>>> Thursday, Nov. 29

DICK DALE, GIRL TROUBLE, THE DIGNITARIES

Legendary rockers Dick Dale and Girl Trouble have shared a stage in Tacoma many times, the last being over a year ago. These influential musicians have 50 year and 30 year careers, respectively. They have stood the test of time, sticking to our hearts like a home cooked meal sticks to the ribs, and together, along with The Dignitaries, will again share a stage Thursday, Nov 29, at The Swiss in Tacoma.

Girl Trouble's Bon Wheelie reminisces in an email about a show with Dale at the old Hell's Kitchen on Sixth Avenue: "I was watching him in the side bar so I could still see him on stage. He jumped off the stage, still playing, and walked over to the few of us watching from that spot and played to us. Then he walked out onto 6th Ave, still playing, and right out into the street. About 25 of us followed him out there and he stopped traffic while he played! It was unbelievable."

Dick Dale, 75, attributes his energy and enthusiasm for touring as "a chance to be Johnny Appleseed."  Dale, a cancer survivor who says he's nowhere near retiring, does a national tour three times a year. - Nikki McCoy

Read Nikki McCoy interview with Dick Dale in the Weekly Volcano's music section.

THE SWISS, DICK DALE, GIRL TROUBLE, THE DIGNITARIES, THURSDAY, NOV. 29, 8 P.M., $20, 1904 JEFFERSON AVE., 253.572.2821

>>> Thursday, November 29

CHILDREN OF KIDS

Though they share qualities with other electronic neo-primitivists like Animal Collective, NewVillager and Yeasayer, Children of Kids tends toward the dreamier, gentler side of things. But even still, there's always an underpinning of intensity, with an insistent beat that threatens to scare away the trilling synths. Amongst these beat-driven aural journeys, Children of Kids occasionally flirts with blissed-out chillwave - music that desires nothing more than to take your mind for a walk, dip it in some caramel and roll it in rainbow sprinkles before returning it, sun-baked and sticky, to your head. Given that this show will be held in the basement of a University of Puget Sound building, and that one of the other bands (Bardobasho) is advertised as "ethereal vocal-driven electronic," I'd count on some serious head-bobbing to be had at this show. - Rev. Adam McKinney

CLUB RENDEZVOUS, WITH NOT FROM BROOKLYN, BARDOBASHO, 9 P.M., NO COVER, $3 RECOMMENDED DONATION, 1500 N. WARNER, TACOMA, 253.879.3100

>>> Friday, Nov. 30

ELIOT LIPP

During my time at the Weekly Volcano, I've written about Eliot Lipp so many times that I worry there's nothing left to be said. In case any of you are uninitiated (and how sad that would be), this is a producer who specializes in the kind of gut-punching minimalist electronic dance tracks that say no more than necessary, while also communicating every thing that need be known about Lipp, the LA-current/Tacoma-native. His tracks sound old and new at the same time - a trick that's being performed more and more by beat innovators these days. Lipp distinguishes himself by finding the essence of what makes you move, stripping away all non-necessities, and creating something that manages to find enough time for beauty and subtle in the middle of all those dangerous hooks. - Rev. AM

THE NEW FRONTIER LOUNGE, WITH KILLAZ WIT KINDNESS AND JASIA 10, 9 P.M., $10, 301 E. 25TH ST., TACOMA, 253.572.4020

>>> Saturday, Dec. 1

MICKEY AVALON

Rapper Mickey Avalon has led quite the life. Born in 1975, Avalon grew up in a hellish environment. His father was a heroin addict; his mother sold marijuana to make a living. Avalon's early life was marked by tragedy. He adopted his mother's trade and sold pot to make money. He converted to Orthodox Judaism in his teenage years, but lost his father in a drunken car accident sometime later. By his early 20s, Avalon was both a husband and a father; however, he was also caught up in a vicious heroin addiction that would later cost him his marriage and custody of his child. To support his heroin addiction, he worked as a prostitute. Racking up debt, and nearing the bottom of the bottom, Avalon decided to attempt to kick his addiction and moved in with his sister, a fellow-recovering addict. However, tragedy struck once more when his sister relapsed and died in an overdose. Seeing this as a final sign, Mickey returned to L.A. in an attempt to find peace. While there, a friend, DJ Simon Rexx, encouraged him to pursue a career as a rapper. After recording some demos, Simon passed them out and Avalon suddenly found himself in demand. Around the L.A. club scene, He began to sell out shows, and was spurred on by the success of the singles "My Dick," "Jane Fonda" and "Mr. Right." Avalon released his debut self titled LP in 2006 to positive reviews, and quickly found himself in a place of success.

Yes, that's a long paragraph. It's also been a long, rough six years for Avalon.

Present day, Avalon has released his second album, Loaded, for which he embarked on a massive tour, followed almost immediately by a smaller one. Before his show Saturday, Dec. 1 at Tacoma's Jazzbones, Sean Contris caught up with him to ask about his new album, the tour and his plans for the future. The Mickey Avalon interview is in the Weekly Volcano's Music section. - Sean Contris

JAZZBONES, MICKEY AVALON, WITH PINKBEAD FEDERATION, THE CHICHARONES AND SKY PILOT, SATURDAY, DEC. 1, 6 P.M., $19.95, 2803 SIXTH AVE., TACOMA 253.396.9169

>>> Saturday, Dec. 1

ARGONAUT, LOZEN

There is a deep appreciation between bands and bars, they've had each others backs since the dawn of time. There is an even deeper bond between band and bartender, an unspoken hook-up of good drinks, high fives and free T-shirts.

Throw a birthday in the mix of this industry friendship and the party hits the next level. Tacoma's Argonaut and Lozen, along with Portland's Hot Victory and Olympia's Mosquito Hawk are going to tear down The New Frontier's walls with a heavy, bad ass rock show to celebrate bartender Abby Hooyer's birthday.

"Parties are great," says Hooyer, "Especially when they are for your birthday and feature really great local music. I love rock shows at The New Frontier because it's really one of the best independent music venues in Tacoma. It gets really loud in there and you can feel the old wood floor move with the music at times. It's my home away from home, and many of my favorite people hang out, play music and work there." So come out, rock out and buy the birthday girl a drink. - NM

THE NEW FRONTIER LOUNGE, 9 P.M., $6, 301 E. 25TH ST., TACOMA, 253.572.4020

>>> Saturday, Dec. 1

THE DECEPTIVES

The Deceptives are a deliriously dopey band from Olympia. They play punk. They want you to drink. A lot. They'd like you to barf. They describe their music as "party drunk punk" - a summary of the past few sentences. As a band, they are the brave souls who persist in keeping the flame of dopey bands past alive and burning with the sort of intensity that results in singed body hair. I can think of no more appropriate place to experience the Deceptives than in the comfy, cozy, concrete confines of Le Voyeur, surrounded by shitfaced moshers in the heart of downtown Olympia. I can smell the stale beer and cigarette butts now. They smell of the Deceptives. And the Deceptives smell like a good fucking time. - Rev. AM
LE VOYEUR, WITH SIMON THE LEPER, VANGUARD AND KIM JONG ILLIN', 10 P.M., NO COVER, 404 E. 4TH AVE., OLYMPIA, 360.943.5710

>>> Thursday, Dec. 6

CHAMPAGNE SUNDAY

Champagne Sunday is an interesting breed. Performing a little bit Broadway, a little bit contemporary, a little bit punk and a little bit blues, this indie duo has a lot of energy and talent that makes for an engaging, powerful listen.

Jessi and Jared Fredeen, (yes, they're married) make up the California transplant band that uses instrumentation ranging from acoustic guitar to piano, with trombone, ukulele, harmonica and squeezebox.

Vocalist Jessi has a sound similar to Chrissie Hynde or Ani DiFranco - a huge, feminine voice with power and punch, but with a range so as to reach into a lullaby if necessary. This is not to say that Jared isn't without poise when he flies solo or chimes in on harmony. Champagne Sunday's song "In Your Pocket" reaches into that lullaby territory. I tested it on my kids. They snapped and bobbed their little heads along. I could just as easily introduce my mom to Champagne Sunday's music. My hard rocker husband stopped halfway through the living room and asked "hey, who you listening to?" Apparently, I should have Champagne Sunday over for Sunday dinner. - NM

Read Nikki McCoy's interview with Champagne Sunday in the weekly Volcano's Music section.

FORZA COFFEE COMPANY, THURSDAY, DEC 6, 7 P.M., ALL AGES, 9715 LAKEWOOD DR. SW, LAKEWOOD, 253.584.9622