Guides
BEST BUSINESS MODEL The Flat Win Co. The Flat Win Co. sells dirt, gravel and sand - and not in the quantities needed for landscaping. The items cost $1 each (at Archibald Sisters and buyolympia.com) and are packaged with product information cards. ("Today we are increasingly separated from nature," notes the card
Guides
It's no exaggeration to say Orca Books is part of the reason I moved to Olympia. When my family was desperate to lure me to the Pacific Northwest, one of the first places they took me was Orca. Two years later, when my novel Lightfall was published, I held my
Guides
The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the Best of Olympia 2012 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Band: The Brown Edition Best New Band: Science! Best Indie Band: Broken Water Best Metal Band: Wolves in the Throne Room Best Punk Band: Warning Track Best Jazz
Guides
SEXIEST HARD ROCK BAND Mosquito Hawk Shit. Jerry Zeigler, Phil Heinze, John Merithew and Olivia Love? Even their names are sexy. But start talking about Mosquito Hawk's talent, hair, high tops and cute tooth gaps all rolled into one epic super group, and Olympia gets a little wet between the legs. Steaming
Guides
There's excitement behind Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny's new band, Science!, a project fully realized in Olympia over the last year but born out of the duo's long-term musical relationship. You can tell there's excitement by the exclamation point. And you can tell by the voting. Stang and Elenteny's Science! received and
Guides
The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the Best of Olympia 2012 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Local Filmmaker: Kanako Wynkoop Best Movie Theater: Capitol Theater Best Creative Person: Nikki McClure Best Theater Company: Harlequin Productions Best Local Actor: Josh Anderson Best Local Actress: Elizabeth
Guides
BEST SOON-TO-BE-FAMOUS OLY ARTIST Becky Knold Becky Knold is an up-and-coming artist who is on fire. She took up painting late in life, after retiring from teaching, and only in the past year has she started showing in galleries. Knold was in about six shows last year and already has about that
Guides
"In the future," said the artist Andy Warhol, "everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Matter, voted Olympia's Best Gallery by Volcano readers two years running, has had way more than its share. The gallery, which displays only art made with reclaimed and recycled materials, showcases much more than paintings and sculptures.
Guides
The entire Best of Olympia 2012 issue is in the Guides section at weeklyvolcano.com. The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the Best of Olympia 2012 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Restaurant: Quality Burrito Best Restaurant Server: Kelly Alkire at Tofu Hut Best
Guides
The entire Best of Olympia 2012 issue is in the Guides section at weeklyvolcano.com. BEST PAELLA Adesso At Adesso, using seasonal offerings is important. The paella sees a rotating cast of characters in its proteins; clams, mussels, de-shelled prawns, bay scallops, calamari rings and whole small squid. Any number of these seafood treats
Guides
I arrive at Andy Geertsen's home for our interview. McTuff Trio, a Seattle-based jazz-soul band, is playing in the background, and Geertsen is busy scrubbing dishes. His giant Rottweiler, Ozzy, greets me by sticking his snout in my hand, and I pat his fluffy back. Geertsen's kitchen table is scattered
Guides
The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the Best of Olympia 2012 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Politician: Mayor Stephen Buxbaum Best Thurston County Non-Profit: SafePlace Best Local Hero: Joe Hyer and Occupy Olympia (tie) Best Local Blog: OlyBlog.net Best Bus Stop: Harrison &
Guides
BEST FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Tumwater District Stadium The pimply-faced, testosterone-reeking football players at Tumwater High School have a saying: NGUNNGU. What the hell does it stand for? Outside of the locker room and the "those were the days" fathers in the stands, who the hell knows? What Tumwater - and Black Hills
Guides
Last year, the Weekly Volcano chose musician and badass Jerry Ziegler as "Best Olympian," based on his unwavering devotion to Olympia's epic rock scene - an integral part of our Olympian identity. This year, the Weekly Volcano chooses Mathias Eichler. Eichler, too, is a badass. And he, too, has an unwavering devotion
Features
Not all fats are created equal. When reading the ingredient list on a package, people's first tendency is to check calorie and fat content. The common perception is that all fatty foods are unhealthy. The reality is that the human body needs fat in order to function correctly. A diet
Arts
I don't know who has it worse - the 6,000-and-change folks charged with selecting a single Best Picture from nine contenders at this year's Academy Awards, or you, charged with selecting a single decent Oscar party to attend. Or maybe, like Rhett Butler, you simply don't give a damn about
Music
One of the founders of Gonzo Family is the artist Mae Dali - and a true-artist he is. Mae MCs with some of the most intelligent word play I've heard locally in a while. There are plenty of dope MCs in this region - many true, hard street spitters, and
Music
Here's a slightly embarrassing little peek behind the curtain: This year, for Christmas, I got a ukulele with the expressed purpose of learning how to use it, so that I might utilize it in late night jam sessions with my talented friends. So, uh, there's that. I've always been jealous
Music
BROTHA LYNCH >>> Thursday, Feb. 16 February must be West Coast gangster rap month in Olympia. We've already had live performances by Andre Nickatina and Too Short, and next up we get the baby killa himself, Brotha Lynch Hung. Since releasing his debut album, 24 Deep, in 1993, and his sophomore release,
Stage
It's the biggest thing since the Picasso show. It's Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise at Seattle Art Museum. If that can't make Tacomans head north for an afternoon nothing can. Paul Gauguin is one of the greatest and most romanticized artists of the modern era. His story - abandoning family