LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Swingset Showdown, Vacant Seas, Smashie Smashie and Infinite Flux. 8 pm. $5.

• This is a band that describes themselves as a novelty act, though their music is far too complicated and off-putting to land them a spot on a Dr. Demento compilation. A piano-punk trio more on the Don't Stop Or We'll Die side than the Ben Folds Five side, Swingset Showdown find themselves building richly melodic jams that end up getting sidetracked by absurdity halfway to the triumphant chorus. At times, their music comes across like a friendlier version of Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies era Of Montreal. Even their sweetest melodies are infected with an eeriness that offsets the sugar. Off-kilter rhythms and tempo shifts serve as obstacles to keep the listener from passively absorbing the music. Swingset Showdown want you to be an active participant. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Swingset Showdown in the Music and Culture section.

Harmon Brewery and Eatery Tacoma - Downtown. Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Orchestra. All Ages. 9 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Travis Larson Band, Torre. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Brown Edition, Down North. 8 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Magic Mouth, Double Dutchess, Glitterband. 9 pm. $5.

• Magic Mouth recently got off tour opening for Gossip. It's easy to see why Gossip were drawn to them in the first place: Magic Mouth fold a myriad of influences into their sound, ending up with music that flies in the face of the recent trend of revivalism. Their funk, soul, and dance music isn't a pale imitation, but a full-blooded celebration of the kind of manic showmanship that used to define those genres. Magic Mouth's slight punk edge only helps to highlight and enhance the energy that past masters imbued into their music. It's all crazy momentum, kept in motion by incredibly tight musicianship. A dense bassline backbone keeps everything on track, hurtling through every joyously sweaty song. Going to see a Magic Mouth show is an invitation to let everything go and get in close contact with your fellow dancers. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Windowpane, Riot In Rhythm, Mechanism, Amadon, Witchburn, The Fame Riot, Ben Union, The Fail Safe Project, Jason Kertson & The Immortals, The Crying Spell, Mom's Rocket, Insuburban Avenue, Clear The Chaos. All Ages. 11 am.

• Revered by fans and artists alike for it's fantastic stage, professional lighting and wonderful sound, Louie G's Pizzeria in Fife is loved in numbers. Today and tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m., marks the venue's 2nd annual Dreamfest. Though the event is only in it's second year, it is shaping up to become the establishment's trademark festival. Rockford Rowley's full feature on Dreamfest 2013 in his The Rockford Files all-ages music column.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Girl Trouble, Trees & Timber, Red Hex, The Jilly Rizzo, plus BareFoot Collective dances to Ich Hunger film. 8 pm.

• The thing about Trees and Timber is their music could be anywhere ... the soundtrack to a road trip for example. I could easily imagine slipping in their latest album, Electric Gypsy Lovechild, for a trip up the Kitsap Peninsula - their upbeat jams guiding my way. Trees and Timber could provide the soundtrack to a Quentin Tarantino film, just as the main character beats the antagonist. On a mixed CD, their power pop would blend beautifully with the Violent Femmes and Dick Dale. And even though Trees and Timber have the chops to play anywhere, the place they will be Saturday is at The New Frontier Lounge as part of the line-up for Strapping Young Productions first, well, production. The band joins Girl Trouble, Red Hex and The Jilly Rizzo for the Sensory Overloads theme night, which includes a screening of Isaac Olsen's German epic, Ich Hunger, accompanied by The Barefoot Collective dance troupe. "Saturday is going to be a good fucking show," says Joe Baker, frontman for Trees and Timber. "Films, dancing, rock and roll, and a real-life variety show with Pierce County's heaviest hitters. Who could pass on that?" - Nikki McCoy
  

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. High & Lonesome Bluegrass Band. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music Saturday, Sept. 21 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21 2013 >>>

1. Drunken Telegraph brings people together to share stories that build community - or at least make for a damn fine evening. Similar to Tacoma's famous Distinguished Writers night, there will be feature storytellers followed by an open mic for those who sign up to tell their 5-minute story on the night's theme. The Drunken Telegraph #5 goes down at 7 p.m. in Masa centered around the theme "Neighbors." Come hear stories, or share you own, about those who didn't live near Mr. Rogers.

2. The Moon Festival is a popular Asian celebration of abundance and togetherness dating back more than 3,000 years to China’s Zhou Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival ("Zhongqiu Jie" in Mandarin Chinese), is a traditional holiday widely celebrated in Aisa, that marks the end of summer and autumn’s equinox, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest - thus the nickname “moon festival. "From noon to 8 p.m. this family-friendly celebration will bring together businesses, residents, community groups and visitors from all areas of Pierce County and beyond for a safe, fun, cultural experience along Tacoma's Ruston Way.

3. Revered by fans and artists alike for it's fantastic stage, professional lighting and wonderful sound, Louie G's Pizzeria in Fife is loved in numbers. Today and tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m., marks the venue's 2nd annual Dreamfest. Though the event is only in it's second year, it is shaping up to become the establishment's trademark festival. For complete schedule, click here.

4. As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the Lakewood Playhouse stages Arsenic and Old Lace at 8 p.m. Joseph Kesselring's script is likewise approaching its diamond jubilee. A few of its then-pop-cultural references whiff, but that's to be expected. What surprises after all these decades is how gleefully amoral the play is. Without giving too much away, let's say it features a pair of charming old aunties, the Brewster sisters, who welcome potential boarders with something more than a casual drink. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Arsenic and old Lace in the Music and Culture section.

5. OK, yes, there will be punk music. And yes, some of that music will be done by local favorites such as Girl Trouble, Red Hex, Trees and Timber and The Jilly Rizzo. And yes, this is a function that will be held 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. But look, the real draw here is the film. And not just the film, but also the accompanying interpretive dance. That's right, Isaac Olsen's German expressionist film, Ich Hunger, will be screened with an accompanying performance by the BareFoot Collective.  Olsen's tale of a creature-boy roaming the German wilderness and devouring the village's hapless tourists will be an odd and entrancing pairing with the BareFoot Collective's elegant performance.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6 2013 >>>

1. Every year, more than a million people pour into the Washington State Fair (previously the Puyallup Fair) not only as a tradition, but also for the fresh and innovative experiences the fair offers, like this year's feature, Luminasia - described on the 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." Other new highlights are the Bavarian Beer Garden and SillyVille Soda Shoppe. Also for the kiddies are two free interactive experiences: Tractor Tracks, where kids pedal antique tractors through a maze, and Crazy Worlds 5D Adventure, where participants navigate through an imaginary world while wearing 3D glasses. The latest ride to show up at the fair is Rainier Rush, which can be described as a looping inversion coaster and "a nice contrast to the classic wooden roller coaster." Today, the Fair runs 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the Washington State Fair in the Music and Culture section.

2. Dirty Oscar's is joining forces with Team Hammock to help kick cancer's ass! This is Team Hammock's first year participating in the "Light the Night Walk," a 2-mile walk Sept. beginning at Marine Park in Tacoma where every dollar raised goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Drop By Dirty Oscar's between 4-6 p.m. for happy hour and help kick cancer's ass.

3. The Sundance Institute's Film Forward series continues today with The Loving Story screening for free at 6 p.m. in Jason Lee Middle School. The film tells the story of Richard and Mildred and examines the drama, the history and the current state of interracial marriage.

4. Two ardent supporters of the analog movement are touring up the West Coast, and will find their way to Olympia's Northern venue at 8 p.m. Calling their tour "Analog Resurgence," Rakehell and Go Pills are traveling with their salvation show, preaching the gospel of low-tech. Musically, they could reductively be described as pop-punk or New Wave, with quirky lyrics and unpredictable style shifts. Go Pills, in particular, might play around with twisted '50s novelty music like the kind Bobby "Boris" Pickett would play ("It Came From Outer Space"), and then jump over to lo-fi punk anthems ("I'm So Tired [It's Not Funny]"). Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the Analog Resurgence in the music and Culture section.

5. Tacoma band Strangely Alright, who recently signed to Maurice the Fish Records, and released a hot-seller debut album, The Time Machine is Broken, will be shooting a video for their song, "If I Don't Laugh I'm Only Going To Cry" at Tacoma's antique store Rampart Sept 14. The band requests folks to come in costume and have a good time. There aren't any criteria for costume; coming as you is cool by the band. If you need a Strangely Alright fix before the shoot, the band hosts an all-ages CD release party with Sleepy Pilot and Stone Age Thrillers Friday at 8 p.m. tonight in Louie G's in Fife. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Strangely Alright in the Music and Culture section.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE GREATER SOUTH SOUND >>>

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Vanguard, Sei Hexe, Tummler & Solomon. 9 pm. $5.

• I love it when Olympia and Tacoma music blends. It's like Korean barbecue washed down with PBR. Saturday, Vanguard, a favorite Olympia band, is playing at Bob's Java Jive, a favorite Tacoma venue. Vanguard's lo-fi punk metal sound use to be the work of an octopus for a drummer and a diddler of thrash metal guitar. Now, Vanguard is even more sexy and sophisticated with the addition of a backbone bass player and a vamped up sound - think early Metallica with that raw punk-garage that feels specific to Olympia. Rounding off the bill are Sei Hexe, an all girl metal band touring from Portland, and Tummler & Solomon, sludge rockers from T-town. - Nikki McCoy
  

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Industrial Revolution, with D'Vonne Lewis, Evan Flory Barnes. 9 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Autumn Electric, Cloud Chowder, The Past Impending. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. E. Pruit Band, Shyan Selah and the Republic of Sound, Klyntel. 8 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Hot Hoodoo, Lit End, Direct Divide. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. BlackLine. All Ages. 8 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Palmer Junction. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Crosswalk. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

The Embers at Indian Summer Olympia. Tarik Bentlemsani. 6 pm. NC.

Emerald Downs Racetrack Auburn. China Davis. All Ages. 6-9 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Rose Gold. 9 pm.

• Hailing from Bozeman, Mont., Rose Gold make uniquely difficult music to anticipate or describe. What generally starts as sort of the fuzzy, meek alt-rock songs tend to descend into howling madness without much notice. Much of this is due to lead singer and bassist Birdie Bowie. Her voice has a vulnerability to it that intensifies into strikingly emotional shrieks. At times, Rose Gold are quite reminiscent of Hole, an observation that their blood-curdling cover of Hole's "Retard Boy" confirms. If you were to ask Rose Gold to describe themselves, though, they'd probably use the term "nightmare-pop," which is their self-defined descriptor. It's a provocative notion, nightmare-pop, and I think it does well to describe the shaky beauty of Rose Gold - that prettiness that always teeters on the verge of dread. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Read more...

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

12th and Jefferson Olympia - Downtown. Stupid Fucking Ramp Party with Fitz of Depression, DJs Mike Corvin and Dalton Goodwin. 2 p.m. $20 covers entry, keg cup and food with proceeds to the Casey Heath Memorial Fund

• It's time again for Oly's favorite backyard skate jam - the Stupid Fucking Ramp Party (SFRP) - a place for ripping, riding, and hanging out with beers, barbeque and bands. Fitz of Depression is playing this year with the Have At Its and DJs Mike Corvin and Dalton Goodwin spinning hardcore classics - the perfect soundtrack for Lib Tech riders and local rippers to hit the ramp. What makes this particular show special - besides Fitz shows are few and far between - is it's a tribute to the late, great Casey Heath, who won "Best Trick" the previous three years. "I decided this year it would be appropriate to have Fitz return. They played the first party here, and were also a huge part of all the other benefits for the Casey Heath memorial fund," said Scott Lewis, event organizer. "They're about as local skatepunk as it gets, and they're the homies. Like, they'd be here even if they weren't playing anyway." Prepare to be rocked. - Nikki McCoy
  

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Music and Potluck. The Fabulous Downey Brothers, Dave Tara, The Cutwinkles, Yevtushenko and potluck food. 9 pm. $5, $3 with potluck dish.

• Read more...

  Comment On This Post

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

The Embers at Indian Summer Olympia. Vince Brown. 6 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Science! 6 pm. The Vaudeville Gallows, The Bottlecap Boys, The Rusty Cleavers. 9 pm.

• As much as I've always enjoyed the tone of bluegrass, I've tended to think that a lot of the bands in that genre more often than not sound very similar. There's not much distinction, I've found. While The Bottlecap Boys are planted firmly in the bluegrass niche - with some added elements of poppy hooks - they certainly distinguish themselves with their impressive musicality, which allows them to pull out all the stops in a delightfully show-offy way. In the lively "Try and Try," for instance, there's a bit of vocal acrobatics where the two lead vocalists seamlessly trade off word for word in a breakneck refrain. Also helping to make the Bottlecap Boys stand out is the wry humor that permeates their songs, even as they shine as tightly crafted melodies.- Rev. Adam McKinney
  

House Show North Tacoma. The Warehouse Presents Grand Hallway, The Local Strangers, Honey Noble. For venue address, visit listing on brownpapertickets.com. All Ages. 7 pm. $10.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Brian Lee & The Orbiters. 8 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Thunders Of Wrath. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Half Of Infinity, Late September Dogs, Larry Mitchell. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Combo. 7 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Argonaut, Dead, Burning Ghats, Towers. 9 pm.

The Swiss Tacoma - Downtown. The Hipsters. 9 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Jerry Miller. 9 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Generation Unknown. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

See Also

Music critics' picks for Saturday, Aug. 24

For those of you who have a hankering for an omelet the size of your head, want to drown your sorrows in a ginormous piece of pie, or simply want the all-American diner experience while on the road, your choices just got a little slimmer.

Mitzel's American Kitchen in Fife turned off the griddle and hung up the spatulas for the last time. This iconic restaurant that served all-American comfort food all of the time, closed its Fife location promptly at 2 p.m. July 23. The lease on the building was not renewed and a new tenant will be taking over the building. This location knew its fate since May.

Ah, so where on earth does the wanderlust traveler get a cuppa Joe and a pancake stack (Frisbee-sized, please) dripping with maple syrup and lakes of melted butter?

There's another nearby joint in the fair city of Fife that takes iconic to a whole new level. The historic Poodle Dog Restaurant has been slinging beloved American classic food fare for 80 years (yes, really!).

Oh, but be still our hearts; we may just be without any slice of Americana for a little while. An upcoming and planned remodeling effort will be happening in the future that will temporarily close the Poodle Dog. The restaurant can't confirm actual dates of closure, but did acknowledge the remodeling will be happening.

Holy hotcakes, what will we do when THAT happens? Resort to the fast food drive through menu? Rubbery eggs, tiny greasy burgers, and over-wrought coffee in paper cups?

Shudder.

Well, for the Poodle Dog, thankfully, it's temporary. For those jonesing for Mitzel's, don't worry. Get your fix with a short drive up to their Kent location.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 2013 >>>

1. On Happy Noose's forthcoming releases, the Amagosa and Haunted EPs, find the Olympia band embracing the darker, more romantic side of their sound, even as their hooks become bigger, catchier and more anthemic. Where their earlier output was spunky in that youthful punk sort of way, Amagosa signals the natural maturation of a still relatively new band circling and landing on its voice. Catch them with Romantic Feelings and Handwritings at 10 p.m. inside Le Voyeur. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Happy Noose in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Australian artist Jessica Loughlin will be in the Hot Shop at the Museum of Glass today through Sunday, July 7 as part of the Visiting Artists Summer Series. Loughlin takes her artistic cues from the landscape, creating an illusory sense of depth in her quiet horizons of glass powders and cast layers. Loughlin received the Tom Malone Prize from the Art Gallery of Western Australia in 2004 and 2007 and was the 2001 winner of the Outstanding New Artist in Glass award from UrbanGlass. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark, the National Gallery of Australia and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

3. The first-ever Fife Farmers Market opens today, and will run every Wednesday until Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Every week the market will sprout up at Fife City Hall and the adjoining Centennial Park at the corner of 54th and 23rd Streets. The Fife Farmers Market will initially host about 20 vendors selling local farm-fresh produce, prepared and processed foods, handcrafted items, and lunch-ready foods. Their stalls will line Centennial Park and a portion of Fife City Hall's parking lot.

4. Lyonpride Music is holding auditions for the music stage at Seattle Hempfest 2013. Bands will be rockin' Jazzbones beginning at 7 p.m., including Death By Stars.

5. The small town of Moore, Oklahoma was hit with a devastating storm. More than 40 comedy clubs across the country will hosts benefit shows today with 100 percent of the ticket money going directly to the victims. The Tacoma Comedy Club is in, with comedians Duane Goad, Rodney Sherwood, Tyrone Hawkins, Andrew Rivers and Adam Norwest in the house at 8 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, June 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

2nd Cycle Tacoma - Hiltop.Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Ainga, MTNS, DJ Urine, the Nadines. 8 pm. $5.

• If Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa is a mouthful of a name, then his music does well to invade every other one of your senses. For years, de Dionyso has been making a name for himself as one of the premier practitioners of experimental music in the Northwest. Unlike other experimental artists, whose work consists of beauty in chaos, de Dionyso is conceptual and thought-through in the extreme. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

Buzz's Tavern Olympia - Westwide. Eclectic State, benefit for Partners in Prevention Education with auction. 8 pm.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Aaron Daniel's One Man Banned. 9:30 pm. NC.

• The Weekly Volcano has raved about Aaron Daniel before. Daniel and his "One Man Banned" takes a few cues from minimalist composer Steve Reich to create intricate pieces based on cyclical guitar loops. While his loop pedal is a main part of his guitar rig, he also builds intricate jams with beatbox and distortion pedals to change the textures and colors of the guitar while the delay pedal determines the tempo and pattern. Daniel comes to the stage as only a single dude, but typically leaves seen more as a phenomena. It's to be seen live. - Weekly Volcano
  

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Champagne Sunday. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Sweet Water, The Guessing Game. 8 pm. $10.

• Every so often, a band comes along that blows you through the flaming hoop of innocence and hangs you out to dry on the tattered trapeze of days gone by. Sweet Water is one such band. In June 2007, the band - under the disguise The Cupcakes - prepared for their big reunion show in Seattle with a tune-up show at Tacoma's Hell's Kitchen. Four chords into its first song, I was transported to Seattle's RCKCNDY in the '90s by these four guys fully in control of everything - the air, the audience, the sound, the unknown. Adam, Rich, Paul, and Cole ran through their pop-punk hits before a packed crowd. I found myself unexpectedly roaring and pumping right along, caught up in memories and rock star singer Adam Czeisler's dance moves. Sweet Water picked up on the crowd intensity and worked it like seasoned pros. I felt outside of myself, carried, nay, pushed along on opener "Cake And Strychnine," then "Feed Yourself," "Big Rock Show," "Win," "Slide," "Everything Will Be Just Fine," "Losing," "Sleep," "Superstar," "Head Down" and closing with "Crawl."  The band's shining ultra-hooky and supercharged show injected ecstasy into everyone around me. I fell in love with the audience and thanked them for taking me back to a place I had almost forgotten existed, a place of total immersion in the music and the moment, and fie on anybody who has a problem with that. I'm ready for a repeat Saturday night at Jazzbones. - Ron Swarner
  

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. SuperNothing. 9 pm.

Little Creek Casino Shelton. John "Scootch" Cungo. 7 pm. NC.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Garrett Whitney, Rane Stone, JT Phillips, Lady Justice. All Ages. 8 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Broken Water, Vex, Voices, Dr. Sleep. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

• "Sitting down to write about Olympia's Broken Water, I'm tempted to get stoned first. Listening to the three-piece and their fuzzy, shoe-gazing drone-rock, I'm nostalgic for contemplative thoughts that roll with the crescendos and crashes of the music. But I don't have to get stoned. They take me there anyway. With mesmerizing vocals - both male and female - and sometimes heavy, sometimes sweet guitar riffs, Broken Water has an almost grunge-pop quality ... but not quite. They are too busy being their own sound." I wrote those words a year ago - almost to the day - and I still feel the same about Broken Water. And while last time I was reviewing their album Tempest, this time I'm writing about their homecoming show. After launching their spring tour April 22 at Dumpster Values in Olympia, the band has played a show every single day since. From Austin to New Orleans, from Ithaca to Calgary, Broken Water has been making waves. Celebrate the band's homecoming Saturday at an all-ages show at Northern. - Nikki McCoy
  

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Tumblin' Dice (Rolling Stones tribute). 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Shyan Selah's Republic Of Sound, Xola Malik, Monica-Crystal & The Beat Bandits, Stephanie Anne Johnson. 8 pm.

Westgate Bar and Grill Tacoma - Northend. Steve Stefanowicz. 9 pm. $5.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area