FRIDAY, NOV. 1 2013 >>>

1. New Directions is an award-winning a capella group made up of veterans who have gone through the New Directions program as well as spouses and family members of vets. Members have recovered from and triumphed over mental illness, alcoholism, homelessness and other challenges. The choir sing with a message of help and hope - if they can overcome, so can you. The New Directions Veterans Choir performs at 7:30 p.m. at Tacoma's Theatre on the Square. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on the choir here.

2. November is Art at Work Month in Tacoma. It's not only a showcase of the best, brightest and most unique on the local art scene, but also a time that makes art accessible to everyone. Like last year, you can find out what's on when via ArtAtWorkTacoma.com, which replaced the printed booklet of yore. Fret not, for the website is even better than last year's and has a growing list of things to do. Also, find out what happens when Grace Kelly and Katniss Everdeen find themselves transported from their films and into Art at Work Month.

3. Last night you cowered behind darkened doors, hoping the pint-size ghosts and goblins didn't invade when they discovered you were keeping the candy for yourself. Time for a change of tradition. This year, introduce mini-monsters to the Mexican practice of Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). Descending from an ancient Aztec ritual, the festivities honor departed family members while celebrating the continuing cycle of life. Kiddies (and the young at heart) will dig the Sixth Avenue Business District's Day of the Dead procession, a night of parades, altar ceremonies, music, words and a party. It begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of 6th Ave Photography. Don't be caught dead missing it.

4. Les Rhinoceros make experimental music that vacillates from the understatedly regal ("Seepy Seepy") to defiantly abrasive ("Brea Spiders") and everything in between. Incorporating elements of noise-rock, world music, progressive rock, and ambient electronica, Les Rhinoceros make for a difficult band to pin down. From song to song, or even moment to moment, this is a band that seems utterly determined to take the listener on a journey of surprise after surprise. Catch the band with No Body at 7 p.m. for an all-ages show at Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

5. Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhltransforms the reputation of the vibrator from Seattle Fringe Festival prop to serious theatrical subject matter in In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) at 7:30 p.m. in the Norton Clapp Theatre at the University of Puget Sound. With pre-show hype claiming it's "a story of repressed sexuality and physical exploration with equal doses of humor and emotion," In the Next Room revolves around the prim Victorian medical practice and home life of Victorian-era gyno Dr. Givings and his wife, Catherine. They just had their first child, but they are forced to hire a wet nurse, bringing the bereaved Elizabeth into their lives. As Catherine gossips with Elizabeth, and meets more and more of her husband's patients, she learns about the mysterious, new therapy.

LINK: Friday, Nov. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SCARY DAY, OCT. 31 2013 >>>

1. The frights are upon us once again, and there are, as always, plenty of ways to spend the Devil's holiday. The Weekly Volcano has gathered a list of parties, theater performances, haunted houses, kids fare and live music - it's up to you to decide where you'll go, and, of course, what you'll wear. Boo, South Sound.

2. The Tacoma Runners will summon their inner ghoul for tonight's Halloween running Spook-tacular. That's right, the Runners will don costumes for their weekly run, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at Puget Sound Pizza in downtown Tacoma. We're talking running zombies people.

3. Comedians Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner send up all seven Harry Potter novels and stage a live match of Quidditch in only 70 hysterical minutes in Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry experience in the Rialto Theater. We're talking 300 characters, many female, with a variety of accents from Beauxbatons in France to the highlands of Scotland. Oh, and what the hell, let's throw in a fire-breathing dragon - live on stage. The zaniness begins at 7:30 p.m.

4. No one expresses that raw blend of punk and country like Joe Buck Yourself, the Kentucky-blooded boozehound who has collaborated with the likes of Hank III. Buck will bring his one-man show - with kick drum, aggressive guitar playing and honey-toned voice - to the Acme Grub Cage at 8 p.m. with Viva Le Vox and C.F.A. opening.

5. DJ Freshwell will spin beats while Bacardi hands out swag beginning at 9 p.m. at The Swiss.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, OCT. 27 2013 >>>

1. A good harmonica player seems like he or she never breathes, he or she just blows and blows and blows until his or her ears say enough, and the intricate collection of notes and rhythms hangs over the audience like a heavy lace curtain. That's about the time people start screaming like wildcats and demanding more, which is exactly what will happen at 5 p.m. when the ninth annual Blues Vespers Harmonica Showcase blows into Tacoma's Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Paul Green & Straight Shot host the affair with Steve Bailey, Stacy Jones, Kim Field, Dan O'Bryant and others. The combined talent (and personalities) will be an indescribable treat for the ears and eyes, and you will walk away jaw hanging like a codfish.

2. The frights are upon us once again, and there are, as always, plenty of ways to spend the Devil's holiday. The Weekly Volcano has listed the parties, the theater performances, haunted houses, the kids fare and the rock 'n' roll here - it's up to you to decide where you'll go, and, of course, what you'll wear. Boo, South Sound.

3. Cindy McCoy has battled and survived breast cancer twice before. She lost her son tragically in 2005, and now she is in the midst of another hardship: she has been diagnosed with terminal stage IV spindle cell sarcoma. McCoy's spirit has reached far and wide, and from 5-9 p.m., a benefit will be held in her honor at The Swiss. Live music by local acts, including The Voice's Vicci Martinez, will be part of the celebration. A silent auction will take place as well, with donated items including a weekend cabin getaway; a custom-made gun safe; a $1,000 Home Depot gift card with three days labor; artwork; window tinting; and a private performance by Martinez. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on tonight's benefit show here.

4. The Mix will host a unique art exhibit where you will experience works from local artists, live music, figure drawing, live performances, fashion, body painting and much from 5:30-9:30 p.m. There will even be an interactive human Tetris game (you read that right). Local vendors will also be present selling merch. There will be wine and snacks as well as a full bar. Halloween costumes are encouraged.

5. At 7:30 p.m., Tacoma's Broadway Center welcomes Ian Anderson to its Pantages Theater stage. He and his mates will perform Thick As A Brick in its entirety for the first time since 1972, then follows up with TAAB 2. This will be Anderson's only West Coast stop this tour. Read Nikki McCoy's interview with Ian Anderson in the Music and Culture section.

LINK: Sunday, Oct. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, OCT. 25 2013 >>>

1. This Halloween, Pimp 'n' Ho parties just aren't cuttin' it anymore, are they? Neither are the toga parties, the erotic costume contests or the naughty nurse costumes. So much bare flesh, so much cold weather. If Halloween is really to turn into The Day of Getting As Close to Naked As Possible, it should be moved to July. This is not the point. The Weekly Volcano apologizes. The point is, for you, today no longer holds the magic it once did. You seek alternative par-tays. May we suggest Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen from 7-9 p.m. at Point Defiance Park? Celebrate Halloween in the style of past centuries with ghost stories told around a roaring bonfire set to fiddle music.

2. At 7 p.m. the Tacoma Soccer Center will host the second annual Northwest Soccer Legends Night. Two teams of past professionals will compete in a grand indoor night match including local and international legends Alan Hinton and Jimmy Gabriel serve as captains and coaches of the match. Read Kim Thompson's full story here.

3. You have one chance to see The Acting Company's production of Hamlet so err not. The national touring company presents the tale of a young man who finds his father has been murdered and must avenge the horrid deed. Power politics, a haunting, a love story, murder, revenge and great fight scenes converge in one production. The show runs three consecutive nights at the Theatre on the Square beginning tonight at 7:30 p.m.

4. Tacoma Opera's season opener is the Gilbert & Sullivan comedy Pirates of Penzance, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater. This will mark the first Gilbert & Sullivan show produced by Tacoma Opera. Bernard Kwiram, musical director and conductor of the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, will conduct a cast that includes several Pacific Northwest Natives or residents. Read Joann Varnell's full story here.

5. Lakewood Playhouse presents a live, radio-style revival of Orson Welles's War of the Worlds at 8 p.m. Not only will we be performing the 1938 radio drama live before your ears to commemorate its - and the Playhouse's - 75th anniversary, but you'll also get sound effects created to order. That's not even the best part! No, they'll also be paying tribute to a certain expat Kryptonian Boy Scout for his silver birthday, plus a horror short called "The Giggler." It will be a fun night out, but beware: you only have tonight and Saturday to catch it. And stay away from that crater in Grovers Mill! There's something not at all right about that place. Read Joann Varnell's full preview of the production here.

BONUS: Giant Halloween events calendar for the South Sound

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

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 2013 >>>

1. 3 Inches of Blood divorced themselves from the cheesier of their metal ancestors.  This Vancouver, B.C., sextet, sporting two singers - Cam Pipes belting out death metal screams while guitarist Justin Hagberg has replaced Jamie Hopper's vocal duties - spews classic metal swagger, and that's why we dig them. They remind us of the '70s metal past - the vocal assault of Rob Halford, epic guitars of Iron Maiden and Metallica. Loud and raucous, 3 Inches of Blood will rock Jazzbones at 8 p.m. with screaming-for-vengeance vocals, medieval tales of pillaging unsuspecting victims and fair maidens, razor sharp guitar riffs and thunderous drumming. Witchburn and Deathbed Confessions will set the tone.

2. Little antique stores have their appeal, but sometimes it's nice to take a giant approach to antique shopping - that is, you stop at one big place and find everything. Sanford and Son Antiques stocks all sorts of old knickknacks and goodies in a three-floor maze of awesomeness. Griswold cast-iron pans, oak library tables, antique Royal typewriters, old cameras, antique lighters, dishes, silver, that Six Million Dollar Man action figure you had as a child - you'll find it all here under one roof at reasonable prices. In 2005, Sanford and Son owners Alan and Cheryl Gorsuch converted its middle floor into a shopping bazaar of 20 local businesses called the Middle Floor Merchants. From noon to 6 p.m., a celebration for new merchants will be held, including Magic Card gaming, a drum circle, entertainment, youth crafting, door prizes and refreshments. Check out the magic card shop, fashion accessories, photography studio, model train shop, a home-style diner and coffee shop, dog boutique, vintage and decor shops and other shops.

3. Artist David Roholt transforms the familiar. His paintings balance the abstract and the representational, creating dimension through contrasting color and surface texture. Roholt's paintings will be on display at Pacific Lutheran University's University Gallery through Nov. 13. A wine and cheese reception will be held from 5-7 p.m.

4. You can hear it in his voice. It’s quiet and not the least bit nervous. As he describes his conversion from staunch Republican to old-fashioned populist Democrat; as he revisits days as a White House intern; as he recalls his tenure as student advisor to the University of Puget Sound’s Black Student Union and participation in antiwar protest marches; and decades later, as he laments the presence of a private prison for immigrants on the Tacoma Tideflats one thing becomes clear — many of us never knew the real Bill Baarsma. Maybe you'll get to know the former Tacoma mayor better when he hosts History Night at 6:30 p.m. in The Swiss. The theme is sports in Tacoma.

5. San Francisco poet and artist Beau Beausoleil is the founder of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition and co-curator of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here book exhibit, which is on display at the Collins Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. Beausoleil will be at the library from 7-8 p.m. to discuss the exhibit and discuss the al-Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad as a place that has long offered sanctuary to diverse Iraqi voices, and a place where the roots of democracy took hold hundreds of years ago.

LINK: Wednesday, Oct. 16 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Today's Pampering Our Military Spouses is an afternoon of free hair care, spa services and, well, pampering for those who single-handedly juggle the demands of work and family while facing the additional anxiety of knowing that a loved one is constantly in harms way, with no guarantee they will make it home safely. Those are tough burdens to carry, and this is our way to show how much spouses sacrifice in the great mission of protecting the United States and defending freedom.

The event begins at 11 a.m. at St. Martin's University. Sponsored by Bruce Titus Automotive Group as well as Washington state's 529 prepaid college tuition program G.E.T., military spouses and girlfriends, active duty and reserve, will be treated to the services mentioned above, as well as enjoy at Macy's fashion show featuring military spouse models, a live game show with prizes, food, drinks, gifts and much more.

Let us make clear from the outset that you, Common Person, cannot attend. By name, The Ranger and Northwest Airlifter's "Pampering Our Military Spouses" is only for military spouses and girlfriends of servicemembers. Members of the hoi polloi, the riff raff and the masses best not show up. Unfortunately, registration for the event is closed. We reached our 1,300 capacity well before today.

That said, all may enjoy words and photos from today's Pampering Our Military Spouses as we'll be live blogging from the event. Stay tuned. It's on!

Read more...

SUNDAY, OCT. 6 2013 >>>

1. Mural art doesn't seem like the kind of discipline that should be broken into seasons, like fashion or the performing arts - not least because so many murals, with their all-together-now imagery and perennial visibility, seem lodged in a permanent Sesame Street-like past. But the weather in the South Sound puts a damper on outdoor art. Mural artist Chelsea O'Sullivan, she of the Tacoma Murals Project, is taking her talents indoors, showing a batch of her new artwork from 6-8 p.m. at The Swiss. Get small with O'Sullivan.

2. Beer! Lederhosen! Beer! Bratwurst! Beer! Yodeling! Beer! Seahawks! Beer! Austrian Amazon! Beer! Oktoberfest Northwest has all of these fine things, but, most importantly, it has beer. The gates open at 9:45 a.m. so you can watch the Seahawks game in the Sports Haus. Other event highlights happening at the Washington State Fair & Event Center include German bands and entertainers, authentic German cuisine, the German Corner gift section, the Miss Oktoberfest Northwest Swing Girl and the running of the wiener dogs. And don't forget to wash all that German food down with ... well, you know, beer!

3. We love Tacoma's Annual St. Nicholas Greek Festival. We love the group dancing, the fine food; hell, we even love yelling "Opa!" for no apparent reason. But let's be real. For us, the entire festival is just a complicated set dressing for a baklava-delivery system. Oh, we'll hang out and listen to them ramble on about Socrates, the Olympics and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but we'll be picking the flaky crumbs from our shirts and stuffing them into our hungry taste-holes while we do it. We'll dance beginning at 1 p.m. and eat the food - lamb, pork souvlaki, salata, loukomades, dolmades, tyropitakia -  not just because we like it, but in an attempt to bring the honey content in our blood down low enough so we can scarf down another slab of triangular goodness. In its 52nd year, the Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - will donate a portion of proceeds to the Fish Food Bank.

4. Harlequin's Henry V production revives the set and concept of a '98 run, for which director Scot Whitney pared Shakespeare's cast down to six men and two women. The actors play actors, who spill out of a roadside pageant wagon. (Like Henry himself, the pageant wagon approach was centuries dead when the Bard penned this history, but never mind.) Jason Marr plays Hank; it's a solid portrayal, especially in an underplayed St. Crispin's Day speech. The acting's quite strong throughout, in fact, offering treats like Maggie Lofquist's bilingual princess and Casey Brown as a dauphin who thinks he's a rock star. I tended to conflate Henry's soldiers, who hail from all over the present-day UK, and I'm not sure their accents are any less confused. Happily, though, the battle scenes are excitingly choreographed, and we're able to follow the story from beginning to end. Bruce Whitney's sound design works wonders here, along with his Princess Bride-style synthetic score, by clarifying transitions and adding depth and volume to onstage combat. Henry V hits the stage at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Henry V in the Music and Culture section.

5. With its birth in the grunge years in an alleyway at Pike Place Market, Seattle Theatresports combines quick wit with a theatrical and comedic flair. Teams of improvisers create scenes based entirely on audience suggestions and are scored by a panel of judges. The Seattle icon pays at visit to the Tacoma Comedy Club at 8 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, Oct. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, OCT. 5 2013 >>>

1. The Dockyard Derby Dames is gearing up for its 8th season of jams, slams and thank-you ma'ams, with a double-header opening-night bout at 6 p.m. in Pierce College's Health Ed Building. Bridgette Walker, team captain of the Marauding Mollys and head of sponsorship and development, says this year brings switch-ups within the league, with players transferring teams and balancing strengths, a strategic move by organizers, and an interesting twist for spectators. Tonight, The Hellbound Homewreckers will face off against the Marauding Mollys while The Trampires will challenge Vancouver B.C.'s Terminal City Rollergirls Riot Cats. "People should expect an exciting bout," Walker said. "I think the Trampires will be easily matched with Terminal City, and Homewreckers are stepping up their game, so I expect that to be a pretty tough battle."

2. Maris Farms will serve up six of the finest REAL quack-aletes in Pierce County and the ducks cover a grand total of 200 feet at 1 and 3 p.m. during its Iron Duck World Championships. The ducks will start at one end of an old cow feeder by swimming 100 feet one way, then climbing a ramp and "running/fluttering" back to where they started. First one back is the winner. In all, there will be 16 races from Oct. 5-27. The duck with the most victories over that period will be crowned "Iron-Duck" World Champion. The month-long event will help raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project by allowing people to place bets on who they believe will win each race.

3. New Jersey's leonine rock stalwarts Bon Jovi ride their steel horses to the Tacoma Dome at 7:30 p.m. Jon Bon Jovi fired Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi. Yes. This is nearly as bad as Jon Bon Jovi firing Jon Bon Jovi from Bon Jovi. Maybe worse. There go all the feelings of camaraderie from those anthemic choruses. And there goes any joy reminiscing about their "talking box" guitar solos.

4. Big Star, and Alex Chilton in particular, was a band driven to madness by a nation turning a blind eye to some of the purest pop music around. In typical fashion, Big Star were ignored in their time, but later discovered by several generations of power pop acts that valued haunting harmonies and indelible hooks over chunky guitars and arena anthems. Blue Skies for Black Hearts is such a band. Formed 13 years ago, this Portland group began as a solo project for recording studio engineer Pat Kearns. Catch Blue skies for Black hearts with A Leaf, Brite Lines and The Stravinsky Riots at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Blue Skies for Black Hearts in the Music and Culture section.

5. It's day two of the Olympia Fall Arts Walk, and Le Voyeur has a hot hip-hop show at 9 p.m. Award-winning hip-hop duo Never Sleep host performs with Everybody Weekend's female-led electro hip-hop sound, the lyricism and microphone bravado of Ang P of The Real Life Click, and 25360 representative Heretic The Heathen (founder/promoter/emcee of For MCs By MCs).

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

FRIDAY, OCT. 4, 2013 >>>

1. Musical performances during openings at B2 Fine Art Gallery are nothing new, but the gallery is branching out into music in a big way with the first of a two-part series of art celebrating music. "SPIN 1: American Vinyl Exhibition" - which has been extended through Nov. 16 - is the first of two shows with portraits of musicians in photography and paint augmented with vinyl records to buy, sell and trade; gallery talks and musical performances throughout the duration of the exhibition. This first show focuses on gospel, blues, country and folk, and includes art and photography celebrating giants of music from Woody Gutherie and Robert Johnson to Dylan. at 8 p.m., B2 hosts a Country/Folk Hoedown featuring The Brothers Jim and Scuff & Al's Goodtime Preservation Society. Net proceeds to benefit the National Blues Foundation Hart Fund and Tacoma's Eloise's Cooking Pot Food Bank.

2. We love Tacoma's Annual St. Nicholas Greek Festival. We love the group dancing, the fine food; hell, we even love yelling "Opa!" for no apparent reason. But let's be real. For us, the entire festival is just a complicated set dressing for a baklava-delivery system. Oh, we'll hang out and listen to them ramble on about Socrates, the Olympics and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but we'll be picking the flaky crumbs from our shirts and stuffing them into our hungry taste-holes while we do it. We'll dance beginning at 5 p.m. and eat the food - lamb, pork souvlaki, salata, loukomades, dolmades, tyropitakia -  not just because we like it, but in an attempt to bring the honey content in our blood down low enough so we can scarf down another slab of triangular goodness. In its 52nd year, the Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. - will donate a portion of proceeds to the Fish Food Bank.

3. Beer! Lederhosen! Beer! Bratwurst! Beer! Yodeling! Beer! Austrian Amazon! Beer! Oktoberfest Northwest has all of these fine things, but, most importantly, it has beer. The official opening ceremony and tapping of the Oktoberfest firkin by the 2013 Festmaster will take place at 6:15 p.m., although, beer will be served from the opening at 11 a.m. Other event highlights happening at the Washington State Fair & Event Center include a large Biergarten entertainment hall with national and international German bands and entertainers, authentic German cuisine, the German Corner gift section, the Miss Oktoberfest Northwest Swing Girl and the running of the wiener dogs. And don't forget to wash all that German food down with ... well, you know, beer!

4. There are those among us who can make their trip to a hair stylist the most riveting story you've heard all week. People whose stories never trail off into "it was really cool. ..." Envy them. They are not like you. Not only do they have great success at parties, they have a future at the Olympia Timberland Library. See what all the storytelling fuss is about with "Listen Here: A Lunch Break Story Time for Adult." The first Friday of every month, professional audiobook narrator and voice actor Corey Snow will entertain and inspire you with readings from the wide, wonderful world of short fiction from 12:10-12:50 p.m.  If you can stand a 10-minute hairdo story, just imagine how riveted you'll be by something with an actual plot.

5. Before entertainment moves indoors, and the comedy and theater season swings into play, Olympia likes to have one more outdoor celebration - Fall Arts Walk. Nearly 100 businesses will open their doors and sidewalks to artists, musicians and performers for two days, allowing Olympia to showcase, network and entertain. A stroll through town will promise to be a treasure trove of delight tonight from 5-10 p.m. More than 250 artists will saturate the town with creativity. Look for art in all places; perhaps stumble across a wine tasting while observing oil paintings. Expect street musicians, live art and surprising mediums. Stephanie Johnson, arts and events manager for the city of Olympia, says, "Arts Walk is always new" because, while she provides the framework, it's the businesses and artists that get to collaborate in new and exciting ways.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 2013 >>>

1. There are hundreds of opportunities for the amateur and the professional photogs to get some incredible shots at the annual Oceanic Lumins Festivus as it travels from Wright Park to Tacoma's Theater District beginning at 7:15 p.m. Flex your photojournalism muscle as costumed folks march a winding path, try your hand at an abstract camera toss using the lanterns as your light source, or test your skills in Instagram, Vine, or video with ... just about anything. Thousands of people doing hundreds of things: kids picking their noses; people dressed as fish running, sea urchins marching, mermaids singing; anything goes in this autumnal procession of lights in illuminated sea sculpture. Everywhere you look there's something to document, so you can't go wrong.

2. National Alpaca Farm Days is this weekend. Oh, did you not hear that? You've never heard of an alpaca? Alpacas resemble little Wookie-horses or miniature llamas. Unlike llamas, though, alpacas are not for carrying things; specifically, they are bred for their hair, which is a lot like sheep's wool. Alpaca wool is a silky and lustrous luxury. You should pet one. While these unique creatures hail from the Andean steppes, they seem to like Fife, as well. The Firwood Farm Alpacas in Fife celebrates National Alpaca Farm Days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go learn about alpacas and pet one.

3. The Double Shot Festival gives playwrights, directors and actors a mere 24 hours to write, rehearse, and stage original plays. Not even George Bernard Shaw worked this fast. The plays unfold in a leisurely two hours, twice - at 7 and 9 p.m. in Broadway Center's Studio III - so you don't have to sweat, they do. The Double Shot Festival is a partnership between the Northwest Playwright Alliance and the Broadway Center's year-long Free For All focus, which means the Double Shot Festival is free to attend.

4. With The Evens, Amy Farina barrels on the drums, sometimes sounding as easy as morning fog rolling over settled water, other times sounding as sharp and heated as a first piercing. When she sings, she saturates with feminine power. Together with Ian MacKaye's sometimes plucking, often grinding guitar and hard-hitting vocals that evoke nostalgia for your first Fugazi or Minor Threat album but also wakes up little pieces of your heart that weren't there before, the duo makes a memorable sound. Catch The Evens at 7 p.m. in the Olympia Eagles Hall. Read Nikki McCoy's interview with Ian MacKaye in the Music and Culture section.

5. Music combined with atmosphere is one of the many aesthetics that The Warehouse production company aims for. Its Candle Lit series is another way to highlight the unique visions of these Tacoma creatives - music by candle light in a church. Headlinging the Candle Lit Show at 8 p.m. in Tacoma's Urban Grace Church are the trio You Are Plural, a band that make music for the kind of people that need a little more propulsion in their chamber pop. Made up of cello, Wurlitzer organ and drums, You Are Plural construct perfectly lovely tunes that benefit greatly from the sort of nervous percussion provided by not only the drums, but by the Wurlitzer. The Local Strangers, Spirits of the Red City and Bradford Loomis join in.

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