ensign, NYT op-ed contributor Margaret O'Mara, and Muckleshoot oral historian Warren KingGeorge will get into the history of the Pacific Northwest's growth. 

Online Class: Birding 101 Past Event Like List
Want to start identifying the winged creatures in your neighborhood with the quick confidence of an ornithologist? This intro-to-birding workshop will put you on the right track.

Take A Stand: Art Against Hate Past Event Like List
Jericho Brown, Lucille Clifton, Marge Piercy, Danez Smith, and others contribute to the multi-genre anthology Take a Stand, whose topics range from "slave ships to ICE raids, from settler colonialism to drone strikes." Tonight, enjoy readings from Anna Bálint, Tess Gallagher, Lawrence Matsuda, Tiffany Midge, Shankar Narayan, henry 7 reneau, jr., and Penina Ava Taesali. 

FILM

BAZZOOKA Virtual Premiere and Watch Party Past Event Like List
The first episode of this Seattle-centric "visual document of the Black experience in 2022" stars the Black Tones' Eva Walker, local drag duo LÜCHI, and Beverly Crusher's Cozell Wilson and features an all-Black soundtrack. Check it out on Zoom or YouTube Live and enjoy a live Q&A with the cast and crew.

FOOD & DRINK

Barrel Thief Academy - Whiskey 101 Series Past Event Like List
If your New Year's resolution is to become a whiskey connoisseur, this three-part online tasting series is for you. You'll learn all about the history of whiskey, how it's made, how it varies in different countries, how to buy it, and how to best enjoy it. Each class includes five tastes of whiskey in half-ounce bottles, which you can pick up at the Barrel Thief anytime the week before the series begins. Your ticket also includes a gift bag with "special treats." 

Seapine Brewery Event Past Event Like List
Get to know the local craft brewery Seapine Brewing with a tasting and talk filmed live from the Growler Guys' speakeasy stage and screened both at their upstairs patio and online. If you attend the socially distanced in-person event, you'll also get to taste some of their signature brews and get a chance to win free swag with a raffle.

MUSIC

Bach Oboe Concerto in F major Past Event Like List
Fans of the Baroque period can revel in Bach's Oboe Concerto in F major and Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets, courtesy of Seattle Symphony residents Mary Lynch, David Gordon, and Alexander White. 

Phoebe Bridgers Past Event Like List
Indie folk-pop witch Phoebe Bridgers will perform songs off her latest album, Punisher, live from Los Angeles before dipping into fans' most burning questions in a Q&A. 

ZOOM+Care presents The Cave Singers with School of Rock Past Event Like List
Urgent care chain ZOOM+Care will celebrate their new ZOOM+Super Bellevue location with a virtual concert headed up by the Cave Singers (who have been "getting louder and incorporating striding rock and breezy psychedelic overtones into their songwriting" over the years, according to former Stranger staffer Leilani Polk) with support from the Eastside School of Rock crew.  

READINGS & TALKS

Goethe Pop Up Online Book Klub: 'I Called Him Necktie' Past Event Like List
Join German cultural center Goethe Pop Up for their first online book club (ahem, klub) of the year, where they'll be discussing Milena Michiko Flašar's novella I Called Him Necktie, about a 22-year-old shut-in who finally decides to reenter the world. 

Our Edges Touched: Poets & Artists in Collaboration Past Event Like List
Collaborative poet pairs Matthea Harvey and Amy Jean Porter (Of Lamb), Elizabeth Bradfield and Antonia Contro (Theorem), and Sierra Nelson and Loren Erdrich (I Take Back the Sponge Cake) will share their latest projects and give a short Q&A.

Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota's Garden Past Event Like List
Poets and prose writers who contributed to the anthology Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota's Garden, which is dedicated to the work of landscape designer and gardener Fukitaro Kubota, will join Town Hall for a reading.

VISUAL ART

Re/frame: Animals and People Past Event Like List
In this installment of Re/frame, the Henry's Associate Curator of Collections, Ann Poulson, will explore animal-human relationships with pieces featured in the gallery's permanent collection. 

FRIDAY

MUSIC

She Rocks Awards: Silent Auction Past Event Like List
The She Rocks Awards, which honor women in the music and audio industries, will celebrate artists like Nancy Wilson of Heart, Amy Lee of Evanescence, Cindy Blackman of Santana, and Margaret Cho at their virtual ceremony, bolstered by live performances and a live auction. 

PERFORMANCE

Into the Unknown — 17 Minute Stories Past Event Like List
In addition to working within a time constraint, Macha Theatre Works' series of quick-bite solo shows also explores the very concept of time, or more specifically, how we end up where we do, and how we fumble through human existence in our own ways. The series kicks off with Claribel Gross's Gasp, which revolves around a young woman’s connection to her Nicaraguan roots and "the importance of making a proper rum drink."

READINGS & TALKS

2021 Critical Issues Lecture Series Past Event Like List
University of Washington's School of Art + Art History + Design presents its online lecture series in collaboration with the Henry Art Gallery, this week featuring Vietnam-born, Berlin/London-based artist Sung Tieu.

E.J. Koh with Cathy Park Hong Past Event Like List
When EJ Koh was 15 years old, she and her brother were left in the United States when Koh's father took a job in South Korea and her mom went with him. The parents moved Koh and her 19-year old brother into a small house in Davis, California, where they more or less raised each other. Though her parents were physically absent, her mother asserted her presence in the form of two-page letters, which she sent to Koh every week. The letters are the heartbeat of Koh's memoir The Magical Language of Others, pulsing between chapters that reveal other details of Koh's life. Like any good poet, Koh uses up everything—every image returns, and every idea chimes with another, so that the book's short 200 pages contain the emotional and philosophical heft of a doorstop. RICH SMITH

Seattle Arts & Lectures Poetry Series presents Maggie Smith Past Event Like List
Straying from her usual form, poet Maggie Smith's (Lamp of the Body, Good Bones) new book includes essays and quotes about "new beginnings as opportunities for transformation," according to press materials. Join her for an online reading and discussion with Seattle Arts & Lectures. 

VISUAL ART

Transfigurations: Carbon Flow Past Event Like List
While carbon is invisible, it can be found in nearly all life forms, including the human body. Rachel Loge's visual and sonic installation explores "the transmutation of carbon through natural, human, and industrial forms" through sounds and hand-drawn animation. The opening celebration will be held on Facebook Live, but you can see the show in person by making an appointment.

SATURDAY

FILM

Scarecrow Movie Club Past Event Like List
Join free Zoom discussions of films like Meek's Cutoff, Yojimbo, Nashville, and Alien (this week) every Saturday in January with the movie fiends at Scarecrow. 

FOOD & DRINK

Hot Cocoa Bomb Making Class Past Event Like List
Learn how to make the hot cocoa bombs (small spheres of chocolate filled with marshmallows and hot cocoa mix) currently taking TikTok by storm with a virtual class led by the Bothell tea party venue Graham's RoyalTea. You'll learn how to make two varieties: chocolate peppermint and milk and white chocolate swirl. Optional supply kits can be picked up at Graham's RoyalTea.

MUSIC

Jeff Tweedy Past Event Like List
The gently likable Jeff Tweedy is the former singer for '80s alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo, the current/past singer for Wilco, and one of the more celebrated songwriters in music today. He'll perform a live solo session on Bands in Town's streaming platform. 

Mako and Munjuru Past Event Like List
Before it was annexed and subsumed by Japan in 1879, Okinawa had its own distinct language, religion, and customs, more closely resembling Chinese than Japanese culture. As part of Global Rhythms' "Island Music" series, PNW duo Mako and Munjuru will join Town Hall for an evening of traditional Okinawan music, dance, and storytelling.

PROTESTS & RESISTANCE

#YouthShallLead Past Event Like List
Inspired by the Birmingham Children’s Crusade March of 1963, Youth Activists for Systemic Change started a Seattle Children’s March to "[inspire] each new generation of leaders to use their voice to create a more equitable future." Join them for an afternoon of performances and a panel discussion online. 

READINGS & TALKS

To West Seattle by Streetcar: 1916 to 1940 Past Event Like List
Learn about the West Seattle streetcar's 24-year run from 1916 to 1940 and the many ways in which it influenced the growth of Seattle in the first half of the 20th century.

Virtual Book Talk: Meet the Author w/Ingrid Wall and Joachim Wall Past Event Like List
Swedish authors Ingrid Wall and Joachim Wall will discuss their book A Silenced Voice: The Life of Journalist Kim Wall, in which they outline the events that led to their journalist daughter's murder. 

SUNDAY

MUSIC

Exhilaration Past Event Like List
Philharmonia Northwest's second concert of the season features Seattle cellist Nathan Chan (who made his musical debut at the tender age of three conducting the San Jose Chamber Orchestra) and includes Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile and an arrangement of David Popper’s Fantasy on Little Russian Songs. It also spotlights the acclaimed contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery with her piece Strum and concludes with Felix Mendelssohn's String Symphony No. 2 in D major.

Philharmonia Northwest: Exhilaration Past Event Like List
Devote part of your Sunday afternoon to Nathan Chan's online concert on Town Hall's digital stage, where you'll hear Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile, David Popper’s Fantasy on Little Russian Songs, Jessie Montgomery's Strum—which draws on American folk idioms and "the spirit of dance and movement"—and Felix Mendelssohn's String Symphony No. 2 in D major.

Solos for a Brand New Day: A Benefit for the South Hudson Music Project Past Event Like List
The South Hudson Music Project, which "develops, promotes and presents innovative musical collaborations crossing boundaries of genre, culture, generation, and neighborhood in order to strengthen and engage our community" and is led by local musician Wayne Horvitz, will hold a virtual fundraiser filled with solo performances from Marina Albero, Ayesha Brooks, Sera Cahoone, and many others on Royal Room's virtual stage. 

MULTI-DAY

COMMUNITY

Inauguration Week Past Event Like List
Stay home and celebrate the much-welcomed inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with a series of online events culminating in the official swearing-in affair and a Primetime special Past Event Like List hosted by Tom Hanks
(Tuesday-Wednesday)

FOOD & DRINK

Peat Week 2021 Past Event Like List
Westland Distillery is celebrating their annual "Week of Reek" (seven whole days devoted to smoky, odoriferous peated whiskeys) online this year. The festivities include special whiskeys and cocktail kits, a symposium with a rare tasting sampler to try at home (now sold out) on January 26, and an online cocktail competition on January 28—attendees can order kits with ingredients to follow along with three different recipes at home, then vote for their favorite.
(Tuesday-Sunday)