LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Conquering Lion Tacoma - South. Clinton Fearon, Dub Lounge International, DJ Qualifi. 8 pm. All Ages. $5-$20.

• Clinton "Basie" Fearon is counted among Jamaica's most talented musicians by peers and professionals in the realm of reggae. He was a house musician for Coxsonne Dodd's Studio One and Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark Studio. He recorded many of Perry's best-known songs, including "Roast Fish" and "Cornbread," which features one of Fearon's most famous and infectious bass lines. He also composed some everlasting noggin-nodders for Yabby You, Jimmy Riley, Max Romeo, Junior Byles and many others. Friday at the upstart Conquering Lion on South Tacoma Way, as part of the "Reggae Consciousness - Spirit of Bob Marley" event, fans look forward to being soothed and soul-charged by delicious bass riffs, guitar licks, percussion accents and downright powerful vocals. Fearon is a living legend among reggae musicians, for good reason. - Weekly Volcano

Harbor Greens/Forza Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Malcolm Clark Band. All Ages. 7 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Dockyard Derby Dames Fundraiser, with Psycho 78, The Enemies Of, Vile Display Of Humanity, The Dead Giveaways, Listen Louder. 9 pm. $5.

• In a Friday full of musical options, it's going to be hard for Tacoma to deny one very worthy cause strapping up tight for a good time at Hell's Kitchen. As part of a fundraiser for the beloved roller derby force known as the Dockyard Derby Dames (who, by no coincidence, kick off their season Feb. 26 at Pierce College), Psycho 78 headlines a show also featuring the frantic sounds of the Enemies Of, Vile Display of Humanity, the Dead Giveaways and Listen Louder. In addition to the scorched punk offerings of the always-pumping Psycho 78 (a three-piece of power made up of Mikey Waco, Jay O'Neill and Davo Sanchez), there'll be a raffle and chances to win tickets to see Guttermouth at Hell's Kitchen next Friday. You really couldn't want anything more than cheap beer and/or strong cocktails, and, well, they've got all of that at the Kitchen too. Choose wisely with your musical time and dollars Friday, but it's impossible to go wrong with this show. - Matt Driscoll

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Billy Shew Band. 8 pm. $5.

Little Creek Casino Shelton. Randy Linder & The Classix. 9 pm. NC.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Barley Wine Revue. All Ages. 6 pm. NC.

Maxwell's Speakeasy Tacoma. Lance Buller Trio. All Ages. 7-10 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Quevelo, Hella Sunshine, Killer Kanary. 9 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Beep, Ben Kamen, Heatwarmer. All Ages. 9 pm. $5.

• Young Seattle band Heatwarmer have an interesting vibe and clearly, there's a lot of talent going around between its four members, who gig from time to time at Seattle's jazz and progressive-friendly college-area bars. There's a "School of Music" approach evident in their sound, but also a real adult contemporary schmaltziness that feels more accidental than ironic (which is how it should be). Some of their songs take crazy, daring left turns, following strange and twisty paths in a figurative, ramshackle vessel cobbled together from the scraps of numerous musical varietals (jazz, folk, rock, country, world, etc.). File them under "potpourri" maybe, but whatever you do, don't shrug off their super-heated sound just because they've got a dorky song called "We've Got the Beat" (ugh). - Jason Baxter
  

The Peabody Waldorf Boutique and Gallery Tacoma - Downtown. Grand Hallway, Goldfinch, Birds & Batteries, Kimo Muraki. All Ages. 8 pm.

Tacoma Community College Auditorium Tacoma - Westside. Ryan Shea Smith, performing with Thomas Marriott, Jeff Johnson, Eric Eagle, Michael Eads, Roger Wood, James Smith, Stephanie Porter. All Ages. 7:30 pm. TCC students NC/$10 all others.

• The Weekly Volcano likes to say, "Everything is jazz," but, in truth, we don't really believe it. Only SOME things are actually jazz, and the way Ryan Shea Smith tickles the ivories definitely qualifies. The highly regarded Seattle native will visit Tacoma Community College Friday and drop a concert sure to be ripe with excitement and spontaneity - two of Smith's many musical qualities. Others include smarts, soul and - yes - jazziness. Smith's show at TCC also features the Marriot Brothers and Stephanie Porter. — Michael Swan
  

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Gaelica. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Left 4 Dead, Last Man Standing, Koz Of Konfusion. 9 pm.

Varsity Grill Tacoma - Downtown. TacSea! TacSea!: Phan/Harm/Sok Family Fundraiser, with Black Soul, Brooklyn Pool, Xylophones, Pocket Panda, TraQ, The Cool Vibes, DJ J-Fresh, DJ Kuhnex. 9 pm. $10.

• The excitedly named "TacSea! TacSea!: A Celebration of Music, Art and Life" event at Varsity Grill in Tacoma has a lot of promise to it. Not only does the inclusion of exclamation marks usually indicate good times, but musical guests like Brooklyn Pool and Xylophones only add to the urgency. Pre-show hype promises "an eclectic dance party and art showcase like no other." See if that's a good thing Friday. — MS
  

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound