SATURDAY, DEC. 14, 2013 >>>

1. So Christmas is preparing to sidle up next to you and give a wet kiss under the mistletoe as it pickpockets your wallet. You want to celebrate the forthcoming holiday season but maybe you feel like you didn't fully get your Halloween fix satiated. What to do? Luckily the solution is called Happy HellaDaze's Evil Christmas Spectacular. What the hell is Happy HellaDaze's Evil Christmas Spectacular? It's a group of people who dress up in their finest evil-Christmas wear - Bad Santas, Satanic Santas, Krampuses, disgruntled elves, homicidal Mrs. Clauses, crazed reindeer, maniacal Christmas trees, sinister holiday packages, zombie snowmen and such - and then board en mass the Tacoma Link downtown to various bars. The reactions of unsuspecting holiday travelers will be half the fun. Alfred's Café and Bubble Room serves as the starting point. Participants meet there at 3 p.m. before taking the light rail to the next stop. Though how much more evil can you get than a place called the "Bubble Room"?

2. The autoharp, invented in the 1880s and a fad in the 1890s, became a virtuoso instrument among musicians in the early to mid 20th century. There's a huge debate on whether a German immigrant in Philadelphia by the name of Charles F. Zimmermann or Karl August Gütter of Markneukirchen, Germany, invented the autoharp. Now, will you need to know any of this to appreciate autoharp master Bryan Bowers at 2 p.m. in the Tacoma Public Library, when he busts out a free holiday concert sure to delight the masses? Of course not. But it won't hurt. And it just might make Bowers' mastery of the autoharp all the more impressive, as the singer songwriter is often credited as having redefined the instrument.

3. OK, while the winter solstice technically is the shortest day of the year, and nighttime falls at a ridiculously early hour, for some, the solstice means getting their party on and celebrating. In the Appalachia region, winter solstice means breaking out the instruments, sweet treats and excellent libations in a festival of dancing, music and storytelling. So why can't the South Puget Sound enjoy the same, right? Ah, but we can. The Puget Sound Revels performance brings traditions, energy and spirit right here to our own backyard in an electric, inspirational performance at 2 and 7 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

4. Working our way through Modern Kin's self-titled debut, the word that kept swimming around in our heads was "skeletal." Though the songs are adorned with expansive reverb, what you really pick out and identify are the three people behind the songs: Drew Grow, Kris Doty and Jeremiah Hayden. Even though Modern Kin's sound is big, the songs remain testaments to the tight musicianship of the trio. Modern Kin is a remarkable surefooted debut for the band, and one of the reasons may be that it's actually not a debut - not really, anyway. Modern Kin began life in 2007 as Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives, an acclaimed folk-rock band that incorporated elements of soul and spine-tingling gospel. Recently, with the loss of a member, the decision was made that a change was needed. Catch the band with Not From Brooklyn and Us Lights at 8 p.m. in Grit City Grindhouse. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Modern Kin in the Music & Culture section.

5. If you could say one thing about Purr Gato, it's that they certainly aren't into half measures. Performing absurd, space-age get-ups and brightly colored wigs, Purr Gato embrace the spectacle of performance. Lead singer Kitty K rocks a honest-to-goodness keytar, if that gives you a good idea of what to expect. Combining cartoonish new wave with trip-hop and four-on-the-floor electronica, Purr Gato make music that seems tailor made to be blared at drugged out music festivals. Catch the band at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Saturday, Dec. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, DEC. 13 2013 >>>

Ed. note: This show is actually Saturday, Dec. 14: 1. Working our way through Modern Kin's self-titled debut, the word that kept swimming around in our heads was "skeletal." Though the songs are adorned with expansive reverb, what you really pick out and identify are the three people behind the songs: Drew Grow, Kris Doty and Jeremiah Hayden. Even though Modern Kin's sound is big, the songs remain testaments to the tight musicianship of the trio. Modern Kin is a remarkable surefooted debut for the band, and one of the reasons may be that it's actually not a debut - not really, anyway. Modern Kin began life in 2007 as Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives, an acclaimed folk-rock band that incorporated elements of soul and spine-tingling gospel. Recently, with the loss of a member, the decision was made that a change was needed. Catch the band with Not From Brooklyn and Us Lights at 8 p.m. in Grit City Grindhouse. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Modern Kin in the Music & Culture section.

2. So many times during the holiday season, there are great events that last just a day, and, if we're lucky, maybe two days. However, LeMay America's Car Museum, a South Sound, state and national automotive loving treasure, takes it 12 steps further. Enjoy 12 days of Christmas at this iconic museum with awesome giveaways, Santa Claus, kid and family activities and all the rad transportation goodness that you can possibly take. Visit the website for the activities of the day. 

3. Don your festive cool weather gear and pop down to the Foss Waterway Seaport on the esplanade to see festive boats from the Tacoma Yacht Club all decked out in holiday lights and displays as they make their way to the Foss Waterway from 7:30-9 p.m. Enjoy a little holiday treat and cocoa (provided by Goodwill's Neighborhood Bistro) by the sea as you watch the boats cruise on by. Do good and bring a non-perishable food item to help out the St. Leo's food drive.

4. The Spider Ferns are a duo that aim to hypnotize. Made up largely of just electric guitar and bass, with no drums, there is very little to prevent you from getting lulled into their bubbling tones. Without percussion, the sounds tend to just wash over you, lively though they may sometimes get. The band performs at 9 p.m. with Oh Dear! and J. Martin in The New Frontier Lounge.

5. Tonight is the first show from Muh Grog Zoo, a four-man improv group that creates an improvised one-act play, starting only with a single word from the audience. Shout the word at 9:45 p.m. in The Lakewood Playhouse.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Friday, Dec. 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Operation Homefront is dedicated to providing emergency assistance to servicemembers and their families 365 days a year and right now that includes providing them with a holiday meal.

The annual Holiday Meals for the Military event creates 7,500 meal kits, which include all the grocery items necessary for a holiday meal for four people - including a $30 Wal-Mart gift card for the purchase of perishable items - and then distributes them to lower and mid-grade ranking military families, E-1 thru E-6, at 22 military installations, including Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which will run the program between Dec. 13-20.

Read more...

THURSDAY, DEC. 12 2013 >>>

1. Ho, ho, hold up  -  where's your ugly holiday sweater? Don't show up to Tacoma Runners Ugly Sweater Run tonight without one, because some sort of ugliness  -  be it a deck-the-halls display or a simple Santa face - is mandatory. The event will kick off with a 6:30 p.m. check-in at Slappy's Garage - North End Tavern. The Christmasy 3-mile run will wind through Tacoma's northend, with the runners returning to Slappy's to toss back a bunch of drinkies. You've finally got a use for that reindeer sweater grandma knitted you, so Febreeze off the mothball odor and come run around the Proctor District to spread some Christmas cheer.

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Ever wanted to step back into American history?

Christmas at Fort Steilacoom, a guided candlelight tour that depicts the history of the holidays, will be held Saturday, Dec. 14.

"This is a signature event," Joe Lewis, secretary of the Historical Fort Steilacoom Association, said as we talked in Quarters 4. 

"We picked the year 1863 because it allows our guests to see what Christmas was like here 150 years ago."

It will be quite an historical look back.

Read more...

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11 2013 >>>

1. We all have touchstones that bring the simple spirit of Christmas to our harried, mall-besotted souls. For some, it's that first burst of multi-colored light when the last string is strung. For others, it could be a long-treasured card or the smell of baking cookies. For us, it's the music. Northwest jazz and blues singer Maia Santell and her backing band House Blend perform their annual holiday concert and dance at 7:30 p.m. in Jazzbones. House Blend instrumentalists feature Ted Dortch on tenor saxophone, Jeff Ziontz on guitar, Ted Enderle on bass and Tim Malland on drums. The band's repertoire includes jazz, blues, swing, Latin, rhythm and blues and holiday favorites such as "Merry Christmas Baby," "Please Come Home For Christmas," "Santa Baby," Nancy Wilson's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" and Mel Torme's holiday classic "The Christmas Song," to name a few. 

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TUESDAY, DEC. 10 2013 >>>

1. This year's Classical Tuesdays Wine & Song Benefit in Old Town Tacoma will feature operetta selections from Offenbach and Gilbert and Sullivan, and some Kurt Weill to represent the Berlin operetta style that crosses over to cabaret. It will also feature mezzo-soprano Dawn Padula accompanied by pianist Denes Van Parys - doling out tunes by Edith Piaf, William Bolcom and songs from Kander and Ebb's musical, Cabaret. Equally important, the night will feature lovely Cabernets, which kicks off at 7 p.m. inside the Connelly Law Offices. This annual event benefits the free Classical Tuesdays in Old Town chamber music series. 

THIS IS NEXT WEEK: 1. Tacoma native Erik Hanberg is a man who wears many hats. One day, you may see him fulfilling his duties as commissioner of Metro Parks Tacoma; on another, you may spy him petitioning to pay tribute to legendary scribe and fellow Tacoman Frank Herbert, author of the Dune series, by loaning the same moniker to a local park. More recently, you may have spied him signing copies of his newly released novel, The Lead Cloak, Book One of the Lattice Trilogy,which he'll do again at 7 p.m., Dec. 17 at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. Read Jackie Fender's Q&A with Erik Hanberg in the Music & Culture section.

2. If you prefer to purchase your daddy issues in bulk, you might buy into the paterfamilias misery of Gilles Legrand's unnerving drama You Will Be My Son, offering heavy value in the I-Hate-You-Dad Department. Exacting in his work and uncaring in everything else, Paul (Niels Arestrup) pours every ounce of love and attention he's got into his successful Saint-Émilion winery, leaving nothing for his son, Martin (Lorànt Deutsch). Yikes. See how it plays out at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

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. Spanaway has some similarities with Texas. For one, Spanaway likes to go big - in the drive-thru line, and when it comes to holiday light displays. In its wattage-chowing 18th year, Fantasy Lights offers oohers and ahhers a night of blinking and glowing bliss from 5:30-9 p.m. The two and a quarter mile long parade of lit-up scenery has its own peculiar sense of majesty, and it goes without saying that it's the perfect treat for a family to soak up the holiday spirit.

5. Berkeley singer/songwriter Ryan Dishen will perform at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Tuesday, Dec. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Strangely Alright is more than all right - the band is awesome. Its music is fun, timeless and real. The band can laugh, cry and flip people off all in one album, backed up by talent and experience.

The band also makes cool music videos in antique stores - Rampart, to be exact - and invites the community to dress up and join in the fun. The result is totally classy and totally Tacoma.

"We came away with such a sense of family and community after the shoot," says Regan Lane, guitarist and vocalist for the band. "I hope people are able to feel that way when they watch it."

Push play below for five minutes of feel good. "If I Don't Laugh, I'm Only Going To Cry" is an easy classic, an instant like and you might even see faces you recognize. Enjoy!

If Strangely Alright hits the right chord with you and you want more of their Beatles/Bowie-esque sound, see the band live Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink. You may watch the band for free, or pay $4-$8 and ice skate to its two-hour set beginning at 7 p.m.

"I love Christmas," says Lane with a laugh. "Yes, it's true. I'm just a big kid stuck in a man's body. Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" has always been one of my favorite holiday songs and I get to play it this year. Just doesn't get much better."

STRANGELY ALRIGHT, 7-9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, Franciscan polar Plaza, 17th and Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, free admission, $4-$8 ice skate, polarplaza.com

See Also

Tacoma power pop band Strangely Alright nails its first release

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

SUNDAY, DEC. 8 2013 >>>

1. Generally, music intended for children is perky, chipmunk-y, condescending, cloying and unlistenable for anyone old enough to cut his or her own meat. Enter Kim Archer (cue: needle scratching across Bill Withers' "Use Me"). That's right, kiddies. Tacoma's R&B, soul and funk queen will strum from a doll chair and cause a clap riot from 1-2:30 p.m. at Gibson's Frozen Yogurt Shoppe in Tacoma's Stadium District. Good Mojo Records has released a full length, all original children's music, Music from Planet Cool, featuring the songwriting and vocal talents of Archer and Ivan Pla. The 10-track CD is an accompaniment to the series of books from Tacoma-based publishers Max 'n Me Studio called the Magic Friendship Series. They began as stories from the viewpoint of a 10-year-old autistic boy named Max. Pile the kids into the Family Truckster and head to the sweet tastes of Gibson's e for a Sunday afternoon CD release party.

2. Sugar and spice and everything free is the song for today's Let It Snow community festival, a merry, merry tradition that's ho-ho-hosted every year by the Tacoma Art Museum. The free community event lights up at 10 a.m. and includes dance performances and festive music. While the entertainment fills the main floor, free craft projects will be offered upstairs. Create a pop-up holiday card for family and friends, or buy something cool in the gift shop. Everything the Tacoma Art Museum envisioned this holiday season comes to fruition today.

3. On a scale of one to 10 (one being the worst, 10 being the best), there is a Southwestern Washington community tradition that takes holiday tree decorating to an 11. Better yet? These beautiful trees (along with fun festivities) are present for a great cause. The annual Festival of Trees benefits the children and families of Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center. Approximately 70 uniquely decorated trees set in a fairy-like holiday wonderland can be seen from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.

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. Little Bill has formed a big band for his Blues Vespers Christmas Blues Show at 4 p.m. in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Tacoma. 

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area