THE DAILY WORD
Learn it, use it, spell it

Salmagundi \sal-muh-GUHN-dee\, noun:
1. A salad plate usually consisting of chopped meat, anchovies, eggs, and onions, served with oil and vinegar.
2. Any mixture or assortment; a medley; a potpourri; a miscellany.

USAGE EXAMPLE: After the Seahawks victory at Qwest Field on Saturday, and after he’d ridden his Harley around the cul-de-sac a few times in celebration, coach Mike Holmgren feasted on a salmagundi of pork products, cheese in a can, deviled eggs and unpasteurized milk. It’s the same way he’s celebrated all of his playoff wins as an NFL head coach, and it’s a ritual that will no doubt lead to an untimely heart attack.

THE MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: No you can’t build through.

CASCADES: Dude, huge pow in the hills.

MEXICO CITY: Kid probably eats paste, too.

PRAGUE: Czech goofball, off the Four ball, corner pocket.

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: Bobble Tiki doesn’t smoke, but many of his friends do. That’s the thing about building your social circle around occupied bar stools. Since the smoking ban took affect, many of Bobble Tiki’s friends have become staunch casino supporters. From what Bobble Tiki understands, the food is super cheap and you can smoke like there’s no tomorrow. Tonight the Emerald Queen Casino will help celebrate the King’s Birthday with their “Elvis’ Birthday Bash. Apparently there will be live entertainment and giveaways. And, of course, there will be smoking. Whether you like the young, sexy Elvis, the old bloated Elvis, or just Basic Light 100s, the Emerald Queen may be the place to be tonight.

MORE MUSIC: What's on tonight.

BAR EXAM: Steph DeRosa has a brand new bag. 

THREATS AND PROMISES COLUMN
Bobble Tiki’s coverage of the “Pianorama” concert at Jazzbones Friday, Jan. 11 is more challenging than most assignments. All week Bobble Tiki has had pianist on the mind, and he’s beginning to wonder about himself. Bobble Tiki’s been researching pianists, thinking about pianists, e-mailing pianists, and writing about the fact that three of the biggest pianists in the Northwest will be at Jazzbones for “Pianorama” next week. If Bobble Tiki looked at one more pianist on the Internet this week he may have exploded. Check out his discovery here.

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

Tacoma Diaries just sent a press release to the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters announcing its new episode, “This Week In Tacoma.”

• Tacoma Diaries: Tacoma Diaries presents a new episode titled "This Week In Tacoma" an up close and personal look at a public affairs program that might be currently airing on your local community cable channel. Steve appears on the show to discuss in depth his recent letter to the Editor in the TNT about the where to dump his old big screen television. It is must see TV. Now airing on Comcast cable channel 29/76 on Fridays @ 5:30 pm and Saturdays @ 9:00 pm. Available on line 24/7 at www.spudgoodman.com.

Every once in a while I like to just escape. I could easily escape to any town, such as Puyallup, and it would still be a vacation to me. Something about staying in a hotel and blindly exploring an area, it makes me so happy. One of my favorite cities is Portland. Brad Allen’s favorite city is Olympia, so that’s where I went.

Through texts he guided me to all the great places, on my own is where I found all the unforgettable ones.

There are three major hotels that would’ve suited my “downtown Olympia” fancy: The Governor is a tried and true tradition, always reliable. The Comfort Inn is just as convenient, if not nicer. Then there’s the Phoenix Inn. Through a little batting of the eyelashes and a slight grimace at the original price, they dropped my night’s stay to a very comparable amount. If you look online they do have the “Best Rate Guarantee,” but they dropped the price for me before I had to pull out those guns. The Governor and Comfort Inn both run for approximately $99 a night. Phoenix Inn started at $130 for the night, but quickly dropped me down to $109. It was worth every penny.

The Phoenix Inn is a new, all suites hotel. For $50 more a night you can get a hot tub in the middle of the room. The basic room is all I needed though. Large, roomy, separate couch area, huge wet bar, fridge, microwave, flat screen TV, view of the water, work desk area, and best part of all: The extremely cushy feather king bed. I was in heaven.

After checking in, I take a walk down the street to where all the action is. Trust me when I say it’s all right there at your doorstep. To the left is the Farmer’s Market, behind me multiple fine bars including The Mark and Dockside Bistro and Wine Bar. coffee shops with live entertainment, spicy boutiques, tattoo shops, vintage stores, bookstores and retro lounges fill the historic buildings that line Capitol Way.

Along the streets of State, Fourth, and Fifth, I find warm places such as the Bread Peddler, Last Word Books, Wind Up Here toy store, room 30, Jaime Lee & Company salon, and King Solomon’s Reef. I could go on and on, but I was getting hungry and ready for dinner. I text Brad Allen asking where to eat and he sends me to Sorrento’s. Thank you Brad, this was by far some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had.

A bottle of wine later I head back to the hotel, waking up this morning to find a full hot breakfast buffet, warm coffee, and snow outside on the sidewalk. The mini-me goes nuts, and we immediately take a walk. The My Little Ponies have a blast in the snow as well.

Speaking of My Little Ponies, KAke and I are taking the girls tonight to the World’s Biggest Tea Party at the Tacoma Dome, so I should begin to head out and get on my way back to T-Town. But not before checking out some more of the boutiques I missed out on yesterday.

Oh, Olympia, I love you. â€" Steph DeRosa

FILM
American Gangster
Denzel Washington in a story inspired by the real-life Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas, who flew to Thailand to secure a steady supply, and drove out competition with higher quality and lower prices.  Russell Crowe stars as Det. Richie Roberts, who doggedly pursues him for years, despite opposition within his own department.  Director Ridley Scott moves the story smoothly and relentlessly, as a collaboration between drug addiction and sound business practices. Rated R. Four stars â€" Roger Ebert

[AMC Narrows Plaza 8, 4:25, 7:40, 2208 Mildred St., Tacoma, 253.565.7000]

MORE FILMS: On local screens today.

FOOD
Monterey Jack Festival
I believe in the urgency of attending the Monterey Jack Festival tonight at the Washington Center and breaking bread with fellow South Sounders. To sit down with one another to eat Monterey Jack cheese, converse, argue, laugh, tease, learn and listen is, in these times, not just important, but critical.

Yet, has cheese nerdiness hit the big time with a whole festival dedicated to it? Yes, it’s a semisoft cheese with a buttery-ivory color and a mild flavor similar to American muenster.  But why this cheese over brie?

I called the Washington Center with a few cheese-y questions. They tried to tell me it’s the Monterey Jazz Festival tonight but that doesn’t make any sense.  Like, Monterey is far away, folks.

Me and my box of Ritz are so there. â€" Karl Rogers

[Washington Center, Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour featuring Nnenna Freelon, Kendrick Scott, and Terence Blanchard, 7:30 p.m., $17.75-$35.50, 512 Washington St., Olympia, 360.753.8586]

MORE FOOD: Noshing and sipping around town.

DJ
Salsa Night
So you were born with two left feet â€" so what? Down some liquid courage and head to 21 Commerce for one of the most happening Latin nights in the city. DJ Benny Rivas â€" originally from Puerto Rico and played AAA baseball there before relocating to Tacoma â€" will spin classic salsa and merengue as well as music-of-the-moment reggaeton, leaving little choice but to dance. You won’t need lessons (although they are available) â€" just a little rhythm and a lot of energy. With the help of a few mojitos, you’ll be pulling moves Shakira would envy. ¡Baila morena! â€" Suzy Stump

[21 Commerce, 10 p.m., 9 p.m. lessons, $3, 21st and Commerce, downtown Tacoma, 253.272.6278]

MORE MUSIC: In the clubs tonight.

If attendance is any sign, Tacoma’s family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve festival, First Night, has definitely returned, and with a promise of many more such nights to come. According to Lori Crace, an event coordinator for Metroparks who was “loaned” to the First Night board for this season’s festival, estimates for the turnout start at around 10,000 â€" “and that’s very conservative,” Crace says. Sound Transit’s downtown Link street car service, which delivered trainloads of festival-goers to the First Night site, had its Automatic People Counter go down when the number was nearing 7,000.  Alicia Lawver, First Night secretary, says Sound Transit estimates the total ridership at more than 7,000, which would make First Night the second-highest ridership-drawing event. Tall Ships is number one with around 9,000 riders per day.

Crace saw those loads of passengers debarking for the festival. “It looked like a subway train in Rome,” she recalls.

First Night hadn’t been filling the streets of downtown Tacoma for a while before last week’s 2007-2008 return. After 2004’s financial meltdown, the event went dark, recalls this year’s board chair, Bennett Thurmon, whose own festival history began when he first volunteered in 1995.

But a few members of the First Night board “stuck it out,” and began planning a comeback for 2007-2008. Thurmon, who joined the board for the renewed effort, became its chair in September.

The new board was determined to avoid the indebtedness that sank the festival in 2004, Thurmon explains. “We made a concerted effort to stay fiscally sound.”

And it worked. With discipline, and with the help of contributors who gave both cash and in-kind support, it soon became clear that the First Night budget was back on track.

Among the in-kind contributors was Metro Parks Tacoma, which loaned several staffers to this season’s project to do entertainment programming, publicity and maintenance. Lori Crace was among the human resources donated to help make the new First Night a success.

“I was a loaned executive,” Crace explains.

Not that she’s complaining. “I love doing festivals. I love seeing two or more generations of a family enjoying the same thing … (such experiences) provide spectacular little snapshots that become a part of a family’s history.”

But the 2007-2008 First Night festival was important to a somewhat larger family too. “I saw how much the community wanted this festival to come back,” Crace says.
Thurmon agrees. The community, he says, “seemed anxious and eager” for the return of First Night.

That eagerness translated into large numbers of festival-goers. Multiple performance venues actually had to turn people away, Thurmon reports.

Crace admits that she had been concerned whether the crowds would return to First Night. “It was a little scary,” she says. “We wondered, did we get the word out.”

Yep. It looks like they got the word out. â€" Bill Timnick

Diana Arens has been a fixture on KAOS 89.3 FM since 1991. Her show, “Free Things Are Cool,” is a mix of live and recorded music by some of the Northwest’s most influential and acclaimed artists. Folks such as Elliott Smith, Beck, Wanda Jackson, and Bikini Kill have all appeared on Arens’ show. And the list goes on. Modest Mouse, Heavens To Betsy, Kimya Dawson, Jonathan Richman, Crispin Glover, Stuart Murdoch before Belle and Sebastian, and historian Howard Zinn.

Her show tonight at 9 p.m. will feature Pat Maley of YoYo Recordings. Maley will discuss his record label, and past YoYo a Go Go festivals, including the ones he let Arens record live.

Sadly, her last show will be Wednesday, Jan. 23. 

Find out the scoop in tomorrow’s Weekly Volcano for an interview with Arens on the cover.

STAGE
Garrison Keillor
The fans of Garrison Keillor are a fierce bunch whose radios have for years been tuned religiously on Saturday nights to public radio’s resurrected “A Prairie Home Companion.” And it’s no wonder: A deadpan exemplar of the word “wry,” Keillor has a singular way with the tall tale and an old-fashioned, provincial wit that borders on â€"and sometimes plunges into â€" sentimentality. All this serves as a sort of a warning: When Keillor appears tonight at the Pantages Theater, the staunch are certain to turn out in legions. If you count yourself among them, get your tickets NOW! â€" Suzy Stump

[Pantages Theater, 7:30 p.m., $48-$70, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]

ROCK
Fear Train Caravan
Call them indie rock, call them folk rock, or acoustic-based Americana rock, but the common denominator remains the same: it’s the rock. Fear Train Caravan uses catchy hooks and groove-infused beats to lure fans out to dance, and once enthralled, so begins the unconscious feeding of politics heavy lyrics. Musicians have long used the stage to tell their tale, get their point of view out there or just be heard. In the fashion of early blues-laced Rolling Stones, the fury of pre-1990’s U2, and a healthy dose of obvious storyteller hero à la Eddie Vedder style vocals, FTC’s memorable music drips with searing social unrest, highlighting needed change, delivered by singer Ben Fuller who both writes and believes his own lyrics (no pop puppet there). â€" Jennifer Johnson

[Jazzbones, with North Twin, 7:30 p.m., all ages, $5, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

SWING
Vince Brown
Vince Brown is no stranger to string swing fans in the Northwest. As a part of the Tune Stranglers, Hot Club Sandwich and the duo Red and Ruby with LaVon Hardison, Brown’s nimble fingers have delighted audiences for more than 30 years. Beginning tonight, the guitarist/banjoist/ukulele-ist will host Swing Set every Thursday at the Dockside Bistro in Olympia. Each week, Brown will be joined by a different guest musician to jam in the spirit of Django Rienhardt. Tonight he is pleased to welcome swing violin legend Paul Anastasio. â€" Tony Engelhart

[The Dockside Bistro, 7-9 p.m., all ages, no cover, 501 Columbia St., Olympia, 360.956.1928]

SYNTH PUNK
Unicorn Basement
Part New Wave, part punk and part noise rock, Unicorn Basement is an experimental synth duet who are as quirky as Zappa, but their low-fi synthetic sound is more accessible than the king of proto-punk.

With influences as vast as Stereolab to Bowie, they are well versed in the art of musical experimentation. Yet, akin to the Velvet Underground, the music is not complex. But rather they rely on simplicity versus intricacy, which makes them a fun listen. Vocally, Unicorn is slightly robotic, which fits in with the early 1980s-sounding synthesizers they operate. â€" TE

[Le Voyeur, with Your Drugs My Money, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710]

MORE MUSIC: In the clubs tonight.

THE DAILY WORD
Learn it, use it, spell it

Histrionic \his-tree-ON-ik\, adjective:
1. Of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater; befitting a theater; theatrical.
2. Overly dramatic; deliberately affected.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Thanks to a spat of histrionic eye welling, Hillary Clinton is back in the race after a win in New Hampshire's Democratic Primary.

THE MORNING NEWS

DUPONT: Police chief demoted.

FIRCREST: Mayor Viafore ousted.

WARSAW: Man finds wife at a brothel.

NEW YORK: Weekend at Virgilios.

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: After canceling a show late last month at Seattle's High Dive, Fear Train Caravan will hit Jazzbones tonight for a politically charged, often scathing rant packaged in the form of true blue rock and roll.  At least that's what Bobble Tiki is expecting. Bobble Tiki's not that wild about politics, but Fear Train Caravan is one of his favorite bands of all time â€" and has been since the name was China Davis.  This just goes to show that lyrics are only important if you listen, and Fear Train Caravan has more than leftist momentum on their side.

MORE MUSIC: What's on tonight.

BAR EXAM: Steph DeRosa visits U.P. Station.

THREATS AND PROMISES COLUMN
Bobble Tiki’s coverage of the “Pianorama” concert at Jazzbones Friday, Jan. 11 is more challenging than most assignments. All week Bobble Tiki has had pianist on the mind, and he’s beginning to wonder about himself. Bobble Tiki’s been researching pianists, thinking about pianists, e-mailing pianists, and writing about the fact that three of the biggest pianists in the Northwest will be at Jazzbones for “Pianorama” next week. If Bobble Tiki looked at one more pianist on the Internet this week he may have exploded. Check out his discovery here.

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

Tacoma’s Broadway Center for the Performing Arts opened the doors of the Theater on the Square last night for a panel discussion focusing on one of the 20th century’s major political movements, the Civil Rights Movement.  The spotlight was on the “Black/White coalition” that formed around the movement, and the question posed was, essentially, whatever happened to that coalition, anyway?

The conversation was at times restrained, and at other times quite lively, as audience members and panelists explored the roots, as well as the fate, of the multi-cultural/ethnic/racial force inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders of the mid and late ‘60s.  The conversation was also recorded for broadcast on public radio.

Panelists, of whom there were eight, ranged from local educators from the University or Washington Tacoma and the Evergreen State College, along with representatives of local government, labor, the religious community, and the arts community.  University of Puget Sound faculty member, Dexter Gordon, served as moderator.

Dexter opened with a question that set the tone for an evening’s discussion of the Black/White coalition of the 1960s.  Essentially he asked, “What has happened to the coalition?

“Somewhere along the road,” he said, “the coalition has fallen apart…despite the great success of the coalition in the 1960s.”

The panelists offered several theories for the apparent disappearance of the progressive, multi-ethnic coalition of activism for social change that emerged during the Great Society era of the 60s.  Tom Hilyard, representing the county’s Office of Community Services, as well as the local chapter of the NAACP and the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective, suggested a combination of “time, specialization and diffusion,” explaining that “we’ve all gone about the business of engaging in our individual lives.”  He speculated that, since the ‘60s, other concerns have “begun to overshadow” what was once such a powerful focus on civil rights. 

Bill Hagens, a clinical professor a the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine, described the civil rights movement of the ‘60s as “really rather a short-term experience,” an exception to the country’s tendency to “lean toward the conservative.”  According to Hagen, the decline of the coalition created a kind of social and ideological “gulf” â€" followed eventually by the “period of social narcissism” in the 1980s.

“We started thinking that we didn’t really need each other,” Hagens said, “and we didn’t really need to solve each other’s problems.”

Audience member and former Tacoma mayor and council member, Harold Moss, who most recently served on the Pierce County Council, wondered if the panel was suggesting that the 60s inspired coalition could be somehow resurrected.  “The coalition was a tool and it was a tool of the times,” Moss said.  “We will not go back to those times.”

Times have changed, Moss said, and he echoed what several panelists had suggested â€" that discrimination, unlike the Black/White coalition itself, has not disappeared:  it’s just a little harder for the public to recognize it for what it is.

“There’s no point recreating what no longer exists,” Moss told the panel.  “You don’t need another coalition, you need a tool â€" for today.” â€" Bill Timnick

Not A Genuine Black Man
The Black/White coalition discussion was a precursor to Brian Copeland’s “Not A Genuine Black Man” performances Jan. 18-20 at Theatre on the Square.  For more information and tickets, go to the Broadway Center Web site.

Below is a preview of Copeland’s performance on YouTube.

The Olympian reports that some clown stole “Trevor,” the police mannequin, out of a police cruiser parked at Sixth Avenue and College Street Northeast in Lacey.

Andrew McCarthy could not be reached for comment. â€" Brad Allen