MONDAY, OCT. 14 2014 >>>

1. Ohio-based quartet Saintseneca has more in common with fellow ANTI- Records alumni such as Calexico, Dr. Dog and Wilco. Theirs is a supremely melodic sound, filled to the brim with surprising turns and grace notes. Saintseneca may also have the first Christmas-related song we've heard since we don't know when, with "On Holiday" - which is reportedly about a Christmas where a brick flew through singer Zac Little's window. Lots of Saintseneca's songs have this quality of taking what might be twee and steering it into cheerful darkness. Catch the band with Busman's Holiday, Globelamp and Generifus at 8 p.m. in Northern. 

2. Puget Sound Pizza hosts 7 Seas Brewing Brewer's Night from 6-8 p.m. Expect prizes, giveaways and beards.

3. The Settlers of Catan is the best board game of all time. The Weekly Volcano cannot overstate the coolness of this fast, ever-changing, family-friendly game. If you haven't played it yet, then get to it. Of course, finding this world-renowned German board game can be a challenge. See, Settlers is something of a rarity. You're not going to find it at a typical toy store or a big box retailer. But you can find it - and a tasty adult beverage at 6:30 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Gamers are serenaded by "Kaletron," aka Kale Iverson, who plays a mix of groovy dance hits and all original spacey tunes, which are many times inspired by the games out on the floor. The New Frontier Lounge offers specials during Settlers of Kaletron night, including $8 and $14 microbrew pitchers, $2 pizza slices and dollar tacos. A bevy of nonalcoholic beverages is available for those who want a clear head, including Italian cream sodas, ginger beers and root beer.

4. Classical Tuesdays in Old Town concert series offers a grab bag of awesomeness at 7 p.m. It offers world premiers of compositions by Tacoma composers Rob Hutchinson, Greg Youtz, Deborah Anderson and Kareem Kandi. Also, as a "Metal Event" for the Tacoma Art Commission's Metal-Urge focus this month, we'll hear an improvised work by Miho Takekawa on vibraphones (just go with it). Wait, there's more! New Tacoma Symphony Orchestra conductor Sarah Ioannides will drop by to tell you what's what. Catch this wildly eclectic music mix at the Slavonian Hall.

5. The Tacoma Film Festival is on, celebrating current independent film from around the globe ... and in our backyard. At 8:45 p.m. in The Grand Cinema, Jarhead meets Office Space in the dark comedy Zero Motivation from director Talya Lavie. Two Israeli Defense Force soldiers, Zohar (Dana Ivgi) and Daffi (Nelly Tagar), spend their time getting into office shenanigans with their fellow soldiers, all the while counting down the hours until they can finally leave their boring base.

LINK: Tuesday, Oct. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17 2014 >>>

1. It is not too early to be planning your St. Patrick's Day celebration - March 17 is six months away. To help you get in the mood - and another reason to drink a bunch of Jameson whiskey - Doyle's Public House will host its annual Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Party. The party begins with Doyle's Guinness Club toast at 5:17 p.m. All the members gather before Grand Poobah Russ Heaton, who recognizes members who have hit milestones, such as 500 pints of Guinness, while the other members tear up. After the announcement, Heaton raises a glass of the Irish Mother's Milk and toasts the members. The next Dublin On Doyle's finalist will be drawn at 8 p.m., followed with the Irish drinking bluegrass band The Rusty Cleavers. From 8-10 p.m. the weekly Knowledge Night trivia contest waits for no party, with shotty rewards.

2. Thousands of people across the country, mostly women, play Bunco, which originated as a British parlor game and came to the United States as a gambling game in the 1800s. More recently, Bunco was prevalent among housewives who would play at lunchtime while their husbands worked. Today, it has evolved into an evening social event, such is the case every third Wednesday at Morso wine bar. Kicking off with a social hour at 6 p.m., the dice roll at 7 p.m. Morso will serve a Bunco Bites menu. Expect prizes for the biggest winner and loser. Space is limited; RSVP at 253.530.3463.  

3. If you'd like to see and hear what the Arctic Circle is before it melts away, as well as Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland, the World Affairs Council Tacoma hosts Beth Willis and Becky Bianco who will recount their journey to theses locales, which included encounters with reindeer, hot springs, geysers and a traditional Sami Village. Their "Places You Never Expect To Go: Crossing The Arctic Circle and Above" lecture begins at 7 p.m. in Annie Wright's Great Hall.

4. The Jazz Sound Trio, aka Pacific Lutheran University jazz faculty members David Deacon-Joyner on piano, Clipper Anderson on bass and Mark Ivester on drums, perform at 8 p.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall.

A year ago this week the Easy Star All Stars performed their opus, Dub Side of the Moon, at Jazzbones. Replacing of the cash registers on "Money" with rhythmic bong rips was brilliant. "Us and Them" was an utter showstopper in reggae. The reggae collective is back at Jazzbones to blend reggae, classic rock, dub and indie rock into one big stone groove at 8 p.m. The band with the greatest name in the world is also holding court at Jazzbones. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is a young group of fantastic musicians who kerplunk the one-drop pure and beautiful. Yeah sure, it's reggae, but there's no Rasta-posturing in the group's original tunes, just good, original, fun music - danceable as hell, too.

LINK: Wednesday, Sept. 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Marshawn Lynch, the Seattle Seahawks rugged running back, would have been on his feet, cheering and clapping.

Airman 1st Class Parker Gill, in his own Beast Mode fashion, overcame a strong challenge and a muddy, 3.5-mile obstacle course to win his wave at the Subway Beast Mode Challenge Saturday at Meadowbrook Farm near North Bend.

Senior Airman Kyle Knoblock, who along with Gill is with the 446th Security Forces Squadron, placed a muddy second in their wave. To win, Gill had to get over, under and through 12 football-themed obstacles that included hills, barriers, water, mud and sludge.

Gill, covered with mud from head to toe, held off his friend and strong field to place first. To even finish the muddy course, runners had to draw on their inner Beast Mode.

The muddy race was sponsored by Air Force Reserve recruiting and proceeds from the race went to Fam 1st Foundation, a program started in part by Lynch, the Seahawks hard-hitting running back whose nickname is "Beast Mode". The foundation's mission is to help put inner city youth out of trouble with the law and on a positive path. The foundation's goal is one of "empowerment and education aiming to build self-esteem and academic learning skills in underprivileged youth."

At the 3.5-mile muddy run challenge, the Air force Reserve recruiters were also on hand to answer questions about the Air Force reserves. The obstacles of the race included slides, walls, mud pits and water for runners to survive and get through.

Whether contestants were desk jockeys, taxi moms or average Joes, everyone had to draw on their inner Beast Mode to finish the race. It was an opportunity for contestants to come out and tear up an obstacle course meant to keep them from reaching the end zone. The muddy challenge couldn't stop Gill and Knoblock.

Gill had to rely on his inner Beast Mode so he could move faster, jump higher and survive the muddy course. And that inner strength is something every reservists draws on to get their job done. Every play, every game, Lynch gives it everything he has. And after a game he donates his time and money to raise awareness through his Fam 1st Foundation about the needs of inner city kids.

Lynch, who avoids interviews with sportswriters before and after games, lets his actions on the field speak for itself.

"I ain't never seen no talking win me nothin'," Lynch said.  

Lynch got the nickname Beast Mode because of his smash-mouth, hard-hitting running style he has with the Seattle Seahawks. Lynch was a first-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2007 and he became the Bills' first rookie in 30 years to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Lynch graduated from the University of California as the Bears' second all-time leading rusher with 3,230 yards. 

Lynch partnered with Joshua Johnson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' fifth-round draft pick in 2008 and later the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, to start their foundation.

When asked by an ESPN reporter about why his foundation is important, Lynch said, "My city where the crimes is going on, it seems like the kids are getting younger and younger."

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7 2014 >>>

1. In the same way that sharks must keep swimming to keep breathing, it seems guitarist Rafael Tranquilino must fuse genres across various musical projects in order to stay afloat. His arrangements incorporate blues, funk, rock, funk, ska, metal, reggae, Latin and jazz-fusion. As accomplished as he is varied, Tranquilino will enter Dave's of Milton's science lab and experiment with bassist Farko Dosumov, drummer Ivan Gunderson and B3 organist Brooke Lizoette at 8 p.m.

2. The Fort Nisqually Living History Museum's Crafts of the Past program features milliner Dana Repp as this weekend's artist-in-residence from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program - which will be ending this month - allows visitors to see the "creativity of daily life" in crafts of the 1800s (other crafts for September include tin whistles and cyanotypes, a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print). Repp makes period replicas of bonnets based upon examples in museum collections, period illustrations and photographs. Examples of various 19th century bonnets will be on display, and Repp will demonstrate bonnet construction methods.

3. The XPLORE Adventure Race(s) is new this year at the Washington State Fair. There will be an all-ages race at noon and then a 6 p.m. race for those 21 years and older. The fun runs will allow teams of 2-5 people to compete throughout the fairgrounds by solving clues, completing challenges and turning in proof. Space is limited, so early team registration is recommended.

4. OK, OK, yes we told you The Social Bar and Grill's patio would a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and dig resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music last Sunday. We apologize. Who knew the DJs preferred the Fussy Cloud Puppet Jam at Bumbershoot? Anyway, the triple threat of delicious booze, sun and hip tunes known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party "Dayclub." is back on today from 2-6 p.m.

5. Nashville's 10 String Symphony blends aggressive, almost discordant, Celtic and punky string-chording experimentations. Vocally, Rachel Baiman and Christian Sedelmyer lock in seamlessly, and their vocal duets often take center stage despite the fact that they are self-described fiddle players. Check the duo out with the Tattletale Saints at 7 p.m. in Tacoma's Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3 2014 >>>

1. Teach Me Equals is a two-piece based out of Sarasota, Florida. Made up of Erin Murphy and Greg Bortnichak, Teach Me Equals do not fall under the lazy umbrella of a duet. Rather, they embody the unique relationship that develops between two people that actually collaborate. Watching them perform means seeing two people that understand the conversation that occurs, not just between artists, but between their instruments, and the give and take of the songwriting process. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Teach Me Equals in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with RedRumsey, Hamartia and Sounjaneer at 8 p.m. in the all-ages club Northern in downtown Olympia.

2. If you're looking for more helpful back-to-school tips, Harlequin Productions' improv troupe Something Wicked hosts Something Wicked Goes Back to School, an Improv Comedy Show at 8 p.m. They will present the joys (and tragedies) of going back to school, with the help of your suggestions. Something Wicked knows to approach everything with a sense of humor. When your roommate makes a grumpy quip about the noise keeping her awake, quip back.

3. Every Wednesday Doyle's Public House hosts Knowledge Night, its version of a pub quiz, at 8 and 9 p.m. It is free to play. Speaking of free, bar co-owner Russ Heaton is free to roam the room and look over your shoulder, crack wise and punch you in the arm. Tonight, for the second week in a row, Doyle's is giving away a pair of tickets to the Seattle Sounders versus Real Salt Lake game along with two seats on the Designated Driver Express, aka Doyle's Sounders Party Bus. Each member of the winning quiz team gets a Jameson token, with a maximum of six people.

4. One Drop based in San Diego, California, embraces the spirit of classic roots reggae and dub music with a calculated blend of R&B, pop and rock subtleties. Inspired by artists such as Steel Pulse, Gregory Isaacs and The Police, One Drop's music is infectious and well received by a wide range of age and cultural demographics. Catch the band with Barry Black and The Hookys at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones.

5. The Phoenix, Arizona, band Electrisad make music that's perfect for swooning young lovers. Simple synths and gentle melodies weave in and around the cooing vocals. When things rise above a tender whisper, the energy is offset by a lingering sense of melancholy. Even with the overarching sadness inherent in Electrisad's oeuvre, there's still that pining bit of hope around the edges, of the thought that there's sunshine around the corner. Chill with Electrisad and Anna Gordon at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Wednesday, Sept. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, AUG. 26 2014 >>>

1. From stories about sleeping on couches and siblings' deaths and to tales about being snubbed by producers who tend to forget they even exist and stars who'd do anything to avoid ceding the stage to a backup, The Standbys captures the unshakable grip live performing has on these Broadway understudies, as well as the personal and familial sacrifices that come along with their in-reserve roles. Catch the film at 2:15 and 7 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

2. Contrary to popular perception, writing is actual work. No matter the frivolity of the piece, even if it be a mere 5 Things To Do Today blurb, you can rest assured true blood, sweat and tears were spilled during its composition. Perhaps not as much blood, sweat, etc., in this blurb, as say in a novel, or a poem, or an essay, or a radio jingle, but. ... This is not the point. The point is that now it's time for you to meet local author Lindsay Schopfer and get in on his Writing Workshop: Creating Original Worlds.at 5:30 p.m. in the Tumwater Timberland Library. He will guide you through creative world building methods, and shares a variety of techniques to make your worlds as original as possible. You can say he is the word on worlds. Or you can just write it.

3. Rolling Stones tribute band Tumbling Dice perform at 6:30 p.m. in the Red Wind Casino.

4. Last year, The New Frontier Lounge adopted a game night for Tuesdays, called Settlers of Kaletron. MC'd by Kale Iverson, the night revolved around tables of drunk revelers playing rounds of The Settlers of Catan, while Kaletron played ukelele and improvised looped electronica. For the month of August, the event has been revived, with game nights every Tuesday at 9 p.m. This time around, though, attendants are being encouraged to bring along board games of all varieties.

5. Sons of Hippies are a dark psych/space rock band from Florida who believe the moon landings were staged and that free love doesn't necessarily mean they won't charge a fee. Singer/guitarist Katherine Kelly meanders on topics such as post-apocalyptic wastelands, desertion, true love, and untimely death amid a sonic web of noisy, glitch psychedelia. Catch the band at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Tuesday, Aug. 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, AUG. 8 2014 >>>

1. Tonight will see round three of the confluence between small businesses and indie music performances in a moment of synergy that won't rub you the wrong way. Dubbed the Downtown Music Crawl, the event will feature three downtown businesses showcasing three brief, consecutive concerts. Starting with Q Dot at 6:30 p.m. in Anthem, Will Jordan at 7:45 in Bleach and ending at 9 p.m. with The Rockwell Powers Band at urbanXchange, the event is designed to reward those who do the crawl and hit all three stores. Ten dollars cash allows you in to all three concerts, plus 15 percent discount at each store.

2. Don't know much about history; don't know much about biology, who cares? What matters is how much you know about Tacoma. Here's your chance to strut your Tacoma stuff: a trivia game where your local knowledge feeds your ego and your sense of belonging. Dr. Bill Baarsma, former mayor of Tacoma, will host History of Tacoma Free Trivia Night from 6:30-9 p.m. at The Forum. Expect history-themed eats and drinks. Wear period costumes for door prizes. What Tacoma woman was a nurse for 30 years before running for state office? You know. What Jack lived in the grotto by the Tacoma Hotel in the 1890s? Why, that's easy. What two Tacoma clubs, owned and operated by the Downings, were home to local bands in the 1990s? You puked outside of both. Here's your chance to impress your friends and neighbors.

3. Andras Jones created Radio8Ball in 1998 on KAOS in Olympia. Now, he is producing it as a local TV series (for the web, for now) with Olympia Film Collective. The episodes are filmed in front of a live audience at Rhythm and Rye in downtown Olympia, including tonight at 8 p.m. Radio8Ball has fun with synchronicity, choosing the songs that answer the questions by spinning "The Wheel of 8" or picking a Radio8Card, and using the music and lyrics of the song to answer questions from the audience, drawing in associations with other systems, like tarot, astrology and numerology. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Radio8Ball.

4. For rock guitar fans looking for instrumental jams à la such '80s shredders as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson, the Travis Larson Band has made sure the genre is still living and breathing in the new millennium. The band hits the Jazzbones stage at 8 p.m. with Nolan Garrett and Larry Mitchell opening. This show will rock. 

5. Seattle thrash metal legends Coven plan to rule McCoy's Tavern at 9 p.m. with Iron Kingdom and Reficul. After 20 years, they are re-releasing their third album, Boneless Christian. Coven demonstrate shock-comedy metal at its finest.

LINK: Friday, Aug. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, JULY 8 2014 >>>

1. I remember the day when my junior high buddies and I finished our weekly Wednesday of all-you-can-eat Pizza Haven feast then strolled into the Villa Plaza to check out girls inside the Liberty House store. Suddenly girls took a back seat when sitting in the middle of the store was the debut of Pong. The store manager had to kick us out. Today, video-game competitions are serious business, with tens of thousands of dollars in prize money at stake, sponsorship deals and all the other trappings of a big-league sport. But there was a time when video games were much simpler - and probably a lot more fun, too. The Tacoma Public Library wants my generation to relive those good times. It's hosting a Retro Video Gaming for Grownups night from 5-7 p.m., erecting Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System, PS1 and Gamecube systems. Who's up for some Missile Command? Oh joystick! 

2. Jessica Oreck's documentary Aatsinki: The Story of Artic Cowboys chronicles a year-in-the-life of Finnish reindeer herder brothers Aarne and Lasse Aatsinki's rugged existence. Hear sounds of crackling flames, the insistent rasp of wind against her microphone and the hum of a generator at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

3. Join author Novella Carpenter for a reading from her latest book, Gone Feral, at 6 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library. After writing the national best seller, Farm City, Carpenter has turned to write a more personal book about her family. The book documents her quest to find her missing mountain man father. Novella was raised in Shelton, and currently lives in Oakland, Calif. 

4. This may be a bit weird, but our favorite smell in the world is polyester ink. The strong odor makes us weak in the knees, which is why we are pumped for Last Word Books' poetry reading at 7 p.m. Last Word moved to 111 Cherry Street NE in Olympia, sharing a building with local screen printing company Don't Stop Printing. Sure, our ears will be tuned to poets Adam Hassel, Paul Elliott, Craig Harrison, Cleo Divine and Tess Elizabeth, but our noses will be wandering.

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, July 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JUNE 6 2014 >>>

1. No matter how advanced video games get, there's still something special about smacking a metal ball around a ringing, blinking maze of machinery. Celebrate the bliss of pinball with collectors, enthusiasts and exhibitors alike at this weekend's Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show at the Tacoma Convention Center.

2. University Place based Dance Theatre Northwest, a 501-c-3 non-profit arts and community outreach organization, stages a free performance featuring excerpts from the classics Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Paquita and contemporary ballet, Broadway, jazz and musical theatre pieces at 1:15 p.m. in Lakeview Hope Academy in Lakewood.

3. Morso wine bar in Gig Harbor hosts Talbott vineyards from 5-7 p.m. for tastes of 2011 Sara Case Chardonnay, 2012 Diamond T Pinot Noir, 2012 Kali Hart Pinot Noir, 2012 Logan Chardonnay and 2012 Logan Pinot Noir.

4. Peter Story - who has appeared in primetime shows on three major networks - will take the Theatre on the Square stage during the one-man stage show Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and bring the two sexes together over a night of entertainment - especially since males and females operate in such different ways. The 7:30 p.m. show is based on the best-selling book by John Gray. The relationship guide, released more than 20 years ago, was translated into more than 40 languages and has sold more than 60 million copies.

5. Just as turntablism - the art of playing records - has made an instrument out of a medium, the movement's DJs have made the transition from enablers to performers. Tonight's "Smart People" event, organized by Tacoma's Mr. Melanin, seeks to put a little stress on that assumption by presenting DJs in an improvised setting, touching on R&B and electronica, bringing in indie rock, boogie-woogie and disco. Dancing is awesome, but you'll catch yourself gazing at the turntable skills. It's OK. It really begins at 9:55 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge.

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

TUESDAY, FEB. 11 2014 >>>

1. You can't swing a microphone cable around South Sound's spoken-word poetry scene without hitting William Kupinse. Now the poet, Tacoma's first Poet Laureate and associate professor of English at University of Puget Sound, is teaming up with composer Greg Youtz, professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University, in the performance Poetry Above the Roar: Erin Calata Sings Songs of Gregory Youtzin the Mary Baker Russell Music Building at Pacific Lutheran University. Calata, mezzo-soprano and 2008 alumna of PLU, will sing a cycle of 10 pieces of music composed by Youtz, with words from Kupinse's collection of poems Fallow (2009, Exquisite Disarray). The words should, er, sing around 8 p.m.

2. Kill Your Darlings is the feature directorial debut from John Krokidas. The film focuses on the complicated college days of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe). Ginsberg's writing talents earn him a place at Columbia University, and he has a bright, if a bit controversial, future ahead of him. He gets to wile away his undergrad days in the company of Beat Generation wunderkinds such as Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) and William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster). Heck, his best friend is Lucien Carr (Dane Dehaan)! Ginsberg is also a homosexual in an era when it is both dangerous and illegal to be so, and he's in love with the malevolently manipulative Carr, who takes advantage of him to further his own ends. Then there's that issue of Prof. David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall), being murdered in Riverside Park. Read Jared Lovrak's review of the film here, then see it at 1:45 and 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema. 

3. Though often unfelt, the South Sound experiences earthquakes often, raising questions of preparedness for the inevitable "big one." You can never be too prepared or too alert when dealing with earthquakes. Geologists Brian Atwater and Pat Pringle will discuss how to prepare for earthquakes, and volcanoes, at 7 p.m. in The Triad Theater in Yelm.

4. Quick! Tell us who played Violet Bickerstaff, Screech's love interest, on three episodes of the television show Saved by the Bell? If you said "Tori Spelling," then going to a trivia night might be for you. There are trivia competitions all around the South Sound on a Tuesday night, where you can unleash your inner Ken Jennings. Two of our favorite Tuesday night trivia are at Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia and Farrelli's Wood-Fire Pizza in Tacoma, both start at 8 p.m.

5. The 1230 Room probably has you at "$4 lemon drops," but you also may be interested in the downtown Olympia club's Tuesday deep, tech and progressive house night "Deep Tuesdays." It launches at 9 p.m. with drink specials, no cover and resident DJs Alex Bosi and Evan Mould.

LINK: Tuesday, Feb. 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area