SUNDAY, DEC. 28 2014 >>>

1. Does Stickshift Annie and The Fugitives really need an introduction? Is there a more professional band? Is there a more respected one? Are you really going to pretend that you don't enjoy hearing America's sweetheart Stickshift Annie on vocals? Let alone watching her front the band with charisma few have, right? Do you not remember how great a guitarist Kimball Conant is? Geez, why are you not at The Spar right now securing a front row seat to watch this awesome blues band perform at 7 p.m.?

2. Franciscan Polar Plaza is the place to be once winter hits. Think you can find something better to do than busting out some ice skates? Yeah, good luck with that. Polar Plaza is on its fourth year of setting up an ice-skating rink decked out in wintery goodness at Tollefson Plaza, just across from the Tacoma Art Museum in downtown Tacoma. With three fabulous years behind them, the Plaza folks put their heads together and found a few key ways to make this ritzy rink even better for 2014. Skate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

3. In the Appalachians, the holiday season is devoted to dance-happy house parties. That's the tradition celebrated by husband-and-wife mountain music gurus Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones in their "Breaking Up Christmas and Appalachian Country Dance" program at 6 p.m. in the Prosperity Grange Hall. They'll be joined by caller Charmaine Slaven, fiddler Tony Mates and guitarist Catherine Alexander; and, as folks might say up in the holler, it'll be finer'n a can o' snuff.

4. Temecula, California, hardcore/death rock band The Coltranes spread holiday cheer at Le Voyeur beginning at 7 p.m.

5. As the son of longtime Seattle DJ Bob Rivers, Andrew Rivers got accustomed early to the not-always-flattering spotlight. "I was the butt of so many jokes on the radio show," he says. Maybe that's why - despite his jokes about how he's not tough enough to walk those female friends to their cars - Rivers seems to have a pretty thick skin. Read Molly Gilmore's full story on Andrew Rivers in the Music & Culture section, then catch Rivers at 8 p.m. at the Tacoma Comedy Club.

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, DEC. 27 2014 >>>

1. Forest Beutel is a fixture of Tacoma's bluegrass scene, playing banjo for The Barleywine Revue, punkgrass outfit The Rusty Cleavers and matching Julie Campbell's fierce fiddle in Dixie Highway. In September, he released If You Label Me, You Negate Me, his first solo album - a mix of high-energy bluegrass, down-tempo blues and introspective lyrics. When performing solo, Beutel picks banjo, blows the harmonica and works a bass drum and a hi-hat with his feet. From 7-9 p.m., he'll perform at the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice-skating rink as part of the Weekly Volcano's "Rhythm & Ice: Down Home Holiday Hoedown."

2. After a couple years of being stranded in the wilderness of Alaska, Saucy Yoda is once again gracing the Pacific Northwest with her presence. For those who haven't had the pleasure of catching her live, Saucy Yoda is a whirling dervish of gonzo party energy. Combining a garage punk aesthetic with full-blown, hyphy hip-hop, Saucy Yoda brings just the right mixture of bratty attitude and balls-to-the-wall, malt liquor-slamming rave-ups. Catch her with masonapron, Bango Skank, Watermelon and the Beach Boy at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

3. The mouth of boxing, former three-division world champion Adrien "The Problem" Broner, is in Tacoma to rock with DJ Taber and his crew at 9 p.m. in the Cultura Events Center.

4. Ethan Tucker may only be in his 20s, but he has already made a big name for himself in musical circles throughout the U.S. The Olympia singer-songwriter has been performing regularly since the age of 16 incorporates multiple genres such as jazz, blues, folk, and reggae in his sound. Catch Tucker at 9:30 p.m. inside Doyle's Public House.

5. In the early ‘80s, Donald Glaude filled Lakes High School house parties with Funkadelic, Commodores and underground hip-hop. From there, he emerged himself in the Seattle house and rave music scene before becoming one of the most traveled international DJs of our time. Always a smile, and women on both side of his decks, Glaude still commands the worldwide house music scene, in front of the turntables and behind the studio mixing board. Glaude returns home for a night at Jazzbones, with DJs Omar and Flave opening, and the Northwest DJ roster before him. Respect.

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

FRIDAY, DEC. 26 2014 >>>

1. Befitting an album featuring Ben Roth's first major creative output, Bod's EP, Party Drug, feels like it's crammed with ideas and off-kilter detours. "Gigantor" kicks off the album in a haze, before '70s prog-indebted guitars charge in. Tricky time signatures abound, lending a stop-start dynamic that challenges without taking away from the purely enjoyable drive of the songs. As a frontman, Roth's voice becomes more like just another instrument, awash in reverb as it softens the spikiness of the guitars. Party Drug is a great encapsulation of Roth's attitude: music for music's sake. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full interview with Ben Roth in the Music & Culture section, then catch Bod with EZTV, Mega Bog and Black Wolf at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. The phrase triple threat, meaning a person who excels at acting, dancing, and singing, is among the most overused in all entertainment. Oh, sure, any number of actors can carry a tune. I've even met trained opera singers who can manage a waltz without requiring emergency services. All the same, it's rare to meet a performer who's better than average at all three - yet the phrase seems an understatement when applied to Lauren O'Neill. She's an improv artist, a fixture in the local burlesque scene, and a go-to when, say, a sassy mistress of ceremonies is required. Now there's a new persona, "Dr. Lauren," who'll probably look a lot like Lauren O'Neill but say things distinctly less practical. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on Dr. Lauren's Holiday Bizarre! on our Walkie Talkie blog, then catch the show at 7:30 p.m. in the Urban Onion.

3. As the son of longtime Seattle DJ Bob Rivers, Andrew Rivers got accustomed early to the not-always-flattering spotlight. "I was the butt of so many jokes on the radio show," he says. Maybe that's why - despite his jokes about how he's not tough enough to walk those female friends to their cars - Rivers seems to have a pretty thick skin. Read Molly Gilmore's full story on Andrew Rivers in the Music & Culture section, then catch Rivers at 8 and 10:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Comedy Club.

4. For 12 freakin' years in a row - never wavering - The Randy Oxford Band has encouraged (hell, inspired!) you to get out of the house the night after Christmas and shake some of the tinsel and stuffing off. It's known as the "Night After Christmas Dance Party."  The gist is pretty simple - the South Sound's mad horn-blower and his gang of bluesy merrymakers tear the house down (in this case, Jazzbones - and not literally) while you shake whatever it is you have to shake on the dance floor, beginning at 8 p.m. In short order, and without fail, good times are had by all.

5. It's a final hoedown of sorts as the year draws to a close. The Rusty Cleavers and The Cottonwood Cutups takeover the Half Pint Pizza Pub at 9 p.m.

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

TUESDAY, DEC. 23 2014 >>>

1. It's two days before Christmas. Having exhausted all financial resources barring the sale of various vital organs or offspring, you drive the streets, dejected, unsure of what to do now. You venture into downtown Olympia, and you see stars - white stars, red stars, blue stars, in fact all sorts of colored lights. It's Peace on Earth. Your mouth forms a wondrous "Oh." You reach out for your loved one's hand. He/she slaps it and tells you to stop being so sarcastic. It seems to be coming from the Percival Landing boardwalk. Yes, you're sure of it. Well, God bless us, everyone, it's the 6th annual Dancing Lights Marine Christmas Show. The Olympia Yacht Club has converted the marina into a holiday light display, computer-animated mind you. Dora The Friendly Sea Dagon greets you, as does a 45-foot yacht decorated with more than 20,000 lights. The 45-minute program consists of nine musical selections and runs twice each evening from 7-8:30 p.m. Hurrah!

2. Franciscan Polar Plaza is the place to be once winter hits. Think you can find something better to do than busting out some ice skates? Yeah, good luck with that. Polar Plaza is on its fourth year of setting up an ice-skating rink decked out in wintery goodness at Tollefson Plaza, just across from the Tacoma Art Museum in downtown Tacoma. With three fabulous years behind them, the Plaza folks put their heads together and found a few key ways to make this ritzy rink even better for 2014. Skate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

3. Hello, holiday tradition! The Nutcracker ballet performance is a holiday forever classic. The Tacoma City Ballet does it up right and with a delightful twist. Did you know that there's a "prequel" to The Nutcracker called Tale of the Hard Nut? Celebrating its 31st performance season, the ballet company takes on The Nutcracker performance in its entirety, which includes the prequel. In short: prepare to be dazzled, delighted and enchanted at 3 and 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

4. Folksy, folk-writing folk hero John Denver - born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. - died Oct. 12, 1997, when the experimental plane he was flying crashed into Monterey Bay off the coast of California. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Red Wind Casino fans both casual (which way to the slots?) and rabid (dude, "Rocky Mountain High"!) will cheer on Ted Vigil - born Ted Vigil - as he pays tribute to Denver - both visually and musically.

5. Forest Beutel is a fixture of Tacoma's music scene, playing banjo for The Barleywine Revue, punkgrass outfit The Rusty Cleavers and matching Julie Campbell's fierce fiddle in Dixie Highway. In September, he released If You Label Me, You Negate Me, his first solo album - a mix of high-energy folk punk, down-tempo blues and introspective lyrics. At 8 p.m., Beutel will perform at the Eleven Eleven with friends Jake Cline and Shootdang from Portland.

LINK: Tuesday, Dec. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, DEC. 22 2014 >>>

1. If you want to see an entertaining winter play - but are going to puke nutcrackers if you see A Christmas Carol one more time - head to a special early edition of Creative Colloquy at 7 p.m. in B Sharp Coffee House. Michael Haeflinger, Titus Burley and William Turbyfill will perform jolly dramatic performances. Santa will read stories, as will local scribes Burley, Ellen Miffitt and Jennevieve Schlemmer. This CC will include the usual open mic opportunities, as well as special CC stocking stuffer zines created by Nearsighted Narwhal on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue. Yes, this is the yuletide spectacular we've been praying to Winston Churchill for.

2. The moths are on to something. Lights are awesome. Especially holiday lights. Make tonight the night you check out Zoolights or Fantasy Lights - both South Sound institutions. Zoolights, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's holiday light show and extravaganza, offers a stroll through more than half a million lights, crafted whimsically throughout the zoo from 5-9 p.m. Take a driving tour of Fantasy Lights in Spanaway Park, where carloads of travelers can see more than 300 stunning displays of lights and imaginative animation over a two-mile stretch of Spanaway Lake Park from 5:30-9 p.m. Tune in to a special holiday radio station for a little holiday music to add to the mood. A Monday evening would be a nice time to take the family out and see some bright shiny things.

3. Bert Wilson was one of the underground legends of the jazz world - and he lived in Olympia. He was a survivor of polio in the 1940s (although it has left him confined to a wheelchair), the New York jazz scene of the mid-1960s, and the California underground of the 1970s. At 8 p.m. in Rhythm and Rye, Nancy Curtis, Michael Moore, Michael Olson, Steve Luceno, Steve Bentley and Jim Pribbenow will re-birth the music of the late Bert Wilson. Righteous.

4. Since the beginning of time, The Swiss has hosted live blues every Monday at 8 p.m. Factor in the free pool on Mondays and guitar legend Brian Lee Trio on the stage, and you have yourself a night.

5. Every Monday at 9 p.m. Jazzbones is packed to the brim with party types who swarm the bar and dance to Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Tonight, the first 200 people through the door will receive a free custom printed Jazzbones Santa Hat. Bad Santa will be in the house along with Pro Photo booth plus $1 beers and no cover.

LINK: Monday, Dec. 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Dixie Highway. Remember those words. You may already know them, but in a year you'll know them better. At the bluegrass family picnic, Dixie Highway is the loud and brash kid brother, the noisy upstart from down south who would just as soon stand on your sandwich and scream into your face as slink quietly back from whence he came - deep in the woods, behind the still.

Last night was no picnic. As 20 police cars chased bad guys past the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice-skating rink on Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, Dixie Highway ripped through songs from The Barleywine Revue's repertoire and Forest Beutel's new CD, If You Label Me, You Negate Me. There were several times during Dixie Highway's two riveting sets at the rink when you had to remind yourself that this was only half and not a full-throttle Barleywine Revue. As a duo, Forest Beutel on banjo and Julie Campbell on fiddle - half of the Revue - craft some of the finest bluegrass around. Unfortunately, Forest and Julie don't book many gigs around the Sound, so here's hoping this duo gets the exposure they deserve.

Dixie Highway performed "Good Ol' Boy" off Forest Beutel's CD, which I sort of captured on video.

The word on the street is this year's Polar Plaza numbers will beat previously year's totals. Last night, the rink was packed with young and old - and a whole bunch in the middle as the photos below show.

The Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink at Tollefson Plaza is open to public ice-skating sessions across the street from the Tacoma Art Museum daily through Jan. 11.

The Weekly Volcano presents Rhythm & Ice: Down Home Holiday Hoedown every Saturday night from 7-9 p.m. at Polar Plaza. Saturday, Dec. 27, banjo musician Forest Beutel tells his other bands - The Rusty Cleavers, The Barleywine Revue and new favorite band Dixie Highway - to take a flying leap as he's performing solo at the ice rink. Ice skate in front of Beutel and show him your new clothes you scored for Christmas. In the meantime, enjoy a few photos and a video (above) from Dixie Highway live at Polar Plaza Dec. 20.

SEE ALSO

Words, photos and video from The Rusty Cleavers' live performance at Polar Plaza

Words, photos and video from Shotgun Kitchen's live performance at Polar Plaza

Words, photos and video from SweetKiss Momma's live performance at Polar Plaza

Words, photos and a video from The Cottonwood Cutups' live performance at the Polar Plaza ice rink

The backstory and band schedule for the Weekly Volcano's Rhythm & Ice music series at the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink

SUNDAY, DEC. 21 2014 >>>

1. You can bet the CD Woodbury Band will be celebrating at 7 p.m. in The Spar. Sure, the blues band is down with the holiday spirit, but more importantly, they are about a month away from the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The band won the South Sound Blues Association's "Back to Beale Street Competition," which means the Tacoma-based organization is sending them to Tennessee to compete with blues bands around the nation. Our fingers are crossed the band's eclectic array of originals and obscure "gem" covers encompassing roots, blues,rock, old school R&B, funk, jazz, jump swing and Americana - all flavored with the spirit of Jam Band improvisation - will blow the judges' minds. In the meantime, indulge in great blues and tasty brews tonight.

2. A Winter Solstice Parade will be held in Tacoma's Sixth Avenue neighborhood today. It's doubtful the druid and pagan communities will be out in full force, dressed in magnificent costumes and singing incantations while waving luminous willow lanterns. No, this parade is a staggering affair between The Red Hot's Darkest Day and Engine House No. 9's 2014 Snow Cru release party. There are many ways to celebrate the solstice, but only the souls at The Red Hot and Engine House No. 9 could, by chance, create an observance loaded with symbolism, and robust, full-bodied beers with rich color and flavor. For complete details, click here.

3. Franciscan Polar Plaza is the place to be once winter hits. Think you can find something better to do than busting out some ice skates? Yeah, good luck with that. Polar Plaza is on its fourth year of setting up an ice-skating rink decked out in wintery goodness at Tollefson Plaza, just across from the Tacoma Art Museum in downtown Tacoma. With three fabulous years behind them, the Plaza folks put their heads together and found a few key ways to make this ritzy rink even better for 2014. Skate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

4. Hello, holiday tradition! The Nutcracker ballet performance is a holiday forever classic. The Tacoma City Ballet does it up right and with a delightful twist. Did you know that there's a "prequel" to The Nutcracker called Tale of the Hard Nut? Celebrating its 31st performance season, the ballet company takes on The Nutcracker performance in its entirety, which includes the prequel. In short: prepare to be dazzled, delighted and enchanted at 3 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

5. Remember that time in high school when your parents went away? You know, plot line of every teenage movie ever made - except this time, you blew up the house. Standing in the ashes as your parents roll up, what do you do? Say it with us now -iiiiiimprovise. Take notes at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club when male and female comedians battle with improv and sketch skills.

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, DEC. 20 2014 >>>

1. Well, hidee, thar! The Tacoma Art Museum put theyselves up a big ole ice skatin' rink over at Tollefson Plaza called Polar Plaza. It's finer'n a can o' snuff, with all them little 'uns jess skatin' roun' in circles. Shoot, they's prolly ketchin' their death o' colds, but they's grinnin' like a mule eatin' briars. The Weekly Volcano has put together a bluegrass show fer the skatin ‘rink from 7-9 p.m. With Dixie Highway, the fiddle and banjo dance together to create a sound that harkens the spirit of down home Americana. Whether they are playing a barn dance or an ice-skating rink, Dixie Highway will have you on your feet, unless you slip on the ice.

2. Maybe you are done shopping for discount TVs or maybe you've just got better things to do on a Saturday than join the masses at the mall. Whatever the case, Urban Shopping & Cocktails is a breath of fresh air. Every third Saturday from 2-6 p.m., Christy Reedy of Libertine Tacoma, provides a local shopping experience inside her house on Sprague Avenue. Check that. Reedy and rock star Jensen Charnell open up their house, as he is pouring drinks from the kitchen(!). In addition to Reedy's interesting and eclectic variety of artisan salts and salt blends, other local vendors include Shroom Brothers wearable works of art, EarthNerd works, Caps "N' Scraps upcycled creations, Singe and Pepper Pot Polish candles and nail polish line and Leah Marie's jewelry - served up in an intimate space ... with refreshments.

3. The Fabulous Downey Brothers are aggressively, endearingly strange. Half performance art, half spiky art-rock, the Olympia band always bring a surging current of off-putting energy to their live performances. Calling on the daring New Wave of late '70s/early '80s groups like Talking Heads, Devo, and Adam Ant, the Fabulous Downey Brothers clothe their jumpy music in bizarre costumes and jerky dance moves. Usually, the band members wear what looks like cut out pieces of shag carpeting molded into geometric shapes around their heads, making them resemble a sort of warped children's band. This show will also feature a rare performance from the video game-obsessed, pop-punk-worshipping Cutwinkles, who always bring a goofy vibe to their live set. Also, there will be a band called Jurassic Twat, and how great is that? See it all at 9 p.m. in Half Pint Pizza Pub.

4. Like Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello, Trees and Timber have a knack for writing perfect pop songs that don't get just get by on production sheen. There's a tactile feel to Trees and Timber that lends weight to songs that are otherwise light as a feather. On their new LP, Hello, My Name is Love, their '70s AM pop-indebted songs skate by like long-lost favorites. The bouncy, piano-led opener of "Wolf & Sheep" is an ideal lead-in for an album full of music that sounds like it's been played for years, while simultaneously sounding fresh enough to stick in your brain for long after your first listen. It's not easy to record an album that feels like it's assembled entirely out of singles. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Trees and Timber in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with The Jilly Rizzo at 9 p.m. at The Valley.

5. Heretic The Heathen aka Colin McGee aka the leader of the south Puget Sound battle scene (For MCs By MCs) hosts his annual at 9 p.m. in the 4th Ave Tavern in downtown Olympia. The Olympia holiday/birthday hip-hop extravaganza will include performances from QP, AKA featuring Maya Terry, Zikki, Drumatic, Miz and Akeem. Oh, yeah ... the party will include a live lyrical roast of Heretic. Nice. All proceeds to Olympia charities.

LINK: Saturday, Dec. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, DEC. 19 2014 >>>

1. The winter holidays' bells, lights and trees are upon us, and along with them the holiday-themed shows. Nutcrackers and Christmas Carols of various stripes are rife and often beloved, but alternatives are out there, too. This week we look to Geoffrey Castle's Celtic Christmas Celebration, an all-ages, revue-style ensemble show put on by legendary violinist Geoffrey Castle at 8 p.m. in the Temple Theatre. Helping Castle bring the magic is a cast of renowned musicians and dancers, including Beth Quist from Cirque du Soleil and the Seattle Irish Dance Company. It's a safe bet Castle's will be performing tunes off his holiday CD, Underhill's Angel: A Treasury of Songs for the Season. It's a safer bet the man in the red suit will be in the house. It's the safest bet the after party will be held across the street at Doyle's Public House.

2. At 28, Stacy Jones had released five CDs, played hundreds of shows and won multiple awards, including Washington Blues Society's "Best Female Vocalist of the Year" in 2010. Her band will play Jazzbones at 8 p.m. Finding a flow of funk, blues, rock and jazz appears to come easy to The Stacy Jones Band. Its presence, talent and raw soul weave seamlessly on stage.

3. Want to drink a Cozy Sweater while wearing an ugly holiday sweater? Twisted Kilt Irish Pub hosts an ugly sweater party with an emphasis on Iron Horse Brewery beers, including Irish Death, Mocha Dream and said sweater. Expect a DJ spinning and giveaways, beginning at 9 p.m.

4. Rhythm and Rye club in downtown Olympia has launched a new monthly series called Northwest Women in Rock. Held every three months, R&R will be featuring talented women who can rock your pants off. The first showcase, at 9 p.m., will feature Alison Marie Baker, Dr. Luna, Grace Hansmeier with her band Solar Sin and rock and roll band John's Daughter.

5. Bam! - Tacoma's first cover band super group - will perform at 9 p.m. at The Swiss. We have no idea what that means, but EXCITING!

LINK: Friday, Dec. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17 2014 >>>

1. The creatures in Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular are so lifelike, it's easy for young viewers to imagine John Hammond and those mad scientists at InGen have been at it for real. But these aren't the modified movie monsters of Jurassic Park, these are puppets and animatronic actors that have been updated to keep pace with scientific discoveries. Instead of shooting 'roids into a featherless Deinonychus and calling it a Velociraptor, this 7 p.m. show in the Tacoma Dome gives us the ostrich-like (but still predatory) Utahraptor. In lieu of Tyrannosaurus duking it out with Stegosaurus - two species separated by almost 90 million years - Walking With Dinosaurs pits the plated herbivore against its contemporary foe, Allosaurus. The aim here is to educate as much as to entertain, so kids get a better idea how dinosaurs actually lived and died. They may even grasp paleontologists' current view of present-day birds as the direct descendants of Mesozoic dinosaurs. Yeah, that's right, folks: Big Bird has more in common with Grumpy from Land of the Lost than he does with Mr. Snuffleupagus.

2. The second annual Cheers to Winter Beers event takes place at 6 p.m. in the Puyallup River Alehouse. Here's the deliciousness owner Eric Akeson has planned for patrons: 10 Barrel Pray For Snow, Alaskan Winter, Elysian Bifrost, Widmer Brrr, Redhook Winterhook, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, Naked City Potlatch Smoked Maple Brown Ale, The Lost Abbey Merry Taj Christmas IPA, Puyallup River Old Pioneer Winter Ale and others. "Our 2014 Old Pioneer Winter Ale is a new recipe for this year," says Akeson. "Last year we brewed a malt-forward Amber Ale with vanilla beans and lavender. This year, we're brewing an Imperial Red IPA-style beer, with a big dry hop that all the hop heads are going to love." Santa will arrive at 7 p.m.

3. The Olympia Aloha Ukulele Pu'ukani Holiday Concert will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Lacey Timberland Library. Expect songs about Christmas luaus, decorating the palm trees and Santa arriving in a red canoe.

4. Don't let these dark days get you down, mio amico. Hop in the Christmas Revels' time machine, journey to the Renaissance, and bask in Salerno's bright, cheerful courtyard at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater. Let a troupe of commedia artists and musicians put a smile on your face. Sing along with a pub song. Wipe away tears from a lush Pater Noster, and kick up your heels to "Madama Doré," a lively canzo a ballo (wedding dance). Have some cocoa. Feel the feels. It's what England's Master of Revels would want.

5. The 7th Annual Sagittarius Celebration features a who's who of dope DJs from the South Sound, including DJ Iceman (Brooklyn), DJ Drastic (Atlanta), Kid One (San Diego), DJ Poison (Kingston, Jamaica) and a surprise visit from Tacoma's main soundbwoy, DJ Qualifi, who rocks reggae/roots/dancehall at Champions in Lakewood every Saturday. It launches at 9 p.m. in Sampan Restaurant.

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