FRIDAY, JAN. 10 2014 >>>

1. The Echo Echo Echoes are a Seattle band, far from the sunny beaches that they love to evoke. Though they call themselves a surf-pop band, and they have a song nostalgically titled "Surfer Girl," they are very quick to joke that wearing wetsuits and catching waves is something very far from their own experiences. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Echo Echo Echoes in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Retrospector and Battersea at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

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THURSDAY, JAN. 9 2014 >>>

1. Green Drinks Tacoma, known locally as Tacoma's Green Happy Hour, is a monthly forum for business owners, students, academics, entrepreneurs, and members of the public to meet, exchange ideas, and grow their level of sustainability. It's a get-together for Green people - No, not individuals from other planets, but rather those interested in the environment, conservation and sustainability. Green Drinks kicks off 2014 at 6 p.m. with an informal get-together and brief discussion lead by Tacoma Power regarding its energy conservation efforts and programs at The Office Bar & Grill.

The locavore movement is real. It's in the Oxford Dictionary. So are the words doughnut hole, red velvet cake, panko, bibimbap and affogato. The English language has never stopped and will never stop evolving. Same with the locavore movement, thanks to authors such as Whidbey Island resident Vicki Robin. Her book, Blessing the Hands That Feed Us, is loaded with practical tips on adopting your own locally-sourced diet, in a candid, humorous, and inspirational voice. Grab a hold of Robin's views and tips at 7 p.m. in Orca Books.

The Tides Tavern has been an anchor in Gig Harbor nightlife scene. If the waterfront watering hole wants to have its New Year's kickoff party on Jan. 9, who's to argue. Appropriately Gig Harbor '70s and '80s acoustic rockers The Shy Boys will be the entertainment from 7-9 p.m. Happy New Year!

4. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Now that's what we call a play. Three acts of two married couples screaming and crying into the existential void of Cold War America. Nice. Catch the pay at 8 p.m. in the Lakewood Playhouse, and pay-what-you-can.

As you read in this week's Nerd Alert! column, Rev. Adam McKinney has been following comedian Matt Braunger. "With a boisterous and animated style reminiscent of Brian Regan, Braunger has been receiving a lot of attention for the past couple years, culminating in the release of his 2012 Comedy Central special, Shovel Fighter. Coming out of a remarkably fertile scene in Chicago that also nurtured the careers of peers such as Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, T.J. Miller and Kyle Kinane, Braunger is a comedian still on the rise, and one that seems poised to keep getting better as time goes on." Catch him at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club.

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Over the course of his trilogy of books filled with fake trivia (The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All), John Hodgman posited a theory that the world is made up of jock culture and nerd culture, and that everything more or less fell within those boundaries. If this is true, then it must be said that New Year's Eve is the jockiest of all holidays, and therefore difficult on which to base a nerd column.

Longtime readers may be aware of my general disdain for New Year's Eve, but I've only recently begun to think of it as a jock holiday. This is to say, New Year's Eve is essentially a sparklier St. Patrick's Day. It is a night given over to amateurish drinking and buffoonery, couched in some faux-melancholy hogwash about the shedding of the old year and the birth of a new one. Is it any wonder that most New Year's resolutions tend toward the athletic (running marathons, losing weight, quitting smoking or drinking [get off my back!], etc.)?

Do celebrate your jockiest of holidays. But, as you do, raise a glass for the nerdiest of holidays: Groundhog Day.

Saturday, Dec. 28: The Bobs 2013 Holiday Concert

If you're seeking something profoundly nerdy to enjoy over the holidays, you may now cease your seeking! The Bobs have spent 30 years as the blessed pinnacle of nerd-dom. Combining a capella, comedy music, and pop cultural and historical references, the Bobs cover all four quadrants of nerd culture. Their press release describes them as "a musical equivalent of a Gary Larsen drawing," which I know just made several nerds' hearts flutter.

The Bobs' most recent release is called Biographies and, just like the name suggests, it features songs about historical figures both real and not quite real. Their Andy Kaufman ode ("Andy Always Dreamed of Wrestling") is silly and heartfelt in equal measure. Elsewhere, "Clarence Birdseye Flash Frozen Fish" is half commercial/half exploration of why flash freezing makes fish taste so darn good. It's eccentric writing that calls to mind They Might Be Giants and the Dead Milkmen, with harmonies and inventive vocals to make them stand out from the rabble. Their holiday show is not one to miss.

THE BOBS HOLIDAY CONCERT, 8 p.m., Morso Wine Bar, 9014 Peacock Hill Ave, Gig Harbor, $25, 253.530.3463

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Judging by the Trailer

New Year's Eve is for partying, right? Getting your booze on, kissing some lucky fool at midnight and feeling like crap the next morning, vowing never to drink that much again, right?

Not necessarily.

The folks at Olympia Mahayana Buddhist Center believe not everyone is looking for nightlife and are offering a New Year's Buddhist retreat Dec. 30-Jan. 1 in Gig Harbor.

"We are so happy to be able to offer it this year," says resident teacher Gen Kelsang Tsoglam. "People are experiencing so much stress and heaviness, and meditation is powerful medication without side effects."

The two-night package takes place at Camp Seymour in Gig Harbor and includes gently guided meditation practices, heated cabins and meals. Cost is $125 for members and $150 for non-members.

"Our wish with the retreat," says Tsoglam, "is for people to be able to make heartfelt resolutions based on the connection they have made with their potential on the retreat and carry it through the whole of the 2014, making it the happiest, most relaxed ever."

MONDAY, DEC. 9 2014 >>>

1. The Alaskan band Historian is reminiscent of Tacoma's Pioneers West, with their wounded animal lead vocals, mixed with the sort of populist guitar rock of Handsome Furs. Historian delivers a tough indie rock, surging with bruised masculinity. Catch the band at 8 p.m. in the all-ages venue Northern in downtown Olympia.

2. You're sick and tired of driving through the neighborhood looking at the homes of people who think they deserve an award for their light displays. You deserve to take a night to go see Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Billed as the region's biggest walk-through light show, Zoolights includes animated light sculptures, live entertainment, snacks, animal encounters and the Paul Titus Carousel. While enjoying your stroll, be thankful you're not in charge of this holiday light display. The lights flip on at 5 p.m.

3. How do you escape the pressures of the holidays, like, really quickly? Bundle up, drop your packages in the trunk, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at Tollefson Plaza. The Franciscan Polar Plaza, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 17th Street. The covered outdoor rink is about half the size of a hockey rink. It will have real ice and hold about 150 skaters at a time. It's open from 4-9 p.m.

4. Watch out, Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan: A new generation of directors wants your jobs. These aspiring filmmakers will showcase their efforts at the first TCC Student Film Showcase. A team-taught class at Tacoma Community College's Gig Harbor campus launched a film event that will raise funds for student veterans in honor of TCC's former Veterans' Affairs coordinator, the late Bill Harrington. With the volunteer assistance of TCC alumnus and film school grad Bryan Schroeder, instructors Christie Fierro and Mike Blair took students through the basics of film production in one quarter. Collaborating with Peninsula School District and the Gig Harbor Film Festival, they also set up the film showcase from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Gig Harbor's Uptown's Galaxy Theater. The venture received an outpouring of community support. Net proceeds will benefit TCC's veterans through the Bill Harrington Fund, who passed away earlier this year. Read Melissa Renahan's full feature on the TCC Student Film Showcase in the Veterans section.

5. Tacoma's own Swing Reunion Orchestra sets the stage full of holiday spirit at 7:30 p.m. during Tacoma Musical Playhouse's annual Big Band Christmas.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Monday, Dec. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, DEC. 6 2013 >>>

1. Dan Navarro, whose songs have been covered by Pat Benatar ("We Belong"), Dionne Warwick, Dave Edmunds, the Bangles and a host of others, was one-half of the very successful songwriting/performing team of Lowen and Navarro for 29 years, although as far as performances go he's had to go it alone in 2009 since Eric Lowen's diagnosis with ALS. At 8 p.m. in Gig Harbor's Morso Wine Bar, Navarro will take a break from yelling at lawmakers over intellectual property, performer and songwriter issues, to tease his album, Shed My Skin, which will be released early next year.

2. As you know, Comet ISON is "passing through" our earthly neighborhood. ISON is a giant ball of ice and rock discovered last fall by two Russian scientists using the 16-inch reflecting telescope of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON). The comet is hurtling toward the sun from the outer solar system, and as it passes the sun, its fate is unpredictable. The warmth from the sun could break it up into disappearing pieces or cause it to shine bright enough to be seen during the day. Learn about Comet ISON and other celestial bad asses at 5 p.m. in the Pierce College Science Dome.

3. CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER: Mushrooms and mycelium are an element of natural systems that can take your gardening and food production to another level. Protein, medicine and myoremediation are just the tips of the iceberg of how mycology can be of benefit to our ecosystem and ourselves. Ja Schindler of Fungi For the People will discuss traditional and modern reasons and methods for working with mushrooms for food, medicine, and mycoremediation at 7 p.m. in King's Books.

4. The "War on Christmas" decried by Sarah Palin and Bill O'Reilly isn't evident in South Sound theater, which is producing a rich variety of appropriately jolly and family-friendly shows for the holiday season. Weekly Volcano theater critics Joann Varnell and Christian Carvajal chime in with their thoughts on four local productions here.

5. It's the first Friday of the month and that means only one thing: Dance Oly Dance. Head on over to TCTV Studio A on Olympia's Westside and dance to local music – on TV! Sadly, this will be the last Dance Oly Dance. Don't miss this last historic taping at 8 p.m.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

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

THURSDAY, NOV. 21 2013 >>>

1. Antje Duvekot silky voice wraps around her songs like a nice hemp sandal. One song breaks out and tackles grittier social matters with razor sharp insights. The next song, her pitch perfect, sweet, delicate and poignant soprano voice waxes personal. Then, she'll sing a dark-eyed ballad about what becomes of people who fall short of the American Dream in uncomfortable detail. She is as understated as she is wise and her songs go down mentally as well as soulfully. Her voice has a sound of innocence and naivety, which makes razor sharp insights into the human condition. Catch the Boston folk darling at 8 p.m. in Morso Wine Bar in Gig Harbor.

2. Your smokin' local ticket to great art, cool venues, celebrity tour guides, shopping, delicious nibbles, special treats, games, raffles, and fun, fun, fun is just two words: Art Bus! Hop aboard this premier Tacoma art tour at 6 p.m. in front of the Tacoma Art Museum and explore the city, enjoy games, great giveaways and so much more with a wickedly wonderful local twist. Tonight, the Art Bus gives back to the community by donating non-perishable food items to help the hungry (those who donate get a VIP raffle ticket to say thanks).

3. The University of Puget Sound's Art + Science Salon series returns to the Tacoma Art Museum for a conversation about the intersection of science, literature and the printed medium at 6 p.m.

4. The last CONVERSATIONS RE: TACOMA urban design lecture series will center on the arts and its influence on the livelihood of a community, such as Tacoma, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum of Glass. The after party will be at The Social Bar and Grill where the topic will be how cocktails affect an arts discussion.

5. And just when you were about to reach karmic exhaustion and flip on South Park, the anthology Sarasvati Takes Pegasus as Her Mount - featuring poems by Peggy Barnett, Glenna Cook, Maria Gudaitis, Marjorie Rommel, Josie Emmons Turner, Connie Walle and 11 other women poets  - is released, with a 7 p.m. celebration at King's Books. And the calm flows into your skin like the cool rays of the morning sun.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

B Sharp Coffee House Tacoma - Triangle District. Ty Wilan. High energy R&B. 8pm-11pm. free.

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Brakemouth, Not From Brooklyn, Future Fridays and the Sound of Speed. 9 pm. $5.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Blue Grit Gypsy Band. 9:30 pm. NC.

The Gig Spot Gig Harbor. The Blackberry Bushes Stringband. All Ages. 8 pm. $12.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Approach CD Release Party, with Vividal, Mighty High. 8 pm. $8.

• A cursory look at the Tacoma reggae quartet The Approach's debut record suggests the band favors upbeat rhythms over the lazy, laid-back tempos preferred by too many of its contemporaries. This gives the songs an exceptionally strong rhythmic backbone. Combining hip-hop, reggae, rock and ska, the band isn't afraid to throw in some unexpected tricks, such as shredding guitars and a few Anthony Kiedes-like interludes. Although some of the songs go on a bit long, they rarely sound self-indulgent. No, instead they sound like a party, which is exactly what the band's live shows bust out. Drop by Jazzbones Saturday night for The Approach's CD release party with Vividal and Mighty High setting the tone - emphasis on "party." - Ron Swarner
  

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Shit Blizzard, Fox & The Law, Thunders Of Wrath. 9 pm.

The Lochs Tacoma - Downtown. Under Sin, Black Top Demon, Riot and Rhythm. 8 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Lefthead, Beyond Theory, Charlie Drown. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. The Kareem Kandi Band. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Metronome Coffee Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Debbie Neigher. All Ages. 8 pm.

• A hip coffeehouse and a young, bright singer/songwriter/pianist from the Bay Area? Sounds perfect for a November evening. Debbie Neigher is on tour to promote her sophomore album, Unravel, a joint effort by talent that has worked on The Mountain Goats, Rogue Wave and Death Cab for Cutie. The result is lovely, with a lot of feminine power, a lot of pop-synth and a lot of heart. Dancing or relaxing would both be appropriate when listening Neigher's soprano sweet voice and piano-driven jams. Hype for the artist from San Francisco Bay Guardian reads, "She's youthful (just 24), yet her voice is strong and conveys a wise understanding of past, similar to Michelle Branch or Fiona Apple. Her lyrics often dive into difficult topics ... And her intricate piano work soars." - Nikki McCoy
  

Northern Olympia - downtown. Aan, Gothic Tropic and guests. 8 pm. $5. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Aan in the Music and Culture section.

Southbay Dickerson's BBQ/Pig Bar Olympia - Downtown. Daniel "Mudcat" McKinstry. 8 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Argonaut, Dogs Of War, Skies Below, Furry Buddies. 9 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Aan, Gothic Tropic. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Cleric, Czar, Mahnhammer, Barefoot Barnacle. 9 pm.

Red Bicycle Bistro and Sushi Bar Vashon. The Ian McFeron Band. All Ages. 8:30 pm. NC.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Rockodiles. 8 pm. NC.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Correo Aereo. All Ages. 8 pm. $10-$15.

Treos Tacoma - Central. Michael Coucoules. All Ages. 7-9 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Midnight Ride. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music Saturday, Nov. 16 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, NOV. 15 2013 >>>

1. Drunken Telegraph (taking its name from a Rudyard Kipling quote about Tacoma) is a local storytelling live show. Each show has a central theme featuring various Tacomans telling different stories on that theme, with the final act being a storytelling slam from members of the audience. This installment - hosted by the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts as part of their "Free For All" series - is entitled "Clash of the Titans," and will focus on the battles faced by the evening's storytellers. The tales begin at 7:30 p.m. inside Broadway Center Studio III.

2. Talented artists command the Madera Architectural Elements Showroom semi-monthly, illuminating their work and creativity with the visually aided enhancement implied by the name of the series, TRIPOD Slide Shows. Created by Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino, the night of digital slides features three artists and one creative theme.  The next TRIPOD Slide Show slides into Madera tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. featuring 15-minute slide shows by Becky Frehse, Burk Ketcham and Sam and Sarah Tower following the theme "Americans Who Work Abroad."

3. Working Class Theater NW presents pop-up theater showcases readings from its upcoming season - thanks to the generosity of Spaceworks Tacoma. At 7:30 p.m., enjoy a staged reading of David Mamet's Life in the Theater, the first show WCT will be producing next year, on the 3rd floor of the Downtown Tacoma Post Office.

4. Regardless of your stance on Jane Austen's writing style, Lakewood Playhouse's production of Pride and Prejudice is a funny, well-acted play that will leave you loving the delightful characters, hating the rude and being impressed with the acting and technical skill of everyone involved. Catch it at 8 p.m. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Pride and Prejudice in the Music and Culture section.

5. Champagne Sunday brings its folk rock to the new Gig Spot in Gig Harbor at 8 p.m.

LINK: Friday, Nov. 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

By the American Distilling Institute's count, it projects between 600 and 800 craft distilleries will be in operation nationwide by the end of 2015. Unlike "whiskey," "craft" is an inexact term: It's typically used to refer to the underfunded upstarts in unexpected places who give up jobs as IT consultants and graphic designers - or keep their job as an attorney and work round the clock - to make liquor. There are craft distillers who are devout in their methods, and craft distillers who buy secondhand spirits from established distilleries to put in bottles with fancy labels. Much to the chagrin of distillers who consider themselves members of the former group - and consumers who spy romance and populism in a pricey fifth of garage gin - there's a good amount of swill being sold under the craft banner, largely because self-regulation and education can't keep pace with the eye-popping growth of micro-distilling.

Life is too short to drink swill.

Heritage Distilling Company in Gig Harbor is as hot as the Seahawks right now. Yes, the Stiefel family, and I do stress "family," is working hard to promote its small batches of whiskey, gin, vodka and brandy. Yes, HDC has an innovative member club and beautiful distillery space for parties and such. But, most importantly, team Stiefel produces damn tasty spirits, and it has the awards to prove it.

And if you're looking to sample HDC's spirits, Saturday is an opportune time. The distillery releases its anticipated Elk Rider Blended Whiskey beginning at 10 a.m.

I recently toured HDC's beautiful digs - the former site of 7 Seas Brewery - and after chatting with husband and wife owners Jennifer and Justin Stiefel - I discovered their corporate tag line is true - "Every spirits has a story." And Justin Stiefel can tell a story.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: What's the story behind the new Elk Rider Blended Whiskey?

JUSTIN STIEFEL: Our family was one of the first to settle in the Lake Quinault and Upper Queets region, which is now in the heart of the Olympic National Park. The family homestead is still there, along with the original pioneer family burial plot. During their time there, they began raising and domesticating elk, eventually teaching them to be ridden.

The Elk Rider Blended Whiskey being released Saturday, Nov. 2, is the first big whiskey release we have had. It is a blended whiskey with light sweet hints of bourbon, hints of spiciness on the back end and a long, lingering finish. When we made this blended whiskey, we weren't trying to make a bourbon or a rye or a scotch, because those types of whiskeys each have very specific flavor profiles that connoisseurs expect. We have bourbon, rye and single malt whiskey in barrels aging, and they won't be released until we think they fit the bill. In the meantime, this blended whiskey is a good sipping whiskey, smooth and sweet with a hint of spice.

It is being released under the Elk Rider label because what is cooler and more unique than the idea of someone riding an elk? And we like to remind people that we have the original glass negatives of our family members on the elk to prove it.

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