THURSDAY, NOV. 8, 2012 >>>

1. Normally, when you go to an art party you can expect certain things: wine (or punch, whatever), cheese (or grapes, or both), people in turtlenecks (with extremely long or extremely short hair) and art (which you may or may not understand).  Obviously you enjoy these things or else you wouldn't be going to art parties. But surely you enjoy other things art-related too - like meeting new people who enjoy art. Say, the people that actually create the art. Wallah! Point reached. King's Books will host a special Game Night to celebrate the release of Tacoma Makes' Tacoma Playing Cards, a unique deck designed by Tacoma artist Chandler O'Leary featuring 14 artists' illustrated interpretations of 54 Tacoma locations, stories and icons. From Go Fish to Poker, every game is Tacoman with these unique cards featuring the artwork of Art Chantry, Audra Laymon, Brian Hutcheson, Britton Sukys, Chandler O'Leary, Chris Sharp, Elise Richman, Jessica Spring, Kristin Giordano, Lance Kagey, Meghan Mitchell, Otto Youngers, RR Anderson, and Shaun Peterson. 7 p.m., no cover, prizes, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma

2. Writers strung up on walls? Not quite. Mixing art exhibit and poetry reading, Tacoma Community College presents "Celebrating Art and Writing" at its library. TCC faculty Allen Braden, Rob Larson and Richard Wakefield will read their words while the crowd strolls nine new works of art from the Washington Arts Commission's "Re-String Project," the work of local sculptor and fabric artist Lynn Di Nino and local photographer Chris Berryman. 1:30-3 p.m., free, TCC Library, 6501 S. 19th St., Bldg. 7, Tacoma

3. Let's all think about snow sports and drink beer together tonight at the Harmon Brewery & Eatery's annual "Pray For Snow Party." And as sure as it will snow in them hills, the Harmon will dole out begins gear and lift ticket giveaways and raffle prizes, snow sports movies and, of course, the human jukebox Steve Stefanowicz who has performed at this party for as long as we can remember. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. 5 p.m., no cover, 1938 Pacific Ave., Tacoma

4. Timothy Egan's book Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis tells the remarkable untold story of Curtis who, at the age of 32, gave up the life he knew in 1900 and document the stories and rituals of more than 80 Native American tribes before they disappeared. It's a truly amazing story, and Egan will recount it tonight in the Olympic Room. 7 p.m., free, Tacoma Public Library Main Branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma

5. This year's final Conversations Re: Tacoma lecture explores citizen engagement in the process of planning neighborhoods. Leading the a dialogue about how citizens can effectively contribute to the design of neighborhoods, how city staff and elected officials can be more responsive to community interests and how existing planning processes can be improved will be Donald Erickson, AICP, chair, Tacoma Planning Commission?; Randy Cook, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal, TCF Architecture?; Justin Leighton, chair, Tacoma's Central Neighborhood Council; Moderator Ian Munce, acting division manager, Long-Range Planning, city of Tacoma. The meeting ($7.50-$10) begins at 6:30 p.m. inside the Tacoma School of the Arts Theatre, followed by booze at the Varsity Grill.

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

OUT OF THE BLACK BOX THINKING >>>

See dance as you've never seen it before - trouncing through a bookstore, a wine bar and a Thai restaurant! Tonight at King's Books, the BareFoot Collective will take to the shelves and deliver a unique performance in a unique venue that is just about the opposite of a formal theatre in every way.  

Tonight's performance will be tBFC's first of several modern dance performances out of the black box. The group aims to take dance into public spaces around Tacoma. So if you think you're safe from fancy footwork at the library or when you're dining upon a tasty curry at Indochine - think again!

The road shows will be 30 to 40 minutes long and will incorporate modern dance techniques from improv, contemporary styles, dance theater, butoh-inspired and body percussion.

"The BareFoot Collective has been creating opportunities for dance in Tacoma since 2008. We are thrilled to partner with local businesses this fall and bring dance to the people where they are. Tacomans will not have to go to the theater and buy a ticket to see dance this November - the BareFoot Collective is steppin' out!" says co-director Katie Stricker via the event's press release.

Other performances include: 7 p.m. Nov. 8 and 15 at Indochine, 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at The Mix, 9:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at Cork Wine Bar and 3 p.m. Nov. 17 at Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch downtown.

Indochine will be visited twice because it's delicious.

All performances are free.

Oh, King's Books will not be held responsible for any airborne books and beverages high-kicked ceremoniously from your hand.

KING'S BOOK, BAREFOOT COLLECTIVE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 6 P.M., FREE, 218 SAINT HELENS AVE., TACOMA, 253.272.8801

FRIDAY, NOV. 2, 2012 >>>

1. Hip-hop/funk group Nappy Roots brings its Kentucky-fried soul and funk to Jazzbones behind the new mixtape, Sh!t's Beautiful. "We wanted to make a project that's able to promote our upcoming releases, as well as introduce the world to the individuals who make up the collective known as Nappy Roots," member Skinny Deville told AllHipHop.com. "We try to make the best music possible and hit as many cities as we can, and without the fans' support, none of that would be possible." With DJ Victor Menegaux, 8 p.m., $10-$15, Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169

2. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Kareem Kandi got an early start playing the saxophone, picking it up at age 11 while attending Washington Hoyt Elementary. Today, Kandi divides his time teaching jazz improvisation as an artist in residence at The Tacoma School of the Arts, directing the award winning student jazz ensemble at Pierce College, conducting master classes and workshops at schools around the Puget Sound area and maintaining a full load of private students. Oh, he also plays a mean sax in joints around the South Sound, such as tonight at Uncle Thurm's. Joining Kandi will David Deacon-Joyner on piano, Clipper Anderson on bass and Mark Ivester on drums. 7 p.m., no cover, Uncle Thurm's Finger Licken Ribs & Chicken, 3709 S. G St., Tacoma, 253.475.1881

3. A winter storm of ski and snowboard video premiere parties will pummel the South Sound over the next two months, as local theaters roll out the white carpet for local/national/international filmmakers.  Tonight, Northwest Snowboards hosts a Winter Video Premiere at the Capitol Theater in Olympia. Expect locally made skate and snowboard videos along with nationally acclaimed snowboard videos, plus killer raffle prizes like snowboards, skateboards, gear and more. 7 p.m., $7-$8, bar for 21+, Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave., Olympia, 360.754.6670

4. "Nightmare scenarios of the End may turn out to be a dramatic device intended to awaken people to deeper levels of awareness as life reaches not a final end, but a vital edge of revelation rippling with new discoveries and surprising insights." Nice. Author and mythologist Michael Meade wrote those words in his book, Why the World Doesn't End: Tales of Renewal in Times of Loss. Discover what other tidbits Meade might drop on the world tonight at the Epworth-Lesourd Methodist Church. Proceeds support at-risk youth and multicultural projects. 7 p.m., free, $12, 710 S. Anderson St., Tacoma.

5. Tacoma Opera will open season with Mozart's comedy Cosi fan tutte tonight at the Rialto Theater. This production will mark Tacoma Opera's new general director's first full season as head of the company and will also mark his Tacoma Opera debut as stage director of Cosi fan tutte. The Tacoma Symphony Orchestra provides the soundtrack. 8 p.m., $25-$66, Rialto Theater, 310 S. Ninth, Tacoma, 253.591.5894

LINK: Friday, Nov. 2 arts and events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2012 >>>

1. The synthesizer is a powerful tool that has suffered much abuse since its entrance into the pop world. Cheese-doodling, lipstick-wearing hairspray bands of the '80s are to blame for the synth's lowly place among "real" instruments like guitars and snare drums. But Stepkid, a.k.a Benjamin Tyler from Portland, Ore., has reclaimed the keyboard's unique ability to create otherworldly audio on his new release, Cosmonauts. The drummer has crafted his Stepkid from a strange musical universe that encompasses the paranormal, mythology and both outer and inner space. His output feels like a musical battle between good and evil, an electronic, synthesized dance night for Rod Serling. Read the Weekly Volcano's Q&A with Stepkid on its blog, Spew, then catch him at Le Voyeur at 10 p.m.

2. Mayor Marilyn Strickland and Erik Hanberg, chair of the Tacoma Reads Together committee, will discuss this year's choice, Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella, at 7 p.m. inside King's Books. The conversation will focus on pursuing one's dreams, faith, and baseball as America's national pastime.

3. Many things go well with beer: Pretzels. Football. Your mother-in-law away on an extended cruise. You know what else goes great with beer? Tacos and tunes. Every Wednesday night Tacoma's Lucky Silver Tavern has $1 tacos and $1 plates of tater tots, not to mention a full docket of karaoke songs. Chugging beer, pounding beef tacos and belting out some Fleetwood Mac - now that's a Wednesday night.

4. Hell's Kitchen hosts the Asian Hip Hop Summit featuring the Yellow Boyz, Lyricks, Smokes, Eetree, Lok Skywalker and Shao Sosa beginning at 8 p.m.

5. Want to get into the habit of doodling dudes? Tonight at 8:30 p.m. The Mix hosts live body painting giving Tacoma's creative community an opportunity to socialize, sip and scribble. Most succinctly described as figure-drawing sessions with a tarot readings twist, the sessions are open to the public, as long as you're of drinking age. Oh, there will be drinks.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012 >>>

1. Every Monday at 8:30 p.m. inside Magoo's Annex DJ Melodica hosts the Monday Showcase - a night of guests DJs and live bands. Tonight, guest DJ Darren Selector will spin his garage tunes in between sets by Umber Sleeping.

2. We often hear the cliché about "taking things to the next level." But what does that mean exactly? Would we recognize the next level if we saw it? Maybe so. Beginning today, the City of Tacoma would like you to take your homestead to the next level, and by that we mean off the Sanford & Son Junkyard Spitting Image Tour before someone at City Safety has "The big one." The City won't send over colorful fellas from the Bravo network, but it has developed a yard load of awesome free workshops and events to help you improve your home and yard during its Tacoma Neighborhood Makeover Week April 23-28. 

3. The Tacoma School District needs to know your thoughts on budget, services and programs. It asks you to attend a 6 p.m. meeting at First Creek Middle School and participate in an interactive polling session where you will use an individual handheld electronic device - like a TV remote control - to vote on and prioritize more than 60 district programs and services.

4. Tacoma Food Co-op invites the public to its screening of Food Matters at 7 p.m. in Rausch Auditorium on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. The focus of the documentary is in helping society rethink the belief systems fed to people by America's modern medical and health care establishments. The interviewees point out that not every problem requires costly, major medical attention and reveal many alternative ways that can be more effective, more economical, less harmful and less invasive than conventional medical treatments.

5. In Jon Wells' new book Shipwrecked: A People's History of the Seattle Mariners he asserts that the reasons the Mariners haven't reached the World Series are poor management and short-sighted ownership, despite the fact that they have three first-ballot Hall of Fame players. Hear his thoughts live at 7 p.m. inside the Olympic Room at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012 >>>

1. Traditionally, a wayzgoose was a party thrown by a master printer. Now that we are in the age of Kindles and Nooks, the term just means a party thrown by or for printers and literary sorts. Tacoma's Wayzgoose is headed up by King's Books owner sweet pea Flaherty and letterpress printer Jessica Spring. Local printing artists show off their wares and set up hands-on activities for all to try from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at King's Books. Be prepared to take home a sample of something you (or your kids) made right onsite! Read Kristen Kendle's full feature on Wayzgoose in the Arts section on at weeklyvolcano.com.

2. The Tacoma Glassblowing Studio knows how to step up when there are people in need. Members of the Studio are headed to Romania this summer to run a camp for orphaned kids. ... We'll let that sink in for a second. ... Today, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. TGS will host a glass sale AND bake sale to raise money for the camp. So forget your diet for one day. Heck, skip dinner and order a bag full of baked goods. Fundraising never tasted so sweet.

3. There is still time left to celebrate your inner poet as part of National Poetry Month. Tacoma Poet Laureate Josie Emmons Turner will be at the Museum of Glass from 1-2 p.m. to celebrate your poetry and to actually decorate it.

4. Years of doodling and daydreaming in class. Years of passing elaborately decorated notes. Even those years of junior-high band concerts and high-school musicals. This has been your child's (or your neighbor's kid or those little twerps down the street) artistic education. And now it's paying off. Well, maybe just for one 14-year-old Gig Harbor resident. Young wildlife artist Tova Beck has been painting pictures of birds since age 4 after the feathered ones at the Tacoma Nature Center blew her away. Over the years, she's drawn hundreds and won numerous honors and awards for her art. With the help of mom Mimmi, Tova published a book of her works title The Girl Who Loved to Paint Birds - which is available at Amazon.com - and will sign the awesome thing from 1-3 as part of the Earth Day Extravaganza at the Tacoma Nature Center.

5. Illumni Men's Chorale, Seattle's innovative new choral group, presents "Music of Russia," a program of all Russian music rarely heard in the United States featuring folk music, soldier songs and music of the Orthodox tradition at 8 p.m. inside Lagerquist Hall on the PLU Campus. Internationally-known bosso-profundo Glenn Miller will be in the house.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012 >>>

1. If local boy done good Donald Glaude is spinning in Tacoma that means it's either Christmas or an Ocean Grooves anniversary. Happy 13^th anniversary Ocean Grooves. It's hard to tell who is having a more time of your life experience - the crowd or Lakewood-raised now internationally famed DJ Glaude. He has an intoxicating energy about him. It's contagious. His lust for life shines on his face. Is that pure joy we see when a particularly tasty beat mixes lushly with an incoming track and fans voice appreciation for the talent it takes to make that magic happen with deafening cheering and dancing, dancing, dancing? Pure joy indeed. Joining the Ocean Grooves house music explosion with Glaude will be, of course, DJ dAb and Omar, as well as Mr. Clean beginning at 10 p.m. inside Encore Boutique Nightclub.

2. The Puyallup Spring Fair opens at 2 p.m. today for a four-day run. Organizers say that this year's edition, while shorter than its late summer edition, is crammed with more attractions than ever. For urbanites who need convincing, here's a handy checklist: Monster Trucks Friday, demolitions Saturday-Sunday, Rock U interactive music exhibit, Northwest Jr. Rodeo, Dock Dogs water jumping NASCAR race with an authentic simulator, Fiesta Mexicana, rides, fried foods and more. Go ahead: Leave your laptop behind, shimmy into that old pair of Wranglers, pull on those dusty cowboy boots, slap on a 10-gallon hat and prepare to spend yourself a day - or four - at this year's wingding.

3. "It's always the last place you look," people say about lost objects. Well, of course it is. As some comedian from decades ago (probably David Brenner) used to say, you wouldn't continue to search for something once you've found it. Sheesh. Anyway, the Tap into T-Town folks will make looking for hidden items fun Saturday, June 2 with a benefit scavenger hunt throughout downtown Tacoma. Afterward, you and your teammates (the hunting is done in groups of four) are invited back to the starting line at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center for a reception, and if you were very, very good at sniffing things out, an award might await. Team pre-registration sign up for the Tap into T-Town scavenger hunt is tonight from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Office Bar and Grill in downtown Tacoma. The Office will serve specials during the sign-up. Tonight's an awesome opportunity to meet other participants and strategize with your team. 

4. Riding a wave of positive vibes, the Third Thursday ArtWalk ART BUS is back this month with more art venue stops, launching from the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m. The April bus is partnering with the local poetry community to celebrate National Poetry Month. Its celebrity guest tour guides are poet laureates and the VIP riders ($20, instead of $10) will receive a free, limited edition poetry booklet with poems from local poets about galleries, culture, writing and the muse. Each one is handcrafted, signed and numbered by local artist and writer, Maria Chong Gudaitis. Two buses will hit the street visiting 253 Collective, Wright Park Observatory, B2 Fine Art Gallery, A Touch of Magick, Anew Thyme, Brick House Gallery, Embellish Multispace Salon, City Grocer, Grassi's Garden Café, Merlino Arts Center, Nine Lives Vintage Wears, Throwing Mud Gallery, The Social and The Swiss. Remember, art is in the eye of the bus rider.

5. Baseball may no longer be the "national pastime" if judged by TV ratings. Judged by the quantity and quality of writing it inspires, however, baseball is still the champ. Paul Dickson is author of several mammoth baseball books including the indispensable Dickson Baseball Dictionary. His latest book, Bill Veeck: Baseball's Greatest Maverick, will be released in late April. Dickson will discuss his books, and sign autographs, at 7 p.m. inside the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch, as part of the Tacoma Reads Together campaign to read and discuss the W. P. Kinsella's classic baseball novel, Shoeless Joe.

BONUS EVENT: Do you love Bob's Java Jive? Do you like wearing bunny ears? Join the bunch of weirdos at 8 p.m. for the "Bad Bunny" Java Jive Appreciation Night party at the historical tavern. Yes, there will be usual karaoke. Yes, there will be cheap beer. Yes, one guy will dress up as the rabbit from Donnie Darko and rap "Lose Yourself."

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2012 >>>

1. Woody Guthrie is undeniably the most revered songwriter to ever strike a chord. Following his death in 1967, his son, Arlo, emerged as an anti-establishment songwriter and performer. He was a key component in the '60s folk protest scene as he penned socially conscious songs about his personal political leanings with humor and candor, and in doing so, he established himself as an artist; not just Woody's son. Come hear him sing "Alice's Restaurant" and other tunes at 7:30 p.m. inside the Pantages Theater.

2. Directly following the Daffodil Parade this morning, the Tacoma Events Commission and South Sound Blues Association will host the Gray Sky Blues Music Festival at venues all over Tacoma, like The Swiss, Stonegate Pizza, the Harmon Brewery and Cutter's Point Coffee. Performers include headliners The Karen Lovely Band, Chester Dennis Jones Band, James King and the Southsiders, The Billy Shew Band and a boatload more. The Harmon Brewery will also be hosting the Third Annual Custom and Rod Car Show. And the after party will be at Stonegate Pizza with an all-ages and adult jam, both kicking off at 8:30 p.m. For more information, read our Q&A with South Sound Blues Association King Gary Grape.

3. The GLBT Book Club was founded by Matt Lemanski in May of 2011, but recently teamed with Tacoma Book Club magnate King's Books. Read the Weekly Volcano's interview with Lemanski in our Arts Section. This afternoon at 2 p.m. the GLBT Book Club will thumb through Becoming a Man by Paul Monette. Don't be surprised if the club hauls the chairs outside on the sidewalk.

4. In the summer of 1787, delegates from the 13 states convened in Philadelphia and drafted a remarkable blueprint for self-government - the Constitution of the United States. The first draft set up a system of checks and balances that included a strong executive branch, a representative legislature and a federal judiciary. After they kicked some British ass, the American people wanted strong guarantees that the new government would not trample upon their newly won freedoms of speech, press and religion, nor upon their right to be free from warrantless searches and seizures. So, the Constitution's framers heeded Thomas Jefferson who argued: "A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference." Tonight from 5-9 p.m. inside King's Books, Timothy Smith, national vice president of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, will lead a discussion on the future of government surveillance and detention in the Pacific Northwest along with several organization. At about 7:30 p.m., most of the room will wish they were at the Arlo Guthrie show.

5. Tacoma's burlesque troupe the Gritty City Sirens take it off and shake it twice tonight at Jazzbones in performances that includes ballet dancer Joel Myers plus returning Siren Miss Pistolita. For the sweet details, read our Q&A with Gritty City Siren Rosie Cheeks.

PLUS: More entertainment options today in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Arms Bazaar: Army bazooka, assault rifles, grenade launchers and other weapons you might find in Tacoma. (Daily Weekly)

Vanity Nightclub On South Tacoma Way: It's opened and shutdown many times. We guess it's back open because gunfire erupted outside it last night. (KOMO News)

Port Of Tacoma Commission: It has a new long-range strategic plan. (News Tribune)

Deplorable, Destabilizing And Dumbasses: The U.N. Security Council will meet Friday to discuss North Korea's botched missile launch. (CNN)

President Obama's Re-election: Running a positive campaign might be more difficult this time. (The New York Times)

Cultural Question: How did cats become bigger than Jesus? (Creative Loafing)

J.K. Rowling: She comes clean with the title and release date of her new book. (USA Today)

Francis Cobain: Twitter "should ban my mother." (USA Today)

Now We Know: Top 10 culturally significant banjo moments. (Pop Matters)

A Glutton's Delight: Burger King is testing the bacon sundae. (Time)

The Avengers: A bunch of behind-the-scenes footage. (Ain't It Cool News)

Tosh.o Dude: He's physically harassing unsuspecting women. (Jezebel)

Diet Coke: It has unveiled a new line of fashionable bottles, one of which draws inspiration from Madonna's infamous cone bra ensemble. (Billboard)

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Olympia Film Society: There's turmoil between its board and staff. (Weekly Volcano)

Tacoma Bike Rack Program: It's gaining speed with new bike corrals on the way. (Weekly Volcano)

Josh Powell's House: It's gone. (News Tribune)

New Community Health Care Center: A bunch of dignitaries broke ground on the first major commercials structure in the Hilltop Tacoma business district in more than a decade. (News Tribune)

Amazon The King: It may get to decide how much an e-book will cost. (The New York Times)

Boeing's Website: It was attacked by the hacking collective Anonymous. (Daily Weekly)

Sweet: BateFlix lets you search for nudity in Netflix. (Venture Beat)

Not A Shocker: Axl Rose will not attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Pitchfork)

Tired Of Her Yet?: Betty White signs up for Twitter? Maybe not. (iVillage) 

Hey All You Dieters: Check out the recap of one of Kraftwerk's MoMA shows. (Brooklyn Vegan)

Yippee!