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

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

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19

1. Vince Brown is no stranger to string swing fans in the Northwest. He plays western swing style take-off guitar with Red Brown & the Tune Stranglers; strums guitar and tenor banjo with the gypsy swing band Hot Club Sandwich; he's half of Red and Ruby - a swing duo project with vocalist LaVon Hardison; performs mandolin and tenor banjoist with the old timey outfit Deaf Lester; and the guitarist with the modern jazz/lounge group The Greta Jane Quartet. Brown's nimble fingers have delighted audiences for more than 35 years. Catch his solo jazz guitarist Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Swing Wine Bar, the converted bungalow overlooking Capitol Lake in Olympia.

2. Holly J. Hughes is author of Sailing by Ravens, and editor of the award-winning anthology, Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose about Alzheimer's Disease.  Hughes has taught writing at Edmonds Community College as well as at regional conferences and workshops. She will be the featured reader at the Olympia Poetry Network at 6:30 p.m. in Traditions Café. An open mic will follow.

3. Happy Belly serves healthy and delicious meals, smoothies and juices from its downtown location next to the YMCA. The restaurant will take its mindset to the next level by hosting monthly nutrition and positive lifestyle change class series beginning at 7:30 p.m. Discussion will include food addiction, your relationship with food, how it affects your sleep and stress and clean eating. Classes are $60, or $240 for a series of six. Space is limited. Contact Integrated Dream Fitness at 517.505.0558 or Fitness One at 253.209.2662 for details and registration.

4. The cool cat college kids from Pacific Lutheran University present "The Swingin' Sounds Of Courage" - the University Jazz Ensemble's big band repertoire from classic jazz of the 1920s to the latest cutting-edge styles - at 8 p.m. in the Phillips Center.

5. The fifth installment of the Vomity Open Mic Comedy night at Le Voyeur features Frog, who hails from the Chicago, Illinois. All donations from this show will go toward Long Haired Dave's recovery from a recent assault. The laughs begin at 9 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, Nov. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, NOV. 18 2014 >>>

1. The former coal mining town of Rich Hill, Mo., is one of those blink-and-you'll-miss-it towns that litter the byways and highway exits of the American landscape, a reminder of past economic growth gone to seed. Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner documentary Rich Hill offers a microcosmic view of the increasing poverty afflicting the country, focusing on three boys growing up in this impoverished community. Granted unfettered access to the boys' lives, the film is more meditative and thoughtful than the usual handwringing exercises that occupy the "look at these poor people" subgenre, but ultimately, it's unable to transcend its trappings. Rich Hill screens at 2:15 at 6:55 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

2. Jazz and blues vocalist Dennis Hastings, who has played on the same bill with notable talent such as Bobby McFerrin, John Lee Hooker and The Marcels, will showcase his repertoire of tunes made popular from the 1940s to the 2000s at an 11 a.m. recital in Kreielsheimer Hall on the Saint Martin's University campus. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Hastings has been singing jazz and blues in the Northwest for more than 30 years. Performing with Hastings will be Steven Luceno on bass, Phil Lawson on guitar and Steven Bentley on drums.

3. Hosted by Tacoma Community College students, the Bill Harrington Veterans Emergency Fund fundraiser will raise money toward the Bill Harrington Fund, a man who served 20 years in the Army. In 1994 he embarked on another two decades of service working with the students of TCC. This foundation acts as an emergency fund for returning Veterans on campus in need. The fundraiser will be held at Joeseppi's Italian Ristorante from 4-8 p.m. with a portion of proceeds from food sales donated toward the fund. There will also be raffles to enter for prizes.

4. Cartoonist MariNaomi is on a tour promoting her new book, Dragon's Breath & Other True Stories, and Yumi Sakugawa, author of Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe will join her at 6:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library. They will present a slide-show talk and take audience questions.

5. You are getting sleepy, v-e-r-y sleepy. Now, go see the hypnotist show at 8 p.m. inside the Red Wind Casino. Whether a skeptic or believer, the show will be sure to entertain with its comedy, rock and roll and outrageous hypnosis, like people sneezing and having orgasms(!) when Ron Stubbs, the man behind the magic, utters the word "pepper."

LINK: Tuesday, Nov. 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, NOV. 17 2014 >>>

1. Minneapolis band Teenage Moods describe themselves as, interchangeably, "flower punk" and "floral rock." There's a fine difference between those two descriptors, but that little bit of distance is actually a bit of a gulf. The latter self-assigned genre may be the most accurate, as Teenage Moods take a flower-power attitude to power pop and mod stylings. Even more than garage revivalists, Teenage Moods are able to replicate the sort of carefree melodicism that was common in the mid-to-late '60s, as folk-rock and psychedelia were beginning to mix and mingle with the blues-rock aspirations of the mods. Catch the band with Dumpster Baby, Jupiter Sprites and the Loud Potions at 8 p.m. in Northern.

2. St. Patrick's Day celebrations aren't easy. You must practice to prepare yourself for the zaniness that goes down every March 17. Doyle's Public House knows this. That's why they host monthly St. Practice Day parties, of which happens again Friday. The party begins with Doyle's Guinness Club toast at 5:17 p.m. All the members gather before Grand Poobah Russ Heaton, who recognizes members who have hit milestones, such as 500 pints of Guinness, while the other members tear up. After the announcement, Heaton raises a glass of the Irish Mother's Milk and toasts the members. The party lasts through the night.

3. Imagine soulful music of yesterday being forcibly pumped out of Janis Joplin's larynx and then lathered with the silkiest velvet, and you've a pretty good idea of the kind of groove Kim Archer can make. Archer has a strong, emotional voice, a robust musical sense and a willingness to work outside the tightly proscribed boundaries of the genre. See her at 7:30 p.m. inside Smoke + Cedar.

4. Josh Hoyer and The Shadowboxers is a project formed in late 2012 in famed blues town Lincoln, Nebraska. The nine-piece soul band's sound and passion come from their deep respect, knowledge of and passion for blues, Americana, soul, funk and many other styles of music. In January 2014, they released their self-titled debut album, borrowing from Stax, Motown, New Orleans, Philly and San Francisco, the album blends the classic sounds of soul and R&B. The band performs at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. Twin Vision sounds like a modest blend of The Strokes and The White Stripes. Labeled as "manic-psych," this band is a nonstop powerhouse of anthemic blues to grunge rock. See them with Nilo Bronco and Fruit Juice at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Monday, Nov. 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, NOV. 16 2014 >>>

1. Clay "Uncle Snap" Sharpe and Brian "Rooster" King are The Lacs (Loud Ass Crackers), a hip-hop duo from Georgia who proudly tout redneck ideals - blacking out on Wild Turkey, kicking up mud in their four-wheel drives, living in a country boy's paradise with "wild women in white T-shirts" - and infuse their sound with Southern pop rock swagger. They are joined by local country band Aces Up at 8 p.m. in Steel Creek American Whiskey Co. in downtown Tacoma.

2. Christmas is coming! You can tell because Sirius radio has turned the holiday carols switch on. Get into the Yuletide spirit early with Christmas carols by Karen Thomas and Seattle Pro Musica. Seattle Pro Musica, one of America's best choirs, brings a Gallic flair to Christmas with Christmas motets by Poulenc and Villette, medieval and Renaissance Christmas music and traditional French Christmas carols. If you're a fan of early music, come all ye faithful to St. John's Episcopal Church at 3 p.m. and listen to them ding dong merrily on high.

3. Brazilian soul/jazz collective EntreMundos Quarteto will bust out "diverse and groovy" tunes led by the silky vocal stylings of Adriana Giordano at 5 p.m. in the Marine View Church in Northeast Tacoma.  Leading with a deep passion for the Brazilian music of her homeland, Giordano sings with a mesmerizing lyricism that is infectious, enthusiastic and authentically heartfelt.

4. On the comedy spectrum, Hari Kondabolu sits far opposite from your Daniel Toshes and Dane Cooks. The former immigrants' rights organizer stays true to his progressivism with material aimed at that enlightening/entertaining sweet spot. He has staked a place in the smart-comedy revolution that refuses to attack marginalized groups for cheap laughs. Kondabolu is joined by comic Elicia Sanchez at the Olympia Film Festival's Closing Night festivities at 8 p.m. in the Capitol Theater.

5. Tacoma son Joe Rosati is back in town shooting a new film, Jack-A Short Film. In true Rosati fashion, "Jack has had a few major things not go the way that he expected them to. Now, he somehow gets away with those things you just ‘can't' do." Scenes will be shot at 10 p.m. in The Valley, the revitalized pub in the Tacoma Dome District. Rosati and the film crew invite the public to be a part of the film, with filming consuming the joint until closing. Go, be in a movie, but for heaven's sake, don't look at the camera.

LINK: Sunday, Nov. 16 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, NOV. 15 2014 >>>

1. It's here at last - the brand new Haub Family Collection of Western American Art in the new galleries designed by Olson Kundig Architects - open to the public at the grand opening celebration today. The new wing doubles the museum's gallery space and places the Tacoma Art Museum as the only museum in the Pacific Northwestern region with a Western American art collection of this caliber. The celebration begins with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. and will feature music by Foss High School Orchestral Band. The new galleries open at 11 a.m. From 1-2 p.m. there will be a living history presentation and storytelling by Karen Haas. At 2:30 p.m. there will be curator and author talks followed by book-signing of the new Art of the American West: Haub Family Collection at Tacoma Art Museum, followed by Native American storytelling by Roger Fernandez from 3-5 p.m. The Oly Mountain Boys will perform at 3 p.m., followed by banjo musician Forest Beutel at 4 p.m. The evening social and members' party will be from 7-11 p.m.

2. Warren Miller Entertainment's latest film, No Turning Back, was shot and produced by cinematographer Josh Haskins, working closely with ski racer Chris Anthony. It follows a cadre of elite snowboarders and skiers from Montana to Mount Olympus. (Yes, Greece has an actual Mount Olympus. It rises to 9570 feet. Opa!) The film takes stunning side trips to Norway, the Swiss Alps, Chugach Mountain peaks in Alaska and deep powder in Niseka, Japan. World-class athletes make the slopes look fairly easy, but even reaching some of these exotic locations can be daunting. Despite these difficulties, Haskins and his crew have done it again: they've immortalized feats of human daring and athleticism by freezing breakneck action into slow-motion glory. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on No Turning Back in the Music & Culture section, then see the film at 6 and 9 p.m. in Pantages Theater.

3. Olympia producer Smoke M2D6 raided the archives of legendary alternative record label K Records to put out an album of Pacific Northwest MCs rapping over K Records artists. The resulting compilation, All Your Friend's Friends, is gearing up for an album release show tonight Olympia. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on All Your Friend's Friends in the Music & Culture section, then seeWildcard, Tyler Xp Andrews, Free Whiskey, MIZ, Angel Perez and Calvin Johnson perform at 8 p.m. in The Olympia Ballroom.

4. When I heard that some of Tacoma's best musicians were getting together to form the Northwest's premier (and only?) all-Filipino Hall & Oates tribute band, my question wasn't "why?" All I wanted to know was when and where I could see this magic happen. The new tribute band, known as the Little Donuts, is made up of members of Le Lo/Fi, the Dignitaries and the recently defunct Bandolier. I spoke with Little Donuts member Reylan Fernandez about the unlikely project. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Little Donuts in the music & Culture section, then catch the band at8:30 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

5. Velocity will come forth onto Doyle's Public House at 9:30 p.m. and there bestowed unto their faithful fans a glorious bounty of fusion and funk, powered with Galactic grooves and Latin spice. And the people will be thankful, and there was much rejoicing, for Velocity - lead composer/pianist Peter Adams, drum maverick Brian "Hannibal" Smith, tenor saxophonist Cliff Colòn and bassist Rob Hutchinson aka Dr. Shred  - have traveled light years to rattle pints of Guinness with hard hitting grooves and hook melodies. The moon will shine mightily down upon the countenances of the faithful fans, and their shepherd's pies will be plenty, and their goats will bore many offspring and there will be peace over the Stadium District.

LINK: Saturday, Nov. 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, NOV. 14 2014 >>>

1. Warren Miller Entertainment's latest film, No Turning Back, was shot and produced by cinematographer Josh Haskins, working closely with ski racer Chris Anthony. It follows a cadre of elite snowboarders and skiers from Montana to Mount Olympus. (Yes, Greece has an actual Mount Olympus. It rises to 9570 feet. Opa!) The film takes stunning side trips to Norway, the Swiss Alps, Chugach Mountain peaks in Alaska and deep powder in Niseka, Japan. World-class athletes make the slopes look fairly easy, but even reaching some of these exotic locations can be daunting. Despite these difficulties, Haskins and his crew have done it again: they've immortalized feats of human daring and athleticism by freezing breakneck action into slow-motion glory. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on No Turning Back in the Music & Culture section, then catch the flick at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. in the Washington Center.

2. The grand passage of Tacoma history past and present, so well preserved in the city's buildings, will be front and center when the City of Tacoma's Community and Economic Development Department and the Planning and Development Services Department's Historic Preservation Office hosts the Adaptive Reuse Open House and Harmon Brewery Tour. Appetizers will be available as attendees explore one of Tacoma's largest and most successful adaptive reuse projects, the 1908 Harmon building, and learn more about how historic preservation creates economic opportunity. "Adaptive reuse of existing and historic buildings has been the backbone of Tacoma's redevelopment - be it in downtown or within our neighborhood mixed-use centers," said Tacoma Councilmember David Boe. "Projects have ranged from Union Station becoming a Federal Courthouse to the collection of warehouses on Pacific Avenue into the University of Washington-Tacoma campus. I'm excited to host this event and share my experience with adaptive reuse as an architect in Tacoma." The tour begins at 5 p.m. in the Harmon Brewery & Eatery. RSVP at 253.591.5254.

3. Vanya and his niece, Sonya, lead predictable lives, keeping their emotions buttoned up while maintaining a country estate and sending all the profits from their work to Vanya's brother-in-law. But, their daily routine quickly unravels with the return of the brother-in-law, a retired professor named Serebryakov, and his young, very beautiful wife, Yelena, who manages to trigger within the entire family hidden passions born of unrequited love, thwarted ambition and enduring hope. This is the plot of what many consider to be Anton Chekhov's greatest play, Uncle Vanya, which will be presented by the Saint Martin's University Theatre Arts Program at 7:30 p.m. in Kreielsheimer Hall.

4. The Paperboys were formed by Mexican born, Tom Landa in the mid-‘90s in Vancouver, B.C. In a music scene dominated by flannel and grunge, Tom had a vision of forming a band that fused folk, Celtic and bluegrass music with pop and rock. He was armed with a dozen of self-penned tunes and a lot of drive and ambition. After finding a group of musicians who shared common musical interests, they recorded their first CD and set to tour across Canada in a used van they bought for 500 bucks. At 8 p.m., The Paperboys will takeover Jazzbones.

5. Where the hell has Glass Elevator been? It's been 15 months since their last live show. Well, the band's tight-wound stony brand of rock is back for a 9 p.m. show at Metcalf Manor. Crowd the Sky will open the show with their unique blend of organic electronica. Fruit Juice will follow with booty shaking glamorous pop so catchy you'll find yourself wondering why you don't know these songs already.

LINK: Friday, Nov. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, NOV. 13 2014 >>>

1. Thursday, for the 18th year in a row, the Harmon Brewery and Eatery will host its annual "Pray for Snow" party. The festivities kick off at 5 p.m. and promise to feature a toboggan full of live music, tons of ski- and snowboard-related prizes, Crystal lift tickets and giveaways, plenty of drinking and even more praying for the white stuff to fall from the sky this season. Will it work? Does it ever work in Washington? That's not really the point.

2. Now that Heritage Distilling Co. has opened its second location on Gig Harbor's waterfront (3118 Harborview Dr.), the HDC Waterfront will host the Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance Girls Night Out from noon to 9 p.m. There will be holiday shopping specials, giveaways and more. Let's face it; booze is the best stocking stuffer.

3. The ParkWay Tavern welcomes 10 Barrel Brewing Company from Bend, Oregon, and their Uberliner Berliner Weissbier, Power to the People American Stout, German Sparkle Party Berliner Weissbier, Apocalypse IPA, among others, beginning at 5 p.m.

4. Critics are using words such as "brutal," "unflinching," "visceral" and "moving" to describe Charlie Jack Joseph Kruger's fiction. The author will provide his own descriptions and discuss his book, In Stark Weather, at 7:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library.

5. Hip-hop show featuring Drumatic, Lega C Jones, TripleTHR33, OPUS DEI, N.O.V.A., Cyrus and DIRTAY hits Le Voyeur at 8 p.m.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12 2014 >>>

1. Dock Ellis is best known as the Major League Baseball player who pitched a no-hitter (aka a "no-no") while tripping balls on acid. He couldn't really see the players, he recalls, just which side of the plate they were standing on. Ellis was baseball's first "militant black athlete," a black player who wasn't simply so grateful to be allowed in the game that he would overlook slights and slurs. Refusing to tamp down his outsized personality and style just to fit in meekly was his contribution to the black pride movement; refusing to temper his drinking and drugging was his downfall. Catch Director Jeff Radice's take on Ellis in the film No No: A Dockumentary at 9 p.m. at the Olympia Film Festival.

2. Simon Kogan is locally famous in Olympia for his World War II memorial on the Capitol Campus and for the larger-than-life statue of a pregnant woman, "Motherhood," at Percival Landing.  He is also well known as a teacher of private art classes. Today is the last day to check out artworks by his students in the art gallery at Pacific Lutheran University. Read Alec Clayton full review of the "Art Students of Simon Kogan" show in the Music & Culture section, then see the show from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

3. Super-team Dr. Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine and Shandra McLane will complete their collaborative Visiting Artist Residency at Museum of Glass today through Sunday, Nov. 16. Assisted by the Hot Shop Team, they will be experimenting with new techniques that blend together printmaking and glassblowing. The Demaine duo is well known in their respected fields at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Martin Demaine has multiple roles at MIT, from Resident Artist to Technical Instructor at the Glass Lab, while his son, Dr. Erik Demaine, is a professor in Computer Science. Their collaborator, Shandra McLane, learned the art of glassblowing at the renowned Pilchuck Glass School, where she served as Print Shop Coordinator for 18 years. MOG opens at 10 a.m.

4. The Taylor Guitars Road Show is all about guitars, giving you a chance to talk shop with a team from the company's factory in El Cajon, California. At each event, Taylor's Road Show team shares insights on the company's guitar-making process and the award-winning Expression System pickup, and demonstrates how body shapes and woods affect tone. After the demonstration, guests are invited to sample a variety of different models, along with rare and custom Build to Order guitars, as part of Taylor's "Petting Zoo." The Road Show hits Music 6000 in Olympia at 7 p.m.

5. Comedy open mics are where comedians cut their teeth, develop their chops and other folksy idioms meaning "possibly suck to get better." Polish is traded for rawness. Comedians nervously testing out premises they thought of while parking. It wouldn't be a true comedy open mic without a few rookies floundering or even some industry veterans filling the room with crushing awkwardness, but Vomity features some damn good performers who more than balance it out every Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur. Host Sam Miller has an infectious enthusiasm for what he does, and the result is a well-organized but natural open mic that doesn't take itself too seriously.

LINK: Wednesday, Nov. 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area