Okay band, reduced to its purest essence, is Marty Anderson from Berkeley, Calif., who will perform twice in Tacoma thanks to a new arts organization here called The Helm. At the helm of The Helm sits Peter Lynn and Sean Alexander, who aim to enhance the community by bringing arts of all kinds to the people in Tacoma. Next month they plan to open The Helm art gallery downtown at 760 Broadway on Antique Row. Until the doors open there, the dynamic duo has planned a few events elsewhere to gear up for it. Two of these events involve Anderson, whom they are flying in to perform at Bob’s Java Jive and Club SOTA.

Anderson, creator of the band Okay and former member of a popular band on the indie circuit known as Dilute, is known for his signature vocals fraught with the strain of heartbreak and illness. He is also known for the inspiration conveyed through his lyrics. Only a person who has kissed the lips of death and lived to tell the tale could crawl up and snuggle inside hearts the way Anderson does. These shows are also very special due to the fact that he suffers from Crohn’s disease and therefore rarely goes on tour.

“When I listen to his music, it moves me in a way that few things have been able to do,” says indie music aficionado Ben Paris. “We’re talking about a guy who can hardly eat and is hooked up to an IV for the better part of the day, and in the face of a horribly pessimistic situation, making some of the best music I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. I’m really excited that he’s coming to Tacoma.”



[Bob’s Java Jive, with San Juan (ex-Eyes of Autumn) and Whiting Tennis, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m., $10 at Black Water Café and www.brownpapertickets.com/event/18175, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

[Club SOTA, with The Elephants, Wallpaper, and Tree Roots in the Basement, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m., all ages, $15 presale, $20 at the door, 1117 Broadway, Tacoma]