It seems somehow fitting that the guy who posed the idea for Tacoma’s Dia de los Muertos festival originally came up with the idea of a community-building event by melding together memories of a similar festival in the Phinney Ridge area of Ballard and inspiration from the grass-roots efforts of Lynn Di Nino’s Monkey Parties.

Morgan Alexander was raised in Tacoma and moved on to Seattle lured by the University of Washington.

“I had an arts degree, where I was more interested in creative solutions to problems,” he explains.

“Before I moved back down here, I was involved with the Fremont Arts Council.” He adds, “It was so inspiring to see what they created,” elaborating, “I like that kind of attitude and spirit, the do it yourself attitude.” He considers it to be “building a community by building these neighborhood events.”

Coming back down to his hometown, Alexander decided to create a difference, incubating ideas including Historic Tacoma, TacomaWorks, and Dia de los Muertos.

As with Historic Tacoma, momentum built quickly with the Dia de los Muertos event,

“It was started out as a community building project, and so far it looks like the experiment is working.”

“Basically, I was looking for a signature event, when I had the idea of creating a community-building event. I originally thought of doing it on the Eastside, but then I approached the Sixth Avenue Business District.” He acknowledges that the organizational leadership has helped the event become successful.

Additionally, the community has stepped up to help put on the workshops.

Originally, Alexander considered all the different facets of Dia de los Muertos for the “signature event” that would help to fill a community that seemed to be lacking in events. Recalling the success of the Phinney Ridge procession, he hit on that as the idea.

“The goal from the beginning was to take over the neighborhood, not really close down the streets,” Alexander reflects. “I want there to be more community involvement events.”

He adds, “My inspiration was Lynn Di Nino doing her 100th Monkey parties.” The grassroots event “illustrates the hunger for community. The original goal was get to the 100th Monkey; now it’s a success. I would like to see a dozen or so similar groups. It just takes that one monkey to start it.”

For his part, the monkey who started Dia de los Muertos is working on other projects as well. “I’m always thinking of projects,” Alexander chuckles.

A few initiatives close to his heart recently: helping the proposed streetcar idea build momentum and expanding neighborhood grants programs, as well as halting the Sound Transit Pacific Avenue crossing.

Now he just wants to recruit many more civically engaged community activists to help wake up the neighborhoods of Tacoma, to create vibrant events Alexander says will “show off, hey this neighborhood is alive.”

Friday night, beginning at 7 p.m. at Masa, Sixth Avenue will show off, “hey, we’re alive” in the spirit of honoring death.

Sounds cool to me! â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

DAY OF THE DEAD: Local happenings.

ROCK
No Quarter

With Halloween upon us, No Quarter â€" the locally famous Led Zeppelin tribute band set to hit Jazzbones tonight â€" must feel unusually normal. Most of the year, playing shows all around the country, the members of No Quarter find themselves in venues packed with normally dressed drunks, while they strut around like Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham â€" complete with package-revealing dungarees and wigs from the ugly women section of Wigs-R-Us.

However, around Halloween, as people everywhere dress in strange and peculiar get-ups, No Quarter looks silly like the rest of us â€" bell bottoms and all.

But No Quarter’s shtick is only partially about the look. Most of their appeal is in the tunes. While almost anyone can pull a Zeppelin number or two from their musical bag of tricks (most likely mutilating it at the same time) No Quarter has real-deal chops. They can legitimately call themselves the “ultimate tribute to Led Zeppelin”â€" and they do. â€" Matt Driscoll

[Jazzbones, 9 p.m., $10, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

CHAMBER POP
Arch Enemies
Want another sub-genre of rock music? Thought so.

Chamber pop.

Chamber pop incorporates orchestral movements with catchy hooks and lo-fi rock. Some of the best known Chamber poppers are Flaming Lips and Thievery Corporation. Some lesser known groups who fall into this elite category are Stars, Saint Etienne and the artist I’m profiling now â€" Steve Goldberg and the Arch Enemies.

Utilizing the endless benefits of the studio, Arch Enemies creates music akin to the Beatles’ Revolver or the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, complete with grand scale production. â€" Tony Engelhart

[4th Ave Tavern, 9 p.m., 210 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.786.1444]

MORE MUSIC: In the clubs tonight.

DANCE
Ballet Déjà vu, only new
When the Tacoma City Ballet brings Hallowed Dances to the stage at the Pantages tonight and Saturday, Oct. 27, they’ll bring classical Ballet and a mash-up of arts, culture and energy that will feel simultaneously hauntingly familiar and bright and fresh.

The music for the program features familiarity. A familiar maestro, Christophe Chagnard, will conduct the Lake Union Civic Orchestra in the evening’s music, of which Bedrich Smetana’s “Moldau” may actually be the most obscure, for the opening piece titled “The Dead Summer’s Soul,” homage to a local felled walnut tree, followed by Camille Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre for the piece “No Bones About it” choreographed by Travis Goldman, which will bring a visual affect akin to a 1930’s cartoon.

The entire flow of the evening of Hallowed Dances will incorporate elements of that tradition, with all the dances except for “No Bones About It” being original classical ballet works choreographed by TCB Artistic Director Erin Ceragioli. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

[Pantages Theater, Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., $15-$30, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.589, www.broadwaycenter.org]

MORE STAGE: What’s on local stages.

Pierce County resident receive an early Christmas present from Santa Fischer and the Broadway Center elves:

• BROADWAY CENTER PRESS RELEASE: In honor of the many years of continuous funding by the Pierce County Government, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to offer a Pierce County Resident Rush Ticket Program. Through this program, residents of Pierce County may purchase $15 tickets to specially selected performances: Striking 12, The Wonder Bread Years, Dying to Be Thin, Glenis Redmond and David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries and Other Stories. This discount opportunity rewards the community with high quality theater for a reduced price, encourages residents to partake in Downtown activities and discover exciting events in the heart of Tacoma.

The Weekly Volcano doesn’t believe in spooks. We don’t, we don’t, we don’t believe in spooks. And yet … on a chilly October night, when the leaves rattle against the fire escape and the computer crashes again and again for no apparent reason, we find ourselves drawn to supernatural explanations. Get a grip, we tell ourselves. Those lights going on and off? Nothing more than old wiring. That vase that crashed from the shelf? Vibrations from passing trucks.  That Ted Bundy victim dumped in the foundation of a building being built at the University of Puget Sound who now moans in the halls of the building.  Well?

OK, the Weekly Volcano is a scardey cat.  That’s why we’re sending our intern Friday night to the Lakewood Playhouse sleepover.  The Lakewood Players offer to shack up kids 8-17 after their performance of “Holes” Friday night for $50.  They’ll unlock the doors at 11 a.m. and those alive will be free to go.

Reserve your spot now by calling 253.588.0042.  We dare you.â€" Suzy Stump 

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts is our bestest friend ever.  They are extending a 10 percent discount to Weekly Volcano readers for “Striking 12.”

Just mention you are a Weekly Volcano reader when purchasing your tickets and they will knock 10 percent of your purchase and think you are the smartest person in the whole world, maybe the universe. â€" Suzy Stump

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know that Halloween is right around the corner. But then again, if you’ve been living in a cave, every night is fit for batty behavior, and next weekend is no exception!

The Tacoma City Ballet brings you “Hallowed Dances Oct. 26 and 27 at the Pantages Theater.  The scenes have scary titles such as “The Dead Summer’s Soul,” “No Bones About It,” and Girls At The Gates.”  Nice.

The Weekly Volcano will scare up a story on the performance in next week’s issue.  Here are a few shots I snapped last night at their rehearsal. â€" Jessica Corey Butler

B.J. Honeycutt is coming to town. He’s ready to make changes in this world, and he wants you to join in the fight.

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, B.J. Honeycutt was Hawkeye Pierce’s buddy on “M*A*S*H” (played by actor Mike Farrell, more recently known as the kindly veterinarian Jim Hansen on “Providence”).

More than just an actor, Farrell is also an activist for human rights and peace. He served as co-chair of Human Rights Watch in California from 1994 to 2004 and serves as president of Death Penalty Focus and as a member of the advisory board of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

Farrell will be in Olympia at the Minnaert Center for the Performing Arts at South Puget Sound Community College Thursday, Oct. 18, to speak about his journey into activism as described in his book, “Just Call Me Mike.” It’s kind of a you-too-can-be-an-activist evening sponsored by TC Pro-Net, Thurston County Progressive Network, a group that â€" as the name implies â€" is a network of progressive organizations and individuals in Thurston County ranging from Safe Place and PFLAG to Code Pink and Veterans for Peace. â€" Alec Clayton

Remember Chaos into Order during Art on the Ave festival this past summer?  The people sewing newspaper? The performance art event orchestrated by Lynn Di Nino with a factory floor full of frantic workers with assistants, cell phones, noise implements, and newspapers, with orators speaking their messages to try to calm the workers into some semblance of order?  Hello?

David Derickson created a six- minute “review” of Chaos into Order.  â€" Suzy Stump

ROCK
Bug Nasties, Fungus Riot
Despite the obvious differences between the two bands, the similarities will be overwhelming. Rock will be the binding theme, and based on that alone this show will be one of the best the week has to offer. The Bug Nasties lean toward Austin Powers’ fashion, mod sounds of the ’60s, and extreme R&B. Fungus Riot, on the other hand, list bands like NOFX, Rancid, and Iron Maiden as their influences, and aren’t afraid to go a little epic on your ass. On paper they seem like complete opposites, but this writer’s prediction is it won’t matter. The two bands share a love of rock and roll ideals, and that’s almost always enough for an entertaining show. â€" Matt Driscoll
[Le Voyeur, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.5710]

MUSIC: What’s happening tonight.

STAGE
“Sweeney Todd”
There was a crime committed in downtown Olympia last weekend. There were two empty seats at Capital Playhouse’s production of “Sweeney Todd,” a tasteful play about a mass murderer who sees a business opportunity in the otherwise useless stack of corpses he has created. I guess you could consider the empty seats a “capital crime,” but the real victims probably don’t know they missed an opportunity to see one of the best shows found in the South Sound in the last decade or so. It was brilliant. â€" Steve Dunkelberger
[Capital Playhouse, 7:30 p.m., $21 to $33, 612 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.2744]

STAGE
“The Wonder Bread Years”
Comedian Pat Hazell examines baby-boomer Americana â€" sugar-highs, milk money, the kid’s table, pop rocks, the ice cream truck, and those long distance trips in the wayback of the Country Squire Wagon â€" in his one-man show, “The Wonder Bread Years.” â€" Suzy Stump
[Washington Center, 7:30 p.m., $29.50-$31.50, 512 Washington St. S.E., Olympia, 360.753.8585]

STAGE: More stage shows tonight.

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts is our bestest friend ever.  They are extending a 10 percent discount to Weekly Volcano readers for their following productions:

“Four Slices of Wry,”

“Rush Limbaugh in Night School,” and

“Striking 12.”

Just mention you are a Weekly Volcano reader when purchasing your tickets and they will knock 10 percent of your purchase and think you are the smartest person in the whole world, maybe the universe. â€" Suzy Stump