TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 2010 >>>

1. Hell's Kitchen adds the bands FunkyJahPunkys, Urban Evergreen, No Ground, and Dreams Jaded at 9 p.m. to its regular Tightwad Tuesday Night - $2 beers, $2 wells, $2 tacos - with no cover charge.

2. More than 24 artists show their works at the Social Injustice show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in The Gallery at Tacoma Community College.

3. Colin Firth plays a homosexual Brit teaching college in Los Angeles in 1962 and privately mourning his lover, who has been dead for eight months in A Single Man screening at 2:25, 4:50, 7:15 and 9:20 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema.

4. The Hub in Tacoma hosts a trivia night at 6 p.m. with cash prizes.

5. REI in Tacoma hosts a Winter Hikes in Western Washington class at 7 p.m.

LINK: Today's movie times

BICYCLE BOOZE CRUZ >>>

Groundhog Sprocket

Saturday, Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m.

The Red Hot

MICHAEL SWAN: SATURDAY, DEC. 19, 2009 >>>

1. The Folksingers In Hell perform at 3 p.m. inside Funkoma Vintage along Tacoma's Antique Row.

2. Santa Runs Tacoma - featuring Frosty's 5K Run/Walk, The Grinch 10K Relay and Tiny Tim's 1K Kids Run - begins at 9 a.m. on Dock Street.

3. The Grand Cinema screens The Polar Express at 10:30 a.m. for free. Nice.

4. Indiana University's Straight No Chaser are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced; they are 10 unadulterated human voices with a sense of humor hitting the Rialto stage at 7:30 p.m.

5. Tempest Lounge resident DJs Mr. Clean, Dab, Big Chuck and guests present "House Blend" for free beginning at 9:30 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MICHAEL "STANDISH" SWAN: THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 2009 >>>

1. Centre at Norpoint hosts a Turkey Trot featuring a 5K run, 2-mile walk, a kid's dash (ages 3-8) and a wheelchair division beginning at 9 a.m.

2. Fantasy Lights - the largest drive-through display of lights in the Northwest - opens tonight, 5:30-9 p.m., at Spanaway Park.

3. Gay-friendly Jake's On 4th in Olympia hosts a Thanksgiving DJ Spin-Off with DJ Becca and a Super-Secret Seattle Guest DJ at 8 p.m.

4. DJ Luvva J spins at Jezebels Bar & Grill during "YES" night beginning at 9 p.m.

5. Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn hosts ShoTyme at 8:30 p.m.

MICHAEL SWAN: LIVE KARAOKE AT RAINIERS GAME TOMORROW >>>

The Tacoma Rainiers just sent us this press release:

The Tacoma Rainiers party decks will be rocking prior to tomorrow night's Rainiers games vs. the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
 
With the help of the Live Karaoke band Star Machine (they perform at The Swiss and Muckleshoot Casino) 10 local karaoke finalists will test out their pipes to be Tacoma's Best Karaoke singer.  The panel of judges will include Rainiers pitcher Andy Baldwin.

 
The finalists were picked from four previous contests that took place the past few weeks at E-9, The Swiss, West End and Jazzbones.

 
All the action will kick-off at 5:30 on the terrace level of the Rainiers left field party decks at Cheney Stadium.
 
The grand prize winner will walk away with a trip for two to San Diego which includes airfare, hotel and tickets to a San Diego Padres game all provided by Muckleshoot Casino.

Sound like a fun night.

What I'd like to see is Sports Karaoke where I can announce the play-by-play action.

MICHAEL SWAN: MONDAY, AUG. 31, 2009 >>>

1. Junkyard Jane brings its swampbilly to The Swiss at 7 p.m.

2. Angel Matamoros's abstract paintings are paired with surrealistic paintings by Blake Flynn in the current exhibition at Childhood's End Gallery in Olympia open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3. DJ Jason Diamond spins roots reggae during The New Frontier Lounge's Rebel Monday at 9 p.m.

4. The Tacoma Rainiers take on the Salt Lake Bees (seriously? Bees?) at 7 p.m. at Cheney Stadium.

5. Sing with a live band at Jazzbones' Rockaraoke night beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

PAUL SCHRAG: TIME TO SHOW YOUR SKILLS >>>

How does rock climbing on a bike sound?

Awesome?

Then head down to Ruston Way this Saturday near Marine Park at 11 a.m.  The T-Town Throwdown Bike Trials Competition will take place on the rocks, beach, logs and other natural obstacles on the Ruston Way waterfront. Five bad-ass courses for various levels of expertise will be marked among rocks and other natural features.

There will also be a kid’s obstacle course and a beginner’s course.

[Marine Park, 11 a.m., free, 3931 Ruston Way, Tacoma]

MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2009 >>>

1. Norwegian choir Hauka Mannskor from central Norway will sing lovely songs at 7 p.m. inside the Trinity Lutheran Church.

2. Rare documents and medical equipment help uncover a century's development of nursing in Washington as part of the Nurses at Your Service: A Century of Caring exhibit at the Washington State History Museum.

3. Tacoma Rainiers play the Las Vegas 51s at 7 p.m. at Cheney Stadium.

4. Hell's Kitchen meshes its Tightwad Tuesday night ($2 wells, $2 beers, $2 huge tacos) with a little Rock Band! Live on stage at 8 p.m.

5. Nate Jackson will be the headliner at Jazzbones' Ha Ha Tuesday comedy show at 8 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: Wine and beer events

MICHAEL SWAN: SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2009 >>>

1. J-Fresh mixes and scratches -80s and old school tunes while industry folks get smashed on happy hour prices tonight at Jazzbones.

2. Punk Rock Baseball takes over Jefferson Park from noon to 6 p.m.

3. Tacoma Little Theatre use their revolving stage as a transition device as their production of The Buddy Holly Story flows from one scene to the next beginning at 2 p.m.

4. A young Brit (Ben Barnes) brings his dashing American love (Jessica Biel) home to meet his parents (Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth) with unsettling results in the flick Easy Virtue on The Grand Cinema's screen at 12:35, 2:30, 4:45, 7 and 9:10 p.m.

5. Rod Cook & Toast play a free show at The Spar in Old Town Tacoma at 7 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: Wine and beer events

RON SWARNER: ROCK  ‘N’ ROLL BOWLING TOURNAMENT >>>

I tried describing first annual Hell’s Kitchen Rock ‘n’ Roll Bowling tournament held Saturday at Pacific Lanes in Tacoma but it came out looking like a C student’s four-page term paper on alcoholism.  So instead of going into detail on every single thing that happened, I’ll post the winner’s photo and call it good.

The Plata Pussies won the thing dipping heavily into the handicap system in order to pull it off. Congratulations to Rob Wheeler, Devin Culhane, Trivia Sayler-Koehn (with child) and Terrance Koehn.