Just saying no to the Polar Bear Plunge, 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. 1

Jay Hollingsworth is one "big dude" (those are his words, as are "I'm six-eight. I weigh right around twoooo much") who tells some big-ass jokes. He was born in Portland, moved from Seattle to Los Angeles and happily refers to himself as "Big Irish." He's a fixture on podcasts including Doug (Benson) Loves Movies and his own HollingsWorthless. Louie Anderson calls him "a great joke writer," and I agree. He's also industrious enough to fly to Tacoma for a week of shows in winter, on New Year's Day no less, and that seems worthy of our mutual respect. Give him a shot; see if he doesn't deliver serious laughs per minute.

JAY HOLLINGSWORTH, 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Tacoma Comedy Club, 933 Market St., Tacoma, $10-$15, 253.282.7203

FRIDAY, JAN. 2

The only downside of compiling my year-end "Carvy awards" for Olympia theater practitioners is that you, our devoted readers, forwent your chance to see all my favorites months ago. I'm happy to report that's not the case for my top pick of 2014, Theater Artists Olympia's The Head! That Wouldn't Die! No, that show sold well enough to justify two reprise performances this week, not to mention two italicized exclamation points. It's a toe-tapping musical that'll put a smile on your face and a song in your heart and other clichés in your brain, then cut that brain full of clichés out and set it in a pan for future audiences to enjoy. It's just so damned! Entertaining!

THE HEAD! THAT WOULDN'T DIE!, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Midnight Sun Performance Space, 113 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, $15, 360.259.2743

SUNDAY, JAN. 4

The art form our English readers refer to as "the telly" returns this week, beginning with the long-awaited Downton Abbey premiere on PBS (9 p.m.). I say "long-awaited," but of course that's assuming you aren't really a recent immigrant from the United Kingdom. If you are British, then you caught Downton's season five starting over three months ago and have probably moved on to Walking with Beasts or The Blue Planet. Also, you say "al-yuMINium" and "adVERTis-ment" and "vitt-amin" and frankly, we're all getting just a bit sick of your superior attitude. Also, Nigella Lawson is getting clobbered on The Taste again, so put that in your calabash and smoke it, guv'nor.

Speaking of stupid jokes about a mythical land, ABC's Galavant premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. It's almost certainly terrible, but it does feature a couple of songs composed by Disney vet Alan Menken. Or you could check out the broadcast premiere of Life Itself, a biography of dearly departed columnist Roger Ebert, at 9 p.m. on CNN. Two thumbs sad.

TUESDAY, JAN. 6

My wife and I caught the Master Chef Junior bug late, but boy, did we. I actually thought about calling ex-girlfriends on the sly, not to catch up but as it occurred to me I may have unknowingly fathered some of these junior-high competitors. Chubby kids with outsized vocabularies and culinary ambitions? An 11-year-old gastronome who referred to another guy's food choices as "pedestrian?" Yeah, remind me to screen calls from Maury Povich. Anyway, season three debuts on Fox at 9 p.m.

Also at 9 p.m., set your DVR for the premiere of Disney's, ABC's, Marvel's Agent Carter. It stars Hayley Atwell as Captain America's former squeeze, then recruits her as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to clear the name of Howard Hughes - I mean Stark! - aka Iron Man's superrich daddy issue. Also: amazing hats.

Tuesday marks the DVD/Blu-ray release of what a fair number of critics are calling the best movie of the year, director Richard Linklater's Boyhood. It's the film that cast Ellar Coltrane at age 6, then followed him to legal voting age at Sul Ross State University. I haven't seen it yet, so I'm rooting for Birdman till a Netflix viewing of this movie changes my mind.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7

Speaking of boyhood, how much would your kids enjoy building robots out of Legos at the library? Well, today brings your first of several chances, which continue through the spring. Remember to teach your kids how to code Asimov's Three Laws of robot behavior. You and the rest of humanity will be so glad you did.

ROBOTS!, 3 p.m. Wednesday, Pierce County Library, 3609 Market Pl. W., Tacoma, free, 253.272.8801

Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and thank the Maker, this New-Year's-Day, post-hangover oil bath is going to feel so good.

FRIDAY, DEC. 26 2014 >>>

1. Befitting an album featuring Ben Roth's first major creative output, Bod's EP, Party Drug, feels like it's crammed with ideas and off-kilter detours. "Gigantor" kicks off the album in a haze, before '70s prog-indebted guitars charge in. Tricky time signatures abound, lending a stop-start dynamic that challenges without taking away from the purely enjoyable drive of the songs. As a frontman, Roth's voice becomes more like just another instrument, awash in reverb as it softens the spikiness of the guitars. Party Drug is a great encapsulation of Roth's attitude: music for music's sake. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full interview with Ben Roth in the Music & Culture section, then catch Bod with EZTV, Mega Bog and Black Wolf at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

2. The phrase triple threat, meaning a person who excels at acting, dancing, and singing, is among the most overused in all entertainment. Oh, sure, any number of actors can carry a tune. I've even met trained opera singers who can manage a waltz without requiring emergency services. All the same, it's rare to meet a performer who's better than average at all three - yet the phrase seems an understatement when applied to Lauren O'Neill. She's an improv artist, a fixture in the local burlesque scene, and a go-to when, say, a sassy mistress of ceremonies is required. Now there's a new persona, "Dr. Lauren," who'll probably look a lot like Lauren O'Neill but say things distinctly less practical. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on Dr. Lauren's Holiday Bizarre! on our Walkie Talkie blog, then catch the show at 7:30 p.m. in the Urban Onion.

3. As the son of longtime Seattle DJ Bob Rivers, Andrew Rivers got accustomed early to the not-always-flattering spotlight. "I was the butt of so many jokes on the radio show," he says. Maybe that's why - despite his jokes about how he's not tough enough to walk those female friends to their cars - Rivers seems to have a pretty thick skin. Read Molly Gilmore's full story on Andrew Rivers in the Music & Culture section, then catch Rivers at 8 and 10:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Comedy Club.

4. For 12 freakin' years in a row - never wavering - The Randy Oxford Band has encouraged (hell, inspired!) you to get out of the house the night after Christmas and shake some of the tinsel and stuffing off. It's known as the "Night After Christmas Dance Party."  The gist is pretty simple - the South Sound's mad horn-blower and his gang of bluesy merrymakers tear the house down (in this case, Jazzbones - and not literally) while you shake whatever it is you have to shake on the dance floor, beginning at 8 p.m. In short order, and without fail, good times are had by all.

5. It's a final hoedown of sorts as the year draws to a close. The Rusty Cleavers and The Cottonwood Cutups takeover the Half Pint Pizza Pub at 9 p.m.

LINK: Friday, Dec. 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, DEC. 23 2014 >>>

1. It's two days before Christmas. Having exhausted all financial resources barring the sale of various vital organs or offspring, you drive the streets, dejected, unsure of what to do now. You venture into downtown Olympia, and you see stars - white stars, red stars, blue stars, in fact all sorts of colored lights. It's Peace on Earth. Your mouth forms a wondrous "Oh." You reach out for your loved one's hand. He/she slaps it and tells you to stop being so sarcastic. It seems to be coming from the Percival Landing boardwalk. Yes, you're sure of it. Well, God bless us, everyone, it's the 6th annual Dancing Lights Marine Christmas Show. The Olympia Yacht Club has converted the marina into a holiday light display, computer-animated mind you. Dora The Friendly Sea Dagon greets you, as does a 45-foot yacht decorated with more than 20,000 lights. The 45-minute program consists of nine musical selections and runs twice each evening from 7-8:30 p.m. Hurrah!

2. Franciscan Polar Plaza is the place to be once winter hits. Think you can find something better to do than busting out some ice skates? Yeah, good luck with that. Polar Plaza is on its fourth year of setting up an ice-skating rink decked out in wintery goodness at Tollefson Plaza, just across from the Tacoma Art Museum in downtown Tacoma. With three fabulous years behind them, the Plaza folks put their heads together and found a few key ways to make this ritzy rink even better for 2014. Skate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

3. Hello, holiday tradition! The Nutcracker ballet performance is a holiday forever classic. The Tacoma City Ballet does it up right and with a delightful twist. Did you know that there's a "prequel" to The Nutcracker called Tale of the Hard Nut? Celebrating its 31st performance season, the ballet company takes on The Nutcracker performance in its entirety, which includes the prequel. In short: prepare to be dazzled, delighted and enchanted at 3 and 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

4. 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.

5. Forest Beutel is a fixture of Tacoma's music scene, playing banjo for The Barleywine Revue, punkgrass outfit The Rusty Cleavers and matching Julie Campbell's fierce fiddle in Dixie Highway. In September, he released If You Label Me, You Negate Me, his first solo album - a mix of high-energy folk punk, down-tempo blues and introspective lyrics. At 8 p.m., Beutel will perform at the Eleven Eleven with friends Jake Cline and Shootdang from Portland.

LINK: Tuesday, Dec. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, DEC. 21 2014 >>>

1. You can bet the CD Woodbury Band will be celebrating at 7 p.m. in The Spar. Sure, the blues band is down with the holiday spirit, but more importantly, they are about a month away from the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The band won the South Sound Blues Association's "Back to Beale Street Competition," which means the Tacoma-based organization is sending them to Tennessee to compete with blues bands around the nation. Our fingers are crossed the band's eclectic array of originals and obscure "gem" covers encompassing roots, blues,rock, old school R&B, funk, jazz, jump swing and Americana - all flavored with the spirit of Jam Band improvisation - will blow the judges' minds. In the meantime, indulge in great blues and tasty brews tonight.

2. A Winter Solstice Parade will be held in Tacoma's Sixth Avenue neighborhood today. It's doubtful the druid and pagan communities will be out in full force, dressed in magnificent costumes and singing incantations while waving luminous willow lanterns. No, this parade is a staggering affair between The Red Hot's Darkest Day and Engine House No. 9's 2014 Snow Cru release party. There are many ways to celebrate the solstice, but only the souls at The Red Hot and Engine House No. 9 could, by chance, create an observance loaded with symbolism, and robust, full-bodied beers with rich color and flavor. For complete details, click here.

3. Franciscan Polar Plaza is the place to be once winter hits. Think you can find something better to do than busting out some ice skates? Yeah, good luck with that. Polar Plaza is on its fourth year of setting up an ice-skating rink decked out in wintery goodness at Tollefson Plaza, just across from the Tacoma Art Museum in downtown Tacoma. With three fabulous years behind them, the Plaza folks put their heads together and found a few key ways to make this ritzy rink even better for 2014. Skate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

4. Hello, holiday tradition! The Nutcracker ballet performance is a holiday forever classic. The Tacoma City Ballet does it up right and with a delightful twist. Did you know that there's a "prequel" to The Nutcracker called Tale of the Hard Nut? Celebrating its 31st performance season, the ballet company takes on The Nutcracker performance in its entirety, which includes the prequel. In short: prepare to be dazzled, delighted and enchanted at 3 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

5. Remember that time in high school when your parents went away? You know, plot line of every teenage movie ever made - except this time, you blew up the house. Standing in the ashes as your parents roll up, what do you do? Say it with us now -iiiiiimprovise. Take notes at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Comedy Club when male and female comedians battle with improv and sketch skills.

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The phrase triple threat, meaning a person who excels at acting, dancing, and singing, is among the most overused in all entertainment. Oh, sure, any number of actors can carry a tune. I've even met trained opera singers who can manage a waltz without requiring emergency services. All the same, it's rare to meet a performer who's better than average at all three - yet the phrase seems an understatement when applied to Lauren O'Neill. I have to be careful when I refer to her, as she wears so many hats in Olympia's live entertainment scene that it's important not to use her right stage name for the wrong occasion. She's an improv artist, a fixture in the local burlesque scene, and a go-to when, say, a sassy mistress of ceremonies is required. Her performance as Glenn Danzig (of all people) was a highlight of Oly's Night of the Living Tribute Bands a few years ago.

Now there's a new persona, "Dr. Lauren," who'll probably look a lot like Lauren O'Neill but say things distinctly less practical. I write "Dr. Lauren" in quotes for the same reason Ms. O'Neill adds an asterisk to her title: "*Dr. Lauren is not a licensed therapist or cosmetologist." In actual fact, I'm not sure what subject Dr. Lauren's doctorate is in. She may have earned it sketching that turtle in the back of TV Guide, or ordered it from an online church group. Whatever the case, O'Neill's press release for her show promises "a vehicle for self-discovery and worldwide growth and healing," along with "advice! Music! Makeovers! Therapeutic happenings! Catharsis!" So yeah. Whatever that means. Your guess is good as mine. But relax! Try not to worry about the specifics. I've seen O'Neill's brand of holiday cabaret merriment before, and it's always a joy to behold. Fans of dearly deported (not a typo!) entertainer Saul Tannenbaum will remember O'Neill's appearances as sultry chorine Kitty Beaujolais-but again, different hat, different character. She's a slippery one, that Lauren O'Neill.

Of course there'll be acting, dancing, and singing; and yes, there will probably be charming little holiday ensembles. Her show will be campy in the best way, amusing in an intentional way, and in every way, good for what ails you.  Plus there'll be catharsis! - as Dr. Aristotle intended. Oh, and drinks. Let us not dismiss the power of drinks.

DR. LAUREN'S HOLIDAY BIZARRE!, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 26-27, Urban Onion Lounge, 116 Legion Way SE, Olympia, $7, drlauren.brownpapertickets.com

FRIDAY, DEC. 19 2014 >>>

1. The winter holidays' bells, lights and trees are upon us, and along with them the holiday-themed shows. Nutcrackers and Christmas Carols of various stripes are rife and often beloved, but alternatives are out there, too. This week we look to Geoffrey Castle's Celtic Christmas Celebration, an all-ages, revue-style ensemble show put on by legendary violinist Geoffrey Castle at 8 p.m. in the Temple Theatre. Helping Castle bring the magic is a cast of renowned musicians and dancers, including Beth Quist from Cirque du Soleil and the Seattle Irish Dance Company. It's a safe bet Castle's will be performing tunes off his holiday CD, Underhill's Angel: A Treasury of Songs for the Season. It's a safer bet the man in the red suit will be in the house. It's the safest bet the after party will be held across the street at Doyle's Public House.

2. At 28, Stacy Jones had released five CDs, played hundreds of shows and won multiple awards, including Washington Blues Society's "Best Female Vocalist of the Year" in 2010. Her band will play Jazzbones at 8 p.m. Finding a flow of funk, blues, rock and jazz appears to come easy to The Stacy Jones Band. Its presence, talent and raw soul weave seamlessly on stage.

3. Want to drink a Cozy Sweater while wearing an ugly holiday sweater? Twisted Kilt Irish Pub hosts an ugly sweater party with an emphasis on Iron Horse Brewery beers, including Irish Death, Mocha Dream and said sweater. Expect a DJ spinning and giveaways, beginning at 9 p.m.

4. Rhythm and Rye club in downtown Olympia has launched a new monthly series called Northwest Women in Rock. Held every three months, R&R will be featuring talented women who can rock your pants off. The first showcase, at 9 p.m., will feature Alison Marie Baker, Dr. Luna, Grace Hansmeier with her band Solar Sin and rock and roll band John's Daughter.

5. Bam! - Tacoma's first cover band super group - will perform at 9 p.m. at The Swiss. We have no idea what that means, but EXCITING!

LINK: Friday, Dec. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17 2014 >>>

1. The creatures in Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular are so lifelike, it's easy for young viewers to imagine John Hammond and those mad scientists at InGen have been at it for real. But these aren't the modified movie monsters of Jurassic Park, these are puppets and animatronic actors that have been updated to keep pace with scientific discoveries. Instead of shooting 'roids into a featherless Deinonychus and calling it a Velociraptor, this 7 p.m. show in the Tacoma Dome gives us the ostrich-like (but still predatory) Utahraptor. In lieu of Tyrannosaurus duking it out with Stegosaurus - two species separated by almost 90 million years - Walking With Dinosaurs pits the plated herbivore against its contemporary foe, Allosaurus. The aim here is to educate as much as to entertain, so kids get a better idea how dinosaurs actually lived and died. They may even grasp paleontologists' current view of present-day birds as the direct descendants of Mesozoic dinosaurs. Yeah, that's right, folks: Big Bird has more in common with Grumpy from Land of the Lost than he does with Mr. Snuffleupagus.

2. The second annual Cheers to Winter Beers event takes place at 6 p.m. in the Puyallup River Alehouse. Here's the deliciousness owner Eric Akeson has planned for patrons: 10 Barrel Pray For Snow, Alaskan Winter, Elysian Bifrost, Widmer Brrr, Redhook Winterhook, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, Naked City Potlatch Smoked Maple Brown Ale, The Lost Abbey Merry Taj Christmas IPA, Puyallup River Old Pioneer Winter Ale and others. "Our 2014 Old Pioneer Winter Ale is a new recipe for this year," says Akeson. "Last year we brewed a malt-forward Amber Ale with vanilla beans and lavender. This year, we're brewing an Imperial Red IPA-style beer, with a big dry hop that all the hop heads are going to love." Santa will arrive at 7 p.m.

3. The Olympia Aloha Ukulele Pu'ukani Holiday Concert will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Lacey Timberland Library. Expect songs about Christmas luaus, decorating the palm trees and Santa arriving in a red canoe.

4. Don't let these dark days get you down, mio amico. Hop in the Christmas Revels' time machine, journey to the Renaissance, and bask in Salerno's bright, cheerful courtyard at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater. Let a troupe of commedia artists and musicians put a smile on your face. Sing along with a pub song. Wipe away tears from a lush Pater Noster, and kick up your heels to "Madama Doré," a lively canzo a ballo (wedding dance). Have some cocoa. Feel the feels. It's what England's Master of Revels would want.

5. The 7th Annual Sagittarius Celebration features a who's who of dope DJs from the South Sound, including DJ Iceman (Brooklyn), DJ Drastic (Atlanta), Kid One (San Diego), DJ Poison (Kingston, Jamaica) and a surprise visit from Tacoma's main soundbwoy, DJ Qualifi, who rocks reggae/roots/dancehall at Champions in Lakewood every Saturday. It launches at 9 p.m. in Sampan Restaurant.

LINK: Wednesday, Dec. 17 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, DEC. 14 2014 >>>

1. It has been 12 years since The Brotherhood Lounge morphed from the dank, labor bar into one of Olympia's beloved hotspots; 12 years of soul nights, dance parties, aerial artists and more bands than you can ever want to count. By the time owner Pit Kwiecinski purchased The Brotherhood in September 2002, he was ready to get out of the dance club business selling longtime Olympia hotspot Thekla. After four months of extensive renovation, a new Olympia hotspot was born. Although the bar had been around for decades, Kwiecinski loved the spot and made an offer for the bar, which the owner accepted. Fresh from reincarnating Courtney Love and Hole for Night of the Living Tribute Bands 2014, Oly's all-grrl rock trio Full Moon Radio will wake up in their makeup again for The Brotherhood Lounge's 12th anniversary party. It's also a good chance to catch the early '60s classic rock style tunes from The Falsies.

2. Tacoma's acclaimed Fulcrum Gallery hosts its annual Holiday Artists Market Saturday and Sunday offering one offs, B-sides and studio gems from such artists as Kellë McLaughlin, Darlene Dihel, Ometepe Art (Victor Inmaculada and Maria Davis), Artifaex Studios (Michael Wishwell), Mossport Studios (Gail Kelly) Scott Nelson and Lynne Farren and gallery owner Oliver Doriss from noon to 4 p.m.

3. Don't let these dark days get you down, mio amico. Hop in the Christmas Revels' time machine, journey to the Renaissance, and bask in Salerno's bright, cheerful courtyard - 1 and 5:30 p.m. at the Rialto Theater. Let a troupe of commedia artists and musicians put a smile on your face. Sing along with a pub song. Wipe away tears from a lush Pater Noster, and kick up your heels to "Madama Doré," a lively canzo a ballo (wedding dance). Have some cocoa. Feel the feels. It's what England's Master of Revels, not to mention Sally the Solstice Slug, would want.

4. Hello, holiday tradition! The Nutcracker ballet performance is a holiday forever classic. The Tacoma City Ballet does it up right and with a delightful twist. Did you know that there's a "prequel" to The Nutcracker called Tale of the Hard Nut? Celebrating its 31st performance season, the ballet company takes on The Nutcracker performance in its entirety, which includes the prequel. In short: prepare to be dazzled, delighted and enchanted at 3 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

5. Blues music is a genre that often hearkens back to the past. So when Billboard magazine proclaims guitarist and singer Michael Powers "the future of the blues," it's saying he's both a virtuoso and an innovator. That's no revelation to anyone who's heard "Murch" Powers chug through the rolling guitar licks on "Baby's Got a Train." Born in New Jersey, Powers spent his childhood summers around North Carolina tobacco fields. He was influenced by both Jimmy Reed and Jimi Hendrix, then opened for the likes of James Brown and Bo Diddley. He's recorded with everyone from Chuck Berry to Bruce Springsteen to Robert Cray. Now you can catch him live at 5 p.m., and for free, on his sixth annual appearance at Marine View Presbyterian, where he'll play "holiday jazz" pieces from his albums Frosty the Bluesman and Frosty's Funky Holiday. Expect greatness.

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, DEC. 11 2014 >>>

1. Portland psych-pop group The Hugs has been steadily picking up steam since their formation in 2007 - being featured in illustrious music publications like NME, and sharing the stage with tons of indie rock luminaries - and they've recently released a new EP. "When we were younger, we had a lot of ideas about music and purity and wanting to not sell out, whatever that means," says Appaloosa. "Speaking at least for myself, now we just want to make music that people love. We're not hung up about indie status - not that we're successful, yet, but we want to be successful at all costs. At least I do. I hope we can sell out. That's the goal." Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on The Hugs in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with special guests at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. The 18th Annual KPLU Christmas Jam, the annual free holiday concert and live broadcast, will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at Lagerquist Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center on the Pacific Lutheran University campus. Hosted by KPLU's Kevin Kniestedt, the concert will feature jazz vocalist Gail Pettis singing holiday classics backed by the PLU University Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. David Deacon-Joyner, as well as with her own trio. 

3. Pint Defiance hosts its annual Winter Beer-nanza party, beginning at 5 p.m. The specialty beer store and taproom will convert seven of its taps into winter cheer dispensers: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2014), Black Raven Festivus Holiday Ale, Lost Abbey Merry Taj IPA, Bale Breaker High Camp Winter Warmer, pFriem Belgian Christmas Ale, Heathen Reindeer Tears Barrel-Aged Barleywine and Atlas Spiced Pear Cider. In addition to big beers, Pint Defiance will host a "Christmas Cookie Potluck," asking patrons to don a holiday sweater and deliver cookies for all to enjoy. Emergency Food Network donations will be collected at the door.

4. Watch out, Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan: A new generation of directors wants your jobs. These aspiring filmmakers will showcase their efforts at the second annual TCC Student Film Showcase at 6 p.m. in the Galaxy Uptown Theater. A team-taught class at Tacoma Community College's Gig Harbor campus host a film event that will raise funds for student veterans in honor of TCC's former Veterans' Affairs coordinator, the late Bill Harrington.

5. Tacoma Little Theatre presents the charming piece about four aging opera singers in the stage play Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Directed by Micheal O'Hara, and featuring Randy Clark, Steve Tarry, Sharry O'Hare, and Syra Beth Puett, this production brings together four of Tacoma's best known actors, who collectively have more than 200 years of stage experience. Cool.

LINK: Thursday, Dec. 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10 2014 >>>

1. Northwest jazz and blues singer Maia Santell and her backing band House Blend perform their annual holiday concert and dance at 7:30 p.m. in Jazzbones. Santell is a descendant of Seattle's Jackson Street era of jazz and swing. House Blend instrumentalists include John Beach on tenor saxophone, Jeff Ziontz on guitar, Mike Slivka on drums and presenting the newest addition to the band, bassist Derick Polk, from Chicago. The band's repertoire includes jazz, blues, swing, Latin, rhythm and blues and holiday favorites such as Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Please Come Home For Christmas," Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby," Nancy Wilson's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" and Mel Torme's classic, "The Christmas Song," to name a few.

2. Apologize: This happens Friday, Dec. 12: Azarra Salon & Wine hosts its biggest wine tasting of the year - the Holiday Sparkling Wine Tasting at 5:30 p.m. Bring your friends and celebrate the holidays at the salon/wine shop while picking the perfect bubbles for your own celebrations in December.

3. The ParkWay Tavern will host Drinking for Conservation's "Drinks for Lynx" night. Fifty cents of every beer, cider and wine sold between 6 and 10 p.m. at the will go to help Conservation Northwest protect the lynx. DFC donates to organizations with missions the committee believes in - helping animals and the environment.

4. Apologize: This happens Friday, Dec. 12: Something about this time of year - it makes plaid cool. It makes bagpipes cool. Pale, hairy, muscular men in skirts with no underwear? Too far? Because tonight is the annual Magical Strings Celtic Yuletide Concert, reuniting the Boulding and Raney families' three generations of musicians and dancers. Hear (and see) the pipes, drums and whistles; see (and hear) the dancing of the Tara Academy Irish Dancers, not to mention the incredible voices these two families have honed over the years. It goes down at 7:30 p.m. inside the Urban Grace Church.

5. University of Puget Sound Theater Department matches scenes from six plays with student directors and actors in its Directors' Lab series at 7:30 p.m. in the Norton Clapp Theatre in Jones Hall. Six scenes run the gamut from dramatic to absurd. There is classic mythology involving dangerous street kids, a slice-of-life set in the Russian countryside at the end of the 19th century, a man worries his wife is becoming a bag lady, an exploration of unknowability of love and the mysteries of science, a husband brings his wife to meet the family for the first time, and a moral play that takes an honest look at the issues of commitment and fidelity in today's world. It's a festival of scenes.

LINK: Wednesday, Dec. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area