THURSDAY, AUG. 21 2014 >>>
1. We love "Closer to Fine" as much as the next dirt-kicker, but only ridiculous amounts of cash would have persuaded us to label the Indigo Girls as hard rockers. Which is why Amy Ray's solo albums are such a mind-blower - they pit one half of the pleasant-harmony duo against her previous hold-hands template, opting for more aggressive guitars and cutthroat lyrics. Ray performs at the Capitol Theater at 8 p.m. Come get your folk punk on.
2. The Tacoma Post office Building ART WALK! unleashes marauding gangs of craftspeople, artisans and their multitudinous admirers on the genteel people of Tacoma and the surrounding city under one, very old but bitchin' roof. In June, 300 to 400 people walked through the halls, discussing art, sipping beer and wine and wiggling a little to DJ music. Expect the same vibe from 5-9 p.m., with DJ Schematik in the Office, artwork by Mod Curio, Just Two Guys Creative, Perry Porter, Kristin Giordano, Alex Schelhammer, Abby Kok and Katlyn Hubner, just to name a few. Isaac Olsen and Nick Bulter will screen their films. Willow Eskridge, Kate Monthy and Daniel Martin present the "Ballerina Project Tacoma." Run for your art!
3. The ParkWay Tavern hosts Get Rowdy For Rhinos fundraiser benefiting Drinking For Conservation and Point Defiance AAZK. All you have to do is show up between 6 and 10 p.m. and pour alcoholic beverages down your throat. Fifty cents from each drink will be donated to the cause. There'll also be a donation bucket available, and contributions can be made online.
4. Dustin Lynch grew up listening to neo-traditional country singers Alan Jackson and Clint Black. Although born in Nashville, Lynch was raised in the small town Tullahoma, 70 miles to the southeast. In 2003, he returned to the city of his birth to make it as a country singer. At 7 p.m. Lynch will perform songs off his new album, followed by a Q&A with the audience, at Steel Creek American Whiskey Company. The all-ages show is free.
5. The lo-fi indie rock of San Diego trio Buddy Banter is the kind of laidback pop that comes across as utterly effortless. Elastic guitars call to mind the slacker goof-off rock of Mac Demarco. Much like many other artists in this era of Nostalgia, Buddy Banter make music that could've easily dominated the college radio charts in the early '90s, even as songs like "Little Devil (Come Kick It)" and its bouncy guitars almost sound like the dusty rock of the '70s. What really makes Buddy Banter shine, though, is the purely sunny air that permeates their music. Catch the band with Hot Rush, Lures and Soccer Babes at 8 p.m. in Northern.
LINK: Thursday, Aug. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
