Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: November, 2013 (54) Currently Viewing: 1 - 10 of 54

November 1, 2013 at 7:12am

5 Things To Do Today: New Directions Choir, Art at Work Month, Dia de Los Muertos, "In The Next Room" and more ...

Former homeless veterans will sing doo-wop, soul, gospel and pop Nov. 1 in Tacoma. Courtesy photo

FRIDAY, NOV. 1 2013 >>>

1. New Directions is an award-winning a capella group made up of veterans who have gone through the New Directions program as well as spouses and family members of vets. Members have recovered from and triumphed over mental illness, alcoholism, homelessness and other challenges. The choir sing with a message of help and hope - if they can overcome, so can you. The New Directions Veterans Choir performs at 7:30 p.m. at Tacoma's Theatre on the Square. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on the choir here.

2. November is Art at Work Month in Tacoma. It's not only a showcase of the best, brightest and most unique on the local art scene, but also a time that makes art accessible to everyone. Like last year, you can find out what's on when via ArtAtWorkTacoma.com, which replaced the printed booklet of yore. Fret not, for the website is even better than last year's and has a growing list of things to do. Also, find out what happens when Grace Kelly and Katniss Everdeen find themselves transported from their films and into Art at Work Month.

3. Last night you cowered behind darkened doors, hoping the pint-size ghosts and goblins didn't invade when they discovered you were keeping the candy for yourself. Time for a change of tradition. This year, introduce mini-monsters to the Mexican practice of Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). Descending from an ancient Aztec ritual, the festivities honor departed family members while celebrating the continuing cycle of life. Kiddies (and the young at heart) will dig the Sixth Avenue Business District's Day of the Dead procession, a night of parades, altar ceremonies, music, words and a party. It begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of 6th Ave Photography. Don't be caught dead missing it.

4. Les Rhinoceros make experimental music that vacillates from the understatedly regal ("Seepy Seepy") to defiantly abrasive ("Brea Spiders") and everything in between. Incorporating elements of noise-rock, world music, progressive rock, and ambient electronica, Les Rhinoceros make for a difficult band to pin down. From song to song, or even moment to moment, this is a band that seems utterly determined to take the listener on a journey of surprise after surprise. Catch the band with No Body at 7 p.m. for an all-ages show at Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

5. Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhltransforms the reputation of the vibrator from Seattle Fringe Festival prop to serious theatrical subject matter in In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) at 7:30 p.m. in the Norton Clapp Theatre at the University of Puget Sound. With pre-show hype claiming it's "a story of repressed sexuality and physical exploration with equal doses of humor and emotion," In the Next Room revolves around the prim Victorian medical practice and home life of Victorian-era gyno Dr. Givings and his wife, Catherine. They just had their first child, but they are forced to hire a wet nurse, bringing the bereaved Elizabeth into their lives. As Catherine gossips with Elizabeth, and meets more and more of her husband's patients, she learns about the mysterious, new therapy.

LINK: Friday, Nov. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

November 1, 2013 at 9:04am

Tacoma City Ballet Scavenger Hunt November clue

For the past 10 months you have been chasing Tacoma City Ballet nuts around Tacoma. The ballet company has been hiding Golden Krakatuk Nuts as a promotion for its highly anticipated December performances of The Nutcracker and The Tale of the Hard Nut, a prequel to the original Nutcracker, which explains why a prince is trapped inside a nutcracker doll. The contest in a nutshell: TCB hides the nuts inside jewel boxes around Tacoma; inside the boxes is a scroll with prize details, such as gift certificates, merchandise or tickets to the performance.  

Anyway, the November Golden Krakatuk Nut clue dropped this morning. This clue will guide you to a restaurant, shop or other business at which the nuts may be in plain sight or may be behind the counter.

Read more...

Filed under: Arts, Contest, Tacoma,

November 1, 2013 at 11:53am

Heritage Distilling Co. releases Elk Rider Blended Whiskey Saturday with a party

Justin and Jennifer Stiefel invite you to their Heritage Distilling Co. Saturday, Nov. 2 to taste the new Elk Rider Blended Whiskey. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner

By the American Distilling Institute's count, it projects between 600 and 800 craft distilleries will be in operation nationwide by the end of 2015. Unlike "whiskey," "craft" is an inexact term: It's typically used to refer to the underfunded upstarts in unexpected places who give up jobs as IT consultants and graphic designers - or keep their job as an attorney and work round the clock - to make liquor. There are craft distillers who are devout in their methods, and craft distillers who buy secondhand spirits from established distilleries to put in bottles with fancy labels. Much to the chagrin of distillers who consider themselves members of the former group - and consumers who spy romance and populism in a pricey fifth of garage gin - there's a good amount of swill being sold under the craft banner, largely because self-regulation and education can't keep pace with the eye-popping growth of micro-distilling.

Life is too short to drink swill.

Heritage Distilling Company in Gig Harbor is as hot as the Seahawks right now. Yes, the Stiefel family, and I do stress "family," is working hard to promote its small batches of whiskey, gin, vodka and brandy. Yes, HDC has an innovative member club and beautiful distillery space for parties and such. But, most importantly, team Stiefel produces damn tasty spirits, and it has the awards to prove it.

And if you're looking to sample HDC's spirits, Saturday is an opportune time. The distillery releases its anticipated Elk Rider Blended Whiskey beginning at 10 a.m.

I recently toured HDC's beautiful digs - the former site of 7 Seas Brewery - and after chatting with husband and wife owners Jennifer and Justin Stiefel - I discovered their corporate tag line is true - "Every spirits has a story." And Justin Stiefel can tell a story.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: What's the story behind the new Elk Rider Blended Whiskey?

JUSTIN STIEFEL: Our family was one of the first to settle in the Lake Quinault and Upper Queets region, which is now in the heart of the Olympic National Park. The family homestead is still there, along with the original pioneer family burial plot. During their time there, they began raising and domesticating elk, eventually teaching them to be ridden.

The Elk Rider Blended Whiskey being released Saturday, Nov. 2, is the first big whiskey release we have had. It is a blended whiskey with light sweet hints of bourbon, hints of spiciness on the back end and a long, lingering finish. When we made this blended whiskey, we weren't trying to make a bourbon or a rye or a scotch, because those types of whiskeys each have very specific flavor profiles that connoisseurs expect. We have bourbon, rye and single malt whiskey in barrels aging, and they won't be released until we think they fit the bill. In the meantime, this blended whiskey is a good sipping whiskey, smooth and sweet with a hint of spice.

It is being released under the Elk Rider label because what is cooler and more unique than the idea of someone riding an elk? And we like to remind people that we have the original glass negatives of our family members on the elk to prove it.

Read more...

Filed under: Food & Drink, Gig Harbor,

November 2, 2013 at 8:20am

5 Things To Do Today: Warren Miller flick, Chihuly Weekend, Tacoma Studio Tour, Power Skeleton and more ...

Snowboarders Seth Wescott and Rob Kingwill joined Valdez Heli-Ski Guides to explore the insane peaks of Valdez, Alaska while shooting for "Ticket to Ride." Photo courtesy of Facebook/Warren Miller Entertainment

SATURDAY, NOV. 2 2013 >>>

1. The 64th installment in the Warren Miller series, Ticket to Ride, will take filmgoers on an action-packed ride with the world's best skiers and snowboarders - from heli-drops in Alaska, to speed riding in Kazakhstan and even, um, ski babes in Iceland. One of the most awe-inspiring moments of the new Warren Miller flicks is a segment on a war veteran and ski enthusiast who had lost his legs in combat. This soldier was able to come back and do what he loved on his mono-ski, delivering a crowd-erupting backflip. See it at 6 and 9 p.m. at the Pantages Theater.

2. Happy Dale Chihuly Weekend, everyone! We know; we know. Dale Chihuly's dreamy color, glossy surfaces and flamboyant design are old hat for Tacomans, but as far as we're concerned, the Chihuly's contemporary glassmaking still draws. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, visitors to the Museum of Glass may watch Dale Chihuly and his team create pieces inspired by the "Irish Cylinders" - originally created in 1975 - with artist Seaver Leslie and glass artist Flora C. Mace in the cone. This weekend the Hot Shop will be running on all, um, Irish cylinders, or something.

3. Get ready, Tacoma. The 12th annual Tacoma Studio Tour is happening Nov. 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. - that's two full days to visit some of Tacoma's better artists where they create their work, talk to them, view their art and enjoy demonstrations. You might even get to use some of their stuff to make your own art. This year's lineup of artists is as good as it gets. With 39 participating artists or art groups, you will not be able to visit them all, so study the guide to decide which studios you want to visit. If you're looking for recommendations, click here to see the five artists whose studios Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton would like to visit.

4. Tacoma City Ballet kicked off a scavenger hunt in January the likes of which Tacoma has never seen - a yearlong search for nuts. You heard right. Nuts. The nuts tie into the company's highly anticipated December performances of The Nutcracker and The Tale of the Hard Nut. November's scavenger clue dropped yesterday. The Hard Nut is a prequel to the original Nutcracker, which explains why a prince is trapped inside a nutcracker doll. Maybe you need a primer. The Tacoma City Ballet will open its rehearsal for the show at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., including a lecture presentation about the history of The Nutcracker and the creation of the new tale. 

5. What does psychedelic hobo death trance sound like? Power Skeleton. Their song, "Vacuum{2}," is spooky sludge adorned with warbly effects that send the listener spiraling down a K-hole. "Robot Skulls in the Jungle Temple" is a 15-minute primal march into the heart of darkness. "Pwrcrnkn" is glitchy psycho jazz. All of these instrumental excursions of improvisational madness are aimed at melting brains and rendering flesh. If you're looking to stretch out Halloween, you could do worse than Power Skeleton with Regional Faction, Godzillian and Hand of Doom at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, Nov. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Filed under: 5 Things To Do, Tacoma, Screens, Arts, Music,

November 3, 2013 at 8:58am

5 Things To Do Today: Blues concert, Dia de los Muertos, Tacoma Studio Tour, Blowfly and more ...

The Randy Oxford Band will anchor the blues concert today at Jazzbones. Photo credit: Dan Hill

SUNDAY, NOV. 3 2013 >>>

1. The 2014 International Blues Challenge will consume Memphis's famed Beale Street beginning Jan. 21. More than 150 acts will fill 16 venues through the following Saturday with the finals in the beautiful Orpheum Theater. The number of competing acts in the competition has more than doubled in the past five years, from 69 acts in 2003 to 125 bands and 80 solo/duo acts from 34 states and eight countries last year, including entries from Finland and India as well as Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Taiwan and the United States. If you haven't heard Finnish blues, you ain't heard nothin'. And the guys from Tacoma are no slouches either. That's right, The Randy Oxford Band (band) and pianist Arthur Migliazza (solo/duo) will rep the South Sound, after they won the harts of the crowd and judges over several competitions held earlier this year, thanks to the South Sound Blues Association. The SSBA hosts its second Back to Beale Street Blues 2014 Fundraiser Concert today to help pay costs and to provide the South Sound with one hell of a blue concert.The following will blast Jazzbones with awesome blues from 4-10 p.m., in order: Michelle Taylor and the Blues Junkies, Nolan Garrett, Blues Redemption, Maia Santell and her All Star Blend, Arthur Migliazza and the Randy Oxford Band.

2. Celebrating Day of the Dead in grand community style, the Tacoma Art Museum caps a month of events with a free community celebration today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum. Held in conjunction with Centro Latino and Proyecto Molé, the festival celebrates Dia de los Muertos with traditional music and dance, art activities, sugar skull decoration, and displays of art that include a traditional Tapete, or sand painting, and community altars honoring passed loved ones, as well as student artwork demonstrations. This family friendly event, the ninth in so many years, brings together cultural iconography with activities that bring to light how a grim subject can be celebrated - and enjoyed - by all ages, inviting conversation about loss, remembrance, and the rich fabric of diversity.

3. The Chihuly Weekend Experience continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Glass. Stop by and watch Dale Chihuly and his team create pieces inspired by the "Irish Cylinders" - originally created in 1975 - with artist Seaver Leslie and glass artist Flora C. Mace in the cone.

4. The 12th annual Tacoma Studio Tour wraps up today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some of Tacoma's better artists open their studios up to the public. If yesterday's tour is any indication, expect a lot of demonstrations today. With 39 participating artists or art groups, you will not be able to visit them all, so study the guide to decide which studios you want to visit. If you're looking for recommendations, click here to see the five artists whose studios Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton would like to visit. If you're looking to kick back and have someone else do the driving, hope on the Art Bus.

5. Dirty rhymes, sexy times, shit-talkin', costume-wearing, debauchery and brilliant parodies have led many to cite Blowfly as the father of rap. Since the early '70s Blowfly has made more than 40 albums, some clean, under his birth name Clarence Reid, and most dirty, with titles like "Funk You" and "'Electronic Pussy Sucker." Now, Blowfly is on tour promoting his new album, Black in the Sack, and will hit up The Brotherhood Lounge in Olympia at 9 p.m. with local rawkers Mosquito Hawk, who have their own special blend of sexy songs and space travel.

LINK: Sunday, Nov. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area


November 3, 2013 at 1:19pm

Words & Photos: Tacoma Studio Tour by Art Bus with Rich Marriott

Jackie Casella, Rich Marriott and Angela Jossy led a group of Art Bus riders through the Tacoma Studio Tour Saturday, Nov. 2. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner

These days, I don't watch the morning news that often, preferring to scroll through Twitter or Flipbook to grab the news in 15 minutes. That said, the chance of boring weather updates is 100 percent online. When I need weather, and the beloved Futurecast, I turn to King 5's Rich Marriott - especially for mountain reports. I need his U.S. Forest Service Northwest Mountain Weather and Avalanche Forecast Center experience to plan my snowboard outings.

Yesterday, during Fall Wind Storm 2013, it was comforting to have Rich Marriott along as I bounced around (literally) on the Art Bus through the first day of Art at Work's Tacoma Studio Tour. Marriott - dressed in his signature King 5 yellow parka over a fleece jacket - was the celebrity tour guide on the Bus organized by Angela Jossy and Jackie Casella. Along the way, Marriott forecasted the studios, chatted weather and dropped jokes: "Home Depot gets nervous when I come in and buy bags of salt. How do they not know I'm hosting a margarita party?"

While the Tacoma Studio Tour, which continues today, involves 39 artist and cooperative art spaces, yesterday's Art Bus tour pulled up to the Hilltop Artists studio, Throwing Mud Gallery, Dorothy and John McCuistion's studio, LeeAnn Seaburg Perry and Elayne Vogel's studio, Manitou Art Center and the Jet City Cooperative. The Art Bus was an enjoyable way to tour the culturally turbocharged two-day event complete with demonstrations, discussions, DIY opportunities and artists' markets.

Below are a few scenes from yesterday's Art Bus ride on the Tacoma Studio Tour.

See Also

Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton's Tacoma Studio Tour picks

Rich Marriott's Tacoma Studio Tour thoughts via Twitter

Weekly Volcano's Tacoma Art at Work feature story

Art at Work Month: Double Take in Tacoma

LINK: More photos from the Tacoma Studio Tour Art Bus ride with Rich Marriott

Filed under: Arts, Tacoma, Photo Hot Spot,

November 4, 2013 at 7:30am

5 Things To Do Today: Holiday Open House, photographer Jim Oliver, artists discussion and more ...

From the Northwest Room at the Tacoma Public Library: This view of Tacoma's Federal Building, 1102 A Street, which is home to the Main Branch of the U. S. Post Office, is from the corner of So. 12th and A St. Photo courtesy of Facebook

MONDAY, NOV. 4 2013 >>>

1. Thanks to the ingenious marketing minds behind fine retail establishments everywhere, the holiday season has now commenced. But while many lament the loss of, say, fall, others look at the bright side: a longer holiday season means more time to chug eggnog and nosh on matzo balls, and even more excuses to go out on random weeknights, such as a Monday. With Tacoma School of the Arts moving into the second floor, and the addition of commercial and retail businesses, restaurants and pop-up boutiques and galleries, the conversion of the old downtown Tacoma post office into an urban village has sparked its surrounding businesses to unite as the Old Post Office District. Today, the merchants of the downtown Tacoma district will unveil holiday collections such as gift ideas, holiday décor and cheer.

2. Jim Oliver is a fine art photographer, known for capturing natural and urban landscapes in a variety of photographic styles. His work has been in more than 50 exhibitions since 2007. His latest solo show - a photographic survey of the experience of Solitude with the counterpoint of Blues - opens today at the Tahoma Center Gallery. Take a gander from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. The Bears take on the Packers tonight for Monday Night Football. OK, that's fine and dandy. Rock The Dock Pub and Grill hosts a MNF party with food and drink specials, progressive free football board, door prizes, and a chance to wine two tickets to the Colorado/UW game at Husky Stadium Nov. 9. Now we're talking.

4. The University of Puget Sound's Living Art Series hits the road with an artist discussion at 7 p.m. in King's Books. The conversation will be led by Mita Mahato, associate professor of English at University of Puget Sound. Mahato makes comic books using collage and is working on a longer narrative about end-of-life care and its subsequent grief and pain. On one side of Mahato will be Scott Kolbo, associate professor of art at Seattle Pacific University, who creates drawings, prints, and video projections that feature reoccurring characters and fragmentary narratives. On the other side will be Randy Bolton, a printmaker, who teaches at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.

5. It's Monday, which means The New Frontier Lounge's jazz jam will explore straight ahead, funk and space beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: Monday, Nov. 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area


November 4, 2013 at 11:38am

Nerd Alert!: "Thor - The Dark World," BurlyCon, black holes and theater overload

Video game technology and Einstein's work on relativity merge Nov. 8 in the Pierce College Science Dome.

Giving thanks to Odin the All-Father, this is Nerd Alert, the Weekly Volcano's recurring events calendar devoted to all things nerdy. I myself am a Star Wars fan, mathlete and spelling bee champion of long standing, so trust me: I grok whereof I speak.

The rumor mill this week is abuzz with putatively inside scoops about the upcoming Star Wars sequels. Screenwriter Michael Arndt moved on to other projects, leaving room for Lawrence Kasdan - the veteran scribe who penned The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. So yeah, total nostalgia boner. Also, with auteur J. J. Abrams busy in a galaxy far, far away, Paramount's on the hunt for a Star Trek 3 director - and the lead candidate might be Joe Cornish, the guy who made the incredibly awesome Attack the Block. Haven't seen that? Look it up. And you're welcome.

THURSDAY, NOV. 7

This is the first of two overstuffed autumn weekends for area theater enthusiasts; the second starts after Thanksgiving. Thursday marks the opening of American Roulette, a Theater Artists Olympia/Animal Fire coproduction that uses emotional monologues to tell the story of a school shooting. Friday brings Driving Miss Daisy from Dukesbay Productions, starring Syra Beth Puett as the titular passenger and Malcolm West as the implied driver. Then there's Lakewood Productions' impassioned take on Pride and Prejudice; I'm hearing good things. And don't forget The Weir, a round of spooky Irish ghost stories at Tacoma Little Theatre. Not for nothin', folks, but have you thought about staggering these out?

FRIDAY, NOV. 8

In the trailer for Thor: The Dark World, Anthony Hopkins's Odin warns of a malevolent darkness. He's referring to the Dark Elves, an army of angry nihilists in the service of somebody called Malekith the Accursed. If that intro strikes you as, well, loopy, Thor and his family of Norwegian demigods may not be your cup of comic-book tea. The plot gets even weirder from there. But after its U.K. release Oct. 30, the sequel managed a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating in the mid-80s, so folks are apparently still rolling with the Shirtless Wonder. Also, it'll be nice to give my wife some pectoral eye candy of her own this week after subjecting her to three "sexpositional" seasons of Game of Thrones. That Chris Hemsworth fellow must live in the gym - and hey, better him than me.

Speaking of pectorals, our stage-struttin' sisters will be in Seattle this weekend for BurlyCon, a four-day celebration by and for burlesque dancers. The event features more than a hundred classes, with topics from costuming to makeup to something called "Google-Fu." You're damn right there are a prom, and a pajama-clad movie screening to boot. So yeah, if you're a member of any of our dazzling local troupes, it's a safe bet your wig and tassels are already packed and ready to roll.

BURLYCON 2013, Nov. 7-10, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, 18740 International Blvd., Seattle, $275-$375, 206.246.8600

Or, if you'd rather just think about inconsequential matters like the birth and death of the cosmos, consider checking out a one-hour presentation at the Pierce College Science Dome. It's our very own plane'arium, people! That show culminates in a high-tech documentary about black holes, narrated by none other than Liam "Qui-Gon" Neeson (not in person, I'm sorry to report). Take a handful of stellar masses, squish 'em into a couple of cubic yards, and buddy, you have yourself a good old-fashioned collapsar. Now feel free to make a cheeseball live-action movie about it, with trash-can-shaped robots that talk like Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickman. Hey, y'know what? I'm dating myself. Moving on.

BLACK HOLES: THE OTHER SIDE OF INFINITY, 7 p.m., Pierce College Science Dome, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood, $3, 253.246.8600

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may your fellow astrophysicists look like Kat Dennings and Natalie Portman.

Good luck with that.

AMERICAN ROULETTE, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, through Nov. 24, Capital Playhouse, 612 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, $12, 360.296.5714

DRIVING MISS DAISY, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Nov. 23, Dukesbay Theater, 508 Sixth Ave. #10, Tacoma, $15, 253.267.0869

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 1, Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, $19-$25, 253.588.0042

THE WEIR, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Nov. 17, Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 N. I St., Tacoma, $12, 253.272.2281

LINK: Nerd Alert! archives

November 5, 2013 at 7:19am

5 Things To Do Today: Junior Top Chef, "The Summit" John Denver, Kizmet and more ...

This whippersnapper, 10, might learn how to whip up some seared crab cake with celery seed aioli (gimme gimme gimme!) at Chambers Bay's Junior Top Chef.

TUESDAY, NOV. 5 2013 >>>

1. Chambers Bay Grill Chef Josh Corcoran and his team offer a Junior Top Chef cooking class series for South Sound youth from 6-8 p.m. through Dec. 3. The series will cover basic kitchen etiquette right up to creating world-class desserts. As a final exam, the young chefs will prepare a formal dinner for special guests. Who knows? Maybe the next Anthony Bourdain will emerge from this class. Our money is on the trash talkin' kid.

2. Standing at a paltry 2.49 vertical miles compared to Mount Everest's 5.49, K2 compensates for its height disadvantage by actively trying to slaughter anyone who sets foot on it. The only reason K2 isn't skulking around a summer camp chopping up teenagers is because there isn't a goalie mask big enough to fit it. Freddy Krueger has nightmares about K2. The bone-chilling documentary The Summit attempts to piece together the events surrounding the worst tragedy in K2's infamous legacy; the series of accidents collectively known as the "2008 K2 Disaster." Catch the film at 2:40 at The Grand Cinema.

3. Learn more about Tacoma's historic 1908 Armory and the owner's vision for the adaptive re-use when Historic Tacoma hosts developers, architects and artists from 6-8 p.m. in the Armory's Main Drill Hall at 715 S. 11th St. in Tacoma. Interact with artists who'll have their work on display, discuss ideas for the building's future, and learn about Historic Tacoma during their annual meeting and reception.

4. Folksy, folk-writing folk hero John Denver - born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. - died Oct. 12, 1997, when the experimental plane he was flying crashed into Monterey Bay off the coast of California. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Red Wind Casino fans both casual (which way to the slots?) and rabid (dude, "Rocky Mountain High"!) will cheer on Ted Vigil - born Ted Vigil - as he pays tribute to Denver - both visually and musically.

5. Energetic, melodic rock, with a powerful undertow and a strong message can best describe the sound produced by Queensland rock outfit Kizmet. The band have been touring and composing music together since the year 2000 and pops in for a 9 p.m. show with IBQT and GarlicMan & Chikn in Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Tuesday, Nov. 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area


November 6, 2013 at 7:42am

5 Things To Do Today: Leo Kottke, Randy Bolton, BareFoot dancers, trapeze in a bar and more ...

Leo Kottke will ride a ferry today.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 2013 >>>

1. The term "folk" seems inadequate to guitar wizard Leo Kottke, but how else to describe his roots-based extreme virtuosity? Sure, Chet Atkins was awesome; John Fahey was a virtuoso, Les Paul a god. But Kottke has something else going for him, mainly a spry sense of humor and ho-hum vocals that even Kottke poked fun at. Kottke's blend of jazz, rock, bluegrass and Appalachian folk has raked in a plethora of accolades throughout the years: He was voted "Best Folk Guitarist" for five consecutive years by the readers of Guitar Player magazine and Performance Magazine's "Best Instrumentalist." He was inducted into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame in 1978 and scored Grammy nods in 1988 and 1991.Navigating his 22 studio records and 14 compilations, live albums and soundtracks career is daunting, but not impossible as his last release was in 2005. Kottke has overcome physically debilitating damage to his hearing and his tendons that nearly ended his career by switching up his playing style, and he continues strong to this day ... when he performs at 7 p.m. in the Vashon Theatre.

2. Printmaker Randy Bolton, a Cranbrook Academy of Art teacher, has titled his exhibition "Have A Terrific Great Nice OK Day," borrowing nostalgia-evolving illustrations of early children's books. According the show hype, "these old images that are intended to reflect childhood security and innocence, Bolton molds them into ironic metaphors of a chaotic world." Organize an office carpool and head over to Kittredge Art Gallery at 5 p.m. for Bolton's reception.

3. The BareFoot Collective, in support with the Tacoma Arts Commission, will, once again, take taking dance out of its theater and sharing it with the public through free performances throughout Tacoma. The BareFoot Dancers are working with several local choreographers, including dancers from PLU, Spectrum Dance Theater and MetroArts, to program 30-40 minute line-ups of innovative modern dance including improvisation, contemporary, dance-theatre, and hip-hop works to share with audiences in these non-traditional performance spaces, such at the Indochine Asian Dining Lounge at 7:30 p.m.

4. At The Brotherhood Lounge, aerialists are about to take flight again, after a summer-long hiatus (hot months = sweaty hands = not safe). The re-vamped team is ready to amaze audiences with its color brand of trapeze, beginning at 8 p.m. Creativity never ceases and performances range from naughty to funny to just plain beautiful. The shows are free and tips are encouraged. New this year is a dance party to follow, with grooves by DJ Fir$t Lady. If you've ever been to one of the impromptu dances parties at past aerialist events, then you know about the twerking, pumping and shaking that goes on. 

5. When we listen to Scatter Gather, what we hear is an indie-rock band that relishes in subverting expectations by confusing time signatures and upending rhythm sections. In between all of the chaos, there is gentle indie emoting, as well as tasteful incorporation of string sections to offset the harsh flailing of the rest of the instrumentation. Catch the band at 10 p.m. with Handwritings and Get Mom in Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Scatter Gather in the Music and Culture section.

LINK: Wednesday, Nov. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

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January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2017
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2016
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2015
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2014
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2013
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2007
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2006
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December