What’s Happening Oct. 24 – 31

Sub Pop plays the Bike, Day of the Dead celebration, Flamenco dancing, ZombieFest and more.

Sub Pop plays the Bike

The longtime island band, Sub Pop, will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Red Bicycle Bistro & Sushi, for a free concert of the band’s danceable blend of funk, reggae, jazz, blues, rock and country music. The show is for all ages until 11 p.m. and reserved for those 21 and older after that. The band, which formed on Vashon in the 1980s, is fronted by Ron Hook, now backed by Indigo Hook, Richard Lipke and Steve Brix. The show is presented by Vashon Events. Events’ co-founder, Pete Welch, is a loyal and longtime Sub Pop fan who first heard the band play at a masked ball at the Blue Heron before he even moved to the island.

“I thought if everyone was like him on Vashon, this place was pretty magical,” Welch said.

Flamenco dancer brings acclaimed players along

Seattle Flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes, who often performs on Vashon, will present her latest show, “Sky, Flamenco en Vivo,” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at Vashon Land Trust, 10014 S.W. Bank Rd. Joining Fuentes will be Spanish singer and percussionist Diego Amador, Jr. and guitarist Pedro Cortes. From Seville, Amador was born into flamenco royalty — his father is the celebrated flamenco pianist Diego Amador. He has performed and toured with Spain’s top flamenco artists, including Remedios Amaya, La Susi, Lole Montoya, Farruquito and Joaquín Cortés. Known mainly as a percussionist, he also sings, plays guitar and piano and recently launched a solo project as a singer and songwriter. “Sky, Flamenco en Vivo,” an all-ages event, is the first stop on a 29-date West Coast tour of the show. Tickets, $8 to $35, are on sale at brownpapertickets.com.

“True West” has a reading

Vashon Readers’ Theater will present a free staged reading of one of Sam Shepard’s play, “True West,” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, at Snapdragon’s Black Cat Cabaret. Directed by Chris Boscia, the reading will boast a Vashon cast including Jonathan Kuzma, Mike Dumovich, Jeanne Dougherty and Anthony Winkler. The 1980 play tells the story of two brothers — one, a mild-mannered screenwriter and the other a lawless drifter — who engage in escalating confrontations in their mother’s home. The play had a Broadway revival in 2019 starring Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano.

VoV hosts Zombie Fest

Voice of Vashon will host Zombie Fest, a costume contest and night of comedy classic film, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, at the Vashon Theatre. The event will unspool with a screening of “Aaah! Zombies,” a film by brothers Matthew and Sean Kohnen that tells the story of four undead teens. Organizer Susan McCabe called the film a comedy and a “gooey love story … really gooey.” The film’s director, Matt Kohnen, will judge the zombie costume contest, with winners receiving prizes from island businesses. Face-painters will also be on hand in the movie theater lobby to apply ghoulish scars and oozing wounds to attendees. The evening is a benefit for VoV — admission is $10 general and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at vashontheatre.com and the theater box office. Parental caution is suggested.

Auditions for new play with music

Drama Dock will hold auditions for “Winghaven Park,” written by islanders Lisa Peretti and Jason Staczek, from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays, Nov. 2 and Nov. 9, at the Vashon Methodist Church, with callbacks scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10. The musical, to be directed by Charlotte Tiencken, is about the consequences of war and forgotten love in a rural island setting. The show’s music will evoke the 1940s with swing, blues, ballads and comedic songs. Parts are available for men and women, ages 10 and older. Scripts can be read on-site at the Vashon Library. Those who audition should prepare an up-tempo song, no longer than one minute, and one two-minute monologue that is not Shakespearean. Sign up for an audition at bit.ly/2W2KVR3. Those unable to attend the November audition will have another chance, in March, at Theatre Puget Sound’s general auditions.

Day of the Dead at VCA

The Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertes, a festive remembrance of departed souls, will be celebrated from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Vashon Center for the Arts. The event will include dancing by Vashon’s Baile Folklorico troupe, clowning by Luz Glaxiola and performances by other special guests. Artwork by island school-aged children will also be on display, and attendees are urged (but not required) to wear costumes and have their faces painted. There is a $5 suggested donation for the event, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Leading up the holiday, VCA will also install a remembrance altar outside of VCA, where community members can honor loved ones who have died. Islanders are invited to leave photos and messages to deceased family members, ancestors, friends or pets at the altar, starting Saturday, Oct. 26 and ending Sunday, Nov 3. The altar will be covered, but outdoors and not guarded, so food and nothing of value should be left there. For more information, visit www.vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Burlesque is back

The next installment of the ongoing Burlesco Notturno series, “Enchanted,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Open Space for Arts & Community. Hosted by Janet McAlpin and David Godsey as the stilted, saucy Madame X and her silent, bumbling lawyer, the show will include guest appearances by burlesque acts including The Atomic Bombshells, Kitten n’ Lou, Miss Indigo Blue, Tony Tapatio and circus acrobat Terry Crane. The black-slipped band The Love Markets will also perform, playing music that evokes the decadence of 1920s Berlin. The evening has a dinner option provided by Chef Lia of Bramble House restaurant. For more information and to purchase tickets ranging in price from $28 to $155, visit openspacevashon.org.