THURSDAY, JULY 31 2014 >>>

1. You know who looks great for her age? Washington. Yeah, I said it: Washington. For 125; are you kidding me? This state doesn't look a day over 80! At 6 p.m., three experts in what it means to be a Washingtonian musician will come together for a brisk, metaphorical slide show at the State Capital Museum Coach House. Lois Maffeo is an Olympia musician and writer who's been a theater manager for the Olympia Film Society and served on the Olympia Arts Council. She'll be joined by Calvin Johnson, who moved on from adolescent volunteer work at KAOS-FM to founding media outlet K Records in 1982, and by Sub Pop co-founder Bruce Pavitt. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on the 25 Years of Music in Washington lecture in the Music and Culture section.

2. Three beer-tasting events in the South Sound tonight. The pFriem Family Brewers out of Hood River, Ore., celebrate their first anniversary with kegs of Rye Lager, Dunkel and their IPA at Pint Defiance from 5-7 p.m. Per Pint Defiance, expect a bitchin' raffle. The Topside Bar & Grill in Steilacoom hosts Alaskan Brewing Co. beginning at 6 p.m. Expect four Alaskan beers on tap including Icy Bay IPA, a food pairing, giveaways and prizes until 9 p.m. The Puyallup River Alehouse is going old school, pouring Rainier, Olympia and Pabst Blue Ribbon for $2.50 each. The downtown Puyallup's gathering spot will host its first Cornhole competition during the Throwback Thursday from 6-9 p.m. 

The Garden-Raided Bounty farm, or GRuB, hosts a carnival from 6-9 p.m. featuring games, vaudeville entertainers, raffles, min-auction, food vendors, local artisans dunk tank and more.

3. Lakewold Gardens, the 10-acre estate with its carefully maintained plantings, will host the some of the Northwest's finest classical musicians when the Second City Chamber Series presents "Berlin and Brazil in Tacoma" (Lakewood?), featuring pianist Jairo Geronymo performing works from his native Brazil and new home Germany with violinist Svend Ronning and cellist Richard Treat at 7:30 p.m.

8. Barleywine Revue is just awesome. The band writes and performs contemporary, relevant bluegrass and Americana music while paying homage to the traditions that have come in generations before ... think Bill Monroe meets Bill Withers. Oh man, that's fresh! Catch the band at 8 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant & Pub.

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 2014 >>>

1. There are times when our music picks write themselves, which is helpful as some of us drink. This is one of those welcome moments, because Jazzbones is having one stunner of a week. It began with crooners Color Me Badd Saturday - hell, yes, they still wanna sex you up! - followed Sunday by Georgia rapper Warren Anderson Mathis, better known as Bubba Sparxxx. Save room on your musical plate, though, for Igor & The Red Elvises, a mind-blowing rockabilly combo whose members hail from former Soviet states (or, in one case, the Minnesota gulag) but met in California, with Psycho 78 at 8 p.m.

2. The Swiss hosts Military Appreciation Day, a.k.a. Warrior Wednesday, a fundraiser for Pat Tillman Foundation (Official) with portions of every Jack Daniels sale going to charity. The downtown Tacoma restaurant will have $5 drink and food specials for those with military ID.

3. The Puget Sound Partnership's Science Panel will meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Commencement Bay conference room at the Center for Urban Waters. The panel includes some of the top scientists in the Northwest and advises the Partnership's efforts to develop a science-based comprehensive plan to restore Puget Sound. These meetings are open to the public and all are welcome to address questions or provide comment about the regional effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. We imagine the whole ordeal is like the montage scene in a Hollywood movie, in which a schlubby male is transformed into a veritable Renaissance man as the clock ticks from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You arrive dehydrated from the night before and leave looking for a "green" Chardonnay and someone to discuss Xenobiotics in the Urban Water Cycle.

4. Thurston County Fair starts at 10 a.m. and provides five days of activities including musical entertainment, home arts demonstrations, 4-H and FFA events, rides for kids of all ages, and the always-fabulous fair food. A little history: The first Thurston County Fair was in 1871 and was located where the present day 4th Ave Tavern is. The event was a way to support agriculture and immigration in Thurston County. The fair has grown over the past 130 years and has jumped from location to location, including the now Tumwater Safeway and Lacey Post Office, before settling in to the present day fairgrounds in 1958. Bonus: The fabulous Artesian Rumble Arkestra headlines the grand opening ceremony at 5 p.m. tonight.

5. A couple of beer tastings are going down tonight. The Puyallup River Alehouse hosts Schooner Exact with beer, giveaways and prizes from 6-9 p.m. Jhon Gilroy with specialty beer importers Merchant du Vin will hang at 99 Bottles from 5-7 p.m. Pick his brain, drink his beers and enjoy a $2 happy hour.

LINK: Wednesday, July 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, JULY 26 2014 >>>

1. It was a cool July night in the City of Grit. My fedora pulled down low over my eyes, I peered out through a haze of cigarette smoke as I slunk down South Tacoma Way. Maybe that's why at first I didn't see the hep cat in the zoot suit. He was layin' back deep in the shadows and burnin' a cancer stick of his own. "What's the haps, brotha man?" I asked, meanin' to breeze past. "You lookin' sharp."

"You see that?" he asked, pointing a long dark finger at an open space near Stonegate Pizza. "I'm tellin' you, they's some crazy bidiness 'bout to go down on this block, and that's the stone truth. This scene gon' be 18-karat come this weekend."

"This block here?" I repeated. "Lay it on me, Jack."

"This here where they puttin' together the Jazz and Blues Festival this year, son. That ain't no applesauce."

Read Christian Carvajal's interview with the mysterious hep cat about the Tacoma Jazz and Blues Festival in the Music and Culture section, then enjoy the festival from 1 p.m. to midnight at 56th and South Tacoma Way.

2. We here at the Weekly Volcano think it takes a real man to wear a skirt and wear it proudly.  That's why we're piling into the Weekly Volcanomobile and heading to the 68th Annual Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games at the Enumclaw Expo Center to watch some manly men flash their legs and flip some freakin' big logs in the Heavy Field Events and Caber Toss. If all that testosterone gets to be too much, we'll head for the Parading of the Clans or dancing, piping and drumming competitions. Honestly, there are a lot of events going down at the thing between 7:45 a.m. and 9 p.m., including dancing demonstrations, pipes and drums galore, food and rockin' Ockham's Razor.

3. If you've ever been to a mushroom festival - particularly the Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival, which this year runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and tomorrow at the Thurston County Regional Athletic Complex - you already know that mycologists ('shroom experts) are in a league of their own. Mushroom festivals are the strangest, funniest and, not so incidentally, most educational experience you're ever likely participate in. And, no, hippie: Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival does feature "magic" mushrooms (psilocybes and otherwise). What it does include are featured speakers, chefs, cooking demonstrations, farm tour, children activities, entertainment, vendors, mushroom tasting, Grow in the the Dark 5K and a Saturday evening mushroom and wine event during the Lacey festival.

4. Two big beer events go down today. The official merging of Harmon's two St. Helens neighborhood sister restaurants Harmon Tap Room and The Hub into one giant beer complex. In celebration, a "Progressive Party" will be thrown from 1-6 p.m., where those who pay $15 may meet head brewer Jeff Carlson and his crew, drink specialty beers, taste the new menu, sample desserts from Harmon's new in-house baker and, of course, hug a Harmon employee. Space is limited; grab your tickets at The Hub and Harmon Tap Room. Harmon will also unveil its Hop Coffee enterprise at the party. If that wasn't enough, the party will also take time out for the Harmon and Tacoma homebrewing supplier MASH to hand out awards for their homebrewing competition, Aroma of Tacoma. The Parkway Tavern hosts a "79th Birthday Partay" including a "Badass Tacomacentric Beer Line Up," a beer garden in its backyard, Chad's BBQ out front, punkgrass band Rusty Cleavers jammin' around 3 p.m., Mr. Gibson's FroYo Wagon pulls up around 4, plus the release of the new ParkWay hoodies.

5. 1. Campfire Cassettes was started by Jonathan Buchanan as a way of getting pesky songs out of his head. Sometimes he performs with a full band, but the tour he's on finds him performing solo, with an assist from his tourmate, Todd N Todd (AKA Todd Daniels). The first song on the Los Angeles-based Campfire Cassettes' upcoming LP,GOSLEBROCK, features this line: "My sister Mary got everything. She got a brand new horse when she was 17. My sister Mary got everything. When I was 17, I got an STD." It's this sort of downer self-deprecation and outer bitterness that defines Campfire Cassettes It'd be depressing if it weren't so hilarious. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Campfire Cassettes in the Music and Culture section, then catch Buchanan and Daniels at 7 p.m. in Metronome Coffee.

LINK: Saturday, July 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JULY 25 2014 >>>

1. Campfire Cassettes was started by Jonathan Buchanan as a way of getting pesky songs out of his head. Sometimes he performs with a full band, but the tour he's on finds him performing solo, with an assist from his tourmate, Todd N Todd (AKA Todd Daniels). The first song on the Los Angeles-based Campfire Cassettes' upcoming LP, GOSLEBROCK, features this line: "My sister Mary got everything. She got a brand new horse when she was 17. My sister Mary got everything. When I was 17, I got an STD." It's this sort of downer self-deprecation and outer bitterness that defines Campfire Cassettes It'd be depressing if it weren't so hilarious. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Campfire Cassettes in the Music and Culture section, then catch Buchanan and Daniels at 6 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. Heritage Distilling Company has just announced the release of their Batch No 12 line of spirits. Batch 12 will include a vodka, bourbon and rye whisky all produced and bottled at its Gig Harbor site. The salivating, booze-loving public can get their first sip at noon in the Tahoma Market in Fife. The first to buy two bottles will receive a T-shirt. The week following expect to see them pop up at Harbor Greens, IGA stores and other outlets.

3. Over the years, the Weekly Volcano has heard tales of an inexplicable summertime condition.  When the sun is shining, we're told, some people lose their appetites. They all have some ridiculous excuse. Some refuse to sweat and eat at the same time. Sissies. Others say they're too busy. Whatever. Still others pull out the old "it's swimsuit season" excuse. Foolish vanity. The best we can figure is that they all have heatstroke and aren't quite right in the head. After experimenting, we have reached an indisputable scientific conclusion - When the sun is shining, things just taste better. Prove our theory at the Friday at the Fort event inside the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum's fence from 6-9:30 p.m. Pampeana will serve their delicious empanadas, 7 Seas Brewing will be pouring pints full of goodness, Mikey's Weiner Trap hopefully means gourmet hot dogs, The Blend Café has the dessert tray while The Shy Boys rock your favorite hits.

4. Jeff Angell takes a night off from fronting the acclaimed Walking Papers band for a show with his other band, the soulful rock band The Missionary Position, for an 8 p.m. show with True Holland at Jazzbones.

5. Steel Creek American Whiskey Company hosts a Camo Party tonight. It's free cover before 11 p.m. for those who dress in camo gear. Also, $500 in cash and prizes will be awarded for the best male and female camo outfits at midnight. That's all the information we can find about the party tonight at the downtown Tacoma country bar. The remaining information seems to be hidden.

FRIDAY AT THE FORT, 6-9:30 p.m., Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, 6-9 Point Defiance Park, 5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma, $10-$12, FridayAtTheFort.org

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

THURSDAY, JULY 24 2014 >>>

1. While still dealing with ongoing famine, drought and political corruption, Zimbabwe has still managed to export some of the world's most infectiously joyful music: complex sounds characterized by soaring melodies, intricate vocal harmonies and the kind of polyrhythmic percussion that can induce a collective trance. Zimbabwean Music Festival offers three days of workshops on diverse aspects of Zimbabwean culture, free afternoon concerts, an African Marketplace and ticketed evening concerts at the University of Puget Sound. On opening night at 9 p.m. (tonight), internationally acclaimed Afro-fusion sensation Mokoomba, led by talented vocalist Mathias Muzaza, draws on traditional Tonga music while embracing the diverse music cultures of southern Africa at Schneebeck Concert Hall. Afternoon concerts and the Zimfest marketplace open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 25-27.

2. The Copper Door in Tacoma's Stadium District hosts those pioneers from Alaskan Brewing Co. beginning at 6 p.m. for a Brewer's night featuring beers such as the Icy Bay IPA, giveaways and prizes.

3. Acclaimed singer Hilary Gardner grew up in Wasilla, Alaska infatuated with New York City. Her stunning recording debut, The Great City, is part love letter, part lament to New York and the big dreams it represents. In 2010, Hilary was chosen by the Frank Sinatra estate to appear as the live, onstage singer in Tony-award winner Twyla Tharp's "Come Fly Away." Impressed yet? Multi-platinum recording artist Moby featured Hilary prominently on his 2009 release, Wait For Me. Gotcha! Catch the acclaimed jazz singer from 7-9 p.m. in the Mary Baker Russell Amphitheatre as part of Pacific Lutheran University's Jazz Under the Stars series.

4. Arrows & Stones, Southtowne Lanes and Streetlight Fire play an all-ages show at 8 p.m. in Le Voyeur Café and Lounge in Olympia.

5. Readers voted the Kareem Kandi Band Best Jazz Band in our 2014 Best of Tacoma issue, which is on the street today. Catch this amazing jazz band for free at 8:30 p.m. in the Hotel Murano's lobby.

LINK: Thursday, July 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 2014 >>>

1. With a timeless vocal delivery only matched by her engaging stage presence, Kim Archer and her band have been pleasing live music fans in our area since 2004. Archer's powerful voice a la Janis Joplin and Chaka Khan gelled nicely with the sonic buzz of the guitar and groove from the backbeat. Archer commands the stage playing her own original songs rooted in old school soul, funk and classic rock, sultry blues and ballads while remaining a master at giving choice cover tunes the "Kim Archer treatment, such as the crowd pleasure "Shaft." The 7 p.m. show has moved from Sylvester Park to the Washington Center due to the rain.

2. Moss + Mineral is an easy-to-overlook design store tucked away in a small space on Ninth Street near a bail bondsman in downtown Tacoma. They show art and photography by some of the area's best. Featured through July are works by Carlos Taylor-Swanson (fine woodworking); Claudia Riedener (ceramics); the design team ofAdrienne WicksandJeff Libby (fine woodworking); Holly Senn (sculpture) and Harriet McNamara (photography). Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Natural Spectacle: Art + eco-Furnishings in the Music & Culture section, then check it out at Moss + Mineral from noon to 5 p.m.

3. Farmers markets come in all sizes, shapes and vibes, but the atmosphere of the new Sunset Market is definitively about fun. Right off the bat, it turns the tables on the usual early-morning affairs we're used to by hosting its vendors in the evenings, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. - a Puyallup version of Tacoma's 6th Ave Farmers Market if you will. The Sunset Market focuses on local farmers, growers, processors, artisans, downtown merchants and food vendors accompanied by live entertainment, demonstrations and more. The farmers' party continues every Wednesday through Sept. 17.

4. Cooper Point Public House in Olympia will be hosting Hood River darlings Double Mountain from 6-9 p.m. Expect Kolsch-In Cologne, Homestead-Orange, Lil Red Pils and the newly-released Clusterf#ck. Remember when Cluster was the dominant hop in the U.S. brewing industry? Read up on Clusterf#ck here.

5. Forget light and low-carb beers. The Tacoma Runners have a better method for fighting fat: They run then drink beer. They're the classic drinking group with a running problem. The problem is, REI has called them out to double their running this week. Apparently REI has a new bitchin' truck they want to show off, so they called the Thursday running group and convinced them to gather for a special Wednesday night run and drink. No problem, the Tacoma Runners are in, and will meet at the Parkway Tavern at 6:30 p.m. for a 3-mile jaunt with their new REI buddies followed by craft beers back the Tacoma tavern. Tomorrow night's 3-mile run and beer outing will be at the Chalet Bowl in the Proctor District - same beer time.

LINK: Wednesday, July 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, JULY 20 2014 >>>

1. If you think you've been hot the past two weeks, think about how hot those guys in the food trucks must be. The high temp should only reach 70 today so no one should complain about the heat at the Food Truck Festival from noon to 5 p.m. at Wright Park. Metro Parks called out to food trucks, and they've answered en masse. Today will mark the one-day, free event featuring trucks and mobile businesses and live entertainment. Schedule businesses driving trucks to the park include Masa, Asado, It's Greek To Me, Lizzie Lou's Comfort Food, Celebrity Cake Studio, Lumpia World, Josefina's Taco Truck Pampeana empanadas, Budha Bear Bagels and others.

2. If you've got a girlfriend, you probably know what season it is: the free outdoor festival season. You've probably hit just about every free music-in-the-park event, free drum circle and free farmers market since April. Well, this weekend prepare for a trip over the bridge, for the annual Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival, where 122 artists (plus the obligatory vendors), live music and family activities will take over Judson Street in downtown Gig Harbor from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go ahead, get your face painted.

3. The sun is hiding today after what felt like a 10-year summer. Head inside today to catch some local theater today. 

4. The Social Bar and Grill's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watching condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, 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 triple threat of delicious happy hour specials, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. What might have come across as a bit of cheeky, gimmickry with the Cave Singers, has coalesced into an easy and natural product. Combining members of punk bands such as Pretty Girls Make Graves and Murder City Devils into a folk-rock band (right at the apex of Seattle's neo-folk inundation, mind you) surely must have struck some as a stunt, but the band's seventh year on the scene shows them settling into a welcome groove. Their tour finds them breezing through The New Frontier with No Grave for a rare Sunday 8 p.m. show, so it'd behoove you to catch them.

LINK: Sunday, July 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, JULY 19 2014 >>>

1. From its birth in the 1970s, the post-punk genre evolved as many of the all-time greats of the genre appeared. Into the '80s, bands like the Fall, Public Image Ltd., Wire and Suicide continued to innovate. The term "darkwave" came from back in the 1980s, and was one of the terms used to describe the Golden Age bands, as well as dark electronica acts such as Gary Numan and Depeche Mode. Now the new wave is discovering the art of the original New Wave, and even some of the surviving masters are making returns to resurrect the genre. It's an exciting time for post-punk fans. At 8 p.m. in Le Voyeur, post-punk and darkwave collide when three dark post-punk bands take the stage: Happy Noose, Shadowhouse and the Mercenaries. Bonus: Vern Rumsey, former bassist of Unwound/Blonde Redhead, will perform as Red Rumsey.

2. Often we try to bring you fun activities at a reasonable price. But it doesn't get any better than FREE! Of course most of the time, free isn't exactly free, that is just the sugar-coated packaging the really expensive activities come in. The 30th Annual Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival is one of them. It's pretty cool, and if you can abstain from buying anything, you might come out scotch free - unless you have a girlfriend. But ... what can be more romantic than taking a stroll along the beautiful Gig Harbor waterfront, hand-in-hand with your better-half, taking in beautiful art by 122 area artists and craftspeople from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You will see painters, potters, jewelry designers, fabric artists, woodworkers, photographers and, of course, pastels and watercolors.

3. LeMay - America's Car Museum hosts an exclusive summer event for lovers of the grill, both the one that adorns your wheels and the ones you cook over fire with in their Smokin' Hot RibFest 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dive into barbecue ribs and other meat delights while enjoying discounted admission into the museum. Attendees get to vote for the best vendor book and best ribs with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Rescue Mission of Tacoma. Need something to wash down all that meaty goodness? Imbibe in cocktails from Heritage Distilling Company and Ginkgo Forest Winery.  Meals are $10 and tastes in the garden are $3. Vroom, Vroom, YUM.

4. Narrows Brewing will host a one-year anniversary party titled "Breakers Ball" from 6-11 p.m. Stephanie Anne Johnson will perform. Local food trucks and vendors will be on site. Read Pappi Swarner's interview with Narrows' head brewer Joe Walts in the New Beer Column.

5. Ant and the Cold 102's gang will brings their real blues, blistering guitars and wailing harmonicas to Doyle's Public House at 9:30 p.m. 

LINK: Saturday, July 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JULY 18 2014 >>>

1. Made up of looped samples of '60s soul and bubblegum songs, the music of the Los Angeles-based TV Girl then incorporates hip-hop beats and blissed-out indie pop vocals, creating what amounts to a kind of factory-tested ideal for summer soundtracks. Everything is nostalgic and new with TV Girl, with the result coming out as a neo-futurist ode to the cyclical nature of popular music. Oh, and it sounds really great. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with TV Girl in the Music and Culture section., then catch the band with Brothertiger and Globelamp at 8 p.m. in Olympia's all-ages venue Northern.

2. As part of its 20th anniversary, Dick's Brewing Co. has brewed Dick's Midnight Ride, a robust, Northwest-style CDA bursting with Cascade and Centennial hops, and balanced with a rich dark malt profile. Think rich, dark and malty like a porter with a hop profile. Drink it today when it's released to the public. Dick's taproom is open from 3-7:30 p.m. at 3516 Galvin Road in downtown Centralia. 

3. Gleeful children dashing after saltwater taffy shot from a "candy cannon" is just one of the experiences in store during Fort Nisqually Living History Museum's Family Fun Night from 6-9 p.m. Families are invited to bring their own picnic dinner to the Fort, located in Point Defiance Park, and join in games, dancing, and relay races with the Fort's re-enactors. 

4. Wow, Laura (comma included) delivers breezy indie pop while also taking time to inject it with jarring shifts in time signatures and halting uses of stop/start dynamics. Catch the band with iji at 8 p.m. in the Half Pint Pizza Pub.

5. "Whip It," "What I Like About You," "Safety Dance" and you're-goddamn-right "Don't Stop Believin'" are a few of the songs on the Spazmatics' set list, so grab your skinny tie, brush up your Robot, and pull up your Members Only jacket sleeves. One of the hottest '80s cover bands in the country will play with Mr. Pink at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones. They are so choice.

LINK: Friday, July 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 2014 >>>

1. Farmers markets come in all sizes, shapes and vibes, but the atmosphere of the Sunset Market is definitively about fun. Right off the bat, it turns the tables on the usual early-morning affairs we're used to by hosting its vendors in the evenings, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. - a Puyallup version of Tacoma's 6th Ave Farmers Market if you will. The Sunset Market focuses on local farmers, growers, processors, artisans, downtown merchants and food vendors accompanied by live entertainment, demonstrations and more. The farmers' party continues every Wednesday through Sept. 17.

2. Starting at 10 a.m. and running the next five weeks, the Museum of Glass will feature women artists working in the Hot Shop. Today, Jessica Jane Julius will experiment and explore new directions in her art. She currently teaches at Tyler School of Art, and her work was recently featured in Craft Spoken Here at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

3. While it's easy to quantify Oly as just a hippie, college town - that's only partially true. A large portion of the population is proudly blue-collar. The most amazing part of all of this is the two demographics - shoeless hippies and hardworking grunts - come together every year for Lakefair, meshing farmer tans with hacky sacks, and creating a fairly unique event disguised as just another summer festival. Think carnies, cotton candy, live music, volleyball, fireworks and all the usual trappings - Olympia style. It runs from noon to 10 p.m. around Capital Lake and Heritage Park, Fifth and Water Street, in downtown Olympia.

4. There will be an Army invasion tonight in Steilacoom when the U.S. Army Band enters Pioneer Park at 6:30 p.m. The show is free. 

5. Ian McFeron, whose lyrical prose has been compared to Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams and David Gray, will perform roots-oriented American music at 7 p.m. in Olympia's Sylvester Park.

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