Walkie Talkie Blog
THE DANCER, NOT FREAKIN' ROSS >>> I stalk people. It's part of my job at the Weekly Volcano. I dive deep into websites on a particular topic or person then compile it into a neat little package for you. This week, I stalked Benji Schwimmer, a 29-year-old California native who began competitive
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REVIEWING A TV SHOW SCREENED IN A MOVIE THEATER >>> Around 300 people packed Capitol Theater in Olympia Monday night to view the premiere of Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode "Hometown Haunts," featuring Oly favorite Darby's Café. Regulars of the café, neighbors, family and friends whooped and hollered
Walkie Talkie Blog
LEARNING IN THE DARK >>> In the most remote regions of world, where ice caps the size of large cities are rapidly changing, sloughing off chunks, creating rippling avalanches of snow and ice, and ultimately changing life as we know it, National Geographic's James Balog was in the thick of it, risking
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FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>> Spencer Abersold, a.k.a. The Walrus, sat before the KGHP radio station console for 200 hours - nine days - attempting to beat the Guinness Book of World Record's previous continuous broadcasting record of 187 hours. "I didn't lose my voice," he Abersold, "but I did go crazy." What
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40 YEARS! FOR...TY YEARS! >>> This Sunday, celebrate 40 years of records, skateboards, rock shirts and nag champa at Rainy Day Record's birthday celebration at The Brotherhood Lounge. We caught up with Rainy Day store manager Adam Hardaway to ask a few questions about working at Olympia's long-time record store. WEEKLY VOLCANO:
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WATCH IT WITH FRIENDS >>> Back in November, Weekly Volcano reported Guy Fieri was srusing his red convertible through the South Sound, filming his Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and making stops in Tacoma, Puyallup and Olympia. Passersby on the day filming went down at Darby's Cafe in Olympia barely
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FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>> There's a little mom and pop store on the corner of the Wildwood building in the South Capitol neighborhood - next to where Oly Coffee Roasters is opening a new cafe - that's catering to a variety of costumer needs. Spud's Produce Market opened last August, specializing in, you
Walkie Talkie Blog
FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>> So two bands, five comedians and one radio host walk into a bar. What sounds like the start of a joke is really this Friday's Rocking Comedy Extravaganza at The Backstage Bar and Grill in Tacoma. A string of comedians including Travis Simmons aka "The Big Funny,"
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GOOD REASON TO PARTY >>> The year was 1973. Music was in it's arguable hey-day: Elvis Presley performed in Hawaii as the first worldwide telecast and was watched by more people than watched the Apollo moon landings, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was released and Rainy Day Records opened
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TWO GUYS AND TWO FILMS >>> "Exploring Extreme Christianity Lands Two Locals a Spot in Hollywood." Normally, it seems the opposite behavior is what draws headlines and brings people to one of the world's most notorious sin cities. But, Hollywood is also know as a land of opportunity, and two locals - writer/director
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SPICE WITH FRIENDS >>> It's 8 p.m. on a Sunday night when I walk into Trago Mexican Kitchen and Cocina Lounge in Olympia's Capital Mall. The ambiance is nice - warm earthy tones and lots of candlelight. Around 20 people spread across the lounge - a handful saddled up to the
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TACOMA ON NATIONAL TV AGAIN >>> Tacoma rockers The Legend of Bigfoot will make an appearance on Animal Planet's reality TV series, Finding Bigfoot. The show airs Sunday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. Legend of Bigfoot guitarist Jason Flom gives us a rundown on the long wait, and how it all
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TODAY IN COFFEE NEWS >>> Olympia Coffee Roasting Company - one of Olympia's favorite coffee roasters and winner of the 2013 Micro Roaster of the Year - will open a third location in the South Capitol Neighborhood in Olympia. "I'm really excited to be in this neighborhood," says Sam Schroder, co-owner. Nestled between
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CD RELEASE SHOW TONIGHT >>> Phasers on Kill has been fighting the pop punk fight for nearly four years since members of the defunct West of Waco formed this quartet, grabbing the name from a Screeching Weasel song. Phasers on Kill's latest, Write Home, is a five-track EP — a jump-up-and-down-and-smash-something
Walkie Talkie Blog
Reading Like A Writer In my Christmas stocking was one of the better gifts I've received. It was a copy of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. It's true; writers want to read about writing. The only thing that could have made this gift better would be
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GOOD MORNING >>> Just when you thought the coffee scene couldn't get any better in Olympia, in steps Bar Francis, a quaint little shop inside Northern, the all-ages venue and art gallery in downtown Oly. Next to the Fish Tale Brew Pub, the 3-week-old Bar Francis sits inside a garage - the
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CD RELEASE SHOW >>> Be forewarned, pop-punk kiddos. There's no logical reason to miss Saturday's CD release party for one of Tacoma's favorites, Phasers on Kill. The new EP, Write Home, features five songs by bassist Dan (Danno) Rankins, guitarist/vocalist Chris Adkins, drummer Ryan Smith (Timebomb) and guitarist/vocalist Mikey Waco. The
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12 SLAYS OF CHRISTMAS >>> Admit it, Santa can be down right creepy sometimes. We've seen him walking down the street with droopy eyelids, boozy breath and unrecognizable stains on his fluffy white cuffs, or posing in pictures of yore, some awkward looking child perched on his velvet covered knee, the
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WINNING BIG >>> 181-35. This was the final score in the inaugural USARS Roller Derby National Championship. The contenders in the final bout were Oly Rollers vs. San Diego Starlettes. The two teams made it through to the end of an eight-team bracket, including bouts against Tacoma's Underground Derby League All-Stars. The
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Compass Rose greets you with pleasantries aplenty. From cute and quirky gifts for baby, to unique and beautiful jewelry and even high-end cookware, you can mark nearly everyone off your list. Then. You. Have. To. Wrap. The employees at Compass Rose in downtown Olympia are happy to wrap any purchase. Yes! They are so