• First Thursday means art walking @ Pioneer Square
• It’s a very special happy hour, featuring a free cello recital by the Seattle Symphony’s Acting Principal Cellist Eric Gaenslen, followed by the first performance in years (!) from Wonderful @ Havana
• The Seattle Storm–the best pro women’s hoops team in the world, undefeated at home this year–host Connecticut @ KeyArena
• Rafe Esquith is all “WON’T SOMEONE LIGHT THE CHILDREN ON FIRE?” @ Seattle Central Public Library

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Friday, August 6th

• Throughout the month of August, KEXP presents a series of free after-work concerts at the Mural Amphitheater. The series kicks off at 6 p.m. (“doors” at 5) with Elliott Brood, Grand Hallway, and Gabriel Mintz @ Seattle Center
• Two of baseball’s top young pitchers square off @ Safeco Field: Felix Hernandez for the M’s, Zach Greinke for the Royals.
• Ex-Gay, No Way author Jallen Rix defenestrates the idea that being gay is a phase @ Elliott Bay Book Co.
• The First Annual “Seafarer Follies” brings an aquatic cabaret guest starring Waxie Moon as King Neptune to an adoring public (also Saturday) @ the Triple Door

Last-minute Tuesday, August 3rd

• Neighborhood block parties should be popping up all around the city as part of SPD’s “Seattle Night Out” program @ blocked-off streets near your home / Capitol Hill
• The Mariners, coming off the worst July in franchise history, could use some cheering and hugs when they return home against first-place Texas @ Safeco Field

Wednesday, August 4th

• Joanna Newsom, her harp, and Robin Pecknold sing, strum, and maybe play a Kid Rock [?!] cover @ the Moore
• Paco Jones and a trio of other acts rock @ the Comet
• Rick Moody reads from The Four Fingers of Death (“Mash up Isaac Asimov with Thomas Pynchon, with dashes of Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut”) @ Elliott Bay Book Co.

Saturday, August 7th

• The Seattle Square attempts to revive Pioneer Square with a weekly outdoor market complete with indie crafts, vintage sales, mobile food vendors, and local DJs @ Occidental Park
• The Watson Twins are just like the girls in The Shining, except they’re not scary and they play folk-alt-country @ the Triple Door
• The Satori Group presents WhizArtBang!, a monthly dinner and cabaret of performance (RSVP req’d) starting @ Delicatus

Sunday, August 8th

• John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey act as “a pop-jazz Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers” @ Jazz Alley
• Seattle’s home-grown version of NASCAR, unlimited hydroplane racing @ Lake Washington
• The rising Sounders continue their late charge toward the MLS playoffs against Houston @ Qwest Field
• Check out the lush boy-girl harmonies and lazy melodies that are part psychedelic pop, part backwoods country, care of Suicide Squeeze‘s Cotton Jones @ Sunset Tavern

Monday, August 9th

• Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, aka Will Oldham, brings his post-punk Americana, along with The Cairo Gang and Sir Richard Bishop @ the Showbox
• The UW Husky football team has their first fall practice of the year, open to the public @ Husky Stadium

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Tuesday, August 10th

• This month’s edition of The Round combines their usual slate of music, art, and poetry with some summer grillin’ @ Fremont Abbey
• Do some good! It’s a concert benefiting the family of the victims of the June Fremont fire @ Showbox SoDo
• Nearly eight years to the day since its last studio release, Brad supports its new record, Best Friends?, with a release party @ the High Dive
• Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War is the name of the book that BU professor and ex-military officerAndrew Bacevich has written, so you know what you’ll get @ Elliott Bay Book Co.