Shows of the Week: MAE.SUN Will Make You Believe “Life Is Limitless”

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21:

Local producer Graham Johnson, aka quickly, quickly, honed his chops making lo-fi beat music suited for study playlists. But the music he makes now is anything but anonymous: a rich fusion of pop, funk and jazz that pushes post-J Dilla rhythms into the sublime rather than the anodyne. His music pairs wonderfully with that of MAE.SUN, an NYC band orbiting around saxophonist Hailey Niswanger, whose lush and verdant approach to jazz funk can be summed up by the track title “Life Is Limitless.” Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 8:30 pm. $20. 21+.

FRIDAY, DEC. 23:

Valentino Khan is something like the official DJ of World Wrestling Entertainment, and he’s got the mustache for the job. But his chops behind the boards aren’t kayfabe—you might remember his 2015 smash “Deep Down Low,” one of the funkiest and most interesting tracks to drop on Skrillex’s OWSLA label, and its bugnuts video in which a fish on a cutting board mouths the vocal sample while waiting to be filleted. Even in a chilly Pacific Northwest winter, it’s sure to be hot and humid wherever Valentino’s playing. 45 East, 315 SE 3rd Ave. 10 pm. $30. 21+.

SUNDAY, DEC. 25:

Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon once said people pay to see others believe in themselves. In the case of Cellotronik’s Christmas Day show, you’re paying to watch someone else be alone on Christmas—though judging by how much mileage local artist Skip vonKuske has gotten out of his one-man cello-centric looping project over the years, it’s hard to imagine he minds all that much. Ticketholders also get access to Sinferno Cabaret, a regular Dante’s event that begins right after the show. Dante’s, 350 W Burnside St. 8:30 pm. $15. 21+.