ADAM MCKINNEY: A LEAF TONIGHT AT THE NEW FRONTIER >>>

A Leaf is a band that produces the kind of hushed folk rock that’s made for lazy summer days sleeping in the park. Dreamy vocal harmonies slip in and out and about the dulcet guitar strums, shuffling drums and piano flutters. Most of their songs meander along pleasantly, and as you listen your heart rate slows almost to a crawl, falling in rhythm with the gentle breeze under the summer sun. It’s the stuff that instantly triggers cynicism in the hearts of music snobs. But the band is nothing if not sincere.

Read full story here.

[The New Frontier, with The Missionary Position, Sirens Sister, Friday, July 24, 9 p.m., 301 E. 25th Street, Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

MARK THOMAS DEMING: ETHNIC FEST, PART ONE >>>

The South Sound population is spread so far and wide it’s easy to forget how incredibly diverse we are.  Thankfully, Tacoma Metro Parks reminds us each summer with Ethnic Fest, a two-day, multicultural gala in beautiful Wright Park.  Few events are this educational, fun and tasty, with music, dancing, crafts and food from all around the South Sound globe.  Parents, bring the kids for the sights, sounds, workshops, and magic shows.
[Wright Park, July 25-26, noon to 7 p.m., free, 501 S. I St., Tacoma]

Today's Schedule
Multicare Main Stage 

11:30 a.m.: Opening Ceremonies 

Noon: Po'okela Street Band â€" Jawaiian  (Hawaiian/Jamaican)

1 p.m.: Crumac â€" Irish/Celtic

2 p.m.: Ocho Pies â€" Latin/Caribbean

3 p.m.: Soyohini â€" African dance

4 p.m.: One World Taiko â€" Japanese drum and dance

5 p.m.: Tiene Tama Samoa â€" Samoan dance

6 p.m.: Vamola â€" Brazilian dance and drum

Community Stage

Noon: Roosevelt Dancers â€" Cambodian Dance

1 p.m.: Jimmy Free's Friends â€" reggae

2 p.m.: PAYO â€" Philippine dance

3 p.m.: Coco Loco â€" Latin

4 p.m.: Dasom â€" Korean dance

5 p.m. Ranger & the Re-Arrangers â€" Gypsy jazz

6 p.m.: The Smiling Scandinavians â€" polka

7 p.m. Hybrid â€" jazz

MATT DRISCOLL: FOUR OF TACOMA'S TOP BANDS PLUG IN FOR TACOMA SOCIAL JUSTICE >>>

The Joshua Cain Band, Destruction Island, Blanco Bronco and Paris Spleen will play the Band Together Tacoma show tonight at The New Frontier Lounge, and as far as musical lineups go â€" from an uber-local perspective, at least â€" that’s about as good as it gets.

Perhaps more important, though, is who the show is presented by â€" Tacoma Social Justice. I couldn’t help but be left to wonder, with a name so valiant, just what the back-story was?

Read what I discovered here.

[The New Frontier Lounge, The Joshua Cain Band with Blanco Bronco, Destruction Island, Paris Spleen, DJ Bobby Galaxy, Saturday, July 25, 6:30 pm., $7, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

WEEKLY VOLCANO: PLOGFEST 2009 >>>

Summer means a lot of things â€" like sunburns, flip-flops and booze snoozes. The booze snooze, of course, is the age-old practice of sobering up midday with a nap, so later in the evening you drink even harder. If you’ve never engaged, the Weekly Volcano highly recommends it.

However, summer also means outdoor concerts and music festivals â€" and a DIY doozey is lined up for Graham today. Known as Plogfest, it features 11 bands, a slew of family fun and plenty of barbecue opportunities.

This year’s Plogfest will be the sixth of its kind, and will feature music from the Joshua Adams Band (pictured), Voxxy Vallejo, Dave Hannon, Kurt Lindsay, Last Chance Romeos and plenty of others.

Check out the schedule here.

[8110 266th St. E., Saturday, July 25, noon to midnight, $10, Graham]

MATT DRISCOLL: PIONEERS WEST HEADLINES SHOW AT TOP OF TACOMA >>>

If you’ve read the Weekly Volcano this week, you know Saturday is going to be one hell of a night for music in Tacoma. The options are almost limitless â€" from metal mayhem to indie goodness. But tonight at the Top of Tacoma Bar and Café, it’ll be business as usual â€" and that business, at least on this evening, will include the musical scolding of two of Tacoma’s most gaze worthy bands.

While the decision of what to do Saturday may be difficult for some, for the Top of Tacoma’s devoted clientele and family, it’ll be a no brainer. Mix the “western doom” of Pioneers West with the Tacoma perfect slaying of Goldwing and Rory Barham, and, well, you’ve got something worth drinking (heavily) to.

[Top of Tacoma Bar and Café, Pioneers West with Goldwing, Saturday, July 25, 9 p.m., no cover, 3529 Mckinley Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1502]

MICHAEL SWAN: SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 >>>

1. It’s time for another installment of the Joel Show â€" number IV this time, featuring live performances by a cadre of movement maestros, live musical performances by Motopony and Monty Carter, and all led by the man himself, local dancer and choreographer Joel Myers at 7 p.m. inside the Tacoma City Ballet ballroom.

2. Today a host of artists from the Proctor Art Gallery will be setting up camp at the Proctor Farmers’ Market on North 27th Street and Proctor from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise funds for the Proctor Farmers’ Market Food Bank Fund.

3. Take a guided tour along Olympia’s scenic waterfront to learn about the public art that is both shaped by and defines Olympia. The tours leave every Saturday through September at 11 a.m. from the bell in front of the Farmer’s Market near the traffic circle. 

4. Broken Oars, Dyslexic 33, Listen Louder and ATM stage an all-ages 4 p.m. punk rock show at The Seafarer.

5. Self-proclaimed freak folk Afro-Cuban Columbia grad studentcore crew Skeletons With Flesh On Them plays Bob’s Java Jive at 8 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

JAKE DE PAUL: SATURDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

Back Outside! Yay!: Parkway Tavern erected a fence on their patio so we can all drink outside again.

Wine Tastings: Cru Selections will visit Azarra Salon & Wine to pour tastings of Airfield Estates from noon to 3 p.m. More wine tastings today are listed here.

As The Latte Turns: Starbucks goes into stealth mode.

When It Rains It Pours: Denny's sued over salt in food.

Today's South Sound Special
The Red Hot taps Ballz Deep Imperial IPA from Gig Harbor's new 7 Seas Brewing today. In fact, beginning at 7 p.m., The Red Hot will open its outdoor beer garden with all 7 Seas offerings on tap, as well as the debut of their new Randall hop filter (thanks to pals at The Parkway Tavern and Schooner Exact Brewing).

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Shabro Redux: Challenge of auditor dismissed.

Bad Man: University Place fire figure linked to Seattle killing.

Buffalo Suburbs: Bush weighed using military in arrests.

Hubble reawakens: The telescope snaps image of Jupiter scar.

Staycation America Effects: DVD and video game industry surviving recession. Then there's this.

Speaking Of Recession: Six ways the recession has made the world suck less.

Octomom: Ink on the deal for reality show finally dry.

Vote: 10 inappropriate iPhone apps

PAUL SCHRAG: CHURCH OF HATE LOVES HELL'S KITCHEN >>>

Can I just say that metal is being eaten alive from within? As emo-vibes seep into the once proud genre, diluting it with a thousand songs about dysfunctional drunks ex-girlfriends, the need for more brutality, more double bass and crunch riffs, more mean, becomes paramount. These days, as a survivor of several Milwaukee Metalfests and lifelong seeker of the most vicious music available, there’s nothing like finding something I can really break my teeth on.

Church of Hate is one of those crews that gives me hope for the future of metal. They’ll celebrate the release of their latest album tonight at Hell’s Kitchen.

[Hell’s Kitchen, with Terra Morra, Benign, Rowan, Saturday, July 25, 9 p.m., $7, 3829 Sixth Ave, Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

SUZY STUMP: FUNDRAISER FOR TACOMA ART PLACE >>>

What’s chic today is passé tomorrow. And a few months down the road, it’s nothing but trash. So ultimately, isn’t fashion just trash?

Tonight, fashion hits Tacoma as “Inspired Elegance," in collaboration with Goodwill’s Work-force, takes that premise to its logical conclusion by presenting couture made completely from fabric and recycled items from Goodwill. Local professional designers have teamed up with aspiring ones from Goodwill’s employment aid service to create fashion designs â€" start to finish â€" in 24 hours.

After a makeover at Embellish Multispace Salon, the designers will take their creations to Hotel Murano’s runway as Tacoma nibbles on dessert, tosses back wine and bids on cool stuff â€" all to benefit Tacoma Art Place.

Call 253.756.5544 right now to squeeze in.

[Hotel Murano, Saturday, July 25, 7:30 p.m., $75, 1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma]