WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 2013 >>>

1. Word Nerds! Scrabble is back at King's Books. Chill. You're good with words. Seriously. Get it together! This is Scrabble Rabble at 6:30 p.m. inside King's, remember? The Tacoma bookstore's Scrabble Rabble tournament will allow participants to establish their own skill levels and compete with others for glory. The Weekly Volcano has always enjoyed hanging onto the "Q," where it hangs there on our rack like some ultimate weapon of destruction, waiting for that all-enabling "U" tile to unleash its point-mongering wrath upon our opponents. Anyway, if your job sucks or you have a strange rash, join the tournament and those problems will, if only for a few hours, ease back into the recesses of your mind. Oh, and read Kristin Kendle's feature on Scrabble Rabble on the Weekly Volcano's blog Spew.

2. Since its introduction in 1894, the motorcycle has spawned a variety of cultures and uses. As basic transportation, as leisure activity or as a die-hard lifestyle, millions of people have a love affair with Choppers, Crotch Rockets, Thumpers and all things two-wheeled. The action-packed exhibit "Let's Ride! Motocycling The Northwest at the Washington State History Museum is a celebration of the region's never-waning motorcycle culture - will include interactive exhibits, videos and impressive displays of machines from 1906 to the 21st century. Check it out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Wednesday night is always good for getting quizzical in the South Sound. The Harmon Brewery hosts Trivia Night with Gordon Adams, Doyle's Public House offers Knowledge Night team trivia with awesome prizes, and out at the Steilacoom Pub and Grill Steilacoom catch "Trivia with Dave." Find all the info you need right here.

4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound is virtually unrelated to the roomy traditions of soul saxes, honking saxes or deep-chested boudoir ballad saxes. It derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced-Redman in Kandi's funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. Kandi has been hanging with organist Delvon Lamarr and drummer Adam Kessler, which has added groovy innovation to Kandi's sound. The Kareem Kandi Band heads back to The Swiss at 7 p.m. for another Wednesday open jam session.

5.There may be no better venue in Olympia to belt out the hits as the China Clipper on Fourth Avenue, which hosts Late Night Karaoke every Wednesday for the hard-drinking, hard-singing crowd. You should see this spectacle.

LINK: Wednesday, June 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area