The Must List: The Letter Farmer, Paychi Guh Trunk Sale and the 37th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition

Must Giggle
37th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
(11/2–11/27, times vary) Seattle’s biggest comedy festival returns with 20 shows at 13 venues. Opening at Market Theater (1428 Post Alley), the fest features local comics and comedians from Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa and Australia, who will offer their best knee-slapping jokes, hoping to be crowned champion at the final show at Pioneer Square’s Comedy Underground (109 S Washington St.), Seattle’s oldest comedy club. 

Must Rummage
Paychi Guh Trunk Sale
(11/5, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) In 2013, Karen Guh launched Paychi Guh, a clothing label that combines her love of cashmere and knitwear design with her interest in modern art and architecture for a unique collection of “wearable luxury knitwear.” This Saturday, Guh will make an appearance at Madrona’s Juniper boutique, where a special sale of her sample pieces, including all available FW16 pieces, will be held. Stop by to meet the designer and shop her versatile collection in this anticipated sale event. 

Must Celebrate
Short Run Comix & Art Festival
(11/5, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.) In our digital era, when electronic communication often takes the place of putting pen to paper, there’s an event that celebrates the latter. At the annual Short Run Comix & Art Festival, organized by founders and codirectors Eroyn Franklin and Kelly Froh, artists and authors from around the world meet to share their handmade, self-published art books, comics, zines and literary works. Now in its sixth year, the annual Short Run Comix & Art Festival takes place at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion. Admission is free. 

Must Scribe
The Letter Farmer
(11/5, 2-6 p.m.) With a nod to the food-truck craze, Rachel Brandzel Weil launched her pop-up mobile paper, stationery and letter-writing business, The Letter Farmer, from a bright red truck in July. (We profile her mobile stationery truck in the current issue here.) Weil, former owner of Real Card Company and a veteran of the local letterpress and stationery business, hopes her paper-filled vehicle will help people rediscover and appreciate the fine art of correspondence and renew their passion for handwritten letters. Join Seattle magazine editorial director Rachel Hart and Weil this Saturday at the Peddler Brewing Company in Ballard for some brews and the old-school art of putting pen to paper in the spirit of Thanksgiving. 

 

Must Wah Wah 
Bill Frisell 
(11/5, 8 p.m.) Global and local guitar legend Bill Frisell’s idiosyncratic style—experimental, atmospheric and strongly melodic—is always anchored in tradition, including Hollywood’s. He’s done film scores for Gus Van Sant and Buster Keaton, and now he’s performing his own improvisational takes on “Moon River,” “When You Wish Upon a Star” (also the title of his new album), and the themes to Bonanza, Psycho, To Kill a Mockingbird and more, in concert with singer Petra Haden, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Matt Chamberlain. Frisell treats the genre with awe and reverence and chops that match any guitarist in our town (or any town, for that matter).