After 20 years of rocking our garage faces off, Portland Band Dead Moon is rumored to have called it quits.  The Weekly Volcano has confirmed such fact, but a reliable source in Olympia says Fred Cole said, "Time to hang it up." 

This makes me sad. â€" Brad Allen

Update
The rumor was true.

Tacoma’s 60th tree lighting ceremony began small and built steadily, until the newly refurbished lobby at the Pantages was filled Thursday, Nov. 30.  There was also a large crowd outside under the tree, waiting for the ceremony to begin, not realizing the festivities were taking place mostly inside.

I overheard one crowd member say to another of the family-heavy atmosphere, “There are a lot of children here.  A lot.”

Many of those parents had been hoping for a parade, but that tradition has been postponed for a year, and may possibly span three Christmas tree lightings, next year: the Stadium tree, the Broadway Center tree, and a new tree in the Tollefson Plaza.

Lack of parade notwithstanding, the crowd was an events-producer pleaser, “about triple” the size it had been last year.

Inside the Pantages lobby, TAG’s Tacky Christmas Sweater Chorale led a sing-along of Christmas carols while sugarplum fairies, toys, snowflakes, and other cast members from the "Nutcracker" mingled with guests.  The Fort Lewis I Corps band took the stage, not in tacky Christmas sweaters, and played more carols while visually serving as a reminder of what the event commemorates â€" a long-term link between the military community surrounding Tacoma and the City of Tacoma. 

Brig. Gen. William Troy, representing I Corps at Ft Lewis, commented on the sad fact that 5,000 individuals from Fort Lewis are unable to celebrate the season here as they are in the Middle East. He reminded the crowd, “Their families are with us.”

He acknowledged of the supportive Tacoma community, “We feel that you care about us.”

Mayor Bill Baarsma spoke next.  Saying he wanted to  “give credit where credit is due,” he talked about the past.  In 1946, Mayor Harry P. Cain returned from the war, a decorated veteran, and wanted to create a tie between the Fort Lewis community and the city.  Mayor Baarsma acknowledged a similar military tie, that of his son’s service in Iraq with the Navy.  That tie between the supportive Tacoma community and the local military community is still a strong one, and the symbolism of the huge donated tree from Fort Lewis keeps the communities bonded.

Finally, David Fischer, executive director of the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, acknowledged the new space the crowd gathered in, suggesting that the discussion had been held, “would there be enough room for this event?”  He answered his own question, “Last year, there wouldn’t have been.  This year, there is.”

With that, Santa was introduced to the crowd, and that jingling man led us all outside to a chorus of "Jingle Bells," which petered out by about the second chorus.

In moments, the tree was lit, eliciting "oohs" and "ahhhhs" from the crowd in addition to sighs of relief from the present firefighters.

The crowd petered out just like the "Jingle Bells" singing, which meant the majority of the attendees missed some beautiful music from harpist Brianna Spargo and flutist Emily Levandowski, two talented Tacoma Youth Symphony musicians.

In the end, the tree sparkled in the Thursday night, even without a crowd of admirers, reminding me of the presence of communities supporting communities. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

More photos of the downtown tree lighting on Kevin Freitas' blog.

At some point in the '80s, a friend took me to see a drag show at the Polar Bear.  Hot women were afoot, although they were men, and the city was alive, albeit in that scary sort of way.
Fast forward to last night’s fashion show between Rocky and Coco’s and Dame Lola, when downtown went uptown.

Beauty prevailed, flustering a usually suave Volcano lounge rat Brad Allen into admitting, “I had to leave early, there were too many beautiful people and I was getting flustered.”  But, Brad, You ARE beautiful people!

Even still, I kind of felt his pain, looking around me at the scorching hot people assembled before me. Fortunately, champers on tap alleviated the ache somewhat, with some crazy-cool tracks laid by DJ Josh Comer making the space oh-so-tangibly-cool.

Foremost, the shop owners themselves, Rebecca Dashow and Katy Jayne, dressed to kill in Miguelina and Prada pumps, respectively, drove the beauty of the evening, with adoring partners in tow. While Dashow put her man to work serving champagne, Jayne’s guy sat back and chilled in the still of the night.  Crowds milled, loved, and bought clothes, while sipping the bubbly.

At Rocky and Coco’s the models, coiffed by Salon Auberge Du Soleil out of Federal Way, meandered through the crowds, while at Dame Lola, the models perched on sometimes precarious podiums and let us stare adoringly at lovely clothes on beautiful, real people.

We contributed $5 to get champagne, goodie-bags, and hors d’oevres, all of which went to a great cause â€" Tacoma’s Fund for Women and Girls.  Janet Stanley, enjoying the fun with her daughter Mackenzie, says for the organization, “We promote generosity among women.” Cheers to that!

Dashow’s models were a collection of her friends and clients; among my favorites were Chelsea, whose birthday wish was to go to a fashion show with her mom.  Dashow trumped her wish and put her in one.  Also a fave, Jennifer Robbins, of J Robbins Florist fame, sporting a fabulous vintage (Grandma Sally) mink mini-stole clasped with a fabulous broach â€" courtesy of Dashow’s own collection â€" and Rebecca Taylor dress, with the shoes to die for â€" turquoise peep-toe pumps with red soles.  On the podium next to Robbins, Trina Jones, photographer extraordinaire, sporting a look she classifies as “I’m sort of Bohemian a little bit” with velvet faux shearling coat, a fabulously bright skirt, layers that included my favorite “Baked Pop Tarts” tee (go in and see it, and buy it!) and the Piece de Resistance, to me, the (Arrrrg!) pirate boots I bought for myself early in the fall.

Jayne’s models flashed flesh, twirled, and sported Diane von Furstenburg, among them were the owner of Salon Auberge Du Soleil, Donna.

After the shows, I met up with some of the beautiful crowd from Rocky and Coco’s, which included a famous artist, a fabulously smart groundwater engineer who also happened to be a fabulously smart dresser, and a fabulously gorgeously radiantly amazing survivor of a woman at the Pacific Grill for Chill!, which was, thanks to DJ Lulu Spice, oh-so-tangibly-cool.  She played a mean "Blue Monday" and old Cure and as I suckled smoky-sweet meat candy for the first time, I sighed, “ahhhh, I’m ho-o-me…”

The Pacific Grill swelled with beautiful people as DJ Josh and a retinue of cool DJ folk including DJ Broam (who also has a glass-blowing day job), and who were later joined by a radiantly fabulous and fur-bedecked Laura Malone.

At which point, I knew well and truly, I was outclassed and out way too late, since I, too, have a day job.

Good times, good threads, good tunes, good city.

Good night! â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

Slim Moon has said farewell to Olympia.

Moon, the founder of Olympia's Kill Rock Stars label, left the label to his wife, Portia, and now works A&R at Nonesuch Records. The two live New York, making the Olympia-born label bicoastal.

Moon just posted a farewell message to Olympia on the Opium message board and signed off the digest.

The Weekly Volcano will miss Moon's presence in Olympia.  Good times. â€" Brad Allen

You’ve heard of Darcy, the newly-sprung Internet knitting celeb first seen on BoingBoing, then blogged on exit133 and GritCity.

You wanted to join up with her and the chicks, sticks in hand, for the "Chicks with Sticks" Knitting League of Friends,” but have wondered about the time, date, and undisclosed location.

I’m here to dish on that.

I met up with Ms. Darcy in her top-secret seclusion spot, under heavy midget-guard and surrounded by art.  She’s finding herself unable to come out to make her appearance due to scads of cupcake orders that she’s filling double-handedly.

Once Ms. Darcy can work herself out from under the mountains of yarn, the "Chicks with Sticks" Knitting League of Friends will most likely meet up at King’s Books, kindly loaned for the purpose by sweet pea, our knight in curly-haired armor.

Naturally, I will disseminate information on time/date/cost as I receive it. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

Masa will forgo the friends and family night they planned and open to the public today in the former Ricardo’s space across the street from Asado on Sixth Avenue. The two-story restaurant, brought to you by the folks behind Asado, will offer its take on traditional Mexican fare with an enticingly expansive menu including fresh tortillas made on site (“masa” means dough), a taco cart, and a deli for items on the go.  Handmade Mexican terra cotta tiles by Tacoma artist Claudia Riedener will add a traditional touch to this modern space.  I can’t wait to see what they have done with that upstairs deck.  â€" Jake de Paul
[Masa, lunch and dinner, plus 24-hour service on Friday and Saturday nights, 2810 Sixth Ave., Tacoma]

Josh Brumley, the guy who booked The Hall this past summer and currently books all-ages show at Bob's Java Jive, will step up his efforts.  He now produces all-ages shows at the Jive Thursday, Saturday and Sunday with some money earmarked for the soon to open The Junkyard venue at 6402 South Tacoma Way. â€" Brad Allen

Update: Brumley has posted two weeks of shows on the Junkyard's Myspace site, which opens Jan. 4 with Don't Tell Sophie. â€" Brad

The paint has dried, the all day happy hour has been set for Saturday and the new Dock Street Landing will host a DJ Thursdays through Saturdays.  Hurrah! â€" Suzy Stump

As a storyteller, seemingly full of wonder about his own exploits, Teddy Haggarty captivates. And now as a filmmaker, Haggarty has embarked on creating a trilogy of films about art. The documentaries Haggarty is making are based around sleazy art tricks. His first installment, “ A Day in the Life” will be will be previewed at the Swiss Pub on Dec. 10, between 5 and 10 p.m. along with 45 rubbings from different places in Europe. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler
[The Swiss, Sunday, Dec. 10, 5-10 p.m., 1904 S. Jefferson, Tacoma, 253.572.2821]

Pictured: teddy Haggarty leaning against the Van Gogh Museum last week in Amsterdam.  Photo by Leonard Haggarty.

E.J. reports that the Josh Gracin show at Varsity Grill has been canceled.  Check it here. â€" Brad Allen