WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8, 2012 >>>

1. Pacific Lutheran University and the school's School of Arts and Communication kick off the fledgling SOAC Focus Series today with an exhibition of printmaking from around the country. Designed as an annual event, this year's first-ever SOAC Focus Series will center on a theme of compassion. According to hype, the series will have a goal of bringing together "talented students and faculty each year," with "a common theme will be selected and discussed through a multi-disciplinary approach. ...  Each year, the theme selected will be relevant, timely and appropriate to the mission of SOAC and PLU." Today sees the opening of the National Print Exhibition: The Human Experience, a collection of juried printmaking entries from around the country that are apparently, "as varied as the human experience," and feature, "many touchstones that speak to us in different ways and tie one individual to another through the love of art and a broader understanding of each other."

2. Do you enjoy comedy? Do you like bliss? Then you'll want to catch the musical Newsday called "blissfully funny," Mel Brooks's adaptation of Young Frankenstein, in its final day today  at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia. The production, developed in Seattle in 2007 and hit Broadway two years late, is a mostly faithful translation of the 1974 movie. It includes all your favorite moments: "Abby Normal," "Puttin' on the Ritz," Frau Blücher's way with horses and one enormous schwanzstucker. (Voof!)

3. There was a time when the Big Friction Jam at Jazzbones was THE place to be for Sunday night maxin', relaxin' and jammin'. Powered by the groove-heavy leanings of saxophonist Brett "Big Friction" Cummings, the Big Friction house band took the stage, laid down the funk and groove, and magic ensued, with a cast of talented locals streaming through to take the stage and get down. TonightJazzbones will welcome back the Big Friction Jam for an evening that's sure to blow your usual Hump Day plans out of the proverbial water. If you're down to jam on it (or enjoy when others jam on it) this one's for you.

4. In all-ages musical action, tonight at the Mandolin Café Really Old Airplanes will play from 6 -7 p.m., and singer/songwriter Gina Belliveau will lay it down from 7-8 p.m.

5. The Northern Pacific Coffee Co. in Parkland holds its renowned open mic tonight from 8 - 11 p.m. There's no cover, and sign-ups star at 7:30 p.m. Bring the kids, because the NPCC open mic is totally all-ages.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

IT'S NOT THAT DICAPRIO FLICK >>>

One of your New Year's resolutions was to up your culture intake, thus impressing all the pretentious pricks for whose admiration you yearn.

Ha. Well, foreign films are perfect pretense fodder.

For extra intellectual bedazzlement, skip the snotty, food-laced French flicks, over sexed Italian romps, and whacked-out Indian song-and-dance jobs, and move right into the Japanese. You can't go wrong with the simple moral plots and brilliant aesthetics of a comedic film from the land of the rising sun.

Thursday, as part of the awesome Tacoma Sister Cities International Film Festival, the Blue Mouse Theatre screens Cast Me If You Can. Directed by Atsushi Ogata, Cast Me If You Can centers on an actor, hampered with supporting roles and the shadow of his famous playwright father, who falls in love with an energetic aspiring actress and rediscovers himself.

Arrive early to enjoy a cultural program in conjunction with Tacoma's sister city, Kitakyushu, Japan.

[Blue Mouse Theatre, Cast Me If You Can, Thursday, Feb. 9, 6:15 p.m. cultural program, 7 p.m. film, $10, 2611 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253.752.9500]

SUNDAY, JAN. 29, 2012 >>>

1. The band Hey Girl is totally Olympia. Sludgy, grungy, dirty and totally cute. And I mean cute in a garage punk way. It makes you wanna crush on the three-piece band, based on their live performances and relatable lyrics - like in the song "Pizza Girl," where the delivery diva is on a pillar of gold, hallowed by catchy riffs and slamming drums. Tonight at The Brotherhood in Oly, Hey Girl, along with local rock 'n' roll shredders Blues Druid, should be the perfect openers for the ever-popular Pierced Arrows. Brace yourself for a night of sweaty, good old-fashion fun. 

2. Drop in on "Jeriactric Jazz" today at the Northern Pacific Coffee Co. in Tacoma. It runs in the afternoon, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and there is no cover. It's also all-ages, in case the kids dig on jazz.

3. Speaking of jazz, it's In The Pocket Jazz Night at Tacoma Comedy Club.

4. DJ Keith. Rock, despite his name, will spin country, R&B, hip-hop and Top 40 at North Point Bar and Grill tonight. Action starts at 9 p.m.

5. Now that football season is nearly over you can get back into your Sunday open mic routine, which no doubt includes busting into your song catalogue at Steilacoom Pub and Grill during the Sunday open mic with Jeanlizabeth.

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

FRIDAY, JAN. 27, 2012 >>>

1. If you picked up your copy of the Weekly Volcano this week you already know all about Camp 6, Tacoma's newest movement to support local style, business and arts. Tonight meet the folks behind Camp 6, along with whoever else happens to stop by, at Anthem Coffee & Tea during what Camp 6 is calling the Tacoma Social. The good times start at 8 p.m. Moving forward, Camp 6 will hold a Tacoma Social event on the last Friday of each month.

2. It's no lie when the University of Puget Sound website touts David Requiro as a prize-winning cellist. Requiro is also an artist in residence at UPS, who tonight will bust out The Folk Inspired Cello along with violinist Maria Sampen and pianist Tanya Stambuk as part of the Jacobsen Series of concerts. Find more info here.

3. While smacking the ball through the windmill and past the sand trap might not seem like it has anything at all to do with helping bring the fine arts to the stage in Olympia, quite the opposite is true. The proof: This week sees the return of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts' Big Mini Golf Classic, which invites patrons of all ages to play a mini-golf course that winds throughout the building. Tonight a 21+ mini-golf party will see foursomes playing through various snack bars and "watering holes," while also enjoying a chipping contest on the main stage.

4. Normandie Wilson takes to the tiny stage at Le Voyeur in Olympia tonight. It's free, but donations are appreciated.

5. Get swanky with the Lance Buller Trio tonight at Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge. The memories start being made at 7 p.m., and continue all night long, baby.

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Rain slush nightmare, hi 45, lo 43

Saturday: Rain, hi 43, lo 37

Sunday: Rain, hi 43, lo 37

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 20: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE - ANNIE GRIFFITHS

Most parents these days know the joy of balancing family and a career. It's become a survival necessity, whether we like it or not. What does this have to do with photographing white-bearded wildebeest on the Serengeti? You would think very little, until stumbling upon the work and career of National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths - who will be in Olympia Friday for another presentation of National Geographic Live at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. As the Washington Center website notes, "As perhaps the only photographer in history to pack her camera gear in Pampers, Griffiths has blazed a trail for other photographers, and other working parents. With warmth and humor, [her presentation Friday] explores the realities of juggling family and career as she travels the world for National Geographic."

• Carwein Auditorium, noon, free, Keystone Building, Room 102, University of Washington Tacoma, 1900 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.627.2175

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 20: VARSITY GRILL ICE BLOCK PARTY

Every year Varsity Grill in Tacoma hosts its Ice Block Party. It's on the patio. Get it!?! No, but seriously, you'll want to take note because this annual event offers beer lovers and/or straight-up alcoholics the chance at beer in all degrees of wintery awesomeness: the $20 fee gets you 9 winter beer tastings from some of the region's top winter brews. Plus there'll be prizes and giveaways. Plus beer experts and brewers will be all up in the house. Plus Rock-Bot live-band karaoke will be there to rock your face off and shit after it's all over. It's a no-brainer. And yes, wussy, tents and outdoor heaters will be provided.

• Varsity Grill, 5:30-9 p.m., $20, Rock-Bot Live Band Karaoke 8 p.m. to close, 1114 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.1229

>>> JAN. 20-21 & 27-29: LATE NIGHT CATECHISM:‘TIL DEATH DO US PART

I'm not Catholic, but my dad was. Or at least he grew up Catholic. From what I understand it involved a lot of guilt. And nuns. At any rate, one year, back in the day, he and my mom went to see some version of Late Night Catechism in Tacoma - likely at the Broadway Center, though I can't be certain of that. It sounded racy at the time, but I was, like, 12.  He seemed to enjoy it. As did my mom - who wasn't even close to Catholic. But that's only kind of important. What does this have to do with anything? Not much, other than Late Night Catechism: "Til Death Do Us Part will be at the Broadway Center this weekend and next, delivering the latest installment in the "sinfully funny series." This time Sister tackles relationships - with plenty of audience participation, naturally. - Matt Driscoll

• Theatre on the Square, Jan. 20-21 & 27-28 7:30 p.m., 3 p.m. Jan. 28-29, $39, 915 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890

>>> SATURDAY, JAN. 21: DOCKYARD DERBY DAMES OPENING BOUT

Like an old friend returning from a lengthy retreat (read: court-ordered stay in rehab) the Dockyard Derby Dames cruise back into town this weekend, opening the club's sixth season in typical knockdown, drag-out fashion at Pierce College in Lakewood. Billed as "a night of rivalries, rematches and retribution," the season-opening bout pits the Hellbound Homewreckers and the Femme Fianna in what promises to be a heated competition full of women fully capable of kicking your ass, followed by the Marauding Mollys taking on the Trampires, which, well, you know the deal. The doors open at 5 p.m. with the first bout starting at 6 p.m. The Dockyard Derby Dames pride themselves on a family-friendly experience (that includes a beer garden for family members old enough to drink). Tickets are a few bucks cheaper via Brown Paper Tickets than at the door, so keep that in mind.

• Pierce College Health Ed. Center, 5 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. first bout, $12 adv, $15 door, children 5 and younger free; ages 6-12 years old $10, 9401 Farwest Dr SW
  Lakewood

>>> SATURDAY, JAN. 21: VAGABOND OPERA

Unschooled in the "neo-cabaret" musical genre? Don't fret - just check out Portland's Vagabond Opera - returning to Olympia this Saturday for a performance at the Olympia Ballroom that promises to be mesmerizing. Even more exciting: the show will act as a celebration of the Vagabond Opera's just-released fourth full-length record, as well as the release of local favorites Erev Rav's latest CD - with that band also on the bill. Truly offering music of the world, the six-piece Vagabond Opera reportedly dabbles in sounds spanning the globe - from European cabaret, to Balkan belly dance, to Old World Yiddish theater and beyond. There's a reason this mesmerizing troupe has shared stages with the Decemberists, Pink Martini and Al Franken and the Oregon Symphony. It's because they're awesome.

• The Olympia Ballroom, with Erev Rav, 8 p.m., $15, 116 Legion Way SW, Olympia, brownpapertickets.com

>>> SUNDAY, JAN. 22: AUDREY HEPBURN FILM FOCUS: MY FAIR LADY

The Broadway Center in Tacoma concludes its three-part Audrey Hepburn film-focus with Sunday's screening of the classic My Fair Lady, in which, as film lovers and old people will recall, Hepburn portrays Eliza Doolittle. The Broadway Center's Hepburn film focus series kicked off in 2011 with a screening of Roman Holiday on Oct. 23, and continued Nov. 13 with Breakfast at Tiffany's. Sunday's 3 p.m. screening of the George Cukor-directed My Fair Lady will wrap up the fun. But don't be too sad: the $12 admission scores you free popcorn as well.

• Theatre on the Square, 3 p.m., $12, 915 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890

>>> WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer

I am going to be uking out with Jake Shimabakuo tomorrow and then hit Xanadu at Tacoma Musical Playhouse on Sunday.

MATT DRISCOLL Editor
I'll be dealing with the tree that just fell on our mudroom on Friday, laying low on Saturday, and Sunday celebrating an end-of-season party with one of the three fantasy football leagues I was in this year. I'm sure you're filled with envy.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Food & Lifestyles Writer
Friday Jake Shimabukuro at the Rialto Theater, Saturday gym and homework, Sunday church and mission farewell.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I will either be huddled at home with my wife and my Nook or passed out in a dead tauntaun somewhere.

RON SWARNERN Publisher
After hitting the grand opening shindig at Anthem Coffee, it will most likely be family movie night. Then, instead of making my family uncomfortbale with my stories of the '70s, I'll hang with similar ilk at the Big Wheel Stunt Show Saturday night at Hell's Kitchen. Sunday, I will finally attempt to put the kid's toys together during the playoff games.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

SATURDAY, JAN. 14, 2012 >>>

1. The Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam continues at the Tacoma Dome today and all weekend - your best bet for seeing old beaten down cars rolled over by Grave Digger. Actually, it's the only place you're going to see old beaten down cars rolled over by Grave Digger.

2. Need further proof Tacoma is a bustling metropolitan with entertainment choices that run the gamut? Consider, for a moment, that the same weekend that promises monster truck action at the T-Dome also offers up the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players and the company's romping take on some of musical theater's classics. Billed as, "... where The Mikado meets The Music Man; where the HMS Pinafore sets sail for Brigadoon; and where The Pirates of Penzance take shore leave On the Town," I've Got a Little Twist also brings to town some of Broadway's most heralded vocal talent. If you're down with musical theater, I've Got a Little Twist should be just your ticket.

3. In Olympia, the King's birthday has become synonymous with one man: Robert Washington - one of the world's top Elvis impersonators ... and a guy who happens to be black. To some this is controversial. To Washington, it's simply his calling. "I don't really think about it. I'm not going to let my color prevent me from being the best," Washington told the Weekly Volcano in 2004. Tonight in Olympia, Washington will be back in Oly at the Capitol Theater for the 12th annual "Elvis Birthday Bash." A screening of the film Almost Elvis, in which Washington is featured, will kick off at 7:30 p.m., with Washington taking the stage following the movie. 

4. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias isn't fat ... he's fluffy. Or so goes the joke. In truth, Iglesias is probably a little bit of both. Tonight, the well-known laugh-maker will bring his comic styling to the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, offering fans of high-energy ranting a chance to catch Iglesias' magic in person - not just on late night Comedy Central reruns. According to promotion for the show, Iglesias' "high-octane show is a hilarious mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal issues to life." Plus, there'll be fat jokes.

5. The Children's Museum of Tacoma will celebrate its grand re-opening today at the museum's new location, 1501 Pacific Ave. in downtown Tacoma. Hype for the evening's swanky Grand Opening Gala promises, "an evening of art, entertainment, and playful surprises." But even before that, during the day today, experience the fun and entertainment provided by the museum's new digs during public play and exploration from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those interested in such things will surely enjoy the opening ceremony and remarks scheduled for 10:45 a.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Rain, hi 46, lo 34

Saturday: Chance of sun, hi 41, lo 36

Sunday: Cloudy, hi 46, lo 41

>>> FRIDAY, DEC. 30:JAMES HILBORNE & THE PAINKILLERS

The music of James Hilborne and the Painkillers would be odd in any number of places, but, in Tacoma, it's more or less an anomaly. Ostensibly, the Painkillers play Americana: streaks of country twang and blues rock run through the band's songs, but these elements are accompanied by errant spells of psychedelia and druggy macabre. On record, the Painkillers' music is tremulous and strange, smothered as it is in the kind of haze that one might think would envelop country rock was born under Tacoma's unforgiving gloomy skies. James Hilborne and the Painkillers are the perfect band to send you drifting dreamily along into New Year's Eve, and from there the uncertain future.

• The New Frontier Lounge, with Humble Cub, special guests, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020

>>> SATURDAY, DEC. 31: THE BROHO'S NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY

The Brotherhood Lounge in Olympia tops the dichotomy list. At the heart of this red-walled haven of booze, dancing and debauchery are community and solidarity. You see, while you kiss the closest beautiful face at midnight - colorful balloons dropping all around and your head dizzy with drinks - you can take solace in the fact that if you were to drop dead at this point, at least you know half of your door money is going to Safeplace, a local non-profit that supports victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. DJ Dead-Air, from Portland, will be spinning all night, and has been said to induce spiritual journeys through his picks of ‘80s, rawk, punk, disco and more. Awesome.

• The Brotherhood Lounge, 119 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.352.4153

>>> SATURDAY, DEC.31: FIRST NIGHT TACOMA

First Night Tacoma - an annual, all-ages, family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year's Eve celebration - follows the Chinese lunar calendar, and this year is the year of the dragon.  In this spirit there will be two large dragons making an appearance at the festival - a 35-foot creation by Metro Parks Tacoma, and a 14-foot fire-breathing metal beast. "We're really stepping up the fire aspect to mitigate the cold," says co-event director Lance Kagey. First Night buttons - available at many businesses in the Stadium and Theater Districts - will get you into all of the stages and events for the evening (not to mention free admission to Tacoma's museums during the day). At 6:30 p.m. First Night Tacoma officially kicks off in the Theater District with a parade. Throughout the evening, attendees can enjoy music on 12 stages. Bands and performers will include regional acts such as Roman Holiday, Rumbeggae and Vamola.

• Downtown Tacoma- Theater District, 6:30 p.m.-Midnight, Buttons $10 before Saturday, Dec. 31, $14 day of, Kids 10 and younger free, firstnighttacoma.org

>>> SATURDAY, DEC. 31: POSSCA NEW YEAR'S EVE MASQUERADE BENEFIT

Billed as, "a high-octane shake-your-booty event," Saturday's Patrons of South Sound Cultural Arts New Year's Eve Masquerade benefit is sure to be an awesome way to bring in 2012, promising 2011's Best of Olympia "Best Band" The Brown Edition, in addition to party favors, hors d' oeuvres and enough funk to make your trunk jump. Best of all: It's all ages. Even better: There's a beer garden for those over 21. You can't go wrong.

• The Eagles Grand Ballroom, 805 Fourth Ave., Olympia, possca.org
  

>>> SATURDAY, DEC.31: NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH ROCK-BOT AND BURGERS

Chances are you'll celebrate New Year's Eve one way or another. Either you have magnificent plans, or maybe you don't. But when the time comes you'll be looking for something ... anything ... to do on the big night. Sitting at home in your depressing apartment on New Year's Eve is the very definition of sad and lonely. This being the case, consider Varsity Grill's New Year's Eve celebration, offering an all-ages chance to karaoke your ass off with the live "Rock-Bot" backing band, not to mention bring in the New Year in style. Oh, and did we mention Varsity Grill is giving away a very meaty prize - a burger a day for all of 2012? Only a silly vegan could pass up such an awesome opportunity.

• The Varsity Grill, 1114 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.1229

>>> SATURDAY, DEC. 31: NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH PERRY ACKER

Local band Perry Acker has had a big year. They took home top honors at the Ford-sponsored "Give Me The Gig" national battle of the bands contest, they releaed a new record, Path To Freedom, and on Saturday they'll bring in the New Year with a much-anticipated show at Jazzbones. Ben Union is also on the bill, as is an unplugged performance from local favorites Doxology. 

• Jazzbones, 9 p.m., $15-$30, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169

>>> SUNDAY,JAN. 1: POLAR BEAR PLUNGE

Here at the Weekly Volcano we take our showers warm. We're kind of wimps. But there are plenty of tough, adventurous, rosy-cheeked folks out there who live on the edge, no doubt partaking in activities like Sunday's Polar Bear Plunge at Point Defiance Marina. According to hype, Sunday's New Year's Day cold-water fiasco presents a chance to get 2012 off on the right foot. As the press release says, "The New Year offers opportunities to set new goals and try new things, so get your bucket list out and come take the Plunge with other jubilant merrymakers at the Point Defiance Marina." The all-ages Polar Bear plunge will go down rain or shine, starting at 11:30 a.m.

• Point Defiance Marina, Polar Bear Plunge, Sunday, Jan. 1, 11:30 a.m., free, 5912 N. Waterfront Dr., Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, 253.591.5325

>>> WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer
Watching season three of Sons of Anarchy that I missed, so it is sort of like watching Resevior  Dogs since all the episodes now seem like flash backs.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
It's New Year's Eve, my favorite holiday of the year! We'll be at Swing Wine Bar to catch the musical stylings of Skuff and Al. Then, if other celebrants ask us to make out with them, well...let's just say we haven't resolved not to do that.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Food & Lifestyles Writer
Making 30 batches of cookies with family in Utah. Recipe swap with six aunties. Gathering on New Year's Day with five generations of family to honor our matriarch.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
For the last two weeks I've worked REALLY hard to build up my ability to stay up past 10 pm (aka watching Mad Men season 1 and 2). On New Year's Eve I will put my training to the test at First Night where I will watch the fire breathing dragon, and Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives while trying to keep my toddler asleep. Sunday I will nap when my son does. First, though, I will clean my house for the last time this year!

ALEC CLAYTON Visual Arts Critic/Writer
Water volleyball with the over the hill gang and the SAGE Olympia brunch at the Urban Onion Sunday.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Cloudy, hi 46, lo 39

Saturday: Rain, hi 48, lo 37

Sunday: More rain, hi 45, lo 37

>>> FRIDAY, DEC. 23:MAIA SANTELL & HOUSE BLEND

Maia Santell and House Blend perform their traditional holiday jazz and blues show at Jazzbones this Friday. They play an upbeat brand of R&B with a little jump blues and big band jazz thrown in for a party second to none. Santell has been called the Northwest's queen of swing for her high-energy shows and boisterous vocals. Yet, unlike so many female singers, she is not a screamer rather possessing exceptional vocal control that is rich and warm. This show should mark a great way to kick off your holiday weekend.

• Jazzbones, 7:30-10 p.m., all ages, $8, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.369.9169

>>> FRIDAY, DEC. 23: GRITTY CITY SIRENS ANNIVERSARY SHOW

Believe it or not, it's already been a year. Tacoma's very own Gritty City Sirens burlesque troupe has been doing its thing since December 2010, establishing itself in only 12 short months as a creative force in this town, and turning plenty of heads in the process. Typically adorned with adjectives like "radiant" and "artful," the Gritty City Sirens' unique brand of cabaret and vaudevillian fun is impossible to deny. Friday the Sirens celebrate one year in style at Grit City Comedy Club.

• Grit City Comedy Club, 8 and 10:30 p.m., 445 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.961.4262

>>> FRIDAY, DEC.23: PARK FOR FREE IN OLY

Fridayis the last day of downtown Olympia's 12 Days of Free Parking promotion. As a thank you to shoppers and diners for buying local and supporting downtown Olympia the city has allowed free two-hour parking in the pay station areas of downtown since Dec. 12. Head to Olympia for your last-minute shopping.

>>> SATURDAY, DEC.24: HE IS

Join Capital Christian Center as it presents He Is, a night of acting, music and celebration - with two services, one at 4 p.m. and another at 6 p.m. -inside the Washington Center in Olympia.  If He is anything like Bobble Tiki, He is frustrated he can't find Shania Twain's Down-Home Country Christmas at Thong Beach in the local record stores.

• Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 4 p.m. & 6 p.m., free, all ages, 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia, 360.753.8585

>>> SUNDAY, DEC. 25: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF SING-ALONG

Fiddler on the Roof - back again this year at the annual Dec. 25 sing-along at the Capitol Theater - was released in 1971 and is set in 1905, but some of its themes have never felt more topical. The sing-along, a project of the Olympia Film Society and Temple Beth Hatfiloh, is in its eighth year, and Fiddler has been the film of choice for six of those years. "Some people love Fiddler, and they'll see it every year," says Rabbi Seth Goldstein of Temple Beth Hatfiloh. The temple has traditionally shown films on Dec. 25 to give those not celebrating Christmas a way to have fun in community, and Goldstein suggested the sing-along as an expansion of that. At the event, volunteers collect blankets, coats and other warm clothing to be given to homeless people, and a costume contest is also part of the fun.

• The Capitol Theater, 6:30 p.m., $7 for Olympia Film Society members, $4 for children younger than 13, 206 Fifth Ave. S.E., Olympia, 360.754.6670 or www.olympiafilmsociety.org

>>> WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
My weekend will be a blur of consumption: flying wrapping paper, way too much pork and eggnog, and no more money. But! It will also be a weekend of creation: memories and smiles, passed down recipes and traditions, and the continuance of the spirit of the season. Happy Holidays!

JOANN VARNELL: Theater Critic
TAMALES! My husband and I are going to make awesome tamales on Christmas Eve before going to a candlelight service. On Christmas Day we will open presents at a ridiculously early hour, cook, eat, relax, and enjoy being a family. We may also through some caroling in there somewhere.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer
Kiddo time at the movies

.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
Amanda and I are celebrating the arrival of jolly Saint Nick with her family, my family, and our wonderful friends. Ergo, I suspect there'll be drinking.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY: Music Writer & Film Critic
Saturday, I'll be hosting karaoke at Puget Sound Pizza starting at around 9pm. Do like me and use this as an excuse to save yourself from your family this holiday.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Food & Lifestyles Writer
Getting out of Dodge; spending the holidays in Utah with family.

.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

FRIDAY, DEC. 16, 2011 >>>

1. You can hate on the holidays all you want, but there's no denying they bring a wealth of artful yearly traditions. Tacoma Symphony Chorus' take on "Messiah" in St. Charles Borromeo Church fits this bill. As pre-event hype of tonight's event acknowledges, "Chorus Director Geoffrey Boers always brings a fresh take to Handel's beloved work," and there's no reason to expect this year to be any different. Four vocal soloists - soprano Denise Lees, mezzo-soprano Melissa Plagemann, tenor James Brown and Benjamin Harris - will join Tacoma Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, creating an event that's almost to put the whole family in the spirit. Find more info here.

2. Check out the 'Tis The Season Holiday Benefit Show this afternoon at the Mandolin Café in Tacoma, featuring an awesome collection of musical talent: James Coates, Gina Belliveau, Kurt Lindsay, Nick Sandy, Denny Foreman and Megan Biegalski. The fun is all ages and kicks off at 6 p.m.

3. Have you been to the Crystal Saloon in Enumclaw yet? To be honest, neither have we. But, if anything is going to intrigue us into going it might be DJ Dirty White, who - according to hype - will be spinning rock, hip-hop, top 40 and dance hits all night long. We repeat: DJ Dirty White is in Enumclaw tonight at the Crystal Saloon. That is all.

4. It's a good night for comedy in Tacoma as comedian Andy Woodhull is at the Tacoma Comedy Club and Harold Gomez is at the Grit City Comedy Club.

5. Throw up your devil horns and pound a few beers with I Defy tonight at Hell's Kitchen.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

THURSDAY, DEC. 15, 2011 >>>

1. There's a delightful dustiness that seems to adorn Eliot Lipp's electronic music; he embraces an old-school approach to arranging beats and synths and samples to create the kind of mélange that would find itself perfectly comfortable in a DJ's box of go-to vinyl. Whether tackling ambient soundscapes or club-bumping jams, Lipp manages to leave his own identifiable imprint on whatever he creates. Tonight Lipp plays the New Frontier Lounge.

2. Get a closer look at, and deeper understanding of, the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine by hitting the Capitol Theater in Olympia tonight for a screening of Swedish filmmaker Terje Carlsson's Israel vs. Israel, a documentary "about the current status of the Israeli peace movement includes both sensitive family discussion as well as secret testimony from former combat soldiers," according to promotions. Tonight's event will be a one-time screening, featuring a panel discussion led members of the Rachel Corrie Foundation and Carlsson via Skype.

3. Last year Weekly Volcano Publisher Pappi Swarner pounded some syrup, transformed into Buddy the Elf, and infamously acted as the tour guide for the Dec. 2010 installment of the Tacoma Third Thursday Art Walk Art Bus. Hilarity and art bus history ensued. Well guess what? Buddy is back, bitches! Tonight! Also returning will be musicians Doug Mackey and Evan Purcell who will perform Christmas music on the bus. Find more information about how to get involved in the art bus by going to creator Angela Jossy's website.

4. If there's nothing else that can be said about Tacoma's School of the Arts, it's a darn fine factory for churning out young and talented songwriters. To see each wave of SOTA musicians emerge from the school is an inspiring and fascinating thing to watch. To celebrate the end of the semester, tonight at The Space the students in SOTA's songwriting program will host a performance to showcase the wide array of voices and styles born out of the class. The action starts at 7:30 p.m. with a suggested $5 donation.

5. Peter Serko's photography exhibition at the Museum of Glass artistically documents the brief history of the museum since 2006. It also shows different aspects of the building, and of the adjacent Chihuly Bridge of Glass, taken during different times of day throughout the seasons. Serko, who will be on hand tonight to talk about the exhibit during Third Thursday Art Walk, says he hopes his show will prove to be an acknowledgement that art really has changed the city, and that the people, such as former Tacoma mayor Karen Vialle and longtime local artist Dayton (Karen) Knipher, who stuck their necks out for MOG and the arts in Tacoma were right. Serko says he hopes the exhibit will show that "this has been a wonderful thing for Tacoma. The Museum District has changed Tacoma for the good and in time I am certain it will be a thriving area for artists of all levels."

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight