AN ENTIRELY A CAPPELLA EVENING IN A TACOMA CHURCH >>>

Perhaps when you think of a cappella you think of Sweet Adelines and old men wearing bashers.

This is not the case when it comes to BARE Tacoma - Holiday, an a cappella performance Friday night at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Instead, you will hear 12 performers ranging from Tacoma School of Arts students to Northwest indie favorites such as Shenandoah Davis, Noah Gunderson, Sean Nelson (of Harvey Danger), Luke Stevens, Goldfinch, Colin Reynolds, Elk & Boar, Hannalee, Eternal Fair and others. Each artist will bust out a holiday song or two, as well as share their own songs and covers.

"There's a whole different set of nerves when you use only your voice and no instruments," says Aaron Stevens, programming manager at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, the organization producing the musical event.

Stevens is also the lead singer and songwriter in the band Goldfinch. He's also performed in the original BARE series at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center in Seattle.

"These shows always sell out in Seattle," says Stevens, who borrowed the concept from developers Kevin Barrans and Fremont Abbey.

"I've been to all the BARE shows at Fremont Abbey and I love seeing what the artists do with their songs without instruments," says Kenny Coble, marketing manager for the event. "It is beautiful, vulnerable and special. And this show will include holiday songs, which I love."

You won't see a microphone or instrument on Immanuel's stage. The ambiance of the show will be heightened by the church's glorious acoustics and the glow of candles.

"I'm trying to bring different and unique ideas to Tacoma," says Stevens. "I thought it would be a really interesting show."

Stevens and band mate Emily Ann Peterson will be performing a Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet. But, Stevens won't disclose which song.

"It's a secret," says Stevens, a smile in his voice. 

Stevens says he's also looking forward to Noah Gunderson. "He's one of the most phenomenal performers in the Northwest right now.

"I'm also looking forward to Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger. I saw him perform a cappella once before," Stevens grasps to find words, then continues. "I was startled by his performance. I didn't know what to expect - but he's an amazing performer."

Stevens goes on to say that each performance has a completely different kind of feel and style, there may be groups of three or four, or they may be solo and the final song will be an entire group performance.

Tickets cost $16 and are available on the Broadway Center's ticket hub.

IMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BARE TACOMA - HOLIDAY, FRIDAY, DEC. 7, 8 P.M., DOOR AT 7:30 P.M., $16, 901 N. J ST., TACOMA, 253.591.5894

LINK: BARE Facebook event page

LINK: Meet Aaron Stevens

FIND SOMETHING WARM ... TO DRINK >>>

But once a year, the Christmas Ship and its flotilla of twinkle grace Tacoma with a floating parade of holiday glee. Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. is the date and time. Go to the Museum of Glass. Wait for the ship. Ride the ship. The choice is yours.

This Christmas convoy consists not of just one ship, but of many. Argosy Cruises heads up the display with the official Christmas Ship, which is bedecked in lights and carries upon it a choir, followed by an official "Parade Boat" carrying Santa, a cruise director, activities for the kids and food. Community members who are fortunate enough to own watercraft can also light up their boats and join in the fun. Those who wish to ride one of the boats may buy tickets at ArgosyCruises.com on the Christmas Ship ($35 or $19 for youth) or the parade boat ($25 or $12 for youth).

But what if you don't want to pay the cost of admission? What if you don't own your own yacht? Never fear. This festival has many points of entry.

Hundreds to thousands of people gather around warm bonfires on shores to welcome the Christmas Ship without paying a dime. Each night, the flotilla visits different communities around the Puget Sound. But Thursday is Tacoma's night to shine. Expect the Federal Way Harmony Kings to perform a 20-minute set to those on the boats as well as the shivering Tacomans waiting on shore.

BANDITO BETTY LOU WHO'S LEAP OF THE DAY >>>

Bandito Betty Lou Who isn't a huge fan of jingtinglers, floofloovers, trumtookas, blumbloopas and the other wack musical instruments her fellow Whos bang during the holiday season. Every two years she gets the hell out of Whoville and spends the holiday season in the South Sound.

She's back. The Weekly Volcano secretly attached a GPS device to her whocarnio. We're tracking her. Apparently, she loves Almond Roca.

Today, we found her leaping inside Anthem Coffee & Tea, the hip coffee joint next to the Washington State History Museum. Bandito Betty Lou Who sang at the top of her lungs in anticipation of Anthem's Wednesday open mic, which begins at 6 p.m. She was mid-song before blazing out the door. Don't fret. The Weekly Volcano is hot on her trail. Expect more Lou Who action tomorrow.

LINK: Bandito Betty Lou Who jumps archive

LINK: Weekly Volcano loves the holidays, cats and crafts, so we joined Pinterest.

BANDITO BETTY LOU WHO'S LEAP OF THE DAY >>>

Bandito Betty Lou Who isn't a huge fan of jingtinglers, floofloovers, trumtookas, blumbloopas and the other wack musical instruments her fellow Whos bang during the holiday season. Every two years she gets the hell out of Whoville and spends the holiday season in the South Sound.

She's back. The Weekly Volcano spotted her last week hanging out in the Tacoma Dome District. While she was fiddling with her slooskunka, we went Homeland on her attaching a GPS device to her whocarnio. We're tracking her. Apparently, she loves running the Stadium Bowl stairs.

Today, we found her at leaping inside Corina Bakery in Tacoma's Triangle District. Bandito Betty Lou Who didn't worry about knocking coffee off the tables. This past year the bakery moved down the street into a larger space. It's now more of a gathering hub.

Lou Who placed an order for Mini Cadbury Cheesecakes and Pull-Apart Hot Crossed Buns — two of Corina's holiday specials — then darted out the door. The Weekly Volcano is hot on her trail. Expect more Lou Who action tomorrow.

CORINA BAKERY, 7:30 A.M. TO 7 P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8 A.M. TO 7 P.M. SATURDAY, 9 A.M. TO 6 P.M. SUNDAY, 602 FAWCETT AVE., TACOMA, 253.627.5070

LINK: Weekly Volcano loves the holidays, cats and crafts, so we joined Pinterest.

SUNDAY, DEC 2 2012 >>>

1. Few instruments allow you to rock out at Christmas like a ukulele - no, really. The Ukulele Festival showcases jazz guitarist turned ukulele powerhouse Michael Powers, Monday Ukulele Ohana, other musicians, hula dancers and Hawaiian food. This is basically your only chance to pretend we live in a warm climate. Take it! Tickets are $5. The event starts at 11 a.m. at the Asia Pacific Culture Center, 4815 S. Tacoma Way.

2. If you're one of those people who lock themselves in the bathroom when you go to parties at other people's houses so you can go through their medicine cabinets in peace, the 2012 Holiday Tour of Historic Homes is the ideal way to indulge your voyeuristic habit. From noon to 4 p.m. the tour will take you through sixvproperties built between 1890 and 1940 on the west side of Olympia, as well as the pioneer Bigelow House. Tickets are $15 and include refreshments at the Bigelow House on the day of the tour.

3. They're still going strong, and still swarming The Swiss to do good, get loaded, raffle stuff off and enjoy the spirit of the season. The Friends of the Holidays benefit from 3-10:30 p.m. at The Swiss, and the T-town institution shouldn't disappoint: Mark Riley Trio, Tahoma Souls Alive, Junkyard Jane, Gin Creek, T-Town Aces, Fingertips and Tumbling Dice will all be doing their part for underprivileged families this year. Look, these times are tough for everyone, but if you can have a fun night out while also making someone else's life a little better, We call that Yahtzee.

4. For years, trumpeter Rich Wetzel and his big band Groovin' Higher Orchestra has been popping up in local bars and restaurants, introducing folks to jazz of years gone by, as well as a few current numbers. At 5 p.m. Wetzel and crew will celebrate the holidays with bag band tunes inside Stonegate Pizza.

5. The routine is simple. You look through the songbooks scattered around the joint, write down a song title and your name on a piece of paper, and hand it to the deejay. In a few minutes, you'll hear him say, "Dave, c'mon down," and the fantasy begins. You're Bob Dylan or Shania Twain - or whoever the hell you want to be. It's cheap therapy, if nothing else. The Mix in Tacoma's Triangle District will fire up its karaoke at 9 p.m.

PLUS: Several events going down today are highlighted in the Weekly Volcano's Weekend Hustle

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

BANDITO BETTY LOU WHO LEAP OF THE DAY >>>

Bandito Betty Lou Who isn't a huge fan of jingtinglers, floofloovers, trumtookas, blumbloopas and the other wack musical instruments her fellow Whos bang during the holiday season. Every two years she gets the hell out of Whoville and spends the holiday season in the South Sound.

She's back. The Weekly Volcano spotted her last week hanging out in the Tacoma Dome District. While she was fiddling with her slooskunka, we went Homeland on her attaching a GPS device to her whocarnio.  We're tracking her. Apparently, she loves Pad Thai.

Today, we found her at MASH home brew supply store on North 21st Street in Tacoma. This morning owner Jason Trujillo discovered her asleep on a bag of hops. Apparently, she knocked over the store's ingredients and supplies needed to make beer.

Being its the holiday season, Lou Who and Trujillo quickly became friends. The Weekly Volcano snapped a shot of them getting all galooking in MASH's showroom before she darted away. Don't worry, like we said, we're tracking her.

Feel free to rate her jump or provide a caption in the comments sections.

MASH, 2714 N. 21^ST ST., TACOMA, 253.759.4908

LINK: Weekly Volcano loves the holidays, cats and crafts, so we joined Pinterest.

SATURDAY, DEC. 1 2012 >>>

1. Dig out those legwarmers and headbands you new wave, punk and pop MTV has-beens!  The temperature is going down to Less Than Zero, and your mother's garage no longer needs to harbor your 18-year-old tapes and broken Sony boom box. Join the Igneous Rocks crew on a retro trip as it performs on the Weekly Volcano's Electric Salchow Stage at 7 p.m. at the Franciscan Polar Plaza.  Actually, these very talented hooligans rip through the entire history of rock ‘n' roll, not just the '80s, but add their original twists, like fer sure. The live show is free with your admission to the outdoor ice sakting rink.

2. Tacomans have a variety of choices for how to get trees. The evergreens are sold at stores and at retail lots, or you can take a trek out to one of our area's tree farms and choose your own tree. If you'd like to combine your Christmas tree purchase with an hour or tow of ice skating, Two Five Trees is embedded in the Franciscan Polar Plaza next to the outdoor ice skating rink at Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma. Today, in celebration of the three new Zip Cars in downtown Tacoma - two at 11th and Pacific and one at Fourth and St Helens - Two Five Trees encourages to walk or take transit to the Polar Plaza and the Two Five Trees elves with tie your Two Five Tree to the roof of a Zip Car and give you a lift home. The free rides will operate from noon to 6 p.m. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and chill.

3. Former band member of Tacoma's Swelter, Katie's Dimples and others, Jason Harsin just released his Hawaii-based hair and body care collection, Hearts and Stars, and will be back in Tacoma from 5-8 p.m. for a product line launch party at Poison Apple. Read Nikki McCoy's interview with Jason Harsin in the Weekly Volcano's Style section.

4. A new adaptation of Dreamgirls, the 1981 Tony award-winning musical turned 2006 Oscar award-winning film, continues it srun inside the Charles Wright Academy LAPAC Theatre, 7723 Chambers Creek Rd. W., University Place.Presented by the D.A.S.H. Center Dreamgirls follows the rise and fall of a 1960s female singing group, their struggles to succeed in the music world, and their interpersonal she-wars. The production hit sthe stage twice today, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tonight's performance includes a meet the cast opportunity, plus food, drinks, entertainment and of course viewing of Dreamgirls the musical. Proceeds from this night will go directly into the Dash Center’s theater building fund.

5. Internationally renowned gypsy jazz violinist Michael Gray joins guitarist Vince Brown for an evening of hot swing and sweet ballads at Swing Cafe & Wine Bar beginning at 9 p.m. Gray is best known for his work with the gypsy swing band Pearl Django, but don't think that means that all he can do is toss off Grappelli licks as if he invented them himself.

LINK: Saturday, Dec. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

ONE HECK OF A SENTIMENTAL SLEIGH RIDE >>>

A plot to bring down a man named Kris Kringle, who just might be the real Santa Claus. A girl named Sarah whose belief in Santa hangs in the balance, even as Kringle gets hauled into the courtroom. Oh, the Christmas drama that will unfold! Maybe there will be a miracle ... a Christmas miracle ... on 34th Street, even!

Miracle on 34th Street opens at Tacoma Little Theatre tonight and will run through Dec. 23.

What finer way could there be to get into the holiday spirit than to enjoy a Christmas classic on stage?

Bonus - Tacoma Little Theatre is located across from the Parkway Tavern so you can enjoy a little extra spirit with your spirit, if you know what I'm sayin'.

TLT will be putting up a holiday board in the lobby, which will feature photos from community members celebrating the holidays. You can even send in your photo to be featured on the board, which is especially fun for those with kids. Send in photos to TLTmiraclephotos@gmail.com.

TACOMA LITTLE THEATRE, THROUGH DEC. 23, 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY-SATURDAY, 2 P.M. SUNDAY, $12.50-$24.50, 210 N. I ST., TACOMA, 253.272.2281

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28 2012 >>>

1. No one knows for sure when the first Paleolithic cave-dweller stuck a wholly mammoths tail in crushed-up berries and began painting stick figures on the wall of his rocky abode, but you can bet the market value of the neighboring caves instantly went up. Nothing gentrifies a neighborhood, for better or worse, like the addition of a group of freewheelin' artists. Join Arts Leadership Lab from 6-8 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge for a panel discussion and question and answer time exploring what live/work space is, some of the issues and benefits related to artist live/work spaces, how it can be done sustainably and affordably, ways to use/reuse Tacoma's current architectural assets, and other related topics. Want to inject a little life into your urban blight? Bring in a bunch of artists.

The Weekly Volcano bets the men out there are happy the Victorian Country Christmas opens this morning at 10:30 a.m. We're sure the reminders from the better halves have been tiresome that the largest Christmas festival in the Pacific Northwest was coming up. By the way, if guys are forced to watch the Red Hat Day fashion show Thursday, and sit through the Cinderella Scholarship Pageant Showcase, the show organizers could at least provide a few amenities. The Weekly Volcano's official recommendation is a keg every 15 feet, just to keep up morale. And if alcohol is deemed too negative an influence on children, how about the strolling carolers dressed a little more like Victoria's Secret models?

3. Parents and Friends for Tacoma Public Schools will meet at 6:30 p.m. inside King's Books. The meeting's agenda will include a review of election results and how they may impact education, explore areas of interest to form committees and learn more about the Tacoma Public Schools' Bond campaign.

4. The University of Puget Sound will host an open figure drawing session from 6-9 p.m. in Kittredge Hall 201.  The session is free and open to the public. 

5. Author Aaron Dixon will discuss his new book, My People Are Rising: Memoir of a Black Panther Party Captain at 6 p.m. inside Orca Books. Dixon dedicated his life to the struggle for change, founding the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968 at age 19.

LINK: Wednesday, Nov. 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WE SCENE IT >>>

Holiday festivities were in full swing yesterday at Olympia's "Downtown for the Holidays" celebration. It wasn't raining - which brought plenty of people - but they were bundled up in knit hats, ski jackets and gloves because it was colder than a witch's tit. 

Despite the cold, the vibe was warm with an elaborate parade that included holiday decorated Old-Timey cars. Excited families piled into Clydesdale-drawn buggies.

After the parade, a curious looking Christmas tree called for attention. Note: Am I allowed to call it a Christmas tree after that conundrum at the Capitol in 2009 between atheists and the state to discontinue any "religious" displays? Perhaps I should refer to it as a "holiday" tree so I don't get wheatpasted.

Anyhoo, the tree was a huge, brightly lit stage. It came with a ladder hidden so 20 or so kids could climbed up and embed themselves among the limbs, just their heads poking out as animated decorations. The kids proceeded to sing all the merriment of seasonal carols. It was highly entertaining, with one little boy - all the way on top - performing a little disco number with his finger pointed in the air, his face all smiles.

Over at The Olympia Ballroom inside the Urban Onion - above an overly long line of surprisingly well-behaved, patient children waiting to sit in Santa's lap - was the South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity's 5th annual Gingerbread Cottages Competition. The competition was fierce this year with elaborately decorated castles, complete with sugar-stained glass windows, a venetian building designed with the architecture of old and a playful rendition of the classic kid's game, Candy Land. But, perhaps my favorite was the Christmas Story display. It had no house, castle or hut, but bore the leg lamp that made Ralphie's dad look like a perv, and the box lid that read "fragile" that made Ralphie's dad look like an idiot. The leg had thin black licorice whips wrapped around to create fishnet leggings! Genius.

The finale of the event was the tree lighting in Sylvester Park, which was fun to count down, but a little janky looking and not nearly as dramatic as the "holiday" tree stage that held the kid's choir.

All in all, it was a nice event, and the kids were tuckered out and ready for bed when we got home, which meant mommy and daddy had a little seasonal celebration of their own involving hot coco and whiskey - always a plus. 

Thanks Olympia!

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