SUNDAY, AUG. 3 2014 >>>

1. Little Bill Engelhart 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 19 titled "I'm in Love with an Angel." The Washington Blues Society has awarded him numerous awards, including best band; best bass player, best blues writer and lifetime achievement award. 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 on Johnny's Dock Restaurant's deck at 5 p.m.

2. The first annual Destiny City Film Festival ends today at the Blue Mouse Theatre in Tacoma's Proctor District. "Closing night is Copenhagen (7 p.m.), and I just loved watching that movie," says DCFF founder Emily Alm. "It's one of the best I've reviewed this year. That won Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Slamdance, earlier this year." For today's films, click here.

3. The Lakewood Asian Film Fest ends today with two films as well as a performance by the Okinawa Taiko Drummers at 2 p.m. inside the Lakewood Playhouse. At 2:30 p.m. is a short documentary titled All We Could Carry, which tells the story of several Japanese-Americans who lived in the Heart Mountain relocation camp during World War II, a time when more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps with literally only what they could hold in their arms. At 3 p.m., The Front Line will follow, which is a Korean film following a South Korean army unit ordered to capture one last bit of land before the Korean War ceasefire goes into place. The film won best film, best director and several other awards.

4. The Social Bar and Grill's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watching condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This triple threat of delicious happy hour specials, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. Tacoma Comedy Club presents "Five Comic Showcase" with Jonas Barnes, Mike Coletta, Andrew Rivers, Brian Moote and MC Luke Severid beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, Aug. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, JULY 27 2014 >>>

1. Born Warren Anderson Mathis, Bubba Sparxxx grew up in Georgia, where a black friend turned him on to New York mail-order mix tapes. His introduction to rap was dominated by the booty-shaking grooves of 2 Live Crew and the brutal truths spit by N.W.A. Later, when he discovered ATL pioneers OutKast, Sparxxx was inspired to write his own rhymes and started battling at school. Sparxxx made a major bang with solo-debut Dark Days, Bright Nights, which featured the single "Ugly" and went gold with the help of Shannon Houchins, a staff producer for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label. Sparxxx's "Ugly" video put him in overalls and created some frustration for the Southern white rapper when the public pegged the video as satire. Sparxxx responded that the video depicted his Southern roots. Touring behind his 2014 release, Made on McCosh Mill Road, Sparxxx will rap about living in the country, loving women, cars and booze with Mike Drastic, Mr. Von, A King Also x The Royal Coat at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones.

2. The Social Bar and Grill's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watching condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This triple threat of delicious happy hour specials, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

3. The great irony of the original Gong Show was that the program itself would have gotten gonged. And to its credit, it - and its creator, Chuck Barris - wore that fact like a badge of (dis)honor, creating a space in television where it could be proud of showcasing the misplaced pride of the American populous. At 3 p.m. in The Swiss, the Music and Art in Wright Park folks will host a Gong Show to raise funds for their August concert. It will match the zaniness of the original show. Bands Speakerbox and The Jilly Rizzo will warm up the crowd for when the "talent" hits the stage at 5:30 p.m. The master of ceremonies will be local comedian Eric Puddin Lorentzen, which will be worth the price of admission alone. After the $100 prize is awarded, The Nitrogen Lion Society will rock.

4. Friends and talented musicians will hold a benefit concert for Christopher Brant Anderson at the Antique Sandwich Co. at 7 p.m. Anderson was diagnosed with asbestosis in 2004, which is a progressive condition and leads to heart-related complications along with other symptoms. Scheduled to perform are Steve Beck, Steff Kayser, Larry Murante, Kevin Jones, Mark Filler, Jim Moore, Bill Glover and Rob Kneisler.

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, July 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 2014 >>>

1. Author Marc Hinton visits the Washington State History Museum to share the history of cuisine in the Northwest - from the time of the mastodon to the molecular gastronomic revolution of today. Hear how chefs have used our region's bounty to create our local cuisine and how winemakers and brewers have carved out their own traditions in Oregon and Washington. Expect to taste samples from Hinton's book, A History of Pacific Northwest Cuisine: Mastodons to Molecular Gastronomy, beginning at 11 a.m.

2. The Berry Festival is a summertime tradition at Pacific Lutheran University; each monthly lunchtime concert focuses on one delicious berry and features summery desserts and free live music and entertainment. From 11:30 to 1 p.m., raspberries will be the focus with live music by the Funaddicts, in PLU's Red Square.

3. The South Sound's popular young adult author Marissa Meyer will hang at the Puyallup Public Library at 6 p.m. as part of the library's summer reading program. She'll discuss her Lunar Chronicles, a book series of futuristic fairy tales made up of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress.

4. The 35th season of Music in the Park opens with a rousing performance from a crowd favorite - the 133rd Army Band from 7-8 p.m. in downtown Olympia's Sylvester Park.

5. The Something Wicked improvisational comedy troupe presents an evening of ad-libbed shenanigans, performing a movie to your specifications. It's called Double-Double Feature; and if you can imagine it, they can bring it to life before your very eyes. They'll even throw in a couple of jokes at no additional charge. But wait. Now you have to think of something original? On the spot? Making movies is haaard! Check it out at 8 p.m. inside Harlequin Productions' home.

LINK: Wednesday, July 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

A decade ago, when the dawn of the digital era produced better, more affordable video cameras, and when over-the-counter VFX software introduced tornadoes and T. rexes to laptop computers, it seemed possible for any old schmo to make a movie. And, to some extent, that was true. Ask Christian Doyle, local actor and star of a popular web series, JourneyQuest. He and his friends are currently in production on The Gamers: Hands of Fate, their fourth feature project. But as Doyle would certainly agree, there's a reason why a new Spielberg isn't popping up in every suburban garage: making movies is hard. Wouldn't it be great if you could just ... order your own movie, as if you were calling out for a pizza?

Now you can! Christian Doyle has you covered yet again. That's because he's also one of the founders of Something Wicked, an in-house improvisational comedy troupe at Harlequin Productions. The gang's new evening of ad-libbed shenanigans is all about performing a movie to your specifications. It's called Double-Double Feature; and if you can imagine it, they can bring it to life before your very eyes. They'll even throw in a couple of jokes at no additional charge.

But wait. Now you have to think of something original? On the spot?

Making movies is haaard!

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FEATURE, 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, Harlequin Productions, 202 4th Ave. E., Olympia, $10-$15, 360.786.0151

MONDAY, JUNE 30 2014 >>>

1. When's the last time someone read you a story? If it's been a while, check out the latest Creative Colloquy session at 7 p.m. in the B Sharp Coffee House. This installment of the wonderfully satisfying monthly storytelling series centers on the YA genre. Featured yarns will be spun by New York Times Best Selling author Marissa Meyer, Michaela Eaves, Brook Ellen West, Karen Harris Tully and the winner of CC's Youth Writer Contest. As usual, all scribes are encouraged to attend and read their works, to test the prose or read finished work. Reading opportunities are available on a first come, first sign up basis and authors are asked to keep content performance at 5-minute maximum.

2. According to Fed Up, the latest from writer-director Stephanie Soechtig, Oscar-winning producer Laurie David and Katie Couric, (who also narrates the film), sugar reigns supreme among the most corruptive comestibles lining shelves and plates across America, not to mention our digestive tracts and circulatory systems. And according to this documentary, we eat a lot of it, whether we know it or not. Read Jared Lovrak's full review of the film on our Served in the South Sound blog, then catch it at 2, 4:20 and 9:05 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

3. Dean Reichert's soulful voice carries in it the history of American popular music: There's the down-home rhythm and testifying punch of gospel-based R&B, the snarl of the blues, the mournful rumination of honky-tonk, sultry jazz and the up-front sexuality of funk. Oh, and he's a talent guitar player, too. Reichert heads to The Swiss at 8 p.m. for the Tacoma joint's longstanding blues night.

4. Local comedian and host Eric Puddin Lorentzen hosts the "Monday Madness Comedy Night with Puddin" at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Expect 6-10 minute sets, each recorded. The audience will choose a winner, who will headline the following week. It was the great Bill Cosby who said, "Puddin, you can't be a comedian without him," or something.

5. Singer-songwriter Chelsey Heidenreich lives and grew up in the small town of Ritzville, Wash. She brings her indie folk sound to Le Voyeur at 10 p.m.

LINK: Monday, June 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Live Nation and Funny Or Die welcome Funny Or Die Presents Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival 2014 to White River Amphitheatre on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014. Tickets are $35 to $117.90 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 28 at Ticketmaster outlets, LiveNation.com and 800.745.300.

Here's what Live Nation has to say on the matter. ...

Read more...

MONDAY, JUNE 23 1014 >>>

1. Comedy open mics are where performers cut their teeth, develop their chops and other folksy idioms meaning "possibly suck to get better." Comedians nervously testing out premises they thought of while parking. These baby-steps are often tucked into weekdays as not to compete with the weekend's bigger events. Do you smell an opportunity? Or is that the Pabst sloshing around on the bar? Local comedian and host Eric Puddin Lorentzen want you to indulge in both with the brand new, weekly, Monday Madness Comedy Night with Puddin at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Expect 6-10 minute sets, each recorded. The audience will choose a winner, who will headline the following week. It was the great Bill Cosby who said, "Puddin, you can't be a comedian without him," or something.

2. Get out your dancing shoes and join in the whimsy of a country western shuffle dance, hosted by the Evergreen Country Dancers. What is a shuffle, you say? It's the country western version of polka - the primary difference being that the style of shuffle is less hoppy than the polka - and there's nothing wrong with that. The feet hit the Olympia Elks Lodge floor at 6:30 p.m.

3. With three different singers, dual lead guitars and one of the best rhythm sections around, Palmer Junction is heavily influenced by blues artists such as Freddie King, Peter Green, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers, Robben Ford and Joe Bonamassa. Named best blues band in the Weekly Volcano's 2013 Best of Tacoma issue, the band will perform at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi and his band will fill Olympia's Rhythm and Rye club with the enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, original material and funky delight at 8 p.m.

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

LINK: Monday, June 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 2014 >>>

1. Spaceworks Tacoma hosts an art walk from 5-9 p.m. in the downtown Tacoma Post Office Building. The event celebrates the creative activation of the location with a "happy hour" (with music by DJ Mr. Melanin) followed by a multi-media art exhibition by Jeremy Gregory, Geoff Weeg and Kris Crews; an exhibition memorializing the Luzon Building; installations by Jennifer Chushcoff and Erin Dengerink; open artist studio tours; a short film; and a performance by DASH.

2. The In the Spirit exhibit returns to the Washington State History Museum, opening today at 10 a.m. There will be 27 pieces of various mediums on display, each representing the unique perspective and heritage of a Northwest native artist.

3. If you're a visual arts fan, you owe it to yourself to go off the beaten path and ride the Tacoma Art Bus from 6-9 p.m. Yes, you'll see some kickass art. Yes, you'll chow down on Puget Sound Pizza. The opportunity that brings us back every month is the fellow Art Bus riders. You'll lean that man is a trapeze performer. That woman makes the best empanadas in the state. That man lives in your former house and turned your bedroom into a grow house. That woman invented an LED yoga mat with an "intelligent" surface and comes with, of course, its own app. The bus shoves off from in front of the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m. and visits Embellish Multispace Salon, Downtown Post Office, Tacoma Fablab, The Social Bar and Grill, The Swiss and others. Get in on the party here.

4. Lakewood Playhouse never seems to disappoint and their most recent production is no exception. People who don't like Monty Python humor, also known as fuddy duddies, might want to skip it but for everyone else, Spamalot (books and lyrics by Eric Idle) will have them laughing, whistling and singing even after the show. Director John Munn's brilliant cast and crew could not have done a better job on opening night of the closing show of their 75th season. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Spamalot in the Music & Culture section., then catch a pay-what-you-can performance tonight at 8 p.m.

5. Comedian Sarah Colonna takes a break from cracking jokes as a panelist and writer for Chelsea Lately to do some standup tonight through Saturday at the Tacoma Comedy Club. The yucks begin at 8 p.m.

LINK: Thursday, June 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, JUNE 17 2014 >>>

1. The Gypsters is a band that, whether or not they intended it, reminded us of bands like Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show and the Fugs, even though they stylistically don't quite connect. Like the aforementioned bands, the Gypsters are serious about making music, but their songs sometimes lend themselves to trenchant observations about life and what it means to make music for a living. Let's take their song "$250 Fine" for an example; after a cacophony of punk and horn bursts, a voice comes in: "$250 fine (that's the noise ordinance). $250 fine (violation)." Then another prolonged squall. ... Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on The Gypsters in the Music and Culture section, then catch the band with Noise Toys at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. The Grand Cinema screens The Unknown Known, which consists primarily of Donald Rumsfeld, Bush's Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006, answering questions posed off-camera by Errol Morris: No one else is interviewed. The film also draws from the 20,000 memos that Rumsfeld dictated over a four-decade-long political career. Rumsfeld himself gamely reads excerpts from the memos, which recipients nicknamed "snowflakes." Catch it at 1:40 and 6:35 p.m.

3. King's Books will discuss Two Boys Kissing - a book that captures the struggle and the history of the LGBT past and melds it with the present and the future - at its monthly Banned Book Club meeting at Doyle's Public House at 7 p.m. The other struggle will be trying to discuss the book at Doyle's during the World Cup and St. Practice Day hoopla (5 p.m. Guinness salute, Fields of Clover band at 8 p.m.).

4. The Electric Magpie show dashes of Canned Heat peak out from underneath the layers of Zombies, Turtles and Kinks. Pastoral folk-rock trades blows with heavy blues, and the trilling organs are there the whole way, planting squiggly ear worms in the listener. The Electric Magpie are signed to the Lolipop Records label, a California hub of psych-rock revivalists. Northern will be host to a 7 p.m. showcase of fellow Lolipop Records labelmates, including the far-out haze of Mystic Braves, the moody stomp of Corners, and the shoegaze-leaning fuzz of Burning Palms.

5. You are getting sleepy, v-e-r-y sleepy. Now, go see the hypnotist show at 8 p.m. inside the Red Wind Casino. Whether a skeptic or believer, the show will be sure to entertain with its comedy, rock and roll and outrageous hypnosis, like people sneezing and having orgasms(!) when Ron Stubbs, the man behind the magic, utters the word "pepper."

LINK: Tuesday, June 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 2014 >>>

1. A lot of folks still consider the 1939 film Gone With the Wind to be the best loved and most iconic American movie of all time - a classic national story of struggle and perseverance. Others might call it an American icon for less flattering reasons, i.e., how blithely it romanticizes some pretty problematic racial history. And yet another way to look at the movie and its making is as the quintessence of Hollywood: The last-minute firings, hirings, and general histrionics behind Gone With the Wind are legendary among film buffs. It's this last angle that's the primary concern of Tacoma Little Theatre's Moonlight and Magnolias, a comedic romp about the monumental difficulties of making Margaret Mitchell's humongous best-seller into a decent film, hitting the stage at 7:30 p.m.

2. Do The Extraordinary, a Spaceworks Tacoma-backed store offering handmade, locally crafted wood rings, urban sportswear and one-of-a-kind accessories, officially opens its doors today with a runway show and live music at 7 p.m. Tickets to the Grand Opening event are $10 and can be purchased online at EventBrite.com.

3. Olympia actor Morgan Picton has an easy, authoritative knack for comic timing, which made sense given his night job as a standup comedian. We saw him riffed on economics and ancient Rome for a dozen people, killing with insights that were probably too smart for most rooms, including that one. Theater Artists Olympia presents Picton in Top Turnbuckle, a live standup comedy special with Phoebe Moore at 8 p.m. in the Midnight Sun.

4. An incandescent blend of guitar, autoharp, fiddle, banjo and upright bass. A rhythmic network of folks and songs from everywhere and nowhere. The Moonshine at Rhythm and Rye. 8 p.m.

5. Tonight in Olympia is going to be crazy. It's a full moon, Friday the 13th and Evergreen State College graduation all rolled into one. It's a good thing this 9 p.m. rock show is going to be at the 4th Ave Tav. The powerhouse bill will need the room to accommodate a ton of fans, plus all the randoms off the street overflowing into venues up and down the Ave. Full Moon Radio, The Prophets of Addiction, Captain Algebra and Ravages of Time will freakin' bring it.

LINK: Friday, June 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area