Ed. note: The Dignitaries will not be joining Ben Union at Jazzbones tonight. Guitarist Lino Fernandez was in a traffic accident last Saturday night
in Seattle. Luckily, he only has a broken left foot. A photo of Lino at the hospital can be found here.

It's a new week, which means it's time for a new installment of Bobble Tiki's South Sound music news and notes column. Without further ado, let's get rolling. ...

The whole office has got it: Best of Tacoma fever, that is. Or fervor. Or just that crazy look in the eye that comes from extreme sleep depravation and too many Pop-Tarts. Luckily for all of us - and you, no doubt, probably just a little tired of hearing us yammer on endlessly about Best of Tacoma 2010 (now in spectacular 3-D!) - all this madness will come to fruition next week, with the release of the highly anticipated Best of Tacoma 2010 Issue (now in spectacular 3-D), and our Best of Tacoma 2010 Premiere Party Wednesday Night at Masa. On that note, Bobble Tiki would like to personally invite each and every one of the seven people reading this column to come down to Masa Wednesday (it starts at 6 p.m.), have multiple drinks with your favorite Weekly Volcano scribes and island themed souvenirs, and mingle with some of the most important, coolest, and just down right "Best" faces Tacoma has to offer. Oh, and if that's not enough, we do have $1,500 in door prizes lined up, DJ Darren Selector, and hired-gun emcees Doug Mackey and Kris "Save our Sonics" Brannon. It's going to be pretty awesome. Bobble Tiki's thinking about spray tanning for the event.

Speaking of the Weekly Volcano's annual Best of Tacoma Issue, as one of the longest tenured inanimate objects on the Volcano's staff, this time of year always sends Bobble Tiki into fits of nostalgia, reminiscing about Best Ofs past. Conveniently, one of the funnier things Bobble Tiki has ever seen in regards to Best of Tacoma happened just last year, and it involves a band playing Friday night at Jazzbones with the incomparable Ben Union.

Bobble Tiki speaks, of course, of the Dignitaries.

Bobble Tiki doesn't like to admit this, but along with being one of the longest tenured inanimate objects on the Volcano's staff, a fall-down drunk, and one of the few voices of reason in the Volcano newsroom over the mental age of 12 and a half, Bobble Tiki is also one of the poor schmucks tasked with tallying the Volcano's Best of Tacoma survey every year. It's not a pretty job. Honestly, it's almost as tedious for Bobble Tiki as it probably is for readers to fill out the entire, 130-some question cranial assault.

Last year, however, no matter what the question Bobble Tiki was tallying one constant source of levity and humor was The Dignitaries.

Best Restaurant? Someone answered "The Dignitaries."

Best Cup of Coffee? "The Dignitaries."

Best Sex Toy Selection? "The Dignitaries."

And so it went, for the entire survey; the same person (a member of the band, Bobble Tiki assumes), providing the same response - "The Dignitaries" - to each and every question we asked. It was awesome, very funny, and an act of gorilla promotional fortitude not seen since.

Anyway, The Dignitaries play Jazzbones with Ben Union Friday night. As well as being funny bastards, they're also a damn fine, Tacoma approved rock and roll band fit for mass, 24-oz consumption.

Finally, before Bobble Tiki rides into the sunset this week, it should be known that Champagne Sunday will be at Doyle's Saturday night. If you have yet to get your ass out and enjoy anything but a pint of Guinness and a soccer game at Doyle's - do yourself a favor and see how the Irish (or just alcoholic) themed public house across from the Temple Theater does the live music thing. Here's a hint: pretty fucking well. With jam-band-lover and all around good dude Jesse Turcotte captaining the musical-booking ship at Doyle's, there's plenty of good stuff happening - and the action is worth your eye.

Specific to Saturday, Champagne Sunday - which, if Bobble Tiki remembers correctly has been self described as Pearl Jam fronted by Bette Midler (no, really) - will be in T-Town for another performance, with the Ventura-based band having gained some Grit City steam on the back of several impressive and talked about performances. If you have yet to see the band, and the thought of Bette Midler fronting Pearl Jam doesn't make you vomit a tiny bit in your mouth, Saturday at Doyle's would be the perfect chance. In fact, it'll be your second to last chance, as the band will head out of our fair city (apparently they've been shacked up in these parts) after a show on Wednesday at Jazzbones opening for Vicci Martinez.

That is all. Bobble Tiki will see you next week, or - even better - see you Wednesday at the Weekly Volcano's Best of Tacoma Premiere Party at Masa.