MONDAY, DEC. 16 2013 >>>

1. The moths are on to something. Lights are awesome. Especially holiday lights. Make tonight the night you check out Zoolights or Fantasy Lights - both South Sound institutions. Zoolights, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's holiday light show and extravaganza, offers a stroll through more than half a million lights, crafted whimsically throughout the zoo from 5-9 p.m. Take a driving tour of Fantasy Lights in Spanaway Park, where carloads of travelers can see more than 300 stunning displays of lights and imaginative animation over a two-mile stretch of Spanaway Lake Park from 5:30-9 p.m. Tune in to a special holiday radio station for a little holiday music to add to the mood. A Monday evening would be a nice time to take the family out and see some bright shiny things ... if you're not already sick and tired of the holidays, that is.

2. Pianist Nate D., bassist Cameron and drummer Peter T. continue to explore the edges of jazz by hosting a jazz jam every Monday at 8 p.m. inside The New Frontier Lounge. Not all gigs qualify as a hang, but this one has the precise alchemy that draws the area's best players: a high level of musicianship, a relaxed atmosphere and a sympathetic intergenerational crowd.

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

4. Every Monday at 9 p.m. Jazzbones is packed to the brim with college kids. Party types. The type that wear tight shirts and trucker hats. Throngs of Chad Fratguys and Sarah Sororitysisters swarm the bar, line up for the bathroom and dance to the Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Tonight, Jazzbones will give $250 to the ugly holiday sweater. Here's hoping someone sings "Run to the Hills" while wearing a sweater featuring two lovely polar bears that appear to be best friends. 

5. Each Monday DJ No Pants and Mega Hit DJ Aaron Miggity Mack want you to come and join us at O'Malley's Irish Pub for all of your fave songs and probably some that you never heard of from a different genre of music. That's right, nothing static. Tonight, it's new wave night. Whether you're a 21-year-old feeling nostalgic for a time you never lived through, or a crimp-haired, stone-washed new-waver who never got over the Talking Heads breaking up, the music of the 1980s spans cultures and generations to bring the he-men and she-bops in from the cold.  

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Monday, Dec. 16 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

The Gig Spot Gig Harbor. Argonian. 8 pm. $8.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Nick Moss Band. 8 pm. $10.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Combo. 7 pm.

Medi's Pizza Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Mirrorgloss, the Pecos, I Like Science, the Spins. 8 pm. NC.

• Made up of singers Del Brown and Najamoniq Todd, guitarist Danny Kenny and drummer Bryan Robertson, Mirrorgloss is a dance-rock band in the vein of LCD Soundsystem. They find solid grooves and have the good sense to sit in them and let them stretch out until they settle nice and deep into your bones. Their secret weapon is their guitarist, who nimbly does yeoman's work of filling in the gaps between preprogrammed beats and the live drumming, stealthily sewing everything neatly together. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Swelter 15-Year Reunion, with Bali Girls, Negative Press. 9 pm. $5.

• If you enjoy claustrophobic crowds, sweaty people and hard rock, don't miss this show. Swelter, a Tacoma band formed around 1990, will reunite to rock The New Frontier Lounge Friday. The quartet began as Swelter Cacklebush, a heavy pop band formed by singer Micah Hembree, bassist Chad Baker, drummer Stuart Linkert and guitarist Jason Harsin. Linkert and Harsin blazed to form the uber popular Katie's Dimples. In 1993, Linkert grabbed guitarists Jason Dietrich and David Takata, changed the name to Swelter and rocked a Stooges-meet-Bad Seeds sound. A third guitarist, Sean Lanksbury joined the band, until the band broke up in 1998. - Ron Swarner

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Gabriel Wolfchild, Bitches In The Beehive, NoodleBird, The Celestials. All Ages. 7 pm. $5.

• To stand out as a man with an acoustic guitar takes some doing, as anyone who's been to a coffeehouse open mic can attest. Gabriel Wolfchild makes unapologetically somber music that somehow avoids the pitfall of maudlin naval-gazing. Gabriel Wolfchild's voice is clear and steady, devoid both of showboating and of ponderous whisper-singing. His collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Maesyn only enriched the quality of his songwriting. Maesyn's contribution of violin and harmony on their album, A Cry to the Moon, expands and enlivens the proceedings, freeing it from the solo singer-songwriter palate and transporting it into a world of folk that extends to world music, blues and Tom Waits-indebted balladeering. What mostly stands out about Gabriel Wolfchild is his storytelling. Each of his songs unfolds in ways that validate their sparse surroundings. - Rev. AM
  

Northern Pacific Coffee Co. Tacoma - Parkland. Thanksgiving Benefit Show featuring Stephanie Anne Johnson, Kye Alfred Hillig, Andrew Cook, David Hannon, Heidi Stoermer and Toby Hanson. All Ages. 7 pm. Cash and canned food donations.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. A Happy Death, Thunders of Wrath, Our Burgundy. 9 pm.

• Though they have a song that's explicitly called "Surf Rock Band," it would be a mistake to call them one. A Happy Death plant their feet firmly in the court of garage-pop madness, seemingly content to thrash away in blissfully psychedelic, noisy bliss, while never crossing the threshold into noise-rock or brain-melting chaos. Mostly, reverb is utilized to create a haze of '60s revivalism, though it finds itself imbued with a sweetness frequently found in the hordes of garage nostalgists. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on A Happy Death in the Music and Culture section.

Red Wind Casino Yelm. Jonathan Harris. 8:30 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Chris Jones. 5 pm. Ghost 211. 9 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Fallen Kings, Dirge Era, Lady Luck. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music Friday, Nov. 22 in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

B Sharp Coffee House Tacoma - Triangle District. Ty Wilan. High energy R&B. 8pm-11pm. free.

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Brakemouth, Not From Brooklyn, Future Fridays and the Sound of Speed. 9 pm. $5.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Blue Grit Gypsy Band. 9:30 pm. NC.

The Gig Spot Gig Harbor. The Blackberry Bushes Stringband. All Ages. 8 pm. $12.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Approach CD Release Party, with Vividal, Mighty High. 8 pm. $8.

• A cursory look at the Tacoma reggae quartet The Approach's debut record suggests the band favors upbeat rhythms over the lazy, laid-back tempos preferred by too many of its contemporaries. This gives the songs an exceptionally strong rhythmic backbone. Combining hip-hop, reggae, rock and ska, the band isn't afraid to throw in some unexpected tricks, such as shredding guitars and a few Anthony Kiedes-like interludes. Although some of the songs go on a bit long, they rarely sound self-indulgent. No, instead they sound like a party, which is exactly what the band's live shows bust out. Drop by Jazzbones Saturday night for The Approach's CD release party with Vividal and Mighty High setting the tone - emphasis on "party." - Ron Swarner
  

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Shit Blizzard, Fox & The Law, Thunders Of Wrath. 9 pm.

The Lochs Tacoma - Downtown. Under Sin, Black Top Demon, Riot and Rhythm. 8 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Lefthead, Beyond Theory, Charlie Drown. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. The Kareem Kandi Band. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Metronome Coffee Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Debbie Neigher. All Ages. 8 pm.

• A hip coffeehouse and a young, bright singer/songwriter/pianist from the Bay Area? Sounds perfect for a November evening. Debbie Neigher is on tour to promote her sophomore album, Unravel, a joint effort by talent that has worked on The Mountain Goats, Rogue Wave and Death Cab for Cutie. The result is lovely, with a lot of feminine power, a lot of pop-synth and a lot of heart. Dancing or relaxing would both be appropriate when listening Neigher's soprano sweet voice and piano-driven jams. Hype for the artist from San Francisco Bay Guardian reads, "She's youthful (just 24), yet her voice is strong and conveys a wise understanding of past, similar to Michelle Branch or Fiona Apple. Her lyrics often dive into difficult topics ... And her intricate piano work soars." - Nikki McCoy
  

Northern Olympia - downtown. Aan, Gothic Tropic and guests. 8 pm. $5. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Aan in the Music and Culture section.

Southbay Dickerson's BBQ/Pig Bar Olympia - Downtown. Daniel "Mudcat" McKinstry. 8 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Argonaut, Dogs Of War, Skies Below, Furry Buddies. 9 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Aan, Gothic Tropic. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Cleric, Czar, Mahnhammer, Barefoot Barnacle. 9 pm.

Red Bicycle Bistro and Sushi Bar Vashon. The Ian McFeron Band. All Ages. 8:30 pm. NC.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Rockodiles. 8 pm. NC.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Correo Aereo. All Ages. 8 pm. $10-$15.

Treos Tacoma - Central. Michael Coucoules. All Ages. 7-9 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Midnight Ride. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music Saturday, Nov. 16 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

B Sharp Coffee House Tacoma - Triangle District. Rod Cook. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. Night Of The Living Tribute Bands, featuring tributes to The Specials, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Beastie Boys, They Might Be Giants, The Pixies, Queens Of The Stone Age, Spinal Tap. All Ages. 8:30 pm. $8-$10.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Aaron Daniel's One Man Banned. 9:30 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. First Degree The D.E.'s Halloween Horror Night Costume Party, with Blue Nose Music, Shao Sosa, Awall AKA 2Piece, Beanz & Rize, hosted by Josh Rizeberg. 8 pm. $10.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Clinton Fearon & The Boogie Brown Band, with New Kingston. 8 pm. $10.

Kilworth Chapel Tacoma - Northend. La Familia Valera Miranda. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $12.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Oly Freakdown Halloween Hardcore & Metal Show with Eidola, Redeem the Exile, ThisTopia, Enclosures, T.H.O.R. All Ages. 5:30 pm. $5. MC Swamptiger, Smoke Of Oldominion. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Wide Eye Panic, In The Between, December In Red, Insuburban Avenue, Watcher's Eye. All Ages. 6 pm.

Matrix Coffee House Chehalis. 16 Sparrows. All Ages. 8 pm. $6.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. The Kareem Kandi Band. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Lovers Without Borders, Lois, The Hive Dwellers. All Ages. 8 pm. $6.

• Saturday's show at the Northern is a showcase of Olympia legends, including K Records founder Calvin Johnson with his Hive Dwellers project, and a supergroup of Karl Blau, Allen Peril, and Jessica Bonin by the name of Lovers Without Borders. Of particular interest is a performance from Lois Maffeo, who tends more often to go by the Google-confounding title of, simply, Lois. A prolific member of the Olympia DIY community throughout the '90s, Lois's output has slowed over the years, but she leaves an impressive collection of collaborations with any number of alt scene movers and shakers - most notably her quite good album, The Union Themes, which she recorded with Brendan Canty of Fugazi. All along the way, what distinguished Lois were her lovely voice, her strong songwriting and her flair for knocking out warmly catchy folk-pop. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Rock the Dock Pub & Grill Tacoma - Downtown. 13 Eves of Halloween with Ghost 211. Creepiest costume contest for cash. 9 pm.

The Royal Lounge Olympia - Downtown. E-40, Beejan, Krucial Barz, Mr. Tist 7 Yak Nasty, Frankie Hustle, Circle of Bosses, Free Whiskey and XPerience. 9 pm. $20.

• The legend, the lyricist, the greatest gamespitter of all time, the Ambassador of The Bay, E-Feezy Fonzarelli ... Call him what you want, but don't be late catching this man rock the stage at The Royal Lounge Saturday night in Olympia - and he often travels with his cohort from The Click, B-Legit. E-40 is the hardest working man in hip-hop, at least in terms of albums output.  In the past three years, 40 Water has dropped the Revenue Retrievin' series (four CDs) and The Block Brochure Volumes 1-3, his collaboration with Too Short's Mob & Function Music (double disc) and the forthcoming parts 4-6.  You do the math - that's 12 quality releases in as much time as it took you to write your last resume. He's a model for the art of hustling and he's in The 25360 this weekend, The Mailman cometh. Alongside 40 will be a lineup of local talent including Beejan, Krucial Barz, Mr. Twist & Yak Nasty (celebrating a long-term of sobriety - go, Yak!), Circle of Bosses, Free Whiskey, XP (coming off the release of his new classic, The Revelations [EP] and hosted by Frankie Hustle. Bound to be plenty of memorable moments at this one. - Jose Gutierrez Jr.
  

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Pre-Halloween Party, with Crosswalk Band, costume contest. 9 pm. NC.

Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe Tacoma - Eastside. 6th year Anniversary Show featuring Pioneers West Reunion, with The Wheelies. 9 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Spanaway & Tacoma ABATE Halloween Bash, with Justice Creek. 9 pm.

Westgate Bar and Grill Tacoma - Northend. Halloween Party, with Tumbling Dice. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music Saturday, Oct. 26 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LINK: Today's Halloween events in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

502 Downtown Tacoma - Downtown. Kim Archer Band with Gritty City Sirens burlesque troupe and DJ Ninja Kat. Halloween costume contest plus raffle. 9 pm. $10 cash.

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Heavy Prog with Breag Naofa, Feng Chia, Moraine, God Hates Fads. 8 pm. $5.

• If you find yourself thirsty for post-metal, heavy prog rock, look no further than Bob's Java Jive tonight. Political, anti-religious, and blood-shedding doom is the nature of Seattle's Breag Naofa, who perfectly execute the qualities of the genre, with plenty of mid-tempo drone and growly vocals. The evening also promises the interesting music of Fang Chia, a Tacoma-based experimental jazz-rock band consisting of music alumni of the University of Puget Sound. Blurring lines and blowing minds is what Fang Chia strive to do with self-promo stating their combined musical background is "rooted in grit and improvisation." Also on the bill are two more Seattle bands, Moraine, featuring instrumental fusion appealing across all genres, and God Hates Fads, whose doom-jazz is prone to wandering depths and trippy heights. - Nikki McCoy
  

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Stagecoach Nettie & The Wolf Tones. 9:30 pm. NC.

Grit City GindHouse Tacoma - Triangle District. The Warehouse Presents: Rockwell Powers and DJ Phinisey Album Release Party. With The Breaklites, Ra Scion and Mr. Melanin. All Ages. 9 pm. $7-$10.

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

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. X Suns, Chung Antique, Fall Of Electricity, A God Or An Other. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Half Of Infinity. All Ages. 7 pm.

Lucky Eagle Casino Rochester. Little River Band. 8 pm. $15.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. The Kareem Kandi Band. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Northern Pacific Coffee Company Tacoma - Parkland. Wild Berries, J. Martin and Andrew Cook. 7 pm.

• Recently, the powers of two bands joined together. The two-piece of Rowhouse became a four-piece with the addition of Aaron Berryhill and Chelsea Reed, of the well-liked but short-lived band, the Nadines. With the change in lineup came a change in name, to Wild Berries. With the incorporation of Berryhill and Reed, the sound of the band has certainly begun to gel. And louder? Yeah. Wild Berries have slid toward the Nadines' brand of garage psych, while still incorporating the jazz and blues elements that Rowhouse embraced. With no bass, and with the witchy, tremulous background vocals of Reed, Wild Berries is all craning energy and no low end. When they really get on a jag, it's like watching them tiptoe along a balance beam. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Wild Berries, including an interview with Alex Tapia of Rowhouse, in the Music and Culture section.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Still Got It. 8 pm.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. The Cantrells. All Ages. 8 pm. $10-$15.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Spanaway ABATE Octoberfest, with The Skinny White Samoans. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music Saturday, Oct. 12 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

The Embers at Indian Summer Olympia. Tarik Bentlemsani. 6 pm. NC.

Emerald Downs Racetrack Auburn. China Davis. All Ages. 6-9 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Rose Gold. 9 pm.

• Hailing from Bozeman, Mont., Rose Gold make uniquely difficult music to anticipate or describe. What generally starts as sort of the fuzzy, meek alt-rock songs tend to descend into howling madness without much notice. Much of this is due to lead singer and bassist Birdie Bowie. Her voice has a vulnerability to it that intensifies into strikingly emotional shrieks. At times, Rose Gold are quite reminiscent of Hole, an observation that their blood-curdling cover of Hole's "Retard Boy" confirms. If you were to ask Rose Gold to describe themselves, though, they'd probably use the term "nightmare-pop," which is their self-defined descriptor. It's a provocative notion, nightmare-pop, and I think it does well to describe the shaky beauty of Rose Gold - that prettiness that always teeters on the verge of dread. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

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LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

12th and Jefferson Olympia - Downtown. Stupid Fucking Ramp Party with Fitz of Depression, DJs Mike Corvin and Dalton Goodwin. 2 p.m. $20 covers entry, keg cup and food with proceeds to the Casey Heath Memorial Fund

• It's time again for Oly's favorite backyard skate jam - the Stupid Fucking Ramp Party (SFRP) - a place for ripping, riding, and hanging out with beers, barbeque and bands. Fitz of Depression is playing this year with the Have At Its and DJs Mike Corvin and Dalton Goodwin spinning hardcore classics - the perfect soundtrack for Lib Tech riders and local rippers to hit the ramp. What makes this particular show special - besides Fitz shows are few and far between - is it's a tribute to the late, great Casey Heath, who won "Best Trick" the previous three years. "I decided this year it would be appropriate to have Fitz return. They played the first party here, and were also a huge part of all the other benefits for the Casey Heath memorial fund," said Scott Lewis, event organizer. "They're about as local skatepunk as it gets, and they're the homies. Like, they'd be here even if they weren't playing anyway." Prepare to be rocked. - Nikki McCoy
  

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Music and Potluck. The Fabulous Downey Brothers, Dave Tara, The Cutwinkles, Yevtushenko and potluck food. 9 pm. $5, $3 with potluck dish.

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LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

The Embers at Indian Summer Olympia. Vince Brown. 6 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Science! 6 pm. The Vaudeville Gallows, The Bottlecap Boys, The Rusty Cleavers. 9 pm.

• As much as I've always enjoyed the tone of bluegrass, I've tended to think that a lot of the bands in that genre more often than not sound very similar. There's not much distinction, I've found. While The Bottlecap Boys are planted firmly in the bluegrass niche - with some added elements of poppy hooks - they certainly distinguish themselves with their impressive musicality, which allows them to pull out all the stops in a delightfully show-offy way. In the lively "Try and Try," for instance, there's a bit of vocal acrobatics where the two lead vocalists seamlessly trade off word for word in a breakneck refrain. Also helping to make the Bottlecap Boys stand out is the wry humor that permeates their songs, even as they shine as tightly crafted melodies.- Rev. Adam McKinney
  

House Show North Tacoma. The Warehouse Presents Grand Hallway, The Local Strangers, Honey Noble. For venue address, visit listing on brownpapertickets.com. All Ages. 7 pm. $10.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Brian Lee & The Orbiters. 8 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Thunders Of Wrath. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. Half Of Infinity, Late September Dogs, Larry Mitchell. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant + Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Combo. 7 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Argonaut, Dead, Burning Ghats, Towers. 9 pm.

The Swiss Tacoma - Downtown. The Hipsters. 9 pm.

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

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Generation Unknown. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

See Also

Music critics' picks for Saturday, Aug. 24

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. McTuff. 10 pm.

• Hammond organist Joe Doria, guitarist Andy Coe and saxophonist Cliff Colon cross the barriers of jazz with powerful keyboards, rhythmic drums, screaming sax and sometimes fuzz-distorted guitar in their band McTuff. Improvisational and funky with a whole lotta swagger, the band's epic jams knock the mind into the far reaches of a 1970s version of space and then butt into an uncontrollable groove. The Seattle band will give their drummer Tarik Abouzied a break, and pick-up drummer Barrett Martin (Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Walking Papers) for a free show at Doyle's Public House Saturday night. The show will be a sensory explosion, from the scent of Irish whiskey and the sound of improvisational wizardry to the vision of four talented musicians so deep in a jazz jam that they will be able to stop bullets, run up walls and crack heads from 40 feet in the air.  ... It's almost too much. - Ron Swarner
  

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Halcion Halo, Bodybox, Below Blackstar. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Missionary Position, Deborah Page, Sleepy Pilot. 8 pm. $10.

• Jeff Angell is like some sort of rock n' roll prophet. Or yoda. Or yoda with hip bones. Or something. Dude's just really wise when it comes to the rock, music and what it's all about. "The truth is, I love stories and in three verses a song can say as much as a novel with what it leaves to the imagination. I didn't choose music it chose me and as miserable as I have made life on myself at times, I wouldn't have it any other way," he told the Weekly Volcano in 2011. Angell takes a night off from fronting the acclaimed Walking Papers band for a show with his other band, the soulful rock band The Missionary Position, which includes Walking Papers keyboardist Benjamin Anderson. Hmm. ... WP drummer Barrett Martin will be down the road the same night playing with McTuff at Doyle's. Where's WP bassist Duff McKagan Saturday night? - Weekly Volcano
  

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Pissbath, Gag, Life Form. 9 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Battersea, The Nadines. 6 pm.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. C.F.A., Gunslinger, Lady Ablaze. 9 pm. NC.

• When you just need to beat the heat, or shake a shitty day, or celebrate a good one for that matter, then a good rock show can fill the void, getting into all the crevices of your brain and soul, like a quality coating of caulking. Not many folks in Tacoma do it better than Cody Foster Army, or C.F.A. Punk rock with a peppering of metal and stoner, C.F.A. always delivers a stellar live performance - so much that Ripple Music, the label that put out C.F.A.'s recent album, posted this on its blog: "To those of you who have had a chance to catch their live set, you understand what this entails. If you have not? Think, the Banana Splits. Just less appropriate and more sweaty." If that doesn't sell you on this show, let me add that two Olympia bands - Gunslinger and Lady Ablaze - are there to solidify the rock. Oh, and there's no cover. - Nikki McCoy
  

Red Bicycle Bistro and Sushi Bar Vashon. Bill Brown & The Kingbees. 8:30 pm. NC.

The Pig Bar @ South Bay BBQ Olympia - Downtown. The Oly Mountain Boys. All Ages. 7 pm.

9 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Reggae Night. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Shyan Selah & The Republic Of Sound. 9 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Race To Extinction. 9 pm.

Urban Grace Church Tacoma - Downtown. The Warehouse Presents: Lemolo & The Kaleidoscope Dance, The BareFoot Collective, MLK Ballet. All Ages. 7 pm. $18-$22.

• The past couple of years have been exciting ones for Lemolo. Last year, in particular, saw the release of the Seattle duo's debut LP, The Kaleidoscope - an appropriate title, evocative as it is of the band's dreamy, summery shimmer. Capitalizing on the steam that Lemolo had been building up, The Kaleidoscope cemented them as one of the more buzzed-about bands in the Seattle scene, and landed them on year-end lists, including being named the number one best new band in Seattle by City Arts. Saturday, July 6, Lemolo will be performing the entirety of The Kaleidoscope, live on stage, as close to the sound of the record as possible. This is because they will be joined onstage by two dance troupes: The BareFoot Collective and MLKBallet. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Lemolo in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Steve Cooley & The Dangerfields. 9 pm.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. NWCZ Presents: I Like Science, Not From Brooklyn, Le Lo/Fi, DJ Hogwood. 9 pm.

Immanuel Presbyterian Church Tacoma - Northend. CATHEDRALS: Tacoma, with Paper Bird, Shenandoah Davis, Elk & Boar. All Ages. 8 pm. $16.

• The concept of the Broadway Center's Cathedral series is simplistic to the point of perfection: get some beautiful-sounding artists to perform in beautiful spaces designed to bounce around beautiful sounds. These are not raucous events, but rather contemplative experiences that take exploit churches' natural abilities to heighten and highlight negative space. This time around, my money is on Denver's Paper Bird as the band most likely to fill in those empty spaces. A baroque art-folk-pop seven-piece, there's never a moment wasted or tossed away without being occupied by some lively instruments or flatly gorgeous harmonies. The opening track Rooms, "As I Am," is as potent an opening salvo as I've heard in some time, the energy building and building in a pleasantly organic fashion, the voices aching to pull every last note from deep inside, propelling them out with great velocity. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Bloodbirds, Planet Of Giants. 9 pm.

• The similarities between Bloodbirds' album, Psychic Surgery, and the early Flaming Lips album, Telepathic Surgery, don't stop at the names. Like the work of the early Flaming Lips, Bloodbirds create psychedelic slash-and-burn screeds, with little dashes here and there of the kind of charming silliness in the lyrics that would eventually come to overtake the Flaming Lips. But Bloodbirds are in their larval stage, still hungry and fighting for attention, for credibility, and as such their music is uncompromisingly gritty, no nonsense rock. The type of brain surgery they do is less the gentle psychic variety advertised in their album title, and more the medieval kind - you know, the kind that involved ice picks and that aimed more for ridges and divots than anything in particular. Their music is a slapdash perusing of your brain matter. - Rev. AM
  

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Cody Foster's Birthday Party, with The Plastards, Blanco Bronco. 8 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Swamptiger's Birthday Bash, with Refugee, Heretic The Heathen, Swamptiger, The Blue, DJ Justincase, DJ Pasquan. All Ages. 7 pm.

Northern Pacific Coffee Co. Tacoma - Parkland. Heidi Vladyka, Gina Belliveau and Heidi Stoermer. All Ages. 8 pm. $4.

Olympia Ballroom Olympia - Downtown. Soulstice! funk fest with The Jefferson Rose Band, McTuff and The Brown Edition. 9 pm. $15.

• "All the bands are top musicians," says Lee Brooks, who is presenting the third consecutive Soulstice! celebration in Olympia Friday. "The key word we've been using is "heavy." It's heavy funk. Its amazingly mind-blowing heavy funk." The Jefferson Rose Band, McTuff and The Brown Edition will be plowing through spring and straight into summer with their world-renowned funk, jazz, fusion and variations. Bonus: The Brown Edition - voted best band by Weekly Volcano readers in the 2011 Best of Olympia issue - will be playing a set hot off being named Best Funk/Fusion/Jam Album at the 2013 Independent Music Awards. After a predicted four days of rain, this Friday show will be a welcome-back party for the sun, perfect for a Soulstice! party. Come on down and get groovy. - Nikki McCoy
  

Six Olives Lounge and Restaurant Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Kareem Kandi Band. 9 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Gravenloch, American Wrecking Crew, Dirgeera. 9 pm.

Waterstreet Cafe Olympia - Downtown. Dennis Hastings & The Joe Baque Trio. 9 pm. NC.

LINK: Live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area