The Olympian’s picks for fun and culture this week
Feb. 14
‘Love’ songs from a former ‘Voice’ contestant
In 2013, Stephanie Anne Johnson of Tacoma made it to the finals on NBC’s “The Voice.” These days, Johnson, who’ll play Friday in Olympia, is still getting attention for her musical talent. “She has a sound that’s deeply rooted, but there’s also a springy sheen to it,” No Depression’s Amos Perrine wrote last week, dubbing her an artist on the rise. Johnson and her band, the Hidogs, are touring in support of their new album, “Take This Love” — a perfect theme for Valentine’s Day. They’ll bring their blend of swamp blues, outlaw country, funk and hip-hop to Rhythm & Rye, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia for a 9 p.m. show. The cover charge is $10. For details, call 360-705-0760. Meanwhile, give a listen to the new track “2 a.m.,” at youtu.be/TcB_GtAcJUQ.
Feb. 14-16
Listen, dance, sing or play the old-time way
Old-time tunes are at the heart of the 12th annual Oly Old-Time Festival, but festival organizers aim to offer something for everyone. There are dances, jam sessions, events for children and families, and workshops on topics from banjo to art and singing to stunts. Events happen through Sunday at South Bay Grange, 3918 Sleater Kinney Road NE, Olympia, and Arbutus Folk School, 600 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia. For the Feb. 14 concert and Feb. 15 square dance, tickets are $20. Everything is free for children 12 and younger, and the workshops — held at the grange and at Arbutus — are free for everyone. Check out the full schedule and buy tickets at olyoldtime.org.
Feb. 14
Say it with silence
Looking for something unusual to do on Valentine’s Day? The Washington Center for the Performing Arts is screening the 1929 silent film “Lucky Star,” about a poor young woman (Janet Gaynor) whose true love (Charles Farrell) returns home from World War I with a serious injury that stands in the way of their marriage. It will be accompanied by Seattle theater organist Dennis James on the center’s 1924 Wurlitzer organ. See the romance unfold beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $23. Get details and tickets at washingtoncenter.org/event/20-02-14-lucky-star/, or call 360-753-8586.
Feb. 14
For those averse to hearts
Many of Friday’s events have tie-ins to Valentine’s Day, which makes sense, but what if you want to avoid reminders of romance or dislike the commercial nature of the celebration? One option is to go to The Clipper, which has renamed the holiday “Second Halloween.” Its Facebook event page bears a meme with a photo of a couple of movie hobbits and the words “What about second Halloween?” (Hobbits, you might recall, are very fond of second breakfast. This, apparently, is the holiday equivalent.) “We aren’t a fancy place to take your date,” the event description notes, “so why not?” There’ll be costumes, cocktails and karaoke at the bar, 402 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. For details, call 360-943-6300.
Feb. 15
‘A Day Late’? OK
If you are up for romance, The Olympian doesn’t recommend being late with the Valentine’s Day card or flowers. But if you want to go out and celebrate a day late — with a special someone, or with friends, or even all by yourself — Tush Burlesque has you covered. (The performers, on the other hand, will not remain covered.) The troupe, now 10 years old, is performing its annual V-Day show after the big day. “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” features the Tush regulars plus guests, including Olympia’s all-Latina burlesque troupe, Papaya Magic, plus contortionist Alexandria Ostrem and pole dancer Jane Air. The show — open only to those 18 and older — starts at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$35, and they’re available only online. Get them at olympiafilmsociety.org/tush-burlesque-feb/.
Feb. 15
Ready for takeoff
Paper airplanes will fill the air Saturday at the Olympic Flight Museum. The museum’s annual Paper Airplane Flight School — open to adults as well as children — gives would-be aviators the opportunity to fold and fly various styles of planes and compete for prizes given for the most accurate and longest throws. School will be in session from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the museum, 7637 Old Highway 99 SE. Tuition is $7, and tickets for spectators are $5. Find out more at olympicflightmuseum.com/paper-airplane-flight-school/, or call 360-705-3925.
Feb. 15
‘Captivating’ quartet plans eclectic concert
Compliments from critics — it was the Washington Post’s Grace Jean who used the word “captivating” — are just the beginning of the accolades amassed by the Aizuri Quartet, playing Saturday in Olympia. The all-female string quartet earned a 2019 Grammy nomination for its debut album and won the Grand Prize at the prestigious M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition in 2018. The foursome’s wide-ranging “Songs and Echoes of Home,” the latest offering from Emerald City Music, includes works by Antonín Dvorák and Jean Sibelius along with Armenian folk songs and California composer Lembit Beecher’s 2012 “These Memories May Be True,” inspired by the Estonian songs and stories he learned from his grandmother. The music will begin at 7:30 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $10-$40. Get tickets and details at washingtoncenter.org or emeraldcitymusic.org, or call 360-753-8586.