LAUREATE LOVE >>>

Tacoma Poet Laureate Tammy Robacker is also the secretary for the Puget Sound Poetry Connection. Robacker would like the world to know that PSPC has a new Web site and blog.

She writes, "The PSPC website is a great way to check out what is going on at PSPC, how to contact us, and to learn who the monthly featured poet is for our Distinguished Writers Series, which happens the 2nd Friday of every month at Kings Books, Tacoma. The PSPC blog is our way of posting and highlighting the hundreds of poetry and literary events, workshops, readings and poetry goings-on we hear about through emails, poets, friends, and listservs."

By the way, Robacker's next reading will be Thursday, June 24 at 7 p.m. inside the Tacoma Public Library main branch.

LINK: Robacker receives some TNT love

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2010 >>>

1. The Sixth Avenue Farmers Market opens today for front door shopping, plus personal chef Jasmine Beiracki will demonstrate how to make a baby greens salad, singer/bassist Josiah Bogle performs at the market's opening at 3:30 p.m., DJ Bobby Galaxy spins at 4:30 p.m. and it all goes down until 7:30 p.m. on Pine Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues.

2. Flow, an exhibit of calligraphic art by two very different practitioners of the form - classically trained sumi painter Andrea Erickson and modernist Maureen McHugh - closes today from noon to 5 p.m. at mineral.

3. Essays and speeches will be delivered by students from five Clover Park School District middle schools at 6:30 p.m. inside Mann Middle School in Lakewood. See the future.

4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi hosts an open jazz jam at SAX on Sixth Restaurant and Lounge beginning at 9 p.m.

5. DJ Omar spins at 10 p.m. inside Jazzbones.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010 >>>

1. The drummer stands, legs rigid and splayed, mimicking the wide lines of the prone wooden drum. His left arm points to the heavens as his right arm traces an ever increasingly insistent tattoo across the taut drum's head with the straight wooden drum stick, or bachi. The group moves as one, weaving a story through percussive punctuations and bold, rolling rhythmic cadences. Then hip-hop, rock and electronica is weaved into the taiko drumming yeah boyeee! Welcome to On Ensemble, which will perform at 7:30 p.m. inside the Rialto Theater.

2. Stella Haioulani's Free Ya Mind open mic will include featured performer Charhys Bailey beginning at 7 p.m. inside Tully's Coffee at the Bostwick Building.

3. Showtime at the Dash Center: Citywide Talent Show is a talent competition where the audience response decides who stays and who's out, and a panel of expert judges decide the winner. It all goes down at 7:30 p.m. inside Lincoln High School.

4. With John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, newly founded Tacoma theater company Gold From Straw jumps directly into the deep end of the theatrical pool. Doubt is carefully designed to raise questions and avoid answers. The audience is permitted to come to their own conclusions, if they wish, but that is not the intent. Read our full review here. The show will be staged at 8 p.m. inside the Mecca Theater.

5. Floater, In Lunar Blue, and Rishloo perform at 9:30 p.m. inside Hell's Kitchen.

LINK: New movies open today

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 >>>

1. DJs dAb and Suga Jones will spin new wave, '80s, funk, pop and club classics during Beat Box at the Tempest Lounge beginning at 9:30 p.m. Don't be an airhead and miss this bad party.

2. Bike-to-Work Week continues today with a bike fashion show and picnic from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wright Park. The first 75 bicycle-riding attendees to the picnic will receive a free box lunch from Marlene's Marketplace.

3. Adventure cyclist Willie Weir tells his tale of his five-month journey through post apartheid South Africa at 6 p.m. inside Tacoma Mountaineers Club.

4. PLOP - or the Performance Laboratory for Objects and Puppets - brings the world of innovative puppetry and object theater to downtown Olympia's Northern space at 8 p.m.

5. Hot off his win at the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition Nate Jackson will perform at 8:30 p.m. at the Comedy Underground inside the Big Whisky Saloon in downtown Tacoma.

LINK: New movies open today

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010 >>>

1. The Vinyl Tribe DJs hosts a "Funky Cat Hat Party" featuring dubstep and house music beginning at 10 p.m. inside the Speakeasy Arts Cooperative.

2. Local artists and chalkheads will gather in Frost Park and Ninth and Commerce in downtown Tacoma at noon and draw works of art with chalk for an hour. As always, chalk will be available for free.

3. King's Books hosts another Distinguished Writer Series featuring poet Tony Barnstone at 7 p.m. followed by an open mic.

4. Israel Horovitz's Six Hotels, currently making its West Coast premiere at Harlequin Productions in Olympia at 8 p.m., is a disparate collection of one-act plays.  If this anthology has any single uniting theme, it's the exposure of clandestine desires, motivations and major malfunctions. Read a full review here.

5. Flamenco song and dance is - pretty much - sexier than you'll ever be (even if you grow your hair out like Antonio Banderas). It's a bummer. Luckily, like an un-sexy sponge, you can sop up the sexy sweat Flamenco exudes and use it to your advantage. Flamenco Arte Y Paz will hit The Vault in Olympia at 8 p.m.

LINK: New movies open today

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2010 >>>

1. The "Latino poet of his generation," Martin Espada will be at Philip Hall on the UWT campus around 6:40 p.m. as part of the "Arts and Empowerment Series."  A fitting umbrella to bring such a renowned writer to T-town under, Espada has published 17 books and been a finalist for the Pulitzer. Sponsored by H.O.P.E. Network, Latino Students Organization, and Tahoma West - UWT's literary journal - the reading and book-signing event will also feature Speak Your Soul poet Robert Lashley and Tahoma West poets, Star Angelina Murray and Therese Ferreria-Douglas.

2. The Scrabble Rousers will push the wood from 6:30-9 p.m. inside King's Books. Entrance fee is $10 per person with proceeds benefiting the Tacoma Community House Student Scholarship Fund.

3. Join HealthForce Nutritional educator Doug Walsh as he discusses the five-week raw food-cleansing program he recommends for safe, effective detoxification and cell enhancement at 7 p.m. inside Marlene's Market & Deli in Federal Way.

4. The Mix in downtown Tacoma celebrates its second year in business with a ‘70s Disco Party tonight featuring DJ Xade, drink specials and prize giveaways.

5. From the Sea will unleash their Here Come the Wolves EP at 8 p.m. inside Hell's Kitchen.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

FRIDAYS ARE THE NEW SOMETHING >>>

Participatory poetry gatherings will take place every Friday night in Tacoma. With the city's variety of venues and devotees, poetry readings are one of the last great entertainment values.

All the ones listed below are free.

Each usually includes a featured performer, as well as an open reading.

First Friday (begins June 4) 8 p.m.: Speak Your Soul, The Den @ urbanXchange, 1932 Pacific Ave., 253.376.4539. Zach Street is typically the featured reader.

Second Friday, 7 p.m.: Distinguished Writer Series, King's Books, 218 St. Helens, 253.272.8801. Tony Barstone will be the featured performer May 14.

Third Friday, 7 p.m.: Mouths & Open Mic at Café Messina, 744 Market St., Tacoma, 253.383.7559.

Fourth Friday, 7 p.m.: Free Ya Mind, Tully's, Ninth and Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.5646.

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010 >>>

1. Retrograde is a party and you're invited. More importantly, it's a fundraiser to support Tacoma's Sixth Annual Urban Art Festival at People's Park on June 27.  Totally sponsored, clothed and designed LOCALLY, Retrograde will feature a sensational lineup showcasing some of Tacoma's best musical artists, along with newcomers and out-of-towners. The stars will be: Battersea, Paris Spleen, Hotels, Basemint and the Nightgowns. For your $10 donation, you will receive a free drink ticket (two if you dress retro), five swinging bands, a dozen dancing go-go dancers - the whole freaking circus - all beginning at 9 p.m. inside the Speakeasy Arts Cooperative.

2. Platinum Reign - the online store for distribution of independently produced media such as music tracks, albums, films, books and apparel - hosts its grand opening party featuring food, drinks, music and a photobooth (!) from 6-9 p.m. at 1517 Fawcett Ave. in Tacoma.

3. Free Ya Mind is back for its regular spoken word poetry and open mic on the last Friday inside Bostwick Tully's on the corner of Ninth and Broadway from 7-9 p.m. The featured artist will be Elaine Nabua.

4. Ocean Groove's DJ posse – which includes Donald Glaude – will spin beginning at 9 p.m. inside The Swiss.

5. Gender Smash - the open mic night for trans/queer folks and allies - will showcase music, dance, spoken word, performance art, comedy, drag, improv, theater, sing-alongs, jam sessions, interactive games, rants, circus acts, and silly human tricks beginning at 10 p.m. inside Le Voyeur in Olympia.

LINK: New movies open today

THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2010 >>>

1. Guitarist/composer Pat Metheny has won 17 Grammy Awards and has been nominated 33 times in 12 different categories, more than any other performer in Grammy history. Aside from all the awards and fan accolades, Metheny's focus remains continually on the breaking down of barriers and the exploration of new musical ideas. Tonight's 7 p.m. show inside the Washington Center is no exception as he moves from solo guitar improvisations to the unveiling of a totally new technology for the presentation of an acoustically driven "solo ensemble" music he is dubbing "Orchestrionics." Gives you chills, doesn't it?

2. Tacoma School of the Arts' students present Writer's Bloc, a night of poetry and prose, beginning at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

3. If Tyler Fortier is one thing, it's an up-and-coming, present-tense folk rocker - in a complimentary sense of the notion - based out of lush (read: stony) Eugene, Ore. Catch him tonight at 9 p.m. inside the 4th Ave Tavern in Olympia.

4. Deadwood Revival and Ravinwolf play a free 8 p.m. inside Doyle's Public House.

5. The Kari Ehli Band and Rush tribute band 2112 play a 9 p.m. show at The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: It's Dining Out For life day!

POETRY ON THE RADIO >>>

Our new Soul of the City Tacoma Poet Laureate Tammy Robacker announced to the crowd Saturday night - after being crowned - that she'll work hard to promote "the word" in Tacoma.

And she's already begun.

Robacker has announced through several mediums that local poet and Puget Sound Poetry Connection President Connie Walle, will be a featured reader on the PoetsWest program airing at 4:30 p.m. on KSER 90.1 FM. The topic will be "The Hot Blast of War: A reading of WAR Poems."

If you are out of range for this station, the broadcast is available worldwide via streaming here.

"Robacker" might rhyme with "slacker," but she's certainly not one.