TUESDAY, JULY 9 2013 >>>

1. If you're at all familiar with The Band, A prolific Canadian-American folk rock group of the '60s and '70s, then drummer Levon Helm requires no introduction, and the captivating documentary Ain't in It for My Health chronicling Helm's final years is sure to draw you in. Check it out at 1:40 abd 7 p.m. at The Grand Cinema. Read Jared Lovrak's full feature on the film in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Washington State Park Ranger Tom Pew will highlight some of the great adventures to be had around the state including hikes, camping, water sports, wildlife viewing and more at 5:30 p.m. in the Tumwater Timberline Library. Attendees will have a chance to win one of two Washington State Discover Passes, paid for by the Friends of the Tumwater Timberland Library.

3. In Gig Harbor it's time once again for Summer Sounds at Skansie Brothers Park, this evening at 6:30 p.m. with The New Blues Brothers Revue.

4. The Swiss and science are synonymous. OK, so maybe they're not quite synonymous, but they do go together quite well - the "Tacoma Science Café" at the Swiss proves it. At 6:30 p.m., the Pacific Science Center presents Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Greg Brennan, D.V.M., Ph.D., who will discuss how the virus vs. animals conflict has led to some of the most serious epidemics in modern times, and how we're learning to try to control them. You might want to pull back from your normal beer consumption Tuesday, as Brennan will also host a Q-and-A session.

5. AWOL One brings the California word to Le Voyeur at 9 p.m., yo.

LINK: Tuesday, July 9 arts and entertainment in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 2013 >>>

1. Sean Alexander's installation, "Life is OOD" at Fulcreum Gallery, is a giant departure from the ink drawings he is known for. It is a love song to the Hilltop Tacoma neighborhood in manipulated found objects. Alexander has collected, and in some cases stolen, items unique to Hilltop - even iconic to the area - and layered upon them additional meaning through his artistic vision. We're talking old signs; shopping carts; a broken, discarded and headless concrete sculpture of a dog and other such detritus that he has changed by various means such as scraping off old paint, burning with a blowtorch, and welding. Check it out from noon to 6 p.m.

2. Downtown On the Go wants those who work in downtown Tacoma to actually live there and help create an awesome, thriving downtown scene. The organization wants it so much that it offers financial incentives to encourage employees to live close to work. Therefore, the organization invites downtown employers and employees to bond over Mai Tais and learn about the free program from 4-6 p.m. at Tacoma Cabana tiki bar. Mayor Strickland, a downtown resident and employer program participant, will speak. Expect informational booths and strong drinks.

3. The Bulgarians are coming! Well, not so much folks representing the South Slavic ethnic group, but rather wines from the country. Pour at Four wine bar will pour complimentary tastes of Bulgarian wines from 5:30-8 p.m.

4. Scuba diver David Jennings - a member of the Pacific Northwest Advanced Assessment Team for Reef Environmental Education Foundation, which is an organization of recreational divers who conduct biodiversity and abundance surveys of fish and invertebrates during their dives, will lecture on Puget Sound underwater wildlife at 7 p.m. in the Refuge Visitor Center Auditorium at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.

5. The urbanXchange in downtown Tacoma hosts am all-ages show featuring garage inspired surf punk from Upchuck & The Chunks, psychedelic garage punk from The Nadines, soulful blues inspired garage from Rowhouse and futuristic garage punk from Photon Pharoah. Doors at 7 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, July 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Olympia Film Collective (OFC) is relatively new on the scene, but has already made waves with the films The Sweet Sorrow, featuringscenes from Olympia lounges The Brotherhood and Volcano Vapor, and S.O.S, which won Best Film and Best Use of Dialogue at the 2013 Tacoma 72-Hour Film Competition. 

"We are still trying to find out who we are," said Jeff Barehand, founding member of OFC. "We are here to help others learn and go forward with their scripts and ideas. It's only going to grow."

Barehand and colleague Russell Brooks were in pre-production on their short film, The Sweet Sorrow, when a search for crew turned up Riley Gibson and Dylan Glockler. OFC was officially born in January 2013.

Read more...

THURSDAY, JULY 11 2013 >>>

1. Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist hosts his annual Autographed Book & Wine Auction at 5 p.m. in King's Books. Lindquist's re-election campaign fundraiser will swarm with local political types, wine enthusiasts, crime fighters and notable authors. Last year's event brought a surprise guest, author Maria Semple, who wrote the New York Times bestseller, "Where'd You Go, Bernadette." Semple is expected to return for this year's event, along with other authors whose books will be auctioned off during the fundraiser, including true crime writer Ann Rule and some surprise guests.

2. Pacific Lutheran University opens its 15 annual Jazz Under the Stars concert series tonight from 7-9 p.m. The series, a different band every Thursday through Aug. 15, kicks off with the Steve Howland Trio in the college's amphitheater. Dr. Howland teaches jazz and classical guitar at PLU and co-directs the PLU Guitar Festival, so he'll know how to explore the space. Joining guitarist Howland will be Nate Omdal on upright bass and Adam Kessler on drums, playing standards and originals that reflect broad influences and interests. 

3. Hailing from Portland, Muscle and Marrow is the project of singer and guitarist Kira Clark. We want to emphasize those words: singer and guitarist. Muscle and Marrow is entirely concerned with the dance and interplay between Clark's tremulous voice and the fuzzy tones emitted from her guitar. The gauzy guitar makes a bed for Clark's simultaneously strong and vulnerable voice, which at times resembles Jeff Buckley's indelible, ghostly vibrato. Catch Muscle and Marrow with Oh Dear, Rowhouse and Trasholes at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

4. If you are a lover of men in fishnets and wigs that reach higher than Marge Simpson's beehive, phone the baby-sitter, prepare to call in sick to work the next day, and make the trip to the Mansion at 9 p.m. to see "One Night Only," a drag show to kick off Tacoma Pride weekend. Expect fabulous costumes, choreography, guest stars and a cavalcade of some of the most polished queens in the South Sound, including Cannoli, Dominique D'Amour, Rychard Le'Sabre, Delyla Dalyte, Sedusa Slitt and Nenee Michaels shaking their groove things. Also, making her stage debut will be INYA Bottom! Never mind that this is a drag show; few weekly shows of any kind are quite as spectacular, and this one costs only $7 at the door.

5. Sam Vicari is clearly a practiced creator of jangly pop, making the deceptively difficult act of crafting immaculate hooks and pristinely ringing melodies look utterly effortless. Recalling everyone from Matthew Sweet to Weezer, They Might Be Giants to Big Star, "Teenage Dirtbag" to C-86, and generations of spangly, guitar-driven songsmiths in between, Vicari's music is blessedly uncomplicated and unpretentious in its worship of the song as an unparallelled importance.See him with Captain Algebra at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Thursday, July 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JULY 12 2013 >>>

1. Describing them musically, Fox and the Law are easy to undersell. Basically, they're just a really good rock band. Genre-wise, they lean in a garage rock direction, but there's little in the way of the typical Nuggets or punk influences that usually characterize modern garage rock acts. Check them out at 9 p.m. with Thunders of Wrath and Mammoth Salmon in The New Frontier Lounge. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full featur eon Fox and the Law in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. With a second story view, the Narrows Brewing Company's taproom is divided into two separate rooms connected at the same bar, lending itself to an L-shaped arrangement. Reclaimed wood from the marina is used in the structure and décor, and while there is wine, beer and food from Boathouse 19, there is no liquor. Grand opening weekend is July 12 to 14, with live music by the Lucy Horton Band and the introduction of three beers on tap: a pale ale, an IPA and a golden ale. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the Narrows Brewing Company in Northwest military's Bars and Clubs section.

3. In the 1980s Alec Clayton's paintings were figurative and often dealt with sexual content, including poking fun at society's attitudes about sex. In 1988 he and his wife, Gabi, invited friends and students from The Evergreen State College to examine and discuss the paintings. Gabi, a film student at the time, filmed the session. The film, and two other of Gabi's films about live action and stop-action animation of paintings being created, will be screened and discussed from 7-9 p.m. at B2 Fine Art Gallery. 

4. Distinguished writers, poets, playwrights, short story writers, and people who scribble on cocktail napkins will step up to the mic from 7-9 p.m. as part of the Distinguished Writer Series and Open Mic at King's Books. Lucas Smiraldo - a local poet who has worked in solo performance and spoken word for many years in Tacoma, as well as an online film series called Slam Town, a piece called Voice of the Americas focused on post-9/11 America and other projects that take spoken word and give it a dramatic flair - will be the featured poet.

5. Beginning her career at open mics in Boston, Paula Poundstone soon moved to San Francisco, which in the late '70s and into the '80s, was the hub for freethinking and unique comedians. People like Dana Gould, Jake Johannsen and Bobcat Goldthwait, among others, would hone their craft at places such as the Holy City Zoo, which was a home for these kind of absurd and original voices. Quickly, Poundstone rose through the ranks, with her quick wit, observational style and masterful crowd work. Like other comedians who have mastered the art of crowd work (like Jimmy Pardo, to use a more recent example), Poundstone is able to make something that takes a lot of skill look completely natural. Laugh with her at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Read Rev. Adam McCkinney's full interview with Paula Poundstone in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

LINK: Friday, July 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

There's the old proverb, "The best-laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry in golf, which, even if you play against a scratch mouse who should theoretically be an expert, you'll find its best to plan your post-game strategy before it goes hopelessly out of bounds, 'cause if the mouse loses he'll probably get frustrated and throw a club and a ball in the pond, and then you're unsure how to respond, like should you humor him or point out it's just a game, but the thing is, to him it isn't just a game, it's his life, so you have to sit there silently and wait for him to calm down."

What can we learn from this? You should most definitely sign up now for the America's Credit Union's Nov. 8 Charity Golf Tournament at Eagles Pride Golf Course. Here are the details:

Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), WA - America's Credit Union (ACU) is pleased to announce its 13^th Annual Charity Golf Tournament in support of the troops, also known as the Turkey Shoot, which will be held at Eagles Pride Golf Course on November 8th, 2013 with a 10 a.m. shotgun start.

Over 4,000 Soldiers and Airmen are returning from Afghanistan throughout this summer and fall. ACU is raising money for a much anticipated and challenging holiday season. With a perfect storm brewing between the sequestration, cut backs, and the struggling economy we at ACU and the community have an opportunity to support our troops on the most basic of levels; through the Food Basket Program on JBLM, The Madigan Foundation, and Santa's Castle.

Twelve years ago, ACU started the Turkey Shoot to raise additional funds for struggling families on JBLM. With the help of community partners, ACU has raised over $222,000 in donations over the last 12 years.

"We are very pleased with how this event has been able to positively impact the lives of military families," said Ken Leonard, ACU President/CEO. "It's a great venue for community partners to contribute to the JBLM community."

We are looking for sponsors and golfers to become involved. There are multiple advertising & sponsorship opportunities, and teams are welcome. Contact Amy Tiemeyer at 253.912.3214 or atiemeyer@youracu.org to get involved.

Bring your mouse friend.

SATURDAY, JULY 13 2013 >>>

1. The Tacoma Old Town Rhythm and Blues Festival, founded as the Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival in 1991 by Ted Brown and Mike Mitchell, will add more rhythm to the annual beloved blues festival. From 9:30 a.m. to midnight you'll find the festival back in Tacoma's Old Town Park on North 30th, with eight stages featuring about 22 musical acts, along with many vendors and food. Here's the Tacoma Old Town Rhythm and Blues Festival schedule.

2. Free stuff is good. Better yet, let's talk about free stuff for the entire family - Lakewood Summerfest 2013 at Fort Stialcoom Park. Tons of food, craft and nonprofit vendors will be on hand. (Read: more glass jewelry, organic food petitioners, and meat on a stick than your mom could ever dream of.) If you don't feel like indulging in drippy foods and knitted caps, then there's also going to be pain on triathletes faces to watch, a 5K fun run, Army Strong Fitness Expo, a kids zone ($5), and an outdoor cinema featuring The Princess Bride. Sound good? We're not done. There's also our favorite part of any event - the live entertainment! Expect steel drum band The Islanders, Irish rock band The VooDoos, ‘80s hair band Metal Shop, country twangers Highway 9, R&B with The Hitmen and others. And remember: Minus the angioplasty you're going to need after all the funnel cakes, most of it is free.

3. Tacoma's annual, awesome LGBTQA Pride celebration, Out In The Park, goes down from noon to 5 p.m. on Broadway between Ninth and 11th streets. Afterward, until 2 a.m. The Mix throws one helluva block party.

4. In 1994, The Flintstones was turned into a live-action movie, which will be projected on a giant 40-foot outdoor movie screen at sunset. LeMay - America's Car Museum continues its Drive-In Movie Series with Fred and Wilma Flintstone and friends at its outdoor Haub Family Field. Movie-goers can park and watch the film - for free - from their vehicle or spread out on the grass with blankets and chairs. Food and zip-line rides will be available for purchase and inflatable bounce houses will be free for children. Museum hours will be extended to 8 p.m. and guests can reserve their parking spot on the field starting at 4:30 p.m. So run your rock car to LeMay Saturday, sneak in your bronto ribs and have a gay old time.

5. As we've mentioned many times before, Perry Acker is named like a single dude, but it's actually a band ... a band that's on the rise. Not only did Perry Acker win Ford Motor Company's Gimme The Gig national battle of the bands contest in 2011, then open for Paul Rodgers, the Gig Harbor band is currently in the studio putting the final touches on a new CD. Hear their latest mixture of blues, pop, rock and funk - plus Impossible Bird and Kate Turner - at 8 p.m. at Jazzbones.

LINK: Saturday, July 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, JULY 14 2013 >>>

1. Is there any more vexing wee-hours quandary than "What is art?" According to Teller of Penn & Teller, "Art is anything we do after the chores are done." By that reasoning, most things we do can be art, as long as we enjoy them. (Ideally, someone else enjoys them, too.) Live music can be art, but does haute cuisine qualify? Graffiti can be art, but what about sand sculpture, board games, glasswork or robot designs? You bet! At Art on the Ave in Tacoma, all such pursuits are invited. If you're accustomed to thinking of art as esoteric - or, for that matter, if you regard it as material to enliven the walls over sofas - then prepare to have your mind ba-lown. Live bands, Grub Crawl, pinup photography and classic cars, Tacomapoly, tons of art and more from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on Art on the Ave in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound 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. Catch Kandi's trio from 3-6 p.m. at Uncle Thurm's Finger Lickin' Ribs & Chicken in Tacoma's Lincoln District.

3. An evening of dinner, dessert and performances celebrating LGBTQ youth is a part of this year's Tacoma Pride Week. Friends of Oasis are hosting dinners throughout the community from 4 to 7 p.m. After dinner, join Oasis for Proud Outloud dessert and youth performances from 7 to 9 pm in the Pantages Theater. Tickets for dessert are $25 each, dinners and dessert $50 and up. All proceeds benefit Oasis Youth Center.

4. Pop punk made it to all the way to France, as it turns out. Xtramedium, hailing from the French Riviera, have mastered all of the little emo flourishes and all the punky switches from contemplative riffing to spiteful rave-ups. Thrown into the mix is a healthy dose of lively folk punk, with interludes of ukelele and harmonica lending nuance to the proceedings. catch them with Bad Hex at 7 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

5. The Tacoma Comedy Club presents Comics Under The Influence where five comics perform a set each sober, and then while the other comics are performing they pound booze and return to the stage wasted to do another set. Jubal Flagg from Movin 95.5 FM tries to keep the thing flowing, beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, July 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, JULY 15 2013 >>>

1. Author Susan M. Schneider will talk about her new book, The Science of Consequences: How They Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact Our World at 7 p.m. in King's Books. Actions have consequences - and the ability to learn from them revolutionized life on earth. In The Science of Consequences, Schneider, an internationally recognized biopsychologist, brings together research from many scientific fields to tell the story of how something that seems so simple can help make sense of so much.

2. 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.

3. From 6-8 p.m. Monday, July 15, the STAR Center will teach tips and techniques on grilling vegetables, seafood and meat. You even have the opportunity to put these tips to a taste test. Class is $24 for residents and $26 for non-residents. Go to metroparkstacoma.org for registration details.

4. Rockin' blues band Palmer Junction will perform at 8 p.m. inside The Swiss.

5. Acoustic folk musician Anna Gordon joins The Plastic Arts and Joshua Powell & The Great Train Robbery for a 10 p.m. show at Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Monday, July 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Gun rights has been a buzz worthy issue lately in the United States, with a number of high profile tragedies drawing attention to the Second Amendment. Are we interpreting it correctly? What was the Amendment's intent? Author and veteran Gerald Petersen hopes to bring some much needed sanity to the issue with his new book, A Right to Bear Arms?: What Were the Founders Thinking?

Read more...