Ever feel like Joint Base Lewis-McChord is more than just your duty station? Like maybe it's a part of you that just can't be extricated or erased from your brain? Then you might be a JBLM native. One definition of the word native reads ‘living naturally in a particular region' and while you might be questioning how a military installation can be thought of as an entire region, remember that JBLM has its own zip code, a variety of places of employment, tons of housing, a hospital and even an H&R Block storefront - so yeah, there is such a thing as a JBLM native.

Here's how to know if you are one...

10. You're still looking for the proverbial Battle Bean and have purchased a mug, T-shirt or other item emblazoned with that caffeinated combative's cheerful face.

9. You've sat in traffic on I-5 for 30 minutes ... and only made it three miles out of the gate ... any gate ... and you're not even surprised.

8. You know which CDC is best to book in advance and which one will incite an influenza outbreak in your home.

7. You know where the old post office was, where the current post office is and, most importantly, to never go at lunchtime or anytime during the month of December. 

6. You've either moved into more than two neighborhoods on base or you've moved from off base to on base and vice versa.

5. You know to avoid downtown DuPont at lunchtime during the week and, as a result, you've learned all about Galloping Gertie's, $1 Chinese and Norma's Burgers.

4. You still have to stop and think about what JBLM stands for ... so you're more likely to say you work at "Lewis" or "McChord" than use any official BRAC language.

3. Seeing a Stryker pass you on the road barely raises your level of awareness and C-17s or Blackhawks taking off 100 feet away make you yawn.

2. You know that the McChord Exchange has higher-end goods and more selection, but that the Army side of the house boasts the superiorly stocked Class 6.

1. When picking up prescriptions at the Madigan pharmacy, you know to do one of three things: bring War and Peace and expect to finish it, heck, maybe bring Great Expectations too; send your spouse in uniform to take advantage of the better number system; or to just suck it up and dole out the co-pay at Rite Aid and reclaim an entire day.

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY >>>>

Well, gee, Bobble Tiki wonders what today is - oh, that's right. In 1920, innkeeper and "Queen of Mean" Leona Helmsley is born. Helmsley is famous for two things: marrying a very old wealthy man and once saying, "Only the little people pay taxes."  Join Bobble Tiki in blowing up a photo of her with an M-80. 

Today is also the Fourth of July. Be sure to check out our Fourth of July Command Center for all your Fourth of July needs.

Here at NorthwestMilitary.com, Bobble Tiki and crew be taking the day to spend time with our families, shoot off some fireworks, and work some corn dogs. Be sure to join us again tomorrow when we'll be back in full force, with the latest in entertainment and Barbie makeover news. In the meantime, enjoy this, America! You deserve it.

FRIDAY, JULY 5 2013 >>>

1. It's officially summer, and longer days and warmer nights mean finding any excuse to be outside. What could be a better nighttime entertainment choice than hanging out in a park? Hanging out in a park with free movies! CinemaGig Outdoors movie series is on with 9:15 p.m. screenings in Skansie Brothers Park. Tonight, it's 100 percent Iowa corn and Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams. Costner, slack but unoffending, is Ray Kinsella, a novice farmer guided by voices to build a ballfield for disgraced diamond great Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta); restore the faith of a reclusive novelist (James Earl Jones); and shepherd the apotheosis of a saintly ballplayer-turned-doctor (Burt Lancaster). You will, come.

2. Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District has invited Joe Rosati to perform in its outdoor beer garden at 6 p.m. Grab a beer, kick back in the sun and listen to songs off his new CD, The Candelabra Light.

3. Sometimes you desperately need something to bring a laugh or distract you enough to allow you to let go of whatever has been troubling you, even if only for a couple hours. Lakewood Playhouse's production of The Importance of Being Earnest does all of that. Oscar Wilde's 118-year-old script is as smart and fresh now as when it debuted in London. While director Marilyn Bennett had a fantastic play to work with, her direction of the cast and crew of the quick paced, witty script was flawless. It hits the stage at 8 p.m.

4. Most renowned for its rock sensibilities and downtown Olympia hardcore patronage - as well as favored (pricewise and taste-wise) drinks among Olympians - McCoy's Tavern continues its mild shift of venue personage as it hosts another hip-hop function.  At 8 p.m. the likes of an O'Lacey (Olympia and Lacey) who's who list of factors (cats who make a difference in the scene) such as Heretic, Q-Storm, Double B, Cauze N Efeckt, David Gies, DJ Pasquan and Model Citizens take over the downtown Olympia joint. Be on the lookout for the gritty-grimey-gangsta-styled Prano Tha Don from Seattle and out-of-staters Landon Wordswell and Tim Hoke. This is a diverse lineup of hip-hop that with a couple beers and more - just might be what you need this weekend to keep the party going.

5. The merengue, as well as the bachata and salsa, are taught in mini-versions, with or without partner, at varying levels of experience, every Friday night at Studio 6 Ballroom in Tacoma. After the last instruction at around 9:30 p.m., the club lights flip on, disco ball drops and Studio 6 fills with cross body leads, hand throws and hammerlocks. "It's always fun and memorable," says Natasha Thayer, master coach at Studio 6 Ballroom. "One of the reasons we chose Friday nights was so that you could club hop on Sixth Avenue and go out for food after." Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Studio 6 Ballroom's Latin dance Night in Northwest Military Clubs/Bars Section.

LINK: Friday, July 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Thousands attended Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Freedom Fest at Memorial and Cowan stadiums. 

"I've been coming here since 1995," Kingsley Hoover, owner of King's Original Kettle Korn, said as he and Ryan Whittington stirred a large kettle of popcorn.

"And it's great to be here on the Fourth. I love this place."

While vendors offered everything from food and drink to balloons and T-shirts, the infield of Cowan Stadium was covered with classic cars.

"This event is a lot of fun to come and see these classics," Wendy Minnieweather said as she cleaned the engine of her 2005 Mustang Coupe.

"I can't get enough of this place."

Below are seven scenes from yesterday's Fourth of July celebration at JBLM.

>>> 1934 Ford Owner:  Norm Treen, an Army vet, checks over his 1934 Ford during Freedom Fest.

Read more...

SATURDAY, JULY 6 2013 >>>

1. The past couple of years have been exciting ones for Lemolo. Last year, in particular, saw the release of the Seattle duo's debut LP, The Kaleidoscope - an appropriate title, evocative as it is of the band's dreamy, summery shimmer. Capitalizing on the steam that Lemolo had been building up, The Kaleidoscope cemented them as one of the more buzzed-about bands in the Seattle scene, and landed them on year-end lists, including being named the number one best new band in Seattle by City Arts. At 7 p.m., Lemolo will be performing the entirety of The Kaleidoscope, live on the Urban Grace's stage, as close to the sound of the record as possible. This is because they will be joined onstage by two dance troupes: The BareFoot Collective and MLKBallet. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Lemolo in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. The brand spankin' new Stadium Fare is a bi-weekly event coming to, yup, the Stadium District. The eclectic neighborhood open-air market opens at today at 10 a.m. and runs to 3 p.m. every other Saturday through Sept. 28. Food, vintage and artistic wares vendors will gather in the parking lot of the First Presbyterian Church, across from Wright Park and on the corner of South 2nd and South G St. Stadium Fare so you can take a breather, stroll for goods and listen to some tunes. Hurrah!

3. Who doesn't like meat off the grill? Well, vegetarians we suppose, but still. Barbecue is pretty damn popular. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. the Lacey Chamber of Commerce looks to jump all over this fact with the South Sound BBQ Festival, this year at Huntamer Park. Expect an amateur cooking competition, vendor booths and tons of food. Admission is free, and yes - there will be a giant pink slide.

4. July is International Zine Month, and the Olympia Timberland Library is celebrating by hosting the 5th Annual 24-Hour Zine Thing: Zinester's Choice Edition. This drop-in workshop, will be held 2-8 p.m. and is open to all ages and levels of experience. The challenge is to make a 24-page zine from idea to completion in 24 hours. Snacks and supplies will be provided along with typewriters, long-armed staplers, glue sticks, recycled magazines, Print Gocco, paper, and copy machines. You bring your interviews with obscure punk bands and sad comic about someone's deep, personal heartbreak.

5. Hammond organist Joe Doria, guitarist Andy Coe and saxophonist Cliff Colon cross the barriers of jazz with powerful keyboards, rhythmic drums, screaming sax and sometimes fuzz-distorted guitar in their band McTuff. Improvisational and funky with a whole lotta swagger, the band's epic jams knock the mind into the far reaches of a 1970s version of space and then butt into an uncontrollable groove. The Seattle band will give their drummer Tarik Abouzied a break, and pick-up drummer Barrett Martin (Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Walking Papers) for a free 10 p.m. show at Doyle's Public House.

LINK: Saturday, July 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. McTuff. 10 pm.

• Hammond organist Joe Doria, guitarist Andy Coe and saxophonist Cliff Colon cross the barriers of jazz with powerful keyboards, rhythmic drums, screaming sax and sometimes fuzz-distorted guitar in their band McTuff. Improvisational and funky with a whole lotta swagger, the band's epic jams knock the mind into the far reaches of a 1970s version of space and then butt into an uncontrollable groove. The Seattle band will give their drummer Tarik Abouzied a break, and pick-up drummer Barrett Martin (Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Walking Papers) for a free show at Doyle's Public House Saturday night. The show will be a sensory explosion, from the scent of Irish whiskey and the sound of improvisational wizardry to the vision of four talented musicians so deep in a jazz jam that they will be able to stop bullets, run up walls and crack heads from 40 feet in the air.  ... It's almost too much. - Ron Swarner
  

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Halcion Halo, Bodybox, Below Blackstar. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Missionary Position, Deborah Page, Sleepy Pilot. 8 pm. $10.

• Jeff Angell is like some sort of rock n' roll prophet. Or yoda. Or yoda with hip bones. Or something. Dude's just really wise when it comes to the rock, music and what it's all about. "The truth is, I love stories and in three verses a song can say as much as a novel with what it leaves to the imagination. I didn't choose music it chose me and as miserable as I have made life on myself at times, I wouldn't have it any other way," he told the Weekly Volcano in 2011. Angell takes a night off from fronting the acclaimed Walking Papers band for a show with his other band, the soulful rock band The Missionary Position, which includes Walking Papers keyboardist Benjamin Anderson. Hmm. ... WP drummer Barrett Martin will be down the road the same night playing with McTuff at Doyle's. Where's WP bassist Duff McKagan Saturday night? - Weekly Volcano
  

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Pissbath, Gag, Life Form. 9 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Battersea, The Nadines. 6 pm.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. C.F.A., Gunslinger, Lady Ablaze. 9 pm. NC.

• When you just need to beat the heat, or shake a shitty day, or celebrate a good one for that matter, then a good rock show can fill the void, getting into all the crevices of your brain and soul, like a quality coating of caulking. Not many folks in Tacoma do it better than Cody Foster Army, or C.F.A. Punk rock with a peppering of metal and stoner, C.F.A. always delivers a stellar live performance - so much that Ripple Music, the label that put out C.F.A.'s recent album, posted this on its blog: "To those of you who have had a chance to catch their live set, you understand what this entails. If you have not? Think, the Banana Splits. Just less appropriate and more sweaty." If that doesn't sell you on this show, let me add that two Olympia bands - Gunslinger and Lady Ablaze - are there to solidify the rock. Oh, and there's no cover. - Nikki McCoy
  

Red Bicycle Bistro and Sushi Bar Vashon. Bill Brown & The Kingbees. 8:30 pm. NC.

The Pig Bar @ South Bay BBQ Olympia - Downtown. The Oly Mountain Boys. All Ages. 7 pm.

9 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Reggae Night. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Shyan Selah & The Republic Of Sound. 9 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Race To Extinction. 9 pm.

Urban Grace Church Tacoma - Downtown. The Warehouse Presents: Lemolo & The Kaleidoscope Dance, The BareFoot Collective, MLK Ballet. All Ages. 7 pm. $18-$22.

• The past couple of years have been exciting ones for Lemolo. Last year, in particular, saw the release of the Seattle duo's debut LP, The Kaleidoscope - an appropriate title, evocative as it is of the band's dreamy, summery shimmer. Capitalizing on the steam that Lemolo had been building up, The Kaleidoscope cemented them as one of the more buzzed-about bands in the Seattle scene, and landed them on year-end lists, including being named the number one best new band in Seattle by City Arts. Saturday, July 6, Lemolo will be performing the entirety of The Kaleidoscope, live on stage, as close to the sound of the record as possible. This is because they will be joined onstage by two dance troupes: The BareFoot Collective and MLKBallet. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Lemolo in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

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

SUNDAY, JULY 7 2013 >>>

1. Count yourself blessed, Tacoma, because you got to see something few people in the world have seen. Throughout his career Eric Carle, famous for children's books such as Brown Bear - Brown Bear, What Do You See? And The Very Hungry Caterpillar and more than 70 other picture books - has created art for his own personal satisfaction that he never showed to anyone outside of family and friends. He called it his "Art Art," and he had to be coaxed into showing it publicly. To our great benefit, Tacoma Art Museum Director Stephanie Stebich is a personal friend of the Carle family. She is the one who talked him into showing this work, and Tacomans were to the first to see it. And it is great. Absolutely outstanding. Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Beyond Books: The Independent Art of Eric Carle" in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

2. Jazz musicians are some of the coolest cats you'll ever meet, such as groovy jazz pianists Joe Baque. Pronounced in French as “Bach,” it is almost as if Baque were destined to play piano, and his career has been amazing as he has accompanied the likes of Lena Horne, Stan Getz and Louie Armstrong and has played at such legendary clubs as the Roxy, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. The one-time pianist for the NBC orchestra settled in the Northwest much to the delight of local jazz connoisseurs in 1984 and has been a staple on the scene ever since. Catch him at 11 a.m. at the Olympia Farmers Market.

3. Rich Wetzel's 15-piece jazz-rock, Latin funk big band will perform from 5-8 p.m. at Stonegate Pizza. Jerry Miller's band will take the stage after.

4. Jeanne Hopkins, the singer and songwriter better known as Jeanlizabeth, hosts an open mic at 8 p.m. every Sunday in the Steilacoom Pub and Grill. The night's entertainment can include poetry readings, original songs and rock covers from Pink Floyd to modern hits. Past crowds ran the gamut of age groups, but many, including seniors, wore hoodies.

5. Northern all-ages music venue hosts its first comedy show featuring  Jason Traeger (Portland), George Chen (Oakland), Nicole Calasich (San Francisco), Zach Mandeville (Olympia), Bridget Irish (Olympia), Sarah Adams (Olympia) and special treat Bongo Randay Speaks at 8:30 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, July 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, JULY 8 2013 >>>

1. As the clock nears 5 p.m. you'll once again think only of post-work drinking. Today we suggest you add a little class to your happy hour adventure. The Broadway Center of the Performing Arts hosts a happy hour combining apps, beer and wine with hoopla over its 2013-14 season from 5-7 p.m. inside the Pantages Theater. It kicks off its general sale of its upcoming season with fanfare and the opportunity to pick you own seat.

2. The Greta Jane Quartet welcomes Lorree Gardener and Danielle Westbrook for a night of jazz at The Royal Lounge beginning at 8 p.m.

3. Standup comedy hasn't evolved much since the glory days of ventriloquist and puppet. Every so often, there's a Gallagher smashing watermelons or a musical funnyman like Jack Black, but for the most part, comedy is a dude on a stage with a microphone, plodding through a joke-punchline-new-joke routine. You're funny. You need to change the course of comedy forever. At 8 p.m. the Grit City Comedy Club opens its stage to the public for a comedy open mic.

4. Rod Cook is a well respected, in demand Seattle area guitarist known for his stylistic versatility and soulful, melodic playing. Best known for his work with folk/funk, Americana artist Laura Love in the 1990s and the early part of this decade, guitarist, vocalist Rod Cook began the guitar at the age of 9. Check him out and his band at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. East Coast hip-hop MC Omega Jackson - "a grimy beat and lyrical explosion with heart" - joins P. Wrecks at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Monday, July 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree have joined forces again this pre-school season to gather school supplies for military children across the country. The supplies can be purchased starting Tuesday by customers at the more than 4,000 Dollar Tree and Deal$ stores nationwide and placed in collection boxes in each store. 

Let's read a press release. ...

The Back to School Brigade program is a nationwide campaign by Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree, now in its sixth season. Last year, Dollar Tree patrons donated more than $3 million of supplies nationwide.

Read more...

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Trapper's Sushi opened its sixth location on July 2 on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue in what was most recently Overtime Bar and Grill. The fairly small restaurant space lends itself nicely to a sushi bar, and the remodel is clean and modern, with metal accents and a long sushi bar with stools where the former bar once stood.

I stopped in for happy hour - one of the best times to come, daily 3 to 6 p.m. With the purchase of any drink, you receive $4, $5, $7 long rolls - different rolls depending on price - and appetizers less than $4, which are all deep discounts on their normal prices.

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