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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Clouds and sun, hi 47, lo 39

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a few showers, hi 45, lo 38

Sunday: Cloudy with a little rain, hi 44, lo 33

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 4-SATURDAY, JAN. 5: BROADWAY'S NEXT HIT MUSICAL

Broadway's Next Hit Musical looks hilarious. It's song. It's dance. It's audience participation. Most importantly, it's improvised. The crowd gets to choose four different song titles, vote on the Broadway's next hit musical and then watch as the talented crew improvs an entire musical based on the winning title. With a witty cast, plot twists and an assortment of situations, each night is different and each night will certainly be memorable. - Nikki McCoy

• The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., $9-$26, 512 Washington St., Olympia, 360.753.8585

• Fulcrum Gallery, 5 p.m., free, 1308 S. MLK Way, Tacoma
  

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 4-SATURDAY, JAN. 5: OLY MOUNTAIN BOYS

The Oly Mountain Boys are stomping their way into the Yew Year. With nine shows booked in the South Sound over the next two months, the bluegrass masters start with a show tonight at The New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma and Saturday at The Pig Bar in Oly. The five piece uses all the bluegrass faves - harmonious vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle and bass - to hone a sound that's their own. Plus, they know how to dress. Have you seen the hats they wear? -NM

• The New Frontier, w/Rusty Cleavers and Michael Gee, Friday, 9 p.m., $5, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253. 572.4020

• The Pig Bar, Saturday, 8 p.m., no cover, 619 Legion Way SE, Olympia, 360.943.6900

>>> FRIDAY. JAN. 4-SUNDAY, JAN. 6: MONSTER JAM

For every adult male that never outgrew smashing his matchbox cars into each other, the Tacoma Dome brings back Grave Digger, Bounty Hunter, Captain America and more, in (ahem, let me change to my commercial announcer voice) an OUTRAGEOUS display of monster truck POWER, watch them FLIP, JUMP and SMASH!!  Fun for the whole family, get there early and get up close and personal with the trucks and drivers in the PARTY PIT! This weekend ONLY at the MONSTER JAM ROCK THE DOME BATTLE OF THE MONSTER TRUCKS. BE THERE!! Well, that was obnoxious. I'm sure the real event will be much more entertaining than those commercials. Maybe. - NM

• Tacoma Dome, Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunda, 1 p.m. $10-$22, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, 253.272.3663

>>> FRIDAY. JAN. 4-SUNDAY, JAN. 6: PUYALLUP HOME SHOW

For three days inside the Puyallup Fairground's Showplex, the Puyallup Home and Garden Show will serve up the best in home design, landscaping and decorating. Produced by Trade Shows Northwest, a company that makes its living putting events like this together, according to hype the Puyallup Home and Garden show promises to provide "homeowners with wonderful ideas on enhancing their home´s comfort and functionality, as well as the overall look and appeal of their home." Expect product demonstrations and guys in Janet Jackson headsets slinging vinyl siding. It just might be enough to inspire you to make that kitchen island or storm door a reality. — Weekly Volcano

• Puyallup Fairground's Showplex, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4-Saturday, Jan. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, $7-$8, Ninth and meridian, Puyallup, 253.874.8711

>>> SATURDAY, Jan. 5: RETRO SKATE NIGHT

Go old school in Puyallup Saturday at another Retro Skate Night at Tiffany's Skate Inn. Retro is all the rage these days, from Atari to tube socks, and Retro Skate Nights at Tiffany's - featuring tunes from the '70s, '80s and '90s - are probably better than both of those things. Get funky from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. — WV

• Tiffany's Skate Inn, 7-10 p.m., $7, 113 N Meridian, Puyallup, 253.848.1153

>>> SUNDAY, JAN. 6: LAST SKATE

Sunday is the last day to bundle up, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at Tollefson Plaza. The Franciscan Polar Plaza, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 17th Street ends today. Hit the ice from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. — WV

• Franciscan Plolar Plaza, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., $4-$8, 17th and Pacific avenue, Tacoma
  

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
Amanda and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary as a couple by going on our first-ever ski weekend.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I'd be a fool to miss the Santee show on Saturday, which also features personal favorites of mine People Under the Sun and I Like Science. That's a crazy solid lineup. If you haven't seen People Under the Sun and their gauntlet of vintage synthesizers, you're missing quite a sight.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
I shall watch the Seahawks whup up on Washington (I hope, I hope, I hope,) and I'll write a chapter or two in the next great American novel.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
Playing catch up on housework, staying under blankets as much as possible and paying bills. You know, recovering from the holidays.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
Tonight I'm hosting a nice little local hip-hop show at The Loch's. Catch W.O.L.F. Gang, Sic Ill, J.U.I., Gho$t Kapone, Cauze-N-Efekt, 36uh0! and D.J. Reign. It's only $5 and the doors open at 9 p.m. Saturday from 1-2 p.m. I'll be teaching some spoken word/poetry at D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts. Contact the Center to enroll or just stop on by. Saturday, I'll also be at Awall's video shoot. I don't want to give too much away. Stay tuned!

JACKIE FENDER Food Writer
Just good ol' work. I'll be slinging booze, writing and returning emails and ideally getting January's Wrist issues out on the stands.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
For the first time in weeks I don't have a single thing planned other than church and football! We've already taken the Christmas tree down and organized all the toddlers new toys. If the weather is nice we may let the boy ride his new tricycle outside or take the dogs for a walk. Otherwise, I need to make a new lining for my pea coat and figure out what it means to be defiantly creative and do some of that.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: Photographer
I will be strapped to my Xbox 360 with my kids touring the Disney games. Also, I'm talking the female offspring to see Children's Hour at Lakewood Playhouse.

TIMOTHY GRISHAM Music Writer
I am still a bit miffed that the world did not end last month. I really planned on it, and spent way too much on gifts for family that I would never see again. But alas, I did see them again, and now I have to do the yearly ritual of returning unwanted gifts at a mall I hate going to. While I am there I am going to catch Django Unchained to easy my psychotic state, or amplify it depending on how you look at it.

ROCKFORD ROWLEY All-Ages Music Columnist
This weekend, I will be scouring antique stores in an attempt to furnish my apartment.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar