posts that contain mini-bios of our writers
By Molly Walsh The mission of Tacoma Concert Band is to deliver professional, symphonic sound to audiences in Puget Sound and beyond. It’s well-traveled, with stops in Budapest, the French Riviera, Prague and Vienna. It played the 39th-annual South of Ireland Band Competition last summer and took best band, best brass section and best performance …
By Molly Walsh Traveling throughout the United States, tribute group Randy Linder Band’s set spans Creedence Clearwater Revival’s iconic 1960s-to-1970s playlist. Beginning in 2000, the tribute band has performed multiple shows in Las Vegas and a Creedence Clearwater Revival festival in Mexico. With vintage mop-top haircuts and flannel shirts to accompany John Fogerty’s distinctive, rasping …
By Molly Walsh With a tagline of “full throttle rockabilly,” the Roostertails reimagine classic-rock hits with a 1950s, country-rock twang. Upright bass adds just the right amount of old-school-Americana flair to Presley-style, low-octave vocals. Heavily influenced by Johnny Cash, the Roostertails can help any concert-goer find a rhythm. WHAT The Roostertails WHERE Sylvester Park, 615 …
ART REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Harold Nelson’s paper collages at the Department of Ecology in Lacey are phenomenal. Some may say they could be seen as gimmicky in a Where’s Waldo kind of way, but solid design and color harmonies elevate them above the merely tricky, not to mention that they are …
By Molly Walsh Between hidden gems and retro hits, Platinum Soul transports listeners to a 1970s funk and rhythm-and-blues dream. It plays throughout the Pacific Northwest, blending Earth, Wind & Fire; Hall and Oates and Rick James into its set. Band leader LaRoi Carter Jr. grew up in Lacey and has always wanted to return …
By Molly Walsh “I remember one time,” Walchak-Sloan says, “me and my friend were maybe eight years old, and her babysitter took us to Lakefair. At the fair, it was a big thing to go on the Ferris wheel and look down and see all of Lakefair. It was really big and there’s a lot …
by Ned Hayes Olympia has professional theater, amateur theater, family theater and community theater. Yet we are often bereft of truly experimental genre-busting theatrical adventures. In late July, on one night only, writer/performer/puppeteer and underground wandering clown-minstrel Donna Oblongata will grace Olympia with her presence and fill your need for an experimental journey to the …
By Molly Walsh After encouragement from her leadership teacher and friends who were involved in past Lakefair Courts, Kim decided to take a chance and apply for a position. In addition to travel to other parades, including one in Canada, Kim enjoys the service opportunities provided by being a member of the Royal Court. A …
By Molly Walsh Roebuck, who’s lived in Olympia for over a decade, has not only attended Lakefair but served as part of the festival staff. “I actually worked at Lakefair last year, which was fun,” she says. As a Lakefair princess, Roebuck’s always looking to meet people and make connections with service organizations. A standout …
By Molly Walsh “I’ve been to Lakefair many times,” says Byerly. “It’s what you do in the summer.” A longtime Olympia resident, Byerly often saw princesses on the Lakefair Parade float, never imagining she’d one day be the person waving at the crowd. As a member of the court, she most enjoys the social aspect. …