SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 2011 >>>

1. Imagine an entire Elks Lodge filled with nearly 40 tables. Now imagine those tables teeming with rare records, lost VHS classics, band merchandise and memorabilia. Imagine you could swap, sell or purchase any of these precious items while listening to a DJ spinning sick-ass records and mingling with other connoisseurs. Oh, and did we mention the full bar with ID? Well, quit thinking about it and go do it! The annual Olympia Record Show happens today, from 5-9 p.m.,  at the Elks Lodge in Olympia. While in the past there have been two Olympia Record Shows per year, from this point forward there will be only one - only magnifying the importance of getting your ass to today's affair.

2. Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month - celebrating its 10th year and chugging along in fine fashion - continues this weekend with the much-anticipated Arts Symposium at the University of Puget Sound. In the simplest terms, the Arts Symposium is a weekend program geared toward local artists. It focuses on the practical side of art and involves panels, presenters and discussion sessions. More specifically, pre-event hype promises: "From nuts and bolts business information to legal advice to creative solutions, this event is designed to get your creativity flowing and push your career to the next level." Today, Gigi Rosenberg, author of The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing, will deliver the symposium's keynote address.  Find more info here.

3. Comedian Ron White ashes his cigar on Tacoma tonight, performing at the Emerald Queen Casino at 8 p.m.

4. Blues legend Curtis Salgado returns to Jazzbones on Sixth Avenue tonight, taking to a stage he's grown familiar with over the years. Tonight's performance by Salgado, which also features the Red Hot Blues Sisters, will commence at 8 p.m.

5. It was mid-summer when Legend of Bigfoot returned from dormancy, and - quite simply - Tacoma's scene has been a whole lot more rockin' since. The rarest of bands - able to entertain hipsters and metal-heads alike - the LOB is on the move, playing a show tonight at Bob's Java Jive with Vile Red Falcons and James Coates, not to mention re-releasing their debut LP and premiering a first-ever music video yesterday, and finishing up work on a new CD due out sometime in the spring. As they say, "It's all happening" for Legend of Bigfoot. The big, fat maraschino cherry on top of all of it? As regular KISW 99.9FM listeners can attest to, Legend of Bigfoot has been the "Loud and Local Band of the Week" this last week - scoring a prime interview on the station and turning the whole region on to a fresh local sound that pays homage to many of the KISW staples.  Dig it. 

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound
LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies