PERMANENT LIPSTICK by Ginger Knoxx
Keep a close watch on the space next to the The Grand Cinema. Area artists are raising the bar a bit further this winter with the opening of Kulture Lab, a new gallery and event space in the former Catapult realty office. Those behind the scenes at Kulture Lab promise rotating displays of edgy art and will continue with mixed and multi-media showings and installations similar to the late August event. Deliriously good edible art will again be featured.

THURSDAY, Sept. 14
The Italian's birthday! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
We finally made it over to Duke's to try the food there instead of going to Chochan Korean Barbecue and then to Elliot Bay Sauna and Hot Tubs. I thought the hot tubs would be cool. You know, go relax after din din in a private Jacuzzi room with music. Until The Italian pointed out that every creepy businessman probably takes his "date" there. I wanted to vomit. They rent by the hour, and it's likely cheaper than the Skeeze On In Motel in Sea-Tac.

So, we had dinner at Duke's instead, and no one got crabs with swimming ability. Great chowder sampler. Our favs: lobster Pernod and whiskey chowder (everything I love seems to have booze in it). The Model Squad was out mini-golfing for more Virgo birthdays. We caught up with them at Moctezuma's on 56th. I am sure they hated seeing all 15 of us walk in at 20 minutes to closing. Margaritas all around, tequila shots tossed back, smoke break, Mexi-desserts aplenty. More margaritas? Yes, please. Here's my Visa, swipe, shoot tequila, and it's time for Magoo's. Woo-hoo! Ebony bore an "It's my birthday" smile all night. Bluecifer, Chesty, The Italian and I crafted crazy plans for a mini-golf limo tour around town complete with our own announcer. Rad.

Over in a booze free part of town, cute as hell Malachi Perez opened for Falling Up at the Tooth & Nail Records CD release party at Club Impact. It was also Falling Up's only show in the state, so if you missed it, you really missed out. Reminds me of the time we got pulled over in a horrid case of mistaken identity coming back from a show in Everett. Cops yanked us all out at gunpoint, cuffed us and put us in separate cars. Some fools on Capitol Hill had broken into a house two blocks from Dick's Drive In where we were calmly standing at the counter ordering yummy burgers. The robbers hit Interstate 5 South the same time we did in a car that looked similar to the one we were in. Wonder what it feels like to be on "COPS"? Ask nicely and I'll share.

SATURDAY, Sept. 16
How do some women do it? They roll out of bed and look amazing. I saw urbanXchange's Julie Bennett unloading funky fashions for the clothing store's vendor booth at the Stadium High School 100th Year Celebration at about 9 a.m., and she looked radiant! The celebration generated a great turn out. Someone joked, "Yeah, they had to find a band as old as the school for the celebration." Blood, Sweat and Tears are not that old. Close, but not quite, and don't you just love the disco boogie? The students are so stoked to be going back this year and not be shipped halfway around the world and totally out of their element for classes. Jess and Katie B. left me this crazy long message on my cell about how totally magical the fireworks show was - "Tinkerbell twinkly awesome" is, I believe, how my beautiful darlings put it as they watched the glittering lights explode over the castle. Come on, Stadium High totally looks like a castle. You know it does.

Fetch!
Go catch the ferry to Whidbey Island Saturday afternoon for FETCH! Wine Walkabout. And be sure to take your dog since FETCH! is an annual pooch friendly fund-raising event that's all about legally creating places and times where pets can go leash-free and play with their owners. Five Penfolds Australian wines will be featured at tasting tables strategically placed throughout three acres of Buchanan Vineyard. Fruit, breads, chocolates, gourmet cheese and nuts will be paired with each wine. Drink it down and eat it up to live bluegrass performances by The Dog Gones, Steve Showell and Joanna Rouse. Saturday, Sept. 23, 1-4 p.m., $25 per person,(360) 321-4049.

Give me a wink and a kiss at here. Knoxx knows.

Weekly Volcano readers pick five bands for a danceable night at Jazzbones / by Angela Jossy

Weekly Volcano First Annual Music Awards

• Saturday, Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m., all ages until 11 p.m.
• Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, (253) 396-9169, www.jazzbones.com. 
• Admission is free.

Everyone knows Weekly Volcano territory is brewing with hot, steamy talent, but picking the winners for our first annual music awards was no easy task. If it was left up to us we'd be arguing about it until the cows come home from the Puyallup Fair because we're all pretty passionate when it comes to our favorite local bands. Luckily for us, our readers came through and voted for their favorites in the following categories: alt-country, R&B/soul, blues, experimental and alt/rock/punk. All of the winners will perform and accept their awards and kudos at Jazzbones Restaurant and Nightclub on Saturday, Sept. 23, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The show is free and open to all ages.
To make it more righteous, the Weekly Volcano hosts a comedian, door prizes, awesome award for each band and a few surprises.
Now (cue drumroll), the winners are here.

As the lovely Ginger Knoxx reported in today's Weekly Volcano and on Spew, James Hume and crew have secured the spot next to The Grand Cinema to turn their art party Kulture Lab into a regular gallery and event space to feature rotating displays of edgy art, mixed and multi-media showings, installations, film, fashion, dance, spoken word and music.  They also plan to cook up some edible art.  The grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Oh, and check out their Myspace logo on this post by James Bender.  It's hotter than hell. â€" Suzy Stump

House of Blues has announced that great seats for tonight's Elton John performance at Seattle's KeyArena have just been released. Tickets available on Ticketmaster.com and at the KeyArena box office or charge by phone at (206) 628-0888. â€" Brad Allen

Tacoma's Third Thursday Art Walk, I discovered last night, was not, strictly speaking, wine walk.  Sure a couple of glasses were bestowed upon me, and there were some lovely treats to eat, but the evening seemed, fittingly, more about the art.

Mindy Barker’s works were particularly arresting, at the Sanford and Son shops.  She had painted canvasses displayed in zinnia, and a number of multi-media pieces in her own space. These intrigued me, with their photographic starts morphing into a different telling of the photograph’s story.

Also noteworthy were Jeff Olson’s pieces in Embellish Salon’s new space.  His carrot with a SKU caught me off guard, and when he explained it was a commentary on genetically modified foods, hence it’s title “100%GMO” I had one of those illuminating “AHA!” moments one gets when understanding art.

Patricia Lecy-Davis was also on hand at her Embellish space, and I had a quick chat with her about Art Walk, in general.  She’s happy that Art Walk has grown to what it’s become, with spaces like hers, which are not, strictly speaking, galleries, getting some notice.

“It’s been good night,” she commented, and I think Olson heartily agreed, though he seemed a bit in shock by the night.  One woman asked him if he had any more pieces â€" she explained she had a great space, and left it at that â€" and he sold five of the eight pieces he showed.

Naturally, a celebration was on order, and the crowd transferred to Tempest Lounge, where a crowd was buzzing and the bar appeared to be at max capacity (when the deck wasn’t taking a portion of the crowd outside.)  The glitterati of the local art scene mingled with a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner crowd, making for a fun yuppie-meets-artsy scene. I met up with Claudia Riedener, who introduced me to Lynn Di Nino, who introduced me to James Bender; as I talked to all the others I met, I recognized names and faces (James Hume, Ryan Loiselle, among others.)

Fun times always must end; I had my last sip of wine.  I drove home loving that in Tacoma, the arts aren’t stuffy, and the artists and super cool. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

The Weekly Volcano Music Awards Saturday at Jazzbones should prove to be a huge crowd favorite, especially near the end of the evening when it is rumored Kim Archer will play with Malcolm Clark during an open jam session following the evening's awards and performances.  We are stoked.  Admission is free. â€" Michael Swan

While you were watching Japanese Spider-Man, new management slid into Tacoma's Blue Olive Ultra Lounge. The folks behind Area 151 and other Tacoma clubs have assumed ownership of the restaurant, which will not be Greek as reported in other newspapers.  According to the new management, they are planning to modify the menu, but not exactly sure how. If you have an interest in suggesting menu additions, the new owners ask Volcano readers to e-mail us and we'll pass them along. 

Oh,
The Olde Shipwreck has closed again.  Nice. â€" Brad Allen

Hope to see you at Jazzbones tonight.

Weekly Volcano First Annual Music Awards
Saturday, Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m., all ages until 11 p.m.
Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, (253) 396-9169
Admission is free.

Waves and Radiation
Rodeo Kill
Malcolm Clark Band
Never Quiet Never Still
Kim Archer Band

Plus awards, raffles, comedy and booze. â€" Brad Allen

As the Weekly Volcano Music Awards blare inside Jazzbones right now, I, being the top-notch reporter, left my drink and now sit across the street at Starbucks reporting on said show.  This Starbucks on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue has always been a wonderful spot to grab a pastry and a cuppa joe, then sit in the east corner by the window and watch my buddies do their shopping at the liquor store across the street.

Tonight Jazzbones is an epic of scenester-ism with everyone from James Hume to Go Music getting their cards punched. Which may be like saying, "From the living room all the way to the kitchen," but still, the fact remains that we are, by nature, a fractious city. The neighborhoods are segregated/gentrified on a block-by-block basis: A system of hard-knocks rock clubs and insular scenemaking pretty much assures that Your Crowd will absolutely not ever hang out with My Crowd, and the only logical Tacoma responses to ambition and chutzpah are the surly green fangs of jealousy. If you don't know this already, you better get your ass over to Yahoo! Groups pronto, Duran Duran.

However at Jazzbones right now, Your Crowd hangs with My Crowd.  Blues and Indie hold hands at the bar.  Funk and Alt-country kiss in the corner.  It's a firing of collective aesthetic synapses of music joy and inspiration. Tacoma's weird little music bubble, with more backbiting and smack-talk and, perversely, genuine talent, is blossoming into a pus-filled cyst that, hopefully one day, someone outside the city will know.

Winning the experimental category Waves and Radiation starting the evening off in quiet fashion by destroying every ear drum in the joint. Though experimental is often a recipe for some tedious, pot-brownie-addled musical noodling, Waves and Radiation is able to transcend such trappings by expanding its sound into the electronic sphere and emphasizing its melodic, rockin' and experimental elements.
They also expand the comedic element.

"We feel like we won prom queen," said Waves guitarist Tristan .  Please don't pour blood on us."

After receiving their award medallions and lava lamps, they thanked their significant others, and well, most of the crowd.

Rodeo Kill is about to hit the stage.  Blog ya later.

Great music, bad wireless connections and booze prevent me from blogging the remainder of last night Weekly Volcano Music Awards at Jazzbones.

Pocketing the excuses I present Rodeo Kill.

Olympia's Rodeo Kill demonstrated why they were crowned the Weekly Volcano reader's favorite country band.  The quintet drews from a rich history of outlaw acts such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.  Singer/guitarist Scott "Colt Winchester" West, drummer Ryan RK Bronco" Leisinger, bassist Rev. Rif Adams, singer/guitarist Outlaw Oly Love and guitarist Kelly Smith and Wesson sang about "heartbreak from hell," "buzzards in the sky," "buckaroos," and an awesome instrumental of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire."

"This goes out to Willie Nelson," shouted West.  "Good luck with that pound and a half possession."  The band tore into "Whiskey River." â€" Brad Allen