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]

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Urban development is a hot-button issue in Tacoma. If you look around you start to understand why. Thursday at the University Washington Tacoma, this year's Urban Studies Forum will focus on "Urban Industrial Futures." According to the UWT press release, the forum is a "one-day event designed to spur community conversation about how to balance industrial and post-industrial urban development strategies."

Speakers for the forum include Joan Fitzgerald, professor and director of the graduate Law and Public Policy program and senior research fellow at the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, Brian Coleman, CEO of Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center - a nonprofit industrial developer in New York, and Dean Amhaus, executive director of the Milwaukee Water Council.

The Urban Studies Forum is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

[UW Tacoma - William Philip Hall, registration begins at 7:30 a.m., free, register at tacoma.uw.edu/events/urban, 1900 Commerce St., Tacoma]

EXHIBITION KICKS OFF THE SOAC FOCUS SERIES >>>

Pacific Lutheran University and the school's School of Arts and Communication kick off the fledgling SOAC Focus Series Wednesday 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."

Wednesday 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."

Later there will be a kegger. (Just kidding.)

[Pacific Lutheran University - University Gallery, National Print Exhibition: The Human Experience Feb. 8-March 7, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, opening reception Feb. 8 5 p.m., free, 12180 Park Ave. S. Tacoma, website]

LINK: SOAC Focus Series schedule

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

SERIOUSLY ... A FREE DINNER >>>

A fiery mix of minds should banish the chill and slush tonight.

Members of the Saint Martin's University community will unleash hopes and thoughts on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. tonight.

But this isn't the typical four-days-after MLK Day event.

The free and open to the public event features a Southern-style dinner with remarks by Jonathan Hew Len, the University's student body president, and University President Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D.

Yes, the events includes a free dinner.

A powerful performance by the Mayhem Poets will round out the evening. According to hype, "The Mayhem Poets blend spoken word, hip-hop, theater, improv and standup comedy to expose audiences to fresh perspectives on both historical and contemporary issues. Their unique approach to spoken word has landed them feature spots on The Today Show and Eyewitness News."

The event is presented by Saint Martin's Campus Life PROS, SMU Black Student Union, and Office of Intercultural Initiatives.

[Norman Worthington Conference Center, Friday, Jan. 20, 6-7:30 p.m., free, 5300 Pacific Ave. S.E., Lacey, 360.491,4700]

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Capt. Charles Moore's presentation, "The Great Infection of the Sea," has nothing to do with that time Lindsey Lohan gave the entire Strait of Gibraltar Chlamydia (like you read about in US Weekly). Rather, Moore's presentation is actually of paramount importance, with the scientist and activist discussing his book, Plastic Ocean, which, according to pre-event hype, "describes the alarming presence of plastics in our oceans." 

Capt. Moore will be in Olympia Thursday, Jan. 19 at the Olympia Center and the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Monday, Jan. 23. At both events the good captain will talk about what he reportedly calls the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" in the Pacific Ocean. Information on the U.P.S. website indicates the area is "roughly two million square miles in size," and "is estimated to hold an estimated three million tons of plastic debris."

Should be some uplifting chats.

[Olympia Center, Thursday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m., donations welcome, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, susanshaf@comcast.net]

[University of Puget Sound-Murray Boardroom in Wheelock Student Center, Monday, Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m., free, open to the public, 1500 N Warner St., Tacoma, 253.879.3419]

FREE EVENTS JAN. 16-22 IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Snow prompts Bobble Tiki to think that the All Mighty, while he may not shoot craps with the universe as Albert Einstein said, at least has a sense of humor. She makes existence uncertain by conjuring up sea-level snow every now and then, but at no apparently regular interval, and throws in a few earthquakes, ice storms, floods and the like now and then just to let us know who is boss.

The trouble is Bobble Tiki never sees it coming.  Skier/ Kayaker/Mountain Explorer Jeff Renner and other weather suits can barely tell us which way the wind is blowing. Yet, they still get the coin. Thursday, Bobble Tiki thought is was a brilliant idea to create a list of free outdoor activities for this coming week. Today, it seems like a ridiculous list.

Anyway, here it is - a list of free things to do outdoors this week in the South Sound.

MONDAY, JAN. 16: Washington State Parks says its cool to visit a state park for free Jan. 16. Yes, you don't need a Discover Pass, which is normally required to access lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

TUESDAY, JAN. 17: When was the last time you hung out with a pack of wolves? If you're anything like Bobble Tiki, the closest you generally get to wildlife is when you're forced to smoke outside. Helen Thayer traveled to the virtually untouched Canadian Yukon Territory, above the Arctic Circle, to live within 100 feet of a wild wolf den. She spent a summer observing and documenting the daily lives and behaviors of the pack and returned in the winter to study the wolves' interaction with the polar bears on the northern sea ice. Come hear stories and view photos detailing the remarkable story of wolves at 7 p.m. inside the Olympia REI. You must RSVP here for the free event.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18: The Tacoma REI offers a free introductory Avalanche Awareness class at 7 p.m. The Friends of the Northwest Avalanche Center will provide information on where to find avalanche reports, how to interpret the reports, assess avalanche risks and learn about the gear needed for avalanche terrain. RSVP here.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19: The Tahoma Audubon will lead a free walk through the Adriana Hess Wetland Park in University Place from noon to 1:30 p.m. No registration is needed.

FRIDAY, JAN. 20: Soon you will be able to spend time outside during the day without risk of hospitalization. You should join the Tacoma Mountaineers right now, just to celebrate.  Right now.  Riiiiggght now.  OK, fine, you want to know something about them? They hike, they bike, they climb, and yes - they mountaineer, too. (And rockin'?  Hah! - parties, too.) In short, indoors is out. Outdoors is in. So get out by getting in. Or something like that. The Mountaineers Tacoma Branch hosts an Open House with special guest speaker Washington state guidebook author Craig Romano Friday from 7-9 p.m. Drawing from his new release, Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge, Craig will be sharing tales from the trails from Ridgefield, Wash. to Boardman, Ore. Oh, because of a clubhouse renovation, the open house will be held at the Pierce County Library Processing Administration Center at 3005 112^th St. E. in Tacoma.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21: Go Get It Gal, a website aimed at adventurous women, will hosts a party from 3-6 p.m. at Joy Ride Bicycles in Lacey.This event, obviously aimed at women, will include comedic live music, food, community vendors, prize giveaways and a sale on women's bicycle gear and products. The keynote will be an interview with Olympia cycling legend and nine-time Hawaii Ironman finisher, Louise Taylor, who will share her secrets of longevity in athletic pursuits.

SUNDAY, JAN. 22: You need to join the Swiss Sportmen's Club of Tacoma right now. Sunday morning the club will host a free shotgun shoot in Bonney Lake. Shooting shotguns with the Swiss. Yo ho-lee ho-o-lee hol-la-lee-ho!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

READ ALL ABOUT IT >>>

Book clubs are one of the last vestiges we have of formally engaging conversations for groups of strangers. You can discover a lot about a person by learning their opinions on any piece of art, but books prove to be especially revealing.

Take, for instance, King's Books' Banned Book Club in Tacoma - a monthly get-together in which people discuss, appropriately, books that have been previously banned in some capacity. Books covered in the past by the Banned Book Club include a wide variety of genres, ranging from young adult fiction (The Hunger Games), to humorous essays (Naked), to nostalgic relics of childhood (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) to classically controversial titles (Of Mice and Men, The Color Purple, etc.).

Exploring why some of these books have been banned - and what the reader thinks about the validity of the controversies surrounding these books - can be an eye-opening experience, and a quick way to get to know someone.

The Banned Book Club meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Tempest Lounge. This month's book will be Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

If you're into more non-traditional storytelling, King's Books also hosts a Graphic Novel Book Club, which meets the second Monday of every month at 1022 South on Hilltop Tacoma.

Unfortunately for minors, both meet-up spots are 21+.

If you're in Olympia, and in need of a good book club, a great place to start is Orca Books. While Orca hosts a number of makeshift book clubs, the store also has its own flagship reading group, Orcapod, which meets the second Sunday of every month.

Past titles discussed by Orcapod include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Way We Never Were (by Evergreen College professor Stephanie Coontz, by the way).

Orcapod is quick to advertise the possibility that Orca housecat (every book store needs one), Henry, just might spend some time on your lap while you talk about that month's selection. Sounds like a cozy way to spend a Sunday to me.

If you're a voracious reader, you could hit all three book club meet-ups in Tacoma and Olympia - food for thought.

[King's Books, 218 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801]

[Orca Books, 509 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia, 360.352.0123]

LINK: Upcoming South Sound literary events

MONDAY IS A GOOD DAY TO START >>>

Monday night is typically a black hole for nightlife. Sure, if you run a sports bar, you'll do well during football season, but for most eating and drinking establishments, it's just dead, dead, dead. There's a darn good reason why so many of them are closed on Mondays. So how do those that remain open find ways to fill barstools on this, the most dreadful evening of the workweek?

Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal offers a night-by-night round trip through Olympia's unique arts scene, including two weekly events happening on Monday. To read his feature story, click here.

FREE EVENTS IN THE SOUTH PUGET SOUND DEC. 5-11 >>>

Feeling disenchanted this holiday season? Well, there's a holiday for that. A Festivus for the Rest of Us, created by Seinfeld character Frank Costanza who thought the holidays became to be too much: too much buying, too much stress, too much glitz. Costanza's Festivus holiday included a Festivus pole, feats of strength and the ritual airing of grievances.

What other holidays take place during this time of year?

Bobble Tiki found seven local, lesser-known holidays this week, all without an admission charge.

MONDAY, DEC. 5: "Roadiem"

• Wake up a noon
• Watch Spinal Tap three times
• Drive to Ted Brown Music and discuss replacing heads and sandbagging hardware with the employees until they want to kill you
• Hit the free Percussion Ensemble concert at 7:30 p.m. inside the Schneebeck Concert Hall at the University of Puget Sound
  
• Stay up until 4 a.m. building and dismantling an Erector Set
  

TUESDAY, DEC. 6: "Pretendus"

• Admit the biggest damper on holiday cheer is your adulthood
• Banish grown-ups
• Catch the free 10:30 a.m. Caspar Babypants show at the Tacoma Public Library in downtown Tacoma
• Make a fort in your living room
• Fall asleep to Shake It Up

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7: "Heat Miser Day"

• Sing the song, obviously
• Turn the heat dial in your car to 90
• Gather up your greener friends and head to the Joy Building on the University of Washington Tacoma campus for Ellen Moore's free 12:30 p.m. lecture titled "Feeling The Heat: How American Mainstream Media Cover Environmental Issues."
• Make fun of the people working at Baskin-Robbins
  
• Fall asleep with your electric blanket on
  

THURSDAY, DEC. 8: "Waterstock"

• Turn on the oven
• Tune in KZOK
• Cook a burrito
• Eat the burrito in front of The Dancing Lights Show, a computer-animated light show with music, featuring a 50-foot yacht decorated with more than 15,000 lights that turn on around 7 p.m. at the Olympia Yacht Club
  
• Think about dropping out, but instead play Angry Birds on your phone

FRIDAY, DEC. 9: "Mallard Day"

• Gather your entire extended family at the first annual "Duck the Halls Caroling Competition" at 6:30 p.m. at the Market Square in University Place. Bring food for the food bank.
• Put the younger generation in uncomfortable duck costumes
• Invite your Allstate agent because Aflac reduces ducks' humanity
• Eat bread pudding

SATURDAY, DEC. 10: "Brass Knocks"

• Put on your David Titterington black turtleneck sweater
• Watch every brass and organ concert on television
• When there isn't a brass and organ concert going on, talk about brass and organ concerts you saw over the last 10 years or are about to see with everyone around you
• Submit your brass and organ players to your fantasy league commissioner
• End the day with the free 7 p.m. Brass and Organ Christmas Concert at St. John's Episcopal Church in Gig Harbor
  

SUNDAY, DEC. 11: "Wonder Year Day"

• Start your day with a bowl of Quisp
• Attend the free 2 p.m. book and slide presentation by Paul J. Stein on the 1962 Seattle World's Fair inside the Tacoma Public Library in downtown Tacoma
• Ride your bike accross town then call someone on a pay phone to pick you up
  
• Don't wear a seatbelt on the ride home
  

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Santa Says Blog