THURSDAY, APRIL 4 2013 >>>

1. EMA, aka Erika Anderson of defunct psych-folk outfit Gowns, is all about contradictions. She's lo-fi and blown-out, folk-minded but tentatively danceable, ethereal and explosively percussive. The reductive way to describe her music would be to say that it's experimental, but, well, dammit everything's experimental now. Catch her with Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa and The Mother Ruckus at 9 p.m. inside the all-ages venue Northern.

2. The Bayview School of Cooking hosts two free classes on cooking with eggs. Barb Agee, a long-time instructor at BSC, will demonstrate how to make a hearty dish of Migas, Rosemary-Parmesan Popovers and more using ... eggs. Jump in at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.

3. The Olympia Farmers Market opens today at 10 a.m. and produce vendors and artisans aren't the only ones preparing for the onslaught of strollers and tourists. Food vendors are busy stocking coolers and napkin holders in order to help happy shoppers make it through a trip to the market with tempting treats like soba, chowder, Belgian waffles and more. "It's cool - everyone is excited to be back open," says Matt Cummings, who runs the rock 'n' roll themed HeyDay Cafe with his family. "It's like a tribe down here." Read Nikki McCoy's full interview with Mike Cummings of HeyDay Cafe in the Weekly Volcano's Restaurants section.

4. As part of National Poetry Month, and specifically Tacoma Poetry Month, four acclaimed Northwest poets — Derek Sheffield, Arlene Kim, Marjorie Manwaring and Rebecca Hoogs — as well as host and TCC professor Allen Braden will read from new works at the crossroads of clarity and magic at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

5. For generations, Southern prisons have been a key incubator of American music, from gospel, folk, and country to - mostly famously - the blues. Ben Harbert's film Follow Me Down: Portraits of Louisiana Prison Musicians explores music and culture focusing on the "serious, sad, and politically frustrating stories" of today's prison inmates, revealing the role music plays in personal expression, entertainment, escape and camaraderie behind bars. Catch it at 7 p.m. in Rausch Auditorium at the University of Puget Sound. The man behind Follow Me Down, Ben Harbert, will introduce the film and host a Q & A after the screening.

LINK: Thursday, April 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area