FRIDAY, NOV. 16, 2012 >>>

1. As vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter for Tacoma's Goldfinch, Aaron Stevens knows all too well the challenges of finding venues in Tacoma that serve the needs not only of musicians, but of the listener. It is Stevens' hope that Cathedrals will raise the bar for Tacoma's musical experience, nurturing the city's vibrant, but sometimes underappreciated music scene and drawing to Tacoma musicians that have found success in bigger markets. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the historic walls of Tacoma's Immanuel Presbyterian Church will be filled with some very fresh sounds. Indie groups Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives, Goldfinch and Pollens make up the impressive line-up for Cathedrals Tacoma: Part Three. 

2. Seattle poet and filmmaker Rose McAleese will be performing selections from her new book, Strong. Female. Character, at 7 p.m. inside Orca Books in Olympia. McAleese is a rising star in the Northwest slam poetry firmament.

3. Johannes Brahms was a German Romantic composer who aspired to be a Classicist in the Beethoven mold - to the extent that he refused to allow titles tacked onto any of his instrumental-genre works: symphonies, concertos, string quartets and quintets, piano trios and quartets, piano sonatas, etc. Any one of them is simply known as "genre" number N in "some" key, opus "some number." You listen for sound only and savor whatever mood it evokes for you. And savor is exactly what you should do tonight when the Tacoma Community College Orchestra performs music of Beethoven and Brahms, with Tanya Stambuk on piano.  The 7:30 p.m. concert is free and open to the public in TCC Building 2 Auditorium.

4. The BareFoot Collective continues its pop-up contemporary dance performances with an 8 p.m. performance inside Cork Wine Bar in Tacoma. The 30-40 minutes of innovative modern dance should pair nicely with a Cabernet.

5. Start talking about Mosquito Hawk's talent, hair, high tops and cute tooth gaps all rolled into one epic super group, and Olympia gets a little wet between the legs. The band drops in on McCoy's Tavern at 9 p.m. with Argonaut and All Hail the Yeti. It's going to be a hell ride of gut-wrenching, hair-raising, badass, mutha lovin' goodness.

PLUS: The Neo-Futurist and Tripod Slide Show events in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: Friday, Nov. 16 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area