Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

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February 20, 2015 at 7:54am

5 Things To Do Today: Strangely Alright, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, "The Miracle Worker," the Hoot Hoots ...

Strangely Alright performs at The Swiss tonight.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20 2015 >>>

1. Strangely Alright is more than all right - the band is awesome. Its music is fun, timeless and real. The band can laugh, cry and flip people off all in one album, backed up by talent and experience. Fronted by longtime Tacoma musician Regan Lane (Baby Knockors, Strypes, Groovy Times in Babylon, BrokenNess), take the Beatles and Super Furry Animals sprinkled it with some Bowie, Traveling Wilburys and Elvis Costello and add confessional lyrics ala John Lennon and Bob Dylan and you have the five-piece power pop band Strangely Alright. "We'll perform new material I have written Friday," says Lane, "plus a Weezer-style cover of ‘Imagine,' some New York Dolls and Ramones." Our new single, ‘Come on,' will be released in a few weeks. In fact, we'll be releasing a new single and video every two months this year." Well, all right! Catch the band with SleepyPilot at 9 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant and Pub.

2. Broadway Center for the Performing Arts presents Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater. Delicately stuffed into tutus and man-sized toe shoes, the gender bending all-male ballet company returns to deliver hilarious twists on classical ballet. A worldwide phenomenon, the comedy of "The Trocks" is only outmatched by their technical prowess. Performing en pointe, these "mallerinas" revel in buffoonery and antics with perfectly pointed toes and leap to the heavens with attuned choreographic precision.

3. Nena Curley was 14 years old when she performed the role of Sarah, one of the blind girls, in the Lakewood Playhouse 2003 production of The Miracle Worker. Twelve years later, Curley is the stage manager and production manager for the theater company's current production of The Miracle Worker, William Gibson's inspiring 1959 drama about blind, deaf and mute child Helen Keller and teacher Annie Sullivan's extraordinary efforts to communicate with her, which hits the stage at 8 p.m.

4. Weekly Volcano scribe Rev. Adam McKinney has long been in love with the fizzy, cartoonishly bright power pop of the Hoot Hoots. With their driving indie rock, dressed with colorful costumes and embellished with lyrics about robots and dinosaurs, the Hoot Hoots have embodied the height of blissful optimism for him in the Pacific Northwest. Seeing them live is a sweaty, exuberant joy. Read his full feature on The Hoot Hoots in the Music and Culture section., then catch the band with the Jesus Rehab, Fruit Juice and Trees and Timber at 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

5. Obsidian in downtown Olympia hosts "Invokation," a night of gothic, industrial, darkwave and electro tunes spun by DJs. Dress to depress for a night of classic bats-and-bondage soundscapes, beginning at 9 p.m. Bela Lugosi's dead - long live Bela Lugosi!

February 14, 2015 at 9:30am

5 Things To Do Today: TUSH! Burlesque, Kids ‘N' Critters, Harlem Globetrotters, Neil Andersson Trio ...

From left: Ginger Smack, Edyn Beaver, Aurora Darling, Nani Poonani, Miss Hattie Hotpants, Wednesday du Monde, Bettie Beelzebub and Princess Lucky Buttons. Photo by Ashley McKenzie, courtesy TUSH! Burlesque

SATURDAY, FEB. 14 2015 >>>

1. When it comes to love, anything is possible. Love makes the world, and your heart, spin. Love makes the soul sing. When the subject is love, let nothing be in moderation. TUSH! Burlesque will present multifaceted emotions of passion, temptation and lust at 9 p.m. in the Capitol Theater. It's a valentine to the sights, sounds and sexiness of Olympia, featuring our readers' 2014 pick for Oly's best band, Full Moon Radio. Read Christian Carvajal's Q&A with the women of TUSH! Burlesque in the Music & Culture section.

2. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park hosts its annual Kids ‘N' Critters weekend at the wildlife park from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. You'll see bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose and deer roaming the 435-acre park. But, keep an eye out for those evil squirrels during your 30-minute tram rides. Bonus: Up to four children 12 and younger will be admitted free to Northwest Trek with each paying adult over the long Presidents Weekend. Expect story times, special workshops, moose crafts ... and squirrels.

3. The Harlem Globetrotters have come along way from traveling to their very first games in founder-coach Abe Saperstein's Model "T" Ford. Back in 1926, their astounding antics, athleticism, wizardry and hijinks won the world over from the start. Hmm, take the children to this: It's simply not acceptable for them to go around thinking the Nike ballers invented these amazing feats of dribbling. Catch the Trotters at 2 and 7 p.m. in the ShoWare Center in Kent. This is history, baby!

4. The Blackberry Bushes Stringband, Wild Rabbit and Renegade Stringband will bring their stringband mayhem to Rhythm & Rye at 9 p.m. - part of a larger tour, informally dubbed "The Winter Tour of Stringband Mayhem," which has the three bands visiting eight Northwest cities. There is a strong roots music scene in the Northwest that spans the whole spectrum from traditionalists to those using traditional elements in more modern pop or rock influences. The Blackberry Bushes (Seattle), Wild Rabbit (Bellingham) and Renegade Stringband (Portland) span that spectrum. The Blackberry Bushes perform mostly original material, but they'll keep a thread of bluegrass and old-time going through their show. Wild Rabbit is a little more pop. Renegade is a little more traditional.

5. Local gypsy guitar legend Neil Andersson of Pearl Django is joined by well known next generation heavyweights Josh Hegg and Cameron Arneson for an enchanted evening of Hot Club Jazz, Django style at 9:30 p.m. in Doyle's Public House.

February 12, 2015 at 7:36am

5 Things To Do Today: Stringband Mayhem, bicycling film, Oly Old Time Festival, "The Sunset Limited" ...

The Blackberry Bushes Stringband perform at The Swiss restaurant and Pub tonight.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12 2015 >>>

1. The Blackberry Bushes Stringband, Wild Rabbit and Renegade Stringband will bring their stringband mayhem to The Swiss at 9 p.m. - part of a larger tour, informally dubbed "The Winter Tour of Stringband Mayhem," which has the three bands visiting eight Northwest cities. There is a strong roots music scene in the Northwest that spans the whole spectrum from traditionalists to those using traditional elements in more modern pop or rock influences. The Blackberry Bushes (Seattle), Wild Rabbit (Bellingham) and Renegade Stringband (Portland) span that spectrum. The Blackberry Bushes perform mostly original material, but they'll keep a thread of bluegrass and old-time going through their show. Wild Rabbit is a little more pop. Renegade is a little more traditional.

2. Explore the social change, events and people that can lead to a bike-friendly city through an interactive free screening of AfterMass: Bicycling in a Post-Critical Mass Portland at 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema. The movie will be followed by a community discussion on how changes can happen in Tacoma. Free tickets are available at The Grand on a first-come, first-served basis.

3. The seventh annual Oly Old Time Festival kicks off tonight with a square dance featuring the Grizzle Grazzle Tune Snugglers and Evie Ladin calling from 7-9 p.m. at The Olympia Ballroom. What will follow will be several of the country's best purveyors of traditional Appalachian and old time American music Friday through Sunday. For the full schedule, visit olyoldtime.weebly.com.

4. Working Class Theater NW presents its second full-length production, Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited, exploring religion through the dynamic lens of American race relations, at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Youth Theater space, 924 Broadway. Directed by Tim Samland and starring local actors Aaron Bredlau (White) and Jack House (Black), The Sunset Limited opening scene begins immediately after Black rescues White from jumping in front of a train. From that chance meeting, the two men explore the depths of faith and conviction that have led them down such opposite paths.

5. Here's a worth hip-hop show. Rashan Amad of Oakland's The Crown City Rockers and Sleep of Oldominion will perform at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur's back music room.

February 8, 2015 at 8:23am

5 Things To Do Today: Mazen Kerbaj, "H.M.S. Pinafore," Mark Dufresne, Comedy Drag Show ...

The festival of improvised music at Obsidian tonight features a very special guest by the name of Mazen Kerbaj.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8 2015 >>>

1. This festival of improvised music at Obsidian features a very special guest by the name of Mazen Kerbaj. Hailing from Beirut, Lebanon, Kerbaj specializes in the trumpet, taking that instrument many miles from any expectations you may have when I utter the words "improvisational trumpet." His style takes the trumpet in directions that delve deep into the experimental, testing the instrument's limits of expression, whether they be textural, percussive tonal, or pushing the envelope of what could reasonably pass for music. In taking advantage of his instrument's many characteristics, Kerbaj takes his audience through a journey of finding the potential in any sound to transport. For anyone with a passing interest in experimental music, this 8 p.m. show with Arrington De Dionyso, Paul Hoskin, Daniel Buscher and Hammer of Hathor must be observed. The daring will get the most from this excursion into the base elements of the musical experience.

2. Though 120 years old, H.M.S. Pinafore is as seaworthy as ever, an irresistible blend of Sullivan's matchless melodies and Gilbert's shrewd satire of the Victorian caste system. Tacoma Opera's production boasts vocals by Boston Lyric Opera soloist Michael Drumheller, Seattle Opera Guild's Ksenia Popova and returnees from The Barber of Seville. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on H.M.S. Pinafore in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 2 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

3. The Swiss Restaurant and Pub will host a benefit concert for the Mitrata-Nepal Foundation for Children featuring The Oly Mountain Boys at 4 p.m., Steve and Kristi Nebel at 5 p.m., The Twang Junkies at 6 p.m. and The Barleywine Revue at 7 p.m. Mitrata-Nepal Foundation for Children's mission is to educate and empower severely underprivileged children to reach their full potential as citizens of Nepal.

4. Mark Dufresne is schooled in the ways of Sonny Boy, Junior Wells and James Cotton. His work on the chromatic harmonica is considered as some of the most innovative in blues music. His ability to circular breathe has left audiences dazed, dancing in circles until they drop. Catch the blues musician and his band at 7 p.m. in The Spar in Old Town Tacoma.

5. Jubal Flagg from the Movin 92.5 FM morning show host a Comedy Drag Show featuring five comedians performing as themselves, get a complete makeover, and come back as the opposite sex. Check it out at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club.

February 6, 2015 at 7:16am

5 Things To Do Today: "H.M.S. Pinafore," Downward Dog Mystery, baroque composers, Band of Lovers ...

Aboard the H.M.S. Pinafore, a tale of love, hypocrisy and mistaken identities unravels when the captain's daughter falls secretly in love with a common sailor. Photo credit: Peter Serko

FRIDAY, FEB. 6 2015 >>>

1. In The Simpsons' 1993 episode "Cape Feare," Bart distracts his homicidal nemesis, Sideshow Bob Terwilliger (Kelsey Grammer), by imploring him to perform H.M.S. Pinafore in its entirety. A flattered Bob replies, "Very well, Bart. I shall send you to Heaven before I send you to Hell." He follows through with a medley of "We Sail the Ocean Blue," "Hail! Men-o'-War's Men!" (Little Buttercup's Song) and a falsetto'd climax from "He Is an Englishman." So guess what? If you recognize that pop culture references, then you know some H.M.S. Pinafore. Tacoma Opera's production of H.M.S. Pinafore boasts vocals by Boston Lyric Opera soloist Michael Drumheller, Seattle Opera Guild's Ksenia Popova and returnees from The Barber of Seville. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on H.M.S. Pinafore in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

2. Seattle novelist Tracy Weber will read from her new novel, A Killer Retreat - the second installment of her award-winning Downward Dog Mystery series about a murder-solving, vegetarian yoga teacher, Kate, and her feisty German Shepherd - at 6 p.m. in Garfield Book Company. This new book finds Kate teaching yoga at a vegan retreat center when a wedding guest at the center is found dead shortly after a loud and public fight with Kate. Kate must try to solve the murder before the police put her behind bars as their number-one suspect. Weber will lead a yoga class for PLU students and others following the reading.

3. Music faculty members and students at University of Puget Sound will perform works from some of history's most influential baroque composers - from a Bach work centered on the biblical story of Cain and Abel to a Nicola Porpora piece written for the convent choirs at Venice orphanages - at 7:30 p.m. in Kilworth Memorial Chapel. The Jacobsen Series concert from the School of Music will include strings, harpsichord, and piano, with solo arias and choir.

4. Few songs are sweeter than "Tennessee," the acoustic tune by upstate New Yorkers Band of Lovers. Their debut single comes correct with homespun violin, upbeat lyrics, even trilled ooh-oo-oohs and la-di-dahs. Friends for 10 years, Sabina Beachdell and Dave Strumfeld united their troubadour talents in 2013 to craft a five-song eponymous EP. Now they're on the road in support of The Coast, a full-length, crowdfunded album they recorded in a cabin in Woodstock. See them perform at 8 p.m. in Metronome Coffee.

5. Mig Artugue is the defining voice behind Too Long Sparks, which takes spare drum machines and layers looped guitar and ukulele on top to create a moody atmosphere that builds with increasing anxiety. His vocals drift from laconic to panicked, lending an urgency to his minimalistic compositions that sounds like nothing more than one man having a nervous breakdown in the recording studio. Catch the one-man band with Middlewav, The Various Moods Of, People Under the Sun and Patrick Galactic at 8 p.m. in Deadbeat Olympia record store.

February 5, 2015 at 7:38am

5 Things To Do Today: Beer parties, Tacoma Green Drinks, Brian James ...

Help Puyallup River Brewing Alehouse celebrate its second anniversary tonight.

THURSDAY, FEB. 5 2015 >>>

1. If you need another excuse to drink a good beer (and who doesn't?), Puyallup River Brewing Alehouse is celebrating its 2nd anniversary beginning at 6 p.m. Puyallup River Brewing owner-brewer Eric Akeson opened the downtown Puyallup taproom less than a year after launching his South Hill garage brewery. The long, dark 2,000-square-foot alehouse showcases Akeson's talent - including Valley Farmhouse IPA, Fryingpan Cascadian Red Ale, Paradise Blonde Saison, as well as 2014 Washington Brewers Festival Silver medalist Cream Ale, Silver medalist Black Pumpkin Saison and Bronze medalist Oak Aged Point Success Porter - plus guest taps and some of the best brewer's nights and beer events in the South Sound. Puyallup loves beer and parties, at least according to those who attend Akeson's hosted events. We expect tonight's party will follow suit, with a special anniversary beer and giveaways.

2. Speaking of beer, Engine House No. 9 will host a Trinity Brewing Night with five on tap and three different brews in bottles at 6 p.m. Trinity head brewer and owner Jason Yester will be in the firehouse.

3. Tacoma Green Drinks provides a social and networking opportunity for Tacoma-Pierce County residents interested in sustainability, conservation, environmental issues and booze! Join them at 5:30 p.m. in front of The Swiss Restaurant and Pub for City of Tacoma Environmental Services' Merita Pollard's tour of the Low Impact Development aspects of the Prairie Line Trail. The Vision2Action Symposium is coming to town March 5, and this pre-event will be geared toward answering questions on the Symposium, how you can get involved and what the heck is Low Impact Development. After the tour, it's all about drinking.

4.  A night on the town turns unexpectedly poignant when four best friends convene to reminisce about the past and provide insight into relationships. Just kidding. They sing Gloria Gaynor tunes, toss back shots, and yell things like "That one made my hoohah tickle!" That doesn't stop Louise Roche's otherwise flighty karaoke-standard revue from attempting to delve into substantial topics, and things get a little awkward once the Shake Weight jokes take a hard right to marital regret and miscarriage. Catch Centerstage's version of Girls Night: The Musical at 8 p.m. in the Knutzen Theater.

5. Brian James is an accomplished singer/songwriter and instrumentalist who was hired in 2008 as the head staff writer at Sure-Fire Music Publishing in Nashville where he wrote hit songs for four years, before starting his own publishing/management company, Brick Hit House Music. He wrote the theme song for the Discovery Channel's American Farmer, as well as songs for Taylor Hicks, Donny Anderson and Tonya Kennedy. Catch him at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

February 4, 2015 at 10:43am

O grant us thy boons, Howard Stern

Audition for "America's Got Talent" at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center Monday, Feb. 9. Photo courtesy of NBC.com

I suppose it's possible you're one of those Washington weirdos who applies his or her summers to the pursuit of such ostentatious pastimes as going outside. If so, this article won't mean jack to you. My wife and I, however, are allergic to direct sunlight, plus we reserve our remaining ATP molecules of organic energy for the ordeal of digesting meatball sandwiches. We spend our summer months parked on the couch, basking in the cool blue light of an O-class supergiant star we like to call ... our TV.

It seems strange that two adults of not inconsiderable intelligence should feel they're on a first name basis with the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Howard Stern, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum or Scary Spice. (The latter seems more of a name than "Mel B.") Thanks to terms as judges on NBC's America's Got Talent, the Teutonically bland Heidi Klum, Melanie Brown's Yorkshire-accented "uh have to sayyy" and Howie Mandel's relentless trolling for Twitter followers seem as familiar as Mariner baseball. Are we on the same wavelength, you and I? Will you feel me when I lament the year our nation expended its fickle affections on that Kentuckian "singer" whose name none of us now remember? (It was Kevin Skinner in season four. No, he was never seen again.) Are you even now wondering how that sweet little Jackie Evancho is holding up in her big-ticket limelight? Exactly. One of us.

It's ironic this show puts its skilled contestants' fates in the hands of people who clearly have nothing in the way of talent to speak of; namely, us. Time and again, Met-worthy vocalists get shunted aside in favor of that tousle-haired boy who looks cute in a hat, because squillions of teenagers are superheating their phones in a rush to call in votes. The Midwest's inexplicable fondness for softcore-racist ventriloquism comes into frequent play, as does our hereditary preference for symmetrically attractive people on TV. But that's how the tele-cookie crumbles, my friends, and it gives folks like you, by whom I mean good-looking people who can tell a few jokes or warble karaoke on camera, a shot at celebrity. That's right, you, Gentle Reader, could join the ranks of Jackie Evancho, Kevin what's-his-name, and that guy who had abs and could juggle his Chihuahua. The only catch is: first you have to audition.

Luckily, the producers of AGT make that process so easy, why, a Kentucky chicken farmer could do it. All you have to do is take the day off work (no disappointment there), drive to the Greater Tacoma Convention Center and hang out all day with other frustrated narcissists. Your spotlight awaits! Try not to make us Puget Sounders look bad. My wife and I hate to feel sorry for people as we gorge on our summer nachos.

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT SEASON 10 AUDITIONS, 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9, Tacoma Convention Center, 1500 Broadway, Tacoma, free, 253.830.6601

February 4, 2015 at 7:29am

5 Things To Do Today: Seed Swap, Medicine Creek Council, improv comedy, aerial show ...

"Dude ... need seeds?"

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4 2015 >>>

1. The Pierce County Conservative District Seed Swap goes down from 6-8 p.m. in the Parkland/Spanaway Library. Bring excess seeds either purchased or saved, cuttings, or transplants to trade with community members. Kelda Lorax of Divine Earth Gardening Project will host a seed saving workshop. The event will also be a potluck so bring a dish to share. Top your dish with sesame seeds and watch the crowd erupt in cheer.

2. Transcendent Music Group brings in Seattle Rastafari roots reggae band Laborer for its One Love Wednesday music series at Jazzbones, beginning at 7 p.m.

3.The Medicine Creek Council took place in the Nisqually Delta Dec. 26, 1854. It brought together 62 Native American tribal leaders and a contingent of American settlers headed by territorial governor Isaac Stevens, and changed the course of Northwest history. The treaty established reservations for the Native American tribes represented and described the lands that would be ceded by the tribes to the United States Government. Historian and author Drew Crooks will discuss the event and its ramifications at 7:30 p.m. in the Olympia Timberland Library.

4. Harlequin Productions' improv troupe Something Wicked returns to the stage for a show about the beautifully absurd world of dating. Join them at 8 p.m. in the Historic State Theater as all the terror, glee, tragedy and joy of modern-day romance are whirled together into a frothy, intoxicating evening of heart-mending laughter.

5. The Brotherhood Takes Flight aerial show is back, featuring Tan Tan and others taking to the air with whimsy, strength and artful grace at 8 p.m. in The Brotherhood Lounge. The performance above the drinking crowd is just plain beautiful. A dance party with DJ Fir$t Lady follows.

February 1, 2015 at 9:56am

5 Things To Do Today: Super Bowl eats and drinks, Pearl Django, Tapmaster, "Tacomapocalype 4" ...

Go Hawks!

SUNDAY, FEB. 1 2015 >>>

1. We could have loaded today's 5 Things To Do with double entendres based on the concept of Super Bowl snacks and deflated balls. Instead, click here for several Super Bowl parties in the South Sound.

2. Pearl Django performs at 11 a.m. in the Museum of Glass. Pulling inspiration from the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Pearl Django has a signature Hot Club style marked by the band's expert string work, steady pulse of rhythm guitar and unmistakable swing that reaches out to audiences of all musical sensibilities.

3. These days, South Sound pubs offer more activities than a cruise ship. Tides Tavern wants to make it crystal clear its 12th Annual Tapmaster program isn't about chugging yards of beer then taking a flying leap off the dock into the harbor. Instead, the popular watering hole in Gig Harbor wants you to enjoy its 16 taps through the month of February. Get to know each beer. Ask the beers questions. Ask the bartenders questions. If by happenstance you drink all 16 beers in the 28 days, the Tides will give you a nifty T-shirt and add your name to the wall of fame.

4. We all know what it feels like to be stuck in a job we hate, where managers lead by harassment and double down on strategies that didn't work the first hundred times. Imagine you're trapped in a low-rent Chicago sales office with five alpha males, each struggling to sell Florida swampland before apathetic corporate overlords drop the axe. If you're looking to feel better about your working life, David Mamet's 1983 drama Glengarry Glen Ross is a great place to start. The Lakewood Playhouse stages the play at noon due to some big game on the tube. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Glengarry Glen Ross in the Music & Culture section.

5. Tacoma's humorous zombie art show returns but at a new location - Destiny City Comics. "Tacomapocalype 4: Back to the Future" focuses on "Zombies Vs. 80's Time Travel Movies." Check out the local zombie art from noon to 6 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, Feb. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

January 26, 2015 at 10:56am

Nerd Alert! Cirque du Soleil, "IMAX Game of Thrones," Patton Oswalt, "Star Wars" costumes ...

"Kurios": A collection of otherworldly characters step into a makeshift mechanical world. Photo credit: © Martin Girard shootstudio.ca

Now with reinflated balls, 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.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29

The last time Cirque du Soleil came through Seattle, I described their Tempest-inspired tent show Amaluna as "unforgettable showmanship ... like watching superheroes before your very eyes." I also said Amaluna was "more than a circus. It's a life event, superhuman in scale and achievement." I stand by every word. Two years later, I remember each moment of that show perfectly. So yes, when Cirque announced last year it was sending a new show to Marymoor Park, you can bet your rubber clown nose I pounced on the opportunity to review it. This new show, Kurios, is set in a steampunk world of whimsical illusions and magical machines. I'm beyond stoked. My family and I are seeing it Saturday, so expect a full and, I have every reason to believe, enraptured review next week.

KURIOS: CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, 8 p.m. through March 22, Marymoor Park, 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Parkway NE, Redmond, $35-$156, 877.924.7783

Thursday marks your first chance to catch HBO's Game of Thrones in IMAX, as the final two episodes of season 4 are projected in giganto-vision along with a trailer for season 5. (It runs through Feb. 5.) In "The Watchers on the Wall," the Night Watch has to beat back the Wildings and defend Castle Black in one of TV's most epic battle scenes of all time. In season finale "The Children," Tyrion Lannister pays some serious debts. I don't have HBO, so I have yet to see either episode. Let me guess: gratuitous nudity? Swirly crotch demons? Hodor sings?

FRIDAY, JAN. 30

For my money, there's simply no funnier standup comedian working right now than Patton Oswalt. As evidence, I submit to you his extended riff on the copiously-portioned offerings at Black Angus Steakhouse, his characterization of KFC's latest entrée as "a failure pile in a sadness bowl," and his bittersweet desire to go back in time and murder George Lucas. His description of a news story in which a senior citizen bore a baby made me laugh so hard it probably contributed to my recent hernia. I slumped a few weeks ago when he was too busy to honor his ritual of live-tweeting Downton Abbey, and for the love of sweet Abigail Mae, what does that say about my life? He has an uncanny knack for wangling his way onto shows he enjoys, so don't be surprised if he moves on from Mr. Show with Bob and David, Reno 911!, Reaper, Community, Caprica, Justified, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and one truly epic pop-culture soliloquy on Parks & Rec to hang out with Lord and Lady Grantham. I bought my tickets back in October, and man, I hope you did, too, 'cause this baby's sold to the rafters. How the hell does he find time to tour? Are there really Patton Oswalt clones like on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

PATTON OSWALT, 8 p.m., Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, (sold out), 253.591.5894

SATURDAY, JAN. 31

After a lavish debut party Fright night, the EMP's Science Fiction Museum in Seattle opens its Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibit (running through Oct. 4) to us Padawan learners. Exhibits include Vader's helmeted breath mask, Threepio's golden carapace, and yes, Princess Leia's bronze bikini. I encourage you to view these splendid costumes in Machete Order.

SUNDAY, FEB. 1

Apparently there's some sort of game on Sunday. Did you hear about this? Alternatively, you could watch Puppy Bowl XI on Animal Planet, Kitten Bowl II on Hallmark, Fish Bowl II on Nat Geo Wild, or Toddler Bowl on, of all things, The Learning Channel. I'll be busy watching the real thing, but ... y'know, if adult competitors actually were bowling with toddlers, I might be tempted to DVR that shizz. Speaking of DVRs, you do have yours set for the premiere of AMC's Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul a week from Sunday, right? Just checking.

Anyway, between Kurios, Patton Oswalt, and what promises to be the Super Bowl of the decade against those double-crossing Patriots, this is shaping up to one of my favorite weekends ever. Call a historian, folks. This is one for the Holocron.

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and Hodor.

Filed under: Nerd Alert!, Theater, Comedy, Tacoma,

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