MATT DRISCOLL: LOVES HIM SOME PEARL JAM>>>

Eddie Vedder, through a Pearl Jam publicist, officially announced plans for a small, West Coast solo tour today. The "April Fools Tour" will begin on April 2 in Vancouver B.C. Common sense would suggest Vedder's sets will consist heavily of songs he wrote for the recent Sean Penn film, Into the Wild.

Check out the official announcement here.

Below is Vedder's tour itinerary. There's no Seattle date, as you can see, but even the News Tribune is speculating a surprise show on April Fools' Day seems likely. Stay tuned.

Eddie Vedder tour dates
April 2: Vancouver, British Columbia (The Centre, $66.50 Canadian)
April 5: Santa Cruz, California (Civic Auditorium, $65.50)
April 7: Berkeley, California (Zellerbach Theatre, $65.50)
April 10: Santa Barbara, California (Arlington Theatre, $68)
April 12: Los Angeles, California (Wiltern Theater, $68.50)
April 13: Los Angeles, California (Wiltern Theater, $68.50)
April 15: San Diego, California (Spreckels Theater, $67.75)

Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 22.

SUZY STUMP: AND ... FEB. 24 IS THE DAY >>>

That's right.  The Academy Awards broadcast is Sunday, Feb. 24. Oscars Day. The day all those little-golden-statue-grubbers have been losing sleep over. You want to watch, you know you do. But. You are cool. You are hip. You are in. And, in your crowd, you do not watch the Oscars. It is not done. But, oh, how you want to. What’s a hipster to do? The Grand Cinema Academy Awards Party at the Rialto Theater. Your ticket helps keep The Grand's projector wheels spinning, and you will get to alleviate your cultural conscience while maintaining your coolness while enjoying food from the Varsity Grill, desserts from El Gaucho, hello cupcake and Corina Bakery, a raffle, an auction and a cash bar. You win, again. â€" Suzy Stump

[Rialto Theater, Sunday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m., $14-$17, 310 S. Ninth, Tacoma, 253.572.6062]

MATT DRISCOLL: HIPPIE WHISPERER>>>

Since most of the Weekly Volcano’s readership lives in Tacoma, as that’s where the paper is most heavily distributed, I often find myself in a position to play translator. I often find myself explaining the nature of Olympians to Tacomans, and vice versa. I lived in Olympia for years and still have many friends there, but I’m a Tacoman at heart. I consider playing translator something of a duty.

Today, when headlines covered the Tacoma News Tribune’s website, leading to pictures of an overturned police car and words ranting about a riot on the campus of Evergreen, I assumed many Tacomans would have the same, somewhat inaccurate sentiment.

“Stupid hippies.”

Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of stupid hippies in Olympia, just as there are plenty of stupid people around the world.

Lot’s of people are stupid, some of them are hippies. Some of them live in Olympia and some in Tacoma.

But, based more on reports surfacing on area blogs and internet postings than media coverage, the “riot” at Evergreen last night didn’t have much to do with peace and love or leg hair. It seems this was a more of a typical human rights struggle.

So, especially for Tacomans, here’s a look at some first hand accounts of last night’s melee from actual Olympians. It offers insight the Tribune’s coverage is sorely lacking.

BRAD ALLEN: CRAP. NOW WHAT DO I EAT? >>>

Men’s Health magazine announced The 20 Worst Foods in America.

The worst is located in several spots around the South Puget Sound:

Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing

• 2,900 calories
• 182 g fat
• 240 g carbs

I love to take this dish and wrap a tortilla smothered in cheese around it.

ART
Lino Tagliapietra
Lino Tagliapietra is a glass maestro from the oldest international glass art capital in the world â€" and no, I don’t mean the upstart glass capital of Tacoma, Wash. I mean Murano, an island off the coast of Venice, Italy, that was a recognized world glass center before the United States was a country.

Americans don’t even have such things as maestros â€" although we do sometimes use the word as a term of respect. A real maestro in the European tradition is someone who has served an apprenticeship, mastered his craft and taught it to others. Tagliapietra began his glassblowing apprenticeship with Archimede Seguso at the age of 12 and became a maestro at 21. Now 72, he is lauded throughout the world for his skilled craftsmanship and classical design.

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass will host Tagliapietra’s first retrospective exhibition beginning Feb. 23. In conjunction with the exhibition, Tagliapietra will come to Tacoma for two five-day visiting artist residencies working in the museum’s Hot Shop Feb. 13-17 and Feb. 27-March 2.

Watch the action live from MOG’s Web site stream.â€" Alec Clayton

[Museum of Glass, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $10, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.284.4750, www.museumofglass.org]

ART
Winterglass
A glass event after Valentine’s Day could be blown out of portion and into a childish pun. Too easy. After all blowing glass is hard. The Rebecca V Gallery hosts Winterglass ’08, an artists opening and reception for 12 established and emerging glass artists including Michael Church, Melissa Misoda, Greg Piecy and Evan Schuass. OK, I suppose the people who attend this Saturday party will get lucky too â€" they might find that perfect piece of art.

The event benefits Tacoma’s Hilltop Artist in Residence program. â€" Suzy Stump

[Rebecca V Gallery, Saturday, Feb. 16, 6-9 p.m., 3010 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.9111]

MORE ART: In the galleries and museums today.

ROCK
Mismatch
While it’s hard to peg these guys, I’ll give it a shot. The Graham-based band slot themselves as “indie folk rock,” which melds blues, rock, soul and country. In other words, they are all over the map with no clear destination, but it works.

The quartet of Rochelle Meigs (guitar, vocals), Chris Plogman (bass), Mike Plogman (guitar) and Steve Albert (drums) formed a little less than a year ago but are already causing quite a stir in the Northwest’s alternative music scene. Doing mostly self-penned material courtesy of Meigs’ knack to craft a good song, the band is highly original both musically and lyrically. Meigs is also the lead singer who bleeds on stage while singing about her failed relationships. â€" Tony Engelhart

[Bob’s Java Jive, The Return Of The Bison, Mismatch, The Monochromatics, Darren Selector, 8 p.m., $3, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

BLUES
Sean Costello
Costello may be young, but he’s also proven. In Costello’s 10-plus year career, the blossoming blues guitarist has spent more time touring than most seasoned blues vets, and he’s earned the acclaim and accolades to show his success is no fluke. The blues community knows Costello, and has accepted him with open arms. Because a bluesman is what Costello was born to be. 

Check out Costello’s show at Jazzbones on Saturday, then if you like what you hear, pick up his latest record the following Tuesday. Costello may be young, but he epitomizes the blues. As music fans, what more could we ask for? â€" Bobble Tiki

[Jazzbones, Sean Costello, Ben Fuller, Saturday, Feb. 16, 9 p.m., $10-$12, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma 253.396.9169]

ALEC CLAYTON: REV. JAMES LAWSON TRIFECTA >>>

I never heard of the Rev. James Lawson, but if Glen Anderson of Olympia’s branch of Fellowship of Reconciliation says he’s “one of the strongest leaders in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement,” then he must be. I trust Anderson.

Lawson will speak in Tacoma Monday, Feb 25 at Shiloh Baptist Church; Tuesday, Feb. 26 at St. John Baptist Church; and Wednesday, Feb. 27 at the University of Washington, Tacoma. 

Lawson was the main organizer of the nonviolent sit-ins to integrate lunch counters in Nashville, Tenn., in about 1961. He has a strong background in Gandhian nonviolence and had actually spent time in India studying the principles and methodology with some of Gandhi’s close associates.

"Speaking to Lawson is the closest most of us will ever come to speaking with Martin Luther King, Jr., who called him the leading theorist of nonviolence in the United States," says Prof. Michael Honey of the UW-Tacoma.

For more information, call: Associated Ministries of Tacoma/Pierce County at 253.383.3056 ext 119.

• Shiloh Baptist Church, “Where Do We Go From Here? Forty Years Since Martin Luther King Jr.,” 7 p.m., Feb 25, 1211 South "I" Street, Tacoma
• St. John Baptist Church, “Dialogue on Economic Justice and the Church,” noon-1:30 p.m., Feb. 26, 2001 South "J" Street (at 20th), Tacoma
• University of Washington-Tacoma, “Dialogue on Philosophy and Practice of Non-Violence,” 7 p.m., Feb. 27, (BHS Room 106, above the UW Book Store), 19th and Pacific, Tacoma

SUZY STUMP: ONE FINAL GLASS OF WINE >>>

Just a quick reminder that Vin Grotto Cafe & Wine Bar will be selling its wine inventory at cost Monday and Tuesday during lunch hours. 

Last night I had the official last glass of wine (T3)  purchased during dinner at Vin Grotto.  Owner Kris Blondin sold the downtown Tacoma wine bar to Jeff Bishop's investment group that will open Merende, a Mediterranean-Italian restaurant in mid April.

I grabbed several bottles for my cellar too as Blondin walked me through her stock repeating "Oh, you will love this one"  until my paycheck was gone.

Blondin ended last night with a bittersweet celebration with her staff at the Tempest Lounge.

I will miss Vin Grotto.

LINK: Spew breaks the story.

LINK: Ed Murrieta waxes Merende.

Play with your face
It can take hours getting ready for a night out on the town. Just getting dressed can leave you scrambling for time, a mascara wand in your hand looking in the rear view mirror while driving. We forget that the first thing people usually notice is our face, instead of our designer bags or shoes.

Make-up is its own fashion statement, and instead of going for boring black or brown eyeliner, that leaves you looking like a raccoon in the morning, this spring go for bright eyeliners. Almay, found at any Rite Aid and Walgreens, is one of my favorite eyeliner lines. Almay’s purple eyeliner will make your peepers pop. For brown eyes, a smoky purple liner right on the lash line combined with lavender shadow brings out the chocolaty richness of the eye. For green eyes a vibrant hue of violet creates a playful contrast between the two colors making the eye look bigger. For ladies with the baby blues deep dark blueish-purples are best. The blue highlights the eye color and the purple tones add depth and dimension. Purple can work for anyone when done right, so this spring be daring with your liner and let your beautiful eyes be the best part of your outfit. â€" Alexandra DeLong

Once Upon A Child
Fashion trends are so fickle and forceful. A friend related an uncomfortable story recently of how she took her 10-year-old son shopping for pants and was completely dismayed to discover that the high-ups in the fashion industry have decided that boy’s pants will now be skinny-legged. Think of the tight jeans rocker and punk guys wear. Think of the dirty-hot singer you were drooling over on the stage last weekend; the one in the skinny black jeans making the pelvic thrusting motions toward the crowd. Now your son gets to wear them. The friend further tells me of how she pulled her son through rows of pants, whole stores and shopping centers before giving in and getting him a pair. The poor boy didn’t want them, either. He wanted his usual mid-range baggy pants that had a little room in the seat. How did this happen? Who decides what we have as options for our children’s clothing and where we can buy them, anyway? I say, “We do!” or at least those who actually have kids do.

Youngsters are under ever mounting pressure to fit in and look cool. That’s pretty difficult to do when corporate designers keep changing things on them. Plus it’s hard on mom and dad’s pocket since kids grow so fast. Consignment stores offer a lower price for past year’s fashions for kids. Once Upon A Child is one of many shops in the area that sells discounted used clothes for kids and babies accepting only gently worn items, so unlike a trip to Goodwill, one doesn’t have to spend 10 minutes per garment looking for torn or unraveling seams, missing buttons, food stains and such. â€" Jennifer Johnson

Fashion news
Fendi created a new do-it-yourself baguette bag decorating kit. Get in on the action!

BOBBLE TIKI: FULMINATE, MEAT THE VEGAN, SEAN COSTELLO>>>

THE DAILY WORD
Fulminate \FUL-muh-nayt\, intransitive verb:

1. To issue or utter verbal attacks or censures authoritatively or menacingly.
2. To explode; to detonate.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Like all of his siblings, Bobble Tiki learned how to fulminate from his mother. Bobble Tiki will never forget the morning at IHOP when Mother Tiki told the waitress to “eat *** you **** sucking ******. I hope you rot in ********* hell. You’re a ********. You mother’s probably a *******. And everyone you come in contact with is ******** stupider for the experience.”

MORNING NEWS

SEATTLE: Real life jumper

TACOMA: Walmart exclusive

OLYMPIA: Riot fallout

SPORTS: Super rookies

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: www.myspace.com/meatthevegan ">Meat the Vegan will play tonight along with the www.myspace.com/thethirtyninesteps ">39 Steps and the Hard Way tonight at the Fourth Ave Tavern in Olympia. Not only does Bobble Tiki think Meat the Vegan is an excellent band name, but now (as the word vegan will from here on out) it makes Bobble Tiki think of Roger Clemens’ stupid, swollen face, admitting to congress and the world that he doesn’t know what a vegan is. That’s some backwoods shit, yo. Bobble Tiki thinks Roger Clemens is a douche bag, and thinks this show tonight at the Fourth Ave Tavern should be worth dropping in on.

MORE MUSIC: What’s on tonight
SAVE THE MURRAY MORGAN: See who wants to

THREATS AND PROMISES COLUMN

Sean Costello may be young, but he’s also proven. In Costello’s ten plus year career the blossoming blues guitarist has spent more time touring than most seasoned blues vets, and he’s earned the acclaim and accolades to show his success is no fluke. The blues community knows Costello, and has accepted him with open arms. Because a bluesman is what Costello was born to be. On Saturday, February 16th Sean Costello will play Jazzbones in Tacoma. Those who need proof that the blues are alive and well need look no further.

Breakfast with Bobble Tiki runs six days a week now. Deal with it.