FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 2014 >>>
1. Does it matter what Mike Wattdoes? The guy has so much cred that he could spend the rest of his career covering Hanoi Rocks! tunes in a crushed velour jumpsuit and the indie kids would still wet themselves. And for good reason - this is friggin - Mike Watt, dude. Founding member of The Minutemen. Founding member of fIREHOUSE. The guy who helped give a tongue to punk rock brings latest project il sogna del marinaio to the Capitol Theater. Watt joins fellow band members Stefano Pilia and Andrea Belfi for a night of rambunctious blend of punk-prog and avant garde jazz. Not progressive enough? Japanese instrumental quartet LITE opens with your standard prog rock injected with cinematic art rock compositions. Survival knife kicks the night off at 8 p.m.
2. Doyle's Public House will host guided whiskey tasting with Travis Zinkel from Heaven Hill Distilleries from 6-8 p.m. Learn what "Bottled-in-Bond" means as well as why some whiskies are called bourbon and others are not all while sipping on some wonderful examples. Space is limited to 16, so sign-up with the bartender to reserve your space
3. Blake Shelton's "Ten Times Crazier" tour will hit the Tacoma Dome at 7 p.m. with four hours of non-stop music by the headliner and openers Neal McCoy, Dan + Shay and The Band Perry. It's rumored that McCoy, a road-tested veteran who scored his initial hits in the early 1990s, will play three short sets as bridges between the other acts. Dan + Shay's countrified arena rock will continue to Tacoma's Steel Creek American Whiskey Co. after the concert. The Band Perry trio is rumored to have a flashy light show. Shelton, of course, is a mainstream celebrity now as a star of NBC's The Voice, so expect him to be chatty.
4. As a founding member of Barleywine Revue and a member of Rusty Cleavers, Forest Beutel has had his share of carrying the torch for old-fashioned folk and bluegrass in Tacoma. Armed with a banjo and a harmonica, Beutel is releasing his debut solo album, If You Label Me, You Negate Me. Even more so than his work in other bands, Beutel's solo work values the classicism of country and bluegrass form. His songwriting is ragged and humble, covering well-worn subjects and winking acknowledgments of the tropes of the genre (mentions of dusty trails, beer and good ol' boys are aplenty). Joining Beutel for his album release show at 8 p.m. in the B Sharp Coffee House will be Squirrel Butter, a duo that also explores the sounds of traditional bluegrass and jug band rave-ups.
5. Cody Foster Army, or C.F.A., will be re-leasing their first album, Smoking Gun, on 7-inch colored vinyl with additional art and download card tonight at The New Frontier Lounge. Otherwise known as the 7-11 album, the fast and heavy album will be the highlight of the 9 p.m. show featuring, of course, CF.A., Anticulture from Everett, Agonizer from Bellingham and Deathbed Confessions from Tacoma.
LINK: Friday, Sept. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
