BONDING MOMENT
A dominatrix and her gay best friend kidnap a man, tickle another endlessly, and casually get catered to by a masked and ball-gagged oaf who pays for the privilege of being Mistress May's in-home slave. Netflix's new series Bonding follows a grad student moonlighting in BDSM and her high school best friend/bodyguard. The short episodes (15 to 20 minutes) largely focus on his perspective as he gets uncomfortably pushed into hilarious and absurd situations. It's easy to binge, but it's worth noting that while the show tries to be sex-positive and funny, Rolling Stone reports some sex workers say it doesn't accurately portray how consent and vetting work in the BDSM community. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
LUCKY US
"It's the first night — we gotta set it off!" So proclaimed Tom Eddy, frontman of the Dip, Saturday night when the Seattle soul outfit became the first headliners to take the stage at the Lucky You Lounge. Along with opener Moorea Masa, it was an evening of smooth R&B and plenty of dancing at the new 320-capacity Browne's Addition venue, owned and operated by the same folks behind the Bartlett. Lucky You's grand opening celebration is set to take place June 13 through 15, and will feature the Cave Singers, Deep Sea Diver and more. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)
FROM HERE TO THERE
Big news from the Pop Up Shop, times two. First off, the Terrain-affiliated shop full of killer local artists and craftspeople's work is moving to River Park Square later this month, and there will be even more artists' work available. And they're also changing their name to From Here to reflect just where all those cool goodies come from. Keep an eye out for news of a grand reopening party on instagram.com/popupspokane. (DAN NAILEN)
New York freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a massive national presence as either a hero to progressives or boogie-woman to conservatives, so it's hard to remember when she was a no-name bartender running against one of the most powerful members of Congress just a year ago. New Netflix documentary Knock Down the House rewinds us to when Ocasio-Cortez and three other featured women (in Nevada, West Virginia and Missouri) were all running against powerful Democratic incumbents. Not surprisingly, Ocasio-Cortez gets the most screen time, and the film is a worthy watch for getting to know her background and her family, as well as the passionate women who weren't as successful. (DAN NAILEN)
THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST
Some noteworthy new music arrives online and in stores May 10. To wit:
Charly Bliss, Young Enough. This Brooklyn power-pop crew evokes the best of '90s bands like the Breeders.
Mavis Staples, We Get By. This soul queen is on a hot streak of great albums; this one's produced by Ben Harper.
Sammy Hagar & the Circle, The Space Between. The Red Rocker just booked a gig at Northern Quest in August.
The Get Up Kids, Problems. Kansas emo "kids" first album in eight years. Middle-age problems, no doubt. (DAN NAILEN)
