Entertainment

Catch booming beats, aerial feats and the story behind The Sonics, Tacoma’s legendary band

By Molly Gilmore Contributing writer

Sonics ‘Boom’

The Olympia Film Society is celebrating Tacoma’s legendary punk band The Sonics with a screening of the 2018 documentary “BOOM: A Film About the Sonics.” The award-winning documentary asserts that The Sonics — not the Ramones, not the Sex Pistols — invented punk. Along the way, it quotes members of such famed bands as Pearl Jam, Heart and the Sex Pistols. (No word on whether the Pistols agree about which band pioneered punk.) In the film’s trailer, Mudhoney’s Mark Arm describes the raucous quintet’s music as “rooted in ’50s rock ‘n’ roll, as played by a freight train.” The screening, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, will be followed by a Q&A with Jordan Albertsen, the film’s director. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $10-$13.

Gerald Roslie, guitarist and lead vocalist of The Sonics, poses with his Vox Continental electric organ on September 26, 1968.
Gerald Roslie, guitarist and lead vocalist of The Sonics, poses with his Vox Continental electric organ on September 26, 1968. Richards Studio Northwest Room at The Tacoma Public Library (31856)

See how they drum

The Pack Drumline started as an after-school program for at-risk youth. Today, the high-energy troupe of dancing drummers (or drumming dancers) is the official drumline of the Chicago Sky, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks. And the company, which has appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” tours internationally, too. The Pack will stop in Olympia on Wednesday, Jan. 15, for a 7 p.m. show at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. The Seahawks Blue Thunder drumline will open the show. Tickets are $26-$66.

The Pack Drumline, performing Wednesday, Jan. 15, in Olympia, mixes drumming with high-intensity choreography.
The Pack Drumline, performing Wednesday, Jan. 15, in Olympia, mixes drumming with high-intensity choreography. Courtesy of The Washington Center for the Performing Arts

High flying and high tech

“Surveillance,” opening Jan. 10 in Olympia, mixes aerial dance with screens and projections to explore how technology shapes relationships. The show, produced by Mirrah Stoller and featuring members of Airbound Arts, happens at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at Airbound Arts, 312 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. Tickets are $15-$80. Doors open 30 minutes before show time and organizers ask that you arrive early. The show includes lighting effects and fast-paced video edits; check the website for more information about content.

Mirrah Stoller is the producer and one of the performers in “Surveillance,” which mixes aerial dance with multimedia elements.
Mirrah Stoller is the producer and one of the performers in “Surveillance,” which mixes aerial dance with multimedia elements. Courtesy of Mirrah Stoller

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore likes the idea of Samba Olywa adding cartwheeling drummers a la The Pack. She talks with DJ Kevin the Brit about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.

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