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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Rain, hi 52, lo47

Saturday: More rain, hi 52, lo 47

Sunday: Even more rain, hi 51, lo 46

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 14: JIM BASNIGHT

Jim Basnight - of the Moberlys fame - will be playing Friday at The Harmon Tap Room - the action starts at 8 p.m.  Every indie artist should be looking in their backyard and in the scrap heaps of major labels for bands like the Moberlys. The fact that Basnight is still playing a busy year round touring schedule after 35-plus years shows us that he believes in his musical vision and loves what he is does.

• The Harmon Tap Room, 8 p.m., 204 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.212.2725

>>> SATURDAY, JAN. 15: OLD SCHOOL DROPOUTS

The Old School Dropouts play "party rock," or at least that's the claim. Judging by the shows this band plays and the hot nights of drinking and rocking they seem to inspire, our guess is it's an accurate one. Saturday, the Dropouts will be in Graham at the R & R Live for a serious night of revelry.

• R & R Live, 9 p.m., 9807 224th St. E, Suite 120, Graham, 253.375.7155 

>>> SUNDAY, JAN. 16: FROST/NIXON

As you know if you've seen the erstwhile Opie's 2008 movie version, Frost/Nixon is Peter Morgan's dramatic distillation of David Frost's historic 1977 TV interviews with Tricky Dick, in which our 37th president finally admitted to being a nefarious crapsack. As good as Michael Sheen and the Oscar-nominated Skeletor (aka Frank Langella) were in that film, this is one confrontation that deserves to be seen live and in the moment - and so it shall, at Tacoma Little Theatre, opening Jan. 14, and certainly hitting full-stride by Sunday.

• Tacoma Little Theatre, 2 p.m., $15-$24, 210 North I St., Tacoma, 253.272.2281
  

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer

Dinner with friends and Colin's b-day at PSP, or Kamel Toe for the Ravens Rants video shoot.

RON SWARNER Publisher
Friday, I'm going to catch the great Jim Basnight of The Moberlys fame at the Harmon Tap Room. Saturday night I'll pop over to the Peabody Waldorf to catch the righteous band A Leaf. Love those guys. Sunday morning I'll probably head back to the Harmon Tap Room for the game, on account of them taking half off tabs every Sunday. Can't beat that.

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
This weekend I will be working my magic down at the bar, handing out Best of Olympia 2011! Vote Now! handbills with every drink. I will also be enjoying free movie channels that my husband so craftily earned from Direct TV. Those suckers were going to try and charge us an extra $3 per month. But, now, thanks to my husband, we will be paying $2 less per month and kicking back with some Showtime. I knew I married him for a reason.

JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
First up: preview night of Frost/Nixon at Tacoma Little Theatre (review inevitable in next week's issue, because I know everyone's been missing my writing skillz). Then venturing to the far-off mythical Northern land of "Anacortes" for birthday shenanigans (not mine) and wedding planning excursions (mine). I'll check back into the (relatively) South Sound on Sunday, with a show rocking the keyboard of Deborah Page at the long-lived J&M Cafe.

BRETT CIHON Meat Market Correspondent/Features Writer
Friday night I'm checking out South Pacific in Tumwater. The cover band Stir Crazy will be rockin' the joint. Then for the rest of the weekend: playoffs, playoffs, playoffs.

REV. ADAM MCKI: Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
Friday, I'll be at the Makeup Monsters show at The New Frontier. It's their last one for a while, so it's bound to be packed. The next day, I'll be meeting up with Apache Chief at their dad's house to talk about their forthcoming album, and apparently listen to it on cassette. Come to think of it, Matt Driscoll had a similar experience a while ago... This is where we'd flashback if flashback existed.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
Another weekend of being mom awaits. Friday night I'll probably watch the Netflix movie that's been on my coffee table for the last two weeks. Saturday I will learn the songs to play on Sunday. Sunday is for church, football and a long nap. Yawn

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
Beginning with a free preview the very night this week's Volcano hits the streets, I'll be playing Bob Zelnick in Tacoma Little Theatre's production of Frost/Nixon. Hey, Tacomans, it's your first chance to come see locally whether I know what I'm talking about when I write about your work.

MATT DRISCOLL  Editor (the guy to blame)
Self loathing. Dr Pepper. Queso-dip. Toddler tantrums. More self loathing. The Hawks game. The rest of the playoff games that actually matter. Even more self loathing. And maybe I'll order a pizza from the Cloverleaf...

ALEC CLAYTON: Visual Arts Critic
 It's going to be a weekend for plays. Frost/Nixon at Tacoma Little Theatre and Ring Around the Moon at Lakewood Playhouse.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

Filed under: All ages, Arts, Community, Events, Music, Olympia, Screens, Tacoma, Theater, The Weekend Hustle,