LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

C.I. Shenanigans Tacoma - Northend. KC Brakes presents pop folk rock night. All Ages. 7-10 pm. NC.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Buckshot Brass Band. 9 pm.

Harmon Brewery and Eatery Tacoma - Downtown. 253Heart Music Festival, with Deborah Page, Two Cities, Rafael Tranquilino. 9 pm

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. 253Heart Music Festival, with A Leaf, Gene Vallejo, Blacstahl, Bodybox, The Variety Hour, Amelia Circle, Rikk Beatty Band, The Lush Tones, Joe Rosati, In The Between, Jeanlizabeth, Silas, The Trasholes, Kody Ryan. 6 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Clinton Fearon and the Boogie Brown Band. 9 pm. $10-$13.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. SweetKiss Momma, The Lush Tones. All Ages. 8 pm.

Red Wind Casino Yelm. Igneous Rocks. 8:30 pm. NC.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Champagne Sunday, with The Rallies. 8 pm.

Temple Theater Tacoma - Stadium District. One Love Island Fest featuring Fiji, Bonafide, Two Story Zori and Island Trybe. 7 pm. $30.

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

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Benefit For Doug Skoog's Daughter, with Crazy Texas Gypsies. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music and DJs Saturday, Nov. 24 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, NOV. 25, 2012 >>>

1. This spring the Weekly Volcano wrote a feature on Mikayla Irle and the film Bible Quiz. Originally from Edgewood, this high-schooler accomplished what few can, or will even attempt: she learned by heart multiple books from the Good Book. By senior year she had Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon (roughly 17 pages of text according to our translation) down cold. Sweet Jesus. Irle's efforts belonged to a nationwide evangelical sport known as Bible Quiz. She and her teammates from Tacoma's Life Center church made it all the way to the 2008 National Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Their cross-country journey fuels Nicole Teeny's documentary, appropriately titled Bible Quiz, which screens today - for free - at 1 p.m. inside the Washington State History Museum Auditorium. This documentary was funded in part through the Tacoma Arts Commission's Art Projects funding program.

2. You might think high school marching bands, a slew of corvettes, U.S. Navy Sea Cadets, The Nutcracker on wheels and a mass of choir singers converging on the streets of Olympia would result in an orgy of debauchery not fit for print. But you might just have a twisted mind. The annual Olympia Holiday Parade is a family-oriented event sandwiched between a day of downtown Olympia free horse-drawn wagon rides with Mrs. Claus and free electric trolley rides (noon) and the 4:30 p.m. holiday tree lighting in Sylvester Park.

3. As you know the Franciscan Polar Plaza outdoor ice skating rink is open to those who want to travel in circles from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. What you might not know is today from 2-4 p.m. the Seattle Thunderbirds and its mascot Cool Bird will be on the ice too.

4. The Weekly Volcano is in denial, but the signs are hard to ignore. Shops are draped in red and green; cocktail parties fill my calendar, and we can't button our skinny jeans anymore. Yep, it's the holiday season. As they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, which is why we'll be singing at the top of our lungs at the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music at 5 p.m. inside The Washington Center. It's a screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical in glorious full-screen Technicolor, complete with subtitles. Nice.

This show is not happening. We apologize. 5. Guitarist Dave Takata might have left sludge-metal band Mahnhammer but he'll be at The New Frontier Lounge tonight when his other two bands Furry Buddies and Argonaut join Mahnhammer at 9 p.m. to rock in a new week.

LINK: Sunday, Nov. 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, NOV. 26 2012 >>>

1. Bloody hell! It's a dark red night at the Acme Grub Cage as another Tacoma Cult Movie Club rolls in at 7 p.m. Tonight, it's more gore for the money (free) for this post-Thanksgiving holiday celebration as the TCMC indulges in movies about people that would rather eat a Turk than a turkey. That's right, it's a night of cannibal films. As always, admission and popcorn are free. Don't forget it's 21+ only, and make sure you indulge in those great drinks and the fabulous raffle drawing.

2. Tonight, the ladies of Pistols and Petticoats are celebrating their one-year anniversary. The group that meets regularly for shooting at Bull's Eye Range in Tacoma and meets regularly for drinks in Olympia, plan to potluck, network and shoot the shit (pun fully intended) at The Brotherhood Lounge. Festivities are from 6-9 p.m. and include a raffle with awesome locally sponsored prizes, cute merchandise from the DIY girls in the club and a drink special on the dangerously delicious Smith & Wesson.

3. Poet, performer, singer and songwriter James Talley may not have instant name recognition in every household, but the list of performers who have performed his songs do - Johnny Cash and Paycheck, Gene Clark, Alan Jackson and Moby have all recorded James Talley songs. During Talley's long career he has performed twice in the White House, played the Smithsonian and even had B.B. King lay guitar tracks on his albums. The Mehan, Oklahoma born singer's career spans more than 40 years garnering him universal praise for his folk-country-blues songs written with lightness, impact and beauty. Catch him at 7 p.m. inside the Olympic Room at the Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch.

4. The C Davis New Orleans Quartet specializes in New Orleans jazz in the spirit of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong and the great New Orleans Revivalists such a George Lewis and Bunk Johnson. The repertoire also includes music from the Turk Murphy and Lu Watters book, several specialty numbers that are transcriptions of the Louis Armstrong Hot 5 and even a little ragtime. Catch the quartet at 8 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge in Olympia.

5. Speaking of jazz, the S.R.O. Swong Band will swing at 7 p.m. inside the Imperial Dragon restaurant in Tacoma.

LINK: Join the Weekly Volcano's foodie group Nosh League Thursday at the Tacoma Cabana

LINK: Monday, Nov. 26 arts and events calendar for the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

KICK THIS AROUND >>>

Independent theaters all around the nation are facing a challenge - go digital or go dark. The Blue Mouse Theatre in Tacoma's Proctor District stares this dilemma right in the lens. Without the budget to finance the $100,000 required to switch its 35mm projectors over to digital, Blue Mouse is asking fans and friends for help. It has launched a Help Save the Blue Mouse Theatre Kickstarter campaign, hoping to raise the funds by mid-January 2013. With the new digital projector, the theater will be able to keep with the times, but also anticipates much higher image and sound quality.

"The Blue Mouse does not have the ability to finance this major capital expenditure out of its annual earnings. Our best option is to ask you, our loyal Blue Mouse patrons and the community to help us keep our doors open by making a contribution toward this historical transition. This change will ensure the same quality of programming and allow us to continue offering the latest movies,” states its Kickstarter page.

Don't know why you should bother? Here are 10 reasons to help you understand the awesome that is Blue Mouse.

10. The Blue Mouse has only 11 more years until its 100th birthday! The theater has been screening movies consistently for 89 years, making it the longest continuously running movie house in the state.

9. Blue Mouse oozes with historical ambiance. The building is on the Tacoma, state and national historic registers. Even though theater managers in the 1930s painted over some original detailing, the theater has been restored to its original charm. Today, light sconces, terrazzo floors, the mahogany doors and other details are original work.

8. Blue Mouse has housed the Tacoma Sister Cities Movie Festival for 10 years. The Sister Cities festival focuses on films from Tacoma's 11 sister cities, which include such far-flung destinations as Davao, Philippines; Aalesund, Norway; and Kitakyushu, Japan.

7. This is just about the only theater left on the face of the planet that doesn't charge $10 for an evening show, and it is the only discount theater left in Tacoma. Regular shows are $5. Tuesdays and matinees are just $4. Mondays are $3.

6. Not only does the building score historical merit, but artistic as well. Many moons ago Dale Chihuly designed the blue mice scurrying along the marquee.

5. You can do the "Time Warp" at The Blue Mouse again and again and again. Most saturdays the theater screens The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight. Bonus: the Blue Mousketeers dress up and re-enact the madness on the front stage below the screen.

4. The popcorn is so delicious many people come in off the street just to buy it, according to theater manager Susan Evans. You can also bring in your Blue Mouse coffee cup and receive free coffee during a show.

3. You may rent the theater and have your own party, or your kid's birthday party, making little Johnny the coolest kid on the block.

2. Blue Mouse sits in the middle of the cozy Proctor District surrounded by restaurants and shops. Proctor has a little village feel to it. You won't find that quaintness at mass-market Regal and Galaxy theaters.

1. The Blue Mouse is about community. Blue Mouse moviegoers have been plopping down in its seats movies since childhood. Many walk to the shows. Many had their first date at the Mouse. The Blue Mouse Theatre is your kind, sweet grandfather.

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>>> The Weekly Volcano's Afternoon Delight newsletter features breaking news, stories, calendar picks and more sent directly to your inbox Monday-Friday. It's completely free to subscribers, but costs $10,000 if you don't like it. You will like it. It's sweet and sour and makes you pucker and swoon.

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WE SCENE IT >>>

Holiday festivities were in full swing yesterday at Olympia's "Downtown for the Holidays" celebration. It wasn't raining - which brought plenty of people - but they were bundled up in knit hats, ski jackets and gloves because it was colder than a witch's tit. 

Despite the cold, the vibe was warm with an elaborate parade that included holiday decorated Old-Timey cars. Excited families piled into Clydesdale-drawn buggies.

After the parade, a curious looking Christmas tree called for attention. Note: Am I allowed to call it a Christmas tree after that conundrum at the Capitol in 2009 between atheists and the state to discontinue any "religious" displays? Perhaps I should refer to it as a "holiday" tree so I don't get wheatpasted.

Anyhoo, the tree was a huge, brightly lit stage. It came with a ladder hidden so 20 or so kids could climbed up and embed themselves among the limbs, just their heads poking out as animated decorations. The kids proceeded to sing all the merriment of seasonal carols. It was highly entertaining, with one little boy - all the way on top - performing a little disco number with his finger pointed in the air, his face all smiles.

Over at The Olympia Ballroom inside the Urban Onion - above an overly long line of surprisingly well-behaved, patient children waiting to sit in Santa's lap - was the South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity's 5th annual Gingerbread Cottages Competition. The competition was fierce this year with elaborately decorated castles, complete with sugar-stained glass windows, a venetian building designed with the architecture of old and a playful rendition of the classic kid's game, Candy Land. But, perhaps my favorite was the Christmas Story display. It had no house, castle or hut, but bore the leg lamp that made Ralphie's dad look like a perv, and the box lid that read "fragile" that made Ralphie's dad look like an idiot. The leg had thin black licorice whips wrapped around to create fishnet leggings! Genius.

The finale of the event was the tree lighting in Sylvester Park, which was fun to count down, but a little janky looking and not nearly as dramatic as the "holiday" tree stage that held the kid's choir.

All in all, it was a nice event, and the kids were tuckered out and ready for bed when we got home, which meant mommy and daddy had a little seasonal celebration of their own involving hot coco and whiskey - always a plus. 

Thanks Olympia!

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The Weekly Volcano’s Afternoon Delight newsletter features breaking news, stories, calendar picks and more sent directly to your inbox Monday-Friday. It’s completely free to subscribers, but costs $10,000 if you don't like it. You will like it. It's sweet and sour and makes you pucker and swoon. Sign up here:

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION >>>

The worlds of comic books and music sometimes merge together, and there have been a few bands and artists through the years that have often had their own comic book or comic series, such as KISS, Megadeth, Static-X, Eninem and C.F.A.

C.F.A.?

Yup, the Tacoma rock band and Ripple Music recording artist Cody Foster Army has a 42-page, independently released comic book chronicling the band's superhero alter ego and its exploits in the City of Destiny titled Cody Foster Army and the Smelter's Curse. Penned and illustrated by fellow musician Potter — who performed in the '90s band Poppa Wheelie with C.F.A. bassist/singer Cody Foster - captures the band on a comedic sci-fi superhero adventure through destruction where bravery and overcoming selfishness is its only hope for survival.

Tacoma artist and author Potter will lead the band through two more adventures down the road.

Cody Foster Army and the Smelter's Curse is available for the Android and iPad at Indy Planet Digital. Indy Planet also offers a print version. 

A number of limited edition, signed and numbered copies are available through the band or at Rocket Records, Poison Apple and Peterson Bros. 1111 in Tacoma.

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Yesterday's comment of the day came from Nicole in regards to the screening of Bible Quiz, which was in our 5 Things To Do Today listing.

Nicole writes,

Hi! Thank you to everyone who made it out today to give feedback on the work-in-progress screening of the documentary "Bible Quiz" at the Washington State History Museum! If you missed it, no worries, this was a preview screening of a work-in-progress and the final film has yet to be released. Please sign up for the mailing list to be kept up-to-date on the finished movie's premier and all of there screenings here: www.biblequizmovie.com Thank you!

TUESDAY, NOV. 27 2012 >>>

1. Deejay Del Brown packs up her classic Rammstein and Marilyn Manson records for a night of moody post-punk, classic bats-and-bondage soundscapes beginning at 10 p.m. at the Top of Tacoma Bar and Café. A prize will be awarded for the best Matrix costume. The "Religious As Hell" Goth and Darkwave night hits the Top every last Tuesday of the month. Bela Lugosi's dead - long live Bela Lugosi!

2. One of the reasons you likely love The Grand Cinema is because of the wide variety of films it chooses to screen. The unfortunate fact is that there are more quality films that it would like to play than it has screen space. Enter The Grand's Tuesday Film Series, which allows it to bring in many more films than usual. Today at 2:50 and 6:50, it screens Wild Horse, Wild Ride - the story of a handful of unforgettable characters set out on a 100-day quest to tame a totally wild mustang for a Texas competition. In three months, man and horse must transform from scared strangers to close companions. It won't be an easy journey.

3. You can find a lot of things in caves: Bats, guano, fish, insects, spiders, crabs, water, stalactites, stalagmites, limestone, stone tools, cave drawings, mud, snakes and bears. Inside The Cave at Pacific Lutheran University you will find a jazz combo from 5:30-7 p.m. Wear a headlamp and a black turtleneck.

4. Bold and brassy horn-players are ditching the rest of their orchestras. But don't worry - it's for one night only. Without the addition of those pansy woodwinds and strings (we kid!), the brass section has a chance to shine in all its strong, honking glory. Get blasted into the holiday season at 7:30 p.m. as musicians perform Christmas classics with a horny spin at the Student Union Building on the University of Puget Sound campus.

5. Every Tuesday night at Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way Leanne Trevalyan hosts an acoustic open mic at 8 p.m.

LINK: Tuesday, Nov. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

BEAN THERE, DONE THAT >>>

Northwesterners love coffee as much as Sasquatch, flannel and karaoke. In fact, Coffee houses in the Pacific Northwest are as omnipresent as slot machines are in Vegas. They line the streets vying for your attention. They beckon you to sip its brews, utilize its Wi-Fi and commune with friends and associates. Many Northwesterners opt for a mega-chain stop due to its overwhelming convenience. Others believe chains are too cookie-cutter and "normal." They opt for the independently owned variety with lots of TLC and personal touches poured into the setting, local art, cozy ambiance and hip entertainment - interesting enough to observe once you drink your coffee.

Artist Marsha Glaziere muses on the latter in her book, Eclectic Coffee Spots in Puget Sound: Paintings, Photographs, Musings, Recipes. The book beautifully captures Pacific Northwest coffee shops with paintings and prose inspired by her coffee house visits over a four-year period.

Friday Nov. 30, Glaziere will be visiting one of our favorite local coffee shops, A Rhapsody in Bloom Florist and Café Latte on Sixth Avenue, to sign her book and chat coffee.

The book includes paintings of the Olympia Roasting Company in Olympia and Tully's Coffee in the historic Bostwick building in downtown Tacoma.

A coffee table book may be just the inspiration you need to revisit old favorites or discover new roasted bean potions. Or, it's an awesome gift for the holidays.

RHAPSODY IN BLOOM FLORIST AND CAFÉ LATTE, FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 5-9 P.M., FREE ADMISSION, 3709 SIXTH AVE., TACOMA, 253.761.7673

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The Weekly Volcano’s Afternoon Delight newsletter features breaking news, stories, calendar picks and more sent directly to your inbox Monday-Friday. It’s completely free to subscribers, but costs $10,000 if you don't like it. You will like it. It's sweet and sour and makes you pucker and swoon. Sign up here:

HERE COME THE SHOWS >>>

This past summer Oliver Doriss was named winner of the 2012 Foundation of Art Award. It's a long-overdue award considering Doriss' contributions to Tacoma's art community both as a practicing glass artist, a DJ and as a gallery owner. And how fitting considering that a large chunk of the current and previous nominees and winners have shown their work in his gallery, Fulcrum.

"Oliver is deeply committed to art in Tacoma, both as an artist and a gallerist," says Jeremy Mangan, former Foundation of Art Award winner and the Foundation of Art Committee member who nominated Doriss for the Award. "His own glass work is as unique and risky as it is beautiful, and Fulcrum Gallery is a vital and dynamic venue where art and community meet in the best way."

"I was flattered just to be nominated," says Doriss. "I couldn't have done a better job at identifying the creative community than in the artists that were nominated. To be selected as the winner and have that recognition is very validating."

As a critic who has been observing the scene here and elsewhere for decades, I must say that I've seldom seen any such award so consistently and intelligently chosen. Over the years I have disagreed with almost every award in the arts from, "best in show" selections to grant recipients. I often think the choices are made by idiots. But Tacoma's Foundation of Art winners and nominees are always top-notch.

This year's nominees include painters, sculptors, photographers and mixed-media artists. The nominees are: R.R. Anderson, Gabriel Brown, Kyle Dillehay, Oliver Doriss, Spencer Ebbinga, Travis Galindo, Chris Jordan and Kenji Stoll, Matt Johnson, Maria Jost, Chuck Knigge, Meghan Mitchell, Susie Russell Hall, Peter Serko, Sharon Styer and Judy Wagner.

Doriss makes unique and technically difficult glass vessels often incorporating twigs and leaves and silver foil. As he explains on his website, "The silver foil effectively wraps the ash of the plant matter as it vaporizes resulting in a stunning ghost like botanical composition." He also makes vessels that he calls domed cities, which are like futuristic, steampunk snow globes. His glass vessels are dense, multi-layered and rich in color and texture.

As the winner, Oliver will receive a $7,500 award and create a commissioned art piece for the Community Foundation, to be unveiled at a culminating art show featuring the work of Foundation of Art Award nominees from the past five years. The exhibit will be on display Dec. 3-29 at B2 Fine Art Gallery in downtown Tacoma. An opening reception will take place the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 5. Among the many artists to be represented in the five-year show are Sean Alexander, Lynn Di Nino, Gabriel Brown, Jeremy Gregory, Ellen Ito, Lisa Kinoshita, Jeremy Mangan, Janet Marcavage, Nicholas Nyland, Holly Senn and others. Learn more about the reception here.