FRIDAY, OCT. 11 2013 >>>
1. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the folks at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium pull something like this. They're allowing visitors to dive into the South Pacific Aquarium with more than a dozen sharks - including a 450-pound, 9-foot lemon shark. In addition to the lemon shark, there are blacktip reef sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks, loan sharks, a sand tiger shark and a Japanese Wobbegong shark. And no diving experience is necessary. Non-certified divers, ages 8 and older, will breathe surface-supplied air as they view the sharks up close from an underwater cage. Certified scuba divers, ages 15 and older, will be escorted around the habitat by professionally trained diver/guides. All will get a never-before-offered, eye-to-eye view of sharks. Plus, the 240,000-gallon South Pacific Aquarium is home to dozens of other interesting fish.
2. Amocat Cafe, which opened three years ago in Tacoma's St. Helens neighborhood, no longer will be a coffee house. Backed by a successful Kickstarter, owner Morgan Alexander will convert the space into the temporary permanent home of his second love, the Tacoma Brewing Company. What were a couple nights of pouring his delicious craft beer under the Amocat sign will be replaced with several more nights of beer drinking under the TBC sign. But first, an Amocat Café Grand Closing Event will go down 5-9 p.m. featuring, well, yes beer. It will be the last time the Valhalla custom roasted Amocat espresso blend will be served. In addition, Alexander made an amber wheat beer called Backwards Tacoma Ale that will be unveiled Friday night. Read Pappi Swarner's Q&A with Alexander here.
3. Back for another year, An Improbable Peck Of Plays II presents a selection of short one-act plays from the Northwest Playwrights Alliance and Prodigal Sun Productions, featuring actors and directors from the Puget Sound area - although the writing will be the star. It will be an entertaining night for sure. That said, if you don't like a play, another will be up directly. The plays hit the Midnight Sun stage at 8 p.m.
4. Award-winning vocalist/songwriter/harmonica icon Curtis Salgado, touring in support of his Alligator Records debut CD, SOUL SHOT, will perform at I p.m. in Jazzbones. Salgado recently won three 2013 Blues Music Awards including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year. He also won for Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year for the second consecutive year, and for Soul Blues Album Of The Year (SOUL SHOT). Salgado effortlessly mixes R&B, funk and blues with a delivery that is raw and heartfelt.
5. He has a new video/single, he has a new line of clothing on racks and now he is celebrating the release of his latest album, Revelations EP (with MTK). "He" is none other than award-winning Olympia (to Seattle transplant) MC XP, aka Xperience. At 8 p.m. XP celebrates the release with a party featuring Vitamin D, Dice, Zikki Car, John Crown and Sphere at The Royal Lounge.
LINK: Friday, Oct. 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
