THURSDAY, NOV. 20 2014 >>>

1. It shouldn't be necessary for us to tell you why Fleetwood Mac is one of the greatest bands of the rock era, but we love our young readers so here goes: if the only album Fleetwood Mac ever released was 1977's Rumours, it would still have been plenty. Like Michael Jackson's Thriller or Adele's 21, Rumours in its day was an album that pretty much half the U.S. population owned. At least seven of its tunes were, and in some cases still are, radio fixtures around the English-speaking world. Even Glee dedicated an entire episode to ruining such otherwise unimpeachable singles as "Go Your Own Way" and "You Make Loving Fun." Fun fact: singer Christine McVie composed the latter song for the guy with whom she was cheating on bandmate John McVie, then told John she wrote it about their dog. As the social media put it, it's complicated. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on Fleetwood Mac on our Walkie Talkie blog, then catch the 8 p.m. show in the Tacoma Dome.

2. Artist Corey Macourek has been making a drawing a day for his daughter for the last four years. Check out Corey's creations from 5-9 p.m. at Destiny City Comics, next to King's Books. Spaceworks Tacoma helped Michael Fitzgerald, owner of Destiny City Comics, in bringing his vision to life of creating a fun place to get comics in Tacoma, along with critically-acclaimed graphic novels, independent comics and works by local artists.

3. Tacoma ART BUS is a bus tour hosted by Duchess of Downtown Tours every third Thursday of the month. In addition to checking out art in galleries and shops, the BUS also hosts a game with fabulous prizes. Pushing off at 6 p.m. in front of the Marriott Hotel at 15^th and Pacific, the BUS - lead by celebrity tour guide John Keister of Almost Live and The (206) - will stop at Destiny City Comics, Happy Belly, The Swiss, SPUN, Four Seasons Art Gallery and the Nearsighted Narwhal. The $10 tickets include Puget Sound Pizza; $20 tickets include VIP schwag.

4. If you want to join the ranks of the dozen or so local comics who have gone on to national recognition, then Seattle International Comedy Competition is the perfect place to start. Despite the rise of DIY shows and new comedy clubs, SICC remains the focal point for any Washington state comic looking for a career in the funny business. It's the ideal venue for some craft-sharpening stage time, to place get noticed in the state or even national comedy scene. After many nights of competition at many different venues in Western Washington, the semifinalists are heading to the Washington Center at 7:30 p.m.

5. Barleywine Revue is just awesome. The band writes and performs contemporary, relevant bluegrass and Americana music while paying homage to the traditions that have come in generations before ... think Bill Monroe meets Bill Withers. Oh man, that's fresh! Catch the band at 8 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant & Pub.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The traditions of military Thanksgiving dinners were borne out of necessity. In earlier times when travel options were limited and the continuation of training took precedent over time off, most servicemembers remained on duty during the holidays.
With times of war and overseas duty as exceptions, most military members today are afforded the opportunity to travel home for the holiday and gladly oblige. Still, some are required to work, and some choose to remain at installations for various reasons. Those who do are the objects of a longstanding and rich military tradition.

The Association of the United States Army and Pacific Lutheran University would like to honor and thank those troops celebrating Thanksgiving in the South Sound. The university based in Tacoma's Parkland neighborhood will host 120 Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers for Thanksgiving dinner at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26. AUSA will pay for the meals.

Here's what PLU has to say in regards to the special dinner. ...

Read more...

FRIDAY, NOV. 21 2014 >>>

1. Sure, you know actor Jeff Bridges from his performances in The Big Lebowski, Starman, the outstanding 2010 remake of True Grit, and so many other unforgettable films. You may also know he won an Oscar for playing country singer Otis "Bad" Blake in 2009's Crazy Heart. It may have slipped your attention, however, that Bridges had already released a solo album under his own name in 2000. He jammed with Kris Kristofferson between takes on Heaven's Gate (1980), an experience that informed his work on Crazy Heart, and sang in the star-studded choir for "We Are the World" a few years later. Crazy Heart included a song called "The Weary Kind," co-written by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett, that also won an Academy Award. Now Burnett has helped Bridges perfect some of his own tunes, plus some from the Crazy Heart score, and take them out on the road, including at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. As an additional treat for musical locavores, PK Dwyer, esteemed member of The Jitters, opens for Bridges. There are still tickets available!

2. The Copper Door hosts a Movember fundraiser beginning at 6 p.m. For every pint sold, a dollar will be earmarked for The Movember Foundation to fight prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health issues. Expect a raffle with Movember schwag.

3. Close your eyes and imagine a world where children are encouraged to learn about science, instead of being chastised for participating in it. Now imagine you in the same environment with a cocktail in your hand. Hands On Children's Museum presents its last Adult Swim of the year. Find a sitter and head to the museum to explore and play through luminescent, glow-in-the-dark and light-up art and science activities from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Experiment with chemiluminescence, analyze bioluminescence and get your body painted with phosphorescence. Warning: Sometimes cocktails produce interesting chemistry between adults.

4. The 25Z60 (Tacoma/Olympia/Lacey & beyond) chapter of The Universal Zulu Nation is hosting a free party in celebration of Hip-Hop History Month for any and everyone who respects and loves hip-hop. There will be MCs, DJs, B-Boy/Girls and visual arts/graffiti cyphers  at the Hip-Hop History Jam at 8 p.m. in New World VIP Lounge in Lakewood. The Zulu Nation and Temple of Hip-Hop ask all to bring canned food, non-perishables and clothing to redistribute to those in need within our communities.

5. Feels perform upbeat psych-punk befitting their inclusion on Lolipop Records, one of LA's prominent hubs for psychedelia and garage rock. Though there's no official Feels album to date, they are readying the release of a live cassette, which is designed to resemble a bootleg. Nothing could be more fitting than a bootleg for a band meant to be spread around and talked about. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Feels in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with MILK and Wild Berries at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Friday, Nov. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Three senior master sergeants from McChord Field were selected for promotion to chief master sergeant and part of the top one percent of the enlisted force Nov. 19.

The Air Force released the list of 479 senior master sergeants selected for the promotion and the following Airmen are McChord's newest chief master sergeant selects:

• Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Frese, 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle fleet manager
• Senior Master Sgt. Erik Johnson, 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron blue aircraft maintenance unit assistant superintendent
• Senior Master Sgt. Jerry Miller, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron passenger services superintendent

The average score for those selected was 671.45, with an average time in grade of 3.21 years and time in service of 21.84 years. The average score for enlisted performance reports was 135. Average decorations score was 24.22, and the average USAF Supervisory Exam score was 69.91. The average board score was 393.84.

Those selected will be promoted according to their promotion sequence number beginning in January of 2015.

Financial stress comes almost as easily as the joy and happiness holidays bring to families. Reducing financial stress was the primary reason dozens of members of the Washington National Guard and Washington Military Department came together this morning at Camp Murray to get some exercise and help provide meals to accompany the turkeys arriving at Murray next week. Operation Turkey Drop provides complimentary holiday turkeys to servicemembers during the Thanksgiving week. The Washington National Guard's Family Programs has been a major recipient for this program and, for the third year in a row, has once again added in all the "fixings" - with the help from their guardsmen. The annual Turkey Trot 5K run for the Washington National Guard encourages all participants to bring a non-perishable food item to the run.

After this morning's run, the Family Programs staff staged bags with the donated food items as "sides" to accompany the forthcoming Operation Turkey Drop turkeys.

"The event is a great way to start Friday off on the right foot and it truly is amazing to see all of the canned goods piling up," said the Turkey Trot's NCOIC and Washington National Guard Suicide Prevention Program manager, Staff Sgt. Adam Zangenberg. "I know the soldiers really enjoyed dressing up in their hunting gear as well."

"Wear Your Favorite Hunting Gear" was this morning's theme - and there were plenty of outfits that weren't hard to miss, even if they did blend in to the scenery. These ongoing themed-runs are a low-pressure way to encourage physical fitness and assist in building the morale of the Washington National Guard.

"There were plenty of smiles from the sergeant majors down to the specialists," said Zangenberg. "I even had one civilian, who retired a while ago, tell me he hasn't ran this long in years."

With plenty of hunting outfits and even a break in the morning rain during the run, the Camp Murray Turkey Trot provided the perfect venue to conduct physical fitness in a fun setting, all for a meaningful cause.

"Military families will get to benefit from all the food collected and even just one can of food makes the run worthwhile," Zangenberg said. "We support our service members throughout the year and this was a great way of saying thanks during the Thanksgiving holiday season."

2014 CAMP MURRAY TURKEY TROT RESULTS

5K around the perimeter of Camp Murray

MALES:

1^st: Sgt. 1^st Class Sappington - 18:34

2^nd: Sgt. 1^st Class Rushing - 18:35

3^rd: Capt. Goertzen - 20:35

FEMALES:

1^st: Sgt. Waponoski

2^nd: Sgt, 1^st Class Schlueb

3^rd: Master Sgt. Bluff

This just in from the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma. ... 

Tacoma, WA - Since October 27 of this year, the Broadway Center has been in discussion with Mr. Bill Cosby's management regarding the possibility of canceling his scheduled April 18, 2015, performance in Tacoma. Today, the Broadway Center formally announces that cancellation.
 
"This decision is not intended to pass judgment on Mr. Cosby - that is not the business of the Broadway Center," said David Fischer, the Broadway Center's Executive Director.
 
"We've been deliberate and thoughtful in making this decision, carefully considering our many relationships and legal obligations, including those with Mr. Cosby, with ticket buyers, and with our community. The Broadway Center is a non-profit organization that works diligently to strengthen our community's social fabric by building empathy, furthering education, and sharing joy. Ultimately, we were not confident in our ability to meet those objectives by proceeding with Mr. Cosby's performance in Tacoma," said Fischer.
 
"In making this decision, the Broadway Center also took into consideration the financial harm we will suffer by cancelling, and the even greater financial risk of moving forward with the performance," concluded Fischer.
 
The Broadway Center is offering all ticket buyers the option to exchange their tickets for another of the many great performances ahead, or to request a refund. The Box Office team will be reaching out to all ticket holders in the coming days to make exchange and refund arrangements.  Box Office hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and representatives may be contacted via phone at 253.591.5894, or toll-free at 1.800.291.7593.

SATURDAY, NOV. 22 2014 >>>

1. The Cottonwood Cutups were conceived by the many campfire jams held in the Hoh Rain Forest of the Olympic National Park. A mix of influences meld country, old-time, ragtime, punk, bluegrass, rock and jazz to bring about their sound. Ice skate to the band's live performance at the Polar Plaza ice rink in downtown Tacoma from 7-9 p.m. The music is free; it's $4-$8 to ice skate.

2. Artist and instructor Marita Dingus will lead participants in art making using found objects from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tacoma Art Museum. The museum will provide a limited amount of found objects, but participants are encouraged to bring their own stuff they find. Most art making will be 3D renderings, small sculptures and such. Dingus will provide instruction and provide suggestions for creating your green piece of art.

3. With such massive hits as "Living After Midnight" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin," Judas Priest is among the best-loved heavy metal bands in the U.S. and UK. Flamboyant lead singer Rob Halford, celebrated for his wide range and operatic screams, was an MTV staple during the Headbangers Ball years. Now Priest is touring in support of a new album, Redeemer of Souls, with a 7:30 p.m. show at the Tacoma Dome. Is it an old-timers' victory lap? Sure, but not the way you think: Redeemer debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, making it JP's top-debuting album ever in the U.S. Talk about hell bent for leather.

4. Spaceworks Tacoma participants eTc Tacoma hosts Tacoma rapper Bruce Leroy at 8 p.m. Space is limited for this event, so attendees are encouraged to RSVP at sales@etctacoma.com. The first 20 attendees will receive a free giveaway item. Leroy dropped 10 Feet at the beginning of the month to critical acclaim.

5. Marty O'Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra is one hell of an outfit. We've started calling them the Old School Orchestra, as their music puts us in mind of someone's porch in a gator-bait bayou where people have names like Fingerless Earl, Jimmy Gumbo, and Jailhouse Jackson. Yes, you'll hear echoes of Andrew Bird. Yes, Howlin' Wolf and Tom Waits were influences. But really, this is one of those times when the word esoteric comes in handy for critical purposes. It means the trio grabbed everything good from every hallowed genre of American traditional music, then piled on evocative lyrics: "She was my three-legged dog...It's not the body of the beast that holds its spirit." Man, this stuff goes down finer than crawfish étouffée. Catch the band at 9:30 p.m. in Doyle's Public House.

LINK: Saturday, Nov. 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, NOV. 23 2014 >>>

1. Alice Cooper, born Vincent Furnier, pretty much invented live heavy metal spectacle. Long before Britney Spears draped a serpent awkwardly about her neck, Cooper was welcoming us to his nightmare by tossing a live chicken (not, as press reports claimed the next day, biting its head off), purporting to electrocute a guy on stage, and incorporating drag elements from Barbarella and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? No less a scribe than Bob Dylan called him "an overlooked songwriter," and it's hard to argue his assessment given such singles as "School's Out," "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and the ballad "You and Me." Of course, Cooper was also slamming a bottle of whiskey and up to two cases of beer a day at the time, so it's probably a good thing he traded that addiction for golfing with Pat Boone. Don't think the Godfather of Shock Rock has mellowed out too much, though - his last single was called "I'll Bite Your Face Off."  Catch him at 7 p.m. in the Emerald Queen Casino.

2. Erivan and Helga Haub donated 295 Western American works of art from their private collection to the Tacoma Art Museum, along with endowment funds for the future care and educational opportunities related to the collection. The collection spans 200 years, from famed early artists/explorers to notable present day masters. Read Alec Clayton's full story on the Haub Fally Collection wing at the Tacoma Art Museum in the Music & Culture Section, then see the exhibit from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was a German Romantic composer who, all his life, aspired to be a Classicist in the Beethoven mold - to the extent that he refused to allow titles tacked onto any of his instrumental-genre works: symphonies, concertos, string quartets and quintets, piano trios and quartets, piano sonatas, etc. (though Beethoven himself apparently had fewer objections). Any one of them is simply known as "genre" number N in "some" key, opus "some number": no subtitles and thus no allusions to a mood, no literary ties and certainly no program to "follow." You listen for sound only and savor whatever mood it evokes for you. And that is exactly what you can expect at 2:30 when the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra performs Brahms' Symphony No. 2 withSarahIoannides conducting and young Charlie Albright on piano in the Pantages Theater. Also expect to hear Beethoven'sFidelio Overture and Tchaikovsky'sPiano Concerto No. 1.

4. Accompanied by talented cantaores and musicians, the explosive dances of Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro lead us into the mysterious world of flamenco - with an allusion to metallurgy, in which primitive elements are extracted, refined and fused to new strengths and grandeur - at 7 p.m. in the Washington Center.

5. Coming from New York, Pampers bring a sonic onslaught that rarely, if ever, lets up. Listening to the art-punk band is something like trying to restrain a maniac on speed - there's just no getting out of there with cuts, bruises and hair getting ripped out of your head. It's all thrashing and wailing, with the occasional sonic oddity thrown into the mix to make everything just a little bit more disorienting. See the band with OBN IIIs and Nudity at 8 p.m. in Northern.

LINK: Sunday, Nov. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, NOV. 24 2014 >>>

1. Hip Hatchet is the project of alt-country singer-songwriter Philippe Bronchtein, who has a uniquely gifted sense of setting a melancholy mood. His songs are drenched in loneliness, without ever quite dipping too deeply into the well of sadness. On record, accompanied by a small group of supporting musicians, Bronchtein music swells and rises with a winsome energy. Seen solo, Hip Hatchet becomes about one man nimbly exploring his guitar, his oaken tenor guiding the audience through more than just dusty trails and mangy dogs. Hailing from Portland, Hip Hatchet's brand of folk has a distinctively Pacific Northwestern feel. Joining Hip Hatchet for a 10 p.m. performance in the intimate Le Voyeur is Christopher Paul Stelling, a New Yorker who brings a fiery, frantic strum that should balance out Hip Hatchet's bucolic fingerpicking quite well.

2. Jackie Fender, Weekly Volcano cohort and one of the Gritty City's art scene and literary superstars, is about to step things up a notch. She and fellow Volcano scribe Joshua Swainston are releasing the first print collection of stories and poems from their online literary destination, CreativeColloquy.com. Creative Colloquy Volume One is a super-rad collection of stories crafted by South Sound authors, a really diverse collection of shorts and poems and essays. The launch party is at 7 p.m. at B Sharp Coffee House.

3. The Greta Jane Quartet plays the Rhythm and Rye club at 8 p.m. In your world, jazz is the Pandora station your boss makes you listen to at work. Well, prepare to get schooled. In the Quartet's nimble hands, jazz was powerfully sexy, just the thing to settle a body down after another manic Monday. Imagine a snifter of Maker's Mark and pretty ladies in cocktail gloves. That's right, cocktail gloves! It's our fantasy, damnit! Anywho, happy days are here again - at least for tonight.

4. Blues County Sheriff is about the blues ... old school, real and meant to be shared with friends and aficionados by players who have dedicated their lives to the music - a celebration of the greatness of post-war bluesmen. Each song comes from the heart with penetrating vocal, unique interpretation, and dynamic performance.  The band performs original blues and covers - all in old-school style.  Catch the band at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. 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.

LINK: Monday, Nov. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Remember the ice skating scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas? The whole Peanuts gang glides over the ice of a small pond as jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi sets the tone. Like Charlie Brown's fictional hometown, Tacoma boasts a great place to skate right in the heart of downtown. The Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink at Tollefson Plaza hosts hours of public skating sessions across the street from the Tacoma Art Museum. While you won't catch many snowflakes while skating at Polar Plaza, you'll get the benefits of a nicely maintained ice surface while still enjoying the fresh outdoor air - something even Snoopy would appreciate.

To accompany the new "Art of the American West" exhibit in the new Haub Family Collection wing at TAM, the Weekly Volcano presents live bluegrass, country and old-timey bands every Saturday night at the ice rink. The Cottonwood Cutups kicked off the music series Saturday, performing a mix of country, old-time, ragtime, punk, bluegrass, rock and jazz while skaters fell on their asses. It was a hoot.

If your memories of skating date back to the original airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas, make this holiday season your year to get out on the ice again. Strap on those sturdy rental skates and step gingerly onto the ice. Feel the live music and the burn in your thighs as you circle the rink. Just ignore those creaky knees for now and let yourself be a kid again.

Southern rock band SweetKiss Momma is up at the ice rink next, performing from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29. In the meantime, enjoy a few photos from the past Saturday's down home holiday hoedown.

SEE ALSO

The backstory and band schedule for the Weekly Volcano's Rhythm & Ice music series at the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink