THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Mostly cloudy, hi 50, lo 44

Saturday: Rain on and off, hi 51, lo 41

Sunday: Cloudy with a few showers, hi 49, lo 43

>>> THURSDAY, NOV. 15: AKA AND THE HEART HURTS GOOD

Thursday night AKA and the Heart Hurt Goods will play its first show at one of Olympia's favorite venues, the Eastside Club, where dreadlocks, mohawks and ponytails all bob and weave through the dance floor to some of the regions best bands. AKA and the Heart Hurt Goods join the club with their fresh style of performance hip-hop. With a new CD under their belt, (release party coming soon!) the group is riding high on a wave of energy, bringing messages of love, both light-hearted and deep-seeded. The band has good looking merchandise, too. "We're very excited about playing at the Eastside," says Mark Bowen, AKA. "There is a large constituent of people that only go to the Eastside because they love really good beers, so go there we must. It's one of the last remaining venues in town we haven't got to rock yet." - Nikki McCoy

• The Eastside Club Tavern, with Jeff Campbell Band and Elbow Coulee, Thursday, Nov 15, 9 p.m., $3, 410 4th Ave E, Olympia, 360.357.9985

>>> FRIDAY, NOV. 16: THE NEO-FUTURIST

The Neo-Futurist, an experimental theater company from Chicago, are returning to Tacoma to perform their signature show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, inside the Norton Clapp Theatre at the University of Puget Sound.The show includes 30 short, original plays performed by the ensemble in just 60 minutes. The audience throws a wrench in the whirlwind pace by picking the order of the 30 plays from "menus" prepared for them by the troupe. It's perfect theater for those with short attention spans whom also wish they were directors. — Weekly Volcano

• Norton Clapp Theatre, 10:30 p.m., price determined by the roll of a dice, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, 253.879.3555
  

>>> FRIDAY, NOV. 16: TRIPOD SLIDE SHOW

The wilderness does strange things to people. Isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city, surrounded by pine trees and reclusive coots, the mind can begin to play tricks on folks, causing them to see shadows in the forest when they're out walking alone or hear voices in the breeze. Sometimes, you even have to cut your arm off with a pocketknife. Friday, three local photographers will show slides of their latest adventures in the wilderness. Nina Rook introduces GREEN! ... The Olympia Peninsula.  Dan Fear presents Mountain Climbing Vistas in Nepal and Peru photographed by Ron Fear (b 1944 - d 1973). Kathy Gore-Fuss shares Grand Canyon: Foot by Foot. Get there early. Seats go fast. — Ron Swarner

• Madera Furniture Company, 7-8:30 p.m., $5, 2210 Court A, Tacoma, 253.572.1218
  

>>> SATURDAY, NOV. 17: TACOMA CASH MOB

If you picked up last week's edition of the Weekly Volcano, then you know all about Katy Evans and her involvement with the greater good of Tacoma. Saturday, 1 p.m., catch her and other like-minded individuals (yourself included?) in action as they embark on a very special Tacoma Cash Mob. This holiday inspired event has its very first sponsor who will be handing out prizes to the first 80 adults that claim a ticket. Meeting spot is Rainier Room of the Landmark Convention Center. After a hug, everyone will venture to mystery spots to spend cash, help local businesses, knock out some holiday shopping and pick up their special gift. Evans writes, "And when I say special, I mean REALLY special - the motherload really, thanks to a very cool cash mob sponsor!" — NM

• Landmark Convention Center, Rainier Room (2nd Floor), Tacoma Cash Mob, Saturday, Nov 17, 1 p.m., 47 St Helens Ave., Tacoma, www.facebook.com/tacomacashmob

>>> SUNDAY, NOV. 18: FANTASY LIGHTS WALK

It gets cold out there, but it sure is fun and the crisp air sparks the holiday spirit in even the most curmudgeon among the walkers. A family tradition in the South Sound is walking through the Fantasy Lights displays at Spanaway Park. The 2.5 mile route is open to walkers for a preview. Beginning Nov. 22 you can drive the loop to see some 300 light displays that range from a skiing snowman to a tank firing snowballs to a pirate ship and jumping rain deer. Fantasy Lights, now in its 18th year, is the Northwest's largest drive-through holiday lights display. — WV

• Spanaway Park,5-7 p.m., $4, $12 family, 14824 S. C St., Spanaway, 253.841.8515

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I'm seeing Avenue Q in Seattle and, should the literary gods so grant, finishing Michael Chabon's Telegraph Avenue.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music Writer
Saturday, I'll be hitting up The New Frontier for one of my favorite local bands, the Riffbrokers. Time permitting, I'll also be spending some more time considering whether or not I should see The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Everyone's saying it's good, but they also said that about that dumb book, too. Fool me twice? We'll see.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
I'm going to see A Christmas Survival Guide at Harlequin Productions in Olympia and maybe ... just maybe if we can get five very busy people together at the same time we're going to rehearse the staged reading from my new book, Return to Freedom.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
After recovering from a night of HUMP! I plan to take it easy tonight, although there a lot of fun shows. I will probably re-arrange my furniture, to be honest. Friday will be the usual happy hour shenanigans, with a walk down to McCoy's Tavern in Olympia for a bitchin Mosquito Hawk, Argonaut and All Hail The Yeti show. Saturday is always laundry. Sunday will be Thanksgiving prep. Re-reading this, I realize, damn, Friday night is where it's at. I wish I could stay there all weekend, as I don't care for laundry or cooking, and I do love me some good ole dirty rock 'n' roll.

JACKIE FENDER Food Writer
Sadly my weekend is mostly uneventful. Ill be slinging breakfast and booze at Dirty Oscars. Then having an after work Manhattan if I'm so inclined.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
This weekend is chock full of theater! I will be reviewing Lakewood Playhouse's production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Sunday, I will be heading to Seattle for Wicked, which will make all of my friends happy since they will finally be allowed to talk about how great they thought it was when they saw it (weeks ago). I will be spending the rest of the time trying to get my adorable two year old to learn new party tricks in time for the upcoming holiday season.

TIMOTHY GRISHAM Music Writer
Music history has been full of individuals mining horror imagery for tying the macabre with rock n' roll. From Screaming Lord Sutch on one end, to perhaps more contemporary examples such as GWAR, "shock rock" is entertainment personified. Alice Cooper, who helped solidify the genre with the Alice Cooper Group performs his set of classics this Sunday (Nov. 18) at the Emerald Queen Casino. Take it as a somewhat rare opportunity to see Cooper perform in a venue that is not a small arena.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
Friday night I'll be at Backstage in Tacoma to watch Alabama transplant Bama Da Prince. He's performing and local Johnni Boi will be hosting the night. Saturday at 1 p.m. I'll be teaching my Spoken-Word/Poetry class at D.A.S.H. My class is part of the Art of Hip-Hop project. A.O.H.H. is compused of hip-hop culture classes, rhyming, writing and recording. Saturday, my hip-hop group Beanz & Rize has a show in Centrailia. Sunday, I will be recovering.

JENNI BORAN Features Writer
I'll be tackling the Mustache Dache 5k at Magnuson Park in Seattle. I hear the event has a mechanical bull. Bonus!

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Photog About Town
I will be hitting the Truman Middle School Orchestra concert tonight to admire the violin section. Friday will bring Tacoma Brewing Tap Night in the Triangle District. I will be leading a photo safari class on low-light picture taking Saturday, space is still available. Sunday will likely mean hanging out with some guy named Alice Cooper at the Emerald Queen.

NIC LEONARD Music Writer
Friday night I will be attending the Portland Trailblazers game.  I'll be spending the rest of my weekend in Portland as well, at various bars.

ROCKFORD ROWLEY All-Ages Music Columnist
Hanging out at Bluebeard Coffee.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar

Filed under: The Weekend Hustle, Community, Events, Theater, Music, Holidays, Olympia, Spanaway, Tacoma,