SUNDAY, MAY 4 2014 >>>

1. The band was jamming in the studio that's situated to accommodate both musicians and fans. Around 40 people were there, some in suits, some with piercings and tattoos, all with toes tapping or heads banging. Behind a large window, an audio engineer sat in his recording studio, and in front of the stage a gracious hostess introduced the band. This was the scene at Arcade Recording Studio, home of The Best Damn Music Show in Olympia, a live, one-hour performance and recording session that takes place every Sunday at 7 p.m. Read Nikki McCoy's full story on The Best Damn Music Show in the Music & Culture section, before you hit up tonight's show.

2. The Swiss Restaurant & Pub and Stonegate Pizza will host Oso landslide benefit shows featuring local musicians with net proceeds being donated to Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation. Put some gas in the car: Rafael Tranquilino and Leah Tussing (1 p.m. Stonegate), Steve Stefanowicz (2 p.m. Swiss), Stephanie Anne Johnson (2 p.m. Stonegate), Little Bill Trio (2:45 p.m. Swiss), Tatoosh (3 p.m. Stonegate), Still Got it (3:30 p.m. Swiss), Junkyard Jane (4:15 p.m. Swiss), Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Orchestra (5 p.m. Stonegate), Andrea Miller with The Collective (5 p.m. Swiss), Linda Myers Band (5:45 p.m. Swiss), Burnham Drive (6:30 p.m. Swiss), Steve Cooley and The Dangerfields (7:15 p.m. Swiss), 9 Pound Hammer (8 p.m. Swiss) and Bobby Hoffman' All Stars (8:30 p.m. Stonegate)

3. Entirely well-acted, thoughtfully directed, in a evolved play about past loves we can't leave behind, Fighting Over Beverley by Israel Horovitz hits Harlequin Productions' stage at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Fighting Over Beverley in the music & Culture section.

4. Ira Glass, the creator of the public radio show This American Life, will discuss his program- what makes a compelling story, where they find the amazing stories for their show, how he and his staff are trying to push broadcast journalism to do things it doesn't usually do - and demonstrate how it's actually created, at 3 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Ira Glass in the Music & Culture section.

5. Jazzbones also hosts Musicians for Oso, a benefit show whose proceeds go directly to those affected by the tragic mudslide in Oso. A disquieting event, to be sure, but the lineup of bands assembled for the show is tremendous and very, very loud. And it's all ages, to boot! expect Antihero, Jamie Nova, Black Powder County, The Mothership and Wanz beginning at 5 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, May 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, MAY 3 2014 >>>

1. While their dance-rock may not be the most groundbreaking thing in the 2014 music landscape, Mirrorgloss are utterly unique and entirely welcome to Tacoma's currently hibernating scene. Not only do they bring dance to the indie scene, but - and this must be said - they are led by two awesome black women, which is far from the defining element of Tacoma's music culture. Diversity remains a problem in indie music, and it's fairly evident in the Pacific Northwest. That it's noteworthy to have a bill mostly made up of black women - as it will be when NighTraiN join Mirrorgloss at the New Frontier Lounge - means there's clearly something askew. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Mirrorgloss in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Tacoma Historical Society opens the following historic home to tour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Achilles House (414 N. C St.), The Branscheid House (502 N. E St.), The Brodsky/Heaton House (905 N. Stadium Way), Central Lutheran Church (409 Tacoma Ave. N.), Federal Building (1102 A St.), The Fitch House (412 N. C St.), The Love House (620 N. 8th St.) and Provident Building (919 Pacific Ave.). Tickets are available at the Pacific Northwest Shop, Stadium Thriftway and Columbia Bank locations at 21st Street and Pearl and South 19th and Union.

3. Ever since 2002, the first Saturday of May has seen participating independent comic book stores across the country hand out their wares for free. More than 3 million comic books are given away each year! Once again, today is Free Comic Book Day. Click here to find the nearest free comic.

4. The Broadway Center Conservatory presents Damn Yankees! - a zippy, popular 1955 musical about a rabid baseball fan, Joe Boyd, who says he'd sell his soul for a long-ball hitter for his beloved Washington Senators team. Satan, badly disguised as a guy named Mr. Applegate (there's a reason for that name), is always within earshot when people say that kind of stuff, so he offers Joe a deal. High jinks ensue. Catch the show at 3 and 7 p.m. in the Theatre on the Square.

5. Wingman Brewers of Tacoma's Mighty HighPA will be front and center during the Mighty High reggae band's set at Doyle's Public House. The free show kicks off at 9:30 p.m.

LINK: Saturday, May 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, MAY 1 2014 >>>

1. It ain't easy being green, which means that committed folks such as the Tacoma Green Drinks contingent are worth their weight in gold. Over the past five years or so, this Mother Earth loving group has gathered every month at a local watering hole to talk sustainability, conservation and the environment, while tossing back drinks. It's a beautiful thing. Also a beautiful thing is the VeloFemmes, a grassroots group dedicated to providing opportunities for more women to cycle. Tacoma Green Drinks and VeloFemmes will collide at 6 p.m. in The Office Bar and Grill. You're totally invited - unless you insist on driving that Dodge Ram SRT10. These fine folks suggest you ride a bike.

2. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Broadway Farmers Market invites everyone to experience the fine wears of the land, and the natural abilities of camaraderie and free spirits, support the local farmers and eat food all at on Broadway between Ninth and 11th in downtown Tacoma.

3. The Harmon Brewing Company will host an all-day fundraiser to help the families affected by the Oso mudslide. You may drop off donations of clothing, blankets or money at the Harmon Brewery & Eatery in downtown Tacoma, The Hub and Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District and The Hub at the Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor, and the Harmon folks will forward them to the Red Cross. Bonus: Steve Stefanowicz will be live at the downtown Tacoma Harmon from 6-9 p.m., and the band Yowees will perform 6:30-9 p.m. at the Gig Harbor Hub.

4. Chamber Music by Arthur Kopit is an absurdist one-act play set in 1939 and performed by Theater Artists Olympia, or TAO. It is TAO's 11th season and their website states, "TAO is a collective of local artists committed to producing high quality theater. TAO's focus is on producing more thematically provocative materials, and experimental interpretations of classics than generally found in the Olympia area. Our mission is to present creative theatrical pieces that are under-represented in the community." Chamber Music definitely fills that role. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Chamber Music in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 8 p.m. in The Midnight Sun.

5. C Average, Lord Dying and Vanguard will rock The Brotherhood Lounge beginning at 9 p.m. 

LINK: Thursday, May 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, APRIL 27 2014 >>>

1. Acclaimed British pop songwriter David Gray - a gentle-voiced vocalist known best for his 2000 single "Babylon" - will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Gray creates soulful pop that combines folk immediacy with subtle electronic flourishes. His vocals have a tossed-off, over-the-top quality that qualifies him as a cousin to Dave Matthews, and his forthcoming full-length Mutineers should be front and center.

2. Each year, the Lakewood Sister Cities Association holds a three-day festival highlighting the culture of one of its sister cities. This year, the organization is proud to bring the rich culture of Okinawa, Japan to the area with its 2014 International Festival and ArtsFest Celebration. The festival concludes today with a fun-filled lineup planned. Entertainment for the day will include the Shahdaroba Middle Eastern Dance Troupe, the Chang Hee Suk Woman Drummers, Lakewood Playhouse Performers, art exhibits, food, crafts, Kids' Corner and more from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Pierce College in Lakewood.

3. Paul Fritts' organ has a following. In fact, it's so awesome he's being honored for it 2 p.m. in Kilworth Chapel. Fritts and his team of artisans in Tacoma craft thousands of wood and steel components into some of the most graceful and inspiring modern pipe organs in the world. One of these artworks is the Bethel Schneebeck Organ in Kilworth, on the campus of University of Puget Sound, where Fritts graduated in 1973. The public is invited to presentation in Kilworth, which will take place following intermission during the 23rd Annual Bethel Schneebeck Organ Recital, with university organist Joseph Adam performing. The concert will include works by Heinrich Scheidemann, Francois Couperin, Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck, and Maurice Duruflé. Admission is complimentary and no tickets are required.

4. Little Bill Engelhart is soul on wheels. He’s also probably one of the most inspirational musicians that you’re likely to meet in person. He grew up on Hilltop Tacoma and learned rock ’n’ roll by playing rhythm and blues with the black musicians’ downtown, which was unusual for a young white kid at the time. He formed a band with some of his teenage friends and had a national hit when he was just 19 titled “I’m in Love with an Angel." These days, Little Bill & the Blue Notes play all over the South Sound. But they always make time for the Spar in Old Town, and the quintessential Tacoma restaurant's Sunday Night Blues. Little Bill and the Blue Notes will stop in again at 7 p.m., making it the perfect time for you to drop in.

5. Portland dream pop band WL doesn't suffer from gauzy translucence. Though their songs do hazily float along, there's a very clear backbone to their music, defined by crisp percussion and strong melodies. Nothing by WL sounds like a whale so. Occasionally, some honest-to-goodness aggression peaks its head up through the clouds, as seen on "Sugar Pill," whose fuzzy crunch does wonders for lead singer Misty Mary's serene vocals. Catch the band with Appendixes and Red Alder at 8 p.m. in Northern.

LINK: Sunday, April 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014 >>>

1. When 25-year-old Ben Rice opened his mouth to sing, we did not expect to hear the voice of an old soul, belted out in the honey-haggard tone of one who has been singing for a career, but that's exactly what happened. Combine with quick-picking on the guitar (sometimes on a cigar-box guitar), throw in some resonators, and you get roots-rock-blues-Americana for the new generation. Ben Rice and the Illamatics will perform at 9 p.m. in Stonegate Pizza.

2. Olympia Spring Arts Walk - a celebration of music, theater and art - is proof Oly knows how to have a good time. It's one huge block party. It's a great place to bring the kids during the day and then hit the bars at night. All of downtown Olympia is transformed into a giant smorgasbord of food, fun, art and music for an entire weekend, more specifically this weekend - April 25-26. The fun kicks off tonight from 5-10 p.m., including a Nirvana tribute concert at the Capitol Theater.

3. Each year, the Lakewood Sister Cities Association holds a three-day festival highlighting the culture of one of its sister cities. This year, the organization is proud to bring the rich culture of Okinawa, Japan to the area with its 2014 International Festival and ArtsFest Celebration. Tonight features ArtsFest, with a showcase of student and veteran artwork from 6 to 9 p.m. at Pierce College. There will be a reception following the exhibition and an opportunity to meet the artists in person. The Clover Park High School entertainers will provide entertainment.

4. If you've ever wanted to get levitated, drowned in a milk jug, or penetrated by Spikes of Doom, now's your chance. Married illusionists Kevin and Cindy Spencer were named "Magicians of the Year" by the International Magicians Society in 2009, and yes, they do call people up out of the audience to get ensorcelled within an inch of their lives. Kevin has a habit (swiped from Harry Houdini) of walking through brick walls, so catch his act at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater before he does himself any permanent craniofacial damage.

5. A Leaf and The Sound and The Fury perform at 8 p.m. in Metronome Coffee in Tacoma. According to the Internet, "It's gonna be a rad show!!!"

LINK: Friday, April 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, APRIL 21 2014 >>>

1. "The Meaning of Wood" at the gallery at South Puget Sound Community College is one of the best theme shows Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton has seen in a long time. This spacious gallery in the Kenneth J Minnaert Center features sculptures, paintings and drawings from many artists in a wide range of styles, all commenting on trees, wood products and the ecology of our forest lands, and nearly all of excellent artistic quality. The curators of this show chose wisely. Read Alec Clayton's full review of "The Meaning of Wood" in the Music & Culture section, then catch it from noon to 4 p.m.

2. The University of Puget Sound's 2014 "Senior Show" features the artwork of 10 seniors who are graduating with their Bachelor's degrees in studio art. This group exhibition showcases a diverse range of subjects and media, and includes paintings, prints, mixed-media works, sculpture, and ceramics. The artworks on view offer a lively and engaging opportunity to see a variety of work by these emerging young talents. The show opens today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can meet the young lads and lasses behind the exhibition during a public reception 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 23. If you don't catch the reception, that's fine. Their artwork will be on display until May 17.

3. Ready for round two? The Barefoot Collective and MLKBallet perform, once again, in-process works for a small audience in a relaxed atmosphere, where the dancers show the audience how the dance was created. For audience members, this is an opportunity to experience live theater and get a rare glimpse into the creative process of artists in all types of performing arts. After the performance, the audience can ask questions and offer feedback. Check out Works In Progress at 7:30 p.m. in the Urban Grace Studio.

4. Olympia Jazz Tentette pays tribute to Charles Mingus at 8 p.m. in the Rhythm and Rye club in downtown Olympia.

5. Weekly Volcano music critic Rev. Adam McKinney says there are vocal similarities between Kurt Lindsay and late cult singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. The Rev. says, "Lindsay's voice, like Buckley's is simultaneously full of bravado and wounded timidity. It quivers with feeling, though it might be noted that Lindsay's voice often comes across as more lost, searching, which adds a nice element to what is largely music that errs toward modern rock, with some detours to friendly mixers like R&B and folk." See for yourself at 8 p.m. when Lindsay performs at the Steilacoom Pub & Grill.

LINK: Monday, April 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, APRIL 20 2014 >>>

1. Starting at 4:20 p.m. (for some unexplained reason), there will be many delirious festivities to be had at The New Frontier Lounge. Returning local heroes and tireless road warriors the Night Beats will be performing, along with a cavalcade of psychedelic friends, including People Under the Sun, MILK, the Pharmacy, and out-of-towners Cosmonauts and the Black Seas. At press time, it's unclear what's so special about starting a show at 4:20 on April 20, but one thing is absolutely clear: this will be a long, sloppy day of psych-rock so blistering it'll blast the haze from your head. Every once in a while, it's a good idea to take a squeegee to your brain before coating it with some more smoke, liquor and other unsavory pastimes.

2. Two shows close today at the Tacoma Art Museum. "Optic Nerve" highlights a collection of works from its permanent collection - including works by Riley, Anuszkiewicz, Vasarely and others - that stretch the definition of optical art - including photo-realist paintings because paintings that look like photographs are a kind of optical illusion. "Sitting for History: Exploring Self-Identity Through Portraiture" is an exhibition of more than 60 paintings, drawings and photographs by artists such as Pierre August Renoir, Chuck Close, George Luks, Mary Randlett, Gilbert Stuart and Andrew Wyeth, plus some sculpture and jewelry. See both from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Between 1853 and 1929, through both the American Civil War and World War I, the Orphan Train Movement shipped over a quarter of a million parentless children to the Midwestern states from overcrowded metropolises on the Eastern seaboard. Olympia Family Theater tells 12 stories from the Orphan Trains in its finally production of "Orphan Trains" at 1 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Orphan Train in the Music & Culture section.

4. Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill hosts a 420 Smoker with the musical stylings of Church of Hate and others beginning at, yup, 4:20 p.m. 

5. Aaradhna calls her sound "retro-metro," after studying R&B greats Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Little Anthone and the Imperials. Catch her silky voice and old-school soul at 7 p.m. with Sammy J and Stay Grounded in Jazzbones.

LINK: Sunday, April 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, APRIL 19 2014 >>>

1. Record Store Day is a holiday devoted to encouraging music fans to leave their bubble of predictable downloads and entering a world where the skip button doesn't exist. To browse through the shelves upon shelves of lovingly pressed vinyl, immaculately illustrated covers, essential liner notes, and magically enlivened grooves. Record stores have been threatening to disappear for years, but they've survived through the gauntlet of CD's and evil Pandora. In the past few years, records have even begun to regain some of their old popularity. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full thoughts on Record Store Day in the Music & Culture section.

2. The heavy, four-piece Pariah's Revolt from Olympia has all the badassness of ear-splitting chords, metal riffs and black clothing that you'd expect from the genre. And they're taking their community involvement to the next level with a fundraiser to help the Thurston County Food Bank at 6 p.m. in Louie G's in Fife.

3. Pasties and butt cheeks and hip-hop Toto, oh my! Expect all three - and more titillating fun - in The Gritty City Sirens' Adventures in Oz, a Wizard of Oz-inspired burlesque production at 7 p.m. in the Temple Theater Ballroom. We attended the dress rehearsal.

4. After disbanding the Los Angeles new wave/power pop group the Plimsouls, bespectacled, gruff-voiced frontman Peter Case launched a career as an important American singer/songwriter specializing in the flat-pick guitar style and semi-autobiographical stories of drifters delivered in a narrative style. Case has been writing and recording as a solo act for much longer than he was ever in the Plimsouls, or his first band, the seminal '70s punk band The Nerves. Case will bring his dynamic Americana-inspired blend of blues, folk and rock to the intimate Morso wine bar in Gig Harbor at 8 p.m.

5. Soaked in dark grunge and '90s alt rock, Adrian has the power trio of powerful female vocals, slick guitar notes and great production behind the release of the band's new album, Be Your Own Saviour. Frontwoman, guitarist and songwriter Adrian Conner, who plays lead guitar in AC/DC all-female tribute band Hell's Bells, has orchestrated a band full of infectious pop wrapped around electric, bombastic rock and roll. Catch the band at 9 p.m. at Uncle Sam's in Spanaway.        

LINK: Saturday, April 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18 2014 >>>

1. Neil Simon's recipe for onstage success: Take two people with conflicting personalities. Put them in confined living quarters. Add a sprinkle of personal hygiene jokes. Allow the tension to rise for about an hour. Cool. Serve. Enjoy The Odd Couple at 8 p.m. at the Lakewood Playhouse.

2. Enlarge your geo-wareness this weekend at the Capitol Theater's Environmental Film Festival (April 18-20). The film festival kicks of tonight at 7 p.m. with ML Lincoln's documentary Wrenched, which looks at how art inspired life, with Edward Abbey's Monkeywrench Gang fiction inspiring the direct-action tactics of a new generation of eco-activists.

3. Pink Martini's blend of American swing, Latin rhythms and chamber arrangements, along with vocals in five languages, give the group's largely original material mass appeal - meaning the audiences consist of people who normally don't sit next to each other. Thomas Lauderdale of Portland, Oregon, founded the "little orchestra" Pink Martini in 1994. It has gone on to become a genre unto itself. We adore the band's cosmopolitan mix of Disneyfied Latin rhythms, cabaret Orientalia and Arabic tunes kissed with carnival atmospherics and ragtime horns. Catch the band with the von Trapp Family Singers at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

4. Blues Hall Of Fame guitarist Joe Louis Walker celebrates the release of his new Alligator album, Hornest's Nest, with a live performance at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones. Expect equal parts rock 'n' roll fire and blistering blues. 

5. The folk-rock duo of Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny  - also known as Science! - is infectious and will easily rock their first night at the newly-opened Rhythm and Rye. Expect smiles, fun, dance moves, riffs that send chills, sparkly eyes, good cold beer, high fives, shots and new music from one of the best bands in Olympia, at 9 p.m.

LINK: Friday, April 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Pasties and butt cheeks and hip-hop Toto, oh my!

The setup

Expect all three - and more titillating fun - in The Gritty City Sirens' Adventures in Oz, a Wizard of Oz-inspired burlesque production at the Temple Theater Ballroom Saturday, April 19.

I caught a full dress run of Tacoma's burlesque troupe's largest production to date Sunday afternoon. Sadness leaving the sunshine for a dark theater soon disappeared.

This Tacoma makeover of L. Frank Baum's classic may be campy, but it still follows the famous Dorothy down the Yellow Brick Road where she hooks up with the tie-wearing Scarecrow, sexy Tin Man and the fur-donning Cowardly Lion and gains enough confidence as a showgirl to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West. Along the way, there are some eye-popping burlesque, pole dancing, dance numbers and zaniness by the likes of Lusty Zins, Bettie Klondike, Rosie Cheex as Glinda, Heather Hostility as the Wicked Witch, Ava D Jor as the Cowardly Lion and Polly Pucker Up as Dorothy. Toto, in this scenario, takes the form of a hip-hop bboy. The production is necessarily short on suspense, since you know it so well, but delivers with a strong theatrical impact, inventive soundtrack, remarkable performances and hilarious moments.

The one-night only performance benefits the Carol Milgard Breast Center.

The Road

My Yellow Brick Road experience was the troupe's final dress rehearsal, and I kept one foot in such. Often the action would halt on the road, with new instructions or a quick brainstorm session. Also, it would be a shame to spoil the gags and one-liners, so I won't.

The show opens with Tacoma singer-songwriter Heidi "Bunny Holiday" Stoermer and accordionist Tony Hanson setting the stage for a night of wonderful music.

"Yes, we thought ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow' was kind of a no-brainer, so we auditioned with that one and the second song, ‘Until the Real Thing Comes Along.' Toby and I couldn't settle on a closing number, so we composed the final song just for the show," says Stoermer. It works.

Hattie Hotpants from TUSH burlesque in Olympia plays the Great and Powerful Mistress of Oz. The emcee for the Olympia burlesque troupe, Hotpants keeps the laughs and flow rolling in this show. She's quick, and it pays off when there's a Munchkin mishap or skin exposed.

The story basically follows the original Oz, except the story opens with Dorothy receiving a makeover, saddled by her faithful, hip-hop dog Toto, played by Tacoma's favorite gallery owner/DJ.

Since a windstorm would ruin the inventive costumes, Noelle Wood, owner of Tacoma's pole dance school Poledello, and her equally amazing student who is "the calm before the storm", whips up the tornado around a pole. The entire cast of 26 gets swept up in the whirlwind, which includes a little Daft Punk circling about.

You know what happens when Dorothy and Toto land in another land, the Lollipop Guild busts out moves to a club beat, the Lullaby league toss hula hoops and Glinda the Good Witch of the North takes it all to the music of Willie Dixon.

Sure enough, the Scarecrow takes off her rags, the Tin Man sheds the metal and the Cowardly Lion - receiving big laughs - disrobes the fur.

No one will sleep during the dance of the Poppies.

And ... then ... there are the monkeys. If you know Tacoma music and ballet, you'll instantly recognize these three zany characters who provide non-stop energy and laughs.

Music from Queens of the Stone Age, Goldfrapp, N.E.R.D., Louis Prima and others mix with snippets of the original Oz soundtrack, and the Wicked Witch of the West stripping to music by the Voodoo Organist is brilliant.

Yes, even sweet little Dorothy hurls her clothing to Toto offstage. 

I've said too much. I'll probably have to face the wrath of those freakin' monkeys.

The Verdict

In all, it will be an excellent night of twirling tassels and bawdy jokes. (Insert your own Kansas joke here.)

GRITTY CITY SIRENS' ADVENTURES IN OZ, 7 p.m., Saturday, April 19, Temple Theatre Ballroom, 47 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, $25, Ticketmaster

LINK: More photos of Gritty City Sirens' Adventures in Oz