Bars & Clubs
Would it surprise you to learn that the history of legal American microbreweries began less than 40 years ago? In 1978, Congress and President Carter ended the federal restrictions and excise taxes on home brewing with H.R. 1337. Dozens of new breweries popped up by 1980, and now there are
Music
Somewhere in everyone's head," wrote Miller Williams, "something points toward home." For millions of alt-country fans, the music of that poet's daughter, Lucinda Williams, is one of those things. When Mary Chapin Carpenter covered her "Passionate Kisses" in 1993, it won Ms. Williams a Grammy for Country Song of the
Outdoors
The Fourth of July is one of the busiest days of the year for any theme park. That's especially true if the holiday's unseasonably hot or lands on a Saturday. Imagine the mayhem if a park boasts, not only roller coasters and thrill rides, but also a full-size water park.
Music
For some readers, the phrase "concert band" conjures vivid memories. One strain of a Sousa march may be enough to remind us of strutting around in fuzzy hats playing "Baby Elephant Walk" for unimpressed football fanatics. Out here in the real world, concert band encompasses a variety of genres and
South Sound Cinema
It's unlikely you've ever heard of John M. Zielinski. There's a reason for that: he may well be a kook. But if he's not, there is more going on in Heaven and Earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy. Zielinski was an accomplished reporter by the time he shot photos
Travel
He leans over his favorite putter, sweat and concentration marking his face. The stakes have never been higher. He's dominated this course for years, even as duffers like me dogged his heels and threatened his supremacy. He draws back, then taps the ball with laser precision. Spectators gasp as the
Arts
Lakewood is regarded by most as a working-class town. Its own website calls it a "host community to Joint Base Lewis-McChord." All well and good, but nothing about that identity screams "playground," though that is the theme for a new exhibit opening there. It may surprise you, then, to learn
South Sound Cinema
Given our unpredictable spring weather, sometimes the safest entertainment bet is a movie ticket. We're inundated with promos for rabidly anticipated May releases like The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mad Max: Fury Road and Pitch Perfect 2. Disney's Tomorrowland is right around the corner. But where are the smaller, smarter,
News Front
Usually, military service is no day at the ballpark, but sometimes that isn't the literal truth. Since 2010, the Tacoma Rainiers have rolled out the red carpet for their annual Salute to Armed Forces Day, which treats American troops like major-leaguers. The Rainiers take this event very seriously. "It's huge," agrees
Guides
Not many people know this, but barbecue is Haitian food. That is to say, the word barbecue comes to us from barabicu, a word in the Caribbean Taíno language, by way of the Spanish barbacoa. Haitians define a barabicu as a framework of sticks within or above which meat is
Guides
Earlier this year, Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom by an over-10% margin. This surprised many commentators, who remarked on the centuries-long history of British nobles treating the good people of Scotland like unwashed, uncultured barbarians. In 1747, for example, our shared nemesis King George III banned
Guides
When we say "King John," what's the first thing that springs to mind? "I find it intriguing," Scott Douglas notes, "that Shakespeare left out any reference to either the Magna Carta or Robin Hood - the two things modern folk recognize about John." Douglas is a well-respected actor and member
Stage
Clearly, I should've read David Sedaris before 2000. That, however, is when friends nagged me into reading Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris' collection of humorous essays about moving to Normandy, France. It won him the 2001 Thurber Prize for American Humor, and I can tell you I've never laughed
Stage
She's influenced a great many artists since her arrival in the late 1970s, but there can only be one Sandra Bernhard. She made her bones when few female comics were household names. She earned a Best Supporting Actress award from the National Society of Film Critics for her performance in
Arts
Sometimes, the process of writing pulls me down a deep rabbit hole. Such was the case with Gritty City Sirens and their upcoming pair of reprise performances of Adventures in OZ. I searched for the burlesque troupe on YouTube and found one of their self-promotional videos. The music for that
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Dude, somewhere - in the back of your closet, maybe - there's a necktie. You own one. Put it on. Or don't. Doesn't matter. Either way, it's time for you to get some culture. Luckily for you, this is recital week at Pacific Lutheran University, which serves as one-stop shopping
Arts
Very soon, a team of costumed heroes will reunite. The world at large may never know their true identities, but these supermen (and one superwoman) wage a never-ending battle against absolute villainy. Their muscles flexing proudly, brows furrowed 'neath colorful cowls, they stride forward, shoulder to shoulder, fists raised to
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Imagine the clouds parted, a mother ship from planet Funkatron descended, and an alien musician slithered out to encounter ... a Les Paul electric guitar. How would said E.T. approach that unfamiliar instrument? He or she might just lay the axe down on a rock and play it horizontally, like
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We could've easily featured Roméo et Juliette (it's OK, you can call it Romeo and Juliet, we won't tell) in our music section, because it goes without saying opera lands like a wet noodle in the absence of stirring music. If there's one thing Tacoma Opera boasts, it's capable singers.
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There are events we in the musical promotional game could never have expected to see. This is one of those events. An otherwise noteworthy jazz musician, Brian Lynch, has cemented our interest in an upcoming concert by adding ... a juggler. This juggler is Henrik Bothe. He's performed all over