MONDAY, SEPT. 16 2013 >>>

1. Beginning this month, a sparkling selection of writers of Caribbean descent will be in Tacoma to engage the community in conversations about the history, culture, and literature of the West Indies region. First up, Prof. Tiphanie Yanique - a Virgin Islands native and author of the collection of short stories, How to Escape from a Leper Colony (Graywolf Press, 2010) and I am the Virgin Islands, a poem and collection of collages - will lecture on "Those Who Wait for Us," discussing colonialism, slavery, tourism, and multiculturalismat 6:30 p.m. in the Rasmussen Rotunda and the University of Puget Sound.

2. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival invited indie bands from all over the Northwest and beyond to stop by Tacoma and unleash their magic. It ends tonight: (6-9 p.m., all ages, Library at Sanford and Son) Goat, Upchcuk and the Chunksand others (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) Rowhouseand assorted friends. 

3. The country band Alabama has reunited and will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington State Fair. Picking which songs they will perform won't be an easy task since the band has had 43 No. 1s since its formation in 1972.

4. Want to feel like a rock star without all the pain and annoyance of having to be a  fire-breathing demon that bleeds from the mouth? Then hit Jazzbones at 9 p.m. for Rockaraoke, where you can belt out songs like the Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You" and enough INXS tunes to make you feel like you're on a reality show, and other hits from the days when you made mixtapes by recording the radio, all backed by a live band. Expect a college crowd enjoying $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots and $4 Smirnoff Flavor Vodka Bombs. Dibs on "Hungry Like a Wolf."

5. O'Malley's "Mondays For The Damned" is not some cartoon-like parody like you see in the movies. For the most part, the Monday DJ night is just your typical above ground underground new wave, synth pop, goth, industrial and post-punk haven. Get dark over $3.25 micro brew pints and a pound of wings for $5.50 beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 16 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14 2013 >>>

1. We've often heard it said, "I'd run only if something were chasing me," most often while listening to myself at the gym. We submit that a killer app for the Kinect would be a game in which if a player doesn't run in place fast enough, he or she is overrun by the Walking Dead. But why wait? Wright Park is proud to present its Zombie Tag Takeover! (Exclamation point theirs but understandable.) Ward off the biters and shield your personal flags by lobbing sock bombs and skipping past infested blood splatters at 5:30 p.m. in Wright Park. Then celebrate the zombie apocalypse by knocking back steins in a comforting Hilliard's Beer garden. You'll earn a survivor T-shirt and donate all ordnance to the Tacoma Rescue Mission. Hey, Deputy Rick, you want to quit ogling your dead wife and help out here? Hello?

2. Stadium Fare, Tacoma's original craft market, runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the First Presbyterian parking lot across from Wright Park. The Fare offers local food, vintage and artistic wares, and entertainment. It's awesome.

3. The Olympia Independent Music Festival (OIMF) has put on one hell of a shindig the past few years, creating a free block party with all the usual perks of Olympia - killer bands, ladies of burlesque, art, vendors, chin-balancing - all in the name of helping the Olympia Film Society. From noon to 9 p.m., organizers are bringing back all that Oly love, but under a new moniker: OOPS!: The Olympia Outdoor Public Spectacle. And a spectacle it will be. In addition to a lineup featuring The Fabulous Downey Brothers, Fruit Juice, Full Moon Radio, The Hard Way, Horace Pickett, Tangerine and Teardrop City, the event will be hosted by funny women Elizabeth Lord and Lauren O'Neill and there will be an attempt at a Guinness World Record for chin-balancing by Big Sam Miller. There will be an outdoor beer garden for those 21+, a silent art auction in the mezzanine of the Capitol Theater, a cakewalk with the ladies of TUSH! Burlesque, a local business raffle, plus lots of local food and craft vendors. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on OOPS!: The Olympia Outdoor Public Spectacle in the Music and Culture section.

4. The Oly Funk Fest is an overnight break down to celebrate the end of summer with the proper booty-shaking, beer-drinking, boom-shaka-lakin, finger-snapping, jiving, locking, popping and electric boogalooing that it deserves. At 3 p.m. in a field at 4326 Shincke Rd. NE, Funk Agency, DBST, Polyrythmics, and Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme will set the mood for this festival that benefits Safeplace of Olympia. Camping is encouraged and food will be available from Al Forno Olympia Sicilian Cuisine.

5. 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) Tender Forever, La Luz, Margy Pepper; (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) I Will Keep Your Ghosts, Man Plus, Future Bass Dance Party. Descriptions of the bands can be found here.

(6. Dale Chihuly, James Mongrain and Pino Signoretto are collaborating in the Museum of Glass's Hot Shop today.)

LINK: Saturday, Sept. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, SEPT. 9 2013 >>>

1. Tacoma loves it some Pacific Grill. It was no surprise when the chef/owner Gordon Naccarato-powered upscale dining option on Pacific Avenue took home "Best Restaurant" honors in the Volcano's 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Readers' Poll. Tacoma's love for Pacific Grill has been proven time and time again. After being open for eight years this month, Naccarato and his team recently rolled out thoroughly revamped menus, featuring small plates, lower prices and more vegan and gluten-free options. From 4-7 p.m., Pacific Grill will celebrate its eighth birthday with a party extravaganza, featuring free appetizers and desserts, prizes and hot DJ action with Mr. Melanin. The only thing more exciting is the food.

2. Think of them as Nashville's version of Fleetwood Mac without quite so many psychosexual head games, and you have Little Big Town. The country foursome will ride into the Washington State Fair at 7:30 p.m. taking turns singing lead and harmonize like no other group in Nashville right now.

3. Pianist Nate D., bassist Cameron and drummer Peter T. host the city's newest jazz jam inviting talent to sit in with them as the house trio explores straight ahead, funk and space at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Not all gigs qualify as a hang, but this one has the precise alchemy that could draw the area's best players: a high level of musicianship, a relaxed atmosphere and a sympathetic intergenerational crowd. Ask any working jazz musician, and the hang is what it's all about.

4. Every Monday 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, $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

5. The stereotype is racing through your head: Everyone is in all black, many are wearing dark and heavy eye make-up and every now and then, the DJ stops a tune with a vertebrae-shattering guitar riff for chants of, "Kill! Kill! Kill!" But O'Malley's new "Mondays For The Damned," is not some cartoon-like parody like you see in the movies. For the most part, the 9 p.m. Monday DJ night is just your typical above ground underground new wave, synth pop, goth, industrial and post-punk haven, and, if you're into it, it's one of the best places to find yourself in the company of the city's goth and industrial scene. Night Shift (Nicole and Aaron) and guest DJs will spin, while Rich Sumner screens videos and movies. Get dark over $3.25 micro brew pints and a pound of wings for $5.50.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 2013 >>>

1. Tacoma takes care of its own, as we like to say. Today will provide an opportunity for us to prove that we can extend this affection to one of our area's beloved musicians. Jho Blenis needs help paying his medical bills. Enough said. A benefit will be held from 1-10 p.m. at The Swiss featuring a full day of awesome blues: Spin Cycle, Randy Oxford Band, Big Nasty, Dean Reichert Band, Little Bill and the Blue Notes, Tim Hall Band, Jerry Miller Band and Bump Kitchen anchoring at 8 p.m. Ted Brown Music is providing a bass rig and drum kit/cymbals. All-Star Guitar is donating major gear for guitarists. Robert Richholt is donating a Hammond XK3 with a Leslie for back line.

2. Roller derby fans and skaters no doubt celebrated the sports' 78th anniversary last month with an elbow to someone's chest. The latest out of the Dockyard Derby Dames' camp is an early start. The league will hit the flat track for season eight Saturday, Oct. 5. Also look for more out-of-league play, as well as appreciation nights. Need a breakaway from sorting books at the library? The Dockyard Derby Dames Boot Camp runs every Sunday in September. For $40 you will learn the basic skills and have fun, too. In no time you'll be transformed into Anna Scar-enina! Hurry! Camp opens at 9 a.m.

3. Luminasia - described on the Washington State Fair's website as "an exquisite take on the timeless tradition of Chinese lantern making, combining high-tech material and state-of-the art lighting and production techniques." "It really is one of the most amazing attractions we've had in years," said Karen LaFlamme, media relations representative for the fair. "We have 40 artisans from China working on it. The theme is "East meets West," so there will be dragons and pagodas and things like the Space Needle, a ferry boat and totem poles ... it really is a magical 2-acre event." Catch Luminasia from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Fairgrounds.

4. Paesan Kitchen and Bar's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watch condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, tables mean nothing as 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 quadruple threat of delicious pizza, booze, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub." Today marks the last Dayclub of the season. Mr. Melanin says it's going to be off the hook.

5. Jazz Live at Marine View kicks off its fall season with a celebration of jazz entitled Jazzaganza. It's an anthology of jazz, with a look at how jazz has changed and grown from its humble beginnings. Gospel, R & B and jazz vocalist Josephine Howell joins the Buckshot Jazz Band with Buck Chandler on percussion, Eugene Bien on keyboards and Cliff Colon on saxophone for Jazzaganza from 5-6:45 p.m. at Marine View Church - for free.  In addition, modern dance instructor Monica McEthy-Ballet will add a theatrical element to the evening.  

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

For those not in the know, Fab-5 created the L.I.F.E. Program (Living In Free Expression) in 2005 as a means of providing "relevant creative outlets" for our area's young people. The L.I.F.E. Program is described as, "an intensive series of urban arts workshops designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different mediums," such as DJ-ing, breakdancing, visual arts and creative writing. Sunday afternoon in Tacoma's 21st Street Park, Fab-5 celebrated the culmination of L.I.F.E.'s summer program with AFTERLIFE, an event featuring a 2x2 breakdance competition, live painting graffiti fleet, food and happy smiles. Fab-5's Chris Jordan's spontaneous dancing and rapping brought cheers, as DJs Sav1, DigOne and others keep the groove going until 8 p.m. After several hours, the final two breakdance crews were members of F2D (Fresh Descendants) and Massive Movement. Each member danced three rounds and at the end, F2D took home the title.

There was good sportsmanship all around. Crews shook hands before and after each battle. People were cheering on the sidelines and dancing in their own side ciphers.

Read more...

MONDAY, SEPT. 2 2013 >>>

1. It's 8 p.m. on a quiet Labor Day Monday in Tacoma, but inside The New Frontier Lounge, the night is still cooking. Pianist Nate D., bassist Cameron and drummer Peter T. launch the city's newest jazz jam inviting talent to sit in with them as the house trio explores straight ahead, funk and space. Not all gigs qualify as a hang, but this one has the precise alchemy that could draw the area's best players: a high level of musicianship, a relaxed atmosphere and a sympathetic intergenerational crowd. Ask any working jazz musician, and the hang is what it's all about. Be a part of history. Join the inaugural Monday Jazz Jam from 8 to midnight at The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Ahhh yeah! It's that time of year! Time for getting it on! That's why Northwest Trek invites you to its "Get Out of the Rut Weekend," your chance to play peeping Tom on the breeding habits of moose, elk, deer and even sheep from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You see, the "rut," refers to the breeding habits of hooved animals - and we all know hooved animals are the hottest of all! According to hype, "Watch and listen as they grunt, snort, bugle and spar. From wild romance to turbulent action, you won't want to miss this three-day kickoff to the most dramatic time of year at Northwest Trek." So hot.

3. NWCZ Radio's Monday radio show Mighty Mouth Blues will set up the mic inside Stonegate Pizza hosting Bex Marshall and The Delgado Brothers at 8 p.m.

4. Every Monday 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, $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

5. The stereotype is racing through your head: Everyone is in all black, many are wearing dark and heavy eye make-up and every now and then, the DJ stops a tune with a vertebrae-shattering guitar riff for chants of, "Kill! Kill! Kill!" But O'Malley's new "Mondays For The Damned," is not some cartoon-like parody like you see in the movies. For the most part, the 9 p.m. Monday DJ night is just your typical above ground underground new wave, synth pop, goth, industrial and post-punk haven, and, if you're into it, it's one of the best places to find yourself in the company of the city's goth and industrial scene. Night Shift (Nicole and Aaron) and guest DJs will spin, while Rich Sumner screens videos and movies. Get dark over $3.25 micro brew pints and a pound of wings for $5.50.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 2013 >>>

1. We've raved about the Fab-5 and the L.I.F.E. Program plenty. For those not in the know, Fab-5 created the L.I.F.E. Program (Living In Free Expression) in 2005 as a means of providing "relevant creative outlets" for our area's young people. The L.I.F.E. Program is described as, "an intensive series of urban arts workshops designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different mediums," like DJ-ing, breakdancing, visual arts and creative writing. From 4-8 p.m. at Tacoma's 21st Street Park, join L.I.F.E. and Fab-5 for AFTERLIFE, a celebration of the culmination of this year's L.I.F.E. Program, an event featuring a 2x2 breakdance competition, live painting graffiti fleet, art showcase, photo booth and more.

2. The Weekly Volcano is synonymous with fun, so there's no way we would ever let Olympia Harbor Days festival pass without trumpeting it. Why? Because we love the hell out of some tugboats. And if there's one thing Oly Harbor Days is synonymous with, it's tugboats. And history. And fun. Is there another way we could use the word synonymous in this blurb? Probably. But why push our luck. The important thing is that you head down to Oly's waterfront for the annual tugboat races, which go down at noon.

3. Harlequin Productions' Five Women Wearing The Same Dress is every inch a live situation comedy. Its jokes veer from issue to expected social issue. Much of its acting is in expository sitcom style. The show's language, topics, and brief implied nudity make it too hot for network TV. That's to be expected, as its playwright, Alan Ball, is known for Oscar winner American Beauty and two HBO dramas, Six Feet Under and True Blood. In all those scripts, the female characters' dialogue possesses a certain oratory cadence that sounds less like women conversing and more like Alan Ball delivering a statement. That said, Laura Hanson (as Trisha) elevates the material she was given. All six actors are well-cast as individuals. Catch the show at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Five Women Wearing The Same Dress in the Music and Culture section.

4. Paesan Kitchen and Bar's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watch condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, tables mean nothing as 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 quadruple threat of delicious pizza, booze, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. Picture your perfect Sunday night: the drinks are flowing, the tunes are cranking and you and your friends are dancing it up, having a grand old time. Now picture that evening exactly the same except you are covered in foam. We are not talking about the type of foam that resembles squishy Nerf balls; this is foam that is caused by soap. Soapy foam! Jazzbones hosts Foam Fest 6 with Bring Tha Noize DJ Drummer Duo at 9 p.m. Bring your goggles.

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, AUG. 31 2013 >>>

1. Ahhh yeah! It's that time of year! Time for getting it on! That's why Northwest Trek invites you to its "Get Out of the Rut Weekend," your chance to play peeping Tom on the breeding habits of moose, elk, deer and even sheep. You see, the "rut," refers to the breeding habits of hooved animals - and we all know hooved animals are the hottest of all! According to hype, "Watch and listen as they grunt, snort, bugle and spar. From wild romance to turbulent action, you won't want to miss this three-day kickoff to the most dramatic time of year at Northwest Trek." So hot.

2. It's been said the quickest way to a geek's heart is through his or her USB 3.0 port, but that's not true. We pop-cultural enthusiasts occasionally do take a break from mainlining second breakfast, Hot Pockets, and fourthmeal to eat real food-by which, of course, we mean good old (Mexican-)American barbecue. A sustainable solutions group called Americans for a Better World, or AFABWorld for short, has been pitting pitmaster against pitmaster in runoff events all summer long. Now the time has come to step into the hickory-scented culinary Octagon and see whose cuisine reigns supreme. Four tongs enter! Two tongs leave! Beginning with a chili cookoff at 11 a.m., Columbus Park will host a saucy, porcine Labor Day massacre. There's plenty of live entertainment, and yes, there will be tastings until 5 p.m.

3. The Tacoma/Pierce County hip-hop community and the Z53 Zulu Nation (Tacoma Chapter) host a Back 2 School Jam from noon to 5 p.m. at the D.A.S.H. Center in recognition of education and community. Today is an opportunity to learn about the Z53 Chapter and Zulu Nation, donate food and clothing, experience live graffiti, live DJs, live B-Boys/Girls, live open-mic along with haircuts, face-painting, free school supplies - all for free.

4. The Black Door Wine Company in Tacoma's Proctor District will be hosting a wine tasting from 4-6 p.m. Featured wines will include flavors from the Greek, Santorinian, Macedonian and Cretian regions. Sip and smell like you have travel plans. Bottles will be onsite to purchase and the Black Door team is delightfully knowledgeable when it comes to wine. Tickets are $5 to attend.

5. From the Lindbergs to O.J. Simpson, America loves a high-profile murder trial. And why not? What could be more theatrical than a gruesome case presented by suave attorneys with celebrity witnesses? Such a trial is satirized in the steamy award-winning musical Chicago, which kicks off its national tour Saturday in Tacoma at 7:30 p.m. You've seen the movie, but do you really need to experience a touring musical production of Chicago? The deal-clincher could be the presence of the one and only John O'Hurley - known to many as the catalog-company entrepreneur J. Peterman on Seinfeld - in the role of Billy Flynn. Even if you didn't know he won on the television show Dancing with the Stars, the mental image of Peterman belting "All I Care About Is Love" from behind his corporate desk is too sweet. Before catching the vaudevillian circus of greed, corruption and violence, be sure to join the Broadway Sizzle, a communal table dinner in the heart of Tacoma on Broadway before the show.

LINK: Saturday, Aug. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Organizers at the D.A.S.H. Center and members of Z53 Zulu Nation have been hard at work preparing a Back To School Jam for Tacoma area families.

The event takes place noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, and includes a potluck, school supplies giveaway, free haircuts, DJs, breakdancers, a graffiti wall, markers, paint and paper and an open mic.

"School supplies are expensive and many families could use help obtaining these items," says Josh Rizeberg, event coordinator. "The list of school-supplies has grown since I was a kid and they just need so much stuff nowadays. They need a lot more than just paper, pens, pencils, and a binder. We'll hopefully have flash-drives to give-out to the older students."

Read more...

MONDAY, AUG., 26 2013 >>>

1. In the same way that sharks must keep swimming to keep breathing, it seems guitarist Rafael Tranquilino must fuse genres across various musical projects in order to stay afloat. His arrangements incorporate blues, funk, rock, funk, ska, metal, reggae, Latin and jazz-fusion. As accomplished as he is varied, Tranquilino can be seen every Monday night as host of Stonegate Pizza's rockin' blues, if not experimental, jam at 8 p.m. He's one of the best guitarists in the South Sound.

2. Tacoma Deputy Mayor Marty Campbell invites the public to a Proposition 1 facts and information session at 6 p.m. in Lincoln High School. The Nov. 5 Tacoma election issue asks voters to consider a proposal that would authorize the City to levy an additional 2 percent tax on natural gas, electric and phone company earnings for the sole purpose of funding basic Tacoma-wide neighborhood street improvements and safety upgrades.

3. The Bam Bams - two women from Baltimore who rock the garage pop - join Chung Antique and Cruel Summer at 7 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

4. Billy Stapleton joins Little Bill and the Blue Notes for "The Guitarists Recording Session" at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. O'Malley's Irish Pub on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue hosts "Mondays For The Damned," a night of new wave, synth pop, goth, industrial, post-punk and more from the '80s to current, spun by Night Shift (Nicole and Aaron) and guest DJs, while Rich Sumner screens videos and movies. Get dark over $3.25 micro brew pints and a pound of wings for $5.50, beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Monday, Aug. 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area