MATT DRISCOLL: SCHRAG'S AT THE LIBRARY, YO! >>>

Tonight in the Tacoma Public Library’s Olympic Room, the subject will be protest songs, and the discussion promises to be lively.

The event, which starts at 7 p.m., is being called “The Songs They Carried: a community conversation about the music of protest.” At least that’s what it’s being called by the Tacoma Public Library â€" who organized the event as part of their Tacoma Reads Together campaign. The title is surely a play on The Things They Carried, a collection of short stories by Tim O’Brien chosen by Mayor Bill Baarsma as the 2008 selection Tacoma Reads Together â€" which as a citywide community initiative suggests a book for Tacoma to read and discuss every year.

Panelists for tonight’s discussion about protest songs include Lyle Quasim, the Weekly Volcano’s Paul Schrag (who’s also a music industry professional), singer and songwriter Jim Page, and spoken word artist Josh Rizeberg. According to the Tacoma Public Library panelists will be exploring “the roots and growth of the protest song, and the ways in which the songs reflect the anger and concerns of generations of Americans.”

Sounds a lot better than crap TV to me, but I suppose that’s for you to decide.