Weekend Hustle: Dance Oly Dance, Sustainability Expo, Dance party, "Arabian Nights," Dance Festival and more ...

By Volcano Staff on March 1, 2013

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a couple of showers, hi 57, lo 44

Saturday: Periods of annoying rain, hi 55, lo 38

Sunday: Some rain here and there, hi 48, lo 35

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 1: DANCE OLY DANCE

It's been awhile since we've shined some light on Dance Oly Dance, where the dance revolution is televised. Well, at least on local television with local dancers and local DJs. The March 1 episode features an online vote for a favorite DJ, so dancers get to choose the poison. Will it be DJ SPF666? Will it be DJ Riot? Tune into Facebook for voting and results, and if you are not down there shaking your boo-tay, tune into TCTV to watch Dance Oly Dance live. — Nikki McCoy

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 1: DISTINGUISHED WRITER SERIES

You know what rotating equipment engineers can do? They can: evaluate new equipment and enable employees training on proper repair and operational techniques; function as technical resource to maintenance groups to direct and recommend problems solutions; prepare equipment RFQ packages and technical bid evaluations and make vendor suggestions; review vendor design documents and coordinate with vendors during equipment design and fabrication process; publish two chapbooks; specify and review drawings and data for large pumps and rotating equipment for offshore applications and conduct routine and complex engineering, design, analysis and technical tasks. Well, at least that's what poet John Milkereit has done. Ask him about his chapbooks and RFQ packages tonight when he leads the Distinguished Writer Series event and open mic.

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 1: AKA AND THE HEART HURT GOODS

AKA and the Heart Hurt Goods is driven. The band is talented. And it plans to blow up The Royal Friday night in Oly. The group is always lively - with AKA laying his rhyme and reason to an authentic blend of talented musicians and lovely lady vocals. And I'm not ashamed to hype these guys by dropping names. They've opened for Sublime LBC and Macklemore. 'Nuff said. - NM

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 2: DANCE PARTY

The New Frontier Lounge will play host to one of THE premiere dance parties of the year Saturday. Tacoma's own Death By Stars has rounded up an all-star cast of its amazing friends to provide the 253 with a night of something new, something different, something ... weird! Bands includeEver So Android, Werebearcat! and DJ Melodica. "We wanted to bring in bands that don't get a chance to play in Tacoma enough," says DBS member Patrick Galactic.  It's also Galactic and Juan El Revelator's birthday.  "I've never thrown myself a bash before," Galactic continues, "so we're gonna do this RIGHT!  It's going to be a celebration of the friends, family and city we love. If you like to shake it, this is your night. If you don't like to shake it but like to watch sexy girls shake it ... this is your night!" - NM

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 2: SOUTH SOUND SUSTAINABILITY EXPO

Fun fact: Before there were expos, people had no idea how to disseminate information about sustainability. It was a bleak time. Luckily, events like Saturday's South Sound Sustainability Expo at the Tacoma Convention and Trade Center have solved this problem, bringing "green" to the masses. According to hype, the South Sound Sustainability Expo is "intended to provide residents and business owners in the greater Tacoma metropolitan area a place to discover services, products, companies, and agencies in our region that address sustainability needs in our community." As part of that goal, instruction and information on everything from urban chicken cooping to waste minimization and recycling will be discussed. 

>>> SUNDAY, MARCH 3: ARABIAN NIGHTS

The Tacoma Youth Symphony Association brings its 2012-2013 season to the Rialto Theater Sunday for a performance by the much-loved Tacoma Youth Symphony Orchestra. Titled Arabian Nights, and thematically including Mahler's "Adagietto" from Symphony No. 5, Weber's Second Concerto for Clarinet and Romsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Sunday's afternoon concert should deliver in all facets of awesomeness. Coolest of all: 100 free main-floor tickets for students of high school age or younger will be available at the door on the day of the performance.

>>> SUNDAY, MARCH 3: OLYMPIA DANCE FESTIVAL

Jazz hands, everyone! Sunday brings the fourth annual Olympia Dance Festival to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Combing the dance talents of several regional dance troupes - listed on the press release as Ballet Northwest, Centralia Ballet Academy, Comerford School of Irish Dance, Debbi's Dance, Johansen Olympia Dance Center, Mas Uda Middle Eastern Dancers, Random Acts of Dance Collective, Slieveloughane Irish Dancers, Southwest Washington Dance Ensemble and Studio West Dance Academy - this yearly event typically inspires smiles and rounds of applause. Southwest Washington is full of dance talent, and the Olympia Dance Festival routinely puts that fact on full display.

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
Our schedule is unusually vacant this weekend, so the better half and I plan to give our condo a thorough pre-spring cleaning. Also, I'd very much like to catch Shakespeare Abridged at TLT, given its enthusiastic thumbs-up from Joann Varnell.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music Writer
This weekend, I'll be hitting up Patrick Galactic's birthday show at the New Frontier. Death By Stars, Ever-So-Android, Elbow Coulee and Werebearcat! I'd be a fool not to go.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
We're going to Seattle Saturday to see Photograph 51 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. Not exactly a title that makes people run out and buy tickets, but I hear it's a great play.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
How about a bubble bath while the servants, I mean children, clean the cat box and fold the laundry? How about a full body massage with lavender and jojoba oil while my husband serenades me on the guitar? How about a luxury shopping trip with girlfriends and martinis while a team of top-rate gardeners prepare my yard for spring? Oh, sorry, what was that? My weekend plans? Nursing a cold and scrubbing toilets while the tyrants, I mean children, fight over Legos and complain about dinner.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
I'm not doing too much this weekend. Friday, I'll be at Jazzbones for Clemm Rishad's album-release party. Saturday, I'll be teaching my spoken word/poetry class at D.A.S.H Center for the Arts. Sunday, I'll try to get my slow-moving ass to the Graffiti Garages for the Sunday Cyphers.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
Saturday, I'll hit up the Super Mall with one of my best friends (with my toddler in tow) to spend a gift certificate from Christmas. Sunday, I'll start the day with a birthday breakfast in bed and say hello to 38. I have no other plans than to relax, maybe take a nap (you know, like old people do) and enjoy a birthday dinner prepared by my rad husband. (Do people even say "rad" anymore?)

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Nightlife Correspondent
Well, I will be working on my next book about the history of Lakewood and going to the training session to learn about researching life in Washington during the Civil War years for an upcoming exhibit at WSHM, beating the ukulele strings like they owe me money for a birthday gig I got roped into playing and then maybe hit Louie G's for the Ben Union show or the Blanco Bronco show at the New Frontier. Decisions, decisions. Oh yeah, and walk the dog.

NIC LEONARD Music Writer
Saturday night I will be attending the Portland Trailblazers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game down at the Rose Garden followed by a night if partying in Portland. Look for me on TV!  I'll be decked out in vintage Sonics gear sitting two rows behind one of the hoops.

ROCKFORD ROWLEY All-Ages Music Columnist
This weekend, I'm headed up to The Experience Music Project to see The Sound Off! finals. I'll be pulling for Tacoma's own electro-pop glimmer-twins THE FAME RIOT. A winning outcome will guarantee them a spot on the Bumbershoot bill.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar