Looking to fill your evening in a lip-smacking, honest-to-goodness, stick-to-your-ribs kind of way? Head down to Cheney Stadium this summer for their monthly live music series Blues, Brews and BBQs . The music’s all that – and the barbecue won’t be bad either.

The event will be held once a month throughout the summer. Next up: on July 25, Nick Vigarino will take the stage to offer up his high energy, danceable blues guitar stylings. For dinner, a no-host bar and the music show, tickets are $45 for one show. Tickets for the music and one drink are $20 each. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.tacomarainiers.com or call (253) 752-7700.

- James

A benefit for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is being held on June 7th. The Stadium District is sponsoring its Art and Wine Walk. Drop by 19 local businesses and sip Washington wines while enjoying the work of local artists. $25 ticket price includes 10 tastes (you can get more for one dollar each), appetizers and a commemorative glass. Get info here.

–James

Once upon a time, at the historic bebop jam sessions in New York and New Orleans of the 1930s and ‘40s, you could see greats like sax legend Charlie Parker swinging alongside newcomers, old-timers, has-beens and never wases. That was the beauty of those jams. You never knew where the next surprising talent would come from. That’s what the Tacoma Urban Arts Festival is like. It’s free, it’s all ages, and it gives artists specially discounted booths to encourage them to make the leap from talented amateur to pro. The music line-up also gives an inside track to newer musicians.

Date: June 29
Time: 12 p.m. to dusk
Where: Fireman’s Park at 803 ‘A’ St.

Although the website was unavailable last time I checked, try clicking here for more info.

–Dale

One of my pet peeves about the Web is that whenever creative organizations launch a new website, all-too-often, navigation is difficult and those fancy-schmancy flash animations render the download times interminably long. Ugh. Thankfully, this is not the case with the Tacoma Art Museum site. Easy to surf, yet pretty to behold, this site is, in my opinion, a model of Web design. (Such good design doesn’t come cheap, I’m sure.) Here’s an opportunity for you to help the museum pay for its facelift: October 18, TAM will be holding its annual gala benefit. Show up and pitch in!

–Dale

The poetry world throughout Puget Sound rocked with enthusiasm, fury and vinegar as Urban Grace church named William Kupinse Tacoma’s first poet laureate. The competition was fierce, but eventually only one person could be duly appointed.

According to Kali Kucera, creative director at Urban Grace, Tacoma is the first mid-sized municipality north of San Francisco and west of Denver to recognize its own poet laureate, and the only city except San Francisco to base its poet laureate in residence at one of the city’s churches, not as is usual, within academia. (Thanks to the Tacoma Weekly for this info.) Congratulations, Mr. Kupinse!

–James

You’ve heard the news, I’m sure. 2015 will see the U.S. Open come to our own Chambers Bay Golf Course. This will be the first-ever U.S. Open to be held in Washington, and ESPN is about as excited by this as we are. Start practicing your swing now, because the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center will be hosting the AAC 19th Hole Premier Golf Trade Show July 24-27. Unless you’re in the business, you may not be able to get in, but with thousands of golf pros and insiders descending on our city, (making this one of the top convention events of the year) you just might find yourself shaking hands with someone who has shaken hands with some of golf’s greats.

–James

Burt Bacharach once wrote that “What the World Needs Now is Love.” But it also needs money. On March 8, he’ll be here to help two worthy causes get some. Here’s a chance to show some love to our hotel and do a good deed for two great Tacoma arts institutions while soaking in the sounds of one of pop music’s great living treasures, Mr. Bacharach himself. Here’s the museum’s own invitation: http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/page.asp?view=9003 .

“Museo is an exclusive evening of art, elegance, world-class cuisine, and exceptional entertainment. Join us at Museo to support both Tacoma Art Museum and Museum of Glass, and be among the first to experience Tacoma’s new Hotel Murano (formerly the Sheraton Hotel), the world’s first art-glass themed hotel.

“Event tickets include a multi-course dinner, live auction and paddle-raise, and tours of the hotel. Guests will also enjoy a private concert starring Burt Bacharach, a 2008 recipient of The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Individual tickets, tables of ten, and corporate sponsorship opportunities are available. You may also call our events information line at 253.272.4258 x5000 for details.

If Raindrops Keep Falling on Your Head, why not head to dryer ground and do a good deed while having a great time? Think about it. Meanwhile, I’ll Say a Little Prayer For You.

-Dale

As I promised you a few days ago, I took advantage of an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the new artwork at Portland’s ironically named Bullseye Gallery that will be on display here at the Hotel Murano. In keeping with their mission to eschew blown glass, most of the artwork they feature is flat glass panels that have been formed in a kiln. Even though they were closed that day, the gallery’s Event Coordinator, Ryan Watson, opened the doors and gave me a very knowledgeable tour of the show pieces. Here he is standing by my favorite piece.

Gotta love these camera phones. Check back over the next couple of days. I’ll be serving you up samples of the artwork that you’ll be able to chow down on when you get to Tacoma.

Josh

It looks like a trip down the I-5 to Portland, Oregon is in my future. How can I pass up the chance to get a sneak preview of some of the new glass art that will be installed in my own hotel? Dale tells me that you can check it out at Bullseye Gallery, 300 NW 13^th Avenue in the city’s hipper-than-thou Pearl District. The show runs through December 22^nd. While I’m down there I’m going to round out the trip with a visit to two other Provenance hotels in P-Town: Hotel Lucia and Hotel deLuxe. Seriously, these places are so cool they’re liable to start acquiring a cult following.

Josh

No, I’m not quoting Geddy Lee, I’m quoting the Bard. Google “Shakespeare in the Park” and you’ll discover that, from New York City to Oklahoma City, you can find enough iambic pentameter and padded breeches to earn a degree in Elizabethan literature – all for the price of an Amtrak Pass and a few grass stains on your picnic blanket. Google “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot” on the other hand and, well, okay, New York will come up again. But right after that, you’ll find the Tacoma’s version of Shakespeare. Starting with their slogan “Taking the Fear out of Shakespeare,” S.i.t.P.L. promises to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone. The best part is that they work year-round, undaunted by a muddy outfield. If you’ll be in town in November, you can catch Macbeth at King’s Bookstore. Leave your umbrella at home – they’ll be taking over the event space in the back of the store.

–Josh