DON'T BE LIKE BARRY >>>

Everyone likes a good party. Or almost everyone does. We've got this friend, Barry, who doesn't like parties AT ALL. He's adamant about it. But he's also in the minority. That's why we feel more than comfortable saying next Thursday's Best of Olympia 2012 Party at the 4th Avenue Tavern is going to be, for all intents and purposes, "off da hook." Music from Scott Taylor and the Fond Farewells and headliners Glass Elevator, $2 Oly draft all night long, a huge raffle, Olympia trivia, a large percentage of the Volcano's esteemed staff in one spot (and available for mass ridicule), and the debut of the Volcano's Best of Olympia 2012.

What else could you want?

Probably nothing we can deliver.

What we can deliver is all the aforementioned goodness for free - which should hopefully be enough to please everyone ... except Barry.

[4th Avenue Tavern, starts at 6 p.m., free, with Glass Elevator, Scott Taylor and the Fond Farewells, 210 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia, 360.786.1444]

LINK: Read the Best of Olympia 2011 issue

WORTHY TRADITION >>>

Now in its 21st year, the annual Arts Olympia Show and Sale this weekend at the Capital Museum Coach House promises, according to hype for the event, to be the best ever. And we're inclined to believe said hype. Why? Well, this year's event hype includes mention of Olympia's new mayor, Stephen Buxbaum, kicking off the festivities during a Friday-night opening reception (a definite plus), and - more importantly - Volcano arts writer and critic Alec Clayton delivering a lecture Saturday afternoon.

And did we mention Sunday promises a poetry event featuring members of the Olympia Poetry Network? 

The three-day show comes under the header Perspectives 2012 and will include the work of nearly 40 local artists. This one's a no-brainer - which is probably why, year after year, the Arts Olympia Show and Sale keeps coming back for more.

[Capital Museum Coach House, Friday, Feb. 10 5-7 p.m. opening reception with Olympia Mayor Stephen Buxbaum, Saturday, Feb. 11 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Alec Clayton speaks at 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. poetry event at 1 p.m., 211 W. 21^st Ave., Olympia, artsolympia.org]

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

TUESDAY, FEB. 7, 2012 >>>

1. Bring your love of the bagpipes out of the closet and into full view today when Dick Hensold, billed as "one of America's finest traditional bagpipers," drops in on Tacoma for a performance brought to us by the Old Town Music Society and Puget Sound Revels. Dabbling in Northumbrian smallpipes, reel pipes, seljefloyte, sackpipa and piborn according to promotion - in traditional and historical styles including Cape Breton, early Scottish, Northumbrian, Scandinavian, Irish and medieval - Hensold seems certain to blow the roof off the joint.

2. Tonight at Varsity Grill join the United Way of Pierce County's Project:U for a fundraiser and food drive event. The Varsity Grill will donate 20-percent of all sales proceeds to the United Way of Pierce County cause, and canned food donations will be collected for area F.I.S.H. food banks.

3. Saint Martin's University in Lacey will celebrate the 200^th birthday of Charles Dickens today with what's described as "a marathon reading of the renowned author's works." According to hype, Saint Martin's English Department and the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta will host the event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Harned Hall. Expect excerpts from Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities and more.

4. Tuesday means it's time for another Ha Ha Tuesday at Jazzbones, a night of comedy hosted by the venerable Ralph Porter. After the comedy, stick around for Jazzbones' hot weeknight DJ action.

5. It's open mic night at Tugboat Annie's in Olympia. Bring your geetar or your best songs and show the world what you've got (and by "world" we mean the collection of Thurston County folks on hand at the favorite local watering hole).

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

MONDAY, FEB. 6, 2012 >>>

1. Catch the Greta Jane Quarter tonight at the Fourth Ave. Tavern in Olympia, as, after a long run at the Royal Lounge, Ms. Greta Jane Pederson's jazz combo featuring Cary Black, Vince Brown, and Andrew Dorsett reclaims Monday nights at a new downtown Oly locale.

2. Throw on your best aging t-shirt and limber up your devil horns, because Monday means it's time for yet another Metal Monday at The New Frontier Lounge. The head-banging starts at 9 p.m.

3. Monday night is trivia night at the Tacoma Comedy Club on Market Street. There's no cover to get in, and the questions kick off at 7 p.m. In addition to the general thrill of victory, cash and prizes are also advertised.

4. Speaking of trivia, one of the best trivia nights in the area goes down each Monday at the Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District. It runs from 6 -8 p.m., with the winner of each round a $50 cash prize according to hype.

5. Common sense might suggest getting loaded on a Monday night and singing your ass off at the China Clipper's "Late Night Karaoke" might be a questionable idea. But screw common sense. With the karaoke starting at 9 p.m., we suggest sucking down a couple of the Clipper's notoriously strong drinks and then letting it all hang out.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

SUPER SUNDAY, FEB. 5, 2012 >>>

1. The musical Hair is much like a jam band concert: it's multi-sensual, it elicits an emotional ride, and it's probably about 15 minutes too long. That said, director Heidi Fredericks shakes every last nugget from Hair's theatrical dime bag at Capital Playhouse at 2 p.m. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal's review of the show here.

2. You spend hours wandering around consignment stores, yard sales and ... nothing. Stroll into a store and the floor models, the displays, the marked up, trendy, full-price, why-wait-for-a-sale-when-you-can-have-it-now stuff? You love it. You want it. You need it. Break the cycle. Rethink your thought process. Antiques. The older they are the better. And, unlike the average retail giant merchandise, you can sometimes get a deal. So come check out "America's Largest Antique & Collectible Show" and see the previously owned and "family friendly" (thank heavens) art and antiques. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

3. All told, there were more than enough laughs in the script and performance for all sides, compressed into a remarkably short runtime - less than two hours including intermission. Lakewood Playhouse's Play It Again, Sam - which hits the stage at 2 p.m. - proved to be a great deal of fun for everybody involved. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Joe Izenman's review of the show here.

4. According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, Xanadu is an idyllic, exotic or luxurious place. How that translates into a roller disco is a question best answered by early-1980s pop stars and Tacoma Musical Playhouse. The musical Xanadu, on stage at 2 p.m., tells the story of 1980s chalk artist Sonny Malone and his involvement with the Greek Muses. Sonny is unhappy with his art and determined to commit suicide when he's visited by the Muses who travel to Venice Beach, Calif. to inspire him. Because of Zeus' rules, Clio (Leah Wickstrom in TMP's production) must disguise herself; she does so by wearing roller skates and leg warmers, sporting an Australian accent and calling herself Kira. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Joann Varnell's review of the show here.

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 after its Super Bowl Party.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: Local happy hours

IT'S HAPPENING TONIGHT! >>>

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. EroticCity Princetribute. 9 pm. $8-$10.

Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. Andre Nickatina, Xperience, Puget, Q-Storm. All Ages. 8 pm. $20.

• Nowadays Olympia rappers are a dime a dozen. Few have been here, and still remain, since the scene REALLY started popping off in the early 2000s. In the '90s we got an occasional Andre Nickatina or Digital Underground show, but when the new century came around promoters were ready to take a chance on our small city, bringing big-name acts through on a consistent basis to legit clubs and venues. A difficult task at the time for these promoters was not only finding talented local artists, but ones they could count on to help promote the shows in exchange for an opening spot on the bill. One artist that quickly proved capable in this department was a skilled rapper by the name of Puget. Read my full feature on Puget here. - Nic Leonard
  

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. D Town Rebels, Leadership By Assault, Greater Of Two Evils, Noisy Hoodlums. All Ages. 6 pm. $6-$8. I Defy, CFA, Attitude Adjustment, Konkhra, Contrast The Water. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Cold Note, Bump Kitchen. 8:30 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Amanda Hardy. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Bluegrass extravaganza continues: The Oly Mountain Boys. All Ages. 6:45 pm. The Understory. All Ages. 8 pm. Barleywine Revue. All Ages. 9 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Umber Sleeping, Gems, Death By Stars. 9 pm.

• The string of words that make up the name Death by Stars sounds at once full of portent and utterly frivolous. This dichotomy seems to seep into and help define the band's music as well. Combining the biggest, most direct qualities of punk, electronica and psych-rock, Death By Stars has cooked up a cutting, immediately hooky sound. There's an invigorating quality to Death by Stars that seems to transcend the band's basic formula of spacey, psychedelia-informed vocals encased in programmed beats, exploding into life-sized dance-punk refrains. In a live setting, the band - led by frontman Patrick Galactic - veers into performance art territory, with light shows and costumes. It's a delirious soup - all surface, really. But what a surface it is. Death By Stars plays with local favorites Umber Sleeping and Seattle-based instrumentalist Gems at The New Frontier. "We rarely get to play with bands that fit together so well," says Galactic in a press release for the show. "We are big fans of Umber Sleeping and Gems and are very glad to play with them." - Weekly Volcano

The Olympia Ballroom Olympia. Bob Marley Birthday Celebration, with Live Wya, High Ceiling. All Ages. 8 pm. $12-$15.

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. From Deeper Seas, A Hope Not Forgotten, Listen Closely, Illuminator. All Ages. 7 pm. $5.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Stray Dogs Bluegrass. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Kashmir (Led Zeppelin tribute). 9 pm.

Tahoma Tea and Co. Tacoma - Downtown. The Trasholes, Fun Police, Secret Wives, Yahtzee. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

• I've tried to make it a point, when writing about bands, to avoid talking about the ages of the members of the bands I highlight. But I must impress upon you how young the members that make up Gig Harbor garage two-piece Trasholes are, if only to make it abundantly clear to you just how much they have their shit together. Both members are in their early mid-to-early teens, and their music is more sophisticated and weird than you could ever expect. Lead singer and guitarist Ian Call's voice rides that line between adolescence and adulthood, which only makes each voice crack sound that much more punk rock. It's exciting to see another young band following the lead of other shit-kicking acts like the defunct Freakouts and Durango 95. - Rev. AM

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Hot Club Sandwich. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Half Of Infinity, Far From Given. 9 pm.

Washington Center for the Performing Arts Olympia - Downtown. Scrapartsmusic. All Ages. 7:30 pm.

• Like banging on shit? So do the folks behind ScrapArtsMusic, a Canadian performance outfit coming to Olympia this week to blow your mind. On the group's website, ScrapArtsMusic is described thusly: "An earth-friendly, Vancouver-based company that creates unforgettable percussion performances using kinetic instruments skillfully crafted from industrial scraps. 2. An entertaining contemporary invented instrument ensemble. 3. Five extraordinarily virtuosic and innovative drummers. 4. The result of transforming ‘scrap' into "art,' and ‘art' into'"music.'" Intrigued? You should be. The brainchild of percussion freak Gregory Kozak and designer Justine Murdy, ScrapArtsMusic may well prove to be the week's grandest spectacle. – WV
  

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

WALK THIS WAY >>>

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 at the Washington Center.

It was developed in Seattle in 2007 and hit Broadway two years later. 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!)

Or, if you've never seen the movie, you're in for an even bigger treat. The year is 1934. Frederick Frankenstein seeks to erase the memory of his mad grandfather by doing serious science. As you might predict, this ends with the creation of a singing, dancing monster, a rendition of "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life," and a lot of lit torches.

For what you are about to see next, you must enter quietly into the realm of genius.

[The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Young Frankenstein, Feb. 7-8, 7:30 p.m., $26-$82, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia, 360.753.8585]

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Al Forno Feruzza Olympia. Live Jazz w/ jazz guitarist Tarik Bentlemsani. All Ages. 7:30 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Atomic Outlaws, Prat Attack, The Lifetakers, Citizen Escape, Pariahs Revolt. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Voxxy Vallejo, Blues Redemption. 7:30 pm. $7.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Tacoma All Ages Music Project Benefit Show featuring Marrisa Olson, Calen Tackett, Four Minute Mile, Undefined, The Breaklites. All Ages. 7 pm. $5.

• Capping off another workweek in Fife, a benefit show for the Tacoma All Ages Project will go down Friday night, bringing Marissa Olson, Four Minute Mile, Undefined, Calen Tacket and the BreakLites to the stage for the sole purpose of throwing down for our area's under-21 music fans. Of particular note are the BreakLites, a group that recently celebrated the release of a new full-length record, RAPFACE. Something about the BreakLites calling their new album RAPFACE - all caps, accompanied by an illustration of a vicious animal with the title clenched in his teeth - seems weirdly incongruous when compared to the music the BreakLites make. The packaging is so aggro that when you finally hear what the BreakLites do, you can't help but laugh. This is a hip-hop group that places a premium on the sound of the record; this is an album that mostly drifts along amiably, MC Cruel's steady stream of words floating on top of a bed of tight beats and smooth melodies - melodies that, for the most part, stay out of the way of the rap. With the exception of the occasional scratchy guitar lick popping through the mix, the music just serves to buoy and support the vocals. Listening to the BreakLites' new album - the group's fourth - the first thing that becomes apparent is the ease and professionalism with which the album flows. And flow is exactly what the BreakLites are likely to do live at Louie G's tonight. - Weekly Volcano

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Micaela Cooley. All Ages. 7 pm. Rabbitfoot Duo. All Ages. 8 pm. Rusty Cleavers. All Ages. 9 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Trio. 7 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Zodiac Death Valley, Red Hex. 9 pm.

• The music of San Francisco's Zodiac Death Valley straddles the line between psych-rock, pulsing new wave, freak-folk, and the sun-beaten pop of Dire Straits. It's an infectious combination, aided largely by impeccable songwriting. The band's music is nothing if not filled with memorable hooks and substantial melodies. These are hefty songs, carrying with them a kind of weight and import that isn't usually found in the usual roundup of psych-inflected groups. Plodding, chugging rhythms are accompanied by drunken guitars. Sprightly keyboards lend levity and a beatific tone to songs that seem to build for long stretches of road, alone in a car. Zodiac Death Valley comes across as a fully formed band, with a palpable clarity of spirit and vision. Word on the street is their live show rules. Bonus. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Jackie Stephen Rogers All Star Jam Fundraiser, featuring artists from Kashmir, Chrome Molly, Reloaded, SubViinyl Jukebox, Jerry Miller Band, Steve Cox, O'Dark 30, Kickstart, Tatoosh, Palmer Junction, Classic Case. 5 pm.

Tempest Lounge Tacoma - Hilltop. James Coates. 7:30 pm. NC.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Hot Club Sandwich. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Uncle Thurm's Finger Licken Ribs & Chicken Tacoma. G Street Jazz Series. 8-11 pm. NC.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

FRIDAY, FEB. 3, 2012 >>>

1. In the tradition of Django Reinhardt, Hot Club Sandwich has captured the essence of string swing bands from the early 20th century and has brought it to contemporary audiences who long for the organic sound of this obscure genre of music. Formed 10 years ago during a chance meeting on a front porch in Olympia, the gypsy jazz band's complex arrangements and musical harmonies blend with flawless precision. The band returns, for the millionth time, to Olympia's Traditions Café for an 8 p.m. show.

2. The Jackie Stephen Rogers All Star Jam Fundraiser featuring artists from Kashmir, Chrome Molly, Reloaded, SubViinyl Jukebox, Jerry Miller Band, Steve Cox, O'Dark 30, Kickstart, Tatoosh, Palmer Junction and Classic Case begins at 5 p.m. inside Stonegate Pizza.

3. Harlequin productions urges the ladies to, "Dress up gorgeous or come as you are, but grab your girlfriends, turn off the tube and treat yourself to something special! Gather in our swanky lobby with friends you may or may not know from 7:00 to 7:30 and enjoy complimentary champagne and chocolate." Afterward, the main attraction to Harlequin's "Ladies Night," will be a staging of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer - where thefirst 40 minutes offers old Irish alcoholics wailing abuse at each other. Oh my. We should note that Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal recommends the show.

4. Soul Shop open mic talent showcase with poetry and music, hosted by 6 Deep the Messenger, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. inside the Native Quest Native American Cultural Center in downtown Tacoma.

5. The Tacoma-based band Voxxy Vallejo joins Blues Redemption for at 7:30 p.m. show at Jazzbones. Lead vocalist Sherrie Voxx Minter, who many call the "Janis Joplin of Tacoma," pours her emotions through her blues soul and rock & roll.

PLUS: Love Panel & Dessert Party, The Phantom Tollbooth, Wish You Were Here reception, Tacomapocalypse II, Styx and other events today in our Weekend Hustle.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: Local happy hours