THURSDAY, OCT. 17 2013 >>>

1. The Plastards have been a staple of the local bar scene, pounding out frantic sets of rowdiness, for around 13 years. Bill Schlanbusch, Rich Bundy and the boys churn out punk 'n' roll with doses of swirling fuzzy garage and a savage beat. Besides wildly grandiloquent stage antics and volume, they show an unparalleled love and understanding of rock's many facets. The Plastards rock with enough temper to incite, but enough smarts to walk away before someone really gets hurt. The Plastards will rock The Swiss with Kramer and Gold records beginning at 9 p.m.

2. The Art Bus is a tour of art exhibitions and galleries around Tacoma. But it's really so much more than that. Every excursion on the Art Bus has a different local celebrity tour guide - tonight's guide is Carmen Melendez, proprietress of Nerdy Stuffs, which was named Best Comic Store in the 2013 Best of Tacoma issue. Also, since it's Halloween month, and comics are in the house, the Art Bus folks asks riders to dress as superheroes and villains. The schedule for tonight's Art Bus is as follows: Proctor Art Gallery, Spaceworks Post Office, Spaceworks Woolworth Windows, 253 Collective, Rampart, Freighthouse Square and Constellation Art Gallery. Tickets are $10, or $20 for VIP (includes VIP bag). The bus launches at 6 p.m. from the Tacoma Art Museum.

3. You've heard it many times: Practice makes perfect. Doyle's Public House in Tacoma's Stadium District lives by this adage. Every 17th of the month, the watering hole hosts St. Practice Day, a trail run at its annual, massive St. Patrick's Day party. It's a warm-up, if you will. Olympia singer/songwriter Ethan Tucker will entertain with his mix of folk, blues, pop and reggae. Practice starts at 8 p.m. Don't be late or the coach will yell at you.

4. Born out of Los Angeles, Dionvox now reside in Seattle, where they specialize in shimmering, glitchy electro-pop that gets buoyed by the sonorous vocals of their female lead. Occasionally, the dancey grooves are pushed aside in favor of industrial beats and club-thumping bass. The melding of the ambient and the aggressive calls to mind other masters of electronica like Aphex Twin and Massive Attack, while their live show promises cabaret theatrics, which can be seen at 8 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

5. Every Thursday night at 9 p.m. in Puget Sound Pizza, the Volcano's music critic Rev. Adam McKinney hosts a karaoke session showcasing a Tarantino-like mix of downtown denizens seriously singing Bill Withers and glasses-wearing gals squawking out punk rawk, plus appearances by local rock stars. 

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area