SUNDAY, NOV. 24 2013 >>>

1. The history books will record the Nov. 24 event as Woodstick 2013 and will list among its participants such drumming greats as Kenny Aronoff of The Rolling Stones, Michael Derosier of Heart, Jeff Kathan of The Paul Rogers Band, Todd Sucherman of STYX, Rick Redmond of Jason Aldean's band, John Bolton of the Beatniks and others. Woodstick, set to happen at 3 p.m. (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. drum clinics) in the Emerald Queen Casino, will be the 11th consecutive attempt to set a new world record for drummers pounding the skins to the same song. The current U.S. record is 533 drummers set at Woodstick 2006 in Seattle. The current world record is 800 set by drummers in Birmingham, England in 2010.

2. A Rhapsody In Bloom Florist & Café Latté hosts an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Expect local artists, gift ideas, raffle and, of course, lattés.

3. Do you love the Tacoma art scene? Do you think artists are the most rad people on the planet? Does the word "localvore" describe you to the letter? Bonus question: want to get a jump-start on your holiday shopping while supporting the local artistic community? Of course you do! For not one but two days, Tacoma Is For Lovers presents local artists at the dreamy King's Books for its annual Artists Craft Fair that celebrates local art at its finest. Featured work by a wide variety of terrific local artists will include artwork, culinary goodies, crafts, jewelry and much more from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

4. A good day for reflection, Sunday is. A good day for introspection. A good day for looking at a different way of seeing things. Maybe the way dark artists see things (Bet you didn't see that one comin'!). See if you can find your way up to The New Frontier Lounge at 6 p.m. and catch the "FERUS" raw, untamed art show by Andrei Vassiliev, Pasha Kish and Shelly Ann Snyder. The work is expressive, especially Snyder's handicraft - she creates with acrylics, paper and her hands without brushes or tools. "I have found that it is more organic and really shows the feeling that is behind the painting," says Snyder. Why The New Frontier? "It has a laidback atmosphere," she says. "People that don't know much about art can come and check out what we are doing without feeling intimidated. The staff is also very supportive about art and expression of every form." Debo's Chain Maille and Industrial Art is also part of the show. We have no idea what that means, but it sounds like something to see.

5. Remember that time in high school when your parents went away? You know, plot line of every teenage movie ever made - except this time, you blew up the house. Standing in the ashes as your parents roll up, what do you do? Say it with us now - iiiiiimprovise. Take notes at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club when male and female comedians battle with improve and sketch skills. Watch Monica Nevi, Jen Seaman, Kelsey Cook and Sarah Skilling take on Adam Norwest, Mike Coletta, Kane Holloway and Aaron Kirby - and next time you're in a lose-lose situation, you'll wondrously make screams turn to laughter.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Sunday, Nov. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

In researching material for this column, I often find myself questioning just what it means to be a nerd in this day and age. What was once a moniker of derision has morphed into a proud self-identifier - an indication that one's overenthusiastic obsession with cultural ephemera is something to be nurtured and celebrated, not scoffed at. It seems as though anything can be considered nerdy now, even things that were once perceived as jocky (fantasy football, anyone?).

It comes as quite a relief, then, to be able to report on three forthcoming events that plant their feet firmly in the comfortable nerd-space of old.

FRIDAY, NOV. 15: DRUNKEN TELEGRAPH: CLASH OF THE TITANS

Over the years, live and public storytelling has re-announced itself as an art form. Beginning with the revival of the oral tradition in the form of the one-man show, the likes of Spalding Gray and Stephen Tobolowsky once more popularized storytelling as a fascinating bit of theater - whether taking the form of hilarious anecdotes or moving tales of woe. Podcasts like The Moth and Risk! carried storytelling further into the public square.

Drunken Telegraph (taking its name from a Rudyard Kipling quote about Tacoma) is a local storytelling live show. Each show has a central theme featuring various Tacomans telling different stories on that theme, with the final act being a storytelling slam from members of the audience. This installment - hosted by the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts as part of their "Free For All" series - is entitled "Clash of the Titans," and will focus on the battles faced by the evening's storytellers.

BROADWAY CENTER STUDIO III, 7:30 p.m., 915 Broadway, Tacoma, free with registration at broadwaycenter.org, 253.591.5890

SATURDAY, NOV. 16: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MEETUP

My first time playing Dungeons & Dragons was as a 10-year-old, with my brother and our friends, and with my dad presiding as Dungeon Master. I was always drawn to the world-building and imaginative nature of the game. You could literally be anything you wanted to be and do anything you wanted to do (provided the dice rolled in your favor).

We were frequently regaled with stories from my dad - an old D&D pro from the '70s - about his early exploits in the game, which included finding a group of Smurfs and pissing on them (Smurfs melt when exposed to urine, it turns out). At one point, a portal through space and time was opened, revealing to the D&D warriors an alternate universe where several nerdy dudes sat around a table rolling dice. The archer fired an arrow at the Dungeon Master, and the game ended.

Tap into your D&D-loving nerdy side with a Dungeons & Dragons meetup at the Tacoma Main Public Library. Your Dungeon Master will be provided for you, I'm told, but you must bring your own pencils, paper and dice.

TACOMA PUBLIC LIBRARY MAIN BRANCH, 1-3 p.m., 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, free participation, 253.292.2001

SATURDAY, NOV. 16: CHEECH AND CHONG

Having spent the afternoon slaking your thirst for dragon blood, spend the evening doing the other thing that my dad spent the '70s doing: laughing at Cheech and Chong.

People who've only seen the films of Cheech and Chong haven't gotten the full picture of what these guys are all about. Yes, their humor is largely druggy, but the characters they played in films only showed one aspect of them. As comedians, Cheech and Chong were surprisingly incisive and clever, weaving through absurdist bits and satirical commentary.

Sure, they've gotten up in years, but Cheech and Chong have retained the anarchic glee that established them as two of the best stand-ups of the '70s.

EMERALD QUEEN CASINO, 8 p.m., 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, $45-$100+, 253.594.7777

LINK: Previous Nerd Alert! warnings

THURSDAY, NOV. 7 2013 >>>

1. Let's all think about snow sports and drink beer together tonight at the Harmon Harmon Brewery & Eatery's annual Pray For Snow Party. As sure as it will snow in them hills, the Harmon will dole out gear and lift ticket giveaways and raffle prizes, screen snow sports movies and, of course, host the human jukebox Steve Stefanowicz who has performed at this party for as long as we can remember. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the YWCA of Pierce County.

2. Janice Arnold's "Palace Yurt" at the Smithsonian in 2009 was a contemporary take on ancient Mongolian palace yurts. Designed specifically for the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's 2009 Fashioning Felt exhibition in New York, it was made to fit the arched ceiling of the museum's conservatory and filled the space like air in a balloon with elegantly crafted and draped sheets of handmade felt. Now Arnold has reconfigured the installation for the art gallery at The Evergreen State College. Working slowly with a team of assistants, it took Arnold most of the summer while the gallery was closed to complete the installation, which is one of the best gallery shows ever presented in that space. Check it out from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Palace Yurt: Deconstructed" in the Music and Culture section.

3. Historically speaking, you eat more food during the wintertime, go outside less often, and some of you even wear those jackets that look like sleeping bags. "It's not a fashion show out there," your mom yells at you, even though technically speaking it is a fashion show out there. So, it only makes sense to eat delicious happy hour food tonight, maybe enjoy a bottle of Guernoc Chardonnay or Cabernet and check Lynn Di Nino's wearable sweater art. The fashion show begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Social Bar and Grill. No, we don't know what you should wear. What are we, your mother?

4. Feather is in tribute to the local Native American history. Oar is symbolic of the European settlers who came to Tacoma. Feather & Oar is a men's clothing store in downtown Tacoma specializing in gentle used and vintage goods with a sense of timelessness. The chaps behind the suits not only know and wear their goods, they've woven themselves into the community to do good. Feather & Oar celebrates its one-year anniversary at 7 p.m., with popular hip-hop artist Rockwell Powers adding even more style to the affair.

5. After more than 1200 submissions, all 32 slots have been filled for the 34th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition. The first 16 comedians will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Shockingly, the Weekly Volcano's Nerd Alert column didn't mention the upcoming CFI Skeptics Summit conference. Seriously? The event crams critical thinkers, humanists and skeptics into one of Hotel Murano's conference rooms to debate and collaborate. Not even Bill Nye's appearance nudged a mention.

Also overlooked in this week's nerd column is the Tacoma appearance of comedian Ian Harris.

Harris has undoubtedly been invited to attend the CFI Skeptics Summit for his ability to "skewer commonly held beliefs, taking aim at such topics as Religion, Ghosts, The Paranormal, Comforting Notions, Astrology, Pop-Mysticism, Alternative Medicine, Racism and Apocalyptic Claims," as his hype reads.

But Harris's humor isn't just for nerds, it's a bit punk rock, edgy and irreverent - a cocktail of comedy just right for the Grit City Comedy Club, where he will bust out jokes such as, "I saw a book in the bookstore the other day called Christianity for Dummies and I thought, ‘Oh the irony.'"

Harris is on a promotional tour for his first hour-long television special, Ian Harris: Critical & Thinking, which airs in Jan 2014. The special is already being called "the most original and brilliant comedy special in years," according to those who hype specials.

As part of his tour, Harris will be performing for three nights in Tacoma - as part of the CSICON (CFI Skeptic's Summit) Thursday, Oct 24 and then at Grit City Comedy Friday and Saturday.

I guess the Nerd Alert boys can redeem themselves in next week's column.

IAN HARRIS, 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Grit City Comedy Club, 100 S, Ninth St., Tacoma, $15, 253.961.4262

THURSDAY, OCT. 10 2013 >>>

1. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Crooked Bangs is a band that is quite adept at building expectations and smashing them. Initially reveling in the sounds of '60s garage and '70s punk, Crooked Bangs slowly folds in elements of post-punk. It's compelling enough, but then you hear the vocals of Leda Ginestra - rising through the din of riled up punk is the voice of a dispassionate Parisian, which recalls the sort of deadpan work of Nico. The band plays with Clayface and others at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. Bird lovers from far and wide will flock (get it?) to Tacoma for the 10th annual Bird Lovers' Weekend at the Museum of Glass. Events kick off tonight with the opportunity to make your own glass bird from 5-7 p.m. in the Hot Shop, iittala master glassblowers Arto Lahtinen and Kirsi Antila enter the Hot Shop Friday and hang until Sunday, bird-related art activities as part of Family Day Saturday, Sunday morning "Bird Lovers' Brunch" and a bunch of squawking in between. Click here for full schedule.

3. As public relation coordinator, she's also played a part in bringing a slice of the 5th Annual Seattle Latino Film Festival to T-town this year. In conjunction with the University of Puget Sound, SLFF will host a one-night screening of El Cantante at the Washington State History Museum at 6 p.m. Read Christopher wood's full feature on the screening here.

4. Broadway Center's yearlong Free For All festival continues tonight with its inaugural Think and Drink program. Humanities Washington will set up shop in the Pantages Theater's lobby for a free discussion about how advances in digital technology are affecting our interactions, institutions and culture. This Think and Drink discussion will be led by technology experts Alex Alben and Amy Fisher, and moderated by Ashley Gross. Alben is the author of Analog Days - How Technology Rewrote Our Future and a member of Humanities Washington's Speakers Bureau. Fisher is a professor in the University of Puget Sound's Science, Technology and Society program. Gross is a business and labor reporter with KPLU radio. The drinks begin to pour at 7:30 p.m.

5. During his decade of death- and pride-defying antics on MTV, the stage and the silver screen, daredevil Steve-O (aka Stephen Glover) has lived a life like no other. He's swum with sharks, gotten a portrait of himself tattooed on his own back, put out rap records, danced with the stars and railed lines of wasabi - and he'll be the first to tell you that's the least of what he's put up his nose. He's added comic to his career list, and his comedy is front and off center at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, OCT. 6 2013 >>>

1. Mural art doesn't seem like the kind of discipline that should be broken into seasons, like fashion or the performing arts - not least because so many murals, with their all-together-now imagery and perennial visibility, seem lodged in a permanent Sesame Street-like past. But the weather in the South Sound puts a damper on outdoor art. Mural artist Chelsea O'Sullivan, she of the Tacoma Murals Project, is taking her talents indoors, showing a batch of her new artwork from 6-8 p.m. at The Swiss. Get small with O'Sullivan.

2. Beer! Lederhosen! Beer! Bratwurst! Beer! Yodeling! Beer! Seahawks! Beer! Austrian Amazon! Beer! Oktoberfest Northwest has all of these fine things, but, most importantly, it has beer. The gates open at 9:45 a.m. so you can watch the Seahawks game in the Sports Haus. Other event highlights happening at the Washington State Fair & Event Center include German bands and entertainers, authentic German cuisine, the German Corner gift section, the Miss Oktoberfest Northwest Swing Girl and the running of the wiener dogs. And don't forget to wash all that German food down with ... well, you know, beer!

3. We love Tacoma's Annual St. Nicholas Greek Festival. We love the group dancing, the fine food; hell, we even love yelling "Opa!" for no apparent reason. But let's be real. For us, the entire festival is just a complicated set dressing for a baklava-delivery system. Oh, we'll hang out and listen to them ramble on about Socrates, the Olympics and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but we'll be picking the flaky crumbs from our shirts and stuffing them into our hungry taste-holes while we do it. We'll dance beginning at 1 p.m. and eat the food - lamb, pork souvlaki, salata, loukomades, dolmades, tyropitakia -  not just because we like it, but in an attempt to bring the honey content in our blood down low enough so we can scarf down another slab of triangular goodness. In its 52nd year, the Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - will donate a portion of proceeds to the Fish Food Bank.

4. Harlequin's Henry V production revives the set and concept of a '98 run, for which director Scot Whitney pared Shakespeare's cast down to six men and two women. The actors play actors, who spill out of a roadside pageant wagon. (Like Henry himself, the pageant wagon approach was centuries dead when the Bard penned this history, but never mind.) Jason Marr plays Hank; it's a solid portrayal, especially in an underplayed St. Crispin's Day speech. The acting's quite strong throughout, in fact, offering treats like Maggie Lofquist's bilingual princess and Casey Brown as a dauphin who thinks he's a rock star. I tended to conflate Henry's soldiers, who hail from all over the present-day UK, and I'm not sure their accents are any less confused. Happily, though, the battle scenes are excitingly choreographed, and we're able to follow the story from beginning to end. Bruce Whitney's sound design works wonders here, along with his Princess Bride-style synthetic score, by clarifying transitions and adding depth and volume to onstage combat. Henry V hits the stage at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Henry V in the Music and Culture section.

5. With its birth in the grunge years in an alleyway at Pike Place Market, Seattle Theatresports combines quick wit with a theatrical and comedic flair. Teams of improvisers create scenes based entirely on audience suggestions and are scored by a panel of judges. The Seattle icon pays at visit to the Tacoma Comedy Club at 8 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, Oct. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, SEPT. 24 2013 >>>

1. Harvest season cannot be denied it's special place in everyone's lives, unless your on a strict high-preservative, low-nutrition-value, fast-food-for-life diet. If so, please stop reading now. For those who can drive right on by a drive-thru window without even a thought, be sure to stop by the 6th Ave Farmers Market from 4-7 p.m. for its annual Harvest Fest. On the menu will be Infinite Soups bowls, seasonal salads from Zestful Gardens and Terry's Berries and drinkies. Barleywine Revue will keep the head buzzin'. 

2. A roller coaster mix of drama and comedy will hit Tacoma today when The Grand Cinema screens eight short films from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Short Films program at 2:10 and 7:05 p.m. Vibrant storytelling highlights the group, including fiction, documentary and animation, with five award-winners.

3. Every Tuesday, Maxwell's Speakeasy serves two chef's choice appetizers and two house wines or draft beers for $15. Chef Hudson Slater tells us, "It's nothing over the top but keeps things fun and fresh." Chef Slater and server extraordinaire and wine pro Kent Bolden sample wines weeks in advance, mull them over, discuss possible pairings, sample more, then create a the Tuesday experience.

4. Did you know that Roald Dahl nearly lost his nose in a car accident? Or that he was once a chocolate candy tester for Cadbury's? Have you heard about his involvement in the Great Mouse Plot of 1924? Did you know he was a spy? Before beginning his literary career, the Welsh children's author Dahl was sort of a spy during World War II. A member of the British Royal Airforce, Dahl served in Washington D.C. as Assistant Air Attache but also worked with the Canadian master spy William Stephensen. Dahl wrote his first published essay, Shot Down Over Libya. If you'd like to hear about the nose thing, you should attend the YA Not Book Club at 7 p.m. inside King's Books as Dahl's autobiographical Boy: Tales of Childhood will be discussed. If you'd like to hear about his spy work, start a Spy Not Book Club.

5. A former sports broadcaster, comedian and actor Sean McBride headlines Ha Ha Tuesday comedy show at 8:30 p.m. in Jazzbones.

LINK: Tuesday, Sept. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, SEPT. 20 2013 >>>

1. JT Habersaat is punk rock. And he's funny as hell. No stranger to Comedy Central, Brian Posehn and Black Flag's Henry Rollins, Habersaat is deep in the comedy scene. Currently on tour, Habersaat and his motley crew of comedians are bringing their comedy to Le Voyeur in Olympia at 10 p.m. Appearing with Habersaat is Kristine Levine from Portlandia as well as Andy Andrist and Eric Hurst."I would say we all approach comedy with a certain dark sense of humor and a ‘no holds barred' attitude that lends itself perfectly to a ‘punk' comedy tour," Habersaat said. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the Altercation Punk Comedy Tour in the Music and Culture section.

2. Holy Leslie Knope! Can you imagine Tacoma without Optimist Park? Without Ursich Park? Without anywhere to take your dog off the leash and let her run? Even in dense, urban areas, open space is a calming force, giving us a place to sit, lie, tag zombies or walk amidst the birds and the trees. National PARK(ing) Day - the annual global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into "PARK(ing)" spaces: temporary public places - invades Tacoma from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. As part of the title's double meaning, the parks will temporarily be set up on metered parking spots in downtown Tacoma, challenging local businesses to be creative within a limited space - to revisit how public space can be utilized beyond its conventional uses. 

3. The Greater Gig Harbor Open Studio Tour, now in its 21st season, becomes a three-day event this year, with studios open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday. Artists on this tour are selected by a jury to ensure that they each have a high level of quality, design, and uniqueness in their works, as well as a studio set up that is worthy of being open to the public. There will be 21 studios on the tour, featuring 24 artists. Artwork media include oil, watercolor, and pastel paint, sculpture, wood, mixed media, and more. The tour includes artists in the Gig Harbor, South Kitsap, Fox Island and Key Peninsula areas.

4. The Lord Franzannian Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show promises a "fast paced variety show" with "a little something for everyone." Will this mean jugglers? Probably. Contortionists? Perhaps. Rampant fun? Almost certainly. Proceeds benefit BigShowCity, a non-profit Performing Arts Organization that supports and helps finance burgeoning artists. They say laughter is good medicine. Here's a heaping spoonful of proof at 8 p.m. in The Midnight Sun Performance Space.

5.New Queens On the Block celebrates their first anniversary with a huge drag variety show at 9 p.m. in The Urban Onion. Hosted by Selena Veyron and Veronica Audrey Du'Pompadour, expect to see drag from queens and kings, skits, and live acts.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13 2013 >>>

1. The year was 1938-1939. The minimum wage was first established. Hitler marched into Austria after signing a sketchbook for Indiana Jones. Elliot Gould was born, as were Frank Langella, Tommy Chong ... and the Lakewood Playhouse.Tonight, the Playhous ecelebrates its 75th birday with an anniversary ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. and the civic proclamation of "Lakewood Playhouse Day" at 5:30. A silent auction begins with a wine and cheese reception at 6 p.m., which continues until a live auction at intermission of Arsenic & Old Lace. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on the Lakewood Playhouse in the Music and Culture section.

2. The annual South Sound Wine Trail Fall Passport event kicks off noon to 6 p.m. and runs through Sunday. You can purchase your passport online or in advance at any of the six participating wineries: Madsen Family Cellars, Northwest Mountain Winery, Walter Dacon, Scatter Creek Winery, Medicine Creek Winery and Stottle Winery. Your passport gets you a tasting at each winery. The passport is valid all three days, once per winery. Bonus: Get your passport stamped at all the wineries and be entered for a chance to win a Thurston County getaway for two.

3.Wingman Brewers will its release the first 22-ounce bottle in its new Seasonal Bomber Lineup. Grab a taste of the Coconut P-51 Porter in its the taproom from 2-11 p.m.

4. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival has invited indie bands from all over the Northwest and beyond to stop by Tacoma and unleash their magic through Sept. 16. Here is the schedule for today: (6-9 p.m., all ages, Library at Sanford and Son) Carletta Sue Kay, You Are Plural, Hands In; (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) Twin Steps, Summer Cannibals, Tangerine. Descriptions of the bands can be found here.

5. Nate Jackson, an award-winning comedian from Lacey, is back fresh from The ATL's Comic View taping, and hosts former Monique Show co-host and funnyman Rodney Perry to headline the Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Show at 9 p.m. in the Temple Theatre. Perry, renowned for his quips and thoughtful and physical humor, will receive a boost from DJ Tu Much and live music by The De 1 Experience.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 13 arts and entertianment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10 2013 >>>

1. A Hijacking, the latest from Danish writer and director Tobias Lindholm, finds practically every member of the cast acting as a negotiator, in both minor disputes and one VERY major dispute, between the opening and closing credits. This theme of negotiating is so prevalent throughout the film that it opens, appropriately enough, in the middle of a negotiation. The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is boarded and hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.Find out what happens at 2:15 and 7 p.m. at The Grand Cinema. Read Jared Lovrak's full review of A Hijacking in the Music and Culture section.

2. Stanley and Seafort's invites you to Dine Out For No Kid Hungry through the month of September. Help raise awareness and funds to conquer childhood starvation and malnutrition by eating out or making a pledge. Restaurants Unlimited will be donating $150,000 to the Share Our Strength, No Kid Hungry Campaign in 2013. Find out more at www.nokidhungry.org.

3. Composite materials are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties and which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure. We have no idea what that means, but Dr. George Mayer does. The research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Washington lives and breathes composite materials. In fact, he'll review some of his work on the toughness of composite materials found in nature at 7 p.m. in Orca Books. You'll never look at a seashell the same way again. Well, you probably will, but at least hear the good doctor out.

4. Jazzbones has put together 10 of its house favorite comics to come out and give you their best 10 minutes tonight during its Ha Ha Tuesday comedy show at 8:30 p.m. In addition to the 10 by 10 entertainment value, Jazzbones will be filming a promotional video that night. Taking the stage are Ralph Porter, Nate Jackson, Susan Jones, Tyrone Hawkins, "Big Irish" Jay Hollingsworth, Michael Walter, Rodger Lizaola, Travis Simmons, Kelsey Cook and Justin Hayes.

5. Pheasant is a band of contradictions: while their music is unabashedly joyful and fun, full of driving beats and irresistible hooks, there is an undercurrent of ... something. It sounds sometimes like anger, or maybe bitterness, or depressive resignation. The Portland band lavishes their tunes with horns, sing-along choruses and strummy guitars, but lead singer Matt Jenkins has a hidden depth beneath his swagger, which makes him a compelling frontman. Catch the band with Jake Bellows and One F at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Tuesday, Sept. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area