LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Elbow Coulee, Bodybox, Ben Union. 9 pm. $5.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. The Cold 102's, Ant Estrada. 9:30 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. The Flying Tortugas, The Jilly Rizzo, Winter Seeker. 9 pm.

Invictus Cafe Olympia - Downtown. Reverend Bear, Fallen Angels, Curse the North, Tatarus, 5 pm. $3.

• Mark Carras and his wife, Sherri, have been running Rock My Monkey Energy Drink out of their home for a little more than a year now. Sold at Invictus Café and 4th Ave Food Mart in Olympia, the energy drink's flavor is "somewhere between Mountain Dew and Red Bull," Sherri said. (I tasted it mixed with Jameson whiskey - delicious!) Check out Rock My Monkey today at Invictus Café in Olympia, during a benefit show for the family of Amanda Winters, the 17-year-old who was killed when her car struck a tree while she was driving to school in April. For more information about getting your band or business involved with Rock My Monkey, visit Rockmymonkey.com or call 360.519.ROCK. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Rock My Monkey in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Jon Wayne & The Pain, Mighty High, The Approach. 8 pm. $10.

Lucky Eagle Casino Rochester. Broken Trail. 9 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Benefit For Humane Society, featuring Death By Stars, I Like Science, Oh Dear. 8 pm.

• The New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma plays host to a Humane Society Benefit show Saturday featuring Death By Stars, Oh Dear!, I Like Science, Ever So Android and Julian Najar. This line-up is sure to get into your summer skin and cause a heated reaction of soul tingling vibes and uncontrolled appendage shaking, accompanied by the occasional fist pump and squinty-faced hair whipping. Yes, I mean dancing. And, by god, it's all for a good cause. "The Humane Society and animal welfare are extremely important issues to Death By Stars," says Patrick Galactic. "We are financial supporters of many animal rights organizations. To share an all-star bill with some of our favorite bands is icing on the cake. It's going to be an electric and eclectic show that ultimately benefits our furry friends who need the care the most. We are honored and grateful to be a part of it." - Nikki McCoy
  

Pantages Theater Tacoma - Downtown. Tony Bennett. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $89-$249.

• Vocal legend Tony Bennett pushes boundaries when it comes to his duets, most notably those with k.d. lang. But when it comes to flying solo, the man gives the people exactly what they want: his smooth, elegant, laidback take on standards you'd swear were his to begin with. Each time through the South Sound the man has sounded suave ... and has looked it too. Remember that canary-yellow sport coat he wore? How about the voice? Cynics may call it a gimmick, but Bennett's modern-era performances always include an a capella number. All said and done, when the spotlight shines, silence covers the room, and a still-strong version of, perhaps, "The Best is Yet to Come" flows from the 86(!)-year-old Bennett. Bonus: Bennett's concert at the Pantages Theater is a benefit for the arts in public schools. - Weekly Volcano
  

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Crosswalk. 9 pm.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse Narrows Theatre Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Sweet and Hot with the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band. Blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. All Ages. 8 pm. $25.

• When jazz trumpeter Lance Buller isn't holding court at Metropolitan Market's espresso area or every Friday at Maxwell's Speakeasy, he's producing jazz concerts, including a Jazz@TMP series at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Buller has lined up another winner as the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band from Portland, Ore. and their vocalist, Marilyn Keller will fill the old Narrows Theater with music one would find in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s or F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. According to hype, "Black Swan will serve up blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. Songs will be selected from the 1890s through Tin Pan Alley through the Golden Age of song to selections recently composed by our band members." - WV
  

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Calbrea, Trip Madam. 9 pm.

Uncle Thurm's Soul Food Restaurant Tacoma - Lincoln District. Maia Santell & House Blend. 7:30 pm.

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

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 2013 >>>

1. It's hard to believe it's been 28 years since Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) first leaped into that plutonium-powered DeLorean and time-traveled back to 1955. LeMay - America's Car Museum is kicking off its summer drive-in movie series at 4:30 p.m. (movie starts at sunset) with Back to the Future. ACM will have a giant 40-foot movie screen that will allow people to park and watch the movie – free of charge – from their cars or spread out on its lawn with blankets and chairs — accompanied by ACM's two DeLoreans on the showfield. Additional activities including zip-lining and food will be available for purchase.

2. Opening today and running through Oct. 6, The Herb and Lucy Pruzan collection will be on display at Tacoma Art Museum. Representing half a century of art collecting, the Pruzan collection features more than 100 works from well-known Northwest artists including such art world stars as William Cumming, Gaylen Hansen, Paul Havas, William Ivey, Fay Jones, James Martin, Alden Mason, Ginny Ruffner, Preston Singletary, Akio Takamori, and more. Called Creating the New Northwest, the exhibition shares the story of how Northwest artists have shaped new perceptions and a new sense of artistic identity.

3. The sundresses and flip flops that are released from their closets this time of year are fine and dandy for this fundraiser.at 4 p.m., break out your inner Algernon or Lady Bracknell (please imagine the "r" rumbling like thunder as you read that name) for Lakewood Playhouse's Party on the Patio, which benefits the playhouse in, er, Lakewood. Before its 8 p.m. staging of The Importance of Being Earnest, the staff and board - none of them named Earnest - will host an outdoor cook-out on its patio, which no doubt will be wickedly clever, full of brilliant aphorisms and entirely insincere - at least the play will be. Expect a silent auction, raffle, board elections, open house and more leading up to curtain time. A jaunty romp from beginning to end we're sure.

4. Vocal legend Tony Bennett pushes boundaries when it comes to his duets, most notably those with k.d. lang. But when it comes to flying solo, the man gives the people exactly what they want: his smooth, elegant, laidback take on standards you'd swear were his to begin with. Each time through the South Sound the man has sounded suave ... and has looked it too. Remember that canary-yellow sport coat he wore? How about the voice? Cynics may call it a gimmick, but Bennett's modern-era performances always include an a capella number. All said and done, when the spotlight shines, silence covers the room, and a still-strong version of, perhaps, "The Best is Yet to Come" flows from the 86(!)-year-old Bennett. Bonus: Bennett's 7:30 p.m. concert at the Pantages Theater is a benefit for the arts in public schools.

5. When jazz trumpeter Lance Buller isn't holding court at Metropolitan Market's espresso area or every Friday at Maxwell's Speakeasy, he's producing jazz concerts, including a Jazz@TMP series at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Buller has lined up another winner as the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band from Portland, Ore. and their vocalist, Marilyn Keller will fill the old Narrows Theater with music one would find in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s or F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby at 8 p.m. According to hype, "Black Swan will serve up blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. Songs will be selected from the 1890s through Tin Pan Alley through the Golden Age of song to selections recently composed by our band members."

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 2013 >>>

1. The music of Baltic Cousins is defined by balls-out folk instrumentation, with Bradley Lockhart's voice shouting above the crazed din. It calls to mind easy comparisons like the Pogues, with its melding of traditional instrumentation and sloppy, emotionally resonant melodies and lyrics. There's nothing involving half-measures even close to the work of Baltic Cousins. Everything has an urgency and unapologetically bombastic energy to it. Though there's nothing new to the idea of introducing punk to the folk world, the way that Baltic Cousins combine the sounds has an interesting bent to it. Check them out with Santee and Tortilla Flat at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full featuree on Baltic Cousins in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Singing while drinking is one of life's greatest treasures. That's why nothing is more hilarious than watching a dueling piano show in a room overflowing with patrons who are doing both. It's not your typical comedy venue, but we guarantee you'll laugh your ass off to the tune of classic sing-alongs and the witty repertoire provided by pianists at 7 p.m. at the AFC Arena at Lewis Main. Admission is free. Food and cash bar are on site.

3. 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.

4. Comedian Caroline Rhea will perform at 8 and 10:30 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club. Rhea began her career in comedy in 1989, taking the trek from her native Montreal to the mecca of stand-up comedy, New York City. She studied performance at The New School and trained at the Catch a Rising Star comedy club before breaking out in stand-up, both with live comedy performances and appearances on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour and Comic Strip Live. Rhea's talent in comedy has led to roles on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show, the movie Man on the Moon, and as the host of the talk show The Caroline Rhea Show and The Biggest Loser. Her trademark upbeat perkiness can mask a routine just as vulgar as anyone.

5. O'Malley' Irish Pub hosts an intimate, free show featuring Black Pussy, The Triple Sixes, Ancient Warlocks and Fist Fite beginning at 8 p.m. Bring a date.

LINK: Friday, June 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, JUNE 13 2013 >>>

1. Lauded as the greatest performer of all time, Michael Jackson was a dancing, singing, performing phenomenon, and we are not likely to see another performer of his caliber ever again. The life of Michael Jackson is being retold at 7:30 p.m. when Kenny Wizz, considered the world's best Michael Jackson impersonator, takes th Pantages Theater audience on a musical Jackson journey from the Jackson 5 era to the current decade. What to wear to the show? One white glove. 

2. Upon first listen to Memory Boys, one gets the impression that they are practitioners of this sort of trendy, depressive songwriting, cloaked in darkness and murky with reverb. This is certainly the case, to an extent, but repeated exposure reveals a nifty knack for interesting twists and turns - unexpected bursts of sunshine that cast a relief over the rest of the proceedings. Catch them with Humble Cub, Slushy and Half Shadow at 8 p.m. in Metronome Coffee.

3. Comedian Caroline Rhea will perform at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club. Rhea began her career in comedy in 1989, taking the trek from her native Montreal to the mecca of stand-up comedy, New York City. She studied performance at The New School and trained at the Catch a Rising Star comedy club before breaking out in stand-up, both with live comedy performances and appearances on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour and Comic Strip Live. Rhea's talent in comedy has led to roles on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show, the movie Man on the Moon, and as the host of the talk show The Caroline Rhea Show and The Biggest Loser. Her trademark upbeat perkiness can mask a routine just as vulgar as anyone.

4. A Leaf has the honest qualities of '60s psychedelia and harmonic folk with a splash of this generation's shoe-gazey pop rock. The band's songs range from groovy instrumental to Beatlesesque love songs. The stories told are catchy and engaging; something listeners can relate to, and dream with, such as, "See the world inside a seed. Feel the ocean moving through me. Fell asleep on a trembling leaf, woke up in a cloud and I heard them sing, "Wherever we go, wherever we go... we're alright". I'm a caterpillar you're a butterfly." There's a motivation behind the music that seems to work itself out in every riff and harmony, allowing a sense of movement and grounding at the same time. A Leaf performs at 8 p.m. with Owl Parliament and A Breakthrough In Field Studies in The New Frontier Lounge.

5. The Engine House No. 9 is housed in a firehouse built in 1907 and still retains some of original firefighting artifacts. Purchased by the X Group, the force behind Asado and Masa, there's new excitement with better food, a whiskey bar, more craft beer from head brewer Shane Johns and a shuffleboard in the sideroom. Rev. Colin hosts karaoke at 9 p.m. He possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby."

LINK: Thursday, June 13 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 2013 >>>

1. Word Nerds! Scrabble is back at King's Books. Chill. You're good with words. Seriously. Get it together! This is Scrabble Rabble at 6:30 p.m. inside King's, remember? The Tacoma bookstore's Scrabble Rabble tournament will allow participants to establish their own skill levels and compete with others for glory. The Weekly Volcano has always enjoyed hanging onto the "Q," where it hangs there on our rack like some ultimate weapon of destruction, waiting for that all-enabling "U" tile to unleash its point-mongering wrath upon our opponents. Anyway, if your job sucks or you have a strange rash, join the tournament and those problems will, if only for a few hours, ease back into the recesses of your mind. Oh, and read Kristin Kendle's feature on Scrabble Rabble on the Weekly Volcano's blog Spew.

2. Since its introduction in 1894, the motorcycle has spawned a variety of cultures and uses. As basic transportation, as leisure activity or as a die-hard lifestyle, millions of people have a love affair with Choppers, Crotch Rockets, Thumpers and all things two-wheeled. The action-packed exhibit "Let's Ride! Motocycling The Northwest at the Washington State History Museum is a celebration of the region's never-waning motorcycle culture - will include interactive exhibits, videos and impressive displays of machines from 1906 to the 21st century. Check it out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Wednesday night is always good for getting quizzical in the South Sound. The Harmon Brewery hosts Trivia Night with Gordon Adams, Doyle's Public House offers Knowledge Night team trivia with awesome prizes, and out at the Steilacoom Pub and Grill Steilacoom catch "Trivia with Dave." Find all the info you need right here.

4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound is virtually unrelated to the roomy traditions of soul saxes, honking saxes or deep-chested boudoir ballad saxes. It derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced-Redman in Kandi's funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. Kandi has been hanging with organist Delvon Lamarr and drummer Adam Kessler, which has added groovy innovation to Kandi's sound. The Kareem Kandi Band heads back to The Swiss at 7 p.m. for another Wednesday open jam session.

5.There may be no better venue in Olympia to belt out the hits as the China Clipper on Fourth Avenue, which hosts Late Night Karaoke every Wednesday for the hard-drinking, hard-singing crowd. You should see this spectacle.

LINK: Wednesday, June 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

There's no finer way to get to know a neighborhood than feverishly tearing your way through it, scouring the area, seeking landmarks you might otherwise walk by, racing against the clock on foot or on bike. This is the madness that is a street scramble. This is what to expect at the Tacoma Street Scramble - Sunday, June 23 - to get you, your team or your family out and about in a whole new way.

Tacoma Street Scramble will start at the Washington State History Museum. From there, participants will scurry off to explore downtown Tacoma, Ruston, Thea Foss Waterway, Old Town, the Tacoma Dome and other areas. The beauty of the street scramble is that it is not a race, at least not in the traditional sense. Teams and individuals can choose either a 90-minute or 3-hour time limit to hunt down any number of the 30 checkpoints.

For more details, click here.

Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on the race late Friday afternoon in the Spouse magazine.

Seasonal menus are a true thing of beauty, especially when they incorporate the bounty of Pacific Northwest ingredients. The current menu at Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge takes advantage of the freshness of ingredients of the moment to deliver well-executed, flavorful dishes. A new menu featuring smaller plates and more appetizer options will be available within the next week or so.

Executive Chef Hudson Slater and owner Steve Anderson have a welcome desire to integrate as many Tacoma-made products as possible, including Backcountry Creamery cheeses, Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles and Wingman Brewers beers. Their newest addition will be ice creams from local favorite Ice Cream Social.

The new the smaller plate menu will include items such as fried panko calamari with a tomato ragout, Lynnae's Hot Mama Pickles fried in a cornmeal batter with honey mustard dipping sauce and a flat bread still in development.

"Our inspiration comes from constantly wanting to improve and having fun in the kitchen," says Slater. "The main inspiration is freshness. We try to use in season produce and keep our dishes light and colorful."

>>> Maxwell's seared scallops / photo credit: Pappi Swarner

Case in point, the ahi crudo ($12), with wasabi avocado puree and cucumber apple relish and chili oil, as well as the seared scallops ($12) with southern greens, bacon, roasted golden beets and crème fraiche.

"Our warm buttered spinach salad is like no other salad in town," says Slater. With cucumber apple relish, sunflower sprouts and seeds and roasted golden beets singing together in harmony, it's hard not to agree.

Also notable are the bourbon glazed pork ribs ($21), one of Slater's favorite dishes. "The pork ribs are incredible. We smoke and cook the ribs in-house very slowly so the just fall off the bone."

MAXWELL'S RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday, 454 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.683.4115

TIDBITS TO CHEW ON TODAY >>>

Maxwell's Speakeasy & Lounge now serves locally made Ice Cream Social with flavors such as old fashioned vanilla, chocolate toasted coconut, salted caramel and a grilled peach sorbet.

Only five days remain to fund Tacoma's indie music festival Squeak & Squawk on Kicksquawker.

You better hurry. The 14 loaned sculptures on exhibition this past year along Percival Landing are coming down this week. A new set of sculpture will be installed on Percival Landing the week of July 8, 2013. 

The TNT Diner reports the Olive Branch Cafe is moving to downtown Tacoma.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WATCH? Ghostbusters' documentary.

LIST: 100 songs - one song from each of the last 100 years.

FINALLY: Star Wars characters recreate historical images.

We can't speak for the rest of you, but Walkie Talkie is turning things around beginning tomorrowland.

TUESDAY, JUNE 11 2013 >>>

1. 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.

2. Fans of all things Instagram, Vine, Twitter and more should gather at the Social Media Club Tacoma, a free organization that brings together diverse groups of people to learn and share about social media. The event will offer locals a chance to network and discuss social media while enjoying drinks and food from the Harmon Tap Room. The sharing starts at 5:30 p.m.

3. Proctor District's wine connoisseurs at Pour at Four will be Touring the Rhone Valley June 11. Toward the tail end of their tour series, Pour at Four will be journeying to France's Rhone Valley. Not only is the tasting complimentary, but it is teeming with loads of vino knowledge. Tasting runs 5:20-8 p.m.

4. There are trivia competitions all around the South Sound on a Tuesday night, where you can unleash your inner Ken Jennings. And while you won't approach Jennings-like earnings, you can win some cool stuff, ranging from gift certificates, to concert or sports tickets, to a VHS copy of All of Me, the film starring Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. Sweet! Two of our favorite Tuesday night trivia are at Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia and Farrelli's Wood-Fire Pizza in Tacoma, both start at 8 p.m.

5. Hailing from Olympia, White Wards serves up the meanest sound-fights that the Capitol City has ever swallowed. Sonically they land somewhere between Tar Babies and Devoid of Faith. Catch them at 10 p.m. with Condominium, Negative Press and Coprot at Le Voyeur.

LINK: Tuesday, June 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WITH A SPATULA IN ONE HAND AND A HOT DOG IN THE OTHER >>>

Bruce Walkup was the booking agent for Tacoma's Prosito Restaurant in the mid-'80s. Considered the first commercial venue to host alternative bands, Prosito's music was turned off by the Liquor Board for graffiti and noise complaints; Prosito let Walkup go. The restaurant morphed into the Central Tavern, which housed many a grunge-era show, then the 6ht and Proctor Bar and Grill, and finally Hell's Kitchen (Gruv what?).

To fulfill his musical needs, Walkup changed his name to Spud Goodman and bought time on Tacoma's cable system for a parody/music show.  With a spatula in one hand and an open bottle of Pepto-Bismol in the other, Goodman interviewed guests and provided airtime for alternative bands in the area. It was the beginning of many cable access music shows to hit the local airwaves.

It was an awesome show.

It looks as if Spudman, his cast and crew will commemorate the show 3-7 p.m. Sunday, June 23 at The Red Hot on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue. Click here to join the Facebook event.