FILM
King Corn
Then catch a screening of King Corn at Pacific Lutheran University next Thursday. Three years ago, two Yale graduates set out to show that most of the Midwest’s corn isn’t the sweet eat-with-supper variety but instead it’s something the Terminator might grow. In the film, Cheney and Ellis relocate to Iowa to plant and grow one acre of corn and then follow its journey through the food-processing system, where it’s made into such products as high-fructose corn syrup and livestock feed. â€" Jake de Paul
[Ingram Hall, Thursday, March 20, 7-9 p.m., free, Pacific Lutheran University, Eighth Avenue South and Wheeler Street South, Parkland, 360.931.3534]

ART
Impractical Luminescence
Then bask in the glow of Galen McCarthy Turner’s art. I’m talking neon here. I’m talking palette, inert and noble gasses, charged ions and welded tubes. I’m talking channels of plasma interacting with the electrical conductivity of your body. But I’m just talking. See for yourself tonight. Don’t be left in the dark. â€" Suzy Stump
[Fulcrum Gallery, March 20-May 11, opening reception March 20 6-10 p.m., no cover, 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.250.0520]

ART
Bad Girls and Bold Boys
Mother Goose is dead.

She lies peacefully in the bare woods of winter. Her head, still crowned by a flowery bonnet, has been crushed and now rests face-down on the cold, leaf-strewn ground. Her arms and legs have been ripped from her body, which rots in its faded petticoat. Her severed limbs â€" as well as her faithful pet gander â€" are nowhere to be seen.

I could almost guarantee this image will be a part of Bad Girls and Bold Boys: 24 Artists Take On The Brothers Grimm opening tonight at The Lark Gallery. Each artist drew a Grimm Brothers story out of a hat for inspiration. Knowing Ryan Loiselle, James Hume, Huston, Tim Kapler, Gretchen Bailey and a few of the other artists’ styles â€" guaranteed Grimm! Oh, and sweet pea from King’s Books co-curated the show. Grimm! Grimm! Grimm! â€" Ron Swarner
[The Lark Gallery, Thursday, March 20, 5-9 p.m., show runs through April 13, free, Sanford & Son Antiques Middle Floor, 743 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.383.3168]

MUSIC
Suzanne’Silver
Suzanne’Silver â€" who have definitely been infected by the rock and roll bug and call Italy home â€" will play Le Voyeur tonight. They’ll be joined on the bill by Olympia’s equally inspiring math rock masters, Wisdom Teeth. The show will be a display of indie ethos at its best, and proof of rock and roll’s potential the world over.

Suzanne’Silver started in 1998 and was created by four teenagers enthralled by the early ’90s Seattle sound (Susan Silver was both Soundgarden's manager and the wife of lead singer Chris Cornell). How’s that for grunge touching the world? At this point, however, the Seattle sound is only a small starting point for their recipe. As 10 years have transpired since Suzanne’Silver came to be, the band’s influences are now varied â€" ranging from said grunge to blues roots to current indie vibrations. â€" Matt Driscoll
[Le Voyeur, Suzanne’Silver, Wisdom Teeth, Jetty Cats, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710]

LINK: Circle Of Deception and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Third Thursday Art Walk galleries and museums.
LINK: Let’s eat Chinese.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: THEATER THURSDAY >>>

Boy Gets Girl
Theater Artists Olympia is premiering Boy Gets Girl by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Tom Sanders. The psychological thriller is basically a stalker's tale. Theresa Bedell is a journalist for a New York magazine, The World and finds herself set up on a blind date with Tony. They have some beers, then go out on a real dinner-date, but her heart isn't in it, and Tony doesn't really do it for her, so she breaks things off before they ever really get started. Tony, however, sees things differently.

Then his efforts to win her over step from the desperate to the creepy. He follows her and makes sure she knows that he has been watching her. The show gets dark quickly after that.
[Black Box Theatre, through March 30, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $12, Kenneth Minnaert Center for the Performing Arts, South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia, 360.357.3471, www.buyolympia.com]

Mamma Mia!
The hit tribute to the glam-band ABBA is playing in the Emerald City, Mamma Mia!,  a musical with a book by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, which just happens to be the best band to come out of northern Europe, is a perfect example of  the latest trend of jukebox musical. While the musical draws its musical inspiration from the the band, the play has really nothing to do with the group itself.
[Paramount Theatre, 7:30 p.m. March 20, 8 p.m. March 21, 2 and 8 p.m. March 22, 1 and 6:30 p.m. March 23, $20-$77, 911 Pine St., Seattle, 206.292.2787, www.ticketmaster.com]

Diary of Anne Frank
While the story of a little girl in Holland during World War II has been fodder for community and school theater programs for more than a generation, regional theaters often shy away from it since they often strive to bring something different to their audiences. But it is always great when they find themselves recasting traditional shows in their own ways. Intiman Theatre is just one of those cases. The theater is staging Diary of Anne Frank, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
[Intiman Theatre, March 21-May 17, $10 to $50, 201 Mercer St., Seattle, 206.269.1900, www.intiman.org]

LINK: View From The Cheap Seats.
LINK: Local theater.

KEN SWARNER: CHATTING UP CHINA >>>

When I traveled to China in February, I expected a visual trip â€" seeing the ancient sites and modern changes of a country few in the West explore. Food never entered my mind or my plans other than hoping to try Peking duck and seeing what the hype over teahouses might be. Then, I took my first bite of China â€" and my view changed completely, forever. China takes food seriously.

In China, people don’t eat alone â€" that just doesn’t happen. Plates arrive to the middle of the table. Diners have their own bowl of rice but collectively stab at the food with chopsticks in a double-dipping manner that would send some prissy Americans screaming for the door.

Freshness forms a foundation for the Chinese. Fish, bullfrogs, turtles, shellfish live their final days in tanks smack dab in the middle of the restaurants. Patrons pick their catch then sip tea or beer until their choices appear at the table fried, steamed, sauced or whatever.

I spent 10 days in Qingdao and Beijing, or in other words, culinary heaven. The shrimp tasted divine â€" perfectly plump, firm and sweet stuffed inside delicate dumplings. I enjoyed several steamed fish in light soy sauce, served with head and tail because it’s part of the freshness factor Chinese demand. I even scored with a reservation at the Li Family Restaurant in a Beijing hutong where heads of state eat when in the Red Country. The multi-course meal may not equal the multiple of dishes Chinese emperor’s enjoyed inside the Forbidden City nightly, but the experience was decadent nonetheless.

On the streets, I tempted the dysentery fates ordering succulent pork stewed in hot chili oil then stuffed into a sweet steamed bun for practically pennies. The “oh my God that’s good” factor worked overtime. I didn’t go all Andrew Zimmern and try fried scorpions on a stick, but I felt smug for at least giving street food a try.

Food remains cheap in China â€" ridiculously inexpensive. Not that I was complaining. A four dish meal with lots of beer can run $8 total.

I based my story of local Chinese cuisine in today’s Weekly Volcano on the lack of authentic Chinese food in the South Sound. I suppose it doesn’t matter whether General Tso’s chicken or Mongolian beef are Chinese imports or not if people enjoy how they taste. But what is that taste, if not imitation and stale?  I find American Chinese food processed, empty and indistinguishable from one taste to the next. I have always felt that way â€" I just didn’t know there existed better options. Seriously, how is it that in America we take foods from places like China and Mexico and create heaping plates of lard? They don’t taste that way where they came from. With that said, all is not lost. There are places in the South Sound that cater to those wanting authentic bites from around the world … it’s just difficult when it comes to finding good Chinese food.

Lotus Perry told me that, “We need more restaurants like Tacoma Szechwan to ‘revive’ the local Chinese culinary scene.”

Maybe Perry’s reconciliation project can accomplish that. Maybe as China dapples in freedom and commerce we can have more Chinese chefs come to our shores. I hope so, because frankly, I’m hungry.

LINK: Chinese cuisine in the South Sound.

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD
Acerbic \uh-SUR-bik\, adjective:
Sharp, biting, or acid in temper, expression, or tone.

USAGE EXAMPLE: He wasn’t typically an acerbic boss, but after a teenage Bobble Tiki spilled French fry grease all over the kitchen, Ned, who’d worked his way to general manager of Lucky Burger, lost his cool.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Gas thief caught

OLYMPIA: Women in black

SEATTLE: Fight to the death

CAMPAIGN ‘08: Hillary’s planner

THINGS TO DO TODAY
MOVIE TIMES: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening

NEW VOLCANO: Check it out

SUZY STUMP: VIGIL ON SIXTH AVENUE >>>

Chiara Wood of The Turning Point hosted a Tacoma candlelight vigil last night as part of a national vigil in protest of the five-year war in Iraq.

Fifty people gathered in front of the Sixth Avenue business to speak their minds and pray in silence.

It was heartfelt.

Tomorrow night Satellite Coffee will celebrate its grand opening - inviting Supersuckers Eddie Spaghetti and Ron Heathman (Satellite's co owner) to rock out below the caffeine dispensing shack at Supernova Hair and Tattoo. Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies will also perform. The music will start around 9 p.m., but those who arrive between 8-9 p.m. will receive a free eight ounce French press coffee as a token of Satellite's appreciation for Tacoma.

While Satellite has now been open since November, in the spot that once touted another famed T-Town coffee shop Temple of the Bean, according to co owner Pat Brown, now is the perfect time to celebrate.

"Initially, we did a soft opening," says Brown. "We just wanted to get the place open at first. We were still evolving, and I'm not even sure we've evolved all the way yet."

"But now we just want to have a party. We're glad winter is over and Satellite's open."

As happy as Tacoma has been to slurp down healthy servings of Stumptown Coffee - which comes from Portland, is all the rage, and is exclusively served at Satellite - Brown has been just as happy to set up shop in Tacoma. Without Tacoma, says Brown, the idea wouldn-t have been possible.

"One of the things I always try to stress is it's been a real community effort. Satellite has gotten help from innumerable people. It's been a reciprocal relationship with Satellite and Tacoma," says Brown.

"We love it here."

And Tacoma loves Satellite. According to Brown, his shop's success can be mainly attributed to Tacoma's readiness for Stumptown Coffee - which has a taste only outdone by the company's business ethos and drive to create what Brown calls "real life change" in coffee producing countries. Tacoma's enthusiastic response to Satellite can be measured by both the small outpost's daily business and people's reaction to their grand opening party. Brown expects the turnout tomorrow night to be "just silly."

"Right now we just want to continue doing what we're doing and continue getting the word out about Satellite," says Brown.

"We're still the best kept secret on Division and I St."

Not for long.

To RSVP for Satellite's grand opening party, go here.

ROCKABILLY BLUES
Billy Joe and the Dusty 45s
Not only has this band perfected the art of rockabilly blues, enough so to make the artists of the ’50s and ’60s proud, but frontman Billy Joe Huels has a pyrotechnic side that Bobble Tiki can relate to. At the climax of nearly every Dusty 45s performance, Huels defies (if not death) good reason, and lights his trumpet on fire â€" while playing. How does something metallic catch fire? You’ll have to check them out this week at Jazzbones to find out.

The Dusty 45s started in Seattle in 1997, and there’s a reason this band of Buddy Holly style rockers has survived. It’s because they’re good … and, at least according to Bobble Tiki, because they’re not afraid of a little conflagration. â€" Bobble Tiki

[Jazzbones, Billy Joe and the Dusty 45s, Family Jones Fortune, 9 p.m., $10, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

HARDCORE
Never Looking Back
Say what you will about Tacoma's Never Looking Back, but one thing's certain. For a brooding but sonically average hardcore band that embraces melodies, these guys throw their hearts and souls into the music. While Never Looking Back frontman Jeremy Bushnell screams like a hardcore centerpiece should, right there in the middle of the pack there's a noticeable passion that Never Looking Back applies to the songwriting process that separates them from the growling throngs of young metal acts. â€" Matt Driscoll
[Viaduct, Never Looking Back, More Than Heroes, Crucified, Enemy Camp, No truce, 7 p.m., all ages, $7, 5412 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, www.myspace.com/viaductvenue]

PARTY
Satellite Coffee Grand Opening
The brain trust behind Satellite Coffee will chat you up for hours on the science behind making the perfect cup of coffee. I can’t follow their code-speak. They are smart. And they know their beans.

If you have yet to visit this tiny, elevated coffee house that opened November 2007, drop by Friday, March 21, during its grand opening party held below at its neighbor Supernova Hair and Tattoo. I guarantee you’ll learn a thing or two, drink delicious Stumptown Coffee and hear live music from Eddie Spaghetti and Rontrose Heathman (Satellite co-owner) of The Supersuckers, and Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies. Music begins at 9 p.m., but the free cup of 8-ounce coffee from the French press pushes down at 8 p.m.
[Supernova Hair & Tattoo, 8 p.m., 817 Division Ave., Tacoma]

LINK: MC Gigahertz and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Four-star film at The Grand Cinema.
LINK: Let’s eat Italian today.

BOBBLE TIKI: WIDE EYE PANIC >>>

Bobble Tiki loves him some Wide Eye Panic. The Lacey-based band is loud, heavy and moody, but when someone calls ‘em hardcore, it makes Bobble Tiki feel sorta dirty. They’re no more a hardcore band than Styx is a black metal act. Bobble Tiki digs their smart structures, freakin’ melodies, a brutal sense of dynamics and a complete willingness to tear your neck off makes Bobble Tiki sweet on them.

Wide Eye Panic celebrates the release of their new CD, The Process, tonight at Maggie O’Toole’s.  Bobble Tiki caught up with WEP drummer Andrew Kuhn to discuss The Process.

BOBBLE TIKI: How is The Process different from your first album?

ANDREW KUHN: It differs due to the evolution of all of us as musicians and friends. We all took the time to further explore our instruments. Writing was a huge difference as well. The whole band took part in the writing this time around. The quality and length of the recording process was  quite different, too. We spent more time and money understanding our gear. The Process is more what we set out to create. The Process had a great mindset. We all were in a great mood and had some failed relationships and other life events that helped us create a masterpiece.

TIKI: Why the title The Process?

KUHN: The Process was initially the title of the current song "Clarity." Our producer, Dave Filburn, had a vision of the title of the record so we changed it. It was a process as well.

TIKI: Does the crowd at Maggie O'Toole's rock?

KUHN: The crowds we play to are quite amazing in the fact that they have grown in numbers. Our philosophy is â€" you pay $5 to see us, we give you a $50 show. As for Maggie O' Toole's, a lot of our Tacoma based fan show up there. It's always a good party.

[Maggie O’Toole’s, Wide Eye Panic CD release show with Low Thin Square, 2 Headed Chang and Rishloo, Friday, March 21, 9 p.m., $5, 6006 100th St. S.W., Lakewood, 253.584.3276]

LINK: Wide Eye Panic.
LINK: Maggie O'Toole's.

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Myriad \MIR-ee-uhd\, adjective:
1. Consisting of a very great, but indefinite, number; as, myriad stars.
2. Composed of numerous diverse elements or aspects.
3. The number of ten thousand; ten thousand persons or things. (Chiefly in reference to the Greek numeral system, or in translations from Greek or Latin).
4. An immense number; a very great many; an indefinitely large number.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Inside Bobble Tiki’s liver sits a myriad of toxins.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA:  More gas thief info

OLYMPIA: Environmental brainstorming

SEATTLE:  HUGE tip jar

CAMPAIGN ‘08: Double breach

THINGS TO DO TODAY
MOVIE TIMES: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening

SUZY STUMP: THIRD THURSDAY ART WALK >>>

Despite being chilled to the bone I was able to catch a few shows last night during Third Thursday Art Walk.  If you get a chance, check out The Lark Gallery's Bad Girls and Bold Boys, The Helm's Children of Nature and Fulcrum Gallery's Impractical Luminescence. All are impressive. Did anyone else notice the tree branch theme at all three?

I snapped a few shots at Fulcrum Gallery including a few as neon artist Galen Turner was dicking around with a neon tube.

The fruity M. Chapoutier, La Bernardine, Châteauneuf de Pape, 2003, and non-greasy, crunchy onion rings at Pacific Grill nailed the night as stellar.