WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 2014 >>>

1. Named after Bill Murray's iconic, sardonic Peter Venkman character - and populated by members with names like Air Bud and Hot Pants - something tells us Venkman aren't usually serious about much, but the stuff they take seriously they'll likely go nuclear over. Nominally a powerviolence band (charmingly re-dubbed "nerdviolence"), Venkman tear through punishing, briefly blistering songs with silly names like "Powerviolence and Applesauce." Catch the band with Jedi Scum and Under 15 Seconds at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. Pint Defiance - the beer store/taproom so in love with Point Defiance Park it incorporated the Tacoma icon into its name - will host a fundraiser with Ninkasi Brewing Company for Fort Nisqually 5-7 p.m.For every pint sold, Ninkasi will donate $1 to the Fort Nisqually Foundation to keep the camps and classes coming. In fact, $2 will be donated for every growler filled. As a bonus, Pint Defiance is putting a bounty on the draft beers by donating $50 to the Fort for every keg emptied that night. Nice. Expect Ninkasi schwag and both free and donation-based raffles.

3. Film Colorist Ed Shoemaker comes to the 253Film Collective to share his process in color grading film as part of telling a good story at 7 p.m. in The Grand Cinema. 

4. Journeying through the rich and complex saga of American history with storytelling, "old time" music and paintings as the McHughs will present "The Green Fields of America" at 7:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library.

5. The Brotherhood Takes Flight aerial and trapeze show takes off at 8 p.m. every first Wednesday, with Olympia's toughest babes taking to the air with whimsy, strength and artful grace. The performances above the drinking crowd range from naughty to funny to just plain beautiful. A dance party typically follows the performance.

LINK: Wednesday, May 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, MAY 4 2014 >>>

1. The band was jamming in the studio that's situated to accommodate both musicians and fans. Around 40 people were there, some in suits, some with piercings and tattoos, all with toes tapping or heads banging. Behind a large window, an audio engineer sat in his recording studio, and in front of the stage a gracious hostess introduced the band. This was the scene at Arcade Recording Studio, home of The Best Damn Music Show in Olympia, a live, one-hour performance and recording session that takes place every Sunday at 7 p.m. Read Nikki McCoy's full story on The Best Damn Music Show in the Music & Culture section, before you hit up tonight's show.

2. The Swiss Restaurant & Pub and Stonegate Pizza will host Oso landslide benefit shows featuring local musicians with net proceeds being donated to Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation. Put some gas in the car: Rafael Tranquilino and Leah Tussing (1 p.m. Stonegate), Steve Stefanowicz (2 p.m. Swiss), Stephanie Anne Johnson (2 p.m. Stonegate), Little Bill Trio (2:45 p.m. Swiss), Tatoosh (3 p.m. Stonegate), Still Got it (3:30 p.m. Swiss), Junkyard Jane (4:15 p.m. Swiss), Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Orchestra (5 p.m. Stonegate), Andrea Miller with The Collective (5 p.m. Swiss), Linda Myers Band (5:45 p.m. Swiss), Burnham Drive (6:30 p.m. Swiss), Steve Cooley and The Dangerfields (7:15 p.m. Swiss), 9 Pound Hammer (8 p.m. Swiss) and Bobby Hoffman' All Stars (8:30 p.m. Stonegate)

3. Entirely well-acted, thoughtfully directed, in a evolved play about past loves we can't leave behind, Fighting Over Beverley by Israel Horovitz hits Harlequin Productions' stage at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Fighting Over Beverley in the music & Culture section.

4. Ira Glass, the creator of the public radio show This American Life, will discuss his program- what makes a compelling story, where they find the amazing stories for their show, how he and his staff are trying to push broadcast journalism to do things it doesn't usually do - and demonstrate how it's actually created, at 3 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Ira Glass in the Music & Culture section.

5. Jazzbones also hosts Musicians for Oso, a benefit show whose proceeds go directly to those affected by the tragic mudslide in Oso. A disquieting event, to be sure, but the lineup of bands assembled for the show is tremendous and very, very loud. And it's all ages, to boot! expect Antihero, Jamie Nova, Black Powder County, The Mothership and Wanz beginning at 5 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, May 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, MAY 1 2014 >>>

1. It ain't easy being green, which means that committed folks such as the Tacoma Green Drinks contingent are worth their weight in gold. Over the past five years or so, this Mother Earth loving group has gathered every month at a local watering hole to talk sustainability, conservation and the environment, while tossing back drinks. It's a beautiful thing. Also a beautiful thing is the VeloFemmes, a grassroots group dedicated to providing opportunities for more women to cycle. Tacoma Green Drinks and VeloFemmes will collide at 6 p.m. in The Office Bar and Grill. You're totally invited - unless you insist on driving that Dodge Ram SRT10. These fine folks suggest you ride a bike.

2. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Broadway Farmers Market invites everyone to experience the fine wears of the land, and the natural abilities of camaraderie and free spirits, support the local farmers and eat food all at on Broadway between Ninth and 11th in downtown Tacoma.

3. The Harmon Brewing Company will host an all-day fundraiser to help the families affected by the Oso mudslide. You may drop off donations of clothing, blankets or money at the Harmon Brewery & Eatery in downtown Tacoma, The Hub and Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District and The Hub at the Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor, and the Harmon folks will forward them to the Red Cross. Bonus: Steve Stefanowicz will be live at the downtown Tacoma Harmon from 6-9 p.m., and the band Yowees will perform 6:30-9 p.m. at the Gig Harbor Hub.

4. Chamber Music by Arthur Kopit is an absurdist one-act play set in 1939 and performed by Theater Artists Olympia, or TAO. It is TAO's 11th season and their website states, "TAO is a collective of local artists committed to producing high quality theater. TAO's focus is on producing more thematically provocative materials, and experimental interpretations of classics than generally found in the Olympia area. Our mission is to present creative theatrical pieces that are under-represented in the community." Chamber Music definitely fills that role. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Chamber Music in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 8 p.m. in The Midnight Sun.

5. C Average, Lord Dying and Vanguard will rock The Brotherhood Lounge beginning at 9 p.m. 

LINK: Thursday, May 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Homage.

It is a Middle English word that sums up yesterday's run honoring Pat Tillman.

A noun, homage means a special honor or respect shown publically.

The signature fundraising event of the Pat Tillman Foundation, the run - Pat's Run - is traditionally held in April at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

A standout scholar and football player at Arizona State University, Tillman played professionally for the Phoenix Cardinals.

After the attacks of 9/11, Tillman remarked to a reporter, "At times like this you stop and think about just how good we have it, what kind of system we live in, and the freedoms we are allowed.  A lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven't done a damn thing."

Placing his NFL career on hold, Tillman enlisted in the Army.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

On April 22, 2004 Tillman died in Afghanistan due to fratricide.

>>> A participant in Pat's Run, named in honor of Pat Tillman, crosses the finish line at Thea Park.

His friends and family started the Pat Tillman Foundation to carry forward Tillman's legacy of serving to the fullest by providing military veterans and spouses who embody the principle of service the educational tools and means to reach their potential.

"There was nothing negative about him," commented Tyler Renner, an Air Force reservist. "He was living for others, not for himself, and that is what we honor."

Through a partnership with the ASU Alumni Association, a number of "shadow runs" are held in cities across the country.

This year marked the run's 10th anniversary, and more than 30,000 runners participated nationwide.

The runs are casual, fun runs held in parks.

>>> The Tacoma version of Pat's Run began in Thea's Park at 9 a.m. April 26. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Approximately 80 runners and walkers showed up at Tacoma's Thea's Park early Saturday morning to raise money for the foundation which funds the Tillman Military Scholars program.

"It's great to be here, to give back," said 1st Lt. Jason Wagner, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, before the start of the 4.2-mile run. "I am one of the scholars who received money from the program to help pay for law school."

According to a statement issued by race promoters, more than 230 Tillman Military Scholars from 34 states have received $3.2 million.

"It is a privilege to publically pay homage to him," said Renner before beginning the run. "His is a cause worth preserving."

>>> Spc. Brandon Judd, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, picks up a flower honoring the Boston Marathon after finishing Pat's Run in Thea Park.Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

>>> TRVLSQD members pack up their gear before shouldering rucksacks and a 150-pound log in memory of a friend's father and in support of the Tillman Military Scholars program.Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 >>>

1. For most musicians the worlds of classical and modern music move in different orbits, if not galaxies. But when he sits down Thursday at the piano in the Rialto Theater, Christopher O'Riley should, once again, bring these spheres together. American pianist O'Riley has been sneaking Radiohead into the classical music world for years. As host of NPR's child-musician showcase From the Top, he gets to pick the music that gets played during station breaks. Rather than Mendelssohn preludes, O'Riley would draw up piano transcriptions of pop songs, which he'd then play without preannouncing. O'Riley will tape From the Top in front of a live audience at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater. If they haven't listen to anything written since 1900, he most likely will mess with their heads.

2. More than 50 establishments will be participating in Dining Out for Life today. During this large scale culinary fundraiser 25 percent of your bill will go directly to fund AIDS and HIV advocacy care and prevention programs. All types of cuisine are available from the rise of the sun until that late night nibble in the South Sound. Check out full details and a list of participating restaurants at diningoutforlife.com.   

3. Say friend. Do you like the poetry? Tacoma Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo is back at B Sharp Coffee House for another "Live at the Auricle" show. Spoken word will be fused with the musical styling of percussion master Davidson Gomez beginning at 7 p.m. An open mic will follow.

4. 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 from 7-10 p.m. at The Swiss Restaurant & Pub.

5. Formed by Dustin Hill, Black Pussy is a band that leans into the stoner rock label, despite the fact that listening to their music doesn't instantly evoke images of smoke sessions and unbearable jams. Rather, their sound and look is absolutely reminiscent of the '70s and the nascent birth of cock rock, back when cock rock was essentially still just synonymous with rock 'n' roll. They come across like the fictional band at the center of Almost Famous - all long hair, denim, booze, and groupies for days, a band lost in time. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Black Pussy in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. 

LINK: Thursday, April 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

"Tacoma musicians don't mess around."

I once saw that on a bumper sticker. Ok ... there is no bumper sticker. But, there should be. Just take a look at this line-up of musicians who came together to raise money for alternative rock band Torre, the Tacoma-based rockers who recently had their equipment stolen by robbers:

• Jessica Lynne
• Kitt Bender and Eva D
• Strangely Alright
• Brooke Lizotte and Pamela Moore (toured with Queensryche)
• SweetKiss Momma
• Rafael Tranquilino Band
  
• Torre

While there will be no cover, donations are strongly encouraged and a raffle will be held.

"Just about everything was stolen," says Raymond Hayden of Maurice the Fish Records, who helped put the show together. "The reason (for the benefit) is not only to help them out with funds to get their gear back, but also to raise awareness to other musicians and artists that there are ways to protect themselves. If they get robbed won't be as painful."

Discussion and information about insurance for musicians is part of the agenda.

"A lot of musicians think it's really expensive, but it's not," says Hayden, who encourages folks to come learn more. "Plus it helps out the band. These four guys are very active in the community."

TORRE BENEFIT CONCERT, 7 p.m. to close, Wednesday, April 23, all ages, Louie G's Pizza, 5219 Pacific Hwy. E., Fife, donations accepted, 253.926.9700

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 2014 >>>

1. It's impossible to place The Saturday Giant into any sort of neat one-man band box. The Columbus, Ohio native isn't a prototypical one-man band: no one hollow-body guitar, no one bass drum, no one hi-hat cymbal and, OK, one voice. Instead, The Saturday Giant, aka Phil Cogley, purchased a Boomerang III Phrase Sampler looping pedal building one fragment of musical material on top of another - sculpting layers of guitars, drums, bass lines, beat boxing, keyboards and vocals into intricate indie pop-rock. In spirit and attitude, The Saturday Giant plays innovative art rock - nothing pre-recorded. The result is a one-of-a-kind live show at 8 p.m. in Metronome Coffee.

2. The Evergreen State College keeps the Earth Day drive alive with a live music, vendors, sustainability workshops, interactive art displays, activities for kids and more from noon to 5 p.m.

3. Several local beer events go down tonight. 99 Bottles in Federal Way will be pouring five brews from Anchorage Brewing Company from 5-7 p.m., with guest Geoff Sampson from Shelton Brothers importers. Pint Defiance on the edge of Fircrest hosts the American Brewing Company team, which will show off its new canned Breakaway IPA - as well as pour American Blonde Ale, Single-Hop Citra Experimental Pale Ale and Cabernet Barrel Aged Imperial Stout from the handles - from 5-7 p.m. Over at The Swiss Restaurant & Pub, Pyramid Breweries will be in the house from 6-9 p.m.

4. Alt rock band Torre had their equipment stolen last week. Beginning at 7 p.m. the music community will gather to help their own in the form of a benefit concert at Louie G's Pizza in Fife. Schedule to rock the house are Jessica Lynne, Kitt Bender and Eva D, Strangely Alright, Brooke Lizotte and Pamela Moore, SweetKiss Momma, Rafael Tranquilino with Torre hitting the stage and 10:30 p.m. Come out, drop a few dollars, eat some pizza and rock out. If you can't make the show, watch a live stream of Strangely Alright's set here.

5. Besides being the son of Woody, Arlo Guthrie is destined to be remembered for one memorable recording: "Alice's Restaurant Massacree," a raucous, politically edgy, draft-dodging, best-to-hear-high anthem that once upon a time was a fixture on early underground FM radio. Guthrie's story is based in truth: Two youths - one Arlo himself - couldn't find a garbage dump open on Thanksgiving, and so they threw a load of refuse down a hillside and were arrested. The events that transpired next are right out of Mayberry R.F.D., which is funny enough, except that Guthrie departs from his story line to talk about what it's like to get a draft physical: "You walk in, you get injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected and selected!" And the people you meet there: "There was all kinds of mean, nasty, ugly-lookin' people on the bench there ... there was mother-rapers ... father-stabbers ... father-rapers!" "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is an American classic, and we have out fingers crossed Guthrie performs it at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center - along with "Dead or Alive," "Gypsy Davy" and "This Land Is Your Land."

LINK: Wednesday, April 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 2014 >>>

1. Some books become excellent films. Take Jaws or The Godfather, for instance. Best-selling novels, both, turned into blockbusters. Some books spawn lousy film versions. Among the entries in this large category are: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the 2001 Planet of the Apes remake, Roberto Benigni's version of Pinocchio, and Myra Breckenridge. Then there are those films that take such an uninhibited leap away from their source material that you never see them coming. It's this latter category which film critic Robert Horton will discuss at Movie Mashup: Wild Literary Adaptations on Film Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Tumwater Timberland Library. Horton says that these kinds of adaptations - The Tempest transformed into Forbidden Planet; Homer's Odyssey reimagined by the Coen Brothers as O Brother Where Art Thou - can show us something new, illuminating the original, even when we don't recognize it, and teaching us about being open to the unexpected.

2. A team of horses or a team that plays horse? Which can plow more ground? Find out as Emergency Food Network and Pacific Lutheran University's Men's Basketball Team help prep Mother Earth Farm for this year's growing season from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

3. Moss + Mineral hosts Tacoma artist Michael Kaniecki's "Drawings," an exhibition of original figure drawings and limited-edition prints that reaffirm the emotional and expressive power of hand drawing in the age of digital manipulation. The bold juxtaposition of nudes and abstraction creates the powerful dynamism of this show. See it from 1-5 p.m.

4. Port Angeles Kayak & Film Festivalscreens a series of short outdoor adventure films that will take viewers from the remote beauty of Bhutan to the thrilling white waters of Quebec to the thick evergreen forests of the Olympic Peninsula, and many places in between from 4:30-7 p.m. at Studio Bob, at 118 ½ Front St. In Port Angeles.

Phobos and Deimos get their name from the two moons of Mars, a suitably grandiose title and concept for a band as dramatic as they are. Taking their cues from dark, crooning, romantic New Wavers like the Cure, the Church, and Echo and the Bunnymen, Phobos and Deimos are the sort of band that would live and die by the credibility of their lead vocalist. If he doesn't pass the smell test, then everything will get very silly, all of a sudden. Fortunately, Hans Burger, as lead singer, brings as much gravitas and tasteful reserve to his role of brooding poet as you could reasonably expect. The rest of the band aren't slouches, either, as they skillfully evoke those days of mascara-smeared and emotionally raw post-punk. Catch them with FLORIDA, masonsapron and Post Adolescence at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, April 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Karma is complicated. Especially when you apply it to cookies. Baking cookies for neighbors? Good karma. Buying cookies for yourself? Maybe not-so-good karma. Buying other people cookies? Probably pretty-good karma. Throwing cookies at your enemies?  Bad karma. Donating 129,210 boxes of cookies, valued at $574,472 to the men and women at Joint Base Lewis-McChord? Excellent karma.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington has excellent karma right now.

The USO Northwest Shali Center on JBLM was humming with activity Tuesday. While volunteers served those participating in a large military exercise, said 129,210 boxes cookies from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington needed to be unloaded. The event is large enough to be fondly known as Operation Cookie Drop.

USONW has an excellent partnership with Girl Scouts of Western Washington, and it was evident Tuesday as representatives from JBLM, both military and spouses, arrived at the USONW Shali Center early in the morning to load their cars with cases of cookies for their units. More than 2,600 cases were packed into waiting cars.

For the full scoop, read excerpts from the Operation Cookie Drop news release below.

Read more...

The Copper Door, a new Tacoma taproom and beer bottle shop, is set to open Thursday, April 3, in the Stadium District next to Gibson's Frozen Yogurt. I think. Owner Craig Moore planned on opening yesterday, but a pesky sink wouldn't fit in the front bar delaying final inspection. He told me his beautiful copper door won't swing open until tomorrow, when it exposes 1,700 square feet of taproom space and another 866 square feet of store space for 750 bottle refrigerated brews. That is, if Moore passes inspection. I've been hounding him for answers since the weekend, but the busy man who crafted beers in Portland before landing on Tacoma Avenue North has been silent the past few days.

BEER NEWS

Yesterday, the Emergency Food Network was presented with a $2,550 check generated from sales of Neo Noir, the Black Belgian IPA brewed earlier this year during a group hug by Jeff Carlson of Harmon Brewing Co., Steve Navarro of Pacific Brewing & Malting Co., Beth Carlson and Cressencio Rodriguez of Ram Brewery, Morgan Alexander of Tacoma Brewing Co. and Ken Thorurn of Wingman Brewers.

Neo Noir made its debut during Tacoma Beer Week. A portion of proceeds from Neo Noir sales went to EFN. "This donation will provide for approximately 15,000 meals," said Jeff Klein, development director for EFN, in a news release. On an annual basis, EFN supplies more than 15.6 million pounds of food during 1.4 million visits.

Odd Otter Brewing Company, a new craft microbrewery in Tacoma, has reached 100 percent of its Kickstarter funding goal a week before the campaign concludes. The campaign, which ends Saturday, April 5, sought $15,000 to open a brewery at Seventh and Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma. You can still have your name on their founder wall, nab a T-shirt or join the found mug club if you donate before Saturday.

You might be seeing a bit more of the award-winning Silver City Brewing out of Silverdale and Bremerton. Its Ridgetop Red Ale and Saint Florian IPA are now available in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles.

BEER TASTED

I arrived late to Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Draft release party at Pint Defiance March 23. Owner Barry Watson said its Metropolis Lager was the best lager he has ever tasted. It blew in 40 minutes. I arrived in time to taste the San Francisco brewery's Massacre Belgian Stout, an absolutely delicious black wheat wine made with cherries and aged in bourbon barrels.

I dropped by the Crown Bar March 24 for Tournament of Burgers research and to get in on the Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. Beer Night. Dig its Chain Breaker IPA. It's a lemon zinger, with sweet honey and bready wheat malts.  Hello sunshine.

BEER HERE

Friday, April 4

Narrows Brewing head brewer Joe Walts hosts Skip Madsen with American Brewing for a brewer's night beginning at 5 p.m. Dark Horse Band kicks it at 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 5

The Harmon Restaurant and Brewery is one of the venues participating in the Gray Sky Blues Music Festival. From noon to 5 p.m., expect to hear Fistful of Dollars, The Mark Riley Trio, Maia Santell and House Blend, Jack Gaffney out of Boulder, Colo., and Nolan Garret. Admission is free.

Too much free time ...