Tacoma

Photographer Christopher Nelson reports:

I photographed the Lady Gaga concert on Saturday night out of pure curiosity. I wanted to see what all the hype was about: if she was as good as people say, and who exactly her fans are.

Though, I only saw two songs — all photographers were ushered out after that — I can tell you she didn't disappoint.

But what stood out the most was how welcoming and friendly her audience was. They were as diverse as they come, sporting unique and, at times, outrageous outfits.Everyone snapped photos together, more than happy to pose with strangers.

Creativity everywhere

I figured my roommate Dawn, who saw the show in its entirety, might  give you a better glimpse at the show itself.

Dawn Lake reports:

I expected to be entertained at a Lady Gaga concert. On Saturday night she exceeded my expectations. Her fans, "little monsters" as she affectionately calls them, were dressed especially for the event; imitating her or creating their own crazy costumes.

She started the show performing "Dance in the Dark" with a gritty night scene, including a burned-out car with a keyboard underneath the hood. She then moved into her hit "Just Dance" which got everyone moving. She played all of her hits from both albums, The Fame and The Fame Monster.

In between the many set and costume changes, the video screens above the stage showed snippets of highly stylized videos of her posing in elaborate costumes before returning to live shots of the show upon Gaga's return.

It was great to have the screens because you could really see the show. However, at certain points during the show, I realized more people were watching what was on the video instead of the stage.

Gaga kept up a rapport with the audience, always being sure to say, "Thank you, Tacoma."

And she mentioned that the last time she was in Tacoma, she opened for New Kids on Block and only a quarter of the Tacoma Dome was filled. Ouch.

She also innocently asked the crowd if she was sexy. The crowd yelled back an affirmative.

Only one thing she said struck me as odd: she reminded the audience that she has seven number-one hits. She was simply stating a fact, but I typically don't hear a singer touting her own success quite in that way.

Regardless, she commanded the stage. Whether she was in some giant monster costume with fake hair or in a a high-cut bodysuit, she worked her way around the tiered stage singing and dancing in extremely high heels, and never faulting. The choreography was solid.

The best dance number was the last song, "Bad Romance," reminiscent of the popular video. Oftentimes, singers with successful dance tunes focus so much on the choreography that the singing takes a back set. In Lady Gaga's case, she found a balance. And, yes, the lady can sing.

Her singing capabilities were best demonstrated in "Speechless," a bluesy piano number played as a flame tore out of the piano. She played with passion and physicality reminiscent of Tori Amos. I was surprised that, for all the spectacle that is Lady Gaga, her show wasn't just about the spectacle. Behind the theatrics, Lady Gaga is a performer with a lot of talent, vision and, of course, showmanship.

Photos by Christopher Nelson. Stay tuned for a slide show, including more fans in crazy costumes.

Galen McCarty Turner (who you may remember from this whimsical story from our archives) is back at the edge of a death-defying three-inch bike jump - or his own sanity you might say.

This Saturday, the Tacoma artist will ride his bike through an illuminated wall of neon, which he designed and built in his own back yard. The performance will help raise funds for 2^nd Cycle, Tacoma’s Independent Bike Co-op located in Hilltop.

Enjoy this video from last year's jump, in which Galen nails the jump, and momentarily catches on fire.

And read more details and background after the jump.

And, kids: don't. Just don't.

What makes a book controversial enough to get banned from libraries and schools? Depends on who's counting.

The Tempest Lounge had a warm vibe last month as I grabbed myself a Manny's and joined King's Books' monthly Banned Book Club meeting. Up for discussion this month were John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. I was excited to return to these classics with a more adult mentality, compared to when I was assigned to read them some years ago in high school.

As the discussion began, some of the controversy surrounding both books elicited chuckles and eye rolls from the group. Mice and Catcher, usual suspects on the Top 100 banned books list, have mainly been challenged for profanity, which some parents actually took the time to count. (Catcher has over 700 instances of profanity, and Mice has over 100, if you consider "sonuvabitch" profane.) Other reasons for outrage include sexually explicit, anti-white, obscene and racist content, as well as the "profane use of God's name." 

Holden Caulfield from Catcher inspired the bulk of discussion in last month's meeting, as some members utterly despised the negative teen angst, while others completely relate to the character in all of his cynical anguish. Despite the disagreement, the group could not stop smiling at one member's gratuitous admiration for Caulfield's "brilliant mind."

It's important to note that banning books is not a practice exclusive to the 1950s, nor to small towns. Tacoma author Brent Hartinger's young adult novel, Geography Club, was banned from Washington junior and high school libraries in 2005 because of a paragraph that described a romantic meet-up between the protagonist and an online acquaintance, organized via a chat room. When it comes to banning books, concerned parents and educators are generally not voices that go unheard.This makes the consideration of what's "obscene" and what's "appropriate" for children all the more relevant for public discussion.

So join the group tonight, August 17, at 7:00pm to discuss Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes, which was banned in 2008 for sexually explicit and offensive language. The young-adult novel follows the protagonist Martha Boyle, whose experiences her typical summer vacation in Cape Cod much differently after a classmate is killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Or, if you need a little more lead time, next month's meeting, on September 21, features Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Looking for more profound profanity? View a complete list of classics, their challenges and bans. 

The Tempest Lounge, 913 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma. Must be 21 to attend the meeting, or accompanied by an adult. All books available for purchase at King's Books.

King’s Books in Tacoma hosts their Distinguished Writer’s Series Open Mic every month, sponsored by Puget Sound Poetry Connection.

Although the open mic is open to anyone wanting to read some of their own work, there is always the special treat of a guest reader. This month’s installment includes Nicholas Karavatos reading from his first published book No Asylum.

Nicholas lives near Dubai and teaches literature and writing at the American University of Sharjan in the United Arab Emirates. He has been described as a poet with “great range and clarity” often speaking of life, love and the Middle East where he resides.

His words are relatable, humorous and captivating.

Read an excerpt from his book, No Asylum, after the jump:

Here & Now, "a show of generations," is bound to leave you in awe of the growth the Tacoma community has seen through the latter half of the twentieth century.

Pairing artistic work that came about in drastically different generations, the show poses these questions: How does work differ between that of a young person and that of a seasoned veteran of the arts? What differs in their concepts and media? How will art evolve through future generations in this community?

Featured artists are from all walks of life, working on both the amateur and professional levels beginning in the 1940s and continuing through the late 90s. The lineup also includies students from the Hilltop Artists in Residence Program.

Show runs now through August 15. Gallery is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12pm - 6 pm.

Read more about Fulcrum and its owner Oliver Doriss in City Arts' "Hangout" with him at Stanley & Seafort's in the May '09 issue; and read Doriss' picks for this year's artists to watch in our January '10 Resolutions issue.

Fulcrum Gallery and Art Space, 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma.

The Food for Thought Book Club meets tonight at Garfield Book Co. near PLU.

The group's blog offers some interesting facts about quinoa — especially if you're like me, and have never heard of quinoa — and also previews the dish that will be offered at the club meeting tonight.

If you're a cookbook or cooking fiend living around South Sound, you might just want to check this out. Not free tonight? The club meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 6:30pm.

Garfield Book Company
208 Garfield Street, Suite 101, Tacoma

This art installation (which includes a wall covered in shredded paper) in.disposable, just appeared on the Tacoma Art Listserv. Check it out if you can.

From the e-mail:

For anyone who didn't make it to the opening last Thursday at the Viceroy Art Gallery/office G|O architects space and are interested in viewing the installation, feel free to stop by or peek in through the windows. 711 Court A — right behind the Matador restaurant.

If you’re looking for something to do with your hands this weekend, head to the Murano Hotel in downtown Tacoma for the fifteenth annual Puget Sound Bead Festival taking place July 9–11. Over six dozen classes and a hearty bead bazaar take place Friday and Saturday from 10–6, and Sunday 11–5.

Pre-registration is closed, but info on space availability in classes and course descriptions can be found at pugetsoundbeadfestival.com. The bead market alone is worth the $7 admission fee, offering millions of baubles from around the globe to covet or claim as your own, most at discounted prices.

Romantic comedies, though fun at times, never have the tension of other movies, because you already know the ending.

TiMER pulls a sleight of hand using the standard romantic comedy genre. In an alternate modern times, a technology called TiMER, implanted in a person's arm, will inform a person as to the exact moment they will meet the love of their life. It's never wrong.

When Oona thinks she's met the one, she and her boyfriend get TiMERs installed to be sure. It turns out that, while Oona's boyfriend's shows a time in the distant future, Oona's is blank, meaning her true love doesn't have a timer and isn't her current boyfriend. 

Soon after, she meets a young drummer (whose TiMER shows four months left) and is forced to ask herself if pursuing a relationship is worth it when she knows the relationship won't lead to lasting happiness, not only because of her TiMER, but the two's mismatched personalities. Here's the trailer:

The film appears to veer away from the purely utilitarian nature of dating and explore how dating develops you as a person, rather than giving you a specific result, like marriage or sex. Only playing in Tacoma at the Grand Cinema and select theatres in New York and LA, the film runs today through the 24th.

Grand Cinema, 605 South Fawcett Avenue