Tomorrow night’s Rocky & Coco’s Holiday Inspiration fashion show party will showcase feminine dresses and tops by designer Diane Von Furstenberg, whose motto is “Feel like a woman. Wear a dress.”  Watch for hot new denim for men and women by 7, Joes Jeans and True Religion. Rocky & Coco will be completely rearranged to allow for a runway stage down the shop’s center. An emcee will explain each outfit as the models strut their stuff to the music of DJ dAb in coats by Liquid and Mike & Chris, shoes by Report Signature and tops by Sweeties and James Perse. Male models will show tops by Robert Graham, Tackle and James Perse. Seattle stylist Susie Bradley will be handling models tresses.

A $10 suggested donation will go directly to Toys for Tots.

There will be an after party at Pacific Grill with prize drawings, decadent desserts, more bubbly, cocktails and DJ dAb. â€" Jennifer Johnson

[Rocky & Coco’s, Thursday, Nov. 15, 7-10 p.m., 750 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.274.0606]

Ho, ho, yo! Click on the beautiful poster.

Perhaps it’s the ultimate Christmas gift?

The concept of Art Concepts on Broadway, a 25-year-old art gallery/frame shop institution located at 924 Broadway, is about to come to an end, with owner/operator Bob Mead announcing his intent to close up shop, stating in a press release, “I am announcing my desire to retire to take care of health concerns and other personal matters.”

He’s hoping the sale of the business will keep the well-respected name in operation, where it can prosper through the “increased success given Tacoma’s growing vitality and the influx of many new urban dwellers.”

He also says if he can’t find an interested buyer, he’ll close at the year’s end, and hold a liquidation sale.

Sure, the Weekly Volcano loves bargain pricing on art inventory, equipment, materials, and fixtures, but it’s so much nicer to see a business continue, don’t you think?

And just imagine the smile on her face when she sees not a three-carat De Beers diamond, but the deed, Santa Baby.

Call 253.272.2202 if you’re interested in purchasing the business â€" but only if you’re serious about it. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

FASHION
Holiday Inspiration
Tonight’s Rocky & Coco’s Holiday Inspiration fashion show party will showcase feminine dresses and tops by designer Diane Von Furstenberg, whose motto is “Feel like a woman. Wear a dress.”  Watch for hot new denim for men and women by 7, Joes Jeans and True Religion. Rocky & Coco will be completely rearranged to allow for a runway stage down the shop’s center. An emcee will explain each outfit as the models strut their stuff to the music of DJ dAb in coats by Liquid and Mike & Chris, shoes by Report Signature and tops by Sweeties and James Perse. Male models will show tops by Robert Graham, Tackle and James Perse. Seattle stylist Susie Bradley will be handling models tresses.

The first 100 guests will receive goody bags and gift certificates for local Tacoma hot spots Sweets, Treats & Designs and Urban Tanning. Pacific Grill chefs will also whip up tasty little treats for attendees to nibble while oooohing and aaaaahing at designs. Naturally, champagne will flow.

A $10 suggested donation will go directly to Toys for Tots. There will be an after party at Pacific Grill with prize drawings, decadent desserts, more bubbly, cocktails and DJ dAb. â€" Jennifer Johnson

[Rocky & Coco’s, Thursday, Nov. 15, 7-10 p.m., 750 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.274.0606]

MORE SHOPPING: In The Bag.

PSYCHOBILLY
Boneyard Crawlers
The Boneyard Crawlers are the newest members to join the Northwest’s rockabilly club. Formed just six months ago, they only have a 13 song set list, but it’s all original material. The quartet combines old-school punk with surf and good ol’ fashion rock ’n’ roll. â€" Tony Engelhart

[McCabe’s American Music Café, with Triple Nickel and Gryphon, 8 p.m., $5, 2611 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.5403]

AFROBEAT
Albino
The San Francisco-based Albino is most definitely a show not to be missed if you’re a fan of fat horns, multi-percussion and pulsating beats. Rooted in the West Africa tradition of music and dance, they play an authentic brand of “Afrobeat” and adorned in outrageous tribal attire, they are as visually loud as the music they play. But it’s not all fun and games.

Honoring the legacy of Nigerian musical revolutionary, Fela Kuti, the band is also extremely politically aware and socially conscious as they try and inspire thought, activism and change through their lyrics. The multi-racial troupe believes, as Kuti did, that music can achieve a positive revolution and are dedicated to doing their part to try and raise awareness to various issues.

The award-winning group just released their full-length debut, Rhino, this past year. As expected, the disc is chock-full of funky grooves, tight horn arrangements, intoxicating rhythms and motivating lyrics. â€" TE

[Eastside Tavern, 9 p.m., $5, 410 Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.357.9985]

MORE MUSIC: In the clubs tonight.

THE DAILY WORD
Learn it, use it, spell it

Potboiler \POT-boi-lur\, noun:


A usually inferior literary or artistic work, produced quickly for the purpose of making money.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Many people don't know this, but Bobble Tiki has exactly two full length books to his credit. They're titled “The Third Person for Dummies by Bobble Tiki,” and “The Third Person for Dummies Part Deux â€" Electric Boogaloo.” Bobble Tiki is tempted to refer to them as potboilers, but he hasn't sold a single copy of either, so he's not sure if the term still applies.

THE MORNING NEWS

PIERCE COUNTY: Pierce Transit beefs up security.

RENTON: Pay to get there faster?

MINNESOTA: Bank on it.

NORWAY: Nailed by text message.

HUSTLER OF CULTURE
You can stand atop the mountain and scream your naked desires to the universe or shed that synapse epilepsy and hug the South Sound today with your fellow man:

MUSIC: Tonight, Bobble Tiki highly recommends the www.myspace.com/boneyardcrawlers ">Boneyard Crawlers show at McCabe's in Tacoma.  Why?  If you said because it's going to be really good, well, then, you don't know Bobble Tiki very well.  Bobble Tiki recommends the Boneyard Crawlers tonight because he's a registered psychobilly freak, and because he always loves a good train wreck.  Tonight's show will definitely provide one of those things, but it just might be both.  Show up and find out. 

MORE MUSIC: What's on tonight.

BOBBLE TIKI’S THREATS AND PROMISES COLUMN
When Savoy Brown plays Jazzbones, this Saturday, Nov. 17, and Bobble Tiki slides through the door, it will be something of a has been convention. The guys who created Savoy Brown are old enough to be your grandpa’s weed dealer. Many people have probably relegated Savoy Brown to the history books of rock ’n’ roll â€" a thing of the past. To many, Savoy Brown is probably a distant, hazy, drug hampered memory.

Well, let the band’s show at Jazzbones be proof to the contrary.

Breakfast with Bobble Tiki runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  Deal with it.

The Weekly Volcano, or Choices as we were known back in the early '90s, used to buy records at Mothers Records (where Supernova Hair & Tattoo sits today) then climb the stairs and read the liner notes at Temple of the Bean coffee shack. Besides serving the Stadium District neighborhood, Temple was a hub for the Tacoma music scene. 

A while back we broke that the joint would reopen.  Today Exit 133 welcomed Bobble Tiki with the news that it finally opened as Satellite Coffee.

While the rock posters and musician bulletin board are gone, Bobble Tiki did enjoy the slick lighting inside.  His Americano was tasty, too.

Just as Bobble Tiki was leaving, Corey Lund from the Pacific Grill walked through the door.  Lund always hooks Bobble Tiki up with excellent service and worthy wine recommendations.  â€" Bobble Tiki

FUNK
420 Funk Mob
Tacoma has it so good. It wasn't long ago that 420 Funk Mob and special guest George Clinton killed it at Jazzbones for a sold-out crowd. For those that missed it, there is really nothing like being in a small venue, bathing in funk and basking in the best vibes imaginable. It was likely one of the best gigs this town has ever hosted. Well, the forces of funk return tonight and Sunday to Jazzbones, bringing The 420FM Super Meltdown Tripfest to the West Coast.

Clip Payne’s 420 Funk Mob will arrive with Key Master Clip Payne, P-Funk lead guitar trickagician Micheal "Kid Funkadelic" Hampton and bass master/vocalist Lige Curry, along with a random, rotating cast of P-Funk All Stars. The 420 Funk Mob grew out of a group of solo projects in 1997 and has since produced a handful of underground burners.

By all that is holy, if you can, go to one of these shows. See what the funk is all about. â€" Paul Schrag

[Jazzbones, Friday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 18, 9 p.m., $40-$75, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

MORE MUSIC: In the clubs tonight.

PERFORMANCE
MOVE!
Josh Rizeberg and producer Xaviant are about to answer a lot of prayers. The native poet and beatsmith have alchemically distilled something really special. It’s not hip-hop. It’s not spoken word. Don’t call it fusion, please. The duo’s first collaboration, dubbed “Spoken Worlds,” features tight, grimy euro-bangers by Tacoma-born, Cuba-raised, Miami-forged Xaviant, and silky, smart, multi-rhythmic flows from Rizeberg. The full-length album evolves too much to fit into any pop-culture box, so I’ll call it what it is. It’s plain ill. You can catch him performing a commissioned work for the MLK Ballet’s MOVE series tonight and Saturday. â€" PS

[Tacoma School of the Arts, 7 p.m., $14, 118 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.906.2190]

THE CLASSICAL
Tacoma Concert Band
After the failure of his First Symphony, Russian composer Rachmaninoff became deeply depressed. He consulted a respected psychiatrist, who told him to repeat positive phrases while in a hypnotic trance. It worked so well, he went out and created his Piano Concerto No. 2. So, the next time someone laughs at you for the “I am special” mantra you repeat each morning, tell them the Rachmaninoff story. Keep in mind that you may have to explain who Rachmaninoff is, but this is just another reason you should not take such a close-minded person to Tacoma Concert Band’s “Dances of the Stars” concert. The 60-piece wind and percussion ensemble presents an evening of dance music by Brahms, Gounod, Weber and special person Rachmaninoff. â€" Suzy Stump

[Pantages Theater, 8 p.m., $10-$21, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]

MORE CLASSICAL: Grab some culture tonight.

Norman Rockwell move over.  Holiday Art has reached a new dimension.  The Broken News Team met abstract painter Paulette Makela a second ago at One Heart Cafe. 

yeah, yeah, abstract painter â€" neat. Makela is slightly unique.  She creates penis paintings.  She’s known for attending past parties, gathering the males and having them do penis prints. 

What are penis prints? 

Just what you think they are. These guys whipped it out for her, she slathers the paint on, and on paper the guys press away. 

Some of her pieces, if not most, have a 3D effect. That’s right, the pubic hair glued to it gives it that real feel that ever penis print must have.

You can check it out here. Don’t worry, all art is suitable for work viewing. â€" Steph DeRosa

Our Broken News Team brings you headlines and follow-up whenever we please on the stories our community couldn’t care less about. Broken news is posted on this blog several hours or days after it happens, with unusual updates.

Consider tonight’s Art Slam at the Rialto Theater to be, sort of, like a blending of Laser Pink Floyd and that art class you had freshman year, only cooler than either because the event is sprinkled with a liberal dose of the essence of Tacoma.

Basically, what you have is a free community event helping celebrate Tacoma’s Art at Work Month that puts the work of 63 artists front and center on a projection screen at the Rialto. Each work of visual art will flash before your eyes for five seconds and each original video or original music for up to two minutes.

For the full story, check here. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

DINNER: Here are dining options before you tonight.

Barn burner: From left, Eric Kunze (The Man), Austin J. Zambito-Valente (Poor Baby), Andrea Ross (Swallow) and Nadine Jacobson (Brat) star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's  Whistle Down the Wind. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The Weekly Volcano caught of the U.S. premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Whistle Down The Wind" last night at the 5th Avenue Theatre. The show is an uplifting musical about young girl, Swallow, who finds a mysterious stranger and hides him from her fellow Louisiana townspeople, circa 1959, who are determined to find the escaped felon, or The Man as he's billed.

It’s you typical girl looks for a savior, girl finds the savior, girl ends up as the savior.

The voices are exceptional, especially Eric Kunze (felon) and Andrea Ross (Swallow).

Besides a drawn-out final scene with Swallow and the felon, and muddled voices from a couple of the 15 local children in the production, we found “Whistle Down The Wind” a worthy, family-oriented night of theater. â€" Suzy Stump