FRIDAY, OCT. 24, 2014 >>>
1. Pimp 'n' Ho parties just aren't cuttin' it anymore, are they? Neither are the toga parties, the erotic costume contests or naughty nurses. So much bare flesh, so much cold weather. If Halloween is really to turn into The Day of Getting As Close to Naked As Possible, it should be moved to July. This is not the point. The Weekly Volcano apologizes. The point is that, for you, today no longer holds the magic it once did. You yearn for Halloweens of yesteryear. Fort Nisqually Living History Museum at Point Defiance Park has you covered with its 20th version of Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen - a chance for revelers of all shapes and sizes to sit by a bonfire, sip cider, eat cookies and hear tales of ghostly pipers, haunted whaling ships and demon snakes told by the scariest folks of all - those who dress in clothing from the 1800s for fun. The wood will be lit at 7 p.m.
2. The Magic Flute is set in an unnamed fantasyland, but this production benefits from local stylistic influences. Tacoma Opera drew inspiration from the art and culture of Pacific Northwest Salish tribes, with valuable assistance from the Puyallup tribe in particular. The event's web page notes the indigenous culture's "impish sense of humor and ... immense respect for nature, all of which blend perfectly with the transcendent music." It'll be interesting to note how these tribal elements are woven into set and costume designs, as The Magic Flute's expansive, episodic structure demands a unifying aesthetic perspective. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on The Magic Flute in the Music & Culture section, then catch the performance at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Rialto Theater.
3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is Lakewood Playhouse's 7th Annual Live Radio Show and is also their spooky Halloween offering at 8 p.m. For two nights only, the theater will be transformed into a live radio show featuring actors reading many parts and the director (and many of the actors) performing all the sound effects. The show starts with "another twisted episode from the iconic radio show "Lights Out" and many more surprises" before beginning Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror tale of a scientist and the monster that lurks just under the surface. Read Joann Varnell's review of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on our Walkie Talkie blog.
4. The Little O and his Lonely One Man Folk-Punk Band is a wonderfully self-referential project. As the one-man band in question, the Little O is a self-styled caricature of a rambling troubadour. Most of his songs are titled with variations on "The Little O Sings About (Blank)," essentially rendering him a kind of Sunday comics character, doing bluesy little folk ditties about his thoughts on zines, phone calls, postcards, and - most delightfully - what it's like to be a one-man band. Catch Little O with Forest Beutel, Micaela Cooley and Emelie Peine at 8 p.m. in the Northern Pacific Coffee Company.
5. Sounding like a cross between Captain Beefheart's elegant experimentalism and the Shaggs' aggressive non-conformity, Philadelphia's Hermit Thrushes possess the sort of innate musicality that might make you believe that they're just making shit up as they go along, even when it's been carefully laid out. Every halting screech and skronk and sideswiping instrumental intrusion is in its right place. Take it all in with REDS, Humidity and Static at 8 p.m. in Half Pint Pizza Pub.
LINK: Friday, Oct. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
