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Best action scene FERRARI JOYRIDE Readers of a certain age (mine) will remember the arcade game Spy Hunter, in which an operative driving a "G-6155 Interceptor," a fictitious sports car that looked an awful lot like a Ferrari, careened down a road at insanely high speeds to the tune of Henry Mancini's
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The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the best of Olympia 2014 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best politician: Darren Mills Best politician you love to hate: Karen Rogers Best Thurston County nonprofit organization: GRuB Best local hero: Rob Richards Best Thurston County based website:
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"Our role isn't to create popular bands," says Johnson, "we're just here to document them." The founder of K Records, Calvin Johnson, who dug into hearts with his bands Beat Happening, Halo Benders and Dub Narcotic Sound System, who played records on Evergreen's independent radio station, KAOS, when he was just
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The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the best of Olympia 2014 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best shoe store: Hot Toddy Best record store: Rainy Day Records Best grocery store: Olympia Food Co-op Best tattoo shop: Lit Fuse Best hair salon: Jamie Lee &
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The Alpine Experience is dead; long live Centro. The longtime outfitter, which again was our readers' pick for best outdoor gear store, is being born again, evolving into something that's not exactly an outdoor gear store. Rather, think of it as an urban adventure marketplace, including The Bike Stand, Olympia Footwear Co.,
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Best retail combo PSYCHIC SISTER Just as restaurants offer you fries with your burger or rice with your curry, retail shops tend to offer combinations of goods: Gift shops have cards; shoe stores have socks. But those classic combinations are nothing compared to the offerings at Psychic Sister. Sure, the vintage clothing
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Home of Calvin Johnson and grunge rock, historic record labels and KAOS FM, The Evergreen State College, and the best crappy beer you can get, Olympia is the perfect place to fill the musical void in your life. With a constant forecast of rain, an abundance of
Stage
We're not awful people, we swear! It bums us out to deflate the work of theatrical colleagues and friends. That's why I was delighted to add the "Carvies," a roster of exceptional work in Olympia, to my review schedule in 2010 and in every December since. Now I've encouraged Joann
Arts
Ugh, remember last December, when you and your besties suddenly realized you had no plans the night of the 31st, it was too late to book anything extraordinary and the one place you were able to get into was about as exciting as an Amish church picnic? Weak! Don't let
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"All the bands are top musicians," says Lee Brooks, who is presenting the third consecutive Soulstice! celebration in Olympia Friday. "The key word we've been using is "heavy." It's heavy funk. Its amazingly mind-blowing heavy funk." The Jefferson Rose Band, McTuff and The Brown Edition will be plowing through spring and
Critics' Picks
[SPOKEN WORD] + FRI, JUNE 21 It should be no surprise that Free Ya Mind and Stella Haioulani have provided the longest running poetry/literary/hip-hop community programming in the Pacific Northwest, since 2001. Some may be unaware of the artistic community developed by Haioulani and inspired by the emotional remains of the
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"You might say that we are classic elegant swing meets surf guitar," says Jessica Blinn, vocalist and violinist for The Jessica Blinn Quintet that will play Olympia's Urban Onion Friday. The event kicks off a new jazz series for the venue. "We are excited to be playing at a new
Critics' Picks
[INDIE ROCK] + FRI, MAY 3 It's been a pleasure over the past while to watch as RowHouse grew and changed and inevitably found its feet. Fronted by Alex Tapia - previously of Bayonet - RowHouse has finally settled itself into a comfortable groove as a two-piece. Manning the drums are
Arts
From leopards and ladybugs to whales and wild flowers, Mother Earth and all her species will be celebrated in the Procession of the Species - Olympia's beloved 19th annual tribute to natural selection, human creativity, and the flora and fauna of the planet. The afternoon of Saturday, April 27, about
Viva South Sound
On any night of the week, one can meander past the main bar in Olympia's China Clipper Club Cafe, to the back room where a disco ball, stage, stellar PA system, extensive song list, savvy DJ and lively, often tipsy, crowd scribbles on tiny, colorful paper then
Scene It
On any night of the week, one can meander past the main bar in Olympia's China Clipper Club Cafe, to the back room where a disco ball, stage, stellar PA system, extensive song list, savvy DJ and lively, often tipsy, crowd scribbles on tiny, colorful paper then waits ... for
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BEST PILLOWS Three Bad Seeds The pillows of this family of crafters have distinctive Northwest flair. Made from upcycled wool and linen, mostly in natural tones, the pillows are cute but never cutesy in such shapes as buffalo, foxes, mountain goats, hedgehogs - oh, and mountains. They also have domestic dogs
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Just as a distinct accessory or trim makes an outfit, the daring pairing of vintage apparel and psychic readings sets Olympia's Psychic Sister apart from the norm. The shop, voted Olympia's Best Vintage Clothing Store, features a lively mix of intact and lovingly updated vintage items, owner Sarah Adams' own creations,
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The Weekly Volcano would like to thank all those who took the time to vote in the best of Olympia 2013 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Shoe Store: Yolli Shoes Best Record Store: Rainy Day Records Best Grocery Store: Olympia Food Coop Best Tattoo Shop: Lit Fuse Tattoo Best Hair Salon: Jamie Lee
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BEST DECADE TO MAKE NEW AGAIN '90s nostalgia The major musical trend of the last two years may very well be '90s nostalgia, but for various reasons this may have served the Olympia music community quite well. This past year saw Bangs return, briefly, to live performance. One of the great Olympia