ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Tip in response to a SPEW post from last week on the Fall Harvest Tour.

Tip writes,

It's unbelievable how much better fresh produce tastes. I've tried Terrie's Berries and Moon Farm and the food remained fresh twice the amount of time of grocery store produce. There are also several farms in the area that offer weekly produce delivery too. Either way, fresh is always better.

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Olympia Arts Walk, featuring Flowmotion. 6 pm. NC.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Highrollers. 9 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Big Wheel Stunt Show, Valis, Legend Of Big Foot, Umber Sleeping, Tallest Tree, DJ Darren Selector. 6 pm. NC.

• Tallest Tree has been steadily establishing itself as an accomplished indie rock band in these parts since 2009. Taking cues from more math-leaning acts like Built to Spill, as well as the angular freakouts of Modest Mouse and indie touchstones like Death Cab for Cutie, Tallest Tree has established a pastiche of a sound in a genre that essentially is nothing more than a pastiche. The band's strength is rising above the rabble and delivering the goods with strong songwriting and melodies - a sound immediately familiar, while firmly distinct. Additionally, a certain progressive rock bent begins to creep in when Tallest Tree lose themselves in a song and decide to take you on a journey. Far from a jam band, though, Tallest Tree always makes sure to steer you hard back into the form of the song. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Red Hot Blues Sisters, Blues Buskers, with Brian Butler, Paula Boggs. 8 pm. $7.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Tin Man, The Moss Brothers Band. All Ages. 8 pm.

Massimo's University Place. The The Cold 102's (Anthony Estrada's blues trio with Curtis Smith and Aaron Lehman) plays funky blues. 8-11pm. NC.

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

Metronome Coffee Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Bluegrass Hoedown featuring Barleywine Revue and Squirrel Butter. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Basemint, The Shivas, Sugar Sugar Sugar. 9 pm.

Rialto Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Charlie Musselwhite. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $29-$49.

• He's been called damn near every superlative in the book - and for good reason. When you hear Charlie Musselwhite is a "harmonic master," as the promotional material for tonight's show at the Rialto Theater in Tacoma suggests, it's no lie. Dude is that good. He's a blues legend. With a career that's spanned nearly five decades, and with more notches on his accomplishment belt than could possible be noted in this small space (although, as a tip of the iceberg, Musselwhite received two Blues Music Awards earlier this year from the Blues Foundation, "Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year," and "Best Instrumentalist- Harmonica"), Musselwhite has done just about all there is to do in the blues music business. As part of a show co-presented by the Immanuel Presbyterian Blues Vespers, Musselwhite once again does Tacoma. Having seen Musselwhite at Jazzbones, I would expect nothing short of brilliance. - Matt Driscoll

The Spar Olympia - Downtown. Billy D. 8 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Jerry Miller Jam. 9 pm. NC.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Occupied: The Tacoma spin-off of what's becoming a nationwide protest against corporate greed, income inequality and other social issues marched from Fireman's Park to Tollefson Plaza, stopping briefly to pound on some recycling bins. (News Tribune)

Checking In With the Tacoma School District: The board has its eye on Deputy Superintendent Carla Santorno for two consecutive posts. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Week In Review: Clean water clusters, potholes, awards for TV Tacoma & Pierce County TV and a new blog. (Weekly Volcano)

He's Got Your Back: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells sailors he will insist that any agreement on keeping U.S. troops in Iraq beyond 2011 includes immunity from Iraqi prosecution. (CNN)

If Your Job Sucks - Too Bad, At Least You Have One: Unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.1 percent. (LA Times)

Design For America: Young designers to take ownership of social problems in their communities and working to solve them with innovative solutions. (Core77)

Halloween Costume Ideas: Of course you have to look to Comic Con. (Neatorama)

Axl Rose looks and sounds horrible

SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 2011 >>>

1. Join poet, author, editor and spoken word performer Quincy Troupe tonight at the Museum of Glass for what's being billed as a night of poetry and jazz. It runs from 7 - 9:30 p.m. and also features poetry readings by Tacoma's poet laureate Josie Emmons Turner and a performance by the Kareem Kandi Band. The event is presented in conjunction with Parenthetically Speaking: It's Only a Figure of Speech by Mildred Howard, currently on display at MOG.

2. It's finally here! The Donkey Creek Chum Festival that is! A celebration of salmon incubated and released as fry into Gig Harbor by the Gig Harbor Commercial Fishermen's Club now returning to span as mature salmon, and also a party for all who admire and cherish the role salmon plays in our local ecosystem, The Donkey Creek Chum Festival is always a good time. It starts at 10 a.m. and goes down where Harborview meets North Harborview along Gig Harbor's waterfront. The Chum Burgers hit the grill beginning at noon, and the kayak races are from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

3. Acoustic artist Sarah McQuaid plays Traditions Café tonight in Olympia. The all-ages action starts at 8 p.m.

4. It's become tradition. Beautiful, lederhosen-centric, malt-liquor-fueled tradition. Every year, customarily at Bob's Java Jive, co-creator Craig Egan and his cast of dedicated, party-making cohorts put together one of the coolest and most unique nights of the year - mixing ghetto culture, all things German and large quantities of Old E (or similarly malt adult beverages) to make Maltoberfest - thee place to be tonight. With music coming from prime sources like Saucy Yoda, Kramer and DJ Melodica (among many others) you know the tunes will be banging. And seeing as the $15 entry gets you all the malt liquor you could possibly drink (not to mention lots of German food), there's really no better bang for your party buck either. Remember to drain a forty for your toten Freunde. 

5. India.Arie's voice is known the world over. Over the course of a decade-spanning career (so far), Arie has managed to touch more than most with her equally inspiring and intimate musical efforts. Tonight, Arie and composer Idan Raichel will perform at the Washington Center in Olympia. Hype describes the teaming as a, "dynamic collaboration," that "bridges cultural divides and exemplifies the strength of raw, unadorned production." But see for yourself.

LINK: Even more things to do featured in The Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

YOUR DAILY GUIDE TO THE 2011 TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL >>>

Structure and character provide the foundation for a good screenplay, but you must still build beautifully upon the base. This morning at 10 a.m. in The Grand Cinema's lower lobby, Warren Etheredge explains and explores the craft of drafting a compelling scene - when to start, how to exit, what to say, how to say it and how to ensure that conflict escalates as the plot evolves.

Warren Etheredge didn't speak until he was 6 years old; he's been going strong ever since, making a lively livelihood and the most out of every conversation, elevating small talk to high art, discourse to an ideal. He talks. He teaches. He interviews. 

Etheredge knows films. He has has conducted more than 1,500 interviews - in print, on camera, on stage - with a wide range of filmmakers, authors, personalities and smarties including Amy Sedaris, Darren Aronofsky, Michael Pollan, Charlie Kaufman, Naomi Watts, Salman Rushdie, Robert Duvall, Alexander Payne, Nora Ephron, Augusten Burroughs, Michael Lewis and Chuck Palahniuk. He hosts The High Bar, the award-winning weekly television series devoted to "raising the bar" through light-hearted conversation with people who care about culture that matters. He is the founder of The Warren Report (www.thewarrenreport.com) and as such curates and hosts more than 200 events every year. He is also one of the founding faculty of The Film School, former curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival (at Bumbershoot), a published author, an Off-Broadway produced playwright, an acclaimed documentarian, a regular contributor to public radio and, internationally, a much sought-after public speaker on myriad topics.

The workshop is free and open to the public.

Today's film recommendation

Tacoma Film Festival Director Emily Alm recommends you hit the following film today:

HIT SO HARD (8:35 p.m., The Grand Cinema): Much like Harlistas, I wasn't sure how well I would relate to Hit So Hard, given that my music tastes differ quite a bit from the grunge and rock scene dispelled from Seattle in the 1990s. But yet again, I was pleasantly surprised. I was lucky enough to watch Hit So Hard  in Seattle on the big screen, and listen to Patty Schemel herself (the film centers on her, the openly-gay female drummer for the band, Hole), talk about her life story and her experiences in the music industry, and yes - her friendships with Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. This is a music documentary unlike any other.

Today's Highlights

Family Shorts (88 minutes): Eight films screen at noon inside The Grand Cinema including the The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - the story of a writer who is swept up into a Katrina-like storm and loses all of his work. He is introduced to a place where magical books are kept, and that’s where he finds the inspiration to return to his own writing.

Documentary Shorts (102 minutes): Four films screen at 2:30 p.m. inside the Tacoma Art Museum including the film Kevin - the story of Austin musician Kevin Gant who disappeared in the mid-'90s. Jay Duplass's documentary debut explores who Kevin is, how he lost his inspiration, and what he must do to get it back. Bonus: Gant will perform live after the film screens.

Animated Shorts (92 minutes): Eight films screen at 4:15 p.m. inside the Tacoma School of the Arts including the U.K. film The Eagleman Stag, which nabbed the Grand Jury Prize for annimation at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival.

For a complete list of today's films, click here.

LINK: Opening Night Gala photos

LINK: Three stories behind the stories

LINK: Big stars at the Tacoma Film Festival 2011

LINK: Our Tacoma Film Festival preview

LINK: TFF Director Emily Alm's picks

LINK: TFF on twitter 

LINK: TFF website

HEY KIDS! DO YOU LIKE FREE THINGS? >>>

As the old proverb suggest, the only thing better than a community arts festival boasting more than 75 awesome events and activities for the entire family is a completely FREE community arts festival boasting more than 75 awesome events and activities for the entire family. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. This weekend's Fall Free For All offers all of the above and the proverbial bag of chips. If you have yet to introduce yourself with Tacoma's awesome Theatre District, now's your chance. Wristbands, free but required for entry to Fall Free For All events, are available through the Broadway Center's box office by calling 253.591.5894. Be sure to check out the performance by Drew Grow and The Pastors Wives Saturday night.

Music from across the country:
Portland Cello Project
The Tacoma Round
Horse Feathers
Pearly Gate Music
Drew Grow & the Pastors' Wives
Kelli Schaefer
CityHall
Sacred Harp
Laura Gibson
Paul Rucker
Port St. Willow
The Local Strangers
Concours d'Elegance
and more and more and more...

Activities will include:

- The Broadway Center original production 11 Days in the Life of Dr. King
- The world premiere of Voices of the City, presented by the Broadway Center and EnJoy Productions
- Short plays by local authors sponsored by Northwest Playwrights Alliance
- Films from The Grand Cinema
- Tacoma Philharmonic Kids Concert: Trains & Tunes in the New World
- Diverse work from many cultures, from traditional forms to hip hop
- Hands-on activities for children
- A screening of U2: Rattle and Hum
- Dance (MOVE!NG Company, Fab5, Koncrete, and more)
- Plus local bands, buskers, magicians, and much more!

RSVP and get up-to-date information on Facebook.

Full schedule here.

To get your FREE wristband pass, call the Box Office at 253.591.5894. Wristbands will be available for pick-up at Will Call only. Register online here.

[Theater District, Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., free, broadwaycenter.org, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]

MEET YOUR PEEPS >>>

Are you young? Are you professional? Yeah, neither are we, but that doesn't mean we can't tell you about a mixer hosted by the Young Professionals Network of Tacoma-Pierce County Tuesday. If you have a drive to succeed in business AND a passion for serving the community, this is your chance to meet your people.

If you're younger than 40.

The YPN is composed of entrepreneurs and business professionals younger who haven't celebrated their 41^st birthday yet. Through a variety of different programs, the group can help you build business networks and community, share resources and experiences, develop professionally through educational opportunities, combine goals for advocacy, contribute to economic development and leverage influence in the county's future.

If you'd like to hang with this cool, young, upwardly mobile set, drop by The Hub Events Space Tuesday night and meet those who have escaped the kids' table to become players in the community.

It's no secret the YPN loves the soccer.

YPN Prospective Members Mixer

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 5:30-8 p.m., free admission
The Hub Events Space, 203 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma
Website

SUNDAY, OCT. 9, 2011 >>>

1. All across the world, but particularly in the Pacific Northwest - and especially in Tacoma - the influence is still felt. The impact of certain bands called the Sonics, the Wailers, the Ventures and others still reverberates. These were groundbreaking bands in the late '50s and early '60s that helped pave the way for punk, grunge and everything generally loud that came to follow. The Sonics poked holes in their amps to attain that sweet level of distortion, and out of those holes burst decades of garage rock spirit and punk rock attitude. Tonight, the Tacoma Historical Society will gather for its 5^th Annual Destiny Dinner, although this time the focus will rest on the rock 'n' roll pioneers of the Pacific Northwest. To read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature, click here.

2. Julia Massey & The Five Finger Discount will perform today at Metronome Coffee in Tacoma. The Jesus Rehab and Terrapin are also on the all-ages bill. Show starts at 7 p.m.

3. Catch the second day of Fall Free For All at the Broadway Center, featuring the musical likes of Voices Of The City, Professor Humbug's Flea Circus, CityHall, Hurtbird, Gina Belliveau, Pearly Gates Music, Muh Grog Zoo, Sons Of Warren Oates, Kelli Schaefer, Koncrete, Theatre Simple, Vaud Rats and Laura Gibson.

4.The Tacoma Film Festival continues today. It's a packed schedule, including family and international shorts, along with the TFF Closing Weekend Showcase.

5. It's Swing Dance Night at the Urban Onion in Olympia, meaning lessons at 7 p.m., and music at 8 p.m. There's a $7 cover.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

YOUR DAILY GUIDE TO THE 2011 TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL >>>

What do the films Casablanca, Blazing Saddles, and West Side Story have in common? Besides being popular, they have also been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and listed on the National Film Registry. Technically a documentary, These Amazing Shadows tells the history and importance of The Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself, screening for free today at 2 p.m. inside th Theatre on the Square.

Where better to debut a film that celebrates classic movies than at a film festival?

Created by a literal act of Congress, The Registry's board has selected 25 films of cultural, historic and/or aesthetic significance annually for preservation since 1989. From a mix of “sprocket-worn classics” to “consciousness-expanding” works, these chosen few represent snapshots of American history, whether they reflected the era or helped shape it. Directors Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton shot amazing archival footage and interviews with a variety of filmmakers including Christopher Nolan, John Waters and Rob Reiner.

[Theatre on the Square, These Amazing Shadows, 2 p.m., free, 915 Broadway, Tacoma]

Today's film recommendations

Tacoma Film Festival Director Emily Alm recommends you hit the following films today:

INTERNATIONAL SHORTS(12:40 p.m., Tacoma Art Museum): This grouping of seven short foreign films is a first for the Tacoma Film Festival. We've always had films of all lengths from many countries; but this year, I chose to play the shorts together. It's a sort of "passport to independent film," as I like to call it. Each short in this grouping represents a different culture, a different area of the world, and a different approach to storytelling. Not to mention, there's some terrific filmmaking as well.

HARLISTAS: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY (12:40 p.m., The Grand Cinema): I'm not exactly a motorcycle girl. I'm much more likely to be cruising around in my very safe, and very predictable Honda Civic. That's why, upon popping Harlistas: An American Journey in my DVD player, I wasn't sure that it would be up my alley. Boy, was I wrong. The film is so much more than an ode to Harleys - it's an intimate look at family, at relationships, and how the two shape who we are and who we want to be.

Today's Highlights

Late Night Shorts (88 minutes): Six films screen at 9:15 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema including the film They Walk Among Us - a story of romance inspired by monsters and meat cleavers. The filmmakers will be in the house, too.

Losing Control (7 p.m., The Grand Cinema): it's a quirky romantic comedy about a young Bridget Jones-like scientist, Samantha (Miranda Kent), who conducts a controlled experiment to find proof that her boyfriend is "the one."  Written and directed by Valerie Wiess, ths film is loosely based on her experiences getting a PhD at Harvard Medical School. The film was an official selection at the Chicago Comedy Awards, 2011 Vail, Rhode Island International and Stony Brook film festivals.

For a complete list of today's films, click here.

LINK: Opening Night Gala photos

LINK: Three stories behind the stories

LINK: Big stars at the Tacoma Film Festival 2011

LINK: Our Tacoma Film Festival preview

LINK: TFF Director Emily Alm's picks

LINK: TFF on twitter 

LINK: TFF website

THIS WEEK'S BEST FREEBIES OCT. 10-16 >>>

If we had an alter ego, we would be sporty. Very sporty. Extreme-sports sporty. We'd snowboard. We'd parasail. We'd skydive. Hell, We'd be able to just play a game of softball without shrieking like a schoolgirl whenever the ball came near us. Best of all, though, we'd be very, very sporty while wearing four-inch Manolos, and after winning the game, we'd walk away with only a sexy muss to our perfectly coiffed hair.

OK, so we want to be a Charlie's Angel.

Who would your alter ego be?

MONDAY, OCT. 10: Would your alter ego be Jack the Ripper? If so, hang out with the Graphic Novel Book Club as the dismember From Hell by Alan MooreandEddie Campbell,the story of Jack the Ripper. Legendary comics writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell have created a modern masterpiece of crime noir and historical fiction with scratchy lines and heavy doses of ink. The geeky book group will gather at 7 p.m. inside King's Books in Tacoma.

TUESDAY, OCT. 11: Would your alter ego be Doctor Dolittle? It might be a good idea, especially since the neighbors called the cops on you four times this summer for shooting crows of your back balcony. Yes, the crows are hella loud in the morning. But crows have feelings too. It's time to better understand the winged nuisances, free of charge. And if you think your relationship with the crows needs to go beyond the basics of understanding, attend Tuesday's Tacoma Science Café from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at The Swiss. Yup, the popular lecture series moved a larger venue. And Prof. John Marzluff, Ph.D., he of the School of Forest Resources, will discuss the curious behavior of these loud birds.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12: Would your alter ego be a fashion designer? Five dollars, a trip to the hardware store and an imagination will separate the truly hip from the un-hip. Duct tape accessories, and even clothes, have become a trend and it's really not all that surprising. When you think about the plastic (that's polyester, girls) content in everyday attire, it's no wonder people would be drawn to a raw engineered form of it. The look you get from duct tape is edgy and playful. You don't need to be Goth or punk. Just lose your inhibitions and get crafty with the myriad of colors duct tape is now manufactured in. It comes in pink, blue, red, gold and the traditional gunmetal grey, among others. Need a little duct tape tutorial for inspiration? The Tillicum Pierce County Library hosts a duct tape creations class Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. No, we're serious.

THURSDAY, OCT. 13: Would your alter ego be Robin Hood? You're pissed off that people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives - potentially for years to come - while the rich become richer. You've decided to become a modern day Robin Hood. But, as the movies have shown, you need mad archery skills. You're in luck! Every Thursday Skookum Archers in Puyallup hosts public instruction in its private clubhouse range. Show up at 6:15 p.m. to sign in, go through a brief safety orientation the first time and then you get to play archery under instruction till 7:45. Best part, freeloaders? You first visit is free.

FRIDAY, OCT. 14: Would your alter ego be a poet? We just read the most irritating book in the world. It's called Jeremy Thrane, and while parts of it were fun, the main character had this extraordinarily annoying habit of, in moments of great stress, reciting poetry. And not his own, but stuff by Yeats, Stevens and other dead people. We think that if you're a writer and you find yourself quoting other people's work because their words express your thoughts better than you can maybe you ought to seriously think about what that means. If, however, you'd like to take a stab at writing your own stuff, jog on over to King's Books for its Distinguished Writers Series. After featured poet Ed Harkness goes off at 7 p.m., stand up and read your stuff during the open mic session. And for fun, why not wear a beret?

SATURDAY, OCT. 15: Would your alter ego be U.S. Women's Soccer Team defender Stephanie Cox? While the chances of you kicking it around with Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and Heather O'Reilly remains scant, you may just lose your proverbial women's soccer cherry this Saturday by hanging with Cox at Skansie Brothers Park. The Gig Harbor resident will talk about her experience and soccer background, sign autographs and then kick the ball around from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 16: Would your alter ego be a tango dancer? Run, run we tell you, to the florist for roses, because you're going to need it Sunday night. You'll be clutching it between your teeth as you dance the romantic and mysterious tango at the Abbey Ballroom Dance and Pilates Center in Tacoma. Milonga Tango Dance includes free beginners lesson at 5 p.m., followed by a dance ($8). Adelante!

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound