SATURDAY, DEC. 28 2013 >>>

1. Imagine soulful music of yesterday being forcibly pumped out of Janis Joplin's larynx and then lathered with the silkiest velvet, and you've a pretty good idea of the kind of groove Kim Archer can make. Archer has a strong, emotional voice, a robust musical sense and a willingness to work outside the tightly proscribed boundaries of the genre. Tonight, from 7-9 p.m. you may ice skate to Archer's heavy soul and groove when she performs at the Weekly Volcano's Electric Salchow Stage inside the ice rink at the Franciscan Polar Plaza in downtown Tacoma. Bonus: Archer will play several tunes off her new children's album, Music From Planet Cool. 

2. There are some hobbies better kept quiet. You know, the ones you do alone in your basement late at night. And then there are some truly cool hobbies, like model railroads. These should be celebrated and dragged out in the open for all to admire - which is why the Model Train Festival, downtown Tacoma's biggest model railroad exposition (taking into account, of course, the relatively small size of the subjects at hand because they are, of course, models) has a 10-day run. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy every floor of the Washington State History Museum filled with operating modular layouts. And, remember to look both ways before crossing, and keep your pennies to yourself.

In the weeks leading up to local singer-songwriter Stephanie Anne Johnson's appearance on The Voice, word had spread through the rumor mill that she had auditioned for the show. Instantly, the situation was reminiscent of when Tacoma's own Vicci Martinez had her stint on the singing competition. Johnson, like Martinez, was about to embark on an absurd journey through the twists and turns of reality competition television - a hallowed realm of heightened verisimilitude where people's lives are stories and their voices are sung dialogue. Ultimately, Johnson made it to the top 20, and into the first week of the public voting on who leaves and who stays. It was on her final night that she busted out a fantastic version of "Georgia on my Mind," but it seems as though it was just too late. The following Thursday, Johnson was voted off of The Voice. Before catching her show at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones, read Rev. Adam McKinney's full interview with Stephanie Anne Johnson in the Music & Culture section.

It's the Saturday before New Year's Eve, and conventional thinking has it that you're going to sit home and go out Tuesday to trip the night fantastic. But maybe you're not. Maybe you subscribe to the New-Year's-Eve-as-amateur-night theory. Maybe you're the type who is thinking "Hey, let's do something tonight" and stay in and cuddle Tuesday away from the madding crowds. Tonight would in fact be a good time to take in the "Almost 2014 Masquerade Ball" at 8 p.m. in The Social Bar & Grill. DJ Midnight will supply the beats while you swirl around this modern dining spot, tossing back Latin fusion delights and $4 Svedka vodka drinks all masked up like Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut. Parties are more fun behind a mask.

5. The Acme Tavern hosts the Bronco Buddies Rosie Fanny Day at 9 p.m. OK, we made up the title. It makes sense, though. At the root of the Acme's show is Blanco Bronco's record release - their first full-length release, on 12-inch vinyl. The trio from Hilltop Tacoma incorporates punk, new wave and '90s indie rock into their sound. Also on this bill at the ... Acme Furry Face Cheex Blanco ExtravaKwanzaa? (OK, maybe not) ... at the show will be the Broncos' bandmates from last summer's Music & Art in Wright Park - the Furry Buddies. Finally, two of the Gritty City Sirens burlesque members, Rosie Cheex and Funny Face Fanny, will be performing too. See, our titles make sense.

LINK: Saturday, Dec. 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area