LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. NXNW Metal Fest, with Keeping Secrets, 10:45 p.m.; Monsters Scare You, 10 p.m.; Ellis Armor, 9:15 p.m.; Crowd War, 8:45 p.m.; We were dreamers, 8 p.m.; Plague Ships, 7:15 p.m.; Athena, 6:30 p.m.; From Deeper Seas, 5:45 p.m. $10.

• NXNW Metal Fest devotes three whole days to a dizzying assortment of bands, ranging from hardcore to mainstream metal to death and speed metal. From Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 24, Sixth Avenue - specifically the Backstage Bar & Grill - will be the absolute loudest place in Tacoma. Put together by Lonnie Local and Chris Cricket Johnson, and sponsored by KISW Metal Shop, NXNW will be an all-ages event with a bar for those older than 21, and discount piercings being done by Johnson, courtesy of Action Tattoo. Read the full story, click here.— Rev. Adam McKinney

Bud's Bar & Grill Milton. Twang Junkies. 8 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Atomic Outlaws, Bloodrunk Shenanigans, Vigilante Sol, Halcion Halo. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Jack Daniels Tennesee Honey Launch Party, with SweetKiss Momma, Aces Up. 9 pm. $10.

LakeBridge Forza Lakewood. Kari Ehli Band CD Release Party. All Ages. 7 pm.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Dream On, Nolan Garrett, Dreams Jaded. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Jeff Ross. All Ages. 6 pm. James Coates. All Ages. 8 pm.

Metronome Coffee Tacoma. The Flight of Phanuel, Abi Grace. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Takata Fest, featuring Gold Teeth, Mahnhammer, Cody Foster Army. 9 pm.

• Goldteeth are fairly well unfuckwithable in these parts. Their music is supernaturally muscular punk rock, imbued with the kind of intensity that may be overwhelming with a three-piece, let alone stretched out to the expanded lineup that they possess - which can reach about seven members. Because they play infrequently, they tend to draw pretty large crowds whenever they appear, which - combined with the super-psyched feeling their band normally has - has the ability to result in a packed and volatile section at the foot of the stage. Their upcoming New Frontier show, which celebrates the birthday of Goldteeth's own Dave Takata, also features equally intense local favorites CFA and Mahnhammer. It is going to be insane. If you come, you will likely find me huddled in fear against the back of the room. - Rev. AM

Northern Pacific Coffee Co. Tacoma - Parkland. Life after Life w/guests. All Ages. 8-11 pm. NC.

Old General Store Steakhouse & Saloon Roy. Sammy Steele Band. 9 pm.

R & R Live Graham. Vintage Car Show, featuring Hard Money Saints, Hot Roddin' Romeos. 9 pm. $5 donation.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Gavin Guss. 8 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Benefit for Blind Melon Chitland from KISW. 8 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Wide Eye Panic, Rishloo, The Willow Collective. 9 pm.

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Waves & Radiation Reunion Show, featuring the return of The Legend Of Bigfoot. 9 pm.

• It's been two years and one month since instrumental rock band Waves and Radiation played its farewell show at Bob's Java Jive. On Saturday, the band will reunite for a special one-off return performance at the same coffee-pot-shaped venue where they called it a day back in 2009. Fans of Waves and Radiation will be pleased to hear that as far as guitarist Tristan McNabb is concerned, it's as if they'd never stopped playing together at all. For Jason Baxter's feature story on the reunion, click here.

Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. OFS Presents An Evening With Gillian Welch. Dave Rawlings opens. All Ages. 9 pm. $20-$25.

• Listening to Gillian Welch - in particular her new album, The Harrow & The Harvest - there's a palpable yearning that lurks in and around her music. Welch's adherence to classicism in the areas of folk, bluegrass and country has about it the mournful pang of nostalgia for a time she never experienced. While some songs bend closer to '70s singer-songwriter sounds, the majority of the album centers on the rustic sounds of the 1920s through the 1950s. There's a hew toward a time when songs largely were about characters and their heartfelt stories - albums were tapestries of American lives and the hardships and triumphs that were constantly occurring concurrently. To read my full review of the album, click here. — Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Missionary Position. 9 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Psychonaut Deathtrip, American Wrecking Company, Unhailoed, 10 Speed Warlock, Castdown. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $7.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Mandolin Grand Reopening Party with Stephen Heinzman Trio, Beaucoup Chapeaux, Gwyneth & Monko, Luke Sayers. All Ages. 11 am to 10 pm. $5.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Renegade Train. 8 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Soul Stripper. 9 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. The Informal Gentlemen, Hammerhead. 8 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Tacoma Metal Prom, with CFA, Sleeper Cell, Yuck Fou, DJ Melodica. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Second Hand Newz (Fleetwood Mac tribute), R.A.F. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Atomic Outlaws, Amadon, The Fail Safe Project, Dread Effect. All Ages. 8 pm.

Lucky Eagle Casino Rochester. Jonathan Harris. 9 pm. NC.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Andrea Lockwood 6 pm. China Davis 7 pm. Stained By A Killer 8 pm. NC.

Maxwell's Speakeasy Tacoma. Lance Buller Trio. 7-10 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. The Fucking Eagles, Night Beats, Basemint, The Cigarette Bums. 9 pm.

Old General Store Steakhouse & Saloon Roy. Robbie Walden. 9 pm.

The Royal Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Swing Dance, with Lizzy Boyer, Joe Baque, Steve Luceno, Richard Lopez. 7 pm. $5.

The Spar Olympia. Merrill Lite. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Jerry Miller Band. 9 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Failed Sobriety, Inside The Gates, Tork, Grunge. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. The Rikk Beatty Band, Travis Larson Band, Larry Mitchell. 9 pm.

Cicada Restaurant Olympia. The Joe Baque Trio. 8 pm.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. SweetKiss Momma. 9 pm. NC.

Fuse Cafe Ruston. Malcolm Clark Band 10 Year Anniversary. 8 pm. NC.

• The Malcolm Clark Band has been together 10 freakin' years! Doing anything for 10 years straight is tough ... we know firsthand, seeing as this is the 10th year of the Weekly Volcano. Saturday, Clark, Mike Couloues and crew celebrate 10 years - blues style, of course - at the F?SE Cafe in Ruston. Expect the blues-based groove Clark has come to be known for, and quite possibly a Hawaiian shirt. — Weekly Volcano

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Wide Eye Panic, Esitu, Rishloo, From The Sea. 9 pm. $5.

• Can I be honest with you? Good. My brother loves Rishloo. He is a fan of metal in a way I cannot quite wrap my brain around. Whenever he tries to talk to me about metal, he always brings up Rishloo - a band he is convinced I will like because of the way it incorporates progressive rock and psychedelia influences. At one point, he dragged me down to see a show, and you know what? It was fucking fun. The lead singer has a perfect falsetto metal wail, which works expertly with the faux-introspective flow of the music. I don't want to convince you Rishloo is more than it is, but the band is a hell of a lot of fun. And they really deliver on their ridiculous promise. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Bass Odyssey, with Brian Bromberg, Norm Stockton, Bryan Beller, Jeff Morgan, E. Pruit. 7 pm. $15.

• You like bass, sure, but are you ready to go on a motherfucking bass ODYSEEY? An odyssey is nothing to be taken lightly, my friend. ... But of course you're ready. Of course you're ready for an evening of bass mastery on display, the likes of which have rarely been seen (probably not since Bass Odyssey 2010). Billed as "an entire night devoted to the talent, technique and style of bassists Brian Bromberg, Norm Stockton, Bryan Beller, Jeff Morgan and E. Pruit," Bass Odyssey 2011 at Jazzbones Saturday may be flying under the radar for some this weekend - but will surely be talked about come Monday morning. - Matt Driscoll

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Hearts & Minutes. 9 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Heather Dale, S.J. Tucker. All Ages. 8 pm. $10.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Benefit For Urban Arts Fest, with Wheelies, Not From Brooklyn, Laser Jesus. 8 pm. $6.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. 17th Annual Experimental Music Festival. All Ages. 8 pm.

Spar Tavern Tacoma - Old Town.  Kim Archer. 8-11. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Rob Rockfish & KZOK Friends. 9 pm. $5.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Larry Murante, Terry Holder. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Uncle Sam's Rockin' Bash #1, with Charlie Drown, Unhailoed, Kashmir. 3 pm. $15-$20.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

MORE LIVE MUSIC IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Black Market Revue. 9 pm.

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. PoP-Rock-A-Rama! Gavin Guss and the Fun Boys, The Webelos, The Spins, plus Special Guests! 8pm-1am. $5.

Cassidy's Pub & Mini Golf Tacoma - Eastside. Loose Gravel & The Quarry. 8 pm.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. T-Town Aces. 9 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Prom Night 1980 Tacoma, with Stay Tuned, DJ Melodica. 9 pm. $5 couples / $6 stag.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Five Alarm Funk. 8:30 pm. $10.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Blues Redemption. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Heaven Generation, Hopeless Jack & The Handsome Devils. 9 pm.

Mary Baker Russell Music Center Tacoma - Parkland. University Jazz Ensemble. All Ages. 8 pm.

Metronome Coffee Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Flight of Phanuel, Levi Baxter. All Ages. 7 pm doors. $3.

Morso Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Tommy Tutone. 8 pm. $25.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Pioneers West, Mal De Mar, Musuji. 9 pm.

• Mal De Mar make absurdly catchy indie pop confections which, on Saturday, will be served along with the considerably more caustic Pioneers West and the experimental hard rock of Musuji. It'll be a strange grouping, to be sure, but a bill so intriguing in its strangeness that one should hardly be blamed for failing to resist it. Mal De Mar, alone, shouldn't be missed. Their "Bubble Bobble," for example, is packed tight to bursting with neat hooks and goodwill, complete with an energetically falsetto chorus. This is the kind of music to send your head floating up into the cloudless sky of these increasingly warm Washington days. Pioneers West and Musuji will be there to usher you back into the sure-to-return rain and gloom to which we've grown far too accustomed. - Rev. AM

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Princest, Hot Rush, Ketamine Fight Club. 9 pm. $5.

• The songs on Princest's EP are foreboding, lo-fi post-hardcore rock that hint at fearsome live performances just out of range of the recording equipment's ability to capture them. Slinking bass lines provide a wobbly platform upon which all of the songs shakily stand. Front man Ben Farr's vocals are pitched halfway between terrifying and terrified - even when he swallows the mic and starts screaming, there's something in his voice that sounds as wounded as it is defiant. The riffs, when they come, are heavy and plodding, a trudging march to inspire dangerous headbanging. I've seen sinkholes of mosh pits open in the floor at Northern, which this show (also featuring Hot Rush and Ketamine Fight Club) definitely seems determined to inspire. Try your best to stay on your feet. - Rev. AM

Old General Store Steakhouse & Saloon Roy. Robbie Walden. 9 pm.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Warehouse Presents Elk & Boar, Hurtbird, Brothers Young. 8:30 pm.

• When the Volcano's resident Dungeons and Dragons expert, Joe Izenman, says something, I tend to listen. (Especially when he's talking about beards or mustaches, but that's beside the point.) So, when Izenman said on SPEW a few months back, "I first saw Travis Barker leading blues outfit the Black Sails, but he's really found his niche partnered with the siren voice of Kirsten Wenlock," I knew he meant business. The group Izenman was referring to was Elk & Boar; at the time the duo had just performed in Tacoma at the Peabody Waldorf. Saturday, Elk & Boar are back, playing a Warehouse-produced free show at O'Malley's with Hurtbird and Brothers Young. There's no doubt this will be one of the best, hippest shows of the weekend. Brush your beard and come on out. - Matt Driscoll

Rock The Dock Pub & Grill Tacoma - Downtown (waterfront). Two year Anniversary Party featuring Tim Hall and Zero Down, beer garden, balloon drop with prizes, free buffet and more. 6 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Hip Replacements. 8 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Tacoma Jazz & Blues Festival Stonegate Stage, with All Star Youth Blues Jam, Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Orchestra. All Ages. 8 pm. For more information, click here.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Bevy. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Daze of Never, with KZOK & KISW DJ Rockfish & Friends. 7 pm.

Washington Center for the Performing Arts Olympia - Downtown. An Evening With Curtis Salgado. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $20-$35.

• Curtis Salgado, who spent time early in his career fronting Robert Cray's band-including holding down the main vocal duties on Cray's debut album, is a NW blues legend. He's got a blues swagger, the vocal chops and the harmonica magic to put him on a level few musicians reach. Born in Everett, currently a resident of Portland, and birthed on blues-worn stages up and down the West Coast, Salgado is the type of musician you don't get a chance to see every weekend. – Weekly Volcano
  

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Rikk Beatty Band CD Release Show, with Big Wheel Stunt Show. 9 pm.

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Agent Orange, Dead Peasants, Supernothing, The Damagers. 8 pm. $10.

• Agent Orange is old, and so are you. You listened to them on a boombox, right? A real boombox, about the size of a microwave. A boombox in the parking lot of the bank where you went to skate on real skateboards, boards with trucks no wider than your fist. That boombox was toast long before you left for college, that skateboard obsolete, but not the old-school, So-Cal surf-punk of Agent Orange. No way. – Michael Swan
  

Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. The Hard Way, Glass Elevator, The Soft Bombs, & Mongo. All Ages. 8 pm. $5-$10 sliding scale.

• The Hard Way share their name with what is perhaps one of the most ridiculously fun action movies ever. The Hard Way, the movie, is big, dumb and silly, and it stars Michael J. Fox as an actor researching a role as a cop by going on a ride-along with hard-boiled detective James Woods. Right about the third scene-chewing moment with Woods yelling at Fox about the manner in which he eats hot dogs, you get that The Hard Way is winking. Similarly, the Hard Way, the band, has a rock 'n' roll bravado that starts out as slightly off-putting, until you begin to hear the sense of humor that they have about themselves. Two or three songs in, the Hard Way become totally endearing. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

The Charleston Bremerton. 4th Annual Zombie Fest, with Dayglo Abortions, The Assasinators, Red White & Die, Generation Decline, Puke N Rally, Total Wreck, Artimus Maximus, The Americommies, Whiskey Tooth, Burn Burn Burn, Crouton Cartwheel Crusaders. All Ages. 8 pm.

Dorky's Barcade Tacoma - Downtown. Countdown to Backpedaling: The End is Nah! Nerdcore rapper Three Ninjas with Mathias "Tangentbot" Purtlebaugh‘s fit-for-the-arcade electronic beats The Bone Poets Orchestra with some tasty string-driven folk-psychedelica, and... Lena Lou rounding out the set with instrumental guitar-driven sonic badassery, more post-rock than metal but delivered without regard for personal safety. All Ages. 8 pm. $10.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Blvd Park. 9 pm. NC.

Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma - Eastside. Joan Jett. 8:30 pm. $35-$80.

Firwood Rock Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Rolling Stones & Black Sabbath Tribute Night. 8:30 pm.

Harbor Greens/Forza Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Dave Hannon Band. All Ages. 7 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Century Media Records Showcase, with Jean Grey, After The Fallout, Depths Of Insanity, Spare Me Poseidon, American Wrecking Company. 9 pm. $10.

The Hub Tacoma - Stadium District. Kim Archer Band. 9 pm. NC.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Eclectic Approach. 8 pm. $10.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Klondike Kate, Curbside Avengers, Ana Bender, Bad Fate. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Trees Without Leaves, Brotherhood Of The Black Squirrel. All Ages. 9 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Jonathan Kimball, Norman Baker. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Bread & Circuses, Western Haunts, The Diving Bell. 9 pm.

• Bread & Circuses make lyric-heavy songs that generally tell a story, and many times lead singer and songwriter Marcus Buser allows himself to be the de facto bad guy in his own tales. "I'm very OK with not being the hero," says Buser. "In fact, a lot of times I think I'm more the villain in a lot of the songs. It's kind of this duality that makes every person in every life more interesting. I always like the books and movies where the heroes weren't really the heroes, where maybe the bad guys were the ones that you liked-you know, that thing where challenging what's good and what's bad is prevalent. I think that being on the darker side of things can be relatable, too... But I think it is partially just very pure self-loathing. So yes, I make myself the bad guy because, in a lot of the situations I'm talking about, I am the bad guy." To read the full article click here. — Rev. AM

The Space Tacoma - Downtown. Rock meets bluegrass with Panic Pants, Oly Mountain Boys, Christy McWilson. 8 pm. All ages. $5-$8.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Buckets. 8 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Elbow Coulee, Bodybox, Say Banzai. 9 pm.

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Heartless, Ravens Rant. 9 pm.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Rock n Roll Magic. All Ages. 9 pm.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Jerry Miller Trio. 9:30 pm. NC.

Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma - Eastside. Spike & The Impalers. 8:30 pm. $30-$55.

Firwood Rock Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. True Rock Saturday, with Tangent, Republic Of Sound. 8 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Aces Up, SweetKiss Momma, The Shivering Denizens, John Hamhock & The Rooster Run Band. 9 pm. $5.

• Aces Up hail from Bonney Lake, and we suppose if any part of Pierce County was going to produce lyrics such as, "I like my trucks like I like my women / Big and beefy with a torqued-out engine / Might take a little while to get her going / But once you got her started man she don't stop a-rollin'," it might as well be Bonney Lake. Aces Up's MySpace describes the band as a "unique blend of blue-collar country and the distinct sounds of the famous Seattle, Washington rock scene." However, we submit that tight, straightforward country rock might be a more apt description. Basically, Aces Up is a summer barbecue with a cooler full of beer - in cans. Can you dig it? - Weekly Volcano

Hitchin' Post Saloon Federal Way. Loose Gravel & The Quarry. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. TR3, Danny Barnes, Marcus Eaton. 8 pm. $15-$18.

• If there's one thing Tim Reynolds (of the appropriately named Tim Reynolds Trio) can do, it's jam on it. Dude is like best buds from way back with Dave Matthews, after all, which means he's no fan of the two-and-a-half-minute pop song. Nope, this guitarist is all about the improvisation. Playing Colombo, my guess is fans of Reynolds tend to smoke a little weed - but that's neither here nor there. And I'm not going on anything but Reynolds's band, his hair and his penchant for "jamming on it."  Perhaps that's stereotypical of me. Saturday, Reynolds will give fellow jammers and those just waiting for Dave Matthews' annual sandal-fest at the Gorge something to chew on when the Tim Reynolds Trio lights up Jazzbones. It'll probably smell like a skunk in the upstairs bathroom, but - again - that's probably stereotypical. - Matt Driscoll

LakeBridge Forza Lakewood. Lisa Mitts. All Ages. 9 pm.

Malarkey's Pool and Brew Tacoma - Downtown. Saint Number Five, Liquidrive, BND. 8 pm. $5.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Tommy Simmons. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

Pantages Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Tacoma Concert Band Presents: Fiesta Mexicana! All Ages. 7:30 pm.

R & R Live Graham. Corson Swift. 9 pm.

The Spar Tavern Tacoma - Old Town. The Tim Hall Band. 8-11pm. NC.

Swing Wine Bar & Cafe Olympia - Westside. Paul Anastasio, Vince Brown. 9 pm. NC.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. SweetKiss Momma, Astrovan. 9 pm.

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Soul Stripper AC/Dc tribute band. 9 pm.

Cicada Restaurant Olympia. The Joe Baque Trio. All Ages. 8 pm.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Colonies, Where Sails Meet Rails. 9 pm. NC.

Eagle's Hall Olympia - Downtown. Earthquake-Tsunami Disaster Benefit, featuring Sour Owl, The Brown Edition, The Buddha Magoo, Collective Love Unlimited. All Ages. 9 pm.

Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma - Eastside. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo. 8:30 pm. $35-$65.

FuSE Cafe Imbibery @ Pt Defiance Cafe & Casino Ruston. The Tim Hall Band. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Halcion Halo. 8 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Blistered Earth, Mom's Rocket, Powerhitter, Martyr Machine. 9 pm. $5.

The Hub Tacoma - Stadium District. The Hard Way, Fight For Change, Unnatural Balance. 9 pm. N/A.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Northwest Sons, The B-Foundation, Island Bound, Katastro. 8 pm. $10-$12.

LakeBridge Forza Lakewood. The Rikk Beatty Band. All Ages. 7 pm.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. James Hunnicutt. All Ages. 8 pm.

Lucky Eagle Casino Rochester. Jonathan Harris. 9 pm. NC.

McCoy's Tavern Olympia. Second Skin, Greenwich Mean Time, Warning Track. 9 pm. $3.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Bodybox, Dave Hannon Band. 9:30 pm.

• Believe it or not, Bobble Tiki even shares a few things in common with Tacoma band Bodybox, who will perform at The New Frontier Lounge Saturday. What does Bobble Tiki have in common with Bodybox, you may ask? Let's start with the things Bodybox and Bobble Tiki DON'T have in common. For starters, and most obvious, Bodybox is a three-piece rock band from T-Town made up of singer and guitarist Kurt Lindsay, drummer Belal Anwar and bassist Kevin De Flitch. As you well know, Bobble Tiki is simply an island-themed souvenir with a drinking problem and a job in journalism he probably doesn't deserve. Secondly, Bodybox obviously has motivation and drive: a band for only a year and a half, in January Bodybox celebrated the release a full length CD - 11 whole songs! Bobble Tiki probably hasn't written 11 decent sentences in the last decade, and he sure as hell hasn't been too concerned with sharpening his craft. Hell, not when The Biggest Loser is on! - Bobble Tiki

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Sofistacats, Bomb Factory. 9 pm.

Pantages Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $26-$49.

Pastiche Wine Bar Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Tracie Marsh Group. 7 pm.

The Space Tacoma Downtown (729 Court C). Rockwell Powers, City Hall, State Of The Artist, Night Fox. 8 pm. $8-$10.

• The common wisdom is that sequels inevitably disappoint. For every The Dark Knight, there are a half-dozen Iron Man IIs, and the maxim tends to carry over to other mediums, as well - Guy's "Teddy's Jam 2" couldn't match the New Jack punch and sizzle of the original eponymous Teddy Riley banger. With this in mind, you might expect the freshly dropped Kids in the Back II to weaken the brand established by Tacoma-by-way-of-Anchorage rapper Rockwell Powers and his producer, Ill Pill, on last year's Kids in the Back. Haters will be disappointed to hear that KITBII is another slick, solid outing from Rockwell (real name Zach) who - full disclosure - is a regular Volcano contributor, these days focusing mainly on Tacoma City Council action and local political dealings. - Jason Baxter

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Shy Boys. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Steve Cooley & The Dangerfields. 9 pm.

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Bikers Against Child Abuse benefit featuring the Hollywood Allstarz. 9 pm. $10.

Beyond the Bridge Cafe Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Open Mic Night. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

Blue Mouse Theatre Tacoma - Northend. Spring Zing, with Vicci Martinez, Dana Lyons, Evan Greer, Jason Webley, Rona Yellow Robe, What She Said, Garden Level. All Ages. 4 pm. $7.

Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma - Eastside. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo. 8:30 pm. $35-$65.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Spare Me Poseidon, Noel Austin Phreaks, Jobe Himself, The Screaming Starts, Blame It On The Girl. 9 pm. NC.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Heartless (Heart tribute). 8 pm. $8-$10.

LakeBridge Forza Lakewood. The Kari Ehli Band. All Ages. 7 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Heaven Generation, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Awesome Cam. 9 pm. $2-$3.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Chrome Molly. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Afra Clinics Charity Auction, with music by Parallel 49. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

Maxwell's Speakeasy Tacoma. Lance Buller Trio. All Ages. 7-10 pm. No Cover.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Nightgowns, Seapony, Hello Electric. 9:30 pm.

• The cover photo of Seapony's Dreaming single depicts sunshine pouring through a line of evergreen trees - rays of sun so intensely radiant that the picture is overtaken by lens flares. It's a potent distillation of the Seapony ethos, and the ethos of bands like them, this idea of a never-ending summer, so light and ebullient that it can almost become overwhelming. Around these parts, we never get summers like that, instead only experiencing brief windows of sunshiny promise that prove more mocking than anything. It could be that, more than most, we need bands like Seapony. For more on Seapony, click here. – Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Japan Benefit, with D+, Lois, Calvin Johnson, The Maxines. All Ages. 8 pm.

Pantages Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Buddy Guy, Little Bill and The Blue Notes. Pre-show in the lobby: Bassic Saxx. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $45-$79.

• What will you be doing when you're 74 years old? If you're anything like the Weekly Volcano the answer involves copious amounts of Scotch and being dead. Blues legend Buddy Guy, on the other hand, is still cranking out the music at 74 - he recently released a new record, Living Proof. According to hype, the record "takes a look back at (Guy's) remarkable life." Living proof. Get it? Tonight, Guy comes to Tacoma and the Pantages Theater. Predictably, it's sold out. – Michael Swan
  

The Royal Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Swing Dance, with Lizzy Boyer, Joe Baque, Steve Luceno, Richard Lopez. 7 pm. $5.

The Spar Olympia. Mike Fekete. 8 pm. NC.

The Swiss Tacoma - Downtown. Vicci Martinez. 9 pm. $8.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. David Roth. All Ages. 8:30 pm. $12-$15.

The Vault Nightclub Olympia - Downtown. Volcano Weekly's Best Of Hip Hop Show with Xperience, Never Sleep, Free Whiskey, Young Sash, One Kahleo. 9 pm. $6-$10.

• Tonight, Weekly Volcano Best of Olympia 2011 winners Xperience ("Artist of the Year" and "Album of the Year") and Never Sleep ("Best Live Performance") will hit the stage together at The Vault in downtown Olympia. Also performing will be Free Whiskey, Young Sash and One Kahleo. It's a great show for people who haven't had a chance to check out the award winners live in action. And since the show is 18+, some of Oly's hip-hop fan base that doesn't get the opportunity to see their city's finest will finally be able to. – Nic Leonard
  

Washington Center for the Performing Arts Olympia - Downtown. Red Horse, featuring John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, Lucy Kaplansky. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $16-$32.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Blues Jam, hosted by Tim Hall. 8 pm.

Engine House No. 9 Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Kareem Kandi Band. All Ages. 6-9 pm. NC.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Jazzbones Kid's Jam, hosted by Randy Oxford. All Ages. 6 pm. NC.

Lady Luck's Cowgirl Up Steakhouse and Saloon Tacoma - Parkland. Tatoosh. 4-8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Open Mic, with Denny Foreman & Friends. All Ages. 6 pm. NC.

Marine View Church Tacoma. Darren Motamedy Band. All Ages. 5 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Hightower, The Narcs, Hands Of Toil. 9 pm.

Pantages Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Ryan Mello Campaign Kickoff, with Kim Archer. All Ages. 5:30 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Blues Redemption. 8 pm. NC.

Steilacoom Pub and Grill Steilacoom. Sunday open mic with Jeanlizabeth. 8 pm. NC.

The Swiss Tacoma - Downtown. Japan Relief Benefit with Malcolm Clark Band, Loose Gravel and the Quarry, Randy Oxford Band, One World Taiko, Fingertips, Norma Beach, Kim Archer and New Old Stock. There will be silent auction, raffles, eight bands, great food, drink and drawings. Proceeds go to The Red Cross. 2-10 pm. $10 suggested donation.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Benefit For Japan, with Joe Baque, Michael Olsen, Steve Luceno, Scott Cossu, The Straw Hat String Band, Steve Munger Quintet. All Ages. 2 pm. Donations. Open Shape Note Singing Group. All Ages. 5 pm. NC.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound