Seattle, July 30: Apocalypse Wow!

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder. One of the four beasts was saying: "Come and see." And I saw. And behold, a white horse.

As a society, we've become pretty obsessed with the idea of Armageddon. Pick your poison: World War IV, climate change, pandemic disease, zombies, peak oil, meteor, expiration of the Mayan calender cycle...everyone's got a theory on why the end of days is just around the corner. Maybe it's in our nature; the yearning for civilization to grind to a halt and see humanity subdivided into the ultimate "us and thems," the perfect expression of the tribalistic impulse innate in all of us. Ah, but we digress.

After all, it's not our job to ponder the apocalypse, but it is Mike McGonigal's. The editor of YETI magazine and contributor to the unimpeachable 33 1/3 book series will be giving a presentation on the idea of the apocalypse in music and pop culture. Titled Blow, Gabriel: Music of the Apocalypse, the talk will cover a wide range of topics, including the cults of Jim Jones and Charles Manson, gospel music that celebrates the end of the world, and the iconic "Duck and Cover" PSA from the 1950s. And before you get up in arms, Slayer fans, there will of course be metal included in the presentation.

The seven trumpets will be blown and the four horsemen will ride on July 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the Henry Art Gallery's auditorium in Seattle. General admission tickets are $5 and the event is free to Henry Art Gallery members, but seating is limited, so make with the quickness, Washingtonians! It may be the end of the world as you know it, but something tells us you'll be doing just fine.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, and I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him.

Related links:
News: Seth Rogen brings on the apocalypse
PBS: Frontline - Apocalypse!
YouTube: Muse - Apocalypse Please (Live)

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