SUNDAY, JUNE 29 2014 >>>

1. Early summer in the South Sound means changing warmer weather, adding a boa and checking out the pride festivals. In conjunction with Olympia Capital City Pride event last weekend, the Olympia Film Society presents the 2014 Pride Film Festival, closing today at the Capitol Theater. Today's screenings include My Prairie Home and Dating Sucks: A Genderqueer Misadventure at 2:30 p.m., Appropriate Behavior and Vecinas at 5 p.m., and Cupcakes, First Date and Becoming Flirty at 7:30 p.m. MC Flirticia Fondue closes the night out.

2. The Tacoma Benefit Jam and Feed is now a quarterly endeavor, bringing together musicians and food to raise money for a charity. Bring your instruments from an afternoon of bluegrass, jazz, swing, and old time from 1-5 p.m. at the Vaeth Mansion, 422 N. E St. in Tacoma. The suggested $15 donations ($10 donations for musicians) will benefit Sister Cities International. A buffet will be available throughout the jam, with food, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages included in exchange for your generous donations.

3. Lakewood Playhouse never seems to disappoint and their most recent production is no exception. People who don't like Monty Python humor, also known as fuddy duddies, might want to skip it but for everyone else, Spamalot (books and lyrics by Eric Idle) will have them laughing, whistling and singing even after the show. Director John Munn's brilliant cast and crew could not have done a better job. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Spamalot in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 2 p.m.

4. The Social Bar and Grill's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watching condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This triple threat of delicious happy hour specials, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. Today marks the closing of the 20th anniversary of the Olympia Experimental Music Festival. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the Olympia Experimental Music Festival in the Music & Culture section, then catch Replikants, Malaise, Derek M. Johnson, L.A. Lungs, Four Dimensional Nightmare vs. Infradead and Overdose the Katatonic from 4-8 p.m. at Northern in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Sunday, June 29 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Olympia seems to swell in the summer: kids come home from college, out-of-towners pay a visit and the normal rainy day recluses that inhabit the town seem to flourish come the long days and hot nights.

It's not surprising that we can't pack all the excitement Olympia has to offer into our print paper, but thank Publisher Pappi Swarner for the Walkie Talkie Blog, where we can spew as much as we want.

This week is especially full, and I want to direct attention to two Oly happenings.

First, Olyphant Art Supply & Framing is hot in the middle of its indiegogo campaign to assist in the transition to Olyphant Art & Media, located in a sweet new spot next to the 5th Ave Sandwich Shop and the upcoming Captain Little toy store (formerly Wind Up Here).

And, just so you know, the totally affordable $15 contribution gets you an adorable elephant tote bag, plus there is a 65-percent off clearance sale going on at the 117 Washington St. location until June 28.

The soft opening is at the new location, 119 Fifth Ave., from July 15 to 31. 

Anyway, here are the deets, according to Olyphant hype:

Fundraising via Indiegogo.com will serve to help with the costs of moving, downtime and website development while introducing new Olyphant artwork with the sale of t-shirts printed by DNT STP Printing--an Olympia based silkscreen operation. Original, custom-framed psychedelic posters from the 1960's and giclee prints of original artwork by local artist and part-owner Nick Baldridge will also be available.

Olyphant Art & Media will specialize in paints, brushes, pens, markers, inks, journals and obscure art & culture magazines. Framing will no longer be available. In addition, Olyphant is currently developing a website that will afford Olympians the option to buy art supplies online while still shopping locally. Prices will be competitive; customers will have the option of in-store pick up, shipping or local delivery, and the inventory will offer merchandise not available in the brick and mortar store. Nonprofits and educators will be able to create an account with special pricing. Website is estimated to be live by Oct. 1.

The idea is to combine the convenience, prices and the expansive inventory of an e-commerce store with a brick and mortar establishment downtown--providing a variety of basic supplies as well as reference materials (i.e. magazines, books), artwork, stationery and locally printed T-shirts.

And speaking of Olympia seeming to swell, here's the second thing I'd like to share with you - the TUSH! performance, Slip into Summer, where burlesque and boylesque meet for a night to remember.

From the mouths of babes, aka TUSH! hype:

Warm breezes tickle your fancy as you Slip into Summer with TUSH! Burlesque! It's hot outside AND inside this June 28 at the Olympia Ballroom.

Why not make it a romantic date ... slip into something fancy and have a lovely dinner at the Urban Onion, then come upstairs for a spectacular evening of Burlesque and Boylesque entertainment. Songs and comedy round out the night but leave you wanting more. Come early and dine before the 7 p.m. show, or come to the 10 p.m. show and unwind with a fabulous cocktail. (20 percent off food at the Urban Onion with your show ticket.)

TUSH! will delight and excite you in this summer soiree, and are pleased to present Paris Original, Seattle Boylesque Sensation and "Poetry in Motion." Also joining our cast is Miss. B. Haven, a local chanteuse who brings vintage charm and beauty along with some incredible pipes!

Tickets available now, $15 in advance at brownpapertickets or at the Urban Onion, $20 night of show at the door (cash only).

SLIP INTO SUMMER WITH TUSH!, 7 and 10 p.m., Saturday, June 28, Urban Onion, 116 Legion Way SE, Olympia, $20, $15 advance, tushburlesque.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 2014 >>>

1. The Grand Cinema and Tacoma Symphony Orchestra celebrate the union of film and music by teaming up to present An Evening of Cinematic Music. Narrated by Northwest Public Radio's Steve Reeder, the event features TSO's string nonet (a fancy way of saying "nine musicians") and "some of Tacoma's most popular singer-songwriters" performing selections from various iconic songs from throughout film history, such as "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, a medley of James Bond theme songs, Breakfast at Tiffany's "Moon River" and "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from Lady In Red. All proceeds will benefit The Grand and TSO. The music kicks off at 7:30 p.m. in the Urban Grace. We can only hope they'll cover "Lethal Weapon" by Honeymoon Suite.

2. The selfie craze has hit The Gallery at the Kenneth J Minnaert Center for the Arts. Well, kinda. "Faces from the Crowd"will be on exhibit today only from 2-6 p.m. Inspired by the longstanding tradition of portraiture and the much more recent social media "selfie" craze, but with a filter focusing on positive self-image and personal empowerment. The show highlights the faces that converge on campus, and participate by creating a selfie of their own or by posting a positive comment next to someone else's picture. Think social media in person.

3. Hotel Murano kicks off summer with a golf themed party from 4-7 p.m. Locals are invited to "Swing Into Summer" with a miniature golf course in the hotel plus test new summer drinks. Expect raffle prizes.

4. The last-minute firings, hirings, and general histrionics behind Gone With the Wind are legendary among film buffs. It's this last angle that's the primary concern of Tacoma Little Theatre's Moonlight and Magnolias, a comedic romp about the monumental difficulties of making Margaret Mitchell's humongous best-seller into a decent film. Read Christian Carvajal's review of Moonlight and Magnolias in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 7:30 p.m.

5. Luke Short, the mind behind Egg Plant, is too laid back of a person to really make much of a thing about his Tacoma homecoming. It's been four years since I've written about Egg Plant, as the band had made its home in Portland shortly before then. While Short had made Tacoma his home, he went south to complete his music project. Also, in 2010, I interviewed The Thermals. Both bands are performing in Tacoma this weekend, four years since last we contacted, but Egg Plant's show carries with it a connection that The Thermals does not, regardless of their merit as a band. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Egg Plant in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Boy and Bean, People Under the Sun and Tyson Griffin at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Friday, June 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 2014 >>>

1. Spaceworks Tacoma hosts an art walk from 5-9 p.m. in the downtown Tacoma Post Office Building. The event celebrates the creative activation of the location with a "happy hour" (with music by DJ Mr. Melanin) followed by a multi-media art exhibition by Jeremy Gregory, Geoff Weeg and Kris Crews; an exhibition memorializing the Luzon Building; installations by Jennifer Chushcoff and Erin Dengerink; open artist studio tours; a short film; and a performance by DASH.

2. The In the Spirit exhibit returns to the Washington State History Museum, opening today at 10 a.m. There will be 27 pieces of various mediums on display, each representing the unique perspective and heritage of a Northwest native artist.

3. If you're a visual arts fan, you owe it to yourself to go off the beaten path and ride the Tacoma Art Bus from 6-9 p.m. Yes, you'll see some kickass art. Yes, you'll chow down on Puget Sound Pizza. The opportunity that brings us back every month is the fellow Art Bus riders. You'll lean that man is a trapeze performer. That woman makes the best empanadas in the state. That man lives in your former house and turned your bedroom into a grow house. That woman invented an LED yoga mat with an "intelligent" surface and comes with, of course, its own app. The bus shoves off from in front of the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m. and visits Embellish Multispace Salon, Downtown Post Office, Tacoma Fablab, The Social Bar and Grill, The Swiss and others. Get in on the party here.

4. Lakewood Playhouse never seems to disappoint and their most recent production is no exception. People who don't like Monty Python humor, also known as fuddy duddies, might want to skip it but for everyone else, Spamalot (books and lyrics by Eric Idle) will have them laughing, whistling and singing even after the show. Director John Munn's brilliant cast and crew could not have done a better job on opening night of the closing show of their 75th season. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Spamalot in the Music & Culture section., then catch a pay-what-you-can performance tonight at 8 p.m.

5. Comedian Sarah Colonna takes a break from cracking jokes as a panelist and writer for Chelsea Lately to do some standup tonight through Saturday at the Tacoma Comedy Club. The yucks begin at 8 p.m.

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

Last night was the big reveal for the upcoming 2014/15 season for the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Olympia. Normally, Publisher Pappi Swarner attends such shindigs, but this year I pulled up my big girl panties and represented the Weekly Volcano.

And by representing, I mean drinking one too many IPAs on tap, dropping a meatball from Budd Bay Café catering and openly weeping at the beautiful cello performance by Lian Eytinge, recipient of the first annual Washington Center Scholarship for Arts. Sometimes PMS and fancy shindigs don't always go together. ...

Anyhoo, new Executive Director Jill Barnes was a great hostess; she interjected chuckles at just the right time, and roused the audience for the sneak peek at all the awesomeness for the upcoming Washington Center season.

Through my tear-stained notes, I quote her as saying, "We created a combo ensuring a variety of performances. There is truly something for everyone."

And that is indeed the truth.

There will be national touring musicals, such as Memphis, a story about a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer ready for her big break, and Decades, celebrating the music and history of the '50s, '60s and '70s.

The upcoming Washington Center season will include holiday fun such as An Irish Christmas, which explores mythology and tradition through music, dance and storytelling, and the classic White Christmas sing-a-long.

And there is even The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, featuring 15 cats and 10 dogs, all rescued from animal shelters!

Re-occurring performances such as the always-popular Capitol Steps, poking fun at current political affairs, and the Silent Movie, Jazz and Black Box comedy series are also in the queue.  

With so much fun in store, it is impossible to list all of the amazing performance this season, so please visit www.washingtonperformingarts.org for more information.

WASHINGTON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 512 Washington St., Olympia, 360.753.8585

Suff'ring very midsummer madness, 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.

So Punxsutawney Tom kept repeating the day, right? Till he figured out a way to save Emily Blunt from the squiddies? Or am I still confused? I bet I'm still confused. I feel confused. I've been drinking.

THURSDAY, JUNE 19

Thursday marks the premiere of A Rock ‘n' Roll Twelfth Night at Harlequin Productions - well, not really, as the troupe has already staged its homegrown extravaganza (which it adapted from a story by, I don't know, some guy) three times before. Still, if music be the food of love, rock on! Duke Orsino's a King now, Countess Olivia is a Material Girl and Sir Toby Belch demands cakes and ale with his rubber biscuit. Plus, you'll need to look at actor Christian Doyle twice to make sure the great John Lennon hasn't returned from (imagining there's no) Heaven. Harlequin's summer music revues are always a heap of fun, and this one's a particular Olympia favorite.

A ROCK ‘N' ROLL TWELFTH NIGHT, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through July 20, Harlequin Productions, 202 4th Ave. E, Olympia, $25-$38, 360.786.0151

>>> A Rock 'N' Roll Twelfth Night rehearsals rocked at Harlequin Productions. Photo courtesy of Facebook

If Shakespearean rock opera doesn't blow a soothing draft up your pantaloons, Monty Python's Spamalot continues at Lakewood Playhouse (253.588.0042), while Tacoma Little Theatre presents a view from behind the cameras of Gone with the Wind in the 2004 dramedy Moonlight and Magnolias (253.272.2281).

Speaking of plays, it's kind of strange there aren't any major new movie releases this weekend, though we are getting two adaptations of successful Broadway shows. One is Jersey Boys, ported over from the jukebox biopic of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It's directed by Clint Eastwood, because why the hell not. The other is David Ives' script-to-screenplay scorcher Venus in Fur, a study in sexual perversity. It's directed by Roman Polanski, who should know.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Are you in Clone Club? Please tell me you know what that means. Please, please tell me my wife and I aren't adoring Orphan Black in local isolation. This BBC (by way of Canada) series boasts the supernaturally talented Tatiana Maslany as an entire sorority of clones, each more distinctive and surprising than the last. This year, to mix things up, one is female-to-male transgendered. Oh, and by the way, somebody shot Marvin in the face! - if, by "Marvin" I'm obliquely referring to Max Headroom. Look, I know that's confusing, but I'm trying not to give too much away for folks who're just now discovering the show. Trust me: it's one of the most binge-worthy televised entertainments on our continent, so you owe it to yourself to catch up before tonight's 9 p.m. finale on BBC America. Don't make me sic Helena on your Prolethian ass.

Ka-chow! If you don't know whose uninspired catchphrase that is, your kids do. Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and their internally combustible friends return in Pixar's Cars, screening tonight as a free drive-in movie courtesy of LeMay - America's Car Museum. Oh, and if you start craving movie snacks, check out the sweet eats cooked up by Pacific Grill.

CARS, dusk (about 9 p.m.), Haub Family Showfield, 2702 E. D St., Tacoma, free, 253.779.8490

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may you crush the lead role in Blood Ties: The Musical. After all, it's not Cats!

SUNDAY, JUNE 15 2014 >>>

1. Chef Riley Morgan will release his summer menu at 1022 South J on Hilltop Tacoma. The Southern-raised Morgan has created a Northwest meets Southeast menu, adding a Northwest touch to deviled eggs, pulled pork, collard greens, grits and other Southern staples. He's taking Southern flavors and airing them out for summer. For the full story on the new menu, click here. The new menu will debut toward the end of next week. New cocktails will be added in conjunction with the summer menu. Gone are the hot drinks, replaced with patio drinks, including whatever Morgan calls his new mojito, with mint leaves he grew, smoked infused rum, lime zest poured over smoked ice into a smoked glass. Smojito? The 1022 South J will send off its spring menu in style, hosting its one-year anniversary party Sunday, June 16. Launching at 4 p.m., happy hour prices will remain until close, plus food and drink specials.

2. This year why not give Dad the gift of something delicious and local. The Harmon Tap Room presents a "Father's Day Brewery Tour & Tasting" from noon to 4 p.m. For $20, Dad may tour Harmon's brewery operation, and then enjoy five small plates paired with beer. Reserve Dad a spot at 253.212.2725.

3. With music and lyrics by the Grammy Award-winning team of Eric Idle and John Du Prez and book by Idle, SPAMALOT tells the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. At 2 p.m. in the Lakewood Playhouse, expect to see flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen, and show-stopping musical numbers, including "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," make for a very Monty Python telling of the Camelot legend.

4. The Swiss Restaurant and Pub hosts a fundraising music and burlesque show at 8 p.m. The goal is to raise money to help the fight against breast cancer in honor of Aunt Lisa who passed away last September. There will be awesome raffle prizes, burlesques dancers Funny Face Fanny, Heather Hostility, Rosie Cheex and bands Noi!se, Rat Path, Crooks To Kings and Overboard. There will be a cover charge at the door; all profits go directly to the Susan G. Komen under the team name, Survivor Chick's Breast Friends.

5. Calvin Johnson has long been one of the weirder ducks in local music. He played a large role in not only popularizing Olympia and its vibrant music scene, but also helping to set the tone of the city's musical output in general, with his lo-fi alt-rock group Beat Happening and his founding of K Records. The Hive Dwellers is Johnson's most recent project, and it finds him continuing down that weird path he set for himself back in the '80s. His guttural monotone is still front and center, and his arrangements are exceedingly off-kilter. Catch the band with The Shivas and Panduhs at 8 p.m. in Northern.

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 2014 >>>

1. A lot of folks still consider the 1939 film Gone With the Wind to be the best loved and most iconic American movie of all time - a classic national story of struggle and perseverance. Others might call it an American icon for less flattering reasons, i.e., how blithely it romanticizes some pretty problematic racial history. And yet another way to look at the movie and its making is as the quintessence of Hollywood: The last-minute firings, hirings, and general histrionics behind Gone With the Wind are legendary among film buffs. It's this last angle that's the primary concern of Tacoma Little Theatre's Moonlight and Magnolias, a comedic romp about the monumental difficulties of making Margaret Mitchell's humongous best-seller into a decent film, hitting the stage at 7:30 p.m.

2. Do The Extraordinary, a Spaceworks Tacoma-backed store offering handmade, locally crafted wood rings, urban sportswear and one-of-a-kind accessories, officially opens its doors today with a runway show and live music at 7 p.m. Tickets to the Grand Opening event are $10 and can be purchased online at EventBrite.com.

3. Olympia actor Morgan Picton has an easy, authoritative knack for comic timing, which made sense given his night job as a standup comedian. We saw him riffed on economics and ancient Rome for a dozen people, killing with insights that were probably too smart for most rooms, including that one. Theater Artists Olympia presents Picton in Top Turnbuckle, a live standup comedy special with Phoebe Moore at 8 p.m. in the Midnight Sun.

4. An incandescent blend of guitar, autoharp, fiddle, banjo and upright bass. A rhythmic network of folks and songs from everywhere and nowhere. The Moonshine at Rhythm and Rye. 8 p.m.

5. Tonight in Olympia is going to be crazy. It's a full moon, Friday the 13th and Evergreen State College graduation all rolled into one. It's a good thing this 9 p.m. rock show is going to be at the 4th Ave Tav. The powerhouse bill will need the room to accommodate a ton of fans, plus all the randoms off the street overflowing into venues up and down the Ave. Full Moon Radio, The Prophets of Addiction, Captain Algebra and Ravages of Time will freakin' bring it.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 8 2014 >>>

1. You mooned Bus #37 outside Oakbrook Elementary School in 1978. You depantsed Sid at Lakes High School in 1981. You streaked down Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma in 1983. You skinny-dipped at Owen Beach in 1985. You went to law school in 1988. You have had a life-full of truth or dare games. May we suggest the Stand-up Truth or Dare game at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club. Jubal Flagg hosts five comedians who will perform stand-up, then spin the Wheel of Terror to find out their fate. The other comedians get to come up with questions and challenges, and the audience gets to decide what they have to do. It should be old school for you.

2. The huge Maritime Gig Festival in Gig Harbor continues. Today's activities include the traditional Blessing of the Fleet at 1 p.m. and the popular Wheel's on the Water Car Show from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Gig Harbor Farmers Market will also be featured at the Gig from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

3. Two worthy stage shows wrap it up this afternoon. Olympia Family Theater continues to make amazingly high quality family theater with 3 Tales with 8 Tails, a phenomenally fun show that has the actors singing, dancing and puppeteering. Catch its last show at 1 p.m. Tacoma Musical Playhouse presents its last La Cage aux Folles at 2 p.m.

4. Tacoma is a working-class town and the only success weekly music showcases in this town center around working-class music - blues. Today, Tacoma's blues musicians go to work. The Northwest's "Swampabilly" blues band Junkyard Jane play B Sharp Coffee House's 2 p.m. blues show. Tim Hall and his crew hosts the weekly Sunday night blues jam at 8 p.m. in Dawson's Bar and Grill. Legendary guitarist Jerry Miller is tonight's Sunday night blues concert series performer at 7 p.m. in The Spar in Old Town Tacoma. Across town in Spanaway, Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill hosts its Sunday Blues Jam at 7 p.m.

5. The popular Jazz LIVE at Marine View concert series wraps up today, taking the summer months off. Oh, but it is going out strong. The Mel Brown B3 Organ Group out of Portland will go off at 5 p.m. inside the Marine View Church. Mel Brown has been described as the "quintessential jazz drummer" of the day. Louis Pain is Portland's Boss of the B3.

LINK: Sunday, June 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JUNE 6 2014 >>>

1. No matter how advanced video games get, there's still something special about smacking a metal ball around a ringing, blinking maze of machinery. Celebrate the bliss of pinball with collectors, enthusiasts and exhibitors alike at this weekend's Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show at the Tacoma Convention Center.

2. University Place based Dance Theatre Northwest, a 501-c-3 non-profit arts and community outreach organization, stages a free performance featuring excerpts from the classics Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Paquita and contemporary ballet, Broadway, jazz and musical theatre pieces at 1:15 p.m. in Lakeview Hope Academy in Lakewood.

3. Morso wine bar in Gig Harbor hosts Talbott vineyards from 5-7 p.m. for tastes of 2011 Sara Case Chardonnay, 2012 Diamond T Pinot Noir, 2012 Kali Hart Pinot Noir, 2012 Logan Chardonnay and 2012 Logan Pinot Noir.

4. Peter Story - who has appeared in primetime shows on three major networks - will take the Theatre on the Square stage during the one-man stage show Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and bring the two sexes together over a night of entertainment - especially since males and females operate in such different ways. The 7:30 p.m. show is based on the best-selling book by John Gray. The relationship guide, released more than 20 years ago, was translated into more than 40 languages and has sold more than 60 million copies.

5. Just as turntablism - the art of playing records - has made an instrument out of a medium, the movement's DJs have made the transition from enablers to performers. Tonight's "Smart People" event, organized by Tacoma's Mr. Melanin, seeks to put a little stress on that assumption by presenting DJs in an improvised setting, touching on R&B and electronica, bringing in indie rock, boogie-woogie and disco. Dancing is awesome, but you'll catch yourself gazing at the turntable skills. It's OK. It really begins at 9:55 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Friday, June 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area