Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

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October 4, 2014 at 7:56am

5 Things To Do Today: Oly Mountain Boys, Harvest Fest, Yachtoberfest, Heritage Blues Orchestra ...

The Oly Mountain Boys new bluegrass "concept" album tells the life story of fictional historical early 20th century Northwest character Charlie McCarver. Photo credit: Jim Oas

SATURDAY, OCT. 4 2014 >>>

1. If you like your bluegrass complex, melodic and focused on weighty matters such as the hard life of Washington state living in the early 20th century, have we found something you're going to love. Olympia bluegrass outfit The Oly Mountain Boys has released their new, epic concept album, White Horse, for your consideration. Comprised of Menser (banjo, piano, lead vocals), Derek McSwain (mandolin, vocals), Chris Rutledge (guitar, vocals), Phil Post (bass, dobro, pedal steel, vocals) and Josh Grice (fiddle), The Oly Mountain Boys dwell in the musical (and conceptual) neighborhood inhabited by outfits such as the Who, Tool, Queensryche and the more operatic rock groups. Join the Boys for a CD release party with The Hollerbodies and The Warren G. Hardings at 9 p.m. in Rhythm and Rye.

2. Wood-fired pizza and goats: Do you need any more reason to drive to Orting? At Terra Organic's annual Harvest Fest, you can also pick the perfect pumpkin to carve. The crisp air of the fall in the country and the sunchoke maze are pretty good reasons for getting in a little farm-browsing, too. If it's warm, leave the jackets at home and dig into the flavors from Ice Cream Social; if it's cool, dance up a gig in front of the Pine Hearts, Dysfunction Junction, Squirrel Butter and Roosevelt Road. Shop the market area. Take a hay ride. Modern farm-to-table take on Mediterranean food ... Primo Grill is there, too! Join in from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tahoma Farms.

3. More than 15 breweries, three wineries and a couple cideries will stretch along the esplanade from the Museum of Glass to the entry of the Foss Harbor Marina for Yachtoberfest, running 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. German food will be served from The Social Bar and Grill, Paesan Kitchen and Bar, Fleischkuechle food truck, Hess Bavarian Deli and Choripan By Asado. Moorage will be available at Delin Docks, Dock Street Marina, Foss Harbor Marina and the Foss Waterway Seaport. Tickets are $20 at the gate. Beverage tickets will be five for $10. Each ticket is worth a 5-ounce beer pour; two tickets will put a 12-ounce pour. Limited edition commemorative beer steins and apparel will be available for purchase. Read Pappi Swarner's full story on Yachtoberfest in the New Beer Column.

4. The New York-based Heritage Blues Orchestra plays traditional blues backed by a classic jazz horn section. Young vocalist Chaney Sims has been compared to jazz/blues legend Nina Simone. The band's 2012 debut album, And Still I Rise, which included covers of Son House and Muddy Waters classics alongside traditional material, was Grammy-nominated. Catch the band at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

5. Zeahorse is a band that does not stumble blood-crusted out of the outback. They're from Sydney, which, one imagines, could not be without at least a couple air-conditioned fast food restaurants. The prospect of losing one's mind in the wasteland of the desert would likely be far from the minds of the members of Zeahorse. Still, the legacy of groundbreaking Australian acts is a heavy load to carry. Zeahorse, being a band that trades in heavy psych-rock, must be particularly aware of how they enter into the conversation of heavy bands that come from down under. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Zeahorse in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Sok and the Faggots, Blanco Bronco and MILK at 8 p.m. in Half Pint Pizza Pub in Tacoma.

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

October 3, 2014 at 7:18am

5 Things To Do Today: Olympia Arts Walk, Oktoberfest Northwest, Mudhoney film, Strangely Alright ...

China Faith Star performs "Liquid Letters" at 8 p.m. in Last Word Books as part of the Olympia Arts Walk tonight.

FRIDAY, OCT. 3 2014 >>>

1. Largely because of its abundance of offerings, the Olympia Arts Walk is a bit of a cross between a scavenger hunt and a grab bag. Local businesses - 96 of them this weekend - become galleries for the weekend, week or month, showing paintings, sculptures, photographs and more. Some serve as performance spaces, too. The streets are filled with people and the occasional juggler. But where to go? What to see? There's the fun. Read Molly Gilmore's full feature on Olympia Arts Walk XLIX in the Music & Culture section, then hit downtown Olympia from 5-10 p.m. and have the time of your life.

2. Born and raised in Tacoma, Noah Struthers is a unique product of this "blue collar" environment. His particular mechanic-laborer experiences were tainted early on by artistic explorations, resulting in a unique hybrid of outsider-illustrator art. His work addresses themes of local identity, mechanical structures, nature, and wildlife, which can be seen at the Fulcrum Gallery. Struthers will hang at Fulcrum from noon to 6 p.m. to discuss his art, or the Second Cycle Community Bicycle Shop, which he co-founded.

3. The three-day Oktoberfest Northwest Bavarian celebration at the Washington State Fair and Events Center officially kicks off at 6:15 p.m. with the taping of the Firkin, although the gates open at noon. In its 10th year, this Oktoberfest celebration includes a Munich-inspired Festhalle Biergarten, authentic entertainment, traditional German food, Hammerschlagen Tournament of Champions, the always-popular Weiner Dog Race, and the Sunday morning Oktoberfest Northwest Stein Dash 5K. Manuela Horn, the 6 foot 2 "Australian Amazon" and the Oktoburlesques will headline authentic German entertainment featuring performers crooning everything from Edelweiss to polka versions of popular rock songs.

4. Mudhoney, while beating its fellow flannel-powered pedigree to the punch - Sub Pop released vinyl anthem "Touch Me, I'm Sick" and Superfuzz Bigmuff 12 months before Nirvana's Bleach and three years before Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten - has never had a chart topper, but the group has a following more loyal than a mob family. A 6:30 p.m. screening of I'm Now: the Story of Mudhoney film in the Capitol Theater should get folks chatting up Mudhoney again. Full of the same nasal yowls and shag-carpet riffs that made the band a Northwest favorite during the grunge daze, the film will screen with one of the greatest cult flicks of all time - 1979's Rock & Roll High School featuring The Ramones in their prime. Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner and I'm Now director Ryan Short will hang for a post-film Q&A.

5. Strangely Alright's power pop awesomeness will invade The Swiss Restaurant and Pub for the first time, with Brian James opening at 8:15 p.m. and a celebration of Shannon Kristine Rachel Briggs' birthday all night long. If you haven't seen Strangely Alright, expect ringing, triumphant chords and lyrics that allude to conquered tribulations. Frontman Regan Lane's charismatic presence and ability to get asses out of their seats and the underlying lyrical message of hope, empathy, and love rightly live up to the title of the band's album, Forever Is Right Now, a tireless and persistent group of catchy, edgy rock songs that are sugar coated with the band's love of all things rock.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 2, 2014 at 6:59am

5 Things To Do Today: Tacoma Arts Month Opening Party, Green Drinks, "From Here to Eternity," Zeahorse ...

Tacoma artist and puppeteer Jeremy Gregory will present his work at the Tacoma Arts Month Opening Party tonight. Photo credit: Kris Crews

THURSDAY, OCT. 2 2014 >>>

1. Have you heard? Tacoma's gargantuan feast of literary, visual and performing arts has moved from November to October. That's right; October is Tacoma Arts Month (formerly Art at Work Month), but the festivities actually start Oct. 2 with an opening party and the AMOCAT Arts Awards presentation at the Tacoma Post Office Building. The annual kick-off party goes gargantuan too with the most "arts" in its 13th year history. The free event offers appetizers, dessert and a no-host bar while Speed Queen and Okinawa Taiko Drums perform, exhibits of work by Jessica Spring and The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Foundation of Art Award honorees hangs, exhibits of work by Beautiful Angle, Jeremy Gregory, Isaac Olsen, Alice Di Certo, Kristin Giordano, The C.L.A.W., and Poly Rev "pop up," Tintype photo booth by Kyle Dillehay opens and closes, Working Class Theater performs, Abby Kok, Alana Tamminga and Katlyn Hubner create art live, Tacoma Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo recites, Kat Ogden, Nick Butler, Kris Crews and The Grand Cinema screen films and trash fashion hits the runway. Mayor Stickland's presentation of the 2014 AMOCAT Arts Awards and recognition of the 2014 funding recipients begins at 7:45 p.m. Now that's art at work. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on Tacoma Arts Month in the Music & Culture section.

2. The South Puget Sound Chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will be hosting October's Green Drinks outing at 6 p.m. in The Forum in Tacoma. Steve Abercrombie, the South Sound Chapter president, will be providing updates on the new Vision to Action Symposiums and anything and everything that empowers people through education to transform the built environment for long-term sustainability. This could be a three drink night.

3. Tonight's Olympia People's Mic will feature Garfield Hilson, a Washington State University grad who reclaims his "stolen language" and does it well. He is the 2014 Seattle Poetry Individual Word Poetry Champion. Hilson joins the open mic at 7 p.m. in Café Love in downtown Olympia.

4. One of our most notable musical offerings this time around is a movie ... sort of. Y'know how a company called Fathom Events beams one-night-only screenings to movie theaters? In addition to RiffTrax commentaries and Metropolitan Opera productions, that service also transmits the occasional show from London's West End. This week, the play is a musical adaptation of From Here to Eternity - not the movie starring Burt Lancaster macking total PDA on Deborah Kerr, mind you, but the 1951 novel by James Jones. Jones's original draft had its soldiers swearing and talking about gay prostitution. Such content was struck prior to publication, of course, and it wasn't restored till a 2011 rerelease. When composer Stuart Brayson read that new edition, he recommended it to lyricist Tim Rice, and the result was an October 2013 musical extravaganza. So what? Well, Rice had a hand in some of our all-time favorite shows, including Evita, Chess, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. And you can see his new show from a better-than-front-row vantage point at 7 p.m. in the Century Olympia, all for cheap and with nary a passport. Brilliant!

5. Zeahorse is a band that does not stumble blood-crusted out of the outback. They're from Sydney which, one imagines, could not be without at least a couple air-conditioned fast food restaurants. The prospect of losing one's mind in the wasteland of the desert would likely be far from the minds of the members of Zeahorse. Still, the legacy of groundbreaking Australian acts is a heavy load to carry. Zeahorse, being a band that trades in heavy psych-rock, must be particularly aware of how they enter into the conversation of heavy bands that come from down under. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Zeahorse in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Ex-Gods and Magnetic Rose at 8 p.m. in Northern.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

October 1, 2014 at 7:44am

5 Things To Do Today: Cat Power, Metal-Urge, Tacoma Arts Month, Double Mountain's Fresh Hop Fest ...

Cat Power performs tonight in Olympia. Photo credit: Stefano Giovannini

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1 2014 >>>

1. Her friends and family may call her Chan Marshall, but the music-loving world knows her better as singer-songwriter (and actor and model) Cat Power. She opened for Liz Phair in the mid-'90s, then crushed on her 2003 album You Are Free. She made an excursion into Memphis soul, starting with a wonderful album of original material, The Greatest. Perhaps her fascination with Delta blues gave way to more personal, vital, even humorous material on Sun, her latest collection. It'd be hard to imagine a more bracing anthem, for example, than "Human Being," which insists, "You got a right to scream when they don't want you to speak." Well, get ready to scream, Oly Sun-worshipers! Cat Power has returned from the blues for an 8 p.m. show at the Capitol Theater.

2. "Metal-Urge" is a massive celebration of all things metal-art forged by 80 artists holding firm in 20 venues all around Tacoma through the month of October and November. Tacoma Arts Administrator Amy McBride created the event, her first large-scale project for the cultural tourism program, nearly 15 years ago. "Metal-Urge" is a citywide celebration of the metal arts that includes both traditional and non-traditional gallery venues exhibiting the metal work of talented artists and includes jewelry, sculptures, vessels, home décor, enamel and artifacts. "Metal-Urge" kicks off today in the LeMay Car Museum's Family Zone offering hood ornament design fun. Museum staff will pick the most creative idea for the month of October and November, offering a special prize for the winners.

3. Tacoma Arts Commission's Tacoma Arts Month kicks off today. Tacoma Arts Month is a rebranded incarnation of Art at Work and is now in its 13th year. The new name is intended to capture the all-encompassing artsy nature of arts in the community - which is exactly what Tacoma Arts Month is all about. Arts Month is an umbrella that arches over more than 300 individual events, workshops, classes et al - music, theater and dance performances; films; literary and cultural events; workshops and classes; and more, all happening in the city in October. Read Kristin Kendle's feature story on Tacoma Arts Month, then learn about the exciting work of artist Marita Dingus as she discusses finding artistic inspiration in her African American heritage and using found materials in her art at 11 a.m. in the Tacoma Art Museum.

4. Fresh hopped brews, also called wet brews, are Pacific Northwest-centric because we live in one of the largest hop growing regions in the world.  Hops are harvested in late summer/early fall and are usually dried to use in beer recipes throughout the year. But because our location has great quantities of hops, many are brewed within hours of coming off the hopbine (the climbing stem of the hop). And no brewery tackles this concept with quite the zeal than Hood River Brewery Double Mountain. Their two fresh hop beers, the big apple/pine punch Killer Red and herbal-esque Killer Green, are often used as currency along the Columbia River. Pint Defiance has scored some of the first kegs of Killer Red Fresh Hop IRA and Killer Green Fresh Hop IPA in the area and will tap those suckers from 5-7 p.m. in what it calls the Double Mountain Fresh Hop Fest.As an added bonus, the beer store/taproom will be Randalling a fresh keg of Vaporizer Pale through locally harvested fresh hops. You're not going to work tomorrow.

5. Grammy-winning saxophonist Paul Sawtelle, who just finished recording a new album, Virtual Insanity, will bring his all-star band to Jazzbones for an all-ages, 8 p.m. show. Power trio pianist Brooke Lizotte, drummer Greg Gilmore and bassist Jon Bayless will open.

LINK: Wednesday, Oct. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 30, 2014 at 6:06pm

Nerd Alert! - "Tetris" movie, James Adomian and Stillsuit Cocktails

James Adomian will make an impression at the Tacoma Comedy Club Sunday night. Photo credit: Luke Fontana

There are certain moments that come around every once in a while to remind you that there are no laughably stupid depths that Hollywood is not prepared to plumb. This is such a moment. It has been announced that there is indeed a Tetris movie in the works.

Yes, the landscape of video game adaptations is littered almost exclusively with garbage, so why not take a stab at a game that is just about the goal of turning and stacking blocks? After all, no one expected Clue to be as OK as it was, and there's an Ouija board movie on the way, so who cares? Plus, producer Larry Kasanoff promises it will be a "very big, epic sci-fi movie," so that's great.

But, who's Larry Kasanoff? Only the director of one of the biggest failures in the history of film: Foodfight!, an animated film so inept and so suspiciously expensive that it might actually be considered a Ponzi scheme. Still, Kasanoff's Foodfight! was based entirely on the idea of product placement as art, so he should know what he's doing when it comes to adapting a mindless strategy game like Tetris.

SUNDAY, OCT. 5: JAMES ADOMIAN

Fans of Comedy Bang! Bang! rejoice! James Adomian is coming to Tacoma. You've no doubt heard his voice on the podcast, doing spot-on impressions of Jesse Ventura, Tom Leykis, Dov Charney, Alan Rickman and Paul Giamatti, among others. While Adomian is nominally an impressionist, what makes his characters so special is that he takes them and spins them into surreal and inspired territory. It's a crime that he hasn't been cast on Saturday Night Live, where he is destined to become a post-modern Darrell Hammond.

He's only appearing for one night, so consider this a can't-miss. 7 p.m., Tacoma Comedy Club, 933 Market St, Tacoma, $10, 253.282.7203

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8: STILLSUIT COCKTAILS

The second annual Frank Herbert tribute, Stillsuit Cocktails, is undoubtedly the coolest and nerdiest thing happening in the coming week - uniting the fierce passions of booze and science fiction. The Dune author and Tacoma native is honored by Hilltop Kitchen and Post Defiance (on his birthday, no less) with cocktails inspired by his works. Drinks with names such as Duncan Idaho and Harkonnen should dredge up images for Herbert fans. Quizzes, books and prizes will also be in attendance, if the idea of drinking Dune-inspired spirits isn't quite enough to convince you to come out and talk with fellow nerds about what it would have been like if Alejandro Jodorowsky really did get to make that movie. 7 p.m., Hilltop Kitchen, 913 MLK Way, Tacoma, no cover, 253.327.1397

September 30, 2014 at 6:53am

5 Things To Do Today: "DamNation," Cake Decorating 101, Yalumba Winemaker Dinner, Doors tribute ...

The change in our national attitude regarding big dams is explored in the documentary, "DamNation."

TUESDAY, SEPT. 30 2014 >>>

1. Patagonia, a manufacturer of high-end outdoor apparel and the official outfitter of Portland, Oregon, produced DamNation, a quick, smart documentary about the havoc one country can create in its native fish populations by building 75,000 dams over an 80- or 90-year span. Inaccurately billed as "green energy," hydropower deprives shorelines and riparian zones of the vital silt washed downriver, while preventing salmon from reaching spawning zones and flooding low-lying wilderness areas. Throw on a Patagonia Nano Air Jacket and catch DamNation at 2 and 7 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

2. One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand. Without accurate and consistent demand and usage figures, it is difficult to measure the positive benefits of investments in these modes, especially when compared to the other transportation modes such as the private automobile. An answer to this need for data is the National Bicycle & Pedestrian Documentation Project. This nationwide effort provides consistent model of data collection and ongoing data for use by planners, governments, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals. The Washington State Department of Transportation and the Cascade Bicycle Club will be enlisting the support of volunteers to benchmark the numbers of people bicycling and walking on trails, bike lanes, sidewalks and other facilities across the state today through Oct. 2. Be sure to wave.

3. Everyone knows at least one annoyingly perfect woman who not only bakes her own cakes and blends her own icing from scratch, but also decorates desserts like a trained professional. Well, the Martha Stewart reign of terror is officially over: Bayview School of Cooking's Hands-On Cake Decorating 101 class is at 6 p.m. Caroline Willard will teach you the key fundamentals of cake decorating - flowers, borders, figure piping and sugar molding. Because if you can pipe, mold and frost like Betty Crocker herself, no one will care that the sweet stuff came from a Duncan Hines box.

4. Join Wildside Wine for their Yalumba Winemaker Dinner with Jane Ferrari at 6 p.m. Ferrari, winemaker at Australia's oldest winery, will be presenting some of her fine product paired with small bites - think Aussie meat pie and pavlova for dessert - and wow with her abundant vino knowledge and "down to earth wit and charm." Tickets are $45 and reservations are required at 253.565.0811.

5. The Doors tribute band The American Night hits the Red Wind Casino's stage at 8 p.m. Strange days have found us.

LINK: Tuesday, Sept. 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 29, 2014 at 7:49am

5 Things To Do Today: Creative Colloquy, Washington state arts, Harmon Oktoberfest, Nacosta ...

Erik Hanberg has a story for you at B Sharp Coffee House tonight. Photo credit: Jason Ganwich

MONDAY, SEPT. 29 2014 >>>

1. Once upon a time, before the advent of iPhones and Google Glass, people sat with rapt attention and listened as storytellers wove magical word-tapestries. Thanks to the Creative Colloquy, this fairy tale doesn't have to end. Storyteller connoisseur Jackie Fender has gathered more local storytellers for a night of tales and beverages at the B Sharp. Melissa Thayer, Jack Cameron, Tiffany Aldrich MacBain, Michael Haeflinger and Erik Hanberg - who was named Best Tacoman in the 2014 Weekly Volcano Best of Tacoma issue - will read from their latest works, then step aside as an open mic busts out beginning at 7 p.m. in the B Sharp Coffee House. You will delight in this night chock-full of good, old-fashioned entertainment ... and then they'll live happily ever after. The end.

2. Karen Hanan, the executive director of Arts WA, share the achievements Washington state had had in the arts and culture community in since the Centennial, beginning at noon in the State Capital Museum in Olympia.

They both are owned by Carole Ford and Pat Nagle. They both are operating breweries. And they both are hosting a week's worth of Oktoberfest events beginning today. But between the downtown Harmon Brewery & Eatery and the Stadium District Harmon Tap Room, which can truly claim Tacoma Oktoberfest star status? Click here and decide.

4. Every Monday night beginning at 9 p.m., Jazzbones hosts Rockaraoke - a chance to sing onstage with a live band - plus a plethora of cheap Miller High Life. It's valid excuse to drink on a Monday (!) night.

5. Astral, visceral, ethereal - all of these "al" words describe Los Angeles indie rock band Nacosta. Synthy, dancey and poppy describe them, too. Releasing their first album this past spring, Under the Half Moon is full of harmonic tendencies, resulting in dreamy songs, backed by solid instrumental work. The song "Aberlina," for instance, is lyrically, and musically, a love story laced with creepiness, as good love stories should be. Do I hear a Beatles and other '60s psychedelic influence? And perhaps some Radiohead and other '90s pop influence as well? On a successful tour, including SXSW, these hotcakes will hit Le Voyeur at 10 p.m. before heading home and busting out another album. Catch them while you can, with openers The Celestials and Woolen Warrior.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 29 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 27, 2014 at 7:32am

5 Things To Do Today: Psychomagic, Fall Garden Festival, Fish Oktoberfest, Pro-Am Pub Crawl, The Bad Things

Imagine a '60s pop/surf rock influenced band from the 2010s with music bordering on the line of sincere slocore/indie rock and you have Psychomagic. Photo courtesy of Facebook

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27 2014 >>>

1. Psychomagic's recent self-titled album begins with flutes and a tremulous vocals from Fusco, before breaking off into a kaleidoscopic array of '60 sounds, all blended up and spat out in a colorful cornucopia. In performance, Psychomagic never takes itself so seriously. Everything is filtered through the glassy-eyed gaze of a person who has no need to dig trenches in their brains, but would rather take a moment to notice how fine it feels to be bombarded with the serene vibrations of psychedelic rock. Face-melting can be found elsewhere; Psychomagic is a brain massage. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Psychomagic in the Music and Culture section., then catch the band with Santoros, MILK and Bath Party at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Did you know that Metro Parks Tacoma hosts a Fall Garden Festival? It's true, and this year's fest, set in picturesque Point Defiance Park, packs educational and resourceful activities, such as how to keep bees, the best ways to grow fruit, "Chickens 101," creative ways to grow your own foods and flowers, and many more, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Little ones can grab a dose of eco-friendly gardening. Gardening superstar Ed Hume will make an appearance at 10 a.m. In "65 years of Gardening" Hume will recount his favorite gardening tips. Bus tours of Tacoma's community gardens and the heritage garden at Fort Nisqually will be led by Harvest Pierce County. Five tours are planned to depart from the Point Defiance Pagoda.

3. Like beer? Jump in and enjoy the Aroma of Tacoma Pro-Am Pub Crawl along Sixth Avenue. For $35 attendees can present a punch card at participating stops and redeem a 10-ounce pour of one of five beers from the 2014 Aroma of Tacoma Homebrew Championship that were selected by local brewers and brewed commercially. Attendees also receive a commemorative T-shirt. The crawl kicks off at noon at The Red Hot then heads out to Engine House No. 9, O'Malleys, Dirty Oscar's Annex and the Crown Bar. Click here for full details and to purchase your ticket.

4. Fish Brewing Company's 16th Annual Oktoberfest will pack their downtown Olympia brewery from 4-10 p.m. There you'll find all the things you've come to expect from a Fish Oktoberfest: down home, ole' fashion, ass kickin' southern-roots band The Slow Rollers and high energy funk, soul and sexy The Brown Edition. Live German oom-pah bands would only squash the groove. These two bands will pump out tunes to incite beer guzzling, various delicious wursts (there is no such thing as too much wurst), a sneak peek at the Hobbit beer series and an obscene amount of Leavenworth Biers Oktoberfest. 

5. The Bad Things are born out of cabaret and drink. A motley crew, made up of urchins and drunkards, The Bad Things bring theatricality and tongue-in-cheek fatalism to a variety of genres. Taking cues from the likes of Tom Waits and the Pogues, the band piles accordions, mandolins, singing saws, upright bass and all manner of sqeezeboxes onto their stage, inciting polka riots and rowdy singalongs in their audiences.Catch them with Victoria Renee and Middlewav at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, Sept. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 26, 2014 at 8:26am

5 Things To Do Today: Ritzy Retro Night, Jamie Joseph Trunk, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Jessica Lynne ...

Minneapolis-based Davina and the Vagabonds will bring their rollicking New Orleans-flavored mix of blues, jazz and roots music to Jazzbones tonight. Photo credit: Grinkie Girl Photography/Christie Williams

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26 2014 >>>

1. Who doesn't like a little pizzazz with their jazz? Short answer? No one. Jazzy tunes inherently beg to be paired with a little spice, like a beer and a plate of nachos (don't hold the jalapenos), like a fine wine and ... well, actually pairing wine and spicy food is kind of tricky. Jazzbones has noted this pairing potential and set out to create the perfect show - soulful tunes both local and from afar coupled with just the right amount of spice. Enter the tri-fold powerhouse that is Davina and The Vagabons, Chmpagne Sunday and Gritty City Sirens. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on this ritzy retro night of serious girl power on our Walkie Talkie blog., then catch the show at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones.

2. Henry Louis Gates Jr., the renowned historian, author, and filmmaker, popularly known for his Public Broadcasting Service series Finding Your Roots, will speak at University of Puget Sound at 4 p.m. A theorist and cultural critic and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, Gates will lecture on "Genealogy and Genetics" in the Memorial Fieldhouse. Admission is $20 for the general public and free for Puget Sound faculty and staff, but tickets must be ordered in advance. Attendees to the 2014 Race & Pedagogy National Conference enter free, after their purchase of one-day or three-day tickets to the conference.

3. Compass Rose Tacoma hosts a Jamie Joseph Trunk Party with sips and treats from 4-8 p.m. Working together in Seattle, Jamie and Jeremy Joseph convey their artistic vision by focusing on bringing light, shape, and an organic framework to some of the most beautiful stones in the world. Jamie has an artisan's aesthetic and her collections are renowned for meticulous craftsmanship, signature stone cutting techniques, and an abundance of color. A woodworker and craftsman in his own right, Jeremy Joseph is the head stone cutter. The Proctor District store will keep the jewelry on display throughout the weekend.

4. Tacoma Brewing Company celebrates the fist bottling of its Dr. Alexander's Hard Ginger Ale with a release party from 5-9 p.m. Come dressed as your favorite Ginger and receive a buck off your first bottle. Expect ginger ale cocktails tonight, too.

5. The music typically coming out of Denmark leans toward art punk, power electronics and cold synth pop. Jessica Lynne, who grew up 60 km south of Copenhagen, sings country music. Country Music Television had an effect, as did rural life, with cows outside the church windows. Whatever, Lynne relocated to the Pacific Northwest to be with family, and has struck up a relationship with local label Maurice the Fish Records. We found her Spiritual Cowgirl release on Spotify to be lyrically rich and melodically pleasing. Catch her at 8 p.m.at The Hub in Gig Harbor.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 24, 2014 at 7:38am

5 Things To Do Today: Easton Corbin, Iittala birds, Taste of Washington, 7 Seas Brewing ...

Country musician Easton Corbin performs tonight at Steel Creek in Tacoma.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24 2014 >>>

1. With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, country singer Easton Corbin performs at 7 p.m. in the Steel Creek American Whiskey Company. Local country act Aces Up opens. No tickets will be sold at the door, so go here to grab them: http://bit.ly/easton-corbin.

2. The Iittala birds by Oiva Toikka return to the Museum of Glass for the 11th consecutive year beginning at 10 a.m. and running through Feb. 22. In partnership with Finland's Iittala, Inc., this year's display will feature the newly designed "Anna's Hummingbird," continuing the celebration of internationally recognized designer Oiva Toikka's glass birds. In addition to the display, Iittala-related arts and educational activities will be offered during Bird Lovers' Weekend, Oct. 3-5.

3. Germany's Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival going down right now in Munich. Federal Way beer store 99 Bottles is doing it in one day. The store will feature 16 German-style and import beers from which you may choose 10 for $2, from 5-7 p.m. Pint Defiance is hosting a Washington state beer (WA)toberfest tonight, but you knew that because you read our massive calendar of Oktoberfest events.

4. Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge will host an exclusive bookworm and dining matrimony with A Taste of Washington Cookbook Signing and Dinner from 5-8 p.m. A $50 ticket includes cookbook author and photographer Michelle Morris on site to discuss her cookbook and sign copies as well as a special tasting menu featuring Chef Hudson Slater's recipes that are highlighted in the book. Call 253.683.4115 for reservation. The book will be available for purchase.

5. In honor of The Swiss Restaurant and Pub's 21st birthday this past spring, 7 Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor reunited Swiss owners Jack McQuade and a retired Bob Hill, now living on a mountain, to brew a special beer for the occasion. The two gave their input, selected the hops for 7 Seas' malt and helped brew it. "We chose an Imperial Red Ale because it's the new popular style. Plus, it ties in with The Swiss, the red shield," says McQuade. "And we like hoppy beers down here. So we hopped it up a bit. Plus, there are a ton of IPAs out there, so there is another reason to go with the red ale." The resulting collaboration ale, Revi Red, will be one of the 7 Seas brews in the spotlight tonight as The Swiss hosts the brewery for a Brewer's Night with raffle giveaways from 6-9 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, Sept. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

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News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.

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