SATURDAY, DEC. 17, 2011 >>>

1. Tacoma Performing Dance Company invites you to its annual take on "The Nutcracker Ballet" today and tomorrow at Stadium High School's Performing Arts Center. Catch the show at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. today, and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets will be available at the door and run $18-$22.

2. Networking is important. These days, you can't really get anywhere without rubbing a few elbows and kissing a few babies. The powers behind the Northwest Convergence Zone podcast and NWCZ Radio know this - and in an attempt to lift our entire scene up created the annual Tacoma Musicians and Friends Networking Party. Tonight at Stonegate Pizza is your chance to meet the folks who make our local music landscape tick, and maybe even drink some rum or chow down on a burger or pizza. It's all part of your climb to the top. Musical entertainment will be provided by a bevy of awesome local talent.

3. According to Wikipedia, "There is debate over the origin of the auto-harp. A German immigrant in Philadelphia by the name of Charles F. Zimmermann was awarded US 257808 in 1882 for a design for a musical instrument that included mechanisms for muting certain strings during play. He named his invention the ‘autoharp.' .... Karl August Gütter of Markneukirchen, Germany, built a model that he called a "Volkszither," which most resembles the autoharp played today. Gütter obtained a British patent for his instrument circa 1883-1884. Zimmermann, after returning from a visit to Germany, began production of the Gütter design in 1885 but with his own design patent number and catchy name. Gütter's instrument design became very popular, and Zimmermann has often been mistaken as the inventor." Now, will you need to know any of this to appreciate autoharp master Bryan Bowers today at the Tacoma Public Library, when he busts out a free holiday concert sure to delight the masses (or handfuls)? Of course not. But it won't hurt. And it just might make Bowers' mastery of the autoharp all the more impressive, as the singer songwriter is often credited as having redefined the instrument.

4. Jazz is the only purely American music and the one genre that has embraced elements of all musical forms. This is why it is always exciting to find young artists who push the boundaries to create their own unique style, and Kareem Kandi is one musician who does just that. The Tacoma-based sax player performs a style of jazz that incorporates blues, funk and rock. Kandi, who lists his influences from such renowned jazz greats as Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane, plays in a free-style manner that sounds improvised. Even though Kandi is the leader, the rest of the band is encouraged to take solos, and each band member is an intricate part of the overall outcome of each and ever tune they play. The Kareem Kandi Band performs classic standards, but it's their original material that has won them accolades from jazz enthusiasts throughout the Northwest (including multiple "Best of Tacoma" awards over the years from the Volcano and Volcano readers). Tonight catch the Kareem Kandi band at Uncle Thurm’s Finger Lickin’ Chicken and Ribs in Tacoma at 8 p.m.

5. Hypnotist Ron Stubbs will do his thing at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton. Is it good idea to visit a hypnotist in a casino? Best not to ponder such questions ...

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

FRIDAY, DEC. 16, 2011 >>>

1. You can hate on the holidays all you want, but there's no denying they bring a wealth of artful yearly traditions. Tacoma Symphony Chorus' take on "Messiah" in St. Charles Borromeo Church fits this bill. As pre-event hype of tonight's event acknowledges, "Chorus Director Geoffrey Boers always brings a fresh take to Handel's beloved work," and there's no reason to expect this year to be any different. Four vocal soloists - soprano Denise Lees, mezzo-soprano Melissa Plagemann, tenor James Brown and Benjamin Harris - will join Tacoma Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, creating an event that's almost to put the whole family in the spirit. Find more info here.

2. Check out the 'Tis The Season Holiday Benefit Show this afternoon at the Mandolin Café in Tacoma, featuring an awesome collection of musical talent: James Coates, Gina Belliveau, Kurt Lindsay, Nick Sandy, Denny Foreman and Megan Biegalski. The fun is all ages and kicks off at 6 p.m.

3. Have you been to the Crystal Saloon in Enumclaw yet? To be honest, neither have we. But, if anything is going to intrigue us into going it might be DJ Dirty White, who - according to hype - will be spinning rock, hip-hop, top 40 and dance hits all night long. We repeat: DJ Dirty White is in Enumclaw tonight at the Crystal Saloon. That is all.

4. It's a good night for comedy in Tacoma as comedian Andy Woodhull is at the Tacoma Comedy Club and Harold Gomez is at the Grit City Comedy Club.

5. Throw up your devil horns and pound a few beers with I Defy tonight at Hell's Kitchen.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Cloudy, hi 48, lo 36

Saturday: Amazingly sunny, hi 48, lo 43

Sunday: Back to rain, hi 45, lo 36

>>> FRIDAY, DEC. 16:Handel's Messiah

You can hate on the holidays all you want, but there's no denying they bring a wealth of artful yearly traditions. Tacoma Symphony Chorus' take on "Messiah" in St. Charles Borromeo Church fits this bill. As pre-event hype acknowledges, "Chorus Director Geoffrey Boers always brings a fresh take to Handel's beloved work," and there's no reason to expect this year to be any different. Four vocal soloists - soprano Denise Lees, mezzo-soprano Melissa Plagemann, tenor James Brown and Benjamin Harris - will join Tacoma Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, creating an event that's almost to put the whole family in the spirit.

• St. Charles Borromeo Church, 7:30 p.m., $25, 7112 S, 12th St., Tacoma, 253.591.2013

>>> SATURDAY, DEC. 17: BRYAN BOWERS

According to Wikipedia, "There is debate over the origin of the auto-harp. A German immigrant in Philadelphia by the name of Charles F. Zimmermann was awarded US 257808 in 1882 for a design for a musical instrument that included mechanisms for muting certain strings during play. He named his invention the ‘autoharp.' .... Karl August Gütter of Markneukirchen, Germany, built a model that he called a "Volkszither," which most resembles the autoharp played today. Gütter obtained a British patent for his instrument circa 1883-1884. Zimmermann, after returning from a visit to Germany, began production of the Gütter design in 1885 but with his own design patent number and catchy name. Gütter's instrument design became very popular, and Zimmermann has often been mistaken as the inventor." Now, will you need to know any of this to appreciate autoharp master Bryan Bowers Saturday at the Tacoma Public Library, when he busts out a free holiday concert sure to delight the masses (or handfuls)? Of course not. But it won't hurt. And it just might make Bowers' mastery of the autoharp all the more impressive, as the singer songwriter is often credited as having redefined the instrument.

• Tacoma Public Library - Main Library - Olympic Room, 2 p.m., free, 1102 Tacoma Ave., South, Tacoma, tacomapubliclibrary.org

>>> SATURDAY, DEC.17: TACOMA MUSICIANS & FRIENDS NETWORKING PARTY

Networking is important. These days, you can't really get anywhere without rubbing a few elbows and kissing a few babies. The powers behind the Northwest Convergence Zone podcast and NWCZ Radio know this - and in an attempt to lift our entire scene up created the annual Tacoma Musicians and Friends Networking Party. This is your chance to meet the folks who make our local music landscape tick, and maybe even drink some rum or chow down on a burger or pizza. It's all part of your climb to the top. Musical entertainment will be provided by a bevy of awesome talent.

• Stonegate Pizza, with the Solvents, Eastern Sunz, In Cahoots, Afraid of Figs, Fox and the Law, 7 p.m., $5, 5421 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.473.2255

>>> SUNDAY, DEC.17: 2011 POKEMON CITY CHAMPIONSHIPS

You're either old or you play Pokémon. Deal with it. Or drive the point home this Sunday at The Game Matrix on South Tacoma Way when Lakewood's installment of the 2011 Pokémon City Championships goes down - starting at 11 a.m. According to promotional hype, this officially sanctioned event is free to play and intended for Pokémon players of all ages and skill levels (Note: Anyone born after 1996 *gulp* qualifies for the "Masters Division). "Players will compete in exciting one-on-one battles as they vie for the prestigious title of Pokémon City Champions," according to the release. "Players at this weekend's Play! Pokémon City Championships will also be playing for Championship Points, which are awarded to top finishers at al Pokémon Championship Series events. Championship Points are a new addition t the Play! Pokémon season, giving Pokémon TCG players more chances to reach their ultimate goal - earning an invitation to the Pokémon World Championship in Hawaii next August." Did you even realize there was a Pokémon World Championship, Oldie McOlderson? Of course not. Now you do.

• The Game Matrix, 11 a.m., free, all ages, 8610 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, 253.583.9708

>>> SUNDAY (and Tuesday): MIRACLE ON 34th STREET

You have the tree picked out, every box of yard decorations categorized, and the yuletide music at full blast. Now all you need are some choice movies to fully embrace the reason for the season. At this time of year, more than any other (with Halloween as a possible exception), we use films as a way of connecting to that elusive holiday spirit. And The Grand Cinema in Tacoma continues this tradition this week with multiples screenings of the 1947 holiday classic, Miracle on 34^th Street. If this film doesn't get you in the holiday spirit we don't know what will.

• The Grand Cinema, 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, 2:05 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, 606 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.6062

>>> SUNDAY: BROTHERHOOD ANNIVERSARY PARTY

What's better than celebrating the birthday of a good friend? What about celebrating the birthday of a good friend that consistently provides you with drinks and a place to play shuffleboard? OK, OK ... what if we throw in some aerialists from Tallhouse Arts Consortium, free pizza and "lots of love," according to an esteemed member of the BroHo's staff (who may or may not be Nikki Talotta)? If you astutely observed that absolutely nothing is better than the aforementioned scenario you're a lot smarter than your parents give you credit for. And you can experience it this weekend. Help the BroHo celebrate its anniversary in style this Sunday.

• The Brotherhood, with DJ James, 8 p.m., free, 119 Capitol Way North, Olympia, 360.352.4153

>>> WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
Oh Weekend Hustle, what can I say? There will be a whole lotta Talotta this weekend - it's the family X-mas party! That means a ton of food, fighting over gifts, and cruel comments disguised as jokes. Plus six boys under the age of ten running around, causing havoc. Once the eggnog kicks in, everything should be just fine - hugs will abound and there may even be singing. Wish me luck.

JOE IZENMAN: Theater Critic
Moving moving moving. We've leveled up our dwelling from apartment to house. It cost us our prime spot a block from the beloved Parkway Tavern, but in exchange we get walking distance to The Red Hot, The Mandolin Cafe, and Los Tres Hermanos. And no upstairs neighbors. I'll take it.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer
I'll be kicking it at the Tacoma Youth Chorus concert at PLU on Saturday and chilling it pre-school style with the boy offspring on Sunday.

.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
This will be our final, sold out weekend of A Christmas Story for Olympia Family Theater, so I'll be playing The Old Man five more times. Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra!

STEPH DEROSA Person, Place or Thing & 3 Drink Minimum Writer
This Friday I'm headed to The Big D.  I'll be full of fried okra and Lone Star beer before you can even think of jumping into your Prius and heading out to pick up your Tofurky. I'm going to be happily eating tons of dead animals, waving at cute cowboys in their huge gas-guzzling trucks, and spending copious amounts of money on materialistic things that I will refuse to donate to any humanitarian cause.  I'll get pedicures, go zip-lining and drive an enormous SUV across the state and on down to Houston to see of my more friends who will insist we eat more dead animals, fried okra and drink even more Lone Star beer.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Food & Lifestyles Writer
Friday night seeing Lance Buller at Maxwell’s. Saturday hot yoga in the AM followed by lunch with Jazzbones’ original owner to talk about the Spring opening of his new place in Bonney Lake/Sumner then ice skating at Tollefson and Holiday Lights. Sunday I’m going to church and relaxing with friends.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THURSDAY, DEC. 15, 2011 >>>

1. There's a delightful dustiness that seems to adorn Eliot Lipp's electronic music; he embraces an old-school approach to arranging beats and synths and samples to create the kind of mélange that would find itself perfectly comfortable in a DJ's box of go-to vinyl. Whether tackling ambient soundscapes or club-bumping jams, Lipp manages to leave his own identifiable imprint on whatever he creates. Tonight Lipp plays the New Frontier Lounge.

2. Get a closer look at, and deeper understanding of, the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine by hitting the Capitol Theater in Olympia tonight for a screening of Swedish filmmaker Terje Carlsson's Israel vs. Israel, a documentary "about the current status of the Israeli peace movement includes both sensitive family discussion as well as secret testimony from former combat soldiers," according to promotions. Tonight's event will be a one-time screening, featuring a panel discussion led members of the Rachel Corrie Foundation and Carlsson via Skype.

3. Last year Weekly Volcano Publisher Pappi Swarner pounded some syrup, transformed into Buddy the Elf, and infamously acted as the tour guide for the Dec. 2010 installment of the Tacoma Third Thursday Art Walk Art Bus. Hilarity and art bus history ensued. Well guess what? Buddy is back, bitches! Tonight! Also returning will be musicians Doug Mackey and Evan Purcell who will perform Christmas music on the bus. Find more information about how to get involved in the art bus by going to creator Angela Jossy's website.

4. If there's nothing else that can be said about Tacoma's School of the Arts, it's a darn fine factory for churning out young and talented songwriters. To see each wave of SOTA musicians emerge from the school is an inspiring and fascinating thing to watch. To celebrate the end of the semester, tonight at The Space the students in SOTA's songwriting program will host a performance to showcase the wide array of voices and styles born out of the class. The action starts at 7:30 p.m. with a suggested $5 donation.

5. Peter Serko's photography exhibition at the Museum of Glass artistically documents the brief history of the museum since 2006. It also shows different aspects of the building, and of the adjacent Chihuly Bridge of Glass, taken during different times of day throughout the seasons. Serko, who will be on hand tonight to talk about the exhibit during Third Thursday Art Walk, says he hopes his show will prove to be an acknowledgement that art really has changed the city, and that the people, such as former Tacoma mayor Karen Vialle and longtime local artist Dayton (Karen) Knipher, who stuck their necks out for MOG and the arts in Tacoma were right. Serko says he hopes the exhibit will show that "this has been a wonderful thing for Tacoma. The Museum District has changed Tacoma for the good and in time I am certain it will be a thriving area for artists of all levels."

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14, 2011 >>>

1. Get your holiday spirit on big band style tonight at Tacoma Musical Playhouse when the Swing Reunion Band busts out "A Big Band Christmas." The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets run $20.

2. Holy crap! Hump Day already? That must mean it's time again for Masa College Night. Expect flesh.

3. There was a time when the Big Friction Jam at Jazzbones was THE place to be for Sunday night maxin', relaxin' and jammin'. Powered by the groove-heavy leanings of saxophonist Brett "Big Friction" Cummings, the Big Friction house band took the stage, laid down the funk and groove, and magic ensued, with a cast of talented locals streaming through to take the stage and get down. Tonight, under the increasingly-cool "Wednesday Sessions" header, Jazzbones will welcome back the Big Friction Jam for an evening that's sure to blow your usual Hump Day plans out of the proverbial water. If you're down to jam on it (or enjoy when others jam on it) this one's for you.

4. John Phillips & Gary Crooks perform at Pastiche Wine Bar on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue tonight at 6 p.m.

5. Play bingo with those not just killing time before the Grim Reaper calls their number. Every Wednesday at The New Frontier Lounge, players are treated to a rather boisterous evening of number-calling. The music rocks, the prizes are craptastic and there's something very satisfying about yelling "It's not a tumor!" when B-9 is pulled from the hopper (Schwarzenegger anyone?). Sessions are free with $2 margaritas and $4 Cuervo Gold shots during bingo. Every Wednesday night is also Taco Night with $1 beef, $1 black bean and $2 chicken in soft or crunchy shells.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

TUESDAY, DEC. 13, 2011 >>>

1. This year's Classical Tuesdays Wine & Song Benefit in Old Town Tacoma will feature "American Arias and songs from operas, musicals and movies," according to the press release. It will also - more importantly - feature soprano Christina Kowalski and tenor Gino Lucchetti accompanied by pianist Denes Van Parys - doling out tunes by Gian Carlo Menotti, Bernard Herman, Samuel Barber, Oscar Hammerstein and others. This annual event benefits the free Classical Tuesdays in Old Town chamber music series. Starts at 7 p.m. at Connelly Law Offices in Old Town.

2. It's not every day that you get a chance to cook with Linda Evans. Are we right, or are we right? But by the grace of God himself, today just happens to be one of those days when you DO have the chance to cook with Linda Evans - today from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Bayview School of Cooking. Pimping her book, Recipes for Life: My Memories (and signing it from 5-6 p.m.), Evans promises "food and conversation," as well as her "Famed Artichoke Dip, Ham Dani, Warm Butternut Squash Salad and Buche de Noel." Pre registration is required, and seating is limited. The cost is $75 per person, or $95 with a copy of Evans' book. Call 360.754.1448.

3. The Royal Lounge in Olympia offers a Comedy Lounge night every Tuesday, featuring an open-mic from 9-9:30 p.m. and headlining comics from 9:30 - 11 p.m.

4. Tribes, Sloths and Trey The Ruler will play an all-ages show tonight at the Red Room in Tacoma. It starts at 7 p.m. and will cost you $5 to get into.

5. Get your groove on tonight in Parkland. DJ Adam Ant spins during "Twisted Tuesday" at Lady Luck Cowgirl Up, offering Top 40 action and karaoke. The good times start at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

The Weekly Volcano never sleeps. It's true ... or very close to true. We average only a few hours of shut-eye a night, be it because we're compulsive insomniacs who surf the Internet all night long looking for funny YouTube videos featuring kittens (Paul Schrag), or simply because there's just so much to do.

Included in all this doing? As always, another shining installment of the Weekly Volcano music section.

We wouldn't lie. You better believe we managed to pump out another stellar Weekly Volcano music section - your every Thursday chance at the best in local music coverage.

Here's a look at the sonic goodness coming at you in print and online in this week's Volcano ...

FEATURE: WHITE ORANGE

Adorning White Orange's eponymous LP is a delirious explosion of images: majestic sea horses, a serene holy man emitting brain waves, little tucked away peace signs, great swaths of vivid yellow, red and blue - this album wants to melt your brain. In the tradition of bands like Deep Purple, Mastadon, Kyuss, King Crimson and others, this is heavy psychedelic music designed to worm its way into your brain - largely without mellow mind blends, but with plodding riffage that will have you peaking when utilized in tandem with a light show. This is psych rock for people who get laid. ... -- Rev. Adam McKinney

PUNK & METAL: INFERNAL LEGION

This Saturday Infernal Region will release its newest full-length record on Moribund Records. The Spear of Longinus features nine songs and 45 minutes of the most Satanic tunes ever - plus the debut of new bassist and local celeb Josh Dombeck. Recorded right here in Tacoma by Jesse O'Donnell at the Autopsy Room, the first thing that jumped out and throttled me about this CD was the production and sinister tones blaring out of my speakers. A heavier release than expected, I was pleasantly surprised by the songwriting throughout. ... -- Jason McKibbin

HIP-HOP: J. BRE

In a city the size of Tacoma, being able to hear local hip-hop on the radio six out of seven days a week is not too shabby. Hip-hop radio is often undersupported. It's also often ignored by local artists who could use it to get their name and music out. Fans and artists alike need to embrace the local hip-hop on the radio that we do have, otherwise we could lose it.

This brings us to J. Bre - who got his Tacoma start as a DJ on KUPS. He's now moved on to become a well-respected hip-hop artist himself. J. Bre's new project is an EP titled The Revelation. ... -- Josh Rizeberg

HIP-HOP: XP

If you follow the South Sound hip-hop scene by now you've probably heard the name Xperience a time or two.  For the past 10 years XP has been solidifying his name as one of the best artists in our area, and he continues to make big moves for himself. Through mid-December XP joins Macklemore on a 27 city nationwide tour, and if he plays his cards right, he could really do some damage in the hip-hop game. 

Along with the tour, XP also just released his new mixtape, The Durden Papers Vol. 1, which has production courtesy of some of the Northwest's most talented producers.

A follow up to his first two albums, Soultree (2006) and William VIII (2010), XP wasted no time getting his third project released to the public.  It was actually a breath of fresh air for people, like me, who got a little antsy between his first two releases, waiting for something new out of the Gary, Ind. transplant.  Although it only took a little over a year to complete, this mixtape is still probably the best project I've heard out of XP.  The sound quality, beats and vocals are all so on point it makes you think XP - and Smoke of Oldominion (the project's sound engineer) - must have spent a good portion of the last 12 months in the studio. ... -- Nic Leonard

WE RECOMMEND: BABY GRAMPS

Baby Gramps looks just like he sounds. His appearance is a more or less spot-on indication of the noises that soon follow when he picks up an old gee-tar and starts a-singing. A long, scraggly white beard, some spectacles, a low-brimmed hat, and when he opens his mouth, the strangest sounds fall out. Throat-singing, it's called, this kind of guttural croak - and it's Baby Gramps' most effective tool in transforming these old folk songs, labor songs and sea shanties into something that feels real. ... -- Volcano

PLUS: Better Living Through Music - Girl Trouble Countdown to Christmas, Eliot Lipp, Charlie Drown, The Mothership

PLUS: Concert Alert

PLUS: Live Local Music Listings

PLUS: Weird Crap Like This

SUNDAY, DEC.4, 2011 >>>

1. Fight as you may, it's officially "the season." Kids are already sitting on various Santa laps at malls across the country, and A Christmas Story is probably already re-running on TBS. The Tacoma Symphony Orchestra will spend Sunday at the Pantages Theater with the Tacoma Youth Chorus, jaw-dropping vocalist Stephanie Porter and singer and trumpeter Jake Bergevin and doling out beloved seasonal music, probably a few familiar classics and a maxed-out credit card full of sing-along enjoyment for the whole family.

2. They're still going strong, and still swarming The Swiss to do good, get loaded, auction and raffle stuff off, and enjoy the spirit of the season in Tacoma. The Friends of the Holidays benefit is today at The Swiss, and the T-Town institution shouldn't disappoint: Linda Meyers Band, Kathi McDonald, Fingertips, Mojo Overload, Junkyard Jane and James King & the Southsiders will all be doing their part to help provide meal support for low-income families during the December holiday season.

3. Despite what you've been told by Joe Capitalism, the holidays are really about spending time with your family and loved ones. We promise. Start today, with the little ones, as the Tacoma Main Library hosts "A Fire for Winter's Eve" - described as a live painting workshop for families. Designed for children 3-8 years old and their families, Sunday's event will be heavy on the storytelling and the art, promising a chance for kids and their families to, "circle around our fire as snowflakes fall and stories are shared of adventures taking place deep in the winter's snow." The hype also says, "[c]hildren will create an art project based on our wintry theme that are perfect to give as a gift to someone they love. Children will also be invited to create cards that will be given to residents in an adult living facility." This is what it's all about.

4. Too Slim & The King Size Troublemakers will play The Spar in Old Town Tacoma tonight - continuing the Sunday evening tradition of blues in one of Tacoma's most iconic watering holes.

5. Calling Morocco will rock Le Voyeur in Olympia tonight. It's Sunday, sure, but that doesn't mean a rock show is a bad idea ...

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

SATURDAY, DEC. 3, 2011 >>>

1. According to the hype, tonight "The Space is going to be filled with so much fun and excitement you will be unable to contain it. You might even dance!" How's that for a promise? And there's good reason to believe it, with a bill that includes local favorites Not From Brooklyn, Moonjuice and headliner Ravenna Woods. Celebrated in indie circles for a percussion driven approach to the hipster folky shit that's considerably more gray and foreboding than the overpopulated genre usually allows, Ravenna Woods - while orbiting many contemporary indie clichés - offers the kind of creativity and originality that keeps live music interesting. Saturday's show at the Space is the first in a string of fundraising events for the non-profit all-ages venue, according proprietor Athena Hitson. Don't miss this show.

2. It's time again for Drag n' Dance Saturdays with host Aphelia Bottom at MetroGruv in Tacoma. You know ... the place with the forboding looking rainbow unicorn mural on the side. Should be awesome. Starts at 9 p.m. and there's a $3 cover.

3. Catch up with Grown Folk Saturdays with DJ C-Luv at Last Call Bar in Lakewood, promising old-school dance hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s and 90s.

4. If you're looking for the perfect spot to get your rock on tonight, consider dropping by The New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma's Dome District, where Mico De Noche, He Whose Ox Is Gored, The Electric Falcons and Green River Thrillers will deliver it in spades. The good times commence at 9:30 p.m.

5. If you're up for a ferry jaunt, or perhaps you already live on Vashon Island, consider getting festive with the Vashon Christmas Carolers, led by Joe Farmer tonight at Café Luna. It's an all-ages event, and there is no cover.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

FRIDAY, DEC. 2, 2011 >>>

1. Nothing gets the weekend going like a good party! And today, Tacoma Metal Arts will throw just such a party with its two-year anniversary bash planned for 5 - 9 p.m. Expect jewelry demonstrations, good and drinks, and even a chance to do a bit of hyper-local holiday showing with handcrafted jewelry by Tacoma Metal Arts students and teachers on hand and on sale.

2. It's the hottest party of the year, bitches! The one and only Steve Dunkelberger - photographer, journalist, Tacoma icon, geocaching nut - only has one birthday a year, and tonight at Jazzbones he'll be celebrating 2011's rendition. Expect music from Deborah Page, the Dignitaries, Voxxy Vallejo and China Davis - with proceeds generated from the $7 cover benefiting AAUW, Emergency Food Lifeline, Tacoma Art Place and YWCA. Why? Because that's the kind of solid dude Steve Dunkelberger is.

3. The Jet City Fix hops in the way back machine tonight and plugs in at Hell's Kitchen. Get some.

4. The performers of the Olympia-based TUSH! burlesque troupe are simply dazzling. And they also know how to put on one hell of an event. For these reasons and plenty of others tonight's TUSH! Burlesque Holiday Soiree and Calendar Release Party at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts Black Box Theatre will almost certainly be nothing short of spectacular. Pre-event hype promises, "[a] glitzy, glittering, glamorous evening of delight awaits you; let TUSH! enchant you as only they can!" It's also your first chance to buy the 2012 TUSH! calendar, an opportunity to dine on the provided appetizers and sweets and an opening for you to get your dance on with DJ Ira Coyne. Hell yes. The actions starts at 8 p.m.

5. It's another big night for comedy in Tacoma, as Tim Harmston plays the Tacoma Comedy Club, Comedy Underground presents Sam Demaris at Big Whisky Saloon and Kyle Kinane steps to the stage at the Grit City Comedy Club.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies