FRIDAY, JAN. 28, 2011 >>>

1. The music of Slowwave (whom some may know as, formerly, Freeze & Fur Coat), lovely though it may be, always maintains a prickly coldness. The songs on their debut EP, Drag Lake Sin, are awash in electronic reverb and slow, steady melodies. But then there are those jittery waves, those chipped beats in the background, threatening to poke holes in Slowwave's hazy cellophane. It's as if Slowwave threatens to - at any moment - rudely jolt you from the transfixed state of their own creation. Tonight, catch the band at the Peabody Waldorf Gallery in Tacoma.

2. Mosquito Hawk, Olympia's newest supergroup power band is testing the waters tonight at McCoy's. With Jerry Zeigler (Fitz of Depression) tearing up drums, Jon Merithew (C Average) ripping guitar, Olivia Love (Black Bettie) belting out vocals and local Phil Heinze pounding bass, this band will no doubt turn your night into a hell ride of gut-wrenching, hair-raising, badass, mutha lovin' goodness.

3.Tonight at Surreal Ultra Lounge get "Epic" with DJ Teddy.

4. Get your paintball on today at Tacoma Tactical's Freak Friday. Here are the details.

5. Having opened last week (and running through Feb. 13), Tacoma Musical Playhouse's production of The Drowsy Chaperone should be hitting full stride right about now. Check it out tonight at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events at the South Sound

TODAY IN ONLINE TALK >>>

Today's comment comes from Allisha Aduddell in regard to the most recent "Person, Place or Thing with Steph DeRosa" - this week highlighting Dorky's Bar Arcade.

Aduddell writes,

A place where we call all be our own Dorks!!! I am a Dork at heart and truly love the atmosphere here. Every time is a good time to be a Dork! And PS -the Dorks of this world are much more interesting!!! My Vote is for PINBALL!!!

SATURDAY, JAN. 8, 2011 >>>

1. Every second Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Freighthouse Square hosts a bazaar loaded with wares from local businesses and artists. You could possibly find Buddhas, wool handbags, vintage T-shirts, Taco Bell's International Collection CD, 64 small stainless-steel baking pans, Brady Bunch lunchboxes, The Golden Fleece, faded Life magazines, reproductions of Canadian postage stamps, 8-by-10 photos of Fred Gwynne and an unexpected trove of things for children inside the Freighthouse.

2. Jared Abwawo is both a math teacher and an artist - a photographer, to be exact. There's a certain precision in his art that would suggest as much. An exhibition of Abwawo's photography will open with a reception from 1-3 p.m. at the Tacoma Community College Gig Harbor campus. "The creative essence of the image has no language but its own. It is a communication from one human being to others," Abwawo says in pre-show hype. See what he's talking about this afternoon.

3. Bingo is the ideal place for both loners and people who want to be in a crowd. And for those who are a strange combination of the two. There are big family groups and lots of men and women alone, some who sit as far away as possible from everyone else and kept their jackets on the entire evening. Join these people for many games from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6:30-9:30 p.m. inside the AMVETS Post 1 in Tacoma.

4. Olympia will score two chances to catch the National Tour of the Wizard of Oz at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, hitting the Yellow Brick Road at 2 and 7:30 p.m. "Breathtaking special effects" are promised, as are "the classic Wizard of Oz songs and the beloved characters Dorothy, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow ..." That pretty much covers the bases.

5. The Jazz in the Cellar series gets off to a grand start in 2011 when guitarist Vince Brown is joined by internationally acclaimed gypsy jazz guitarist Neil Andersson at 9 p.m. in Swing Wine Bar's cellar.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Wine tatsings!

TUESDAY, JAN. 4, 2011 >>>

1. On weekends all the bartenders are in a bad mood because people are forgetting to tip them and throwing toilet paper around the bathroom. However, Tuesday is when a neighborhood bar wipes its brow and smiles. But it can take a little coaxing to get your fellow officey friends to come with you on a Tuesday. How to break them down? Bingo! Every Tuesday from 7-9 Mama Glo hosts barstool bingo at Gloria's Bar & Grill in Tacoma. It's Glorious.

2. Tim Hall will host an open jam at the Summit Pub in Puyallup tonight. If a Tuesday night open jam at the Summit Pub doesn't scream for some top-notch blues - the kind Hall is known to provide - we don't know what does.

3. Be honest. The holidays didn't go well for you. Shake off some of that anger tonight at Jazzbones during Ha Ha Tuesday - as always, hosted by Ralph Porter. Tonight's headliner is Brett J, and also features comic Ash-Ley Deon. DJ Omar spins after the show.

4. Elvis' annual birthday celebration is just around the corner. You can just smell those peanut butter and friend banana sandwiches, can't you? Warm you Elvis-loving ass up with Danny Vernon's Illusions Of Elvis show at 6:30 p.m. inside the Red wind Casino.

5. How are you doing with those two turntables and a microphone you scored for Christmas? Ready for the bing time? While your name – DJ Scratch-n-Sniff might not knock anyone over, your DJ skills might. Test them out tonight during Gruv Lounge's Open Deck Night beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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MONDAY, JAN. 3, 2011 >>>

1. The Harmon Tap Room hosts a trivia night from 6-8 p.m. with a whopping $50 cash prize for the winner. First hint: The name the 1973 ABC Afterschool Special that focused on a young boy's struggle to accept his parents' separation was called My Dad Lives in a Downtown Hotel. Second hint: Be sure to order their tasty seasonal IPA.

2. Neil Andersson is a landscape painter whose work has been shown all over the country. He's also a founding member of the jazz group Pearl Django. Andersson has his work hanging at the Rosewood Café in north Tacoma. Check it out, as well as enjoy one of their kick ass sandwiches.

3. You're never too old to learn about Cambodia! The Franke Tobey Jones retirement community hosts Senior University: Cambodia travelogue at 3 p.m. and learn about Molly Daugherty's experiences as a volunteer at an orphanage in rural Cambodia. Afghans not provided.

4. The Graham Pierce County Library's monthly Talk It Up! Book Discussion Group will meet at 3 p.m. to talk about the book Mudbound by Hillary Jordan - the story of racism and well-kept secrets set on a desolate farm in the Mississippi Delta at the end of World War II.

5. Ya ya ya - Rockaraoke at Jazzbones at 9 p.m. But have you actually gone? You'll be surprised at its awesomeness.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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MONDAY, DEC. 27 >>>

1. Get the week started on the right foot when Cold Shot busts out a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan tonight at the Swiss in Tacoma. Soul patch facial hair is optional, but highly encouraged.

2. Did someone say Jager bombs? Monday means one thing at Jazzbones on Sixth Ave - Rockaraoke, the institution that only seems to grow stronger and more belligerent with time. Come drink and sing your problems away, backed by a live band!

3. It's movie night at Le Voyeur! We have no idea what's showing, but chances are it'll be cool and you can grab some great grub while you're at it - not to mention drinks.

4.  Like trivia? Got a team? It's team trivia night at Farrelli's Gourmet Wood Fire Pizza in Lacey - a combination of two of our favorite things. Amazingly, you probably also like to drink and win prizes, meaning this Monday night event is totally for you.

5. Beer pong is huge - even bigger than when you were at WSU, bro. Check out Big Wheel Steakhouse and Lounge tonight for $7 Highlife pitchers, $5 one topping pizzas, and $3 drink specials - not to mention a beer pong throwdown with signups commencing at 9 p.m. and games starting at 10 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2010 >>>

1. The Coen Brothers adapted yet another classic western - Charles Portis' dark comedy True Grit - in which a young girl teams up with two weird-ass lawmen to avenge her father's murder in the Wild West. The film screens at 2:10, 4:35, 7 and 9:25 at The Grand Cinema.

2. The Nutcracker - with its sugarplum fairies, dancing snowflakes, and magical toys - is a holiday tradition for many families. But most kids can't fully appreciate the whimsical ballet set to Tchaikovsky's score - they're too stuck on the name. Years ago, when a friend's mother announced that she wanted to take a group of us to experience the timeless work, we fell into peals of laughter as soon as she was out of earshot: "The Nutcracker! We 'bout to see somebody's nuts get cracked! NUTS!" The silliness died down in the weeks before the performance, and when the curtain rose, we were captivated - eyes wide and glassy, mouths gaping. But it wasn't the ballet that had us transfixed - it was the constricting tights on the male dancers. "Hey," whispered a friend sitting next to us. "I guess we know now why they really call it The Nutcracker!" Create your own memories at 1 and 5 p.m. when the Tacoma City Ballet stages its version inside the Pantages Theater.

3. Comedian W. C. Fields once quipped, "Never work with animals or children." Fortunately, Tacoma Little Theatre ignored his admonishment and stages Annie at 2 p.m. TLT not only chose a classic story, they put together a cast that is great to watch. This cast is so good, in fact, they received a standing ovation on opening night. Read our full review of the show here.

4. Chances are you've now suffered through the dreaded office holiday party - unless your company is so parsimonious that the party isn't happening. Either way, please accept our sympathies. These company soirees force you to mingle with the same jejune folks you see every day while pawing a plate of thawed shrimp and sipping watered-down martinis. Bored if you do, damned if you don't. Reward yourself tonight with a real party, rockabilly fans. The Baxters - formerly The Dempseys - will fill Jazzbones at 7:30 p.m. with bass fiddle stunts, instrument swapping, a flaming trumpet with enough a good-humored repertoire to pull us away from the bar (ha ha ha, good one). 

5. Geeks Who Drink pub quiz at 8:30 p.m. inside the Ram Restaurant and Brewery on Ruston Way consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by the quizmaster; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner. Oh, and there's drinking involved, too.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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TUESDAY, DEC. 21, 2010 >>>

1. Other, non-North American English-speaking countries know the film of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by an alternate title: The Worst Kids In The World. That should tell you about the quality of the characters in question, and the odds that the title will actually come true. The Herdman clan will be on hand at 7:30 p.m. inside the Lakewood Playhouse to teach you all about the true spirit of Christmas by lying, cheating, stealing, smoking and other wholesome endeavors. It's a feel-good season of joy for everyone. Or something.

2. Alaskan Brewing Co. will host the Reindeer Games at the Varsity Grill from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Games will include pigskin toss, reindeer races, and ladder golf. Prizes include Seahawks tickets, Varsity Grill gift cards, beer swag or even a chance to win a trip to Valdez, Alaska to hang with pro snowboarders. Varsity Grill will be serving $3 Alaska pints and $8 Alaskan beer-battered fish and chips. No, really.

3. Celtic band Mooncoyne will perform at the Mandolin Cafe as part of the $25 a head Winter Solstice Celebration. There's lasagna people!

4. University of Puget Sound and Click! Cable TV are teaming up to screen Elf at 7 p.m. inside the University of Puget Sound's Memorial Fieldhouse. Concessions will be available, including hot dogs, popcorn, beverages, and candy (no syrup - we checked natch!). Afterward, let's all get together and make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands.

5. Puget Sound Revels has been, well, reveling since way back in 1992 - though it feels like much longer than that, doesn't it? It ALMOST feels like the group has been doing its thing since the 19th century, which just so happens to be the era they'll embody at 7:30 p.m. as part of this year's annual Christmas Revels at the Rialto Theater  - billed as a 19th century English celebration, and "a joyous and timeless celebration for all ages."

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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TUESDAY, NOV. 30 >>>

1. "Sailor Jerry" Collins is an American cult icon of sorts - famous for his place in the history of tattoo, and now gaining notoriety for the rum that bares his name. Friday, Tacomans will have a chance to catch a special screening of Hori Smoku, a pretty fantastic documentary about Sailor Jerry himself. To build hype for that event, and even better as a good excuse to drink rum, two Sailor Jerry parties will go down today in Tacoma - one at The Swiss and one at Gruv Lounge.

2. Just can't get enough barstool bingo? Thinking of going pro? Seems like you can hone your skills every day of the week in the South Sound. Tonight, take your game to Gloria's Bar & Grill at 8201 Pacific Avenue for Barstool Bingo with Mama Glo! Action runs from 7 - 9 p.m. Need we say more?

3. It's Ha Ha Tuesday at Jazzbones. Grab a Grey Goose and lemonade, or some sake, or whatever, and have a few laughs with host Ralph Porter and headliner Nancy Reed.

4. Get your jazz fix at Pacific Lutheran University tonight when the school's jazz combos from the Jazz Studies department hold their "Final Exam" concert. Action goes down in The Cave, starting at 5 p.m.

5. Alice Stuart plays the Red Wind Casino tonight. If you're in Yelm, or aren't above traveling to Yelm, this one should be good.

MONDAY, NOV. 29 >>>

1. Marcus Walker, a well-known member of the community and the managing artistic director at Lakewood Playhouse, was recently diagnosed with cancer - more specifically malignant metastatic melanoma, which he describes in a letter to friends and Lakewood Playhouse patrons as a "very virulent form" of cancer. Tonight, banking on the fact that laughter is the best medicine, a benefit roast of Walker will be held at Urban Grace Church in Tacoma. All proceeds will go to Lakewood Playhouse to help in this time of need.

2. The power of social media can be leveraged by artists. Today a workshop discussing this fact will be held at Tacoma Art Place. Grow your fan base. Grow your business. Increase your exposure. The free workshop will cover it all. Hopefully you RSVP'd.

3. The Mix hosts Barstool Bingo with prizes beginning at 9 p.m. Get your butt down there.

4. Dance party, yo! Tonight at the New Frontier Lounge with DJ Tanner & DJ Dark Skars. Starts at 9 p.m. Be there or be square.

5. Community and West African drumming and dance go together like, well ... we don't know yet. Tonight we'll get a chance to find out. What we do know for sure is when there's a community oriented, all-are-welcome West African drumming and dance event at the Loft on Cherry in Olympia it's probably a pretty good way to spend your Monday evening. Lucky for us, all skill levels are welcome. Runs 7:30-9 p.m.