SATURDAY, DEC. 8 2012 >>>

1. Imagine soulful music of yesterday being forcibly pumped out of Janis Joplin's larynx and then lathered with the silkiest velvet, and you've a pretty good idea of the kind of groove Kim Archer can make. Archer has a strong, emotional voice, a robust musical sense and a willingness to work outside the tightly proscribed boundaries of the genre. Tonight, from 7-9 p.m. you may ice skate to Archer's heavy soul and groove when she performs at the Weekly Volcano's electric Salchow Stage inside the ice rink at the Franciscan Polar Plaza. They'll be dancing on the ice tonight.

2. Christmas shopping can be fun — especially when you dress up the shopping environment like a Victorian English town, make it feel authentic with roving, costumed entertainers, town criers and carolers, and fill it with beautiful handmade gift items and scrumptious food. You’ll get all that at the Dickens Festival at Stadium, a period-piece shopping experience in Tacoma’s Stadium District from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dickens Festival at Stadium concludes with the Dickens Ball inside the Titus Will Showroom. From 6-9:30 p.m. The Fat Tones will fill the dealership with rockin' blues.

3. To inject a little spirit and a lot of youth in our veins, the Weekly Volcano is headed to the Freighthouse Square Saturday for its annual Family Holiday Event featuring $5 Santa photos, holiday craft bazaar, Lego display, carolers, DIY craft tables, Winter Wonderland Model Train exhibit and more for noon to 4 p.m.

4. This holiday season, step away from the shopping madness at the malls and try something different - a shopping tour brought to you by Tacoma ART BUS and Go Local Tacoma. Today's bus tour is hosted by Tacoma City Councilmember and president of the Tacoma Urban League Victoria Woodards. The tour boards at Tacoma Art Museum between 3:30 and 3:55 p.m. and leaves at 4. Tickets are $10 via Brown Paper Tickets, or $20 if you want a swag bag. Again, you'll get the passport and must shop at five participating businesses to enter the raffle. Since you'll have wheels for this tour, businesses are as far-flung as Sixth Avenue, the Dome District and South Tacoma Way.

5. Downtown Olympia was rocked Monday night by the senseless murder of one of its own, Casey Heath. Tonight at 9 p.m. inside McCoy's Tavern, Heath's longtime friends are throwing a benefit to help with the funeral costs, but more importantly, bring together the Downtown Olympia Community to remember a dear friend. The Resident Kings, Little Red Car Wreck and The Have At Its join McCoy's staples AKA & The Heart Hurt Goods and DJ Slimrock for an incredible night of music. There will be a suggested donation of $5 (but any amount, more or less, is welcome) and no one will be turned away at the door.

PLUS: The Hilltop Artists Holiday Glass Sale and Duck The Malls in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: Saturday, Dec. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area