SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 >>>
1. OK, purists: It's not the Grateful Dead. But guess what? You're never, ever going to see the Dead live again. And, musically speaking, a re-creation of one of the band's historic shows just may have more potential than a performance by a Jerry-less offshoot (or the Boys themselves, on off nights). Besides, the Dark Star Orchestra offers more than note-for-note mimicry - it's a whole concert experience, minus the parking-lot cops and the bathroom lines at 7 p.m. inside the Capitol Theater.
2. The World Folk Art Festival continues at the Washington State History Museum featuring master folk artists teaching their crafts and talking about their cultures. Learn traditional Croatian dances, dip Mexican wax flowers, try Ukrainian wheat and much more from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. If you've ever acted, directed or "teched" for a play (or even wanted to do any of those things), Tacoma Little Theatre's production of Noises Off is the play to see. In three acts that seem to take far less time than their two hours, the audience watches as the cast attempts to rehearse and perform the play Nothing On. "Attempts" is the key word, you see, not because the cast isn't talented or rehearsed - but because the real play, Noises Off, is a farce about the theater. It's a play about putting on a play. The Sunday show hits the stage at 2 p.m. Read our full review here.
4. Chopstix, A Dueling Piano Bar on Sixth Avenue hosts its Family Night at 5 p.m.
5. Today's show at the Spar will be the last Swampy Draws live performance "for a while." The band plans to focus on other aspects of their art over the coming months, specifically a TV pilot they're working on with Tacoma's bearded hero, Justin Peterson - the same man that designed Swampy Draws' one-of-a-kind, Southern front porch stage setup. Also on the bill is The Bluebillies featuring Bob Hill from The Swiss. The free show begins at 7 p.m.