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THREE QUESTIONS with Bobble Tiki: Where Sails Meet Rails

He’s baaaaaaaaaack (god, Bobble Tiki hates that reference!)

Where Sails Meet Rails

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OK, OK - Bobble Tiki gets it. He's been a complete bum lately. Like Skippyjon Jones, maybe Bobble Tiki's been lost in spice - only the "spice" was actually booze, various other intoxicants, and copious amounts of self-loathing? But you probably wont be reading stories about Bobble Tiki's recent bender to your toddler at bedtime anytime soon. That'd just be fucked up.

Amazingly, even after finding the empty booze bottle in his desk, the empty cartoon of Newport Reds (what's up with those?) in his office trash bin, and an empty soul upon further inspection, the powers that be here at the Weekly Volcano decided to keep Bobble Tiki on staff. Bobble Tiki suspects it's because, during the heyday, the Swarner Bros erected a wooden statue of Tiki outside the office -- and they're probably just too damn cheap to replace it with a chainsaw carved Steph DeRosa. So the performance goes on ...

However, after returning from a successful, whirlwind, would-be-world-record-if-they-would-have-just-stopped-being-dicks-and-admited-Bobble-Tiki-was-cured-like-he-insisted-instead-of-making-him-jump-the-fence stay at Schick Shadel, Bobble Tiki is back in print - debuting a new column he hopes will reinvigorate his life like an erection lasting longer than four hours. Bobble Tiki can already feel the life pumping back into him. Slowly but surely...

Ladies and gentleman, "Three Questions with Bobble Tiki"

This week ...

Where Sails Meet Rails guitarist and frontman Jake Westhoff

BOBBLE TIKI: The last time the Volcano officially caught up with you guys was just prior to the release Economics of Love. How have things been, and what's new? How has the band progressed since then? What goal are you guys working toward right now? Are you still pleased with that record, and is there anything in the works?

JAKE WESTHOFF: Things have actually changed quite a bit for us in the last year since we released The Economics of Love EP. The biggest shake up (was) the change of lineup. Our drummer, Matt Staerk, moved on to different endeavors and we ended up becoming a three-piece instead of a four-piece. The fella that was the second guitarist (Christian Jordan) is actually a phenomenal drummer, so he scooted on over and we haven't looked back. The result is that we're able to focus more on quality songwriting, and (we) ended up with a tighter and more focused sound. We're still proud of the EP, but our styles and strengths continue to evolve, as they should. We're going into the studio to capture that in April and our goal is to finish a full-length by this summer.

TIKI: Your band -- even in name -- identifies heavily with Tacoma and its history. Since the last time you talked with the Volcano, has your relationship with this place changed at all? Is this still the right place for you guys, and a place worthy of naming a band after?

WESTHOFF: We are still proud of our town. I said before that we want to elevate Tacoma and its music scene. We still do. Other markets might have more bands or bigger venues or more demand for local music, but Tacoma has a strength of character in its underdog mentality. As people learn about the phenomenally talented individuals that we share a city with, the music scene and community will continue to grow. We can only try to do our part by creating the best music we're capable of and sharing it with people.

TIKI: You've had good success at The New Frontier. As a venue, why is it inviting to your band, and why do you think shows there tend to do well for you?

WESTHOFF: We love The New Frontier because they've been so welcoming to us. In particular I'm giving a shout out to Neil Harris, the owner, and Brook who does the booking. A good room and decent sound are great, but a venue being good to a band goes a long way toward us wanting to come back often and bring a good crowd. And the drink pours are pretty good...

[The New Frontier, Where Sails Meet Rails, with special guests, Friday, March 4, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

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