Calendar Girl

SUZY STUMP: 5 THINGS TO DO TODAY >>>

10 A.M.: The South was not the only place where Americans were denied equal rights. Right here in Tacoma, as little as 35 years ago, Americans couldn’t get jobs or housing because of their color. Learn how local leaders fought Washington’s own civil rights battle in Tacoma’s Civil Rights Struggle: African Americans Leading the Way now on display at the Washington State History Museum. Guests will also see how the equal rights effort continues today.

7 P.M.: Since part of hip-hop’s essence is paying respect to the ancestors and elders (although some choose to ignore this legacy), Free Ya Mind Entertainment’s Stella Haioulani is uplifting the hip-hop community one event at a time. With her final Friday of the month at Tully’s (Bostwick branch at 764 Broadway, downtown Tacoma) Haioulani has provided a powerful stage for spoken word artists since 2003. Tonight, along with the regular platoon of spoken word talent, FYM presents World War II and Korean War veteran George Wada’s photography at 7 p.m.

8 P.M.: Harlequin Productions has created a name for itself as a thinking person's theater. Its shows are often deep in cultural references and plays on words. Its latest offering fits right into that reputation. The show Psychopathia Sexualis is a comedy that is not only accessible because of its surface level dialogue and storyline, but it also has clever cultural puns and, dare I say, highbrow humor that would fit right into the repertoire of the conversations of National Public Radio or Public Broadcasting Service listeners. Study it tonight at the State Theater in Olympia.

9 P.M.: Taist of Iron kick it like classic metal gods of the ’70s. These Tacoma bad boys — and one badass chick — offer a triple guitar assault with plenty of meaty bass, crashing drums and fever pitched vocals. Their show tonight with Mos Generator at Hell’s Kitchen, presented by the Dockyard Derby Dames, is a benefit for the AIDS Foundation.

9:30 P.M.: Not neo-soul, not urban, and not contemporary R&B, the Next Movement is authentic R&B akin to such legendary Motown units as the Temptations and the Four Tops. Chock-full of tight arrangements, fat horns and flawless harmonies, the group is a live act not to be missed tonight at Muckleshoot Casino’s Club Galaxy.

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment guide
LINK: Live music and DJs tonight