SUNDAY, JUNE 15 2014 >>>

1. Chef Riley Morgan will release his summer menu at 1022 South J on Hilltop Tacoma. The Southern-raised Morgan has created a Northwest meets Southeast menu, adding a Northwest touch to deviled eggs, pulled pork, collard greens, grits and other Southern staples. He's taking Southern flavors and airing them out for summer. For the full story on the new menu, click here. The new menu will debut toward the end of next week. New cocktails will be added in conjunction with the summer menu. Gone are the hot drinks, replaced with patio drinks, including whatever Morgan calls his new mojito, with mint leaves he grew, smoked infused rum, lime zest poured over smoked ice into a smoked glass. Smojito? The 1022 South J will send off its spring menu in style, hosting its one-year anniversary party Sunday, June 16. Launching at 4 p.m., happy hour prices will remain until close, plus food and drink specials.

2. This year why not give Dad the gift of something delicious and local. The Harmon Tap Room presents a "Father's Day Brewery Tour & Tasting" from noon to 4 p.m. For $20, Dad may tour Harmon's brewery operation, and then enjoy five small plates paired with beer. Reserve Dad a spot at 253.212.2725.

3. With music and lyrics by the Grammy Award-winning team of Eric Idle and John Du Prez and book by Idle, SPAMALOT tells the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. At 2 p.m. in the Lakewood Playhouse, expect to see flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen, and show-stopping musical numbers, including "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," make for a very Monty Python telling of the Camelot legend.

4. The Swiss Restaurant and Pub hosts a fundraising music and burlesque show at 8 p.m. The goal is to raise money to help the fight against breast cancer in honor of Aunt Lisa who passed away last September. There will be awesome raffle prizes, burlesques dancers Funny Face Fanny, Heather Hostility, Rosie Cheex and bands Noi!se, Rat Path, Crooks To Kings and Overboard. There will be a cover charge at the door; all profits go directly to the Susan G. Komen under the team name, Survivor Chick's Breast Friends.

5. Calvin Johnson has long been one of the weirder ducks in local music. He played a large role in not only popularizing Olympia and its vibrant music scene, but also helping to set the tone of the city's musical output in general, with his lo-fi alt-rock group Beat Happening and his founding of K Records. The Hive Dwellers is Johnson's most recent project, and it finds him continuing down that weird path he set for himself back in the '80s. His guttural monotone is still front and center, and his arrangements are exceedingly off-kilter. Catch the band with The Shivas and Panduhs at 8 p.m. in Northern.

LINK: Sunday, June 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The first annual Veterans Resource Fair at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, June 21. The day will offer services, resources and varying employment and education opportunities to area veterans and their families.

"I knew there was plenty of resources but it was a matter of publicizing them and gathering them at one time, in one place," said event organizer Alfredo "Tito" Medina, a Navy veteran who has spent decades working with fellow veterans.

The Veteran Resource Fair is a community partnership between various veteran-owned agencies, individuals, nonprofits, federal, state and local county agencies whose aim is to provide a reliable event where Pierce, King, Kitsap and Thurston County veterans and their families can obtain information on various programs and resources.

Read more...

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 2014 >>>

1. Deep Creep is a band that unites at the populated intersection of the Murder City Devils, Pretty Girls Make Graves, the Cave Singers and Cute Lepers. Deep Creep favor the stompy rock of the '70s, while also branching out into unique areas of their own devising.  Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Deep Creep in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Young Evils and Show & Tell at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Nothing says good times like family fun and a whole crapload of pirate references. By the look of things, that's exactly what's in store for those headed to the 2014 Maritime Gig Festival in Gig Harbor. Expect wholesome treats such as a 8 a.m. Kiwanis pancake feed, 9 a.m. fun run, a "Yo Ho Harbor Grande Parade," Steve Stefanowicz and other musicians, and what's billed as the "Round Rock Contest." We have no idea what a "Round Rock Contest" is, but it sounds AWESOME! The festival stretches all weekend in downtown Gig Harbor, along Harborview Drive, between Pioneer and Rosedale, and along the waterfront near Jerisich Dock and Skansie Brother's Park.

3. Frank Janzen makes prints using smoke, Dionne Haroutounian combines print media and collage in ways that are almost indefinable, and Janet Marcavage creates sparkling optical prints using traditional media. These are but a few of the new and exciting works by Northwest printmakers to be seen in the new exhibition "Ink This! - Print Arts in the Northwest" at Tacoma Art Museum. Read Alec Clayton full preview of "INK THIS" in the Music & Culture section, then check out the show, which opens today at 10 a.m.

4. Like your furniture to be eco-friendly, stylish, and full of character? Moss + Mineral - the downtown Tacoma design store with a mid-century modern vibe - present clean-lined, eco-inspired furnishings and other works as part of "Natural Spectacle: Art + Eco-Furnishings," a group show opening from 1-6 p.m. According to pre-show hype, "Carlos Taylor-Swanson, head of the famed Madera woodworking studio, breaks out with a new vision of green furnishings; while birdloft designers Jeff Libby and Adrienne Wicks innovate with new, streamlined architectural designs. Holly Senn pays nature homage with her fascinating wasp nest forms sculpted from the pages of discarded books." Also include in the show are works by photographer Harriet McNamara and ceramics artist Claudia Riedener.

5. Logan, 16, took his life in December 2013. The tragedy of his death was, as you can imagine, devastating for his family and friends. Logan's mother, Amy, created the Logan Foundation, to promote active involvement in the lives of youth in the community and to raise awareness and provide connection to prevent the epidemic tide of teen suicide. A benefit concert for the foundation will kick off at 7 p.m. in the Rock N Roll Lodge in Tacoma. Hip-hop artists Stupid Juice Crew, Pooji Tran, Q Dot, A King and others will bring it for a $5 cover. Worthy on so many levels.

LINK: Saturday, June 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Olympia has gone and done it again. It has outshone itself by coming out in droves to support the creativity and compassion that go hand-in-hand in the little college town.

Oly CLAW, the local chapter of the Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers, made its debut before a packed Le Voyeur crowd Friday night, as a benefit for SafePlace. The group raised more than $1,600.

"We raised $1,628 in one night, at the fucking Voyeur in Olympia, WA. If that is not the definition of community support and love, then I am going to misappropriate that money, buy a book burning mobile, and head to the library to destroy all the dictionaries on the shelves," said John Manini, aka Mickey the Mouth, who played emcee for the event.

>>> Tammy Turnbuckle and crew party at Le Voyeur, May 30. Photo credit: Heather Michelle Burns

>>> Cold As Isis dance party before arm wrestling action at Le Voyeur. Photo credit: Heather Michelle Burns

>>> Elly Slay Clamp-It and Vegan Villain in the house. Photo credit: Lock and Key Photography

The back room of Le Voyeur was transformed into an underground fight club, with elbow-to-elbow bench seats, fans flying signs for their favorites and wresters throwing veggies and beer cans into the energetic crowd.

"The audience was the best," said Manini. "They were a perfectly mixed cocktail of supportive and surprised. They knew going in they wanted to like it even if they weren't sure what they were getting, and then we went and knocked them on their asses. It was so incredibly satisfying to hear consistent raucous applause, chanting, cheering and all sorts of engagement from start to finish."

>>> Jugalette fuels for her match. Photo credit: Lock and Key Photography

>>> Ivana KrushU psychs opponents out. Photo credit: Lock and Key Photography

Entourages escorted the costumed wrestlers to the front of the room, where the ladies flexed and failed until one competitor remained: Ivana KrushU. Ivana was crowned winner with Marie Armtoinette pulling second and the Vegan Villain taking in fan favorite.

Oly CLAW plans on having events every few months. Stay tuned for upcoming dates. To find out more about Olympia's awesome non-profit SafePlace, click here.

>>> Elly Clamp-It and Marie Armtoinette square off at the Oly CLAW match at Le Voyeur, May 30. Photo credit: Heather Michelle Burns

In the magical back room at Le Voyeur Café and Lounge, where all kinds of artistic dreams come into fruition, a dozen ladies and a few men gather to discuss proper arm-wrestling technique.

Smack talking and muscle flexing is encouraged, and costumed characters and their entourage parade about the floor, practicing for the first big match for the Olympia chapter of the Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers, or Oly CLAW, set for Friday, May 30. Characters such as Ivana KrushU, Cold As Isis, Vegan Villain and more will go head-to-head, or should I say arm-to-arm, in a full-out fight to raise money and awareness for Safeplace, an advocacy agency and confidential shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Thurston County.

>>> Elly Slay Clamp-It, Bambi SpiceBush and Crystal Light cock their guns. Photo credit: Nikki McCoy

For many of the women involved in CLAW, this is their first time in the performance arena.

Katie Meyer, aka Elly Slay Clamp-It, says there is no room for nervousness, and being in a room full of like-minded ladies helps.

"Once you get in the flow, it's all adrenalin," she confesses. "I'm not intimidated."

And while the women all have guns and puns - Stone Cold Stevie Nicks threatens, "This landslide is gonna bring you down," and Vegan Villain claims to have "broccoli biceps" - each arm wrestler brings something unique to the group.

"It's cool to spend time with women in this town who I have never met before and who come from all walks of life," says Meyer.

Competition and compassion run equally strong for the group, which plans to do more events for charity.  

"Am I tough? I'm the toughest of them all," says Meyer. "But, really, the most important thing is that this is all for a good cause."

One hundred percent of proceeds benefit Safeplace.

Betting on arm wrestlers encouraged.

OLY CLAW WOMEN'S ARM WRESTLING, 7 p.m., Friday, May 30, Le Voyeur, 404 Fourth Ave., Olympia, $10 at brownpapertickets.com or at the door, 360.943.5710

OlyClaw Teaser from john manini on Vimeo.

MONDAY, MAY 19 2014 >>>

1. Moby Grape was one of the most versatile San Francisco rock bands to emerge out of the summer of love. Sadly, through a combination of inner turmoil and bad management decisions, the mighty Moby Grape broke up in 1969. However, their debut album is still considered one of the best of all time by many critics, in part because of the nimble fingers of guitarist Jerry Miller. Miller was named one of the top 100 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone above Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Winter and Randy Rhoads. The Tacoma native has enjoyed a rich career sharing the stage with countless musicians including members of the Doobie Brothers and Carlos Santana.  Miller performs at 8 p.m. at The Swiss' Monday Blues Night.

2. Monique Trudnowski, co-owner of the Adriatic Grill who has announce her candidacy for state representative, hosts the Female Executive Martini Monday every third Monday at her restaurant by the Tacoma Mall. The 5:30 p.m. event is $10 for non-members who want to connect and discover new resources.

3. The Lovebirds, a queer folk-pop duo from San Diego, and Olympia fiddler phenom Josie Toney will perform during a benefit for Pizza Klatch at 7 p.m. in Le Voyeur. Pizza Klatch provides safe and confidential support groups during high school lunch periods for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer/Questioning youth and allies. 

4. Rippin' Chicken plays a greasy brand of funky, bugaloo and soul jazz, executed with creative ease by three funky brothers from different mothers who dig playing together. After performing and recording together for the better part of a decade in groups such as, The Funk Revolution, The Lucky Mystery Now Orchestra, and The Bucks, Rippin' Chicken presents this power-house rhythm section as the center of attention, which will be on display at 8 p.m. in Olympia's Rhythm and Rye bar.

5. Every Monday at 9 p.m. Jazzbones is packed to the brim with college kids. Party types. The type that wear tight shirts and trucker hats. Throngs of Chad Fratguys and Sarah Sororitysisters swarm the bar, line up for the bathroom and dance to the Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Expect $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots and $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

LINK: Monday, May 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Any military retiree, regardless of their branch of service or where they presently reside, as well as dependents and surviving spouses, are welcome to come out on Friday and take advantage of the pooled resources at the Military Retiree Appreciation Day (RAD).

Joint Base Lewis-McChord will host the annual event from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 16, at the American Lake Conference Center, located on JBLM North. The first RAD was held over 20 years ago and it has grown exponentially since then, especially with the joint basing.

"This day is set aside to give back to the retirement community. You were important, you are important and you are going to continue to be important to the military," said Alex Silva, JBLM's Retirement Services Officer. "We appreciate them and the active duty military appreciates them."

Read more...

Columbia Brewing Co. first occupied the building along the 2100 block of South C Street in 1900. Beer made at the facility gained national attention for its flavor and smooth aftertaste in the early 1920s, prompting the brewery to double in size and increase capacity by the mid-1930s.

Success at the plant received the attention of another brewery, Heidelberg Brewing Co., which purchased the Columbia plant in 1949 and set out for another round of remodeling. The facility was bought yet again a decade later by Carling Brewery, making it the only West Coast holding of the otherwise East Coast beer company.

Fickle beer drinkers began to snub Tacoma's home brew, and the plant closed in 1979. There have been efforts to revive the brewery in the passing years, but the natural spring that bubbles water to the surface on that end of town isn't as mountain pure as it once was.

That's just a snippet of what you'll most likely hear when University of Washington-Tacoma Art and Architecture Professor Julie Nicoletta leads a tour through Tacoma's Brewery District from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21. Sponsored by Downtown On the Go, the 1.5-mile Walk Tacoma UWT/Brewery Walk will start at the base of the UWT stairs at South 19th and Pacific Avenue and end at the Harmon Brewery and Eatery for light appetizers and a beer tasting. Then at 8, stop by the corner of South 19th and Jefferson Street as I will lead my own tour talk called, "Bushes I Fell In Between the Heidelberg and The Swiss During the 1990s." OK, I'm kidding about my tour (kind of), but the part about the Brewery Walk is absolutely true.

Nicoletta's tour will highlight the historic Brewery and Warehouse Districts, including locations of old breweries, the Swiss Building, the Streets and Grounds Maintenance Division's Barn, and the development of the Prairie Line Trail along the old Prairie Rail Line. There is no need to pre-register for the event, simply join Downtown On the Go at the meeting spot. 

The Harmon has its T-town Blonde, Chambers Bay Scottish Ale and the new drINK THIS IPA lined up for the tasting.

BEER NEWS

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Dick's Brewing Company will release a special 20th anniversary beer, Dick's Midnight Ride, July 18. Dick's Midnight Ride is a trip to the dark side. The robust, Northwest-style CDA will burst with Cascade and Centennial hops, perfectly balanced with a rich dark malt profile. Think rich, dark and malty like a porter but with a hop IPA profile. Dick's will throw a 20th anniversary bash at its Centralia home Saturday, Oct. 25.

BEER HERE

Tuesday, May 13-18

American Craft Beer Week - May 12-18 - is more of a Midwest thing. All the Northwest craft breweries are hip wader deep into Seattle Beer Week. Ninkasi Brewing Company, for instance, has 13 events lined up for the 11-day Seattle Beer Week, which ends May 18. A few South Sound beer-centric entities are celebrating the Emerald City beer bath, such as Pint Defiance taproom and beer store with its 26-beer Northwest beer punch card. The RAM Big Horn Brewery is waving the American Craft Beer Week flag, highlighting one of its gold medal winning beers a day, offering an 18-ounce pour for $3.25. The Big Red IPA is on the pedestal today. Tomorrow, its Washington Blonde receives the spotlight, followed by the Disorder Porter and a Hefeweizen salute Friday.

Wednesday, May 14

The ladies of Pike Brewing have developed a beer with some of the proceeds going to Planned Parenthood. Kris Blondin, owner of STINK Cheese and Meat and neighboring STINK Tank wine bar, holds the Pike Brewing crew in high regard. STINK will pour samples of Pike's seasonal Morning After Pale Ale from 5-8 p.m. For every pint sold, Blondin will donate a dollar to Planned Parenthood.

The 10 Barrel Brewing Co. is on the move. The Bend, Ore., brewery is opening a third brewpub in Portland's Pearl District this summer - the other two are in Bend and Boise. The Portland site will include a pub and a brewhouse, which will brew small batch and one-off beers. Speaking of 10 Barrel small batch beers, several will be available May 14 when 10 Barrel visits the Puyallup River Alehouse. The downtown Puyallup house of beers will serve hot dogs, tacos, giveaway prizes and pour a bunch of 10 Barrel beers.

Saturday, May 17

The Bacon and Beer Classic will consume Safeco Field in Seattle May 17. The traveling greasy, hoppy fiesta visits baseball fields around the country, drawing thousands of attendees to sample craft beer and bacon-based dishes from regional restaurants. Adding to that already winning combination will be performances from local bands and cooking demonstrations. Chef Hudson Slater of Maxwell's Restaurant teamed up with the mad scientists at Wingman Brewers to create a Tacoma bacon beer for the Seattle festival - Gratzilla Bacon Smoked Wheat Beer. It's a light, sessionable and smoky wheat beer - and on tap at Wingman, too. By the way, Wingman is now open 2-9 p.m. every Sunday.

Top Rung Brewing Company in Lacey gives nod to the American Craft Beer Week with a tour of its brewery beginning at 3 p.m.

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 Saturday. 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. At 5:25 p.m., some will board a bus for the Sounders game. Those who stay behind will work on their membership goals, until funky Afrobeat band Rippin Chicken bumps them silly at 9:30 p.m.

>>> Doyle's Public House lines them up Saturday at 5:17 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAY 10 2014 >>>

1. Since its beginnings in 2006, MLK Ballet's MOVE! has popped up in different types of venues and sometimes had more than one performance per year. For all 21 performances, the goal has remained the same - present contemporary dance in Tacoma. This year's show, which hits Theatre on the Square at 7 p.m., will feature work from Vincent Michael Lopez, a choreographer and former dancer with Spectrum Dance Theater (SDT); Jade Solomon Curtis, a current dancer with SDT; Lilianna Koledin, formerly of Alloy Dance Project; a local student choreographer, Celeste Reed, from SOTA; and many others. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on MOVE! #21 in the Music & Culture section.

2. Do you yearn for the long-lost days of dapper duds and the fash 'stache? Feather & Oar's inaugural Tacoma Tweed Ride will recall those finer bits of life. A celebration of turn-of-the-century fashions, particularly the tweed suit, this Victorian-esque bike ride starts at 10 a.m. in front of the Point Defiance Park Pagoda and winds through Tacoma's North End neighborhood - along one of the first streetcar routes in town - to the Pacific Pop-Up Shop, 1743 Pacific Ave., in downtown Tacoma. With one hand on a handlebar and the other twisting your mustache or hanging on to your fancy hat, this unhurried jaunt will take you by photos of historic bicycles, buildings and streetcars. Not in it for the exercise? Dust off your fanciest hat, polish your monocle, don knickerbockers and berets and hang at the finish line, before finding a nearby ale.

3. Hilltop Artists is a nonprofit glass arts program created by the iconic Dale Chihuly designed to use "glass art to connect young people from diverse cultural and economic background to better futures." The program boasts more than 500 students a year, and each year its Spring Glass Sale acts as both a great opportunity to make its mission known, and offer chances at top-notch work to one and all. In fact, the Hilltop Artists Spring Glass Sale has become so popular that attendees are asked to start showing up at 9 a.m. to take a number, with entry starting at 10 a.m. in the order that people arrived. All proceeds go directly back to the program. The sale will be held at the Jason Lee Hot Shop and Gymnasium.

4. The biting, satirical, outrageous feminist art group Guerrilla Girls will present a live performance sponsored by Tacoma Art Museum and University of Washington Tacoma. The event is called Guerrilla Girls: Not Ready to Make Nice. What they will do is anybody's guess, but rest assured it will be provocative, entertaining and educational. The show starts at 1 p.m. atPhillips Hall at University of Washington Tacoma. Read Alec Clayton's full story on the Guerrilla Girls here.

5. Prom Queen is cinematic. The soundtracks and scores of movies are valuable, and can be great, but when we use the word "cinematic" to describe a band, what we're really talking about is the idea of a soundtrack - the music accompanying an impossible film, one that features a dizzying array of romantic overtures, bitter double-crosses, scenic panoramas, carefree comedic set pieces, scenes of deep horror, and the tacit acknowledgement of those grainy shadows and pieces of hair that cling to the projected film. Prom Queen is that kind of cinematic. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Prom Queen in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with the Dee Dee's, the Plastards, Bullets and Balloons at 8 p.m., in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, May 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, MAY 8 2014 >>>

1. Steve Dunkelberger and Walter Neary are city of Lakewood legends. They were on the scene when Pong debuted inside the Liberty House store. They were there for all-you-can-eat pizza Wednesdays at Pizza Haven. They held court at Big Scoop, Shakey's Pizza and Bob's Big Boy. They threw toast at midnight in the Lakewood Theater. They rode the tiny train inside the shoe store at Villa Plaza. They stood outside and watched Love's Restaurant burn to the ground. They pestered Ivan the gorilla. They held on tight when Earthquake went all Sensurround in the General Cinemas. They ran across Steilacoom Lake the year it froze solid. I'm certain they tried to sneak into the Lakewood Terrace's back lounge and The Tiki Restaurant. At 7 p.m. in King's Books, they will hold court, once again, this time to sign copies of their new book, Legendary Locals of Lakewood. Ask them about riding in the plastic bins on the roller track at Gov-Mart. They were there.

2. Treos in Old Town Tacoma hosts a Leukemia/Lymphoma Team in Training fundraisers from 5-9 p.m. featuring Celtic music with Mooncoyne's Martin Nyberg followed by Scott Desart acoustical set. Proceeds of beer and wine sales go to cure cancer.

3. Katie Downs on Tacoma's Ruston Way is crazy popular, especially after it won the Tournament of Pizza in 2011. Today, the joint will overflow as the Tacoma Runners launch its 3-mile run from it then return to celebrate the feat with pizza, burgers and booze. You in?

4. Humble and energetic standup comedian Don Friesen brings his physical, self-deprecating style of humor to the Tacoma Comedy Club at 8 p.m.

5. San Francisco rock band Hungry Skinny will join Phobos & Deimos for a 9 p.m. show at Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Thursday, May 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area