Ralph Nader left his luxury car running in the parking lot for 25 minutes yesterday when he checked into the Phoenix Inn in Olympia.  Discuss. â€" Brad Allen

Sasquatch! Music Festival announced the official line up for their 6th annual event to be held over Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27 at the Gorge Amphitheatre. The festival features more than 50 artists on three stages. Tickets for the festival go on-sale Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets and livenation.com.  On-site camping for the festival is available for May 25-27 and reservations can be made upon ticket purchase.

Tickets for the 2007 Sasquatch! Music Festival are $55 (plus $1 charity) per day for the onsale weekend, then $65 thereafter.

Sasquatch! Music Festival 2007 confirmed line up:
Saturday, May 26:
Bjork
The Arcade Fire
Manu Chao Radio Bemba Sound System
M.I.A.
Citizen Cope
Neko Case
The Hold Steady
Grizzly Bear
Ghostland Observatory
Electrelane
Two Gallants
The Slip
Loney, Dear
Aqueduct
The Thermals
Viva Voce
The Blow
Gabriel Teodros

Sunday, May 27:
Beastie Boys
Interpol
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Spoon
Bad Brains
Ozomatli
Dandy Warhols
The Black Angels
Mirah
Tokyo Police Club
Money Mark
St. Vincent
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter
Smoosh
Common Market
Helio Sequence
Minus The Bear

After a short, soft opening, the South Sound Garage will reopen March 2 with a 50,000 watt sound and lighting system and other new amenities for The Mob Law, Totalisti, Counterfist and Damon Stewart & The Monkey Militia to test.

Of special note: Bubba Sparxxx, Silver Shadow, D Bahla and the FunkShop DJs will perform at the Garage March 31 for $18 at TicketsWest.  â€" Brad Allen

Could we be hearing the rousing battle cry of “Allez Cuisine!” in earnest sometime in the future in T-Town? 

Our secret mole in the Stadium Bistro kitchen tells us that Chef Pete’s putting together a roster of local chefs set to compete at a kitchen stadium near you, hopefully by the end of March. 

This might give South Sound diners something to look forward to on a Monday night, as that’s the night tentatively set for the action. More details tonight, as I take my wee one in to learn manners from Miss Judi at Stadium Bistro, and sit down to a glass of wine and a chat with the chef himself. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

On the cosmic scale everything is sacred and nothing is sacred and anyone who deigns to tell you otherwise or anyone who deigns to restrict your intellectual and/or divine movements and sacred id-probings via some sort of finger-wagging doctrine or prohibition or sneering guilt-laden Kumbabya-chanting monotheistic soul-lobotomy needs to have their nose hairs plucked by a swarm of angry drunk dung beetles because the truly enlightened just sit
calmly and smile and say I don't care how old The Police are, I love them, and I'm going to see them at KeyArena June 6.

Tickets â€" $226, $91 and $51 â€" go on sale Saturday, Feb. 24, 9 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets,  livenation.com, or hob.com. â€" Bobble Tiki

The Vault in Olympia might be only open Thursday through Saturday for rump-shaking aerobics, but "At Taste of New Orleans" restaurant in their loft is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.  Only open a week, the Cajun joint sits at the top of The Vault's stairs with six items â€" fried catfish, Bourbon Street chicken wings, Fat Tuesday fried chicken, Cajun shrimp fettuccine, The Big Easy red beans and rice, and Louisiana down home gumbo. â€" all less than $9.

Hey, it's Fat Tuesday today!  Seems like an appropriate night to climb the stairs. â€" Jake de Paul

South Sound theater landed a big fish this week when Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma Musical Playhouse and The Washington State Community Theatre Association joined forces to bring more than 600 theater enthusiasts, advocates and performers from around the country to Tacoma to celebrate the power of community created theatre in June of 2009. The effort will mean Tacoma will host the American Association of Community Theatre’s 2009 biennial festival: AACTFest 2009.

The local partnership presented a formal bid proposal to the AACT in January.  TMP founder Jon Douglas Rake and former TLT artistic director Judy Cullen attended the group's winter meeting in Fort Worth, Texas to state their case.

It worked. They learned this past weekend the Tacoma delegation was informed that their proposal had been accepted.

“Tacoma has a great tradition of community theatre, and Washington is one of the western states that is most active in the AACT, “ said Cullen, who is also the WSCTA president.  “ This festival will be a great event for our local theatres and our state organization.  I am incredibly excited about the task at hand and all of the terrific northwest hospitality that we will share with our guests.” â€" Steve Dunkelberger

Turns out there was more activity at The Stadium Bistro than originally anticipated tonight: 12 girls showed up for the etiquette class taught by Judi Guthrie, with their respective moms (and a dad) in tow.

Also present, bodies in tables in the front of the house (we waited for our princesses in training at the back of the house) and a reporter and photographer from the Trib.

So I didn’t really get a good sit-down chat with chef Pete Weikel, the younger Peter from Stadium Bistro.

We did get a few words in edgewise, however: yes, the Iron Chef at Kitchen Stadium (Bistro) Tacoma is in the works, and yes, the Stadium space at Stadium Bistro seems like it’ll be the perfect fit.  Possibly other venues will open up, and possibly this could be the coolest thing, ever.

What I took home with me, was the memory of a fabulous salad (pear and goat cheese) and a toasted cheese sandwich/tomato bisque combo that rocked my world for a mere four bucks, as well as a very nice-sipping Malbec.

What I took home with me was a 5-year-old daughter who, though telling me, “Mom I’m so nervous I can’t think right now!” on the way there, was telling me, on the way home, “Mom, we need to go get a soup spoon tomorrow, and when you eat, you need to chew with your mouth closed and never talk.”

Wow. 

Next week: We go back for more, a full meal for the wee Miss. 

Possibly, that’ll mean she won’t want to eat Chee-tos on the way home. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

So, it’s 5:30 a.m. and I just recently returned from Wintergrass. 

What?

Are these folks tryin’ to kill me?  With their 4:30 a.m. jam sessions and Brown’s Point ESB, they definitely know how to have a good time.  Hell, it was only 7:30 when I got beer spilled on my pretty wool pants by a hippie with a mandolin.  But, all in the name of music my friends. 

Last night’s line-up did not disappoint.  I heard the infamous Wintergrass Academy (impressive), Mike Dowling (reminded me of Jimmy Buffet), and my favorite, Cadillac Sky, who tell me they’ll be back in these parts later this year.  Jo Miller and Her Burly Roughnecks followed.  How can you not dig a band with that name?

People formed their own little groups everywhere, and I saw many a table with
rounds of empty Redhooks.  They were even jamming in Savi Day Spa while ladies got pedicures. 

I met people from as far away as up-state NY.  While waiting in line for some much needed Starbucks, I met an English guy from near my hometown in Ohio.  Small world.

Everyone and their mother (literally), had instruments in tow.  So, I felt a little out of place in that regard.  Anyone got a banjo I can borrow ‘til Sunday?  I did get in on a sweet raffle, which might win me one of six instruments.  For those of you I didn’t see there â€" lame. â€" Julie Jordan

[Wintergrass, through Feb. 25, Sheraton Tacoma Hotel, downtown Tacoma, 360.385.6836]

Move out the way! That’s what Ludacris would say if he was participating in the second annual "MOVE!" concert. The contemporary dance concert opens tonight at the Tacoma School of the Arts Theater for two nights with a matinee show on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m.

All proceeds go to benefit MLKBallet, which offers free dance instruction to Tacoma’s  children and adults alike.

MLKBallet Executive Director Alexa Folsom-Hill had amazing vision for this new dance program. Kudos to her for the free admission, as well as ballet instructor Kate Monty.

Participating artists in this show include Selfic Ng-Simancas, The Tacoma Dance Collective, Rainbow Fletcher, and Tacoma School of the Arts Modern 3. This will be a night to watch dance and be a part of an organic movement hitting downtown. â€" Jessie Fouts

[SOTA Theater, Friday, Feb. 23 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 and 8 p.m., $12 at brownpapertickets, 1118 Commerce, Tacoma]