WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18, 2012 >>>

1. The stinkin' snow won't keep STINK Cheese & Meat down. The downtown Tacoma uber deli will offer $3 beers and wines all day to go along with its pesto mac-n-cheese with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes or grilled cheese sandwich with Beecher's bacon and caramelized onions. STINK will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

2. At 6 p.m., about the time the congressional staff gossip really begins to flow around the bar inside Swing Wine Bar, which can be found just down the street from the Capitol Campus, guitarist Vince Brown will change the conversation with his swing jazz.

3. Hardcore Olympia punk band Hysterics join Dogjaw, Grudge Thought and Shoppers for a 6:30 p.m. all-ages show at Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

4. Many things go well with beer: Pretzels. Football. Your mother-in-law away on an extended cruise. You know what else goes great with beer? Tacos and tunes. Every Wednesday night Tacoma's Lucky Silver Tavern has $1 tacos and $1 plates of tater tots, not to mention a full docket of karaoke songs. Chugging beer, pounding beef tacos and belting out some Fleetwood Mac - now that's a Wednesday night.

5. When the snow falls in downtown Tacoma, the bands stumble out of the practice pads, karaoke singers pop out of Puget Sound Pizza and The Mix and those 12 condo residents open the big doors - then all gather at the top of the street to slide down the hills like maniacs. Someone always gest hurt. Someone always throws a snowball at Rev. Colin. Someone always yells "cops." Good times.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: This week's freebies