SATURDAY, MAY 17 2014 >>>

1. Metro Parks Tacoma is throwing a big birthday party today for Queen Victoria from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum. Ah, that's nice. Hey, wait a minute. Victoria, daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, was born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24, 1819. Metro Parks is throwing a huge birthday party on the wrong day! The dancing, the songs, the re-enactors, the games - all on the wrong day! There's punch and cookies? Happy Birthday Victoria! 

2. Today marks our country's 64th annual Armed Forces Day, a poignant day to acknowledge, honor, remember and support the extraordinary and brave men and women of the United States armed forces. Throughout the Puget Sound, plans are well underway for some extraordinary events for the general public to partake in the spirit of Armed Forces Day and say "thank you" to our servicemembers. Here are four big celebrations.

3. Matika Wilbur, a leading photographer from the Pacific Northwest (Tulalip and Swinomish Tribes), has traveled more than 60,000 miles in the Western United States over the past year, acquiring extraordinary portraits and remarkable narratives in her quest to visit and photograph people from all 562 federally recognized sovereign Native American tribes. Her provocative work exposes the tenacity and richness of contemporary Native life, and seeks to encourage a shift in consciousness toward Native Americans. Tacoma Art Museum is honored to present the inaugural exhibition of Project 562 featuring 40 of Wilbur's Native American portraits, accompanied by stirring audio narratives from select sitters from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. Tonight's music selection at Bob's Java Jive includes the promise of noise rock at its finest with a killer line-up: Heavy hitters Giza just put out a new record; Bali Girls, with their avant-garde noise rock, are making the show a CD release party; Diesto, a prog metal band from Portland, are playing live in the KEXP studio earlier in the day. What strikes my curiosity most is the set by sludge rockers Ex-Gods, the new incarnation of Mahnhammer. Bob's booker Brandon Rowley says expect the band, "To not necessarily abandon all that was Mahnhammer, but to build off of it. ... But, really I have no hopes other than for them to fucking rock." 

5. Encore Boutique Nightclub hosts Hef's girls. Yup, Alana Campos (September 2012 Playmate from Brazil) and the well-rounded Jessa Hinton (July 2011 Playmate from Southern Cal) will be in the house handing out free signed pictures beginning at 10 p.m. It should be an entertaining night with Encore's reputation as an upscale party spot and DJ Phase spinning. 

LINK: Saturday, May 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area