THURSDAY, OCT. 6, 2011 >>>

1. In 2006, musician David Nichols released his first album as Tex, The Angels Came to Take Me Home. A certain gloom hangs over the record in shrouds, as each song takes on either a sad-sack resignation or a bitterly stubborn stomp. When the clouds part and a sunny hook pops through, there's still a sadness looming in the lyrics. Tex didn't release another album until just last year. Tonight the Nichols and Tex make a return to the stage, playing The New Frontier with Canon Canyon, Library and Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray.

2. OMFG! The Tacoma Film Fest kicks off today. But you know this already because you've already read the Volcano's extensive preview coverage of this year's cinema extravaganza. Find something to go see today here.

3. This morning at 11 a.m. head to the Tacoma Art Museum to learn exactly how museums determine what art they collect. A museum curator will lead the presentation.

4. Boom! Mike Coucoules hosts the new Thursday Acoustic Open Mic at Medi'a Pizza & Pasta in Tacoma tonight from 8:30 - 11:30 p.m. It's all ages until 10 p.m.

5. It's "Ladies Night," in Lacey at The Play Pen. And hell yes DJ Kewlaid will be in the house!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011 >>>

1. For the always popular 26 Feet of Art (and the accompanying online auction), 26 artists have contributed a 12"x12" piece of artwork to be displayed in the Washington Center's lobby and gallery. From 5:30-9 p.m., a reception and wine tasting will get things off to a good start, kicking off the Washington Center's CenterFest Celebration 2011. The 26 Feet of Art online auction will run through Arts Walk and close Oct. 9.

2. Garfield Book Company hosts a Scandinavian Social Hour featuring a Swedish pancake-making demonstration at 6 p.m. Afterward, everyone will try to put together furniture from IKEA.

3. Oktoberbreast – a Breast Cancer Awareness Month kick-off event with the Breast Cancer Resource Center featuring educational materials, food, DJ, no host beer and wine, fire dancers and more - will happen from 6-10 p.m. at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

4. "Imagine Tom Waits and Jack White drinking in a Romani dive bar, then haphazardly mixing DNA. That miracle baby might resemble PDX art-folk group Strangled Darlings. Using an arsenal of old-time instruments the group wades through a spooky realm of melting-pot Americana that resembles Waits' music, minus the Cookie Monster growl." The Willamette Week in Portland wrote that ditty about the Strangled Darlings, the band that will perform at 8 p.m. inside The Spar in downtown Olympia.

5. DJ Aaron Mack spins alternative 80s and beyond beginning at 9 p.m. inside The Acme Grub Cage.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Thursday Nightlife It List

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16, 2011 >>>

1. It is not too early to be planning your St. Patrick's Day celebration - March 17 is than six months away. To help you get in the mood - and sell a pot full of Jameson whiskey - Doyle's Public House will host its annual Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Party tonight and tomorrow.  Besides $3 dollar appetizers from 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. both days, the Stadium District watering hole hosts Floater frontman Robert Wynia for an acoustioc with drums show at 9 p.m. Wynia is touring in support of his solo release, Iron By Water. Blvd Park hits the stages tomorrow at 9 p.m. Both shows are free.

2. At 4:30 p.m. at Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound Associate Professor Janet Marcavage will discuss her prints in conjunction with the exhibition, "Show and Tell: Art Department Faculty 2011," currently on view at the gallery.

3. These six little spelling champs are kids we've seen before - lonely outsiders and bratty overachievers, adolescents whose parents neglect them or push them too hard to succeed. The characters come close to stereotype without ever quite falling into it. As a result, we can laugh at them and empathize simultaneously. We, of course, are referring to Tacoma Little Theatre's 7:30 p.m. production of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which theater critic Joe Izenman reviewed here.

4. Tonight, the owners of Big Whisky Saloon in Tacoma are opening a second location in the former Vault Nightclub space in downtown Olympia. The new Big Whisky will feature all the hits of original Big Whisky, complete with more than 50 whiskeys from around the world. "I think people will be shocked and impressed with the feel," says part owner Todd Ruzicka. Nothing like a little shock and awe to get the ball rolling on a new club.

5. For those of us who retain cognitive memories of the ‘80s, Tempest Lounge brings down the house every third Friday at 9:30 p.m. with "Beat Boxxx" straight outta that decade. You can throw your hands in the air, and wave ‘em like you just don't care. DJs dAb, Suga Jones and rotating guests man the decks and cover all the bases - funk, pop, old school, club classics - throwing in the occasional '80s track you probably haven't heard in decades, depending on which decade you were born in.

PLUS: More events in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: New movies open!

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13, 2011 >>>

1. We fell under the spell of bluegrass music long before The Grand Cinema ran Coen brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? for 13 years in a row. Our dad filled the truck's cab with the high, lonesome mountain-blues sound of Bill Monroe's plaintive voice accompanied by a banjo, mandolin and fiddle. The Oly Mountain Boys are putting together a celebration of the music of Monroe on the occasion of his 100^th birthday at 7 p.n. inside the Black Lake Grange Hall. Runaway Train will headline, the Oly Mountain Boys will open, and Pickled Okra from Seattle will do an all-Monroe set in between. There will be birthday cake, door prizes, rare concert film projected, and an all-around toe-tappin' good time.

2. Prairie Line was once the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, today running through the University of Washington-Tacoma campus and other areas around downtown. This stretch of land has largely been forgotten in modern times, but there's a facelift in its future - a walking and biking interpretive trail headed up by design studio Thoughtbarn, made up of Lucy Begg, Robert Gay and Todd Bressi. These folks will hang from 9:30-11 a.m. inside the Rain City Café to share their plans with the public. Read the Weekly Volcano's story a program called Public Art In Depth (PA:ID) is kicking up its heels along the Prairie Line Trail here.

3. Olympia's Le Voyeur often slips through the cracks. But for those in the know, this trendy little restaurant is a perfect spot to sip PBR and discuss obscure Soviet films. Le Voyeur doesn't offer too many specials, but they do have $4 sandwiches on Tuesdays. The cheap sandwiches are a perfect complement to inexpensive beer, the amazing garlic fries and the ultra-hip clientele that are some of Le Voyeur's other specialties.

4. Geeks Who Drink Quiz Night with Quizmaster Holland Hume goes down at 8 p.m. inside Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub in Tacoma. The game consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by Hume; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner. Oh, and there's drinking involved, too.

5. The DJ & Drummer Duo Battle featuring DJ Switch and Chris Dahl begins at 9:30 p.m. at the Backstage Bar & Grill on Sixth Avenue.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Tonight's Nightlife It List

THAT AIN'T WORKING >>>

The Gritty City Sirens have been tossing their seed willy-nilly around the South Sound for close to a year and yet to bring the show to the Office.

That changes tonight.

Cool your jets Don Draper. We speak of The Office Bar & Grill in downtown Tacoma, not your cubicle. The sports bar celebrates its first anniversary through Sunday, and the Tacoma burlesque troupe will be part of the festivities tonight. That's right - Ava D'Jor, Tizzy Van Tassel, Rosie Cheexx, Funny Face Fanny and Polly Puckerup will refocus your attention off The Office's awesome tater tots and onto the troupe's sexy spots.

Other festivities tonight include DJ Ruby, giveaways every hour plus food and drink specials. The party begins at 8 p.m.

Tomorrow, Sept. 10, DJ Ruby is back at 9 p.m. and so are the giveaways and specials. A Bacardi Ice Luge will also be in the house, which is nice.

Sunday, The Office has the Hawks game at 1 p.m. with a wings eating contest at halftime.

What has everyone around the water cooler excited is the eight night Mexico trip raffle prize Sunday at 6 p.m. You must be in the house to win.

Happy birthday Office.

[The Office Bar & Grill, 8 p.m. Friday, 9 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, no cover, 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.3222]

TUESDAY, SEPT. 6, 2011 >>>

1. RTX will blow minds tonight at Olympia's beloved Brotherhood Lounge beginning at 9 p.m. Having garnered rave reviews from Decibel, Vice, Village Voice and the like, RTX is dotting the coast with a Sonic Youth-y, MC5-ish sound. For the full story on this awesome band, read Nikki Talotta's story here.

2. It's all about huckleberries at the 6th Ave Farmers Market from 3:30-7 p.m. Music by The Key of Joy will keep things lively.

3. Be honest. Labor Day didn't go well for you. Shake off some of that barbecue anger tonight at Caffe Dei during its Comedy Open Mic. Sign up at 7:30 p.m. and then let the crowd have it beginning at 8 p.m. There isn't a cover or drink minimum. And if there are children in the crowd then the parents are to blame. Burnt wiener jokes are fair game.

4. On weekends all the bartenders are in a bad mood because people are forgetting to tip them and throwing toilet paper around the bathroom. However, Tuesday is when a neighborhood bar wipes its brow and smiles. But it can take a little coaxing to get your fellow officey friends to come with you on a Tuesday. How to break them down? Trivia contest! Farrelli's Wood Fire Pizza on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue hosts a 9 p.m. trivia night with prizes. And the bartenders are nice.

5. For eff sakes you were gifted those two turntables and a microphone at Christmas! It's time chief. Test out your DJ skills tonight during gay-friendly MetroGruv's Open Deck Night beginning at 8 p.m. They have the equipment. Do you have the nerve?

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Nightlife!

MONDAY, SEPT. 6, 2011 >>>

1. Every Wakes Monday, the dancers in Abbots Bromley, England take up the traditional horns for their legendary 16 kilometer trek of dancing through countryside and pub yards. The Puget Sound Revels are down with that.  From noon to 2 p.m. in Tacoma's Old Town Park, the Revels will stage their own wakes Monday thing and teach folks the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, as well as several other country dances. And because they are the Revels, they'll sing a few traditional songs too.

2. Metro Parks spraygrounds in Tacoma hit that sweet spot for parents: The spraygrounds size and variety will entertain kids for hours, and, best of all, the spraygrounds are free. Metro Parks will extend its operating schedule for six popular spraygrounds to remain open daily through Sept. 11: Jefferson Park, McKinley Playfield, Norpoint Park, South Park and Wapato Hills Park.

3. Tacoma Rainiers host the Fresno Grizzlies for the final game of the season at 1:35 p.m. at Cheney Stadium.

4. Magoo's Annex's Micro Mondays with DJ Melodica has become a habit for many, specifically those who enjoy punk, post punk, New Wave, early electronica and garage tunes while waiting for that one damn pool table. Tonight, the bar is raised a bit as DJ Aaron Mack joins Melodica behind the turntables. Get in on the party beginning at 8:30 p.m.

5. The Greta Jane Quartet will fill the Royal Lounge in Olympia with jazz in support of FORGE, Olympia's own self defense class for women. The show begins at 9:30 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

A DJ COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE TONIGHT >>>

DJs dAb and Chris Savenetti have helped shape the local DJ music scene since the days down at The Breeze — inspiring many house heads and fellow DJs. A walking encyclopedia of records, Tacoma club history and ’80s films, dAb and Savenetti are your favorite DJ’s favorite DJs. Not to mention they’ve been a driving force in keeping the Tempest Lounge dancing on weekends. Saturday, DJ Bilori — a tall heap of talent in his own right — joins dAb and Savenetti for “House Improvement,” a night of deep house, tech house, a little funk and a splash of electro. You can bet the dance floor will be bumping, especially with Tempest shelling out the $3.75 wells.

[Tempest Lounge, 9:30 p.m., no cover, 913 MLK Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.272.4904]

LINK: More DJ music tonight in the South Sound

MONDAY, AUG. 22, 2011 >>>

1. The Tacoma Cult Movie Club meets for a night of sequels, shorts, trailers and kickass popcorn at 7 p.m. inside the Acme Grub Cage. Tonight's theme is Animals Gone Wild: Some Animals Have No Decency, or Where's That Bat-Shark Repellent?

2. For the second annual 25 New Faces of Independent Film Festival atT he Grand Cinema, the list has been released, the films have been chosen, and the filmmakers have been invited to come and participate. Films from 20 filmmakers will be screened over five days and, just like last year, 11 filmmakers will attend in support of their work. Today at 2:30 p.m. filmmaker Alma Nar'el's film Bombay Beach will screen. To read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature, click here.

3. Momenti Rubati performs eloquent Latin jazz at 7 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge.

4. Mutants, aliens, technogeeks and puny humans who like to read superhero comics will gather at King's Books around 7 p.m. to discuss X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont & John Byrne.

5. Magoo's Annex hosts Micro Mondays with DJ Melodica spinning punk, post punk, New Wave, early electronica, garage and more beginning at 8:30 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music in the South Sound tonight

TOO DAMN NICE TO UPLOAD PHOTOS >>>

I'm outta here. The family and I will be lost in a Key Peninsula park today. However, I do want to post a few of the photos I snapped last night at the Downtown Block Party – I'm still high on its community vibe. All walks of life converged on Tacoma's Opera Alley from 5-10 p.m. partaking in art projects, board games, photo shoots, dancing, drinking, chalking, meditating, street games and just hanging. It was awesome, to say the least.

I'll post more DBP photos tomorrow, as well as a professional batch from Steve Dunkelberger.

Have a great day everyone.