Exterminate! This is Nerd Alert, the Weekly Volcano's recurring events calendar devoted to all things nerdy. I myself am a Star Wars fan, mathlete, and spelling bee champion of long standing, so trust me: I grok whereof I speak.

FRIDAY, NOV. 22: POTTY-MOUTHED SOCK PUPPETS, KATNISS EVERDEEN AND VIDEO GAMES

It's been 10 years since Avenue Q, the racy Sesame Street parody for adults, garnered a raft of awards on Broadway, including the Tony for Best Musical. It uses hand puppets to represent 20-something New Yorkers dealing with the ennui of post-collegiate life. My friends, you are not precious daisies, and the landlord demands his rent no matter how hard you try at your failing artisanal muffin shop. Ain't existence crappy? Perhaps you can relate. So if song titles like "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist," "The Internet Is for Porn," and "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?" sound intriguing, rest assured they brighten the mood of a deeply funny show. I caught it at the Balagan in Seattle. Now you can see it even closer to home, for less than the cost of a grande Frappuccino. So here's another Avenue Q song title you'll find useful: "There Is Life Outside Your Apartment." Take a date, a really cool date who'll enjoy the song "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)." Catchy!

AVENUE Q, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Pierce College, Fort Steilacoom Theater, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood, $3, 253.964.6710

As we've come to expect from middle installments of genre trilogies post-Empire, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire goes dark. Katniss Everdeen finds herself on a victory tour of Panem with the boy she bent the rules to save at the end of the first book. The Emperor - er, President Snow, rather - announces he'll mix things up for the 75th Annual Hunger Games by making it an all-star tournament of previous winners, including our gutsy heroine and her ostensible boyfriend. This time, the battleground's a circular jungle; and, thanks to the worldwide box office success of the first film, its cinematic visualization has a workable budget and convincing CG effects. I always felt the books lost the element of surprise as they went along, but I suspect the movie series will peak with Catching Fire. On the other hand, I thought Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Almost Human would be awesome, so feel free to doubt my clairvoyance. (Oh, and by the way, Disney's animated Frozen and an action film starring Jason Statham, Homefront, open Wednesday the 27th. Talk about fun for the whole family.)

Trouble, is there's a good chance you'll be too busy to hit up a theater, any theater, this weekend, because either because you'll be bloodshot-eyeballs-deep in your week-old PlayStation 4 or standing in line for an Xbox One. Microsoft's cutting-edge console integrates a Kinect 2 motion sensor, Skype client, voice and gesture commands, cloud computing, and lightning-fast eight-core processor in a sleek, black Imperial torture droid, streeting Friday with 22 optional games including Call of Duty: Ghosts and Madden NFL 25. The real excitement, however, will coalesce around next year's release of a 343 Industries Halo sequel. Xbox One will set you back just shy of $500, PlayStation 4 about $400. Alternatively, I checked eBay, and the Atari 2600's running about $24. Adventure, anyone?

SATURDAY, NOV. 23: DOCTOR WHO

Does it seem strange to anyone but me that Doctor Who premiered the night after President Kennedy was murdered? It seems a bit cavalier, right? Do missing frames of the Zapruder film reveal a British police box on the grassy knoll? Is it true the Comedian's whereabouts that afternoon have never been established? The History Channel may never know. What we do know is the BBC and BBC America have orchestrated a weekend-long celebration of all things Whovian. Expect a TV movie recounting the origin of the whimsical series, An Adventure in Space and Time, Friday the 22nd. Then, on Saturday, a special episode, "The Day of the Doctor," will be simulcast all over the world - including cinematic showings in 3-D. The plot jumbles a crisis in Elizabethan England, Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, a monster in the National Gallery, David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, a battle in space and John Hurt. Best of all, it's written by show runner Steven Moffat, the mastermind behind the BBC's riveting Sherlock. Pop some popcorn and watch it with the kids. Shape new little geeks. Allons-y!

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may you never cross streams by confusing your hydrospanner with your sonic screwdriver. Isn't that right, K-9?

See Also

Judging by the Trailer

All right, can I just level with you for a minute? In this here column, I do a whole lot of shit-talking about movies I'll never see. It's kinda the whole point of this thing: I watch a trailer, I judge it as harshly as I can and then I stave off the ever-present fear of my own mortality for a few blissful, fleeting moments. That's the trade-off.

Usually, this is an easy enough task, with the sheer volume of dreck that comes down the pike in Hollywood. Riddick? Battle of the Year? Last Vegas? Fuck those movies. Straight-up fuck 'em.

Unfortunately, the only movie coming out this week (besides The Wolf of Wall Street, but that's a limited release and besides, it's Martin fucking Scorsese) is The Best Man Holiday. Besides pointing out the clumsiness of the title, there's not a whole lot else I can say about what appears to be a perfectly decent, well-meaning romantic comedy.

The sequel to the modestly charming 1999 comedy, The Best Man, this film looks about as innocuous as they come. Featuring a cast of very pretty, affable people, it presupposes a whatever-the-neutral-version-of-dystopian-is present in which everyone basically gets along and has really great smiles. The end.

Instead of wallowing in pleasantness, can we just talk about the newly released trailer for that awful-looking Robocop reboot? Good.

Robocop: The New Class doesn't open until February (prime movie-going season!), but I just need to talk about it with someone besides my therapist. Starring Joel Kinnaman (the only redeeming quality of AMC's The Killing) as the titular Robocop, this new version eschews the '80s ultraviolence of the original in favor of a PG-13 story about robots with feelings.

While the trailer would love to entice you with people like Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keaton - do not give in to temptation. 1987's Robocop will always and forever be the one true Robocop, no matter how much the shadowy overlords of Hollywood would like to convince you otherwise. Rise up, readers! Rise, and refuse to worship false Robocop! Sic semper tyrannis!

But The Best Man Holiday looks OK.

See Also

A Nerd Alert! has been issued for this week

SUNDAY, NOV. 10 2013 >>>

1. Fiesta, Familia, Folklore! music and dance performance at Tacoma's Rialto Theater promises to provide an authentic regional representation of Mexican music through the use of traditional songs and dances. Witness the vibrant pageantry of ballet folklórico of Bailadores de Bronce. Hear the bright brass music of the Oaxaca region by La Banda Gozona. Feed off of the inspiring youthful exuberance of Mariachi Huenachi. The fiesta begins at 3 p.m.

2. Tacoma Musical Playhouse opened its 20th anniversary season with the Broadway hit Les Miserables, which ends its run at 2 p.m. TMP raised roughly $1.2 million to renovate the stage, orchestra location and backstage areas. The stage is larger and the orchestra is now placed above and behind the stage which helps the actors voices come through better whether they are mic'd or not. TMP's choice of opening its new stage with Les Mis guaranteed a solid start to its season. With added space, choreography is less cramped and sets are able to be more grand. The spectacle of this production did not disappoint with the sets showcasing the talent and skill of the designers and carpenters. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Les Miserables in the Music and Culture section.

3. 12 Years a Slave is the latest from British director Steve McQueen. The film, adapted from the 1853 autobiographical novel of the same name, chronicles the misfortunes of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man living in the northern United States in a time when living in the southern United States would have meant he was someone's property. Yes, Northup lived during that time in American history when literally owning another human being was considered a status symbol rather than a crime against humanity, at least in the south. Tacoma playwright Rosalind Bell will be leading a discussion about the film after its 2:40 screening at The Grand Cinema.

4. See dance as you've never seen it before - trouncing through a bookstore! At 3 p.m. in King's Books, the BareFoot Collective will take to the shelves and deliver a unique performance in a unique venue that is just about the opposite of a formal theatre in every way. Today's performance continues tBFC's modern dance performances out of the black box. The group aims to take dance into public spaces around Tacoma. The road shows will be 30 to 40 minutes long and will incorporate improvisation, contemporary, dance-theatre and hip-hop works. All performances are free. Oh, King's Books will not be held responsible for any airborne books and beverages high-kicked ceremoniously from your hand.

5. Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning producer and guitarist Pete Anderson, who melds blues and country to forge a style all his own, will perform at 7 p.m. in The Spar in Old Town Tacoma. Known as a pioneer in the roots-rock genre and an early champion of the Americana movement, he had a hand in introducing the world to artists such as Michelle Shocked, Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale, Rosie Flores and his musical partner of 20 years, Dwight Yoakam.

LINK: Sunday, Nov. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, NOV. 9 2013 >>>

1. Many artists and institutions are embracing immersive environments - creating an experience of "being there" - to immerse the visitor in a virtual world where one's senses are overwhelmed, forcing the viewer out of his physical self. The artists' goal is to turn the viewer from passive perceiver of the material world into active participant in a conceptual inner world. When it works, it creates a feeling of presence, when all the senses perceive the digital environment to be physically real. Digital media pioneer Jennifer Steinkamp fabricated a vividly seductive digital artwork following a tree through the four seasons as though blown by unpredictable winds, causing the branches to twist and clench. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tacoma Art Museum, the artwork charts the passage of time by following the path of a single tree as it cycles through a year of change in 11 minutes.

2. Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhltransforms the reputation of the vibrator from Seattle Fringe Festival prop to serious theatrical subject matter in In The Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in the Norton Clapp Theatre at the University of Puget Sound. With pre-show hype claiming it's "a story of repressed sexuality and physical exploration with equal doses of humor and emotion," In the Next Room revolves around the prim Victorian medical practice and home life of Victorian-era gyno Dr. Givings and his wife, Catherine. They just had their first child, but they are forced to hire a wet nurse, bringing the bereaved Elizabeth into their lives. As Catherine gossips with Elizabeth, and meets more and more of her husband's patients, she learns about the mysterious, new therapy. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal's review of the show here.

3. We have a hankering for bluegrass tonight. Maybe it's the rain, the flannel shirts and the switch from summer's gin to autumn's whiskey. Whatever the case, it's nice. Tacoma's Cottonwood Cutups are bringing that satisfying pluck and twang and funk to Soutbay Dickerson's BBQ for a hot 8 p.m. set in its cool bar. The three brothers - who enjoy Dr. Dre, campfires and the Hoh Rainforest - deliver toe-tapping Americana, tickled by mandolin and banjo, with guitar and an upright bass to root it all down. Southbay's Pig Bar is the perfect backdrop - intimate, wood walls, nice people, warm food and cold beer. Scuff & Al open.

4. It's a jungle in there. The lighting is dim, but you can still spy the wild life scattered across the landscape. Lushy - think The Jetson's with swizzle sticks - will pounce with its original samples and Bossa beats plus elements of vintage-Latin jazz, exotica, surf, new wave and sixties pop to create its own distinctive intercontinental sound the band likes to call progressive cocktail pop. Perched on the cliff, The Ukadelics are an eight-member uke band influenced by Disneyland's Tiki room and cocktails with a repertoire from classic "hapa-haole" Hawaiian songs such as "Blue Hawaii" and "Tiny Bubbles" to the lounge favorites such as "Secret Agent Man." Yup, it's a jungle party at Bob's java Jive and the cool cats dance beginning at 9 p.m.

5. The late-night mini-fest of blood-injected spazzmatic anti-cinema All Freakin' Night is sure to cause at least one of your major organs to fail when the projector is flicked on at midnight. As part of the Olympia Film Festival, and running through early morning Sunday at the Capitol Theater, Tumult, Sightseers, The Rambler, Motel Hell, Burial Ground: The Nights Of Terror and City of the Walking Dead will flicker with enough carnage to terrify, not just sicken. Host Kenny Ward will pass out enough coffee to keep your head spinning - completely around.  Wedged between the movies will be contests with plenty of putrid prizes.

LINK: Saturday, Nov. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, NOV. 8 2013 >>>

1. Eager to add modern attractions while staying true to the classics - this gentle tug between new and old defines the Olympia Film Festival at its 30-year mark. The Capitol Theater's sixty-five-thousand-dollar, 4K-resolution digital projector will whir to life for the first time for the French feature Swim Little Fish Swim at 6 p.m. The night cruises along with a live concert headlined by The Julie Ruin, featuring that blast from Olympia's punk past, Kathi Wilcox and Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill fame.

2. Combining angelic R&B-indebted vocals with muscular instrumentation and wistfully romantic lyrics, Tangerine sound like very little else on the market right now. Led by Marika Justad - along with drummer Miro Lion (Justad's sister), bassist Ryan Baker, and guitarist Toby Kuhn - Tangerine quickly began gaining traction and attention, aided as much by their strong live performances as by their pristine recorded songs. Where did they come from, and how did they get so good in such a short amount of time? Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Tangerine in the Music and Culture section for the answers. Then visit Anthem Coffee & Tea at 7:30 p.m. to watch the band perform with J. Martin and Jake Loden.

3. Driving Miss Daisy - an intimate socio-drama about an elderly, vinegary Jewish widow Daisy Werthen and her good-natured black chauffeur Hoke Coleburn down Dixie way spanning the pre-to-post-civil-rights era - is sweet and sharp: an examination of humanity and the racial divide with only a smattering of it's-good-for-you preachiness. At first, Hoke's presence in her life is met with disdain. But over the course of 25 years, Hoke becomes not only her chauffeur, but against all odds, her best friend. Catch the play at 7:30 p.m. in the The Dukesbay Theater at 508 S. Sixth Ave. in Tacoma.

4. If a norm jazz show is a house scotch on the rocks, then this jazz show is a Glenlivet scotch on the rocks with a twist. Percussionist/composer Steve Bentley will join forces with saxophonist Jim Pribbenow, bassist Steve Luceno and pianist Brian Kinsella to launch the Washington Center's 2013-14 Black Box Cabaret Jazz Series at 8 p.m. Bently's rhythms and arrangements take the "drums" places they've never been before. By pushing the boundaries on many levels, he mixes the influences of jazz, world beat and classical masters. It's the perfect band to open the Box.

5. The Portland-based, Idaho-born lovelies the Shook Twins are fresh off their Midwest tour and are bringing their music to the Olympia Ballroom for a night of bluegrass/rock/funk you won't forget. While talent is no question, their niche seems to be their creative use of instrumentation, which includes banjo, guitar, electric and upright bass, mandolin, electric guitar, electronic drums, beatbox, glockenspiel, ukulele, banjo drumming and their signature golden egg. Shook Twins performance will be a perfect accompaniment to local lady Kendl Winter, known for her solo gems of loop pedal, guitar and banjo. The fun begins at 8 p.m.

LINK: Friday, Nov. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Continuing in the baffling tradition of the gritty Dark Knight-ifying of superhero sequels, we find ourselves in the company of Thor: The Dark World. Whereas the first Thor (which I was forced to see for this here rag) was inexplicably a rom-com set partially in a Tremors-esque desert town and partially in the Rainbow Road course of Mario Kart, Thor the Thequel subverts the inane goofiness of the first installment in favor of ominous skies and a droning pound of a musical score.

After the events of The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World finds the titular Norse god teaming up with his ne'er-do-well brother, Loki - who just got done almost destroying planet Earth - to stop some manner of unnamed threat. Returning, once again, is Natalie Portman as Jane (maybe a Tarzan nod, there?), Thor's scientist love interest who basically vanished for The Avengers to help clear up that filmic traffic jam.

In addition to generally being thematically darker, this new Thor adventure also appears to be literally darker, in the sense that I largely couldn't tell what the hell was going on during much of this trailer. Battle sequences and portentous shots of villains are buried beneath piles of murk that will doubtlessly become murkier should you be so unlucky as to find yourself at a 3D screening of the film.

Following the lead of the first film, which hired an overqualified director of dramas with little experience in the area of CGI tentpole projects (Kenneth Branagh), Thor the Thecond has been helmed by Alan Taylor - who has a long history of directing prestige cable shows (The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men), but no action films, save for his upcoming stab at an entry in the Terminator franchise.

Expect some more interminable scenes of faux-deep sword-and-sandal dialogue, interspersed with choppy actions scenes, but with none of the redeeming slapstick of the first film. Thor, you can count me out.

See Also

A Nerd Alert has been issued!

TUESDAY, NOV. 5 2013 >>>

1. Chambers Bay Grill Chef Josh Corcoran and his team offer a Junior Top Chef cooking class series for South Sound youth from 6-8 p.m. through Dec. 3. The series will cover basic kitchen etiquette right up to creating world-class desserts. As a final exam, the young chefs will prepare a formal dinner for special guests. Who knows? Maybe the next Anthony Bourdain will emerge from this class. Our money is on the trash talkin' kid.

2. Standing at a paltry 2.49 vertical miles compared to Mount Everest's 5.49, K2 compensates for its height disadvantage by actively trying to slaughter anyone who sets foot on it. The only reason K2 isn't skulking around a summer camp chopping up teenagers is because there isn't a goalie mask big enough to fit it. Freddy Krueger has nightmares about K2. The bone-chilling documentary The Summit attempts to piece together the events surrounding the worst tragedy in K2's infamous legacy; the series of accidents collectively known as the "2008 K2 Disaster." Catch the film at 2:40 at The Grand Cinema.

3. Learn more about Tacoma's historic 1908 Armory and the owner's vision for the adaptive re-use when Historic Tacoma hosts developers, architects and artists from 6-8 p.m. in the Armory's Main Drill Hall at 715 S. 11th St. in Tacoma. Interact with artists who'll have their work on display, discuss ideas for the building's future, and learn about Historic Tacoma during their annual meeting and reception.

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. Energetic, melodic rock, with a powerful undertow and a strong message can best describe the sound produced by Queensland rock outfit Kizmet. The band have been touring and composing music together since the year 2000 and pops in for a 9 p.m. show with IBQT and GarlicMan & Chikn in Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Tuesday, Nov. 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, NOV. 2 2013 >>>

1. The 64th installment in the Warren Miller series, Ticket to Ride, will take filmgoers on an action-packed ride with the world's best skiers and snowboarders - from heli-drops in Alaska, to speed riding in Kazakhstan and even, um, ski babes in Iceland. One of the most awe-inspiring moments of the new Warren Miller flicks is a segment on a war veteran and ski enthusiast who had lost his legs in combat. This soldier was able to come back and do what he loved on his mono-ski, delivering a crowd-erupting backflip. See it at 6 and 9 p.m. at the Pantages Theater.

2. Happy Dale Chihuly Weekend, everyone! We know; we know. Dale Chihuly's dreamy color, glossy surfaces and flamboyant design are old hat for Tacomans, but as far as we're concerned, the Chihuly's contemporary glassmaking still draws. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, visitors to the Museum of Glass may watch Dale Chihuly and his team create pieces inspired by the "Irish Cylinders" - originally created in 1975 - with artist Seaver Leslie and glass artist Flora C. Mace in the cone. This weekend the Hot Shop will be running on all, um, Irish cylinders, or something.

3. Get ready, Tacoma. The 12th annual Tacoma Studio Tour is happening Nov. 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. - that's two full days to visit some of Tacoma's better artists where they create their work, talk to them, view their art and enjoy demonstrations. You might even get to use some of their stuff to make your own art. This year's lineup of artists is as good as it gets. With 39 participating artists or art groups, you will not be able to visit them all, so study the guide to decide which studios you want to visit. If you're looking for recommendations, click here to see the five artists whose studios Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton would like to visit.

4. Tacoma City Ballet kicked off a scavenger hunt in January the likes of which Tacoma has never seen - a yearlong search for nuts. You heard right. Nuts. The nuts tie into the company's highly anticipated December performances of The Nutcracker and The Tale of the Hard Nut. November's scavenger clue dropped yesterday. The Hard Nut is a prequel to the original Nutcracker, which explains why a prince is trapped inside a nutcracker doll. Maybe you need a primer. The Tacoma City Ballet will open its rehearsal for the show at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., including a lecture presentation about the history of The Nutcracker and the creation of the new tale. 

5. What does psychedelic hobo death trance sound like? Power Skeleton. Their song, "Vacuum{2}," is spooky sludge adorned with warbly effects that send the listener spiraling down a K-hole. "Robot Skulls in the Jungle Temple" is a 15-minute primal march into the heart of darkness. "Pwrcrnkn" is glitchy psycho jazz. All of these instrumental excursions of improvisational madness are aimed at melting brains and rendering flesh. If you're looking to stretch out Halloween, you could do worse than Power Skeleton with Regional Faction, Godzillian and Hand of Doom at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, Nov. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

I'd like to start out by just going ahead an awarding Last Vegas with the 2013 title of "Most Likable Cast in a Movie I Will Never See." The film - predicated on the idea that Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline and Robert De Niro would EVER, in any universe, be longtime best friends - is the latest in a series of hee-larious examinations of old people trying to have fun.

"Who do they think they are? Young people?" scoff the makers of Last Vegas.

The trailer opens with Douglas having a conference call with his very best buddies to let them know that he's finally tying the knot. Off to Vegas they go for a weekend of sin and debauchery in honor of Douglas's upcoming nuptials. It isn't long before these four legendary actors are forced to say things about how they have hemorrhoids older than the 20-somethings at these swank nightclubs.

Kevin Kline actually utters the line, "We're gonna party like it's 1959," shortly after confusing Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson for someone from the Jackson 5.

None of this seems terrible, to be sure. That said, none of it really looks all that good, either. Personally, I'd be perfectly happy just watching Kline and Freeman be classy motherfuckers together for 90 minutes. Sign me up. What I'm not so interested in seeing is this geriatric Hangover riff that robs these great actors of all of their many years of hard-earned dignity and grace.

A fairly common way to write off lousy movies is to declare that the actors "sure look like they had fun making the movie." I don't doubt that it was a blast for these guys to get together and fart around in Vegas for a little while and collect an easy paycheck and a nice desert tan, but to call it anything else would be disingenuous.

That said, your mother will probably LOVE Last Vegas. So there's that.

Also See

The Summit opens Nov. 1 at The Grand Cinema

TUESDAY, OCT. 29 2013 >>>

1. It's no surprise that Rufus Wainwright should find himself years later to be a consummate showman. The son of folkies Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright grew up in a house of music, joining his mother's band at the age of 13. Even his sister, Martha, has a respectable music career in her own right. Wainwright was destined for the stage, though he veered off early on from the folk music legacy of his family. Wainwright takes the Washington Center stage at 7:30 p.m. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Rufus Wainwright in the Music and Culture section.

2. Red Obsession is David Roach and Warwick Ross' directorial debut. This engaging documentary from the "Land Down Under" takes audiences on a journey into the fascinating world of winemaking by going right to the source. No, not California, (apologies to Paul Masson fans), but rather to France and China, the two largest vintners in the modern world. The film screens at 2 and 6:45 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

3. James Clarkson spent a career as an Olympia police sergeant interviewing crime victims, collecting evidence from crime scenes, auto wrecks and autopsies - and then met respected, no-nonsense June Crain who could prove she worked in secret laboratories at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and who told him about UFO crashes, alien bodies, and how the cover-up works. Clarkson penned Tell My Story - June Crain, the Air Force & UFOs. Upon retiring, he joined the Mutual UFO Network in 1986 and is now the Washington state director. Clarkson will discuss his research at 7 p.m. in the Lakewood Library. 

4. Comedians Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner send up all seven Harry Potter novels and stage a live match of Quidditch in only 70 hysterical minutes in Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry experience in the Rialto Theater. We're talking 300 characters, many female, with a variety of accents from Beauxbatons in France to the highlands of Scotland. Oh, and what the hell, let's throw in a fire-breathing dragon - live on stage. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. for a week's run.

5. The 1230 Room probably has you at "free taco bar," but you also may be interested in the downtown Olympia club's new Tuesday deep, tech and progressive house night "The Deep End." It launches at 9 p.m. with drink specials, no cover and resident DJs Alex Bosi, Evan Mould and Chris Paro.

LINK: Tuesday, Oct. 29 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area