Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: October, 2014 (58) Currently Viewing: 31 - 40 of 58

October 19, 2014 at 9:46am

5 Things To Do Today: Doug MacLeod, Oktoberfest, Metal-Urge Fest, Salute to Pierce County ...

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Doug MacLeod is one engaging individual.

SUNDAY, OCT. 19 2014 >>>

1. A prolific songwriter, Doug MacLeod performs his own work. Others like it, too, including the likes of Albert King and Albert Collins, who have covered his songs. MacLeod, winner of two 2014 Blues Music Awards, the perennial Blues Music Award Nominee, is a singer-songwriter in the American tradition. He is a traveling artist that writes and sings original songs that are based on his own life and experiences. In performance, MacLeod is known for his unique, unorthodox and powerfully rhythmic acoustic guitar style that incorporates a churning beat to complement his intricate bottleneck and finger-style technique. At the heart of this is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters-from the faceless to the legendary-to strikingly real life. MacLeod is performing live at Blues Vespers at 5 p.m. in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

2. Little Creek Casino will offer "authentic" German cuisine and more than 30 varieties of beer from around the world as well as wines and spirits from noon to 8 p.m. as part of its 2nd Annual Oktoberfest. A traditional keg-tapping ceremony will be held at noon followed by live entertainment. Admission is $10 per person and includes a souvenir beer mug and 10 tasting tickets.

3. "Metal-Urge" is a massive celebration of all things metal-art forged by 80 artists holding firm in 20 venues all around Tacoma through the month of October and November. "Metal-Urge" is a citywide celebration of the metal arts that includes both traditional and non-traditional gallery venues exhibiting the metal work of talented artists and includes jewelry, sculptures, vessels, home décor, enamel and artifacts. "Metal-Urge" arrives today in the form of a community featival from noon to 3 p.m. at Tollefson Plaza. Expect live sword fighting reenactments, blacksmithing demonstrations, hands-on metal crafts, steel music and more.

4. The Northwest Playwrights Alliance's Double Shot Play Fest is a chance for local scribes to show off and, just as important, for the organization to make a little spending cash. Consider this: eager writers go to work the evening before the festival, as that's when they're handed the topic for a brand-new, 10-minute play. A troupe of actors arrives at Broadway Center the next morning to rehearse the resulting scripts for a 2 show at Theatre on the Square. This year, in a welcome shift toward marginalized voices, the writers, directors, and repertory cast are all women. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on the Double Shot Play Fest in the Music & Culture section.

5. The Lakewood and Tacoma Historical Societies are joining forces to commemorate the World War I centennial and the fascinating role citizens of Pierce County played in establishing Camp Lewis in 1917. "Every year we put on the Destiny Dinner, which is one of our largest events," explained Bill Baarsma, president of the Tacoma Historical Society. "But when we realized it was the centennial of the Great War - because the events that began in 1914 inevitably led to the U.S. entry to the war - we knew this was a great time to honor our military and the long-standing ties to this community." That rich heritage will be showcased during the Salute to Pierce County event at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 at the American Lake Conference Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord North.

LINK: Sunday, Oct. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 20, 2014 at 7:39am

5 Things To Do Today: Earthquake chat, karaoke, Jessica Lurie, Aquaculture ...

Learn how to prevent this from happening to your house.

MONDAY, OCT. 20 2014 >>>

1. A funnel-shaped cloud touched down near Anderson Island shortly after noon Oct. 11, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue an emergency tornado warning for Pierce County. A golfer at The Home Course in DuPont cursed the rotating black cloud, yelling, "Why would you ruin the best game of my life?!" The same day, just before midnight, a small earthquake rattled Thurston County. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 3.5 temblor was centered about 8 miles northeast of Olympia. Rick Hopkins, a Pierce County building official, will discuss steps to reduce an earthquake hazard to your home - including bolt and plate installation - at the Summit Pierce County Library at 6:30 p.m. This lecture just might be worth skipping the game.

2. A true instrumentalist, Jessica Lurie is an expert saxophone player, accordion player, and vocalist, accounting for the tremendous amount of praise she receives in the jazz community. The New Yorker is a real "jack of all trades" when it comes to her genre, and along with the Megaphone Heart Band, throws a complex melody over a backing beat that results in multi-genre jams from rock ‘n' roll to salsa. The diverse group will create a musical gumbo of worldly tones at 8 p.m. inside Rhythm and Rye in downtown Olympia.

3. If you're interested in exploring the outer edges of Tacoma, the Thunderbird Lounge offers a different flavor than other karaoke joints. Being that it's connected to a cigar lounge, you are allowed to smoke inside at the Thunderbird. It's a fairly standard blue collar dive bar, otherwise, with a steady stream of regulars and a surprisingly good song selection beginning at 9 p.m.

4. Rockaraoke at Jazzbones will either be your novel opportunity to act as frontman, or be completely intimidating. Perpetually packed with people, Rockaraoke boasts a unique twist for karaoke in Tacoma: instead of a backing track, you get a three-piece band playing behind you. Check it out at 9 p.m.

5. Aquaculture is three slanky guys from Shelton playing the sounds your brain asks you for. Check out the sonic madness with LA's Crime Rock at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Monday, Oct. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 20, 2014 at 1:05pm

Nerd Alert! John Wick, Constantine, Benedict Cumberbatch ...

The death of Keanu Reeves' dog really lights a fire under his ass in the new action thriller "John Wick."

Taking the red pill, this is Nerd Alert, the Weekly Volcano's recurring events calendar devoted to all things nerdy. I myself am a Star Wars fan, mathlete, and spelling bee champion of long standing, so trust me: I grok whereof I speak.

Last week Oly police arrested a woman for drunk driving, then found she was cruising the streets with a blood-alcohol content of 0.322. In a related story, scientists have discovered a human who cannot be killed by alcohol.

FRIDAY, OCT. 24

I'd like you to step into the WABAC machine with me and return to the spring of 1999. Our average reader was probably in grade school, but if you're closer to my age, you vividly remember the fever-pitch excitement over a certain science-fantasy prequel. The Phantom Menace was due out in less than two months. Already you wondered which would be your favorite new hero. Would it be preteen Anakin Skywalker, or that all-CG character Jar Jar Binks? He seemed charming. Only one thing was sure: with 17 years of build-up, this movie had to be amazing. Then some techy-looking Keanu Reeves actioner came out, and you thought, "Oh, what the hell, I've got a 10-spot burning a hole in my pocket. I'll eat some wait time by checking out The Matrix." Two and a half hours later, you picked your jaw up off the popcorn-strewn carpet and staggered into the world a changed geek. The Matrix not only stole Lucasfilm's thunder, it represented the absolute state of the art in movie technology, told a riveting and thought-producing story, and still marks the pinnacle of cyberpunk cinema to this day-not that its sequels put up much of a fight.

Of course, that was 15 years ago, a more innocent time, when we feared the non-threat of Y2K more than the non-threat of airborne Ebola. A new Star Wars episode is 14 agonizing months away, you carry cyberpunk technology in your pocket, and there's a pre-Hallowe'en weekend to kill. Who should appear on the movie horizon but your old pal, Wyld Stallyns' co-lead guitarist Keanu Reeves. Whoa! His new actioner is called John Wick, and let's be honest, you don't give two hoots in a hurricane about it.

Except its Tomatometer score at time of writing (which, granted, is a week early) is a whopping 100 percent.

How did that happen? Did only one or two fanboys review it? Nope, it's earned upward thumbs from Forbes, IGN, Screen International and Drew McWeeny of HitFix among lesser evaluators. It's said to be dripping with style, a solid example of world-building, and is that most overused of all critical metaphors: a rollercoaster thrill ride. (Save theater hours waiting in line by reserving a FastPass.) Apparently Keanu brings the noise, popping a cap in everyone and everything while rocking the latest in skinny men's fashions. It could be fun; and besides, what else were you gonna do, play with your on-the-card Jar Jar Binks action figure? Mesa no tinken so!

Of course, you could watch TV instead. It's a big night for entertaining nonsense on NBC. At 9, Grimm returns for season four, so fans of ludicrous cop dramas set in worlds of pure fantasy need no longer content themselves with Hawaii Five-O. At 10 comes the debut of Constantine, a series based on the DC Vertigo horror comic Hellblazer. This adaptation, however, has nothing to do with Keanu or his 2005 movie version, and everything to do with Welsh actor Matt Ryan and a crap ton of CGI. Y'know how sometimes you wake up and discover that the terrestrial plane of which we think we're the masters is in fact crawling with invisible demons and ghosts, and now it's your job to send them off to divinely mandated afterlives? No? Well, now you understand why you don't have your own show on NBC, then.

MONDAY, OCT. 27

Out of curiosity, are there any Benedict Cumberbatch fans in the house? Pretty much all of you? Great! Now, how about classic horror icons? Yes? Quite a few of you? OK! Any huge admirers of the National Theatre in London? (Crickets.) Fine, but what if I told you Benedict Cumberbatch got pretty much naked in the National Theatre's 2011 production of Frankenstein, directed by Danny Boyle of Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire fame? Aha, I see some of you sitting up straighter. Happily for you and your shameless depravity, that production was videotaped. Even better, it'll be shown in American cineplexes Monday, as, for example, at the Regal Martin Village in Lacey at 7. Then the event repeats two days later ... with the roles of Dr. Frankenstein and the monster reversed! Cumberbatch switches roles with Jonny Lee Miller of Trainspotting! I know! And I'm not gonna tell you which day Cumberbatch plays which part, either, because that I do not know! Check Fandango.com for further details as the date of each screening approaches. It's alive! Exclamation points! Wizard, Annie!

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may Episode VII be Gungan-free.

October 21, 2014 at 7:22am

5 Things To Do Today: "The Kill Team," harpist Cynthia Zechmann, "Nickel and Dimed," choral concert ...

Spec. Adam Winfield considered being a whistleblower, as shown in the documentary "The Kill Team." Instead, he ended up on trial and fearing for his life. Photo credit: Dan Krauss/Oscilloscope Laboratories

TUESDAY, OCT. 20 2014 >>>

1. At the heart of every war documentary is an often unspoken question: Why do we fight? Some films suggest that the answer is patriotism or courage. Others point the finger at big business. The Kill Team posits the most disturbing answer of all: Men and women go to war because they like to kill. This gripping documentary unravels the story of the so-called "Kill Team," a group of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan who manufactured combat kills by murdering unarmed civilians in Kandahar province. Catch the film at 1:30 and 6:45 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

2. The melodic sounds of the harp will be featured at the next Music @ 11 recital when Cynthia Zechmann presents selections from her repertoire of Broadway, classical, pop, easy listening and Christian music at, well, 11 a.m. in Kreielsheimer Hall on the Saint Martin's University campus. Zechmann, who began her study of harp when she was 12, is a freelance harpist based in Olympia. She has also performed for President Jimmy Carter, President George Bush, Sr., and at three governor inauguration ceremonies. Zechmann studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and at the Salzedo Harp School in Camden, Maine, for two summers.

3. Whether you're a military spouse looking for work, a transitioning servicemember seeking out the next step or an employer searching for veteran hires, Washington State Service Member for Life Transition Summit can help. The summit will span three days, from Oct. 21-23, across various locations on JBLM - and shuttles will be provided. There are no registration fees due to the summit's generous sponsors.

4. Barbara Ehrenreich's 2001 book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is about her cross-country odyssey as a voluntary member of the working poor. Ehrenreich believes that even as poverty rates - and income inequality - climb, it's only getting harder to be poor. Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland has selected Ehrenreich's groundbreaking study of our nation's working poor for the 2014 Tacoma Reads community reading program. Amanda Westbrooke, host of TV Tacoma's CityLine, will chat with Ehrenreich at 7 p.m. in the Olympic Room at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch.

5. Four Pacific Lutheran University choral ensembles - Choir of the West, University Chorale, University Singers and Men's Chorus - will take the stage during PLU's Fall Choral Concert at 8 p.m. in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center.

LINK: Tuesday, Oct. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 22, 2014 at 7:24am

5 Things To Do Today: Hispanic Film Festival, brewer's nights, Well Wednesday, Speeding Kills Bears ...

"Con la pata quebrada" is a detailed study of the role of women in Spanish cinema.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22 2014 >>>

1. The University of Puget Sound will bring five cutting-edge Spanish and Latin American films to campus for its 10th Annual Hispanic Film Festival. For the first time, the college has partnered with the Spanish Film Club, an initiative of the Spanish government's PRAGDA film distribution group, which aims to familiarize global audiences with Hispanic and Latino cultures. The critically acclaimed films will be screened at 6:30 p.m. on consecutive Wednesdays in Rausch Auditorium on campus. Con la pata quebrada (Barefoot in the Kitchen) kicks it off at 6:30 p.m. The film - which won best documentary at both the Turia Awards and the Platino Awards for Ibero-American Cinema - meshes fragments from 180 movies, chronicling how Spanish cinema has portrayed women from the 1930s to today.

2. Portland's Breakside Brewing may hold the record for the highest number of different beers brewed in a year (it released 83 in 2012, 92 in 2011, and 100 in 2013). Now with two locations and a doubled capacity in 2014, their explosive growth doesn't look like it will slow anytime soon. Pint Defiance will host the brewery and some of its rare beers from 5-7 p.m. Puyallup River Alehouse, the downtown Puyallup face for Puyallup River Brewing's beers, as well as multiple guest beers on tap, welcomes back Backwoods Brewing Company from little ol' Carson, Wash. Head brewer Jordan Tanasse will load up the jalopy with Backwoods brews, plus swag for the raffle, and hit the trail for the 6-9 p.m. spotlight. Jeff Lee from Alpha Distributing will be in the house, too.

3. Pierce County Democrats Chair Jeannie Cavitt Mitchell will discuss the importance of precinct committee officers to the political process at Tacoma Brewing Co. from 6-8 p.m. There will be other speakers and surprises.

4. Speeding Kills Bears will rock Jazzbones at 8 p.m. If you encounter Speeding With Bears, do not run. Avoid direct eye contact. Walk away slowly, if Speeding Kills Bears is not approaching. If the band charges, stand your ground (you cannot outrun it). Don't scream or yell. Speak in a soft monotone voice and wave your arms to let the band know you are human. If you have pepper spray, prepare to use it. If the band charges to within 25 feet of where you're standing, use the spray. If the band makes contact, curl up into a ball on your side, or lie flat on your stomach. Try not to panic; remain as quiet as possible until the attack ends. While in Jazzbones, be aware that you may encounter Speeding Kills Bears at any time. Be sure the band has left the area before getting up to seek help. We don't have advice if the other band, Pasadena, charges.

5. In 2011, readers of this fine rag voted the Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe the best bar in Tacoma. This was due in no small part to its Well Drink Wednesdays. Two dollar well drinks after 7 p.m. Are you kidding? That's, like, riding the train to funkytown for only eight bucks. Yes, please. The kitchen stays open to midnight. Choo, choooo!

LINK: Wednesday, Oct. 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 22, 2014 at 10:27am

Dramatic Voices: A reader's theater roundup

Did you know the last name of Hyde's more civilized alter ego is pronounced "Jeek'l?" Nor did I, but that's how Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson pronounced it. That's the fun sort of fact an actor learns working on reader's theater. One also learns Stevenson possessed an intimidating vocabulary, requiring frequent trips to unabridged dictionaries for words like cupola, ebullition and troglodytic. But what is reader's theater, anyway? Is it simply a script read out loud?

It turns out no one quite agrees on that. In fact, it's hard to say whether an apostrophe should be in the term reader's theater, or if it should, exactly where it should go. Some sources prefer chamber theater or interpretive theater. (I actually prefer "theatre," but our chosen style guide disagrees.) In some venues, it means an unmemorized performance, usually in black clothes, with scripts held on music stands or in matching binders. Often nowadays, it means a somewhat-memorized performance in any level of wardrobe. Lighting varies from ordinary house bulbs to full, colorful lighting plots. Spoken words may be accompanied by sound effects and/or music, often performed live. This can make potential audience members skittish: what exactly will we be getting for our money?

The answer may be novelty and relevance of material. One of the best things about the format is its relatively low expense, which can embolden a  company to take on riskier material. Readings are often billed as "pop-up" or "second stage" efforts, perhaps bonus events for artier subscribers. Lakewood Playhouse presents The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde only two nights, Oct. 24 and 25, on a double bill with an episode of the 1930s sci-fi radio series Lights Out. For what it's worth, I've been cast in the dual title role, but radio-style performances are always carefully orchestrated team efforts. The sound effects alone are a two-person job.

Nov. 6, director Nic Olson presents a reader's theater performance of My Name Is Rachel Corrie at Tacoma Little Theatre, with Lauren Nance as Ms. Corrie. Olson's a longtime fan of dramatic readings; his company, New Muses, produced staged readings of This Is Our Youth, On the Verge, and Copenhagen at TLT and LP over the last year. He'll direct a reading of Angels in America at Olympia Little Theatre in February, and who can blame him for eschewing a memorized production? That show, which is usually split into long halves called Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, is easily six hours long. Of course, it's also a modern-day classic deserving of an audience's investment of time and attention.

The trick for spectators will be - as it always is for reader's theater - to simply lean back, close our eyes, and let sounds and dialogue wash over our minds. Actors relish these opportunities to switch vocal cadences and timbres, flicking through distinct characters right before our very ears. Of course, theater seats can be terribly comfy, so I recommend avoiding hearty, soporific meals beforehand. In a reader's theater performance space, everyone including the actors hears a sudden snore.

Filed under: Word, Theater, Tacoma, Lakewood,

October 22, 2014 at 12:00pm

Halloween in the Dark: Review of Hell's Gateway haunted house in Tacoma

Nicky Martin, Scary Guy and Rev. Adam McKinney stand outside Hell's Gateway haunted house in downtown Tacoma.

I remember when I first actually understood the chicken crossing the road joke. It was maybe a year ago when I realized that that most seemingly innocuous, almost anti-humor joke was actually incredibly profound. Yes, the joke that most people learn just after they've gained the ability to speak, has been secretly about death this entire time. The chicken never intended to reach of other side of the road; being a smart, suicidal chicken, he knew the odds were good that a car would come along and he'd finally get to "the other side."

You're welcome for ruining your childhood.

Last Friday, at 25 years old, I found myself standing in a muddy parking lot outside of a downtown Tacoma warehouse and asking myself, "Why did the chicken go to the haunted house?" I assure you, it's not because I secretly do enjoy the thrill of being scared. As a self-identified wuss, I have no problem admitting to you that not only have I not seen The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but that even seeing the trailer literally gave me nightmares. Showering in an empty house gives me enough creeps to last me the whole year, thank you very much. I do not like being scared.

And yet, I had agreed to put myself through the ringer and go to Hell's Gateway, a haunted house in its third year of existence. Accompanied by my friend (who warned me that she might accidentally punch one of the ghouls at Hell's Gateway, more out of reflex than anything else), we had come to this haunted house for the explicit purpose of torturing myself for the sake of this damn paper.

I've never been to a proper haunted house, let alone the monstrous attractions that haunted houses have slowly evolved into, as independent effects wizards got into the game. Hell's Gateway has three experiences you can be a part of: the standard haunted house, Dark Nightmare (which thrusts you into pitch blackness with only a glow stick to lead your way) and Real Fear (their most extreme option, complete with a safe word and instructions to wear clothes you wouldn't mind throwing away).

I'd like to preface my experience that of course I wanted to get in the extreme, blood-splattered, hogtied, safe-word-required extreme version for the sake of this story. Of course I did. I would've hated it, but I did try and experience Real Fear. Unfortunately, those require reservations, and I just couldn't get in in time. What I did do was the pitch black Dark Nightmare. Along with this tour of horrors, you are given the option of purchasing one of two special glow sticks: one that will let the haunted house actors know to leave you alone, and one that will tell them to get in your face. I went with the latter.

What Dark Nightmare turns out to be is a timed race through the warehouse, wherein you must find clues and check them off on your card, which occupies your only hand not holding a glow stick, leaving you incapable of swatting away demons and maniacs with chainsaws. Because I let the actors know that fucking with me was on the menu, I was immediately and frequently bombarded with terrifying people blocking my path and even throwing my glow stick away, leaving me to depend on my friend who couldn't help but laugh at my misfortune.

Throughout the byzantine halls of the evocatively disheveled warehouse, I found myself murmuring completely nerdy pleas to the effect of, "Please, sir, pardon me. Sorry, excuse me. You are very scary." Even besides the edict that a customer is not allowed to touch an actor, I think I fairly well represented how I might realistically react to an oncoming horror movie monster.

Once outside in the blessedly open spaces of the parking lot, I was able to regain my composure and reflect on my experience. Was it fun? To my chicken brain, it resembled something in the order getting caught as a minor in possession and escaping the cops: exhilarating, glad to be in the clear, but not eager to revisit the experience. If I had gotten in for Real Fear, I suspect I might be writing this from the cardiac ward of Tacoma General.

For anyone who's been to Hell's Gateway and thinks I'm being a baby, you're right. Congrats. Now let me celebrate Halloween the only way I know how: watching that episode of Boy Meets World where they parody Scream.

HELL'S GATEWAY, starting times at hellsgateway.com, through Nov. 1, 2302 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, $15-$50, 206.743.5620

Filed under: Holidays, Tacoma,

October 22, 2014 at 1:29pm

Trail To Western American Art: Secret sculpture, Haub wing Harmon beer and Heritage bourbon, TAM Store opens ...

Sellen Construction crew and TAM staff worked with artist Julie Speidel (looking on, back left) and her team to install her sculpture, “Kinetic Repose.” Photo by Myles Lasco, Tacoma Art Museum

Tacoma Art Museum continues its headlong gallop toward the huge opening day celebration for the new Haub wing Nov. 15. We have the scoop on behind-the-scenes preparations for the big opening. ...

Julie Speidel's sculpture "Kinetic Repose" is installed but under wraps near the new glass vestibule entry at TAM's parking lot level. According to TAM spokesperson Julianna Verboort, the installation went off without a hitch and the sculpture will be revealed for visiting and regional press just before the grand opening. Verboort says she can't show us Speidel's sculpture, but the World Wide Web makes it possible to see representative samples of her work here. Her works are typically massive and simple stainless steel megaliths. According to a description on her website, Speidel "often works at the intersection between figuration and abstraction, suggesting the human form through combinations of elegantly simple shapes." She is represented by Winston-Wachter in Seattle and by galleries worldwide.

For those who like to imbibe, the museum has teamed with local beer mavens Harmon Brewing Company to create signature beers for exhibitions over the past five years. For the grand opening of the new Haub Family Galleries, Harmon and TAM have come up with a new brew called Tacoma New West Cascadian Dark Ale. The museum has also collaborated with Heritage Distillery to craft a rich, flavorful, deep golden Tacoma New West Bourbon. The ale will be sold at TAM Cafe and all of Harmon's restaurants; both the ale and the bourbon will be available at TAM's Go West Gala and Go West Grand Opening evening social events.

Curatorial staff has installed approximately half of the works to be on view at the Nov. 15 grand opening of the four new galleries of the Haub wing.

The TAM Cafe dining room is in process with a complete makeover. The menu is also undergoing a makeover. Look for some fun new Western themed dishes.

The TAM Store held a soft opening Oct. 18 with a terrific range of new products from screen printed burlap sachets to hand-crafted jewelry to new books about the art and artists of the West and much more, displayed in beautiful maple and glass cabinetry. Take a peek in the store next time you are walking along Pacific Avenue.

Also now open is the exhibition "Protective Ornament: Contemporary Amulets to Armor" showcasing approximately 80 wearable works in metal including helmets, brass knuckles, breastplates, amulets, talismans and more.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. third Thursday, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, $8-$10, 5 and younger free, 253.627.6031

MORE HAUB WING UPDATES

Cherokee Nation, Go West Gala, bluegrass coming to Tacoma Art Museum

Painted walls, "Big Red," Celebrity Cake Studio and metal coming to Tacoma Art Museum

Sellen Construction dangles the keys

Checking in with the Tacoma Art Museum

Colors, video, improved store at Tacoma Art Museum

Filed under: Arts, Tacoma, Food & Drink,

October 23, 2014 at 7:29am

5 Things To Do Today: Oly CLAW, Flavor, Oly Freakdown Fest, Kim Archer ...

DJ Fir$t Lady knows what female arm wrestling spectators want to hear.

THURSDAY, OCT. 23 2014 >>>

1. The Olympia chapter of the Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers, or Oly CLAW, will battle beneath the holiday lights at The Brotherhood Lounge in downtown Olympia, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Characters such as Ivana KrushU, Cold As Isis, Vegan Villain and more will go head-to-head, or should we say arm-to-arm, in a full-out fight to raise money and awareness for Garden Raise Bounty, or GRuB, an organization that inspires positive personal and community change by bringing people together around food and agriculture in Thurston County. Spectators are encouraged to dress as wild as the arm wrestlers. After the last arm is slammed to the mat, DJ Fir$t Lady will spin favorite jams.

2. Flavor, a night of dining at immigrant-owned and immigrant-supporting restaurants has reached its second birthday tonight with participating restaurants kicking back 25 percent of food sales to Tacoma Community House. Participating restaurants include Adriatic Grill, Aviateur French Diner, Doyle's Public House, El Pulgarcito, Gateway to India, Il Lucano Ristorante, Indochine, Karma Fine Indian Cuisine, Pho King, Southern Kitchen and others. See the full list of participating restaurants, visit TacomaCommunityHouse.org/Flavor.

3. If you walk through the ParkWay Tavern's door between 6-10 p.m., you'll sure to be hit in the face with fresh herby, piney, fruity, floral and earthy aromas. That's right friends, it's Fresh Hop Fiasco night at the Tacoma tavern. The ParkWay will serve Fresh Hop beers while raising money for adorable animals. Click here for the beer list.

4. Olympia's loudest three-day Halloween party begins tonight with an all-ages show at Le Voyeur. Serling, Right Your Wrongs, Tallest/Of/Mountains, Whitewoodfunk and Fuzz Bomb will rock the tiny room, beginning at 6 p.m. For more Oly Freakdown Fest details, click here.

5. Last Thursday The Valley tested the live music market hosting the Voodoo Organist and Swampy Draws. The Tacoma restaurant and bar was packed. Wisely, The Valley jump back into live music hosting Kim Archer at 8 p.m. Archer's powerful voice a la Janis Joplin and Chaka Khan will rattle the taxidermy.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 23, 2014 at 10:54am

Live Radio Show: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" this weekend at Lakewood Playhouse

"Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm."

Critics aren't often invited to preview a rehearsal which is why I was pleasantly surprised that director James Venturini allowed me to take a peek at their tech rehearsal for Lakewood Playhouse's upcoming show, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This particular show is Lakewood Playhouse's 7th Annual Live Radio Show and is also their spooky Halloween offering. 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.

Anyone that has ever wondered about sound effects on the radio - or even the Foley effects added into TV and film - should see this show. The Foley stage is set up stage right and contains a plethora of props and gadgets that give the auditory illusion of various things. The cleverness alone would have been impressive as a roaring fire, wind, things breaking and other more lurid - and some mundane - sounds were created but the quick pace and necessity of as many as three artists simultaneously creating the effects was simply fascinating to watch. Center stage are three microphones and behind them are chairs the actors inhabit when they aren't helping with sound effects or reading their lines in front of the mics.

The cast of seven takes on double duty (or more) by portraying more than one character. Maintaining one character can be challenging enough but portraying multiple characters without the aid of costuming and only their voices shows what a skilled cast director James Venturini has. Harlan Zinck is Mr. Roth and others, Kira Zinck plays various characters, David Phillips plays "a lot" as well as Dr. Lanyon, Kait Mahoney is Helen Trent, Mrs. Poole and others, Nicole Lockett plays Ms. Moss and others, Jimmy Gilletti is Mr. Utterson among others, and Christian Carvajal is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Judging by the camaraderie and verbal hijinks whenever they had a spare moment, the cast truly loves working with each other and enjoys the show. This love will no doubt be apparent in every line they perform and hopefully, in turn, the audience will walk away feeling like they saw something truly special.

Tickets are a great deal at $25 each or $40 per couple since light h'orderves are included. Five dollar glasses of wine will also be available making the show perfect for taking a special date or even just doing something fun for yourself.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24-Saturday, Oct. 25, Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. SW, Lakewood, $25, $40 couple, 253.588.0042

Filed under: Lakewood, Radio, Theater,

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News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.

Recent Comments

Walkie Talkies said:

Thanks for posting! But I want say that Walkie Talkies are really required while organizing fun...

about COMMENT OF THE DAY: "low brow’s" identity revealed?

Humayun Kabir said:

Really nice album. I have already purchased Vedder's Album. Listening to the song of this album,...

about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit

AndrewPehrson said:

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Shimul Kabir said:

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marble exporters in India said:

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about 5 Things To Do Today: Art Chantry, DIY home improvement, "A Shot In The Dark" ...

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