MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, AUG. 18, 2009 >>>

1. Traditions Café in Olympia hosts a facilitated improv/freestyle drumming and percussion session, open to all, at 7 p.m.

2. Jewelry artist Nancy Worden incorporates non-traditional materials such as seed pods and plastic hair curlers into her jewelry to tell a story. That's right, she explores social and political issues in her exhibit, Loud Bones, which shows at the Tacoma Art Museum.

3. The Banned Book Club discusses Push by Sapphire while sipping cocktails at the Tempest Lounge at 7 p.m.

4. Jazzbones' Ha Ha Tuesday hosted by Ralph Porter features guest comics Cathy Sorbo and James Parkinson at 8 p.m.

5. Live jazz every Tuesday beginning at 9 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge. Important things to know: $2 wells, $4 martinis and no cover. Righteous.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

JAKE DE PAUL: PRAYING FOR GOOD PATIO WEATHER SATURDAY >>>

Every neighborhood has one â€" a local tavern that only the regulars truly appreciate, a local version of Cheers where everyone knows your name. The Parkway Tavern has been serving locals with excellent pub grub, hosting brewery nights and sponsoring local softball teams for decades. The Parkway steers away from the traditional bar food like buffalo wings, Jo Jo potatoes and pizza and focuses on homemade soups of the day, hot sandwiches and burgers â€" making the Parkway as great a place to stop in for a cold beer after work as it is a place for a quick lunch in the afternoon. 

Our friends at the Parkway tell us that their fourth annual IPA Festival Aug. 22 will feature more than 37 IPAs including Dick’s, Diamond Knot, Terminal Gravity, Stone, Big Time and more. 

Parkway Manager John O’Gara is stoked to have the Boundary Bay Imperial, which is rarely released from the brewery and will be a first for the South Sound. Other IPA Fest firsts O’Gara mentions include offerings from Dogfish Head, Firestone Walker Double Jack, Boulevard Single Wide, Elliot Bay Imperial, and a special from our friends at the Harmon, Commencement Bay IPA, with a massive 100 IBUs.

As usual, the Parkway’s outside grill will roast pigs as well as prime rib and juicy brats.

[Parkway Tavern, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2 p.m., 313 N. I St., Tacoma, 253.383.8748

JAKE DE PAUL: TUESDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

Bigger And Better: The Harmon has a new Tuesday night Steak Night.

Sno-Cones For Adults: Toscanos offers shaved ice loaded with booze every Tuesday and Thursday beginning at 4 p.m.

Nutrition: Are prepared foods making us fat?

Today’s South Sound Specials

Half-price wine, Maxwell’s Speakeasy, 454 St. Helens, Tacoma, 253.683.4115.

Half-price Wine Night, Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535.

Tightwad Tuesdays with $2 tacos, $2 beers, and $2 wells, Hell’s Kitchen, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Vote Today: Trib's Election Guide

Not Good: There are 2,555 sex offenders registered to live in Pierce County, but only about 600 of them are in the e-mail notification database.

Open Space: Cascade Land Conservancy buys development rights to farms in first tests of Pierce program to preserve agricultural land.

Same As It Ever Was: Violence escalates in Afghanistan in run-up to Thursday’s election.

Troops Could Be Forced to Leave Early: Iraq may hold vote on U.S. withdrawal.

Yer Busted: Russia arrests eight on piracy charges in connection with missing tanker.

60 Members of Congress: “No Public Plan, No Conference.”

WTF: 90 percent of U.S. dollar bills have cocaine residue.

Rumble!

RON SWARNER: IT’S RECORD RELEASE DAY >>>

Mutemath, Armistice

Otep, Smash the Control Machine

Sister Hazel, Release

Gwar, Lust In Space

Colin Hay, American Sunshine

Reba McEntire, Keep on Loving You

Third Eye Blind, Ursa Major

MICHAEL SWAN: THE WASHINGTON STATE ARTS COMMISSION COMES CLEAN >>>

The Washington State Arts Commission announced the lucky winners of state and federal dollars to the tune of $1.2 million in arts participation opportunities, arts education programs, and cultural employment throughout Washington. Below are sections of the press release and the lucky South Sound organizations: