THURSDAY, OCT. 10 2013 >>>

1. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Crooked Bangs is a band that is quite adept at building expectations and smashing them. Initially reveling in the sounds of '60s garage and '70s punk, Crooked Bangs slowly folds in elements of post-punk. It's compelling enough, but then you hear the vocals of Leda Ginestra - rising through the din of riled up punk is the voice of a dispassionate Parisian, which recalls the sort of deadpan work of Nico. The band plays with Clayface and others at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. Bird lovers from far and wide will flock (get it?) to Tacoma for the 10th annual Bird Lovers' Weekend at the Museum of Glass. Events kick off tonight with the opportunity to make your own glass bird from 5-7 p.m. in the Hot Shop, iittala master glassblowers Arto Lahtinen and Kirsi Antila enter the Hot Shop Friday and hang until Sunday, bird-related art activities as part of Family Day Saturday, Sunday morning "Bird Lovers' Brunch" and a bunch of squawking in between. Click here for full schedule.

3. As public relation coordinator, she's also played a part in bringing a slice of the 5th Annual Seattle Latino Film Festival to T-town this year. In conjunction with the University of Puget Sound, SLFF will host a one-night screening of El Cantante at the Washington State History Museum at 6 p.m. Read Christopher wood's full feature on the screening here.

4. Broadway Center's yearlong Free For All festival continues tonight with its inaugural Think and Drink program. Humanities Washington will set up shop in the Pantages Theater's lobby for a free discussion about how advances in digital technology are affecting our interactions, institutions and culture. This Think and Drink discussion will be led by technology experts Alex Alben and Amy Fisher, and moderated by Ashley Gross. Alben is the author of Analog Days - How Technology Rewrote Our Future and a member of Humanities Washington's Speakers Bureau. Fisher is a professor in the University of Puget Sound's Science, Technology and Society program. Gross is a business and labor reporter with KPLU radio. The drinks begin to pour at 7:30 p.m.

5. During his decade of death- and pride-defying antics on MTV, the stage and the silver screen, daredevil Steve-O (aka Stephen Glover) has lived a life like no other. He's swum with sharks, gotten a portrait of himself tattooed on his own back, put out rap records, danced with the stars and railed lines of wasabi - and he'll be the first to tell you that's the least of what he's put up his nose. He's added comic to his career list, and his comedy is front and off center at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, SEPT. 19 2013 >>>

1. Every Thursday night at Puget Sound Pizza, the Volcano's music critic Rev. Adam McKinney hosts a karaoke session showcasing a Tarantino-like mix of downtown denizens seriously singing Bill Withers and glasses-wearing gals squawking out punk rawk, plus appearances by local rock stars. McKinney, always looking dapper in his sportcoat, has a mellifluous singing voice, perfect for "Disco 2000" by Pulp, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Tom Lehrer, "Little Green Bag" by the George Baker Selection, "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" by Squeeze and his standard closing song, "Bottle of Wine" by the Fireballs. 

2. State Supreme Court will conduct a rare local public hearing of three court cases on the campus of University of Puget Sound. The cases are being heard in Tacoma in order for the public to have the opportunity observe the justice system in action and to pose questions to the nine judges, led by Chief Justice Barbara Madsen. Three appeals to criminal convictions will be heard in two sessions in Schneebeck Concert Hall from 9-11:45 a.m. The Court will hear oral arguments in two cases: one involving privacy rights and the other dealing with mental competency. From 1:30-2:30 p.m., the third case, on a privacy issue, will be argued in a case involving armed robbery. This "traveling court" is part of the Supreme Court's policy of providing open access to local communities.

3. The Art+Science Salon will showcase two pioneering musical groups who use science and technology to create or inspire their music. Will it be proven science and music can be integrated in a manner that can get right-brained individuals excited about science and shake scientific types out of their left brain and onto the dance floor? That's possibly what the scientists, artists, musicians, and the public, will discover as they mess with analog and digital devices from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Kittredge Art Gallery on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. Cellist David Balatero, composer and musician Marcin Paczkowski and saxophonist Ivan Arteaga will perform.

4. The quarterly Ancient Victorys Open Mike brings back some of the 3,000 acoustic music performers from open mikes run by Chris Lunn in this state and California from the 1965 through 1990 to the Antique Sandwich Co. at 7 p.m. Tonight is dedicated to Suzie Grey who passed in August at the age of 97. She sang and played piano until her mid-90s. Expect 25 acts including Steve Beck, Will and Jane Peoples, Mike Nelson, Gary Kanter, Mike Stenberg, Dan Roberts, Gary Graves and others.

5. People, tonight's Word 3rd Thursday is will be the final Word. And producer Josh Rizeberg is going out with a bang, hosting a giant party at 9 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge. DJs Seabefore, Iceman, U Jammin and Selector Eeetree will spin, with an open mic for emcees, singers and poets.

LINK: Thursday, Sept. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10 2013 >>>

1. A Hijacking, the latest from Danish writer and director Tobias Lindholm, finds practically every member of the cast acting as a negotiator, in both minor disputes and one VERY major dispute, between the opening and closing credits. This theme of negotiating is so prevalent throughout the film that it opens, appropriately enough, in the middle of a negotiation. The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is boarded and hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.Find out what happens at 2:15 and 7 p.m. at The Grand Cinema. Read Jared Lovrak's full review of A Hijacking in the Music and Culture section.

2. Stanley and Seafort's invites you to Dine Out For No Kid Hungry through the month of September. Help raise awareness and funds to conquer childhood starvation and malnutrition by eating out or making a pledge. Restaurants Unlimited will be donating $150,000 to the Share Our Strength, No Kid Hungry Campaign in 2013. Find out more at www.nokidhungry.org.

3. Composite materials are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties and which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure. We have no idea what that means, but Dr. George Mayer does. The research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Washington lives and breathes composite materials. In fact, he'll review some of his work on the toughness of composite materials found in nature at 7 p.m. in Orca Books. You'll never look at a seashell the same way again. Well, you probably will, but at least hear the good doctor out.

4. Jazzbones has put together 10 of its house favorite comics to come out and give you their best 10 minutes tonight during its Ha Ha Tuesday comedy show at 8:30 p.m. In addition to the 10 by 10 entertainment value, Jazzbones will be filming a promotional video that night. Taking the stage are Ralph Porter, Nate Jackson, Susan Jones, Tyrone Hawkins, "Big Irish" Jay Hollingsworth, Michael Walter, Rodger Lizaola, Travis Simmons, Kelsey Cook and Justin Hayes.

5. Pheasant is a band of contradictions: while their music is unabashedly joyful and fun, full of driving beats and irresistible hooks, there is an undercurrent of ... something. It sounds sometimes like anger, or maybe bitterness, or depressive resignation. The Portland band lavishes their tunes with horns, sing-along choruses and strummy guitars, but lead singer Matt Jenkins has a hidden depth beneath his swagger, which makes him a compelling frontman. Catch the band with Jake Bellows and One F at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

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

THURSDAY, JULY 25 2013 >>>

1. The Grand Cinema teaches science in a different way: First it secures a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation to pair films with lessons in science. Next, it invites notable figures from the world of science, technology and medicine to give introduction lessons using those long pointer sticks to tap the screen while nodding their heads. Each film is used as a jumping off point for the speaker to reveal current scientific research or technological advances, providing the perfect combination of entertainment and enlightenment - even for the most science-phobic culture vulture. Then, of course, everyone watches the film, paying close attention to key factor brought to light by the big brains before the screening. Science on Screen kicks ends its run at 6:45 p.m. with a screening of Obselidia, a bittersweet love story about a librarian who complies an encyclopedia of "obselete things," and tries to live his life surrounded by objects that technology has rendered extinct. Dr. Elizabeth Fortenbery, a sociology professor at Tacoma Community College, will discuss what can be lost when a language disappears.

2. Freddy Pink will play blues and clssic rock at 6:30 p.m. in Puyallup's Pioneer Park.

3. Pacific Lutheran University continues its 15 annual Jazz Under the Stars concert series tonight from 7-9 p.m. The series, a different band every Thursday through Aug. 15, features singer Stephanie Porter tonight.

4. The Kareem Kandi Band will fill the lobby of the Hotel Murano with jazz from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

5. Cairo, Show + Tell and DJ Melodica entertain at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Thursday, July 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, JULY 9 2013 >>>

1. If you're at all familiar with The Band, A prolific Canadian-American folk rock group of the '60s and '70s, then drummer Levon Helm requires no introduction, and the captivating documentary Ain't in It for My Health chronicling Helm's final years is sure to draw you in. Check it out at 1:40 abd 7 p.m. at The Grand Cinema. Read Jared Lovrak's full feature on the film in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Washington State Park Ranger Tom Pew will highlight some of the great adventures to be had around the state including hikes, camping, water sports, wildlife viewing and more at 5:30 p.m. in the Tumwater Timberline Library. Attendees will have a chance to win one of two Washington State Discover Passes, paid for by the Friends of the Tumwater Timberland Library.

3. In Gig Harbor it's time once again for Summer Sounds at Skansie Brothers Park, this evening at 6:30 p.m. with The New Blues Brothers Revue.

4. The Swiss and science are synonymous. OK, so maybe they're not quite synonymous, but they do go together quite well - the "Tacoma Science Café" at the Swiss proves it. At 6:30 p.m., the Pacific Science Center presents Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Greg Brennan, D.V.M., Ph.D., who will discuss how the virus vs. animals conflict has led to some of the most serious epidemics in modern times, and how we're learning to try to control them. You might want to pull back from your normal beer consumption Tuesday, as Brennan will also host a Q-and-A session.

5. AWOL One brings the California word to Le Voyeur at 9 p.m., yo.

LINK: Tuesday, July 9 arts and entertainment in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, MAY 31 2013 >>>

1. Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 expedition across the Pacific on a balsa-wood raft never quite settled the point he set out to make - that South American voyagers settled the Polynesian islands - but it did motivate a generation of young dreamers to embark on improbable adventures. Having already told the story of WWII resistance fighter Max Manus, directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg turn their attention to this most famous of Norwegian heroes via an old-fashioned seafaring yarn. Kon-Tiki is an absolute feast for the eyes with vast, beautiful shots of the Blue Pacific that completely immerse and isolate the viewer in the film's seemingly infinite expanse of ocean; something that the viewer may come to regret when the ocean's less-friendly denizens decide to investigate Heyerdahl's increasingly fragile raft. It plays at 2:40, 5:30 and 8:15 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

2. The Evergreen Science Carnival promises breathtaking sideshows and unbelievable phenomena. Don't go to the carnival expecting bearded ladies, strongmen or magic shows. Think more along the lines of a chance to view solar flares or learn how to extract catnip - or see a student set his hand on fire. The experiments run 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the LAB I, LAB II and Lectures Halls on The Evergreen State College campus.

3. Mel George, one of Australia's leading glass artists and part of the current Museum of Glass show "Links," exploring connections between Northwest and Australian glass, will be working in the Hot Shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. UK playwright Pericles Snowdon's Bluebeard is a story about isolation, family, betrayal, apocalypse and parenthood. Under the direction of David Domkoski, Assemblage Theater brings to life the dark story of Blue, a woman who has been so hurt and disillusioned by her experiences in the outside world that she steals three little girls and locks them away in an abandoned church - our beloved Urban Grace Church in downtown Tacoma - for their whole lives in order to protect them, while a kind of apocalypse happens outside. Blue creates strict rules by which the girls must live and re-writes history, making the girls "perform" a different chapter of it each day. Creepy. Then, the mysterious Magnon steps into their melancholy blue world and turns it upside down. Watch it all go down at 8 p.m. inside the Urban Grace.

5. Local band Ranchero is an aural melding pot of '90s grunge, '80s guitar rock and the most exciting elements throughout the rock genre. The thunderous rhythm section, made up of Andy Coffey on drums and DaRatt Lucas on bass, provides the driving foundations to propel the dual guitar assault from Barry Meier and Tim "Vegas" Silvers. Their "pull-no-punches" attitude with their approachability and personality will make the Music and Art in Wright Park benefit show at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge effing rockin'. C.F.A. and The Dignitaries join the fun.

LINK: Friday, May 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2013 >>>

1. Tommy Castro is Delbert McClinton's more talented kid brother. We have been waiting for this San Francisco rockin' blues guitarist to put another one in the ditches. Finally, this past November the blistering "Greedy" / "That's All I Got" (Alligator Records) arrived. Nobody plays roadhouse like this anymore: the rock snarl and the soul heart. His songs don't make us want to sing along; they make us want to scream along. Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will play Jazzbones at 8 p.m.

2. The Bayview School of Cooking in Olympia will pour cider and meads with complementary cheeses from 5-7:30 p.m. The cost is $12 per person. No RSVP is required.

3. Tacoma's first artisan children's clothing shop, Dandelion Wishes, will hold an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. before the store officially opens March 23 at 10 a.m. in the old Corina Bakery space at 510 Sixth Ave. Appropriately, Corina Bakery will provide snacks.

4. Have you visited the Science Dome? At 7 p.m. the South Sound's only planetarium will host an interactive tour of our current night sky, exploring the stars, planets, constellations and other celestial objects followed by a 20-35 minute full dome show.  A question and answer period will follow.

5. As if Horace Pickett's awesome name wasn't enough, the band actually does well at evoking the cheesy party vibe of "Monster Mash." Though the band claims that it often gets comparisons to the Kinks, They Might Be Giants and Beck, to us it couldn't be more perfectly channeling Devo. Stiffly voiced robot-funk, surging electro-pop, concerning topics such as the Milky Way and the weirdness of having a body - and all that entails. Check the band out with The Whorewoods at 10 p.m. inside Le Voyeur.

LINK: Friday, March 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 >>>

1. The Grand Cinema screens Consuming Spirits at 2:30 and 7 p.m. as part of its Tuesday Film Series. The masterpiece, which took 15 years to make and was finally completed in 2012, combines several animation styles and techniques including hand drawn, stop motion, but mostly paper cut out. It is the story of people in a small ordinary town, knowing nothing but their ordinary affairs, revealing their sins and crimes with an ordinary negligence. It's the movie baby if Ironweed mated with A Prairie Home Companion. This one's a winner, folks. It'll make you feel depressed afterward, but in a good way.

2. Photographer D.T. Rosenoff's exhibition "Flowers: Earth's Laughter" opens today at Asian Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma. The exhibition of 24 images is a collection of duo-toned black and white digital archival photographs of flowers taken over the last eight years.

3. If you're feeling like indulging in the finer things in life, and what to try something a little different than the norm, Maxwell's Speakeasy and Lounge has the weekly special for you. Every Tuesday, Maxwell's serves two chef's choice appetizers and two house wines or draft beers for $15.

4. The new Treos cafe in Old Town Tacoma has launched a trivia night with Tristan every Tuesday. From 6-7 p.m. teams up to six players may battle for prizes and gift cards.

5. The Science Café returns to Orca Books with a 7 p.m. lecture from Kathi Lefebvre, Ph.D., research biologist at NOAA Fisheries titled, "From Zebrafish to Sea Lions to Humans: Common Effects of Seafood Toxin Exposure." Acute exposure of seafood toxins causes a neurotoxic illness known as amnesic shellfish poisoning characterized by seizures, memory loss, coma and death.

LINK: Tuesday, March 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Sunshine, hi 51, lo 35

Saturday: Mostly sunny, hi 54, lo 39

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a few showers, hi 50, lo 44

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 8: SOUTH SOUND TECH CONFERENCE

Technology is a pretty freakin' big deal these days. Seems like the legions of tech geeks are ever growing, with a new techie born every time the wind blows or someone purchases a new iPhone. Friday brings the South Sound Technology Conference to the University of Washington Tacoma, a one-day event designed to bring together, "leaders from industry, education and government to discuss and demonstrate innovations and their applications," according to pre-event hype. The day-long event features a morning keynote by Director of Business Incubation at Cisco Systems Sharon Wong, a panel discussion on big data, and a lunch keynote by Michael Hamilton, chief information and security officer with the city of Seattle. - Weekly Volcano

• UWT - William W. Philip Hall, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., $20, registration required, 1551 Broadway, Tacoma, sstconference.org
  

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 8: RED JACKET MINE

"It's been a few years since we last played The New Frontier, and much has changed - most notably, we have a brand-new LP called Someone Else's Cake out on Fin Records," says Lincoln Barr of Red Jacket Mine. "It'll be great to be back ... Brook, Neil, and the rest of the crew are hospitality epitomized. We recently heard up-and-comers Trees and Timber at a house party hosted by our friends in the Jilly Rizzo, and we knew we'd found a Tacoma band after our own heart. Throw in The Variety Hour and you've got a full night of Pure Pop for Tacoma's Now People." - Nikki McCoy

• The New Frontier Lounge, 9 p.m., $5, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 8: MOSQUITO HAWK

McCoys Cavern in Olympia, voted Best Dive Bar by Volcano readers, will be hosting a night of rock; stoner rock, classic rock, dirty rock, whatever you want to call it, it will be off the hinge. With Mosquito Hawk (Oly), Witchburn (Seattle) and Black Pussy (Portland), I wouldn't recommend passing this one up. - NM

• McCoy's Tavern, 10 p.m., $3, 420 Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.352.0696

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 16: POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS

Chad Channing, former Nirvana drummer, brings his pop rock band Before Cars to Rocket Records for an afternoon, live performance. Before Cars are promoting its latest album, How We Run, dropped Feb. 26 on the band's record label, Pocket Star Records. Best thing about this album is the acoustic, singer/songwriter feel. Best thing about Rocket Records shows is they start early, you can browse music, there is a cool gumball machine, and owner Steve Gaydich and his dog, Bruno, are never without smiles, making it feel like your living room. Combine the two, and you're golden. - NM

• Rocket Records, 3 p.m., no cover, 3843 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.756.5186

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 9: SNAKE LAKE SCIENCE FAIR

Kids these days are no damn good. You hear about it all the time. But Saturday at the Tacoma Nature Center anyone interested can get a look at some of the positive things kids are capable of - like baking soda volcanoes and paper towel strength test. It's called the Snake Lake Science Fair, and kids from throughout Tacoma - many of them homeschooled - will participate with gusto this weekend, making for an event that's sure to be both enjoyable and enlightening. And it's also free to drop in on. The kids have been working for a long time on these projects (deadline for application was in late February, and there was a $10 application fee), so we expect a topnotch science fair. - WV

• Tacoma Nature Center, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. public viewing, free admission, 1919 S. Tyler, Tacoma, 253.591.6439

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 9-SUNDAY, MARCH 10: PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS

Wooooeee, that's a tall drink o' water! The professional bull riders are in town this Saturday for the PBR Built Ford Tough Series Tacoma Invitational at the Tacoma Dome. You can watch guys get thrown around by burgers on the hoof, enjoy the smell of large animal poop or watch the Weekly Volcano lasses stalk the man flesh while wearing my "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" T-shirt. - WV

• Tacoma Dome, 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $17-$19, 2525 E. D St., Tacoma, 253.272.3663

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 9: DOCKYARD DERBY DAMES

Dockyard Derby Dames are gearing up for their first bout of their seventh season Saturday, where you will see the Femme Fianna, Hellbound Homewreckers, Marauding Mollys and Trampires in double-header action. This event teams up with Emergency Food Network - bring donated food and receive $3 off at the door. There will also be a beer garden and food truck for those that need to fuel their fire for extra cheering power. - NM

• Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 6 p.m. $12/adv, $15/door, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW  Lakewood, 253. 964.6500

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I plan to watch the new Oz movie, then spend all weekend bitching about how it doesn't measure up to the original.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music Writer
This weekend, I'll be getting out of town for a few days to visit a friend in Portland. There, I expect that I'll revel in its relatively cheap culture, picking up a seriously discounted carton of cigarettes and enjoying complimentary beer-backs with my shots of whiskey. Portland is heaven for a few days, hell for much longer, I've found.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
We're going to the Thurston County Progressive Network's "Let Them Eat Cake" fundraiser dinner auction thingamajingy.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
After Friday, when I will be slinging drinks and then hitting up the Royal Lounge for Brent Amaker and The Dirty Birds, plus a mosey down to McCoy's for Mosquito Hawk and Black Pussy, the weekend calls from some serious R & R. And, no, I'm not talking about the Canadian blend whiskey - I'm talking sweat pants, TV trays, book reading and sleeping in.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
I'm not doing anything this weekend except teaching my spoken-word/poetry class at D.A.S.H. on Saturday from 1-2 p.m. Then, I'll be helping Kept See shoot a video. Sunday, I'll be hitting the Graffiti Garage MC Cypher at 1 p.m.

JACKIE FENDER Food Writer
Saturday will include morning bird booze slinging and writing while Sunday will be the ultimate date night in honor of the husband's day of birth week. Undecided in what culinary exploration we will partake in but most certainly heading north to revel in Cirque du Soliel's Amaluna.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
Woohoo, I have a date! Well, sort of. While my husband and I will be at the same Warehouse show with Damien Jurado and Jake Hemming on Friday. He will be working and I'll be hanging with friends. The toddler will have his own date and may or not be asleep when we get home. Also, I plan on grading papers and lesson planning at some point.

ADRIENNE KUEHL Food Writer
Friday, I'm heading to Seattle to hang out with my best friend at her gallery and catch up on some wine drinking. The rest of the weekend will be dedicated to doing my taxes and planning a friend's baby shower. Thrilling.

STEVE DUNKELBRGER Nightlife Correspondent
This weekend I plan on writing and shooting with a little coursework and maybe catching the Dockyard Derby Dames bout at Pierce College.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar

THURSDAY, FEB. 21 2013 >>>

1. Marissa Meyer is a YA author from Tacoma and a Pacific Lutheran University graduate. She's a fan of Firefly. She wrote Sailor Moon fan fiction for 10 years. Cinder, the first book in her Lunar Chronicles, is about an android Cinderella in futuristic China was on the New York Times Best Seller list. In short, she is one of the lucky few whose love of sci-fi and all things nerdy has paid off. At 6 p.m., Scarlet, the second book in her Lunar Chronicles, will be celebrated at King's Books in Tacoma. Meyer will read or speak before the signing frenzy. Also expect robots from SOTABots, swag and a costume contest for the best Cinder and the best Scarlet.

2. The Pierce Conservation District and Stream Team host the annual Meeting & Awards Banquet at 5 p.m. at The Evergreen State College Tacoma campus. The accomplishments of last year's efforts will be celebrated as well as honor volunteers and community partners working to conserve natural resources and support sustainable farming throughout Pierce County. Presentation of District and Stream Team awards begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by guest speaker David Montgomery.

3. It's the third Thursday of the month. In Tacoma, that's means an extra emphasis on the arts. Tonight's quest for art will lead you directly to the steps of science. That's right, the University of Puget Sound and Tacoma Art Museum have teamed up to present an Art+Science Salon - an evening of 10 artists and scientists delivering 10-minute presentations - Pecha Kucha style - at 6 p.m. inside the Tacoma Art Museum.

4. Speaking of third Thursday, tonight is the Tacoma Art Mingle, which was formerly called the Third Thursday Artwalk. Whatever the name of the special night, it's still very hard to walk the damn thing. For the last two-plus years Tacoma has had the Art Bus to rely on - the creation of T-Town's own Angela Jossy, and pretty much the bestest idea there ever was. Each third Thursday the Art Bus shuttles riders from gallery to gallery, venue to venue accomplishing more than any one person could ever dream of on foot, and at the same time building a communal vibe that's worth its weight in gold. Tonight's Art Bus celebrity host Darrell Fortune of NWCZradio.com will help guide you through such stops as FabLab, 253 Collective, Embellish Multispace Salon, Urban Alchemy, Brick House Gallery, B2 Gallery and Catwalk. Tickets are $10 regular admission and $20 for VIPs. VIPs get gift bags with items from lots of local businesses. The Bus pushes off from the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m.

5. Anyone who believes that Tacoma is still a blue-collar backwater town with few ties to the outside world had better stay away from the 11th annual Sister Cities International Film Festival, which launched two weeks ago. The experience might just shatter everything that poor soul holds to so misguidedly. Tacoma is an international city in every sense of the world. At 6:15 p.m., the Cuba Sister City Committee will present a cultural program celebrating Tacoma sister city Cienfuegos, Cuba. After the hoopla, the film The Beauty From Alhambra will screen. The story is set in 1920s Cuba. Rachel is an ambitious chorus girl set on becoming a cabaret star at the famous Alhambra Theater. Her artistic talent and help from the theater owner are enough to make Rachel's dream a reality. But along the way, she loses the love of her life and instead finds a passion that puts her career at stake.

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