WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 2015 >>>

1. Like lots of college grads, Daniel Seddiqui was having a hard time finding a job. But in spite of more than 40 rejections, he knew opportunities had to exist. He then set out on an extraordinary quest: to work 50 jobs in 50 states in 50 weeks. And not just any jobs - Seddiqui chose professions that reflected the culture and economy of each state. For example, he worked as a coal miner in West Virginia, a border patrol agent in Arizona, a lobsterman in Maine, a marine biologist in Washington, a furniture builder in Pennsylvania, a rodeo announcer in South Dakota, a model in North Carolina, a golf caddie in South Carolina, a petroleum engineer in Texas, an archeologist in Arkansas, a meteorologist in Ohio and on and on. Seddiqui will speak about his employment adventures at 4 p.m. in the Worthington Conference Center on the Lacey campus of Saint Martin's University, then probably go get a job.

2. Lagunitas Sucks IPA use to be a Christmas season exclusive, but due to its immense popularity, it's now being distributed year-round in 32oz bottles. It's an IPA designed as an apology to fans after Lagunitas found it didn't have the capacity to make its Brown Shugga' holiday ale a few years back. The taste is a mind-bending potpourri of tropical fruits, pine, and a faint trace of earthiness. There's a lingering bitterness, but it's in no way abrasive. Pint Defiance Specialty Beer and Taproom scored a rare keg of the stuff and will tap it from 5-7 p.m. as part of their salute to Lagunitas Brewing Company. Expect to drink High-Westified Barrel-Aged Imperial Coffee Stout, the debut of Eye of the Hairball Wheatwine and Lagunitas Pale on the Randall with fresh hops and other secret ingredients. Nice.

3. Stone Brewing Company is a beer nerd's brewery, with high ABV and higher IBUs in its most popular varieties. Creator of Arrogant Bastard Ale (with the tag line "You're Not Worthy"), Stone works hard to cultivate its craft-at-all-costs image. Puyallup River Alehouse hosts the Stone crew from San Marcos, California for a night of Stone favorites such as Enjoy by 4.20.15 IPA and raffle prizes from 6-9 p.m.

4. Beginning at 10 a.m. every Saturday, NWCZ Radio unleashes comedian Eric Puddin and Shanni Williams on the Internets. Saturday Morning Funnies with Puddin and Shanster is a wild and off-the-cuff talk show. From 7-9 p.m. tonight, the show will be broadcasted at Gloria's Bar & Grill in Tacoma. Hang out with comedians and radio types.

5. The 24th installment of the Vomity Open Mic Comedy night at Le Voyeur features Brendan Kelley and host Taylor Sikorski . The laughs begin at 9 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 2 2015 >>>

1. Dillingers Cocktails and Kitchen looks as if it came straight from the '20s, with a graceful, high-arched mirrored shelving system to hold small-batch bottles of booze. For your own taste of Jazz Age Prohibition era, vocalist Greta Jane and guitarist Vince Brown will perform music of the gin joints and back-alley speakeasies at 6 p.m. Bonus: Dillingers was voted Best Restaurant in the Weekly Volcano's 2015 Best of Olympia issue, with the joint's bartender Sherilyn Lightner grabbing Best Bartender honors.

2. "Process Drawings: Recent Works by Makoto Fujimura" showcases recent works by the abstract expressionist painter that provide insight into his creative process and the evolution of an important group of his large-scale paintings created since 2007 at Kittredge Gallery on the University of Puget Sound campus. An artist reception will be held from 5-6:30 p.m.

3. Online Tacoma magazine Post Defiance wants you to SHUT IT at Treos in Old Town Tacoma. Grab a book and read in silence from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Turn off the cellphone!

4. Underwhelmed comes to us from Dick Rossetti (formerly of 107.7 The End and currently the frontman of the Jilly Rizzo) and Isaac Olsen. Olsen should be known to fans of local music and film as the director behind Quiet Shoes, Ich Hunger, and the Girl Trouble documentary, Strictly Sacred. The touch of Olsen can be felt in the hyper-kinetic editing of the show, which mirrors the energy shown in his movies. Assaultive radio stings come and go, framing a show that steers violently from tongue-in-cheek commentary to comedy sketches to readings of prison letters and - their favorite invention - a 10-song montage in five minutes. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Underwhelmed in the Music and Culture section, then catch the show from 6-7 p.m. at nwczradio.com.

5. Award winning Muscogee-Creek poet, musician, memoirist, playwright and performer Joy Harjo will read her works at 7 p.m. in the Communications Building Recital Hall at The Evergreen State College. Harjo will read selected works from her book How We Became Human, a collection of poems throughout her twenty-eight-year career, beginning in 1973 in the age marked by the takeover at Wounded Knee and the rejuvenation of indigenous cultures in the world through poetry and music.

MONDAY, FEB. 16 2015 >>>

1. LaVon Hardison has never been any one thing. Although she's identified herself as a jazz singer, the classically trained vocalist has a broad range of sources, including gospel and blues. What comes through is a voice and this combination of something very hopeful and effervescent and sparkling and also some kind of melancholy. Hardison creates music that makes you sit up and take notice - a modern jazz singer who is redefining the genre. You could make a checklist of things that jazz vocalists today do, and she does a lot if not all of them. Pianist Dr. David Deacon, bassist Osama Affifi and drummer Jeff Busch - extremely talented musicians - will join Hardison at 8 p.m. in Rhythm and Rye.

2. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park hosts its annual Kids ‘N' Critters weekend at the wildlife park from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. You'll see bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose and deer roaming the 435-acre park. But, keep an eye out for those evil squirrels during your 30-minute tram rides. Bonus: Up to four children 12 and younger will be admitted free to Northwest Trek with each paying adult over the long Presidents Weekend. Expect story times, special workshops, moose crafts ... and squirrels.

3. Underwhelmed comes to us from Dick Rossetti (formerly of 107.7 The End and currently the frontman of the Jilly Rizzo) and Isaac Olsen. Olsen should be known to fans of local music and film as the director behind Quiet Shoes, Ich Hunger, and the Girl Trouble documentary, Strictly Sacred. The touch of Olsen can be felt in the hyper-kinetic editing of the show, which mirrors the energy shown in his movies. Assaultive radio stings come and go, framing a show that steers violently from tongue-in-cheek commentary to comedy sketches to readings of prison letters and - their favorite invention - a 10-song montage in five minutes. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Underwhelmed in the Music and Culture section., then catch the show from 6-7 p.m. at nwczradio.com.

4. Jazz and blues band Maia Santell & House Blend will perform at 8 p.m. inside The Swiss.

5. Rockaraoke at Jazzbones will either be your novel opportunity to act as frontman, or be completely intimidating. Perpetually packed with people, Rockaraoke boasts a unique twist for karaoke in Tacoma: instead of a backing track, you get a three-piece band playing behind you. Check it out at 9 p.m.

MONDAY, FEB. 2 2015 >>>

1. The Tacoma Sister Cities International Film Festival kicks off tonight with Crossed Destinities, a Moroccan film in honor of sister city El Jajida, Morocco, which screens at 7 p.m. in the University of Puget Sound Rotunda. The French film set in Morocco follows Abdelkhalek and Rachida as they play host to their college friends, invited to spend the weekend at their beautiful beach house but don't know who sent the invitations bringing them all together. The group of 40-somethings begin to recall stories of their past and reveal to each other, and themselves, veiled truths and long hidden secrets with a central thread of mystery weaving through the story. A Moroccan cultural program will kicks off the night at 6:15 p.m.

2. In 2013, filmmaker Isaac Olsen (Quiet Shoes, Ich Hunger) and his friends started Strapping Young Productions, a company to promote Olsen's projects and local bands Red Hex, Trees and Timber, and the Dick Rossetti (former disc jockey at 107.7 The End) fronted Jilly Rizzo. Today, Rossetti and Olsen find themselves under a new umbrella, the online weekly radio show, "Underwhelmed." Kicking off at 6 p.m. on nwczradio.com, and every Monday from 6-7 p.m., the two will present "unshitty/shitty music played, revelry and neat segments like ‘Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes" and "Ten 30 Second Commercial Free Music Sweeps.'" Tonight's episode will feature an interview with The Clash, local calls bullshit on the Seahawks, NFL and all 12s in general, top tunes from Toto, The Germs, Tit Nuns, Chaka Khan and many more. ...

3. Get out your dancing shoes and join in the whimsy of a country western shuffle dance, hosted by the Evergreen Country Dancers from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Olympia Elks Lodge.

4. Don't stay home and watch TV - come listen to TV. Trumpeter Mike Lewis and friends are going to blow up your favorite TV theme songs in the Jazz Lab at 8 p.m. at Rhythm & Rye.

5. The Shelly Ely Band will fill The Swiss with blues at 8 p.m.

LINK: Monday, Feb. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, OCT. 24, 2014 >>>

1. Pimp 'n' Ho parties just aren't cuttin' it anymore, are they? Neither are the toga parties, the erotic costume contests or naughty nurses. So much bare flesh, so much cold weather. If Halloween is really to turn into The Day of Getting As Close to Naked As Possible, it should be moved to July. This is not the point. The Weekly Volcano apologizes. The point is that, for you, today no longer holds the magic it once did. You yearn for Halloweens of yesteryear. Fort Nisqually Living History Museum at Point Defiance Park has you covered with its 20th version of Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen - a chance for revelers of all shapes and sizes to sit by a bonfire, sip cider, eat cookies and hear tales of ghostly pipers, haunted whaling ships and demon snakes told by the scariest folks of all - those who dress in clothing from the 1800s for fun. The wood will be lit at 7 p.m.

2. The Magic Flute is set in an unnamed fantasyland, but this production benefits from local stylistic influences. Tacoma Opera drew inspiration from the art and culture of Pacific Northwest Salish tribes, with valuable assistance from the Puyallup tribe in particular. The event's web page notes the indigenous culture's "impish sense of humor and ... immense respect for nature, all of which blend perfectly with the transcendent music." It'll be interesting to note how these tribal elements are woven into set and costume designs, as The Magic Flute's expansive, episodic structure demands a unifying aesthetic perspective. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on The Magic Flute in the Music & Culture section, then catch the performance at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Rialto Theater.

3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is Lakewood Playhouse's 7th Annual Live Radio Show and is also their spooky Halloween offering at 8 p.m. For two nights only, the theater will be transformed into a live radio show featuring actors reading many parts and the director (and many of the actors) performing all the sound effects. The show starts with "another twisted episode from the iconic radio show "Lights Out" and many more surprises" before beginning Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror tale of a scientist and the monster that lurks just under the surface. Read Joann Varnell's review of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on our Walkie Talkie blog.

4. The Little O and his Lonely One Man Folk-Punk Band is a wonderfully self-referential project. As the one-man band in question, the Little O is a self-styled caricature of a rambling troubadour. Most of his songs are titled with variations on "The Little O Sings About (Blank)," essentially rendering him a kind of Sunday comics character, doing bluesy little folk ditties about his thoughts on zines, phone calls, postcards, and - most delightfully - what it's like to be a one-man band. Catch Little O with Forest Beutel, Micaela Cooley and Emelie Peine at 8 p.m. in the Northern Pacific Coffee Company.

5. Sounding like a cross between Captain Beefheart's elegant experimentalism and the Shaggs' aggressive non-conformity, Philadelphia's Hermit Thrushes possess the sort of innate musicality that might make you believe that they're just making shit up as they go along, even when it's been carefully laid out. Every halting screech and skronk and sideswiping instrumental intrusion is in its right place. Take it all in with REDS, Humidity and Static at 8 p.m. in Half Pint Pizza Pub.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Critics aren't often invited to preview a rehearsal which is why I was pleasantly surprised that director James Venturini allowed me to take a peek at their tech rehearsal for Lakewood Playhouse's upcoming show, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This particular show is Lakewood Playhouse's 7th Annual Live Radio Show and is also their spooky Halloween offering. For two nights only, the theater will be transformed into a live radio show featuring actors reading many parts and the director - and many of the actors - performing all the sound effects. The show starts with "another twisted episode from the iconic radio show Lights Out and many more surprises" before beginning Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror tale of a scientist and the monster that lurks just under the surface.

Anyone that has ever wondered about sound effects on the radio - or even the Foley effects added into TV and film - should see this show. The Foley stage is set up stage right and contains a plethora of props and gadgets that give the auditory illusion of various things. The cleverness alone would have been impressive as a roaring fire, wind, things breaking and other more lurid - and some mundane - sounds were created but the quick pace and necessity of as many as three artists simultaneously creating the effects was simply fascinating to watch. Center stage are three microphones and behind them are chairs the actors inhabit when they aren't helping with sound effects or reading their lines in front of the mics.

The cast of seven takes on double duty (or more) by portraying more than one character. Maintaining one character can be challenging enough but portraying multiple characters without the aid of costuming and only their voices shows what a skilled cast director James Venturini has. Harlan Zinck is Mr. Roth and others, Kira Zinck plays various characters, David Phillips plays "a lot" as well as Dr. Lanyon, Kait Mahoney is Helen Trent, Mrs. Poole and others, Nicole Lockett plays Ms. Moss and others, Jimmy Gilletti is Mr. Utterson among others, and Christian Carvajal is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Judging by the camaraderie and verbal hijinks whenever they had a spare moment, the cast truly loves working with each other and enjoys the show. This love will no doubt be apparent in every line they perform and hopefully, in turn, the audience will walk away feeling like they saw something truly special.

Tickets are a great deal at $25 each or $40 per couple since light h'orderves are included. Five dollar glasses of wine will also be available making the show perfect for taking a special date or even just doing something fun for yourself.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24-Saturday, Oct. 25, Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. SW, Lakewood, $25, $40 couple, 253.588.0042

FRIDAY, OCT. 17 2014 >>>

1. Named after a scientific discovery, The Van Allen Belt are doing their part to tear down and rebuild. Their recent LP, Heaven on a Branch, is a sly study in mixing and matching. The ways they play with sounds and expectations is sometimes so subtle that you find yourself waking from a trance at a song's end and wondering what route you took to get your head where it's arrived. A big part of the band's success comes down to lead singer Tamar Kamin's effortlessly soulful voice, which handily weathers the storm of mastermind Benjamin Ferris' gently forceful experimentation. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on The Van Allen Belt in the Music and Culture section, then catch the band with Anna Gordon, Swoon and Beatrix Sky at 8 p.m. in Northern.

2. Following a successful first run, "Reach Out at the Well" returns to downtown Olympia's Artesian Commons Park from noon to 3 p.m.  The Olympia Outreach Workers League, a coalition of nearly a dozen downtown service organizations who operate with generous volunteer support, hosts the free community fair. Participating organizations setup booths and provide information on their services and volunteer opportunities. "We aim to uplift the downtown neighborhood through strengthening relationships, cultivating networks, and encouraging volunteerism," said Renata Rollins, event organizer and a coordinator with the Outreach Workers League. "It's all about the ethic of courageous community caretaking. It takes a village to raise a village."

3. Members of the BJ Shea Morning Experience will celebrate their 15th year on the radio with a little shindig at 7 p.m. in Jazzbones. BJ will be giving away a trip to Atlanta to attend a VIP party on the set of the Walking Dead, where you'll tour the real Terminus location, meet members of the cast and maybe even some of the undead. You'll also get the chance to win tickets to see Judas Priest and Lewis Black. Admission is free for this 21 and older event.

4. St. Patrick's Day celebrations aren't easy. You must practice to prepare yourself for the zaniness that goes down every March 17. Doyle's Public House knows this. That's why they host monthly St. Practice Day parties, of which happens again Friday. The party begins with Doyle's Guinness Club toast at 5:17 p.m. All the members gather before Grand Poobah Russ Heaton, who recognizes members who have hit milestones, such as 500 pints of Guinness, while the other members tear up. After the announcement, Heaton raises a glass of the Irish Mother's Milk and toasts the members. At 9 p.m., musical guest Polecat gives everyone another reason to raise a glass. The Bellingham band's nimble, high-energy, fiddle-fueled, hybrid-Americana music really must be seen live to be truly appreciated.

5. The lessons '70s psych bands taught us were not in vain, and some restraint applied to the right blend of mind-melting antics can be very effective. Enter Indigenous Robot, who cram the stomping menace of Black Sabbath and the masculine poetry of the Doors into something resembling Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Psychedelia still works, as shown in Indigenous Robots' in-and-out brevity, which allows them to pack a considerable amount of punch into three minutes or less. The band performs with Bottlenose Koffins and Static and the Cubes at 10 p.m. in Half Pint Pizza Pub.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

We were on our way to Lakewood when my wife suddenly turned down the radio and murmured, "I think I'm finally getting old."

"What do you mean?" I asked with due caution. In my head, Admiral Ackbar was barking, "It's a trap!"

"I hate everything on the radio today," she explained. It occurred to me we hadn't taken a single car ride in two weeks without hearing Charli XCX brag about how fancy she and, by extension, Iggy Azalea are. Granted, Azalea's the rilles', but surely we'd prefer a bit more variety in our musical offerings? My better half was right to kvetch, but not about the music itself. The problem with radio isn't music, my friends, it's the radio. Simply put, the business of FM sees little percentage in exposing its listeners to anything but the dozen songs selected for national exposure two months ago. And if you're still listening to AM radio, well, you're probably hunting for tornado reports or play-by-play commentary on your grandkid's high school football game.

Rest assured, friends, people do still make plenty of music that kicks ass, offering passion, intelligence, creativity and vitality in thundering waves of earhole righteousness. The problem is, you need help finding it. That, of course, is where NWCZradio.com comes in. Full disclosure: noisecrafters NWCZ hosted our Volcano Radio for 19 episodes. We've had our metaphorical hands in each other's financial pockets a few times over the years, not that they offered much beyond movie stubs, unpaid beer tabs and petrified Altoids. As you may expect in a community of struggling wordsmiths, our besties tend to run short on moola as well.

That's where you come in. Yes, it's another crowdfunding plea, but this time it's all but painless. Drop by Kickstarter to check out NWCZ's campaign. The station isn't asking for much, to be honest, just a few thousand bucks to buy much-needed computers, a sound board and other Web-friendly audio equipment. What do you get? Potentially, a lot: an hour as the station's artistic manager and programmer, for example, sets you back a mere $300. A donation of $700 earns a barbecue and blues shindig in your own backyard. Be the envy of all your friends, and/or the bane of your neighbors' existence! Or, if that seems too, pardon the expression, fancy for your blood, fork over a lousy five-spot to earn a cool sticker, plus the self-adoring glow of baseline generosity.

NWCZ thanks you. The Weekly Volcano thanks you. Most of all, my wife and I thank you, for helping us extract that damn "Holy Grail" worm from our ears at long last.

SUNDAY, MAY 4 2014 >>>

1. The band was jamming in the studio that's situated to accommodate both musicians and fans. Around 40 people were there, some in suits, some with piercings and tattoos, all with toes tapping or heads banging. Behind a large window, an audio engineer sat in his recording studio, and in front of the stage a gracious hostess introduced the band. This was the scene at Arcade Recording Studio, home of The Best Damn Music Show in Olympia, a live, one-hour performance and recording session that takes place every Sunday at 7 p.m. Read Nikki McCoy's full story on The Best Damn Music Show in the Music & Culture section, before you hit up tonight's show.

2. The Swiss Restaurant & Pub and Stonegate Pizza will host Oso landslide benefit shows featuring local musicians with net proceeds being donated to Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation. Put some gas in the car: Rafael Tranquilino and Leah Tussing (1 p.m. Stonegate), Steve Stefanowicz (2 p.m. Swiss), Stephanie Anne Johnson (2 p.m. Stonegate), Little Bill Trio (2:45 p.m. Swiss), Tatoosh (3 p.m. Stonegate), Still Got it (3:30 p.m. Swiss), Junkyard Jane (4:15 p.m. Swiss), Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Orchestra (5 p.m. Stonegate), Andrea Miller with The Collective (5 p.m. Swiss), Linda Myers Band (5:45 p.m. Swiss), Burnham Drive (6:30 p.m. Swiss), Steve Cooley and The Dangerfields (7:15 p.m. Swiss), 9 Pound Hammer (8 p.m. Swiss) and Bobby Hoffman' All Stars (8:30 p.m. Stonegate)

3. Entirely well-acted, thoughtfully directed, in a evolved play about past loves we can't leave behind, Fighting Over Beverley by Israel Horovitz hits Harlequin Productions' stage at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Fighting Over Beverley in the music & Culture section.

4. Ira Glass, the creator of the public radio show This American Life, will discuss his program- what makes a compelling story, where they find the amazing stories for their show, how he and his staff are trying to push broadcast journalism to do things it doesn't usually do - and demonstrate how it's actually created, at 3 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Ira Glass in the Music & Culture section.

5. Jazzbones also hosts Musicians for Oso, a benefit show whose proceeds go directly to those affected by the tragic mudslide in Oso. A disquieting event, to be sure, but the lineup of bands assembled for the show is tremendous and very, very loud. And it's all ages, to boot! expect Antihero, Jamie Nova, Black Powder County, The Mothership and Wanz beginning at 5 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, May 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, MARCH 15 2014 >>>

1. Experimentation for experimentation's sake can be a fun tunnel to explore, but the ability to rein oneself in is a valuable one to have. Following every whim is too easy, which is why we'll always give enormous amounts of credit to people that can write a solid three-minute pop song. Being able to split the difference is ideal, and it's something that Bone Cave Ballet do very well. They're able to take you right to the edge without shoving you off. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Bone Cave Ballet in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Bandolier, Red Sea and Buffalo Tongue at 8:30 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

2. Doyle's Public House has pitched the giant tent and its St. Patrick's Weekend is on. Today, it's a full schedule. They are open this morning for the pre- and post-St. Patrick's Day Dash breakfast and beers. Sounders Supporter Bus will depart at 11:30 a.m. for the 1:30 p.m. kick-off. The Pierce County Firefighters Pipes & Drums will be in the house to stir the emotions with their haunting sound. Corned Beef Cabbage and other Irish dishes are on the menu. At 9 p.m., it's "Working Man's St. Patrick's Day" party kicks in with The Rusty Cleavers and the Ethan Tucker Band.

3. Poet Lisa Panepinto will read from On This Borrowed Bike, her debut collection, full of lyrical, heartwarming poems at 3 p.m. in Orca Books.

4. 106.5 KOWA-FM low power community radio hosts an "Ides of March" benefit concert featuring Yogoman Burning Band, Fabulous Downey Brothers, Oh Rose, Old Growth Poetry Collective and special host and DJ Selector Dub Narcotic at 7 p.m. in the Eagles Ballroom in downtown Olympia.

5. When we were kids, Bach was the bane of our existence. During childhood piano lessons, time spent struggling with the German composer's Inventions 1 through 5 forced us to miss out on crucial bike-riding time and numerous episodes of Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. But if any orchestra can help us overcome our aversion to the music of Johann Sebastian, it's the Northwest Sinfonietta. Conductor Christophe Chagnard, 93 musicians, PLU Choral Union and five soloists perform J.S. Bach's sacred oratorio St. John Passion - a harrowing tale of power, betrayal, murder, love, compassion and hope at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

LINK: Saturday, March 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area