TUESDAY, APRIL 2 2013 >>>

1. Dave Grohl is pissed that analog is dying and that everything's digital, so he made a documentary about legendary studio Sound City and its soundboard. Sound City was a recording studio in the Van Nuys district of LA that opened in 1969. A few years later, after the installation of a rare Neve recording board, the room became a magical place, spawning mega-selling albums by Fleetwood Mac (as well as the hit-making lineup of the band, with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks), Pat Benatar, Rick Springfield (yeah, "Jessie's Girl" was done there), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Ratt, Nevermind, Rage Against the Machine and many more. Yup, this is where Paul McCartney sings with a Cobain-less Nirvana. This flick is for fans of Josh Homme, Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor and unpolished classic studio rock. See it at 1:45 and 6:45 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema.

2. The Fifth Annual Native American Heritage Art Exhibit has opened at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts Gallery. The exhibit, which runs through April 25, features a wide variety of works by local and regional Native American artists. These works include paintings, basketry, carved wood pieces and mixed media.

3. The latest show at Kittredge Gallery on the campus of the University of Puget Sound has Seattle painter Cable Griffith's video game-influenced paintings in the main gallery and an installation by sculptor and UPS art faculty member Michael Johnson in the back gallery. Griffith's paintings are abstract, stylized images based on imagery from early video games. Titled "Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Start," the show references directions in maps, games, cities and the countryside with schematic renderings of colorful streets, rivers and buildings - Pop Art renderings of the pathways taken by players like the Mario Brothers and PacMan. Griffith will be talking about my work to a group of UPS students at 4 p.m. if you want to grab a peek of him.

4. Quick! Tell us who played Violet Bickerstaff, Screech's love interest, on three episodes of the television show Saved by the Bell? If you said "Tori Spelling," then going to a trivia night might be for you. There are trivia competitions all around the South Sound on a Tuesday night, where you can unleash your inner Ken Jennings. And while you won't approach Jennings-like earnings, you can win some cool stuff, ranging from gift certificates, to concert or sports tickets, to a VHS copy of All of Me, the film starring Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. Sweet! Two of our favorite Tuesday night trivia are at Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia and Farrelli's Wood-Fire Pizza in Tacoma, both start at 8 p.m. In terms of food, Farrelli's pies are hand-tossed, firm but chewy with a flop at the tip. The Jack & John Pizza - Italian sausage, Provolone/mozzarella blend, green and black olives, green onions, artichoke hearts, mushrooms - is so yum! At Fish Tale, go for the ham and Brie. Loaded with deli ham, smothered in nutty melted Brie and nestled between two slices of grilled sourdough, this one takes the trophy with the inclusion of sliced granny smith apples and mellow horseradish.

5. If hearing the sound of your own cackling voice echoing off the walls of your shower stall has you craving the sound of something a bit more harmonious, check out the local songbirds and storytellers at Victory Music Open Mic at 7 p.m. inside the Antique Sandwich Co. It's guaranteed to be jam-packed with gorgeous sounds and humbling verses, as the South Sound's greatest up-and-coming acoustic musicians, poets, and storytellers bare their souls impromptu-style.

LINK: Tuesday, April 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, APRIL 1 2013 >>>

1. If you love to dance, and enjoy long lunch breaks, head to Olympia for a "Dance-In" at the Capitol Building from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In support of Senate Bill 5613 - the bill that will repeal the Opportunity to Dance Tax - organizers ask those who love to dance to do it in front of the legislature. If you see Democratic Caucus Chair Karen Fraser (D-Olympia), and want her attention, we suggest you bust the dance moves in the video below.

2. The latest show at Kittredge Gallery on the campus of the University of Puget Sound has Seattle painter Cable Griffith's video game-influenced paintings in the main gallery and an installation by sculptor and UPS art faculty member Michael Johnson in the back gallery. Check them out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read Alec Clayton's full review of the "Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Start" in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

3. Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound dedicates itself to protecting books, but from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. it will eat them at the University's seventh Edible Books Festival. What is an edible book? Duh. An edible book is made of food and inspired by literary titles, characters or authors - such as Lord of the Onion Rings. Be sure to drop by Collins on April Fool's Day and browse for a story you can really dig into. Bring canned food items for St. Leo's Food Connections.

4. Fast Times in Palestine is Pamela Olson's powerful, deeply moving account of life in Palestine - from house parties and barbecues to violence, trauma, and political tensions. Olson will drop by Orca Books at 7 p.m. to chat up the book and answer questions.

5. Do you like the music of John Coltrane, Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix? Then you should dig The Joe Mailhot Jazz Unit at 8 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge in Olympia.

LINK: Monday, April 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31 2013 >>>

For fans of Bruce Springsteen, the Replacements and the Pogues, their latter-day answer to those icons came in 2010 in the form of Titus Andronicus' epic, messy, passionate, over-the-top masterpiece, The Monitor. Similarly, fans of the Smiths, Tears for Fears and the Church may find solace in Merchandise's similarly epic and messy release, Children of Desire. Catch Merchandise with Love Interest, Cairo Pythian and Wet Hair at 8 p.m. inside Olympia's all-ages venue Northern.

2. The Gem Faire at the Tacoma Dome is a rather intriguing event. Quality gems, beads, crystals, minerals, findings and earth treasures will be available at wholesale prices. Yes, you can grab holiday project supplies, get personal treasures or simply browse and look at all the shiny, pretty, sparkly stuff. For the jewelry maker, there will also be tools, packaging supplies and millions of beads. Be sure to enter for a chance to win cool prizes at the Gem Faire with drawings every hour. The last time we witnessed a gem show it was at some hippy rainbow gathering event, and while that was pretty cool, this one is sure to be grander, and much more organized. It runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. As ostensible comedies go, The Philadelphia Story is only marginally funnier than Philadelphia. Barry drops dozens of 1930s references you'll need the glossary in the program to understand, but not many jokes. It's one of those plays where people take a magic narcotic that makes them blab secrets at each other, only to suffer that bizarre theater hangover that causes limping hours later. The first act introduces as many characters as Season One of Downton Abbey, only to waste several on a pointless subplot about the editor of a Fortune-esque magazine. People fall in love instantly, only to make more impulsive, unlikely reversals minutes later.

4. Coming off a smaller-scale, future-gen production, Next to Normal, the bombast of Oliver! represents a smart shift of programming for Capital Playhouse. We know what we want from a show like this, and thanks to director Colleen Powers and an obviously dedicated cast, we get almost all of it. The choreography is intricate and perfectly executed. The madrigal harmonies of "Who Will Buy?" come off beautifully. Sixth-grader Skyler Wyatt Zimmerman, last seen as, you guessed it, Gavroche, looks good in a newsboy cap. Bruce Haasl's set transforms quickly from a workhouse to a mansion to the heights of London Bridge. Oliver! hits the stage at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Oliver! in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

5. Harlequin Productions stages The Philadelphia Story at 2 p.m.. Linda Whitney not only directs with precision but offers, yet again, a truly beautiful set design - two, in fact. I can't say enough about Helen Harvester's lead performance. She captures the regal arm acting and Bryn Mawr drawl of Katharine Hepburn, for whom the role was written, without indulging in caricature. Same goes for Aaron Lamb, who has Jimmy Stewart's way of swallowing his lines without bounding around the stage like George Bailey from a Looney Tunes parody. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of The Phiadelphia Story in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

Where does Dad Cop hang out on Easter night? With Indian Taker, Casket and Northfolk at 7 p.m. inside the all-ages Red Room in Tacoma.

LINK: Sunday, March 31 arts and entertainmetn events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 2013 >>>

1. When Oliver Doriss isn't blowing glass, teaching glassblowing or curating his gallery, Fulcrum, you can catch him under the needle as DJ Broam, usually accompanied by a dance floor full of wild sweaty abandon. At 8 p.m., he'll walk past the grass hut, the dude in the fez pouring Mai Tais, past the blowfish, around the corner, down the hall and into the new music room. At 9 p.m. he'll welcome the Tacoma Cabana crowd then knock their Hawaiian shirts off with the coolest mix of soul, funk, Latin and World Beat. Mahalo.

2. Not only is catching a Tacoma Rainiers game the quintessential American minor league baseball experience, but the renovated Cheney Stadium is still just plain awesome. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Rainiers will host a preseason party at said stadium. The party will give baseball fans, interested Tacomans and those craving free hot dogs a chance to hang at the stadium, purchase a new season ticket plan and take in the view from your exact seat, and watch kids run around like maniacs. Rhubarb, the Rainiers mascot reindeer and an undeniable party animal, will entertain the masses ... and run around like a maniac. 

3. In general, the citizens of Tacoma are not satisfied with a simple slice of cake and a sweet card for their birthdays. No, Tacomans like to through big bashes for birthdays. For instance, from 5-8 p.m. at The Swiss, Ida, Jocyln, Bobby, and Teri will celebrate their birthdays with comedian Mario Lorenz, fire by Flair, Roger the Balloon Buffoon and the musical styling of Voxxy Vallejo and The Fun Police. Drop by and give them a pinch to grow an inch and a sock to grow a block.

4. LeLe Restaurant - the Vietnamese and Thai restaurant in Gig Harbor - serves an amazing Swimming angel, a traditional Thai dish also called rama rama or swimming rama, featuring handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, thinly sliced carrots and mung bean sprouts are sautéed in a garlicky sauce of rice vinegar, soy sauce, a little sugar, red pepper flakes and more. A generous amount of sweet peanut sauce is piled on top. The only possible thing that would make this dish better if guitarist Rob Rigoni, accompanied with his ensemble Budapest West, filled the restaurant with a world-jazz sound that draws from jazz, '70s fusion and Hungarian soul. See you at 7 p.m.

5. Did you miss Derde Verde Wednesday at Le Voyeur? Catch the band at 9 p.m. with the equally awesome A Leaf at The New Frontier Lounge. Derde Verde's new EP, Let Me Be A Light, glows with the organic warmth of the band's indie-electronica, while possessing the mechanical propulsion of Krautrock bands like Neu!. If those names don't pique your interest, then we can't help you.

PLUS: Proctor Farmers Market in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: Saturday, March 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, MARCH 29 2013 >>>

1. They don't come with a much better pedigree than fiddler Mark O'Connor. Having started under the aegis of Stephane Grappelli and Texas legend Benny Thomasson, O'Connor has gone on to become one of Nashville's most sought-after musicians, and one of world renown. The Grammy award winning fiddler brings with him a fleet of fiddlers for a 7:30 p.m. performance at the Rialto Theater.

2. From 4 p.m. to close, 1022 South - the craft cocktail lounge in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood - will throw a party to celebrate its fourth anniversary and spring menu release. Patrons will be able to sip the new concoctions for $6 a pop, as well as taste new treats out of the kitchen. Read Pappi Swarner's story on the event here.

3. Awards given will include: Didn't Know You Could Do That, Best Off Stage Kiss, Best Tantrum - onstage or off, Best Wearing of a Costume, Best Paraphraser. Lucky Duck, Best Normal Scene with Unnecessary Sexual Overtones, Oh, were you in that show?, Best Ignoring of Direction, Best Grace Under Pressure, Best Acting Injury, Most Smooched, Best Range and Best "Silent" Performance (with no spoken lines)." The $20 ticket benefits the Lakewood Playhouse, where the 8 p.m. show is held.

4. At 8 and 10:30 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge, Rock Candy Burlesque presents "Icing on the Cake," a celebration of its first full year of tassels and tushes with a hard, sweet and sticky theme followed by a down and dirty dance party. Read Nikki McCoy's feature story on the Rock Candy Burlesque in the Weekly Volcano's Events section.

5. Stoner comic Ngaio Bealum, who got his start as a street performer at San Francisco's Pier 39, then smoked his way to ABC, MTV, BET and Comedy Central shows  - most recently on The Sarah Silverman Program - brings his hilarity to Tacoma Comedy Underground at 8:30 p.m. as a fundraiser for the Seattle Hempfest. Read Nikki McCoy's interview with Ngaio Bealum and their discussion about Tacoma, weed, writing, weed, cooking and weed in the Weekly Volcano's Bars & Clubs section.

LINK: Friday, March 29 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, MARCH 28 2013 >>>

Organist Cameron Carpenter began studying the piano and the organ at age 5. At 11, he completed Bach's entire Well-Tempered Clavier, which is like the bible of baroque keyboard music. Now, in his early 30s, he performs around the world. His technique is superb and musicality stunning. He is blessed with a sense of perfect pitch. He has a photographic musical memory. Needless to say, he always performs without music. AND, as if being a musical genius wasn't enough, he designs his concert attire and has a reputation of being a stud. Catch his studliness at 7:30 p.m. inside the Washington Center on the mighty Andy Crow Wurlizter.

Let's talk ham. Kurobuta, Japanese black hog, is revered as an exquisite breed with superior flavor, texture, and marbling. It's smoked using hardwood chips to create a slightly sweet taste, suggesting a mild essence of smoke, truly highlighting the incredible taste. From 1-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m., Metropolitan Market in Tacoma's Proctor District will offer tastes of the precious Kurobuta. Here's how the Weekly Volcano would play it. Arrive at 2:55 p.m., load up on ham, then hit the free cheese samples by the deli, grab an espresso and read the Weekly Volcano (it's on the top shelf of the newsstand), then hit the cheese again on your way to the 4 p.m. ham tastings.

The Ale House Sports Pub & Grille hosts Georgetown Brewing Company for a beer tasting of Roger's Pilsner, Manny's Pale, Lucille IPA, Imperial IPA, Porter and Lisa's Nitro Chocolate Stout at 6 p.m.

4. Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow - the New York City based queer performance art cabaret of radical extravagance and thought-provoking glamour - will be fabulous at 8 p.m. inside the Olympia all-ages venue Northern. Expect poetic theater, comedic performance art and rock 'n' roll from Shomi Noise, The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins, Heather Acs, Damien Luxe, Adelaide Windsome and others.

5. Barleywine Revue credits itself simply as a bluegrass band, but to hear it, the band somehow transforms that format into something more. Depending on whose lead vocals you get (in a very egalitarian move, the members trade off lead vocal duty), you'll either find yourself in a jumping jam like "Sunshine in Tacoma," a Fleet Foxes-esque reverie like "Burb on the Rocks" or the stately sway of "Ghost Woman Blues." Catch the band at 9 p.m. inside The Swiss.

LINK: Thursday, March 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 2013 >>>

1. Derde Verde continues the grand journey set forth by bands such as Radiohead and Hawkwind. The LA-based band's new EP, Let Me Be A Light, glows with the organic warmth of the band's indie-electronica, while possessing the mechanical propulsion of Krautrock bands like Neu!. If those names don't pique your interest, then we can't help you. Intentionally dense, minimalist, electronics-heavy, post-rock opera with layers of blips and synthetic sounds blending into lush orchestral pieces and starkly original compositions just isn't your thing. Therefore, we don't expect to see you at 9 p.m. when Derde Verde joins The Hard Way and Babysolf at Le Voyeur. 

2. Seattle-based glass artist Ginny Ruffner spent five weeks in a coma followed by five years in a wheel chair after a car crash. And as the film A Not So Still Life, the misfortune that left her with speech and mobility problems didn't make her bitter, it made her stronger. Ruffner is this week's visiting artist at the Museum of Glass. She's probably going all mixed-media on the folks in the Hot Shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. The Washington Center board of directors and the city of Olympia will unveil the new exterior design for the Center during an open house from 5-7 p.m. The construction timeline, architectural renderings and a historical perspective of the theater building will be on display. I think the new exterior siding that will keep the rain on the outside is the biggest improvement and the most needed," Washington Center Marketing Director Anne Larson told the Weekly Volcano.  "But staff is most excited about the new grand entrance. It will be a beacon for patrons and help lead the revitalization of downtown."

4. So you're three months into 2013 and that Dec. 31 vow to quit carbs is already starting to feel onerous. Here's a better idea: How 'bout you actually go out and, like, learn something. C.L.A.W. presents Northwest illustrator, cartoonist and game designer Chuck Knigge for a digital painting and drawing workshop at 8 p.m. inside King's Books.

5. Every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Dorky's Arcade hosts Trivia for Dorks — a free, all-ages affair with such prizes as gift certificates to Dorky's. Sure, prizes are nice, but even better is dropping your win at your next round table D & D discussion. Teams can earn bonus points for correctly identifying the night's theme.

LINK: Wednesday, March 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, MARCH 26 2013 >>>

1. The village of Bakhtia sits on the Yenisei River in the Siberian taiga, a vast sub-Arctic ecosystem larger than the continental United States. No roads or train lines traverse the region. Bakhtia, a community of 300, is reachable only by helicopter or boat, and is completely isolated during the long winter when the north-flowing Yenisei freezes solid. In Bakhtia there are no Link light rail expansion meetings, gunfire near malls or baristas. Also, no telephone, running water or medical aid. And yet residents and their families make a living there in a way that prompts documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog to declare them "happy people" in his film Happy People: A Year in the Taiga, screening at 2:15 and 6:55 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

2. Tacoma native Diane Bonciolini and her husband Greg Messmer have been known for generations for their functional dishware and art glass. Working with techniques of slumped and fused glass, their repertoire ranges from condiment trays to bird houses to architectural installations. See their new works and their old favorites from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. inside The Art Stop.

3. Every Tuesday, Maxwell's Speakeasy in Tacoma serves two chef's choice appetizers and two house wines or draft beers for $15.

4. Good news. There's a Japanese movie series going down in Wyatt Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus. At 6 p.m. catch the drama/mystery Dear Doctor.

5. Singer/songwriter Dyllan Hersey was born in Marin County, Calif. She tried to live in Portland, Ore. but has since returned to California and now lives just north of San Francisco. She joins New Slang at 9 p.m. inside Le Voyeur.

LINK: Tuesday, March 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, MARCH 25 2013 >>>

1. The film Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Stewardship takes viewers on an inspiring voyage to seaports and watersheds across the country where an intermingling of unlikely allies, of industrial shippers and whale biologists, pig farmers and wetland ecologists, sport and commercial fishermen, port operators, reef snorkelers and many more embark on a new course of cooperation, to sustain the sea and ocean economies. The will make its Tacoma premiere 6:45 p.m. at UWT's Phillips Hall as part of a symposium at University of Washington Tacoma.

2. George Smith, M.A., a state licensed mental health counselor, will offer a free training workshop on the Columbia University 30-second self-hypnosis method from 1-2 p.m. at the Lacey Timberland Library. This clinically tested and proven self-hypnosis system can be used to stop smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, resist 64 sandwiches, control anxiety, and much more.

3. Seattle-based world music ensemble The Kora Band will combine elements of jazz and West African music at 8 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge in Olympia.

4. Standup comedy hasn't evolved much since the glory days of ventriloquist and puppet. Every so often, there's a Gallagher smashing watermelons or a musical funnyman like Jack Black, but for the most part, comedy is a dude on a stage with a microphone, plodding through a joke-punchline-new-joke routine. You're funny. You need to change the course of comedy forever. Every Monday at 8 p.m. the Grit City Comedy Club opens its stage to the public for a comedy open mic. Explore the space. Head for space.

5. Every Monday at 9 p.m. Jazzbones is packed to the brim with college kids. Party types. The type that wear tight shirts and trucker hats. Throngs of Chad Fratguys and Sarah Sororitysisters swarm the bar, line up for the bathroom and dance to the Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Expect $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots, $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

LINK: Monday, March 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, MARCH 24 2013 >>>

1. Rich Ridenour, a 54-year-old Michigan native, has been playing the piano most of his life. He wasn't old enough to drive when he joined his first rock band. He met his future wife, Stacy, who is in the front office at the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, when both were students at the University of Michigan. She went into musical administration, he went on to a master's from Juilliard and a career as a pianist that has taken him from piano bars to the nation's finest concert halls, such as the Pantages Theater at 2:30 p.m. when he join the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra in concert. Expect the greatest hits of Elton John, Billy Joel, George Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven and more with a pinch of Victor Borge humor, a grand Steinway and the full Tacoma Symphony Orchestra. 

2. Heritage Park and Capitol Lake are great to visit for more than just the people watching. An abundance of ducks provides ample opportunity to impersonate David Attenborough with your own narration of their activities, and the dog watching is always entertaining. Where else would you find a Chihuahua dressed as an Ewok in March? (True story. Outdoor Addict columnist Whitney Rhoades saw it on her last visit.) And the scenery is stunning. From one side of the lake you can admire the Capitol Dome, from the other the Olympic Mountains peek out at you.

3. Orca Books in Olympia hosts local author Anthea Sharp at 3 p.m. to celebrate the release of her newest book, Feyland: The Twilight Kingdom.  This is the final installment and thrilling conclusion to her Feyland Trilogy.

4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound is virtually unrelated to the roomy traditions of soul saxes, honking saxes or deep-chested boudoir ballad saxes. It derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced-Redman in Kandi's funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. Catch the Kareem Kandi Band from 3-6 p.m. at Uncle Thurm's BBQ in Tacoma's Lincoln District.

5. Tacoma artist Maria Jost has created an eight-piece permanent installation for the 1022 South lounge. Each of this commissioned series' eight collage-drawings pays homage to one of the natural ingredients featured in owner Chris Keil's distinctive cocktails. A reception will be held at 4 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, March 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area