There's no finer way to get to know a neighborhood than feverishly tearing your way through it, scouring the area, seeking landmarks you might otherwise walk by, racing against the clock on foot or on bike. This is the madness that is a street scramble. This is what to expect at the Tacoma Street Scramble - Sunday, June 23 - to get you, your team or your family out and about in a whole new way.

Tacoma Street Scramble will start at the Washington State History Museum. From there, participants will scurry off to explore downtown Tacoma, Ruston, Thea Foss Waterway, Old Town, the Tacoma Dome and other areas. The beauty of the street scramble is that it is not a race, at least not in the traditional sense. Teams and individuals can choose either a 90-minute or 3-hour time limit to hunt down any number of the 30 checkpoints.

For more details, click here.

Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on the race late Friday afternoon in the Spouse magazine.

The Brown Edition - the Olympia band self-described as "all the soul, funk and jazz your ass can handle" - was voted best band in the Weekly Volcano's 2011 Best of Olympia readers' poll. It's a prestigious honor, to say the least. The award undoubtedly helped the band earn its latest accolade, winner of the 12th Annual Independent Music Awards' Fusion/Funk/Jam category.

Read the press release excerpt, then go find the band and give them a big hug. You'll probably find them at the Fish Tale Brew Pub.

Olympia based The Brown Edition (Spectra Jazz Label), are among the established and rising stars named as the judge-determined Winners of The 12^th Annual Independent Music Awards.  The IMAs are one of the most influential music awards programs for independent bands and fans.

The veteran artists and rising stars named as 12th IMA Winners in more than 80 Album, EP, Song, Music Producer, Music Video and Design categories were winnowed from thousands of submissions from around the globe, and were determined by a panel of influential artists and music industry executives.

Congratulations!

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

Buffalo Wild Wings in Olympia opened its doors May 31. I decided to take the family for a visit and see what the hype is all about.

The parking lot was full as heck as I squeezed my Subaru wagon into a "compact" parking spot - of which there were about 40, all with SUVs and trucks jammed in at interesting angles.

No doubt the place was popping. Bright colors, loud music and around 30 big screen TVs filled the main floor, which was arranged with a few booths and lots of four-top tables. The scene reminded me of a cafeteria - a far cry from the Denny's that the location was famous for before - where many Olympia residents played late night pool, crammed in homework sessions or went for a breakfast slam with the parents.

Read more...

THURSDAY, JUNE 13 2013 >>>

1. Lauded as the greatest performer of all time, Michael Jackson was a dancing, singing, performing phenomenon, and we are not likely to see another performer of his caliber ever again. The life of Michael Jackson is being retold at 7:30 p.m. when Kenny Wizz, considered the world's best Michael Jackson impersonator, takes th Pantages Theater audience on a musical Jackson journey from the Jackson 5 era to the current decade. What to wear to the show? One white glove. 

2. Upon first listen to Memory Boys, one gets the impression that they are practitioners of this sort of trendy, depressive songwriting, cloaked in darkness and murky with reverb. This is certainly the case, to an extent, but repeated exposure reveals a nifty knack for interesting twists and turns - unexpected bursts of sunshine that cast a relief over the rest of the proceedings. Catch them with Humble Cub, Slushy and Half Shadow at 8 p.m. in Metronome Coffee.

3. Comedian Caroline Rhea will perform at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club. Rhea began her career in comedy in 1989, taking the trek from her native Montreal to the mecca of stand-up comedy, New York City. She studied performance at The New School and trained at the Catch a Rising Star comedy club before breaking out in stand-up, both with live comedy performances and appearances on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour and Comic Strip Live. Rhea's talent in comedy has led to roles on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show, the movie Man on the Moon, and as the host of the talk show The Caroline Rhea Show and The Biggest Loser. Her trademark upbeat perkiness can mask a routine just as vulgar as anyone.

4. A Leaf has the honest qualities of '60s psychedelia and harmonic folk with a splash of this generation's shoe-gazey pop rock. The band's songs range from groovy instrumental to Beatlesesque love songs. The stories told are catchy and engaging; something listeners can relate to, and dream with, such as, "See the world inside a seed. Feel the ocean moving through me. Fell asleep on a trembling leaf, woke up in a cloud and I heard them sing, "Wherever we go, wherever we go... we're alright". I'm a caterpillar you're a butterfly." There's a motivation behind the music that seems to work itself out in every riff and harmony, allowing a sense of movement and grounding at the same time. A Leaf performs at 8 p.m. with Owl Parliament and A Breakthrough In Field Studies in The New Frontier Lounge.

5. The Engine House No. 9 is housed in a firehouse built in 1907 and still retains some of original firefighting artifacts. Purchased by the X Group, the force behind Asado and Masa, there's new excitement with better food, a whiskey bar, more craft beer from head brewer Shane Johns and a shuffleboard in the sideroom. Rev. Colin hosts karaoke at 9 p.m. He possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby."

LINK: Thursday, June 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 2013 >>>

1. The music of Baltic Cousins is defined by balls-out folk instrumentation, with Bradley Lockhart's voice shouting above the crazed din. It calls to mind easy comparisons like the Pogues, with its melding of traditional instrumentation and sloppy, emotionally resonant melodies and lyrics. There's nothing involving half-measures even close to the work of Baltic Cousins. Everything has an urgency and unapologetically bombastic energy to it. Though there's nothing new to the idea of introducing punk to the folk world, the way that Baltic Cousins combine the sounds has an interesting bent to it. Check them out with Santee and Tortilla Flat at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full featuree on Baltic Cousins in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Singing while drinking is one of life's greatest treasures. That's why nothing is more hilarious than watching a dueling piano show in a room overflowing with patrons who are doing both. It's not your typical comedy venue, but we guarantee you'll laugh your ass off to the tune of classic sing-alongs and the witty repertoire provided by pianists at 7 p.m. at the AFC Arena at Lewis Main. Admission is free. Food and cash bar are on site.

3. UK playwright Pericles Snowdon's Bluebeard is a story about isolation, family, betrayal, apocalypse and parenthood. Under the direction of David Domkoski, Assemblage Theater brings to life the dark story of Blue, a woman who has been so hurt and disillusioned by her experiences in the outside world that she steals three little girls and locks them away in an abandoned church - our beloved Urban Grace Church in downtown Tacoma - for their whole lives in order to protect them, while a kind of apocalypse happens outside. Blue creates strict rules by which the girls must live and re-writes history, making the girls "perform" a different chapter of it each day. Creepy. Then, the mysterious Magnon steps into their melancholy blue world and turns it upside down. Watch it all go down at 8 p.m. inside the Urban Grace.

4. Comedian Caroline Rhea will perform at 8 and 10:30 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club. Rhea began her career in comedy in 1989, taking the trek from her native Montreal to the mecca of stand-up comedy, New York City. She studied performance at The New School and trained at the Catch a Rising Star comedy club before breaking out in stand-up, both with live comedy performances and appearances on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour and Comic Strip Live. Rhea's talent in comedy has led to roles on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show, the movie Man on the Moon, and as the host of the talk show The Caroline Rhea Show and The Biggest Loser. Her trademark upbeat perkiness can mask a routine just as vulgar as anyone.

5. O'Malley' Irish Pub hosts an intimate, free show featuring Black Pussy, The Triple Sixes, Ancient Warlocks and Fist Fite beginning at 8 p.m. Bring a date.

LINK: Friday, June 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 2013 >>>

1. It's hard to believe it's been 28 years since Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) first leaped into that plutonium-powered DeLorean and time-traveled back to 1955. LeMay - America's Car Museum is kicking off its summer drive-in movie series at 4:30 p.m. (movie starts at sunset) with Back to the Future. ACM will have a giant 40-foot movie screen that will allow people to park and watch the movie – free of charge – from their cars or spread out on its lawn with blankets and chairs — accompanied by ACM's two DeLoreans on the showfield. Additional activities including zip-lining and food will be available for purchase.

2. Opening today and running through Oct. 6, The Herb and Lucy Pruzan collection will be on display at Tacoma Art Museum. Representing half a century of art collecting, the Pruzan collection features more than 100 works from well-known Northwest artists including such art world stars as William Cumming, Gaylen Hansen, Paul Havas, William Ivey, Fay Jones, James Martin, Alden Mason, Ginny Ruffner, Preston Singletary, Akio Takamori, and more. Called Creating the New Northwest, the exhibition shares the story of how Northwest artists have shaped new perceptions and a new sense of artistic identity.

3. The sundresses and flip flops that are released from their closets this time of year are fine and dandy for this fundraiser.at 4 p.m., break out your inner Algernon or Lady Bracknell (please imagine the "r" rumbling like thunder as you read that name) for Lakewood Playhouse's Party on the Patio, which benefits the playhouse in, er, Lakewood. Before its 8 p.m. staging of The Importance of Being Earnest, the staff and board - none of them named Earnest - will host an outdoor cook-out on its patio, which no doubt will be wickedly clever, full of brilliant aphorisms and entirely insincere - at least the play will be. Expect a silent auction, raffle, board elections, open house and more leading up to curtain time. A jaunty romp from beginning to end we're sure.

4. Vocal legend Tony Bennett pushes boundaries when it comes to his duets, most notably those with k.d. lang. But when it comes to flying solo, the man gives the people exactly what they want: his smooth, elegant, laidback take on standards you'd swear were his to begin with. Each time through the South Sound the man has sounded suave ... and has looked it too. Remember that canary-yellow sport coat he wore? How about the voice? Cynics may call it a gimmick, but Bennett's modern-era performances always include an a capella number. All said and done, when the spotlight shines, silence covers the room, and a still-strong version of, perhaps, "The Best is Yet to Come" flows from the 86(!)-year-old Bennett. Bonus: Bennett's 7:30 p.m. concert at the Pantages Theater is a benefit for the arts in public schools.

5. When jazz trumpeter Lance Buller isn't holding court at Metropolitan Market's espresso area or every Friday at Maxwell's Speakeasy, he's producing jazz concerts, including a Jazz@TMP series at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Buller has lined up another winner as the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band from Portland, Ore. and their vocalist, Marilyn Keller will fill the old Narrows Theater with music one would find in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s or F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby at 8 p.m. According to hype, "Black Swan will serve up blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. Songs will be selected from the 1890s through Tin Pan Alley through the Golden Age of song to selections recently composed by our band members."

LINK: Saturday, June 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Elbow Coulee, Bodybox, Ben Union. 9 pm. $5.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. The Cold 102's, Ant Estrada. 9:30 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. The Flying Tortugas, The Jilly Rizzo, Winter Seeker. 9 pm.

Invictus Cafe Olympia - Downtown. Reverend Bear, Fallen Angels, Curse the North, Tatarus, 5 pm. $3.

• Mark Carras and his wife, Sherri, have been running Rock My Monkey Energy Drink out of their home for a little more than a year now. Sold at Invictus Café and 4th Ave Food Mart in Olympia, the energy drink's flavor is "somewhere between Mountain Dew and Red Bull," Sherri said. (I tasted it mixed with Jameson whiskey - delicious!) Check out Rock My Monkey today at Invictus Café in Olympia, during a benefit show for the family of Amanda Winters, the 17-year-old who was killed when her car struck a tree while she was driving to school in April. For more information about getting your band or business involved with Rock My Monkey, visit Rockmymonkey.com or call 360.519.ROCK. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Rock My Monkey in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Jon Wayne & The Pain, Mighty High, The Approach. 8 pm. $10.

Lucky Eagle Casino Rochester. Broken Trail. 9 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Benefit For Humane Society, featuring Death By Stars, I Like Science, Oh Dear. 8 pm.

• The New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma plays host to a Humane Society Benefit show Saturday featuring Death By Stars, Oh Dear!, I Like Science, Ever So Android and Julian Najar. This line-up is sure to get into your summer skin and cause a heated reaction of soul tingling vibes and uncontrolled appendage shaking, accompanied by the occasional fist pump and squinty-faced hair whipping. Yes, I mean dancing. And, by god, it's all for a good cause. "The Humane Society and animal welfare are extremely important issues to Death By Stars," says Patrick Galactic. "We are financial supporters of many animal rights organizations. To share an all-star bill with some of our favorite bands is icing on the cake. It's going to be an electric and eclectic show that ultimately benefits our furry friends who need the care the most. We are honored and grateful to be a part of it." - Nikki McCoy
  

Pantages Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Tony Bennett. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $89-$249.

• Vocal legend Tony Bennett pushes boundaries when it comes to his duets, most notably those with k.d. lang. But when it comes to flying solo, the man gives the people exactly what they want: his smooth, elegant, laidback take on standards you'd swear were his to begin with. Each time through the South Sound the man has sounded suave ... and has looked it too. Remember that canary-yellow sport coat he wore? How about the voice? Cynics may call it a gimmick, but Bennett's modern-era performances always include an a capella number. All said and done, when the spotlight shines, silence covers the room, and a still-strong version of, perhaps, "The Best is Yet to Come" flows from the 86(!)-year-old Bennett. Bonus: Bennett's concert at the Pantages Theater is a benefit for the arts in public schools. - Weekly Volcano
  

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Crosswalk. 9 pm.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse Narrows Theatre Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Sweet and Hot with the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band. Blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. All Ages. 8 pm. $25.

• When jazz trumpeter Lance Buller isn't holding court at Metropolitan Market's espresso area or every Friday at Maxwell's Speakeasy, he's producing jazz concerts, including a Jazz@TMP series at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Buller has lined up another winner as the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band from Portland, Ore. and their vocalist, Marilyn Keller will fill the old Narrows Theater with music one would find in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s or F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. According to hype, "Black Swan will serve up blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. Songs will be selected from the 1890s through Tin Pan Alley through the Golden Age of song to selections recently composed by our band members." - WV
  

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Calbrea, Trip Madam. 9 pm.

Uncle Thurm's Soul Food Restaurant Tacoma - Lincoln District. Maia Santell & House Blend. 7:30 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

They both produce guttural grunts. They both house hairy necks. And, they both can produce sparks of romance. But between Northwest Trek's Elk Bugle Tour and Tacoma's Squeak and Squawk Music Festival - both going down the weekend of Sept. 14-15 - which event truly rules? Read on and find out!

All the Lonely People

ELK BUGLE TOUR: Northwest Trek's Elk Bugle Tour draws people who want a rare glimpse into the wild and wonderful world of Roosevelt elk during the "rut" or breeding season.

SQUEAK AND SQUAWK: Anyone who knows a lick about indie music has to be excited about this festival.

Edge: Obviously, observing hooved animals "do sex" as Pat Robertson says with fellow horn dogs is more exciting than watching "piggyback dancing" where a girl briefly attempts to dance while riding on the shoulders of some dude, before immediately losing her balance and slipping off back into the crowd. Elk Bugle wins this category.

Speaking in Tongues

ELK: "EEuuuh, eeEEeeuh"

SQUEAK AND SQUAWK: "You are the smell before rain, you are the blood in my veins!"

Edge: What does it feel like to be bathed in indie rock lyrics? Well, it feels a bit sticky. There's no clever joke there. That's just how it feels. Elk Bugle Tours receives the nod.

Overheard Outside the Bathroom

ELK BUGLE TOUR: "Seriously, pour me a Chardonnay and stream Michael L. Drake's "Elk Autumn" and I'm good."

SQUEAK AND SQUAWK: "If you believe that lo-fi indie-rock pioneers Pavement peaked with 1994's sophomore album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, but that Stephen Malkmus redeemed himself with his eponymous debut solo album, then I'll give you a lift home."

Edge: Have you heard Drake's "Elk Autumn"? Enough said.

Violence Inherent in the System

ELK BUGLE TOUR: Testosterone-charged male Roosevelt elk challenge each other for breeding rights to herds of female elk. The often-bloody mating rituals of elk locking antlers as they push one another back and forth to exhaustion in order to assert their dominance can be seen from the trams.

SQUEAK AND SQUAWK: A clumsy girl will trip over a backpack during a dream pop band's third song, "Hey Meg. Phone. It's London."

Edge: Violence is as American as apple pie. Elk Bugle Tour takes another category.

Winner

It's hard to say. Both have their redeeming qualities. Since it's likely elk will continue to mate for years to come at Northwest Trek, it's our responsibility as people who love music to help fund the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival. "It's good for Tacoma's young people to have something to do besides get bonkers drunk and spit peanuts around a room," Squeak and Squawk Music Festival co-founder Sean Alexander told the Weekly Volcano in 2008, the year the festival launched in Tacoma. To help fund Squeak and Squawk, visit the festival's Kickstarter. Hurry. The festival is still a little short on its funds. Squeak and Squawk's Kickstarter closes at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 16.

SUNDAY, JUNE 16 2013 >>>

1. In the year 2018, Cyndi Lauper astonished the world by staging a coup and becoming Earth's first Overlord. It started nonchalantly enough, with clandestine visits to Camp David and crossing the International Date Line multiple times in an evening. Nothing a globetrotting rock star wouldn't do, right? But Lauper had secret plans. No one would have guessed, back in the halcyon days of 1983, that Lauper would have designs on global domination. I mean, sure, she conquered the world in a metaphorical sense with the power of pop hits like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "True Colors," but becoming a literal world superpower was far from anyone's mind. Hear her plans at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full analysis of Cyndi Lauper's world domination in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. The 18th annual International Military Band Concert, hosted by the Washington National Guard, will be held at 3 p.m. Father's Day Sunday in the Washington Center in downtown Olympia. Scheduled to perform at the NADEN Band of the Royal Canadian Navy; Band of the 15th Filed Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery; 56th "I Corp" Band; US Navy Band Northwest and the 133D Washington National Guard Band. And just like previous years, this popular concert is free and will sell out. To reserve your seat, call 360.753.8586.

3. Take the modern alt-country blues sound of Drive-By Truckers, throw in the fun loving attitude and riff-blues-rock of ZZ Top, mix them all together and you get close to the vibe of Too Slim and the Taildraggers. This is real, down and dirty rock and roll - a delightful jumble of virtuosic slide guitar work from frontman Tim "Too Slim" Langford and the revamped rock sound of the Taildraggers. The band's vibe blends power-chord-driven, fun-loving nasty grooves with a new, indie-rock songwriting vibe. And it works. Don't worry, though, Too Slim and crew definitely infuse plenty of blues and Americana into their work. You dig? Then catch the band at the 5 p.m. Blues Vespers show at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

4. Mark Dufresne will lay it down at the Spar in Old Town Tacoma at 7 p.m.

5. Ten comedians battle for $2,500 first prize at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club.

LINK: Sunday, June 16 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area