SUNDAY, JUNE 30 2013 >>>
1. Man, we don't ever get tired of slide guitar. Ex-Sheryl Crow guitar slinger Todd Wolfe plays classic rock with jam-band elements thrown in and a wicked blues slant. He and bandmates bassist Justine Gardner and drummer Roger Voss conjure up tones that are swampy, greasy and menacing. Wolfe's blues is the kind of sexy, slithering strain you'd expect to hear coming through a broke-down Delta joint's screen door. Great music for dancing slow, for dancing close. Catch the band at 7 p.m. in The Spar in Old Town Tacoma.
2. There is no such thing as a typical bicyclist, but there are certainly bicycle types. You have your die-hard cyclists, who pour their sinewy bodies into neoprene suits, ride their bikes every day and regard automobiles with derision. You also have your weekend riders, who aren't necessarily competitive like the die-hards, but might spend big bucks for a brightly colored off-road bike. And then you have the newbies, the amateurs and the lazies - who may ride occasionally, rarely, or not al all since their parents sold their banana seat Huffys at neighborhood yard sales 20 years ago. But if there' one issue that bicyclists around Pierce County can agree on, it's that the Tour de Pierce bike ride is flat out fun. And if flat is your speed, skip the 30- and 50-mile routes and enjoy the flat, easy 12-miler. The ride begins between 7:30-11:30 a.m. at the Gold parking lot of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup and winds through Puyallup, Sumner and adjacent farmlands.
3. A stalwart in the Tacoma community - as a musician, bartender and all-around good guy, Brian Redman was killed when he crashed his scooter in September 2009. In remembrance and to raise money for young musicians, the Brian Redman memorial Poker Tournament and Concert will be held Sunday, June 30 at Jazzbones. The poker tournament begins at 11 a.m. for a $50 donation. Music starts at 6 p.m. for a $5 donation. Raymond Hayden and The Monsters in the Dark, Champagne Sunday and Mahnhammer are on the bill. Raffle tickets will be on hand in $5 and $20 increments, with incentive for multiple purchases. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the Brian Redman Memorial Poker Tournament and Concert on our Walkie Talkie blog.
4. The final evening of the Olympia Experimental Music Festival will include a performance from Olympia native Derek M. Johnson. The cello-wielding and award-winning experimental musician will surely pack a number of tricks up his sleeve. His performance will allegedly feature music created with Kodak slide projectors, filtered through the extensive array of pedals he will have at his disposal. His "ektagraphtastic" set will undoubtedly be something to write home about. For a list of band performing tonight, click here.
5. We suppose it's fitting that the Mormon Trannys will be gracing Olympia with their presence on a Sunday. We also suppose there's no way for me to really know if they're actually scorned former members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, like they claim, but what is utterly apparent is that these guys are packed almost to the breaking point with the kind of sneering satire and politically incorrect social commentary that marked bands like the Frogs and other punk weirdos. The over-the-top show begins at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.
LINK: Sunday, June 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
