WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 2013 >>>

1. Beginning at 5 p.m., Doyle's Public House's monthly St. Practice Party will be extra special as Doyle's celebrates its seventh anniversary, too. Owners Dave and Russ will tell stories, like the time they had the only ugly sweater contest in Tacoma and six people showed. Or the time they slept on the old church pews cause it was easier than driving home and back the next morning. Or the number of times they were told that they were doomed because no one wanted just import beers on draft and they needed PBR. Presents from Jameson will be doled out all day long. At 8 p.m. The Staxx Brothers will drop pounding rhythm, dynamic vocals and syncopated guitars - a combination of the Philadelphia Sound, Funkadelic and a little Southern rock - on the crowd of revelers.

2. The "Greek and Roman Mythology" exhibition at Tacoma Community College is outstanding. The operative word is strength - depicted strength of character, purpose and ideology; beauty and strength in the human body, and strong drawing and composition. There is also a lot of humor and wisdom in the way these contemporary South Sound artists react to ancient myths. The show ends Friday. Check it out from noon to 5 p.m. today. Read Alec Clayton's review of the "Greek & Roman Mythology" exhibition at Tacoma Community College in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

3. From 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., why not get up off your booty and commune with Tacoma on foot? Downtown On the Go is back with its Walk Tacoma events. Tonight, it walks in the name of public art. Participants will join Tacoma Arts Administrator Amy McBride for a 1.5 mile walking route in downtown Tacoma starting at the Hotel Murano. After the walk, participants are invited to attend a social event with food and drink specials at the Gallery located at BITE Restaurant in the Hotel Murano. There is no need to pre-register for the event, simply meet in front of the Murano.

4. Dead poets come to life in honor of National Poetry Month. A séance sponsored by the Olympia Poetry Network may feature William Stafford, Sara Teasdale, Ruth Stone, Wislawa Szymborska, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Robinson Jeffers at 6:30 p.m. inside Traditions Cafe. The audience will be invited to share their own favorite dead-poet poems during the open mic session.

5. Phasers on Hill and Poorsport will rock O'Malley's Irish Pub at 9 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, April 17 arts and entertainemnt events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Showers tonight, hi 50, lo 39

Saturday: Showers, hi 50, lo 39

Sunday: Showers, hi 50, lo 37

>>> FRIDAY, APRIL 12: STORIES OF BEING DOWNTOWN

Tonight, bear witness to the amazing Playback Theatre as they delight audiences with their one-night performance of Stories of Being Downtown.  Sounds intriguing already. This is in collaboration with Olympia's Downtown Ambassador Program. And remember folks, Playback Theater is a form of improv where the group or audience members tell stories to be enacted. Sounds awesome. - Nikki McCoy

• Traditions Cafe, 7:30-10 p.m., 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia, 360.705.2819

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THURSDAY, APRIL 11 2013 >>>

When Chris Titus performs April 11-13 at the Tacoma Comedy Club, you might hear a lot from the voice in his head. His fifth stand-up special The Voice in My Head, dropped on his website. For $9 you will discover his worst screw-ups for an hour and 45 minutes. Titus calls it the "Church of the Epic Fail," where every bad decision IS the religion." Catch him live at 8 p.m. in downtown Tacoma.

3. Today marks the end of the first week of the inaugural Olympia Restaurant Week - the celebration of Thurston County's culinary scene happening April 7-18, Sundays-Thursdays. Ten Thurston County restaurants are serving special $25 three-course dinners, with some eateries offering a three-course lunch menu for $15.

4. Maxwell's Speakeasy and Lounge in Tacoma joins delicious forces with 21 Cellars and Wingman Brewers to present a pairing dinner tonight. Nibble on local cheeses, produce and meat while sipping on locally concocted vinos and brews. Tickets are limited, so call 253.683.4115.

4. MediaLab, the award-winning student run organization at Pacific Lutheran University, hosts the primer of their latest documentary Beyond Burkas & Bombers: Anti-Muslim Sentiment in America at 7 p.m. at the PLU Studio Theater. The film will be followed by a small reception and panel discussion.

5. Reading by NW traveler, Artist Trust fellowship winner and participant in the San Miguel Poetry Week in Mexico Peter Rudwin will read his poetry at 7 p.m. inside the Gig Harbor/Peninsula Library.

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 2013 >>>

1. While traditionally urban farming has conjured images of a wee patch of vegetables and a compost bucket, now it may include farm animals as well. With the rising influence of foodie culture and back-to-the-land enthusiasm, urban agriculture has a growing contingent of supporters not only in the more spacious 'burbs of the South Sound but in the cities proper. Organizations like Gallucci Learning Garden promote South Sound city farmers, offering workshops in urban chicken farming, such as its City Chickens 101 at 5 p.m.

2. Tacoma Art Museum Director Stephanie Stebich will lecture on the personal and private art of children's book artist Eric Carle Wednesday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m. The lecture is free with museum admission, and it should be as special as is the exhibition because she is a personal friend of the artist and knows him well. Read Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton preview of her lecture here.

3. Pint Defiance hosts Firestone Walker Brewing for "Jacked-Up" beers from 5-7 p.m. The University Place specialty beer store and taproom will pour Union Jack IPA and Double Jack IPA as well as the extremely limited Sucaba Barrel Aged Barley Wine and Double DBA.

4. They buy tile trivets, ceramic figurines and odd pieces of old china at thrift stores, smashing the objects into pieces with a hammer, and reassembling the shards into two-dimensional images that are then mortared or glued onto surfaces. Shop. Smash. Adhere resulting shards to any surface on which you can put grout and thinset mortar. Making mosaics can be a sort of ritual, a purification by arts and crafts. The sweat, the dirt, the dangerously sharp pieces of tile scattered about. Oh, the payoff. The pride. The beautiful surfaces. Discover the passion and the beauty from 5:30-8 p.m. when SURFACE, a Tile Show opens at Gallery 301 in Tacoma. The tile show - in conjunction with the big International Mosaic Summit Tacoma - will feature small works byBarbara Clark, Beth Anderson, Chris Seminara, Clare Dohna, Claudia Riedener, Dan Earle (special guest), Gina Holt, Jaki Reed, Janet Gadallah, Janice Deckmann, Karen Morrice, Kimmi Kerns, Laura Brodax, Maria Root, Olga Slutkovskaya, Paul Lewing, Terri Goodwin and Tracy Gosser. Check it out, but don't break anything!

5. Father Alejandro Solalinde, who received the 2012 National Human Rights Award for his work in defense of Central and South American migrants transiting through Mexico, will speak on the current crisis these migrants face in Mexico at 7 p.m. inside the University of Puget Sound's Kilworth Memorial Chapel. 

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

THE INSIDE SCOOP >>>

Tacoma Art Museum Director Stephanie Stebich will lecture on the personal and private art of children's book artist Eric Carle Wednesday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m. The lecture is free with museum admission, and it should be as special as is the exhibition because she is a personal friend of the artist and knows him well.

I was fortunate enough to attend a press preview of the exhibition at which Stebich toured the show with us and talked about Carle's art. My review will appear in this week's Volcano. But there's much more to the show than I can say in one review, so I'll try to cover a little more here.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 5 2013 >>>

1. In the days before adulthood consumed Steve Stefanowicz, the "Human Jukebox" would perform seven days a week. Blind at birth, proficient on the guitar at 15, performing solo and in his band Blind Ambition, Stefanowicz could be seen nightly through the '80s and '90s, performing any of the 1,000 songs he memorized. When not in a club, he was on stage with Lou Rawls, Sam Andrews' Holding Company, Blue Spark, Junkyard Jane, The Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra, jazz guitarist Michael Powers, Savoy Brown, Kansas and Elvin Bishop. The blues/rock singer and guitarist performs from 6-9 p.m. at The Hub's fifth anniversary party. Expect $5 signature drinks, $3 Harmon ales, $4 shot specials on the Drink Wheel and freakin' good music. 

2. Poetry is the most specific of art forms, and the best way to tap into its secrets is not through poetry, but through a poet. Tacomans have an opportunity to do just that at 6 p.m., thanks to Maria Gudaitis and former Tacoma Poet Laureate Tammy Robacker. The duo will host a Tacoma Poetry Month kickoff party where folks may hear poetry and hug poets, pick up a free copy of the Tacoma Poetry Month anthology and win poetry prizes - all inside Anthem Coffee.

3. The Europeans shared much in terms of history, food, and culture. But when it came to really important issues, such as life, love, and death, a broad creative gulf opened up. The musical masters in France, Italy, Germany, and England each had their own interpretations of these universal dramas. Soprano Dawn Padula and pianist Tanya Stambuk present an evening of European song about life, love and death: Composers from Alessandro Scarlatti to Henri Duparc, Richard Strauss and Ralph Vaughan Williams will set poetry by Rossetti, Baudelaire and more at 7:30 p.m. inside Schneebeck Hall on the campus of the University of Puget Sound.

4. Electric guitar virtuoso Jimmy Thackery brings his gritty blues-rock band, the Drivers, to Jazzbones at 8 p.m. No one puts the pedal to the metal better than this rocking blues band filling a wide musical gap left behind when the lionized and lamented Stevie Ray died. 

5. There are few things in the world as electric as the music of Aussie rock legends AC/DC. Except perhaps the songs that made them legends being murdered (hip-hop vernacular, kids. It means performed really, really well) by Hell's Belles. The Belles play all AC/DC all over the globe, from "High Voltage" to "Back in Black." Even Angus Young gives them props. The all-female cover band rocked the hell out of Tacoma last month with its AC/DC channeling, and this month it's taking it to the Capitol Theater in Olympia. The only reason this show is going to kick more ass than the Tacoma show is because Oly rock gods Mosquito Hawk will be opening at 9 p.m. 

LINK: Friday, April 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, APRIL 4 2013 >>>

1. EMA, aka Erika Anderson of defunct psych-folk outfit Gowns, is all about contradictions. She's lo-fi and blown-out, folk-minded but tentatively danceable, ethereal and explosively percussive. The reductive way to describe her music would be to say that it's experimental, but, well, dammit everything's experimental now. Catch her with Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa and The Mother Ruckus at 9 p.m. inside the all-ages venue Northern.

2. The Bayview School of Cooking hosts two free classes on cooking with eggs. Barb Agee, a long-time instructor at BSC, will demonstrate how to make a hearty dish of Migas, Rosemary-Parmesan Popovers and more using ... eggs. Jump in at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.

3. The Olympia Farmers Market opens today at 10 a.m. and produce vendors and artisans aren't the only ones preparing for the onslaught of strollers and tourists. Food vendors are busy stocking coolers and napkin holders in order to help happy shoppers make it through a trip to the market with tempting treats like soba, chowder, Belgian waffles and more. "It's cool - everyone is excited to be back open," says Matt Cummings, who runs the rock 'n' roll themed HeyDay Cafe with his family. "It's like a tribe down here." Read Nikki McCoy's full interview with Mike Cummings of HeyDay Cafe in the Weekly Volcano's Restaurants section.

4. As part of National Poetry Month, and specifically Tacoma Poetry Month, four acclaimed Northwest poets — Derek Sheffield, Arlene Kim, Marjorie Manwaring and Rebecca Hoogs — as well as host and TCC professor Allen Braden will read from new works at the crossroads of clarity and magic at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

5. For generations, Southern prisons have been a key incubator of American music, from gospel, folk, and country to - mostly famously - the blues. Ben Harbert's film Follow Me Down: Portraits of Louisiana Prison Musicians explores music and culture focusing on the "serious, sad, and politically frustrating stories" of today's prison inmates, revealing the role music plays in personal expression, entertainment, escape and camaraderie behind bars. Catch it at 7 p.m. in Rausch Auditorium at the University of Puget Sound. The man behind Follow Me Down, Ben Harbert, will introduce the film and host a Q & A after the screening.

LINK: Thursday, April 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Anyone can be a poet, you say?  Actually, it doesn't work that way. It takes dedication, more work than play. The hours are long, there is no pay. Benefits? What do you think?  You're lucky if someone buys you a drink. Then you find as you sip from your cup — they only did it to shut you up.

Every April, the Academy of American Poets commands us to pay attention to poetry, with National Poetry Month — which is funny, because most poets spend their lifetimes trying just to figure out what poetry is. How is the layperson supposed to do it in a month?

Anyway, local poet Maria Chong Gudaitis has compiled readings, workshops and other poetry happenings in Tacoma over the next month. More details can be found on her website, www.poetrytacoma.com.

Gudaitis will join Tacoma Poet Laureate Josie Emmons Turner and former TPL Tammy Robacker for an official National Poetry Month in Tacoma launch party at 6 p.m. Friday, April at Anthem Coffee, where you can hear and hug poets.

Gudaitis sent a list of local poetry events happening over the next month, which you can find below. Keep an eye on the Poetry Tacoma website for updates, cool pictures and awesome words.

Writing the City: Poetry Workshop for Youth

Saturday, March 30, 1-3pm / FREE / write@253

Youth ages 12-18: write  poetry about our city, with writer Renee Simms & educator Catalina Ocampo. We'll take inspiration from the city, and then take our poems out into the streets! Bring comfortable shoes. Info/register: Mary Fox, mfox@tacomacc.edu.

Behind the Masc w/ Carlos Andrés Gómez

Tuesday, April 2, 7 pm / FREE / PLU (Chris Knutsen Hall)

A special interactive performance and dialogue on masculinity and manhood, with the 2006 Toronto Intl. Poetry Slam champ and author of "Man Up: Cracking the Code of Modern Manhood." An innovative mix of town hall dialogue and spoken word performance.

The Fantastic Four

Thursday, April 4, 7pm / FREE / King's Books

Derek Sheffield, Arlene Kim, Marjorie Manwaring & Rebecca Hoogs. Join host & TCC professor Allen Braden as four acclaimed Northwest poets read from new works at the crossroads of clarity and magic.

Tacoma Poetry Month Kick-Off Party & Reading

Friday, April 5, 6pm / FREE / Anthem Coffee

Tammy Robacker & Maria Gudaitis invite the city to the poetry month kick-off celebration. Hear featured poetry readers and mingle with working poets. Pick up a free copy of the Tacoma poetry month anthology + win poetry prizes!

SWAN Day Event

Sunday, April 7, 2-5pm / FREE / King's Books

A showcase of the power and diversity of women's creativity. Features poets, creative writers, playwrights, & spoken word artists. Email Johnnie at luminousspirit@gmail.com to participate. Benefit for the YWCA of Pierce County's Domestic Violence Program.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23 2013 >>>

1. Copenhagen's young punkers Iceage will bring its Polaroid-picture-fuzzy punk - that draws from Fugazi's neo-classicism and Gang of Four's bounce - to Olympia's Capitol Theater at 9 p.m. If you want to know what the next round of American punk bands will sound like, attend this show.

2. Judy Cullen rocked the Tacoma theater community when she stepped down from her role at artistic director of Tacoma Little Theatre in 2006, an organization she served in many capacities since 1993. Thankfully, she didn't leave the area. In fact, you can see, and hear, her today at 2 p.m. She'll be reading from the recently released A Trio of Irish Tales, as well as from the about-to-be-released Reflections from The Golden Wheel, inside the Mason United Methodist Church in Tacoma.

3. The 2nd Annual Museum of Glass Slider Cook-Off will consume the Museum of Glass tonight beginning at 6:30 p.m. With nine local restaurants bringing creativity to the table to compete for the title of best slider, attendees will taste their way through the competition, dance to Daryl & the Diptones, and enjoy games and live glassblowing by artist John Miller, who is also creating the trophies. Newcomers Marrow Kitchen and Bar, Boathouse 19, Art House Café and Brix 25 will be competing against returning restaurants Asado, BITE Restaurant and Bar, Dirty Oscar's Annex, The Social Bar and Grill and Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge. Read Adrienne Kuehl's full feature on the event in the Weekly Volcano's Restaurants section.

4. Joel Sartore travels the world photographing rare and endangered animals in some of the planet’s most wild and pristine places. His images are stunning; his stories mesmerizing; his job awesome. He’s an acclaimed National Geographic photographer who captivates his audiences with the same enthusiasm and excitement with which he captures his subjects. Sartore will pack his lifetime of photography experience and passion for animals into a special appearance at Puyallup High School from 7 to 9 p.m., thanks to the folks at Northwest Trek.

5. Ich Hunger is a German expressionist freakout concerning a "creature boy" who lives in the forests of Germany and eats people. At 9 p.m., as if Ich Hunger wasn't visually and aurally stimulating enough, the film will be screened along with musical accompaniment by the onslaught of local garage-rockers Red Hex (featuring Isaac's brother, Sam Olsen), as well as original electronic music. Afterward, the melted brains of the audience will be invited to disco dance. It all goes down at The New Frontier Lounge.

PLUS: The UPS Flea Market, Olympia Youth Chorus, Edgar Martinez, hypnotist Ron Stubbs and Jobe Himself in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: Saturday, March 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 2013 >>>

1. British prog-rockers Wishbone Ash's harmony-laden dual-guitar attack predated Thin Lizzy, the group often credited with inventing it. Of course, Wishbone Ash also perfected the slow beginning/fast ending rock anthem. Only guitarist Andy Powell remains from the group's '70s heyday, but despite an ungodly number of lineup changes, he's managed to keep Ash on the road and recording. The band's current lineup is Finland's guitar wizard Muddy Manninen, long-time bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Joe Crabtree. While Wishbone Ash's Elegant Stealth Tour brings the band to Tacoma's Jazzbones at 8 p.m., the band will concentrate on its third album Augus - considered to be its greatest release - and includes such hits as "The King Will Come" and "Blowin' Free."

2. Award-winning poet Bruce Beasley will read from his latest poetry collection, Theophobia, at 4 p.m. in the Benedictine Reading Room of O’Grady Library on Saint Martin’s Lacey campus. The event is free and open to the public.

3. The Puget Sound Revels hosts its annual Spring Sing at 7 p.m. inside King's Books. Bring your voice, fiddle and penny whistle for an evening of rounds, springs songs, sea songs, drinking songs and others. Expect song sheets and snacks.

4. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland and recently wrapping up a UK tour, the Golden Grrrls trio will play its air-tight set of indie pop punk laced with impeccable harmony at 7 p.m. inside Le Voyeur in Olympia. "What began as bedroom guitar experimentation soon bloomed into a fully-formed pop language inspired by the '80s New Zealand and Australian indie pop scenes, DIY punk and Glasgow's own rich pop history (think The Vaselines, The Pastels)," according to Grrrl's hype.

The Weekly Volcano staff has been injecting Survival Knife between its toes for weeks now. Nikki McCoy profiled the band, as well as mentioned its tour with Modest Mouse. Timothy Grisham reviewed the band's debut single. Even young Rockford Rowley gave nod to the show in his all-ages column. It's justified. The quartet is taking the local and global music scene by storm. At 8 p.m., the show finally hits Olympia. It will be your last chance to get your brains and ears brutalized before Survival Knife hits the road. The band will play with Deathfix (ex-Fugazi, Chain & The Gang) and Lois at Olympia's all-ages venue, Northern. 

LINK: Wednesday, March 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area