I.C.Y.M.I.: KEXP's 'REFILL' Concert Recap, 'Lovecraft Country' Debuts, DC FanDome Launches + More!

Greetings, fellow pop culture aficionados, and welcome to week 28 of our I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It) blog series. Our museum may be temporarily closed to visitors based on guidance from public health officials to slow the spread of coronavirus, but we're still here to recap a handful of trending tidbits from the past week(s) in popular culture, in case you missed them.

Last week, we called attention to the ReedPOP "Metaverse," a virtual comic con-like event that you can check out all the panels, meet and greets, and cosplay competitions from over at New York Comic Con's YouTube. This week, we're sharing a handful of music video performances from KEXP's recent REFILL virtual concert series. Read on!

REFILL Recap

Several MoPOP Sound Off! alum, including Sol, Parisalexa, Talaya., Dave B., and Claudine Magbag combined with other local talent last month for a live stream benefit concert supporting the Seattle Artist Relief Fund (SARF), a Black-led community response to help provide direct financial support to artists impacted by COVID-19. One hundred percent of the event proceeds went directly to affected artists, with the KEXP-supported event nearly reaching it's $25,000 goal (you can still donate). 

On top of performances from former MoPOP youth artists, the stream also included sets from Seattle-based musicians Eva Walker, Sango, Left at London, Ben Zaidi, Chong the Nomad, Perry Porter, and Brandon Marsallis. Check out some of the music video performances embedded below, and for the rest, head over to KEXP's YouTube—REFILL content has been releasing on a weekly basis since the show first aired.

Lovecraft Country Debuts on HBO—Watch The First Episode For Free!

Fans of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror will all likely find something to like (or better yet, love) about HBO's newest series, Lovecraft Country. Based on Matt Ruff's novel of the same name, Lovecraft Country follows the story of a young Black man (Jonathan Majors), his friend (Jurnee Smollett), and his uncle (Courtney B. Vance) who embark on a road trip together across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. During their travels the trio not only must work to overcome the racism of white America, but also struggle to survive against a handful of horrifying monsters. Misha Green, J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, and more make up the show's executive producers, with a total of 10 episodes—airing every Sunday—in store. There's still time to catch up on episode one before the next installment begins this weekend—it's currently free to watch on YouTube, HBO Max, and HBO.

Experience The DC FanDome 

Fans of DC Comics, this one's for you. Labeled "the ultimate 24-hour experience for the world's greatest fans," the DC FanDome kicks off this Saturday. The free event is set up as a virtual convention, showcasing online panel discussions, artwork, cosplay, and exciting first looks at new DC properties, from comic books to movies, TV shows, video games, and more. The fun begins at 10 a.m. PT on August 21 over at DCFanDome.com.

What Else To Catch Up On This Weekend

• If you're itching to get out and about (while social distancing, of course) this weekend, mask up and make your way to MoPOP's exterior to view large scale LED displays of some of Seattle's recent murals. Put on in partnership with the Seattle Design Festival (which runs through this weekend), the work supports those who have been deeply affected by COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement.
• Friday night marks the return of our It's Coming From Inside the House! watchalong series, this week featuring special guest tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado—whose featured in our Body of Work: Tattoo Culture exhibition—who chose the 1985 punk-themed film The Return of the Living Dead to celebrate with our horror community.
• Speaking of punk themes, our POP+ Punk virtual programming continued this past week with the kickoff of our book club centered on Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney's memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. Our next book club discussion takes place at 4 p.m. PT on Monday, August 31, and registration for the event is now open.
• World Photography Day was in focus this past Wednesday and we highlighted the work of longtime punk music photographer Alison Braun, who shares a handful of her favorite images with us and offers what it was like getting her start in the Hollywood rock scene.
• Former President Barack Obama released his 2020 Summer Playlist this past week, so we reached out to some MoPOP youth to help create a summer playlist of our own.
• And our milestone series honoring 20 years of MoPOP moved on with a look at Pop Conference, including a special clip from the event's 2010 keynote showcasing singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, and producer Janelle Monáe, who speaks to James Brown's influence on her 2010 song "Tightrope."

What'd We Miss?

Now that we've filled you in on a few things, what do you feel we failed to mention? Let us know in the comments, or hit us up with a suggestion on social media. We'll look to include your ideas in our next edition of I.C.Y.M.I.

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