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October 25, 2014 at 8:09am

5 Things To Do Today: 2nd Cycle concert, Dick's Brewing, Capitol Steps, Phobos & Deimos ...

Rockwell Powers will perform at Fulcrum Gallery in Tacoma tonight.

SATURDAY, OCT. 25 2014 >>>

1. Eliot Lipp, Rockwell Powers and Lozen - a musical dream lineup for many - will fill Fulcrum Gallery with a little bit of this and a whole lot of that beginning at 7 p.m. It's eclectic enough roster to be a good match for its beneficiary, 2nd Cycle. This 6-year-old nonprofit bike shop, located next to Fulcrum, is saving up to move into a bigger place where more people can be helped. 2nd Cycle is around to educate, support, and advocate for Tacoma cyclists. The shop sells used bikes and bike parts as well as host educational programs. All funds go toward 2nd Cycle's efforts to move into a larger space.

2. It was more than 20 years ago Dick Young started off as a humble home brewer, brewing in the back of Northwest Sausage & Deli. Since October 1994, Dick's Brewing has grown from a three-barrel operation brewing flagship Dick Danger Ale to more than 20 varieties of beer, a new brewery location with taproom, new Black IPA recipe called Midnight Ride - the first of Dick's beers carry the brewery's new label and logo - and a 20th anniversary celebration from 3-8:30 p.m. at the Centralia brewery, coinciding with the honoring of Dick Young's passing in 2009.

3. Every year, the Washington D.C. comedy troupe Capitol Steps descends on Tacoma and Olympia, bringing with it a full bag of political humor and clever song parodies about things that rhyme with Scalia. Major laughs ensue. The Steps will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center, no doubt full of new material thanks to a whole year of new inspirations - American political attack ads, Obama administration's drone wars, NSA spying scandal, Bridgegate. ...

4. Uncle Bonsai's gorgeous harmonies and silly, singular lyrics remind us of Louden Wainwright III, only sweeter. Start with "Boys Want Sex in the Morning," then listen to "Doug at the Gates of Hell." If you didn't LOL at the first song and shed a tear over the second, then we don't get you but at least we're square. If we're right about your reaction, though, you know what you have to do next, because Uncle Bonsai plays Traditions in Oly at 8 p.m. We love this group!

5. The genius thing about the subgenre of post-punk is that we now have bands like Phobos & Deimos who can mine inspiration from a vibrant variety of bands that existed during the wild and innovative times of the late '70s to the early '80s. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Phobos & Deimos in the Music & Culture section., then catch the band withChung Antique, Battersea, Bullets or Balloons and Fountains at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, Oct. 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 15, 2014 at 7:46am

5 Things To Do Today: Hamell on Trial, scary improv, Molybden, Indigenous Robot ...

Hamell on Trial performs at The Swiss tonight.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14 2014 >>>

1. What the hell is a Hamell on Trial? Hamell on Trial is the nom de la musique of Ed Hamell, solo punk poet extraordinaire, beloved among cognoscenti at the Venn-diagram intersection of folk, punk and observational standup comedy. His current album, The Happiest Man in the World, was inspired by a recent divorce, but don't let his aggro delivery scare you: this guy can sing a joke. He'll remind you of Bill Hicks. Even better, he can play the rockin' hell out of a '37 Gibson guitar. We were especially won over by his YouTube video for a jaunty number called "I Hate Your Kid." Catch him with Tacoma garage rock band Radio On at 8:30 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant and Pub.

2. Musically, Woman Who Left Behind is lushly spare, and Tess Seipp's tremulous, silky voice wraps around the four tracks like a nice hemp sandal. Growing up 62 miles from the Mexican border in the Chihuahuan Desert city of Marfa, Texas (known for its Minimalist art and the 2006 filmings of both No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood) and coming of age selling vinyl in Pacific Northwest record stores, Seipp, who is also known as Molybden, tells tales of the homeland and ponders the world around her, pulling together influences from Elliott Smith and Patti Smith to Charlie Feathersand Rosanne Cash, as well as paying homage to poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Need another reason to catch her show at Rainy Day Records at 8 p.m. She performs with Eleanor Murray and Mona Reels.

3. Doyle's Public House's version of a pub quiz is fun to play and the prizes are always tasty. Nick Walsh is off for the night so Nicole Karen Olson will be reprising her role as the Quiztress. Same format as usual with 50 percent brainteaser riddle and 50 percent current event questions. Two sessions will go down - 8 and 9 p.m.

4. Harlequin Productions presents The Nightmare Before Improv with their improv comedy troupe at 8 p.m. in The Historic State Theater. Those brave enough to attend can expect frighteningly funny Halloween-themed improv comedy, a costume contest and an evening of ghostly delights.

5. Indigenous Robot cram the stomping menace of Black Sabbath and the masculine poetry of the Doors into something resembling Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Psychedelia still works, as shown in Indigenous Robots' in-and-out brevity, which allows them to pack a considerable amount of punch into three minutes or less.  See the band with Glass Elevator at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Wednesday, Oct. 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 14, 2014 at 5:28pm

Nerd Alert! All-female Ghostbusters team and comedian Ron Funches in Tacoma

The lovable, stoned teddy bear persona that comedian Ron Funches projects will visit the Tacoma Comedy Club Oct. 16-18.

Over the past week, the Internet collectively lost its shit like a bunch of whiny babies at the very notion of a female Peter Venkman. Director Paul Feig announced that his Ghostbusters reboot would indeed feature an all-female Ghostbusters team, which prompted legions of fedora-wearing, neckbeard-having troglodytes to declare the franchise officially ruined.

Personally, I'm just glad that Dan Aykroyd's lunatic hands are staying far away from this project, but if you're still not sure that Ghostbusters can't survive the casting of some g-g-g-girls, let me make this very easy for you: it's not the casting that's the problem, it's you. You, the people that saw red when Thor was rebooted as a woman. You, the people that came out en masse to harass a female journalist for daring to offer even a mild criticism of the portrayal of women in video games. You, Ghostbusters alumnus Ernie Hudson, who expressed his displeasure at this new casting news by saying - out loud, in front of microphones - that he hopes the new Ghostbusters cast would at least be hot, even if it was unlikely they'd be funny.

In this day and age, where women continue to make strides for their rights in the face of disgusting opposition, it's remarkable to me that we can still be bickering about the gender of people in jumpsuits shooting plasma rays at marshmallow puppets. Just grow up and watch your children's entertainment with as much dignity as you can muster.

THURSDAY, OCT. 16-SATURDAY, OCT. 18: RON FUNCHES

Tacoma Comedy Club's Fourth Anniversary weekend is a great way to take your mind off the Internet's confused He-Man Woman-Haters with performances from Ron Funches. You'd be hard-pressed to find many more lovable comedians working today than Ron Funches, who brings his delightful laugh to Tacoma for a three-night engagement. The ability to come across as likeable and completely natural is a hard one for comedians to tap into, but Funches brings it in spades.

It doesn't hurt that he's also a massively funny guy, bringing a gentle whimsy to even hard subjects like race. Ron Funches has an uncanny ability to disarm audiences, even opening with the line, "Hello, Mr. Whiteface. I mean you no harm, so please don't come at me," before revealing that this was a conversation he had with a cat. Whenever you get bogged down with how unbelievably shitty people can sometimes be, it helps to get soothed by a guy like Ron Funches. One giggle out of him and all the misogynist Ghostbusters fans of the world seem to wash away. 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Tacoma Comedy Club, 933 Market St., Tacoma, $15, 253.282.7203

Filed under: Comedy, Tacoma, Screens,

October 10, 2014 at 7:26am

5 Things To Do Today: The Comic Strippers, Lucy Kaplansky, Rednecktoberfest, Steel Cranes ...

The Comic Strippers bare all for laughs tonight.

FRIDAY, OCT. 10 2014 >>>

1. While none of The Comic Strippers possess Chris Farley's shirtless je ne sais quoi, it's fair to say they'll never give Magic Mike a run for his sweaty singles. Truth be told, they may not even take off their pants. But once their shirts are off, they'll apply their trained torsos and minds to the sexy art of ... improvisational comedy. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on The Comic Strippers in the Music and Culture section, then catch the Canadian improv comedians at 8 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

2. The story of the von Trapp family who escaped Austria, moved to the United States and toured the world singing for two decades has inspired generations since the film The Sound of Music was released in 1965. The story continues as the great-grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp take up the family tradition anew. Meet Sofi, Melanie, Amanda, and August von Trapp, four siblings that, for the last 12 years, have been singing on stages around the world to critical acclaim and packed houses. Check them out at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center.

3. Lucy Kaplansky has some fierce little tunes. The New York City singer-songwriter with the Fast Folk pedigree and the masters in psychology has a beautiful flair for harmony and eloquent in her assessment of human foibles and domestic dynamics. She released Reunion, her seventh solo CD, in 2012, reuniting with her with musicians Buddy Miller, Richard Shindell, Jonatha Brooke, John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, Duke Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter, J. Geils Band), Jon Herington (Steely Dan) and producer/drummer Ben Wittman (Paula Cole, Don Byron). It's doubtful most of these folks will be with her at 8 p.m. in Morso wine bar in Gig Harbor, but you can be certain the night will be filled with deeply moving, joyful, meditative and rollicking stories of human foibles and domestic dynamics.

4. Steel Creek American Whiskey Co. knows if you listen to country music and fly a rebel flag everywhere you go and your neck gets burnt from exposure to the sun when you're out partying with friends while country rap band THE LACS blares in the background, you might be a redneck. Therefore, the downtown country/western joint hosts Rednecktoberfest from 9-11 p.m. Enjoy $2 cans of PBR, Hamms and Rainier, as you could win a pair of tickets to see THE LACS live at Steel Creek Nov. 16.

5. Amanda Schukle and Tracy Shapiro are Oakland rock duo Steel Cranes. With Schukle on drums and Shapiro on vocals, the two will showcase their debut album, Ouroboros, at Le Voyeur at 9 p.m. Lazy Animals and Coma Figura will open.

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

October 5, 2014 at 9:32am

5 Things To Do Today: Midday Veil, Steilacoom Apple Squeeze, "Project 562," James Adomian ...

Seattle experimental rock ensemble Midday Veil combines otherworldly vocals and cosmic synths with driving, hypnotic rock grooves. Photo credit: Frank Correa.

SUNDAY, OCT. 5 2014 >>>

1. Midday Veil takes cues from krautrock without explicitly copying it. There's experimental improvisation and rigid beats, but the '70s were a long time ago. What remains with Midday Veil is an exploratory way of approaching an inscrutable subgenre dipping into different cultural influences to provide an mélange of textures and atmosphere. Catch the band with Swahili, Total Life and Lost Integrity in 8 p.m. at Northern.

2. The town of Steilacoom will host their annual cider squeeze from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. offering to press apples for folks, or having jugs of fresh squeezed cider available. And if the cider isn't reason enough to go, then go to sample fresh baked apple pies, cider floats, apple fritters, pony rides and music by Barleywine Revue and Steve and Kristi Nebel.

3. Matika Wilbur's "Project 562" is an ambitious and fascinating photographic study of Native American culture and an equally ambitious artistic project of which Tacoma Art Museum is fortunate to be able to present to the world the inaugural exhibition. Today is the last day to see the exhibit. Read Alec Clayton's full review of Matika Wilbur's Project 562" in the Music & Culture section., then see the show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. Shakespeare can be a bit inaccessible for the average Joe and many a community theater company has butchered it so badly as to make the audience loathe ever catching another production of The Bard's works. So leave it to director Suzy Wilhoft and Tacoma Little Theatre to stage something that could go so, so wrong. Fortunately it doesn't and the audience is presented a modest start and a whiz-bang finish in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which closes today at 2 p.m. Read Joann Varnell's full review of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Music & Culture section.

5. Fans of Comedy Bang! Bang! rejoice! James Adomian will be at the Tacoma Comedy Club at 7 p.m. You've no doubt heard his voice on the podcast, doing spot-on impressions of Jesse Ventura, Tom Leykis, Dov Charney, Alan Rickman and Paul Giamatti, among others. While Adomian is nominally an impressionist, what makes his characters so special is that he takes them and spins them into surreal and inspired territory. It's a crime that he hasn't been cast on Saturday Night Live, where he is destined to become a post-modern Darrell Hammond. He's only appearing for one night, so consider this a can't-miss.

LINK: Sunday, Oct. 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 30, 2014 at 6:06pm

Nerd Alert! - "Tetris" movie, James Adomian and Stillsuit Cocktails

James Adomian will make an impression at the Tacoma Comedy Club Sunday night. Photo credit: Luke Fontana

There are certain moments that come around every once in a while to remind you that there are no laughably stupid depths that Hollywood is not prepared to plumb. This is such a moment. It has been announced that there is indeed a Tetris movie in the works.

Yes, the landscape of video game adaptations is littered almost exclusively with garbage, so why not take a stab at a game that is just about the goal of turning and stacking blocks? After all, no one expected Clue to be as OK as it was, and there's an Ouija board movie on the way, so who cares? Plus, producer Larry Kasanoff promises it will be a "very big, epic sci-fi movie," so that's great.

But, who's Larry Kasanoff? Only the director of one of the biggest failures in the history of film: Foodfight!, an animated film so inept and so suspiciously expensive that it might actually be considered a Ponzi scheme. Still, Kasanoff's Foodfight! was based entirely on the idea of product placement as art, so he should know what he's doing when it comes to adapting a mindless strategy game like Tetris.

SUNDAY, OCT. 5: JAMES ADOMIAN

Fans of Comedy Bang! Bang! rejoice! James Adomian is coming to Tacoma. You've no doubt heard his voice on the podcast, doing spot-on impressions of Jesse Ventura, Tom Leykis, Dov Charney, Alan Rickman and Paul Giamatti, among others. While Adomian is nominally an impressionist, what makes his characters so special is that he takes them and spins them into surreal and inspired territory. It's a crime that he hasn't been cast on Saturday Night Live, where he is destined to become a post-modern Darrell Hammond.

He's only appearing for one night, so consider this a can't-miss. 7 p.m., Tacoma Comedy Club, 933 Market St, Tacoma, $10, 253.282.7203

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8: STILLSUIT COCKTAILS

The second annual Frank Herbert tribute, Stillsuit Cocktails, is undoubtedly the coolest and nerdiest thing happening in the coming week - uniting the fierce passions of booze and science fiction. The Dune author and Tacoma native is honored by Hilltop Kitchen and Post Defiance (on his birthday, no less) with cocktails inspired by his works. Drinks with names such as Duncan Idaho and Harkonnen should dredge up images for Herbert fans. Quizzes, books and prizes will also be in attendance, if the idea of drinking Dune-inspired spirits isn't quite enough to convince you to come out and talk with fellow nerds about what it would have been like if Alejandro Jodorowsky really did get to make that movie. 7 p.m., Hilltop Kitchen, 913 MLK Way, Tacoma, no cover, 253.327.1397

September 28, 2014 at 10:22am

5 Things To Do Today: Back to Beale Street blues, Downtown to Defiance, Roxi Wolfe benefit, Super Funny Comedy Show ...

The CD Woodbury Band headlines a blues show today at The Swiss.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 28 2014 >>>

1. The South Sound Blues Association (SSBA) is hosting a fundraiserto help send The CD Woodbury Band to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January today at The Swiss. As readers may recall, guitarist CD Woodbury and his band emerged victorious earlier this year at the SSBA's Back to Beale Street Competition.  The band's eclectic array of originals and obscure "gem" covers encompassing roots, blues,rock, old school R&B, funk, jazz, jump swing and Americana - all flavored with the spirit of Jam Band improvisation - blew the judges minds. Now the booty-shaking contemporary blues band is headed to Memphis - meaning the SSBA will be footing the travel bill. Aside from being for a good cause, this Sunday's show at The Swiss will bring together a formidable collection of blues musicians, all of whom will no doubt bring the house down. Starting at 4 p.m. and running until 10 p.m., those scheduled to perform include former Back to Beale Street winner The Randy Oxford Band, Richard Allen and The Louisiana Experience, Emily Randolph and Oaklawn, The Wired Blues Band - and, naturally, The CD Woodbury Band with guest vocalist Maia Santell.

2. Walk, bike and roll to enjoy 6.5 miles of trails and roadways along Tacoma's waterfront from 8 a.m. to noon during Downtown to Defiance 2014. Organized by the city of Tacoma, Metro Parks Tacoma and Downtown On the Go, the event is open for anyone and everyone and there will be plenty of activities from the Tacoma Dome, along the waterfront to Point Defiance Park, including a button-making activity at Marine Park.

3. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has planned a special day for its sea otters in the Rocky Shores area. Festivities include special treats for the otters at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; tours of the Marine Mammal food preparation area from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; and hands-on sea otter-themed activities and crafts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Marine Discovery Center.

4. A few of Roxanne Wolfe's friends are holding a fundraiser to help cover costs of her medical condition that her health insurance won't cover. A night of music is scheduled from 7-11 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge. Emcee Doug Mackey will keep the laughs coming and The Crazy Texas Gypsies, Stonepony, Evan Purcell and special guests on track. Expect a silent auction and good times.

5. Nate Jackson returns with a double-header of his Super Funny Comedy Show at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in Keys On Main. Two comedy shows in one night is a nice twist. Tiffany Haddish (The Arsenio Hall Show, Def Comedy Jam) and Shawn Harvey (Bad Boys of Comedy) will headline the shows, which have received rave reviews since Jackson began hosting and producing them a few years back. The show will be flanked by SFCS resident soundman DJ Tu and a special performance by Grammy nominated singer/songwriter William Jordan.

NATE JACKSON'S SUPER FUNNY COMEDY SHOW, w/ Tiffany Haddish, Shawn Harvey, William Jordan, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Keys On Main, 1003 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, $15-$20, brownpapertickets.com

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 27, 2014 at 7:32am

5 Things To Do Today: Psychomagic, Fall Garden Festival, Fish Oktoberfest, Pro-Am Pub Crawl, The Bad Things

Imagine a '60s pop/surf rock influenced band from the 2010s with music bordering on the line of sincere slocore/indie rock and you have Psychomagic. Photo courtesy of Facebook

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27 2014 >>>

1. Psychomagic's recent self-titled album begins with flutes and a tremulous vocals from Fusco, before breaking off into a kaleidoscopic array of '60 sounds, all blended up and spat out in a colorful cornucopia. In performance, Psychomagic never takes itself so seriously. Everything is filtered through the glassy-eyed gaze of a person who has no need to dig trenches in their brains, but would rather take a moment to notice how fine it feels to be bombarded with the serene vibrations of psychedelic rock. Face-melting can be found elsewhere; Psychomagic is a brain massage. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Psychomagic in the Music and Culture section., then catch the band with Santoros, MILK and Bath Party at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Did you know that Metro Parks Tacoma hosts a Fall Garden Festival? It's true, and this year's fest, set in picturesque Point Defiance Park, packs educational and resourceful activities, such as how to keep bees, the best ways to grow fruit, "Chickens 101," creative ways to grow your own foods and flowers, and many more, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Little ones can grab a dose of eco-friendly gardening. Gardening superstar Ed Hume will make an appearance at 10 a.m. In "65 years of Gardening" Hume will recount his favorite gardening tips. Bus tours of Tacoma's community gardens and the heritage garden at Fort Nisqually will be led by Harvest Pierce County. Five tours are planned to depart from the Point Defiance Pagoda.

3. Like beer? Jump in and enjoy the Aroma of Tacoma Pro-Am Pub Crawl along Sixth Avenue. For $35 attendees can present a punch card at participating stops and redeem a 10-ounce pour of one of five beers from the 2014 Aroma of Tacoma Homebrew Championship that were selected by local brewers and brewed commercially. Attendees also receive a commemorative T-shirt. The crawl kicks off at noon at The Red Hot then heads out to Engine House No. 9, O'Malleys, Dirty Oscar's Annex and the Crown Bar. Click here for full details and to purchase your ticket.

4. Fish Brewing Company's 16th Annual Oktoberfest will pack their downtown Olympia brewery from 4-10 p.m. There you'll find all the things you've come to expect from a Fish Oktoberfest: down home, ole' fashion, ass kickin' southern-roots band The Slow Rollers and high energy funk, soul and sexy The Brown Edition. Live German oom-pah bands would only squash the groove. These two bands will pump out tunes to incite beer guzzling, various delicious wursts (there is no such thing as too much wurst), a sneak peek at the Hobbit beer series and an obscene amount of Leavenworth Biers Oktoberfest. 

5. The Bad Things are born out of cabaret and drink. A motley crew, made up of urchins and drunkards, The Bad Things bring theatricality and tongue-in-cheek fatalism to a variety of genres. Taking cues from the likes of Tom Waits and the Pogues, the band piles accordions, mandolins, singing saws, upright bass and all manner of sqeezeboxes onto their stage, inciting polka riots and rowdy singalongs in their audiences.Catch them with Victoria Renee and Middlewav at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, Sept. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 26, 2014 at 6:06pm

Tonight: Animal Video Festival and Photo Contest

Henri, le Chat Noir.

You know that Facebook friend who's always sharing videos with such status updates as "SOOOO cute!" or "Fluff ball awww"? (Yes, these are real quotes from real Facebook friends.)

Come Friday night, all of those people can go AFK and head for the Lacey Timberland Library, which will be hosting an Animal Video Festival and Photo Contest.

The event's celebrity guest is Will Braden, creator of the Golden Kitty-winning 2012 "Henri 2: Paw de Deux," starring Henri, le Chat Noir, aka Henry, Braden's laid-back cat.

Braden of Seattle has made a career of the animal video craze; having taken the Golden Kitty at the first Internet Cat Video Festival, he now curates and hosts the festival, the original animal video festival and the inspiration behind the local one, developed by librarian Kelsey Smith.

The library will show compilations of mostly funny and occasionally aww-inspiring videos, announce the winners of its animal photo contest and offer a photo booth where people can pose with cutouts of animal celebrities.

Smith is including all kinds of animals in the library festival, though cats do have a prominent place.

The event will even include a guest appearance by Cal, the office cat of Joint Animal Services. Accompanying Cal will be Joint Animal Services director Susanne Beauregard, who as host of TCTV's "Best Friends Animal Adoption" is something of animal video star herself.

Henri will not be attending the festival. One might guess that's because he turned up his nose at the inclusion of non-felines.

"Yes, your cat thinks of you with disdain," he recently tweeted (and posted on his website at henrilechatnoir.com). "But it's not because of anything you've done. You simply had the misfortune of being born a human."

ANIMAL VIDEO FESTIVAL AND PHOTO CONTEST, 7-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26; Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College Ave. SE, Lacey; free; 360-491-3860 or trl.org

Filed under: Comedy, Lacey, Events, Screens,

September 21, 2014 at 9:45am

5 Things To Do Today: Tacoma Maritime Festival, Tacoma Loves Coffee, Little Bill Engelhart, Battle of the Sexes ...

The 46 miles of shoreline has proved to be one of Tacoma’s most valuable resources. Celebrate it today at the Tacoma Maritime Festival. Courtesy photo

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21 2014 >>>

1. The Weekly Volcano gears up for the annual Tacoma Maritime Festival like the Super Bowl. We just can't get enough of celebrating Commencement Bay, and the "Working Waterfront" as it's known. This year marks the 22nd annual Maritime Fest - and it might host the most fighting ever at the Dock Street Building, Foss Waterway Seaport and the land in between the tow buildings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Today's events include NOAA Tours, port tours, free guided tours of the Foss Waterway, LEGO exhibit, remote-controlled boats, crafts, games, Seaweed Sisters band at 12:30 p.m., Doug Mackey and Mr. Blackwatch at 2 p.m., Steve and Kristi Nebel at 3:30 p.m. and much more.

2. The rapid growth of Valhalla Coffee Company, which includes shipments overseas, forced A.J. Anderson to relocate his operation from his embedded situation at the former Mandolin Café to the small storefront on Sixth Avenue. Anderson thinks in terms of flavor profiles and uses adjectives such as "robust, rich, and acidic" to describe his coffee. He wants people to realize that coffee is not just a cup of black liquid but a complex and important commodity. In conjunction with its exhibition, "Ethnobotany: An Artists' Study of Planets," the W.W. Seymour Conservatory hosts Anderson for an aromatic and educational Valhalla Coffee tasting titled "Tacoma Loves Coffee" from 10-11 a.m.

4. Little Bill Engelhart is soul on wheels, thanks to his musicianship and polio. He grew up on Hilltop Tacoma and learned rock 'n' roll by playing rhythm and blues with the black musicians downtown, which was unusual for a young white kid at the time. He formed a band with some of his teenage friends and had a national hit when he was just 19 titled "I'm in Love with an Angel." He is a legendary Northwest blues musician and perhaps the Godfather of rock 'n' roll in Tacoma. He and his band, the Bluenotes, will perform at The Spar at 7 p.m.

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. 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.

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area.

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